Herrscher of Dominance in Honkai, starting with the abduction of Kiana

The first crack signaled the weakening of the Honkai's barrier. Though faint, the light spilling through was like the first rays of dawn after a long, dark night for Senti and Fu Hua.

"Did you come to save me?"

A tear rolled down Senti's cheek, like dewdrop on a leaf, shimmering in the nascent light.

Crack. Crack.

More fissures appeared, spreading like cracks in glass. Senti snapped back to reality, scrambling out of Fu Hua's embrace and towards the light.

But halfway there, she stopped, turning back to pull Fu Hua to her feet.

"Don't just sit there! She's here to save us!" Tears still glistened in Senti's eyes, but a smile bloomed on her face. She pulled Fu Hua towards the brightening light.

Fu Hua, led by Senti, wore a dazed expression. She had been prepared to die, never imagining she would escape this darkness. And the only one capable of such a feat was that girl…

"Kiana!"

"Kiana!"

As they stepped through the white fissure, Senti and Fu Hua spoke her name in unison.

The light faded, and the world came into focus. On the verdant slopes of Mount Taixu, the girl they had longed to see turned, extending her hand.

"Welcome back."

Fu Hua grasped Kiana's hand, stepping out of the darkness. But Senti stopped abruptly. While it was Kiana, it… wasn't.

Why? It's not who I expected.

"My senses can't be wrong," she murmured, standing alone in the darkness.

Her confidence wasn't in her senses, but rather, it was the only way she could convince herself.

After the encounter with the Will of the Honkai, the rebellious Senti had shed her arrogance. To put it simply, she was now just like Fu Hua, a child waiting to be picked up from kindergarten.

Having had a fight with her mother that morning, Senti had long since regretted it. She had eagerly awaited the end of the day, wanting nothing more than to apologize and be held.

But after waiting and waiting, finally hearing her mother's voice and rushing out excitedly, she had seen Fu Hua's parent instead.

Disappointment washed over her, rooting her to the spot as she watched Fu Hua and Kiana walk away.

"Kiana, let's go. This place is about to collapse."

Ren's voice called out.

His clothes were scorched, his body covered in wounds. Even though he had defeated the Will of the Honkai with the Six-Core Taixu Sword God, he had paid a heavy price. Yet he was still using the last of his strength to hold the collapsing domain together.

"Okay." Kiana nodded. She was in even worse shape than Ren, but as she turned to leave with Fu Hua, she noticed another figure standing behind her.

Seeing Senti, Kiana froze. She hadn't expected the Herrscher of Sentience to survive. She instinctively looked at Ren.

Ren stepped forward, shielding Kiana, shaking his head slightly, signaling her to leave it to him.

Looking at Senti's lost expression, he sighed and extended a hand. "Let's go."

"You…"

The unexpected invitation startled Senti. Instead of taking his hand, she looked up at him.

Her gaze was complex. It was because of him, she thought, that she had ended up like this. And yet, here he was, acting like nothing had happened, inviting her to leave with him.

"What? Do you think we're friends or something?" She took a step back, feigning aggression.

Having been on the receiving end of Ren's power several times, despite her unwillingness to admit it, Senti harbored a lingering fear. But she couldn't bring herself to say it, instead instinctively probing his mind for any hostility.

This time, her probe met no resistance, no blank wall like when he was shielded by the Taixu Sword God, no killing intent like when Kiana was unconscious. There was only a tranquil spring, a familiar aura.

Hum.

The moment she sensed that familiar consciousness signature, Senti's mind went blank. Her crimson eyes widened, her pupils trembling with shock.

"You… You…" She gasped, her lips quivering. But in the end, she couldn't speak.

Her mind reeled, the figure from the rainy night merging with Ren, becoming increasingly clear.

It was understandable. Anyone who suddenly discovered that their most hated enemy was actually someone they deeply cared for would struggle to maintain composure.

"I'm sorry. I misunderstood you, Little Senti." Ren lowered his head, apologizing softly.

While he wasn't obligated to apologize to Senti, he wasn't unreasonable. He wouldn't forgive his enemies, but he wouldn't shy away from his own mistakes. If this was all due to his misunderstanding, then he should apologize.

"I…" If her mental probe could be mistaken, then the name Ren used confirmed it – he was the fake Kiana.

Senti stammered, unsure what to do with her hands.

She turned away, avoiding his gaze, pretending indifference. But she couldn't suppress the smile tugging at her lips.

As they spoke, Kiana and Fu Hua returned, their expressions grim.

"It's no good. Class Monitor's consciousness can't leave this domain. She can't return to her body, and the Fenghuang Down was destroyed in the fight…" Kiana looked at Senti, the meaning clear.

The Herrscher of Sentience occupying Fu Hua's body prevented her from returning. And one body couldn't hold two souls. This meant Fu Hua was trapped in the collapsing domain, doomed to die.

She wanted to ask Ren if there was a solution, but to Senti, it sounded like something else entirely.

"…" The joy she had felt vanished, replaced by a stark pallor.

So it's true after all. I'm not Fu Hua, and I'm occupying her body.

During her imprisonment in the Honkai space, Senti had done a lot of thinking, a lot of talking to Fu Hua, even if Fu Hua rarely responded. A dying person's words are kind. While alive, she had been arrogant and self-centered, but facing death, she found a new understanding.

She didn't hate Fu Hua. She had simply resented her weakness. But now, facing the consequences of her actions, she realized she hadn't done any better.

So, I was just envious of Fu Hua's friends…

Clarity washed over Senti, but her words came out differently.

"Hmph! That Old Antique is done for!"

"You…" Kiana's expression hardened, about to interrupt.

But Senti continued, a malicious grin spreading across her face. "The Will of the Honkai has already corrupted her body. Only a Herrscher can withstand it. Even if you kill me, she can't go back."

"So? Are you angry? Hahahaha!" Senti laughed wildly, her initial recklessness returning. "Losers will always be losers."

"But… since you look so pathetic, I'll take pity on you. I'll give you this body. I'll even clean up the remnants of the Will of the Honkai." She waved a dismissive hand. "Remember, this is just my pity for losers."

"Thank you," Fu Hua said, speaking for the first time.

"Hmph, don't pretend to be grateful. I really hate you. Without me, you would have just failed anyway."

"But what will you do without a body?"

"I'm not as fragile as you. I'm the Herrscher of Sentience. I'll find a way."

Without waiting for a response, Senti stepped forward, breaking free from the Honkai's grasp. She raised her right hand and clenched it, the fractured mindscape contracting.

As the true master of the mindscape, even in its broken state, only Senti could reclaim it so easily.

The domain dissipated, the world turning white. Senti compressed the reclaimed domain into a sphere and pushed it into Fu Hua's body. The connection between consciousness and body was re-established.

"Goodbye! And good riddance!" With that, Senti turned and shouted, her form fading into the soft light. Before vanishing completely, she glanced back at Ren, her lips moving silently.

"Thank you."

"…Damn it! Why did I have to act so cool? Now I'm really screwed." Somewhere on Mount Taixu, Senti, now bodiless, drifted like a ghost.

Within minutes, her form became translucent. Clearly, it wasn't as simple as she had made it sound.

Even as a Herrscher, she knew she wouldn't last long without a body. But if she had forcibly taken Fu Hua's body, would she have been able to live with herself knowing Fu Hua was dead?

Senti couldn't do that.

Deep down, she was a kind soul.

"But… at least I learned who he really was before I die…"

Standing on the mountainside, Senti could see the distant silhouette of the town. A wistful look filled her eyes. "It's such a shame. I wanted to see the world with my own eyes…"

"Such a shame…"

She continued walking, her form growing increasingly faint. "There's so much I still wanted to do."

"But it can't be helped. I'm a Herrscher…"

"I'm a Herrscher, destined to be hated, destined to be eliminated, destined to die…" She rambled on, as if trying to say everything she wanted before it was too late. But she was naturally talkative. There were always more words to say.

"…" She fell silent.

A lone ghost wandered through the silent forest. Even the birds and animals avoided her Herrscher aura. The chirping of cicadas ceased.

Senti stopped, sitting down beneath a tree, covering her eyes with her arm. But tears continued to flow. As an incorporeal being, she couldn't even feel the leaves against her skin.

"I don't want to die."

In the desolate world, the girl finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. There was no Fu Hua, no Ren, no one.

She was just an abandoned child, alone and forgotten.

"I don't want to die!"

Her form grew fainter, curling up into a small ball before vanishing completely.

And just before she faded, a bird flew overhead, a single black feather drifting down from its wing, landing on the spot where the girl had been.