The Puppet, Griseo

A faint light shimmered like starlight, a touch of pale blue reflected in Ren's eyes.

She was glowing.

In the soft light, the originally ordinary wooden puppet gradually took on a unique hue.

Pale blue hair cascaded down from Ren's fingertips, pristine white floral ornaments blooming at the girl's temples. Her face became delicate, a porcelain-smooth complexion that no master craftsman could replicate. Long eyelashes fluttered, like a young child awakening from a dream.

She opened her eyes, two clear amethyst gems set within lovely eyelids, holding a captivating, dreamlike quality.

A simple, flowing dress materialized from the light, covering the girl's pure, flawless body. Only at her smooth shoulders did the dress seem to falter, the straps loosely draped, subtly revealing delicate collarbones.

Standing barefoot on the cold floor of Ren's apartment, her cute little toes wiggled restlessly.

Undoubtedly, this was the Griseo of Ren's memories.

But in this world, the story of the thirteen Flame-Chasers had yet to be sung, the hymns of the Elysian Realm had yet to be heard.

Even before Ren had the thought of naming her, the name Griseo had never existed.

Yet, this girl puppet now stood before him in perfect form.

She was alive, in the image of Ren's memory, the girl's most beautiful form.

If he didn't know she was just a puppet, Ren would have thought he'd accidentally summoned the Starry Impression from the Elysian Realm.

No, it wasn't the same.

After carefully examining her from head to toe, Ren dismissed the idea. This Griseo was, in many ways, created according to his personal preferences. Even within her pale blue hair, streaks of vibrant red were interwoven, like the blood he'd just coughed up, staining the otherwise pure, canvas-like girl with a touch of the uncanny.

Blinking her purple eyes, Griseo (for convenience, I'll call her Griseo, but don't mistake her for the original Griseo) looked up at her creator.

Still a puppet, after all.

Through the Herrscher of Dominance's power, Ren could clearly sense that although the girl puppet had taken Griseo's form, she was still completely under his control, lacking self-awareness.

She hadn't become an independent entity. Ren breathed a sigh of relief. What if she had developed self-awareness and turned against him?

However, Griseo's biggest difference from the other puppets was her liveliness. In the previous act, Ren had designed the mother figure as deaf and mute to avoid his control appearing too stiff and being detected by Kiana.

Now, Griseo's eyes were bright and full of life. Ren only needed to give a simple command, and she would act accordingly, eliminating the worry of her being discovered as a puppet.

The only drawback was that she could only act in this form. Ren couldn't reshape her or change her appearance to resemble someone else.

But why this change?

Was it really just because his blood had splattered on the puppet?

Or was it a self-evolved form of the Hive Mind's collective consciousness?

He frowned, pondering.

Suddenly, he felt a soft, smooth sensation against his palm.

"Taxue?" He called out instinctively, but immediately realized that Taxue wasn't under his control and wouldn't move on its own.

Lowering his gaze, he saw Griseo nuzzling his hand with her small head, like a real kitten seeking affection.

"..."

After a moment of silence, Ren tentatively stroked the girl's hair. The Herrscher of Dominance's power immediately relayed a feeling of joy back to him.

Oh no, the figurine had come to life.

…

Unlike the peaceful suburbs, since the Herrscher of the Void's awakening two months ago, Honkai energy had become significantly more active worldwide, with frequent reports of Honkai beasts and Deadwalkers. As a refuge city, ARC City had naturally suffered multiple attacks. However, since the affected areas were limited, life continued as normal for most of the city's residents.

The peaceful life of the W-024 district was shattered by a piercing alarm.

Roar!

A gigantic Honkai beast roared, its massive forelegs raised like a predator about to strike.

Having gathered enough power, it unleashed its full force, leaping into the air like a meteor hurtling towards the earth.

Ssss!

Buried fire hydrant pipes burst, spraying water that formed rainbows in the sunlight. The wide asphalt road cracked, a terrifying crater forming where the beast landed.

Boom!

Surrounding buildings collapsed, debris and falling walls turning to dust upon impact. Shattered tempered glass rained down like bullets, mercilessly slaughtering the residents.

Screams, cries, wails.

Human struggles were insignificant against the Honkai's descent. Only those who had truly faced it understood the despair.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, click, click.

Having emptied his pistol, the security officer continued pulling the trigger, trying to drive away the rampaging Honkai beast with his only weapon. Unfortunately, the pistol bullets were like mosquito bites to the beast, barely scratching its surface.

"Die, monster!"

He yelled, but his eyes widened in despair, his arm trembling.

Reflected in his eyes was the Honkai beast's raised claw.

Boom!

The claw slammed down, pulverizing the concrete. In the rising dust, a pistol clattered to the ground.

The next second, as if not satisfied, the Honkai beast struck again, crushing the pistol into scrap metal.

Confirming no further movement, the beast lumbered away.

From behind a nearby pile of rubble, the sound of shifting debris echoed.

"Don't move, it hasn't gone far." Pressing down on the terrified officer, Kiana lowered her voice. Looking at the devastated surroundings, pain flickered in her eyes.

She was too late.