[Miss Fairy always manages to heal me. I really wish Tuna could meet Miss Fairy too!]
[Perhaps this is why I've been a fan of Miss Fairy for so many years.]
[I'm getting a bit fired up! Go, Tuna, go!]
The viewers in the live stream chat were infected by Elysia's sincerity.
The plot continued.
Elysia controlled Kiana, running across an overpass, when suddenly Himeko's voice was heard.
"Introduce yourself."
"Himeko... Teacher..."
Kiana's vision blurred, and when it cleared again, the scene had changed to St. Freya High.
This was a precious memory belonging to Kiana.
It was Kiana's first time at St. Freya High, the first time she met Teacher Himeko.
Kiana was still so energetic and lively, with an endless stream of absurd and comical ideas that would make one can't help but smile.
She would proudly provoke Himeko, only to be 'ruthlessly' struck down by her.
She would occasionally feel melancholic and sad, lost and without direction, but at those times, Himeko would be there to guide her. Then she would forget her sadness, regain her liveliness, and return to her carefree self.
She would be nervous on the battlefield, far less mature than she was now, but even then, Himeko would be her support.
One happy memory followed another.
But in the end, it froze on Himeko, battered and bruised, leaning on her sword, saying to her: "Kiana... This is the last lesson..."
All the players could completely empathize with Kiana's heart, which was on the verge of collapse at this moment.
The sweeter it was before, the more painful it was now.
And at this moment, the Herrscher of the Void, taking advantage of the new opening in Kiana's mind, once again dragged Kiana into the mental world.
She spat out those sharp words, piercing Kiana.
"Her sacrifice left a wound in your heart that will never heal, an opening for me to return once more."
"Any brief lapse in concentration, any painful memory, will give me more freedom, turning the place where you linger into ruins."
"How pitiful, you coward who only knows how to run."
"There has never been a place for you in this world."
The Herrscher of the Void not only used sharp words but also summoned Honkai Beasts to attack Kiana in wave after wave.
Kiana was finally utterly exhausted.
She knelt on the ground, weary, her body and mind pushed to their limits, with no strength left to fight.
[No way! No way! Is Kiana really going to die?]
[Then wouldn't Himeko's sacrifice be meaningless? I can't accept that!]
[Someone save her, quickly!]
The viewers in the live stream chat were extremely anxious. Elysia, too, stared intently at the screen, unblinking.
And Kiana in the game made a decision that no one had expected.
She clenched her pistol, pressing the muzzle against her own chin.
Kiana would rather die as a human than let the Herrscher of the Void occupy her body and resurrect.
"I... will never let you..."
With the sound of a trigger being pulled, everyone felt their hearts skip half a beat.
In just the next second, the muzzle would erupt in flames.
Fortunately, at this critical juncture, Fu Hua appeared!
"Now is not the time for despair, Kiana... I'm here."
[Immortal Fu Hua YYDS!!]
[So heartwarming! It's really too heartwarming! From today onwards, I'm a die-hard fan of the Monitor!]
[Pulling for Fu Hua to show my respect!]
The plot continued.
Relying on Fu Hua's power, Kiana once again returned to reality.
Sometime, somehow, she had run onto an empty road.
The exhaustion in her body made her gasp for breath continuously.
Roar!!
At this moment, the roars of Honkai Beasts also echoed from all around.
It turned out she had already entered an encirclement of Honkai Beasts.
And at this moment, she was completely powerless to fight these Honkai Beasts, able only to flee desperately.
Just as the attacks of several Honkai Beasts were about to land on her, everything around her suddenly froze.
The climax of the entire interlude had arrived.
As the BGM "Amazing Grace" began to play, the viewers in the live stream chat held their breath.
In the scene, Kiana looked up and found traces like shattered glass appearing before her.
A familiar figure slowly walked towards her from the far distance.
Her tear-filled pupils slowly widened, an expression of disbelief on her face.
Countless shards of glass scattered outwards. Himeko smiled as she passed by her, came to stand behind her, and once again raised her weapon for her.
"Kiana... What are you still waiting for?"
As Himeko's voice fell, her figure shattered like glass, piece by piece, gradually turning into white foam and dissipating.
Kiana closed her eyes tightly, letting tears flow freely. At this moment, she finally understood her own heart.
Fu Hua's betrayal, other people's distrust, doubts about her own origins, the uncertainty of the future, the guilt for countless innocent lives.
She should have given up long ago, succumbed to the Honkai. It was Himeko, Himeko's last lesson, that was supporting her!
Betrayal, trust, identity – none of it mattered.
Because she knew someone was truly willing to risk their life to pull her back from the abyss. This seed of kindness had been planted deep in her heart.
That was enough!
It was this that made her decide to maintain this gentleness and righteousness, no matter when.
"Teacher Himeko, I won't run away anymore."
Kiana spread her arms, Lances of the Void aligning behind her. The erupting Honkai energy effortlessly crushed the attacking Honkai Beasts.
The expression on her face also changed completely in an instant.
She seemed to have grown up, no longer the... Tuna of the past.
...
Silence, silence, silence.
It was hard to imagine such a deathly quiet scene in a live stream with at least a million viewers.
After an unknown amount of time had passed.
[I once thought she had really come back, to take Kiana home.]
[Repentance, gratitude, atonement, rebirth. Tuna has grown up, she can fly on her own now, but I really want to cry. (crying) (crying)]
[Until I was 19, I naively believed my future was rose-colored. (crying loudly)]
[I don't know why, but I cried and then laughed, then laughed and cried again.]
[miHoYo, you have no heart... No, you understand human hearts far too well!]
"Mr. Otto."
"Hm?"
"Turn this imperfect story into the one you envision."
Elysia asked very seriously: "Kiana will carry Himeko's beliefs through to the end, right?"
"Of course. She will do very well."
Su Luo replied softly.
"If you lie at a time like this, you'll have to swallow a thousand needles, you know~~" Elysia hummed.
"That's truly terrifying," Su Luo responded. "Fortunately, I'm not lying. Kiana will indeed always carry Himeko's beliefs through to the end."
"Kiana can achieve far more than you all imagine."
Whether it was becoming a star to ignite hope, or inheriting that Flame, determined to protect what is beautiful, to rewrite this imperfect story.
What Kiana would be able to achieve in the future was indeed far more than anyone imagined.
So much so that people might not even be able to call her Tuna anymore.
So much so that it made one want to call her Tuna just one more time.
"Is that so~~"
Elysia's tone was light and airy. "I'm suddenly looking forward to the future plot very much."