Chapter 59. Meteoric Salvation? The Smile Gradually Fades

[I have a question. Both new story chapters are out, so why hasn't Himeko-senpai appeared yet?]

[Didn't Himeko herself say she only had a very short scene? I think she's definitely going to show up at the critical moment and turn the tide!]

[To be honest, I really can't imagine how Himeko-senpai could appear given the current situation.]

[No matter what, the CG leaks don't lie!]

[Yes yes yes! There's already so much evidence showing Himeko-senpai will return! There's no way miHoYo won't let her appear! There's absolutely no problem!]

Kiana glanced at the bullet comments, then exchanged a look with Himeko, secretly winking for mental communication.

'Himeko-sensei... should I continue now?'

'I'm afraid the players will get too emotional after watching the short.'

Himeko frowned slightly, feeling like Kiana was calling her "sensei" oddly...

Seeing Himeko unresponsive, Kiana stretched out her foot under the table and gently nudged her.

Only then did Himeko come back to her senses and winked back at Kiana.

'Go ahead. What must come, will come.'

'Besides, even if there's a backlash, they'll aim it at the producer.'

Kiana seemed to receive Himeko's thoughts and nodded lightly.

That made sense.

She no longer hesitated and clicked to play the short.

Arc City's night sky was deep and tranquil. Under the veil of light screens, a swift silhouette shot through like an arrow.

Kiana wore a streamlined outfit—white Comet underneath, hooded jacket outside.

She leapt across digital signage, landing on the rooftop of a tall building.

Then, the POV switched to a first-person parkour perspective.

Kiana raced through the neon-lit night city, her movements agile and precise, her purpose resolute.

In the darkness—

Someone spotted her fleeting figure, stunned, thinking they were hallucinating from exhaustion.

Only a little girl in her mother's arms pointed upward with a soft voice, "Mommy, look!"

Players, too, felt this parkour segment was simply too cool.

Their excitement gradually ignited!

Kiana ignored the ordinary people's gazes, rushing toward her destination without wasting a single moment.

Leaping freely among skyscrapers—swinging on bars, grabbing pipes, vaulting fences.

With a graceful aerial flip, she landed soundlessly atop the building nearest to the central signal tower.

Gazing at the tower in the distance, Kiana took a step forward—

Only to be instantly exposed by searchlights as bright as daylight.

Not far away, camouflaged dark-painted mechs detected Kiana's intrusion. They revealed themselves and began to encircle her.

"Hmph, here they come."

She had moved so boldly through the city—it was no surprise they reacted.

Facing the incoming mechs, Kiana's face showed no expression. She took a deep breath and shrugged off her jacket handsomely.

Two silver-white braids danced behind her—

The familiar white Valkyrie armor—White Comet.

She reached backward. A subspace portal opened, and a baseball bat teleported into her hand.

Since she had been discovered, there was no need to hide anymore!

At that moment, a rhythmic BGM fittingly began to play.

The mood soared higher—though Himeko-senpai hadn't appeared yet, the players were already hyped!

The short continued.

Kiana, wielding her bat, began sprinting and charged under the moonlight.

"I don't have time—"

"For this—"

"With you!"

With those words, she leapt from the rooftop, hooking her bat around a crane's hook to swing to the opposite building.

Fluid movements—

She spun and landed on a cable between two towers, sliding forward.

The guarding mechs didn't hesitate. Seeing an intruder, they immediately fired missiles.

Kiana stayed calm. As the missiles approached, she swung her bat hard, knocking them away.

She quickly closed in on the mechs.

Her strength now was not what it used to be.

With just her agile movement and a bat, she easily took out nearby mechs.

Amid the explosions, Kiana left the platform without looking back.

She continued advancing toward the central signal tower.

Along the way—

Countless mechs attacked. Barrages of gunfire filled the air.

Kiana dodged and countered with ease, smashing mech after mech, drawing ever closer to the signal tower.

Watching her brawl with the mechs thrilled the players to no end.

At that moment—

Just as Kiana grabbed a hanging cable to swing toward a platform—

A uniquely shaped mech appeared, its left arm's heavy rotary gun unleashing a barrage of fire.

"Rat-a-tat!"

Kiana held the rope with one hand, spun her bat with the other, forming a circular shield—

Deflecting the incoming bullets!

Then, seizing the chance, she flung her bat to smash the mech's rotary gun.

"Neko Charm!"

With a fierce cry, she dove down. A massive cat paw appeared midair and slammed the mech back several meters.

But the paw shattered in the next instant. Kiana had clearly underestimated the mech and crashed onto the platform with a pained expression.

The mech took advantage of this, rushing up and raising its arm to strike—

A split second from impact.

Kiana suddenly looked up, her blue right eye turned golden—Herrscher of the Void's power activated.

The mechanical arm warped through subspace—

And emerged behind the mech, striking it and knocking it off balance off the rooftop.

Still struggling in midair, the mech locked onto Kiana and fired dozens of missiles.

As the missiles screamed toward her—

A flash of violet light. Kiana used Time Fracture.

The world froze.

It was Kiana time.

Kiana leapt upward, stepping on the frozen missiles as footholds, climbing higher.

A final backflip—

Time resumed. The missiles exploded—

Blossoming fire like twin wings behind her.

Overcoming wave after wave of enemies, Kiana finally reached the signal tower's top.

The players were utterly immersed.

"This is it!"

"We must disable the bomb—fast!"

No time to waste.

Kiana rushed toward the bomb.

Everyone was focused—surely, Himeko-senpai would appear now?

How would she show up?

Their anticipation peaked!

But then—

The bomb emitted intense Honkai energy.

Kiana couldn't withstand the shockwave, staggering back.

On screen, that purple bomb—

And Kiana trudging forward, enduring the Honkai burst, her arm etched with Honkai Erosion —

The players' hearts dropped.

Their smiling faces froze.

What was happening?

The smile... gradually disappeared.

On screen—

"So strong... the Honkai energy...!"

"Ah!"

Her body felt like it was being torn apart.

Kiana gritted her teeth and gripped the bomb handle with her right hand, left hand covering her glowing eye—

To no avail. Despair crept in.

She had come this far.

The class rep had sacrificed for her.

Victory was within reach.

So... was she supposed to give up?

Hallucinations clouded her vision.

So tired... she just wanted to sleep...

The theme song of Meteoric Salvation began to play.

Players grew anxious, not even wondering why the song sounded so familiar.

Then—

A voice so many players dreamed of, one that had echoed through Kiana's dreams—

"Kiana."

A phantom hand gently placed itself over Kiana's trembling grip.

Kiana was stunned. She turned her head—

And saw—

The Valkyrie with flame-colored hair, firm yet gentle brow—

"Himeko... sensei."

Hearing her voice, Himeko turned and gave her a deeply doting smile.

"Yes."

Kiana seemed to awaken from a long dream.

"I promised you."

From deep within her—

A new power surged forth.

A gift left behind by Himeko.

To help her face any hardship.

Kiana reached out her left hand again, firmly grabbing the bomb—

Resolute as never before:

"I will take this imperfect story—"

"And make it what we hoped for!"

Bathed in white light—

Kiana saw once more the woman clad in crimson armor, radiant and bold.

"Ah!!!"

To fulfill that promise—

Kiana unleashed all her strength.

With the Honkai bomb enough to destroy Arc City—

She soared into the sky like a violet pillar of light.

Like a meteor defying the sky.

Below the bomb—

Kiana had become the Herrscher of the Void.

But her eyes remained ocean blue.

A Herrscher of the Void with blue eyes.

She had succeeded!

Above Arc City, a meteor burned with violet flame—

A declaration of defiance to the gods.

Below the sky—

Countless people looked up.

They all saw a violet meteor split the clouds, streaking across the heavens.

They paused in awe.

They didn't know—

That an unnamed hero had protected them.

That a girl had tried to absorb the unleashed Honkai energy after detonating the bomb.

They didn't know—

After it all, that girl fell from the sky alone, whispering:

"This is my promise."

…

🎵

"What is reflected in my eyes?

Not the moonlight in a starless midnight

That showers on the people passing by

One's so small and the world's so wide

Every step forward echoes a sigh

I reach out for the halo far up high"

🎵

"Deeply engraved, my memory

Is silent but not forgotten indeed

Someone has gone but a voice within me

Once I remember all the tales

Written inside this corp no more frail

I'll follow what my heart used to believe..."

🎵

"Crash against the barrier above the crowd

Flaring up pieces in the air

To show a fairy starfall

I want no tomorrow or yesterday

These sparkles shine and never fade

Till the break of day."

Listening to Eden and Elysia's duet for Meteoric Salvation—

The audience erupted.

[It's fine! You're the protagonist! Kiana, you'll be okay! You're the protagonist AAAAAA!!!]

[Even if the night stretches on into eternity—I'll become a star to ignite hope! I'll keep your promise, Kiana, paramecium, I don't want this!]

[So White Comet's "Meteor Guard" skill meant this!? Was this part of miHoYo's plan all along!? Since when were you plotting to stab us like this!?]

[Himeko-senpai, Himeko o(╥﹏╥)o... I… I can't even say this was a bad entrance.]

Though the story didn't go how they expected—

No one could say Himeko's appearance was bad.

Rather, it was too perfect.

So good, it broke them again.

[After watching Meteoric Salvation, I no longer want Himeko-senpai to return as badly as before. MMP, I've been manipulated by miHoYo again.]

[Yeah… if Himeko returned now, all of Kiana's growth would lose meaning.]

As Kiana and Himeko looked at each other in surprise—

The audience didn't angrily lash out at Hokuto, even though the rumors said Himeko would return and she only had this scene.

They supported him.

[I wanted Himeko to come back, but… miHoYo, I think I'm depressed.]

[I'M DEPRESSED TOO, HURRY UP AND UPDATE THE STORY!!]

[+1 depression +1 update]

[+2 depression +2 update]

...

The viewers flooded the stream with update demands.

They were far from satisfied with just two chapters—starving for more.

This loyalty made all other game companies weep with envy.

They wanted fans like this, too!!

As the bullet chat went wild—

Ahem!

One software notification buzzed.

Elysia sent a stream call request to Kiana and Himeko.

The pink elf had been in Arc City this "long"—how could she not have everyone's contact by now?

Never underestimate Miss Pink Elf's networking powers~♪

[TruE] really can do anything.

Kiana moved her mouse to click.

"Himeko-sensei~" she nudged Himeko and asked, "Should we answer?"

Himeko looked at Hokuto, who returned a "handle it yourselves" expression.

She turned to the audience and said:

"Ah~ looks like someone wants to chat with us. Must've been overwhelmed after watching Meteoric Salvation."

Then, Kiana connected with Elysia.

Her melodious wail echoed:

"Save me, Kiana~! Hurry up and update the story!"

"Calm down~~" Kiana soothed.

"Don't tell me it's not ready yet?"

"Well... actually, it's done... there's a little CG afterward..."

"Then hurry and release it~~" Elysia was impatient.

"But..."

"I really can't wait. Worst case, look—since we're both Mei's girl♪friends♪ can't you sneak it to me just for a peek?"

Kiana: ???