As the players' hearts began to waver…
The story advanced rapidly.
Something began to feel… wrong.
Welt suddenly went berserk—he killed Mei, wiped out all the Valkyries on the battlefield, and destroyed Schicksal.
Only Bronya was left alive.
Facing this terrifying and unreasonable power, Bronya did not retreat. Dragging her body already eroded by Honkai energy, she stood against Welt.
The enraged Welt recounted the sins of Schicksal and the countless deaths within Anti-Entropy, all while wielding the Star of Eden to carve one wound after another into Bronya's body.
Yet he could never shatter Bronya's will.
"Enough—kneel before me!"
Welt (the Herrscher of Reason) seemed deranged. "You have no right to condemn me! I killed someone important to you, and you hate me. So how are you any different from me!?"
—But the Valkyrie kept moving forward.
Bronya's voice was chillingly calm: "Bronya does not hate you. Bronya only finds you both pitiful and pathetic. In your eyes, Bronya sees only fear… and cowardice."
Welt seemed to be struck at his core. His voice grew more hysterical.
"Cowardice? Are you kidding me? I'm stronger than anyone!"
To that, Bronya merely replied with the tone of reminiscence: "You're not strong at all. Bronya has met people much stronger than you. Even when disaster befalls them, they face it with courage... Even when despair eclipses the skies, they still resist it with willpower…"
"She was just an ordinary human. Bronya knows her confusion, her doubts, the pain and sorrow she's endured along the way…"
"But Bronya also knows—no matter how long the road ahead, she will still shoulder her responsibilities… she is still the hero who protected hope!"
As Bronya spoke—
The players couldn't help but picture a figure who once muttered, "I really want another drink…"
Their stomachs ached faintly, yet their hearts were moved.
Previously, Bronya would fall for Kiana's childish provocation, ditch studying to compete in gaming.
But now, in the face of such a crisis, Bronya was able to speak her mind with composure.
Himeko's departure had helped everyone grow. It also elevated Honkai Impact 3rd's narrative to a new level.
[Himeko was truly a great teacher. That's why the writer must die!]
[Bronya's growth hurts me even more. So the writer must die!]
[…I can't even come up with a clever roast. Anyway—the writer must die!]
"I really want Himeko to come back and see how far they've come."
Elysia voiced the thoughts of all the viewers: "If she saw this, she'd definitely be proud, right?"
"What do you think, Mr. Otto?" she asked gently, probing ever so subtly.
"Himeko would definitely be proud. She'd know… nothing."
Hokuto barely caught himself in time. But the viewers were sharp—they sensed something.
[Wait, is Otto hinting Himeko might reunite with the main cast?]
[So Himeko isn't dead?! I reasonably suspect she'll become a Herrscher!]
"Cough cough."
Hokuto had to cough to interrupt their speculation. "Don't overthink it."
He was uncharacteristically sincere—but the viewers insisted the Dog Otto was clearly trying to cover up a slip of the tongue.
As expected—
True emotion never wins. Only mind games move hearts.
Fine. Whatever. As long as I'm not the one crying later.
The story continued. Ultimately, because the Herrscher of Reason lacked the verbal flair of the Herrscher of Void, he lost the debate against Bronya.
Following the Star of Eden's will, Bronya triggered a pseudo-black hole, perishing alongside the Herrscher of Reason.
The scene shifted. Bronya and Seele were standing on a narrow path, at the end of which lay the Core of Reason.
Everything seemed to be coming to a peaceful end, yet the players couldn't relax.
Because—Seele, who had always seemed delicate, suddenly turned dark!
And terrifyingly strong—she defeated Bronya in just a few moves.
Some viewers instantly felt their hearts tighten.
But a small portion of viewers, whether in front of their computers or phones, saw their twisted smiles reflected in the darkened screens as the scene changed.
Hehehe~ They knew there was no way miHoYo would hand out sugar!
It was knives, after all—always knives!
But the next development… wasn't what even those twisted viewers had expected.
After being defeated, Bronya returned to Joachim. Ignoring her injuries, she struggled to go back to the Sea of Quanta.
Her conviction was ultimately acknowledged by Joachim.
With his help, she easily defeated Dark Seele.
Even more unexpectedly…
"Why are you stopping me, Bronya-nee? If I fail, Seele will return to the void…"
Seele questioned Bronya.
Bronya, however, refuted her firmly: "If it wills it, it can erase you from the Sea of Quanta at any moment… that is not salvation."
"Bronya will take Seele away by her own means… Bronya must fulfill her promise to Seele."
Seele fell into a long silence. At last, as if giving in, she spoke in a much softer tone than before:
"I don't want to go back there even for one second… But Seele says—she's willing to wait for you."
"Sigh… she really talks better than I do…"
That small group of twisted viewers never imagined miHoYo would actually go full shounen—resolving everything through love, justice, and a good ol' talk-no-jutsu.
[Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Did someone possess the miHoYo writer!?]
[Where are my knives?! You promised me knives! If I don't get knives now, I'm gonna hehe~]
[What's wrong with you all? What's wrong with some sweetness?]
[Exactly! You people must've been fed too well by Uncle Yuan.]
["I will always love Miss Fairy" sent a Rhythm Storm: Celebrating the miHoYo writers' redemption!]
Just as both sides were arguing nonstop…
A twist struck suddenly.
A grotesque hand rose from the abyss. A black tide surged forth.
"Seele! Watch out!"
Bronya rushed forward to save Seele—but it was already too late.
She could only watch as the black tide engulfed Seele, her body gradually fading, transforming into a glowing blue butterfly.
It fluttered toward her…
Only to dissolve completely before it touched her fingertips.
Leaving behind only one line:
"Seele… believes in you, Bronya-nee…"
Both sides of the audience were stunned.
One group didn't expect such a sudden turn.
The other group—though begging for knives—never thought someone would actually die!
They only wanted something twisted—like a tragic love-hate showdown between Bronya and Seele.
[That's not the kind of knife I wanted!!]
[Knives! Knives!! My Seele! I just got her to SSS! (crying)]
[So you can't write a story without someone dying?! And after all those Seele x Bronya comics, now I'm just a clown!]
"Everyone, calm down. There's still one short animation."
Elysia stepped in to soothe the chat.
She clicked on the animated short she had been looking forward to for so long.
"I believe Seele will be okay."
"Bronya will definitely save Seele."
[That sounds like a giant FLAG.]
[Please, Miss Fairy, don't jinx it. One more 'Seele will be fine' and her corpse's gonna go cold.]