Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

"What are you still hating, Rin?"

"Or perhaps… even you don't know anymore?"

Lin Wei's voice was filled with genuine curiosity, as if pondering a long-standing puzzle.

"..."

"...Heh!"

"What, Lin Wei? You tricked Hua, you tricked that Yae Sakura, and now you're trying to trick me?"

The Herrscher scoffed, finding his innocent expression infuriating. She wanted to tear his hypocritical face apart!

Even more infuriating, she'd already tried that, and it hadn't worked.

"You read my memories, Rin. You know I'm telling the truth." Lin Wei's smile widened.

"You!"

The Herrscher was speechless, feeling manipulated once again.

Frustration churned within her. This insufferable man had her completely cornered.

She glared at him, her resentment palpable—even if her darkened face betrayed no emotion.

Five hundred years of bad luck!

Yae Sakura and Kallen… fine. Judah's oath was powerful. Being sealed away was annoying, but at least she still had Yae Sakura to toy with.

Five hundred years later, those three girls… they were formidable, surprisingly ruthless despite their delicate appearances. And she'd been weakened. Yae Sakura's body was a mere husk after five centuries. Losing to them was understandable.

She could accept all that.

But Lin Wei?

A mere insect, riding on Hua's coattails! He dared to scheme against her?

Who gave him the right?

Back in Nagazora, if she hadn't been momentarily stunned by his "information" and his sudden suicidal threat, she wouldn't have been so easily manipulated.

Despicable human, so ruthless towards himself!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. The angrier she became, the more she wanted to tear him apart.

But the more she wanted to tear him apart, the more frustrated she became…

Because she couldn't.

How had things come to this?

In the real world, fine. Hua protected him. She couldn't touch him. She'd accepted that.

But here, in the mindscape, free from Hua's protection… she would show him what true cruelty was, remind him of his place. She would crush his delusions.

Be grateful, insect!

But he'd hidden something, even after opening his memories to her, and used it to humiliate her.

Fine. A mortal's petty tricks were nothing. She could crush him the moment he let his guard down.

Revenge for Nagazora!

That was the plan.

But she hadn't anticipated his utter shamelessness, his complete surrender. Her vengeful attack had landed like a punch in mud.

Even his memories were a trap!

How could such a person exist? It was disgusting!

"Don't look at me like that, Rin. I'm human, you're a Herrscher. I'm weak, you're strong. It's not a fair fight. You called me an insect, remember? At least now, you have to treat me as an equal."

"You lost, Rin."

Seeing her unwillingness to yield, Lin Wei twisted the knife, stating the obvious.

Ever since the Honkai infection, his life had been a constant struggle, a curse of impending doom, the despair and resentment of helplessness against fate.

He was weak, powerless against the Honkai, vulnerable to the Valkyries. He was alone, with no one to confide in.

Even his memories were unreliable, open to scrutiny and manipulation.

A constant sense of insecurity gnawed at him, a recurring nightmare, amplified by the approaching death.

It had driven him to fight back.

With his limited intellect and desperate madness.

And now, he'd achieved his first major victory, an unthinkable victory against a Herrscher.

Yes, he was manipulative, underhanded, his victory tainted, almost laughably absurd.

But it was still a victory!

Even a Herrscher had to treat him as an equal now, couldn't dismiss him as an insect!

A mere human had triumphed against a Herrscher through his own efforts. It was incredible.

The sweet taste of victory was intoxicating, tempting him to revel in it, to unleash the demons he kept locked away.

But he couldn't. He wasn't here to humiliate her.

Herrschers were volatile, driven by malice and resentment, prone to extremes. Rin was no exception.

He couldn't let his arrogance ruin everything.

Besides…

He wasn't a good person either, was he?

He chuckled wryly. And he had other things he wanted to do.

He exhaled, his resentment and arrogance dissipating like smoke. He rubbed the spear, calming himself, and apologized to the Herrscher.

"I'm not here to destroy you or humiliate you, Rin. My goal hasn't changed. I just want to survive."

"You're a Herrscher, the Herrscher of Corruption who destroyed civilization fifty thousand years ago. You know humanity won't let you live. You don't want to die either, which is why you're hiding in the ruins of Nagazora, waiting for an opportunity."

"You're a Herrscher stranded from the past, I'm a traveler trapped in a world not my own. We're both looking for a way out. We're not enemies."

"...Heh, Lin Wei, you think you understand me?"

The Herrscher scoffed. She wasn't foolish. She knew he was offering an olive branch, trying to ease the tension. But she wasn't interested.

Befriending a Herrscher? Seriously?

Lin Wei smiled, unfazed.

He was an unwelcome guest, having just dealt a blow to her pride. A cold reception was expected.

"Just trying to understand, to empathize."

He retrieved a clean shirt from his locker and changed in the bathroom, removing the bloodstains, easing the tension further.

"And if I didn't understand you, Rin, you wouldn't have fallen for my tricks."

"You!"

The Herrscher was speechless again.

Fine, you win. I can't argue with you!

One compromise led to another, and another, until it became habit.

Lin Wei smiled. The message was received. He didn't want to appear too aggressive.

Though a human being aggressive towards a Herrscher was a bit absurd…

"You're right, I didn't understand you before, Rin." He contradicted himself, then continued before she could speak.

"After all, we were so far apart! Separated by worlds and dimensions. I only knew fragments of your life through a distant story. This is our first real conversation."

"But I think it's enough. Understanding is about empathy. Joy, sorrow, love, hate… these are universal, even across different worlds. I saw myself in you, that's why I remembered you. And that's why we're here today."

He smiled suddenly, a pure, innocent smile, filled with genuine joy.

"Rin, if you didn't care so much about your sister, would you have fallen for my trap?"

"See? You have such strong emotions, such easily exploitable weaknesses. You're just like any other human."

The Herrscher's heart skipped a beat. He'd always called her "Rin," never "Herrscher." It irritated her.

"You…"

Shut up already!

"We've completed half of our journey together. I've seen your true soul. Ugly, but also… beautiful. Now, I think I can say I understand you."

Like Yae Sakura's bitter tea, Lin Wei had tasted her pain, her resentment, through the curse she'd inflicted on him.

She was a wounded child, begging the world that hurt her for forgiveness.

So humble, so compliant, yet met with only silence. Imprisoned in endless darkness, her battered soul slowly consumed.

Fifty thousand years. Such a long time.

Her sorrow had turned to hatred, her loneliness to resentment. The child who sought forgiveness now despised this unjust world.

Yet, when she heard about her sister, she'd given herself, and the world, another chance. That's why she'd fallen for his trap.

This kindness, this gentleness, was etched into her soul, unyielding even after fifty thousand years.

Lin Wei saw Rin's beauty. He felt compelled to protect it.

Because it was precious.

Because he, too, couldn't forgive this world.

"My dear lady, will you join me for the other half of our journey?"

Lin Wei rose, extending a hand, the spear held behind his back. He bowed slightly.

"It's been a long time since I've looked inward. Since we have this opportunity, would you join me on a journey through my memories, the memories of a despicable wretch?"

"I have a parting gift, a token of our… encounter."

The Herrscher stared at him, trying to decipher his intentions. She wanted to lash out, but his sincere expression disarmed her.

She snorted and walked towards the door.

Lin Wei chuckled and followed.

Such a tsundere. She'd be adorable if she returned to her original form.

He thought with a tinge of regret.