An original story crossed with HONKAI IMPACT
Summary: Trapped in the sea of time, he watched the world grieve and fell into a deep slumber. The Honkai won, and humanity perished. Amidst the shattered Samsara, he made the greatest sacrifice to turn back time. To change the past, one must bear the consequences. To walk on this accursed path by himself and approached the dawn of yesterday. However, things never went according to plan as the butterfly effect struck its fang.
Bold sentence: Herrscher talking to a mortal
Italic sentence: is talking about a person's thought and the past.
CHAPTER 2:
Imaginary Tree
The dome of eternal darkness gradually cracked, its shattered fragments turned to dust as light pierced through the holes, dimming the darkness and illuminating the two in their vibrant colour of hue.
With the light shining on her, the mortal averted his gaze to look at the Herrscher, and he sees the melancholy expression written all over her.
The Deity sighed in disbelief before closing her eyes with a subtle smile on her face, embracing her defeat to the only mortal who succeeded in preventing her from resetting humanity's civilization.
"Well done, mortal." The Herrscher acknowledged with a grimace, her tone of voice was shallow and weak, her lips quivered for a moment before she gave a defeating sigh, surrendering her life and awaiting her demise at his hands within this cold and vacuum space.
But the final blow never came.
Slowly, she opened her eyes, her solemn expression giving way to confusion.
"What are you waiting for?"
He couldn't answer a simple question.
They were enemies, he knew that, and humanity was on the verge of extinction because of her...so why is it so difficult for him to deliver the final blow?
The seal has changed the two for the better...or for the worse.
No one could tell, but looking at her from her perspective...he understood why she became humanity's number one enemy.
"Does it have to end like this?"
The Herrscher peered at him, then looks past him, into the darkness of the universe, where nothing but debris and destruction obscures her sight.
"The universe is dying," she said, stating the obvious. The Herrscher stopped for a moment, then continued with a lamenting tone of voice. "You're the only one worthy of facing her. This is not your final destination, human."
"Then...what will happen to you?"
The Herrscher shut her eyes.
"I let her down...the only result of my failure is death."
Kent was silent, which caused the Finality to open her eyes and chuckle.
"Don't hesitate, you fool. If this was you fifteen million years ago, you wouldn't hesitate to stop me. This is the result of our battle...let us now put an end to it once and for all."
Kent mulled it over, and among the many other possibilities, he eventually realised there must be another ending to their conflict, one in which both parties can come to terms with each other.
One where the Honkai could become allies to humanity.
Especially if they were going to face her.
"No, I will not let you perish just like that."
His answer startled her.
How amusing.
They shared one thing within the seal.
It was their memories of each other; they had seen the past, lived in the present, and now...they're moving into the future.
The Herrscher of the End could feel a string tugging at her cold and empty heart, filling the empty space with something...
It feels warm and fuzzy, and even she was perplexed by what had happened to her.
The Herrscher could only watch his hands reach out to hers, grabbing her and gently pulling her closer to his side as their foreheads touched.
"I will give you my all..." Kent began by staring at her golden eyes, and she flinched before hearing him finish his sentence with a smile. "In exchange, you will give me everything. That way...you'll be a part of me forever."
His sincerity caused her heart to tremble, which was another strange sensation.
The emotion she used to bury deep within herself was now erupting like a volcano.
'Such a strange emotion,' she jested in her thought; this was unpleasant but also perplexing; in the past, she had rejected human emotions, but now, with him by her side, she is conflicted.
She clenched her lips and tightened her grip on his hands, absorbed in her thoughts.
"Don't worry; I'll never betray you."
She heard the mortal reassure her in her left ear, sending a shiver down her spine as the Herrscher bit her lips.
The warmth from his hands was gradually calming her doubts, and the genuine tone of his voice filled her heart with new raw emotion she couldn't describe easily.
She made her second decision for the second time today, and the Herrscher of the End responded with a smirk.
"Very well then. Show me, mortal! Your desire to change the world! Let me witness the beauty of humanity!"
A brilliant light engulfed the two, and the seal shattered completely into fragments of colour, while its brilliance illuminated the universe's cold and emptiness.
When the light went out, he was seen hovering alone in space.
He was probably the only one who understood her.
Her past is rife with heartbreak and betrayal.
Her hatred led her to the conclusion that humanity cannot be saved.
She was falling into the abyss, which not only entrapped her but also corrupted her, turning her into a pawn of the God of Honkai.
She was used by the Honkai to fight humanity, shackled by chains of their commands to conquer the Earth and reset the world. She was the Order sent by God of Honkai to end humanity's lives.
But she is now free.
His hands trimmed the string of control.
Kent felt her power surge through his body, as her soul resides within his MANTIS core.
"I'll make a path to the Imaginary Tree!"
The sound of shattered glass echoed in his ears as he saw space bend under her might, creating a fracture in space. The void of darkness swirls across him, waiting for him to dive in.
He closed his eyes and tapped a small portion of her power to overseer the state of the Universe, then to Earth; the home of civilization has been preserved by the four golden pillars he has created, which act as a shield and a beacon for humanity to flourish within this calamity.
That alone satisfied him, as he opened his eyes and exclaimed.
"Let's go, Kiana!"
He leapt directly in, and the rift immediately closed, leaving no time to squander.
As he was being pulled by an unknown force towards his next destination, darkness obscured his entire vision. A dazzling light and an enormous golden tree greeted him.
The man stares at it, feeling the tremendous pressure from the tree, tilting his head upward from the trunk, taking notes of the branches that stretch into the corner of his eyes and beyond.
"The branches represent alternate realities within our own..." He was amused by Dr. Mei's hypothesis at the time. "This is it," he thought to himself, leaping towards the tree. The dirt he stepped on radiated pure energy, the energy of life that represented every aspect of the living, and yet he felt dreadful, mixed with astonishment.
The Imaginary Tree was encircled by eternal darkness, which continues to drain the life radiating from the soils. Dead grasses and leaves tainted with black were seen scattered beneath the vibrantly alive soils.
When he takes a step closer to the tree, the cool breeze turns cold and violent. The leaves on the tree branches violently shook, and the eternal darkness collided with the Imaginary Tree, causing a tremor.
The Sea of Quanta reacted to his presence by expressing its rage.
"Hah..." he thought as he took another step forward, ignoring the danger.
A golden light soon engulfed his sight, and the sound of a baby crying greeted his ears.
"Now, now, don't cry. You will mature into a strong and dependable man." A man in his fifties sung with a smile on his face, delighted with the child's existence as he saw the older man tenderly cradling the newborn baby.
"This is... The moral paused, taken aback by what he had just witnessed.
But before he could say anything else, the concrete beneath his feet buckled, turning to dust and causing him to free fall into the abyss below.
Memories of the past swirled around him, one by one, filled with conflicts, happiness, joy, sadness, and betrayals. The darkness was then swept away by a flash of crimson before it engulfed his entire vision.
Kent realized it was from that era.
The sky was tinged with red, and the sound of burning could be heard as the city was engulfed in a fiery firestorm. Everything was scorched to the ground, some buildings collapsed, while others that remained standing left nothing but melted metallic structure. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance as he stares at his past self, surrounded by members of the Flame-Chasers.
Kent gritted his teeth.
"She might be able to live! Why did you have to kill her?" A woman with ashen hair growled in rage, punching him in the face and bruising his right cheek as the latter remained silent, allowing the woman to continue beating him and venting her rage at him.
"Stop it Hua!" A disbelieving cry came from behind him, and as he looked at the figure, her Elven-ears twitched as she rushed forward and intervened by standing in front of his past self.
Hua wailed in grief, thrashing her feet to the ground, and quickly fleeing away from the scene.
"You shouldn't have intervened, Elysia." The man lamented with a small smile, despite the tough act he put on display his body unable to cope with his mind. The pain and fatigue got the better of him, causing his feet to give up on him, but before he could fall to the ground, she enveloped her hands around him and he fell into a blissful sleep under her arms.
"I'm sorry" Elysia muttered with a sad smile adorned on her face.
Kent averted his gaze away from the scene, and his feet start carrying him towards her.
"Mission accomplished, Lieutenant Kent, shall we get a drink now? My treat!"
"I don't drink, captain Himeko..."
He couldn't hold back a grin when he saw her reaction.
Despite her embarrassment, the captain with redhaired laughed it off and nudged him in the shoulder,
"Then...accompanied to one." Himeko started to give him a pleading look. "You can get something else instead of beers."
"Yes, ma'am."
Himeko gave him a curt smile before whacking him in the head.
"I'm not that old, you brat!"
They exchanged one last glance before having a good laugh and then taking a walk side by side towards the MOTH facility's cafeteria. That was the last time he spent time with her...before The Herrscher of Flame descended upon the world.
The man stares at Himeko's lifeless body; despite the fact that she had turned the city into hell, her dying face was radiant with happiness.
Maybe her death was the salvation she needed on the day.
The last human knelt and paid his respects to the former MOTH soldier.
His lips trembled as he spoke.
"I'm sorry..."
Other than the tears welling up in his eyes, no words could describe what happened that day. Even though millennia had passed, he could still recall the redhead's adoring smile as she accepted her death.
While he was on his knees, a rosy-coloured mist began to dance around him, gradually transforming into a female form. It then wraps its arms around his crying form before moving towards his head, and his sight is soon obscured by the same shade of pink.
When the mist clears, what was in front of him was from that day.
Their last encounter.
The man has always been captivated by the stunning woman standing across from him.
The woman with elf ears and light pink hair in a low ponytail. She has a voluptuous figure hidden beneath her white top, which is coveted in an off-the-shoulder black shawl and black shorts with black stockings to cover her feet.
The moonlight glistened on them as they stood across from each other.
Her hair, like her battle gear, swayed gently in the breeze.
"Will you promise me?" The woman began with a question, a sorrowful smile on her face as she stared at his back. Her lips winced as she continued her solemn and regretful sentence. "When that day came... stay true to yourself. You are the World's Hero. My hero," She spoke in a sad tone.
The only response she received was a pregnant silence.
Kent unconsciously extended his right hand towards her figure, but before he could reach out to her, the scene changed once more. This time he was standing on a rocky outcropping, the stars shining above his head and the majestic view of Earth in the background.
The man met the gaze of the Final Herrscher.
"After I took down all of you, another appeared. You humans are like pests, a sore in the eyes that keeps coming back!"
Kent completely ignored her as his gaze became solemn.
"I don't see Elysia... does that mean..." He trailed off before shaking his head, refusing to finish the sentence. He then averted his gaze to his left, where he saw Kevin Kaslana standing.
"What is the situation?"
The Hero of Mankind frowned.
"We must act; we have been beaten by her. There is no other way to end this. If the fight continues, we will lose everyone...again."
Kent bit his lower lip as he assessed the situation. He smirked at the silver-haired man. "Do you think you can still fight alongside me?"
The Kaslana nodded back.
"I will back you up."
"W-we, we can still fight...!" Eden rasped out between panting relentlessly as he saw her wobbly feet move, struggling to get back on her feet. The dark-crimson hair Flame Chaser's was covered in burn marks and fresh bruises; she was battered, and her battle uniform was ripped with holes.
"Oh Kent...with you here, there's a chance we'll win this impending battle." Aponia chimed in, panting heavily as she helped Eden in getting back on her feet.
"Let's get this fucker killed!" Kalpas snarled and punched the palm of his hand, but despite the excitement, he only has minutes to live.
He noticed Pardo was already unconscious and Kosma was struggling to stay awake.
Hua cast a glance at him and simply nodded; they may have a dispute in the past, but now is not the time to discuss it.
Kent closed his eyes, recalling Elysia's words.
Promise me that you will remain true to yourself until the very end.
With that in mind, he made a decision and smiled at everyone.
He will make this decision solely because of their willpower.
"Everyone has defended our home planet, sacrificing their lives to keep humanity alive, and now...my it's turn," He began by raising his hand and pointing to the Herrscher with his index finger.
Then blue energy envelops his body, circling beneath his feet.
The Herrscher stood there in silence, observing the situation with interest. This man has incredible power! She was jolted out of her reverie when she noticed that the same blue light that was on him was now on her.
"What's this…?"
"So, relax and leave the rest to me. All of you, live and tell the tale of our upbringing! That's my final wish as...your comrade and friend!"
Kevin was bewildered, and before he or anyone else could react, another of Flame Chaser's comrades made the ultimate sacrifice himself, leaving alongside the Herrscher of the End.
Within the depths of the galaxy, a battle ensued.
The battle that lasted over a million years.
When the memory lane concluded, he was seen standing alone, surrounded by nothing but darkness, carrying his feet towards nothingness. Minutes turned into hours until he arrived at the end and saw a door in front of him.
The man looked at the doors, noticing the strange symbols on them, each of which represents the power of the previous Herrscher he had fought alongside the Flame-Chaser. His gaze was drawn to the final symbol, and without realizing it, his hand unconsciously touched it.
Then, golden light shrouded his vision and eliminated the darkness that surrounded him, prompting Kent to cover his eyes with his hand as the light faded and the door slid open. The appearance of a woman dressed in the same shade of gold who was sitting on a chair and sipping from the cup in her hand alerted the man. She then placed the cup on the table and smiled at him.
"Greetings, Hero of Humanity, welcome to my humble abode."
Chapter 2: Done.
See you next time!