"Even if you say you won't waver, when the facts are laid out in front of you, can you really remain unmoved?"
"When that moment arrives, can you still believe in the beautiful things you've said?"
"You can't. You can't! Because you chose an utterly boring path of hypocrisy—a foolish road with no end in sight!"
"The performance is almost at its climax. It's time to reveal the thrilling twist! In the instant when hope falls into despair—what kind of expression will you show~?"
"Hee hee hee hee! Come on, come on—let us take a good look!!"
The puppet took out a certain object and placed it in front of Kiana: "How about it? How about it—looks familiar, right?"
"Do you remember who was holding this?"
"Do you know why it's here now?"
The moment she saw the object, Kiana's psychological defenses instantly collapsed. She couldn't believe why this thing was here…
Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and the World Serpent had all searched for it, with no results…
"The Desire Gem…!?"
The puppet watched as Kiana silently mouthed the name, then whispered in her ear: "That's right, that's right—say the answer in your heart! Murata Himeko—she's already dead!"
"…"
Kiana closed her eyes and remained silent.
The puppet was a little stunned and hurriedly shouted: "Hey, are you deaf or do you not understand human speech? Or are you so overwhelmed by despair that you refuse to think?"
She began shouting over and over: "Murata Himeko is already dead. Dead, dead, dead! Did you hear me?!!"
"…"
Kiana still said nothing.
But inside the company,
Kalpas could no longer contain his rage: "Good! Good!! You've got some guts! Daring to repeat it over and over in front of me! Fine, fine!! Today you die!!!"
In a frenzy, Kalpas grabbed his blade and charged straight toward the TV in front of him.
He looked fully prepared to stab the Herrscher of Domination inside the screen to death.
He wasn't the only one.
Mei, Theresa, and the others were also furious beyond control: "Herrscher of Domination!! I'm going to kill you!!!"
That repeated "dead" had completely shattered their reason. They only wanted to tear this hateful, ugly, disgusting puppet apart!!
Mobius signaled SAKURA to restrain Kalpas.
Then she had Aponia and Elysia help hold back Mei and the others.
At this moment, she finally understood why only the Herrscher of Domination was portrayed by a puppet—if a real person had acted this role, the actor would probably have been torn to pieces by now.
At the same time.
Across the country, countless viewers were all cursing furiously. Almost everyone shared the same thought:
They wanted to devour the Herrscher of Domination alive.
Even the official fan group had completely exploded—countless messages flooded in, making it impossible to read clearly.
"Damn Herrscher, dog Herrscher, I'm gonna kill you, stop spouting nonsense!"
"Kill this dog Herrscher—Himeko isn't dead, it's just trying to shake us!"
"AAAAAHHHHHH, Herrscher, die, die, die!"
"How could Himeko-sensei possibly be dead? It's fake, all fake—she's definitely not dead. If she really is, I want the dog director to die with her!"
"I'm gonna kill this Herrscher, kill the dog director, kill Otto—who said there wouldn't be a blade today? Who!!"
"Damn it damn it damn it!!! The first half deliberately made me think there'd be no blade, now it stabs me this deep—I want to kill all of you."
"Heh, hahaha, I can't kill the Herrscher, can't kill Otto—can I at least not kill you, dog director?"
"It's fake, it's all fake—Himeko can't be dead, the Desire Gem is fake."
"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible—I don't believe it. How could Himeko-sensei die? I won't accept this outcome!"
"This damn Herrscher dares to mess with my mind, dares to lie to me—go to hell, all of you go to hell!"
"This episode isn't over yet—there's definitely a twist, definitely. Himeko-sensei is still alive, she'll definitely appear."
"Hahaha, this plot is so sweet, so damn sweet, so good—wuwuwuwu my Himeko-sensei."
"…"
Everyone was furious.
Some people even smashed their TVs outright.
But that didn't stop anyone from continuing to watch. Those who smashed their TVs either pulled out their phones, ran to their neighbors, or some even dashed straight to restaurants on the street to keep watching.
On the TV,
The puppet sounded somewhat disappointed: "No reaction at all? Hey, aren't you a bit too cold-blooded!"
Kiana forced herself to speak calmly: "In your imagination, what should I look like? Kneeling on the ground wailing, collapsing, crying over and over that this isn't real?"
"Or going mad, losing my mind, desperately hurting myself to fill the guilt?"
"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
The puppet began doubting life: "This… shouldn't be like this?"
Then it suddenly understood: "…Ah, I get it. You're still forcing yourself, still refusing to accept reality."
"You think we're lying? You think this gem is fake? You're trying hard to act calm, pretending nothing happened?"
"Fine then. Let you experience its genuine power properly!"
Under the puppet's urging, the Desire Gem shone with fiery brilliance. The Honkai Beasts controlled by the puppet were also imbued with new power and attacked Kiana.
And the puppet kept talking: "Hahaha, don't run, don't dodge—this is the power your beloved teacher once used! Did you know? When we found this gem, it was drifting alone and miserable in the Imaginary Space."
"How strange—it should've been embedded in the True Red armor, right? Should've been worn on her body, right? So where did the person who was with it go?"
"—Who knows! Hahahahahaha!"
"Actually, you've always known—on that day, she was already dead! Killed by your own hands!"
"But even without that battle, she was already terminally ill, with no time left!"
"She was just an ordinary human—impossible to escape the Imaginary Space, impossible even to maintain her own existence!"
"But you refuse to accept any of it!"
"You keep fantasizing that someone could save her, fantasizing about impossible miracles, fantasizing about atoning for your unforgivable sins!"
Kiana said nothing.
She focused entirely on fighting the Honkai Beasts created by the gem.
And defeated them!
The puppet was stunned: "Why… this is weird. It shouldn't be like this, it shouldn't be like this. This gem should've played a much bigger role…"
Right now!!
Kiana seized the opportunity. Using the Herrscher of the Void's power, she instantly appeared behind the puppet and struck it down.
She picked up the Desire Gem: "I don't know what you hoped I would become, but I know what Himeko-sensei hoped I would do."
The other puppets immediately shouted: "It's been stolen! It's been stolen! Preaching justice while taking someone else's stuff! Thief! Robber! Death penalty!"
"…"
"Fine. Since you want that gem so badly, I'll give it to you."
"But—there's a price!"
As the words fell,
Kiana suddenly felt her consciousness blur, her head splitting with pain.
The puppet continued: "After all, you've already refused to become one of us, haven't you? Though it's a pity, we have no choice but to invite another guest."
"Even though she was our original target from the start, freeing her has never gone smoothly."
"It's all because of you, all because of you!"
"Though you talk big and act tough, you can't fool yourself."
"The moment we brought out that gem, your heart—your soul—truly wept!"
"Of course she wouldn't miss that fleeting chance, right?"
"Let me think—back then, that Schicksal Overseer named Otto, didn't he do the exact same thing to you?"
"Awakened her consciousness, then stuffed a gem into you. The result—we all know very well!"
"Just treat this as a replay of that event?"
"Alright, alright. The actor who's finished performing should obediently leave the stage."
"Now, let us welcome the protagonist of the next act—making her grand entrance!"
"Welcome—the Herrscher of the Void, Sirin!"
In that instant,
Kiana noticed her hand had already changed: "This is… the Herrscher of the Void?"
"Correct…"
Then her consciousness completely vanished.
She didn't know how much time passed.
When she awoke again, she seemed to still be inside the theater.
There were no puppets around—only two mirrors.
She walked to one mirror.
What it reflected was Sirin's appearance. The moment her finger touched the mirror, it shattered, turning into Kiana and the Herrscher of the Void.
"…So that's how it is."
The Herrscher of the Void's voice suddenly rang out: "Looks like you've finally understood."
Kiana looked toward the sound. The Herrscher of the Void had appeared beside her at some point: "Long time no see, my vessel."
Kiana said coldly: "I'm not your vessel."
The Herrscher of the Void said: "Last time we met was in Arc City, right? So much time has passed, yet your pathetic struggle hasn't changed at all."
"Kiana, run and run—where exactly can you run to? In the end, you still kneel before the cracks in your heart—before me."
Kiana said: "I'm no longer who I was back then. I won't submit to you."
The Herrscher of the Void laughed: "Haha, bold words. But if you hadn't wavered, how could I be here, standing in front of you, dominating this body?"
"You're afraid to face me, refuse to confront me—that's why you buried me deep in your heart."
"But now, you've lost."
"The chains binding me have been broken. No one will interrupt us anymore. All your long efforts, everything you've done until now—completely wasted."
Kiana questioned her: "…Why are you helping the Herrscher of Domination?"
"Help?"
The Herrscher of the Void had never heard anything so ridiculous: "Hahahaha! Don't compare those puppets with me."
"They're a bunch of hopeless failures, pitiful ants—spouting incomprehensible words, every gesture reeking of the same weakness as you."
"Those fools came knocking on their own, arrogantly claiming they'd free me. Their clownish appearance was utterly laughable."
"But I was still willing to give them a chance—just so I could enjoy a farce of clowns—and I really didn't expect they'd actually bring you right to me."
"To be honest, right now I only feel disappointment. You're even worse than them, my other half who doesn't want to be called a vessel."
"…" Kiana couldn't deny it.
The Herrscher of the Void continued: "Alright, the opening monologue has gone on long enough. I hope you savor this time and relive the last moments of your life."
"Come, Kiana—this is a theater just for the two of us, a stage belonging only to the victor."
"Be obediently dominated by me…"
"This is your—inescapable fate!"
Kiana's only response was an extremely calm, completely unruffled silence.
This made the Herrscher of the Void somewhat angry: "Your attitude is truly displeasing. I've broken your chains and taken control of the core's authority."
"Everything is just a reenactment of that day. It won't be long before I replace you and become the true master of this body."
"And you will be crushed, turned to nothingness—not even a fragment of consciousness will remain."
"But why aren't you panicking at all? Not afraid at all? Not despairing at all?"
Kiana said calmly: "…I know this day would come sooner or later."
"?" The Herrscher of the Void was puzzled.
Kiana continued: "No seal can last forever. It only delayed the final confrontation."
"You and I were bound to have this decisive battle that settles everything."
"We're like fire and water—mutually incompatible. Neither of us can compromise or yield."
"Since reconciliation is impossible, we can only settle it this way—the winner stays, the loser disappears."
.....
The Herrscher of the Void said: "Even now, you think you still have a chance of winning? You've never been able to do it. Those agonizing memories, those heavy chains—you can't let them go. You try to escape, but you only sink deeper into the swamp."
"Because this body is a vessel. The soul it carries is too heavy—heavy beyond what you can bear."
"And I have only come to take back what rightfully belongs to me."
Kiana said: "…In Arc City, you once said I could never escape you. In all the days since then, I've been thinking about the meaning behind those words—thinking about the answers to two questions: Who are you? And who am I?"
The Herrscher of the Void said: "I'm not interested in discussing philosophy with you. I am the Herrscher of the Void, Sirin—and you are Test Subject K-423. That's the answer decided long ago."
"So everything was the Herrscher's doing—it's not your responsibility, not your fault. Isn't that the favorite comforting line you and your companions huddle together repeating?"
"No." Kiana shook her head: "…There's one fact I refused to acknowledge in the past. But only by accepting it can I fill the gap in my soul and have any chance of standing against you as equals."
"…"
"I am you. We are two selves sharing this body—two existences born from Sirin's longing."
"You and I—are both extensions of Sirin."
"…" The Herrscher of the Void burst into loud laughter: "Hahahahaha, I thought you were going to say something profound. To this day, you're claiming to be Sirin? Have you lost your mind from overthinking?"
"Fine then. I'd like to see—since you're Sirin, how exactly do you plan to fulfill Sirin's wishes and destroy the world she couldn't destroy?"
"Yes!" Kiana stared at her: "That's exactly the method you've always used."
"You claim to be Sirin, wantonly venting your malice and hatred. In doing so, you cut me off from the real Sirin, making me refuse to face my own identity."
"But that's only your wish—not Sirin's wish. Her dream contains surging, filthy darkness, but also calm, warm glimmers of light."
"Complex and contradictory emotions intertwined in her heart, yet you only wanted me to see the resentment."
The Herrscher of the Void said disdainfully: "After seeing a bit of past memory, you've started projecting yourself into it? Fine then, let's talk about it."
"Hope, trust… people love to spout these words over and over, repeating the same lies."
"Those sanctimonious researchers took Sirin away in the name of hope, only to push her into hell and a fate worse than death."
"The seed of hatred was planted back then. It was humanity itself that made Sirin unable to trust anyone ever again."
Kiana immediately said: "But there, she also met Aurora, Agatha, and Bella. Those were the names of the friends Sirin made in that laboratory—the names she cared about until the very end."
"She never forgot them. Honkai tore Sirin's heart apart, but it couldn't erase their figures from her heart."
"Whenever she recalled those names, Sirin felt longing and sorrow. Until the very end, she yearned to reunite with them."
The Herrscher of the Void said faintly: "Yet it was also humanity that took them away from Sirin."
"Those children ultimately became sacrifices in the Babylon Laboratory. They died—the dead do not return to life. That's something even the Herrscher of Death cannot achieve."