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

A golden meteor streaked across the sky, its brief light illuminating the ruins of Nagazora. A girl looked up at the sky, her calm blue eyes flashing with a barely perceptible sense of relief.

"Overseer, I believe I should be on the battlefield." The sound of crushed ice came from under her feet. Bianka loosened her grip on her lance, her voice calm as she spoke.

Clearly, as a warrior, her inability to participate in the battle against the crisis that had befallen humanity had left her feeling somewhat dissatisfied.

Sensing the girl's emotions, Otto chuckled. "Bianka, I am pleased to see you are learning to express yourself. But this time, let's leave the stage to that child."

"Stage? Why? If I had fought, perhaps he wouldn't have died."

Walking among the rubble, the girl lowered her eyes. She paused, bending down and flipping over a slate at her feet. Under the slate were scattered trinkets and half of a thick novel.

Protected by the slate, the novel wasn't too damaged.

Bianka opened the book, finding the place she had last seen, and sighed. "I never got the chance to tell him he didn't have to pay me back for this book."

"Bianka, do you fear death?"

"No. If I died on the battlefield, if my death could protect more people, then I would embrace it gladly."

At Schicksal HQ, Otto stood by the window, watching the busy people outside. He sighed. "Yes, whether they are ordinary people who know nothing or Valkyries who protect the world, everyone lives for a goal. Dying for one's beliefs is an honor. It is the same for him."

"Kiana Kaslana, that was his belief. He sacrificed himself to help her grow. That was the performance he prepared for himself. To give him a grand finale, that was the condition he proposed to us."

Bianka was silent. She wasn't aware of the details of Otto and Ren's transaction, but she knew that she could never accept a situation that would force her to abandon friends or civilians on the battlefield.

She suddenly remembered how Rita had once invited her to see a ballet. But when she arrived at the venue, it was empty. Just as she was wondering why, Rita had appeared on the stage, performing a dance she had carefully choreographed just for her.

In the vast theater, there had been only one dancer and one audience member.

Although now that she thought about it, Rita's fourth and eighth counts during the dance had been slightly disjointed, but she still felt the sincerity of wanting to perform just for her.

"Is that the meaning of a stage?" the girl murmured, returning the half-read novel to its original place.

"Alright Bianka, prepare to retrieve the Second Divine Key. There's still much work to be done. Rita is still in the Far East awaiting support."

"Yes." Casting away all her chaotic thoughts, Bianka immediately went into work mode. The Thousand Worlds' Gate, once missing, had reappeared, and her goal was to recover it.

After assigning Bianka her task, Otto fell into a long silence. His fingers unconsciously stroked his crucifix, his eyes filled with rare pain and confusion.

Ren's performance was over, but as an audience member, it was easy to see others, but difficult to see oneself.

"Kallen..."

For 500 years, the longing for Kallen had sustained Otto. From love at the beginning to a distorted obsession, he could no longer tell if he truly was doing this for Kallen.

She was a noble saint, but over these five centuries, he was covered in filth. Otto knew that reviving Kallen was very likely just an excuse he had made, but he had no turning back.

What Otto sought was an answer.

After a long time, the confusion faded from his eyes. As if waking from a dream, the cunning Schicksal Overseer returned.

A mocking smile curled his lips as he whispered to himself, "It seems that five hundred years isn't as clear as a young boy's few months. He was right. The existence called Otto is nothing more than a pathetic insect lost in himself."

500 years was just a punishment from a god, for this pitiful man, trapping him in a prison, suffering inner torment every moment.

This pain might last a long time, but Ren's initial redemption and final fall provided Otto with a new direction.

The self-redemption of an evil savior.

But before that, Schicksal needed to continue to operate. Otto had much work to do. Only after everything was over could he take off his burdens and embark on a lonely path as a seeker of truth.

Leaving his office, Otto headed towards the research institute.

This incident had revealed many problems for Schicksal. The biggest was a lack of high-level combat strength. Although Durandal was strong, she couldn't handle everything, so activating new fighters was a necessity.

Entering the Schicksal's core research institute, Otto used his authority to unlock the deepest levels of defense. In the dim basement, only the flickering lights of the equipment and the sound of bubbling liquid could be heard.

Click.

The lights turned on, exposing two advanced medical machines. Inside the cryo-chambers filled with nutrient fluid, two girls were sleeping peacefully.

He looked at the medical records of the gray-haired girl. There was still no sign of any conscious activity. Otto sighed, walking to the other chamber, his eyes filled with a hint of nostalgia.

In the cryo-chamber was the last S-Rank Valkyrie from Schicksal.

"After 500 years, will you still be able to adapt to this world?"

"Welcome to the new era, Miss Li Sushang."

He recorded his iris and DNA data into the system, using his authority to unlock the cryo-chamber. After 500 years, Li Sushang's medical treatment was finally complete. She would be perfect as a new Valkyrie.

But Otto didn't notice that in the medical bay behind him, the gray-haired girl, who should have had no brain activity, had a slight twitch in her fingers.

On the medical bay was the girl's name: Fu Hua.

...

As Schicksal worked to rescue the Far East, Anti-Entropy was also taking action.

Thanks to the doctors' diligent treatment, Welt had finally regained his mobility. Bronya, who had been training for a long time, was able to partially control the Herrscher of Reason's power, without using the Gem.

But this didn't provide much help to Anti-Entropy's current predicament. Theresa, a relatively strong fighter, was missing after going to find Kiana. Luckily, the crew of the Hyperion, under Theresa's direction, had managed to safely return in advance, avoiding the catastrophe in Nagazora.

Kiana had left alone, Mei had disappeared without saying goodbye, and Theresa's whereabouts were unknown. Of their old St. Freya group, only Bronya remained. After so many changes, Bronya gradually released her inner demons and took responsibility.

Under Welt's guidance, she was beginning to take over Anti-Entropy's management. Although still inexperienced, her progress was remarkable compared to her previous passive attitude.

The only one who was still somewhat lost was Seele, but she also held many secrets, such as Rozaliya's whereabouts, and the existence of the Obsidian Concord.

"Other me, do you think I should tell big sister about these secrets?" Sitting alone by the ship's rail, Seele looked at the scenery, bored.

It had been three days since the disaster. The refugee relocation was nearing its end, and the Hyperion had been repaired. After being so busy, everyone was exhausted.

"Don't," her other personality instinctively retorted.

"Why not?"

Her other personality fell silent. She couldn't say that both of them shared a secret now. Seele was talking to her more often, and she didn't want to share it.

"Because, because you promised someone. Besides, big sister Bronya doesn't know about it. She's focused on growing stronger. If she found out, it would take up more of her time, she would be exhausted. And if you told them, what if they came back and hurt your big sister?"

"I see." Seele nodded. She was about to continue when a terrifying pressure pressed down on her.

She widened her eyes, seeing a white-haired man standing on a floating ship in the distance.

"Snake… Snake!"