"Kiana…"
Within the Dominance Theatre, Ren, locked in a fierce battle with the Will of Honkai, faltered. He instinctively called out the girl's name.
That momentary lapse in concentration proved fatal. The Will of Honkai, its arms transformed into razor-sharp claws, tore through Ren's defenses, piercing his chest.
Blood sprayed from his back. In the next instant, his body was seized by the claws, slammed onto the stage of the Thousand Personas. The impact sent shockwaves through the Theatre, overturning seats and carving deep furrows into the floor.
"*Cough, cough.*" Ren coughed up a mouthful of blood. A gaping hole in his chest exposed shattered ribs and mangled organs.
But such fatal wounds were commonplace in his battle against the Will of Honkai. Without flinching, Ren manipulated his Dominance threads, stitching his ravaged body back together.
This was the nature of their fight; a tenth of a second was enough to shift the balance.
However, his attention wasn't on his own injuries. Sensing Kiana's distress, he abandoned his fight with the Will of Honkai. Facing its relentless attacks, an icy rage filled his eyes.
"Get out of my way!"
With a low growl, Ren wiped the blood from his mouth. In a blur of motion, he seized the Will of Honkai, its supersonic speed notwithstanding, his hand clamping around its face.
His fingers tightened, digging into the empty sockets. He slammed the Will of Honkai to the ground. The impact shook the entire Theatre, the Will of Honkai reduced to a mangled mess.
This sudden burst of power turned the tide, the battle shifting into a one-sided slaughter.
But the Will of Honkai didn't understand death. No matter how many times Ren killed it, it regenerated within seconds. And whenever Ren tried to leave the Imaginary Space, it clung to him, refusing to let go.
"Hee hee." As if sensing Ren's impatience, the Will of Honkai emitted a strange, chilling giggle. It knew it couldn't defeat Ren, but Ren couldn't destroy it either.
As long as it stalled, events would unfold according to the Honkai's desires.
The once magnificent Theatre lay in ruins, ravaged by their battle. The Will of Honkai, like a parasite, clung to Ren, dragging him into an abyss.
"Kiana, wait for me."
Gasping for breath, Ren stopped, seemingly resigned to his fate.
Seeing its opportunity, the Will of Honkai unleashed a flurry of attacks, impaling Ren's body, pinning him to a Theatre pillar.
But Ren didn't react, like a broken toy subjected to a child's whims. His head hung low, his eyes closed, his right hand gently pressed against his chest, as if protecting something precious.
His breathing grew shallow, until it finally ceased.
The Will of Honkai tore off his limbs, completely dismembering his body. But Ren remained still, as if truly dead, peacefully slumbering.
Finally, convinced Ren was lifeless, the Will of Honkai reverted to Otto's form, turning to leave.
…
[Annihilation.]
On the endless red sands, beneath the Imaginary Tree, Ren's true body stopped its arduous journey towards the trunk, softly uttering the command.
…
Within the Dominance Theatre, a pair of golden eyes slowly opened on the ceiling.
In the next instant, the departing Will of Honkai froze.
An immense, boundless will surged into the Soul Steel body. Within the Will of Honkai's pale mental landscape, Ren's slender figure appeared.
His true form, radiating power, remained silent, his hand gently pressing against the Will of Honkai's core.
[Annihilation.]
Like a leaf falling onto a still lake, ripples spread across the mental landscape. Then, the tranquil surface erupted into a raging torrent, obliterating everything in its path.
The Will of Honkai's mental space shattered like glass, collapsing into nothingness.
Ren's figure dissolved into golden particles, returning to his true body beneath the Imaginary Tree. Along with him, the Will of Honkai vanished.
The entity that had plagued Ren for so long, that had forced him to resort to such drastic measures, was annihilated in an instant by his true power.
"…"
Having erased the Will of Honkai with his core authority, Ren opened his eyes, his expression complex as he surveyed the ruined Theatre. With a flicker of his will, his dismembered limbs and shattered body reformed.
His current body was, after all, a puppet. Even as the primary host, mere fatal wounds couldn't disable him.
Once his body was fully restored, Ren looked down at his chest, confirming the time crystals within were intact. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"In the end, this was the only way…"
Accessing his administrator privileges wasn't without risk. While effortlessly obliterating the Will of Honkai seemed impressive, the potential consequences were dire. A single misstep could have erased Ren from existence.
But now, with his victory secured, these concerns were temporarily forgotten.
He walked towards the pale figure still standing within the Theatre. The pristine white body, like an exquisite sculpture, maintained its frozen posture, but the consciousness within had been completely annihilated, leaving only a shell of concentrated Honkai energy.
Ren placed his hand on the shell. Thousands of Dominance threads extended, piercing the surface, greedily absorbing the residual Honkai energy.
This energy wasn't for himself, but channeled into the time crystals within his chest.
This was his gift for Kiana.
Once the absorption was complete, Ren didn't linger, immediately leaving the Imaginary Space.
With his departure, the Dominance Theatre fell silent.
After a long while, a faint, almost imperceptible girl's voice echoed.
[Backdoor program activated.]
[Recording complete.]
[Will of Honkai instance 18362 confirmed erased.]
[Uploading record… Upload aborted… Overwriting data…]
[Data modification complete. Virtual camouflage deployed.]
[Prometheus 17 successfully intercepted Will of Honkai collective data upload.]
[Authority transfer complete. Entering sleep mode.]
A translucent image of a girl with light gray, double-helix braids materialized within the Theatre, hovering above the debris-strewn floor, speaking to herself.
…
Under the lightless sky, a girl plummeted like a falling star.
Flames extinguished, darkness prevailed.
Kiana, powerless, hurtled towards the ground, the wind roaring in her ears, the light obscured by dark clouds.
She closed her eyes, awaiting death.
"Don't worry. I'm here."
The extinguished flames rekindled, radiating a gentle warmth.