Meanwhile, at the ruins of the Gray Crow Gang's headquarters—
"So, this base has been destroyed," a mysterious man in a plague doctor's mask muttered, his expression unreadable.
"The cycle has not yet begun, and yet the Guardian Knights have already discovered the problem here. The research data and the remaining test subjects have all been eliminated."
He seemed to be talking to himself, his presence strangely disconnected from the world around him.
"I heard the one who dealt with this was this era's hero. I've investigated him before. He doesn't seem to possess the strength of a true hero. Is he hiding his power? Or has something gone wrong with the cycle?"
He crushed a pebble under his foot. "I need to observe him further. If he truly is the hero, no matter how he hides it, his power cannot be weak."
And with that, he vanished, leaving only the crushed pebble as evidence of his visit.
...
That evening, Mo Wang was completely drained.
"Mo Wang, are you alright?" the princess asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine. It's just... having the Queen and the captain watching me all day was a little stressful," he said with a forced smile.
He had been summoned to the palace that evening, and the thought of facing Camilla again was enough to make him want to cough up blood.
"Do you... hate my sister?" she asked.
"O-of course not! My respect for Her Majesty is as vast as the ocean! It's because of that respect that I'm so nervous."
The princess seemed relieved. But the truth was, it wasn't just Camilla who was stressing him out. It was her, too.
As they walked home under the rising moon, the princess sighed. She still hadn't found the assassin she had seen in her memories.
Just then, Mo Wang stopped. "Someone's coming," he said, and pointed down the road.
The princess's eyes widened in horror. "The... the plague Doctor..."
The tall, slender figure in the crow mask was walking towards them, his long black coat billowing in the night wind.
The princess immediately summoned her scythe. This mysterious figure was a threat, even in her time.
Could he be the one who attacked Mo Wang in the past?
"Mo Wang, get back! He's dangerous!" she yelled, and stood in front of him.
"I'm surprised you know who I am," the doctor said, his voice echoing from behind the metal beak. "Your scent... you are not of this era. A time traveler, perhaps?"
"How... how did you know?!"
"Don't worry, you're not my target. Now, step aside."
But the princess was not about to let him pass. She lunged at him, her scythe a blur of motion. The doctor dodged her attacks with an almost supernatural grace.
"I told you, you're not my target," he said. "If you continue to interfere, I will have to eliminate you."
"You'll never get near him!" she cried, and unleashed a flurry of crescent-shaped blades of light.
But in the next instant, he was behind her. A single kick sent her flying. She crashed to the ground, blood trickling from her lips.
"Wait...!" she gasped, and pushed herself up, a new resolve in her eyes. "I won't... let you... pass!"
A shockwave of silver light erupted from her, her power surging to a new level.
"This power... so, you are the cause of this change," the doctor said, finally turning to face her.
She was on him in an instant, her scythe swinging down with the force of a thunderbolt.
CLANG!
He blocked the attack with a longsword that had appeared from within his sleeve, the impact cracking the pavement beneath his feet.
"Interesting," he said, his voice tinged with a hint of amusement. "It seems I have underestimated you, little girl from the future."
They clashed again, their battle tearing up the surrounding street.
(The old man showed up early? What's he doing here?) Mo Wang thought, watching the fight with a frown. The plot was already getting messy.
"You are strong," the doctor said. "With time, you could surpass even Lili. But as you are now, you are no match for me."
Two swift slashes of his sword broke through her defense. The old man, Kaden, was one of the strongest beings in this world.
"Damn it... how can this be..." she muttered, and struggled to her feet. He was even stronger than Beth, the invader.
"It's over," he said, and raised his sword for the final blow.
But then, a blast of magic erupted from behind her, swallowing his attack and hurtling towards him.
BOOM!!!
The explosion left him singed and disheveled.
"Magic?" he said, and turned to see Mo Wang, a staff in his hand. "You're... a mage?"
"As a hero, I should be able to use any weapon, shouldn't I?" Mo Wang said, and appeared in front of the princess.
"Be careful, Mo Wang. He's strong," she panted.
"I know. He's one of the strongest in the world. I'm surprised you were able to hold your own against him," he said, and gently patted her head.
"You know of my existence, as well," the doctor said, his gaze fixed on Mo Wang.
"Hmm... let's just say, I have no interest in your obsession with breaking the cycle. But you shouldn't have laid a hand on the princess. And you shouldn't have shown yourself to me. Not yet."
"Hero... Kaden."
At the sound of his true name, the man behind the mask flinched.
(Just change little princess hair to white, KaDen,then we have honkai alt timeline!)