The information revealed in Acheron's words, and her current actions, threw the audience into another round of brainstorming.
But that wasn't all.
On screen...
"As for the Galaxy Rangers..."
After finishing what she had to say about the express, Acheron turned to Boothill: "You may have already guessed it, Mr. Boothill, I did this on purpose and have been waiting for the right moment."
"Only this way could I fulfill a long-standing promise—to return their 'relic' to its rightful owner."
--------------------------------------------
Boothill's guess was correct.
Acheron was indeed well-prepared!
The audience was almost glued to their screens, scrutinizing every single frame that followed.
After all, if this guess proved true, then between Penacony, Acheron, and the Galaxy Rangers, there would be a mysterious connection.
But even the most so called Honkai: Star Rail Experts hadn't noticed such a link in the previous storyline.
There had been discussions in the bullet comments before:
if Acheron's goal was related to Boothill and the Galaxy Rangers, then her actions—despite being at the center of the Penacony storm throughout the story— would not intersect meaningfully.
It seemed there wasn't sufficient reason to drive Acheron to Penacony.
After all, if she were merely looking for the Galaxy Rangers, she could disguise herself anywhere— they would eventually come to her anyway.
Why come to Penacony and even seek help?
Thus, this formed a parallel thread.
And this was a major flaw in the story!
Thinking back to all the online speculation, the audience couldn't help but have a thought:
Could it be… this third episode really wouldn't tie up the arc with Acheron?
Under the audience's watchful eyes, the screen suddenly went black.
Acheron's voice-over slowly began.
"Someone once told me,"
"Rain is the tear of the gods, shed for the sorrows of mortals."
"But precisely because the rain still falls, there remains a glimmer of hope in this world."
The monologue ended.
Countless raindrops tore through the darkness.
It was a bleak world.
Withered mountains, a boiling black sea.
The sky was covered in thick clouds, and where the sun should have been, there was a black sphere instead.
The sphere was pitch black, like the sun, but cast a dark, heavy gloom across everything.
The liquid in the air formed a continuous line.
Accompanied by a torrential downpour, everything looked utterly hopeless.
Acheron held a red umbrella, standing next to a person wearing a straw hat and bamboo cloak.
They were both staring at the black sun.
"Once, I too hoped it would stop someday…
And so ten years passed, then dozens of years…
In the end, hope reached its end sooner than this rain ever will."
"So the god you speak of does not exist."
The straw-hatted figure spoke with a worn and soft tone, like that of an old manly man.
As he spoke, his eyes also gazed into the distance.
The camera followed that gaze, revealing the object of their attention.
In the black rain, there were countless hands, like smoke swirling upward.
One after another, they stretched out from the sea, reaching toward the sky, as if trying to grasp something.
The audience didn't know what was happening.
But the visuals, the sound, the atmosphere— all made a deep sense of oppression rise in their hearts.
...
: Where even is this—Is this still Penacony?
: So suffocating… black rain, black clouds, black sun, and those hands… gives me chills.
: Feels like every single shot is conveying a specific emotion—deeply oppressive.
: What are those hands reaching for? What do they want to grab?
: Are these the souls slain by Acheron's blade?
...
The comment screen was flooded with frantic speculation.
Just then, the old man spoke again.
"Mortals walking the path of fate are like boats drifting across the water, leaving behind winding ripples."
"Compared to the fleeting life of humans, those waves take a long time to settle."
"And among them, some leave behind such a strong mark, that they imprint their presence forever upon the river of fate."
Acheron also gently replied: "Just like those shadows on a sponge."
"Mm…"
The old man responded:
"Blood sin spirits, the obsessions of Path Striders — they are born from IX's shadow, see themselves as the person, and repeat the actions of the deceased in life."
"They are born from nothingness, return to nothingness, living a life devoid of meaning."
"But they… were once my most important companions — the Galaxy Rangers."
The old man calmly recounted.
Yet his words carried a certain magic.
They drew the audience into rapt attention.
"Are you watching over them?" Acheron asked.
"No, I'm guiding them across."
The old man slowly said: "It was a brutal war, a campaign that shook the universe. The cosmos bore witness to the fall of the Lord Ravager, 'Zulo.' But the price — no one remembers except those who lived it."
"The death-will of the Galaxy Rangers never ceases, even at life's end. So someone must guide them. In life they were heroes — in death, they should not become puppets of nothingness."
"As for me, I lost too much in that battle. So I became the one most suited to bear this heavy sentiment."
The old man's words hit the audience like a bomb.
Many even felt a chill shoot up their spine.
The information was explosive!
Not just the mystery surrounding the old man's identity.
More crucially — what the Galaxy Rangers had done.
The audience checked again and again to make sure they heard correctly. After all, we're talking about the death of a Lord Ravager!
...
: A group of Galaxy Rangers! Took down a Lord Ravager?!
: In Honkai: Star Rail so far, Emanators are always called Emanators. But this group of Galaxy Rangers didn't have such a title — meaning a group of Path Striders on the Hunt Path killed an Emanator of Destruction!
: What the hell! How did they pull that off?!
: And the old man's line, "The death-will of the Hunters never ends even in death" — that gave me goosebumps.
: Damn it, is the Hunt Path this terrifying?!
: Too outrageous!
...
The barrage of comments instantly flooded the screen.
This was also the first time the audience truly and directly felt the presence of the Hunt — felt the power of the Galaxy Rangers.
Many used to think the Hunt Path was a bit too one-dimensional.
But after today, that debate was over.
What confirmed the Hunt, what confirmed the Galaxy Rangers — wasn't some mind-blowing battle scene, nor flashy effects or character design.
It was just one sentence, casually spoken by that old man: the Lord Ravager Zulo is dead.
Killed by a group of Galaxy Rangers.
Even if the cost was devastating, just thinking about what happened behind the scenes and the fate it involved gives you chills to the bone.
…Damn…
...
: Back when Boothill said no one dares mess with the Galaxy Rangers, I didn't really feel it — now I get it.
: Damn, they're basically revenge-driven monsters — even a Lord Ravager can die to them. Of course no one dares provoke them.
: The Hunt — and Brother Lan — I used to wonder about their role in the universe. I'm not confused anymore. Brother Lan is awesome!
: Damn, it feels like after today, the Hunt is gonna blow up in popularity!
: You know what, I suddenly admire Brother Lan's tragic vibe a lot more now.