Up to this point, miHoYo had released a total of four animated shorts.
Each one was top-tier in quality.
But the ones players remembered the most vividly were still The Herrscher's Arrival for its sheer shock, and Final Lesson for the raw sorrow and heartbreak it brought.
Himeko still remembered the synopsis for Final Lesson clearly—
"Even if dark clouds blot out the sun, I will burn the sky itself to lead you home."
That had been her vow. Even when all hope was lost, she had chosen to burn her own life to spark a flame… to awaken her student, Kiana.
And now…
Himeko clicked open the new short film.
"Even if the endless night stretches on forever, I will become a star to light the way."
The theme song Skydome Meteor had already been released by Eden.
Both players and Himeko herself had looped it countless times.
And now, seeing the title, combined with the tone of the song…
They could already guess: this short was Kiana's reply to Himeko.
At last, the grown-up Kiana had let go of her past and inherited Himeko's will.
If the endless night has no end, then I will become a star to light the way… I will fulfill your vow.
This was certain to be a short brimming with fiery resolve!
Three full chapters of story had been devoted to Kiana's growth. Now, a high-energy animation would let players witness the moment she came into her own.
miHoYo truly knew how to play with players' emotions.
A faint, emotional smile curved Himeko's lips as she focused intently on the screen.
The animation began.
A sigil of World Serpent appeared—
And in the next instant, Kiana leapt into frame, her small figure blotting it out.
The scene shifted: Kiana darted through a cyberpunk cityscape, graceful as a swallow.
The camera flowed seamlessly, without wasted frames or filler shots.
Anyone who knew animation could tell—the cinematography here was even more polished than Reign of Angels.
Especially since parkour chase sequences were notoriously difficult to shoot.
The shot widened: skyscrapers loomed silently across the city.
And the only moving speck of white in that vast forest of steel—was Kiana.
Compared to the towering high-rises she scaled, she looked so very small.
At last she reached the top, and the entire city unfurled before the audience's eyes.
A spire in the distance pierced the heavens—enough to make viewers' hearts clench with worry for her.
"…So it begins."
A seemingly throwaway line, but Himeko remembered: in Final Lesson, those had been her very last words as she walked toward her death.
"…No way…" Himeko's chest tightened.
Before she could dwell on it, the scene shifted—Kiana drew a baseball bat, and the music quickened.
Countless stealth mechs decloaked around her.
Kiana faced them with fluid motion, dodging, countering, her white figure flashing amidst cannon fire that lit up the night sky.
The audience's blood surged with excitement.
Until a Titan-class mech blocked her path, slowing her advance.
Clearly, even in her Valkyrie battlesuit, Kiana struggled against such a foe.
As the Titan's heavy fist came crashing down, Kiana unleashed the Herrscher of the Void's powers.
A rift in space yawned open—the Titan's punch passed through it and reappeared from behind, smashing into its own frame.
Even a Titan could not withstand that, and it collapsed in an instant.
But just before its end, the Titan fired a volley of missiles.
In a heartbeat, Kiana activated Time Fracture—then, in a dazzling sequence, sprinted across the incoming missiles themselves, each step propelling her higher, until at last she soared onto the spire's peak.
The seamless cuts and thrilling choreography had the audience roaring.
[So badass!!]
[Why isn't my White Comet this strong??]
[It's Kiana time!!!]
[Not quite as jaw-dropping as Herrscher's Arrival, but still has me pumped!]
By now, Himeko was completely immersed.
When Kiana finally reached the top of the tower, she let out a long breath of relief.
"This is it… I have to disarm the bomb!"
Kiana charged forward without hesitation—
But before she could touch it, a wave of Honkai energy blasted her back.
Still, she pressed on, struggling, until at last she laid her hands on the bomb.
At that very moment, the theme Skydome Meteor began.
A few soft notes of piano alone were enough to sweep up the audience's emotions.
On screen, Kiana's eyes turned gold—the mark of the Herrscher of the Void.
Clutching her head, she trembled, fearing the Herrscher persona might awaken again.
Then Eden's voice, gentle and clear, began to sing—
And Himeko's figure appeared, softly placing a hand over Kiana's.
"…Kiana."
The single word made her heart shudder.
She looked up in disbelief—
Only to see her teacher smiling warmly, saying nothing more.
"…Himeko… sensei…"
Everyone watching froze.
They understood this was only Kiana's imagination.
Himeko was gone.
But in her heart, she still lived—quietly smiling, encouraging her.
And paired with Eden's gentle singing, the sight pierced the players' defenses completely.
In front of her monitor, Himeko herself covered her mouth, her eyes trembling with unshed tears.
It was just a memory, just an illusion—yet her heart ached uncontrollably.
"…I promised you…"
The phantom of Himeko faded.
But Kiana's will blazed bright.
She gritted her teeth, turning the bomb with all her strength as Honkai energy seared her body.
Her braided hair came loose, flowing beautifully in the wind.
"I will take this imperfect story…"
"…and make it into what we dreamed it to be!!"
Himeko's silhouette flashed past—
And Kiana unleashed her full power.
With a scream, she wrenched the bomb free.
The EOS battleship's reactor roared skyward, blazing with Honkai energy.
Kiana shed her Valkyrie White Comet armor—her form shimmering into the Herrscher's queenly robes.
Panting, straining, she floated toward the bomb.
When she raised her head, the audience gasped—
Her eyes were not gold, but the pure, hopeful blue of her true self.
She pushed with all her might, propelling the bomb skyward.
It streaked across the night sky like a radiant meteor, cutting through the darkness of Skydome City.
At that instant, Eden's song rose into its chorus.
"Crash against the barrier above the crowd…"
"Flare into fragments in the air, a shower of fairy stars…"
The soaring vocals drove the audience's emotions to their peak.
Though the scene was meant to be hot-blooded, in this atmosphere… Himeko found her tears spilling freely.
So did countless players.
They longed to scream, to release the pressure in their chests—
But instead, they poured their emotions into the live chat.
Lines of text flooded the screen.
[Even if the endless night never ends, I will become a star to light the way!!]
[Kiana!!! AHHHHH]
[I'm speechless… miHoYo you did it again!!]
[It's so sweet and fiery but why am I crying??]
[Kiana best girl!! Himeko best teacher!! Honkai 3rd forever!!]
[Forget games, miHoYo should just make anime!!]
[Every short hits—blood-pumping, heartbreaking, flawless!!]
[So glad I met Honkai 3rd at the best time of my life. Thank you, devs!!]
[648!! I'm recharging right now!]
[I'll never flame miHoYo again—sob…]
[The dawn after darkness… the most beautiful meteor I've ever seen!!]
On screen, Kiana forced the bomb beyond the city's edge.
A cataclysmic explosion lit the heavens, turning night into day.
"This… is my promise…" she whispered.
The shot cut back to Skydome's skies, calm again as if nothing had happened—
Save for one lone speck of white, falling gently downward.
"…Kiana…" Mei's desperate cry rang out.
She had seen the meteor that lit the sky.
But with such a terrifying weapon… could Kiana really have survived?
The unknown weighed heavily on both her—and the viewers.
When the short ended, Himeko wiped her tears away.
Though she had cried, her lips curved with a gentle smile.
This was a blade, yes—but not one of pain.
It was a blade of awe, of emotion, of hope.
She could only admire Mo Li even more now.
He knew too well… how to grip an audience's heart.
Glancing at the chat, she saw not just endless cries of "ahhh" and praise, but also many worried lines about Kiana's fate.
This time, she smiled and reassured softly:
"Kiana will be fine. That much—I can promise."
Before she could say more, Kiana herself climbed out of Mei's embrace and threw herself into Himeko's arms.
"Uuuuu… Himeko-sensei…"
Himeko stroked her hair gently, her own eyes wet.
Kiana was crying from sweetness—so was she.
Neither could quite step back from the story just yet.
Looking down at the girl in her arms, Himeko couldn't help but recall the resolute, matured Kiana of the short—so strong, and yet so heartbreaking.
"…Kiana…" she whispered softly.
"…Thank goodness it was only a story."
Her tender smile, her gentle touch—
They mirrored the Himeko of the short so perfectly, that the audience watching finally broke down completely.
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