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

"Hello there, Mr. Ren."

Dark gray eyes, light gray hair, a delicate, youthful face—almost a perfect mirror image of Ren. A bystander might think they were seeing double.

"Are you scared to see an exact copy of yourself?" the imposter asked, their tone playful. Despite having Ren's youthful appearance, their mannerisms were distinctly feminine. Clearly, this wasn't one of Ren's lost puppets, but a mimic of unknown origin.

Ren remained silent, seemingly stunned.

A smug look flashed across the imposter's face.

She had found Kiana and Ren two days ago, but the pair had been inseparable. Unwilling to risk a confrontation with the Herrscher of the Void, she had chosen to wait.

She'd spent over two days in this small town, waiting for an opportunity to meet Ren alone. It wasn't until he came down the mountain today that she finally had their chance.

Seeing Ren's shocked reaction, she couldn't help but smile.

Of course, their goal wasn't simply to startle him. she were curious about this ordinary human, seemingly devoid of Honkai energy, who had somehow become Kevin's new target for the Stigmata Project.

Initially, the mission had seemed simple—just making contact with a regular person, far easier than facing a Herrscher.

But upon deeper investigation, something felt amiss. Besides World Serpent's intel, she had found Ren's name in their own records.

Only the deceased appeared in those records.

Which meant Ren had died months ago, during the Herrscher of the Void's eruption.

A dead man, walking around, even close to the Herrscher of the Void. This alone piqued their curiosity.

Impersonating Ren had been a spur-of-the-moment decision.

"Those who die don't vanish immediately. she linger briefly. I record their information, perceive their past, and then, I become them." This was their explanation of their unique ability.

During the Void eruption, she had wandered the world. Affected by Honkai energy, the deceased briefly connected to the Stigmata space—a connection normally imperceptible. But she, born at the intersection of the Stigmata space and reality, could see it.

Using their Visla-type abilities, she recorded the data of the dead, including Ren's.

These existences resided within them as data. World Serpent had granted them the ability of "Transcription," allowing them to perfectly replicate this recorded data.

This was how she were able to take on Ren's form.

"Don't worry, I mean no harm. I'm just here to contact you on the Sovereign's orders..."

The fake Ren continued, oblivious to the look in Ren's eyes—not shock, but pure, bone-deep loathing.

Normally, even when manipulated by Otto or Kevin, Ren felt only anger. Having witnessed the destruction of his own world, everything here was just a part of his journey with Kiana.

But seeing this imposter wearing his face triggered something primal, a dangerous surge of emotion he hadn't felt before.

Loss of control?

Thud.

A red line appeared across the imposter's neck. Blood sprayed into the air, painting a gruesome arc in the sunlight.

Their eyes widened, Kevin's documents still clutched in their hand. As their vision tilted, she saw not shock in Ren's eyes, but a brilliant, golden light. Cold, empty, like an unfeeling god, watching without a flicker of emotion.

she finally understood why Kevin had warned them against any tricks.

Ren stood motionless, blood splattering his clothes. The headless imposter didn't fall, but crumbled into black ash, like burning paper.

The wind carried the ashes, but she didn't dissipate. Instead, she swirled around Ren, drawn to him like children seeking a home.

—Yearning to be absorbed.

The ashes touched buildings, trees, grass—everything began to incinerate, becoming part of Ren's power.

The black cloud of ash spread across the town.

The vendor selling shaobing (or huoshao, huh you can search) didn't notice the ash settling on him, or his hair turning gray.

The girl playing with a puppy didn't notice her eyes turning gray.

The usually boisterous landlady's voice became raspy, different somehow.

As the ash spread, the entire town was enveloped by Ren's power. In his trance-like state, the affected people began to transform, taking on his appearance like devout followers.

"Kiana..."

Just as the town teetered on the brink of total assimilation, a flicker of struggle crossed Ren's eyes. The instinctive utterance of her name broke through the haze. His eyes cleared.

The swirling ash froze mid-air, then dissipated with the breeze.

Ren surveyed the town, half-covered in ash, and sighed. The townspeople hadn't noticed the changes, not even the crumbling buildings. Yet, she moved and spoke with traces of Ren in their actions.

"Let the dead remain in the past," he murmured, shaking his head as if to dispel the memories.

He raised his hand. The tree-like pupils in his eyes flared. A golden leaf sprouted from his palm like a budding branch.

Plucking the leaf, Ren knelt and planted it in the earth. Golden lines spread from the leaf, engulfing the town in a warm glow.

The remaining ash vanished, absorbed by the leaf. The affected people and objects reverted to their original states, as if time had been rewound.

In seconds, the town returned to its peaceful state.

Having dealt with the town, Ren looked down at the remaining ash – all that remained of the imposter.

she had been unlucky, appearing in his most hated form during a moment of emotional vulnerability.

Normally, Ren, now reunited with Kiana, was emotionally stable. His past traumas were locked away, his focus on their present happiness.

But moments ago, the Time Fracture he had given Kiana had been triggered. The fear for her safety had caused his emotional outburst.

"I think it was one of Kevin's people," he mused, his memory of the encounter hazy. He only remembered the term "Sovereign."

But it was too late now. The Honkai energy on Mount Taixu was fluctuating wildly. Kiana might be in danger. He had to get back. He couldn't waste time saving a stranger.

After one last glance at the town, confirming his influence was gone, Ren left.

...

Minutes later.

Ripples appeared on the ground where Ren had stood, as if something was about to emerge.

"Fleeting dreams must eventually end," a gentle voice said.

Hare, holding a flag, materialized. But their body was covered in cracks, like shattered porcelain. Their spear, now a cane, supported their weakened frame.

World Serpent's most enigmatic member—Hare.

Their existence was a closely guarded secret. Even Raven, a veteran member, couldn't confirm if she were real.

This wasn't intentional mystique. Their role demanded secrecy.

The Stigmata Project.

World Serpent's ultimate goal, the Stigmata Project, was conducted in absolute secrecy. As the core executor, Hare always worked behind the scenes.

Two days ago, when Ren, as the Obsidian Concord, struck a deal with Kevin to alter the Stigmata Project, Hare was sent to liaise with him.

But Ren hadn't revealed his dual identity. Hare had no idea that this seemingly ordinary human was the same Herrscher capable of fighting Kevin to a standstill.

And Ren's supposed death had given Hare the idea for this cruel prank.

"What terrifying power," Hare whispered, gazing in the direction Ren had left, a hint of fear in their eyes.

If she hadn't activated their ability in time, creating a Visla-type substitute, she might not have survived, even after returning to the Stigmata space.

"I need some time to recover..." she murmured.