"I'm the devil." The woman in red and black had chuckled darkly. The two giant arms behind her seemed to respond to her claim by cracking their knuckles. She placed a hand on her hip as she gazed at Sirin, glancing her over like a predator eyeing its prey. "You know…you're a lot smaller than I imagine," She noted.

Sirin glanced at the other woman with snowy white hair and glowing gold eyes. She could feel power identical to her own but far beyond her own, pulsing through her veins. The woman looked almost indifferent to the whole ordeal. Her arms folded as she looked at them with a stoic expression. The young Herrscher could feel her eyes analyzing her despite the façade.

"What do you want from me?" Sirin muttered, a faux attempt at showing bravado. These people, they must have been the ones to trick her, she realized. She could sense something familiar in them.

Wait a second, Sirin tried to call on the power within her. She let only the gem of serenity present along with her Void core. The other gems, conquest, desire, and haste, those girls had them. "You…you're not going to get my power," She warned as she took a step back. She manifested several lances and threw them at the two in front of her.

She expected them to either dodge or block the attack. That's what most individuals would have done. Instead, they just stood there, as the lances flew toward them. However, they didn't move or flinch, no, her lances did.

The lances that were attacking the horned girl immediately fell to the floor. The area around them sank and cracked as if a million-ton weight had landed on them. The lances cracked and splintered under the weight. The effect had been slow at first but within a second the four lances had been reduced to nothing more than 4 million fragments.

The lances launched at the other girl had been affected differently. Instead of falling they had remained suspended in mid-air, simply stopping before her. The girl smirked a little before the lances erupted into flames, being burnt away into nothingness, right before her eyes. The glow illuminated her face as she stared directly at Sirin.

"Do we look like we need your power?" The red-horned girl questioned in a mocking voice. It was a rhetorical question.

"You…you're cheating," Sirin stuttered. "This is…this is another trick," She tried to rationalize. It was another illusion much like that girl with the feathers before. She suddenly felt every fiber in her body get tugged. The Herrscher tried to resist but she was quickly pulled into the wall behind her. She felt herself get pressed into it, her limbs constrained by invisible bonds.

"A trick to you perhaps," The raven head cooed. "But it is definitely a treat to me," She whispered as the hands behind her started to curl into a fist. Sirin didn't need to guess who the target was. "Sweet dreams princess," She grinned as the giant fists launched forward.

Sirin braced herself for the impact, making a portal in the wall and disappearing into it. The portal immediately closed. The giant fists stopped millimeters from the wall before they returned to their owner, who looked at the wall with mild annoyance before turning to her ally.

"That was easier than I expected," Thunder mused. "I thought she'd put up more of a fight." She noted as she glanced at the older Void Herrscher.

"She has power, but she lacks a warrior's training and instinct." Void noted. "Sirin acts tough but at the end of the day, she's just a child who was 'lucky' enough to gain godlike power," Void explained. "Take it all away and she'll buckle like any kid,"

"Hmm, I wish you had been that easy to deal with." Thunder mused looking at the spot Sirin had been. Power or not, Void had been a menace and they all learned that the hard way. Kiana was already very physically capable and skilled but you take away most of the morals and restraint and the danger becomes all the more evident.

"Still," Thunder muttered. "Is this really the best way of dealing with this?" She questioned. "I'm not complaining. It's admittedly fun to terrorize her, but I feel like this may be counterproductive to befriend her." She voiced. The plan had been to wake up Sirin and hope Cecilia and Bella could talk sense into her. That was the hopeful phase. However, if that failed they'd go to what Void called the horror phase, which was basically scaring and terrorizing the little girl.

"A happy ending is an impossibility to her," Void explained. "She can't fathom anything goodwill as being real. All her trauma has conditioned her to believe only the absolute worse, with promises of happiness being only lies meant to distract her."

"Been there," Thunder noted. After Senti had tried to trick her with her illusions, she had become skeptical. Kiana's return was something she longed for, but even when she had been able to embrace the delusion. When she was so willing to lose herself to the Herrscher's tricks.

She couldn't forget the pain and harsh reality. It had been too easy….and Kiana…her Kiana. She would never have accepted her actions so readily. It was a lie, an esoteric happy ending. What she wanted wasn't possible anymore, not with her sins.

It was the same for Sirin. Her sins were great. She had accepted the lies of the Honkai and willingly embrace the role of a Herrscher. Thunder couldn't blame her after once witnessing the pain within the core. At one point she had been there seeing nothing good being left for her. The only thing she could accept now was the cruelty of the world.

Yet just like Cecilia had done for Sirin, her Kiana had done the same. The last ray of hope and kindness in the dark. It was almost ironic how such kindness had been a passing of the torch. Cecilia's kindness saved Sirin, and it manifested her Kiana, and Kiana's kindness had saved her as result. It was something Mei could never accept, but eventually, she did.

"We let her walk-through hell to eventually find heaven," Thunder noted. She didn't understand at the time why Kiana and Bronya became her friends despite being a Herrscher, despite her zombifying the city. Now though, she knew, they were always kind and good people. She only realized the kindness was real after they escaped from the city.

"Are you now catching on?" Void said bemused. "And here I thought you'd known that was the plan since you introduced yourself as the Devil. Hehe…regardless you are correct." Void admitted. "We tried a nice reality and she rejected it, now we give her a cruel one."

"Good medicine always tastes bitter in the mouth." Thunder mused. "Well then…I suppose I can make her squirm and scream a little more," She smiled.

"Here's a way into the imaginary space I trapped her in." Void informed as she summoned a portal. "I assume you can handle her on your own while I mask the location and energy readings." Void noted as she glanced at Thunder.

"Hehe please. I've got enough experience dealing with a bratty Void queen. I'm sure a bratty Void princess will be a cakewalk," Thunder chuckled.

"Didn't you say the same thing about transforming Kurikara?" Void smirked. Thunder visibly growled at the remark before taking a deep breath and calming herself. The mission came first, Void can be punched later. "Oh and remember. You can scare her and toy with her…but don't actually hurt her." Void reminded.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Thunder noted as she walked into the portal. Cecilia would have both their heads if she did anything to the purple princess.

Sirin floated through the imaginary space looking for a way out. She had tried making portals but to her shock, they only ever took her to different parts of the same space. Sometimes the only difference was that said portal just turned her upside down. "Come on, focus," she told herself as she tried to tear through the pocket dimension. The first Herrscher had forced himself into her space before, surely she could force herself out.

Behind the young girl, Thunder floated just a few feet away, looking amused as Sirin tried to escape. She wondered how long it would take for the girl to notice her. Sure, she was suppressing her power and staying out of sight, but Sirin couldn't be this clueless, at least Void would have noticed something was amiss.

"What am I expecting? She's just a kid," Mei mused. Sirin was far younger than she had been, with no training. Perhaps expecting more from the purple princess was her fault.

Every other Herrscher they encountered was a trained combatant. Void had Kiana's combat training. Bronya was an assassin before becoming a Valk. Mei herself was also a Valk, as were Wendy and Ana. Fu Hua was a dinosaur with thousands of years of combat experience. Owl was a member of the World Serpent. Even Welt had some background in combat from what she heard.

Then there was Sirin. A kid who was kidnapped and experimented on in labs. Mei would have liked to say she had been there, but that would be lying. Mei was kidnapped to be held as ransom and was rescued shortly after. At best she had needed therapy but other than those emotional and mental scars she had been fine. Well fine may have been a stretch considering the monster she became later but that could be attributed to a lot of other traumas than the kidnapping.

Sirin however did not have that kind of luck. No one came for her till it was too late. There was no loving dad getting her back. Nor was there a nice home to return to before. "But there will be this time," Thunder mused. "I'll just have to beat that fear out of you…and I know just how to do it." Thunder smiled.

"Why isn't this working?" Sirin screamed as the portal showed her the 14th image of her own scalp. "It's those cheaters." She grumbled. They were doing something. The connection to God was severed and now she was trapped here all alone.

"Heya," A voice called behind the girl. Her eyes widened as she turned around and shot a lance. This time the horned girl stopped the lance a few millimeters from her face with only two fingers. "Nice try," They answered with a fake smile. The smile soon faded as they frowned. "Okay. I lied; it was actually awful." They admittedly.

Sirin didn't entertain any small talk. She merely threw every attack she had at the girl. Lances, cubes, portals, black holes if she had access to it, she used it. To her credit, she did manage to get the other girl to attempt to dodge. Unfortunately for Sirin, this did not end well for her.

All her attacks were futile. The girl read her moves like an open book, seemingly knowing everything in advance. It was as if they had fought before but only Sirin forgot. She knew every counter and had an answer for every technique Sirin used. It was beyond frustrating.

"Stop doing that," Sirin screamed. "Stop cheating me," She yelled. This girl wasn't even taking her seriously. She had felt the power before but now, it was gone now, no it was there just hidden. She had been scared at first, the presence had been crushing before but now she was just growing more and more frustrated, both at her own weakness and the girl's lack of acknowledgment. Nothing was working on this girl.

"Cheating…" The girl voiced. "Were you actually expecting a fight to be fair?" She questioned.

"What?" Sirin responded.

"Were you actually expecting a fight to be fair?" The girl repeated. "You said I was cheating. That implies there are rules that promote fairness," She pointed out.

"You…you're using all those hidden abilities," Sirin argued.

"Sirin, you are trying to kill me," Thunder noted. "That doesn't exactly incentivize me to play fair." She explained. "Or will those lance phase through me if they make contact?" She questioned.

"Why don't you stand still and find out?" Sirin shouted as she launched another lance. Thunder didn't block this attack. She instead took it head-on. The attack connected impaling the Herrscher and sending her flying back into a floating rock.

Sirin's eyes widened in shock. She didn't actually think that would connect. Floating towards her target, she had a smug look on her face as she looked at the impaled girl. "Ha…that's what you get for messing with the…Queen?" Sirin's voice trailed how as she looked at the impaled figure.

Thunder was looking up at her. An arm propped on the lance which was still penetrating her body as she held her chin. She was wearing a smug look at Sirin. "So, I found out." Thunder continued. "Turns out they don't phase through me…. who would have guessed?" She laughed. "They sure do sting a lot though," She mused.

Sirin summoned more lance.

"Not so fast," Thunder snapped as several strands of lightning erupted from her body and destroyed the weapons before they even properly manifested. "It's my turn now," She teased.

"Your turn," Sirin muttered nervously.

"Yeah…you got one free attack. Now I get one." Thunder grinned as she caressed the lance impaling her. The object in question began to freeze as the girl touched it. Frost formed on the lance before covering it entirely. Thunder then made a fist and punched it shattering it on spot.

Sirin tried to move fly away but an invisible force held her in place. It was no doubt the work of the other girl who was now however at her eye level. Sirin tried to struggle free. She tried calling for her attacks but every time something was about to manifest, they were quickly destroyed by the opposing girl. "Ah Ah," The girl teased. "No cheating. Just hold still," She giggled.

The girl held out her hand as a bright white light began to form. It kept growing brighter and brighter. Sirin couldn't bear to stare at it any longer. She closed her eyes and braced for the worse. Thunder noticing the girl's shut eyes immediately used this to her advantage and through the attack.

SPLAT

The next thing Sirin knew she was hit in the face by something cold, sending her flying back, free from her restraints. Sirin opened her eyes to find herself still alive and in one piece…with snowflakes falling off her? She looked up at the other girl noticing her holding something white and round in her hand. It looked just like a….

SPLAT

…snowball. Sirin realized as she was hit in the face for a second time.

"Haha…that's 2 for me." She laughed. Her voice wasn't as lighter. The echoing effect it had prior was now gone. Another ball formed in her hand as she threw it. This time though Sirin was able to easily sidestep and catch the ball with her powers. The Herrscher glanced at the projectile.

"What the heck?" She muttered aloud. "It's just a snowball," She shouted at the red-horned girl in confusion.

"Yes, it is," The girl answered as she stretched out her hand. She snapped her fingers and all of sudden, the world shifted. The rocks that floated around them all clustered together into a large platform below them.

The girl floated down landing gently on the platform. She looked up expectedly at Sirin, waiting for the Herrscher to follow. When she didn't the girl snapped her fingers again, and a mountain of snow appeared above Sirin's head. The snow fell to the platform taking Sirin with it.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Sirin screamed as she stood up shaking snow off her body. She was getting more annoyed with the being in front of her.

"Come now," The girl said. "You wanted a fair game. Now you have one," she told Sirin.

"A game," Sirin muttered. "What game?" She questioned.

"It's a numbers game in the form of a snowball fight." The girl explained as she lifted up her hands. "We each have 10 points," She informed. "When you get hit with a snowball, that number goes down. If it hits 0…you lose." She told Sirin.

Sirin frowned at this. She didn't buy into this idea. Something was not right here. Her opponent had her at her mercy and was clearly stronger despite how much she loather to admit. "What happens if I lose?" Sirin inquired.

"If you lose…" The girl mused as she rest a hand on her chin. "If you lose, you become my test subject." She grinned evilly. Sirin felt her blood run cold at that idea. She wasn't going to become anyone's lab rat. She'd die before that happened.

"And if I win?" Sirin asked. "What then?"

"If you win…I let you out," The girl said. "That should be enough for you right," Thunder noted. "To be free from this prison," she told the void princess.

Sirin didn't trust her. To be freed so easily would be a joke, but she didn't have any other choice. "Alright," she told the girl. "Let's go." She shouted as she grabbed a handful of snow and made a snowball.

"She hates me," Bella cried in the corner. "Master hates me." She wept as she hugged herself and curled up into a ball. Kiana was currently standing beside Bella gently patting her as the dragoness continue to cry out her sorrows.

"I take it Sirin didn't wake up on the right side of the bed," Teri noted as she handed a glass of water to Cecilia. The two had been warped instantly into the room. Bella broke down not a few seconds later. From the look of its, Cecilia had been equally as affected as the dragon.

"It was fine…for the first few minutes," Cecilia lamented. "I thought it was going well…but Sirin…she didn't believe it was real." She sighed. "She thought we were back in the dream. That it was all fake."

"She didn't believe you would actually be there for her?" Teri questioned. From the way Void had explained it sounded like Sirin had held Cecilia in high regard, but now.

"It's not that she didn't believe. Its more that she felt it was too good to be true." Cecilia muttered. "Like if a happy ending where the world didn't burn was impossible for her," Cecilia explained. It was a sad thought. To think that Sirin had reached that point.

"She's had a hard life," Teri whispered. It wasn't a life you'd wish on anyone. Sirin may have done some terrible things, but even Teri understood how she devolved into that. The state those children had been in. Sirin had killed every adult in Babylon, but she had never harmed any of the kids. In fact, all the children knew of her, but no one could attest to witnessing any bloodshed at the time.

"I feel so useless," Cecilia admitted. "I know Void and Thunder have a plan but…. I just want to do more for her." She was the strongest Valk on the planet, but she still felt powerless.

"You are already doing that Cecilia," Teri comforted. "When it's over you're going to be there for her. She may not accept it, but this is the reality now." She added. "And I know that you're going to drown her in as much love as you would Kiana," She added. "You just got to hold on a little longer besides…if this weight gets a little much for you…I guess I'll have to pitch in." Teri added.

"Pitch in,"

"Of course. I have a reputation to uphold. I need to hold on to my title of the coolest aunt after all," She noted. "I will have more nieces to spoil." She laughed.

"Even Bella," Cecilia questioned. Bella didn't really seem to want to be adopted from what they saw. She was comfortable staying alongside Sirin and Void, but it didn't seem like she was so keen on being a family member. The way she got along with Kiana was adorable.

"You know, I'm something of a Honkai beast myself," Teri said as they glanced over at the crying dragon. For some reason, Kiana had gone from patting her, to being used as a plushie to console her. The 1-year-old didn't seem to mind though, she enjoyed hugging the dragon sister.

"I want to say comfort her, but it seems like Kiana's already beaten us to it," Cecilia mused. "That's my girl," She thought.

"It's kind of funny how the dragon resembles you and Siggy the most. Like out of all of them, she has the blue eyes and white hair to perfectly match the family." She laughed. "Maybe I should adopt her as my daughter instead." Teri joked.

"Trying to poach my kids," Cecilia smiled.

"Well, I mean let's be real you do have a lot," Teri admitted. "And besides…you know considering my condition I sincerely doubt I'm ever reaching that far," She muttered. While it wasn't impossible for her to have kids, the whole process of getting a child of her own would be…complicated to say the least.

Being eternally 12 with a mind far older, anyone she would date would either be too young mentally or too old physically. A relationship with Theresa Apocalypse would be heavily scrutinized under her grandfather's watch and even if it wasn't she didn't feel like burdening anyone with the social awkwardness of the situation. She could already see it now, if she dated someone even half her age, the FBI was going to be called before it could even finish.

That still didn't give her the right to feel entitled. "Sorry, that came out wrong," Teri apologized.

"No need Teri," Cecilia assured her. "I should have been more considerate. I also shouldn't have gotten so defensive about something like that. Bella is still her own person after all."

"Yeah…I suppose we'll have to ask her." Teri mused. "Although given her loyalty…I doubt she'll agree."

"You never know," Cecilia muttered. "We don't know what the future might hold,"

"That's ironic considering that we have two time travellers to question after,"

"But for now…we still don't know," Cecilia added.

"Fair point."

"Alright sports fans, the game is now 9 to 9," Thunder announced to the imaginary space. "The newcomer Sirin may have had a rough start, but she's been able to make up the difference somehow." She continued to no one in particular.

Sirin wondered if the girl was truly insane at this point. They had been going back and forth since the beginning, but Sirin knew it wasn't right. Out of all the things she could have chosen, why a snowball fight "Stop toying with me," Sirin demanded. "I know you're holding back,"

"Hey, you wanted a fair game, and I gave you one. Now you're saying don't like it cause its fair," The girl continued. "Make up your mind already. I swear you're worse Queenie."

"I wanted a fair game because I didn't want you surprising me." Sirin pointed out. "But now that you're holding back I know you're just mocking me," She admitted.

"Is this all some kind of joke to you?" Sirin questioned.

"Do you want me to answer honestly?" Thunder responded. Sirin scowled at her in a very…Void-like manner. So, there's the family resemblance she realized. The expression was as clear as ever, just tell her the truth.

"Well in regard to your capabilities and powers…you're a joke," Thunder admitted. "To me at least," She added. "I've had my own fair share of more powerful individuals prior to our meeting, so in your current state you are nothing more than an insignificant…insect," She told Sirin.

Thunder then flashed forward right into Sirin's face. "You're strong…but you're unstable," Thunder spoke. She then flashed around to the side of Sirin. "You're unskilled, unfocused." She zapped above Sirin's head. "You're not disciplined in the slightest."

"You won mostly through raw power before, but even then you would have clearly lost had it not been for several outside interferences," Thunder mused. "Many people can outplay you. Many can outsmart you," She kept talking, kept fazing in and out of existence.

"And you'll fall for the tricks every single time," Thunder noted. "Like right now," She whispered into her ear.

Sirin's eyes widened as a turned to face the other girl…and her face turned right into the snowball the girl had held out in front of her. That was the game.

"You lose," The girl laughed. Sirin looked up to see her opponent grinning menacingly at her. "If you lose you become my test subject." She recalled hearing from the girl prior.

"No," Sirin muttered under her breath. Not again.