After a long and heated confrontation, Kiana and the Herrscher Queen finally realized—
there was no longer any room for compromise between them.
No possibility of understanding.
Kiana was no longer the fragile, broken girl she once was.
Her heart had become unshakably strong.
Words alone could no longer defeat her.
So the Queen chose the only thing left—
violence.
"Hmph~ Go on, struggle with all your might~☆"
"For this moment marks—your judgment~☆"
With that iconic line, the battle phase of the game began.
After a brief clash, the Queen quickly realized Kiana wasn't so easily subdued.
Her calmness, that unwavering composure, only made the Queen angrier.
"It seems you've forgotten where your power came from… Don't get ahead of yourself, insect!"
"The strength you stole—it's time you returned it~☆"
The moment she spoke, Kiana's Valkyrie Ranger armor faded away—
replaced by her basic White Comet suit.
Seeing this, Eden's heart clenched.
"This… without the Herrscher of the Void's powers, how could Kiana possibly win?"
Elysia thought for a moment, then smiled.
"In most stories, that's exactly when the protagonist rises up, right?"
"When they're cornered, powerless—only then do they break their limits and win!"
Eden shook her head. "That would be far too cliché… A story of Honkai Impact 3rd's quality wouldn't fall into that trap."
Elysia giggled. "Hehe~ Just keep watching~"
Eden nodded and continued.
Once Kiana's powers were stripped away, the Queen let out a playful laugh.
"Well then, let's have a fair and square fight this time, shall we?"
Eden couldn't help muttering, "Fair and square? That's cheating!"
It was rare to see Eden this animated, which amused Elysia immensely.
She wrapped her arm around Eden's, teasingly saying:
"My dear Eden~ Don't worry! Our cute heroine can do anything! There's no way she'll lose~"
Eden sighed. "Elysia, let go. I need to focus."
"Eden~ fighting~" Elysia giggled, letting her go.
——
When selecting the next stage, Eden frowned.
The system only allowed her to use the White Comet suit.
And when the battle began—the Queen had nine health bars.
Kiana's attacks barely scratched her.
In just a few moments, Kiana's HP was nearly gone.
On-screen, Kiana fell to her knees, gasping.
"I… won't… yield to you…"
Her trembling voice was so raw, so full of strain, that even Eden felt her chest tighten.
She wanted Kiana to win—but not because of some cheap miracle or plot armor.
"If they were going to use a miracle," she thought bitterly, "why didn't they give it to Himeko in The Last Lesson…?"
Kiana fell again.
The Queen's mocking voice echoed.
"Pathetic~☆ Truly pathetic. Don't you have any sense of dignity? Just accept your defeat~☆"
"No… I won't… I won't lose to you!" Kiana's voice cracked, filled with desperation.
The voice acting was so powerful that even the audience watching Eden's stream held their breath.
Silently, everyone began to cheer for Kiana in their hearts.
"How ridiculous~☆ What are you waiting for, your little friends to come save you~☆?"
"Hehe… they're busy playing with my puppets right now. No one's coming for you~☆"
"With the Herrscher Core under my control, your consciousness will fade soon enough. Everything will belong to me~☆"
"Why struggle, little Kiana~☆? Why not just accept the truth of your failure?"
At this point, even Eden was beginning to lose hope.
Kiana was alone. Truly, hopelessly alone.
But—on screen, Kiana's eyes were filled with resolve.
Her voice was weak, yet unwavering.
"Maybe you're right… Maybe I'm just wasting my strength."
"Maybe I can't even stay standing without faltering…"
"But… every time I fall, every time I'm in pain, every time I want to give up…"
"…I remember so many things."
"Burnt toast pizza. Sweet, not-spicy curry. Triple-layer parfaits.
A glowing feather. The gates of St. Freya. And… her final lesson…"
As she spoke, the music changed—somber, heavy, heartbreakingly beautiful.
Eden felt her heart twist. A sense of dread welled up inside her.
"Don't tell me… Kiana's going to fall here…?"
Kiana's voice continued:
"Their smiles, their gratitude, their hopes for the future…
The hands they reached out to me… the light they shone upon me…"
"Just thinking of all that—I can't say the words 'I give up!'"
"I've received too much on this journey…"
"Courage, blessings, hope… all my most precious memories—they're right here…"
"So heavy, and yet, so warm…"
By now, Eden's eyes were glistening with tears.
"And that's why—"
The screen suddenly went black.
"I'm not empty!!"
Kiana's roar shook the air, and the music burst into a blazing, triumphant theme.
Her outfit—
had changed back into the Valkyrie Ranger.
Eden's eyes widened.
Her heart surged with adrenaline.
All thoughts of "plot armor" vanished.
"What?!" the Herrscher of the Void gasped.
But Kiana didn't even look at her.
Her voice rang clear, full of light.
"I will pass on everything I've gained—!"
"I'll bring that light to even more people—I won't fall here!"
"I'll carry her ideals, their ideals—and keep moving forward!"
The Queen suddenly looked alarmed.
"Wait… this power… the Gem of Serenity?"
Then, the game played a cutscene.
Flames erupted around Kiana.
In her hand—appeared a broken greatsword.
Eden's breath caught.
That sword… It was Himeko's.
And then she understood.
This wasn't a plot convenience.
It was the legacy of the Gem of Serenity.
Through her faith and Himeko's lingering will, Kiana had awakened the gem.
It made sense.
Seeing Kiana holding Himeko's sword, Eden trembled.
The chat exploded.
[Kiana!!!]
[LET'S GOOO!!!]
[I'm crying… Himeko-sensei QAQ]
——
The battle resumed.
Eden handed the keyboard to Elysia, her hands too shaky to play.
Kiana—flaming sword in hand—rushed forward.
The Queen's voice grew frantic.
"Why?! Why does the Gem of Serenity respond to you?!"
"Just because that woman once wielded it?!"
"It's just fragments of a dead woman's mind—why are they still resisting?!"
Kiana shouted back:
"Himeko-sensei never stopped fighting—not even for a second!"
"That's her flame—her color!"
As Elysia's fingers danced over the keys, the Queen's health finally reached zero.
The scene faded to white.
"Why… why could you defeat me?" the Queen asked softly.
"Because you're the 'good' Sirin and I'm the 'evil' one?"
Kiana shook her head.
"There's no such thing. There's only one choice. I chose good. You chose evil."
Elysia's hands flew across the keyboard—Kiana slashed one final time.
Light filled the screen.
"It's over."
The Queen was silent for a long moment.
Then, softly: "...Yes. It's over."
"The Gems' power flows to you now. They've abandoned me—and chosen you.
Seems your conviction burns brighter than mine."
Her tone was no longer proud, nor cold.
It was tiring. Worn out.
Kiana sighed in relief. "I'll use this power well."
The Queen gave a faint laugh.
"Do whatever you want. Without me, things will be easier for you."
"I'll carry the sins you left behind," Kiana said quietly. "It's my responsibility."
"Heh…" The Queen chuckled—not mockingly, but almost fondly.
"That's your burden, not mine."
"You could've lived in ignorance, or died as an innocent experiment.
But you chose this path yourself…"
"The blood Sirin spilled, her grief and despair—the good and evil of all humankind…
You'll spend your entire life bearing that weight."
Kiana fell silent.
Finally, she whispered, "I'll do my best—to make sure there won't be another Sirin."
The Queen drew in a breath, her voice calm.
"Enough. I don't need your pity, nor will I ever agree with you."
"But you won, so walk your path. Struggle as far as you can, Kiana."
"Goodbye… my other self."
...
Eden exhaled deeply, her heart pounding.
From that moment in Sirin's dream, when they saw her past together—
her pain, her hatred, and the love she once received from Cecilia—
everything had led to this.
The Queen's last words weren't just for Kiana.
They were for every player watching.
For Eden herself.
Did the Queen lose simply because she was "evil"?
Because "good always wins"?
If you had asked Eden before, she would've said—yes.
That's how every ACG story works.
Justice triumphs. Evil falls.
But not anymore.
After seeing Sirin's life, her suffering, and her one dream—
Eden understood.
The Queen didn't lose because she was evil.
She lost because, deep down, what she truly longed for—
was love.
The same love Cecilia had shown her.
When Sirin died, she didn't think of hatred or bloodshed.
She remembered warmth.
If she'd had another chance—she would have chosen to live a normal life.
To be happy.
Her last memory was Cecilia's gentle whisper—
"Ich liebe dich."
When the Queen awoke, she inherited Sirin's pain, her rage at humanity.
She killed countless people, trying to drown her agony in destruction.
But no matter how many she killed, what she'd lost never came back.
Even with the Gem of Serenity, she couldn't revive the ones she cared for.
Her hatred ran dry. Her killings became hollow.
Even a Herrscher… can grow tired.
So when she finally faded away, there was no anger. No resentment.
Only exhaustion.
The Queen didn't fall because she was a villain.
Not because "justice must prevail."
She fell—because Sirin chose something greater.
She chose the love she'd always yearned for.
She chose Kiana,
the girl protected by countless small acts of kindness and hope.
...
Eden wiped the tears from her cheeks and clapped softly.
"Amazing… what a story."
She took a deep breath, sympathy welling in her chest.
Kiana had lost so much—but she still had Himeko, Mei, Bronya… people who loved her.
The Queen, though—had nothing but the hatred she inherited.
Aside from power, she had nothing.
Eden shook her head gently.
"For her… maybe leaving is the kinder end."
"To live filled with hatred—that's a far crueler fate."
Elysia blinked. "Eden… you're not getting delusional from all this tragedy, right? Don't start sympathizing with the boss!"
Eden gave her a look.
"I'm fine, Elysia. I'm just… reflecting."
"The Queen was written so well. Evil to the end—but in the end, I can't bring myself to hate her."
She smiled faintly. "Alright. Let's keep going."
Elysia nodded thoughtfully and clicked ahead.
The stream chat was flooded with a single word:
[泪目] [teary-eyed]
Since her appearance, the Queen's regal aura had captured countless fans.
And now, with her departure, no one was angry or sad—
just quietly full of emotion.
[Farewell, My Queen…]
...
In the game, lines of narration faded in one by one.
Kiana stood in a pure white space.
As the scene unfolded, the white mist parted—revealing St. Freya Academy.
And in the distance—
a flash of red stood waiting.
"Himeko!"
Eden's eyes widened, her heart leaping in her chest.
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