The Overwhelming Presence of the Herrscher of Dominance

"….The Herrscher of Dominance actually wants a final battle?"

Vill-V lightly rubbed her furrowed brows, muttering in confusion.

The enemy wants to fight? Is this real? It's too good to be true... They can't be that foolish, can they?

Or… like they said, the unification of a thousand wills?

Oh, interesting? Didn't expect there to be such a use for it?

Her eyes gradually lit up, the Herrschers of the previous civilization seem to have a bit of a gap here… Perhaps it should start with the Herrscher of Sentience?

If we add special qualities... could their Divine Keys be turned into something even more Interesting?

"Ha! If it were that simple, we wouldn't have struggled so much last time!" Kalpas grumbled, clearly frustrated.

If the Herrscher of Dominance back then was willing to fight head-on, Kalpas would have jumped at the chance to tear them to shreds.

"Didn't you mention some new developments in this era?" Elysia chimed in from the side.

"The core of the Herrscher of Dominance is much weaker than a regular Herrscher Core... But if you combine the Honkai energy from a thousand cores, wouldn't it be just as powerful as others?"

Mobius also thought with a slightly furrowed brow, gently stroking Klein's slightly curled hair,

This Stigmata is transforming Klein into a living being, her touch gradually has warmth, and she feels a warmth in her heart.

-----

A dissonant choir of countless voices filled the air, a symphony of sorrow, rage, remorse, and a thirst for revenge.

"Arrogance, envy, apathy, disgust, greed, despair, abandonment..."

"Ahahaha... hahahaha..." Bizarre, chaotic laughter rose and fell, echoing in everyone's hearts.

On the stage stood a motley crew of puppets, each embodying a malicious thought, collectively representing the Herrscher of Dominance, the Puppet Collective.

Groups of two or three puppets were unleashed from a mysterious object atop a towering platform. Endless threads snaked across the battlefield, reaching into every corner.

This was the theater of domination, the stage of a thousand Puppets.

The air was thick with countless negative emotions, each puppet a representation of someone who had once lost all hope in life.

This was their theater, their final performance.

Kiana watched the puppets dancing in the distance, their movements controlled by invisible threads. She tightened her grip on her dual pistols, leaned forward and charged, thrusting her way into battle.

Bronya and Fu Hua fought alongside her, covering her back.

The puppets' attacks weren't very strong, but their sheer numbers made them a nuisance. The real danger was the massive creature looming above, swooping down for occasional attacks that forced Fu Hua and Bronya into a constant defensive position.

Exhausted from their journey and stripped of their powers, Bronya and Fu Hua were struggling to keep up.

After helping Kiana dodge the Puppet Collective's attacks twice, they were ensnared by invisible threads and left dangling helplessly in the air.

Kiana jumped, but she couldn't reach them. Instead, the entire theater suddenly flipped upside down, thanks to the Herrscher of Dominance's power. Kiana lost her footing and plummeted towards the ground.

The stage was now inverted, debris rained down, and Kiana crashed to the ground. She scrambled to her feet and continued battling the endless swarm of puppets.

But her mind was racing, trying to make sense of what she'd just seen. The enemy shouldn't have the ability to manipulate gravity, but that's exactly what had just happened... What was going on?

"No, it's the puppets' threads that control everything!"

"This battlefield, it was their domain from the beginning."

Kiana gradually understood everything, but it didn't help the current situation, which was getting worse by the minute.

"Harassing, relentless, clinging on for dear life!" the puppets taunted, their voices a chorus of mockery. "Oh dear, are you getting angry? Losing your temper?"

The situation was growing increasingly desperate.

"Why struggle in vain? Why resist when it's pointless?" the puppets continued to taunt.

With a final groan, the last pillar in the arena crumbled. The inverted battlefield shattered, and Kiana continued her downward slide, plunging into a deeper, darker abyss.The abyss seemed bottomless. Jagged stone spikes rained down from above.Kiana narrowly dodged the falling spikes, using her Herrscher of Void powers to soften her landing at the bottom of the abyss. She looked up at her enemy, a new understanding dawning on her.The truth was, when all the puppets fought together, they weren't as weak as she had initially thought.

[Detail: Every time she hits a puppet, a corresponding name appears above it. I wonder if it's from the game or the voice actors.]

[Wow! There was even one named Su Lu. Was it an Easter egg? It felt strangely satisfying to fight it.]

[The chaos of a thousand puppets, their cries and cheers echoing through the theater... wait, how was my Immortal already defeated?]

[Actually, Fu Hua's defeat was probably due to the loss of her powers. But what about that Duck? Seriously, being out of the fight in less than three seconds was just embarrassing!]

[Comment]

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"Bronya-ya~" Kiana teased, a playful Smile spreading across her face.

While Bronya was living her best life in the real world, with her career seemingly on track – likely to take over leadership of Anti-Entropy – and her love life flourishing – constantly cuddling with Seele, a fact that made Kiana insanely jealous – everything seemed to be going her way.

But in the game, she was either getting beaten up or about to get beaten up. Kiana couldn't help but find this hilarious.

What a life-winner, eh? Mei still refused to sleep in the same bed as Kiana, yet Duck already cuddling with Seele.

"Hmph—, stupid Kiana, don't bother Bronya."

Bronya didn't seem happy. She was a bit embarrassed by her terrible performance in the game once again.

The only consolation for Bronya was that Fu Hua had also been captured...

At least now she couldn't call Duck weak. The Class Monitor was the Azure Empyrean, after all! The fact that Bronya could even compare herself to the Class Monitor was a testament to her own strength!

"The Old Antique's injuries must be quite serious. Captured by mere puppets? Or maybe she's been slacking off in her training, perhaps she's no longer a match for me?"

The Herrscher of Sentience chuckled, her eyes glinting with malice, as she looked at Fu Hua.

She found it quite amusing to see the Old Antique getting beaten up. After all, hadn't Fu Hua lied to her before? Besides, it was just a little white lie... it shouldn't matter that much, right?

"Oh dear, Old Antique," the Herrscher of Sentience continued, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"It seems I was worried about your strength for nothing. You're getting completely outmatched by these tiny puppets... could it be... you're not as strong as you pretend to be? Do you need me to protect you?"

"..." Fu Hua pushed her glasses up her nose and sighed.

The Herrscher of Sentience, as always, couldn't resist showing off in front of Fu Hua. But this time, Fu Hua had lost her powers and was already badly injured after the incident at Mount Taixu.

Her current performance was only to be expected...

However, after carefully reviewing the previous intel, Fu Hua quickly found a way to turn the tables on her captor.

"Little Senti," she said pointedly, "perhaps this battle is primarily meant to showcase Kiana's strength. Don't read too much into the specific plot details..."

"Remember the PV for this chapter? We must carry on the legacy of the past... the focus should be on Kiana's growth, just like what happened on Mount Taixu..."

"You, Old Antique, you… well, that makes some sense."

The Herrscher of Sentience grudgingly backed down. She had to admit that part of what the other side said was true, especially the latter half about what happened on Mount Tai Xu.

"The Class Monitor is absolutely right, Kiana, stop gloating," Bronya chimed in, jumping to Fu Hua's defense. "Bronya believes that when Bronya and the Class Monitor face our opponent for real, we won't be defeated so easily!"

She couldn't help but look at Fu Hua with admiration. The Class Monitor might not be good at comforting people, but her mind was still sharp as a tack!

She had come up with a way to refute the other side so quickly. With the Herrscher of Sentience around, a simple explanation for the game wouldn't be convincing, but the video wouldn't show the entire battle!

This is handled by the game's production techniques, that's it!

Bronya quickly found an excuse for her defeat. Her eyes were filled with conviction.

-----

Sparks flew across the battlefield, the clash of dual pistols and puppet bodies creating a shower of embers.

Kiana continued to weave through the battlefield, engaged in constant combat.

After defeating yet another puppet, she moved in for the final blow, but suddenly, the puppet's face transformed into Fu Hua's. Kiana abruptly stopped, her boots skidding across the ground, leaving a long mark. She furrowed her brow in confusion and frustration.

The puppet's voice rang out, much more talkative than her previous enemies.

"See the faces of your companions, Kiana? Are you happy?"

"You can't bring yourself to attack anymore, can you?"

The puppet taunted her, even taking the time to summon two more puppets, this time in the form of Bronya and Fu Hua.

It was clear the puppet was trying to break Kiana's spirit completely.

She didn't believe that true unwavering conviction existed in the world.

If she did... if she did... If She gave up and was defeated, wouldn't that prove that her beliefs were wrong and meaningless? Wouldn't it prove that the puppets, representing those who had lost hope, were the ultimate failures in life?

She desperately wanted to prove that everyone was inherently like this... malicious, desperate, corrupt...

Yes, everyone would become like this. They were meant to be like this.

"Your existence is destined to bring only misfortune!"

But Kiana remained silent. She dodged several attacks from her 'companions', finally using her weapons to defeat them one by one.

Then, harnessing the power of the Herrscher of Void, she swooped down from the sky and struck the giant creature. Her flames penetrated its body, causing it to crash to the ground, its core-infused body shattering into pieces.

But sadly, after writhing for a moment, it rose again, unharmed.

Kiana landed steadily, wiping the corner of her mouth. Her gaze remained unwavering. She would never surrender!

[You're playing dirty, using Kiana's companions' faces!]

[This thing is tough to kill! They've already changed battlefields three times, and the number of forms it takes is crazy~]

[Their bodies are really well-mimicked! Maybe because the puppets themselves don't have any?]

[If the power of consciousness is already gone... then now, the Herrscher of Dominance... hiss, these puppets are too weird!]

[Comment]

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Golden Courtyard

"What a strange Herrscher of Dominance, there are many abilities we haven't recorded."

Elysia curiously watched the puppets in the video, then continued to the next part of the story, somewhat anticipating what would come next.

But she hadn't expected this.

What came next was another short film.

Elysia instinctively trembled. To be honest, she was a little scared. She had already fallen for these short films many times.

"Sigh~ What a cruel person, even worse than Mobius~" Elysia grumbled, her long ears twitching with a hint of resentment. Despite her hesitation, she still clicked on the video.

She had already cried, surely she wouldn't cry again… probably~

While Mobius wanted to say something, she swallowed her words as the short film played. Why did she always have to compare her to others? And what bad heart did Snake have?

She just wanted to drag them both onto the experiment table and study them.

-----

A giant hand, blotting out the sun, shielded all light. The malice of a thousand Puppets enveloped Kiana.

Countless threads swirled in the air, forming a tangled mass. In the pitch-black theater, countless hands, willingly sunk in despair, stretched out.

In the darkness, Kiana's heavy breathing was all that could be heard. Her violent gasps seemed to be trying to bring strength to her weakened body.

Barely able to drag her broken great sword, she faced an enemy that seemed invincible.

— Just like her past self.

"Kiana—, give up the struggle."

Suddenly, the sky brightened, as if someone had flipped a switch. But it was clear that this wasn't a sign of good intentions.

Bronya and Fu Hua were bound by countless threads, suspended in the air in agonizing positions.

Dozens of weapon-wielding puppets surrounded them, while giant arms lurked in the shadows, ready to strike. In the distance, a massive puppet emerged, seemingly holding countless threads in its hands.

The final puppet master revealed itself. But did Kiana have the strength to fight back?

As the puppet master's hand twitched, the sharp threads tightened around Bronya and Fu Hua, causing them to cry out in pain. Kiana's heart sank.

Endless anger surged up within her. She clenched her great sword, but could only watch helplessly as her companions suffered.

"Let them go!" Kiana roared, charging forward. But she was lost in a sea of puppets, her great-sword slashing through them, yet never reaching the end.

"You have faith, but you're powerless!" the puppet's voice taunted. The threads in its hand tightened, and Bronya cried out in agony.

Their skin was cut open by the threads, drops of blood trickling down.

"Stop it!!" Kiana raged, the sight fueling her anger. Her grip on the greatsword tightened as she summoned all her strength.

How... how could this be happening? Bronya, the Class Monitor... Please, stop it!

"Your so-called justice and kindness are just self-indulgent delusions," the puppet sneered, attempting to break Kiana's spirit and turn her into one of them.

"You can't change the malice in people's hearts."

"You can't change this ugly world."

Kiana continued to fight, but the puppets and their threads seemed endless. Above, her friends were filled with worry as she unleashed her fiery powers, blasting away puppets and trying to sever the threads with her Void Lance.

"Almost... just a little bit more!" she gritted out.

But the puppets only laughed, watching her struggle with amusement.

The words barely left her lips before a swarm of puppets descended upon her.

They pinned her to the ground, holding her down so tightly she couldn't even move. Their strings wrapped around the Void Lance, which was trying to fight back, and snapped one by one, breaking it.

"See? You can't even protect— them."

The puppet mocked Kiana. It waved its hands around like a conductor, controlling the threads that were tearing into Fu Hua and Bronya skin. 

Blood splattered everywhere, raining down like a bloody storm. 

To shake Kiana's faith further, the puppet turned its cruelty on her companions.

Kiana, pinned beneath the throng of puppets, felt a warmth on her hand. She watched in agony as her companions were tormented in front of her. She stretched out her hand, but couldn't reach them.

Her companions were being repeatedly tortured before her eyes, and she was powerless.

Pain, sorrow, and despair intertwined in her heart.

-----

"What in the world?" The Herrscher of Sentience, her eyes wide with surprise, stared at the scene unfolding before her. It was a bit too spicy for someone her age.

"Are you kidding me?! Aaaahh—, it, it, it… this thing… this thing… is it asking for trouble?!"

Filled with fury, the Herrscher of Sentience flung her phone to the ground, where it shattered with a loud crack.

How dare That bastard Puppets treat her Old Antique like that?

Doesn't it know that the Old Antique can only be bullied by her?

"Well, there's no need to break your phone."

Fu Hua sighed, picking up some of the shards.

She took a closer look. It seemed it was unusable. Little Senti was really angry this time.

After spending so much time with her, she knew that the Herrscher of Sentience just loved to play, but she rarely did anything truly bad, and she would always make up for it afterwards.

She was carefree by nature and didn't care about small things. But why was she so furious this time?

"Damn it, damn it, damn it… that thing is dead, you wouldn't even find its grave."

"Are you angry for me?" Fu Hua picked up a shard and asked calmly.

"No, no… Of course I'm angry. Damn it, she actually dared to bully my friend Bronya!"