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

The gentle sunlight was bright and cheerful, its rays filtering through the clouds and illuminating the girl's profile. Kiana leaned against a wall, eyes closed, the cool morning breeze caressing her cheek, stirring the few white strands at her temples.

"Kiana... Kiana!" A hazy voice called her back to consciousness. She slowly opened her eyes, the bright sunlight momentarily blinding her.

"Class Monitor, what's wrong?" The lingering confusion gradually faded, and the voice in Kiana's mind became clearer. But before she could grasp the situation, Fu Hua's voice rang out again.

"Move!"

Boom!

A violent explosion erupted from the wall behind them. A sharp lance grazed Kiana's hair, embedding itself in the concrete ground. The entire wall, along with the adjoining structure, collapsed, falling towards Kiana.

…

"!" A sudden, intense surge of anxiety gripped Ren, interrupting his movements. He looked uneasily in the direction of the collapse.

He was completely unaware that a massive Chariot-class Honkai Beast had leaped high into the air, hurtling down towards him and Li Sushang.

"Look out!" With the girl's shout, a streak of sword light flashed through the air. The flying sword, a blur in the sunlight, sliced the falling Honkai Beast into pieces.

Having dealt with the beast, Li Sushang breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Ren, who had suddenly frozen. "What's wrong?"

"No, nothing. You go help the others. I'll find somewhere to hide."

It was just dawn, the time when most people were out buying breakfast. The streets were teeming with people.

A sudden Honkai eruption under these circumstances was incredibly dangerous. If these beasts were to reach the crowds, it would result in heavy casualties.

Li Sushang understood this but was still worried about Ren. "Are you sure you're alright? You've seemed distracted since earlier. Are you too tired?"

Ren had been injured last night, then played games with her all night, followed by an hour of intense sword practice before dawn. He had only napped for two or three hours while she was playing. Li Sushang was concerned about his well-being.

"I'm fine." Ren forced himself to focus. His distraction wasn't due to physical exhaustion, but he couldn't explain that to Li Sushang, only offering a vague reply. "I'll go with everyone to the shelter. If you want to protect me, the best way is to eliminate all those Honkai Beasts."

"Naturally." Li Sushang nodded slightly. After five hundred years, Shenzhou was still plagued by these monstrous beasts. As a wandering swordswoman sworn to protect the innocent, she couldn't stand idly by.

She unsheathed the sword at her waist, the faintly fragrant Xuanyuan Sword, [Ink-Dyed Fragrance], and placed it in Ren's hand. "If you encounter danger, draw your sword."

"What about you?"

Li Sushang smiled faintly, her voice filled with quiet confidence. "My heart is my scabbard; my will hones my blade. I am my own best weapon."

With a light tap of her foot, Li Sushang soared above the crowd like a celestial being, floating towards the Honkai Beasts as countless eyes watched in astonishment.

"So, aside from magical girl stories, even the legends of Shenzhou's swordswomen are real?" someone in the crowd murmured.

As the initial venture of the Obsidian Concord, comics weren't widely popular. However, as a medium for cultural dissemination, such promotional efforts had never ceased. Unknowingly, they had cultivated a sizable readership.

After Li Sushang left, the gentle expression on Ren's face vanished. He opened his clenched hand, staring at the small, glowing cube in his palm, his eyes turning cold.

"Schicksal…"

ARC City was a city born from destruction, its ruin and rebirth both orchestrated by Ren. This city was under the protection of the Herrscher of Domination. With the Herrscher's power as a shield, Honkai Beasts would tremble in fear even approaching the city, let alone forming a horde of this scale.

He had suspected earlier that the beast tide was deliberately caused, but due to his ongoing plan, he hadn't investigated further. He hadn't expected that just a few hours later, the beast tide would not only persist but also erupt at this precise moment, as if planned.

Now, the appearance of this energy cube confirmed Ren's suspicions of foul play.

The timing was undoubtedly precise. Not only was the perpetrator knowledgeable about the patterns of Honkai outbreaks, but they were also likely targeting Ren specifically.

Having just concluded the Pacific battle, Ren was in a period of instability, unable to devote much energy to managing the situation. Furthermore, he had to allocate resources to suppress the Herrscher of Reason gem, relying solely on the ubiquitous internet for basic information gathering.

This was arguably his weakest point, making it difficult to plan comprehensively.

And at this very moment, Schicksal had sent an S-rank Valkyrie to him, someone he couldn't ignore. While his attention was focused on Li Sushang, the mastermind behind the scenes had completed their preparations.

There was no doubt about it: Ren had been outplayed.

And the only person who knew of his existence, possessing the capability and audacity to orchestrate such a scheme, was Otto Apocalypse.

Otto might not know for certain that Ren was still alive. Triggering a Honkai eruption within the city was a test.

ARC City was Ren's hometown. If he were alive, he wouldn't allow the Honkai to run rampant. If Ren was truly dead, then this was just one of hundreds of Honkai outbreaks worldwide, making little difference to Schicksal.

It was a blatant ploy to test Ren's status. Moreover, based on the method used to deal with the outbreak, Otto could even estimate Ren's current strength.

"As expected of the pinnacle of human intellect in this era." Ren pressed down on the small cube, power surging from his palm, crushing the Honkai crystal within into dust.

Fine particles slipped through his fingers, scattering in the wind. He brushed the dust from his hands and quickly merged into the crowd.

Just as Otto had predicted, Ren couldn't allow Honkai to destroy ARC City. No matter what, he had to find a way to nip the outbreak in the bud.

This city was not only his base of operations but also Kiana's property. While Ren might be indifferent to the casualties of ordinary people, he wouldn't tolerate the destruction of the gift he had meticulously prepared.

Moreover, using the lives of so many people in ARC City as a threat, was Otto truly ready to face the wrath of a thousand?

…

"Lord Otto, Susannah has successfully arrived in ARC City." Secretary Amber gently knocked on the office door. The recent series of events had kept her incredibly busy, but seeing the mountains of documents piled on Otto's desk, she suddenly felt her own workload wasn't so bad.

"Oh? Has she discovered anything unusual about the city?" Even with such a heavy workload, Otto remained organized and composed, even taking the time to pour himself a glass of red wine and take a sip.

"Not yet." Placing a file on Otto's desk, Amber asked hesitantly, "Lord Otto, I don't quite understand. After the Pacific incident, Schicksal is operating at full capacity. Shouldn't our focus be on disaster relief? Why send Susannah to investigate that city at this time?"

"Moreover, even if there's a problem with that city, Susannah…" Amber trailed off, her meaning clear. With Susannah's abilities, sending her to investigate such a large city was as reckless as sending a lamb into a wolf pack.

That child wasn't cut out for espionage and didn't know how to conceal herself. If they weren't careful, she would be devoured.

Understanding Amber's concerns, Otto waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, she'll be fine."

He continued with a cryptic tone, "That city isn't as dangerous as you think. I sent her precisely because of her rash nature."

Amber was no stranger to Otto's riddles. She remained silent, patiently waiting for his explanation.

"To a ferocious beast, that city is its hunting ground. Any enemy that enters will arouse its vigilance. Only a harmless insect won't trigger its predatory instincts.

Moreover, our third S-rank Valkyrie is also there. If he's truly still alive, his attention will be primarily focused on Li Sushang."

"You... you don't even know if he's alive?"

"Of course not. If he's alive, he wouldn't reveal himself so easily, unlike those fools at Anti-Entropy. To the world, he's dead, but I can't be certain if it's a deception." Progress on Kallen's resurrection was making significant headway, and any variables were obstacles. Otto couldn't allow an unknown threat to lurk in the shadows.

"The rebuilt ARC City is completely outside Schicksal's control. As a friendly neighbor, how can I not pay a visit?

I'm simply sending a lovely girl to knock on the door. If the owner answers, it means he's still home. If nothing happens, we can kindly close the door for him. As for Susannah, it's just a slightly unpleasant vacation."

"And if the owner gets angry, I'll personally apologize and offer a gift."

"..." Gazing at Otto's unreadable eyes, Amber remained silent, eventually shaking her head and leaving the office.

Lord Otto, have you considered that you might not be provoking a satiated beast, but a wounded, cornered one?

No, perhaps you know that full well, and you're doing it anyway.