Players were devastated.
The once-delicious curry now tasted bitter in their mouths.
They wanted nothing more than to dig through the trash and spit it out.
[Damn it, I'm never eating curry again! Thanks a lot, miHoYo, for changing my diet!]
[Turns out eating curry is a tragic experience! Hahahaha~~~ I'm not insane!]
This group of viewers was already pretty worked up.
But there were even more emotional ones.
[I just bought a whole box of instant sweet pepper curry AHHHHH F***!]
[Pfft~~ Thanks to the one above, my utterly shattered soul just found a moment of healing.]
[Yeah, suddenly I feel a strange peace. Turns out pain doesn't disappear, it just transfers.]
[????]
The entire livestream was in chaos.
Countless players were losing their minds.
Inside the miHoYo studio, Elysia—watching the scene unfold—
Had just enthusiastically recommended sweet pepper curry during the livestream.
Now, she was starting to panic.
"This... what do I do?"
"I told you, today is not a good day to eat curry."
Hokuto shrugged. He had, after all, very considerately warned her earlier.
"...Who knew you'd write a tragedy using curry as a vehicle for emotional trauma."
Elysia shook her head dramatically:
"Sigh~~ Miss Pink Elf is so troubled, she feels like rolling around on the floor~~"
"Relax, relax. Miss Pink Elf is so beloved—your fans won't blame you over something this small."
Maybe Hokuto's comfort worked, or maybe it was just Elysia's nature, but she quickly calmed down.
In fact, she returned to her usual self.
"Ah~ Hokuto, looks like you're quite confident in my charm~♪ You know I'm sweet, cute, and gentle, don't you?"
"..."
"Who could ever say no to Miss Pink Elf?" Hokuto replied—neither perfunctory nor sincere.
Elysia didn't mind his tone. She blinked and turned her gaze back to the livestream.
On screen—
Mei had finally made up her mind to seek cooperation from World Serpent.
Kiana's body could no longer endure.
Alone, she entered the darkness and arrived at the Nest to meet with Raven.
Under Raven's guidance, Mei passed through an iron door—
And came face to face with the leader of World Serpent.
"You are..."
The white-haired man emanated an indescribable pressure. Mei felt as if she were inside an ancient ice vault.
"Kevin Kaslana, leader of World Serpent."
As Kevin spoke calmly, the pressure suddenly vanished.
"Raiden Mei, you have someone you wish to save. But Schicksal and Anti-Entropy cannot grant your wish."
"I promise you, World Serpent can save that girl."
This was exactly why Mei had come. She immediately asked seriously:
"What's your condition?"
"You."
Kevin's voice was calm, brief, yet carried heavy weight—
As though carved into a primordial stone pillar—unchangeable, absolute.
Yet Mei had no choice but to face the weight of those words.
"I want to know the exact method and see her escape danger.
If you can truly do that... then I'll do whatever it takes."
Kevin cut to the point:
"The girl named Kiana is already at death's door. The erosion of the core has surpassed her limit."
"To save her, the excess core must be removed from her body immediately.
There's only one way to do it."
"I will make you the Herrscher of Thunder once more."
"What?" Mei was stunned.
She had never imagined this was even possible.
Kevin explained: within her body remained the gateway of the Imaginary Tree.
As long as she reclaimed Herrscher authority and condensed a core,
The Gem of Conquest inside Kiana would disperse naturally, easing her condition.
Understanding this, Mei did not hesitate for even a second.
She was willing to do anything for Kiana.
Three years ago, Kiana had brought her out of the darkness.
Now, for Kiana, she was willing to return to it.
To trade her place for Kiana's return to the light.
After Kevin extended the invitation to Raiden Mei—
Suddenly, a roar. A beam of light.
The sky shattered like glass.
This marked the beginning of Otto's experiment.
The Imaginary Tree would soon manifest in Arc City.
Mei only needed to absorb enough Honkai energy to become a Herrscher again and extend Kiana's life.
...
At this point, players were fully absorbed into the plot.
Even the livestream comments slowed.
In-game, Mei fought off a Quantum Shadow while rushing back to Helios to rejoin Kiana.
They encountered each other mid-route.
Mei, seeing Kiana accompanied by Benares, looked worried.
"Kiana, what are you doing here? You're injured... how could you just leave Helios like that?"
Kiana, visibly annoyed, shot back,
"That's what I want to ask! When did you sneak off? Do you know how worried I was?"
Their first instinct, without exception, was to worry about the other.
Elysia pursed her lips watching this.
This was the bond between girls~♪
Kiana and Mei were so shippable—she shipped them so hard!
Unfortunately...
She snuck a glance at Hokuto still watching the livestream seriously.
Sigh~~ they had a scriptwriter who loved stabbing hearts.
Still—thankfully—the Kiana and Mei in real life were fine.
Though living ordinary, uneventful lives, perhaps that was for the best?
After a few complaints, Kiana quickly tried to change the subject and trick Mei into going back.
"Let's not talk about this... the enemy might appear again anytime. You should regroup with the doctor."
But her real intention—
Was to forcibly use the power of the Herrscher of the Void to close the sky's rift.
As for what consequences such forced usage might bring—
Kiana no longer cared.
Naturally, Mei wouldn't be fooled so easily.
The two had a heated argument.
But in the end, Kiana, ignoring Mei's pleas, turned and left decisively.
"Kiana—don't—!"
Though Mei cried out and her face was already covered in tears—
Though she screamed again and again—
Her voice was swallowed by the surging light.
Disappearing, along with that fading figure—
Never to be seen or touched again.
Words felt so powerless.
So utterly meaningless.
Mei's heart felt like it was being torn apart.
Past memories surfaced again.
A sad melody played, accompanying her flashbacks.
When everyone condemned her as a criminal's daughter—
Kiana appeared and became her light.
When she was heartbroken and controlled by the Herrscher's will—
It was Kiana who saved her.
Players who followed the main story knew all of this.
They understood what Kiana meant to Mei.
Kiana was her light—her most precious one.
So they, too, could empathize with Mei's despair.
"Kiana... please, stop fighting already..."
Though dazed, Mei staggered toward the direction Kiana disappeared into.
More memories surged like a tide—
Kiana's childishness back at St. Freya.
Mei's pampering and gentle scolding.
"With Mei around, it's like having a hundred people's strength."
"Can I still give you strength now?"
"I always naively thought... nothing would change.
But in the blink of an eye, the you who used to orbit around me...
Has flown beyond my reach."
Kiana, you're destined to become a hero.
The world waits for your rise.
But me...
Maybe the one who was wrong... was me.
Kiana... we can never go back.
[Stop stabbing already! I haven't even recovered from the sweet pepper curry, now I'm pierced through again!]
[Sugar! This is sugar! So sweet—HAHAHAHA!!]
[It's over. I've been stabbed so many times, even crumbs of sweetness feel like sugar.]
[How is this sugar becoming more and more like a blade!?]
...
The audience, after two emotional gut-punches, was wrecked.
The flashback faded.
Mei, having sorted out her thoughts—
Looked up to a horrifying sight.
Benares was falling from the sky.
And Kiana—who should've been with it—was nowhere to be found.
"No! No!"
Mei chased desperately, arriving at the crash site.
Benares lay on the ground, impaled by a golden sword.
A monster called [Imaginary Godsbane] appeared from nowhere and attacked Mei.
The game entered combat.
Mobius, playing as Mei, muttered under her breath:
"miHoYo, enough with the scripted deaths."
Honkai Impact 3rd had clearly switched things up this time.
Not only was the monster tanky, but it hit hard.
Mobius made one mistake, and Mei's HP was wiped out.
Mobius frowned and prepared to revive—
But then, the on-screen Mei braced herself with trembling arms, whispering:
"No... I can't fall here..."
And stood up again.
Everyone felt Mei's resolve.
She fell—again and again—
But always stood back up.
Even when players felt like giving up, silently cursing miHoYo for overtuned stats—
Seeing Mei rise again made them grit their teeth, eyes red, and keep going.
Why?
Because they didn't want Mei to lose anymore.
You can't do anything?
Mei, one day you'll do everything.
Of course, despite complaints about the high difficulty, this boss was incredibly well-designed.
Each phase of the [Imaginary Godsbane] was engaging, with brilliant mechanics.
It was arguably the most immersive battle in all of Honkai 3rd.
...
After an excruciating battle for both Mei and the players—
"Finally... it's over..."
"Benares... are you okay...?"
"We must... quickly... find... Kiana..."
The fight left Mei barely able to speak.
Suddenly—
She couldn't move.
Time seemed frozen.
A ticking sound echoed.
The monster that had been destroyed began to reassemble—
Returning to its peak form.
It raised its greatsword and swung at Mei.
She tried to dodge, but her body wouldn't respond.
All she could do was watch the sword draw closer.
Mobius, shocked, hit the keys repeatedly, trying to make Mei dodge.
But the screen didn't move.
The screen turned black.
A sound of a blade piercing flesh echoed.
Viewers went numb.
Hands cold, minds blank.
Until—
The screen lit up again.
The blade hadn't struck Mei.
Benares had jumped in and blocked the fatal blow.
"Benares... no..."
Mei sobbed weakly.
Then—
Darkness.
Darkness everywhere.
An ominous theme—the Endbringer's Aria—began to play.
A single voice, echoing from the void:
"Crybaby... it's been a while."
A ray of light.
A familiar voice.
"You've changed."
That voice was cold—dangerous.
Familiar. Yearned for.
"This is the first time you've come to me of your own accord."
"Are you no longer afraid?"
Afraid...?
Strange.
The fear... was gone.
Gone too were shame, regret, sorrow, and pain.
Only calm remained.
"If you go forward, you'll fall into a deeper hell."
That's fine. I'll trade myself so she can escape it.
"You'll say goodbye to everything. Friends. Family."
That's fine. I've always been alone.
"You'll face judgment and slander, walk a road of solitude."
That's fine. This is the fate I should have faced.
"You'll be forever separated from her."
The Herrscher of Thunder's voice continued:
"You'll never return to her side. Never see her smile again.
If you take this step—there's no turning back."
"Do you... really want to do this?"
This time, Mei didn't respond.
She was silent.
After a long pause—
She said in her heart:
It's okay.
Everyone is there.
They'll take care of her.
Let me do what I must.
The Herrscher understood.
And accepted it.
Her voice rose in power:
"Then—go!"
"Use your hands to bury me.
Turn my rage, my wails, my end—
Into the strength to walk forward alone."
"Proclaim to the world the return of the Lightning Empress!"
"Become... the true Herrscher of Thunder!!"
Upon hearing this declaration—
The audience's blood boiled.
In the darkness, words began to appear:
[A broken family, a vanished father, bullying, Kiana's illness, helplessness.]
[The arrival of Honkai, watching, powerlessness, Kiana taken away, weakness.]
[ME Corp, her father, St. Freya, Kiana, dependence.]
...
Players clicked the words, shattering them with bolts of purple lightning.
CRACK—CRACK—
The screen cracked under the thunder.
Finally, dazzling lightning shattered it all.
And with it... Mei's past.
"Goodbye, 'Raiden Mei.'"
The Herrscher persona and Mei spoke in unison.
A thunderous electronic anthem followed.
Purple lightning exploded—
The monster reeled back.
The majestic figure of the Herrscher of Thunder stood before all.
Boundless wind and thunder gathered into ancient battle armor.
Ominous electric light crowned her in majesty.
Behind her—
A divine halo.
Her ghostly and divine appearance declared that the power of conquest was now hers.
In that moment—
The world witnessed the return of the Lightning Empress!
The game re-entered battle mode.
The Herrscher of Thunder descended slowly from the air.
Lightning crackled.
The same monster that once pressured Mei now looked powerless beneath her presence.
With the rising BGM—
Players were fully fired up.
Herrscher of Thunder was too cool!!
[Salute the rebirth of the Lightning Empress!!]
[I'm in love! Thunder Mei is stunning and powerful! Long live the Lightning Empress!!]
[It looks like she's not possessed by the Herrscher persona. Did it vanish? Or fuse with her?]
[The Herrscher persona was so gentle.]
[Because they both love Kiana—it was obvious from earlier!]
['My lovely Elysia': Wahhh! Horned Mei! I really want to touch her horns!!]
Ignore that last comment.
Mobius, now controlling the Herrscher of Thunder, shredded the [Imaginary Godsbane] in just a few swings.
She felt immense satisfaction.
Let out a deep breath.
Viewers shouted too:
"So satisfying!"
"Herrscher of Thunder is invincible!"
All their pent-up emotions—
Released in that one moment.
In-game—
After defeating the Imaginary Godsbane, Mei's mind was completely clear.
The voice in her head was gone.
She walked toward the fallen dragon—
Gently touching its dulled scales.
She tried to heal it.
A faint light—warmth—spread from her fingers.
Slowly, the dragon's massive form dissolved.
But Benares was dead.
And the soul named Bella left only a fading echo.
Bella's final stirring—
Was for her queen.
To fight for the queen.
Even unto death.
Raindrops fell.
Collided.
Shattered.
Disappeared.
Vanishing along with Bella's soul.
Red scales replaced the wounds.
The dragon stood again—
Spreading its wings in rebirth.
But now, it was a beast sworn to the Herrscher of Thunder.
Its name: Kurikara.
Mei leapt onto its back.
The red dragon, sensing its master's will, soared forth.
miHoYo clearly understood the players.
They added a dragon-riding battle.
Watching Kurikara breathe lightning upon the Quantum Shadows—
Watching Mei on its back unleash thunder sword strikes that felled all enemies—
The insane damage, the sheer thrill—
This 3D dragon-riding combat blew players away.
Ride a dragon and dominate everything?
This was real gameplay?
miHoYo—absolute geniuses!!! (voice cracks)
Though the Herrscher of Thunder wasn't on the banner yet—
Everyone already wanted to roll for her.
They HAD to pull her!
[Herrscher of Thunder dominates all—I ask you, who can stand against her?!]
[Herrscher Mei is so strong! So satisfying! Mei finally stood up! Hahaha~~]
[Mei, now you can do anything!!]
Those players stabbed twice just minutes ago—
Now felt exhilarated and reborn.
Whatever came next—
They no longer feared it.