One minute ago. Schicksal HQ.
Inside Schicksal HQ, Kiana, who had been spacing out, snapped back to reality just in time to dodge a scythe that nearly grazed her. Only then did she remember she was in the middle of a sparring session with an expert.
After guessing that Isla Ash might possess Sirin's power, Theresa had immediately summoned Kiana to her side, even calling Rita over.
The reason was simple—Sirin was truly powerful.
Even though Theresa had already learned the hidden ultimate skill of the Oath of Judah from Otto, she still felt she had to be on guard against Sirin, who could awaken at any moment.
As for knocking Kiana out right now...
She couldn't bring herself to do it.
Fourteen years ago, Theresa already believed that Sirin, a victim of Schicksal's schemes, was a pitiable person at heart.
It was only because Sirin refused to listen and insisted on destroying the world that she was forced into a fight to the death.
Now that Sirin had been reborn as Kiana, and Kiana, no matter how you looked at it, seemed like a slightly flawed but fundamentally kind-hearted girl.
Under these circumstances, Theresa still hoped things wouldn't escalate to the worst-case scenario.
The person currently sparring with Kiana wasn't Theresa, but Rita, whom Theresa had summoned.
After Leo Ash took Yuna, Mei, and Durandal, Theresa was the only expert left at Schicksal with enough power to suppress a Herrscher.
With such a shortage of combat strength, Theresa felt she absolutely had to maintain her peak condition to prevent any accidents.
As for Kiana spacing out at a time like this...
—This was clearly a bad sign, okay!!!!
Even Theresa could sense that the Honkai was accelerating the birth of Herrschers far too quickly.
Mei's transformation less than three months ago could still be blamed on Cocolia's man-made disaster.
But Yuna, Fu Hua, and Wendy becoming Herrschers one after another within about a month—even a fool would know something was seriously wrong.
In the past, Theresa might have naively thought that the next Herrscher wouldn't appear so soon.
But now, she was deeply uneasy.
Her Kaslana bloodline gave her an intuition that made it impossible for her to feel at ease for even a moment.
In this situation, Theresa, who had originally intended to train Kiana, looked at the two who had suddenly stopped fighting and said to Kiana with a gentle smile.
"Kiana, you almost failed to dodge that last move. Are you tired?"
"If you're tired, let's take a break. Great-Auntie will take you out for some good food."
"Eh?"
Kiana, who had expected a scolding, looked at Theresa with confusion upon hearing her overly gentle words.
"Great-Auntie, why are you so... today?"
However, seeing the expression on Theresa's face freeze, Kiana quickly covered her mouth and shook her head frantically.
"That's not what I meant!"
Theresa, who had been about to lose her temper, suddenly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Kiana's current state.
*Thank goodness, Kiana is still the same idiot.*
*Sirin hasn't woken up yet. No need to worry too much for now.*
Watching the exchange between the two, Rita, who knew some of the inside details of the Herrscher of the Void's awakening plan, spoke with a smile.
"Lady Theresa, if you and Miss Kiana would like to dine, please allow me to inform the cafeteria first so they can make preparations."
"No! Not at all!"
Hearing their words, Kiana, who had no such intention, immediately forced herself to get serious and said to Rita.
"Miss Rita, please let's continue the training."
"I know I'm weak, so weak that I can't keep up with everyone anymore, so—that's why I have to work hard to become stronger!"
*A heart that yearns for power...*
Hearing Kiana's words, both Rita and Theresa felt their hearts sink.
The desire for self-improvement exists in almost everyone.
If Kiana were just an ordinary girl, both Rita, who saw her as a junior, and Theresa, who already considered her family, would have been happy for her.
But she just had to be the host for the Herrscher of the Void.
For her desire for power to emerge so suddenly in this chaotic era was a serious problem.
And now, neither of them dared to show any sign of alarm.
"Very well, Miss Kiana—be careful!"
Watching the two clash once more, Theresa felt her unease grow even stronger.
*I even left Judah out. The moment Sirin appears, I can immediately deploy the Divine Grace Field to suppress her.*
*With that in place, what am I still panicking about...*
*Grandfather?*
*He's been missing for days. If he's plotting something sinister, now would be the time to make his move.*
*Hmm, I've got it!*
At that moment, Theresa quietly walked to a corner of the training ground and took out her communicator.
But at the same time, outside the training ground, Isla Ash, who was reviewing some documents, was startled when the [Oath of Judah] suddenly flew off the weapon rack and landed in front of her.
"Huh, Judah? What's wrong?"
*That's strange. According to Auntie, the cores of the Previous Era's Divine Keys are all processed 'inanimate objects.' Why do I always get the feeling that Judah is alive?*
*And...*
After gently touching the Oath of Judah with her small hand, the expression on Isla's face instantly turned to one of utter panic.
"What do you mean? You're saying... you want me to take you to Daddy?"
*I've had this uneasy feeling for a while now.*
*And for Judah to actively express such an idea—Daddy is in danger?!*
Though she had no proof, Isla acted decisively, activating her ability at once.
While her power couldn't cover super-long distances in a single jump, with enough Honkai Energy, she could perform multiple short-distance jumps in quick succession, making up for the range deficit.
Right now, although her ability prevented her from fully becoming a Divine Key wielder, with the Oath of Judah actively releasing its energy, she was confident she could reach Leo Ash's location in a short amount of time.
Additionally, to make sure she wasn't heading in the wrong direction, Isla simultaneously used Schicksal's internal system to open its navigation system while teleporting.
*Okay, this should work.*
*Daddy, I'm coming!*
...
Meanwhile, inside the training ground.
"What the hell?!"
Hearing what Himeko was saying through the communicator, Theresa looked over at Kiana and Rita, who had suddenly stopped fighting and were now looking at her. She immediately put on a broad smile.
"It's nothing, nothing. You two carry on."
Then, she quickly walked to the outer edge of the training ground and whispered to Himeko.
"You're saying our Schicksal personnel in Jiuyou were dismissed by Leo Ash because someone came to steal and eat Chiyou's corpse?"
"Yeah, we just got the news. That's why I was asking if you'd also heard something and were about to have me deploy combat troops."
*This is bad. This is a huge problem.*
*Leo Ash has been attacked.*
*And even with a powerful team like Leo Ash, Bianka, Yuna, and Mei over there, the fact that he told everyone to retreat immediately means the enemy is definitely not to be trifled with.*
*Kiana is on the verge of awakening right now, so I absolutely cannot let her know about this—oh my god!*
Stepping outside, Theresa's jaw dropped when she saw that one of the crosses on the weapon rack was missing.
*Where's Judah? Where's my Judah?*
*There's a thief!*
*Wait, no, where's Isla?*
At that moment, remembering what Isla had done before, Theresa's face instantly turned deathly pale.
*Isla is the thief.*
*She took Judah and left.*
*And Leo Ash is under attack right now.*
*How can this silly girl be even more reckless than her dad!*
*Now that Leo Ash is in trouble and Isla has gone after him, I absolutely can't let Kiana find out!*
However, the moment this thought crossed her mind, Theresa heard a voice she dreaded hearing most right now from behind her.
"Great-Auntie, you're definitely hiding something from me, aren't you?"
Kiana, who had already sensed that something was clearly wrong with Theresa's state, rushed up behind her and exclaimed in shock.
"Wasn't Isla waiting outside for me to finish training? Where is she?"
"And where's your Divine Key, Great-Auntie???"
"This, that..."
Theresa felt like her brain was working at lightning speed.
But often, a fast-working brain isn't enough to solve problems.
At this moment, with Himeko, her usual backup, absent, Theresa could only turn her pleading gaze to Rita, who was behind Kiana.
But Rita, usually so gentle in her speech and manner, now had a sharp look in her eyes, just like Kiana.
*This is bad.*
*I forgot Rita is Leo Ash's older sister, and Isla is her niece.*
*She's bound to be worried too.*
*It's all over now.*
Realizing something was wrong, the two of them made different decisions simultaneously.
Rita, standing to the side, took out her communicator and contacted Alvitr to get an update on the situation.
Meanwhile, Kiana, in her panic, suddenly heard a voice.
[Do you want to save your daughter?]
*You... that voice, who are you?!*
[Oh? So that's what you care about most right now?]
[Such a well-behaved daughter, disappearing so suddenly. Take a guess, who could possibly make her do something like that?]
*...What are you trying to say?*
[Leo Ash is in trouble. If you want to save him, then now—]
*I won't be manipulated by you!*
[You—!]
Forcing herself to ignore the voice in her head, Kiana immediately started using her little brain, which she rarely used, to figure out how to solve the current problem.
*Isla is missing, and Great-Auntie is acting so strangely...*
*The only thing that could make Great-Auntie panic like this is if Senior is in trouble!*
*That voice... it definitely doesn't have good intentions showing up now.*
*But if Senior really is in trouble... our forces here can't get to him in time!*
*No, wait, there is a way, isn't there?*
At that moment, Kiana thought of someone.
*Su, that guy with the sly smile!*
*His Thousand Worlds can teleport people instantly!*
*If I can just find him, our Schicksal forces can get there in time to rescue Senior!*
At that moment, Kiana, filled with a sense of urgency, initiated the startup sequence for [White Knight: Moonlight].
"Kiana, you, you wait for me!"
"Sorry, Great-Auntie, I have to go!"
Ignoring Theresa's shouts from behind her, Kiana cranked the gamma particle output of White Knight: Moonlight to its maximum and, with a *swoosh*, flew out of sight.
"Damn it! That girl!"
Seeing Kiana dash off, Theresa didn't hesitate. While activating her own Godsbane Armor, she yelled to Rita behind her.
"Rita, after her! We can't let Kiana run around loose!"
"Yes, understood."
Having learned of Leo Ash's attack, Rita had already donned her [Argent Knight: Artemis] armor.
As Theresa, in a rare move, put on the [Blood Knight: Moonblaze] armor Otto had made for her, she couldn't help but feel...
*That's odd, why does it feel like this Godsbane Armor isn't boosting me as much as I expected?*
*Whatever, I have to catch her first.*
*She might be fine now, but that doesn't mean she will be later.*
*Judah isn't with me. If Sirin really descends now, there will be massive casualties at Schicksal HQ!*
...
At this moment, Kiana, having rushed all the way into the Thousand Worlds, quickly exchanged a few greetings with Su.
But soon, she realized something was off.
This Su looked no different from the usual sly, smiling man, but when Kiana tried to say something more, unnatural ripples appeared on his body.
In that instant, Kiana keenly perceived something.
*This guy—it's an energy clone!!!*
*He's not here in person, which means I could talk until I'm blue in the face and no one would be able to teleport our forces over!*
*What do I do, what do I do? Senior could be in real danger right now, but I...*
*—I can't do anything!*
[Hmph, so it's this thing.]
[This, I suppose, is also a form of destiny.]
Upon hearing the voice in her head, Kiana didn't rebuke it or force it to be quiet this time. Nor did she ignore it. Instead, she waited silently, wanting to see what else it had to say.
*I'm at a dead end now. Instead of rejecting everything, I might as well try to gather enough information...*
*If I have enough intel, we might still be able to figure something out!*
[What, you don't think I have ill intentions anymore?]
Hearing the faint trace of sarcasm in the words, Kiana, who was dying of anxiety, desperately wanted to start a trash-talking session right then and there.
But, in order to solve the massive problem she was about to face, Kiana ultimately chose to swallow her pride and see what it had to say.
[With your current power, you obviously cannot accomplish what you want to do.]
[However, if you can seize this thing, then many problems will cease to be problems.]
*Seize this thing?*
[Haven't you realized it yet? This thing... it was always *yours* to begin with.]
Under the voice's persuasion, Kiana suddenly felt that it had a point.
Standing inside the Thousand Worlds, Kiana could feel a strange connection to it, giving her the bizarre thought that 'this is my treasure'.
Normally, Kiana wouldn't act so recklessly. She would ask her companions first before deciding on a course of action.
But now—there was no time for that!
In that instant, Kiana gently placed her hand on the Soulium wall inside the Thousand Worlds.
And then, just as Theresa and Rita, who had been chasing Kiana, arrived near the Thousand Worlds, before they could even step inside...
—They watched as the Thousand Worlds vanished from right before their eyes.
...
Meanwhile, on Mount Taixu.
On Mount Taixu, Fu Hua could feel the Herrscher of Sentience personality within her struggling frantically.
[You blockhead! Idiot! You big moron!]
[Our boys in Jiuyou saw Kevin arrive, and you're still here deadlocked with me!]
[I think you just want something to happen to Leo Ash! You Herrscher, you really are up to no good!]
[Get over there! I don't care if you have control of the body! My precious disciple is about to get beaten up, what are you doing wasting time on internal conflict with me!]
Unfortunately for the Herrscher of Sentience, despite its barrage of comments, Fu Hua had no intention of yielding.
She could hear the genuine emotion in its words.
But last time, this Herrscher had approached Leo Ash with the same genuine emotion, only to punch a hole straight through his body.
For a Herrscher who might not have malicious intent but couldn't perfectly control itself in the face of the Honkai, Fu Hua would certainly not submit to its wishes and charge straight to Jiuyou.
She intended to go and save them, but if suppressing the Herrscher personality failed and she ended up making things worse, that would be a disaster.
But just then, a sudden change occurred.
Su, who had been constantly releasing his psychic energy to help Fu Hua suppress the Herrscher, had over-exerted himself, leaving his mind dangerously weakened.
And at this very moment, less than a minute after Kevin's appearance, Su suddenly felt a sharp pain in his brain.
"What—what's happening?!"
Realizing something, Su immediately retracted his psychic energy, his vigilance raised to the absolute maximum.
*I have two psychic clones. One is inside the Thousand Worlds, and the last thing it saw was Miss Kiana.*
*The other is in Anti-Entropy's Ark, currently conversing with Mr. Welt.*
*And now, my clone inside the Thousand Worlds has become incredibly weak because I was helping Hua.*
*But if it was just Miss Kiana's power...*
*Oh no!*
Confirming that his connection with the Thousand Worlds had been forcibly severed, the expression on Su's face turned even uglier.
"Su, what's wrong?"
Seeing Su's expression, Fu Hua asked with extreme tension.
"What happened? Is there a problem on Leo Ash's end?"
"Hua, we may not have much more time for you to continue trying to suppress the Herrscher personality."
After letting out a soft breath, Su immediately directed his consciousness, having his clone in the Ark relay a certain matter to Welt.
"Mr. Su, are you saying your teleportation ability is temporarily unusable?"
Hearing Su's words, Welt, who was already prepared for battle, placed a hand on Su's shoulder without a second thought.
"Our Quantum Teleportation System may not be as good as your instant movement, but it can serve as a temporary substitute for now."
"Mr. Welt, you understood what I was going to say before I even said it... Very good."
Under the guidance of Su's clone, Welt immediately brought the Moonlight Throne and used the Quantum Teleportation System to teleport to Mount Taixu.
Then, upon materializing, Welt saw not only Su, but also...
"You're Fu Hua, the Schicksal Valkyrie who threw everything into chaos a few days ago?"
Looking at Su and the woman before him, Welt instantly understood.
"Are you two friends?"
"Yes. Let's skip the small talk. Many things can be explained later."
Seeing Su act so decisively to summon Welt as reinforcements, Fu Hua finally let out a huge sigh of relief.
Then, with a sharp look in her eyes, she spoke to Su with utter resolve.
"Su, since we're out of time, let's go with the second plan."
[Don't! Wait! Stop!]
With that, Fu Hua slammed a palm against her own forehead, simultaneously saying to Su.
"I'm counting on you to handle things with Leo Ash and Kevin."
This incredibly fierce blow instantly shattered the Imaginary Shield and the protective Herrscher energy that Fu Hua had unconsciously activated.
If Su didn't know that Hua's super-variable factors were special, he might have even suspected that she was trying to take the Herrscher of Sentience down with her.
Welt, who had just arrived, had only just registered that the woman before him did indeed have a Herrscher Core when he saw her launch a suicidal attack on herself.
Up to this point, in this short span of time, Welt still hadn't figured out which way things were heading.
But from the anxiety on Su's face and the decisiveness of Fu Hua's actions, Welt knew clearly—today's events were a massive mess.
Without asking any more questions, Welt had the Quantum Teleportation System envelop the now-unconscious Fu Hua in its range.
And as they all appeared in the land of Jiuyou...
—A powerful shockwave that had just erupted from Leo Ash sent Su, the body of Fu Hua he was controlling, and Welt, who had just recovered, flying.
In fact, the victims weren't limited to the three newcomers.
Isla Ash, who had rushed here using her own abilities with the Oath of Judah in hand.
Yuna, Mei, and Durandal, who had been suppressed by Kevin from the start and could only act as support for Leo Ash's attacks.
All four of them were also sent flying by the expanding energy.
At the critical moment, Yuna, who was already extremely weak, seemed to be spurred by some stimulus and rushed forward to protect Isla, preventing her from crashing to the ground.
But as a price, Yuna took the vast majority of the damage from the impact in Isla's place.
"Mom!"
Seeing Yuna's injuries, Isla cried out in alarm.
"You, your wounds."
"Silly child, I am the Herrscher of Death."
Desperately squeezing out the last vestiges of her power, Yuna used the authority of [Rebirth] to instantly heal her wounds. She gently stroked Isla's head and said softly to her daughter.
"For the Herrscher of Death, a small injury like this is nothing."
On the other side, the others who had been thrown back by the energy blast finally got a clear view of the scene before them.
Welt, Mei, Yuna, Isla, and Durandal for the moment only felt a baffling sense of dread emanating from the crimson barrier that had appeared.
But as someone who had directly faced...
Or rather, had controlled a comrade's body to face that tragedy, Su instantly understood what was happening.
"This... this barrier..."
Although the color of the barrier was different from the terrifying one back then, and its range was clearly not a hundred kilometers in radius, Su was certain.
This barrier was, without a doubt, the Barrier of Binding that only appears after the birth of the Herrscher of Binding.
As a psychic MANTIS, Su could vaguely sense the 'fear' that had suddenly emerged from everyone.
But only Su himself knew that this fear didn't originate from their own emotions, but from their inherent traits.
*Miss Bianka's true heritage is that she is Mr. Siegfried's daughter. Like Isla, she is a descendant of Kevin.*
*For that reason, both of them, like me, have Honkai Beast factors in their bodies.*
*The Honkai Beast factors within us are now screaming warnings, telling us not to step into that domain that will strip us of our life force.*
*And Mr. Welt, Miss Yuna, and Miss Mei, as Herrschers, would naturally fear a powerful barrier created by an 'anti-Herrscher'.*
*I thought I had imagined the worst-case scenario, but I still underestimated my own imagination.*
*In the face of the Stigmata Project, this current scene is the answer it has provided.*
*Number 17, your grand plan...*
*—It's suffocatingly desperate.*
...
In a dark, empty space, Leo Ash slowly opened his eyes.
Before Kevin had struck with that sword, Leo Ash truly hadn't expected him to be so wary.
But thinking about it now, it made sense.
After I used Phantasmagoria Sword God, I immediately used an item to fully restore my condition.
While that's a normal move, if I put myself in Kevin's shoes—getting knocked out by an ultimate move, only to wake up and see the opponent looking perfectly fine aside from some scorch marks...
—I'd also be on guard against an old geezer who could instantly heal himself.
*A miscalculation. My fear of death inadvertently triggered Kevin's vigilance towards me.*
*Sigh, this is a mess now.*
*And I think I heard Isla's voice—what is that silly girl doing here?!*
At the thought of his daughter possibly being outside, Leo Ash became incredibly anxious.
However, in this dark space, though he could move, he couldn't leave.
"What are these?"
Looking at the small, chain-bound caskets on a table in the space, Leo Ash suddenly felt... a sense of dread?
*I'm terrified of death, so it's normal to be afraid of unknown items.*
*But is that really the truth?*
Even though the fear in his heart warned him to back away, at this moment, Leo Ash, as if possessed, walked towards the chained caskets.
As his hand touched them, the chains on the caskets suddenly shattered before his eyes.
In the next instant, the caskets transformed into a black light and shot directly into his mind.
And at the same time, Leo Ash saw things.
Things...
That filled him with complex emotions, yet were incredibly nostalgic.
.....
Honkai World. September 23, 1996.
After Leo Ash regained his consciousness, his first reaction was...
*Ah, damn you, runaway truck.*
Leo Ash, who had been sent off by a runaway truck, had opened his eyes once more.
But from his current sensation, his body was clearly no longer the one he used to have.
After checking his surroundings, Leo Ash confirmed a few things.
Bad news—the runaway truck really did send him off.
Good news—he was reincarnated after being sent off.
Bad news—he became a baby after reincarnating.
Good news—as a baby, he now had parents.
From the genuine joy on the man's face, Leo Ash immediately confirmed that this man was the baby's father.
*Family, huh...*
*Tch, I survived just fine on my own without family.*
Though this thought crossed his mind, even Leo Ash couldn't deny that a sliver of joy had appeared in his heart.
*Sigh, it's a strange feeling, suddenly having parents out of nowhere. I should probably just play it cool for now, act like a normal kid so they don't think I'm some kind of freak and abandon me.*
As for the news Leo Ash overheard later, it made him a bit speechless.
According to the conversation between the doctor and his father, Leo Ash's mother was already in critical condition before giving birth due to her weak constitution.
The husband, who loved his wife dearly, had been prepared to save the mother and sacrifice the child as a last resort.
But now, he no longer had to worry about only one of them surviving.
*Oh, no wonder he's so happy.*
*This world is too dangerous. Even after being reincarnated, I almost died because my biological mother had a difficult childbirth...*
*From now on, I should pay close attention to my surroundings and cherish this second life I was lucky to get.*
.......
September 23, 1997.
Leo Ash had grown strong over the year and had already adapted to his new life.
If nothing else, being looked after by parents was definitely better than being an orphan.
But today, after celebrating his first birthday, as he dozed on the sofa, he overheard his parents talking.
"Honey, have you noticed that Leo seems to laugh less than other kids?"
"Hmm, a little, but... what should we do? If we can't find the cause, we can't find the right solution, dear."
"I've been asking around. Some people said it might be his name — that it sounds like 'rain,' which they say symbolizes tears. They think we should change it."
"Isn't that a bit superstitious?"
*I think so too.*
*I don't laugh much because I'm afraid I won't be able to stop. Life is comfortable enough; better to enjoy it quietly.*
*Still, if it'll stop them from worrying, I guess I should smile more often.*
"So, what name should we change it to?"
"If 'rain' is unlucky, maybe something that sounds the same but means something brighter."
"How about Leo Ash? 'Ash' has a stronger, lighter sound — like a feather. That should be fine, right?"
*Huh, I've come full circle back to my original name?*
*In a way, I guess this is also fate.*
....
About two years ago.
Having grown up in Shenzhou for over a decade and having completely turned into a cheerful and sunny young man, Leo Ash was not happy today.
He didn't know what his parents were thinking, but they just said, 'Hey son, let's go on a trip abroad together,' and dragged him out of the country without another word.
Leo Ash himself didn't want to go.
It wasn't that he wasn't interested in foreign countries; it was purely because they were dangerous.
This wasn't the kind of danger like bullets flying around in America. What Leo Ash was wary of was something far more terrifying.
In this place, his home country was called Shenzhou, the neighboring island nation was called the Far East, there was a massive corporation called ME Corp, and his dad had even made him re-watch his childhood masterpieces, *Heavy Armored Mech Alahato* and *Magic Sword Divine Machine Alahato*.
One or two things could be a coincidence, but too many coincidences became a serious problem.
This was the Honkai universe, a world with Honkai. Wandering around outside of Shenzhou felt excessively dangerous.
It wasn't that Shenzhou was completely free of Honkai, but in our modern society, as long as you avoided that kind of trouble, you'd be fine.
My home isn't in Canghai or Tianqiong. Normally, as long as I lay low, I shouldn't run into any major issues.
*Sigh, but if Mom and Dad want to go out, I shouldn't spoil their fun.*
*I hope we don't encounter anything strange on this trip.*
One month later.
Now, having experienced a tragedy, Leo Ash looked at the young woman who had brought him to a house, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
"Come, Leo, this will be your new home from now on."
Looking at the boy's current state, Rita, not yet as mature as she would become, saw his unsettling expression and said no more.
This boy had just lost his parents. For a teenager his age, such a blow was far too immense.
For reasons she didn't quite understand, perhaps simply out of a pure impulse from her heart, Rita had chosen to adopt the boy who should have been sent to an orphanage after learning he had no other relatives in Shenzhou.
However, healing the wounds in his heart would likely take a very long time.
"Leo—is it alright if I call you that?"
"Yeah."
After speaking softly, Leo Ash said to the young woman before him.
"I'm fine, Big Sister Rita."
The boy's attitude made Rita think he was surely a sensible child.
But that was precisely why Rita felt—it was a bit of a headache.
It's good for children to be sensible, but for those who are too sensible, their inability to vent their emotions could cause them to break down from the overwhelming negativity bottled up inside.
*This child... well, I'm not an expert in this field. I should find some time to ask the seniors at HQ if they know any psychologists.*
"Oh, Rita, you're back?"
Hearing the commotion outside, a small, blonde girl walked out of her room and looked at Rita and Leo Ash.
"Ah, Lady Bianka, this is the child I mentioned to you."
"Hmm..."
Walking up to Leo Ash, Bianka sized him up for a moment before speaking.
"You have something on your mind."
*...Damn, is my acting that bad, or is the Kaslana intuition just that terrifying?*
"You're overthinking it, little... miss?"
Extending his right hand, Leo Ash said to Bianka.
"My name is Leo Ash. It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Bianka. Bianka 'Durandal' Ataegina."
*Good, with this, the first step of my plan is complete.*
*I feel terrible for deceiving Rita and Bianka, but for the sake of my plan, I need to get inside Schicksal, gain higher clearance, and acquire greater power.*
*Honkai...*
*How dare you kill my parents!*
Realizing he was about to lose control of his emotions, Leo Ash forcefully suppressed the violent rage within him and shook the hand Bianka extended.
*Can't be hasty, can't be hasty.*
*They will become stronger in the future. As long as I can use my status as a 'close companion of two S-rank Valkyries', I'll have a better chance of rising through the ranks.*
*I must have my revenge.*
*I must...*
*—kill the Honkai!*
....
February 2014.
Having joined this mission behind Rita and Durandal's backs, Leo Ash, upon receiving news that his comrades were losing contact one after another, had raised his vigilance to the absolute maximum.
*That bitch Cocolia is useless at fighting the Honkai, but she's a master at messing with people's minds.*
*Even though I joined this mission on short notice and wasn't on the official roster, it's only a matter of time before I'm exposed to Anti-Entropy.*
*Compared to these tasks, what I should be doing now...*
*...is to find Yae Sakura and see if I can obtain the power she holds.*
*Yae Sakura's power isn't exactly T0, but it's not weak either.*
*Only by getting my hands on her power can I start to stand out and gain higher clearance.*
*As for Rin, who's hiding inside her... I'll deal with that when the time comes.*
*If I want revenge on the Honkai, then this level of risk is unavoidable...*
*What is that sound?!*
Upon hearing a sound and seeing everything around him dissolve into darkness, Leo Ash suddenly remembered something.
Raiden Mei had once told Kiana Kaslana that when she was becoming a Herrscher, 'a darkness that felt like it would tear her body apart surged from all directions'.
And what Leo Ash was experiencing now was clearly the same situation...
*I'm... becoming a Herrscher?*
*Damn you, Honkai, you really dare to choose me?!*
*My mental state isn't right. Both Sister Rita and Bianka have noticed, so how could I not know myself?*
*Becoming a Herrscher at a time like this, I have no confidence I can completely suppress the Herrscher Personality.*
*When that happens, I... will only become a dog for the Honkai.*
*Ha, after working so hard for so long, the Honkai wants me to be its dog?*
*I spit on that!*
*If I'm not confident, I should delay it, but... without power, how can I delay something like this?*
In that instant, Leo Ash thought of a method.
A reckless one, but in a situation where only recklessness would work, it was the only one he could think of.
*Force myself to forget everything from the past. Lower my desire for revenge to its absolute minimum.*
*At that point, with my negative emotions suppressed, even if I become a Herrscher, the likelihood of me causing destruction will be much lower.*
*Honkai, you want me to be your damn dog, right?*
*Then you just wait. The day I fully awaken...*
*—I will show you that even a god high above can have its throat torn out by a stray dog groveling on the ground!*
.....
As a flood of memories poured into his mind, Leo Ash, having regained his past, collapsed to the ground.
"Ha... haha... hahaha..."
"What is this? The avenger I've been playing all this time... was the real me after all?"
*Why was I able to so naturally spin a tale for Bronya that matched my past?*
*Because that's the scene etched deep in my heart, something I could never forget no matter how hard I tried.*
*Mom and Dad... the family I once had, only to lose again.*
As countless forgotten memories returned to Leo Ash's mind, they brought with them all the emotions he had forgotten as well.
The love for his parents, the guilt towards Rita and Bianka, the respect for his teacher, Wraith...
All these feelings that Leo Ash should have possessed returned to their rightful places at this very moment.
But at the same time, the emotion that occupied the most important place in his heart also returned to where it belonged.
Hatred.
He, who had been all alone, had gained parents after being reincarnated.
And his loving parents had undoubtedly become the most important people to him.
But after he had all of this, the Honkai had snatched his most precious family away.
How—could he not hate it!
He knew that letting his emotions run wild now would only worsen his condition.
But now, looking at the 'Oath of Judah' that had suddenly appeared in this space, Leo Ash gripped the Divine Key without a moment's hesitation.
*Kill the Honkai...*
*Kill the Honkai.*
*Kill the Honkai!*
*Otto wants to be the Honkai's dog? Kill him!*
*Kevin wants to be a defeatist? Kill him!*
*Everyone who stands in the way of my revenge, kill them all!*
*Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill!!!!!!!!!!!!*
Even though Leo Ash wanted to restrain the negative emotions surging within him, this time, he found that even Mind Like Still Water combined with Sword Heart could no longer suppress this state.
If this feeling cannot be suppressed, then...
—I will turn this feeling into power and slaughter every enemy before me!
....