The game entered the combat phase.
Elysia controlled Kiana, Seele, and the Arlene sisters, each in turn shielding Bronya and transmitting energy to her.
75%... 95%... 100%...
Gathering the full strength of her friends, the energy of the Herrscher of Reason Core was gradually filled to capacity.
Bronya could feel her consciousness merging step by step into the depths of the core.
There, she saw the hero who once saved New York, the first Herrscher of Reason—Welt Joyce.
At the same time, there were the thoughts of 300,000 people within the core.
"A child like us?"
"Another victim of the Honkai?"
"Ah, she comes from my hometown."
"She is the one who inherited [our] name."
"..."
Countless [thoughts] whispered in Bronya's ears.
She knew this was the core itself questioning her, examining whether she truly had the qualification to [inherit].
Through this [Herrscher of Reason] inheritance story, players came to understand—
The greatest danger Bronya faced was not energy depletion, but the overwhelming impact of 300,000 minds.
"Mind Synchronization, initiate!"
In an instant, countless soul fragments surged into Bronya's consciousness like a tidal wave.
At that moment, the background music switched to the song from Cyberangel: ZERO Exception.
Someone sent a comment:
[Children's song, start!!]
Immediately, the chat exploded, filling the screen with "Children's song start!" The duck enthusiasts were especially fervent.
...
At MiHoYo Studio, Bronya, watching the livestream with others, glanced around.
Kiana and the others were openly or sneakily taking out their phones, sending the same comments in the stream as the viewers.
Bronya's eyes widened in disbelief.
The next second—
She picked up her own phone.
[Children's song start!!]
Come on.
She was long past the age of referring to herself in third person as "Bronya," a mature adult now.
Bronya: ( ᗜ ‸ ᗜ )
...
In the game.
The tide of 300,000 thoughts surged within the Herrscher of Reason Core.
Countless ideas, countless wills, as if trying to tear Bronya's soul apart.
But she could also feel the power her companions had given her earlier.
Rozaliya and Liliya, Seele, Kiana... that warmth wasn't overwhelming compared to the 300,000, but it kept her anchored, preventing her from being swept away.
Gradually, she grasped the flow of these thoughts.
[Transcend it all!]
[Go, Duck!]
[I can do anything!]
[Humanity will change the world with its will!]
As the music's rhythm intensified, so did everyone's emotions.
This—was the complete Herrscher of Reason, the complete Bronya, the complete me!
Reason Duck's highlight!! Fired up!!
The Herrscher of Reason's authority expanded at an unimaginable speed on the other side of the singularity.
Even weapons she had only glanced at a few times.
Even devices whose principles she hadn't fully grasped.
—Complete Herrscher authority didn't care about such things. As long as the target creation existed, it could be reached by mortal hands.
Any miracle achievable by [civilization], any frontier defendable by [civilization]... the Herrscher of Reason could instantly recreate them.
"One person's power may not be strong enough."
"The thoughts of 300,000 people may not be rich enough."
"But Bronya at this moment is the true [Herrscher of Reason]—"
"Bronya will challenge the Honkai on behalf of humanity's [civilization]!"
"Knight Moonbeam, 6x power, construct—start!"
Bronya's voice still lacked fluctuation, but the firmness within each word stirred emotions without needing to raise her tone.
This was her determination, this was her belief.
The music reached its climax!
The audience was thrilled, the chat exploded.
Bronya floated into the air.
Before her, six Knight Moonbeams were constructed at a staggering pace, the silver-gray cold machinery filling the entire screen, engulfing her completely.
Everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to that miraculous creation.
That was the power of [civilization]!
A miracle created by [humanity]!
"Fire!!!"
Bronya's eyes snapped open as she gave the order.
All six Knight Moonbeams operated at maximum power simultaneously, streams of energy leaping like liquid, flashing into a field of white light.
It was so dazzling, no one could look straight at it.
In the end, six streams of energy converged into a terrifying beam of light, like a spear thrust toward the gods, striking the light screen ahead.
Boom!!
A deafening roar shook the earth itself.
Under the combined bombardment of the Herrscher of Reason and Hyperion's energy, the light screen shattered instantly, with no sign of recovery.
"We did it!"
Just as everyone was celebrating—
The BGM cut off abruptly.
"?"
Thud~!
It was the sound of Bronya collapsing powerlessly to the ground.
"Bronya-nee!!"
Seele rushed forward to catch Bronya.
But she had already completely lost consciousness. To create Knight Moonbeams from nothing, to challenge what previous Herrschers of Reason had never accomplished, had utterly exhausted her body and mind.
Players: ???
A melancholic BGM began playing.
[What's going on?]
[Don't tell me Duck Duck is done after her highlight?]
[This BGM feels off... In my experience, you can doubt anything—plot, chat—but never doubt the sound design!]
[??? Duck Duck—!!]
Not just the audience.
Even Elysia, livestreaming, was dumbfounded.
She had just said...
Bronya, Seele, Theresa... none of them would get hurt.
So how come Bronya... did she analyze it wrong? Was the writer planning to stab a few more characters now?
"No way!!"
"Don't panic, keep watching."
"Hmm?"
Elysia hesitated but clicked forward.
In-game, a new subtitle appeared.
Seele nervously held Bronya, feeling her breath weakening, as if her [soul] could dissipate at any moment.
Her soul, about to vanish?
And she shouldn't panic?
Elysia clenched her tiny fists.
The audience was equally gripped by the plot.
Seele called out anxiously while holding Bronya.
"Sis, Bronya-nee!"
"Bronya! Hang in there!"
Kiana and others gathered around.
"What do we do—Bronya-nee is going to die?"
"Don't talk nonsense, Rozaliya!"
Seeing Bronya's breath grow weaker, Seele grew frantic: "How could this happen... is there nothing we can do...?"
Just then, Black Seele spoke up.
"Tsk—Seele, let me handle this!"
"Isn't there something right next to you that can save Bronya?!"
Next to her?
Elysia was momentarily confused.
But then she realized.
Black Abyss White Flower?!
The Black Abyss White Flower Otto had placed outside!
Moreover, Otto had specifically brought it from the cathedral to place it outside.
Otherwise... there would be no reason for him to leave the cathedral.
Could this have been part of Otto's plan too?
[This was in Otto's plan too?]
[Did Otto anticipate this already?]
[Shocked, Overseer, you're so gentle.]
...
Seele saw the Black Abyss White Flower nearby, but she didn't know how to use it.
Black Seele, however, claimed to have an inexplicable familiarity with the Black Abyss White Flower, as if she was born to wield it.
At this point.
It seemed Bronya would be saved.
Elysia and the players all breathed a sigh of relief.
'Otto'-san, I misjudged you.
Elysia nodded to herself, reassured that her analysis was correct, the writers wouldn't stab more characters.
However! As the story progressed, the tone started to shift again.
Black Seele prepared to use the Black Abyss White Flower to save Bronya, but before acting, Seele noticed Black Seele pushing herself too hard, and offered to help.
"Please, let me help you too. Let's save Bronya-nee together."
"Geez, you really are something."
Black Seele eventually agreed to let Seele assist.
The two of them channeled their power into the Black Abyss White Flower.
A mysterious force, guided by Seele, enveloped Bronya.
White flowers bloomed around Bronya, and a large tree rapidly grew, shielding the two of them.
A sacred white light glimmered on Bronya's body.
"Seele..." Bronya, whose consciousness was on the verge of collapse, let out a faint whisper.
Everything was moving in a good direction.
"Thank goodness... Bronya-nee, you're safe... thank you... [Seele]..."
Seele, relieved at Bronya's awakening, called out to Black Seele.
"Seele..."
"...?"
But after a long, long time, there was no response.
?!
In that moment.
Players and Seele alike felt their hearts stop.
Bronya was finally safe, but... Black Seele got stabbed instead?
A one-for-one trade?
Elysia, who had just regained confidence in her analysis, went black in the eyes. She was a hardcore Seele x Black Seele shipper—if Black Seele died...
"MiHoYo... stop it... spare my Seele and Black Seele... if you must stab someone, stab me instead!!"
[I still think Miss Elf's earlier analysis made sense. They shouldn't kill off more characters now!?]
[Seele's alive at least (teary).]
[This kind of thing... this kind of thing... please no!]
[Cardiac arrest.]
...
"Phew~~"
Elysia, who had been seeing black, barely caught her breath. With trembling hands, she tapped the screen.
The game silently displayed a line of ellipses.
Her heart clenched immediately.
"Phew~~"
She took a deep breath and clicked again.
The game only displayed a longer string of ellipses.