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

The thick dust cloud obscured almost everything, only faint flickers of sword light visible within. The monstrous roars gradually weakened, finally silenced as the beast fell lifelessly beneath Ren's sword.

In reality, the cloud wasn't dust but a smokescreen Ren had deliberately deployed.

While he could handle the sudden Honkai Beast attack with his current body, quickly resolving the fight would be difficult.

Moreover, dealing with this large-scale eruption with the Herrscher of Reason's power alone was impractical. Therefore, Ren had resorted to using a portion of his original abilities for a swift victory.

However, this presented a problem: the Herrscher's power was distinct. Using it risked exposure to Li Sushang. While Ren had prepared for the worst, even considering how to handle being discovered, he wasn't going to reveal himself prematurely while Li Sushang remained unaware.

The Honkai Beast's corpse lay in the smoke like a small mountain, casting a large shadow.

With the immediate danger neutralized, Li Sushang, having efficiently eliminated the other beasts, landed her flying sword within the smokescreen.

Beside the giant corpse, the figure who had just slain the beast stood with its back to her, seemingly about to leave.

Looking at the silhouette in the smoke, Li Sushang felt a strange sense of familiarity.

"Ren?" she called out hesitantly, a flicker of unease in her heart.

If that figure truly was Ren, it meant he was far more powerful than she had imagined.

So, was he also trying to deceive her for the Taixu Sword Qi?

However, as the figure turned, Li Sushang saw a man wearing a Crimson Empress mask. She froze, instinctively using her Spirit sense to probe his aura.

To her surprise, aside from the similar build, the man's attire and demeanor were completely different from Ren's.

But the familiar mask instantly reminded Li Sushang of the masked figure who had appeared during her clash of Sword Gods with the girl last night. It was this masked person who had rescued the defeated Herrscher girl. And now, he had appeared before her again.

"Who are you?" Her voice hardened as she eyed the weapon in his hand warily.

The sword wasn't the Ink-Dyed Fragrance she had lent Ren but a high-tech soul-steel carbon sword. Hearing Li Sushang's question, the figure responded in a low voice,

"I didn't expect a Schicksal Valkyrie to dare set foot in this city."

A completely different voice from Ren's…

Li Sushang immediately noticed the difference. The light gray eyes beneath the mask were also unlike Ren's crimson eyes.

Dark, chaotic, a mixture of a thousand negative emotions – that was her immediate impression of him, much like the people her master had described as succumbing to inner demons.

The Spirit of Taixu Sword God allowed Li Sushang to sense the depths of a person's consciousness. She had sensed Ren's aura during their first encounter.

Gentle, natural—such a person couldn't be evil.

That was why she had let her guard down around him, allowing him to steal her ID.

But the person before her exuded an unsettling aura, completely different from the boy's gentle nature.

What disturbed her even more was that Ren's presence seemed to have vanished. Although the faint fragrance of Ink-Dyed Fragrance lingered, she couldn't find any trace of the boy.

"Who are you?" A phantom sword materialized in her hand, its tip pointed at the masked figure.

"Obsidian Concord…"

As the ominous words left the man's lips, the carbon sword in his hand pulsed with a pale blue light. When the light faded, the sword had transformed into a cannon.

The cannon's dark muzzle pointed at Li Sushang, azure energy crackling within.

Li Sushang had never seen such a weapon, but she sensed the terrifying power it contained, an attack no weaker than her own Sword Qi.

"Obsidian Concord?" Li Sushang hadn't heard of this name, but since he had mentioned Schicksal, Otto must know something about it.

However, the power this man displayed was vastly different from Taixu Sword Qi. He likely had little connection to Ren.

Seeing the change in Li Sushang's expression, Ren felt a slight sense of relief. She seemed to have realized the difference between him and "Ren".

Using the higher authority of the Herrscher of Reason core to neutralize the scent of Ink-Dyed Fragrance, and simultaneously employing the Herrscher of a Thousand's power to block her Spirit sense—that was what Ren had accomplished in a single second.

However, this wasn't a sustainable tactic. Utilizing the Herrscher of Reason core was taxing. Maintaining the disguise while simultaneously preparing an attack was draining his energy quickly.

This should be enough to fool her.

Their standoff ended with Li Sushang's concession. The Honkai eruption was still ongoing; neither of them had time to waste.

"I won't be staying in this city for long, and I'm not affiliated with Schicksal at the moment. I have no intention of fighting you. Saving people is more important right now."

Ren nodded at Li Sushang's retreat, lowering his weapon. But as he turned to leave, he underestimated Li Sushang's sharp senses.

The girl wrinkled her nose, her slender eyebrows furrowing slightly.

Before Ren could react, Li Sushang vanished from her spot. She reappeared less than half a meter away.

As Ren watched in astonishment, Li Sushang's fingers gripped the edge of the Crimson Empress mask, pulling it off.

"Ren…?"

But beneath the mask was a face completely wrapped in bandages.

Li Sushang froze, and Ren seized the opportunity to quickly create distance.

Some wise person had once said, even a hastily conceived disguise should have a backup plan.

Ren had taken this to heart. In addition to the mask, he had also wrapped his face in bandages.

Just as Li Sushang reached out to unravel the bandages, another Honkai Beast's roar echoed through the air.

Li Sushang had eliminated the beasts near the breakfast stalls, but the eruption wasn't limited to that area. Countless Honkai Beasts were still pouring into the city.

Ren, no longer able to play games with Li Sushang, quickly rushed towards the other affected areas. Li Sushang, left behind, had no choice but to prioritize rescuing civilians.

Drawn by the peculiar Honkai energy cube, this beast tide was far more ferocious than anticipated and continued to intensify.

If it wasn't contained or eliminated quickly, the affected area would expand further.

Separated from Li Sushang, Ren no longer needed to maintain his disguise. He immediately activated the Domination devices he had set up in ARC City. These devices not only captured Taixu Sword God's energy signature but also served as conduits for his powers.

"Now, I just need to use these devices to spread my Herrscher aura. The Honkai Beasts will be drawn to it and leave the city."

However, just as he was about to infuse his power, a violent surge of anxiety pierced his soul, his mind blanking momentarily as if struck by a hammer.

His strength rapidly drained away like floodwaters receding. His vision blurred, and he couldn't even breathe.

"Cough." He coughed up a large amount of blood, collapsing weakly to the ground.

"What's… happening…?"

The roars of the Honkai Beasts still echoed in his ears, the cries and screams of the people pulling at his consciousness, but he could only lie there like a broken doll, staring at the azure sky.

What happened?

He tried to channel his remaining power into the devices, to at least offer some resistance against the Honkai Beasts, but his body felt like a parched desert, every drop of Honkai energy dissipating into nothingness.

It was the Herrscher of Reason core. It had absorbed his Honkai energy at this critical moment.

The Honkai eruption continued. Li Sushang was overwhelmed. No matter how strong she was, she was only one person, and this city had nearly a million inhabitants. She couldn't protect everyone.

Just as Ren was weakened by the Herrscher of Reason gem's sudden betrayal, a flicker of fire bloomed in the sky.

Within half a second, the flame transformed into a massive vortex, ripples of warped space spreading outwards across the city.

A Herrscher.

At the center of the fiery vortex, Kiana, her face still streaked with blood, clutched her forehead, holding a small flame in her hand. The Herrscher of the Void's power merged with the flames, forming a unique vortex.

The Herrscher's presence acted like a whirlpool. The Honkai Beasts rampaging through the city were immediately drawn to her, converging on her location.

The blazing fire reflected in Ren's eyes, creating imperceptible ripples. He lay weakly on the ground, a smile playing on his lips.

"Idiot. That's not how you use the power of [Flamescion]."