(2 Years Ago), Location: Anti-Entropy Secret Base
Kenji
The Mark-IV Soulium Alloy block sat in the center of the room, mocking the laws of physics with its sheer density.
It was a masterpiece of material engineering—designed to withstand hordes of Honkai Beasts. To the average Valkyrie, it was an immovable object.
To Kenji, it was just another hunk of steel.
He didn't take a stance. He simply stood with his hands buried deep in the pockets of his cargo pants, staring at the grey cube with a bored stare.
"Alright, Kenji," Dr. Einstein's voice filtered through the speakers. "Sensors are ready. You may proceed."
Kenji didn't move a muscle. He visualized the line. He painted the target in his mind with Cursed Energy, establishing the cube as his target.
Two fingers twitched from inside his pockets.
"Dismantle."
The invisible slash flew towards the target, and in the blink of an eye, the solid block shuddered.
The solid block of Soulium shuddered. A thin line manifested diagonally through its center. Slowly, with a groan of surrendering metal, the top half of the cube slid off the bottom half and crashed onto the floor.
The cut was mirror-smooth, severing molecular bonds as if they were mere suggestions.
'That should do it—'
"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!"
The silence was shattered by a screech that likely peaked the audio sensors.
"DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT COSTS?!" Dr. Tesla's voice roared, practically vibrating the reinforced glass of the observation deck.
"That was a Mark-IV sample! We stole that from a Schicksal transport in Berlin! I haven't even finished the stress tests on it yet, and you just turned it into expensive paperweights!"
Kenji flinched, finally pulling a hand out of his pocket to scratch the back of his head. "But, Uh... Dr. Einstein said to proceed?"
"And you should know by now that she means proceed with caution, you brat! Not instant destruction!"
"Ignore her, Kenji," Einstein's voice cut in, soothing and purely analytical. "Frederica, look at the analysis. Even after seeing it many times, Dismantle truly is an interesting ability. Not only can it send invisible slashes, but it can also establish a target. Fascinating."
Kenji looked up at the observation deck. He could see the familiar chaos: Tesla waving her arms frantically, Einstein typing away at a holographic console with a small, intrigued smile.
Standing behind them, arms crossed like a silent guardian, was the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, Welt Yang.
"It validates the theory," Einstein mused, leaning into her microphone. "Kenji, you mentioned the original user of this technique... Sukuna? You said he was able to expand the interpretation of the 'target' to the world itself."
"Yeah," Kenji replied, looking at his palm. "He didn't just target the person. He targeted the space, the existence, the world they stood on, and created the World Cutting Slash."
"If that is true," Einstein hummed, "then logic dictates the technique is not limited to physical matter. If you could expand your interpretation... could you target concepts? Could you sever the distance between two points? Could you cut 'time'?"
Kenji blinked, staring blankly at the destroyed metal. "You're really overestimating me, Doc. I... I have no answer for that. Right now, I just target what I can see. Cutting the 'world' sounds way over my pay grade."
"Very well, but we will have to test that hypothesis eventually," Einstein noted, typing rapidly.
'Eventually, sure. But I'm not Sukuna, I don't have the innate talent to just do something like that.'
"And the wolves?" Welt Yang spoke up. His voice was deep and commanding, yet carried a paternal warmth that always soothed Kenji. "The Divine Dogs. Do they have souls? Or are they simply constructs of your will?"
"I don't know," Kenji admitted, glancing down at the ink-black shadow stretching from his heels. "They follow my commands. They protect me. But sometimes... it feels like they're waiting."
"Waiting for what?" Tesla scoffed, seemingly over the budget crisis. "For you to feed them? Wait… what do they eat? Do they need to eat?"
Einstein rolled her eyes at Tesla's antics and waited for Kenji to continue.
"Waiting for the General," Kenji whispered.
The mood in the room instantly plummeted. The scientific curiosity vanished, replaced by a heavy, palpable dread.
"The Divine General Mahoraga," Einstein said the name with caution. "You are still hesitant to attempt the taming ritual?"
Kenji shivered, clenching his fist. "Hesitant? I'm terrified."
"The Ten Shadows... they aren't like they were in the stories I told you. My Cursed Energy and Techniques have been colliding with the Honkai Energy in my system. It's mutating them." Kenji looked up, his expression grim.
"The Totality of my Divine Dogs has the physical strength of an A-Rank Valkyrie. That is way beyond what they should be able to do. And they are just the starters."
He swallowed hard. "Mahoraga is the pinnacle. In the legends, no user ever tamed him—besides the obvious. If I summon him here… The Divine General that's also fueled by Honkai Energy? He wouldn't just be a monster. He would be a Herrscher-level threat. And with his ability to adapt to any and all phenomena… I-it's terrifying."
"Then we will prepare," Welt said firmly. He pressed a button, the hiss of the airlock signaling his entry into the chamber.
The Sovereign walked in, followed by the two scientists. Welt placed a heavy hand on Kenji's shoulder, snapping him out of his inner thoughts.
"Remember, you are not alone in this, Kenji," Welt said, looking him in the eye. "You are not a test subject to us. You are part of Anti-Entropy. When the time comes to face that General... we will be right there beside you. We have your back, even if we can't directly intervene."
Kenji looked at Welt, then at Einstein's encouraging nod, and finally at Tesla, who was grumbling but gave him a thumbs up.
"Yeah," Kenji exhaled, the tension in his shoulders loosening. "Thanks, Welt."
"Now," Tesla clapped her hands. "Since you destroyed my sample, you're helping me clean this up. And then you're running laps until those dogs of yours are tired! We need data on their endurance!"
Kenji groaned, "Yes, ma'am."
/ — /
1 Year AgoLocation: Singapore
Kenji
The humid night air of Singapore was always pleasant to the skin. Neon lights from the city center reflected off the wet pavement of the industrial rooftops, creating a cyberpunk landscape that Kenji usually enjoyed.
Usually.
Tonight, however, he just wanted to go home, eat instant noodles, and maybe watch a movie on his datapad.
He had retrieved the data drive regarding Schicksal's gem experiments. Mission accomplished. Easy in, easy out.
He stood on the edge of a ventilation unit, stretching his arms. "Finally. No alarms, no explosions. Just a quiet night for—"
"AHA! FOUND YOU!"
Kenji slumped, his shoulders dropping in sheer exasperation. He didn't even turn around. He just looked up at the rainy sky and sighed.
"Why?" he whispered to the universe. "Just... why?"
He turned around slowly. Standing on the opposite cooling tower, striking a pose that was definitely rehearsed in front of a mirror, was Kiana Kaslana.
Her dual pistols were leveled at him, and she wore a grin that was equal parts confident and annoying.
"You can't escape this time, Shadow-Guy!" Kiana shouted, pointing a gun dramatically. "I tracked you all the way from the harbor! You reek of trouble!"
"I reek of very expensive cologne, thank you very much," Kenji corrected, leaning casually against a vent.
"And 'Shadow-Guy'? Really, Kaslana? We've fought three times this month. I thought we were past the placeholder names."
"Shut up! Hand over the stolen data!" Kiana demanded. "Or I'll turn you into a pincushion!"
"It's not stealing if Schicksal stole it first," Kenji countered, spinning the data drive on his finger.
"It's... aggressive liberating. Besides, aren't you supposed to be studying for a math test? I heard Himeko threatened to bench you if you failed again."
Kiana stiffened. "H-How do you know about that?!"
"I have spies everywhere. Even in your algebra textbooks." Kenji smirked. "Go home, gorilla. You're not getting this."
"THAT'S IT! NEKO-CHARM!"
Kiana launched herself forward, abandoning all tactics for pure, chaotic offense. She fired a barrage of shots—aimed deliberately at his feet to make him dance—and followed up with a flying kick.
"So energetic," Kenji muttered.
He didn't block. He merely stepped back and let gravity do the work. He sank into his own shadow like it was a trapdoor.
Kiana's kick sailed through empty air. "Huh?! Again?!"
She landed, looking around frantically. "Come out and fight like a man, you coward!"
"I am fighting," Kenji's voice came from directly behind her. "I'm just fighting smarter."
Kiana spun around, but Kenji was already there. He didn't punch her. He reached out and flicked her forehead.
"Nue."
A small, spectral owl manifested on his shoulder for a split second.
ZZZ-POP.
A static shock—roughly equivalent to licking a decently powerful battery—zipped through Kiana. It wasn't enough to hurt, but it was enough to make her yelp and lock up.
She toppled over, stiff as a board, face-planting onto the wet gravel with a muffled groan.
"YOU!"
A purple blur shot out from the shadows. Raiden Mei was much faster, and unlike Kiana, she wasn't playing around. Her katana hummed with intensity as she slashed at him.
Kenji sidestepped, drawing a black tactical knife to parry the strike. Sparks flew as steel met cursed tool.
"You jerk! Why do you keep showing up?!" Mei hissed, pressing the attack. "And stop bullying her!!"
"She makes it too easy, Raiden-san," Kenji grinned, ducking under a horizontal slash. "And you... You're too stiff. You're so angry. What happened? Another couple's quarrel?"
"Shut up!" Mei thrust her blade forward.
Kenji sighed. He backed away, creating distance. He looked at her incoming blade—a thrust aimed at his shoulder.
He focused Cursed Energy. He painted the target in his mind.
"Dismantle."
CLANG.
It sounded like Mei had hit an invisible wall. The invisible slash struck the flat of her blade with perfect precision, knocking the weapon violently to the side.
The sudden force threw Mei off balance. She stumbled, angling herself awkwardly to keep from falling.
"You're strong, but still inexperienced," Kenji lectured, sounding less like an enemy and more like a disappointed instructor.
"You telegraph your intent. You scream, 'I am going to stab you' with your eyes before you even move. It's rude to announce your gifts, you know."
Mei regained her balance, her face flushed red with embarrassment and frustration. She gripped her sword, electricity crackling dangerously around her. "I am not... telegraphing!"
She prepared to surge forward again, the Herrscher energy within her stirring.
"Stop it! Both of you!"
Theresa Apocalypse's voice blared through Mei's comms, loud enough to echo across the rooftop.
"Stand down, Mei! Kiana! Put the weapons away!"
Mei froze mid-step. "Principal? But... he has the data! And he tased Kiana!"
"I know, I know," Theresa sighed over the line. "... Let's say we have a temporary truce. He's... ugh... he's an ally for this mission. We agreed to let him 'steal' the data."
Mei blinked, the lightning fading. She looked at Kenji.
Kenji was already sheathing his knife. He offered a little two-finger salute.
"Ally?" Mei asked, bewildered. "Him?!"
"Why do you think I was using the kiddy gloves?" Kenji gestured to Kiana, who was currently groaning and trying to peel her face off the gravel. "If I wanted to hurt you, Raiden, I wouldn't have aimed for your sword. I would have aimed for your heels. You'd be tripping all over the place."
He walked past her, patting the unconscious Kiana on the head as he passed.
"Tell Major Himeko I said hi. And tell Kiana to work on her landing. She falls like a sack of potatoes."
"Wait!" Mei called out, lowering her sword. "You... you're just leaving?"
Kenji paused at the edge of the roof, his silhouette beginning to dissolve into the shadows. He looked back, a genuine, amused smirk on his face.
"Until next time, Valkyries. Try not to die too quickly. I do enjoy our little encounters."
He stepped backward off the ledge.
Mei rushed to the edge, but the alleyway below was empty. Just the rain, the neon lights, and the lingering frustration that they had been thoroughly played with.
From the floor, Kiana lifted her head, spitting out a pebble.
"I hate that guy," she grumbled.
"Yeah," Mei sighed, sheathing her sword. "Me too."
/ — /
6 Months AgoLocation: St. Freya Academy, Dormitory Rooftops
Bronya
[Subject: Bronya Zaychik. Current Status: Transmitting encrypted data packet to Anti-Entropy (Cocolia). Probability of Detection: 0.04%.]
Bronya sat perched on the edge of the dormitory roof, her grey eyes reflecting the scrolling streams of blue code on her holographic display.
[Packet 445: Valkyrie Training Schedules. Upload Complete.Packet 446: Upload Complete.]
Bronya tapped a command to scrub the logs. Her mission was absolute. Matushka needed this. For Seele.
[Threat Detected.]
There was no sound. No footstep. Just a sudden, violent drop in local ambient light.
Bronya's reflexes were faster than thought.
The air warped behind her. Project Bunny 19C materialized instantly, its cannon arm priming with a high-pitched whine, locking onto the anomaly standing five meters away.
"Target identified," Bronya stated, her voice devoid of emotion. "Subject: Kenji Aoyama. Affiliation: Anti-Entropy Sovereign Faction. Threat Level: High."
Kenji stood with his hands raised, but his posture was all wrong for a surrender. He looked bored, the shadows around his feet swirling like restless water.
"You have good encryption, Zaychik," Kenji said, nodding at her dissipating hologram. "AEX-296? Not bad. But you forgot to mask your signature. If I were Theresa, you'd be in detention right now."
"Project Bunny, prepare to fire," Bronya commanded. "Give The Bronya one reason not to engage."
"Because if you fire that cannon, you wake up the whole campus," Kenji replied, lowering his hands slowly. "And then everyone finds out that their favorite little sister is actually a spy for Cocolia."
Bronya froze. The cannon didn't lower, but the hum of the charging barrel quieted.
"What do you know?"
"I know a lot of things," Kenji said. He walked closer, ignoring the massive robot aiming a warhead at his face. "I know about the orphanage in Siberia. I know about the X-10 Experiment. And I know why you're really here."
He stopped three feet away from the muzzle of the cannon.
"I know about Seele Vollerei."
The name hit Bronya like a brick. Her eyes widened slightly—the only crack in her stoic mask. "Matushka said... Seele is lost. She is in the Sea of Quanta. Retrieval is impossible without The Bronya completing this mission."
Kenji corrected. "Retrieval is impossible for Cocolia. She's just using you to gather data for a failed project. Besides, I know you're starting to question your loyalty."
He reached into his pocket. Project Bunny's sensors flared red, anticipating a weapon.
Kenji pulled out a small, black data drive. He tossed it through the air.
Bronya caught it. "What is this?"
"Research logs," Kenji explained, shoving his hands back into his pockets. "About simulations and theories about the pinnacle of my ability. The Divine General: Mahoraga."
"Mahoraga? What does this have to do with Seele?" Bronya asked.
"The Divine General has the ability to adapt to any and all phenomena," Kenji recited, sounding like he was reading from a textbook he had memorized but didn't fully understand. "And I do mean anything. Heat, cold, gravity, dimensions."
He looked Bronya in the eye.
"Einstein believes that if Mahoraga is exposed to the energy of the Sea of Quanta. It would adapt to it and turn it into a traversable path, maybe even find a way for us to nullify its negative effects entirely."
Bronya looked at the drive in her hand. The logic was sound. If the creature could adapt to existence itself, it could theoretically walk into the Sea of Quanta and walk back out.
"Subject Kenji," Bronya said slowly. "Why give this to Bronya? You are the enemy. You are from another faction. You injured Idiot Kiana. You mocked Sister Mei. Why help?"
Kenji stiffened. He looked away, scratching his cheek. The terrifying 'King of Shadows' facade cracked, revealing a teenager who was clearly uncomfortable with genuine emotional confrontation.
"It's... logical," Kenji mumbled, avoiding her gaze. "Cocolia is a variable we can't trust. If I give you this, you will stop relying on her. You stop being a pawn. It weakens her faction and strengthens ours. It's just... strategy."
"Strategy," Bronya repeated, with a blank look on her face.
"Yes. Strategy." Kenji coughed, turning around. "And... well... nobody should be left behind like that. That's just not cool."
Bronya stared at his back. Her processors analyzed his heart rate, his voice modulation, his body language.
[Analysis: Subject is lying. Emotional index indicates empathy.]
"Subject Kenji is a terrible spy," Bronya stated.
Kenji stumbled slightly, but he didn't turn back. He raised a hand in a dismissive wave.
"Just decode the drive, Bronya. I hope you will make the right decision when the time comes. We will meet again."
The shadows on the roof surged upward, swallowing him whole. In a blink, he was gone, leaving Bronya alone with the cold wind and a glimmer of hope she thought she had lost forever.
/ — /
Present DayLocation: Void's Domain, Above Schicksal HQ
The Void queen's domain was not silent. It was screaming.
Flames that burned hotter than the sun clashed against the cold, empty vacuum of the Void. Himeko Murata was waging war. She was pushed to her absolute limit, thrusters flaring like dying stars as she swung her Greatsword with earth-shattering force.
CLANG.
She parried a subspace lance, shattering it into fragments of light.
"Is that all you've got?" Himeko roared, her voice amplified by the suit, defiant even as blood trickled from her nose. "I thought you were a God! Stop running and fight me!"
High above, the Herrscher of the Void narrowed her eyes. Sirin was untouched, but her expression had shifted from boredom to genuine irritation. This human... this pest... refused to be squashed.
"You are persistent," Sirin spat, floating backward as Himeko swung a massive arc of fire that singed the hem of her dress. "But persistence is meaningless for an ant."
Sirin snapped her fingers.
The space behind Himeko fractured like broken glass, opening a dozen portals instantly. It was a blind spot—a checkmate.
Himeko's sensors screamed to warn her, but her momentum was carrying her forward. She couldn't dodge.
She gripped her weapon, preparing to tank the blow and trade damage, fully prepared to die if it meant landing one solid hit on the Herrscher.
"Die," Sirin commanded.
The lances fired.
But they never reached the armor.
There was no explosion. No shield. Just a sudden, sickening SHING.
Dozens of lances were disintegrated. In a fraction of a second, they were diced into thousands of symmetrical cubes, raining down harmlessly like glitter before fading into nothingness.
Himeko skidded to a halt, eyes wide behind her visor. "What?"
The air between Himeko and the Herrscher rippled. A shadow, thick and viscous like oil, bubbled up from the Hyperion's floor. It swirled, taking form, defying the Void's control.
A figure stepped out of the darkness.
He wore the tattered black tactical gear of Anti-Entropy, dusted with ash from the battle below. But it was the object hovering above his head that seized Himeko's attention.
A golden dharmachakra wheel. It floated like a halo, radiating an energy that felt more… divine than the Honkai.
"Sorry I'm late, Major," Kenji said, his voice calm, cutting through the roar of the flames. He stood with his back to Himeko, facing the God. "Breaking into a different space is trickier than I thought."
"Anti-Entropy?" Himeko breathed, lowering her sword slightly. "What are you doing here? This isn't your fight! Get out!"
"And leave you to have all the fun?" Kenji cracked his neck, his eyes fixed on Sirin. "Besides... she looks annoying."
Sirin's eye twitched. First the Vermilion Knight, and now this... shadow rat.
"Insolence," Sirin hissed. The irritation was gone, replaced by cold malice. "You dare touch my creations? You dare stand in my presence?"
"I dare a lot of things," Kenji replied, stepping forward to shield Himeko completely. "But I don't have to. You are simply not worth wasting breath on."
Sirin's face twisted in rage. She didn't bother with portals this time. She raised her hand, condensing raw Honkai energy into a single, massive lance—faster than sound, denser than steel.
She hurled it.
"Kid, move!" Himeko shouted, her thrusters flaring to push him out of the way.
But Kenji didn't move. He stood his ground and took it.
The sound was wet and visceral. The massive lance pierced straight through Kenji's left shoulder.
"NO!" Himeko screamed.
"See?" Sirin laughed, a cruel, melodic sound returning to her voice. "Weak. Fragile. You bleed just like the rest."
Kenji hung there, pinned. His head hung low.
But he wasn't screaming, and a wide smile started to form.
Instantly, the lance was once again cut into thousands of pieces, and his shoulders began to shake.
A low, guttural sound escaped his throat. He was... chuckling. He looked up. His eyes were wide, focused with a terrifying clarity.
A red light erupted around his body, and his shoulder quickly regenerated back to normal.
"What?" Sirin stopped laughing. She floated back an inch, an instinctive reaction she didn't understand.
Her own reaction irritated her, "Even if you can heal, I just need to destroy you—huh?"
Above Kenji's head, the golden wheel twitched.
CLICK.
GONG.
A heavy, bell-like toll resonated through the dimension. It was the sound of a judge's gavel slamming—a verdict delivered by the universe itself.
"Good," Kenji said. He wiped the blood from his chin, his grin widening into something predatory. "All I needed was just a taste. Now, all I need is time."
He took a step forward.
From his feet, the shadows began to expand. They didn't just cast on the floor; they ate the light. The darkness spread like an infection, covering the floating rocks, swallowing the burning debris, consuming the glow of the Herrscher's realm.
"You asked if I dared to stand in your presence," Kenji said, his voice dropping, becoming something inhuman.
He raised his hands into a familiar pose. Behind him, the shadows rose up, forming the silhouette of a massive, divine monster.
"But you should be asking..." Kenji smirked, the wheel twitching again. "...if you can survive in mine!"
From the depths of the shadows, the general's true form rose. Its eyeless face stared down at the Herrscher before it with a devilish grin.
"COME OUT, MAHORAGA!"
With a deafening roar, the battle started anew.
For the first time in history, Mahoraga's adaptation towards a Herrscher has begun…