The burning phoenix plunged into the descending icefall, its fiery wings grazing the glacial river. The collision of intense heat and frigid ice erupted in a cloud of vapor, the brilliant flames illuminating the darkened sky.
Within the Divine Blessing Barrier, Ren watched, his gray eyes reflecting the fiery glow.
He clenched his fist, a silent acknowledgment of Kiana's exhaustion.
He knew, better than anyone, the strain Kiana's body was under. Even with her exceptional Honkai adaptability, the relentless battles were taking their toll.
His original plan had been simple: pit the Herrscher of Ice against the Herrscher of Stars. Once the Honkai Will's control was broken, the Coral Island incident would conclude. Even if Schicksal Valkyries arrived, with Ren present, Kiana wouldn't need to fight.
She could rest, consolidate her newfound mastery of Flamescion.
But the Herrscher of Rimestar's emergence had thrown a wrench in his plans. The brief clash between Ice and Star hadn't given Kiana sufficient time to recover. Moreover, Rimestar's power far surpassed both, a foe Kiana couldn't currently handle.
Forcing Kiana to fight would risk permanent damage.
He turned his gaze to Otto, his eyes blazing with killing intent.
"Tell me, what exactly is your game? Or I'll send Schicksal HQ into the Imaginary Space. Let them experience its annihilation firsthand."
The smug smile vanished from Otto's face. Having witnessed Ren tear open spatial rifts, he knew the threat was real. And like his own unwavering devotion to Kallen, Kiana was clearly Ren's inviolable line.
He could sense Ren was fundamentally different from the rebellious Herrscher of Reason.
Faced with millions in peril, Ren displayed anger, concern. But his willingness to negotiate suggested his desire to save civilians stemmed more from responsibility than self-sacrificing heroism.
It was akin to Otto's own dedication to Schicksal. He fought the Honkai, but if Kallen's revival required Schicksal's destruction, he wouldn't hesitate.
Kiana joining the fray had crossed Ren's line. Otto understood this feeling intimately, and without further pretense, he revealed his plan.
"Herrscher cores cannot consume each other. No single Herrscher can withstand the erosion of two cores. But there's one exception – Sirin, the second Herrscher. Her body once housed multiple gems."
"Since you know Kiana is the Herrscher of the Void, you should also know her origins."
"After Sirin's defeat, I conducted cloning experiments, attempting to understand how she could contain multiple gems. While unsuccessful in replicating that, I did create the Herrscher of the Void."
"This new Herrscher is the result of those accumulated technologies, a fusion of two Herrscher authorities. Consider her the Herrscher of Rimestar."
Otto explained Rimestar's creation, then added, "However, Kiana's situation is unique. Even she can't house multiple cores."
High above, Rimestar conjured icefalls, unable to extinguish the flames in Kiana's hand.
"Therefore, Rimestar isn't a true Herrscher. She has no soul, and even her colossal form barely contains the two cores. I offer her as a transaction with a god, a bridge between myself and the Honkai's mental realm."
"I don't understand its true nature, but as a Herrscher, you should."
Ren listened patiently, then spoke a single name. "The Will of Honkai."
"I see. So the Honkai possesses a will. Is this the essence of a god?" Otto mused, his gaze sharpening. "If I'm not mistaken, even the Honkai God requires a suitable vessel for its descent."
He looked pointedly at Ren, whose early arrival and meticulous planning on Coral Island clearly targeted the two Herrscher cores. A Herrscher seeking cores wasn't unusual; they provided Honkai energy, amplifying their power.
But Void Archives sensed something more. If Ren were an ordinary Herrscher, Otto wouldn't question it, but he wasn't. Thus, Otto suspected Ren's true objective was to probe the Honkai Will.
Negotiations were like that. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If Ren dared to scheme against the Honkai Will, there was room for discussion.
"The Honkai God needs a vessel, but Rimestar isn't complete, lacking the capacity to house its consciousness. Without a vessel, it will retreat. But if a suitable body were offered…"
Ren frowned slightly, surprised by Otto's audacity.
"Precisely. I offer my body as a temporary vessel for the Honkai Will, allowing my consciousness to commune with a god, to seek the answers I desire. And I've implanted a micro-nuclear device within this body, equivalent to 50,000 tons of TNT. Even if I'm possessed, you can trigger it remotely."
Otto's gamble was audacious: invite the Honkai Will in, then destroy it, taking himself with it. He would gain his answers, then Ren, capitalizing on the opportunity, would eliminate both Otto and the weakened Honkai Will, absorbing the massive Honkai energy released.
A win-win, at least for Otto. But was it truly that simple?
"Aren't you afraid of losing yourself to the Honkai? Human consciousness cannot withstand its erosion."
Otto shook his head, exhaling slowly. "It's a necessary sacrifice. If I can't even do this, how can I hope to reverse the cycle of life and death?"
"I hope so." Ren remained noncommittal. He knew Otto's true objective was Kallen's revival. Knowing the story's trajectory, he understood the Overseer's obsession. But that didn't mean he'd allow Otto to interfere with his plans.
Otto had repeatedly disrupted his strategies. Ren would retaliate. But for now, Otto's plan aligned with his own. Whether Otto was possessed or managed to trap the Honkai Will, Ren would benefit.
Raw Honkai energy was meaningless to Ren with his Dominance Theatre. But for Kiana, it was the final piece of the Flamescion puzzle.
Within the Divine Blessing Barrier, shielded from the Honkai Will's gaze, Ren closed his eyes. When he opened them, his gray eyes had transformed into shimmering gold.
Cracks spread across the barrier, then shattered.
Void Archives, reverting to its cube form, mimicked the Divine Key Feather of Deliverance, returning to Otto's hand. The golden-haired man spread his arms wide, like a devout supplicant.
In a flash, Ren appeared before him, his hand gripping Otto's throat.
Crack.
The Soul Steel body creaked under the pressure. The light in Otto's emerald eyes dimmed.
But as he died, the ambient Honkai energy surged, finding a perfect vessel in the Soul Steel body.
When the energy wave subsided, a familiar, chilling presence entered Ren's perception.
Additional notes:
Mei Kai Er Du (梅开二度): This idiom literally translates to "plum blossoms twice." It refers to achieving success twice in quick succession, or a second, even greater success after the first.