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

"Ugh…" Clutching his arm, the boy sat up, glancing at Li Sushang with a flicker of surprise in his eyes, seemingly taken aback that the person who'd bumped into him was a cute girl.

In response to her concern, he merely shook his head silently, trying to stand. But as he did, he accidentally brushed against his arm and stumbled, falling back down. Li Sushang then noticed a small scrape on his wrist, blood oozing from the wound.

"Don't move." Since he'd been injured because of her, Li Sushang, a self-proclaimed knight-errant, couldn't just stand by. She took out her handkerchief and bandaged his wrist.

The boy tried to pull away from her grasp, but found her grip surprisingly strong. "Thank you," he mumbled.

"Oh, it was nothing! In the world of wanderers, helping those in need is the way of a true knight." The boy's gratitude made Li Sushang feel a little giddy. She puffed out her chest, feigning nonchalance, but the smile on her face reached her ears.

Their interaction ended there. The boy seemed to remember something urgent. After Li Sushang finished bandaging his wrist, he quickly stood, mumbled another thank you, and hurried away.

"People come and go, passersby in a hurry, such is the life of a wanderer." Li Sushang sighed, watching his retreating figure, but quickly turned her attention elsewhere. The encounter hadn't left much of an impression.

"One good deed done for the day! It's getting late, I should find an inn to stay at." The bright moonlight shone on the city. Arc City was no longer the brightly lit city that never slept. To accommodate people's schedules, light usage was now restricted.

As she walked, the moon and stars, unobscured by light pollution, were clearly visible. If not for the streetlights, Li Sushang would have felt like she was back in her own time.

She stepped on her own shadow, a paper map in hand, trying to navigate the complex streets. The shopkeeper at the rocking horse store had told her to find a hotel for lodging.

"Hotel? Is that a place that sells alcohol? How is it related to an inn?" Though puzzled, Li Sushang followed the map to a hotel.

The receptionist at the front desk was taken aback by Li Sushang's unique attire, but the newly established Arc City embraced diversity. Unusual guests were common. Just half an hour ago, she'd received a white-haired girl who looked just like Magical Girl Kiana.

"Shopkeeper, is this an inn?"

Li Sushang's words almost stumped the receptionist. But she quickly recovered, thinking that perhaps this was a disciple from a secluded sect who'd never ventured out before.

"Yes, we offer both dining and lodging. Are you checking in?"

"Yes."

"Then please show me your ID card, and I'll help you check in."

Having learned from her earlier experience, Li Sushang knew they weren't asking for her jade pendant. She reached into her pocket for her ID card.

But her expression froze. Her pocket was empty.

"Oh no! I've lost my ID card!" Her face paled. She frantically searched her pockets several times. She knew that without an ID card, she couldn't go anywhere.

Noticing her panic, the receptionist quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, ma'am. Losing your ID card is quite common. We also offer facial recognition."

She led Li Sushang to the facial recognition machine. Li Sushang blinked, looking at her reflection on the screen.

Verification failed. No matching information found.

"Oh dear. That shouldn't be. Maybe it's a malfunction. Anyone who's registered should be in the database." The receptionist tried to adjust the machine, but Li Sushang's heart sank. She was from 500 years ago. How could she be registered?

In fact, Otto hadn't forgotten to register Li Sushang. The reason the machine couldn't find her was because someone had tampered with it, temporarily blocking her identity.

Seeing the receptionist's frantic efforts, Li Sushang felt guilty. "Maybe I dropped it on the way. I'll go back and look for it. Sorry to trouble you."

"It's no problem, we..." The receptionist tried to stop her, but Li Sushang had already left.

Li Sushang wasn't the most observant person, but she didn't carry much with her. She wouldn't lose things easily. The only possibility was that she'd dropped it when she bumped into that boy while eating her candied haws.

With a clue in mind, she hurried back to the alley, but it was empty.

"Damn it! I shouldn't have bought those candied haws!" Li Sushang stamped her foot, retracing her steps in her mind.

"Maybe I can ask that boy. Perhaps he saw it." With no other options, Li Sushang decided to track the boy down. Fortunately, the handkerchief she had used to bandage his wrist was hers, carrying her scent.

With her abilities, tracking her own scent wasn't difficult.

After confirming her sword and other belongings were still with her, she followed the boy's trail.

The scent didn't extend far. After a few blocks, she found him. The boy was walking down a dark alley, a small card in his hand.

Just as she was about to approach him, she overheard him muttering to himself.

"I stole that girl's ID and bank card. She must be panicking by now. But it can't be helped. Who asked her to look so gullible?"

Li Sushang was furious. Her first act of chivalry in 500 years, and she'd encountered a thief! And she had even bandaged his wound! It reminded her of her early days as a wandering swordsman when she was swindled out of all her money in half a day.

"Despicable! There are such scoundrels in every era!" Enraged, Li Sushang decided to teach this boy a lesson, to show him that a knight-errant's money wasn't so easily taken.

But as she rounded the corner, she saw several burly men in the alley. The gray-haired boy who'd stolen her ID had just been punched in the face.

"Hey, Su! Got the protection money yet?"

The boy, Ren, glanced behind him. The alley entrance was empty except for a strand of chestnut hair peeking from behind the wall.

"You said you wouldn't hit me if I paid." Ren said timidly.

"Hah? We did say that, but you haven't paid yet, have you?"

"But last month…"

"Last month is last month! Hand over the money! We know with your skills, tricking those newcomers is a piece of cake."

Li Sushang, hidden around the corner, pursed her lips, enraged at being called a "gullible newcomer."

"If we had your skills, we wouldn't be stuck being thugs!"

Another man chimed in, "Boss, I think this kid's got a screw loose. Making easy money like that, but hiding it, starving himself rather than tricking people. If we hadn't caught him, he'd probably still be hiding in some garbage dump."

… Is that so?

Li Sushang calmed down, her anger subsiding. Her perception was sharp. She hadn't sensed any malice from the boy, so she hadn't thought he'd bumped into her on purpose.

"But a thief is a thief. No matter how innocent they act, they're still deceiving people. Don't think you're some good guy. I've seen plenty like you. Though we're outsiders and didn't see the fire that destroyed the city, a city that big, there must have been many deaths."

Someone replied, "No doubt. This kid's family probably died in that fire. Burned to ashes."

"Bastards!" Hearing this, the boy on the ground struggled, headbutting the thug in the face. Blood and tears flowed down the thug's face.

He tried to fight back, but the thug, recovering, grabbed him by the throat, slamming him against the wall.

"You little brat! I know you were probably from a rich family. Why else would you rather die than help us trick people? But now you've got no choice. Even if you haven't taken any money, you're still our accomplice!

You're a criminal, a thief! No matter how you feel, no matter your past, those you've tricked won't forgive you!

Trying to play the innocent flower? Look where you are! No matter how developed this city is, there are always dark corners. And you're just a piece of rotting garbage in a pile of filth!"

With a bang, the thug slammed Ren against the wall, blood flowing down the back of his head, staining his clothes.

The thug then noticed the handkerchief tied around Ren's wrist, finding it amusing.

"Oh? Looks like you tricked a little girl this time. Who uses handkerchiefs these days? She's probably a fool just like you."

Ren, dazed, could only grit his teeth, clutching the ID card tightly, hoping to hide it.

But it was futile. The thug pried his fingers open, taking the card.

"Well, well! No wonder you're so reluctant. Turns out it's such a pretty girl." Seeing Li Sushang's picture on the ID, the thug grinned lewdly, shoving the card in front of Ren's face.

"Since you don't want to be a bad guy, I'll do it for you. Guess what we do to helpless little girls like this?"

Seeing the mix of fear and rage in the boy's eyes, the thug grinned wider.

"Yes, yes, that's the look! Anger, guilt, pain. How delightful!

Remember this! Whatever happens to this girl, it's because of you! You stole her ID! You ruined her!"

The thug was about to continue when Ren suddenly exploded with power, biting down on the thug's finger, severing it along with Li Sushang's ID card.

His mouth full of blood, he took advantage of the thugs' shock, clutching the rest of the ID, and bolted out of the alley.

"Shit! Get him!" The enraged thugs gave chase. They were much larger and stronger than Ren, quickly closing the distance.

He knew what awaited him if he was caught.

The streetlight at the alley's exit shone brightly, so close. The injured and bleeding Ren reached out, his fingertips brushing against the light.

The thugs were almost upon him. In desperation, Ren crushed the ID card in his mouth, preventing them from retrieving it.

He collapsed on the cold ground, gasping for air, looking up at the stars, at the terrifying darkness.

As he waited for death, his consciousness fading, a flash of ornate clothing caught his eye.

His eyes widened in alarm. "Run!" he yelled.

But Li Sushang, having witnessed the whole scene, was no longer a mere spectator. Although Ren stealing her ID had angered her, these thugs were the true villains.

"To uphold justice, that is our way."