Chapter 99: Himeko VS Herrscher of the Void! Animated Short "Final Lesson" Premieres!
[Above the southern perimeter of the Honkai Energy System Lab, Helheim. The Hyperion rushes toward the coordinates sent by Tesla. However, four kilometers from the objective, it is suddenly attacked! The Hyperion's situation is grim; combat-capable personnel are few and far between. Mei's Gem of Conquest was taken by the Herrscher of the Void, damaging her heart; she requires immediate surgery. Theresa's injuries have been stabilized, but it is unknown when she will wake. Therefore... the heavy burden of defending against the swarming Honkai beasts falls solely on Bronya!]
Undoubtedly, the Hyperion is currently a ship of the wounded and the broken. Forget facing the Herrscher; simply surviving the onslaught of Honkai beasts is a monumental challenge! In this bleak situation, the responsibility of protecting everyone rests on Bronya's shoulders.
[Bronya just woke up and has to face such a brutal battle. She's working so hard.]
[True... her former companion became a Herrscher and severely wounded Theresa and Mei. Bronya must be under immense pressure, right?]
[Don't worry! Professor Himeko is on her way! There's nothing to fear!]
Knowing that Himeko has donned the Vermilion Knight armor and is racing toward the battlefield, the viewers aren't overly worried about Bronya's safety. As expected, after Bronya repels a large number of beasts, the Hyperion—damaged and failing—is forced into an emergency crash landing.
Due to the inertia, Bronya rolls across the ground several times before stabilizing. She scrambles up, only to see a sliver of light piercing the darkness. The light grows brighter, and in the next moment, she sees it.
—Flames, burning.
Murata Himeko stands before Bronya, hands gripping the Godslayer blade. She can feel it: the terrifying fluctuations of Honkai energy from the Herrscher are drawing near. What awaits Himeko next is a battle of attrition.
Under Himeko's cover, Bronya retreats into the Hyperion. Facing the resurgent tide of Honkai beasts, Himeko's method is simple: she swings her giant flaming sword, incinerating every beast that dares to approach. With Himeko's arrival, the pressure on the Hyperion is greatly relieved, but it is no time to let down her guard. The number of enemies is increasing; the Herrscher of the Void's power seems infinite, summoning endless swarms.
Himeko has lost count of how many beasts she has cut down, but they keep pouring out as if there is no upper limit. Now, with every swing of her sword, Himeko must endure the agonizing erosion of the Gem of Haste. How long can her already battered body sustain this fight?
The viewers in Pardo's stream begin to realize something. They were perhaps too optimistic. Himeko possesses the power of the Vermilion Knight, but her physical condition is at its absolute worst. Simply clearing the swarms is pushing her to the brink. The power of the Gem of Haste is a double-edged sword; while it grants her immense strength, it is rapidly burning through her remaining life force. And she hasn't even faced the Queen yet.
Soon, after clearing a massive wave of beasts, Himeko's stamina clearly begins to fail. She wipes the fine beads of sweat from her face, panting slightly. At that moment, an elite dual-wielding Deadweight suddenly appears from behind to ambush her!
Blades clash.
["Drip, drip." Blood falls onto the scorched earth, evaporating into crimson mist. Himeko blocks the attack and cleaves the Deadweight in two. In her ear, a cruel, mocking voice rings out. "Oh? You blocked it? An encore is no good if it doesn't follow the script, you know?" The chaotic sky is crudely torn open. The Herrscher's figure, accompanied by lightning, manifests from within.]
The Herrscher of the Void has arrived. The Queen of Honkai looks down at Murata Himeko as if she were an ant crawling on the ground. To the Herrscher, killing Kiana's companions is nothing more than an amusing pastime after her awakening.
As Himeko and the Herrscher face off, the game enters a combat stage. Unlike the story segments, the combat stage allows for a trial of the Vermilion Knight while also allowing players to bring their own Valkyries. Pardo brought Mei's [Crimson]and Bronya's [Yamabuki], originally wanting to see if [Crimson]could fight the Herrscher. But the result was frustrating; the Herrscher constantly teleported, and Mei's small blade couldn't catch her.
Ultimately, Pardo switched to the Vermilion Knight. The effect was immediate and spectacular. The chase range of the Vermilion Knight was much larger than imagined, catching up to the teleporting Queen almost instantly and delivering a blast of "Burn to Ashes!" It felt like a character specifically designed to counter the Herrscher of the Void.
[Good, good! Slice her up!]
[Do you know about the time Murata Himeko used two watermelon knives to cut from one end of the street to the other? My eyes didn't even blink!]
[Then weren't your eyes dry?]
[I said I killed without blinking, and you ask if my eyes were dry?]
Watching Pardo control Himeko to pummel the Herrscher, slamming that giant flame sword into the Queen's face as her HP bar plummeted, was incredibly cathartic for the audience. The suppression and frustration brought by the Herrscher earlier were swept away in this fight!
[Herrscher of the Void! Auntie Himeko's sword is big! You'll have to endure it!!]
[Auntie Himeko only needs to think about swinging her sword, but we players have to think about a lot more.]
[I can't take it, I have to pull for her immediately. I'm going to empty my wallet for Auntie Himeko's Vermilion Knight!]
Satisfying. Utterly satisfying! Even Pardo had to admit that controlling the Vermilion Knight to beat down a Herrscher felt amazing.
"Brother Su Mu, you definitely designed this stage for player stress relief! It's too good!"
Beside her, Murata Himeko watched the in-game Queen being stomped with great interest. "Even though I know that's Kiana being controlled... for some reason, being able to give that kid a thorough beating feels unexpectedly refreshing."
Kiana Kaslana... if Himeko had to describe her in one word, it would be "Troublemaker." Back in school, she caused no end of headaches. Most importantly, the girl had no self-awareness and was always talking back. Some of the things she did truly made Himeko's fists itch!
"Can I try?" Seeing a chance to "beat up" Kiana, Himeko wasn't going to pass it up.
"Of course!" Pardo handed the controller to Himeko.
[Holy crap, Himeko is controlling Himeko to hit Kiana!]
[Is this a Stand attack?]
[This is too funny!]
Watching Himeko control the Vermilion Knight to slash at Kiana, the audience was amused. But soon...
"Hehe... Kiana..." "Finally, I finally found the chance!" "This is for not respecting your teacher!" "This is for oversleeping every morning!" "This is for leading Mei and Bronya to skip class!" "This is for dragging down the class average!" "This is for lowering St. Freya's graduation rate!"
Murata Himeko operated the Vermilion Knight with a relentless "boar rush," and though she didn't know how to play the game properly, she was mashing buttons with pure spite. It looked like she wanted to eat the in-game Herrscher alive!
[Uh... is Auntie Himeko breaking?]
[It seems Auntie Himeko has a lot of resentment toward President Kiana?]
[Just what did Kiana do during her school days to deserve this?]
[I can't tell who the real Himeko is anymore—the one in the game or the one on the couch...]
Watching Himeko's expression go from gritted teeth to the bliss of a new person, as if she had discovered a new way to decompress, Pardo was stunned. Wait, this isn't right? Kiana-chan gets so hyped playing games, and her teacher Himeko is the same way! I get it now! No wonder they're teacher and student! They're cut from the same cloth!
"Himeko-san! Take it easy! The controller! The controller is going to break!" "Kiana, I'm going to make sure you understand the meaning of 'Respect the Teacher'!" "Brother Su Mu, don't just sit there laughing! Help me stop her!"
Pardo clung to Himeko, looking like a helpless but cute kitten. The teacher-student duo was a disaster!
[Hahaha! Another mandatory segment of Pardo's stream: the livestream accident!]
[You think there's a script? No way! A script couldn't be this real!]
[I'm dying. The moment I saw Auntie Himeko, I knew something big would happen today!]
[President Kiana and Auntie Himeko are exactly the same!]
The interlude sent the viewership skyrocketing. Having Himeko as a guest was already a crushing advantage over other streamers, and this "accident" pushed the hype to a new climax. The most lively Honkai 3rd streamer, Pardo Felis, was in top form!
After the chaos, the gloom in the chat had cleared. Pardo retook the controller, and the plot continued. In the story, the Herrscher of the Void still held the upper hand. But, under Himeko's blade, she bled.
["You... you're bleeding... so even a God can be wounded?" Murata Himeko mocks the stunned Herrscher. "Why? I should have killed you dozens of times over!" The Herrscher glares in rage at Himeko. She never imagined that a mere mortal—a human—could wound her noble body! It was impossible! Unacceptable! Unforgivable! "My apologies then." Himeko raises her sword, pointing it directly at the Queen in the sky. "I'm... a bit of a handful!" The Herrscher burns with even more fury: "Insolent human!" Himeko snorts. "Isn't calling everyone 'human' a bit tiresome? I have a name... make sure you remember who you are facing... MURATA HIMEKO!!"]
The storm of flame blades incinerated the Herrscher's attacks, turning them to ash. The Herrscher finally realized the Vermilion Knight was drawing on the power of the Gem of Haste. Distorted by rage and losing her reason, she focused entirely on killing Himeko, ignoring a vital fact: she wasn't alone on this battlefield.
Aboard the Hyperion, Einstein took aim. In the next instant, a massive beam struck the Herrscher. Amidst the blinding rain of light, the Honkai energy on her body scattered frantically!
[Born in the 20th century, proposed and researched by Edison—the greatest 'civilian invention' in human history. The ultimate weapon of Anti-Entropy, Earth's strongest Honkai energy conversion device. After 50 years of secret development, it announces its existence to the world—a weapon made by humans, carrying their ideals and will. The Moonlight Throne!]
At this moment, the "secret weapon" Theresa mentioned was finally revealed. Just as Otto held the God-Slayer Spear, Anti-Entropy possessed its own trump card against the Honkai and the Herrschers. The Moonlight Throne was Einstein's ace!
"Dr. Einstein is incredible..." Pardo's eyes widened. "She endured and waited for that one perfect opportunity to fire the winning shot!" Einstein had seized the moment in a chaotic battlefield to land a decisive blow.
[I guess Cocolia is the only true bastard in Anti-Entropy?]
[Right? I used to think Anti-Entropy was a villain organization, but Tesla and Einstein have nothing to do with being evil!]
[The hot-tempered Tesla and the wise 'mop-head' Einstein make such a great duo!]
[As the Captain of the Hyperion, I'm starting to become a fan of Anti-Entropy. What do I do?]
[Join them! Down with Dog Otto!]
[If Otto can sit as Overseer, why can't us Captains?!]
The fans expressed their love for Tesla and Einstein. Under their gaze, the wounded Herrscher of the Void was forced to retreat into imaginary space. Victory. With the coordination of Himeko and her comrades, the Herrscher had been repelled. But the battle was harder than anyone imagined. The viewers realized this victory was only temporary.
[Sigh, I didn't expect it to be this difficult...]
[If not for the Moonlight Throne, the outcome would still be undecided.]
[Even with a temporary win, she has the Gem of Serenity; she just needs to hide in imaginary space for a bit to recover and come back!]
At this time, in the Schicksal branch, Senti had also pushed the plot to the Herrscher's retreat. "Dammit! That bastard Herrscher got away!" Winning felt good, but she wanted more than a temporary victory. "She talks so big about being a God, then runs away immediately! Shameless! If you have the guts, stay and fight another three hundred rounds! Running when things get bad—does a coward like that deserve to call herself a God?"
Beside her, Fu Hua sighed. "I'm afraid the upcoming battle will be even more perilous." She analyzed the situation and concluded it was grim. "The Herrscher won't fall for the same trick twice; the Moonlight Throne is spent. And Professor Himeko... her body is at its limit. If I'm not mistaken, the next clash... will be the final showdown."
Senti looked at Fu Hua. "Old Timer, they'll win, right? Himeko and the others will win, right!" As the story progressed, Senti found herself caring deeply for these characters. Especially Murata Himeko, the mortal who raised a rebel sword against a God. She desperately wanted to see Himeko and her friends achieve total victory.
"I don't know... I hope so." Fu Hua couldn't be certain, but in her heart, she also wanted them to succeed.
As the game visuals shifted, a CG of Murata Himeko appeared. She held the "God-Slayer Spear" created by Tesla.
[Hyperion, lower deck corridor. Himeko leans against a railing outside the infirmary. People are constantly rushing past with the wounded. She instinctively hides her own wound.]
Melancholy music begins to play. Himeko now looks completely different from the Vermilion Valkyrie on the battlefield. After so many battles, her broken body is failing her. No matter how strong her will, she is still only human.
[The bleeding cannot be stopped. "This time... things really got out of hand." Murata Himeko knows all too well how dire her condition is—the lamp is running out of oil. No one answers her; only the serum's faint glow illuminates her scarred face.]
The next moment, a piercing alarm sounds. The Hyperion is under attack again.
[The bustling corridor becomes even more chaotic. But the world in Himeko's eyes remains calm. "...Fine. It's time to go out for some air." She straightens her back and walks in the direction opposite the crowd. Time seems to stand still at that moment. "They're all a bunch of kids who refuse to grow up, but I like this place." "There's a long road ahead of you, isn't there?" "..." "Good luck to you all." People with weapons, people in bandages, people carrying the wounded, people moving parts— People of the Hyperion, the Far East Branch, Anti-Entropy— People Himeko has met, people she hasn't— People who remember her, people who don't— One by one, they pass her by. "I really want... another drink."]
As Himeko's voice fades, the screen goes dark, soon returning to the stage select screen. In the somber music, the image of Murata Himeko walking against the crowd makes the audience panic. At this moment, not only in Pardo's stream but in every Honkai 3rd stream, the comment volume spikes.
[Auntie Himeko sounds like she's saying a final goodbye to the world!]
[Mhm, she looks like an old general covered in flags on a stage!]
[My heart hurts! Poor Auntie Himeko! She's covered in wounds yet she's going to fight...]
[Fighting in that condition is a suicide mission!]
[Is there some mistake? God Su, say something!]
In Pardo's stream, the chat is frantically interrogating the masked Su Mu.
[God Su, this is really a heartwarming and healing story, right?]
[Honkai 3rd is really a healthy, sunny, and positive game, right?!]
[God Su, say something! SAY SOMETHING!]
[Brothers, trust God Su! Though I'm already holding a knife...]
[God Su, you don't want your fans sending you razor blades, do you?!!!]
Pardo clicks the last stage. There is no combat, just like Himeko's earlier monologue. The icon for the final stage is a Play button. As the visual appears, Murata Himeko is in an elevator, staring at the God-Slayer Spear in her hand. Various noises from the outside world drift in...
Beside Pardo, Su Mu finally makes a move.
"Here it comes..." he murmurs.
"Final Lesson!"
END OF CHAPTER
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