Dual Consciousness

Sirin.

The moment the name surfaced, the surrounding space seemed to tremble. Kiana pressed hard against her forehead, desperately trying to suppress the surging, manic emotions.

However, no matter how much she resisted, the gold beneath her hair glowed brighter and brighter.

"Run!" In the final moment before her consciousness was overtaken, the girl shoved Ren away.

In the next instant, the gentle smile on the girl's face was torn apart, replaced by a look of madness.

"Pathetic experimental subject, did you think my will wouldn't awaken as long as you stayed awake? How foolish." Chaotic, insane, yet with an indescribable nobility, the lit-up golden pupils flickered with strange, cross-shaped stars, exuding a bizarre aura. "Sorrow, self-blame, overflowing with such intense emotions… how long can you hold on?"

The corrupted white-haired girl hunched slightly, her loose hair cascading down her shoulders. Ren stood where he was, silently watching the golden eyes that gradually turned towards him from beneath the waterfall of silver hair.

In an instant, the terrifying pressure of a superior being swept over him. Ren felt like prey targeted by a predator in a wildlife park.

"Hee hee, it seems there's another clueless thing here. I wonder what kind of expression she'll make after I tear you to shreds." A smile crept onto her lips as Sirin abruptly straightened, her silver hair shimmering in the moonlight and firelight.

Her right eye blazed with violence, her left eye held sorrow. She raised her head, looking down at…

A pair of similarly golden eyes.

"Eh?" Sirin's expression faltered, then became even more frantic. "How dare you look at me with those eyes, scum!"

She raised her hand, and the Lance of subspace instantly materialized. But before she could swing it, a hand pressed against her forehead.

"Herrscher of the Void, it's not your time yet." Ren's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

Sirin's eyes widened, her breath becoming rapid. She noticed that the Honkai energy overflowing within her was actually dissipating. She was a Herrscher; even though she was forced to share a body with K423, the Herrscher core was still functioning.

"You… who are you?"

There was no response. The turbulent space around them gradually calmed, the Herrscher of the Void's interference suppressed. In this moment, Sirin finally realized what kind of monster could absorb a Herrscher's power.

"I see, I see."

The Honkai energy that had accumulated within Kiana's body for so long was absorbed, but Sirin laughed even more madly. Mustering her last bit of strength, she broke free from Ren's hand on her forehead and lunged at him, fiercely choking his neck.

"Lowly creature, how dare you insult the queen!"

Even with his neck choked, Ren showed no reaction. Sirin's consciousness was rapidly fading, so he simply let her struggle.

The strength in the girl's hands gradually weakened, finally falling limp. A gust of wind blew, and she collapsed against Ren.

The overturned coin purse scattered its contents once again. Ren sighed, squatting down to pick up the coins.

The largest denomination among them was only 50 yuan. The only unique one was the crumpled 100-yuan bill.

The girl had used her spatial powers to retrieve the money from her shoe, discreetly making up for the 100 yuan Ren had "lost." Unfortunately, she didn't know that Ren hadn't lost any money at all. That 100 yuan was probably the only money the girl had left after wandering for so long.

Looking at Kiana collapsed on the ground, a flicker of compassion crossed Ren's eyes, quickly masked.

"... idiot."

He rubbed his face vigorously, waiting for the gold in his eyes to dissipate before struggling to his feet. He lifted the girl onto his back and, step by step, walked towards home.

…

"Mmm…"

A faint whimper escaped the girl's lips. The weakness after her consciousness shattered gnawed at her mind like a persistent parasite. Her vision was blurry, but Kiana quickly realized she was moving.

Someone… was carrying her?

Her mind was hazy. The girl took two deep breaths of the scorched air, quickly dispelling the discomfort.

Her gaze drifted past short, fine gray hair and landed on a thin face.

It was that boy. He hadn't left…

The Herrscher of the Void's consciousness was filled with destruction and ruin. When she awoke, any living being around her would be torn to shreds.

This boy… was still alive.

A sudden fear gripped Kiana. She was afraid that when her consciousness returned, she would see a mangled corpse.

"You're awake?" Ren's tired voice reached her just as she was lost in thought. He stopped walking and adjusted his grip on her legs, shifting her to a more stable position.

Even being carried, Kiana could feel that Ren's strength was almost completely depleted. His thin arms couldn't properly support her weight.

"Where are we?" There were no ruined buildings, no traces of Honkai beasts' rampage, only low-slung eaves lining the roads, a stark contrast to the technological city.

"The outskirts of ARC City. I live around here."

Kiana raised her head, looking towards the towering buildings shimmering with faint lights in the distance. That was the central district of ARC City, five or six kilometers away. This boy had carried her unconscious, walking this far?

His legs felt weak. Ren took a step, his whole body trembling. As he took the next step, he could no longer support the weight of both of them. He stumbled and fell.

Such a fall would be easily avoided for the highly trained Kiana, but right now, her body hadn't recovered from being possessed by Sirin, and she couldn't muster any strength. She fell with Ren, her forehead hitting something cold, narrowly missing the concrete.

They lay on the ground for a moment, regaining their strength. The girl sat up and realized that her head hadn't hit the ground because, just before impact, Ren had reached out to protect her.

"Are you alright?" Strength returning to her body, Kiana quickly helped Ren up. The dim streetlight fell on the side of his face, his gray eyes reflecting her image.

"I'm fine." Seeming embarrassed by her gaze, Ren turned his head away. "Sorry, as a guy, I'm not very strong."

Shaking her head, Kiana brushed it off and carefully checked him over. Thankfully, aside from a small scrape on his palm from cushioning her fall, he had no other injuries. She breathed a sigh of relief, but a question arose in her mind. Ren had been right next to her when the Herrscher of the Void awoke. How had he escaped unharmed?

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. She helped Ren to his feet. With the aftereffects of Sirin's possession fading, the Valkyrie's strength, capable of punching Scythe Kaslanas and kicking Judgments, returned. If Ren hadn't stubbornly refused, Kiana would have carried him the rest of the way.

After navigating the old alleys, they finally arrived at a cluster of aging residential buildings.

Compared to the city center, this place felt like a reject, mercilessly discarded by the technological era. Sewage flowed through the gutters, emitting an indescribable stench. Ugly pirate dogs splashed in puddles, their bodies soaked in filth. Seeing the two approach, they quickly scrambled up, shaking the dirty water from their fur.

"You live here?" Kiana wasn't surprised by the mess, just curious about the boy's living environment.

"Yeah." Pushing open the outermost door of the row house, Ren stepped over the high threshold.

Just as Kiana followed, placing one foot inside, a shrill cat's meow suddenly pierced the air.