The world...changed.
In an instant, everything recognizable as belonging to this world vanished and was no more.
No longer did the boundless blue sky and distant white clouds surround the Hyperion as it sailed through the atmosphere.
No longer did the Judgment-class Honkai beast, Benares, assault the battleship as its railguns retaliated in an attempt to fend it off.
No longer did the captain of the Hyperion know what he could do.
"My navigation systems aren't working anymore...they're giving off numbers and readings that shouldn't even exist," said the artificial intelligence that guided the battleship. "These numbers are...imaginary?"
Although he did not know what he could do, he knew where he and his battleship were.
They were now in her world.
She had returned.
For them.
He looked out past the bridge and into the new world that surrounded them. That imprisoned them like they were livestock in a slaughterhouse.
A featureless world as empty as the void aside from an endless, dull violet glow, massive, crystalline structures that dwarfed the Hyperion…
...and a woman with long, silver hair, burning golden eyes, and unfathomably endless depths of hatred and rage for his kind, stepping down from the air toward them.
"Did you think that you could run away?" she asked, nearly laughing, already knowing the answer. "Feeble insects can crawl away in the dirt all they want, but nothing can save them from the destiny that they deserve."
Six lances accompanied her as she approached, each carrying enough power to end it all in an instant if she so wished.
The captain stared at her with hopelessness and despair. This was the end. There was nothing more he could do. The Hyperion, for all of its firepower and might, was little more than a plaything for the Queen of the Void. As he considered the Hyperion to be an extension of himself, he felt this powerlessness as his own.
He heard the sound of a greatsword being unsheathed behind him. He turned around.
Facing him was a woman with hair as red and as fiery as his own and determined amber eyes, clad in a battlesuit worthy for one who was about to battle a goddess.
"She's here for us, captain," the woman said, conducting a final check to ensure that her Godsbane battlesuit was still capable of combat. "But I won't let her get anywhere close to you or the others. This duty has fallen to me and me alone. One way or another, this battle ends today, right here, and right now."
He looked at her, dressed in elegant red armour and wielding a flaming blade, fully prepared to do what must be done.
"Himeko...please...please be careful...promise me, Himeko, that you'll come back to me, safe and sound…" he pleaded, feeling the first of many tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
She gave him a small but sad smile, fully resigned to her likely fate. But she felt no fear or despair. All she felt was duty and the desire to protect those she loved.
She would die to protect them. For the man standing in front of her and the girl waiting for her just outside.
For their sakes, she would fight.
She stepped forward and gently caressed his face with a hand. She brushed away the teardrops with her thumb. She gazed into his amber eyes, knowing that it would likely be the last time she ever would.
"Captain...I have...so, so many things to say to you. So many things that I've wanted to say but never could. So I can only say one thing...I'm sorry, captain. I won't be able to promise you that I'll be able to come back. That I'll be able to spend time with all of you again. That we'll be able to have another dinner at my place with Bronya, Mei, Fu Hua...and Kiana…that I'll be able to have another drink with you as we talk about anything we want to talk about..."
She felt her own tears streaming, cascading. She closed her eyes before reopening them with renewed determination.
"But there is one thing that I can promise you, captain. I will bring Kiana back, safe and sound. I will free her from the Herrscher that's stolen her body, and as her teacher, I will give her one, last lesson."
She smiled, feeling hope burning within her despite everything unfolding around them.
"But in turn, you have to promise me one thing, captain...promise me that you'll take good care of Kiana when she comes back to you. Protect and take care of Bronya and Mei and everyone who relies on you and trusts you...you'll always be their captain, and they'll always be your valkyries. You are the beauty in their world, and they are the beauty in yours."
He felt nothing. No - not nothing. So much raw emotion coursed through him at that moment that he could not feel anything at all.
The Hyperion shook, violent vibrations travelling through the floor. A deafening noise erupted not far from the bridge. The Herrscher of the Void, low on patience, had blasted a hole in the roof of the battleship, hoping to encourage them to come out and face her.
"Himeko, I -"
He was silenced when Himeko quickly, yet gently pressed her lips against his. Her tongue gently wrapped around his own, and their tears mixed with each other as they shared one last final moment together, her one action conveying more of her emotions than words ever could.
The Vermillion Knight withdrew, smiled at him one last time, and leapt out of the Hyperion to face the one who hated them with every iota of her being.
And then she was gone.
He screamed her name, but no one heard him.
...
The girl quietly walked through the silent corridors of Anti-Entropy's Salt Lake Base. The base was as vast as it was well-defended, and a careless newcomer could easily become lost in its endless pathways.
The girl was not lost. She had only one destination, and she knew exactly how to get there and what she would find when she reached it.
She stopped in front of a reinforced glass window. Through it, she could see various advanced equipment and two scientists examining the comatose patient restrained to a hospital bed.
One scientist had bright red hair styled into two ponytails. She wore glasses, a black skirt, and white tights. The other had short blue hair and was dressed in shorts and a blue jacket. Both were diligently at work.
The girl did not come here for the two scientists. She was far more concerned for the patient the two were running endless tests and examinations on.
She placed her hand against the window. She wanted nothing more than to run it through the patient's bright red hair. The woman standing next to her did the same.
"Bronya, you're here, too," said the woman dressed in an elegant qipao.
"Where else would I be, Fu Hua?" she replied. "I have finished my training for the day, and there is nowhere else I'd rather be."
Fu Hua smiled sadly. "Just watching him from afar won't help anyone. I think you'll just end up making yourself feel worse."
Bronya scoffed. "The same logic applies to yourself. What are you doing here, Fu Hua? Watching him as you wait for him to wake up?"
"...I want to see with my own eyes that Fenghuang Down is still able to protect him. It's the only way that I can be sure that...Sirin...doesn't awaken and take over…"
Bronya stared at her. As if she blamed her.
Everything seemed to have been going the best they had been ever since the Herrscher of the Void's reawakening. Bronya and Kiana were strengthening their control over their own Herrscher powers. The Herrscher of Sentience, one of the most powerful opponents they had ever faced, had been defeated. They were on their way to meet with their allies in Anti-Entropy, whose sovereign Bronya had rescued. Everyone's hopes were high.
But one thing they still had yet to fully come to terms with was the captain of the Hyperion being chosen by Sirin to be...something more. She had "blessed" him with a portion of her power. He had tried and failed to use those powers against the Herrscher of Sentience, but with self-control and practice, he would certainly have learned to become a combatant on par with or even exceeding Kiana, Bronya, and their other allies.
They were foolish. They were blind. They never realized until it was too late that it was a trap. Was it even a trap? They had no way of knowing. In any case, Fu Hua had told the captain about his memories that had been stolen from him by Otto Apocalypse. She had painfully restored them with Fenghuang Down, but in doing so, somehow triggered the fragment of Sirin's consciousness that she had embedded in him. That fragment had nearly taken full control of the captain's body and would have led to disaster if Fu Hua hadn't immediately put him into a comatose state, again with Fenghuang Down.
If Fu Hua had felt guilt before, it became far stronger afterwards. She blamed herself for causing her beloved so much pain and for nearly causing Sirin's reawakening. He was still in that coma now, and she felt powerless because she did not know if it would ever be safe for her to end it and let him wake up again.
The other girls didn't blame her. They knew she was only trying to help their captain, and they knew she had likely saved their lives. But Bronya had more difficulty forgiving her, which was compounded by her discomfort at Fu Hua being with her captain at all.
Bronya continued staring at her until Fu Hua looked away, unable to meet her piercing gaze any longer.
"Fu Hua...I'm not angry at you. At least, not anymore. I understand what you wanted to do, and I know that you genuinely wished to help him. If you didn't...if you had malicious intentions for him, then I would have already killed you."
Fu Hua laughed bitterly. "I'm glad that you understand, Bronya. I would hate needing to fight you and kill you in turn."
"As if you have the ability to. You aren't a Herrscher anymore. I am."
"Even Herrschers can't withstand Fenghuang Down, Bronya."
Bronya smiled. She removed her hand from the window and placed it on Fu Hua's arm.
"I don't want us to ever need to escalate things, Fu Hua. We can't keep fighting each other just because we both love the same man. And we both have the same goal in mind. To have him come back to us, safe and sound and free from the Herrscher's influence."
Fu Hua turned to her.
"I agree. This isn't helping anyone. We're friends, and we're on the same side. Why don't we go back to the beginning of all of this? It started the night we cooked dinner for him when he first arrived at St. Freya, didn't it?"
It was one of the memories that Bronya cherished the most. "You gave him another one of your dumplings after he had some of my seafood chowder. I tried not to show it, but I was very annoyed when you did."
"And then Mei outdid us both. I still remember how surprised I was when she pushed a rice cracker into his mouth," Fu Hua said, smiling.
They both closed their eyes. That happy memory felt like another lifetime ago.
"Bronya, why do you love him? What does he mean to you?" Fu Hua finally asked.
She kept her eyes closed and did not answer for a time.
"He...he was there for me when I needed him. I had a nightmare about...my past...and even though he didn't know why I was in so much pain, he protected me. He comforted me. He made me feel safer than I'd ever felt. And then...he did it again, when I told him everything about my past, and rather than pushing me away, he held me even closer…Fu Hua, why do you love him? What does he mean to you?"
"I see, Bronya. That makes sense. The reason why I love him is very different. He is...the exact same man I used to love so long ago. Down to the last detail. What he likes, why he made me feel happy, and what he believed in...that man died, but he lives on in the captain... our captain," Fu Hua answered, her own eyes tightly shut. Bronya already knew this, but hearing Fu Hua putting it in her own words helped her understand even further.
They opened their eyes. Now that they expressed everything to each other, they felt relieved, as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.
They stepped toward each other and embraced each other. It was the only way they could make themselves feel better and come to terms with their feelings.
"I'm so glad you're here for me," they each said.
They only ended the hug when they heard the door to the containment room open and Frederica Nikola Tesla and Lieserl Albert Einstein walked out.
They were two leaders of Anti-Entropy, and they were perhaps the only hope of rescuing the captain from his predicament.
The four of them faced each other, waiting for the other side to speak. Tesla took the initiative.
"Bronya and Fu Hua, we have good news and bad news," she said as she readjusted her glasses. "The good news is that your captain's condition is currently stable and will remain that way for the foreseeable future."
"The bad is that we were unable to determine what effects turning off Fenghuang Down's effects on him would have, and we have no way of telling when it would ever be safe to do so," continued Einstein.
The two girls didn't welcome this news at all.
"Are you saying that he'll need to remain in a coma...forever?" asked Fu Hua, horrified.
"No. Just that until we can ensure that the Herrscher occupying his body won't reawaken along with him, keeping him in a coma induced by Fenghuang Down is the safest outcome for all of us," Einstein replied.
"We're doing our best to figure out how to work around her and maybe even purge her consciousness from his body, but we can't promise success or a timeframe for it," added Tesla.
"I understand. Then nothing has changed. I'll be leaving, then," said Bronya. She turned around and was about to head off before the two scientists interrupted her.
"There's one more thing our tests gleaned, and you'll probably want to hear what it is," they said. Bronya turned around.
"...he's still awake, isn't he?"
The three of them looked at Fu Hua.
"I could sense it. His body may be asleep, but his mind isn't. He's still awake. Thinking. Alive. I have no way to tell what he could possibly be experiencing, but I know that he must feel like a prisoner trapped in his own body...or in whatever dream world he's currently in."
"...that's right, Fu Hua. He isn't actually unconscious. In fact, his mental activity is higher than what's considered normal, and his brain waves are off the charts. There's some kind of disconnect happening here, and we suspect that it has something to do with Sirin. That sliver of her consciousness is likely just as active, and right now, she's probably doing whatever she wants in the confines of his mind. The worst case scenario is that she gradually grows in strength until she can overcome Fenghuang Down and forcibly cause him to reawaken," said Tesla. Bronya and Fu Hua looked at her in helpless horror.
"We'll do our best to make sure that he awakens and comes back to you safe and sound. After all, we're indebted to him and still haven't had the chance to thank him for helping us escape Otto's attempt to capture both of us. You need to believe in him. He would believe in you if the situation were reversed," said Einstein, showing a surprising amount of emotion on her normally stoic face. Tesla nodded in agreement. Bronya and Fu Hua's eyes remained closed.
The four of them were silent until Tesla and Einstein received a loud alert on their phones.
"Oh, god. You have got to be FUCKING kidding me," groaned Tesla.
...
It was over.
The Herrscher of the Void was defeated, her powers drained away.
The world fell apart, violet giving way to the rightful blue.
She was nowhere to be seen, for she had fallen into a sea where none could ever see her again.
He screamed her name until he could no longer. He fell to his knees and sobbed.
Time passed. He could not know how much. He heard a dull thud from above. An object must have fallen onto the top of the Hyperion.
He ignored it at first. Finally, he forced himself to stand up. He climbed out of the bridge and onto the roof. He was surrounded by the familiar blue sky and white clouds again, but he did not see them, for he could do nothing except stare at the body lying motionless in front of him.
Her long, silver hair spread around her in a chaotic and meaningless pattern. Her clothes were damaged, torn to shreds in some areas. Her eyes were closed, so he could not discern their colour.
He could not explain it, but he felt a profound and overpowering feeling of wrongness from the woman's presence.
This...this shouldn't be happening...this...never happened...this isn't how I remembered it...what is going on? Why am I here? Is this a dream?
Dream or not, he knew who she was. He knew he had to end this once and for all.
He unholstered his pistol, one powerful enough to be used against Honkai beasts. Would it have any effect on a Herrscher, even a weakened and defeated one? He shakingly aimed it directly at her head.
But he hesitated.
He could not pull the trigger at the girl he knew. The girl he promised to protect.
Laughter, high-pitched and shrill.
The girl opened her eyes, both as golden as the sun.
"This isn't a dream, little captain. This is your world...and it is mine. We finally have a chance to be together as we ought to be. No one can separate us now."
She slowly stood up and walked closer to him. His gun vanished in his hands. He tried to back away, but his body refused his mind's orders.
"You...it's you...it's always been you...this isn't real, this isn't real, none of this is real...it's...it's all fake...let me wake up! I need to wake up RIGHT NOW!" he screamed at her, as if she would listen.
...
"THAT FUCKING BASTARD! WHOEVER THE FUCK IT IS, I'LL FUCKING KILL THEM!" screamed Tesla. "Enraged" didn't begin to describe how she felt.
Bronya, Fu Hua, Seele, Rozaliya, and Liliya winced at the volume of her outburst and watched her with concern while Einstein, used to Tesla's rambunctious behaviour, simply kept her eyes closed as she formulated a plan to respond to the unwelcome news.
"So your mechs were hacked into and tried to attack people at the market square?" asked Rozaliya. She and her twin sister, Liliya, had just finished their training session with Theresa. It helped take their minds off their captain's state.
"That isn't quite correct. It's true that the mechs went rogue, but after investigating, we found no evidence that a hacker had intruded into their electronic systems. We aren't sure exactly how we lost control over them. Fortunately, they weren't armed since they were deployed only for fireworks, but even so, they still could have inflicted numerous casualties on the unarmed civilians if Kiana and Seele hadn't stopped them," Einstein replied.
Anti-Entropy would celebrate its sixtieth anniversary in the coming days, and they had deployed a number of the mechs they were infamous for to fire off fireworks. Three of them had been in the market square when they inexplicably began attacking civilians, and it was fortunate that Kiana and Seele had happened to be there shopping for supplies pertaining to the celebration.
Tesla screamed as she punched the table in front of her with her metal gauntlet. The table caved in and fractured into pieces. Although her eyes were closed, tears leaked out from beneath them.
"It's just like...back then...I still remember it...I'll always remember...how my drones…"
They all looked at her in concern. By now, they all knew the truth about what Otto Apocalypse and Rita Rossweisse had done to them. Otto had ordered her to hack into the drones defending Tesla and have them murder hundreds of people at the beach Tesla had only wanted to spend her day off at. Tesla and Einstein had nearly been captured if it weren't for the captain distracting Rita, and the act had nearly destroyed Anti-Entropy since Otto had staged the massacre to frame the organization. It had severely traumatized Tesla who partially blamed herself since it had been her drones involved, and while Einstein had been less affected, she felt a terrible, aching fear all the same at the near-disaster they had just narrowly avoided.
"Anti-Entropy nearly died back then, and it was only because of our past achievements and efforts that it didn't...we're still walking on thin ice, and then...this happened again…"
Einstein comforted her friend by patting her on her shoulder. Because Tesla was too distraught to speak, Einstein spoke in her stead.
"Bronya, you and the Sovereign encountered some statues that attacked you earlier, correct?"
Bronya nodded. She and Welt Yang, the leader of Anti-Entropy, were in the city when they noticed an exhibition showcasing statues of what appeared to be Honkai beasts. Suddenly, the statues became animated and attacked them. The two of them had dispatched the statues with ease, so it was the fact that such statues existed at all that unnerved them.
"And Seele, you found a strange, broken puppet in the residence of the missing college student?"
Seele nodded. "I also found a strange ticket saying something that I still don't understand...Doctor, are you saying that…?"
"Yes. That's exactly what Mophead's saying." They were all glad that Tesla had recovered enough to return to her usual personality. "We believe that these incidents are all somehow connected. I can sense a conspiracy when I see one, and we're gonna get to the bottom of this one and deal with whoever's responsible. I won't let them hurt Anti-Entropy any further under my watch…" she growled.
"After studying the puppet Seele retrieved, we discovered an object similar to a Herrscher's core inside it. It's much weaker than an actual one, but that it exists at all may suggest the beginning of another Honkai Eruption," said Einstein. Everyone's eyes widened.
"...what can we do, Doctor?" Liliya asked.
"Tesla and I are already planning our course of action. Our first step is to investigate the workshop those Honkai beast statues were constructed at. Our second is to investigate this 'Theatre of Domination' that the ticket Seele found supposedly is for. And our third, which Tesla and I will personally carry out, is to continue researching the core found in the puppet."
"I'll go investigate the workshop," Bronya said. In a way, she welcomed the challenge. It helped take her mind off her captain's condition.
"I'll go with you, Bronya," Seele said, determined to not let her walk into what could be a trap alone. She didn't say it aloud, but she shared Bronya's opinion. Bronya smiled.
"I see. I'll talk to you once we have the workshop's coordinates. Stay ready," said Einstein.
...
"Why scream so loudly, little captain? Are you not happy to see me?"
He could not move. He could only fear.
"And why scream that woman's name instead of my own? I thought that you loved me...was I wrong?"
Why was she here?
"You are! You're nothing but wrongness! You shouldn't even exist. Get out of my head!"
"You may think that you're trying to hurt me, but I can see past your words, little captain. I know how you really feel."
She drew closer. She gently cupped his face with her hand. She smiled.
"You love me, captain. You have loved me ever since you saw me awaken. You loved me enough to find me when I was on the run. You loved me enough to save me when I fell. And then you expressed that love in its truest form during that night we spent together...and I expressed it back."
"Shut up...that wasn't you...it was never you...it was Kiana Kaslana who I loved and still love, and nothing you ever do, Sirin, can ever change my feelings for her."
She smiled. She laughed. She stepped backward.
"'Kiana Kaslana'? That fool? My inferior half? I see how it is. But no matter. I told you before that Kiana Kaslana and I are one and the same...now, see for yourself."
A bright light obscured her. Her long, silver hair and tattered clothing vanished. When she reappeared, she had changed.
She was a young girl with long, lavender hair, bright, golden eyes, and an elegant, flowing violet dress ending with several long tendril-like extensions. She was beautiful. He had seen her before. He knew who she was. He knew what she was about to do to him.
She gently held his face in both of her hands. She stepped closer.
She opened her mouth and pressed herself onto him. Her lips were amazingly warm and soft. To his horror, he felt himself kissing her back, and he felt the raw passion shared between them that he could not understand.
How long they sustained their kiss, he could not remember. But nothing else mattered. In that moment, they were together as one.
When she finally withdrew, he felt as if a part of him was missing. He stared into her beautiful golden eyes and waited for her to speak.
"Little captain...do you know why you love me so? Do you know why I love you back?"
"No...I don't, Sirin...I...don't...I DON'T LOVE YOU!"
She smiled. She expressed no anger or disappointment.
"It's because...as disgusted as I am to admit it, the Kiana Kaslana you know is a part of Sirin just as much as I am a part of her. As much as I try to extinguish whatever feelings she has, I am forced to acknowledge them as my own. Even so, I had been able to ignore them as I imposed my will upon this world...until that one night you two had together...she gave everything to you, and you gave everything to her in turn...and before I knew it, I had given myself to you as well...captain, do you understand what I'm saying? What this means?"
He forced his eyes shut. He had no desire to see the monster in front of him. But just as quickly, he found that they were open again.
"I...I don't…"
"It means...that you want me just as much as you still want Kiana Kaslana…"
Her hands slowly moved downwards. She began undoing his belt and his pants. He stared at her with horror.
"NO!"
He pushed her away. His heartbeat and breathing were uncontrollably high.
"You're wrong, Sirin. I don't love you and never will. You're a monster...Kiana is more of a woman than you ever will be, and that you dared to pretend that you're like her disgusts me...get away from me…"
He knew he ran the risk of her striking him down at that very moment. But he no longer cared. He would rather die than admit his love for the Herrscher who had murdered millions.
She did no such thing. She only looked at him with calmness and patience.
"Feel no fear, little captain. I won't harm you. I knew you would react this way. Allow me to show you who I am and why I am, then…"
The world changed once more. They no longer stood on top of the Hyperion. He looked around. What was this place?
A dark room with several operating tables, unfamiliar medical equipment, and the stench of death.
He felt a crushing feeling of pain, loss, and despair. They were from her.
Her eyes were closed. These were her memories, not his.
"Here is where my life started, ended, and then began anew. Here is the Tower of Babylon research facility in Siberia, my homeland, where Schicksal held me and several more children captive. They wanted to unlock the secrets of the stigmata. They were more than willing to throw our lives away for the sake of that knowledge. We were nothing but disposable test material for them. This should not be surprising for you. You're already well aware of what Schicksal is capable of since they took that woman, Rita Rossweisse, from you."
She held his hand and guided him deeper into the room. He knew better than to resist. He strained his eyes, not knowing what he was meant to see.
Then he saw a girl strapped to one of the operating tables. Then he saw more.
Sirin took his arm. She pointed to the girls one by one.
"Agata…"
A girl with flaming red hair.
"Avrora…"
She had long, green hair that flowed like the wind.
"Galina…"
A timid and terrified looking girl.
"And Bella…"
Pale hair that reminded him of a storm of lightning.
He glanced at her. She was crying.
"They were all my friends. They were my family. They were the only ones I had, along with my mother...and they deserved none of what happened to them."
"What happened to them?" he asked. He was not sure why he cared. But he did care.
"This."
He heard the door to the room open. Several people dressed in operating uniforms and masks walked in. They held in their hands syringes filled with glowing, violet liquid.
"Watch, captain. See what Schicksal does to them. How it treats little girls. How they created me."
No matter how much he tried to force himself to look away as the doctors pierced the girls' skin and injected that abhorrent liquid into their veins, he could not.
No matter how much he wanted to cover his ears with his hands as they screamed with utter agony as they cried out and begged for the doctors to stop hurting them, he could not.
No matter how much he tried to disassociate himself from their suffering, he could not. He screamed with them.
After an unknown length of time, silence once again filled the room. The girls no longer screamed. They no longer thrashed and convulsed against their restraints. They were carried out of the room and into the incinerator to be disposed of like the medical waste that they had become.
Sirin watched him. She hoped that he would understand.
"They told us that we served a divine purpose. They told us that we had helped them create the perfect stigmata. They told us that orphans like us should feel grateful that we could die for such a noble sake, for otherwise we would have died for nothing."
The rage and hatred radiating from her pierced through him.
"This is what happened to me. This is why I was reborn to create the world anew. A safer one, a better one. One where little girls like us can live safely and soundly without fear. This world is evil, and it needs to be cleansed in fire and born anew. You may believe that I am evil, but those who oppose me to stop me from saving this world are the ones who are evil."
"Sirin…"
"Yes, little captain?"
"Sirin, I'm so sorry that you went through this. I'm so sorry that Schicksal did this to you. They were monsters, and...and they deserved to die for what they did."
"I'm so happy that you understand this, little captain. That you understand me."
"But...but Sirin...what you did afterwards...it was wrong. It was evil. You didn't just kill those working in the Tower of Babylon, the ones guilty for hurting you. You hurt millions of innocent people across the entire world who had nothing to do with what was done to you. Millions of children just like the friends you lost, little girls that you say you want to save. Did you ever once stop and think about this? Did you ever realize how much pain you inflicted to countless children just like yourself? What was done to you was evil, Sirin, I know...but what you did to the world was even worse."
He had known that he would suffer for his words. He knew that Sirin would never understand. What he did not expect Sirin to do was laugh.
Her laughter was clear and beautiful. But he feared her more because of it.
"I thought that you understood me. And my pain. I thought that you loved me. Was I wrong?"
"You are, Sirin. You've been wrong ever since you became a monster. You weren't always one, but you became one, and you're still one now. I don't love you, and I never will. The ones who I love will always be Bronya, Seele, Fu Hua, Rozaliya, Liliya, and Kiana! I'll say this to my dying breath! You won't take me away from them, Sirin!"
She laughed again. Bitterly and cruelly this time. "Such strong words from one so powerless. Very well. I knew from the start that the only way for another to truly understand my pain is for them to experience that very same pain for themselves…"
Horror gripped him as more of those masked doctors, which resembled demons from hell more than men, grabbed onto his arms and forced him onto an operating table, overpowering his feeble resistance. This may have been his mind, but it was her world, and he had no power in it. Black and unbreakable bands restrained him and left him at her mercy, or the lack of it.
"Sirin...don't...don't do this…"
"Why not? You want to truly understand me, don't you?"
A doctor held a syringe and lowered it onto his arm. The razor-sharp end would pierce through his skin and enter his veins. The luminescent fluid contained in it would bring unspeakable pain and torture. All for the sake of science.
"Sirin! Don't do this! You don't have to do this!"
The syringe drew blood. The first drop of that death-bringing fluid flowed into his bloodstream. It burned. It burned as if fiery acid or something even worse had entered his being. He was about to scream, but the doctor suddenly lifted the syringe out of his arm. The pain vanished as if he had never felt it.
As he gasped for breath, he saw Sirin walk up to him and caress his forehead with a hand. She leaned down and kissed him again.
"Don't worry, little captain...I said that I wouldn't harm you, and I meant it. While letting you feel my pain would help you understand me, I would never do it if it meant hurting you."
She undid his restraints and helped him stand. He had no idea what she would do next. He knew that this horror show had only just begun.
"This doesn't mean that I won't keep helping you understand me, captain…" she whispered into his ear.
"What...what are you going to do to me?"
"Nothing to you. Everything to them. Look up and greet our guests, little captain."
He did so. He saw another demonic doctor roughly dragging a girl into the room, ignoring her cries of pain. She wore nothing but that same featureless white gown Sirin and the other captives had worn.
To his horror, he recognized that silky grey hair styled into two drill-like twintails.
She was Bronya.
"B...Bronya?"
"Not just Bronya, little captain. See who else is joining us."
More girls were dragged into the room, one by one. They arrived in the same order he had so passionately yelled their names.
Bronya, Seele, Fu Hua, Rozaliya, and Liliya stood in front of them, all of their faces etched with terror.
"S...Sirin...what did you do? Why are they here? This...this can't be real...this isn't real! You're just messing with my mind, Sirin, and it won't work on me!"
"But it already is, little captain. You can't hide your fear for their safety from me. You can't hide your love for them...and they can't hide theirs for you…"
"Bronya" spoke. She was just as real as she always had. He felt it.
"Captain...we'll get through this together...don't be afraid."
"Bronya's right, captain...we'll make it through this…" said "Seele".
"We'll be fine, captain…" said "Fu Hua".
"Captain...we're scared...what does she want to do to us?" asked "Rozaliya" and "Liliya".
"Can't you tell how real their feelings are for you, little captain? Can't you sense their fear for what's about to happen to them?"
"What...what's going to happen to them, Sirin?!"
"See for yourself."
The doctor violently pulled Bronya over to an operating table and forced her onto it. She was bound and restrained, and the doctor began preparing another syringe.
No...no...don't do this...don't do this to Bronya, don't you dare lay a finger on her, you sick bastard…
Why was he so terrified for her? Why did he care about what happened to the obviously illusory Bronya in front of him, struggling to break free?
"Captain...please don't watch…" she pleaded. Tears flowed from her eyes, which she could not stop.
"But he will watch, little girl. He'll watch as you die in front of his eyes. He'll hear your endless screams as you uselessly beg for them to stop. He'll feel every bit of the fear and pain he ought to feel when they finish with you and move on to the rest. He'll watch all of you die in agony, knowing that there is nothing he can do to save any of you."
Bronya struggled against her restraints in futility. The doctor pressed the syringe into her arm.
"Sirin...please, stop this...you don't need to do this…"
"But I do, little captain. This is the only way that you can understand how it feels to lose everyone you love while being utterly powerless to save them. This is the pain that I embraced and used to become stronger. And soon, captain, so will you."
The vile liquid entered Bronya's body and began working its horrors inside her. She screamed.
"NOOOOOO! IT BURNS! PLEASE, STOP IT! IT HURTS SO MUCH! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP, I BEG YOU!"
Her piercing screams paralyzed him. He could not do anything except listen to Bronya's agony.
This isn't real this isn't real this isn't real this isn't real this isn't real
It isn't really Bronya, it's just a fake...it's just Sirin messing with my mind…I can ignore her, this isn't real…
"PLEASE, CAPTAIN! THEY'RE HURTING ME! I'M BEGGING YOU, CAPTAIN, PLEASE SAVE BRONYA!"
I'm so sorry about this, Bronya...you aren't real, none of this is real, your pain isn't real, you're just a fake...
"NYET! NYET! POZHALUYSTA, NE DELAY MNE BOL'SHE BOL'NO!"
He froze. He had heard Bronya scream those exact same terrified words once before.
He had heard her screaming and crying through the wall that connected their two dormitories at St. Freya Academy. She had been having a nightmare about her past, and he had dove into her bed and embraced her so he could comfort her. She had been so happy that he did. It had been the true beginning of her love for him.
He knew by now that what she screamed meant "NO! NO! PLEASE DON'T HURT ME AGAIN!"
"BRONYA! BRONYA! Don't worry, I'm right here! Your captain's right here with you! I won't let them hurt you anymore!"
He started running to her rescue, but two of those demonic doctors grabbed onto his arms, immobilizing him.
"LET GO OF ME, YOU FILTHY BASTARDS!"
She laughed.
"Didn't I tell you that you needed to feel all the pain of losing those you love? Or do you already understand? Hmmm...no, that you tried to rescue her means you still don't. Neither of you have yet suffered enough."
He did not know how much time passed, but every second was filled with Bronya's endless screams. He did not know why he did not immediately go mad as soon as he heard her, begging for her captain to save her. He felt his mind breaking, fracturing, shattering apart piece by piece every time he heard Bronya howl another agonized wail.
He had stopped struggling against the two who restrained him, and he would have long collapsed to the floor with his soul utterly broken had they not forced him to stand and watch Bronya violently convulsing against her bindings. He had only ever felt this powerless once before.
The thought gave him strength.
"Sirin...please...I understand now…"
She did not answer.
"Sirin…"
"Sirin, if you really love me, then you'll stop this at once."
He felt his rage growing stronger with each second. He was done being a pawn for those with more power than him.
With a roar, he extricated his right arm from the doctor's grip, quickly spun around, and punched the other in the face, fully freeing him. He dodged its retaliatory stab with its syringe and kicked it in the chest before he lunged forward and grabbed it by the throat, crushing its windpipe in his grip. With all the strength he was capable of, he threw it at the other one that was now charging at him, its syringe raised. The two collided and fell to the floor. Then, they vanished as if they had never been there.
Bronya had taught him these moves. She had judged that his existing combat training had been insufficient. She had wanted him to be able to protect himself if she could not be there to protect him.
Sirin watched him with surprise. For once, she was the one who did not know what would occur next.
"Sirin...if you want me, then you have me. I understand it now. I understand everything that you feel."
He strode forward with what little strength remained in him. He raised his arms and embraced her. He kissed her.
...
Her blood-red, razor-sharp talons effortlessly cleaved through a puppet, slicing it into numerous pieces. Another one immediately took its place, which she dismembered just as quickly.
Pitiful puppets. You dare call yourselves Herrschers in my presence? The powers of Starchasm Nyx will teach you the humility you're so desperately in need of.
Bronya opened fire with Project Bunny, destroying several of those puppeteered Honkai beast statues. Her Herrscher of Reason powers had somehow been stolen from her, and she didn't understand how. She was still fully capable of being a lethal combatant, however.
"Seele, the spatial crack is our only way out of this place. We need to get over there, and you may need to break it open so we can pass through," she said.
The workshop had been, as they were not too surprised to discover, a trap, one that they now needed to escape from.
As you say, Big Sister Bronya.
Seele rushed over to the blue fracture in reality, which was widening by the second. But not quickly enough.
"Leaving so soon, you two? Where are you going? Your stay at the Theatre of Domination hasn't concluded yet!" yelled one of those puppets.
"It's rude for guests to leave before their host has shown them what they've planned in store for them!" laughed another.
Begone, pretenders. My dear little captain is more of a Herrscher than all of you will ever be.
Seele, brandishing a blood-red scythe that matched perfectly with her long, flowing red hair, bisected them before she arrived at the opening and began slashing at it until it gave way and was wide enough for both her and Bronya to pass through, which they quickly did, leaving their overenthusiastic hosts behind.
Bronya wished that she hadn't heard Seele saying that.
...
The world...changed.
No longer did he stand in a torture chamber filled with death and despair.
No longer did he endure her screams until his mind shattered apart.
No longer did Sirin behave like the cruel and callous woman that she had become.
She was...gentle. Happy. And wanting.
Her lips were pressed against his as she slowly removed his uniform, starting with his shirt. She gazed at his bare, chiseled chest with approval.
He sat on his illusory bed in his illusory cabin onboard his illusory Hyperion. What she was doing to him was real.
"Do you know why I brought you back here, little captain? It's because you've shown your love to those other women here so many times, so it's only right that you do the same to me."
He gazed into her burning, golden eyes. What she wanted from him was obvious. What she truly wanted from him was something he still did not know.
"Yes, Sirin. I'll do that for you if it's what you want."
She smiled as she lowered herself to her knees and slowly slid his pants off him. He felt himself hardening, despite everything. This had been done to him enough times before that his body knew how to react on its own.
Sirin stared at him. She looked up.
"I'm pleased to see that you're already ready for me, little captain."
Slowly, she took him in both hands. They were small, soft, and warm, and he was unable to deny how good it felt to be touched by her.
She slowly started stroking him, softly moving her hands up and down. He fought to keep a moan from escaping from him, but Sirin knew from his reaction that she had him.
"Do you like it, little captain? This is exactly how Kiana did it to you that night."
He shut his eyes at her mention of Kiana, but doing so brought up the image of her beautiful bare body, doing the same things to him Sirin was now.
She sped up, and this time, a soft moan let her know how much he was enjoying this.
"Be ready, captain...now I shall truly begin."
She opened her mouth and sank down onto him, descending all the way to the base and taking his entire length inside her. She felt herself getting wet as she heard him cry out with pleasure, and she loved the salty taste of the liquid oozing out of the tip and onto her tongue. She had tasted him only once before, and she was glad to taste him again.
"Sirin…"
Why did he just moan her name? Her mouth felt so amazing that he was unable to control himself. She was warm and wet inside, and her lips were wrapped tightly around him, forming a perfect seal that caressed every bit of his girth as she slid her mouth up and down. Her tongue wrapped around his shaft before she gently licked and stroked the tip, and the pleasure from the combined stimulation overwhelmed him.
This isn't real this isn't real none of this is real...but it feels so good...it feels so real…
She moaned with approval as he reached down and ran his hands through her smooth and silky hair. In response, she quickened her pace and began stroking him with a hand even as her mouth continued to please him, and another loud moan came out of him. She took him in her even deeper than before, and he nearly felt himself lose control and tip over the edge. Only incredible self-control prevented him from releasing himself inside Sirin's warm and wet mouth, although she would have enjoyed it if he had.
After she had kept him deep inside for several seconds, she slowly lifted her mouth off him, looked him in the eyes, and smiled.
"This is good, isn't it? Better than all the times before?"
He was unsure. But he had no idea Sirin was so incredible at pleasing him. She definitely matched the other girls. At the thought of them, he remembered how wrong this was, and he hated himself for enjoying Sirin's performance so much.
She had sensed his unease, so she determinedly took him back inside her mouth and continued with the blowjob faster and rougher than before. She knew that the sheer, overwhelming pleasure she gave him would force him to take his mind off anything other than her.
"Fuck...Sirin, fuck...I can't...I can't believe how good you are…"
She smiled sultrily as she slowly slid her tongue all the way from the base of his shaft to the tip before licking back down, never breaking eye contact, eagerly lapping up the drips of precum from the tip before taking him in her mouth again to continue his enjoyment. Her hand stroked him and perfectly matched the movements of her mouth, and the intense sensations gradually built up within him. He would not last much longer the way Sirin expertly used herself on him, and she knew this as well as he did, as was obvious from the way his breathing became more rapid and his moans more deep.
"I...I won't last much longer...I'll cum soon...fuck, keep going..."
Spurred on by his loud and pleasured moans that signified how much he enjoyed her service, Sirin gradually sped up. Faster and faster did her mouth slide up and down on his cock, her tongue swirl around his tip and lick the underside of the head, and her hand move and stroke him until he felt his orgasm only seconds away. His imminent pleasure grew stronger and stronger as she moaned onto his shaft, the gentle vibrations of her voice increasing his pleasure until he lost all control over it.
"Fuck, Sirin, I'm about to cum!"
Sirin stroked him as fast as she could, finally driving him over the edge and allowing him to experience the incredible pleasure of the orgasm she had been working so hard to give him. He yelled as his climax took hold of him, intensified by Sirin continuing to move her mouth and hand on him as fast as she could throughout it, ensuring that his pure pleasure lasted as long as possible. He thrust his hips upwards, driving his cock deep into her mouth as he released as much cum into her as he could. Sirin happily accepted every last drop and continued sucking and blowing him, hoping to prolong his orgasm and receive as much of his cum as she could.
After an unknown length of time entirely filled with orgasmic pleasure, it finally subsided, and he was unable to do anything except breathe heavily, trying and failing to comprehend the pleasure that Sirin had given him.
He moaned again as she continued using her mouth on him, gathering up every last drop before opening her mouth and showing him how much he had left in her mouth and on her tongue. She grinned as she slowly swallowed it all and stuck out her tongue as proof. He felt himself harden again.
"I won't even ask if you enjoyed that, little captain, because I already know that you did."
He did not answer, and he did not meet her lustful gaze. She stood up. She kissed him again. She wrapped her arms around him as she kissed him with even greater desire and passion than they had ever had in their kisses before. When she finally withdrew, they were both breathing hard, and she could no longer ignore the needs and wants of that wet part of her lower body.
"I also know that you enjoyed me more than you ever enjoyed that weakling, Kiana Kaslana...whatever she can do, I can do far better."
She pushed him onto his back before standing back. He was unable to tear his gaze away from the erotic sight of Sirin slowly stripping herself of her elegant violet dress. The way it exposed her smooth, slender legs was already alluring enough, and as she slowly and purposefully removed her garments bit by bit, she knew he was gradually falling for her, no matter how much he may try to resist her tempting and enticing actions.
As he watched her, transfixed, he thought to himself that she was as beautiful and desirable as she was evil and deranged. The duality of her mesmerized him, and she smiled seductively as the final piece of her clothing fell unworn to the floor.
She was fully exposed to him, and he could barely resist her. Her beautiful violet hair added to her irresistibility. Her breasts were small but attractive, her body was perfectly-shaped and free of any imperfections, and as he looked between her legs, he saw that she was ready for him. He was not ready for her.
"Why do you still resist me, little captain? What you want is obvious...even if not to yourself. Let me show you, then, what you mean to me…"
He was unable to resist as Sirin pressed him down to the bed and climbed over him. She positioned herself directly on top of him, and the tip rubbed her soaked lips as she stared into his eyes, knowing what was about to come next.
"You enjoy it every time a woman has her way on top of you, yes? When my lesser half did it to you, you lost yourself to her. This time, you absolutely will succumb to me."
"No…" he groaned softly, so softly that he was unsure if she had heard him.
She gently took hold of him and held it still as she slowly lowered her body onto him. The tip spread her lips, leading the way for the rest to follow and slowly enter her. She moaned as his hardness entered her at a tantalizing pace, and she had become so wet that he slid into her with incredible ease.
They never broke eye contact, and her piercing, golden gaze let him know exactly how much she enjoyed this.
Finally, he entered her fully, and she moaned out as she finally remembered the feeling of his hardness and thickness in her body. It felt incredible for both of them, the way their bodies matched each other perfectly, and she nearly had an orgasm as he went all the way in.
He felt just as much pleasure, and he let out a moan as they were finally fully connected. It felt incredible to be inside Sirin; her tightness, warmth, and wetness were beyond comprehension, and she was even trembling around him as she experienced the carnal pleasure she had not had for so long.
She stayed still on top of him, wanting to enjoy this incredible moment for as long as she could. She loved the way he fit inside her perfectly, stimulating all the right areas, and she leaned down and kissed him as hard as she could, moaning into his mouth.
He moaned along with her. Her pussy was perfect for him, and he wondered if it was possible to feel any better than he felt in that moment.
She withdrew and sat back up, their lips connected by a trail of their saliva. She slowly lifted her hips off him, raising her body until only the tip was still inside her before sinking back down. They both moaned loudly as he went all the way inside her again.
"Captain...captain…" she moaned as she rode him, their pleasure so intense that they could focus on nothing else. Now that she was moving, it felt so much better than before, and the feeling of him sliding in and out of her gave her such pleasure and the desire for even more.
He was unable to hold his own moans in, and as much as he tried to not think about the intense sensations of pleasure that Sirin's pussy moving up and down on his dick gave him, he could not.
"S...Sirin...fuck...you're so good at this…"
"I know, I'm so much better than last time, aren't I?" she moaned back as her pace quickened. She moved up and down on him faster and faster, increasing both of their enjoyment each time she raised and lowered her hips. He felt her tightening around him even more, and the sex felt all the better because of it.
"Yes...yes you are, Sirin...Kiana never came close…"
Why? Why...why am I saying these things...these aren't how I really feel...is it? Is Sirin…
He gazed into her eyes, which were consumed with lust and desire, and he listened to her high-pitched and erotic moans. These all served to improve his own enjoyment, and he felt himself slowly losing himself, slowly giving in to her.
Sirin surprised him by trying a different movement; instead of simply moving herself up and down, she began slowly moving her hips in a circle as she continued to ride him, and he cried out at the sudden increase in pleasure. He had no idea why she was so good at this, and he was given no time to wonder when she leaned down and kissed him again, their tongues tightly entwined around each other.
They moaned into each others' mouths as she moved faster and faster, and they both knew that neither of them would last much longer.
"Cap...captain...this is good, yes? You love what I'm doing for you, the way I move so that you feel this good, the way my pussy is tightly wrapped around you? You won't last much longer, I can feel it...do it, cum all the way inside me, I want it..."
"Fuck, Sirin, yes, you're so fucking good...I can't fucking believe it...I...I love it...the way you…"
"You love it? You love the way I what? Speak up, little captain."
"...the way you do everything you can to please me, the way you're trying new things…"
She laughed. But she was unsatisfied.
"I want to hear more than that, little captain...tell me...that you...that…"
Her moans grew louder and lewder as she rode him faster than she ever had before, and she cried out uncontrollably as his cock went into her deeper than it ever had before, bringing a whole new definition of pleasure for her.
"...that you love me, captain!"
She was moving so fast on top of him that her hips were only a blur, and he felt the last vestiges of his resistance give way and vanish as he felt his pleasure increasing so strongly that his orgasm rushed at him and overtook him.
"I...I LOVE YOU, SIRIN!"
He yelled as loudly as he could as Sirin slammed herself down on him one last time and triggered the pleasure she had been so desperately chasing. She screamed loudly and freely as she forced himself into her, her orgasm so strong that it blanked out all other thoughts she had. Waves of pleasure coursed through her as she shook and quivered uncontrollably on him, but she made sure to keep moving so her orgasm would last even longer.
Sirin cried out with surprise as he suddenly sat up, grabbed her, and turned them around so that she was pressed onto the bed below him with him on top of her. She cried out even louder as he began thrusting himself into her, and she was unable to believe how much better this new position felt for her. He kissed her as hard as he could as he thrusted with all of his might, and each time he entered her strengthened her orgasm so much that she was unsure if it would ever end.
His thrusts increased in speed as his own orgasm took hold of him, and Sirin screamed and wrapped her arms and legs around him as tightly as she could as she felt him releasing his cum into her. The hot liquid was proof of his own pleasure, and she loved that he was giving it all to her, letting out every last drop inside her, giving himself to her.
Neither knew how much time passed before they were finally finished. He collapsed on top of her, both of them breathing hard as they kissed and caressed each other without a worry in the world.
When he ended the kiss and slowly withdrew from inside her, she looked down and smiled at the white liquid pouring out of her. She reached down, coated her fingers in it, and brought them up to her mouth to try the salty taste of it and the sweetness of herself. She enjoyed the way both of their flavours mixed with each other, and before long, she had cleaned herself up.
"I knew you would admit it, little captain...but I never knew you would in a way like this…" she said with a laugh.
He said nothing. He waited for her orders.
She stroked his hair and gently spoke to him.
"Little captain, let me ask you...who am I?"
"You are my queen."
"Who do you serve?"
"You, my queen."
She smiled again as she continued running her hands through his bright red hair.
"I'm happy that you said that. But no, captain. You do not serve me. You serve no one but yourself. But you willingly do what I say because you love me...isn't that right?"
"Yes, my queen."
She kissed him again.
He was hers.