Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players

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In the real world, within Brother Cake's live stream channel:

The usual cheerful banter was absent; even the streamer himself remained silent.

On the live stream's video screen, the final CG animation from the main storyline chapter was playing.

Himeko, the protagonist of Version 2.7's main story arc, captivated all Captains with her Red Knight Armor. However, no one anticipated that her moment of triumph would also mark her the Cocoon of Finality.

To save Theresa and others, Himeko donned the Red Knight Armor. She rescued Bronya from the Herrscher of the Void, repelled the Dragon Benares, but then, driven by its vengeful intent, the Herrscher dragged her into Virtual Space.

The animation depicted the confrontation starting with Benares's attack.

In this short film, Himeko, already nearing her end, forcefully entered the Red Knight's Transcendence mode, harnessing the power of the Herrscher of Flame to directly defeat the Herrscher of the Void.

Despite having a chance for survival, she passed it on to Kiana, her favorite student, imparting the most vivid lesson yet. With her last strength, she thrust the Gun of God into the Herrscher of the Void. As Honkai Energy dissipated and transformed, the Herrscher's will was suppressed, signaling Kiana's imminent awakening.

As the Herrscher of the Void fell silent, the Virtual Space gradually destabilized and began to collapse, fragmenting. With no strength left, Himeko's fate was sealed amidst the disintegration.

This poignant scene rendered everyone in the live stream speechless. Captains observed solemn silence, bidding farewell to this greatest teacher.

Even Brother Cake's eyes welled up with tears.

Though he was an avid Ana fan, at this moment, he couldn't help but be deeply moved by Himeko's sacrifice. As colleagues, Himeko and Ana had shared some brief interactions within the storyline.

Now, Brother Cake understood why, back in the Valkyrie Dormitory, Ana expressed regret and sorrow over Himeko. Perhaps, Ana had always known Himeko's destiny.

"No! There might still be a chance!" Brother Cake's eyes suddenly lit up as he exclaimed loudly.

His abrupt reaction startled viewers in the chatroom, prompting a flurry of bullet comments asking about his concern for Himeko, urging him not to grieve.

"No, no, no, guys, have you forgotten the Easter egg from the Valkyrie Dormitory involving Ana?" Brother Cake shouted, swiftly logging into his account to trigger the hidden content.

"Ana knows everything; she has the power and the Abyss Flower. She saved Wendy by deflecting the writer's blade once, and this time, she can surely rescue Himeko!" Brother Cake's voice was resolute and unwavering.

As viewers watched the related Easter egg, some gradually began supporting Brother Cake's theory. However, it wasn't long before others poured cold water on their hopes.

[Everyone, let's disperse. Most of Brother Cake's theories tend to fall apart eventually; old fans are used to it.]

[Those Easter eggs might just be mistakes made by the writers, quite normal.]

[Besides, with such deep regret and sorrow expressed, how could they possibly save her?]

[At least they'd need to enter Virtual Space! The Herrscher of the Void hasn't targeted Ana yet.]

[Wait, if that's true, shouldn't Ana also have been a target for the Herrscher of the Void?!]

The viewers split into factions, engaging in heated discussions within the live chat. However, regardless of the debates, all these speculations were ultimately meaningless.

"Guys, let's not argue. Anyway, the version update preview is coming soon. Let's see what Old Mi has planned next," Brother Cake finally interjected, bringing an end to the debate.

[True!]

[Looking forward to the animated short film, my Himeko ah, waaaaah—]

Soon, the Version 2.8 preview commenced - something monumental was about to be unveiled.

At Schicksal Headquarters, Otto's secret laboratory.

After scanning her iris and completing identity verification, Ana entered this restricted area. Her efforts over these years had not gone to waste; Otto indeed placed immense trust in her, granting her high-level access privileges.

Otherwise, she would have needed to forcefully break in to reach this place.

Fortunately, Otto hadn't returned yet, and Bianka and the others were unaware of her presence, allowing Ana to arrive here first and achieve her objective.

Ana briskly walked through the vast laboratory. On both sides stood numerous incubation chambers, some containing Kallen-related experiments, others involving Sirin. However, Ana paid no attention to any of them.

After passing this section, Ana reached her destination for this visit.

In a large area of the laboratory, a massive classical train engine rested at its center, surrounded by various instruments on either side.

This train engine was none other than the Second Divine Key—the Unnamed Locomotive.

After obtaining the Unnamed Locomotive, Otto conducted only a few preliminary experiments. Due to its significant impact and stringent activation requirements, further research remained stalled.

Moreover, Otto's current focus was on the Herrscher of the Void, as the Unnamed Locomotive itself was crafted from its Core.

With control over the Herrscher of the Void, one inherently possessed all the capabilities of the Unnamed Locomotive. Consequently, for Otto, it had become somewhat redundant and less valuable.

Although deemed insignificant by Otto, the Unnamed Locomotive was precisely what Ana needed at this moment.

Gazing at the locomotive before her, Ana opened her storage space and released the ELF Heaven's Fire.

As the original guardian assigned to watch over the Unnamed Locomotive, Heaven's Fire knew how to activate it. Naturally, Ana was aware of the process too.

However, initiating the Unnamed Locomotive required time, and if she attempted it herself, there wouldn't be enough leeway before others arrived to stop her.

Thus, she could only rely on Heaven's Fire to activate the Unnamed Locomotive while she focused on delaying any interference.

Just like Himeko and Tesla before.

"Please, Heaven's Fire!" Ana called out to it. Although Heaven's Fire didn't respond verbally, it swiftly entered Unnamed Locomotive, initiating its activation sequence.

As the Unnamed Locomotive powered up, alarms blared throughout the laboratory.

The flashing warning lights resembled ambiance lighting at a nightclub, but Ana had no mood for singing along.

To prevent any mishaps, she promptly loaded her Ultimate Knight armor and stood guard near the laboratory entrance, Abyss Flower in hand.

With her S-rank Valkyrie prowess, she exuded an aura of invincibility, capable of holding off countless adversaries single-handedly.

No matter what Schicksal machinery confronted her, they posed no threat. Moreover, due to her status, these machines hesitated to immediately attack Ana.

To preempt any potential authority transfer issues later, she chose to strike first, aiming to dismantle all the machinery.

Next to arrive were nearby Valkyrie squads, not elite units like the Immortal Blades. After all, nobody anticipated a direct assault on Schicksal Headquarters.

When these Valkyries realized the intruder was Ana, they were utterly dumbfounded.

Within Schicksal, due to her beauty and prestigious background, Ana was even more renowned than Durandal, the strongest Valkyrie. All the Valkyries knew who she was.

"Lady Ana, you..." A B-rank Valkyrie looked at Ana with a conflicted smile, her expression almost pained as if on the verge of tears.

The secret laboratory, normally off-limits, had been infiltrated by lesser-ranked Valkyries like themselves, now forced to confront an S-rank Valkyrie. How could this situation be justified?

"This place is not your concern; leave immediately," Ana said calmly. She had no intention of engaging with ordinary Valkyries. In fact, she didn't want to confront anyone. Moreover, she merely intended to borrow the Unnamed Locomotive temporarily, planning to return it afterward.

"Um... Yes, ma'am." After exchanging glances, the Valkyries respectfully bowed and swiftly made their exit, running away without hesitation.

It was no joke; Lady Ana had already shown mercy amidst such chaos. Why linger around instead of making a swift exit? Were they waiting to be reprimanded? Nobody present was foolish.

In response, Ana merely sneered disdainfully.

However, it wasn't long before someone arrived who genuinely warranted her attention.

"Ana..."

Durandal reached the scene first.

Upon hearing the alarm, she initially felt slightly taken aback but then recalled what Ana had mentioned earlier. This alert might have been triggered by Ana herself.

To confirm her suspicion, Durandal hurried to the location ahead of others.

As she saw Ana standing before the Unnamed Locomotive, her expression became complicated.

"Bianka, are you here to stop me?" Ana looked at Bianka with an enigmatic smile that seemed almost mocking.

"..."

Durandal did not respond immediately. Instead, she remembered Ana's previous words and silently gazed at the Unnamed Locomotive behind her.

The Unnamed Locomotive, which they had retrieved together from London, once symbolized their shared battles. Now, they found themselves on opposing sides before this very artifact.

Recalling the moment when Unnamed Locomotive was first activated, its radiant light engulfed Bianka, and Ana followed without hesitation. Moreover, during Durandal's trial, Ana negotiated with Harbinger Su outside.

If Ana desired the Unnamed Locomotive, she wouldn't have waited until now; she could have taken it back then. Therefore, there must be another reason behind her actions.

Considering Ana's earlier words about using the Unnamed Locomotive to save...

Durandal, unaware that Himeko had donned the Red Knight or that Otto had already brought Fu Hua back, naturally assumed Ana meant Fu Hua.

It made perfect sense too.

Fu Hua and Ana had worked together for a long time at Saint Freya Academy. As Rita mentioned, although Ana appeared distant, she deeply cared for Fu Hua.

Durandal didn't consider Himeko as the intended recipient of rescue.

After all, it was incredibly improbable for Himeko to wear the Red Knight armor. While Durandal respected this senior officer, she knew well that Himeko's age necessitated retirement, significantly diminishing her combat capabilities.

Wielding the Red Knight, a Godslayer Armor, would be akin to courting death.

No one could have imagined someone would do it without hesitation. Durandal also didn't realize Fu Hua had left behind so many covert arrangements for guidance and support.

"Fu Hua..."

Durandal held back from intervening; she lacked any reason to attack Ana, nor did Bishop Otto give such orders. Until his arrival, she had the authority to make her own decisions—an autonomy she valued dearly.

Earlier, she couldn't assist Fu Hua, and now, she couldn't aid Ana either. All she could do was slightly delay the situation—but even that wouldn't last much longer.

After all—

Ana gained entry here through her clearance level alone. Aside from disabling some patrol mechs, she hadn't caused significant damage. With Bianka's arrival and the alarm silenced, tranquility returned to the area.

The only sound audible was the thunderous roar of Unnamed Locomotive.

From the entrance behind Bianka, footsteps began echoing.

The footsteps sounded chaotic, indicating more than one person approaching. Bianka could distinguish Rita's and the bishop's gait among them, along with possibly Amber's—easy to guess given their usual companionship.

Then there was another set of unfamiliar footsteps that Bianka couldn't associate with anyone typically accompanying Otto.

While Bianka remained puzzled, Ana managed to deduce who it was—not merely by guessing but using the Ideal Fluid created by the Gem of Desire to determine the newcomer's position and physique.

Four individuals approached, and Bianka's perception accurately identified the first three. The fourth, however, was an unknown face to Schicksal's Valkyries.

But for Captains from beyond this world, especially those familiar with "Records of Broken Swords: Shenzhou," she would not have been a stranger.

Indeed, it was none other than Otto's hidden ace, another S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, Li Sushang—a disciple of Fu Hua herself.

Although Fu Hua's current strength had diminished significantly, Li Sushang was at her peak, far surpassing Fu Hua's present capabilities and on par with Durandal.

"It seems our esteemed Lord Bishop is growing desperate, eh? Heh heh heh—"

With a light chuckle that echoed throughout the laboratory like silver bells, Ana's laughter reached Otto outside as well.

At this moment, Otto's usual composed demeanor had vanished entirely. Ana's sudden move completely disrupted his plans, which placed both Unnamed Locomotive and the Second Herrscher on equal priority.

Now, Ana was essentially threatening his Achilles' heel.

He couldn't predict her exact intentions either. Throughout their time together, Ana had consistently catered to him while discreetly carrying out her own schemes behind the scenes. As Schicksal Bishop, even he could not fully discern these covert actions.

It became clear that if Ana truly turned against him, she would be a formidable adversary who knew him inside out. Such an enemy was Otto's worst nightmare.

This implied that any action Ana took would strike with thunderous force, meticulously planned for absolute success.

That's precisely why Otto awakened Li Sushang from her slumber, gambling on the hope that Ana was unaware of her existence. He prayed that introducing Li Sushang as a wildcard might tip the scales in his favor.

Undeniably, faced with Ana's abrupt betrayal, Otto found himself genuinely shaken.