Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Perfect Pronunciation
"Angel-chan, you don't want to miss school tomorrow, do you?"
"We didn't borrow much; a lady studying abroad like you shouldn't care!"
"Exactly, being friends with us won't hurt."
"Hahaha!"
The harsh, arrogant voices of delinquent girls echoed through the dark alley, carrying a sense of malicious pride. Angel curled up in the corner of the alley, her golden hair covered in dust, looking somewhat dull. She clutched her head with both hands, feeling a splitting headache.
'So noisy!'
'My head hurts!'
'Wasn't I just drinking celebratory wine? Where is this place? Who are these people?'
The petite and fragile girl furrowed her delicate brows, her dazed eyes looking at the swaying figures in front of her. Her face and small lips were pale as paper, and her slender body trembled slightly due to the intense headache. But these reactions did not arouse any sympathy from the people around her.
On the contrary, a delinquent girl with colorful hair and exaggerated makeup grabbed Angel by the collar, pulling her head up and cursing:
"Speak up! Do you look down on us, Bitch!?"
"Let... go, it hurts!"
Angel moved her pale lips, murmuring unconsciously.
"Bang!"
The delinquent girl with a vicious expression kicked Angel hard, sending her flying to the wet and dirty ground of the alley. She lay there, trembling, unable to get up.
Then, Angel was turned over, and several hands searched her body, pulling out a wallet. After taking the money, they threw the wallet at Angel's face with a "smack."
"Ugh! What is this! So little money?"
"Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll let you go. Remember to bring more money next time, or you'll know what will happen. Right, Angel?"
"Hahaha!"
A group of gaudily dressed girls laughed triumphantly, walking out of the alley arm in arm. No one noticed that Angel, lying on the ground with empty eyes, suddenly moved her fingers.
'Kill!'
'Human beings are scum! Vermin! Enemies!'
'Destroy, destroy, destroy, destroy, destroy!'
'Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!'
Angel shakily stood up. This body felt entirely unfamiliar to her. Her ears buzzed with a "buzzing" noise, but she could clearly hear the bullies' laughter and heartbeats, along with distant car horns, all as if they were right next to her ears. It was too strange, too uncomfortable.
But these were merely physical discomforts; what Angel found uncontrollable was the roaring voice in her mind.
'Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!'
The voice kept saying this, with waves of strong emotions surging into her heart—anger, hatred, and murderous intent quickly overwhelmed her rationality. She felt nauseous, like vomiting.
Moreover, a chaotic mix of memories churned in her brain like minced meat in a blender—one of a researcher who had just completed her first major project, and another of a helpless high school girl who recently lost all her family and suffered from severe school bullying.
'Which one is really me?'
'Why do I have to go through this?'
'So, what are you planning to do?'
'Family, life, dignity, dreams... why do I have to lose everything!?'
'Huh!?'
'Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill!'
'So, answer my question... uh... kill... kill, kill, kill!'
The two wills reached an agreement; who influenced whom no longer mattered. Angel just raised her head, and her purple eyes instantly turned a pure crimson.
She swayed as she moved, her vision also shaking.
Angel didn't know how she approached the bullies who were about to leave. She raised her hand and placed it on one of their shoulders.
"Hey."
The delinquent girl who felt a hand on her shoulder instinctively turned around, suddenly meeting a pair of blood-red eyes.
"Unknown memories are randomly appearing in my head. Anyway, you all are scum, right?"
Angel hunched over, looking up slightly, her mouth involuntarily curling into a grin. The sinister smile was reflected in the eyes of the delinquent girls.
"Ah!!"
"Damn! You dare scare us!"
"You bitch, you want to die!"
"Rip!"
An arm fell to the ground amidst the rising shouts and curses, blood splattering onto the wall and dripping from Angel's lowered right hand.
One girl stared dumbfoundedly at her now half-arm, her expression first disbelief, then extreme terror.
"Ahhhhh!!"
"Splatter!"
"Rip!"
"Swoosh!"
"Ahhhh!!!"
...
Ten minutes later, a bloody hand suddenly gripped the corner of the alley wall. Angel, gasping for breath, stood at the alley entrance, the strong smell of blood emanating from her blood-stained clothes.
"Go... home..."
Angel shook her head, her muddled rationality pointing her towards a very familiar path. Fortunately, it was late at night, and this area was relatively quiet and deserted, or perhaps she was lucky; no one saw this ghostly figure walking out of the horror scene.
Angel smoothly entered a dark two-story house, collapsed at the entrance, and lost consciousness completely.
...
"Drip, drip!"
The next morning, in the bathroom, cold water splashed onto Angel.
It was autumn in August, and the early mornings in the Far East were already somewhat chilly. The water heater in the house needed to be set in advance, and at this time, only cold water was available.
But Angel didn't feel cold.
She stood motionless under the cold water in her school uniform skirt, staring at her white, delicate hands. Until a moment ago, they were still stained with dried, dark brown blood.
The water washed away the blood on her clothes and body, flowing down her smooth legs to the ground, becoming dirty water and draining away.
'Clean, no scars from handling experimental equipment.'
'Obviously very young.'
'Is this transmigration or soul transference?'
Angel frowned, silent. After a while, she removed the blood-stained clothes, carefully cleaning this body that hadn't fully matured. After throwing the clothes into the washing machine, Angel, wrapped in a loose white bathrobe, collapsed onto the living room sofa.
She frowned, staring at the familiar yet unfamiliar living room.
"Am I still me? Let's put that philosophical question aside. I am the enemy of humanity, the one who rings the death knell of civilization, the destroyer of the world—the Herrscher of Dominance."
Angel's cold, indifferent voice echoed in the room, steady and calm, yet somewhat numb.
"Why is it this world?"
"Liking beautiful girls doesn't mean wanting to come to this world."
Angel sighed tiredly. The inexplicable knowledge seemed etched in her mind, clearly telling her about her current non-human identity.
There were also some pieces of information related to the Herrscher's powers that she hadn't had time to organize. With such a distinctive identity and some information from another memory, the world she was in could naturally be identified.
Angel picked up the phone on the table. She unlocked the screen and searched for Nagazora City. The first piece of news was a headline.
"This March, a catastrophic chain explosion occurred in Nagazora City, shocking the world. Tens of millions of residents were displaced, and the casualties far exceeded the 20th-century New York explosion incident. Recently, the specific casualty data has been released, and related rescue operations are nearing completion. Several ministers from the Ministry of Security, the Fire Department, and the Ministry of Urban Construction have resigned and will undergo a comprehensive review. The Far East government once again warns all citizens that Nagazora City still has many hidden risks that have not been eliminated. Non-professional personnel without official approval should not enter the city..."
Below the news were a series of pictures of government officials bowing in apology, their standard ninety-degree bows demonstrating their thorough understanding of the Far Eastern traditional skills. No wonder they were Far Eastern officials.
Angel's mouth twitched as she murmured with mixed feelings:
"In the world of Honkai Impact 3rd, as the Herrscher of Dominance, the time is August 2014, less than half a year after the birth of the Third Herrscher, the destruction of Nagazora City, and the entry of the Big Three into St. Freya Academy."
Having barely clarified the basic questions of "Who am I," "Where am I," and "What time is it now," more questions swirled in her mind, such as "Why" and "Who did this," but all of them had no answers.
The only certainty was that this was a very dangerous world.
And the Herrscher of Dominance, also known as the Legion Herrscher or the Herrscher of the People, was an enemy of the protagonist group, ultimately destined to be eliminated as a villain.
Thinking about this, Angel placed her hand on her forehead, her long, slender legs curled up, and her small body gradually curled into the sofa, uttering a perfectly pronounced and elegant Chinese character:
"Kuso!"