"So that's how it is… so the earlier Lin Chaoyu, and those feathers of memory, were all things Shibao deliberately arranged for Kiana and the others to see."
Elysia giggled. "The story is getting more and more interesting—real and fake Fu Hua~ hahaha…"
The live chat was also urging impatiently.
Kiana was fully immersed in the plot, and quickly tapped to open the next chapter.
[With Me Alone]
That was the title of Chapter 22 of the main storyline.
The story began with narration.
And the narration revealed the full origin of the Herrscher of Sentience.
After Fu Hua abandoned that body, the consciousness molded by Honkai easily occupied it.
Thus, the eighth Herrscher—the Herrscher of Sentience—was successfully born.
After the narration, the screen linked up with the ending of Chapter 20.
"You sure took your time~ I was getting impatient waiting for you~"
"It was just a handful of memories, and I even had someone guide you along, yet you still wasted so much time."
The lively voice of the Herrscher of Sentience rang out.
"Eh? Did I scare you?" She smiled. "I only wanted to give you a surprise… but it looks like I went a little overboard~"
Bronya stared in shock at this girl who looked almost identical to their squad leader, yet was entirely different from her.
The two of them cautiously took two steps back. "Who are you?"
Hearing this, the Herrscher of Sentience couldn't help but feel a little hurt. "Does everyone really have to ask me that? I'm your squad leader, of course! Just… a little changed."
Kiana: "..."
"You do look like her, but the real squad leader would never act like you…"
"In the end, it's just that you're not used to it yet~" With a helpless expression, the Herrscher of Sentience released Fu Hua. "Here, they'd rather talk to you—so you handle it."
Then she quickly added, "But don't say anything extra!"
The illusion dissolved, and Kiana and Bronya were returned to Mount Taixu.
There, their familiar squad leader slowly approached them.
"Kiana, Bronya… are you both well?"
The moment her soft, gentle voice sounded, Kiana and Bronya recognized her at once.
"Squad leader…"
But before Fu Hua could say more, the Herrscher of Sentience's power stopped her.
"I told you, no unnecessary words~ we need a fair competition~"
Fu Hua sighed softly, then explained to Bronya:
"I was the fragment of Feathers of Hutu that resided within you. And she… is the Fu Hua who was killed by Otto…"
The Herrscher of Sentience snapped her fingers, and Fu Hua's image vanished again. "Strange, but close enough~"
Bronya and Kiana immediately grew wary again.
"Bronya does not believe you!"
"You're toying with us! What exactly is your goal?"
"Toying?" Shibao's eyes widened, her voice full of grievance. "When did I ever toy with you?"
"How exactly did I toy with you? Were you hurt? Did you encounter danger? You were under my protection the entire time—there wasn't even the slightest chance something could go wrong!"
"I showed you those memories only so you could better understand me. I was being so honest with you…"
"And in return… this is the hostility you give me?"
At this, countless viewers watching couldn't help but feel sympathy for Shibao.
But at the same time, they understood why Kiana and Bronya remained cautious.
Even Elysia grew anxious. "Ahh~ if I were there, I'd never let things turn out this way~"
Kiana looked at her curiously. "Oh? And what would you do if you were there?"
"Ehe~ of course I'd praise her, coax her, and spoil her~" Elysia's laughter was like silver bells. "I'm the best at comforting children~"
"Children?"
"Of course~" Elysia smiled. "The Herrscher of Sentience gives me the feeling of a newborn child. Before she could even form her own worldview, she was forced to inherit fifty thousand years of Fu Hua's memories."
"And those memories leaned toward humanity's perspective, which is why she's always shouting about defeating Honkai, hahaha…"
Covering her mouth, Elysia chuckled. "Boss Moli's script really is brilliant~"
"I wonder… when it's our Elysian Realm's turn, how exciting it will be~"
Her words immediately drew Kiana's and the viewers' attention.
Kiana asked curiously, "Elysian Realm? Which chapter is that?"
"Mm… I don't know, but Boss Moli said it's a story woven by the Thirteen Flame-Chasers. A story unforgettable, yet full of hope~"
Then Elysia deliberately added with a mysterious smile: "And I~ am the second of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers."
The chat exploded with excitement.
Thirteen Flame-Chasers… so it was the story of thirteen heroes?
Just hearing it made blood boil.
"Hehe~ but don't lose focus now. Today's spotlight belongs to Fu Hua, after all~"
"Ah, right…" Realizing this, Kiana continued advancing the game's storyline.
Inside the game, Kiana and Bronya refused to believe the Herrscher of Sentience.
Both drew their weapons, preparing to fight her.
Kiana, determined to rescue her squad leader from this Herrscher, didn't hold back at all.
Bronya transformed straight into her Herrscher of Reason form.
Kiana also shifted into her Valkyrie Ranger form.
Seeing this transformation, the Herrscher of Sentience was shocked.
"Huh! You're actually an incomplete Herrscher?"
After watching her for a while, she spoke with surprising warmth.
"So that's it! You suppress your own power, and only fight with the part you can control."
"Very good! Well done, Kiana—never lose to Honkai!"
Countless comments filled the screen.
[Hahaha… Shibao is too! damn! cute!]
[The Honkai Will must be twitching in rage watching this]
['Never lose to Honkai!'—what a line]
[For some reason this feels bittersweet… Kiana and Bronya are fighting her with all they've got, but she's still showing them kindness…]
[Shibao really sees Kiana and the others as friends…]
[Please, Kiana, just coax the poor kid already…]
The battle continued in the game.
Even while fending off Kiana and Bronya's attacks with ease, the Herrscher of Sentience was still patiently teaching them.
"Two half-Herrschers put together, and this is all you've got~" She laughed smugly, then comforted them:
"But it's not your fault—it's just that I'm too strong~"
"See, Kiana, Bronya? This is your squad leader's true power! I've been reborn anew~"
At that moment, Fu Hua's voice rang softly in Kiana and Bronya's ears.
It was still as gentle, calm, and reliable as ever.
She explained the situation and made clear: the one fighting them was a Herrscher.
"Kiana, she's using my body. Somehow my memories have mixed with the Herrscher's mind, making her believe she is me…"
Kiana: "..."
"So that's it… I never thought even your memories could erode a Herrscher!"
Fu Hua: "..."
"I don't know why either… but Kiana, listen carefully. The situation is urgent."
"That 'me' possesses the power of my prime, plus the authority of a Herrscher. Against you, she's unbeatable."
"So, you must outwit her."
Kiana: "Outwit?"
Fu Hua: "Yes. She doubts herself, forces herself to believe she is me. That belief is the basis of everything she does."
"But in truth, she's just a newborn child. She still has rational goodwill, and Honkai has not yet completely seized her."
"If she realizes she isn't who she thinks she is, she'll panic—and in that confusion, she won't be able to properly use Herrscher powers."
"That's when she'll show a weakness… and that is our only chance."
"But we mustn't destroy her. Be careful not to push her into Honkai's grasp."
Fu Hua spoke hurriedly.
When she noticed Bronya fall in battle, she quickly withdrew her consciousness.
The Herrscher of Sentience, meanwhile, brought the unconscious Bronya to Kiana's side.
"She overestimated herself. The First Herrscher's power isn't easy to wield. Let her rest for now."
"Anyway, one referee is enough—you'll do~"
"It's simple. That fossil and I have a little disagreement. I want you to be the judge."
With that, she released Fu Hua again.
"So tell me—who's the real Fu Hua?"
"Use your intuition. Do you believe it's me—the stronger, more decisive, more rational Fu Hua? Or that old relic?"
Kiana: "..."
And what followed showed the audience a truly grown Kiana.
She wasn't just outwardly mature.
She had matured from within—calm, dependable.
She even managed to talk circles around the Herrscher of Sentience.
The live chat was stunned.
[Is this really Kiana…?]
[Every time I see her like this, it hurts…]
[The earlier tragedies cut too deep—Himeko, Mei… please, Mihoyo, don't take Fu Hua away too!]
[Mihoyo, just once, act human and spare the squad leader!]
[She's talking to Shibao like she's tricking a kid with candy! Hahaha…]
As the chat boiled, the story pressed on.
Through the memory of the Destiny War, Kiana explained the difference between her squad leader and the Herrscher.
Her squad leader chose to save her.
The Herrscher of Sentience would choose to kill her without hesitation.
Throughout, the Herrscher scorned the old Fu Hua—mocking her for being hesitant and indecisive—while showing off her own strengths.
From the god's-eye perspective, it was clear: she desperately wanted Kiana's approval.
Even as she realized she might not truly be Fu Hua… she still longed to hear Kiana choose her.
Since her awakening, she'd been lost, her worldview shaped entirely by Fu Hua's memories.
Her only goal was to fight Honkai.
But if she admitted she was just a Herrscher, she'd lose that purpose—her future would collapse into confusion.
Everything she'd done would make her seem like a clown.
That's why she kept trying to prove herself, kept releasing goodwill.
"So? Kiana? Is this enough?"
Kiana rubbed her chin, pretending to think deeply. "Hmm. I've seen your strength, your decisiveness."
"But that's you as a fighter, an enemy. What about you outside of battle?"
"In Skydome City, I lived with the squad leader. I saw her gentler side. At that time, she had no body, no strength left, but still did everything she could to help me…"
"If it were you—what would you do?"
The Herrscher of Sentience answered without hesitation: "Of course I'd do everything I could to help you too!"
"But… it's hard for me to imagine being without a body."
Then, borrowing her power, Fu Hua recreated the scenes of Kiana's time in Skydome City.
The Herrscher's task was to help Kiana infiltrate Shencheng Pharma.
"The essence of infiltration is leaving no trace, right? So… smashing all these mechs apart also works~"
Laughing, she charged at the recreated mechs.
"This isn't my first time dealing with World Serpent's lackeys—I've got plenty of experience~"
"Oh, right. In this memory, wasn't there someone called Jackal? Should I bring her out too? She's fun~"
But Kiana frowned. "The squad leader was very weak then. She couldn't fight enemies head-on like you."
The Herrscher sighed. "Sorry~ I didn't mean to. I just can't get used to pretending to be weak."
Kiana immediately caught on.
"You… can't understand what it feels like to be weak?"
The Herrscher thought for a moment. "It's more that… I don't want to be weak."
"Yes, I was strong in the past, but also a weakling. Now I'm not!"
"Whoever stands in my way—I'll defeat them!"
Kiana: "Because you have power, you think you must use it?"
"The Fu Hua I know—the real squad leader—is someone strong enough to understand the weak."
Her words made the Herrscher bristle in irritation.
"I told you, I'm not her! You should be thinking about who's better—her or me~"
Kiana's eyes lit up. "So you mean, you're not Fu Hua?"
At that, the Herrscher panicked. "I—I am, of course! But I've changed!!"
"Why can't you let go of the past? Aren't I better than her?"
"I can do anything! I can kill Otto, I can beat Kevin! Why won't you welcome this new me?"
Seeing her so agitated, Kiana chose her words carefully.
"Maybe… you are better, stronger. Maybe you'd make a more capable squad leader than Fu Hua."
Hearing this, the Herrscher immediately calmed down, appeased by the praise.
So easy to coax…
"But you're not our squad leader. We don't care what Fu Hua should be. The one we cherish is the Fu Hua we know. Just her."
"You can't replace her…"
The viewers went wild with frustration.
Kiana! Couldn't you just praise her more? Coax her a little longer?
The Herrscher: "..."
She was silent for a long time, then her expression turned bitterly aggrieved.
"So this is your answer? You choose… her? You choose her?"
"I'm not Fu Hua, she is… that's your answer?"
Her lips trembled, brows knitted, eyes brimming with mist.
In that moment, she looked just like a wronged child.
"You… idiot!" In her anger and sorrow, she suddenly realized something.
"You'd already decided, hadn't you? You never took me seriously. There was never any choice…"
"You've been lying to me this whole time!"
At that instant, Shibao's grievance overflowed.
She finally realized that no matter what she did, Kiana and the others would never see her as Fu Hua.
So she stopped pretending altogether.
Fine. If they saw her as a Herrscher, then a Herrscher she would be.
Shibao snapped.
"Kiana, old relic—since you're both so stubborn, don't blame me for getting serious."
"To friends, I am merciful. To enemies, never."
"This is the complete Chiyuan, the complete Fu Hua, the complete… me!"
As she spoke, the Herrscher of Sentience revealed her true form.
In the PV, she donned a gorgeous robe blending the style of martial heroes from the Dragon Country with rebellious flair.
The Herrscher gem on her forehead shone brilliantly—dragging Kiana into a dreamscape.
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