Chapter 106: The Queen's Exit, Tears All Around

After a series of debates between Kiana and the Queen, they realized that they had no common ground, no possibility of mutual understanding.

And Kiana was no longer the fragile girl she used to be.

Her heart had become incredibly tough.

Relying solely on psychological tactics wouldn't be enough to break her anymore.

Therefore, the Queen could only resort to using force.

"Hmph~ Use all your strength, struggle as much as you want~☆"

"Now is the time for judgment~☆"

After saying these classic lines, the game entered the battle phase.

After a brief exchange, the Queen realized that Kiana wasn't easy to defeat.

And Kiana's calm demeanor only infuriated the Queen even more.

"It seems like you've forgotten where your power came from... Don't be too arrogant, you insignificant ant!"

"The power you stole should be returned now~☆"

As soon as the Queen finished speaking, Kiana's Void Drifter Armor immediately transformed into her classic battle suit-White Comet. Seeing this scene, Eden couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

"This... without her Herrscher powers, how can Kiana possibly win against the Queen?"

After a moment of contemplation, Elysia smiled and said, "Isn't this how many protagonists in stories are? When faced with despair and no way out, they often unleash their potential beyond limits and defeat their enemies in one go~"

Eden shook her head, "This seems... a bit cliché... considering the quality of Honkai Impact 3, it shouldn't be arranged like this, right?"

"Hehe~ Just watch and see~"

Eden nodded and continued to advance through the game's storyline.

After taking away Kiana's Herrscher powers, the Queen chuckled lightly, "Alright, now let's have a fair and just duel!"

Seeing this, Eden couldn't help but mutter softly, "What kind of fairness is this... such a sore loser!"

Eden rarely showed this side of herself, which made Elysia find it extremely amusing. She hugged Eden's arm and playfully said, "My dear Eden~ The adorable beauty like you is definitely unbeatable~ How could Kiana possibly lose?"

Eden sighed and silently clicked on the next level, "Elysia, let go of me, I need to focus~"

"Hehe~ Go, Eden, you can do it~"

When selecting the level, Eden found that this level could only be played using the White Comet battle suit provided by the system, which made her furrow her brows slightly.

Moreover, after entering the game, the Queen's health was unexpectedly at nine bars!

Kiana's attacks on her were like scratching an itch.

After a few hits, Kiana's health bar was almost empty.

In the game, Kiana fell to the ground weakly, "I won't... surrender to you..."

Her gasping, weak voice made Eden incredibly nervous.

At this moment, she hoped that Kiana would win, but she didn't want to suddenly make Kiana overpowered and let such a good story fall into clichés.

If she were to intervene, why didn't she do it during "The Last Lesson"?

After Kiana fell down again, the Queen's mocking voice came faintly, "Regret your foolishness~☆"

"It's so ugly, can't you just accept your failure gracefully~☆"

"No... I won't... I absolutely won't lose to you!" Kiana's voice was weak, but there was a hint of hysteria in it.

Such a voice made the audience in the livestream tense up.

Unconsciously, they began to silently cheer for Kiana in their hearts.

"How ridiculous~ Are you waiting for your companions to come and rescue you~☆"

"Hehe... they are still busy playing house with the puppets, they have no time to come and save you~☆"

"With the core powers in my hands, your influence in the consciousness space is getting smaller and smaller... it won't be long before everything will completely submit to me~☆"

"Why do you still struggle? Can't you just accept your failure gracefully~☆"

Seeing this, Eden couldn't help but feel a sense of despair for Kiana.

Kiana was isolated and helpless, there was really... no way out.

But in the game, Kiana's eyes were incredibly serious.

Her voice was weak, but her tone was still firm.

"Perhaps... as you said, I don't have power right now, I'm just wasting my energy..."

"Don't even talk about confronting you, it's even difficult for me to maintain this standing posture."

"But... every time I fall to the ground, in pain and wanting to give up, I inexplicably think of many things..."

"Charred toast pizza, non-spicy bell pepper curry, a buffet for three, feathers shimmering in the light, the gates of St. Freya, and... her final lesson..."

Kiana's words trailed off, and the music abruptly changed, becoming somewhat melancholic and heavy.

Matching Kiana's voice acting, Eden felt her heart sink slightly, as if it had been stabbed a few times. She couldn't help but cover her mouth, with a very ominous guess forming in her mind.

Could it be... that Kiana would give it her all, yet still fall here?

And then, would she have to face Bronya and the others in battle again?

Before she could ponder further, Kiana's voice continued.

"Their smiles, their gratitude, their hopes for the future, their hands reaching out to me, the light shining on me..."

"Just thinking about these things, I can't bring myself to say the word 'give up'!"

"I've gained so much on this journey..."

"Courage, blessings, hope... all my best memories, they've always been with me."

"Heavy, yet always warming my heart..."

Hearing these words, Eden's eyes started to well up.

"So I—"

As Kiana's words fell silent, the game screen suddenly went black...

"I'm not empty-handed!!"

With Kiana's roar, the game music became intense.

Her clothing transformed back into the Void Drifter attire.

Seeing this, Eden's pupils dilated.

She felt a surge of adrenaline.

Forget about cheating, forget about protagonist power-ups, she instinctively ignored them all.

"What?!" The Herrscher Queen was also shocked.

But Kiana didn't pay any attention to the Queen. Her eyes were determined, her voice rising and falling, "I will continue to pass on everything I've gained so far!"

"I will bring them to more people, I won't fall here!"

"I will carry her ideals, their ideals... and continue forward!"

Suddenly, the Queen seemed to realize something, "No, wait, this is... the power of the Gem of Haste?"

As the Queen spoke, a short film played in the game.

In the footage, Kiana was engulfed in flames, a broken sword appearing in her hand.

And at that moment, Eden suddenly understood.

This... was Himeko's greatsword...

This wasn't cheating either!

With the Gem of Haste in Kiana's hands, and with the belief inherited from Himeko, the gem awakened Himeko's residual consciousness...

It all made sense.

Thinking this, as she looked at the screen, at Kiana holding the broken sword, Eden's body couldn't help but tremble slightly.

The barrage was also extremely enthusiastic.

["Ah, ah, ah... Kiana!!"]

["Awesome!! Kiana is so cool!"]

["Tears in my eyes... Wow~~ Teacher Ji..."]

The game once again entered a state of battle.

Eden was no longer focused on controlling the game character, so she handed the keyboard over to Elysia.

With the broken sword in hand, Kiana continuously swung it at the Queen.

At the same time, the Herrscher Queen's somewhat angry voice came through, "Why? Why did the Gem of Haste acknowledge you?"

"Just because that woman used it?"

"It's just a fragment of consciousness remaining in the gem, why resist?"

"Clearly, she's already dead, why obstruct me?!"

Kiana retorted, "Teacher Himeko never stopped fighting in her life, that's her fire, her color!"

As Elysia controlled the game, the Queen's health finally bottomed out.

And at this moment, the game screen turned into a scene of confrontation between Kiana and the Queen.

"Why? Why can you defeat me? Just because you're the good Sirin, and I'm the evil Sirin?"

Kiana: "Such a thing never existed, I chose good, while you chose evil!"

During the dialogue, Elysia quickly pressed the attack key.

As Kiana swung the sword fiercely, the screen turned into a blank white.

"It's over!"

Herrscher Queen: "..."

"... Yes, it's over."

"The power of the gems is flowing towards you, they abandoned me and chose you, it seems that your 'belief' is superior."

She sighed, her tone no longer arrogant and cold as before.

Instead, it seemed to reveal a hint of fatigue.

Kiana also breathed a sigh of relief, "I will use this power well."

Herrscher Queen: "Do whatever you want, without me, you'll have an easier time."

Kiana: "I will bear the burden you left behind, this is my responsibility."

"Heh~" The Queen chuckled, but there was no sarcasm in her smile, "That's your own business, there's no need to tell me."

"You could have lived on in ignorance, or simply died as an innocent test subject, but you chose this path..."

"The blood tainted by Sirin, her sorrow and despair, the contradiction of good and evil that all humanity must face... you have to bear the weight of all these for the rest of your life."

Kiana fell silent for a moment, then said, "I will do my best to ensure that there will never be another Sirin in the world."

Herrscher Queen: "..."

Taking a deep breath, her tone gradually became calm, "Alright, that's enough... I don't need your sympathy, and I won't approve of your ideas."

"But since you've won, just continue down your path, do your best, struggle to the end... Kiana."

Kiana: "Goodbye, another Sirin..."

Finishing this segment of the story in one breath, Eden felt a sense of exhilaration. From Sirin's dream onwards, they had seen everything Sirin had suffered before.

There was malice from humans.

And there was kindness and warmth from Cecilia.

The Queen's words just now weren't just for Kiana, but also seemed to be questioning all the players of Honkai Impact 3, including Eden.

Did the Queen fail just because she was evil, and Kiana was good?

If it were before, Eden would have definitely answered, yes!!

Isn't it like this in all ACG works?

Justice will eventually triumph over evil...

But after seeing Sirin's life and having that dream as a prelude...

Now... Eden would give a different answer.

The Queen didn't fail because she was evil.

It wasn't some elusive 'justice must prevail'.

It was because Sirin chose... what she had always longed for, that love from Cecilia.

Having chosen... to be protected by countless small and large beauties and warmth, Kiana.

Having realized this, Eden wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes and smiled, applauding.

"Fantastic plot."

She sighed deeply, feeling a bit sympathetic towards the Queen.

Kiana had experienced so much, but at least she had Himeko, Mei, and Bronya, people who cared for her.

As for the Queen, from the moment she woke up, what she inherited was Sirin's malice towards the world.

She lost all her power and had nothing.

Even though she was an antagonist, even though she killed Himeko, after completing this storyline, Eden not only didn't hate her, but even felt a bit sorry for her.

Shaking her head, Eden shook off these thoughts from her mind.

"It's a good thing for the Queen to exit the stage."

"Living with malice will only bring her

 torment and agony..."

Hearing Eden muttering to herself, Elysia couldn't help but be full of question marks.

"My dear Eden, are you okay? Don't talk nonsense, Eden, don't say random things..."

Eden gave Elysia a look, "Stop messing around, Elysia, I'm fine, you don't have to try to cheer me up..."

"I just... have some feelings."

"The Queen, this antagonist... was portrayed so well, she was evil from start to finish, but after completing the storyline, I found myself starting to like her."

Shaking her head, "Alright, let's continue watching~"

Elysia nodded thoughtfully.

She clicked the mouse once, and the game's narration slowly progressed.

Meanwhile, the barrage was filled with "Tears in my eyes" messages.

Since the Queen's arrival, her air of disdain had attracted a large number of Queen fans.

And after this storyline, players' affection for the Queen skyrocketed.

In the end, the Queen still exited the stage.

The players didn't show anger or sadness.

Instead, there was a chest full of emotion.

"Goodbye, Lady Queen..."

In the game, the narrations floated by.

And Kiana arrived in a vast white space.

As the scene unfolded, the pristine St. Freya Academy appeared on the screen.

And not far away... a red figure stood quietly.

"Himeko!"

Eden's pupils shrank, her heart suddenly pounding.