"Now it's my turn. No objections, right?"
Himeko's resolute voice echoed.
The Herrscher of the Void covered her face with one hand.
It seemed that even she felt helpless—
No, utterly defeated—
By this mortal who refused to die and only grew stronger with each battle.
"Hehehe… Hahahaha…"
After a burst of maniacal laughter, her pupils contracted.
Her gaze, sharp as a blade, locked onto Himeko.
"Die!!"
In the sky, one void after another appeared, densely packed like a honeycomb, surrounding Himeko.
From each void, a cold spear descended!
The Greatsword embedded in the distant wall whistled as it returned to Himeko's side.
She swung the blade, and a ring of fire erupted.
Explosions reverberated through the space.
All the spears were severed.
The once chaotic space now resembled a scene bathed in the hues of sunset!
Yet, amidst such an intense battle, Himeko's gentle voice rang out.
"Kiana…"
"When you wake up, you'll find that everything has changed."
"You'll see that this world is no longer beautiful."
"The ordinary days you once knew will be gone forever."
Her tone wasn't that of someone in battle but rather like a mother speaking to her sleeping child.
Because she knew Kiana would hear these words upon waking, she spoke with as much tenderness and warmth as she could muster.
"But don't give up."
"Never give up."
At this moment, the Herrscher of the Void's attacks were no longer aimed at dealing damage but rather at creating obstacles to prevent Himeko from reaching her!
Yet, Himeko gripped the Greatsword with both hands and swung it down with all her might!
Her body was cut and wounded in the process.
What flowed from her wounds was no longer blood but highly concentrated Honkai Energy!
The Herrscher of the Void was visibly shocked.
Her opponent was still pressing forward, undeterred!
Even with everything she had, she couldn't stop Himeko's advance!
For the first time, the Queen felt a sense of powerlessness.
With all her strength, she condensed her spatial manipulation powers into a solid sphere and thrust it upward!
Himeko tightened her grip on the Greatsword and pressed down!
One person, one sword.
Compared to the massive black mass, she was like a red sailboat on the vast ocean.
In this moment, one figure after another flashed before Himeko's eyes.
Theresa, Mei, Fu Hua, Bronya…
It was as if they were greeting her, or perhaps saying goodbye.
Finally, Kiana turned around, her eyes clear and bright.
She smiled and said,
"Aunt Himeko, I'm going to become the strongest Valkyrie!"
…
"I told you not to call me Aunt!"
"We only realize the value of those who've always been by our side when we're about to lose them."
"This is… the flashback of my life…"
"This is the power of humanity!"
"A blade that cuts through space!"
"Ugh…"
"Tears, don't you dare fall! Stay strong!"
…
Behind her, four pillars of fire erupted!
Like moths drawn to the flame!
She raised her head.
She became the only source of light in this space!
Even the Herrscher of the Void couldn't bear to look directly at this radiance!
Completely overwhelmed by this overwhelming presence!
And at this very moment, the music reached its crescendo!
"Never... let... you... go... it's... why I... did it all... (I will never give up on you, that's why I did all this.)"
"For... a... chance... at... least... to... live... in your... way... (At least this time, live in your own way.)"
Himeko did not declare victory at this moment.
She didn't say things like "Die, Herrscher" or "Go to hell."
Instead, she spoke like a teacher.
Serious, yet with a hint of anticipation—
"Kiana..."
"Lift your head and keep moving forward!"
"Turn this imperfect story into what you desire!"
...
"Wahhhhh..."
"Tears streaming down while clenching fists in excitement!"
"I'm fucking bawling my eyes out!"
"Ahhhh, Teacher Himeko, I will definitely turn this imperfect story into what you desire!"
"This BGM is cheating, ahhhh!!!"
"It must be Yu Ling's doing!"
"Damn you, Yu Ling! You've done nothing but evil!"
"I was just a little emotional, but this song made me, a tough guy, cry like a baby!"
"You guys who can still send comments are lucky; my friend is already crying so hard she can barely breathe."
...
A violent explosion.
Light, engulfing everything.
In the midst of the pale whiteness.
Himeko used her last ounce of strength to say, "Live on, Kiana."
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
She stood before the Herrscher of the Void.
Her eyes vacant.
Her long hair draped limply over her arms.
"This is... the... final... lesson..."
The place where the sword fell,
was not the Herrscher's face.
But beside her.
The Herrscher of the Void stared blankly at the figure before her.
Her golden pupils trembling.
The sword shattered into pieces.
Himeko's body began to fall forward.
Her arms swung loosely,
as if she were about to embrace someone.
However,
the Herrscher of the Void suddenly awoke!
Gathering all her strength, she lunged at Himeko.
But in the next moment,
a look of terror flashed across her face!
At her neck,
a dose of serum had already been injected.
Her expression twisted instantly!
She let out a scream of rage and despair!
But it was all,
inevitable.
Himeko, who had just saved the world, now seemed to have lost all her strength, lying alone on the ground,
as the space around her began to collapse.
The platform she was on gradually disappeared.
She fell from the edge,
plunging into an endless abyss.
The light above grew farther and farther away.
The BGM began to play at just the right moment!
"Love…of…you is…my most…cherished thing..."
"So…stay alive…bravely…"
...
"Hands, hands!"
"Someone, please save her, I beg you!"
"Would you like to use 30 Crystals to revive the Vermilion Knight *Eclipse?"
"This Trailblazer swiftly steps forward to catch Himeko, turns around with a cool demeanor, leaving only a handsome silhouette."
"Himeko, I'll catch you, wait for me!"
"She's gone to pilot the Astral Express."
"Himeko: I'm off, heading to work with the Astral Express Crew."
"Wuwu, stop joking around! She's Murata Himeko, she's one of a kind, there will never be another Teacher Himeko like her."
"If miracles can happen, may you rise like a phoenix, reborn in flames!"
"There must still be hope! The story of Honkai 3 is still so long, she'll surely return in an even more powerful form, triumphant!"
...