Honkai: Strijder (Honkai Impact 3 Male MC)

Wendy fell into a peaceful sleep. 

Sigurd had one arm around her waist, the other entwined with the "Key of Thunder" arm armor, holding the "Judgement of Shamash," turning his eyes to the peculiar vortex in the sky.

The "Key of Thunder" activated, granting him a remarkable higher-dimensional perspective. Combined with his elevated intellect, a flood of information surged into his mind.

"Time-space distortion, traces of the quantum world… Could it be using the power of the gemstone she carries?" Sigurd murmured as he looked down at Wendy in his arms.

A shadowy figure appeared faintly beyond the vortex. 

Its true appearance was indistinct, yet just its emergence drastically dropped the surrounding temperature. 

Even Rita, who was sitting weakly on the ground, felt her breath hitch—not only from the freezing cold, but also from an instinctual terror she couldn't describe. 

It was the primal fear one might feel in the presence of a dragon.

Sigurd glanced at her and twisted his grip on the sword. Flames roared even brighter, warming the surrounding air and melting large patches of snow.

"It's the Sire's gr—"

Boom!

One of the last remaining Gray Serpent clones, overcome with excitement, let out a shout—only to be incinerated by Sigurd in an instant.

Then, Sigurd turned to face the shadow and raised his blazing greatsword.

"Kevin Kaslana, your boundless power is needed to defeat the force of Honkai. But now is not the time for your return." For this veteran trapped in the quantum realm for millennia, Sigurd's greeting was a surge of intense Honkai energy rising skyward.

Boom!!!

The mere release of energy stirred scorching winds that melted all the snow within visible range. 

The scene was impossible to ignore even from a hundred miles away, let alone for the nearby Rita, who felt as if she'd been transported from winter to the peak of summer. Sweat from the sudden heat dotted her forehead.

In the next moment, Sigurd swung his sword. 

The motion was unremarkable, his expression as calm as ever, but the air distorted, and black scorch marks spread across the ground. 

Rita felt her Valkyrie armor burn against her skin.

Then, a pillar of flame surged heavenward, engulfing the vortex. 

Rita caught a glimpse of ice forming out of nowhere to meet the massive pillar of fire.

They clashed for several seconds before the ice disintegrated and disappeared.

As Sigurd lowered his greatsword, the twisted vortex gradually faded.

"Is it over?" Rita breathed a sigh of relief, clutching her twisted left arm.

But just then, a sudden change occurred—a few long fingers stretched out from the center of the vortex, stopping it from dissipating. 

It was as if someone from the other side was trying to pry open the vortex, like opening a door. 

And indeed, they succeeded. 

The vortex parted to reveal half a chiseled, handsome face and a single, emotionless blue eye.

"The signal… fading…"

"Almost… there…"

"Not… enough time…"

"You… stopping… me?"

His voice was slow, as though he wasn't accustomed to speaking after a long time. 

The cold, detached tone weighed heavily on those who heard it. 

Sigurd met his gaze and, with a calm, composed look, replied:

"Your sword is very effective. I will hold onto it until it's the right time for your return, until we meet again."

"…Alright."

Kevin's gaze showed no emotion, only a single word in reply before he vanished completely from the real world. 

Before he disappeared, Kevin glanced at this strange yet familiar home with neither anger nor irritation. 

Instead, he felt a sense of relief. 

This powerful, unfamiliar young man in the real world left him with only one feeling: reassurance.

A new force to resist the Honkai had been born. 

This era… was in good hands.

…

"Ahhh—"

Rita gasped, taking deep breaths.

The two titanic auras clashing in front of her were far beyond Rita's comprehension.

Standing on the sidelines, she'd unknowingly forgotten to breathe. 

When she came back to herself, though her breathing returned, her body remained paralyzed, not even able to move a single finger.

'Is this… the true world? Have I grown too comfortable, staying all this time in headquarters?' A look of confusion filled Rita's eyes.

She was undoubtedly in a sorry state, gravely injured and thoroughly humbled, yet despite the hardships, she felt it was all worthwhile. 

She had encountered foes like none she'd ever seen, experienced the terrifying power of Herrschers, and glimpsed the ultimate heights that life could reach.

In retrospect, she was now free from the comfort and arrogance she'd held in her position at HQ.

The vastness of the world made her realize just how ignorant she'd been, to be so proud of her mere S-rank candidate status. 

If she truly wanted to save the world, she'd need the strength to stand firm before figures like Sigurd and the unknown power he'd faced.

"Can you still stand?"

Sigurd approached, holding the sleeping Wendy in one arm and gripping his flaming sword in the other, looking down at Rita. His blazing presence felt nearly overpowering.

High above, a swarm of drones belatedly filled the sky, converging like an airborne army in tribute to a king. And on the ground, behind Sigurd, stretched an endless tide of Titan soldiers marching over the mountains in perfect unison, their sheer presence an overwhelming force that struck fear into the soul.

Rita's lips moved slightly. 

Under Sigurd's steady, mountain-like gaze, she nodded and trembled as she stood up.

She gripped her twisted left arm and lowered her head with reverence. 

In that moment, she understood with absolute clarity why this boy, barely looking older than twelve or thirteen, could hold so many top titles and positions, with even the Archbishop showing him respect. 

It was because he truly deserved it.

...

Sigurd's experiment had ended, and the conflict was over.

The bad news? Extensive collateral damage surrounded them. 

The good news? No major injuries—thanks to a fair amount of luck.

Worker drones had crafted a solid metal seat nearby, with Sigurd's "Judgement of Shamash" leaning at his side, and the "Key of Thunder" still wound around his right hand. 

Sigurd sat there with one hand on his cheek, one leg crossed over the other, watching the distant horizon. He was reviewing his own actions.

He had planned the "World Serpent" entrapment, but had become absorbed in his fusion experiments and, with the exhaustion of long-term sleeplessness, had neglected proper planning. 

He hadn't accounted for the "World Serpent" triggering Honkai-energy devices, underestimated their capabilities, failed to disarm Raven's signal transmitter, hadn't allocated "Black Armor" squad's forces effectively, and hadn't properly prepared the orphanage's other fighters.

The outcome was acceptable this time, but there could be no next time.

"Sig!!!"

A small, white-haired figure launched herself at him, rubbing her face against his and letting out little sniffs.

"Sniff—ah, that's Sig's scent!" Kiana felt every cell in her body bursting with happiness, even her cowlick wiggling with delight.

Previously, Sigurd had been frightening, his lack of sleep making him closed-off and intimidating. Kiana hadn't dared to approach him. So now that he was back to normal, she could finally indulge in some close contact and recharge on "Sigurd energy."

Kiana took a deep, satisfied breath of Sigurd's scent before he pushed her face away.

"Get lost. You're annoying."

"No way! Don't be shy; let me hug you a little longer!" Kiana shamelessly tried to cling to him, but Sigurd was no longer just a mild researcher. His fused warrior's strength far exceeded her own, making her clinginess futile.

She eventually settled into a duck-like sitting posture at his feet, puffing her cheeks in disgruntlement, staring up at him with accusing, wide eyes. 

Sigurd was unmoved, yet he exhaled quietly, feeling a long-suppressed shadow lift from his heart.

From now on, whether the little white-head exploded in Honkai energy or got suddenly possessed by a Herrscher, he wouldn't be at risk himself, nor would he have to worry about her spiraling into self-blame if she ever hurt him. Whatever she did, Sigurd now had absolute confidence he could stop her—nothing could force him to let go of her anymore.

Sigurd ruffled the white head at his side, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Kiana's first reaction was to close her eyes in bliss, then she suddenly froze.

"Wait a minute! What's going on? Did I do something wrong? At least tell me, so I can die knowing why!" she said, mustering her courage.

It wasn't like Sigurd to act gentle without reason; surely a storm was brewing. But even after racking her brain, she couldn't guess what it might be—there were too many things he could criticize her for.

Bam!

Sigurd flicked her forehead with his finger.

"Ouch!" She squealed softly, clutching her forehead, her big eyes watering with a pout before she quickly brightened into a smile.

She didn't know what was going on, but it seemed Sigurd wasn't angry at her after all. 

That was all that mattered.

...

Behind them, countless worker drones and Titan robots worked together to build a new headquarters. The old one was ruined, so rebuilding it larger and stronger seemed only fitting.

Beeeeep!

"Titan 13 and Drone Squad 23 over there, you're moving too slow! Pick up the pace if you want to eat!" Bronya, wearing a tiny safety helmet and a kid-sized jumpsuit, whistled as she cosplayed the role of foreman—enjoying herself quite a bit.

Meanwhile, Seele and Sin Mal bustled around in the camp kitchen, preparing dinner for everyone.

Everything was so peaceful that it was as if nothing had ever happened.

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