Herrscher of Dominance in Honkai, starting with the abduction of Kiana

Weng~

The subtle sound of a spatial portal opening echoed. Li Sushang, sitting dejectedly in front of the game machine, abruptly changed her expression. 

She swiftly placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, looking up intently at the girl who had just teleported through the window and appeared before her.

"Who are you?"

There was no response. However, the oppressive aura emanating from the girl, like the ominous calm before a storm, made Li Sushang feel an immense pressure.

This heavy atmosphere quickly spread throughout the entire arcade. Even the players engrossed in their games felt an inexplicable fear. 

But when they looked around, they couldn't find the source of the oppressive feeling. The bolder ones continued playing, but the more timid players fumbled with their controls and began cursing, preparing to head home for some sleep.

"How do you know he's dead?"

The raspy voice reached Li Sushang's ears. She furrowed her brow, "He? Who are you talking about?"

"Ren… Where did you hear that name?"

Although Li Sushang was rather naive, she wasn't foolish. She immediately realized that the name "Ren" had caught the girl's attention.

However, Kiana, in her current distraught state, was already somewhat out of control, exerting an incredibly strong pressure on Li Sushang. Within this pressure, Li Sushang also sensed traces of a Honkai beast (Herrscher), making her instinctively wary of this unfamiliar girl.

Her thoughts raced. Based on their time together, Li Sushang was certain that Ren was just an ordinary person, with no Honkai energy reaction whatsoever. There was no way he could have any connection to a Herrscher.

Following this line of thought, she subconsciously recalled the ARC City destruction incident she had overheard about. Sensing the increasingly strong Herrscher aura from Kiana, Li Sushang speculated that this girl might be the culprit behind the city's devastation.

This would explain a few things. Ren's parents died in that disaster; if this girl was indeed the perpetrator, it wasn't impossible for her to know about Ren's existence.

Recalling the trope of killing witnesses to silence them from the martial arts novels she had read, Li Sushang theorized that the girl might be searching for Ren because he had witnessed her crime. She might be trying to eliminate any trace of the disaster by hunting him down.

I can't let her know about Ren's whereabouts.

Li Sushang quickly concocted an elaborate scenario in her mind and resolved to keep Ren's secret safe.

"Further talk is pointless. I will absolutely not tell you his whereabouts," Li Sushang declared gravely.

If Ren were here, he'd probably be exasperated by his "helpful" teammate.

As expected, the moment Li Sushang finished speaking, the grim, almost tearful expression on Kiana's face faltered. A faint flicker of hope ignited in her dull eyes, like a drowning person grasping at a lifeline.

Her lips trembled, and she held her breath, afraid that any louder sound would extinguish that fragile flame.

"His whereabouts… He's still alive? Are you saying he's still alive?" Kiana asked, her voice trembling with a near-pleading tone.

"Oops." By saying that, haven't I just made it clear that Ren isn't dead? This girl wants to eliminate all traces of him. If she learns that he's alive, she'll eventually find him.

Cursing her own foolishness inwardly, Li Sushang tried to maintain a calm facade as she explained, "Of course, he's already dead. I'm talking about the location of his burial. You misheard…"

"You're lying!" Kiana interrupted before Li Sushang could finish. Ren had been killed by her own hands; there was no body to bury.

Moreover, the girl's evasive eyes and unnatural movements couldn't fool Kiana, whose intelligence had seemingly spiked to 200 in this moment.

There were only two possibilities for such behavior. First, someone was impersonating Ren. Second, Ren was indeed alive, but in some unusual form. Regardless of the situation, she had to investigate thoroughly.

The more Li Sushang tried to conceal, the stronger Kiana's suspicion grew. Her gaze was fixed on Li Sushang, not letting a single movement or expression escape her notice.

"Your attire…" Li Sushang wasn't wearing traditional Shenzhou clothing but a specially designed outfit with numerous Schicksal elements incorporated. Kiana recognized these elements, further solidifying her suspicions about Li Sushang's identity.

"Did Otto send you?" Her tone wasn't angry but held a hint of anticipation.

If it was Schicksal, if it was that man, then there might actually be a chance that Ren was still alive.

"No, I'm just here on a trip." Seeing her identity being gradually exposed, Li Sushang became visibly anxious. Her panicked denial only reinforced Kiana's suspicions.

"You can't fool me. Although you're controlling it well, I'm a Herrscher. The strong Honkai energy reaction in your body can't be faked. And those clothes you're wearing—that's not ordinary clothing; it's modified armor."

Li Sushang dared not speak further. The pressure Kiana exerted was simply too great; if this continued, she felt like she'd be completely exposed. 

The only way out was to use Taixu Sword God to temporarily force her back, then immediately take Ren and find the Luocha people, escaping far away from this city.

Black and white lotuses silently bloomed, and a flash of sword light appeared.

Li Sushang's sword was one of the ten Divine Keys of Xuanyuan, which after adapting to her, transformed into a long sword called [Ink-Dyed Fragrance].

The light in the arcade was instantly saturated with black and white ink. But when the colors faded, the two figures had already vanished.

If they were to fight in the arcade, half the city might not survive. Therefore, both tacitly moved the battlefield to the city's high altitude.

Above ARC City, the night was as dark as ink. Under the cover of this darkness, no one noticed the two figures clashing in the sky.

The blades of the Sub-Space Xuanyuan and Ink-Dyed Fragrance collided, sending sparks flying. These weren't burning metal fragments but the annihilation of Honkai energy canceling each other out.

The difference in strength between Kiana in her Herrscher form and Li Sushang wielding Taixu Sword Qi wasn't significant. The clashing swords reached a stalemate; neither could gain an advantage over the other.

Both immediately changed their tactics. Kiana, skilled in Kaslana Gun Kata, twisted her body and launched a side kick towards Li Sushang. Her height gave her an advantage, aiming for Li Sushang's throat with no intention of holding back.

This girl possessed information about Ren. No matter the means, she had to be captured.

Faced with Kiana's side kick, Li Sushang naturally wouldn't take it head-on. Her figure flickered, leaving behind a fading lotus-shaped afterimage.

Invisible sword Qi condensed into tangible blades, forming a dense sword array in mid-air. Li Sushang gracefully landed on one of the swords, creating distance between them.

Two fingers moved like a sword across her body, and countless strands of sword Qi surged forth, transforming into streams of light that shot towards Kiana. Simultaneously, the sword array shifted, cutting off all of Kiana's escape routes.

"Kiana, Flying Swallow Style!" Fu Hua, in her consciousness form, sensed the killing intent of the sword array and guided Kiana to break free.

Amidst the rain of sword Qi, Kiana became a swallow untouched by the rain. The crisp, melodic sounds of the dense sword strikes echoed, yet none managed to graze her.

"Taixu Sword Qi? Who are you?"

Recalling her sword array, Li Sushang floated in the air, supported by her flying sword. Although Taixu Sword Qi wasn't forbidden for outsiders to learn, its difficulty was akin to ascending to heaven. 

Apart from her master, Li Sushang had never heard of anyone else mastering it.

She had confirmed this with Otto the first moment she regained consciousness. She quickly realized that the Qi she had sensed earlier wasn't from someone else but from this Herrscher girl before her.

Could she be my grandmaster?

According to her master, (Cheng) Lingshuang, her parents might have died at the hands of Fu Hua. To uncover the truth behind her parents' deaths, Li Sushang needed to find Fu Hua.

Now, the sudden appearance of a Herrscher wielding Taixu Sword Qi made it hard for her not to think of Fu Hua.

"Before that, tell me what your relationship with Ren is. Where is he?"

Unable to defeat her opponent quickly, Kiana was also growing anxious, but she didn't show it. Instead, she chose to probe for information. Any information Li Sushang revealed about Ren would further prove that he might still be alive.

"I'll repeat myself: he's dead. He has nothing to do with you. Whatever entanglement you had with him is over. Don't bother him anymore; don't look for him anymore."

Li Sushang's intention was to make Kiana give up on pursuing Ren. After all, in traditional martial arts philosophy, death brings an end to all earthly matters; past grievances should be forgiven. 

This was the traditional chivalrous mindset, but to Kiana, it only translated to "no connection, don't bother him."

Even if Ren is still alive, he has new friends, new companions. And you, Kiana, are just someone whose path has diverged from his. Don't bother him anymore.

Is that what she meant?

"Don't be ridiculous! We promised to journey together. How can I abandon everything we agreed upon? Even if you turn to ashes, I will bring you back!"

Under normal circumstances, Kiana wouldn't have such extreme thoughts. But the suppressed emotions she had been carrying had pushed her to the brink of collapse. 

The corruption from Honkai seized this opportunity, injecting the Herrscher of the Void's negative emotions into Kiana's mind.

A golden light shone brilliantly in the dark night sky. Kiana stared at Li Sushang, no longer suppressing the Herrscher of the Void's aura. The icy chill nearly froze the sky itself.

Thick, dark clouds gathered, forming a Honkai vortex.

"As expected, Herrschers are dangerous beings," Li Sushang sighed, realizing the girl was getting serious. She quietly placed two fingers on her sword.

She had initially wanted to inquire about Fu Hua, but she couldn't hold back against a Kiana who had lost control. Continuing to rely on Taixu Sword Qi would no longer suffice. Only by using the strongest Taixu Sword God would she have a chance of defeating her.

"A Herrscher wielding Taixu Sword Qi... Is this what happens when one loses control while cultivating Taixu Swordsmanship? Perhaps the rule established by my grandmaster—that those who succumb to inner demons must be eliminated—was precisely for this reason," Li Sushang murmured.