I Am Honkai

The icy sunlight reflected off the bridge, where Fu Hua stood with her hands clasped behind her back, gazing out into the void through the massive golden arched window in front of her.

Beneath her feet, the double-headed eagle emblem of the Empire gleamed under the interior lighting.

Through the near-orbital formation of Imperial Navy ships, her eyes were fixed on the vast expanse of space, captivated by the water-blue planet hanging in the void.

The icy blue coastlines served as Earth's delicate azure veil, while the brown-green mountains and lands painted its perfect visage—refined yet rugged, wild yet brimming with vitality.

"Wow! What's this? It's amazing! Liliya, come look! It's so spectacular!" Rosalia's face was pressed against the thick window glass, her breath fogging it up as her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Rosalia, you big dummy! There are other people here, don't be so rude." Though Liliya's own eyes were just as starry, her excitement was notably more restrained than her sister's.

From their behavior alone, one could easily mistake Liliya for the older sister and Rosalia for the younger.

"Bronya... Seele is scared," Seele murmured.

Sitting on the sofa near the window, Seele shrank into herself, the infinite expanse of the dark cosmos and its oppressive silence stirring memories of her endless solitude in the Sea of Quanta. Instinctively, she leaned against her sister's shoulder.

"Don't be afraid, Seele. From now on, Bronya will always be by your side," Bronya whispered gently, wrapping an arm around Seele's delicate shoulders.

Having already witnessed this grand spectacle once before, Kiana and Raiden Mei were less overawed than the Olenyeva sisters. Instead, their focus was on Theresa, watching her with quiet concern.

Both remained silent, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.

Since the moment Selene had said to Theresa, "Otto Apocalypse is dead," back at the headquarters of Schicksal, Theresa had been in a daze. Even after the banquet ended and they boarded the ship the next day, her demeanor hadn't changed.

She sat clutching the archbishop robes Otto had sewn for her, her head bowed. Her azure eyes had lost their usual vibrance, leaving her like a finely crafted doll—motionless and lifeless.

Theresa might have mentally prepared herself for the possibility of standing against her grandfather, of even fighting and killing him. Yet when the news of his death finally came, she was left paralyzed.

Kiana and Mei exchanged a glance, their worry evident. But according to Fu Hua, Senti, Li Sushang, and Mobius, there was little they could do to help.

This was a hurdle Theresa had to face on her own, one she had to overcome by herself.

After all, Otto's death was both expected and inevitable. Regardless of his intentions, Otto Apocalypse had long been a notorious figure—a villain known across the world.

As for Selene, who had forcibly conquered the world with unrelenting might, causing immeasurable loss of life and destruction—was she an evil figure?

Heh. The powerful victor could never be a villain.

As harsh as it might sound, there was no way Theresa could storm off to challenge Selene. That would be suicidal.

Furthermore, Theresa's role had changed. She was no longer just the principal of St. Freya Academy or the commander of Schicksal's Far East base. She was now the current archbishop of Schicksal, Otto's successor. In a sense, her every action represented the entirety of Schicksal.

She could no longer act recklessly.

Even if Selene herself wouldn't care—likely responding with little more than a laugh and a casual beating before sending her back—the Imperial officials who revered Selene as a goddess would undoubtedly view it differently.

The Empress's forgiveness was magnanimous, but her subjects were not always as lenient.

For instance, Lorgar and his 17th Astartes Legion, The Imperial Heralds—the God-Emperor's Preachers, would be the first to turn against her.

...

"Not your first time in space, is it?" Esdeath, holding two wine glasses, appeared behind Fu Hua at some point.

After the transfer from Schicksal's floating island chain to the Imperial Navy's flagship, Selene had assigned Kiana's group to Esdeath.

As the Empire's head of covert operations, Esdeath commanded elite units like the Jaegers, a special police force comparable to Schicksal's Valkyrie squads.

Her task: retrain Kiana's group, reshape their combat style, and help them adapt to the Empire's system more effectively and swiftly.

"Yes," Fu Hua replied, her expression showing a trace of reminiscence. "It's been a long time."

"Learn from the past, but keep your eyes on the future," Esdeath said as she handed a wine glass to Fu Hua.

"Indeed." Fu Hua accepted the glass with a bitter smile. "Then, General Esdeath, as colleagues in service to the Empire, I'll be relying on your guidance."

Clink!

The sound of their glasses meeting was crisp and clear.

"Are you serious?" Esdeath's icy blue eyes narrowed slightly, her tone both skeptical and intrigued.

Fu Hua's use of colleagues in service to the Empire rather than comrades was significant. The term implied that Fu Hua had ambitions of reaching Esdeath's rank or higher.

"Watch and see," Fu Hua said calmly, her emerald eyes unwavering.

This was her pride—Fu Hua didn't think herself inferior to Esdeath.

Moreover, for the sake of this world and securing better terms for her homeland, she had to climb higher.

During this period, she had thoroughly studied the Empire's laws, all of which underscored the stark hierarchies and privilege-based system.

The stronger your power and the greater your contributions, the higher your status and privileges in the Empire. Stories of entire families rising due to one member's accomplishments were common.

However, this came with a catch—collective punishment laws such as confiscation of property, extermination of clans, and family-wide retributions were just as prevalent. If you enjoyed the benefits brought by a family member's success, you couldn't cry foul when punished for their transgressions.

Still, Fu Hua only mentioned her ambitions to Esdeath because she had come to understand her. Esdeath valued talent and strength above all and believed in survival of the fittest. She wasn't one for empty courtesies.

Among the Empire's generals, Esdeath was the one Fu Hua got along with best. She wouldn't dream of bringing up such matters with someone like Budo.

Esdeath swirled her wine, gazing out at the starlit expanse. "I believe you—and I look forward to it."

"Oh?" Fu Hua was surprised by such straightforward support. "Why?"

"My instincts," Esdeath replied, pulling a small booklet from her pocket and waving it lightly. "I can't imagine someone who created the Edge of Taixuan being anything less than exceptional."

"This manual," she added, "I don't know what the Empress or the legion commanders plan for it, but I'm promoting it within the Jaegers and my assassination units."

Fu Hua merely smiled in response.

"Need my help?" she offered.

"Of course. With the original creator assisting, we can avoid a lot of pitfalls."

In the previous civilization, Fu Hua had participated in Dr. Mei's Divine Sound experiment.

Divine Sound was a subconscious hypnosis technique that stimulated the cerebral cortex of developing bodies, adapting them to combat against Honkai energy. It made it possible for ordinary humans to gain the power to fight Honkai.

The concept originated from Aponia's Discipline Commandment.

Although not inherently a martial art, with help from her old friends Dan Zhu and Cangxuan, Fu Hua restructured and refined it into a cultivation technique tailored to the traditions of Shenzhou.

This research laid the foundation for what later became the School of Taixuan's mantras.

Thinking about this, Fu Hua chuckled softly, turning her gaze to the elite members of Esdeath's Jaegers Special Forces in the luxurious suite.

Their physiques were within the range of ordinary humans, unlike the massive Astartes warriors whose size grew with rank. It made sense; an assassination unit wouldn't be effective if they were built like Titans—imposing but hardly stealthy.

...

At the back of the suite, a minor standoff was brewing.

Senti was sparring verbally with Wave, the officer tasked with registering their personal information.

"Date of birth?"

"Same as hers," Senti answered, pointing lazily at Fu Hua.

"Height?"

"Same as hers."

"Gender?"

"Are you blind? Can't you tell?" Senti stood with her hands on her hips.

"...Do you even want an identification document?" Wave's patience was visibly thinning. He took a deep breath and pressed on. "Approximate weight fluctuation range?"

"Definitely lighter than hers!"

Bang!

Slamming the table, Wave threw his hands up. "Boss! Is she here to mess with me or what?"

"Hahaha! Wave, you're too easily provoked," teased a black-eyed teammate nearby.

"Don't worry about it," Esdeath chimed in with a chuckle. "She's just immature, and technically, she's not wrong. Just copy Fu Hua's data over."

Esdeath, of course, knew Senti's origins—an alternate consciousness born unexpectedly from Fu Hua.

"Your other half is completely different from you," Esdeath mused, stroking her chin.

"But don't worry. During your time integrating into the Empire and forming combat readiness, I'll personally oversee your training."

Her tone turned ominous, her eyes flashing with a dangerous glint.

"I'm not concerned," Fu Hua replied calmly. "As long as it doesn't kill me, train me to death if you must."

"Just training them sounds dull. How about joining me in the upper-city coliseum?" Esdeath's intentions became crystal clear. "Don't worry. The coliseum's defenses are equipped with multiple fortress-class arrays. We can go all out."

How many times had she extended this invitation already? Truly a battle maniac, as the Empress had described her.

...

At that moment, an elegant and enchanting maid approached from behind. With a warm smile, she clasped her legs together and bent slightly at the waist.

"Good day, Master Fu Hua; good day, General Esdeath."

"I'm hardly a 'master,' Rita. You're still as formal as ever," Fu Hua said with a hint of exasperation.

"Master Fu Hua is too modest. It is simply Rita's duty," the maid replied softly. After a brief pause, she added, "If I may say so, though, you seem different—more... human than before." She chose her words carefully.

"Tsk. That posture of yours reminds me of old Sebas," Esdeath grumbled, biting her finger as a flash of irritation crossed her face.

"General, might I ask, who is this 'Old Sebas' you mentioned?" Rita inquired curiously.

"You'll find out eventually," Esdeath replied, slumping into the sofa and leaning back in a relaxed posture. She glanced at Rita with a wry smile.

"You'd probably get along well with him. Back in the day, that old geezer wanted to train me to be a sophisticated, elegant lady just like you."

Rita covered her mouth with a lace-gloved hand, a faint smile gracing her lips. Her tone carried no hint of mockery, blending seamlessly into the atmosphere and ensuring no one felt uncomfortable.

"Clearly, the old master's training wasn't very effective, wouldn't you agree, General?" Rita said in a lighthearted, teasing manner.

"Ah, exactly! That's the feeling. Sebas would have adored you," Esdeath replied with a smirk.

"By the way, where is Durandal?" Fu Hua asked.

"Lady Durandal originally accompanied me, but as we passed the training grounds, she was drawn to a sparring session between Miss Li Sushang and members of the 'Jaegers' unit…" Rita explained, glancing at Esdeath.

"It's Cornelia and Akame," Esdeath confirmed with a nod.

...

At that moment, a faint tremor rippled through the spacetime surrounding the flagship. As energy was channeled from the Honkai high-pressure reactors, the warp engines began to engage.

"Hm, time to return home," Esdeath remarked, noting the curious gazes of those around her.

Soon, as the lights flickered and the communications officer's announcements echoed throughout the ship, the view outside the portholes began to change. The pitch-black cosmos was torn apart, spilling dense Honkai energy that scattered into multicolored, shimmering specks of light.

In an instant, as the massive fleet plunged into the super-spatial warpway, the infinite void of space gave way to surging tides of purple-red energy clouds, replacing the dark expanse. Stretched purple-red light points dominated the view.

"Welcome to the Honkai Super-Spatial Warpway," Esdeath said coolly.

...

"It is time."

Standing silently in the infinite darkness of the void, Selene slowly extended her hand.

"The promise made to the Will of Honkai must be fulfilled. For now, operating under the Imaginary Tree's framework remains beneficial to me," she mused.

With this thought, Selene unleashed her powers to connect to this universe, gradually unsealing her true authority as the Herrscher of Finality.

The universe's four fundamental forces emerged vividly within her perception, expanding rapidly as if they were tangible strings she could pluck at will.

At this moment, there was no doubt—without igniting a single star, merely by moving her fingers slightly, Selene could dismantle the entire solar system from its fundamental physical laws.

This was the accumulation of Selene's conquests. By subjugating one world after another—from single planets to the Earth-Moon system, the solar system, and even vast regions like the Oort Cloud—she had grown immensely powerful.

She guided civilizations, cultivated them, and incorporated them under her rule. With every step forward, civilizations advanced, populations flourished, dominions expanded, and Selene's power swelled without end.

From reshaping planetary surfaces to destroying planets and extinguishing stars, dominating entire planetary systems, and advancing to single-star systems and beyond, Selene had now moved firmly beyond the scale of single stellar systems, advancing toward galactic-level domains.

As the empire's foundations expanded over time, its rapid growth only accelerated. Like a snowball, her strength continued to explode exponentially.

Her crimson eyes gazed toward the blue-water planet, exposed now that most of the Imperial Navy's ships had withdrawn.

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