The slumbering girl plummeted from the void until she was completely swallowed by darkness. Ren watched the direction Durandal disappeared, his cold expression gradually softening.
He spoke with a hint of apology, "Sorry, this was the only way to have you leave the stage for now."
Ultimately, he didn't actually dislike Durandal, nor did he intend to truly kill her. But as one of Otto's strongest combatants, he needed a reason to prevent her from interfering with him temporarily.
And the Imaginary Tree was a good choice.
He had discovered earlier that this place was quite close to the edge of the world, considered the lowest region of Imaginary Space. Further down lay the Sea of Sand around the Imaginary Tree, where Ren himself had stood guard for tens of thousands of years.
Although the Sea of Sand was the world's end, a forbidden zone for the Honkai, apart from occasionally encountering the roots of the Imaginary Tree, there weren't many actual dangers. With Durandal's strength, there was no need to worry too much.
Conversely, the Imaginary turbulence within the Sea of Sand could significantly delay her. Even for the strongest Valkyrie, returning to the real world would take at least two or three months. That was enough time for him to handle everything.
As for terms like "the real Kiana" or "the one true Kiana," they were merely excuses Ren had concocted on the fly to convince himself. After all, during the tens of thousands of years before entering this world, Ren had observed Kianas from various timelines. He knew better than anyone who his true "Cecilia-Kiana" was.
Just as they had exchanged their true names in ARC City back then, the name "Kiana" was everything Ren sought. Not "Kiana Kaslana," nor "K423," but simply "Kiana" – his Kiana.
With Durandal dealt with, it was time to return to the real world.
Otto's exile trap using the Gnus System was indeed a significant threat, but Ren was the Herrscher of Dominion. As long as his Dominion Theater existed, returning to the real world only required locating the theater's coordinates.
With two simple teleports, Ren was back in Linburg City.
Previously, due to Project Stigma, Ren had to undergo World Serpent's Herrscher Core fusion experiments, wasting a considerable amount of time. Now, the ordinary Herrscher Cores were mostly absorbed, and the remaining Herrscher authorities all resided within "living Herrscher Cores" like Kiana and Mei. His objectives had thus become clear.
Ren chose to actively reveal his identity as the Herrscher of Dominion to show Otto his stance, and also to bring the Honkai onto the world stage. Only when civilization could recognize the Honkai could it find ways to combat it. And the Herrscher of Dominance was the perfect choice to enact this drama.
"Next, I just need to..."
Before he could finish, Ren's expression suddenly froze. He subconsciously looked towards the city center, his voice gradually falling silent.
She... how could she be here?
In an instant, the clear thoughts in his mind suddenly tangled like a ball of yarn caught by a cat.
Reason told him Kiana would interfere with his plans, and it was best to avoid contact. But a voice in his heart seemed to urge him on – go take a look, even if it's just secretly.
"..."
The torrential rain falling from the sky gradually calmed Ren's thoughts.
Right. With Ren's rational personality, how could he hesitate over such a small matter? —So he bought an umbrella from a roadside convenience store and quickly walked towards Kiana's location.
"Hey, kid. You didn't think we wouldn't find you just because you were hiding, did you?"
If growth is a long journey, then school is an unavoidable topic for most. Some navigate it smoothly, peacefully passing through their "newbie village," while others are forced to confront an ever-present issue – school bullying.
And what was currently unfolding in the alley was clearly a classic case of it.
"I already gave it to you this week," a boy wearing glasses cowered in the corner of the alley, trembling as he looked at the figures surrounding him.
Evidently, the bullies didn't care about the boy's fear. The leader, a youth, bared his teeth, his face full of disdain. "You brat, you really think we're fools? It used to be 800 every week. This time, you only put 400 in the paper bag. You really think we don't know what you're up to?"
Hearing the youth's voice, the boy's face turned pale. He hugged his backpack, practically curling into a ball, silently cursing his past self.
His family gave him a weekly allowance of one thousand. Although these vampires often took 800, he could just about survive on the remaining two hundred if he scrimped. But at the beginning of this week, he had become engrossed in a game and unknowingly spent most of his allowance on it, leaving only this small amount.
"I... I'll make it up next week."
"Heh, make it up? A guy like you making it up would be a miracle." The youth sneered, clearly not encountering this situation for the first time. "Speaking of which, you exchange students really don't know what's good for you. We locals only get 300 a week for living expenses, yet you dare to lie to your families and ask for a thousand. The money you get is either spent on games or gambling. Even if we didn't find you, you wouldn't save much."
His secret exposed, the boy's face flushed red then white, but he couldn't utter a word.
Ultimately, his family wasn't wealthy. Sending him abroad to study had already cost them a lot. He had initially intended to be frugal, but living alone in a foreign country, he had unknowingly developed spendthrift habits.
He was restrained at first, but after asking his family for money several times under the guise of tuition fees, matriculation fees, and so on, he started asking for more and more, until he was spending money like water at school, eventually attracting the attention of this group.
Seeing his intimidation tactics had worked, the leading youth no longer bothered with pretenses. "I'll give you one choice. Give me all the money next week, and we'll let you off this time."
"If I give you all the money, what will I eat?"
"Get a part-time job! Aren't many of your fellow countrymen working while studying? Why can't you?"
The boy, long accustomed to spending freely, couldn't bear this. His eyes darted around. He noticed a gap in the circle of bullies. Seizing an opportunity when they weren't paying attention, he scrambled out.
But unfortunately, his little trick didn't work. He only managed a few steps before being dragged down, followed by a barrage of punches and kicks.
"You damn brat, still dare to run? We didn't beat you up before, and that really gave you some confidence, huh?"
Dull thuds of fists and feet echoed continuously in the alley. Passersby occasionally glanced in but pretended nothing was happening.
The boy curled up on the ground, covering his head, regret and fear intertwining in his heart. Just as he thought he would be beaten to death, a strange female voice suddenly came from the alley entrance.
"Stop!"
His head was ringing, but a flicker of relief passed through his mind. He felt the blows landing on him disappear; clearly, the bullies had shifted their attention to the suddenly appearing girl.
He knew all too well what would happen when a lone girl encountered a group of thugs. But for him, unable to protect himself, even a momentary respite from the beating was enough.
He covered his head and ears, refusing to look or listen, as if whatever happened to her had nothing to do with him.
Unexpectedly, two minutes passed, and the anticipated beating didn't resume. Instead, a gentle hand patted his back.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw a beautiful white-haired girl.
The girl's body seemed even frailer than his own, but the continuous wails and the thugs scattered on the ground were undeniable proof that this delicate-looking girl had just defeated the bullies and saved him.
"Are you okay?"
The girl asked softly, and in that instant, the boy thought of his parents far away in his hometown. A surge of intense sorrow and grievance welled up in his heart.
Why should I be bullied? Why should I have to endure a beating?
The bullies' faces flashed in his mind, a stark contrast to the girl's delicate appearance.
And so, fear transformed into anger, grievance into venomous resentment.
He shoved the girl who had saved him away, his eyes filled with hatred. "You could clearly beat them easily! Why didn't you show up sooner? If you had come earlier, I wouldn't have been beaten! I wouldn't have been robbed!"
"You didn't show up when I was being beaten, and now you come playing the hero! It's all your fault!"
Kiana, caught completely off guard, never expected such a reaction. Before she could even process it, she was pushed and fell, landing bottom-first in the muddy water.
Seeing her somewhat disheveled state, a strange sense of satisfaction bloomed in the boy's heart.
See? So what if you bullied me? Weren't you beaten down too?
So what if you beat them up? Didn't I just push you down?
He was lost in his own world, seemingly reverting to the tyrannical persona he adopted in front of his parents.
...
Thwack!
Just as the boy was preening, an umbrella, appearing from nowhere, slammed squarely into his face. Instantly, a searing pain shot through his head.
He clutched his face in agony, curling up again in the filthy water. But no matter how he struggled, the skin on his face felt like it was being continuously burned by fire, the pain almost piercing his bones.
"Too cowardly to resist those who oppress you, yet daring to spew venom at the kind soul who extends a helping hand. The depravity of human nature... as predictable as ever."
Thunder rumbled in the gloomy sky. A momentary flash of white light illuminated the dark alley. Ren slowly picked up the fallen umbrella, opened it, and held it over the girl's head.
He bent down slightly, extending his hand towards her.
"Long time no see, Kiana."