With mixed feelings, Eden clicked open Chapter 25.
To her surprise—and relief—the scene began not from Kiana's point of view, but from Bronya and the others.
The puppets had once again returned, throwing Anti-Entropy Headquarters into chaos.
Tesla and the others were already gathered, discussing countermeasures. They had also guessed that Kiana had likely been drawn into the Theater of Domination.
The situation was becoming more troublesome by the second.
The Herrscher of Thousands had countless avatars—each individually weak, yet able to organize, cooperate, and hide within the shadows.
Meanwhile, in World Serpent, Raiden Mei had not ceased her pursuit of the Herrscher of Thousands.
She found Jackal and extracted several crucial pieces of information from her.
According to Jackal, the Herrscher of Thousands was, in truth, weak. It could not seize the complete authority of another Herrscher.
For example, Mei's own power as the Herrscher of Thunder could not be taken.
Only those like Bronya—Herrschers who had yet to fully master their powers—could have their authority stolen by the puppets.
Upon learning this, Mei decided to re-enter the Theater of Domination.
When she voiced her intention, even Jackal was taken aback.
"Raiden Mei, I have a feeling we might get along quite well~"
"Then come with me."
Jackal led Mei to a massive device—her recent research result regarding the Herrscher of Thousands.
"See this? It's what you want—a device capable of reverse-connecting to the Herrscher of Thousands' network."
She took out a Herrscher Puppet's core. "Better stand back… Oh, my mistake—it can't hurt you."
"According to Raven's report, you made contact with a doll-like puppet before being dragged into the Theater of Domination, correct?"
Mei nodded. "Yes. After we left the theater, the puppet was destroyed."
Jackal smirked confidently.
"This act of contact serves as a signal. So if we tweak the method of contact slightly, and transmit that signal using the recovered core…"
"…we can open the door to the Theater of Domination from the outside."
Seeing this, Eden felt a surge of excitement.
Kiana was inside the Theater.
Now Mei was about to enter it as well.
And Bronya's group was also preparing to dive in.
After so long apart, the main cast might finally reunite.
The Kiana–Mei shippers in the chat were losing their minds.
"With those three cores added, can you send me in?" Mei asked.
Jackal replied, "Give me two days. I promise, everything will be ready—"
Before she could finish, the puppet cores began to fade away before their eyes.
"The cores… they're disappearing?"
Without hesitation, Mei snatched the one from Jackal's hand and started working the device herself.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Jackal's heart leapt. She quickly realized what Mei was attempting.
"Are you insane? This is the worst possible timing! If something goes wrong—"
Mei's voice cut in, calm but firm. "It's also the only timing we have. Isn't it?"
"You…" Jackal bit her lip. As a researcher, she couldn't possibly stop Mei by force.
A flash of white light burst forth—and Mei vanished from the lab.
Jackal stood in silence, then sighed. "Honestly… she looks so calm and gentle, but acts so recklessly… or maybe that's just how Herrschers are these days."
"Your body is a valuable experimental sample. Don't break it—come back in one piece, alright?"
Eden blinked. "Wait… is Jackal actually worried about Mei?"
Elysia giggled. "Isn't it obvious~? Though her way of caring isn't quite the same as mine for you… this definitely counts as a tsundere moment~"
Eden smiled. "I used to think she was just crazy."
As they talked, Eden clicked into the next stage.
The moment Mei entered the Theater, a puppet blocked her way, flailing in frustration.
"Uninvited guest! Uninvited guest!"
"Go away! Shoo! You're not welcome here~"
The tone was unexpected… cute.
"You have no right to step into the Theater of Domination! We're busy entertaining other guests—don't get in our way!"
Mei's eyes narrowed. "I came precisely to get in your way. What's the matter, afraid of me?"
"Afraid?" The puppet burst into eerie laughter. "Who'd be scared of a naive little girl like you?"
"Careful, or we'll turn your Herrscher power into our next plaything!"
With that, it summoned a horde of monsters.
But against Mei, they were mere toys—cut down in a few swift strikes.
The puppet pouted. "You're so annoying! So annoying~"
Mei ignored it, her gaze calmly scanning the theater's structure.
She quickly realized—the puppet was stalling.
"Someone else is here…?"
Kiana's face flashed across her mind.
"Kiana…"
Right then, the puppet's voice rang out again, mocking.
"Heehee, judging by that look, you've figured it out, haven't you? Feeling uneasy? Dying to know who it is?"
"But I won't tell you~ haha…"
"Unless, of course, you leave your Herrscher authority behind!"
"Then we could bring together the powers of her two dearest friends—now wouldn't that be a historic reunion! Hahaha!"
Mei's lips pressed tight. "…Kiana."
"Ooops, did I let that slip? Oh well—it doesn't matter! You're too late!"
"She's already been pushed onto the stage, and you… you're just the audience now, watching helplessly from your seat."
"What a shame! She's the one you care about most, isn't she? You care so much you've lost yourself, haha…"
"But what good did it do? In the end, she's in danger again! What have you really protected?"
"You foolishly followed the path someone else laid out for you—sacrificed everything, only to buy her a few fleeting weeks!"
"You'd have been better off never leaving! Maybe then you could've died together! Hahaha!"
Mei's eyes were steady, her tone cold.
"So this is the extent of your malice? How underwhelming."
"To this day, even without me beside her, she stands strong. And without her beside me, I still walk forward without hesitation."
"She knows the choices I'll make; I know what's in her heart. None of that changes because of distance—or sides."
"It's precisely because we believe in each other that we can walk our separate paths with conviction. We split ways only to change this imperfect world—each in our own way."
"Our journeys… will cross again. When that day comes, I'll meet her in my best form."
The puppet seemed flustered by Mei's unwavering resolve.
"Stop talking pretty! That's not what you told her back then!"
Thinking of the rooftop scene, Mei sighed softly. "True, our goodbye was too abrupt. Looking back now… there might've been better ways."
"But no matter what, I'd still take that step. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here—to witness your downfall."
"In the end, you know too little about Kiana, and about everyone aboard the Hyperion… and you know nothing about me."
Mei's firm words, paired with the stirring background music, sent waves of excitement through the livestream chat.
"Wow… this Mei is so cool! Like… a domineering CEO! Haha!" Elysia laughed joyfully.
Just then, Mo Li arrived, carrying glasses of water.
"What's so funny, Miss Pink Elf?"
He handed a glass to Eden.
"Thanks~"
"Mo Li~ I just came up with the cutest idea—a story about CEO Mei and her adorable Kiana~ Sounds fun, right?"
"Didn't you say you'd ignore me for a whole day?"
Mo Li chuckled, placing a pack of tissues on the table. "Here, for wiping your mouths."
Elysia looked puzzled. "Why would we need tissues after drinking water?"
Mo Li replied with a teasing smile, "Didn't you say you wouldn't talk to me?"
Elysia laughed. "Hee~ a little girl's temper. Just coax me, and I'll forgive you~"
Mo Li shook his head, smiling helplessly.
She really was too cute.
"Fine. Once you finish the story, I'll coax you."
"Hm~? Aren't you going to coax my dear Eden too?"
"I'll coax you both."
Eden couldn't help laughing—but when her eyes fell on the tissues, she suddenly had a bad feeling.
They were definitely for wiping tears, weren't they…?
Was the next part really that painful?
Back in the game, the story pressed on.
After everything she'd been through, Mei was no longer the person she used to be.
Once, her gentleness was her greatest trait—but now, she was gentle and reliable, like a dependable big sister.
And she had no emotional weaknesses for the puppet to exploit.
The puppet was furious.
"Damn it! If you really don't need her by your side, then why are you looking for her?!"
Mei replied flatly, "Obviously, because you're looking for her—and I'm here to stop you."
The puppet's voice trembled with indignation. "You bully! Picking on a weak little Herrscher like me—don't you feel ashamed?"
Mei: "Not at all~"
The puppet: "You actually admitted it?!"
Eden burst into laughter, as did the chat.
[Oh no, I actually find this puppet kinda cute now…]
[That voice is too cute, even if she drives my blood pressure through the roof.]
[The writing here is genius. Absolute genius.]
In the game, unable to defeat Mei, the puppets chose to cut their losses—
They severed Mei's section of the theater completely, preventing her from helping Kiana.
Meanwhile, Fu Hua and Bronya had also entered the Theater,
but they too were stalled by the puppets.
At last, the scene shifted—to Kiana.
The story picked up right where Chapter 24 had ended.
The puppet taunted her in a grating, mocking tone.
"What's wrong? Looks familiar, doesn't it?"
"Yes! Murata Himeko… is dead!"
Kiana: "…"
The chat and Eden both tensed instantly.
The earlier lighthearted mood vanished without a trace.
"What, cat got your tongue? Are you deaf, or just pretending?"
"Murata Himeko is dead. Dead! Dead, dead, dead! You hear me?!"
The barrage of "dead" made everyone in the chat furious.
This puppet wasn't just stabbing Kiana—it was stabbing them through the screen.
[I take back what I said earlier. This puppet is evil. Kiana, slice her to bits!!]
Eden frowned tightly, watching the scene unfold.
"No reaction at all? You really are cold-blooded."
Kiana: "…"
Her tone was eerily calm.
"Then tell me—what kind of reaction were you expecting?"
"To kneel and wail, to collapse and sob, screaming 'This can't be real' over and over?"
"To go insane, tear myself apart trying to fill the void of guilt?"
"Then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed."
The puppet stuttered. "Th-this isn't right…"
In its calculations, with how deeply Kiana cared for Himeko, she should have broken down completely.
"She's just forcing herself to stay calm!"
Not just the puppet—many viewers thought so too.
But the puppet pressed harder.
"You think this gem is fake? Fine! I'll show you its true power!"
It used the Gem of Pestilence to summon a swarm of Honkai beasts.
"Feel it, feel it well! This is the power your beloved teacher once wielded!"
"When we found it, the gem was drifting alone through the Imaginary Space."
"How strange~ shouldn't it have been set in the Crimson Armor? Worn on her body? So where did its owner go~?"
The puppet's words dripped with mockery.
"Who knows~ haha! But deep down, you already understand, don't you? That day… she was already dead! You killed her with your own hands!"
"She was only human—she could never escape the Imaginary Space. She couldn't even maintain her existence."
"But you refuse to accept it! You keep dreaming of miracles, of someone saving her, of forgiving the unforgivable!"
Each word was a knife—not just into Kiana's heart, but into Eden's and the viewers' as well.
Images filled their minds—Himeko's battered, burning body drifting alone through endless darkness.
She had burned herself away, lighting the sky for Kiana—
only for no one to be there to bring her back from the void.
And all that was left… was the cursed gem that had taken her life.
Eden's eyes grew hot.
She tried to steady her breathing as she guided Kiana through the battle.
In that moment, she was Kiana—slashing through the beasts while swallowing her pain.
Finally, with every last enemy defeated, the game transitioned into a cutscene.
The puppet, still mocking, cradled the Gem of Pestilence—
A gunshot rang out.
Kiana had shot her dead.
The gem fell to the floor.
Kiana approached slowly, picked it up, and whispered:
"I don't know what kind of reaction you wanted to see… but I know what she would've wanted me to do."
Holding the gem, she looked both strong and heartbreakingly gentle.
In truth, both Mei and Kiana—each in their own way—had shown such maturity and conviction in this chapter that it hurt to watch… and yet, it filled the heart with pride.
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