When Eden entered the final boss stage, the internet was already ablaze with discussion about the new Honkai Impact 3rd storyline.
Eden's second emotional breakdown had long since trended on social media. Countless overseas bloggers, ever quick to catch trends, had recorded and uploaded her stream to YouTube in advance.
This led to thousands of foreign viewers climbing over the digital wall just to watch Eden's stream live.
After all, a world-class superstar like Eden—so deeply moved by a single game that she cried not once but twice—was simply beyond belief.
Unfortunately, by the time those foreign fans found her stream, Elysia had already turned off the camera.
Now, only the game screen remained.
And thanks to Elysia's series of livestreams, Bilibili's traffic had exploded like never before, leaving the platform's shareholders beside themselves with excitement.
Leaving aside all the online noise—
At this moment, Eden had already defeated the final boss.
All that remained were the two short animation clips.
Meanwhile, the viewer count in her stream was approaching ten million.
Such numbers would make even the biggest online celebrities tremble.
Among the audience weren't just Honkai Impact 3rd players—there were also countless people who didn't even play games, but were there simply because they were fans of Eden.
Bloggers from all over the world were also recording the stream in real time.
In the livestream, Eden let out a deep breath.
After five straight hours of gameplay, she didn't feel tired at all—in fact, she almost wished there were more.
The two full chapters of the story told of how the main cast, after all their trials and pain, had grown and transformed from within.
Whether it was Kiana breaking free from her confusion and finding closure, or Mei's transformation into someone calm, sharp, and reliable, every moment tugged at Eden's heart.
The shifting narrative perspectives didn't make the story confusing; instead, they rendered it flawless and vivid.
There were moments of laughter, of tears—the story controlled players' emotions perfectly.
How could anyone not fall in love with such a story, such a game?
And the music—so breathtakingly beautiful even to someone like her.
Eden was certain that this time, the quality of the animation short would surpass everything before it.
"My dear Eden~ what's wrong?"
"I'm fine." Eden shook her head and clicked play.
Seeing that, the millions in her chat all stopped typing and quietly focused on the short film.
The opening was that oh-so-familiar miHoYo logo.
Then, in the dark void, Kiana's ragged breathing echoed softly.
Like the opening of a play, a blinding light illuminated the stage.
The voice of the Herrscher of Domination—both male and female at once—filled the space.
"Kiana, give up your struggle~"
Ominous music began to swell.
Fu Hua and Bronya hung unconscious in midair, bound by white silk threads.
"Tap, tap—"
Marionettes descended, strings shimmering, surrounding Kiana completely.
The animation was so fluid, so detailed, that even viewers who had never touched the game were stunned.
This… this level of animation comes from a game company?!
Before anyone could recover enough to type in chat, the music grew tense.
"Without your Herrscher powers, you're just an ordinary—weakling!"
The Herrscher mocked as she pulled on the strings—tightening the bonds around Fu Hua and Bronya.
The sharp white threads cut into their skin, leaving trails of blood.
Viewers' hearts clenched.
"Let them go!" Kiana's voice trembled with fury.
But the Herrscher ignored her.
"Faith without power is meaningless."
The puppets lunged at Kiana as the threads tightened again.
The girls' muffled cries were heartbreaking.
"Stop it!!"
Kiana swung her sword desperately, but the puppets were too many.
"Justice… compassion…"
"In the end, it's just self-delusion."
"You cannot change the malice in people's hearts—"
"Nor can you change this ugly world!"
The puppets overwhelmed her. Even the Spear of the Void was snared and shattered.
"See? You can't even… protect them~"
The threads snapped taut—blood splattered across the monochrome frame.
The audience's pupils contracted.
It looked as though Fu Hua and Bronya had been killed.
Eden's chest tightened.
No… that can't be right.
They were alive in the final battle. This must be symbolic—meant to heighten the emotion and realism of Kiana's struggle.
And it worked.
Even those who had never played Honkai Impact 3rd were now utterly immersed.
The animation flowed with precision—transitions from close-up to wide shot were seamless and powerful.
By this point, everyone's heartbeat had risen in sync with the story's tension.
They began to silently cheer for the white-haired girl fighting against despair.
No matter how she struggled, Kiana couldn't break free.
A giant hand, sketched in stark black lines, gripped her completely.
"We are all failures…"
"Humanity… is a failure."
"They've fallen, and you… are the last one~"
The suffocating darkness closed in.
"I will never… yield to you…"
Kiana trembled, barely standing.
Her eyes began to lose their light.
"I… won't…"
Just as she was about to collapse, she caught a glimpse of Himeko's back.
The theme song, The Flame Shall Burn Forever, began to play.
"They… never gave up."
Red light flared around her.
"Now it's my turn—to do what I must!"
She tore free, gripping Himeko's broken sword.
"Tell them… they were right!"
A fiery explosion—puppets blasted apart.
The camera pulled back, revealing her figure standing tall amid the blaze.
The shattered sword had transformed—into the Flame-Chaser Greatsword.
Kiana raised it, repeating Himeko's words:
"Is your attack… over already?"
"What?" The Herrscher faltered.
"Then it's my turn! No objections, right?!"
Kiana charged forward as the vocals began:
Some deserts on this planet were oceans once…
That voice—so much like Kiana's—paired with the soft piano, sent shivers down everyone's spines.
They couldn't even explain why they were crying.
That was the magic of Honkai Impact 3rd.
[Ahhhh…]
[I can't even form words anymore…]
[Tears…]
[MiHoYo's back at it with the sound system!]
[Never played the game, but this animation is insane!]
[Don't even understand it—but I feel it!]
[She said Himeko's line… QAQ]
[Kiana never forgot her teacher's words… sob…]
Kiana weaved through attacks, flames trailing behind her blade.
As she fought harder and harder, the Herrscher grew desperate.
"Why do you keep standing up?!"
"No matter how you struggle—the end won't change!"
Chains lashed out, binding Kiana's arms.
The puppets lunged again—
But before they could strike, beams of light tore through the air.
Weak but defiant, Bronya had activated the Key of Reason.
"Because she's an idiot," Bronya gasped, smiling faintly, "and idiots… never give up."
Kiana's blue eyes flickered—turning gold like clockwork gears.
The Herrscher core of Reason transferred into her sword.
The vocals shifted—now Himeko's voice:
I thought I was no more than a bystander till I felt a touch so real…
The camera panned out—
Kiana and Bronya stood back to back, summoning countless Keys of Reason.
"Fire!" they shouted in unison.
The cannons lit the entire stage.
Dust and debris rained down.
Kiana's hair had somehow become a sleek ponytail—her expression sharp, resolute.
The Herrscher of Domination still stood, but now silent, shaken.
It hurled massive stones at her—
Only for a feather to drift down.
Fu Hua's voice echoed:
"She changed me… and so many others."
"She'll go on changing the world."
"I want to witness that day."
The feather gleamed—and Kiana burst forth from the light, sword blazing.
"So…"
"We won't stop here!"
The powers of all the Herrschers flowed into her.
Her greatsword blazed like a comet, illuminating the entire world.
A shoulder for the past…
Let out the cries imprisoned for so long…
The music swelled to its peak.
Everyone watching was in tears.
Eden covered her mouth, trembling.
Every sense—sight, sound, emotion—was perfectly woven together.
"You can't realize your ideals…"
"The world outside is never beautiful!"
The Herrscher's voice cracked, almost crying.
"That's not true!"
Kiana, bound once more, shouted back.
The four gems shone bright—
And she transformed.
Her body was wreathed in flame, her armor the mark of the Herrscher of Flamescion.
Raising her sword high—she was breathtaking.
With the soaring vocals, no one watching could hold back their tears.
"The world isn't beautiful…"
"But there are people who told me not to give up."
"They showed me that it's not so bad."
"I love them… and everything they love."
"This sword connects us…"
"It will burn through the darkness—so the light can reach farther still!"
Her voice faded.
She leapt forward for the final strike.
"This is… our…"
"Way home!!"
The song surged once more:
Wave good-bye to the past, when hope and faith have grown so strong and sound…
Unfold this pair of wings for me again…
Tears blurred everyone's vision.
Himeko's figure appeared—then faded away.
[I can't stop crying!!]
[For all that is beautiful in this world!!]
[Welcome home, Kiana QAQ]
[MiHoYo… you absolute legends!]
[Himeko smiles upon you, silently…]
Eden wept openly, unable to speak.
Elysia gently patted her back, whispering comfort.
But Eden couldn't hear her.
As the ending theme of The Flame Shall Burn Forever played once more, the screen filled with one sentence, repeated endlessly in the scrolling chat:
"For all that is beautiful in this world—fight on."
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