The calm within the green plains was shattered as Lin Zhaoyu attempted to intervene. Seeing the violet flames that is consuming Shiro's silhouette, she moved with the grace of a master, her palms radiating a golden, stabilizing qi.
"I was worried, that something like this would happen."
The demonic resonance of Kyo surged through Shiro's veins, turning the violet aura into a jagged, obsidian fire. He didn't even flinch at the impact. Instead, a shockwave of raw, unrefined Chaos exploded outward from his body.
"Move... Zhaoyu..." Shiro's voice was a terrifying double-tone, layered with the ancient growl of the man who had come before him.
Zhaoyu's eyes widened as her own qi was swallowed by the void-like energy. The sheer pressure of Shiro's presence forced her back, her heels skidding across the stone floor. She tried to root herself, but the "Chaos" wasn't just physical force-it was an existential weight. With a sharp flick of his wrist, Shiro unleashed a burst of dark lightning that shattered Zhaoyu's defensive stance, as she flew back before her body drops from the ground.
"It's too much," she whispered, watching as the stone beneath Shiro's feet turned to ash.
"Shiro!" Kiana shouted as the cavalry arrives, her voice cracking the oppressive silence.
Bronya went to the disciple and shielded herself so the martial artist can recover.
He turned. His eyes were no longer human. They were cold, ancient, and filled with the weight of Gaia's agonizing memories. When he spoke, his voice was layered with an ethereal echo-the voice of the assassin mix with the first demon that wielded the corrupted flames.
"GRAHHHH....RAGGHHHH, nghhhh..." Shiro muttered, his hand clutching his head as if trying to tear the memories out.
"His Honkai levels are fluctuating, but there's a secondary energy source the Bronya cannot identify," Bronya reported, her fingers dancing over a holographic interface as Project Bunny materialized behind her, its cannons glowing a warning blue. "It is the demonic power of Kyo. The synchronization from earlier have awakened his dormant memories."
"He's trapped in the past!" Kiana realized, stepping forward despite the crushing pressure of Shiro's aura. "He saw what I saw. He saw Gaia's memories are forcing him to relive it!"
Shiro let out a guttural roar, and the ground beneath him shattered. He launched himself at them, not as a friend, but as a wounded beast. His movements were a blur of "Chaos" energy, mimicking the legendary swordsmanship Kiana had just witnessed in Fu Hua's mind.
Kiana summoned a Subspace Lance, parrying a strike that felt like it carried the weight of a mountain. The impact sent a shockwave through her arms.
"Shiro, stop! It's me!" she yelled, looking into those hollow eyes. "You aren't Gaia! You're Shiro! You're our friend!"
Bronya fired a series of restraint cables from Project Bunny, attempting to pin him down without causing permanent damage. "Analysis: The subject is in a state of 'Memory Overwrite.' If we do not neutralize the Chaos energy, his consciousness will be permanently replaced by the remnant ego of Gaia."
Kiana looked at Shiro-at the pain etched into his face that mirrored the tragedy many years ago. She realized that words wouldn't be enough.
"Bronya! Keep him pinned for ten seconds!" Kiana commanded, her eyes turning a brilliant, determined gold.
Kiana didn't wait for a reply. She knew that a 'reset' from Bronya's cannons might damage Shiro's mind permanently. She had to go in.
"Cover me, Bronya!" Kiana yelled, her wings of light unfurling.
YOU ARE READING
Honkai Impact 3rd: Will Of The Universe
Fanfiction(Currently in Season 2 Part 2) "I can't go any further now... But you can... So keep going forward... Relentlessly, without looking back."
