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Opinions of the Herrscher of Dominance Chapters1-5
🕑 Added 2024-05-23 17:38:13 +0000 UTCOpinions of the Herrscher of Dominance CH1-5
Chapter 1: Perfect Pronunciation
"Angel-chan, you don't want to miss school tomorrow, do you?"
"We didn't borrow much; a lady studying abroad like you shouldn't care!"
"Exactly, being friends with us won't hurt."
"Hahaha!"
The harsh, arrogant voices of delinquent girls echoed through the dark alley, carrying a sense of malicious pride. Angel curled up in the corner of the alley, her golden hair covered in dust, looking somewhat dull. She clutched her head with both hands, feeling a splitting headache.
'So noisy!'
'My head hurts!'
'Wasn't I just drinking celebratory wine? Where is this place? Who are these people?'
The petite and fragile girl furrowed her delicate brows, her dazed eyes looking at the swaying figures in front of her. Her face and small lips were pale as paper, and her slender body trembled slightly due to the intense headache. But these reactions did not arouse any sympathy from the people around her.
On the contrary, a delinquent girl with colorful hair and exaggerated makeup grabbed Angel by the collar, pulling her head up and cursing:
"Speak up! Do you look down on us, Bitch!?"
"Let... go, it hurts!"
Angel moved her pale lips, murmuring unconsciously.
"Bang!"
The delinquent girl with a vicious expression kicked Angel hard, sending her flying to the wet and dirty ground of the alley. She lay there, trembling, unable to get up.
Then, Angel was turned over, and several hands searched her body, pulling out a wallet. After taking the money, they threw the wallet at Angel's face with a "smack."
"Ugh! What is this! So little money?"
"Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll let you go. Remember to bring more money next time, or you'll know what will happen. Right, Angel?"
"Hahaha!"
A group of gaudily dressed girls laughed triumphantly, walking out of the alley arm in arm. No one noticed that Angel, lying on the ground with empty eyes, suddenly moved her fingers.
'Kill!'
'Human beings are scum! Vermin! Enemies!'
'Destroy, destroy, destroy, destroy, destroy!'
'Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!'
Angel shakily stood up. This body felt entirely unfamiliar to her. Her ears buzzed with a "buzzing" noise, but she could clearly hear the bullies' laughter and heartbeats, along with distant car horns, all as if they were right next to her ears. It was too strange, too uncomfortable.
But these were merely physical discomforts; what Angel found uncontrollable was the roaring voice in her mind.
'Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!'
The voice kept saying this, with waves of strong emotions surging into her heart—anger, hatred, and murderous intent quickly overwhelmed her rationality. She felt nauseous, like vomiting.
Moreover, a chaotic mix of memories churned in her brain like minced meat in a blender—one of a researcher who had just completed her first major project, and another of a helpless high school girl who recently lost all her family and suffered from severe school bullying.
'Which one is really me?'
'Why do I have to go through this?'
'So, what are you planning to do?'
'Family, life, dignity, dreams... why do I have to lose everything!?'
'Huh!?'
'Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!'
'So, answer my question... uh... kill... kill, kill, kill!'
The two wills reached an agreement; who influenced whom no longer mattered. Angel just raised her head, and her purple eyes instantly turned a pure crimson.
She swayed as she moved, her vision also shaking.
Angel didn't know how she approached the bullies who were about to leave. She raised her hand and placed it on one of their shoulders.
"Hey."
The delinquent girl who felt a hand on her shoulder instinctively turned around, suddenly meeting a pair of blood-red eyes.
"Unknown memories are randomly appearing in my head. Anyway, you all are scum, right?"
Angel hunched over, looking up slightly, her mouth involuntarily curling into a grin. The sinister smile was reflected in the eyes of the delinquent girls.
"Ah!!"
"Damn! You dare scare us!"
"You bitch, you want to die!"
"Rip!"
An arm fell to the ground amidst the rising shouts and curses, blood splattering onto the wall and dripping from Angel's lowered right hand.
One girl stared dumbfoundedly at her now half-arm, her expression first disbelief, then extreme terror.
"Ahhhhh!!"
"Splatter!"
"Rip!"
"Swoosh!"
"Ahhhh!!!"
...
Ten minutes later, a bloody hand suddenly gripped the corner of the alley wall. Angel, gasping for breath, stood at the alley entrance, the strong smell of blood emanating from her blood-stained clothes.
"Go... home..."
Angel shook her head, her muddled rationality pointing her towards a very familiar path. Fortunately, it was late at night, and this area was relatively quiet and deserted, or perhaps she was lucky; no one saw this ghostly figure walking out of the horror scene.
Angel smoothly entered a dark two-story house, collapsed at the entrance, and lost consciousness completely.
...
"Drip, drip!"
The next morning, in the bathroom, cold water splashed onto Angel.
It was autumn in August, and the early mornings in the Far East were already somewhat chilly. The water heater in the house needed to be set in advance, and at this time, only cold water was available.
But Angel didn't feel cold.
She stood motionless under the cold water in her school uniform skirt, staring at her white, delicate hands. Until a moment ago, they were still stained with dried, dark brown blood.
The water washed away the blood on her clothes and body, flowing down her smooth legs to the ground, becoming dirty water and draining away.
'Clean, no scars from handling experimental equipment.'
'Obviously very young.'
'Is this a transmigration?'
Angel frowned, silent. After a while, she removed the blood-stained clothes, carefully cleaning this body that hadn't fully matured. After throwing the clothes into the washing machine, Angel, wrapped in a loose white bathrobe, collapsed onto the living room sofa.
She frowned, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar living room.
"Am I still me? Let's put that philosophical question aside. I am the enemy of humanity, the one who rings the death knell of civilization, the destroyer of the world—the Herrscher of Domination."
Angel's cold, indifferent voice echoed in the room, steady and calm, yet somewhat numb.
"Why is it this world?"
"Liking beautiful girls doesn't mean wanting to come to this world."
Angel sighed tiredly. The inexplicable knowledge seemed etched in her mind, clearly telling her about her current non-human identity.
There were also some pieces of information related to the Herrscher's powers that she hadn't had time to organize. With such a distinctive identity and some information from another memory, the world she was in could naturally be identified.
Angel picked up the phone on the table. She unlocked the screen and searched for Nagazora City. The first piece of news was a headline.
"This March, a catastrophic chain explosion occurred in Nagazora City, shocking the world. Tens of millions of residents were displaced, and the casualties far exceeded the 20th-century New York explosion incident. Recently, the specific casualty data has been released, and related rescue operations are nearing completion. Several ministers from the Ministry of Security, the Fire Department, and the Ministry of Urban Construction have resigned and will undergo a comprehensive review. The Far East government once again warns all citizens that Nagazora City still has many hidden risks that have not been eliminated. Non-professional personnel without official approval should not enter the city..."
Below the news were a series of pictures of government officials bowing in apology, their standard ninety-degree bows demonstrating their thorough understanding of the Far Eastern traditional skills. No wonder they were Far Eastern officials.
Angel's mouth twitched as she murmured with mixed feelings:
"In the world of Honkai Impact 3rd, as the Herrscher of Domination, the time is August 2014, less than half a year after the birth of the Third Herrscher, the destruction of Nagazora City, and the entry of the Big Three into St. Freya Academy."
Having barely clarified the basic questions of "Who am I," "Where am I," and "What time is it now," more questions swirled in her mind, such as "Why" and "Who did this," but all of them had no answers.
The only certainty was that this was a very dangerous world.
And the Herrscher of Dominance, also known as the Legion Herrscher or the Herrscher of the People, was an enemy of the protagonist group, ultimately destined to be eliminated as a villain.
Thinking about this, Angel placed her hand on her forehead, her long, slender legs curled up, and her small body gradually curled into the sofa, uttering a perfectly pronounced and elegant Chinese character:
"Kuso!"
Chapter 2: Although They Are All Myself
"Gulp, gulp!"
Angel took a carton of milk from the fridge, inserted a straw, and slurped it down quickly.
Even though she hadn't eaten dinner yesterday, the cold liquid entering her stomach didn't cause any discomfort. This young girl's seemingly fragile body was actually very strong, far surpassing human capabilities in various ways, both inside and out—or rather, it was no longer human.
Angel closed the fridge, rubbing her jade-like fingertips, and murmured thoughtfully:
"In essence, I am the Herrscher of Dominance. This body is merely a puppet controlled by my powers. But these powers also need to attach to a body to exist. If all the bodies available for attachment die, I will also die."
"Having only one body is really too dangerous!" Angel felt a strong sense of threat.
Putting aside all kinds of confusion and doubts, survival was the current priority. Driven by this thought, Angel naturally understood how to use her powers.
The first step was to draw Honkai energy from the imaginary space.
The second step was to find a medium suitable for the powers to attach to, such as a corpse or a powerful puppet—there was no suitable medium here, so she gave up on using a medium and used herself as a template to create a body.
The third step was to activate the powers and dominate this body.
A faint purple light flickered, condensing into a small but curvaceous and beautiful humanoid figure in front of Angel.
Angel blinked.
Opposite her, a perfect replica of Angel, as flawless as white jade, also blinked.
They stared at each other, identical in every way.
"..." x2
After a moment, the original Angel's lips curled up. The amusing scene finally eased her heavy mood slightly, and she playfully said:
"Take a few steps!"
"Take a few steps~"
"Walk with vigor!"
"Walk with vigor~"
"Walk a thousand miles a day!"
"Walk a thousand miles a day~"
"Walk like a lifetime has passed!"
"Walk like a... Hey! That's enough, we're the same person. You're not going to keep this up and then punch me, are you?"
The clone Angel walked clumsily with synchronized limbs, then rolled her eyes and went straight up the stairs—completely shameless, as they were the same person and totally uninhibited.
A while later, she came down dressed in a casual long-sleeve shirt and shorts, her slender white legs gleaming with an incredible brightness, almost as if glowing.
"Although it's myself, it really is a feast for the eyes." The original Angel sat on the sofa, watching as the clone Angel sat down across from her.
Throughout the entire process, Angel could feel that both the clone and the original were herself, with synchronized will, thoughts, and even feelings. But at the same time, the original and the clone could think independently.
This situation wasn't quite like split personality. It was more like two virtual machines on a computer, each with some independent functions, but essentially still one computer. The original and the clone Angel looked at each other, their expressions gradually becoming identically serious.
"Bad news: I'm the Herrscher of Dominance. A bunch of people I can't afford to provoke are ready to kill me and have the ability to do so."
"Good news: I'm the first Herrscher of Dominance. Since I haven't spread my powers around and become a chaotic mob, no one knows I'm a Herrscher yet."
So, as long as she hid in a corner and stayed low, Angel might live safely until the later stages of the plot. What happens in the late stages could be thought about later; for now, she needed to conceal her identity as a Herrscher. As long as her identity wasn't exposed, she wouldn't attract the attention of those dangerous individuals.
Both Angels thought about this and then simultaneously remembered a dangerous situation.
"Those shredded girls!" x2
Rationally, Angel didn't sympathize with those bullies who had done many disgusting things; they were just a bunch of young brats.
Emotionally, neither of Angel's life memories had such cruel experiences, making it hard not to feel a bit sorrowful.
But these didn't matter.
What mattered was that those broken bodies were left in the alley. Even if the place was secluded, someone would eventually notice. When that happened, modern technology would easily confirm her as a suspect.
Secular powers could be ignored, but if the three major organizations noticed...
Wouldn't she die?
Both Angels widened their eyes and stood up.
The original Angel, wearing a bathrobe, decisively said:
"Fix the problem! We need to turn those bodies into our clones! If they continue to exist in their form for a while, the trouble won't come to us! Quick, let's hope we're still in time!"
The clone Angel had already dashed out the door, leaving the original Angel with a swaying golden ponytail. There was no need for verbal commands; their thoughts and consciousness were one and the same, a single entity.
The distinction between the original and the clone was meaningless. They were both Angel, with no primary or secondary difference. Even if one Angel died, it would only temporarily lose an independent thought process, but Angel would still live on without any other impact. Taking advantage of the time while one Angel was away, the other Angel in the house frowned and pondered for a moment, then suddenly disappeared from the room.
...
This was a world of darkness, where up, down, left, and right, even the passage of time, didn't exist, creating an indescribable sense of ambiguous chaos. Floating in the void were some fragments of buildings. Some looked like pieces of unknown palaces, others like slices of skyscrapers, and many other inexplicable objects, all reflections of the real world in the imaginary space, hovering between reality and illusion.
Angel, with a milk carton straw in her mouth, stood in the void, her purple eyes blinking gently. The knowledge about the imaginary space that came with the Herrscher's powers gradually became clearer in her mind, and Angel quietly absorbed it, trying to understand it in a comprehensible way.
After a while, her eyes lit up, and she extended her hand, an invisible field spreading out from her as the center. Soon, a vast area of space came under her control.
Under Angel's will, the field enveloped a bunch of building fragments, bringing them together, merging, reorganizing, and refining them into a broad circular platform, resembling an ancient and magnificent hall.
The stage hadn't yet reached the field's boundaries but was already vast enough to be considered grand.
"This is... the Theater of Domination!"
Angel murmured, whether from her knowledge of the original work or the inherent knowledge of the Herrscher's powers, she knew the essence and characteristics of this field.
A controllable space domain, the source of her powers, drifting in the boundless imaginary world, where only the Herrscher of Legion could freely come and go.
This gave her an unparalleled sense of security!
"The Herrscher of the Void, Sirin, is still asleep. Anti-Entropy and World Serpent might have technology to touch the imaginary space, but they can't find my domain in the vast imaginary world! This is the ultimate life-saving charm!"
As long as one clone hid safely in the theater, it didn't matter if all the other clones in the outside world were destroyed; Angel would still live.
"Hahaha!" Angel spread her arms and laughed heartily.
Despite the existence of Otto Apocalypse, the grand schemer and pure love warrior whose ultimate plan involved the powers of HoDom and possibly already had the Cosmic Juggernaut, which posed a significant threat.
But this didn't stop Angel from breathing a sigh of relief. This was probably the first time she felt secure since waking up, feeling confident enough to survive in this world.
After the pleasant laughter, Angel snapped her fingers, activating her powers, and numerous graceful female figures began to condense in the purple light.
Ten, twenty, thirty. A hundred, two hundred.
Countless naked Angels appeared, creating a quiet yet suddenly crowded and chaotic scene.
"Slap!" The original Angel, wrapped in a bathrobe, looked at the endless repetition of the snowy white scene before her and couldn't help but cover her face.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!" All the Angels on the scene, as well as the only one in the outside world rushing to the crime scene, simultaneously covered their faces.
Although they were all herself, and all rare beauties, the sight gave Angel a bit of trypophobia.
Chapter 3: The Justice-Bearing Beautiful Girl
"Feels like my body is becoming sluggish and heavy."
After calming down a bit, all Angel couldn't help but try moving their limbs, and soon some started complaining about their condition.
"My brain feels foggy too."
"The one outside almost tripped!"
"Is it because there are too many of us?"
"Should we reduce the number?"
"Wouldn't that hurt a lot?"
All Angel looked at each other.
This state was indeed problematic; it felt like if they pushed any further, they might all pass out. Angel feared pain, but she was also rational. To survive, she had to first understand this power of the Herrscher that was essential for her survival.
So, 100 Angel, after a brief hesitation, clenched their fists simultaneously and smashed the heads of the duplicates beside them.
"Ugh... so disgusting, I want to puke."
"But we are really strong! Skulls should be pretty sturdy, and yet we could actually smash them with a single punch!"
"Yeah, as expected, losing a duplicate doesn't impose any extra burden. The pain is only momentary, and in other aspects... it's like shutting down a virtual machine on a computer, insignificant. Looks like we can consider a sacrificial combat strategy."
After a gruesome scene of flying flesh and blood, there were 100 Angel left, including the original, chattering about their feelings and judgments.
As for the other half of the bodies, they turned into Herrscher cores, silently merging into the Theater of Domination. Angel finally relaxed their frowning brows.
"So, this is why the original Herrscher of Dominance dispersed the cores?"
Each duplicate created an additional thought thread and combat unit. Theoretically, no one would want to voluntarily share this power with others; having it all to oneself was the best.
Could it be that the original Herrscher of Dominance transcended human selfishness, willingly sharing the power to fulfill the grand scheme of world destruction?
How could that be!
Creating a duplicate first consumes Honkai energy to form or strengthen the attachment medium. However, the existence of the imaginary space means the Herrscher's Honkai energy is inexhaustible, equivalent to no consumption.
However, the mental, willpower, and cognitive burdens are unavoidable.
A person's capacity is limited; too many duplicates would drag down the group's thinking and operational abilities. Thus, the number of duplicates a person could create would be very limited.
And the Herrscher of Dominance, as an individual, might be so weak that even fully armed A-rank Valkyries could challenge them. Despite their numbers, they would still be vulnerable against complete Herrschers—this is why the original Herrscher of Dominance dispersed their power. It wasn't out of selflessness but because they had no choice to gather enough power to challenge the protagonist group.
Of course, it's also possible that the original Herrscher of Dominance was multiple individuals from the start, with the power already dispersed from the beginning.
In any case, the current first Herrscher of Dominance is Angel, and she doesn't intend to share her power with others. After all, even if she gathered a thousand individuals, there are plenty of beings capable of dealing with the Herrscher of Dominance in this world!
Staying low-key is the first rule of survival.
...
"My limit is only 30? That's too few!"
In the real world, Angel slowed her pace as she approached the crime scene from last night. She stood at a nearby street corner, observing whether there were any police or other special individuals around while rubbing her forehead in frustration.
Playing with her golden hair, Angel couldn't help but sigh. No wonder the Herrscher of Dominance had to become such a chaotic mob.
Even with a full team, the Herrscher of Dominance struggled with their plans. What can be done with just 30 individuals? As arguably the most normal Herrscher of this era, they couldn't play the game without dispersing their power.
"But it's been an entire night, and no one has found it yet. Is this place really that secluded?"
Angel frowned slightly, instinctively feeling something was off.
After observing from the corner for a while and using her extraordinary vision, she didn't notice any special surveillance or setups.
"The sooner I handle this, the better. There's no time to waste."
Angel knew that the longer she delayed, the more likely someone would notice the brutal scene. She needed to turn those remnants into her duplicates as soon as possible.
If she could disguise herself as those delinquent girls for a while, then find a reasonable way for them to disappear, no one would notice anything unusual about Angel.
With this thought, Angel, confirming no one was around, quietly walked into the alley.
The stench of blood filled the alley.
With high walls on both sides and the alley being deep enough, it wasn't easy to notice anything amiss without walking in. The delinquent girls had carefully chosen this spot to avoid detection for their bullying, which conveniently made it easier for Angel to clean up the scene.
'First, I need to piece together the bodies into a human form. Only then can I use the power to dominance and attach it to them.'
Angel made a face, reluctantly starting to work among the severed limbs. The inherent dark emotions of the Herrscher, combined with the bullied memories of the high school Angel, had indeed made her colder.
But after all, neither the transmigrated Angel nor the original high school Angel had ever killed anyone, let alone created such a gruesome scene.
Angel couldn't help but cover her nose and mouth. Though she didn't vomit, her heartbeat accelerated involuntarily, feeling a strong sense of discomfort.
As she gradually adapted to the scene, displaying an incredible level of calmness, she heard a strange noise from above.
"Target spotted! Surrender now!"
A clear and melodious girl's voice came from above, filled with righteous indignation yet unable to hide its youthful vitality. It sounded like a righteous girl angry at injustice.
"Boom!"
Angel barely had time to look up before a force knocked her to the ground.
"Ah!"
Angel felt a wave of pain as a girl with a soft, rounded bottom sat on her back. Angel's hands were restrained, and a slender, fair leg hooked around her neck, nearly pressing against her nose, with a milky fragrance dispersing the strong smell of blood.
"Who... are you?"
"I am Kiana Kaslana! Did you kill these people? Surrender to me now, and Schicksal will give you a fair trial!"
Kiana pressed Angel's head, gritting her teeth—partly for the brutally murdered civilians, and partly because she hadn't expected Angel to struggle so much. Despite having the upper hand, Kiana still found it challenging.
Angel panicked.
'Why is she here? Has St. Freya Academy noticed me? Could it be that a large team has already surrounded me?'
As the Herrscher of Dominance, the current situation was extremely dire!
Chapter 4: What She Couldn't Imagine!
Although the situation was dire, she smelled so good...
No, no, now wasn't the time to think about smells!
One of Angel's faces was pressed against Kiana's leg, but all 30 Angels were rapidly brainstorming.
'It shouldn't be a leak of my identity! If it were leaked, there would be a large-scale elite force coming to eradicate me, not a rookie like Kiana who's only been in school for less than half a year!'
'So, I can't expose my Herrscher-related abilities.'
'My duplicates can't come to my aid.'
'I can't teleport into the Theater of Domination to escape.'
'And I definitely can't die! If I die, the Herrscher core will drop, and that would be undeniable evidence!'
'I need to escape using physical strength as much as possible! If it's just Kiana, maybe this is a solo action, so escaping might not be too hard!'
'Come on, me!'
'It's not you who's tied up! Easy for you to say!'
Angel tried to break free, but Kiana tightened her grip on her wrists.
After half a minute of struggling, Angel suddenly turned her head with difficulty and looked behind her. In front of Kiana, she exclaimed with joy as if she had seen a companion:
"You're finally here! Hit her on the head!"
"What!?"
Kiana was shocked and quickly turned her head to look behind her.
Then, a small sneaker swiftly enlarged in front of her eyes.
"Boom!"
Angel used a backward kick, showing incredible flexibility in her waist and thighs, and kicked Kiana in the face with all her strength.
'Even though my body is human, it's being controlled by the Herrscher of Dominance! I knew I could do it!'
Angel was overjoyed. Taking advantage of Kiana being stunned by the kick, she twisted her body forcefully, successfully rolling Kiana off her and freeing her hands.
"Ouch! That hurts!"
Kiana, covering the shoe print on her face, got up and saw Angel already running towards the alley entrance.
"Damn! What flexibility! But don't think you can escape from me!"
Kiana gave chase, drawing a pistol from her pocket as she ran.
"Bang!"
A bullet was shot towards Angel's right leg.
The bullet from a standard Schicksal-issued pistol traveled faster than the speed of sound, but Angel's inhuman instincts sensed the threat.
Almost at the same moment the bullet left the barrel, Angel kicked off the wall, propelling herself into the air.
In a flash, she kicked off the walls several times, quickly ascending upwards, and in the blink of an eye, she was on the rooftop, several meters high.
'Perfect! Full marks for that move!'
'Stop talking nonsense and think of a way! She's catching up!'
Angel chastised her other selves for their flippant comments while running for her life on the rooftop.
Reaching the edge quickly, Angel didn't have time to consider her fear of heights. She jumped to the roof of another building, which was seven or eight meters lower.
Like a horse leaping across a cliff, Angel landed smoothly and lightly.
She glanced back and, sure enough, saw the silver-haired girl in a school uniform skirt, looking like a fairy, also leaping from the roof—the only discordant note being the clear shoe print on her face.
"Pfft!"
Angel couldn't help but laugh and continued to run with all her might.
"You dare to laugh!?"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Kiana angrily fired three shots in rapid succession, aiming accurately at Angel's legs and body.
Kiana undoubtedly liked pretty girls, and even without any inappropriate thoughts, she naturally had a soft spot for cute girls, usually unable to bring herself to shoot someone as doll-like and cute as Angel.
But after witnessing the carnage in the alley, Kiana could no longer see the girl as a normal, cute girl but as a dangerous killer.
Angel glanced back, her sharp senses catching the bullet's trajectory.
So, Kiana saw the slender, petite girl perform a graceful front flip, dodging the bullets and landing steadily, then continuing her high-speed escape.
"Don't run! Stop!"
'Only an idiot wouldn't run!'
Angel retorted in her mind, her eyes scanning the buildings ahead, trying to find an escape route.
Fortunately, even the weakest Herrscher was still a genuine Herrscher. A Herrscher core was enough to enhance a frail girl’s body to exceed the average Valkyrie’s level. So even though Angel herself had no experience, she had a high margin for error in rooftop parkour.
'At this rate, I can shake her off!'
Angel performed another beautiful somersault, dodging the bullets fired from behind. After vaulting over several buildings, she dashed into a half-finished building under construction.
"Are you a wild monkey or what!?"
A frustrated Kiana crashed through a pile of scaffolding and entered the building.
She waved away the dust in front of her eyes but couldn't see Angel anymore.
"Up or down?"
Kiana ran to the stairway, saw nothing below, then looked up and found the figure quickly climbing the stairs.
"Don't run!"
Kiana chased after her.
After a chase up to the rooftop, Kiana held her pistol cautiously but quickly searched the entire rooftop, finding nothing.
"Did she jump down? Or is she hiding on one of the floors?"
Kiana hurried to the edge and looked down, scanning every floor but found no trace of Angel. So, she decisively jumped onto the building's scaffolding, leaping down floor by floor, scanning each level.
...
While Kiana was frantically searching the building, higher up, Angel hung from a construction crane, hiding behind a steel panel that perfectly concealed her body, sneaking glances at Kiana.
"Phew~"
Angel let out a long breath.
'For now, I've shaken her off. But this place isn't safe... Better not enter the Theater yet; I can't be sure there are no other prying eyes.'
'That's right, the Theater is the safest life-saving tool right now; hiding it is the top priority!'
'Then you come up with another idea!'
'Just hang on, Kiana might leave to search elsewhere if she can't find you! Based on what we know of her intelligence, she shouldn't think to look up here!'
Angel pouted in frustration.
Fortunately, her physical condition was very strong; even hanging like this was no effort at all. Angel felt she could hang on for several days, so she reluctantly accepted this option.
Kiana soon reached the ground and, after a fruitless search, stood on the street, holding her gun and crossing her arms, puzzled.
"No way? She escaped? Which direction should I go next? Huh? That crane is really high; maybe I can spot her from up there!"
Kiana's eyes lit up, and she quickly ran toward the crane.
Angel had forgotten one thing.
At this stage, Kiana might indeed lack intelligence, but she was European.
Chapter 5: A Friendship of Fierce Fights
Angel watched incredulously as the white-haired girl scaled the crane like a monkey climbing a tree, rapidly approaching the top.
'...Wasn't she supposed to be unable to think of this?'
'Cough, cough! On the bright side, maybe St. Freya Academy spotted you with their satellite?'
'That would mean there's no escape!'
'Wait, is it possible that you can actually defeat her?'
'...'
Having independent thought processes had its advantages.
Angel raised a point that none of the other Angels had considered.
The struggle in the alley had already shown that, in terms of physical strength, Angel was actually a notch above Kiana.
As for combat experience, while Angel was indeed a novice, how much better could Kiana be at this stage? She was also just relying on brute force.
'Take her down!'
'Exactly! If she's acting alone, defeating her means we can escape. If it's a St. Freya Academy ambush, capturing her might give us a chance to negotiate.'
'Then let's do it. It'll be a good chance for us to get used to fighting!'
'At worst, if we can't win, we can still run. Her intelligence is low; we can easily outsmart her!'
The Angels were roused, eagerly encouraging Angel to strike.
Angel, on the scene, had no time to think further because Kiana was almost at the crane arm.
The crane arm was a long and sturdy steel structure, and on both sides of the ladder entrance were narrow walkways covered with steel mesh and wooden planks, almost the only walkable path on the crane arm.
Kiana had just climbed the ladder and hadn't had time to catch her breath when Angel pounced at her waist.
"Bang!"
The two wrestled on the narrow walkway. In the scuffle, Angel seized the opportunity to throw Kiana's pistol away.
"You were hiding here? Damn it, my gun!"
Kiana, furious, began to thrash wildly.
As Kiana Kaslana, the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal (future tense), when had she ever been this humiliated?
Enraged, Kiana's strength surged, and she finally kicked Angel away.
Gasping for breath, the two faced off on the high-altitude walkway. Both had bruises on their faces, their clothes torn, exposing glimpses of fair skin.
Then, as if on cue, they charged at each other.
"Ha!" ×2
Both sides aimed punches at each other without holding back.
Angel's eyes filled with tears instantly.
'Don't cry! Hit her!'
'But it hurts QAQ... No one has ever hit my face before...'
'What kind of nonsense is this! Men bleed but don't cry!'
'But I'm a girl...'
Angel cursed her other selves, who were watching the excitement in the Theater, but she took a deep breath and overcame her fear of pain.
"You're dead! I'll make you cry!"
"Hmph! When I started fighting, you were still drinking milk! Do you think you have the strength to beat me?"
After the customary exchange of harsh words, they engaged in close combat, punching and kicking each other.
A typical fight between little girls might involve slapping and hair-pulling, which wouldn't be very interesting to watch, though some might prefer that. But for two little superhumans, it went far beyond that.
They were really hitting each other hard. Each strike came with a tearing wind sound, aimed at each other's bodies and even their pretty faces. Each hit drew blood, accompanied by the sound of steel pieces from the crane arm flying and breaking.
...
As the situation became increasingly dire, a gray-haired girl with glasses sighed on the rooftop of a nearby building.
"Kiana... she's made no progress, completely failing to apply what she's learned in class."
"Class Monitor, please give her another chance! Kiana has been working hard; she can do it!"
"Raiden Mei, I still believe these special extra credit tasks are unreasonable. St. Freya Academy's exams should be more rigorous and objective. Also, the official communication channel is not for personal use."
"Uh, well... Anyway, please take care of her! Kiana has failed several times in a row. If this continues, she might really be held back!"
Fu Hua removed her earpiece, ending the pointless communication.
Anyway, the white-haired dumpling who should be using this channel to complete her task was already fighting crazily with her target on the crane arm, probably not even thinking of contacting Fu Hua for help.
...
Half an hour later, on the shaky, broken crane arm.
Angel and Kiana each clung to a railing, a few steps apart, panting as they stared at each other.
With a bruised face, Kiana said, "Give up! I won't lose to you!"
Angel, equally bruised, wiped her nosebleed and silently raised a middle finger.
"Argh!"
Kiana, enraged, charged again.
Angel, equally fired up, swung her arms and walked towards Kiana with fists clenched.
"Crack... Crack..."
"Boom!"
Just as they were about to fight again, the steel crane arm, which had been battered several times, finally couldn't hold on any longer and broke with a loud crash.
"No way..."
Kiana fell, the sudden loss of gravity making her panic. She missed the chance to jump back onto the crane arm and could only fall towards the ground seventy meters below.
This might be it...
Kiana, feeling helpless and scared, closed her eyes.
One second, two seconds, three seconds.
Not feeling the sensation of falling, Kiana opened her eyes and looked up, seeing a slender hand tightly gripping her wrist.
It was Angel, holding onto a rough steel beam hanging from the crane with one hand, her hand bleeding. Her other hand gripped Kiana's wrist.
Kiana's body swayed slightly in the wind, and she asked dumbfoundedly, "Why?"
Angel rolled her eyes without answering.
Firstly, any HI3 player, unless inherently heartless, wouldn't want to really hurt the super cute and extremely lovely Kiana.
Secondly, if Kiana really got hurt here, Angel would be relentlessly pursued by a group of maniacs.
Lastly, don't forget that the Queenie is still around. If she appeared when Kiana fell, she could track Angel back to the Theater of Domination—whether or not the Queen cared about them, her appearance would mean the situation had escalated. St. Freya and even Otto would seriously focus on this, and that would be game over.
In short, a fight was fine, but watching Kiana get hurt was absolutely out of the question, both emotionally and logically.
Angel, dangling in midair, observed her surroundings and finally aimed for the nearby construction site rooftop.
"Heave-ho!"
Angel swung her arm, making Kiana's body sway in the air. After a few swings to build up momentum, Angel flung the screaming Kiana towards the rooftop.
"Ahhhh!"
Kiana screamed as she hit the cement rooftop with a thud, rolled a few times, and got up holding her waist, wincing in pain.
She shook her dazed head, looked up at the crane above, but Angel was nowhere to be seen.
"What... the heck? Doing something like that again, saving me... are you a good person or a bad person?"
Kiana muttered, feeling confused for a moment, standing dirty and disheveled on the rooftop, unsure of where to go next.
...
Angel swiftly descended to the ground along the crane's cable, taking advantage of Kiana's inability to pursue. Limping into a nearby alley, she ran randomly for a few circles before deciding to flee even farther.
Returning from the Theater of Domination to the real world required coordinates. There were only two types of coordinates: either the physical body in the real world or the location of the last Angel to leave the real world.
In other words, the 29 Angels in the Theater of Dominance would either appear beside the Angel outside or in the living room at home.
So, she couldn't attract attention to her home.
Therefore, she ran!
With the qualities of a Herrscher, surviving anywhere wasn't difficult for Angel. The farther she ran, the better. Absolutely mustn't attract the attention of Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, or World Serpent.
We, the pitiful thousand-fold Herrschers, just want to live!
Nourished by the power of Honkai, Angel's body gradually recovered. At least it didn't affect her normal movement.
She walked through a long alleyway, where the light from street lamps shone in. Getting out from here would bring her close to the suburbs. As long as she left the city, found an unmanned wilderness, and disappeared into the mountains and forests, no one would easily find her. Then she could sit down, rest, and think about what to do next.
A smile appeared on Angel's face.
Until she saw outside the alley, the gray-haired girl with a ponytail and blue school uniform fluttering in the wind, standing motionless like a mountain.
"Kuso!!!" ×30
Afterward, Angel caught a whiff of a scent resembling roses and suddenly lost consciousness.
