The City of Lights

3 Months Later, After the Eruption[City, From Someone's Point of View]

The city's loudspeakers crackled to life with an urgent announcement.

"We have an Honkai event in ARC North. Local residents are advised to seek the nearest shelter. ARC Patrols are heading to the affected areas as quickly as they can. I repeat..."

A desperate shout pierced the chaos, "HELP!"A young girl with white hair, watched from the shadows, frustration etched on her face as she clenched her teeth.

"Kiana, don't engage with the Honkai. Leave them for now... There's nothing you can do."

"Nothing?" Kiana whispered fiercely, her fist tightening. "I must do something..."

As an Honkai beast lunged menacingly toward a cowering civilian, Kiana's instincts kicked in. Without hesitation, she seized a metal baseball bat and surged forward,

"Run! Get away! I'll handle this!" she shouted, her voice trembling with urgency as she positioned herself as a shield between the beast and the citizen

With every swing of her bat, Kiana poured all her strength into each blow, the metallic clang echoing in the chaos of the moment.

Yet, despite her efforts, the beasts remained unscathed, their menacing forms seemingly impervious to harm.

Frustration boiled within her as she dropped the bat, her hands instinctively drawing her revolvers while using her honkai energy

The sharp crack of gunfire filled the air as she aimed, her determination driving each bullet toward its mark.

But even as she fired, a creeping weakness gnawed at her, her grip faltering as the weapons slipped from her grasp.

"I can't... die here!" Kiana's voice wavered with defiance as desperation surged through her veins.

A sinister laughter echoed in her mind, chilling her to the core. "Your body is mine," it taunted, sending shivers down her spine.

"Kiana!" The urgent call from Fu Hua snapped her back to reality, but before she could react, her strength failed her, forcing her to her knees.

"I've brought you to your knees..." The malicious voice whispered, its grip tightening around her consciousness. "Now surrender."

 Kiana snatched up the fallen revolver, pressing it against her own neck as a last resort. "I won't let you win."

"Kiana." A warm embrace enveloped her, pulling her back from the brink of despair as Fu Hua's reassuring presence grounded her in reality. Feathers drifted down around them, a serene contrast to the chaos that threatened to consume her.

In her mind's eye, Kiana saw a distorted reflection of herself, a Herrscher of Void poised for battle with spears at the ready. 

That is me...?

But yet again, Fu Hua returned her to reality, "From now on, forge your own path," the apparition urged its voice a faint echo in the tumult of her thoughts.

Gasping for breath, Kiana looked around, her vision clearing to reveal that the Honkai beasts had vanished, replaced by a horde of new threats on the highway.

As Kiana's gaze fixated on the ground, a faint echo of shoe footsteps resonated nearby, accompanied by the delicate shatter of glass. Slowly, she turned her head towards the source, a glass shard crunching underfoot as she did.

Beside her stood a figure, unmistakably male, clad in the uniform of St. Freya. Though Kiana recognized him as an illusion, her heart raced nonetheless, her hand instinctively clutching at her side.

The air grew tense as the sound of a katana being drawn filled the space between them. With a casual glance over his shoulder, the illusionary figure addressed her in a familiar voice. 

"Hey, Idiot... What are you waiting for?"

At that moment, Kiana snapped into action, her resolve hardening as she pivoted to face the apparition of Shin, his form beginning to fade into the ether.

"Shin... Yes... You're right," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Suddenly, a surge of energy enveloped Kiana, the crackle of lightning dancing around her as her eyes blazed with determination. 

With a swift motion, she reached into a dimensional wormhole and withdrew a Flechette, its form resembling that of a sword.

"I'll carve my own destiny," she declared, her voice cutting through the chaos as she swung the weapon with expert precision.

In one fluid motion, she cleaved through the Honkai beast that barred her path, the creature falling in two halves at her feet.

[Meanwhile, on Shin's Side]

Shin arrived safely in Arc City, the so-called city of lights, where Owl and Ana had pinpointed the location of the last radio comms. He landed gracefully on a rain-slick highway, having leaped from his sword.

"Finally arrived... but no warm greetings here," he muttered, eyeing the Honkai beasts gathering ahead.

The storm intensified, raindrops pelting the ground in an unrelenting downpour. Shin scanned his surroundings, noting the presence of ten Honkai beasts slowly advancing toward him. 

Amidst the chaos, a strong Honkai energy pulsed in the distance, tugging at his senses.

Khh... What a strong honkai energy...It feels like I'll die once I get closer to it.

"I need to find everyone else, reunite with them, and share what I've discovered... but first," he thought, focusing on the immediate threat.

As the beasts drew nearer, the world around Shin shifted. His vision turned black and white, the details sharpening as he unsheathed the demon sword at his waist.

 one seamless motion, he slashed through the air, the blade cutting through all ten beasts in a single, precise stroke.

Time seemed to resume as he sheathed his katana, the colors of the world flooding back into his vision. "Hoof... Threat eliminated... It's time to head back with the oth–"

"Where are you going?"

The sudden voice made him whirl around. Standing before him was a child with gray hair, wearing a metal mask, their appearance eerily cyborg-like.

Shin's eyes widened as he saw the child.

Why is there a kid out here?

"You shouldn't be out here. Everyone is evacuating to the nearest safe zone let me at least escort you to–"

"That won't do... Watanabe Shin," a deep voice intoned from behind him. Shin spun around to face the newcomer.

A tall humanoid android approached, clad in a long black jacket with a hood and an armored shoulder piece on his right. His face was a pale mask marked by a black cross of swords on the left side, revealing only a red reptilian eye on the right. He carried an umbrella, his presence exuding an unsettling calm.

"You... How do you know my name?"

"That is not very important right now, Watanabe Shin. For starters, I am here to congratulate you on your return."

"Not important? The only thing important here is your weirdness."

The android laughed, dismissing the insult with a wave. "So... what do you want?" Shin asked.

"Oh... good question, Watanabe Shin. I am here to–"

Before the android could finish, Shin dashed forward, katana ready to strike. But in an instant, the cyborg girl stepped between them, absorbing the blow with her body. Shin's eyes widened in shock as he leaped back. "A puppet...?"

"That was... very offensive of you," the android chided, his tone a mixture of amusement and menace.

Shin's grip tightened on his katana. "The only thing offensive here is you dodging my questions."

"Hmph... You destroyed my Ningyo and now claim to be a victim? How terrible..." the android mocked, drawing a revolver from his back and firing.

In a swift motion, Shin sliced the bullet in half and charged forward.

"Ohh~ How beautiful~ That's right... Herrscher of Blade, let me witness how you fight!" The android's voice dripped with twisted admiration.

He knows!?

Shin skidded to a halt as a flurry of arrows, resembling red feathers, whizzed towards him. He dodged them, stepping back just in time.

"A red feather..." he muttered, eyes narrowing.

A new figure emerged between him and the masked android. She had short, light gray hair and red eyes, her black-fuchsia uniform and hood evoking the bird she was named after.

"I'm here as per orders," she announced, her voice cold and steady.

A woman appeared!?

"That was quick of you... Have you taken care of things?" the android asked.

"Yes, Rita Rossweisse should be struggling by now."

Rita...?! That maid!?

"Hey, what did you do to Rita?"

The woman turned her gaze to him. "Are you... Shin Watanabe?"

"Yeah, why do you—" He was cut off as she vanished, leaving only a trail of red feathers. Shin's senses sharpened as he spotted her above, dagger poised to strike.

He raised his katana just in time to clash with her, the highway resounding with the metallic symphony of their duel amid the relentless downpour.

She's fast and strong! 

"Oh? You're pretty strong,"

 With a swift motion, she hurled a few daggers in Shin's direction.

Shin deftly parried the incoming daggers with his katana, the metallic clangs resonating through the stormy night.

Shin's focus sharpened. "I don't have time for this."

Raising my demon katana, flames erupted along its blade, swirling and dancing in a mesmerizing pattern. The flames took the shape of a phoenix in flight, its fiery wings unfurling with a majestic grace. 

 With a powerful swing, I unleashed the flaming phoenix, sending it hurtling towards her.

The inferno lit up the stormy night, casting an eerie glow as the fiery bird soared, its intense heat cutting through the rain-soaked air, aiming to engulf everything in its path.

The woman's eyes widened in surprise as she backflipped, seeking cover behind a nearby car.

"Tch...! I barely grazed her," Shin muttered, frustration evident in his voice.

"That was an impressive technique, Watanabe Shin," the masked man commented, his tone almost appreciative.

"Hey, masked man, if you're going to call me by my full name, at least introduce yourself," Shin demanded, his grip on the katana tightening.

The man paused, then cleared his throat. "You're right... I forgot." He bowed elegantly. "You can call me... Gray Serpent."

Before Shin could respond, another explosion rocked the area, and a few mechas emerged, their imposing forms blocking his path.

Gray Serpent glanced at the woman. "It looks like this is our cue. Raven, we will be leaving." He turned back to Shin. "I hope we may meet again... but this time, for a more pleasant conversation, Watanabe Shin."

"Hey! Come back!" Shin shouted, charging after them, only to be stopped by the mechas. "Tch... What a pain!" he muttered, readying his katana.

[Meanwhile, on Kiana's Side...]

Kiana turned sharply, her senses on high alert. "Huh...? That voice... Shin?" she whispered, her heart skipping a beat.

She scanned the area, the remnants of her battle with the Honkai beasts still smoldering around her.

The storm raged on, lightning illuminating the darkened landscape as she strained to catch any further sounds or signs of him.

That can't be... Shin is dead...

Suddenly, a massive Honkai beast descended from the sky.

"A Lugal!?" Kiana's eyes widened as she immediately took a fighting stance.

"Kiana, regulate your breathing, and fight as I've taught you," Fu Hua's calm voice guided her, a steady presence amidst the chaos.

"Got it...!" Kiana responded, focusing her energy.

She launched into battle, guns blazing and sword flashing in the stormy night. The beast roared, lunging at her with terrifying speed.

"Kiana, behind you!" Fu Hua's warning cut through the noise.

Kiana ducked instinctively, then backflipped, her guns firing mid-air and striking the beast with precision. She landed gracefully, her eyes never leaving her target.

Meanwhile, from a Mecha Pilot's Point of View...

Inside a mecha cockpit, a pilot watched in astonishment. "Did you see that? That little girl..." he murmured, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"She took down an Honkai beast in less than 30 seconds," the Mech Captain remarked, awe coloring his voice. "Is she a monster? No... a superhuman? Like something out of a manga?"

Kiana panted heavily as the last of the beast fell. "All clear..."

"Good. We must leave now. We can't have too many witnesses of your presence," Fu Hua advised.

"Alright..." Kiana nodded, her breath steadying as she prepared to leave.

The battle ended before the surviving mecha could get a clear view of her face. They could only remember a moonlit shadow moving with impossible grace. No one knew when she vanished, leaving only whispers and unanswered questions.

But two figures watched everything from the cover of darkness, their eyes tracking her every move.

...

...

...

[Switching to Shin's perspective] (I tried using third person view and I suck at it so I changed it back to first person view)

With a final, decisive stroke, I dispatched the mechs that stood in my path.

"I have to find Rita," I muttered to myself, determination fueling my every move. "Though I can't find her blindly, I'll just have to break my way through."

Summoning another sword with a snap of my fingers, I stepped onto it, using its momentum to propel myself forward with speed. The wind whipped past me as I soared through the stormy night.

As I flew, my keen eyes caught sight of familiar figures on the ground below, engaged in combat with Honkai beasts.

"That's Schicksal's Valkyries... I guess they're also helping people evacuate, huh..." I observed, a sense of respect mingling with my thoughts.

Even amidst chaos, they remained steadfast in their duty to protect others...

I glanced down at the Valkyries below again. They seemed to be struggling... Should I help them?

...I won't be able to sleep if I don't help them.

I directed my flying sword into a descent, the scene becoming clearer as I approached.

Just as I was about to materialize a massive sword from the sky, a red feather whizzed past me, narrowly missing.

That was close! Where did it come from!?

I traced the feather's trajectory back to its source. It was the woman again. "There you are!" I shouted, maneuvering my sword toward her rooftop perch.

I landed in front of her, the wind whipping around us as she fixed her gaze on me. 

"Good... It seems you're easy to provoke... Now then shall we dance?"

I drew my demon sword from its sheath. "Yeah, Let's do this... Round two."