HI3: Previous Civilization

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." – Rudyard Kipling

Everything was going smoothly.

Fan had no clue what his underground organization was up to behind the scenes. He only saw that the outcomes were good. One moment, he received info that those rival pharma companies were uniting to scheme against him; the next, all those top-level execs vanished, replaced by his own people.

He really didn't care, as long as the results worked in his favor. All he wanted was to survive in the Honkai world, maybe lend some small aid to this planet's progress. The process? Not his concern.

He stood there, watching Honkai Beasts running on a giant treadmill, frantically turning a rotor for power generation. Nearby was a row of capsules containing bound assassins—lab material, apparently. He sighed.

"Not nearly enough living bodies in our bio-power plant," he muttered.

There was also something else: not long ago, his Herrscher Core had fully formed. But the authority it granted wasn't what he'd hoped. It was the Ninth Herrscher's domain—controlling gravity and space, instead of the "I Think, Therefore Reality Bends" type he secretly wanted. With the advanced physics he'd crammed earlier, he could at least hand-craft miniature black holes—enough for some self-defense, he supposed.

As for the new Herrscher Will that had emerged—he subdued it in a "friendly negotiation."

[Herrscher Will: "Friendly negotiation?! You pinned me down and pummeled my face. You yelled something about finally catching test materials. Then with a snap of your fingers, out popped a bunch of lab equipment. You strapped me on and started slicing bits off while cackling. If I hadn't self-destructed right away, I'd still be stuck in that nightmare!"]

Now, gazing at one particular treadmill-bound Honkai Beast, Fan sensed a small figure creeping up behind him. A pink-haired girl in a frilly pink dress pounced on his back. He reflexively caught her legs to keep her from falling.

"Fan-nii! What're you up to?" she chirped, rubbing her cheek against him.

"Rin," he said, supporting her, "be careful—you could fall."

"I won't!" She pouted. "I've been looking all over for you. Whatcha doing here? Watching these Honkai Beasts run? That's kinda boring."

Still holding her securely, Fan turned his head. "Rin, you finished your homework yet? Done with your assigned readings? Don't you fear your sister finding out? Didn't you fail last month's test and—"

"Stop reminding me of that humiliating incident!" Rin's cheeks ballooned. She pounded lightly on his back with tiny fists. But to Fan, it felt more like a relaxing massage.

He let out a content sigh. "A bit more pressure, right there…"

"Meanie! You're using me like a massage device again." She folded her arms huffily, turning aside.

Fan, realizing she'd gone quiet, used a trick: he glanced at a nearby shadow and called in a cheerful tone, "Sakura, back already? You heard all that, right?"

Rin froze on his back, craning her neck anxiously. "Where's Sis?!"

Fan smirked. "I've got a few textbooks for her to take back. And that martial-arts manual she needs to practice daily."

Hearing that last part, Rin's face blanched. She stared at the back of Fan's head as though beholding a demon's grin:

'Fan-nii, you… you demon. Don't think I didn't notice how you drowned Hua in endless practice tests for offending you. Now you want to bury me under piles of homework, too?! Just you wait—thirty years east, thirty years west… never underestimate a poor little girl! If you become my sister's boyfriend… well, that'll be the day I—'

Rin never finished the thought. A familiar hand clamped her nape. She spun around to see her sister's icy stare.

"Sis—" she croaked, forcing an awkward grin.

Sakura spoke sternly: "Rin, what did I tell you? Until homework's done, you're not allowed out. Didn't you learn from failing last month's test? Punishing you was mild. Next time I'll halve your allowance for three months."

"No, Sis—please, no!" Rin wailed, hugging Fan's neck. Her eyes pleaded for rescue: 'Help me… help…!'

But Fan pretended not to notice, politely handing Sakura the textbooks.

"Sorry, Boss, but I've got some family matters. Excuse us."

Shouldering the materials, Sakura nodded slightly and left with Rin, who yelled back, "Fan-nii, you traitor! I'll never forgive you!"

Watching them vanish into the distance, Fan waved jauntily, smiling to himself:

"Never forgive me, huh? I've heard that about a hundred times. Give it an hour, and she'll be tugging on my hand begging for spare change."

As for why Sakura showed up here—well, it was a sad tale. She'd been working as an assassin for some time. After finishing a job, she came home to check on Rin's studies, groceries in hand… only to be ambushed by mysterious 'power-armored' figures. That confrontation ended with both sisters forcibly taken away.

But that's all in the past. And so, in the present, while Sakura's soul might remain scarred, she is free enough to scold her little sister.