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

Attached to Kiana, Void Archives remained in standby mode, quietly gathering intel. Newly awakened, its information was limited.

"Hmm?"

Kiana suddenly stopped, scanning her surroundings. She'd sensed an unusual Honkai energy fluctuation, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.

She was deep within the ruined district, devoid of even Honkai beasts. Only shattered ice spikes littered the area.

Void Archives, startled by Kiana's perceptiveness, immediately severed all connections, reverting to an unassuming trinket.

Finding nothing, Kiana focused on her surroundings. She pressed her hand against an ice spike. With a slight exertion of force, it cracked and crumbled.

"The ice created by the Herrscher shouldn't be this fragile. Is it the Staff of the Underworld's effect?"

Deeper into the district, the shattered ice grew denser, blocking entire streets. Kiana knew she was on the right track.

Before she could explore further, she heard a faint sound echoing from the end of a passage.

"A man's voice? A survivor?" Kiana's eyes widened, and she quickened her pace.

The buildings grew closer together, leaving only narrow alleys. Squeezing through a gap in the ice wall, she saw a man lying in a pool of blood.

Chen Tianwu, missing an arm, knelt amidst shattered crimson ice crystals, like a corpse long forgotten. The silence amplified his faint whispers.

"Anna…"

"A survivor! Don't move, I'll help you!" Alarmed, Kiana rushed forward.

She didn't notice Chen Tianwu's unusual state.

A surge of Honkai energy flooded the city, tearing through buildings, leaving deep fissures in the ground. Ice and concrete crumbled.

Caught off guard, Kiana was buried under the collapsing debris.

Crack.

An innocent streetlamp twisted and buckled under Ren's grip. Observing the situation from afar, Ren's control faltered upon seeing Kiana buried, the metal lamppost crumpling like a discarded toy.

Though concerned, he didn't approach.

This level of destruction wouldn't harm Kiana. The time crystals within him were far more important, a volatile power that couldn't be risked.

"Chen Tianwu's Herrscher transformation has just begun. It's not time yet."

Seconds later, a black and white cat leaped from a spatial portal, racing towards the rubble.

…

Coral Island, being artificial, had limited Honkai energy capacity. After Anna's awakening, there wasn't enough to quickly catalyze another Herrscher. Chen Tianwu's transformation would take time.

And that time was crucial for the island's evacuation. Thankfully, the Snow Lotus squad, rescued by Kiana, hadn't retreated, fighting valiantly to protect the civilians, significantly reducing casualties.

But they were just an A-rank squad, outnumbered and outmatched.

"Lieutenant, what do we do? Should we retreat?"

The Valkyries were all injured, their strength failing. The acting lieutenant stared at the unending waves of Honkai beasts, despair creeping into her heart.

"No. Thousands of civilians are behind us. We can't abandon them."

"But… we can't hold on much longer." One Valkyrie clutched her shoulder, her arm twisted at an unnatural angle.

The lieutenant wanted to argue, but looking back, she saw only exhausted, injured girls. The youngest was barely fourteen, tears streaming down her face.

Silence fell. She knew they were fighting a losing battle.

Her heart softened. She nodded. "Retreat. Escort the civilians to safety, then contact Schicksal."

"What about you, Lieutenant?"

"Captain Anna always said a Valkyrie's duty is to uphold her oath, to protect her comrades. She's not here. It's my turn to protect you."

The lieutenant shook her head, turning to face the Honkai beasts, unleashing her remaining energy.

The girls exchanged glances. None of them retreated.

But conviction alone couldn't stop the Honkai. Their attacks barely slowed the advance of the monstrous beasts. Despair washed over them as a ten-meter tall beast lumbered towards them.

"Damn this Honkai!" Guns blazing, swords slashing, the Valkyries closed their eyes, hoping to take down as many as possible before the end.

But the expected pain never came.

They opened their eyes to see the Honkai beasts being slaughtered. The lieutenant's eyes widened, remembering Kiana.

But this wasn't Kiana. It was a red-haired woman wielding a flaming greatsword, tearing through the Honkai horde.

When their numbers dwindled, the woman sheathed her sword and approached.

"If I recall correctly, the Valkyrie manual allows for retreat. Now, leave this to us. Evacuate quickly."

Himeko Murata adjusted her apron. Moments ago, she'd been doing chores in ARC City. Now, she found herself fighting on Coral Island.

"Who… who are you?"

"The Obsidian Concord."

Confusion clouded the lieutenant's mind. She'd never heard of an Obsidian Concord Valkyrie squad, but Himeko's power was undeniable. She could only assume it was some special forces unit.

Like Durandal's Immortal Blades, a squad spoken of in hushed whispers.

"We'll leave it to you, then."

The injured Snow Lotus squad retreated. Ren's puppets took over the battlefield. The rarely seen Thousand Obsidian and Griseo puppets were formidable fighters, their power amplified by Ren, nearing S-rank levels.

A team comprised of S-rank equivalents could handle not only a Herrscher-induced eruption but also the Herrscher itself.

The Honkai beast tide was stemmed, the Herrscher of Ice sealed, even the Imaginary Space bound by Ren's threads of Dominance.

The only remaining wildcard was Chen Tianwu.

Unnoticed, the Honkai energy concentration on Coral Island began to surge. The energy, previously insufficient to sustain two Herrschers, was now rapidly accumulating.

Ren, patiently waiting, knew the Honkai Will had finally entered the game.