I Am Honkai

"Ahhh!!"

A piercing scream loud enough to shatter mountains erupted from Senti, her voice so sharp and grating that even Fu Hua, who was watching from the sidelines, fell silent.

"Get away! Don't touch me! You perverted freak! No—ahhh~"

"Oh my~~ Hmm? Let me see... Tsk, still not enough. Way too flat, really..."

Through the pitch-black barrier, Fu Hua watched as the "illusion" of herself utterly overwhelmed and toyed with the hapless Senti. Fu Hua couldn't help but feel numb.

Is that person inside there really... me?

The "Fu Hua" within the barrier clung to her prey from behind, relentlessly teasing the poor Senti.

Fu Hua carefully observed the figure. That flawless, soft skin, the delicate and endearing face, the fiery crimson eyes, and the flowing, vibrant red hair...

Wait a minute—this "Fu Hua" seems even more attractive than the real deal!

Conveniently ignoring a certain… exaggerated feature, Fu Hua suddenly felt her own likeness had been exploited without permission. Not only that, but the "modifications" were made without consulting her.

Several seconds later, Fu Hua, her voice trembling slightly, spoke up in a soft tone: "Your Majesty, you…"

Turning her gaze to the increasingly smug Selene, Fu Hua's expression grew conflicted, caught between embarrassment and indignation.

"You're such an insincere child," Selene teased, resting her arm lazily on the table and propping her chin up with her hand. "I can sense her emotions. When she saw you, she was truly happy, but she's stubbornly suppressing her joy, refusing to show it in front of you."

"Your Majesty!"

"Ahem..."

Clearing her throat, Selene straightened her posture and replied with a serious expression: "It was your doing, Fu Hua. What does it have to do with me, Selene?"

Though it was technically a fragment of Selene's secondary consciousness at work, the behavioral cues were derived from Elysia's memories in the Sea of Quanta.

By extension, if one were to assign blame, the culprit was the pink elf herself. Selene? She had no part in this! At most, she merely added VR-like enhancements: real-time recording, sensory synchronization, and third-person observation. At worst, she could only be considered an accessory.

I, Selene, am upright and above reproach!

Facing Fu Hua's incredulous "Are you serious?" expression, Selene stood tall—metaphorically—and returned the gaze with an air of composure. Her expression was perfectly controlled, devoid of any guilt or flaws.

"It should be wrapping up soon. That little brat should've realized what's going on by now."

Within the layered barriers:

The supposed Fu Hua tilted her head with a sheepish grin and stuck out her tongue. "Uhh... sorry, I might've gone a bit overboard."

Meanwhile, Senti, having escaped Fu Hua (?)'s clutches, was slowly recovering. She slumped to the ground, gasping for air, her body instinctively curling away from the predatory gaze of the red-haired menace.

"Aw, Senti, don't ignore me! Are you mad?"

Barefoot, Fu Hua (?) crouched beside Senti and gently poked her shoulder.

But the only response was utter silence.

"Don't be so cold! Really angry? Fine, you take the lead now..."

As she spoke, the graceful Fu Hua (?) tilted her head skyward at a forty-five-degree angle, forcing out two crystalline tears. Her expression was pitifully woeful as she said, "It's just that I haven't seen you in so long, so I got a little too enthusiastic. Do you really have to treat me like this?"

"You're not Fu Hua..."

"What? Senti, say that again. I didn't hear you clearly..."

"You're not Fu Hua!!"

Boom—!

"Inch Strength: Chaotic Thunder!"

"Whoa!" With an exaggerated cry, Fu Hua (?) tilted her head, spun around, and crossed her arms to block Senti's retracting fist.

"You're really angry, huh?" The delicate arms meeting Senti's gauntleted fists emitted a sound akin to metal clashing.

"You bastard! Stop disgusting me! I feel like throwing up!" Senti twisted her arm, a mocking grin plastered on her face.

Her other hand reached out—swish—

Clang!

An ember-red steel whip was drawn from Senti's hand and lashed toward Fu Hua (?)'s lower half, engulfed in blazing flames.

Whoosh!

"I thought we were friends," Fu Hua (?) said, hands behind her back, completely unfazed.

Boom!

In the next instant, Fu Hua (?) vanished, and the whip lashed through the space she previously occupied, causing a sound like a heavy missile explosion to echo through the atmosphere.

Fu Hua (?), with her fiery phoenix-like body, reappeared five or six steps away. She seemed despondent—her face pale and haggard.

"Friends, my ass! Fu Hua would never do something like this..."

Raising her head, Senti's coiled steel whip transformed into a single-edged long halberd, pointing straight at Fu Hua (?). "Will of Honkai! This is your doing, isn't it? And that ice-wielding woman—bring her out!"

"That fool! That big idiot! I told her before—give me control of the body, and I'll resist the Honkai's corruption! But no, she wouldn't listen to me! They're all fools!"

Bang!

"Damn it! Damn, damn, damn it! Impostor! Where is Fu Hua?!" Planting a foot into the ground, Senti lunged into the air with her halberd, gripping it sideways as she slashed down at Fu Hua (?) with mountain-splitting force.

"Take a guess."

"Guess my ass! Die! Die, die, die, die! Just die already!!" Senti roared.

"Regrettably, you can't do that," Fu Hua (?) replied, her voice gradually fading. She bent her knees and shot forward like lightning.

Fu Hua (?) adopted an opening stance and charged toward Senti, her fist tearing through the vibrating air. Senti, having anticipated the attack, raised her halberd.

Bang!

The two collided and instantly separated. Senti began circling around Fu Hua (?), her movements unpredictable. She occasionally darted forward to strike with her sword, whip, or halberd.

Explosions echoed throughout the space, one after another like a string of firecrackers on New Year's Day.

"You're not Fu Hua. Tell me! Where is the real Fu Hua?"

The edge of Senti's halberd struck beneath Fu Hua (?)'s outstretched right hand. Stepping forward, Senti delivered a shoulder strike toward Fu Hua (?)'s chin.

"Right here," Fu Hua (?) countered with an iron-shoulder strike of her own.

The two collided again, the resulting explosion shaking the surrounding space as if even reality itself wavered under their superhuman clash.

"Tch! Not bad for a counterfeit!"

Senti used the momentum to backpedal three steps, then leapt further away to create distance. Hoisting her halberd onto her shoulder, she opened her mouth to continue taunting—but stopped short.

She suddenly noticed that Fu Hua (?)'s figure was beginning to fade.

"You..."

"Ah, it seems time's up. The energy constructing this body has been exhausted…" said Fu Hua (?), her fading figure stepping forward with a smile. She extended a finger, lightly touching Senti's lips.

"You!" Senti, furious, reached out to grab Fu Hua (?), but her hand passed straight through the fading figure.

Clang!

"Wait!" Her halberd slipped from her grip as panic flickered in Senti's expression. Yet, the particles forming Fu Hua (?)'s body continued to dissolve and slip away from her grasp.

...

Outside the barrier.

"Is this what they call tsundere—saying no but meaning yes?" mused Selene, thoroughly entertained by the spectacle.

"Partially, Your Majesty. Based on my analysis during my fight with her, combined with her current behavior in the illusion… So, her name is Senti?"

Repeating Selene's name for the Herrscher of Sentience, Esdeath, standing respectfully beside Selene, offered her evaluation: "In battle, she exhibits a strong sense of performance and tends to chatter endlessly. Despite her childish demeanor, her combat skills and mastery are exceptionally refined."

Her youthful appearance was strikingly young—even by the standards of the Imperial auxiliary forces—but the sharp, deadly aura she carried was no illusion.

Though Esdeath had swiftly defeated and captured the Herrscher of Sentience, she had to admit that, in terms of pure combat technique, she was outmatched.

The seasoned Ice General of countless battles made this sober acknowledgment.

The reason the capture had been so easy was simple: the Herrscher of Sentience lacked a physical body and was merely a sentient energy form of Honkai.

Under the relentless pursuit of the Imperial forces and Esdeath's overwhelming Honkai energy suppression, any attempts to show off were futile.

Using "four ounces to shift a thousand pounds" requires at least "four ounces" to begin with.

As Esdeath spoke, her gaze shifted to Selene's other side, where Fu Hua stood. With a hint of curiosity, she asked, "You and her… are family, right?"

She had intended to say mother and daughter, but after glancing at a certain flat expanse, she swallowed the words.

Poor child.

Wait, did your gaze just drop two centimeters? And what's with that pitying look? I don't need your pity! Fu Hua's eye twitched as she silently recited the Edge of Taixuan mantra to calm herself. Forcing a smile, she asked, "So, General Esdeath, is there anything else?"

After a moment's pause, glancing once more at Fu Hua, Esdeath continued, "It seems like she's trying to prove something—seeking recognition."

...

When Fu Hua (?) finally dissipated, Senti felt a dizzying swirl before her eyes. Upon reopening them, she found herself in an entirely new setting.

"What now? This feels like some crappy test or trial. Is this supposed to be entertaining? Is it that ancient fossil's idea?"

Shaking her head, Senti adjusted to the lingering discomfort in her body and scanned her surroundings. Then, her gaze settled on a familiar presence—the ice-wielding figure.

At the same time, she noticed the banquet table surrounded by towering figures clad in power armor.

Senti knew all too well how troublesome they could be—especially the group of giants seated, each at least three and a half meters tall. Their armor bore insignias and decorations from different legions, marking their extraordinary origins.

"'Ⅰ,' 'Ⅸ,' 'Ⅴ'…" Scanning the emblems, Senti's expression grew darker with each passing second.

"Ugh, it's you tin cans again!"

"Little brat! Still running that foul mouth of yours? Maybe I should tear it off for you!" Esdeath stepped forward, her face icy as she barked at Senti.

"You wouldn't dare kill me—" Senti's voice cut off abruptly. The next moment, her eyes met a pair of crimson irises, and cold sweat began streaming uncontrollably down her forehead.

The moment she saw those eyes, she didn't need to know the person's name or history. The faintly glowing sigil of authority on the figure was enough to reveal her identity.

The end of all suffering and torment. The will of a true god. Her presence signified the annihilation of human civilization.

The Herrscher of the End—Finality.

"Yo."

The Herrscher of the End greeted her with a charming yet chilling smile. Her astonishingly slender legs crossed elegantly, the white and gold-edged low-heeled shoes clicking against the ground with crisp precision.

"The Eighth Herrscher—Herrscher of Sentience, inheritor of the memories of warriors from the previous civilization. Sometimes, I'm curious: why did you also inherit their mission?"

Seated at the head of the table, Selene swirled the wine in her glass with practiced grace, then took a leisurely sip.

"Did you enjoy the illusion?"

Selene's words carried a veneer of politeness, but her tone was cold and suffocating. Her presence was like that of a deep-sea leviathan in human form, ready to devour its prey whole at any moment.

Even a Herrscher would feel fear—a visceral terror stemming from the undeniable dominance of the Herrscher of the End, the apex of the Honkai food chain.

"I... what the hell..."

Before Senti even realized it, her Herrscher instincts had already capitulated. By the time her conscious mind caught up, she was already kneeling on the cold metal deck, trembling uncontrollably.

"A simple question," Selene said, her voice laced with allure. "In a world where I don't destroy everything, do you want to live or die? Would you rather be a hero revered by millions or a despicable villain spat upon by all?"

"What do you mean?"

Propping her delicate face on one hand, Selene grinned. "It's simple. I'm forcing you to be my dog. Refuse, and starting now, every ten minutes, I'll erase a city."

Inside the sealed barrier, Fu Hua wore a deadpan expression. Somehow, Selene's phrasing sounded oddly familiar.

Yes, Selene was coercing Senti, testing whether this wilder, more chaotic version of Fu Hua shared the original's deep concern for the common people—or if she had none of Fu Hua's selflessness at all.

When Fu Hua and Senti had once shared the same body, Fu Hua had asserted that Senti wasn't corrupted by the Honkai's influence. Fu Hua, however, could not relinquish her body to the Herrscher. Senti, unwilling to share, had used her Herrscher powers to manipulate consciousness and leave Fu Hua's body. From then on, they parted ways, and Fu Hua lost the abilities of the Herrscher of Sentience.

"You can't do this!"

Got her.

Hearing Senti's words, Selene smirked inwardly. It was good that Senti had concerns and attachments—easier to control.

Snap!

"Fu Hua, she's yours now."

With a snap of Selene's fingers, the black barrier to her left dissipated. In its place, Fu Hua appeared, dressed in her Valkyrie uniform of blue with white accents.

"You're... really Fu Hua? Not a fake?" Senti's gaze lingered, suspiciously, two meters lower than Fu Hua's face. She seemed almost convinced.

"Mm."

Fighting the urge to punch Senti square in the face (Why is chest size your benchmark for authenticity?!), Fu Hua pushed up her red-framed glasses, the lenses gleaming with reflected light.

Exhaling softly, Fu Hua stepped forward and extended a hand toward the slumped Senti.

"Together?"

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