I Am Honkai

"The perfect fusion of Honkai and humanity... This is what I've always wanted!"

"So beautiful... This is what I've been pursuing... the beauty of life! The direction of human evolution."

Suspended in Selene's grasp, Mobius couldn't help but reach out, yearning to touch these Death Angels. Her gaze, brimming with fervor, seemed as if it could melt through the midnight-blue power armor worn by the Night Lords warriors.

The power armor exhibited a style starkly different from the equipment of Fire Moth—cold, heavy, and rugged. Its design screamed one purpose: high-intensity warfare.

Yet, the edges, chest plates, and pauldrons of the armor were adorned with intricate Gothic-style metal decorations and lightning patterns, signaling that these warriors were not mere war machines.

They were human.

Two seemingly contradictory styles merged organically, unexpectedly harmonious, as though they were a seamless whole. Their presence radiated a violent beauty, an aura of midnight specters.

The dim firelight from the ruined city reflected off their armor, casting ghostly ripples.

"'VIII'... the Eighth Legion."

Gazing at the blood-bat insignia on the pauldrons of the heavily armored giants, Mobius murmured softly. The insignia depicted a skull with blood-red bat wings.

Before Gray Serpent was claimed by Selene... Ahem, before Gray Serpent was taken by Selene, his reports had mentioned that there were at least nineteen Astartes legions.

"Oh? Just awakened, yet you seem to know a thing or two. Must be Gray Serpent's intelligence, right?"

Selene casually released her grip on Mobius's collar, letting the little figure stumble and plop down onto the ground.

She then walked over to a kneeling Night Lords officer, his head deeply bowed. Selene tapped his pauldron thoughtfully and said, "Do you want to know more about them?"

The 8th Astartes Legion, the Night Lords, was under the command of Curze, their legion comannder, during this campaign. They were assigned to the Far East theater under the broader strategic control of General Budo, with full authority over the military and administrative affairs of the South Asian subcontinent.

The wicked are best subdued by the wicked.

And clearly, when it came to dealing with the obstinate masses of the subcontinent, the Night Lords—driven by a bloodthirsty craving for violence and destruction—had masterfully subdued them with the sheer terror of their spectral massacres.

It confirmed the old adage: I study literature so we can sit down and talk peacefully. I study martial arts so I can ensure you sit down peacefully and talk.

"I do!"

Even if she was being led by the nose, Mobius couldn't contain her eagerness. She immediately tried to stand, wanting to touch this Night Lords officer, to touch his flesh and study him!

Mobius, like Dr. Mei, began her career in biological research. Within Fire Moth and beyond, she was regarded as a world-renowned scientist.

However, unlike Dr. Mei's mostly positive reputation, Mobius received nothing but scornful criticism.

To be fair, her brilliance was undeniable, but admiration or respect for her?

For most people, it was simply out of the question. After all, no one liked being treated like a lab rat—except maybe masochists.

Mobius, of course, cared little for the judgment of these "mundane fools." Her goal had always been singular: evolution.

Whether it was joining Fire Moth, introducing Dr. Mei (Mobius was the one who recommended Mei to Fire Moth), or collaborating with Mei on the Super Transmutation Surgery and the Fusion Warriors project...

In every case, Mobius's motivations and actions were never driven by some lofty goal of saving humanity. It was always about pursuing the path of evolution.

For most, Honkai was a nightmare to be eradicated. For Mobius, it was a path to humanity's advancement.

It must be noted: from the moment she was born, Mobius demonstrated a stark difference from ordinary humans. She was a true "monster," immune to the common moral and ethical frameworks of humanity.

Mobius did not cry at birth. Instead, she spoke. She murmured, "Mobius... Is this my name?" horrifying her family and the medical staff present.

At nine years old, her mother passed away, and her father succumbed to Honkai disease.

On her birthday, she cruelly observed her father, ravaged by illness and medication, and left behind the words, "I... will bring evolution to humanity," before abandoning her home.

In some ways, Selene was more human than Mobius—more relatable, more grounded.

"You want this?"

Selene's lips curled into an exquisitely malicious smile. "Then kneel, bow your head, and acknowledge our master-servant relationship."

"You—! Ugh..." Mobius collapsed again onto the gravel-strewn dirt road, panting heavily and glaring fiercely.

Freshly resurrected, the Honkai energy Selene had supplied was calibrated precisely—just enough to restore her body, with no excess to fuel further activity. Recovery would take time.

"What do you mean 'you'?" Selene interrupted brusquely without looking back. Standing over the trembling form of a Night Lords officer, Selene removed his power armor helmet.

"Only this way, little handmaiden, can I induct you into the Imperial Science Bureau and grant you access to the forefront of human evolution."

Whether or not it was truly the forefront, Selene didn't care—nothing stopped her from embellishing the truth.

Selene lowered her gaze. The helmet was a standard issue officer's design from the Astartes Legions, customized with the Night Lords' distinctive aesthetic.

The overall color was midnight blue, with a skull mask covering the faceplate. Blood-red bat wings, thin as cicada wings, extended from both sides like upright blades.

Beneath the helmet, the Night Lords officer's face—scarred across the nose—was surprisingly handsome. His jet-black hair was slightly long, his skin pale, and his obsidian eyes glimmered with the hues of midnight.

"Your Majesty?" He looked up with an expression of disbelief but quickly lowered his head again upon realization.

"Mm." Maintaining a warm and elegant smile, Selene nodded. With a subtle wave of her hand, she helped him to his feet. Holding the helmet in her arms, her fingers gently caressed the Orichalcum alloy exterior of his armor. Selene then turned around.

"Quickly, little maid, I don't have time to waste with your dawdling."

"Kneel or not?"

"Do you want to live to explore the truth of life's evolution, or do you want me to erase your consciousness entirely?"

"I'd rather... mmph!"

"Shhh—" Selene raised a single finger, silencing Mobius as she spoke with an increasingly radiant smile. "You really shouldn't say that word. Once it's spoken, there's no turning back."

"Take your time. Think carefully... when what you've yearned for is within reach, wouldn't it be a shame not to experience it yourself, hands-on?"

She paused briefly, meeting Mobius's gaze, her voice now a honeyed temptation. "Wouldn't you regret it?"

"If it were you, wouldn't dying without fulfilling that desire be your greatest sorrow?"

Mobius's seated form stiffened for a moment. After some time, she slowly turned her head, her face devoid of expression. Her voice was flat. "What's your real goal?"

"Nothing much. I want you to join the Empire, to join the Imperial Science Bureau. That's where you belong. Dr. Fashion will welcome you."

With that, Selene extended a hand and, narrowing her eyes, spoke deliberately. "Dr. Mobius... tell me your choice."

Selene's tone rose steadily, the subtle disdain transforming into a note of respect. Around them, more and more Night Lords arrived, forming neat ranks behind Selene. Crimson visors stared at the tiny figure of Mobius, their hands resting on weapons, as if ready to reduce her to pieces if she uttered even a single word of refusal.

"What's there to hesitate about? I know your essence; your only goal is evolution and the secrets of life."

Selene leaned closer, letting out a sigh, her tone tinged with feigned frustration. Her voice carried a strange, inexplicable power that chipped away at Mobius's resolve.

"Speak!" Selene commanded, her sharp voice cutting through the air.

Mobius flinched. In that fleeting moment of hesitation, her body responded before her mind could catch up.

Adjusting her posture, she bowed low, pressing her head to the ground. "Your Majesty."

The words had barely left her lips before Mobius jolted to awareness. Her pupils contracted in shock as she cried out, "Discipline?!"

"Aponia!"

Though Mobius's relationship with Aponia had always been strained—cold at best, dismissive at worst—she could not deny her fear of Aponia's [Discipline].

Realization dawned as Mobius laughed bitterly. "Ha... ha... I'm so foolish. I should've guessed it sooner. You've already destroyed the Elysian Realm, haven't you?"

"Aponia has been consumed. The others... all of Fire Moth, everything that Mei worked for, it's all failed."

Mobius lifted her head to stare at Selene.

Her gaze locked on Selene's crimson eyes, within which spun a golden cross. The lack of emotion in Selene's expression reflected back Mobius's own fear.

At that moment, Mobius understood that Selene's patience was at its limit. Whether she survived or not depended entirely on her next words.

"..."

Her mind raced like a storm. On one side lay her lifelong pursuit of evolution and truth. On the other, her pride, her fallen comrades, the destroyer of civilization—her very enemy.

But most of those thoughts were fleeting distractions. Mobius was really pondering something else entirely: How do I sell myself for the highest possible price?

Would surrendering too quickly make me look weak? Should I hold out a bit longer, negotiate better terms for myself?

To Mobius, there was no price too great in her pursuit of the truth and ultimate evolution.

Ever since her "golden cicada shedding its shell" plan fell apart, and she was caught and toyed with like a rag doll by Selene, Mobius had begun leaning toward surrender.

Mobius wasn't the type to die for her pride; she was far too pragmatic for that. Find her pressure point, and she was surprisingly easy to handle.

While Honkai had undoubtedly brought countless catastrophes upon human civilization, leading to immense loss of life, the Herrschers born from Honkai were different from the Honkai beasts. They retained human forms, wielded powers capable of reshaping the world, and possessed nearly infinite vitality.

Immense power, mastery over the laws of creation, and eternal life.

Herrschers—especially the apex of their kind, the Herrscher of the End—represented, in Mobius's eyes, the ultimate evolutionary direction.

Mobius had a feeling that with the Herrscher of the End's assistance, she could uncover the path of human evolution and craft creations even more exquisite than the Astartes warriors.

In that instant, Mobius felt as if destiny itself was calling her, the beauty of evolution blooming before her like a poppy flower, intoxicating and impossible to resist.

"Sigh... I suppose this is it. If fate won't allow it, there's no point in forcing it," Mobius thought, lamenting her lack of a moment where her mere presence demanded awe, her "tiger body trembling, kingly aura radiating."

Reason and sentiment had failed, and now it seemed the big stick approach would have to suffice.

Seeing no response, a faint glimmer of regret passed through Selene's eyes. She smiled thinly, her expression insincere. "Very well," she said as she raised her hand. "Descent of—"

"I surrender, Your Majesty." Mobius interrupted abruptly, throwing herself to the ground without hesitation.

Survival first.

This wasn't about Mobius fearing death—it was about evolution being too irresistible a temptation.

"..."

Selene's eyebrow twitched slightly. Her extended index finger curled back smoothly, her thumb pressing gently against it. With deliberate grace, she snapped her fingers.

Snap!

There was no leak of Honkai energy. Instead, the destructive force of an obliteration-level attack was reconfigured by Selene into a controlled release. With a ripping sound, a vibrantly shimmering portal to a black cavity tore open behind her.

"Let's go," Selene said, seamlessly transitioning into a calm, natural demeanor, as if she had never harbored any intent to kill Mobius. Her expression shifted into a warm smile, soothing and inviting.

"Hm?" Mobius immediately sensed the disappearance of Selene's murderous intent and breathed a sigh of relief. A flash of impatience crossed her gaze as she pointed toward the Night Lords warriors. Her gradient-colored snake-like eyes shimmered with excitement.

"Does this mean I can start studying them no—"

"No."

"Ugh..."

Selene cut her off without hesitation. Ignoring Mobius's exaggerated groans of disappointment, she returned the consecrated helmet she had been holding to the Night Lords officer standing respectfully behind her.

"Where is Curze?" Selene asked casually.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Lord Commander is currently in New Delhi," the officer replied, holding the helmet with his arm braced in ceremonial fashion.

Nodding slightly, Selene reached down and once again grabbed the diminutive Mobius, who was playing in the dirt, as if she were a misbehaving child. "Inform Curze that all operations proceed as planned," she ordered.

With that, Selene carried Mobius into the shimmering portal.

"Where are we going?" Mobius asked, squirming in Selene's grasp.

"Schicksal Headquarters."

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