"Shendu, hm..."
Floating in midair, Selene drifted over the crystallized ground, her gaze settling on a faint green-yellow glint half-buried in dust. A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"Whether I use him or not, releasing a being like him—the highest authority of the dark chi—should further destabilize this world's balance and make it even weaker."
Locking onto all the glimmering gray reflections, Selene extended her right hand.
Simulation—Gravity.
The crystallized earth trembled. A moment later, twelve small, octahedral stones broke free from the ground and floated before her.
"The Twelve Zodiac Talismans... I suppose I'm the Dragon, aren't I? That means Shendu and I share quite the affinity."
Each talisman corresponded perfectly to one of the twelve zodiac animals. Feeling the mystical energy resonating from them, Selene's lips curved slightly in amusement.
With a casual wave, she swept aside the layer of dirt before her, revealing a massive, ancient dragon statue—its design archaic yet lifelike, the dragon's coiled body forming a circular base.
"Well then... one of the Eight Demon Sorcerers of antiquity—Shendu."
The sculpture's eyes glowed crimson as a deep, gravelly voice emanated from within.
"Where is Jackie Chan... and who are you?!"
Though his greed for the talismans burned, even Shendu could sense that the woman before him was not someone to trifle with. After all, he was no fool like his seven siblings—his intellect had survived centuries of imprisonment intact.
"Come now, Shendu, don't play dumb. You may have been sealed in Section 13's deepest chamber, but I refuse to believe you didn't notice the commotion earlier. And surely, you understand your current situation?"
Descending to the ground, Selene ignored his hostility and curiously brushed her gloved fingers across the green-yellow stone surface, her tone confident and domineering.
"...What do you want?" Shendu's voice rumbled, low and cautious.
"Your grimoires, your knowledge... everything you possess." Using gravitational pull, Selene drew the dragon statue closer until it hovered before her. She stared into Shendu's glowing red eyes and spoke without hesitation.
Shendu was silent for a moment, calculating. So greedy... but perhaps an opportunity. If he could trick her into returning a few talismans, he could regain partial freedom—then, in the end, he would be the one in control.
"Very well... but such a deal requires an exchange of equal value. You must return part of the talismans as a down payment. Once our agreement is fulfilled, you may have the rest." His voice took on an almost humble tone, feigned but practiced.
"You want the talismans," Selene said immediately, sounding arrogant and reckless—as though blinded by her own ambition.
"The Rat, the Horse, and the Dog," Shendu replied.
"Fine..." Selene said, withdrawing the three talismans and lifting them toward the statue's waiting sockets.
But of course, she wasn't fooled. She knew exactly what he was planning.
The Rat Talisman could animate the inanimate—allowing Shendu to regain his true form. The Horse Talisman could purge all ailments and foreign effects, granting him temporary immunity to the petrification seal. And the Dog Talisman granted immortality itself.
Each one revealed Shendu's treacherous intent. Clearly, he was plotting to free himself.
So predictable... she thought. I'd hoped to see if he'd kneel after a little show of power. Seems not.
Selene sighed softly. "Enough wasting time."
"Unfortunately for you, Shendu—your little test ends here."
She withdrew the three talismans and, in their place, produced one engraved with a pale green Sheep symbol.
"Wait—how do you know my true name!? And what of the grimoires—don't you want the knowledge I've gathered over millennia?!" Shendu's voice trembled with alarm as he sensed the shift in her tone.
"That won't be necessary—I can obtain it myself." As Selene spoke, the Sheep Talisman in her hand began to shine brilliantly.
"No—stop! I am willing to ser—"
Before Shendu could finish, his spectral form was violently torn from the dragon statue's body.
"Sheep Talisman—Fix!"
With a casual motion, Selene summoned a Seraph-class Honkai Beast, purged it of all consciousness, and—grinning wickedly—thrust Shendu's soul into its pale-pink shell. "You'll stay put in there for now."
Then, turning her gaze toward the now-lifeless dragon statue, Selene's expression softened into one of calculated intent. She had already decided how to use it.
Every Herrscher of Honkai—was born alongside a corresponding Honkai Beast. Selene's own companion beast's body had long been used to create Sebas, and its consciousness had been replaced entirely by his.
But that didn't mean the original spirit of her companion had vanished. It merely slumbered deep within her Imaginary Space, awaiting a new vessel.
Until now, she had not found one worthy of hosting such power.
Now, standing before her, lay the perfect candidate.
The Fire Demon, one of the Eight Demon Sorcerers of antiquity—aligned with the trigram Li, the Flame. His status and energy resonance matched flawlessly with the soul rank of Selene's companion beast.
Opening the rift to her Imaginary Space, Selene carefully lifted a small, pulsating violet-red sphere of energy from within—barely the size of her palm.
"Now... it's time for you to awaken."
As she spoke, the orb trembled lightly, then drifted toward the inert dragon statue, sinking slowly into its chest.
Once that was done, Selene waved her hand, and the twelve Zodiac Talismans returned to their proper slots on the statue's surface.
Bzzzzmmm—!
At once, a red mist seeped from the statue, forming a dense cocoon around it. The once-still body began to pulse faintly with life.
Simultaneously, with the complete revival of the Fire Demon—the entity occupying Shendu's divine position—the vast reservoir of yin energy accumulated across the dark chi networks surged forth.
Drawn as if by gravity, streams of black, translucent energy flowed rapidly toward the statue, wrapping it in layer upon layer of a violet-black cocoon.
Satisfied, Selene nodded approvingly. "Perfect."
With her task complete, she lifted her gaze toward the San Francisco Bay, where Jackie and Liver's battle still raged.
Her brow furrowed. "Still not finished?"
"Fine. I'll handle it myself."
Rising effortlessly into the air, Selene gave her final command—her voice echoing through the ruined city.
"Honkai Legion—guard this place."