As Kiana and the others' teacher, she had been highly responsible and dedicated.
And as a warrior, she had been exceptionally rational and mindful of the bigger picture.
That was also the main reason Eden had become such a Himeko fan.
Eden still remembered that, in an earlier part of the story, the atmosphere had clearly been cheerful, yet Himeko had acted completely out of character.
In an especially solemn tone, she said to Kiana:
"If one day, your comrades lose control because of Honkai energy, you must not hesitate... end her life..."
It could be said that Himeko's achievements had already reached the pinnacle for most Celestial Mandate Valkyries.
Because the fate of ordinary Valkyries had long since been decided...
So, as one of those ordinary Valkyries, Himeko had only two possible endings.
One was to be completely corrupted by Honkai energy and become a Death Warrior...
The second ending... was to have a glorious finale as a warrior...
As long as her final battle was spectacular enough, it would be the best gift MiHoYo could give Himeko.
PS: I know what you cuties want to see. The next chapter is The Last Lesson.
These two chapters were too hard to write. So...
Could I ask for some free engagement data? Sob sob~
I'll post it after I wake up next chapter.
"The Last Lesson"
"Eden..."
Elysia looked at Eden, whose brows were tightly furrowed, and already understood what she was thinking.
After all, anyone who had watched that short film just now, unless they were an idiot, could guess what came next.
But would not watching this video change Himeko's fate?
Obviously not. It would only leave regret in Eden's heart.
And how could Elysia let Eden be left with regrets?
She blinked her lively eyes and hugged Eden's arm. "Eden, go ahead and click it without fear~"
"Life is bound to have its bumps, but you can rely on Elysia as much as you like. I'll turn all my feelings into a dazzling river of stars to adorn your sky."
"Elysia will never let you be sad~"
Eden let out a deep breath and forced a strained smile. "Thank you, Elysia..."
"Then let me see just how glorious Himeko's final battle will be..."
Amid the wails of countless viewers, Eden clicked the final play button.
As the video began, Benares attacked the Hyperion amid blaring alarms.
Wearing the Vermilion Knight: Eclipse battlesuit, Himeko easily defeated the Judgment-class Honkai beast.
Just as she swung her greatsword and was about to kill Benares, the Herrscher of the Void suddenly appeared and dragged her into Imaginary Space.
This short film was on the same level of quality as "Queen's Descent." Every frame was worthy of being used as wallpaper.
Eden watched with particular focus.
"Hehehe~☆"
The Herrscher of the Void's unmistakable laughter rang out.
Standing upon the void itself, she exuded the bearing of a Queen. "Did you really think~ you could escape~☆"
There was no fear in Himeko's heart. Instead, she was filled with fighting spirit.
But with a mere wave of one hand, the Herrscher of the Void sent Himeko flying far away.
"Struggle... as much as you can~☆"
She swept out her arm and snapped her fingers.
"Snap~"
A purple cube enveloped Himeko. Then, the Spear of Subspace transformed into blades and sliced the purple cube around Himeko into several pieces as easily as cutting tofu.
"So that's all you've got~☆"
The Herrscher of the Void cast a disdainful glance at the distant ruins and turned to leave this space.
Eden watched in utter anguish, her brows tightly knitted. "This... the Herrscher of the Void is that strong? Himeko can't fight back at all..."
Yet in the very next second, a blade shot toward the Herrscher of the Void with lightning speed.
At the critical moment, the Queen summoned a rift in space and diverted the blade, barely neutralizing the attack.
Seeing that, Eden finally let out a breath of relief.
Then the scene switched to Himeko's perspective.
Himeko's ragged breathing came through the headset.
"Is your attack... over...?"
The camera panned upward, gradually revealing Himeko's current appearance.
Skin covered in purple patterns, shattered armor, a swaying body... Seeing Himeko in such a miserable state made Eden's heart ache.
The song "Nightglow" began at that moment.
The opening notes were clearly filled with an epic grandeur, yet they carried a hint of tragedy.
Eden's breath caught, and her nose stung.
She was sad, but at the same time, she was moved.
Perhaps it was because of all the foreshadowing before this. It had helped her understand Himeko's destined ending, giving her an outlet for her emotions.
That foreshadowing was like a pair of gentle hands, soothing Eden's emotions and making Himeko's death less impossible for her to accept, easing the suffocation and irritation in her heart.
At the same time, it carefully introduced Himeko to her, showing her all of Himeko's shining qualities.
It made her fall for Himeko from the bottom of her heart, rather than simply liking her because she was pretty.
And now, it was time for Himeko's curtain call. Was this a knife?
It truly was a knife.
But because of the earlier buildup, it wasn't the kind of thing where someone suddenly ran up and stabbed you, then asked:
"Hahaha, that hurt, didn't it? Good, it's supposed to hurt. I just thought it would be fun, so I came over and stabbed you. Seeing you cry your heart out makes me so happy, hahahaha..."
That kind of stab would only leave people baffled and angry, wanting to smash their keyboards and mail razor blades to the screenwriter.
So.
Eden was not angry now. Instead, a complicated surge of emotions welled up within her, turning her eyes red.
She hoped Himeko's final battle would be more glorious, yet also hoped Himeko would not truly die.
Because by this point, Eden had completely fallen in love with Himeko as a character.
Himeko had been utterly elevated in her heart.
"Kiana... when you wake up, you'll see that everything has changed. You'll discover that this world is no longer beautiful..."
"Those ordinary, peaceful days will never return..."
"But... don't give up!! Never give up!"
The music suddenly shifted, becoming impassioned and fiery. Paired with Himeko's heart-rending roar, Eden could no longer hold back her tears.
At that moment, Himeko cut through every shadow, becoming the only light in the world, illuminating the night sky turned away from the sun.
Just like the song's title, "Nightglow."
Without the sun, I will ignite myself, light the earth, and let you see—the road home.
"Aunt Himeko, I'll become the strongest Valkyrie." The girls of St. Freya appeared one by one in Himeko's mind, as if bidding her farewell.
At last, Himeko vaguely saw Kiana's silly, carefree smile.
"Kiana! Raise your head and keep moving forward. Turn this imperfect story into the one you hope for!"
A violent blaze of light illuminated all of Imaginary Space.
After the light faded, Himeko knelt weakly on one knee before Kiana, her eyes empty.
The sword strike that burned away all her life force had not been aimed at Kiana. It had been meant to get close to Kiana.
"Live on... Kiana, this is..."
"The Last Lesson..."
As the singing began, tears rolled down Eden's face, and an involuntary whimper escaped her throat.
The way I got through with red roses burned my eyes.
Along the road, red roses burned my eyes.
Cold rain starts pouring hard, I'm being called upon.
Cold rain poured down as I answered this call.
Never let you go, it's why I did them all.
Never letting you go was why I did all this.
Pictured: Murata Himeko
"...So this was The Last Lesson..."
The greatsword shattered, the sparks burned out, and Himeko collapsed helplessly.
At some point, the Godkiller Spear had already been injected into Kiana's body.
Along with the Herrscher of the Void's shrill scream, Kiana finally regained consciousness.
But Kiana no longer had the strength to reach for her old Himeko.
She could only watch helplessly as Himeko drifted farther and farther away from her.
The song "Nightglow" seemed to be telling a story as well.
So stay alive, bravely.
So please, live on bravely.
The short film ended, and the end credits slowly rolled.
"The Last Lesson" animated short production team
Produced by MiHoYo.
When Eden saw the four words "The Last Lesson" amid the singing, she finally could not hold back her tears any longer.
"Wuu~~"
Seeing this, Elysia hurriedly pulled Eden into her embrace.
She wanted to say something comforting, but Eden kept shaking her head, as though she were stopping Elysia from speaking.
Or perhaps she wanted to say something, but every time Eden tried to open her mouth, her sobs and choked crying interrupted her.
She could only collapse in Elysia's arms, crying as she shook her head.
Her feelings were complicated right now. There was no heart-wrenching agony, no furious rage.
She cried quietly, but her tears poured forth like a spring, utterly impossible to stop.
Before you continue