"This song, this short film… I don't even know how to describe it. Anyone who's followed the story closely and walked this journey with the main cast—how could they not be moved? QAQ"
"Say no more. I've never even played this game—I just came to check out Eden. But this short film completely floored me! The music, the animation quality… everything! I'm here now—Honkai Impact 3rd!!"
"It's not just the melody that's beautiful—it carries the growth of the main cast. From naive young girls to warriors who can stand on their own… all the hardships and sacrifices, it's impossible not to cry."
"The little paramecium has grown into a firefly, sob…"
"I've rewatched 'Everlasting Flames' so many times, and every single frame is filled with detail. Even the song feels like a response to the previous short film…"
"'The Last Lesson' said, 'I won't give up on you.' 'Everlasting Flames' says, 'I will never leave you.' 'Dust to Dust' said, 'Find your way home.' And now, 'Everlasting Flames' says, 'The road home lies just ahead.'"
"Words can't express how I feel right now. All I can say is—MiHoYo, you're amazing! Honkai Impact 3rd, you're amazing!"
"From now on, there are only two kinds of mobile games in my eyes: Honkai Impact 3rd… and everything else!"
"The music team's gone insane again—please, everyone, let's get 'Everlasting Flames' to the top of the charts!"
"After watching the story and the short film, now just hearing the first few notes of 'Everlasting Flames' makes me tear up all over again…"
"The flame still burns—the virtue never dies! Wahhh… it's just too sad, sob sob sob…"
"With this burning flame as my torch, I offer myself to the crimson blaze of eternity… Teacher Himeko QAQ!"
"Hope never dies, the fire burns eternal!"
"May all beauty in the world be blessed~~"
———
After finishing the short film, Eden also uploaded it under MiHoYo's official account.
Within minutes, the likes and comments skyrocketed—its growth was terrifyingly fast.
At the same time, countless players from other countries also finished the main story and watched the short film.
Without exception, they all ended up in tears.
Even the toughest men were left sniffling.
After these two chapters of story, Honkai Impact 3rd had ascended to "masterpiece" status in the hearts of players.
And it wasn't an exaggeration.
Back on Earth, Honkai Impact 3rd might only be considered excellent—and its story partly drew inspiration from Evangelion.
But in this world, there was no Evangelion, and no mobile game with such a powerful narrative, such stunning visuals, and such heartfelt music and animation.
All of this combined made Honkai Impact 3rd the undisputed masterpiece of this world's gaming scene.
Even if one day a game stronger and better were to appear, this title—with its rich story—would forever hold a glorious, unforgettable place in gaming history.
Because of MiHoYo.
Because of Honkai Impact 3rd.
They had set a new standard for the entire world's gaming industry.
This was how you made a game.
———
Meanwhile, in Eden's livestream.
After watching the short film, Eden sat there in silence, unable to calm down.
Her emotions were in complete turmoil.
The livestream screen remained frozen on the stage selection interface.
"Boss Mo Li really outdid himself this time… Even I'm deeply moved," Elysia said as she playfully brushed back her pink hair, turning to Eden with a smile.
"My dear Eden, how do you feel?"
Eden let out a long breath.
"Magnificent… utterly exhilarating."
"I almost feel… a strange sense of déjà vu…"
"As if, in another world, there are also girls like these—fighting for all that is beautiful."
She smiled faintly. "All I can say is, Boss Mo Li's storytelling is absolutely brilliant."
Elysia's lips curved into a mischievous smile.
"Tell me, do you think Boss Mo Li might have actually experienced all of this? Like he used some kind of magic to bring Honkai Impact 3rd into being?"
At those words, not only Eden, but all the other girls paused for a moment.
Right…
Mo Li had basically made this entire game by himself.
Sure, the studio was equipped with cutting-edge technology—and had the near-human AI assistant, Ai-chan.
But still…
No, impossible. Magic didn't exist in this world.
"What am I even thinking…" Eden muttered.
Elysia laughed brightly.
"Ehehe~ Eden, were you almost starting to believe it?"
Eden smiled and shook her head.
"Such whimsical ideas… as expected of you, Elysia~"
She returned her attention to the game, moved the mouse, and clicked "Play."
Meanwhile, Mo Li—watching the stream—was slightly startled by Elysia's words.
"She actually guessed it right… Magic… isn't that just another word for the system?"
The other girls all chuckled, amused by Elysia's imagination.
They'd asked Mo Li about it before, after all.
His answer had simply been: Ai-chan did it.
They didn't really understand what "artificial intelligence" meant, but that explanation seemed the most believable.
———
Eden clicked the final "Play" button.
On the screen appeared Kiana, holding the flaming greatsword, clad in the armor of the Flame-Chaser Herrscher.
Beside her, a puppet sat weakly on the ground.
"You've lost," Kiana said.
The puppet was silent for a while before speaking dully.
"Lost… yes, we've lost…"
"But what have we lost to?"
"Justice? Hope? Or simply… power?"
"You wouldn't understand," Kiana replied coldly.
"But we want to understand, Kiana," the puppet said, voice trembling. "We envy you. Why is it that you always win?"
"No matter the obstacle, you never waver. No matter the despair, you always find a way through…"
Kiana answered without hesitation.
"I was never alone."
"But…" The Herrscher of Domination's voice quivered. "We're not alone either… We have a thousand companions…"
"The bonds between you aren't built on ideals, understanding, or trust," Kiana said firmly.
"You're just a group of people gathered together to vent the same hatred."
"Such people… are not companions."
Eden suddenly understood.
So that was it—the Herrscher of Domination wasn't a thousand comrades.
They were just a mob united by resentment and malice.
"I see now… that's why it's called the Herrscher of the Flock," she murmured.
Countless viewers in the livestream also caught on, praising MiHoYo's meticulous writing.
After Kiana's words, she struck down the Herrscher without hesitation.
The screen faded to black.
A line of text appeared: [A few weeks later]
When the image returned, a shattered greatsword lay surrounded by flowers.
Seeing it, countless players felt their hearts tighten.
It was Himeko's… final relic.
"Today, we gather here to remember a dear friend—an eternal hero," Theresa's somber voice said.
"I won't recount her life, nor list her achievements… for all of us have witnessed them."
She placed a bottle of red wine beside the greatsword.
"Himeko, this is a fine wine… You were so upset when I took it away back then. Now, it's time it went back to its rightful owner."
Countless players teared up again.
Everyone knew—Himeko loved her wine, and Theresa often nagged her to drink less for her health.
Then Kiana, Fu Hua, and the others came to pay their respects.
That evening, Mei came quietly as well.
She looked at the "God-Slaying Spear" injector that had saved Kiana's life…
In the photo of Kiana, Himeko, and the others…
And whispered, "Becoming your student was my greatest honor."
The chat exploded with sobs again.
Just when everyone thought they'd recovered from Himeko's farewell inside the Gem of Plague—
The game stabbed them one last time with her sword.
Countless players cursed under their breath:
"Damn it, Otto, you heartless bastard!"
Even Eden's teary eyes glared at Mo Li.
She'd gone through half a box of tissues already.
———
The scene shifted to World Serpent.
Kevin sat high upon the platform.
"What is it?"
Mei's voice sounded.
"The Herrscher of Domination has been destroyed. Its core… has vanished."
Kevin was silent.
The audience immediately caught on.
If Kiana defeated the Herrscher, she should've recovered the core.
So why did it disappear?
Instantly, a collective thought arose:
"It must be Otto!"
"Everything bad is always Otto's fault—no doubt about it!"
Despite the hate, players could still separate fiction from reality.
When they shouted "Otto, draw your sword!" in the chat, it was just part of the meme culture.
———
"But that's not why I came here today," Mei continued, her tone uneasy.
"When I collided with the puppet using my Herrscher power… my consciousness was drawn into a strange space."
"That place… felt like the source of the Herrscher's authority. I sensed an overwhelming presence there."
"It tried to pour something directly into my mind—but my overflowing electromagnetic field stopped it."
"Kevin… if that presence truly is the so-called God of Honkai…"
"Would something like that really be stopped so easily?"
"You've fought since the previous era—you must know something."
"I need an answer. Right now."
Kevin was silent for a long time.
Finally, he spoke.
"Very well."
"You now possess the right… to seek that answer."
The chat went wild.
"Are we finally going to see the face of the Honkai God!?"
But Kevin didn't say it outright.
Instead, he told Mei to proceed deeper into World Serpent—
toward a space that seemed to lead to another realm entirely.
The screen lit up again, and a familiar, playful voice echoed.
"Kevin, Kevin… You really love making trouble for others, don't you~"
Then, with her iconic pink hair and angelic smile—
Elysia appeared.
The chat exploded.
[ELYSIA!!!]
[AAAAAA~ SHE'S HERE~~~~]
———
At the same moment, the real Elysia sitting at her computer was equally thrilled.
"My, my~ who would've thought that the cute and charming me would appear at such a dramatic moment~"
"Eden~ were you surprised?"
Eden chuckled softly.
"Mm~ I saw her in the preview trailer, but seeing her appear in the main story… is a whole different feeling."
———
The chat was overflowing with her name, but amidst the chaos, there were also curious comments.
Elysia only smiled mischievously.
"This is a story from a distant past… the tale of thirteen who failed to become heroes~"
And with that, she smartly stopped there.
"The rest, my dear audience, you'll just have to look forward to~"
After all, it wasn't yet time to spoil anything.
Right now, Everlasting Flames deserved the spotlight.
Better to let the fire burn just a little longer.
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