Remnant of Void & Flame (Honkai Impact 3rd/RWBY)

Volume I - Chapter X

Kiana soared through the sky, her cape streaming behind her in a blaze of fire as she weaved and swerved through the air with contemptuous ease. Her body moved with an almost liquid grace, twisting and turning as the sound of explosions filled the air around her. A single motion summoned a wave of heat that incinerated the incoming bullets and missiles long before they could even reach her immediate vicinity, her authority over the domain of fire allowing her to remain unscathed even in the most chaotic of situations.
 
Her gaze swept over the area quickly, taking in all that was happening around her. While most of their forces had already surrendered, further observation revealed that the Blood Fang still had a considerable presence around the academy. That they were quick to reorganize themselves even after her initial display of power tells her that they must have some sort of commanding officer hiding nearby. She continued to scan the area, her eyes searching for any hint regarding their location before finally settling on a target...
 
The air began to ripple and vibrate as the temperature started to rise exponentially, a sphere of flame forming around her body like a protective cocoon. With a single thought, Kiana propelled herself forward, the force of her movement causing the air to howl in protest as she flew towards the courtyard down below. The very ground shook with tremendous force as Kiana crashed into it with a deafening bang, the resulting explosion decimating an entire group of Blood Fang with a heat so intense that it turned all those unfortunate enough to be caught in its wake into nothing more than ash.
 
'Nothing more than a waste of lives...'
 
Kiana dispelled the smoke around her with a single wave of her sword, casting a glance at her surroundings as the battle came to a standstill. Everywhere she looked, her eyes met with the stunned and terrified faces of those who had been caught in the middle of this conflict, their expressions betraying their fear and confusion as they tried to comprehend what was happening. Time itself seemed to have frozen as everyone present waited in anticipation for what was to come next.
 
"Su--"
 
"Kill her!!"
 
A sudden shout drew her attention to a single Faunus standing a good distance away, her eyes narrowing as she recognized the insignia emblazoned on his chest. The rest of the Blood Fang immediately began to charge forward, followed by a group of similarly armed individuals that had been posing as students and staff of the academy.
 
The battle was fierce and intense, with Kiana meeting each blow with swift and precise strikes from her blade while simultaneously manipulating the air around her in order to create walls of fire that incinerated any projectiles that were sent flying her way. Every movement seemed almost like a dance; her form graceful and elegant even in the heat of battle. A single attack of her own was more than enough to shatter their aura, leaving them unable to fight back as she continued with her onslaught.
 
She took the time to observe her opponents’ moves even as she fought. Unlike Adam's group, these Faunus seemed to be much more inclined towards using their natural traits rather than relying on weapons and technology. The way they used their tails and other extra appendages was particularly impressive.
 
Unfortunately for them, it would take much more than that to defeat her...
 
She moved like a force of nature — a storm of rage and power. A female Faunus shot a web out of her hand in a desperate attempt to restrain her movement, only for it to be incinerated by the sheer heat radiating from her body. The only flight-capable one tried to attack her from the sky, only to be struck down by a bolt of lightning that she had called down from the heavens. Every attack was met with a much more devastating counter, and soon enough, the entirety of Blood Fang's forces were left in disarray.
 
It didn't take long for the Faunus in charge of the group to realize that he was outmatched and attempted to flee. Kiana, however, was not about to let him get away so easily. She swung her blade in a wide arc, unleashing a maelstrom of fire that drove the foes around her to cower away in fear. The few that failed to flee in time found themselves quickly snared by the inferno, their bodies twisting and writhing in agony as they were consumed by the raging flame, their screams of misery quickly snuffed out by the spectacle of death and destruction.
 
"This will be your one and only chance," she declared, her voice ringing out loud and clear as she planted her sword firmly in the ground. "Surrender..."
 
Her intimidating display of power had its desired effect, her words crashing over their ranks like a tidal wave of fear. As much as she loathed to admit it, fear can be a very powerful motivator, though perhaps the fact that they are now outnumbered four to one may have been an additional influence. One by one, the Blood Fang began to surrender, their weapons thrown away in a gesture of resignation. The Faunus in charge, however, was still determined not to give up so easily. He had been able to stay away during the battle, and now he sought to make his escape and sail into the depths of the academy.
 
With a single gesture, she summoned an invisible force that lifted the Faunus in charge off the ground and dragged him through the air until he reached her side.
 
"Your leaders," she looked him straight in the eye as he remained suspended in mid-air, her tone cutting and authoritative as she questioned him. "Where are they?"
 
The Faunus chose to remain silent, all the while attempting to fight against her control.
 
"I will not ask again," Kiana demanded, her tone cold and unyielding. "Where are they?"
 
"Screw you!" He yelled back at her, his glare unwavering even as he ceased his struggle.
 
"I see..." Kiana responded with a sigh before a wave of her hand sent the Faunus high into the air. Another wave sent him crashing to the ground, his aura shattering on impact.
 
She then looked to the side where the students and staff of the academy had been watching, her voice gentle yet firm as she addressed them.
 
"Can you please restrain them?" She gestured towards the unconscious Faunus and the remaining Blood Fang. "I need to head inside the academy as soon as possible."
 
"Y-yes, absolutely! We'll do it right away!" One of the teachers — the very same woman that had been acting as their tour guide during their visit to the academy — stepped forward and nodded in agreement. She motioned to the others to begin restraining the Blood Fang before turning back to Kiana. "A-and ah... t-thank you for your assistance... Ma'am..."
 
...
 
Ma'am?
 
Kiana forced her lips into a thin, tight line as the teacher addressed her in such a way, trying not to show her annoyance and settling by simply giving the teacher a brief nod of acknowledgment before making her way inside the academy. Her boots clattered rhythmically against the marble floor, and plumes of smoke trailed in her wake as she made her way through the corridor, her gaze sharp and her aura rippling with power. The entire hallway was deathly still, echoing with an eerie silence that contrasted sharply with the heat and sharp smell of burning embers that emanated from the very ground on which she walked.
 
A large part of it had been destroyed — chunks of marble and broken glass lay scattered on the floor, the walls and ceiling charred and blackened with soot. Dozens of corpses littered the place, their bloodied bodies and mangled limbs strewn across the ground like ragdolls, a stark reminder of the carnage that had taken place. Students, staff, as well as civilians were among them, some with their throats slit open in a gruesome display of death. Their ichor spattered across the corridor in a vivid contrast to the destruction that surrounded them, like a garish splash of paint on a canvas of despair. A few still wore expressions of anger and hatred — of shock and betrayal — while others bore looks of resigned acceptance.
 
Kiana's jaw clenched as she passed the gruesome scene, her gaze lingering over each and every single one of the corpses. The sight of death and destruction was one she had seen far too many times before, and this one felt no different...
 
Her eyes eventually locked onto a small figure. He was slumped against the wall, far too young to be a student of the academy. She slowly approached him, her movements almost robotic as she saw the gaping wound on his side, where he had been stabbed multiple times. His pale face was streaked with tears, and his shirt was torn apart and covered in some sort of sickly green liquid. The blood around him had already started to congeal, forming a dark, sticky pool around his body. She reached out and gently closed his eyes, feeling a deep pang of sorrow in her chest.
 
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible as she touched the side of his cold face. "I really am..."
 
"Are you~?"
 
Kiana did not react to the voice even as everything around her turned a shade of purple; the world seemed to slow down, the air becoming heavy and thick as if time itself had grinded to a halt. Her eyes remained fixed on the body in front of her, even as the corpses of the fallen started to float and drift around her. The sound of laughter filled the air, a grating and childish voice that echoed throughout the hallway like a haunting melody.
 
"Do you really, really feel sorry for them~?" A white, porcelain face suddenly appeared inches away from Kiana's own; the words that lingered were dripping with both malice and amusement. "Or maybe... it's all just an act~? Ehehe, ahahahaha~ You could've saved them, no~? Could've stopped any of this from happening in the first place~! If you only just tried~" She chortled, her visage contorting into a cruel parody of a smile. "But you didn't, did you~? You just stood there and watched it all happen... like some sort of spectator~! Why is that, I wonder~?"
 
The doll took a step back, her limbs jerking and twitching as it began to dance around Kiana in circles, as if trying to mock her with every step she took; her joints clicked and clacked as it moved, the sound resembling that of a wooden marionette being controlled by invisible strings.
 
"Perhaps you've been holding back~! Or maybe you're doubting your own decisions~? Oh? Oh, I know~! What was it that you said~? Ah! I remember~ Good and evil coexist in everyone's heart~! It's not a reason for me to give up on saving them~! Ahahaha, ahahahahahaha~!" The Herrscher began to laugh louder as she spoke, her voice growing even more hysterically before stopping abruptly; the eerie silence that was left in its absence only lasted for the briefest of moments. "Or so you said... but that can't be right. After all, you did kill all those people outside. Hmm... what is it then?" Kiana did nothing even as she felt the pair of arms draping over her shoulders, feeling the cold frame of the Herrscher press against her back as the doll leaned in and whispered into her ear. "Could it be... you're not lost, are you?"
 
Kiana did not answer, her body remaining still and unmoving as if it were made of stone, all the while ignoring the diminutive girl and refusing to give into the taunts. She closed her eyes, her fists clenching slightly as she blocked out the sound of the Herrscher's laughter and focused on the sound of her own breathing instead.
 
"Even after all the time you spent in this foreign world, you still have no idea where to begin, don't you? Or even how to proceed?" The doll spoke after a pause, her voice dripping with disdain. "How indecisive, how... empty. Is this what you truly became? All those trials, all those sacrifices, and yet here you are — nothing more than a puppet waiting for someone else to pull your strings... Ahahahaha~"
 
The diminutive girl's laughter echoed through the hallway once again, a hollow and mocking sound that seemed to linger for an eternity. Kiana heaved a heavy sigh, her breathing becoming even and steady as she opened her eyes and cast a cursory glance at the face in the corner of her vision. The doll's features were twisted into its usual smirk, her porcelain skin reflecting the faint light from the surroundings like a mirror. She held her gaze for a brief moment before turning her attention back to the small body in front of her, her fingers gently tracing the contours of his face.
 
"You know... your attempt at goading me is as appalling as ever." Kiana's voice was barely audible as she spoke, her words filled with a mix of sadness and frustration. "And for your information, I do know exactly what I'm doing..."
 
"Is that so? Hmm... well, I suppose I'll have no choice but to take your word for it~" The Herrscher spoke in a tone that betrayed the amusement she felt at hearing Kiana's reply; the cold touch of the artificial arms slowly left her body as the diminutive girl stepped away. "So be it~! If that is truly how it is, then allow me to witness that same tenacity, that same courage you displayed throughout your journey~!" The doll's voice echoed throughout the hallway, her body twirling and spinning around Kiana in a grand theatrical display. "You, who sit upon the Throne of Finality, who hold in your hand an authority over the power of the end~ You, whose existence stands above and beyond humanity itself~ Go on... and struggle like you always did~ Prove to me, prove to us all, that you still have what it takes to bear the burden that you took upon yourself~! Ahahaha, ahahahahaha~"
 
Kiana simply watched in silence as the Herrscher's form began to flicker and dissipate; the echo of her laughter lingered for only a few moments before it faded into nothingness. Dozens of corpses that had been floating around slowly drifted back into place, their bodies returning to their original positions before finally settling on the floor with a gentle thud. The oppressive air that had been so pervasive for the past few minutes started to wane away as the very fabric of reality itself began to shift; the light of the moon pierced through the clouds and brought the night back into its rightful place.
 
"Really, that is so unlike you..." Kiana chuckled softly, her voice barely audible amidst the stillness of the night.
 
Unlike the rest of her kind, the Herrscher of Domination was one of the few personas who decided to remain active despite the passage of time — often giving her own remark on just about everything Kiana did. Still, for the doll to momentarily project herself in the physical world had been a bit of a surprise, as she was usually content to stay within the confines of Kiana's mind.
 
That, or trying to annoy her after invading her dream...
 
Then again, it's not like she ever stopped any of the Herrscher personas from temporarily manifesting themselves in the real world — not that all of them are capable of doing so — even if she realizes that it might not be the best idea to have in the long run. In the end, they had all witnessed the rise and fall of countless civilizations, watched as mankind evolved and developed itself over the course of tens of thousands of years. While she knew that some of them still held a deep-seated hatred for mankind and their so-called foolishness, the countless millennia they spent together seemed to have somewhat mellowed out the more destructive tendencies of these powerful entities; though it certainly didn't stop them from showing their dislike in some ways or another. For instance, Senti would sometimes make a sarcastic comment about the state of humanity and its lack of progress, while Thunder would be heard sighing in exasperation whenever they discovered something completely asinine.
 
Regardless, she cannot deny that the words the Herrscher of Domination had spoken to her do hold a sliver of truth in them — even if it is one that Kiana would rather not acknowledge. She could've done better — should've done better. The thought of all the lives she could have saved, the potential tragedy she could have prevented if only she had been more proactive and decisive in her actions... it was enough to make her feel a sense of guilt and regret that weighed heavily on her heart. Nevertheless, Kiana knew that her reluctance to take decisive action was rooted in her own unwillingness to accept the fact that she had no other choice but to kill someone in order to save the innocents. Despite all the death and destruction she had inflicted against the Blood Fang, she still despised the act of taking their lives with every fiber of her being — even if it was meant for a greater good.
 
It honestly felt like she was defiling both the promise she made with Himeko and the very oath she took to protect the weak and innocent. While the Blood Fang is seen as nothing more than a terrorist organization in the eyes of the world, a part of her knew that they were but a victim in the grand scheme of things — the victims of a corrupt and oppressive system that had been in place for far too long. Their ills were simply a result of the circumstances that had been thrust upon them, resulting in a desperation that drove most of their members to take whatever means necessary to achieve their goals. That they chose to embrace their new identity did little to assuage her guilt. In the end, killing them would be no different than killing any other innocent; an act of violence, a stain on her conscience that she could never erase or forget — and yet, she also could not deny the fact that it had been a necessary evil.
 
Kiana hung her head low, her heart heavy with regret even as she sent out a pulse of energy to find the remaining survivors along with the main force of the Blood Fang. In the end, it matters little what she thought or felt, for now is not the time for deliberation nor is it the time for remorse. She had an objective, and Kiana knew that she needed to focus on that if she were to ensure that the city will have a decent chance at survival.
 
The result of the scan came back almost instantly, allowing her to put the pieces together even with the limited information she received. Several individuals seem to be hiding inside one of the rooms near the training area, their presence hidden from the Blood Fang's forces by some sort of translucent barrier. Close to a hundred people are scattered all across the academy — every single one of them locked in a heated battle — with the majority of their number located in what looks to be an auditorium. A little over a dozen other people also appear to have barricaded themselves in some sort of underground chamber. Judging by the five or so dozen people trying to get in, she suspected that the Schnee's Patriarch himself might be down there along with his escorts. Still, if she were to be honest, she was more concerned about the chaotic mess that seemed to be happening near the auditorium.
 
Her eyes slowly shifted to the window as she took a deep breath and steadied herself, the ever-present threat of the Ancient Grimm looming in the back of her mind. Though she had no problem engaging the Hydra close to the shoreline, she would much rather engage the beast in the open sea far from the city, as it would allow her the opportunity to unleash the full magnitude of her power. Unfortunately, that means she only had half an hour, or perhaps forty minutes at best to clear out the academy and the rest of the city, and considering the number of people she had to rescue, she wasn't sure if that would be enough.
 
While the bombardment she'd launched earlier had done a great deal of damage and decimated the Blood Fang forces that had been roaming the streets, the ones hiding inside the buildings still remained active. Liberating Sanctum Academy would certainly help in that regard, as the students and staff held within should have a good understanding of the city's layout — something that they could use to help secure the city. And if they could also somehow coordinate their efforts with what's left of the Atlas Military, then she is certain that they will have little to no problem suppressing the Blood Fang without any further intervention on her part. It is a risk, but it is still one she is willing to take — especially since she had no idea how long it would take her to defeat the Ancient Grimm.
 
Regardless, her mind raced with strategies and scenarios, assessing the situation from a variety of different angles. She could tell that the Schnee's Patriarch and the group near the training area would be able to hold out on their own for a bit longer, which means that her first priority should be to assess the situation on both the fourth and fifth floors. Besides, if she were to secure the entire academy, then starting at that location seems to be the most logical choice. Then again, it's not like she had much of a choice to begin with...
 
With a shake of her head, Kiana heaved a sigh before standing up, her boots crunching against the broken glass as she made her way deeper into the academy.