Hyperion Charges Directly into the Theatre of Domination

In the world of our dear duck, things are looking fantastic! Actually, scratch that – they're absolutely perfect.

Bronya's making incredible progress and everything's going smoothly.

Meanwhile, in the video, Mei is also taking action. This time, she is teamed up with Raven again to resolve the next Honkai incident, which is related to the Herrscher of Dominance.

As they journey together, Raven tells Mei about the third Divine Key she's brought along for the fight. It's called the Seven Thunders of Retribution.

Unlike other Divine Keys, this one has a bit of a mind of its own. It's unpredictable and needs constant attention to keep it under control.

According to Raven, during one operation, it even turned into a slingshot, causing her a lot of trouble...

But that's not all that's happening. In contrast to the challenges faced by the anti-entropy side, things have been going surprisingly well for the World Serpent's operations.

Despite this, while Mei easily entered the Theatre of Domination, it turns out she walked right into a trap set by a Puppet.

Monsters lurked around every corner, and the Puppet constantly pressured Mei to unleash the powers of the Herrscher of Thunder. It was obvious they were trying to manipulate her, just like they did with the Herrscher of Reason.

Mei wasn't falling for it. The more they urged her to use her powers, the more she held back. Instead, she stuck to her trusty sword skills to take down the monsters.

Then, the Puppet approached Mei, acting all innocent, with a ridiculous proposal: use the power of usurpation to return Kiana and Mei to their normal lives.

Turns out, the Puppet's reason for this roundabout approach was simple: she didn't think the Herrscher of Reason's power alone could beat Kiana.

Mei just watched her clumsy performance, barely cooperating with her act.

Suddenly, a gunshot from Raven echoed in the distance. The Seven Thunders of Retribution shattered the Puppet's head, snapping them back to reality.

-----

The paintings on the walls of the Golden Courtyard had long since regained their former elegance and nobility. A group of people was lively and excited, watching the images broadcasted by the game.

"Ah! My masterpiece, as expected," Vill-V beamed, nodding in satisfaction. Her creations always stood out, a reflection of her unique style.

"Seven Thunders of Retribution... Looks like Miss Raven isn't quite compatible with it," Sakura noted, rubbing the hilt of her sword, her ears twitching slightly.

"Mei seems to be doing quite well, don't you think? And the Puppets haven't managed to steal her power yet. I'm so relieved!" Elysia tapped her finger on the table, a cheerful smile on her face.

She had thought Mei might suffer a big loss like Bronya did. Fortunately, Mei's performance was unexpectedly good.

"Hmm, not so fast. The Puppets were a bit too obvious this time," Mobius interjected with a light laugh, her eyes mirroring the Puppet's clumsy performance on screen. "It's hard to say if they can still forcibly take the Herrscher of Thunder's power."

"Maybe it's just a bluff? Who knows~"

.....

"Hmm... even though I heard about it from that Flame-Chaser before, it's still weird hearing it from someone else."

Kallen had Theresa and Luna sit beside her, feeling greatly satisfied as she looked at her identical cute granddaughters.

Didn't you notice that even Rita's eyes behind her were a little brighter?

Then, out of curiosity, she couldn't help but ask, still unable to forget the self-introduction from their first meeting with the one who added those bizarre functions to the Divine Key:

Luo Mo, the only one present who knew the thirteen Flame-Chasers well, explained, "Her designs are always unexpected. Maybe she thinks if every function was easy to guess, it wouldn't be surprising or exciting anymore."

"Sounds like quite an eccentric person,"

Durandal said in surprise. In fact, she felt that what she said was correct. Is the next plan too clear? Even the name was announced directly.

Shouldn't researchers design based on needs? Instead, this one hopes users can't guess the functions... quite strange.

"Miss Mei is also progressing steadily, but there's something odd about how obvious the Puppets intentions were."

Rita analysed briefly, glancing provocatively at Irene, who looked just like her.

Irene only smiled and didn't say much.

-----

Anti-Entropy also made significant progress.

Based on the intelligence gathered from Bronya and Seele's trip to the Theater of Domination, the team at Anti-Entropy quickly came up with a new plan. This plan was much bolder than before.

This time, they aimed to fly the Hyperion battleship right into the Theater of Domination. The bait? Kiana, of course, the one with the Herrscher of the Void's core who the Herrscher kept mentioning.

Things didn't go exactly as planned. Kiana ended up entering the Theater alone. But luckily, Anti-Entropy had a backup plan ready to go.

Kiana found herself wandering around the Theater of Domination. She had to fight off creepy puppet-like creatures and ignore their attempts to trick and confuse her.

It was a tough situation, but Kiana was a strong fighter and managed to hold her own.

Then, in an open area...

using the Herrscher of the Void's power, she directly transported the Hyperion inside. As the silver battleship slowly sailed through the air, it cast a shadow over the confined Theatre of Domination.

The enormous Hyperion filled the sky, and its countless crew members eagerly waited for battle, smirking coldly at the Puppet below.

Even the Puppets stiff faces showed a look of incredulity, and their eyes widened in shock.

It seemed they hadn't anticipated this turn of events at all.

"Ah? Ah?? What-what is this?"

The battle heated up as Seele, Theresa, and Fu Hua, all powerful warriors, jumped into the fight. Their attacks sliced through the Puppets' forces like a hot knife through butter.

Dr. Tesla, boiling with rage, unleashed her full arsenal, ordering every mecha under her command to attack. She was determined to tear the Theater apart, releasing the anger she'd been holding back for days.

The enemy had even used her own inventions against her!

The stage was set for an epic showdown. But this time, the Puppets, who usually relied on their overwhelming numbers, seemed to have lost their edge.

The battle was about to begin, and the outcome was far from certain.

[Puppets: "It's huge! Too huge! What is that? Don't come over here!"]

[Ha-ha, my constantly cleaned battleship has arrived. Face judgment!]

[Puppets are either getting beaten or on the way to being beaten. Truly the weakest individual Herrscher!]

-----

"I don't get why the Puppets are always so obsessed with Kiana and can't seem to let her go," Theresa grumbled, crossing her arms with a frown. "We need to protect her better next time. We can't take such risks... And those darn Puppets! How dare they treat my student like that!"

But she had to admit, Kiana's performance in the game was a world of difference from before. Her strength had improved, sure, but more importantly, so had her mindset.

—She now executes tasks perfectly, no longer doing unnecessary things on a whim.

Whether serving as bait in the electromagnetic device or not getting caught up in fighting, she acts more efficiently. She has become a qualified Valkyrie.

But Theresa didn't feel joy for her; she only thought about how much Kiana had suffered.

"...Theresa, are you sure it wasn't because the Puppet called you a 'little girl not even as tall as a cross' that you couldn't help but jump at that moment?"

Luo Mo took a step back, putting himself just out of arm's reach from Theresa, and then said with a smile.

"You!" Theresa fumed, her cheeks turning red. "Seriously! That Puppet had a nasty mouth, but wait a minute... Didn't you write all the lines? Did you sneak in your own insults?" She glared at him suspiciously.

Theresa angrily questioned, suspecting if he had tampered with anything.

His sudden move to create distance now made perfect sense, which made her even angrier.

"I, Luo Mo, would never do such a thing," he replied, feigning innocence. "The Puppet really said that. Can't handle it? Send in a whole class to wipe them out, it's more than enough!"

He was clearly enjoying teasing her.

Daily task—teasing Theresa, complete!

…..

The people in the villa also cheered for Kiana's actions, which directly turned the tide of the battle, making the enemy's home ground their own.

All forces were now gathered in the Theater of Domination to fight the Herrscher, turning the hunters into the hunted.

"Kiana, take note of this. The way you handled this mission was perfect."

Fu Hua nodded slightly, showing approval of Kiana's actions.

-----

Overwhelmed by the sheer number of opponents, the Puppet in the theater prepared for a desperate last stand.

It ordered the other Puppet to hold off the others, leaving five hundred to attack Kiana all at once, exerting every effort to turn Kiana into one of them.

Gunfire, clashes, and the movements of mechs filled the theater as the battle raged.

Even though half of the Puppets were dispatched to attack Kiana, it was clear she was no longer who she used to be. She held her ground under the fierce assault until only one Puppet remained.

In the vast theater, a lone Puppet stood dejectedly, its head still turning back and forth.

"...Haha... You won, Kiana," it said. "Once again... I'm the only one left."

"...Just like in ARC City."

"What?" Kiana asked, confused by the mention of ARC City.

"Why is it always like this, Kiana?" the Puppet questioned. "You eliminate us without hesitation... as if we're heartless monsters."

"But we clearly, clearly have beliefs, companions, and wills... don't we?"

"For the sake of those who live aimless, hopeless lives in this world, you kill us... Is it worth it?"

"Think about it carefully, Kiana..."

The Puppet lifted its head one last time, its words piercing and unsettling, attempting to shake Kiana's determination.

With the final gunshot, the Puppet went limp, its broken body collapsing into a pile, joining the rest of its kind.

[It's a psychological tactic, Kiana. Don't be fooled by her.]

[Could she be stalling for time? Kiana, finish her off! With the last Puppet gone, this Honkai should be over.]

[Is this... over? Why isn't there a knife? Wait—what's happening to me? Isn't it good that it ends so quickly?]

-----

"This Herrscher is really good at psychological warfare. Even until the last moment, she tries to sway people's minds. It seems we need more training in this area..."

Bronya rationally analyzed the situation.

If it were those two idiots, they might be swayed by what the enemy said... She glanced at the chattering vodka duo and felt a bit speechless.

No, wait, it's more likely that those two idiots wouldn't understand a word and would choose to ignore what the enemy says.

Kiana frowned. "That's one thing. But I'm more curious about why the Puppet mentioned ARC City." She felt a nagging worry. The enemy wouldn't bring it up for no reason. There had to be some link to that place.

And someone who knows her, experienced that disaster, and is now turned into a Puppet...

These three elements intertwine, clearly pointing to something bad.

"Haha—these annoying Puppets really gather the most troublesome traits. Once they find a target, they have no pressure at all, even if they all attack together!"

The Herrscher of Sentience laughed gleefully.

Watching the reckless fighting inside, she felt a bit itchy to join in. Such good punching bags, and they even provoke and motivate you!

Mei noticed Kiana's distraction and tried to reassure her. "Kiana, you're probably overthinking it. The Puppet just wants to mess with your head..."

"I hope so..."

Bronya, however, couldn't resist a jab. "Wait a minute, did idiot Kiana actually just think?"

"??? Are you being polite, shorty?"

-----

The Anti-Entropy organization had finally won a tough fight. Their 60th anniversary was coming up, and they wanted to celebrate – even before the fighting started.

This was the very reason Seele had ventured out to gather supplies in the first place.

The anniversary celebration went ahead as everyone had hoped. It was a grand banquet filled with music, laughter, and heartfelt toasts. The hall echoed with the sounds of joy as people raised their glasses to commemorate this hard-won moment of peace.

It was a much-needed boost for everyone's spirits.

Just as Instructor Hua had once said—forgetting is a bitter but effective medicine. People shouldn't always dwell in sorrow, especially after a war. Instead, they need happiness to help forget the pain.

But Kiana couldn't forget. The Puppet's words echoed in her mind. She didn't think twice when she pulled the trigger, but now, she couldn't stop thinking.

She wondered, if her life had been different, if she hadn't been saved by her father, hadn't met Mei and Bronya, hadn't found a home with Theresa, and hadn't formed strong bonds with so many others... would she have ended up like the Puppet?

"Bronya," she said, "I understand where they're coming from. They've been through so much loss, so much betrayal. They've lost sight of hope and given in to the darkness."

"I understand, but I don't think it's the right way. Just because you fail doesn't mean you should give up. Just because you're in pain doesn't mean you should surrender."

Kiana smiled softly, her eyes sparkling as she shared her thoughts. She had received so much kindness and seen so much beauty in the world.

"No matter how dire the situation, there is always beauty to be found. Maybe next time, it will be my turn to help someone else."

She didn't say it out loud, but she knew that one day, she would bring Himeko-Sensei and Mei back...

...Meanwhile, in another scene, atop the pile of broken Puppets, one Puppet slowly stood up, its eyes emitting a red glow.

It seemed to signal that the events were far from over.

-----

In the Golden Courtyard,

"As expected, I figured that pesky nuisance wouldn't be so easily dealt with. Although this operation was nearly perfect… it's a pity we couldn't detect all the cores," Mobius said regretfully, her fingers slowly tracing her cheek.

Her supple body nestled into the sofa, leaving a shallow impression, with her alluring curves clearly outlined beneath her casual attire. However, similar to Hua, she lacked a certain charm.

"It is indeed a pity. Puppets… huh? If they could return to being human, I wonder if they would regret their once dark thoughts," Elysia said, unable to let go of the last Puppet's words.

What makes them different from humans?

Is it just negative emotions? Or is it the Puppet's body? Or perhaps some unknown strings behind them?

Aponia spoke with a gentle, caring voice, her hands clasped together as if in prayer. "People can overcome temporary emotional struggles," she said, "but those who have given up on life... there's not much we can do for them."

"...Yes, that's true. Even though the Herrscher of Dominance seems to be showing signs of a comeback, Kiana and the others will surely triumph next time, right?" Elysia's gaze lingered for a moment, lost in thought. Soon, she snapped back and smiled.

Mobius, who had been quiet, couldn't help but add her usual doubt. "That's not certain," she said.

Elysia turned to her with a playful pout. "Oh, Mobius," she said, "don't be such a downer! Do you really prefer those creepy Puppets to me?"

"Hmm? What are you talking about? I dislike both equally."

"Huh?"