[Real mom scam! Hahaha...]
[Shibao is way too adorable...]
[This chapter is insane—sometimes tragic, sometimes hot-blooded, sometimes hilarious!]
[So that means Shibao doesn't really guard herself against Fu Hua, huh? Otherwise she wouldn't have let her power be taken so easily.]
[Of course not—she's her mom, how could she guard against her...]
Eden continued narrating the story.
Having obtained the power of the Herrscher of Sentience, Fu Hua easily severed the connection between the Herrscher of Domination and its hosts.
With that obstacle gone, she and Bronya could finally fight without restraint—just destroy all those puppets and be done with it.
Unfortunately, the Herrscher of Domination also managed to steal the Herrscher of Sentience's authority.
"So that's what it feels like… to have your power taken from you," Fu Hua murmured.
Bronya cast her a worried glance.
"What about the Herrscher of Sentience? Is she all right?"
Fu Hua shook her head.
"She's fine. But… my communication with her has been cut off."
"I didn't expect she'd actually agree to help you," said Bronya.
Fu Hua looked a little awkward.
"Strictly speaking, she didn't agree."
"She just… hesitated a little. But we were in a rush, so…"
Bronya, ever the smart one, immediately realized—Fu Hua must have taken that power by force.
"Then she must be furious right now."
Fu Hua: "..."
"I'll find her later and apologize properly," she said. "But for now, we have to save Kiana first!"
The two charged toward the puppets blocking their path.
The puppets, now granted the Herrscher of Sentience's authority, tried to use that power against them.
But since they had only just gained it, all they could do was mess with Fu Hua and Bronya's vision a little.
Seeing that, Eden instinctively let out a small sigh of relief.
But then, the Herrscher of Domination used the Herrscher of Reason's authority to construct a swarm of mechs.
Combined with the distortion from the Herrscher of Sentience's power, Fu Hua and Bronya found themselves in quite the bind.
"Hahaha… Let's see you fight blind, then!"
The Herrscher of Domination's voice was brimming with glee.
With no choice, Fu Hua and Bronya could only rely on instinct, fighting while moving toward Kiana's position.
But of course, the Herrscher of Domination wasn't about to let them succeed so easily.
It summoned another row of puppets to block the path.
"Hehehe~ A clever plan, but with two Herrscher powers, I—"
Before the sentence could finish, a crimson bolt of lightning crashed down, vaporizing the puppets on the spot.
"AAAAHHHH—!!"
The Herrscher of Domination screamed in agony.
Fu Hua and Bronya both froze for a moment.
"That red lightning… Mei!?"
The game screen instantly switched to Mei's perspective.
The music surged into a fierce, electrifying rhythm.
As the puppets' screams faded, Mei exhaled softly.
"Looks like it worked."
"Cough… you… what did you do…?"
The puppet's voice was weak—it was clear Mei's attack had dealt serious damage.
"Nothing much," Mei said calmly. "Just won the clash of powers."
"What? You hide from me, but do you even know why you hide?"
Seeing the puppet's confused expression, Mei seemed to understand.
These puppets didn't even know their own weakness—they simply acted on instinct, avoiding the completed Herrscher of Thunder.
"Impossible! Why can't we seize the power of Thunder!?"
"Simple," Mei said coldly. "You're too weak."
"Your so-called Domination is nothing but theft. When you face someone stronger, your domination crumbles, and even your control is disturbed."
"Ready? That was just a test. Next—let's see whether your Domination can withstand my Conquest!"
Lightning crackled around her as she declared,
"This time, it's for real."
Mei's presence was overwhelming—powerful, commanding, reliable.
The chat exploded with excitement.
Even Elysia's eyes sparkled.
"This Mei is absolutely dazzling~"
Then she teased,
"But wait, isn't she kinda implying that Bronya's weak? Hehehe~"
The chat immediately ignited again.
[Hey! Another drive-by on Duck Duck!]
[Bronya: Wuu… my license got revoked again.]
Eden chuckled softly.
"If Bronya heard that, she'd be glaring at you again."
"Heehee~ And wouldn't that be adorable too?" Elysia replied playfully.
Meanwhile, Bronya was actually watching the stream.
Seeing the chat once again joke about her "driver's license being revoked," a vein popped on her forehead.
She turned toward Moli.
"Boss, when are you showing your HP bar?"
"Huh? Why?" he blinked.
"Because I'm going to hit you!"
"Ehh~" Moli scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Come on, it's just a joke about the license thing, no need to get violent…"
Bronya just stared at him in silence.
"...Fine, fine," Moli sighed. "Next patch—when we move to the Elysian Realm—you can hit me then, okay?"
Only then did Bronya turn away, silent once more.
Truthfully, she wasn't really angry.
She just… wanted to use the topic as an excuse to talk to him.
Maybe she felt that sitting there quietly watching the stream together felt a bit too distant.
Yeah… that must've been it.
Back in the live broadcast, Eden continued the narration.
After being heavily wounded by Mei, the Herrscher of Domination realized she couldn't win by force.
So she tried another tactic—using Kiana's voice to break Mei's resolve.
But that, in Mei's current state, was the worst possible move.
Hearing "Kiana's" voice only made Mei's anger burn hotter.
Suppressing that rage, her tone remained frighteningly calm.
"I don't need to go back to the past…"
"And she doesn't need to either!!"
Her entire body erupted with lightning as she swung her blade with all her might.
That strike devastated the entire Domination Theater.
The Herrscher of Domination screamed in pain, her authority collapsing.
Soon, the powers stolen from Fu Hua and Bronya would return to them.
But Mei, too, was left exhausted—she'd soon be ejected from the Theater.
Still, she had done everything she could.
Eden sighed softly.
"Ah… looks like Mei and Kiana won't get to meet just yet."
Elysia smiled gently.
"Even so, aren't they still fighting side by side~?"
The roar of thunder echoed across the entire Theater.
Even Kiana, trapped within the Gem of Pestilence's space, could hear it.
The camera switched to her perspective.
Eden didn't know it yet—but what came next was the most tear-jerking part of the entire chapter.
When Kiana saw Himeko again, her lips curled into a soft, tender smile.
"Outside… are they all fighting?"
"Seems like it," Himeko replied. "Which means the frozen time here is finally breaking."
She smiled faintly.
"See? I told you, Kiana—you've never been alone."
Before her words could fade, another thunderclap rolled through.
The two fell silent.
They both knew—their time together was almost over.
Finally, Himeko broke the silence.
"Ready, Kiana?"
"I… understand, Miss Himeko…"
"Then come on. Let's walk a bit farther."
The viewers all knew—this was their farewell.
The chat quieted. Even Eden's smile faded.
In the game, Kiana and Himeko walked along an endless path.
"You've grown so much… I still remember when you first entered school, shouting that you'd become the strongest Valkyrie."
Himeko chuckled softly.
"Honestly, I wish I could've watched you grow. I wish I could go back, keep teaching you, training with you…"
"Our time at St. Freya… was my most precious memory."
"The road ahead is long, but it seems… I won't be able to walk it with you."
"Just remember, there are so many people by your side—always supporting you, protecting you… including me."
Soft piano music began to play as Himeko's gentle words filled the air.
Even Elysia puffed her cheeks, trying not to cry.
Eden's expression turned solemn.
The chat was filled with [teary eyes] and [sob].
"This is as far as I go, Kiana. From here on, it's your journey."
Before them, a door appeared.
"Once I pass through that door… everything here will disappear, won't it?"
Kiana's voice trembled.
"I don't know… but probably." Himeko's tone was just as heavy.
"Say goodbye to everyone at St. Freya for me."
"Tell Mei I support her choice—but next time, she shouldn't hit her friends so hard."
"I will…" Kiana's voice cracked.
Eden's eyes glistened as tears slipped down her cheeks.
She didn't even pause the game.
Elysia, worried, whispered,
"Eden… maybe we should skip this part?"
"No…" Eden shook her head, wiping her tears.
"It's fine…"
She told herself—it was just a story.
She knew Himeko's fate already.
She shouldn't break down again.
But then—
"Kiana… don't be afraid."
"Don't fear saying goodbye."
"To part from the past is to move toward the future."
Kiana stayed silent for a long moment, then drew a deep breath.
"I understand, Miss Himeko… I really do…"
And then—the BGM The Last Lesson began to play.
Eden froze.
That familiar melody, Kiana's trembling voice—
It was too much.
The chat erupted.
[Damn you, miHoYo! Playing this track is cheating!!]
[He's coming—with the speakers on his back QAQ]
[Miss Himeko… you're too gentle… sob sob…]
[I'm crying and laughing at the same time QAQ]
[This… this is the real Last Lesson…]
In-game, Kiana couldn't hold it in anymore.
A soft sob escaped her lips—
and the dam broke for everyone watching.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Miss Himeko…"
"I know… I know I should smile and say goodbye… I should walk through that door bravely…"
"I know this is just a fragment of memory… that reality is where I must return…"
"But I can't help thinking…"
"If I don't walk through that door… maybe time will stop forever…"
"Maybe this moment will never change…"
"I didn't even get to say goodbye…"
Her tears streamed down as she spoke.
And outside, the players were all crying too.
"I still have so many things I wanted to tell you… so many promises I haven't kept…"
"It's just a dream… and dreams always end, I know…"
"I'll go back. I'll defeat the Herrscher of a Thousand. I'll bring Mei home."
"The Eleventh Herrscher, the Twelfth, even the Final Herrscher—I'll overcome them all."
"I'll turn this imperfect story… into the one we always hoped for…"
"I just wish… you could see it too."
The BGM swelled to its climax.
Eden could no longer hold back—
a choked sob escaped her throat.
Elysia quickly hugged her.
"Eden, my sweet Eden~ Miss Himeko's still here, see? She's right there…"
"And you still have me, don't you? So don't cry, okay~?"
Elsewhere, the real Himeko, Kiana, and the others were also watching the stream.
Even though they'd already seen this scene before, it still broke them again.
Even Bronya couldn't keep her stoic face.
The music, Kiana's sobbing voice, Eden's tears—
laughter spreads easily, but so do tears.
Bronya's lips quivered as she suddenly turned toward Moli—
only to find him… calmly playing Genshin Impact with headphones on.
"You bastard!!" she shouted, snatching his phone.
"Hey hey, chill! I'm fighting Childe here!"
He froze when he saw her tear-streaked face.
"Ahem… I told you not to watch that part, didn't I…"
"You're watching it with me," Bronya said firmly, puffing her cheeks.
"I refuse."
"Refusal invalid!" She grabbed his arm and held it tight.
"You made us cry, so you're crying with us. No escaping!"
"...Fine."
He sighed in defeat.
"Alright then… I'll watch. I'm a grown man. I can handle this… right…?"
(He absolutely could not.)
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