Once again, back to the beginning.
Clearly wanting to slack off, yet dragged in again.
A second before entering the Challenge Space, Yunduo turned her head calmly and saw Kiana raising her right fist in a cheering gesture.
"Idiot."
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and she took a long breath, turning into a shadow of light.
"Challenger: Yunduo."
"Mission Objective 1: Defeat the Herrscher of the Void, Sirin, and retrieve the Gem of Haste!"
"Mission Objective 2: To be unlocked."
The space's prompt rang in her ears, Yunduo's five senses vanished in an instant, and endless darkness swept in.
Overlapping images of delirium accompanied the theater's bells ringing from the end, and the Remembrance in her mind surged like a tide.
A scorching fire ignited her heart, where there was a blood-colored rose.
"Long time no see, my vessel."
"The last time we met was in Sky Dome City, wasn't it? After all this time, your struggling appearance hasn't changed at all."
"Kiana, you run and run, but where can you go? In the end, you still succumb to the pain, kneeling before the cracks in your heart—before me."
The familiar voice of the Queen, accompanied by a strong sense of pressure, suddenly drifted before Yunduo.
Her Remembrance was a bit blurred; she looked down and saw a pair of calloused hands and a pair of dual pistols.
Had she become Kiana again?
It seemed that upon entering the Challenge Space, one would take on the corresponding identity.
And this person, Herrscher of the Void · Sirin.
At this moment, she possessed the herrscher core and a Gem of Haste; even an S-Rank Valkyrie would be no match.
Not to mention herself, who had transformed into Kiana.
This was a destined dead end; even the preacher could not see the path to the afterlife.
However, Yunduo, transformed into Kiana, suddenly said calmly: "I am no longer who I was then; I will not yield to you."
Whether it was the once-naive Kiana.
Or the Herrscher of Flame who ignited the sparks of fire.
She never yielded to evil.
The Herrscher of the Void laughed, her laughter filled with mockery, seemingly pitying her for overestimating herself.
"But if you hadn't wavered, how could I have appeared here, standing before you, dominating this body?"
"You are afraid to face me, you refuse to face me; that is the reason you buried me deep in your heart."
"But now, you've lost."
Lost?
It seemed that from the Herrscher of the Void's perspective, Kiana, who had nothing and whose body had even become a vessel, had indeed lost.
The descent of the Great Collapse.
Himeko's death.
Mei drawing her blade... all kinds of painful memories, all of this was reality.
Before Yunduo could make a choice, the scene before her eyes changed... snow-white.
Scorched snowflakes ignited the cold forest.
This was the power of the Herrscher of the Void, creating illusions.
Seeing the surrounding scene, the Herrscher of the Void uttered a victor's sigh: "Remember this place? East Siberia, 2010—the day I first awakened and dominated this body."
"After that man lost his daughter, he refused to hand you over and hid here with you for a long time.
"Anti-Entropy was looking for you, Schicksal was also looking for you; they sent an assault team, and unfortunately, you were discovered."
"What happened next, you will never forget, right?"
"I killed everyone."
Yunduo listened quietly, her face showing no reaction.
And the Herrscher of the Void became even more joyful, speaking of endless malice.
"And your dear dad, I cut off one of his arms and let him be consumed by his own flames."
"He could have killed us both with that sword, but he didn't, because he treated you as his daughter."
Before Yunduo's eyes, the illusion created by the Herrscher of the Void appeared.
A sea of blood reached the sky, and that panicked little girl hid in her dad's arms, crying.
She didn't know she was the culprit.
In a trance, the illusion suddenly changed, this time becoming the deck of the Hyperion.
There, a rose quietly withered away.
Murata Himeko died to save Kiana.
The cold voice of the Herrscher of the Void echoed on the empty deck: "When she stepped onto that battlefield, she exhausted all her strength, only to die pointlessly, ending up as a loser."
This time, Yunduo was not silent but said firmly: "She... is not a loser..."
Hearing this, the Herrscher of the Void sneered: "Ha? Then tell me, what did she save?"
"After she died, the entire Saint Freya fell apart, the school was deserted, and it existed in name only."
"Hmph, you once had a chance to end all this, didn't you?"
"That day, you knelt in the sea of fire in Sky Dome City, raised your gun, wanting to end my life along with your own."
"You could have pulled the trigger, but you didn't."
"Because you want to live, because that woman wanted you to live—carrying the self-reproach and guilt that will pierce through the rest of your life."
"That is the reason you cannot escape me."
"Everyone is the same; their kindness is trampled by another's malice, a lifetime of effort destroyed in a single night, and the ideals they firmly believe in are worthless in the eyes of others."
"Facing such a world, can you still shamelessly say 'Fight for all that is beautiful in the world'?"
The Remembrance of the past churned like heavy waves.
Experiencing the pain once more, hearing the distorted words of the Herrscher of the Void.
But.
The world does not only consist of malice.
There is also the kindness of the human heart.
Kiana was always willing to believe that kindness exists in this world!
That those beautiful things exist.
She had people she wanted to protect!
"Fight for all that is beautiful in the world!"
Kiana had never given up on such a conviction!
Yunduo looked up, a scorching flame flickering in her deep blue eyes, her powerful voice echoing in the cold air.
"I believe!"
"What?!!"
The Herrscher of the Void was stunned, unable to believe that even after being tortured by various difficulties, setbacks, and even death, Kiana actually still believed in the kindness of human intentions. Anger made her retort: "A high-sounding hypocrite."
Yunduo smiled; she thought of the past and of Kiana's past.
Her voice was calm, carrying the colors of recollection.
"I have been dreaming the dreams of various people. Everyone has had painful Remembrance, feeling despair in difficult situations, but after that, they will grit their teeth and stand up, living on despite being covered in wounds."
"As long as I still stand here, her burning, their burning, will continue forever."
"Along this journey, I have gained so much: courage, blessings, hope... all my most beautiful Remembrance, they have always been here to warm me."
"So... I am not left with nothing."
"The things I have gained, I will continue to pass them on!"
After saying this, a flame ignited in Yunduo's eyes, forming a bright red gem.
The power of the Gem of Haste surged, and scalding Honkai Energy filled her body.
"Gem of Haste? How! Why did the Gem of Haste acknowledge you?"
The Herrscher of the Void's golden eyes widened in shock.
In the next second, she felt her own power vanish into thin air once again.
"My core was taken by you as well?"
Yunduo didn't answer. Flames churned in her hand, forming a bright red greatsword.
That was the convergence of the Gem of Haste's energy.
Now.
The time for the final battle had come.
"Watch!"
"I will carry her ideals, their ideals—and keep moving forward."
"Her life never stopped struggling."
"This is her flame, her color!"
Yunduo finished speaking.
With a sword full of conviction, she swung toward the Herrscher of the Void!
Draw the sword!!!
Slash!!!
"Boom!!!"
Scorching firelight rose, burning fiercely and continuously.
The intense convergence of Honkai Energy made the space somewhat unstable.
The light flared brilliantly, dispelling countless darkness.
Cracks in space tore open inch by inch.
Finally, the light dissipated.
The soul of the Herrscher of the Void rose into the air like a light feather.
In this battle, Yunduo won.
"Mission Objective 1, challenge successful, rewards accumulated."
"Mission Objective 2: Kill the Herrscher of Domination, save Bronya and Fu Hua."
Yunduo waved her hand as she listened to the tasks of the Challenge Space.
And everyone who finished watching this battle was collectively stunned.
---------------------------------
Hope you enjoy this fanfiction if you do and would like to read the next 30 chapters in advance, pls do check out my Patreon.
patreon.com/TLScarlet
Also don't forget to give me a Power Stone if you do like this fiction. Your support really motivates me to continue doing my best in translating, Thanks!!