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

While Mei and Elysia had their first meeting, four white paws landed on the lightning rod atop the tallest building in ARC City.

"It seems Raiden Mei has successfully entered the Elysian Realm. It's time for me to make a move. Little Senti, have you prepared what I asked for?" Facing the cold night wind, Taxue, the cat, narrowed its eyes and spoke without turning around.

…

But only the whistling wind answered.

"Hmm?"

Ren, in his cat form, twitched his ears, turning around in confusion. He saw a figure lurking on the metal rod of the lightning rod, its eyes fixed on Ren's swaying tail.

And Senti, who should have been by the wall, was nowhere to be seen.

"What are you doing?!"

Seeing the girl reach out to grab his tail, Ren finally lost his patience, his expression turning cold.

Senti, engrossed in her attempt to grab the tail, was startled, nearly falling off the railing. She quickly regained her balance.

"Ahaha, I was just curious. You're usually so…expressionless, like a cold steamed bun. But as a cat, you're so… *Opportunity!*"

Caught red-handed, Senti scratched her head awkwardly, grinning as she tried to explain. But the moment she saw Ren relax, her eyes narrowed, and she leaped, snatching at his tail.

Thwack!

Prepared, Ren flicked his tail, smacking her out of the air like a whip.

"Good timing, but did you forget who you were trying to sneak up on?" Ren shook himself, looking down at Senti condescendingly.

"Damn it, I was so close!"

Senti, sprawled on the ground, looked frustrated, completely oblivious to her error.

Seeing her like this, Ren felt a wave of exhaustion. Kids will be kids. He simply couldn't handle them.

Gracefully jumping down from the lightning rod, Ren padded over to Senti, his whiskers twitching.

"Stop fooling around. Have you prepared what I asked for?"

Seeing that Ren was getting annoyed, Senti sobered up. She rolled over and pulled a black Fenghuang Down feather from her pocket.

"Here. This is what you wanted." Senti might have been capricious, but she never forgot Ren's requests.

"This feather will conceal all your auras, including your consciousness and Herrscher authority. I'm not exaggerating when I say that unless you walk right in front of Kevin, he won't be able to detect you. But remember, it can only be used once. It will be destroyed the moment you enter the Elysian Realm."

"That's enough." Ren, the cat, nodded, opening his mouth and swallowing the feather.

Entering the Elysian Realm wouldn't be difficult for Ren. With Mei as a beacon, he could force his way in through sheer strength. But that would inevitably lead to conflict with Kevin, increasing unnecessary suspicion and mistrust at a sensitive time.

With Senti's help, he could avoid these conflicts perfectly. Of course, recruiting Senti wasn't just for concealing his presence; there was another task only the Herrscher of Sentience could perform.

"This is what you asked for, a tool that can sever your own consciousness. It will perfectly block a single intrusion from something on the level of the Will of the Honkai and allow for a counter-intrusion."

Senti produced a small puppet bearing the mark of The Obsidian Concord and tossed it to Ren.

"Honestly, with your strength, I don't think anyone can invade your consciousness. But since you asked for it, I don't mind making it for you."

Her tone was casual, as if it were a trivial matter, but Ren knew how complicated it was.

"Thank you."

Ren nodded in gratitude, walking over to Senti and tapping her head with his tail.

"Mmm." Senti blushed, clearly enjoying the gesture. But after a moment, her eyes darted around, and she reached for his tail again.

Thwack!

Easily predicting her move, Ren flicked his tail, knocking away her hand, and jumped onto the railing of the rooftop.

"Since you've made both items I needed, you're free now. You can stay in ARC City or go wherever you please."

"Aren't you afraid I'll cause trouble while you're gone?"

"You can try." Ren twitched his white paw, golden threads extending from it.

"Tch, you say I'm free, but I'm still tied to these strings…"

Amidst Senti's loud complaints, Ren turned and leaped from the building. Mid-air, the cat transformed into starlight, vanishing into the night.

"Come back safely. Don't forget, Kiana and the others are waiting for you!"

…

"You said the spaces in the Elysian Realm are randomized?"

"That's right. The trials will change depending on the circumstances, so you'll encounter different enemies each time. Also, the enemies on each floor are different. And each time you clear a floor, you'll receive a signet from one of the Flame-Chasers."

"A signet?"

"It's a manifestation of each Flame-Chaser's power, providing powerful enhancements for your trials. If you want to reach the end of the trial, you'll need the help of signets."

"And what is your signet, Elysia?"

"Of course, it's [Ego (True Self)], the flawless girl, the pure self, combined into the signet of Ego. Oh my, saying so much about myself is making me blush."

"…You really don't need to add so many adjectives."

Elysia's self-praise was, as always, unrestrained. Strangely, Mei found herself growing accustomed to it. She mentally filtered out the unnecessary descriptions, focusing on the signets themselves.

Since the signets were manifestations of the Flame-Chasers' abilities, then to improve her strength through the Elysian Realm, she would need to rely on those powers.

But Mei still had doubts. No matter how realistic the Elysian Realm was, it was still a virtual world. Could simply clearing these trials really help her, a Herrscher, become stronger?

She didn't doubt World Serpent's technology, but compared to these intangible trials, she trusted her own weapon more.

"It seems Mei isn't very convinced. Well, it's better to experience it firsthand. I believe that with your strength, reaching the sixth floor shouldn't be a problem. But the enemies on the later floors become exponentially stronger. Even a Herrscher like you would struggle without signets."

Through Elysia's explanation of the basic rules of the Elysian Realm, Mei had learned that each floor represented a different level of difficulty. But words alone couldn't convey the full picture.

"Then, please, let me see the power of the Elysian Realm."

"No problem."

Elysia seemed delighted that Mei had accepted her suggestion. She eagerly stood up from the sofa, grabbing Mei's hand and pulling her towards the portal.

"Let's go, let's go! Miss Mei's grand adventure in the Elysian Realm begins!"

"…"

Okay, I should be used to this by now.

…

Passing through the portal in the meeting hall, Mei quickly arrived at the trial grounds. She looked around, but Elysia was nowhere to be seen.

It seems the trials are solo.

The first floor was empty, only distant fragments of buildings floating in the void, similar to Kevin's quantum space, but brighter.

But where's the entrance to the next floor?

She reached out, trying to sense any changes in the surrounding air. At that moment, Elysia's voice echoed through the space.

"Mei, this is the trial ground of the Elysian Realm. Clearing the enemies on this floor will open the path to the next. Normally, I would give the trial-taker a Signet of Ego on the first floor to help them start their trial. But knowing your personality, Mei, you'd probably want to test your own strength first."

It was true. While her strength had been steadily increasing since joining The Obsidian Concord, she had mostly faced either monstrously strong opponents like Kevin or one-hit-kill enemies like Rita. She lacked a clear understanding of her own capabilities.

Now, in the Elysian Realm, she might have the opportunity to define her strength in the context of the Previous Era.

"By the way, World Serpent also sends other cadre to undergo trials. Do you have records of other people's data?"

"Hmm, individual combat data is confidential, but since you're such a cutie, Mei, I can tell you. Like that girl who likes to wear feathers in her clothes and has red claws, she reached the third floor on her first trial, relying solely on her own strength."

Raven?

Mei had a good grasp of Raven's abilities. She was on the cusp of S-rank. But even an S-rank could only reach the third floor? The Previous Era's combat prowess was truly terrifying.

"There's no need to worry too much about the floor numbers. This is just a data space. The enemies' strength can be adjusted. Even the Flame-Chasers would struggle to clear it without signets."

"I understand."

"Then let's begin!" As Elysia spoke, the entrance to the next floor opened.

Mei stepped through, immediately facing a horde of Temple-level Honkai Beasts and Chariots.

This level was child's play for her. But as she progressed, by the fifth floor, the enemies were all Emperor-class. It would be manageable if there were only one, but there were many, and they fought with coordination.

"Feeling the pressure, Mei? Don't worry. If you're in mortal danger, I'll immediately terminate the trial."

Elysia's voice, instead of reassuring her, fueled Mei's determination. She remained silent, spending five minutes clearing all the enemies, then entered the next floor.

She had expected the sixth floor to have double the number of enemies, but not only were there more, their strength had also increased dramatically.

"If I were the newly awakened me, I probably wouldn't have lasted five minutes." Mei quickly assessed the situation. This floor was at the Herrscher level. Without signets, it was indeed a daunting challenge.

"But the current me is not the powerless me I used to be."

Thunder flashed in her eyes, a burning resolve igniting within her. Two crimson Herrscher horns emerged from her head, answering their master's call.

"Roar, Kurikara!"

Thunder crashed in the gray-white space, and endless lightning erupted. A colossal dragon spread its wings, spewing forth searing lightning.

For ten minutes, the thunder roared. Then, the dust settled.

The trial platform was scorched black. The only one still standing was Raiden Mei.

"Well done! You're even stronger than I expected, Mei. But the next floor can't be cleared with just Herrscher power. This trial should end here."

"…" Mei gasped for breath, saying nothing, simply walking towards the portal leading to the next floor.

"Don't be reckless. The enemies on the next floor are extremely dangerous. Pure skill won't be enough. I don't want you to get hurt."

The Elysian Realm's system, at its core, was all about numbers. Even the weakest mosquito, with its attack power maxed out, could one-shot a Herrscher.

Knowing this, Elysia didn't want Mei to be reckless, as it was pointless. The purpose of the trial was to acquire signets through combat, not to seek self-destruction.

But she didn't understand Mei's experiences, didn't know how many times Mei had cried over her own weakness.

Now, with the opportunity to see her own limits, for The Obsidian Concord and for herself, she had to keep moving forward.

She looked up, her voice calm. "I'm not being reckless. I just want to see how far I can go. Besides, didn't you say you'd pull me out if I was in mortal danger? I trust you, and I ask you to trust me."

"…"

"Alright, you're impossible. But remember, if you sense danger, call me immediately. Even terminating the program takes time."

…

The seventh floor didn't have hordes of monsters, only a single, colossal beast. The moment Mei saw it, she knew she couldn't defeat it.

But she didn't hesitate. Drawing her blade, thunder followed.

Unfortunately, numbers were numbers. Despite using all her skills, she could only inflict minor injuries. Even so, relying on her superior swordsmanship and her Herrscher physique, she fought for a full thirty minutes, reducing the beast's health by more than half.

But stamina was finite. High-intensity combat couldn't last forever.

Even so, her performance astonished Elysia. And as Elysia watched in amazement, another Flame-Chaser took notice.

"Oh? A new trial-taker… Wait, a Herrscher? Let me see."

"Huh? Mobius, what are you doing here? I'm warning you now, don't even think about laying a hand on Mei."

"So her name is Mei." The light in Mobius's eyes intensified, her serpentine pupils narrowing, a predatory sign.

"She's my friend."

"Relax. Since she's your friend, Elysia, I wouldn't do anything bad to her. But after this fight, she'll definitely be injured. As a medical professional, I can offer my services, free of charge, of course."

"Are you referring to those things you do in your lab?" Having known Mobius for years, Elysia knew her personality all too well.

"Of course not… Oh? It seems my little lab rat is about to give up."

As they spoke, Mei's situation took a turn for the worse. With her superior skills, she had finally drained the last of the beast's health.

But just as she relaxed, the beast rose again, entering a berserk state for its second phase.

Roar!

With a single roar, the Kurikara dragon Mei had summoned was shattered. The beast's claw crashed down, shattering the previously indestructible trial platform.

Unable to find purchase, Mei leaped into the air. But her vision blurred, followed by searing pain throughout her body.

"It seems this is my limit." She understood. This beast's stats far exceeded those of a Herrscher. Even if she continued, there was no chance of victory.

Closing her eyes, Mei awaited Elysia's rescue. But as she fell, nothing happened.

"Elysia?"

She opened her eyes in confusion, only to see the beast's giant claw descending towards her.

…

"What's going on? Why isn't the termination program working?" Elysia's voice was uncharacteristically frantic. "Mobius, did you do something?"

"I~ did~ nothing at~ all~" The green-haired girl spread her hands, a strange smile on her face.

"Maybe the program malfunctioned. Maybe Klein fell asleep. Or maybe this Herrscher girl's presence triggered some strange bug. Who knows? But this is even better. A dead Herrscher won't interfere with my experiments."

The program malfunction wasn't Mobius's doing, but that didn't stop her from enjoying the situation.

Elysia's usual smile had vanished completely, her voice turning serious. "Mobius, I believe you didn't do anything. But if anything happens to her, I will come after you."

"Tch." Knowing that Elysia was truly angry, Mobius stopped her taunts. She slunk away from the control area, returning to her lab to prepare the equipment needed to treat Mei's injuries.

Although her words were harsh, when help was truly needed, she never refused.

Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Mei, seeing the falling claw, could only brace herself with her arms.

The difference in size between her slender arms and the beast's massive claw was striking, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. The result was inevitable. She was struck head-on.

But the expected agony never came. Instead, she felt a gentle warmth emanating from a soft white light.

[Lamb's Respite!]

"This is… The Obsidian Concord's mark?"

In her surprise, Mei noticed the mark of The Obsidian Concord on her forearm, glowing brighter and brighter with a gentle white light.

At the same time, a portal suddenly opened in the air, and a familiar figure rushed out.

"Waaah! Nobody told me there was a trial going on! Cans, I'm running away! You cover me!"

Relying on a cat for cover was clearly unrealistic. The beast, its eyes reddening, shifted its target to the girl.

"Pardo?!!"

-----

If you Forgot, 千珏 Qiān jué (obsidian Concord) is CN Lol Champion [Kindred], the MC from start have many reference of Kindred like Lamb's Respite before, 苏珏 Sū jué is Original Ren name, they have Connection and have many meaning if you dig enough.

When I first Translate them I think there miss translation, but again i reread the plot and see the reference, i want fix them but just obsidian concord, i like the name as for next volume so i think i keep that, and Sū jué in English don't do well so keep Ren as well.