THE EVERLASTING FLAME

--- Special Edition Chapter ---

Bronya silently glanced at her, her silent gaze seemingly asking - "What's with you dragging me into this?"

Bronya felt it wasn't necessary to involve herself in this. She wasn't exactly close with the Herrscher of Sentience, even if there was any connection, it was the part where she got her driving license revoked, a painful memory filled with sadness.

So - why involve her? It was obvious to everyone that she was trying to talk about Class Monitor instead. Why bother with all the pretense?

Clearing her throat, the Herrscher of Sentience stammered, "What I... what I meant to say was, Bronya... I'm sure Seele is really upset too."Feeling the weight of both Bronya and Fu Hua's stares, the Herrscher of Sentience flushed with embarrassment, realizing her earlier statement was a bit of a stretch.

If they were talking about Kiana, it would have made perfect sense. But Kiana was still down there, fighting to save them.

The memory of that horrible scene flashed before her eyes... Damn it! How could they treat Kiana like that? No matter how much they tried to hold her back, she would never give up... Ugh! How dare they hurt her people?

"Hmm…That's true, I agree with the Herrscher of Sentience. They actually dared to treat onee-chan like that…"

Hearing that, Seele's delicate cheeks puffed up slightly, showing her anger.

Her Bronya onee-chan was treated like that again, it was simply too much!

[It's definitely your fault that Your Bronya onEE-ChaN is so weak, you see, every time she gets captured, it's her, she's too weak, Seele, you need someone stronger to accompany you]

Veliona was still whispering in Seele's ear, trying to sway her to her side.

She was persistent in her efforts.

"Little Senti, don't talk nonsense…"

"I, the Herrscher of Sentience, never lie!"

The Herrscher of Sentience proudly stood tall with her head held high.

" …Alright, I didn't know you were so close to Bronya." Fu Hua said calmly.

"No, we're not! Bro…"

"Hehe, not exactly close, but we're still friends, right?" The Herrscher of Sentience smiled and nodded to Bronya.

-----

The weight on Kiana grew heavier and heavier. It was like a mountain of puppets crushing her, their hands a tangled mess that blotted out the Light.

All she could see was darkness, stretching out in every direction, a cold, empty void.

"This is the end for humans."

Countless malicious voices tried to pull her deeper into the darkness, transparent threads wrapped around her one by one.

Invisible, black giant hands slowly enveloped her, and Kiana, like someone sinking in quicksand, struggled in vain.

But she couldn't give up now, she couldn't fall here -

"We are all failures~"

"No..." she said, struggling to stay firm, her eyes still a bright blue.

But the black hands around her squeezed tighter, stealing away the space around her, forming a cage to confine her.

The malice, felt on every inch of her skin, the despair rising in her heart made her wonder if she could truly win.

The situation seemed hopeless.

But those promises she made, those agreements she failed to keep, those beautiful moments from the past, were still vivid in her mind.

They replayed in her heart, resisting the power of the world's evil.

The Herrscher of Dominance's malice, inch by inch, eroded Kiana's Steel will like strong acid, urging her to let go, to give up, to fall…

"Humans…are all failures…"

The malicious, heartless words echoed in Kiana's ears, mocking, taunting, screaming, shattering the last remnants of hope in her heart.

"We…will never give up…"

She spoke with unwavering determination, but her struggle grew weaker.

The pain of her comrades' injuries, the crushing weight of defeat, it all bore down on her, chipping away at the warrior spirit that had always defined her.

"They have fallen. You... are the last,"

"I…won't!"

Despite her words, the bright light in her eyes began to dim, the clenched fists in the narrow space loosened.

She was exhausted.

She was powerless to fight back.

If she gave up now, if she fell here, who could blame her? The thought, once unthinkable, now crept into her mind, a tempting escape from the relentless torment.

The pressure was unbearable, the pain too much to bear. 

"They…will never give up."

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness. It was a woman, cloaked in red, her silhouette shimmering against the oppressive blackness. She didn't speak, but her presence alone reignited a spark within Kiana's weary heart.Himeko-sensei. Her mentor, her teacher, her friend. She had faced countless trials, endured unimaginable pain, yet she never surrendered. She never gave up on herself, on her beliefs, on her students.And now, it was Kiana's turn to follow in her footsteps.

So…

"Now it's my turn, to do what I need to do!!"

She had to, she should, she promised to…fulfill what she needed to accomplish!

Himeko's figure faded, leaving behind the broken great sword, which caused the space around it to ripple with cracks.

Kiana stretched out her hand, straining against the invisible bonds that held her captive. With a burst of strength, she broke free, her fingers closing around the hilt of the great sword.

It felt familiar, comforting, like a piece of home in this desolate wasteland.

"To go and tell everyone, that their choice was not wrong!" 

She roared, she wanted to prove herself to everyone who trusted her.

She didn't want to disappoint anyone ever again, so she would succeed.

She wouldn't fail again, because she promised to make the world a better place.

"Is your attack…over?"

A voice cut through the darkness, followed by a barrage of purple light that blasted away the puppets pinning Kiana down. She tightened her grip on the great sword, her gaze fixed on the colossal puppet looming in the distance.

Unconsciously, she spoke the words Himeko-sensei had once said.

As if she found renewed strength from those words. The remembrance of her teacher, her promise, a fiery passion erupted in her heart.

"What?!" The puppet was stunned.

"It's my turn now, no objections."

Her blue eyes held an unwavering conviction, and her previously lifeless figure came back to life.

At that moment, a voice played in the background, gentle yet resolute.

♪ ~ ♪ ~ ♪

「 Some deserts on this planet were oceans once 」

「 Somewhere shrouded by the night,the sun will shine 」

「 Sometimes I see a dying bird fall to the ground 」

「 But it used to fly so high 」

This time, she would fight for the people she cared about!!

[That's Himeko-sensei's line from before…fighting on the battlefield with her?]

[Kiana: I've become Himeko in the end]

[Mihoyo is carrying its speaker again]

[people writing on fire.PNG]

[Comment]

-----

Golden Courtyard

"This is the romance unique to warriors, isn't it?"

Eden smiled gracefully, her star-like eyes lit up as she watched Kiana charging forward in the arena, a touch of longing in her gaze.

"That's right, that's right, Kiana, go for it, beat the Herrscher of Dominance! Saying your most treasured person's lines during a fight, how enviable!"

Elysia squeezed her eyes shut, waving her hand, seemingly cheering Kiana's attack.

"Sigh~, if only one day Kevin could fulfill this wish of mine, I would be content?~"

"?" Kevin heard this and turned to look at her, confused. He didn't understand what she meant.

"You know," Elysia explained, twirling a strand of pink hair around her finger, "say one of my lines during a fight?" She looked at him expectantly, a playful smile on her face.

"Which one?" Kevin asked. He always spoke in a straightforward way.

If her request wasn't too difficult, he wouldn't mind doing it.

"The most important wish of a pretty girl should be taken seriously, don't you think?" Elysia replied, her voice as clear as a bird's song. "This line would be the most fitting~!"

Kevin simply turned his back, silently sighed, his face becoming even colder.

He shouldn't have expected anything different from her.

"Alright~ I think it would be perfect for you Kevin. Want to give it a try, it's an unexplored territory, you know?~"

-----

Kiana launched herself forward, her great-sword a blur as it cleaved through the air, sending a puppet crashing to the ground.

With a fluid motion, she used the momentum to spin around, her blade arcing in a graceful horizontal sweep that felled two more puppets attempting to sneak up behind her.

But there was no time to rest. The remaining puppets had already trained their weapons on her, their muzzles spitting out a hail of bullets.

Kiana danced through the onslaught, twisting and turning, dodging and weaving, her movements a desperate ballet of survival.

With nowhere to run on the ground, she leaped onto the wall, defying gravity as she clung to the vertical surface. The sheer force of her will kept her there, refusing to give up.

"Why are you still standing?"

the puppet's voice echoed through the chaos, filled with frustration and disbelief.

It had been so close to victory, so close to breaking her will.

"No matter how much you struggle, the outcome won't change!"

But Kiana refused to give up. She wouldn't let despair consume her. Not while there was even the smallest chance of hope, a tiny spark to fight for a better future.

Kiana pushed off the wall with explosive force, soaring through the air like a fiery comet. As she soared upwards, her sword crackled with energy, a mix of fiery heat and spatial power gathering on the shining blade.With a fierce cry, she swung the weapon downward, a blazing arc of destruction aimed at the heart of the puppet horde.

The impact was catastrophic. Puppets were thrown in every direction, shattering into tiny pieces of dust and debris. But as the smoke began to clear, a new danger appeared.

a sudden appearance of chain hooks wrapped around Kiana, restraining her.

She looked at the puppet attacking her from above, unable to shake the hooks off her legs for the time being.

A look of readiness for getting hit appeared in her eyes.

She wasn't afraid!

Suddenly, the air shimmered, and a swarm of floating cannons materialized out of thin air. Blue beams of energy erupted from their muzzles, tearing through the puppets that surrounded Kiana. The immediate threat was neutralized, but the battle was far from over."Kiana," a weak voice called out from the ground. It was Bronya, her body battered and bruised, yet her spirit unbroken. "She doesn't care about your words."A glowing gem, the Gem of the Herrscher of Reason, materialized in Bronya's hand. With a final surge of strength, she embedded it into Kiana's great-sword, transferring the power of the Herrscher of Reason to her friend.

"Because she's an idiot. And idiots, do not give up!" 

There was a hint of laughter in Bronya's voice, but it was filled with confidence in Kiana.

The Herrscher of Reason tied up her long hair, placing a crown on her head.

Kiana's eyes flashed with the shape of the components of the Gem of Reason, Bronya's phantom appeared beside her, they both raised a hand.

Once again, the air hummed with energy as countless cannons took shape, their muzzles trained on the remaining puppets.

"Fire!" the two voices commanded in unison.

The cannons unleashed a devastating volley, obliterating the puppets one by one. A shockwave ripped through the theater, scattering debris and dust in its wake.

When the dust settled, the puppets were gone, reduced to nothing but scrap metal and shattered fragments.

The once grand theater was now a crumbling ruin, leaving only the stage itself, surrounded by a surreal landscape of towering stone pillars and a swirling, otherworldly sky.

With a single point of the puppet's hand from high above,

All the stone pillars fell straight towards Kiana, destroying the created cannons.

A vast cloud of dust covered the battlefield, the situation unknown.

A single, crimson feather drifted gently through the air, a stark contrast against the desolate backdrop of the ruined theater.

"She changed me, she changed many people, she will continue to change many more in the future."

Fu Hua's voice echoed softly. At this moment, she was lying helplessly in a corner of the ruins,

But she made the same choice as Bronya, handing over her power to Kiana - the one she trusted.

The scene of her battle with the Herrscher of Sentience came to mind, yes, she had never let anyone down.

The feathers in the air gathered, Kiana's figure leaped out from the middle.

She was protected by Fu Hua's power, dodging the attack of the stone pillars.

"I want to witness the arrival of that day."

Fu Hua said with anticipation.

She believed in the girl who had come this far more than anyone else. She had witnessed her growth with her own eyes. She changed the people she met along the way, made the world a better place, she was truly putting in the effort.

The Power Gem of the Herrscher of Sentience appeared on the great-sword, her figure also appeared beside Kiana.

"So…"

"We will not…stop here!!"

The two of them charged towards the Herrscher of Dominance together, Fu Hua's last bit of power was passed on to Kiana,

Their figures turned into a blazing inferno, drawing a trail of orange flames in the air, straight toward the Herrscher of Dominance below.

The intense heat was the result of everyone's collective hope, their ideals, their strength, their burning passion,

It was also proof that they were human beings!

The giant hands manifested by the Herrscher of Dominance couldn't hold them back, one after another, they shattered.

If one wasn't enough, then use several, if that didn't work, then use hundreds, thousands.

Countless giant hands emerged from its side, all together, desperately trying to stop their final attack.

They were so united, why couldn't they do the same?

"Your ideals are impossible to achieve!"

Even now, it hadn't given up trying to reason. She issued her last unwilling plea,

Or rather, for her, who was born from evil, she had never seen light or beauty, and refused to believe in their existence.

"The world is never beautiful!"

Countless giant hands even pushed back Kiana's attack, sending her to the heights of space, Kiana was trapped inside, the core on her great-sword was dimming.

But only those eyes continued to shine brightly, the faith they held would not be dimmed by anything.

She had to bear everything, carry the expectations of her companions and move forward!

"Not at all!"

The hand that gripped her great-sword never wavered. Power surged from somewhere within her, shattering the prison of the puppet's giant hands.

A brilliant explosion of blue fire painted the sky, the four gems within it shining brighter than ever before.

The flames danced and changed, shifting from cool blue to a fiery orange-red, interwoven with shimmering beams of light from the other gems.

Kiana hovered in the air, her form shimmering and transforming one last time. A ragged cloak, burning red like the flames themselves, flowed behind her. Her hair, now a high ponytail, whipped in the wind.

She was clad in white battle armor, her familiar red great-sword gripped tightly in her hand.

This was the Herrscher of Flamescion, the latest inheritor to the flame passed down through countless generations of humankind.

That flame is...THE EVERLASTING FLAME

This is the Herrscher belonging to humanity!

She raised her great-sword high, charging down.

"What!?" The puppet stared in shock at the scene unfolding above. It unleashed countless tricks, trying to block her attack.

It conjured countless sharp thorns, which were knocked away by Kiana. It launched a shower of razor-sharp blades, which were shattered by her.

No matter how many obstacles she faced, she would break through them all. Nothing could stop her.

Kiana countered, her voice soft yet firm, echoing in the air,

"The world may not be perfect,"

"But there are people who tell me not to give up,"

"They guide me,"

"They prove to me that the world isn't that bad,"

"I love them, and I love everything they love!"

As the flames illuminated the entire theater, pieces of rubble whizzed past her.

Every obstacle was shattered by her great-sword, Kiana gazed steadfastly at the puppet below.

That was the final enemy.

The Herrscher of Dominance, overwhelmed with fear as Kiana approached, mustered the last of its energy into a desperate beam, hoping to stop her final attack.

"This sword connects us," Kiana proclaimed, her voice ringing with determination.

"It will pierce through the darkest night and bring light shine upon a distant horizon!"

With every ounce of her remaining strength, Kiana swung her great-sword.

The flames it emitted fought against the enemy's beam, inching forward, slowly but surely, like a sunrise promising hope.

「A pair of wings for me at this moment」

「To soar above this world」

Behind her, the figures of countless companions appeared. They were all pushing her from behind, as if they were trying to transfer their strength to her, allowing her to go further.

Theresa, Mei, Bronya, Fu Hua… they carried with them everyone's hopes and blessings.

She had come this far, she would surely take everyone's dreams with her and go even further!

"This is…our way home, for all of us!!"

「Turn into a shooting star that briefly shines but warms up every heart」

Kiana raised her head, her face hardened with determination, roaring with her last ounce of strength.

"Ya—"

Endless flames engulfed every corner. Through the surrounding fire, she could vaguely see Himeko-sensei's smile, as if approving of her.

After a gentle smile towards her, she quietly disappeared into the flames.

「May all the beauty be blessed」

The flames devoured every part of the theater. The Herrscher of Dominance could no longer resist, disappearing into the flames.

Evil finally succumbed to faith.

The Herrscher of Dominance, successfully subjugated.

The theater could no longer withstand this power, vanishing into thin air, revealing the original clear sky.

At this moment, it was just before dawn.

The first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the beautiful mountains, bright and warm like flames.

[Bronya and Fu Hua, they used their last strength to help Kiana in the end, giving her the core power]

[…So, the Gem of the Herrscher of Reason was given away again? Four-core Kiana]

[Kiana finally won, the fight is getting tougher…even though I know she's the protagonist, I was still worried for her…]

[So touching, so touching…so what did Theresa behind Kiana mean just now?]

[Himeko-sensei…turned into Kiana's cloak, shielding her from the dust of battle]

[That flash of red light in the endless darkness, burning the night and bringing dawn to the future]

[Comment]

-----

Looking at the intense battle just now, the people in the room were speechless for a moment, stunned.

"I won…I won!! Yay!"

Kiana cheered with joy, as if she had won in reality too, she jumped up and threw herself at Mei, saying.

"That image…it looks familiar, it's something you've always wanted, Kiana, in your words…it's the image of a warrior."

Looking at the happy Kiana, Mei poked her forehead, reminding her.

"Eh? It seems…it's that, now I understand, what she went through…it's something I couldn't imagine back then…"

Kiana pondered for a moment, a sense of relief in her eyes.

"But, it's truly enviable, she really fits the image of myself in my heart."

With that kind of growth, she wouldn't be surprised, pain as bait, failure as motivation…she didn't want that kind of future.

"Then, if it happened again, would you…"

"I still want to be a hero, you see, I saved so many people, and also Class Monitor, I changed so many people…it's great~"

Kiana said with anticipation.

Then her ear hurt, and her face immediately twitched,

"Ouch, Mei~ What are you doing?"

"It's so typical of Kiana to say that…remember to let me help you too, don't say anything about danger or anything like that, I don't like it."

Mei reluctantly withdrew her hand, reminding her.

"Hehe~" Kiana laughed foolishly, pretending not to know, then she ran to Himeko and shook her arm, saying,

"Himeko…sensei, would you be proud of me? Like the bullet screen said~"

"Hmm~, if it were you in the game, I would be; now…"

Himeko glanced at Kiana, smiling as she rubbed her head, "I'm not dead yet, you want to make me your power so soon, don't you, Kiana~"

"Eh? What does it matter! I can be your most proud student~"

"You're still far from that! Fu Hua is the one now."

[Himeko will definitely be proud of her]

[Fighting for all the beauty in the world!]

These two lines kept appearing at the end of the video, as if carrying the passionate emotions of the players, they kept popping up.

Kiana once again defeated evil, the embodiment of evil in the world, with the power of her companions.

The straightforward storyline put the players at ease, the opponent finally acted 'normally' for once.

"Aren't you going to say something? Say you're her most proud student?"

The Herrscher of Sentience nudged Fu Hua, saying.

"Just kidding, I…right, Little Senti, giving the Herrscher Gem to Kiana at the end wasn't intentional…"

As if remembering something, Fu Hua said seriously to the Herrscher of Sentience.

She didn't want to go through the trouble of appeasing her again, it was better to say it upfront.

"Hey! You think I would care about that? If you give it to her, you give it to her, even…never mind, I promised not to mention it…"

The Herrscher of Sentience waved her hand, signaling that she wasn't that petty.

But when she turned her head, her mouth curled into a smug grin.

Even the Old Antique would consider her opinion first? What a great step forward! It made her forget what she wanted to say, it probably wasn't something important anyway~

Fu Hua watched the Herrscher of Sentience walk away cheerfully, puzzled, completely unable to understand what was going on. But she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

-----

"Whew, she won, Kiana is amazing. As expected of Cecillia's daughter~" 

Theresa's anxious heart eased a little, she slumped back onto the sofa, leaning against the soft backrest, letting out a sigh of relief.

As the headmaster, could she not worry about her?

Even though she's the protagonist, didn't this girl even kill the protagonist's teacher? Thinking about this, she couldn't help but glare at Luo Mo.

However, now she also knows that it's happening in another world, all she can do is take care of Himeko's health, in case something else happens.

"But, Theresa, want to see the comments? There are some funny things." Luo Mo said with a suppressed laugh,

The artist didn't think too much when drawing, after all, it was a representation of Kiana and the others, but the 'malicious' comments from the players still made him laugh.

"Eh? What…huh? What's that! I…I…I'm also involved in logistics, I'm the headmaster…how…how can I not appear behind Kiana, as her strength!"

Theresa stammered, her eyes frantically darting around, her cheeks flushed slightly.

Even though…it seems they have a point…

Her contribution wasn't even as good as Bronya's, always being called a baby bird…did she not even deserve to be called a baby bird?

The virtuous Theresa, the future archbishop, finally discovered this fact, but she was unwilling to accept it.

"You you you…don't mind all that, Kiana is still grateful and admires me in her heart, I I…I am part of her strength!"

Theresa said loudly, as if to convince herself, she clenched her fist,

Glaring angrily at the group of people who were trying to hide their laughter.

"You, Luo Mo, don't laugh!"

Theresa said unhappily, everyone else at least tried to hide it, aren't you just afraid that I won't see?

"Alright, even though Little Theresa didn't appear in the battle, she is the spiritual pillar of Schicksal, and in the game, she is the family Kiana can find, it's normal for her to appear."

Kallen smiled and stroked Theresa's head, saying softly, helping her find a way to step down.