Windstorm sprouted to life at the platform's center. Blue particles begin to spark out and fly around in this contained windstorm, before a small blue ball appears in the road. Shining bright for just a flash, the ball dulls to an almost black shade of color, as it rapidly expands in size. The ball has transformed into a large, deep blue circle. The circular anomaly spins ever so slowly, small blue sparks fly out and dance around it.
Particles dance around Doom Slayer, fizzling out seconds after they were born. Right foot landing on the platform, he was greeted to the sight of some sort of platform hovering high in the sky. The portal behind him closes, and he is left standing alone on a giant platform. The Slayer lifted his head and looked around; there weren't any glowing eyes of imps or towering demonic behemoths. Nothing but a beautiful clear blue sky and the sun basking him with its light His eyes crawled up when he saw Vega's UAC insignia pop up on the upper right side of his HUD.
"I apologize, it appears we have arrived at our wrong destination," VEGA announced through the com. "I will try to reroute us directly to where we are supposed to be going. Please wait a moment."
The radio crackled and prompted the Hell Walker to shift his gaze towards his left. He saw the head of Doctor Samuel Hayden pop up on his HUD.
"It will take some time for VEGA to recharge the portal. Once the portal is in full completion, we will pull you out," Samuel informed him.
The Doom Slayer leisurely paced around the platform. There were a few other platforms floating around in the air, each looked as though they were torn apart by some unknown force. In the space beyond he could see small debris falling from the sky, along with bits of metal wreckage. The Slayer lifted his head and saw the silhouette of a large ship descending from far away. The vessel was sliced from the middle all the way through, leaving the ship slowly diving down nose first while the flank tilted downward.
Doom Slayer caught something from the corner of his eye.
It was there in a wide enough clearing in the air. A dark shape. He blinked, and it was still there.
That shape.
A humane shape. In red.
Doom Slayer quickly threw his super shotgun back in his space inventory. He sprinted forward with incredible speed, leaping high across a gap in the space. He grabbed hold of the figure's arm, pulling the shape close enough for him to make out details. Gravity wrenched the pair down as wind howled loudly passed his ears. The Slayer adjusted the body's position, holding them up bridal style in midair, until the person was facing Doom Slayer's direction.
Held in his arms was a tall woman. Her wavy red hair stretched over her shoulders and down the length of her back, and her skin was pale. She had a beauty mark near the right of her bosom, donned what the Slayer deduced to be a battle suit with mixed colors and patterns on her armor. He couldn't see the color of her eyes due to her lids closed over them. Though the Doom Slayer wouldn't vocalize it, she was quite beautiful.
Doom Slayer blinked. He placed two fingers on the woman's neck, checking for a pulse. His eyes narrowed when he found none.
She's dead.
But that wasn't what made him pause.
Doom Slayer's eyes slightly softened at the sight of her peaceful face. Now that he got a good look at her, he felt...something. Not his default unadulterated rage that filled the void inside of him, nor his cold indifference that masked his emotions like armor. He felt nostalgia upon seeing her face. For some reason that struck a chord within him, as if he had seen that face before somewhere. But he couldn't place where exactly. It was just a feeling that he was missing out on something important.
Doom Slayer glanced down and his face hardened once more. The ocean below them was coming fast now. Right as he was now twenty feet above the water's surface, he stretched his legs out and utilized his jet boots to jump once midair. He proceeded to fall towards the water, pulling the woman's corpse close to her his person, and knifed into the icy water with a frosty splash. He plummeted akin to a stone and slowly bobbed to the surface.
Doom Slayer broke through the muffled silence of the water, causing a small wave to erupt in front of him. The waves washed over his body as he surfaced, soaking armor. He shook the water off before looking around. It didn't take long for him to spot an island not too far ahead. The island's coastline appeared to be lined with lush grasslands covered in flowers of various different hues. The Slayer turned to his left, seeing nothing but an endless sea.
He redirected his gaze towards the woman in his arms. Her head tilted to the right, resting said head against the cheek of his helmet. Doom Slayer rolled his and her body around, facing the endless ocean, laid themselves back and began kicking his feet. After a few minutes they eventually reached the shore. Doom Slayer rose from the water; his armor glittered under the sun's rays as he stared at the island before him.
The Unchained Predator carried the woman up back in bridal fashion. He stepped up onto the sandy floor, scanning his surroundings. Palm trees dotted the landscape with their colorful leaves shimmering in the morning sun. Seagulls squawked as they circled in the sky, occasionally taking flight to land on the treetops. In the distance, he could see the mouth of a jungle, thick with trees and shrubbery.
The Slayer approached the closest palm tree and slowly set the woman down under its shade. He carefully laid her head against the trunk of the tree, then reached out with his other gauntlet to brush the wet strands of her hair out of her face. He gazed at said face for what like an eternity, his mind still trying to puzzle out why he felt some sort of familiarity with her.
Doom Slayer paused.
A shocking realization dawned on him.
That face… he knew he's seen that face before.
Doom Slayer's eyes widened. This woman… looks just like his wife, his beloved. Or maybe this world's version of his wife, since her appearance is vastly different compared to his deceased spouse. The Slayer subconsciously reached for his utility belt…
"I would advise against what you are doing," Samuel Hayden warned the Slayer, halting his hand in place. "You may not care for what I say - but know this, you don't belong in this world; here you are an anomaly in a dimension with a system of law that does not permit any kind of interference, much less physical. Every choice you make will have repercussions that you can't take back, no matter how well you intend to."
Doom Slayer silently scowled and clenched his gauntlet tight.
"Who's to say that this woman before you is meant to die? Maybe her time in this world was up; maybe she sacrificed herself for someone for either the greater good or to save someone dear to her. By doing so, she's reunited with her loved ones in the afterlife as a reward for all her efforts. To revive her now would only rent away her chances of living a life of eternal peace, and seeing her loved ones again. Furthermore, rewriting the course of history by altering this dimension's events."
Silence descended on them.
"I can't stop you, your actions back at the facility on mars were obviously clear. But I at least suggest that you think VERY hard before you make a decision."
Doom Slayer's eyes glanced up and saw Vega's UAC insignia pop up on the upper right side of his HUD.
"The portal is at a-hundred percent and is ready when you are," VEGA reported over the com link.
The Slayer pivoted to his right, his senses heightened as a windstorm began to swirl ominously in the distance. Tiny particles erupted from the tempest, swirling chaotically as they were swept up in the gale. Suddenly, a small blue sphere materialized, radiating a brilliant light for a fleeting moment before it dimmed to a shadowy hue, expanding rapidly in size. This transformation revealed a vast, deep blue circle, its surface mesmerizing as it rotated slowly, casting an ethereal glow. Around it, tiny blue sparks erupted, twinkling and pirouetting like fireflies caught in a whimsical dance, adding to the surreal atmosphere of the unfolding phenomenon.
The Doom Slayer shifted his gaze back at the woman. He once again reached down to his utility belt and retrieved a blue filled vial fluid. Uncorking it, he gently opened the red-haired woman's mouth open before slowly pouring the aforementioned fluid into her mouth. Not long after he closed it shut, her entire body was bathed in a resplendent blue radiance. The brilliance was so intense that it compelled him to instinctively shield his eyes. After a brief moment, the luminosity subsided, prompting him to lower his arm.
Life slowly returned to the woman as her fair complexion regained some color. Her chest rose and her golden eyes fluttered open.
Doom Slayer stood upright before turning away from her and walked slowly towards the portal. He closed his eyes while approaching said portal closer.
He may have failed to save his beloved from the demons of hell.
But at least he saved her.
Murata Himeko fluttered her eyes open. She found herself sitting on her rump under the shade of a palm tree in a clearing on some tropical island. She glanced up to see a group of seagulls perched on an overhanging branch, calling to each other with cawing cries. Himeko slowly got up on her feet, placing her hand against the tree trunk as support to keep herself upright. She stared bewilderingly at the sandy floor.
What happened? Himeko thought, am I…dead?
Himeko placed her hand over her heart. It was beating normally, but that didn't feel right with her. Her puzzlement increased when she noticed that all her wounds were gone. Almost as if she hadn't gone into battle with Kiana seven minutes ago. But this didn't make sense, she vividly remembered dying before being blown away.
She doesn't understand.
What brought her back..?
Himeko lifted her head and blinked in surprise. In the distance, she saw a green armored figure walking towards a strange portal. But before she could call out to them, they entered through the swirling anomaly. As quickly as they phased through it, it vanished out of existence. Leaving the major both shocked and even more confused.
Himeko blinked. She turned to her right and gasped. She saw the unconscious body of Kiana laying face first on the shoreline.
Himeko called out her name and sprinted towards her.
A/N: Well, there you have it young readers! Hope you all enjoyed this Doom x Honkai Impact 3rd one shot I've written. This started when I first discovered Murata Himeko in a recommendation on YouTube one or two months ago, a short animation revolving her final lesson towards Kiana who was possessed. I was amazed and hyped whilst watching her battle against Kiana, but was greatly saddened at how she died. Months after watching that video, a thought of writing a Doom x Honkai Impact 3rd came to mind - and I immediately remembered Himeko.
Which in turn prompted me to write this little one shot. And I gotta say, I'm glad at how it turned out. But that's all I have to say for now. What do you think of this little one shot? Did you like what you've read? How will the Slayer's action impact the Honkai universe? Make sure to comment your thoughts, and as always—I will see you all in the next story.
Have a good day!