[The bugs… they can even come up with tactics now, wuwuwu…]
[They've changed so much—Kiana, Mei, even Bronya… everyone's changed so much.]
[Yeah… feels like just yesterday Kiana was still that silly airhead. Sigh… can't help but feel a bit sentimental.]
[Sentimental? Don't worry! Here comes the Comedian Herrscher to cheer you up~]
——
The barrage of comments scrolled endlessly across the screen.
Meanwhile, Elysia and Eden were fully focused on progressing the story.
Kiana's plan—and that of her companions—was going smoothly.
Under Theresa's worried gaze, Kiana was pulled into the Theater of Domination.
"Ah… I'm getting tired of saying this," the puppet complained, "but for you, I'll say it once more~"
Then, with mock impatience, the puppet said, "Kiana, Kiana… welcome to the Theater of Domination~"
"The bait has sunk right into the fish's belly~"
The Thousand Herrscher's voice acting was so exaggerated that it came off as comedic.
"Everyone, come take a look~ This is the lovely gift that Anti-Entropy has sent us!"
The other puppets clapped in unison, playing along.
Clap, clap, clap!
Kiana ignored their theatrics.
Scanning her surroundings, she found the space too cramped—definitely not suitable for summoning the Hyperion.
"Need to find a more open area first."
As Kiana darted away, the puppets didn't panic. They simply summoned monsters to intercept her.
But Kiana fought only with her gun kata, refusing to use her Herrscher powers.
"Ha ha… you think not using your powers will save you?"
"Once you're dead, we'll take your Core all the same!"
Fighting as she retreated, Kiana soon found the perfect place to open a portal.
When she finally stopped running, the puppet sneered. "What's this? Found yourself a nice burial spot?"
Kiana's tone was calm. "Yeah. For you guys. Do you like it?"
That line made the puppet burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! You're adorable. Everything about you has changed—except for that not-so-bright head of yours."
"Look at us, and look at your numbers… oh wait, I almost forgot—you were never good at math. No wonder you can't count this high, hahaha!"
"Fine, fine. Let's give you a proper math lesson then."
Elysia couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Hahaha! This Herrscher of Thousands is hilarious! Though to be fair, Kiana really was bad at math."
Eden shot her a look. "Kiana's not stupid. She just didn't like thinking too hard, that's all."
"Now, it's her turn."
In the game, an awe-inspiring cutscene played—Kiana invoked the power of the Herrscher of the Void, opening a massive portal.
The battleship Hyperion descended into the Theater of Domination.
The sight made Elysia gasp in amazement.
"Wow… this is incredible!"
Eden smiled. "Now they can wipe out every puppet in one go."
The Thousand Herrscher, however, was clearly panicking.
"What? This… this can't be happening!"
Looking up at the enormous warship, the puppet grew frantic.
"Damn it! Don't you people have any manners? The audience isn't supposed to climb on stage during a performance!"
With a shout, the puppet summoned a horde of monsters. "Let me show you what happens to gatecrashers!"
Tesla's voice rang out with a confident snort.
"Hmph! Let's see who the real star of today's show is!"
"Hyperion, open fire!"
As Eden controlled her character to fight, she heard Tesla's voiceover echo through the game.
The moment Tesla finished speaking, a barrage of artillery rained down.
The monsters were annihilated in an instant.
Watching it unfold, Eden felt a surge of adrenaline—like she was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Hyperion.
The immersion was unreal.
Once she cleared the monsters, Tesla's mischievous voice came again:
"Hmph~ any other toys you'd like to bring out?"
The puppet let out a chilling laugh. "Kekeke… how about this one?"
Using the Herrscher of Reason's power, the puppet manifested a red mech—Hephaestus, nicknamed by players as "Fat Ocean."
Tesla's temper flared instantly. She took a deep breath and then let out a censored expletive:
"I—You son of a—beep!"
The voice line was cut off by the game's censor filter.
"You dare steal my patent?!"
Elysia burst into uncontrollable laughter. Eden covered her mouth, giggling too.
The chat exploded.
[Hahahahaha, I'm dying!]
[That official censor is comedy gold!]
[Tesla: If it weren't censored, I'd have gone off!]
[She's so cute when she's angry—ferociously adorable!]
——
Eden soon defeated the mech.
"It's over, Herrscher of Domination," Kiana said calmly.
"Weren't you good at math? Why don't you count again—how many chances do you have left?"
The Thousand Herrscher let out a low laugh.
"Haha… it's not over yet… We'll use everything we have… to make you one of us, Kiana!"
All the puppets in the theater lunged toward her.
The game entered another combat phase.
Tesla's voice crackled over comms. "Kiana, watch out! There are 500 puppets converging on your position!"
Eden noticed something peculiar.
"Elysia, look—each puppet has a different name!"
Elysia leaned in. "Whoa~ don't tell me there really are 500 unique names?"
"Boss Mo Li… have you even paid attention to that kind of detail?"
The viewers noticed it too.
The chat erupted in awe, praising miHoYo's absurd level of craftsmanship.
It was just a short in-game sequence… did they really need to go this far?!
Eden's admiration for Mo Li only deepened.
"Maybe that's exactly why he's so successful—because he takes everything so seriously."
Soon after, she cleared the stage.
The story moved into another cutscene.
Kiana, panting slightly, said, "It's over! Now it's just you left."
The puppet laughed hollowly.
"Hahaha… yes… just like before. It's only me again."
Unable to win by force, the Thousand Herrscher switched tactics—psychological warfare.
"Just like in Sky City…"
"Sky City?" Kiana frowned.
The puppet ignored her.
"Kiana… why are you doing all this?"
"When you kill us, there's never a flicker of hesitation… as if we're emotionless monsters."
"But think about it, Kiana. Is that really true? We have beliefs, wills, companions…"
"Yet you slaughter us for the sake of those lost, hopeless humans…"
"Heh… think about it carefully, Kiana…"
Though momentarily shaken, Kiana still raised her gun and finished off the last puppet.
The story then returned to a lighter tone.
The puppet incident came to a close. Everyone finally relaxed.
Even the regular Anti-Entropy staff started to see Kiana—the Herrscher of the Void—in a new light, greeting her without fear.
Things were finally moving toward hope.
Elysia and Eden both felt genuinely happy for Kiana.
Previously, because of the Herrscher of the Void's deeds, Anti-Entropy personnel were terrified of her.
Back then, the only people who'd speak to Kiana were Bronya, Seele, and Dr. Tesla.
Even when she went to the cafeteria, she'd wait until closing time—just so she wouldn't scare anyone.
That part of the story had broken everyone's hearts.
The crimes weren't hers, yet she carried all the blame without a word of complaint.
"Feeling better, Kiana?"
"Thanks, Seele. I'm fine now."
Einstein looked over the medical report and smiled. "The report shows no abnormalities. How's your appetite lately?"
Kiana thought for a moment. "Pretty good! Four meals a day, plus a burger on training days."
Seele giggled. "Everyone eats with Kiana now~"
"After the puppet incident, everyone saw her courage firsthand. More and more people are talking to her!"
Kiana blushed faintly. "Haha… yeah. Though the cafeteria lady scolded me—told me to come earlier next time, since everyone's waiting and the food gets cold."
——
Watching that scene, Eden felt a pang in her chest.
Everything seemed to finally be getting better.
The chat was flooded with [teary-eyed] emotes.
"Hehe~ The Herrscher of Food is back! Four meals a day!"
"So jealous—Kiana can eat that much and still not gain weight. I seriously need to diet…"
Eden blinked in surprise. "Elysia, you need to diet? You look perfect as you are."
"Really?" Elysia tilted her head. "But do you know what Boss Mo Li called me yesterday?"
"What? Not 'Pink Fairy Lady'?"
Elysia puffed her cheeks. "Nope. He called me the 'Herrscher of Fat!'"
"Honestly! Who says that to a cute girl like me? He said it was a term of endearment, but still—I'm a little mad."
"So I've decided—I'm not talking to him for three days~"
At that exact moment, Mo Li walked by carrying a cup of coffee.
Elysia's eyes lit up immediately.
"Boss Mo Li~ could you pour some water for me and Eden, please?"
Mo Li chuckled quietly. Of course, he'd heard everything.
He had called her that, but to be fair—Elysia wasn't fat at all.
Her figure was perfectly proportioned—soft where it should be, slender where it needed to be.
"Sure thing~"
After saying that, he turned away.
Eden shook her head with a smile and continued playing.
The chat was abuzz again—
The "Herrscher of Fat"? Was Elysia also a Herrscher in the game?
——
Later, Anti-Entropy hosted a grand banquet.
The tone of the story became lighthearted and cheerful once more.
Fu Hua pondered how to cheer up her pet.
Theresa got mistaken for a child by strangers—again.
Rosalia and Lilia performed on stage.
Kiana snuck bites from the buffet, proudly admitting it.
Einstein spiked Tesla's coffee with alcohol by accident, causing her to pass out on the spot.
——
Watching it all, Eden smiled warmly—it felt just like the early chapters, when Kiana and her friends were still in St. Freya Academy.
Everyone seemed to forget that miHoYo's entire writing team had been crying knives after finishing this update.
But soon, the cheerful tone shattered.
The Herrscher of Domination wasn't truly gone.
The thousand fragments didn't die—they merged, forming the true Herrscher of Domination.
Under its influence, Kiana had a dream.
In it, players witnessed firsthand the pain Sirin once endured.
The mournful music… the screams… the trembling words—
"It hurts… I don't want to die…"
Eden and all the viewers frowned deeply.
Of course… if it weren't for those inhumane experiments, little Sirin wouldn't have suffered so much, wouldn't have become the Herrscher of the Void.
If Otto hadn't interfered, perhaps Cecilia could have truly reached her.
The warmth Cecilia gave her—that sense of peace—was exactly what Sirin longed for most.
After Cecilia died in Otto's Honkai bomb attack, Sirin often thought…
If she could become human again, could they have lived happily together, as in her dreams?
If given another chance, Sirin just wanted to hear Cecilia's voice again—
Ich liebe dich. (I love you.)
And so, everything was Otto's fault.
The chat exploded:
[OTTO! DIE!!!]
[Draw your sword, Otto!]
[Damn it… even the dead stab me again… QAQ]
[We were just having fun—why'd you have to twist the knife?! QAQ]
[Otto, you treacherous dog… wuwuwu…]
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