Honkai: Oh No, I’ve Become the Herrscher of Corruption?! - Chapter 74

Fire MOTH Base.

Rin stared at the test results, her legs giving out beneath her as she collapsed to the floor.

Compared to Mei, Rin’s understanding of the Honkai was minimal. But she knew the facts—the 9th Herrscher had annihilated the entire Mu Continent, and the 11th Herrscher had reduced the MANTIS warriors to just thirteen survivors. As the apocalypse crept closer, even the most oblivious child would grow up in the face of relentless despair.

The flashy data on the screen meant nothing to her, but the conclusion at the bottom was unmistakable:

She was becoming the next Herrscher.

She was no longer that ignorant little girl. She knew exactly what a Herrscher meant.

“So… Dr. Mei, can I… at least see my sister one last time before…?”

Rin shut her eyes, her breath ragged, her legs trembling uncontrollably.

“Rin, don’t panic.” Mei’s voice was gentle, but the armed soldiers flanking Rin told a different story. If she resisted, they wouldn’t hesitate to act. “Fire MOTH’s predictions aren’t always accurate. But given the risk, we’ll need to isolate you for a while. I hope you understand.”

“…I understand.” Though fear and worry twisted her expression, Rin complied. Under heavy escort, she was led to a room that looked more like a prison cell.

Just as she was about to enter, another squad arrived. They transferred her again.

Basement Level 33. Room 766.

Unless something changed, this would be Rin’s home until she was cleared of suspicion.

The soldiers shut the door and left. In the damp, dimly lit room, Rin was completely alone.

“…Sis…”

Loneliness, helplessness, terror—it all crashed over her. She called out for her sister instinctively, but no one answered.

To fight the fear, she clung to memories of life before the Honkai. Back when their parents were still alive.

She remembered being like any other kid—stubbornly refusing to wake up early, no matter how late it’d make her for school. She’d lie in bed until her mother yelled at her three times, no matter what.

Because of her laziness, breakfast was always eaten on the run. Everyone told her it was unhealthy, but she’d cheerfully admit her mistakes while never changing.

Back then, she’d found her mother’s nagging unbearable—even thought about running away. Now, she’d give anything to hear her scolding again.

Another memory surfaced: Her father once bought her a drink. She’d wanted strawberry, but he’d grabbed a bitter melon-flavored one—a gag product. One sip made her spit it out, the taste lingering for what felt like forever.

She’d been furious with him. Now, she’d drink even the bitterest thing if it meant he was the one handing it to her.

The more she remembered, the more those years felt like a dream. When she “woke up,” the world had become a nightmare. The ordinary days were gone forever.

“But… even if Mom and Dad are gone, I still have Sis. Whenever I’m in danger, she always appears to protect me… So if I’m really okay, she’ll take me somewhere safe… But if I’m not…”

She’d heard the stories. The 7th Herrscher—before becoming a monster, she’d been Himiko, a kind, earnest teacher who cared deeply for others.

But after her transformation, she burned all of Australia to ash. The thought that she might become something like that made Rin’s heart race in terror.

“If… if I really turn into a monster… I hope I can see Sis one last time before they kill me.”

She prayed this was all just a nightmare—that her sister would burst in any second and take her away.

Then—

“Tap, tap, tap!”

Footsteps. Fast, urgent. Rin bolted to the door, standing on her toes to peer through the small window.

But the figures approaching weren’t saviors. They were soldiers, faces twisted with malice. One look sent her stumbling back, falling hard onto the floor.

The door creaked open. Armed men surrounded her, a helpless girl.

A voice—no, a thought—echoed in all their minds at once:

[“No matter what, never give up hope!”]

But the soldiers twisted its meaning.

“That’s right… No matter how strong the next Herrscher is, right now, she’s just a kid. If we kill her before she transforms, humanity skips a disaster!”

“Kill her while she’s weak!”

“KILL HER!”

“KILL HER!”

One soldier grabbed Rin by the collar and slammed her face-first into the ground. A defenseless girl stood no chance against trained killers.

“Sis…!”

But they didn’t want a quick death. They wanted suffering.

Boots stomped down on her wrists, arms, legs, ankles—crushing with all their weight. Bones snapped like twigs, one after another.

Many of these soldiers had lost family and comrades to Herrschers. Their hatred, their helplessness, festered inside them. Now, here was a “Herrscher” they could finally hurt back.

“Sis…!”

The pain was unbearable. Each time Rin teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, they forced her awake. They wanted her to feel every second of it.

“Si… s…”

By the time they finished, Rin’s body was broken. Her breathing stopped.

Her sister never came.

The soldiers looked down at her bloodied corpse, grinning wildly.

“We killed the Herrscher! Humanity wins again!”

But as they cheered, black mist began seeping from Rin’s body.

“WHY?! I obeyed everything! I did what they asked! WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME?!”

The Herrscher of Corruption—born from Rin’s hatred—engulfed the room, pouring into every soldier’s body.

“No… We killed the Herrscher! Why is this—AAAAAGH!”

The Herrscher rewrote their minds, forcing them to endure the same agony Rin had suffered. One by one, they twisted into Zombies.

Then, the Herrscher turned its gaze outward.

It had a new target.

Fire MOTH’s nuclear control terminal.