I Am Honkai

"The Second Eruption... I hadn't foreseen Cecilia Schariac's death."

"It left Theresa devastated. She's far from the adorable girl she used to be. She even began to resent me, escaping to the Far East Branch to establish that childish academy of hers."

"But that's water under the bridge. Right now, I have more important matters to attend to."

"Cecilia's daughter with Siegfried Kaslana—Kiana Kaslana."

"The perfect blend of Schariac holy blood and Kaslana's exceptional Honkai resistance. She is, without question, a treasure."

"The Second Herrscher, Sirin, is dead. Her Void Core (Gem of Desire), Gem of Haste, and Gem of Serenity have been reclaimed."

"The Herrscher's powers... and the power of Death itself... Following the success of Project A-310, I launched the K-Herrscher Vessel Project."

"If successful, I will gain an army of unparalleled warriors loyal only to me... and perhaps, Karen...."

"Using Kiana's DNA and Sirin's genetic data, I created numerous test subjects. Hundreds of experiments—all failures. Every vessel remained comatose, showing no signs of independent activity."

"K-404... Now that was intriguing. The Siberia lab achieved near-perfect integration with this experiment, a surprising breakthrough, even if the vessel ultimately failed. It brought us closer to success than ever before."

"Eighteen more failures followed before... K-423. The Void Core was successfully transplanted and fused. K-423's brainwaves stabilized, forming discernible patterns."

"It was a moment of sheer beauty."

"A vessel carrying Kaslana and Schariac bloodlines and the Herrscher Core... I can only imagine the potential she holds."

"But for now, I must deal with my rebellious granddaughter... and Siegfried. Did he really think I wouldn't notice his schemes?"

—Otto Apocalypse,

K-Herrscher Vessel Project Summary (Archived), 2006

Outside the Church:

"Benares... Sirin... Cecilia?!"

As his body was flung through the air, Otto caught a fleeting glimpse through the dissipating black void of the spatial gateway—a hazy figure in the ethereal space beyond.

"That's..."

His eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible!"

For a split second, Otto's mind raced. Every connection he had to Sirin, Cecilia, and the K-Herrscher Vessel Project flashed through his thoughts.

Crash!

The Soulium body collided heavily with the ground, carving a deep trench upon impact. The ground fractured beneath him, dark cracks spidering outwards like a web.

Groaning, Otto spat out blood-like fluid and refocused his vision, pulling himself out of his mental storm and standing once more.

"She died, didn't she? Or could it be... Did the Herrscher of Death resurrect her? No, that doesn't add up!"

His brows furrowed deeply. Otto's expression turned increasingly grim.

"The fragments of Sirin's consciousness attached to Kiana are all that remain. The entity known as Sirin is truly gone. But that form... Cecilia!?"

"She should've been reduced to ash by the Honkai fission bomb!"

That bomb—its launch command had come directly from Otto himself. He vividly remembered the final scene: Cecilia embracing Sirin as they perished together.

"Could it have been Sirin's contingency plan? A resurrection using Cecilia's body? Or something else? Just who is she?"

The questions gnawed at Otto's mind, sending tremors through his soul—if his Soulium form could even harbor such a thing.

If Cecilia could return... then perhaps Karen...

Before he could delve further into the thought, Otto's body spasmed violently.

"Urgh! Cough..."

Pain twisted his meticulously crafted features, his face pale as beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"What is happening? That Honkai energy... something's wrong!"

Despite the self-preservation mechanisms embedded in his Soulium body, designed to block sensory overload, the violet-red torrent of energy unleashed by Benares had overwhelmed him.

Sizzle!

The pristine white uniform adorned with intricate patterns had been corroded beyond recognition. His Soulium body was riddled with fine violet-red specks, emitting the acrid sound of acidic decay.

Soulium wasn't ordinary metal. Composed of nanobots, it was engineered to block Honkai energy and self-repair when damaged. Yet this energy's corrosive power bypassed those defenses entirely.

"Such aggressive Honkai energy... I've never encountered anything like it!"

By channeling what little he held of the Herrscher of Binding's power, Otto managed to stabilize himself slightly.

"The Twelfth Herrscher... the Herrscher of the Corruption? No, this is different. That was undoubtedly the power of the Void."

Nothing was under control.

Otto could no longer maintain his veneer of calm.

Too many unknowns. Too many tangled threads. Even Otto couldn't untangle them all in the short term.

"I may need to retreat and regroup."

"Divine Grace Barrier!"

Spreading his arms, Otto summoned a radiant layer of golden energy that spiraled upward.

Or rather, a crude imitation of the Divine Grace Barrier, utilizing the power of Restraint.

Hummm!

A massive golden wheel appeared in the somber night sky, its light rippling outward.

The Herrscher of Binding's ability was to create binding fields that nullified Honkai energy within their range, weakening other forms of energy as well.

Clang!

Beneath the golden wheel, countless twisted gears materialized, spinning and expanding outward.

The blue-and-white wings of Benares crackled with electricity as the golden field suppressed their brilliance. Their size and intensity visibly diminished.

"Kiana, we're not sure what Otto's playing at—whether he's reneged on some deal with a Herrscher or something else. Regardless, he's using the power of the Herrscher of Binding. Its field is rapidly spreading, with its Imaginary Seed as the core!"

Onboard the Hyperion, Einstein's urgent voice came through the comms, breaking Kiana out of her daze.

"Kiana! This isn't the time to stand around like an idiot! Do you want to get everyone killed? Whatever reunion you're planning with Benares can wait. Right now, get everyone out of there! If those gears touch you, it's over!"

Tesla's sharp, frantic tone jolted Kiana into action.

On the battlefield outside the ruined church, Bronya had collapsed from exhaustion after channeling energy into the six-core Moonlight Throne, while Rosalia and Lilia had depleted themselves supporting her. Seele was similarly incapacitated.

Fu Hua and Li Sushang were nowhere to be found—likely preoccupied elsewhere.

Among them, Kiana was the only one still standing, her Herrscher energy depleted but her physical stamina intact.

As for Theresa, her short legs had only just carried her down from the drop ship.

Because Selene had broken the Will of Honkai's pact with Otto, his Herrscher of Binding powers remained incomplete. The range of his Divine Grace Barrier was limited.

And with Otto now fending off Benares, the odds seemed favorable for a tactical retreat.

For everyone except Kiana, this was the best option.

Let Otto and the Honkai Beast tear each other apart.

"This is the power of the Queen... You usurper! You deserve to die!"

With a fierce cry, the atmosphere seemed to collapse and explode, unleashing a violent storm.

A streak of blue-purple light pierced through the thick smoke, hurtling forward like an arrow. Ignoring the effects of the Constraint Field, it shattered the gears in its path and slammed directly into Otto's face with a resounding crash.

Bam!

In that instant, Otto's Soulium-crafted face was caved in.

The unnatural angle between his head and body left onlookers questioning whether his neck would snap entirely in the next moment.

Sizzle—Boom!

In a flash, Alyssa's arm transformed into a radiant shade of blue-purple. Electric patterns glowed from beneath her armor as her skin turned translucent like a thin membrane.

Crackle—Boom!

A surge of electricity erupted, and Otto's Soulium body was sent flying, skipping across the ground like a stone over water. The deafening sound of repeated explosions reverberated as a series of blasts tore the ground apart over and over again.

In mere moments, Otto's figure was swallowed by the thick clouds of dust.

Suspended mid-air, Alyssa radiated streams of blue-purple lightning that arced across her body. Each spark erupted with a sharp crack, electrifying the atmosphere.

Her long, gray hair danced wildly in the charged air, and her piercing sky-blue, slitted pupils locked onto Otto with a fierce determination.

At that moment, her thoughts boiled down to one simple goal: Crush him!

Due to the influence of the Divine Grace Barrier, Alyssa retained her humanoid form but exhibited distinct draconic traits.

The usual lightning-pulse energy wings on her back had transformed into physical, blue-and-white dragon wings. Her eyes were reptilian slits, her body encased in white armor, and her hands ended in claws with purple gradients.

Looking up at the oppressive array of gears in the sky, Alyssa frowned.

"A counterfeit is still a counterfeit. This restraint is nothing compared to the Queen's."

"Thunder's Wrath!"

Rumble!!!

In an instant, thunder roared as a pillar of purple lightning as thick as a water tank surged skyward. Dense electric currents illuminated the heavens, creating a blinding spectacle accompanied by a deafening rumble.

As Alyssa's words rang out, the sky responded with an earth-shattering explosion. Layers of thunderclouds overlapped, and serpentine lightning slithered within. Then, without warning, thousands of bolts of lightning rained down, submerging the entirety of Korosten in a sea of electricity.

BOOM!

Infused with Selene's apocalyptic will, the web of lightning struck the Imaginary Seed with pinpoint precision. The resulting chain reaction caused the gears filling the sky to dissolve, disintegrate, and collapse.

Rumble!!!

The terrifying thunderclap echoed for hundreds of kilometers.

Even ten kilometers away, the shockwave rocked the Hyperion, shaking the massive airship. The electrical storm's ripple effects caused turbulence for the smaller assault craft carrying Kiana and the others as they tried to put more distance between themselves and the disaster.

Onboard the Hyperion, Tesla clutched her crimson hair in frustration, her eyes wide with fear. She shrieked half in terror and half in complaint:

"AAAAH—! Chicken-head! If Otto wants to get himself killed, fine! But why did he have to summon such a colossal pain in the ass for us?!"

"This Benares is far stronger than the one that reappeared in Nagazora City! They're not even in the same league!"

Even from a distance, the sheer magnitude of the disaster left onlookers dumbfounded.

Korosten was now submerged in a storm of lightning. Every structure, every piece of ground in the ancient town had been obliterated. The earth was riddled with countless cracks as both man-made constructions and soil disintegrated entirely.

"Hm." Einstein, unusually, agreed with Tesla. Her expression was grave.

"What worries me most is that Benares is a semi-sentient Honkai beast... and more importantly, her master!"

Hearing the exchange between the two scientists, the atmosphere inside the assault craft grew heavy with silence.

At that moment, the booming thunder began to fade.

Kiana's eyes shot open.

"The Imaginary Seed has shattered, and the gears in the sky are disappearing. The Herrscher of Constraint's powers are no more. I need to go check on her!"

"No, Kiana, you can't—"

"I have to! That's Benares! She... Benares... She's my friend!"

Before Theresa could finish her objection, Kiana interrupted firmly.

Without hesitation, Kiana flung open the assault craft's hatch and leapt out.

"Kiana!"

Unable to stop her, Theresa stamped her foot in frustration. Leaning against the doorway, she sighed heavily.

"She never makes things easy, does she?"

Grabbing her massive, cross-shaped Divine Key, Oath of Judah, Theresa declared:

"I can't let her go alone. The rest of you haven't recovered your strength, so stay here. I'll follow her."

With that, Theresa jumped out after Kiana.

"Benares!"

"Who's there?!"

As Alyssa prepared to land and confirm Otto's status, a voice called out to her from the smoldering ruins below. The tone of the cry—intimate and familiar—instantly irritated her.

"Benares!"

"That's my surname you're using! Do you want to die—wait, the Queen? Two of them?!"

(Note: Selene had given Alyssa the full name "Alyssa Benares.")

Rubbing her eyes in disbelief, Alyssa stared at the scene before her.

Standing amidst the scorched ruins were two white-haired, blue-eyed girls waving at her.

One was a short, cautious figure leaning on a golden cross, glaring at her warily. The other, taller one, radiated an almost overwhelming sense of sincerity.

More importantly...

"They look too similar!"

The taller girl bore an uncanny resemblance to Selene. Apart from the eye color and pupil shape, her appearance was nearly identical—a perfect replica of Selene in her youth!

Was this... Could it be...?

Could the Queen have a long-lost sister?

Alyssa's thoughts spiraled into wild speculation, her imagination running rampant.

"No matter," Alyssa thought, "I am, and always will be, loyal to the Queen alone!"

"Hmph! Benares? My name is Alyssa—Alyssa Benares! You hear me? I am my Queen's Benares! Not yours!"

"...Huh?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon: 

Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven