Kiana, too, was shaken by that dream.
Fortunately, the ever-perceptive Bronya noticed something was off with her.
Then, the little loli floating in midair transformed into a gentle "big sister," patiently comforting Kiana.
This new, tender way of interacting between the two was unlike anything players had seen before, leaving them deeply moved.
As Kiana and Bronya talked, they finally realized that something was wrong.
The Herrscher of a Thousand People had clearly been defeated, yet the Herrscher of Reason's authority that had been taken from Bronya still hadn't returned.
That discrepancy made Tesla and the others start to suspect—
Had they… perhaps missed some marionettes during the battle?
They didn't have much time to investigate. That very night, Kiana was once again pulled into the Theater of Domination.
At the same time, Anti-Entropy Headquarters came under attack.
The cores of the Herrscher of a Thousand People that they had previously collected—had all vanished.
Seeing this, everyone couldn't help but worry for Kiana.
This time, she'd been drawn into the Theater alone. Who knew when help would arrive?
Gazing at the eerie world of the Theater of Domination, Kiana's expression turned grave.
"There are still marionettes alive…"
"No wonder the Herrscher of Reason's authority hasn't returned."
As confusion flashed across her eyes, the marionette appeared once more.
"Heehee~ You came! I knew it—we weren't wrong. You're the most qualified one of all~"
"Qualified?" Kiana frowned. "What nonsense are you spouting?"
"I know you, Kiana—the hero who saved our city. The Herrscher of the Void, Kiana Kaslana."
Those words startled Kiana. "You… were someone who lived in Sky City?"
The marionette feigned excitement. "That's right, that's right! We've met before, though you don't remember. But I've always wanted to see you again—to thank you in person…"
Then, a cutscene began to play in-game—
A marionette's memory.
"At that time, I was just an ordinary middle school student. Then, one day… monsters broke into our school, shattering the peaceful life I once knew…"
"The school became a ruin. My friends, my teachers, my classmates… all buried beneath the rubble. I could hear their cries for help grow fainter and fainter… and all I could do was cry."
"I thought my life would end there—but then, you appeared."
"You smiled and patted my head, telling me, 'It's all right now~' At that moment, you were like a ray of light. To me, you were hope itself."
"But I was wrong. The one who survived… became the target of everyone's hatred."
"Because I was the only one left alive. Most families around us had lost loved ones in that disaster. They comforted one another—but drifted away from us."
"'Why did only she survive?' That whisper spread and spread… until it became hatred."
"No one was willing to shelter us. No one would offer my parents work. Even the post-disaster relief applications… were endlessly delayed."
"The calamity didn't destroy us—but our fellow humans did."
"My mother wept every day. My once-diligent father turned to drink, growing violent."
"And then, one day, I overheard him mumbling drunkenly—'If only she'd died in that disaster too…'"
"That was when something inside me cracked. And then… a voice said to me—"
"'Welcome… to the Theater of Domination.'"
Kiana was silent.
After that cutscene, not only the viewers but even Eden felt a surge of anger and helplessness.
She didn't know what to say anymore.
The marionette's words laid bare the ugliness of human nature—cold, selfish, merciless.
Indeed… many times, people don't wish for you to be well.
When jealousy festers, they'd rather see you fall—see you destroyed.
Suddenly, they remembered what Otto had once said:
"The human heart is far more terrifying than the Honkai itself…"
[This part is way too dark…]
[It's just magnifying the evil in humanity, but damn—it really makes your blood pressure rise.]
[Damn… even I'm starting to feel shaken by what the marionette said.]
[This is pure psychological warfare.]
The barrage of comments flew across the screen, while in the story, the marionette continued her cruel monologue, bombarding Kiana with negativity.
"You saved the city, but because of that, my suffering never ended. Your self-righteous act of heroism only brought me more pain!"
"Human hearts are filthier than any disaster. This world never had salvation to begin with!"
"If you claim to be a hero, then tell me—why did you save those who tormented my parents, who ruined their lives?"
"Now I finally understand. They're all the same—all of humanity!"
"Blind, impulsive, selfish, greedy, pathetic…"
"I'm no different from them. I too… am one of those despicable, ugly humans."
At that point, even the viewers' blood was boiling.
Many of them wanted the Herrscher of Domination to just turn on those vile people and slaughter them all.
But Kiana interrupted her.
"No… I won't be deceived by you!"
"You are the Herrscher of Domination, not human. You amplify the darkness in people's hearts, pushing them to extremes."
"The human heart isn't something so simple!"
"They spread their grief and hatred—that's the evil in mankind. But you also said, they supported each other—that's good."
"Every person carries both light and darkness. That will never make me abandon my mission to save others!"
At this point, even the audience was impressed.
Without realizing it, Kiana had grown so much stronger inside.
Back in Sky City, she had once been on the brink of suicide.
But after her journeys with Mei and the Herrscher of Sentience, she had matured beyond anyone's expectations.
Yet the marionette still refused to stop.
"Yes, yes, you're right~" she said mockingly. "After all, you yourself are the greatest evil of all~"
"Let's talk about you now. What should we call you?"
"Kiana? Experimental Subject K423? Or… the Herrscher of the Void, Sirin?"
"Mmm~ this place is perfect. Great view—ideal for the grand finale of our play!"
"Right now, Anti-Entropy must be hesitating. Under public pressure, they'll probably have to announce that the crisis has been contained…"
"But then, if we appear again—together with the Herrscher of the Void…"
"Hehehe… how do you think humanity will treat Anti-Entropy then? Oh right, Walter's been saying all along that Kiana has learned to control her powers, hasn't he?"
The scene shifted into another "marionette conference," but unlike before, the atmosphere was deathly cold.
Before Kiana's eyes, the marionettes began to tear into her wounds—
"Heeheehee… She's not even really Kiana—she's just experimental subject K423!"
"How pitiful, she even stole her name~"
"She made that man Siegfried lose everything!"
"Haha, he lost his daughter saving you, raised you like his own, and you repaid him by cutting off his arm—and still have the nerve to call him Dad!"
"She couldn't control herself and refused to be contained—making her friends lose their homes!"
"She says she fights for everything beautiful in this world—but she killed her own teacher!"
"She hurt her dearest friend, drove her to risk her life for her sake! (Mei!)"
"She's a sinner—a monster!"
After that sequence, Eden exhaled shakily.
"Can Kiana… really withstand all this?"
Even as an observer, Eden's heart had wavered under the marionette's relentless accusations.
Could Kiana—who had lived through it all—truly hold herself together?
[They're literally pouring salt into open wounds…]
[God damn, this scene is brutal! Absolute masterpiece!]
[Kiana… hang in there!! QAQ]
[My blood pressure's through the roof.]
[If I were her, I'd have broken down already…]
[You're too soft. The marionette's twisting the truth—it's all one-sided.]
Meanwhile, in the story, Kiana stood firm.
"I've heard enough of your nonsense. This ridiculous farce ends now!"
"You won't confuse me. I won't submit. And I will never despair!"
The audience—and Eden—finally let out a collective sigh of relief.
But the marionette wasn't done.
"Aww… and here I even replayed the Second Herrscher's memories for you. Didn't it stir anything inside you? No guilt?"
Kiana's eyes widened. "That dream… it was your doing!"
"Still, you're wasting your time. There are many who believe in me, who support me—you'll never shake that."
The marionette snickered. "Believe in you? Support you? You mean… indulge you?"
"Think about it. When Himeko and Cecilia chose to save you and Sirin, did they ever stop to consider the rest of the world?"
"You're a Herrscher—the greatest threat to mankind. Because of you, countless people will live in fear."
"They didn't care about those people. They ignored the millions of innocent lives to save you—
a hopeless sinner, a walking time bomb. Heeheehee~"
"Selfish, hypocritical, pathetic sentimentalists!"
"Enough!!" Kiana roared.
"Oh? Touched a nerve? Don't get me wrong—we know what you've been through. No matter what we say, your will won't easily waver."
"But even you have regrets—an emptiness that can never be filled."
"We know everything about you—your heart, your suffering."
"You knew ordinary humans couldn't survive the Imaginary Space, yet you kept lying to yourself…"
"You knew that apart from Anti-Entropy, Schicksal and World Serpent were searching for the Gem of Pestilence—and found nothing."
"You knew the truth long ago, but refused to admit it, clinging to the lie—'I will definitely bring her back.'"
Kiana trembled. "What…?"
The marionette smirked. "See? We haven't even said who, and you already know."
"She… is your deepest wound—the pain you'll never recover from."
"No matter how much you deny it, when the truth stands before you, can you still cling to your 'beautiful ideals'?"
"The self-deception ends here~ Time to unveil the grand truth!"
"When hope falls into despair—what kind of face will you make, I wonder?"
"Heeheehee~ come now, the climax of the play is about to begin!!"
Eden's heart clenched painfully.
She knew exactly what the marionette meant—so did every viewer watching the stream.
Then, the game played a short cinematic.
Before Kiana's disbelieving eyes, the marionette produced a red gemstone.
"Well? Looks familiar?"
"Remember who held this before? Do you know why it's here?"
Kiana's voice trembled. "The Gem of… Pestilence…"
The marionette's laugh was icy. "That's right. Say it out loud—say the answer in your heart."
"Murata Himeko… is dead."
[Aaaaaa—Himeko-sensei!!!]
[I can feel Kiana's despair…]
[It hurts so much… she's really gone… QAQ]
[They stabbed me once already, and now they twist the knife?!]
[Damn you, miHoYo… you monsters!]
[Forget Otto, I wanna strangle this puppet!!]
Eden's brows knitted tight as she fought to steady her emotions.
But when she saw that red gem… she really couldn't hold it in anymore.
Luckily, the cinematic ended, and the game returned to the stage selection screen.
Next came the final 25 chapters—"Ignite the Flames of Tomorrow."
Eden knew well—those were the chapters that would utterly break every girl's heart.
Before, she'd been curious about what came next.
Now, seeing that gem in the marionette's hand, her hands were trembling.
"…All right," she whispered.
"Let's see… What kind of story can make you cry from sweetness."
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