The storm over Linburg City didn't cease with Ren's departure; instead, it raged even more fiercely. From a distance, the already heavy storm clouds resembled a ravenous beast, crouching over the city and slowly devouring it whole.
On the road to the outskirts, a black sedan blended into the flow of traffic, making its way out of the city.
The car was quiet, save for the muffled roar of the engine. Kiana leaned against the window, her thoughts seeming to retreat back into the city along with the storm outside.
"Still thinking about him?"
Himeko's voice brought Kiana back. She turned to see her teacher offering a clean towel.
"It's just that..." Kiana tried to force a smile but found she wasn't in the mood. She just shook her head slightly, telling Himeko not to worry.
Himeko, however, saw right through her. Instead of pointing it out, she simply sat down beside the girl and began to gently dry her still-damp hair with the towel.
Kiana had already changed into dry clothes, but her thick hair was harder to manage. If Ren were here, he could have used his precise temperature control to dry it in an instant, but now...
Taking a deep breath, Kiana held out her palm, and the authority of the Flamescion manifested as a faint flame. She tried to mimic Ren, carefully bringing the flame close to her hair, but in the next second, the smell of burnt strands filled the air.
Staring at her now-curled white hair, the girl silently extinguished the flame. She was the Herrscher who commanded temperature, yet outside of a fight, she couldn't even manage something so simple.
When had she become so used to relying on Ren?
She closed her eyes, and the image of Ren leaving replayed in her mind. Just the memory of it brought a wave of inexplicable sorrow.
Sensing her grief, Himeko moved closer and took the girl's hand in her own.
"If you're sad, it's okay to cry a little more. My arms are always open for you."
But Kiana was stronger than Himeko had expected. After a moment of silence, she composed herself. Leaning against Himeko, she asked in a low voice, "Sensei, that note Ren left behind... did he really write it?"
Himeko hadn't expected the question. She paused for a half-second before explaining, "I actually wrote it. I was worried about you, so I imitated his handwriting. But the note didn't even last... another little troublemaker tore it to shreds."
She trailed off, then realized something. "Did she put the note back?"
"I don't know who you're talking about, but it doesn't matter anymore," Kiana said, a flicker of light returning to her eyes. "I should have realized it sooner. It's not Ren's style to leave such a cryptic farewell. He'd either leave without a word or explain his reasons clearly."
Himeko didn't quite follow her logic, but she could tell the girl had come to some sort of understanding. As she was thinking, Kiana suddenly looked up at her.
"Speaking of which, Aunt Himeko, you knew Ren's identity all along, but you kept it from me."
Faced with Kiana's direct gaze, Himeko felt a pang of guilt, but there was no point in hiding it any longer. She sighed and began to tell her story.
"After the Great Eruption, I fell into the Imaginary Space. I was severely injured and could only wait quietly for death."
The girl's fists clenched unconsciously. Himeko patted her hand reassuringly with her other one. "It's all in the past. I'm fine now, see?"
She continued, "Just when I thought it was all over for me, Ren suddenly found me. He claimed he was there to steal the Herrscher Core, but he actually saved me and used his power to create a new body for me. In a way, you could say I'm one of the Herrscher of Domination's puppets now."
Himeko lifted her shirt slightly. On her side, a small, black-and-white insignia was visible.
"You experienced the Domination incident not too long ago, so you know how much trouble those puppets can be. But from the incident in ARC City until just recently, there hasn't been a single uprising from them. Do you know why?"
The answer was obvious. Kiana replied in a low voice, "Because Ren has been keeping them in check."
"Exactly. Ren became the Herrscher of Domination a long time ago. As the original, he gained the ability to command the others, but the price was shouldering the karma and emotions of all his puppets. The reason we never told you the truth, besides him not wanting us to, was because we were afraid it would affect your judgment."
Himeko's gaze swept over Bernice, who was driving, before settling back on Kiana. "It's not just me. Many people you've met have received his help. We all came together, using Ren's power to form The Obsidian Concord. While the world was fighting the Honkai, the Concord was secretly gathering the strength to change it from the shadows."
"Does that mean Mei is also..."
"Possibly. Ren hasn't shared those details with me. My job was to manage ARC City; other agents handle different operations."
Kiana looked downcast. "Why did everyone else know? Why didn't anyone tell me? I could have helped."
"Remember what I said earlier? Ren is the Herrscher of Domination. His methods would never be approved by Theresa. But you're different. Your dream is to fight the Honkai and save the world, and he wants you to be able to stand in the light and fight like a true warrior."
There are too many shadows in this world. Knowing too much can drag you down into them. This is not a burden you should have to bear.
As they were talking, an airship bearing the Schicksal insignia flew low overhead. Bernice slowed the car down. Soon after, another airship headed toward Linburg City.
As more warships appeared, Kiana sensed that something was wrong. But then she realized that if the fleet was here, it meant Theresa and the others were safe for now. She breathed a sigh of relief but remained puzzled. "Airships? Hasn't Schicksal noticed we're gone yet?"
"No. I suspect Otto is more concerned with something else," Himeko said without elaborating. She then spoke to Bernice in the front seat. "This is far enough. We can get out here."
"Understood." Bernice didn't waste words. She changed lanes, pulled over, and got out of the driver's seat. She was about to leave but turned back to look at Kiana. "Miss Kiana," she said in a low voice, "I'm counting on you to save the world."
With that, she turned and walked back toward the rain-soaked city without a second glance.
"Bernice?" Kiana called out twice but got no response. She could only look to Himeko for help. But Himeko just shook her head, making no move to call her back.
"Let her go. This is her mission. It's a promise Ren made to her."
"A mission and a promise?"
"For the past half-month, I've been helping prepare for Ren's plan. Bernice has been, too, but her situation is more complicated." Himeko moved into the driver's seat and continued, "Since you know her, you must also know she's a Schicksal Valkyrie. But as Ren said, 'Valkyries can save the world, but they can't change it.'"
"Bernice's mother was an ordinary woman from a village in Shenzhou. She had little education and lived a difficult life. By chance, she met a merchant from North America. They fell in love, and soon, Bernice was born. But shortly after her birth, her father, affected by the Honkai, chose to return to North America."
At this point, Kiana could guess where the story was going.
"That's right. Bernice's father abandoned them. He was never heard from again after returning to North America, leaving the mother and daughter to fend for themselves." Himeko sighed. "In rural Shenzhou, a story like that is anything but honorable. From a young age, Bernice was ostracized for her name and her different appearance. Even so, her mother raised her. Then, when she was nine, she saw a Schicksal recruitment ad.
"She chose to become a Valkyrie, making it her dream to save the world. For years, she sent almost all her earnings back to her village. That is, until recently, when the Snow Lotus Squad was shelved by Schicksal."
"The Snow Lotus Squad? The one from Coral Island?"
"Yes. To cover up your existence, Schicksal disbanded the squad. When Bernice was discharged and returned to her hometown, she expected to come back in glory. But not only had the village not changed, it had gotten worse.
"Vicious rumors and slander were everywhere. While she was running herself ragged fighting the Honkai, the villagers were spreading lies that she had sold her body. While she was eagerly sending her monthly salary home to her mother, every penny was being coveted by others. And when she finally returned home, longing for her mother's embrace..."
"..."
"'I'd long grown used to the malice of others. But I will never forget that when my mother looked at me, her eyes held the same expression as theirs.' Those were her exact words. And that's why she chose to join The Obsidian Concord." Seeing Kiana's bewildered expression, Himeko sighed again. "So do you understand now why Ren left? Fighting the Honkai can only eliminate external threats. But the ignorance, prejudice, and malice in people's hearts... they're like a persistent cancer, impossible to ever truly root out."
As they spoke, the screech of tires and the crash of metal suddenly shattered the air. A car accident had occurred on the highway ahead. Like a chain reaction, more collisions quickly followed, spreading chaos down the road.
But before the panic from the pile-up could fully set in, a wave of gasps and shouts swept through the crowd.
"What is that?!"
Following their gazes, Kiana and Himeko saw a massive fissure tear open in the sky above the storm-shrouded city. In a flash of lightning, the blurred silhouette of a colossal structure was revealed.
Before anyone could get a clear look, a pillar of golden light shot up from it, piercing through the thick curtain of clouds.
The bizarre sight captivated everyone. Forgetting the car crashes, people scrambled to pull out their phones and record what was happening.
Kiana and Himeko didn't join them, but they stopped the car and stared toward Linburg City. Looking at the familiar structure within the clouds, Himeko murmured to herself.
"So the show is finally beginning."
As soon as the words left her lips, more and more Schicksal warships, like hounds catching the scent of prey, swarmed toward Linburg City. At the same time, blaring alarms echoed across the metropolis.
「S-CLASS DISASTER EVENT. ALL RESIDENTS, PLEASE PROCEED TO THE NEAREST SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!」
"The show? Sensei, what are you talking about?"
"A stage for a fool, a performance by a thousand, a carnival of domination... In other words—Ren!"
The pillar of light didn't vanish. Instead, it churned the clouds into a vortex. Within it, the projection of the Theater of Domination grew clearer and closer, until it finally came to rest, hanging suspended over Linburg City.
Photography enthusiasts with better equipment were flushed with excitement. They had captured it—a blurry figure standing at the edge of the structure. But their joy was short-lived. The golden pillar of light suddenly vanished. Before anyone could react, a terrifying slash of energy, hundreds of kilometers long, crashed down upon the earth, cleanly cleaving through Linburg City's prized Doric Spire.
The building disintegrated. The ground split open. More terrifying still, the earth beneath their feet began to tremble, as if something immense was approaching from below.
"Run! Run!"
The next second, a massive mech burst from the newly formed chasm and soared into the sky.
One, ten, a hundred...
A shadow like a plague of locusts blotted out the sky. As everyone wondered just how many war machines were buried underground, someone finally realized... it seemed as if the entire city was built upon a nest of mechs.