As the final Quantum Shadow was slain.
i said coldly, "This... is the end."
The players, however, were sowhat reluctant. They felt they hadn't enjoyed the thrill enough yet.
But the story progressed to the next stage.
A slumbering Kiana Kaslana awoke on the rooftop of Chiba Academy, only to find Kevin Kaslana standing beside her—the man she had only t once before.
It turned out Kiana had failed to shut down the Imaginary Singular Point and was struck down by an Imaginary creation. Though Kevin caught her, her injuries were serious.
"You saved ?" Kiana asked.
"Thank Raiden i. She saved you. You no longer have to worry about Nagazora. The disaster is over."
Every response from Kevin caught Kiana off guard.
They were all answers she couldn't comprehend.
And just as her shock peaked...
i returned.
BOOM!!
A bolt of violet lightning struck in front of Kiana.
As the light faded, Kiana saw i—now in her Herrscher form.
Kiana stared in disbelief at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure: "i? What happened? What's with this appearance?"
i didn't respond.
Instead, Kevin—seeing i's indifferent gaze—realized sothing: "So, you've made your decision."
i's voice was no longer as gentle as before.
Each word was firm and resolute.
"I will go with you."
"Very well!" Even Kevin's usually cold tone shifted slightly. "Raiden i, welco to World Serpent."
From inviting the Herrscher of Reason, Welt, and Bronya Zaychik, to eyeing the Herrscher of the Void, every invitation Kevin had extended thus far had failed.
But now, he had finally succeeded in recruiting a most fitting Herrscher.
Elysia would surely be delighted to see this beautiful soul.
And after fulfilling Elysia's wish, Kevin could begin the true "Stigmata Plan" without regret.
Of course, none of this was known to in-ga Kiana and i, nor to Elysia, Mobius, or the players outside the ga.
Only Hokuto knew it all—and he certainly wasn't about to spoil anything.
Thus, everyone still believed Kevin's joy ca from gaining a powerful new ally for World Serpent.
Little did they know...
When the truth was revealed, everyone would be deeply moved.
...
Back to the story.
Naturally, Kiana opposed i joining World Serpent.
Kevin left the matter for i and Kiana to resolve, then exited.
And so, it ca down to a confrontation between Kiana and i.
Several tis, i wanted to explain the thod she had obtained from World Serpent, but in the end, she said nothing.
Because it was aningless.
If she told Kiana that she beca the Herrscher of Thunder to save her, would that truly win Kiana's understanding?
Clearly not.
On the contrary, Kiana would suffer even more.
So it was better to hide the truth—at least Kiana wouldn't feel guilt or pain over i's choice.
"I turned into a Herrscher."
Was still better than—
"I turned into a Herrscher for you."
With no other choice, i chose the lesser of two evils.
Seeing i's silence and her transford appearance, Kiana rembered a promise she had made to i.
She had once told i that if she ever beca a Herrscher, she would snap her out of it.
And now...
The ga once again entered a combat sequence.
Players now controlled Kiana—and the boss they had to defeat was Raiden i!
Even though she was still the most important person in their hearts...
They had no choice but to say goodbye like this.
Everyone stared blankly at the battle screen.
No one expected events to unfold this way. The sa people who monts ago claid to fear nothing now had twisted expressions.
Damn you, miHoYo! All they wanted was to see Kiana and i being close—not to witness them fight in tragedy!!
If this was punishnt for jinxing things with false hopes, then let them bear the bla!
Spare Kiana and i, please!!
As the third—and most painful—slash was about to land...
Their ntal state finally crumbled.
But... the battle screen remained. Without fighting, they couldn't proceed.
Moreover—
"Fight? Can we win?... We have to try."
One player, streaming the story live, controlled Kiana with a face full of anguish, charging toward Raiden i.
Watching Kiana fall repeatedly under i's strikes, only to rise again each ti...
The players felt overwhelming sadness. They didn't want Kiana and i to fight. But—what if miHoYo had a change of heart? What if Kiana defeating i led to a happy ending?
Clinging to that desperate hope...
They slamd the attack keys during the power struggle, hoping to surpass i's energy bar.
But no matter how hard they pressed, no matter how fast...
They still failed.
...
"Tch."
Mobius withdrew her slightly reddened fingers from spamming too hard.
In that mont of failure, she even considered using an auto-clicker.
But she quickly gave up—she knew it was a scripted loss.
Thus, Chapter 17's final battle concluded.
Only one short animation remained: Lant of the Sinner.
Mobius expressionlessly clicked Play.
The video began.
Thunder rumbled in the overcast sky.
A gentle yet sorrowful piano paired with violin set a deeply mournful tone.
The cara slowly panned downward.
On the rooftop of Chiba Academy, the battle still raged.
Continuing from the last scene—
i gripped Kiana's throat with one hand, her face cold as frost. Staring at her up close, she rcilessly hurled her away.
It wasn't that she truly wanted to be so heartless...
But... she had to pretend to be cold.
Every blow that struck Kiana hurt her deeply.
But she had no choice.
i didn't want Kiana to know she joined World Serpent to save her.
Gritting her teeth, she spoke coldly: "Give up!"
"No... I won't let you go!" Kiana grabbed the chain-link fence and shakily stood up.
She couldn't give up—not on their promise, not on watching i join World Serpent.
World Serpent—the one that experinted on all of Arc City without a shred of humanity?
She couldn't just watch i fall into that pit.
i frowned slightly at her words, then lifted her chin proudly, casting Kiana a cold, disdainful look.
"With how pitiful you look?"
If you're this weak, just give up. You can't beat .
"With—my fists!"
Kiana had her own beliefs. She steadied herself and once again raised her fist toward the one closest to her.
i had intended to stop after the first attack, but seeing Kiana charge in desperately, she had no choice but to respond.
"Hmph!"
Like a seer, i shifted her body and gracefully dodged, then kicked Kiana in the leg.
BAM!
Kiana collapsed from the blow, but she still refused to surrender and charged again.
Seeing this endless cycle, i grew deeply irritated by the pointless fight.
She hardened her heart and struck Kiana's chin with a roundhouse kick.
Trying to knock her unconscious with a vicious blow.
But Kiana's persistence exceeded her expectations.
Ti and again she fell, ti and again she stood.
Until Kiana finally unleashed the power of the Herrscher of the Void.
i couldn't take it anymore.
She ford a blade from her hand, crackling with electricity, and unleashed a flurry of strikes.
A final palm struck Kiana in the abdon.
The imnse impact sent Kiana crashing through the rooftop's railing, plumting to the sports field below.
Out of sight, i stood frozen.
Sorrow clouded her heart—but oddly, a sense of relief arose.
Now, that idiot would finally give up.
Yet in the next instant, countless cracks in space surrounded her.
In the blink of an eye, a barrage of Subspace Spears flew out, trapping her immobile at impossible angles.
One spear even pressed tightly to her snow-white throat.
Tap—tap—tap—tap—
Kiana, clutching her left eye, dragged her exhausted body up the Honkai energy steps and returned to the rooftop.
Yes, she had once again unleashed the Herrscher of the Void's power.
Players' hearts trembled at the sight.
Because... this was the second ti Kiana had actively used that power.
Last ti, she saved all of Arc City. This ti, she only wanted to save one person.
But Kiana recklessly using Herrscher power was i's greatest trigger.
i shut her eyes in pain, unable to accept it:
"You've always been like this... Kiana, you've always been like this!"
In the sky, thunder rolled. Rain fell, blending with her tears.
"You're clearly covered in wounds, yet still force yourself to smile..."
"You saved , saved everyone—yet you bear all the pain alone, even risking your life!"
"i!" Her right hand clenched tightly, then weakened and fell. "This is... my mission..."
"I understand... the grand ideals of saving the world!"
Suddenly, lightning surged around i's body. She shattered the restraints binding her, grabbed the Subspace Spear at her throat.
A deep gash ford at her neck as the spear cut through her skin.
"But... how do you expect to endure all this?!"
Watching her struggle...
Watching her throw everything away...
Kiana could only plead: "i... don't."
Oblivious to her own wounds, i continued questioning her. Honkai energy surged from within.
Her power grew so great it suspended raindrops in mid-air.
"In my heart..."
Bathed in lightning, i clenched her teeth and declared:
"Compared to this world—you matter more!!"
BOOM! A thunderbolt, as if summoned by her words, crashed down from the heavens and shattered the Subspace Spears.
The BGM intensified—then the vocals began.
Upon hearing the ethereal female voice—i's own singing—players felt lightning course through their bodies.
miHoYo's music hit as hard as ever, stirring emotion.
At least in this mont, everyone was fully imrsed.
As the animation continued, Kiana and i unleashed their Herrscher powers to battle.
But with Kiana's incomplete Herrscher state...
How could she possibly win?
Even though she longed to make i stay, absolute power rendered her efforts futile.
i soared skyward, assuming her full Herrscher of Thunder form.
She held an invisible blade by her left side.
Behind her, the spectral Oni's arm mimicked her, charging its blade.
Then—draw!
A crimson bolt shot through the blade, everything ahead engulfed in blinding white light like divine judgnt.
Kiana had no power to resist.
As the light faded, the music slowed.
In midair, Kiana lost consciousness and plumted.
i dove after her.
As she grabbed Kiana's arm, a stream of mories flashed before her eyes—their happy monts, now gone forever.
"That day, you reached out to . From the mont you held my hand, my fate was changed."
"You are... the most important person in my life."
She gently placed Kiana on Chiba Academy's rooftop.
Looking at the unconscious girl, her heart brimd with longing.
"If saving you is a sin—then let be the sinner."
"Farewell, Kiana."
As she finished speaking, Kurikara spread its wings and carried i—now a bolt of thunder—into the clouds.
She vanished into the sky.
The short film ended here.
Only the music lingered, leaving players with lingering emotion.
...
[That chapter was so sweet! Who dares say it wasn't?!]
["I'll fall into darkness, so you can return to the light." i truly loves Kiana more than this world.]
[miHoYo, you're an animation studio trapped in a ga company's body. Go make ani! The Flower Kingdom's animation industry needs saving!]
[Farewell... Raiden i! QAQ The Kiana x i fandom is in shambles! I'm hiring soone to take out the scriptwriter!!]
[No, don't assassinate—lock them in a room and force them to rewrite the story. That's true justice.]
The live chat went wild.
The players couldn't hold back anymore—they began roasting the miHoYo scriptwriters in unison.
If they didn't voice their grievances now, who knows who would be "slashed" next?
Sotis, players criticize gas not because they hate them...
But because they're afraid.
If things keep going like this, they'll all fall into depression! There won't be enough therapists left in the Flower Kingdom!
Hokuto read the chat and actually wanted to reassure the players.
In a way, Lant of the Sinner marked a turning point in Honkai Impact 3rd's story.
Even though things would get more painful later, a warm, healing power erged.
Whether it was Kiana breaking the darkness to save Class President Fu Hua in Dust of Rapture...
Or in Everburning Fla, when she faced everything and finally surpassed herself...
Or in that future tale Because of You, where the Fla-Chasers took their final, magnificent curtain call...
"To fight for all the beauty in the world!"
That's how Honkai Impact 3rd's story would unfold.
A mix of tears and applause—an entirely new experience for players.
Of course, all of that existed only in Hokuto's thoughts. The angry players didn't know the future.
[We must unite this ti! Let's go, brothers! For Kiana! For i!]
[Charge! Anyone who takes down the scriptwriter is my sibling from another mother.]
Then, one comnt drifted across the screen:
[Hey, did you guys notice? i seems to be singing the new short's the.]
Many were successfully distracted.
They began focusing on the lyrics:
"...
Your sad and tainted smile
Looses its warmth
The whirlpool of noise is dragging within
This destroyed world
...
At the end of the day the starlight disappears and dies out
You'll sacrifice your gentle self
...
...
Sweet dreams are in our mories
Until we reach the end
..."
Every lyric and note felt like i's very soul.
Especially since i herself sang it.
It was as if i was confessing her sorrow through the song.
Pain pain pain pain pain pain pain.
Everyone was numb.
Listening to the song, the entire story flashed before players' eyes like a slideshow.
"If i's around, it's like having a hundred people's strength."
"Compared to this world—you matter more."
"Farewell, Kiana."
"..."
Just monts ago, they were shouting. Now their faces were blank, overwheld by emotion.
Even the chat slowed.
A long, long ti passed.
Finally, soone numbly looked at the livestream and saw that Miss Mobius had already logged off.
They wanted to type sothing...
But felt utterly drained.
Empty. Truly empty.
The story's emotional impact was simply too much. They wouldn't recover for a while.
Without thinking, they clicked the screen.
Accidentally...
As everyone knows, after a stream ends, pilipili recomnds similar strears.
It's part of their support system for new strears.
So, whether by accident or curiosity, so viewers arrived at a new Honkai Impact 3rd stream.
And! It was from an overseas strear.
"Today we'll play Honkai Impact 3rd."
A stream in heavily accented Flower Language with a distinct Sakura Country intonation.
Foreigners knowing Flower Language wasn't strange. After all, the Flower Kingdom had imnse global influence.
The Flower Language Level 4 test was now one of the hottest international certifications.
Even though everyone who took it looked like they'd been dragged through hell and back...
Back to the point.
While logging into the ga, the Sakura strear chatted with viewers:
"Yes, I finally managed to register a Honkai Impact 3rd account. I hope they open an international server soon."
"There are many in Sakura Country who want to play Honkai."
Viewers from Elysia's stream blinked.
So curious and proactive fans who understood Sakura Language—
While watching the strear's joy at playing a ga superior to all others on the market, the emptiness in their hearts faded a little, replaced by... strange anticipation.
At the sa ti, they opened 2ch to check the Sakura Country threads on Honkai Impact 3rd.
Browsing comnts:
[Have you guys heard of Honkai Impact 3rd?]
[I saw gaplay videos—it looks so fun! Please miHoYo, launch an international server!!]
[As expected of the Flower Kingdom. Our country could never develop a ga like this.]
[That's enough. One look online and you'll see a thousand of you Flower Kingdom bootlickers.]
[Tch. Is it really that hard to admit they're better than us?]
It started as a normal ga discussion but quickly turned bizarre.
Still, the Flower Kingdom viewers browsing the posts just glanced and moved on.
They cared more about one thing—
Had the Sakura players been emotionally wrecked by Honkai yet?
That would be so satisfa—cough cough, so heartbreaking.
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