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

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"Already dead, yet why do you still meddle?"

The dolls shouted menacingly, relentlessly assaulting the barrier protecting Kiana. However, no matter how they attacked, they couldn't shake the Snow Lotus shield conjured by Ana.

Ana's ghostly figure stood unwavering before the barrier. Being merely a residual image, the doll's attacks simply passed through her.

As for breaking her shield?

With just the Herrscher of Thousands? Please, Ana's Authority, albeit limited to Wind at this time, embodies Conquest. If even the Herrscher of Thousands couldn't budge Raiden Mei, how could it possibly challenge Ana?

Simply put, unless the Herrscher of Thousands devolves into unorganized chaos, they stand no chance.

And if things escalate further, Teacher Himeko is watching closely from the sidelines!

Ana's barrier exudes a reassuring strength akin to solid rock, while her presence looms as formidable and majestic as an impregnable fortress.

As for the Herrscher of Thousands' trash talk, let them bark; it matters little here.

Since Ana exists only as a residual image with limited cognitive abilities, she conserves energy by activating flight mode, allowing the Herrscher of Thousands to futilely bombard away.

Watching from the side, Himeko's teeth itched with frustration, longing to immediately charge forward and dismantle these idiotic dolls.

One can only wonder why these dolls were even given mouths?

Finally, Kiana overcame the newly emerged Herrscher Persona, embraced her past, and reconciled with herself. From this moment on, she became the true Herrscher of Human, wielding immense power guided solely by her human will, unaffected by any Herrscher Persona.

In terms of game narrative, due to Himeko's survival, the writers didn't dwell too much on emotional moments. Considering Honkai Impact 3's reputation at the time, they urgently needed a reliable character and gripping plotlines to drive engagement; pushing sentimentality too far here could only backfire eventually.

"Teacher Ana..." Kiana looked at Ana before her, her eyes filled with gratitude, nostalgia, and admiration.

"Congratulations, Kiana. Congratulations on mastering your Authority. Now, your path lies open, full of promise."

Smiling warmly, Ana spoke from her heart—these were indeed the sentiments that had driven her to help Kiana initially. Now, having fulfilled her mission, her apparition began to dissipate.

"But Teacher, you..."

"Ah, this was inevitable. Go on, Kiana. Embrace tomorrow with a smile; your journey is far from over."

With these final words, Ana's fading figure vanished completely.

Kiana bowed deeply towards the direction where Ana disappeared before turning and sprinting away. She could sense others entering the Dominion Theater as well, so she needed to reunite with her companions promptly.

This time, there was no fainting episode thanks to Ana's protection.

Soon, Kiana met up with Bronya and Fu Hua. After a brief exchange, they dove back into battle together.

"Alright, Kiana, the final stage has been set for you."

"Come forth! It's time for the ultimate showdown between hero and malice!"

With these words, all the dolls vanished simultaneously, leaving behind a passageway before the trio—the entrance to the ultimate stage.

The Puppeteer Herrscher knew that confronting three Herrschers individually, even after stripping them of their Authorities, would still be insurmountable due to the inherent weakness of the Herrscher of Thousands.

However, it mattered not. The dolls had merged through various malicious intents, allowing them to unify under this malevolence and become the ultimate Herrscher of Dominance.

This was the trump card of the dolls, and something every Herrscher must face eventually. After all, defeating the Herrscher of Dominance is the only way to leave the theater.

Alternatively, one could follow Bai Zhi's approach—relying on an Authority that cannot be stolen, forcefully breaking free with unrestricted movement.

Unfortunately, both Kiana, Bronya, and Fu Hua have yet to fully master their Herrscher Authorities. Surprisingly, Raiden Mei is the only one among them who seems to have complete control over hers.

This ability stemmed from both the Authority of Conquest and Raiden Mei's transformation process into a Herrscher, naturally intertwined with World Serpent's influence. However, it was undeniable that Raiden Mei had indeed advanced to the forefront among all Herrschers.

Of course, she still fell far short compared to the former Goddess of Wind. One could only imagine the true nature of Ana back then; her ascension to become the current Chessmaster seemed unsurprising now.

As Kiana and her companions climbed the steps, they faced their final adversary—the Herrscher of Dominance.

"Pride, envy, indifference, hatred, greed, despair, surrender..."

Following this deep voice, a colossal figure emerged at the stage's center, lowering multiple marionettes on strings. The dolls sneered, filling the entire stage with echoing laughter.

The power of the Herrscher of Dominance surpassed imagination, not merely through simple accumulation but amplified by a specific formula. It became evident that, barring Herrschers like Ana or Raiden Mei, no single Herrscher alone could challenge the Herrscher of Dominance.

Nevertheless, Kiana, Bronya, and Fu Hua had no choice but to confront this formidable foe head-on, as there were no external forces left to aid them.

Not entirely untrue, though; assistance was indeed being prepared elsewhere.

At Schicksal's experimental trial field, countless iterations have been conducted thus far. Now, the Herrscher of Thousands Herrschers on the field exhibit increasing coordination. Unlike the malicious intent represented by the Herrscher of Dominance within the Dominion Theater, these individuals embody goodwill and rationality.

Through repeated synchronization, their Authorities gradually merge, ultimately coalescing into a unified entity. In the center of the trial field, a colossal being quietly emerges. It resembles a massive cybernetic mecha, predominantly white in color.

Notably, this entity is not constructed from the physical bodies of the thousand Herrschers but rather from their Authorities and Honkai Energy. It appears akin to a legion totem found in science fiction novels, completely distinct from the individual Herrschers—the true Herrscher of Dominance.

In the control center, Nagamitsu wipes the sweat from his face, revealing a smile. Persistence pays off; Schicksal finally possesses its own trump card. The next step is finding a target for testing its capabilities.

"Durandal, it's all up to you now." Nagamitsu turns his gaze towards Durandal nearby.

Durandal nodded, exited the control center, and leaped down.

"From now on, I'll be your opponent! Please give it your all!"

With her Stark Drive activated, Durandal faced the Herrscher of Dominance without holding back. The colossal creature's Honkai Energy had reached a terrifying level; any leniency could easily lead to an unexpected defeat.

"Splendid, Lady Durandal! Looking forward to learning from you!" Susannah exclaimed excitedly among the Herrscher of Thousands. Her excitement momentarily destabilized the Herrscher of Dominance, affecting its synchronization slightly.

Fortunately, many within the Herrscher of Thousands were Schicksal Valkyries who admired Durandal just as fervently. This admiration kept the disruption minimal, preventing the Herrscher from fully dissipating.

This incident indirectly highlighted how rare the Herrscher of Dominance truly was. Even during the previous civilization, none of the Herrschers of a Thousand People ever transformed into such a being.

It's worth noting that despite differences between eras, the fundamental Authorities of Herrschers remained largely similar.

Thus, Durandal engaged the Herrscher of Dominance in battle. Essentially, it served as practical training for this formidable opponent.

This method proved to be the most effective way to rapidly enhance the Herrscher of Dominance's abilities.

Meanwhile, Schicksal continued its research and observation of the Dominion Theater without pause. However, due to the absence of an independent Herrscher, they lacked the means to directly infiltrate the theater at present.

To launch a genuine assault, it would likely require the elite forces composed of these Herrscher of Thousands Herrschers.

Of course, Schicksal did have other options up their sleeve.

Indeed, unbeknownst to when exactly, Bishop Otto, who had been overseeing the broader strategy, disappeared from sight. Naturally, Nagamitsu, as the one handling day-to-day affairs, wasn't surprised; Lord Bishop was always unpredictable - one simply had to get used to it.

Within a secret laboratory on Schicksal's floating island:

Bishop Otto, having vanished from the trial field, reappeared here. This laboratory housed numerous clones of Otto, serving as one of his backup facilities.

Therefore, despite Senti's attempts to kill him earlier, she couldn't succeed. He truly embodied the saying "a cunning rabbit has three burrows," and perhaps even more than just three.

Otto didn't have to wait long before a gray mist suddenly appeared in the laboratory, followed by Bai Zhi's arrival.

"You've finally come, my friend." Seeing her, Otto's face lit up with delight.

However, Bai Zhi wasted no words and simply tossed the doll in her hand onto the floor, as if discarding trash. Indeed, for Bai Zhi, this fellow was nothing but waste; had it not been for Otto's need, she would have destroyed it outright.

"Is there anything else you require from me?" Despite her reluctance to get further involved, Bai Zhi adhered to the principle of seeing someone through till the end, prompting her to ask.

"No need, my friend. I can handle the rest myself," Otto replied courteously, smiling. Essentially, Ana had already taken care of the most challenging part, leaving the remainder for him to manage.

"All right then, good luck."

With Otto's response, Bai Zhi naturally respected his wishes and turned to leave without lingering.

In truth, she could have assisted Otto further, such as directly transferring his consciousness into the Core, transforming him into the Herrscher of Thousands.

For Bai Zhi, this task was straightforward, not even requiring Ana's True Self assistance. However, since Otto insisted on handling it himself, why should she expend extra effort? Although Ana mentioned witnessing Otto's Finality, it didn't imply any fondness towards him. Watching Otto struggle and fail could indeed be quite entertaining.

Thus, Bai Zhi left behind some mist to observe discreetly. As a Herrscher consciousness, splitting a portion of her awareness was effortless. In fact, if she wished, she could have even altered Otto's thoughts.

Her power far surpassed Senti's, making influencing Otto's consciousness no issue. However, meddling directly might lead to unforeseen complications, so Bai Zhi chose to quietly watch instead.

In reality, Otto was aware that Bai Zhi was observing him, but he remained unfazed. He knew Ana as someone who kept her promises and would be his most crucial ally along his path. To such an entity, he aimed to demonstrate his sincerity.

Of course, even without showing it explicitly, there wouldn't have been much point. With Ana's elevated status now, any subtle manipulations by Otto would hold no significance for her.

Meanwhile, Kiana's battle against the Herrscher of Dominance was not looking optimistic. Among the trio, Bronya and Fu Hua had already lost their Authorities. Poor Senti, while casually wandering outside, fell victim to the old relic's telecommunication scam, suddenly losing her Authority amidst tears and tantrums - truly pitiful.

Only Kiana, with greater mastery over the Herrscher of the Void's Authority, could still hold on, albeit barely, nearing exhaustion.

This is the Dominion Theater; as time passes without their Authorities, they will only weaken further.

But would it truly end here?

Engaged in a relentless struggle with the dolls, Kiana repeatedly stumbled, only to rise again each time. The doll's threads entangled around Kiana, through which the Herrscher transmitted its malevolence.

Even now, the Herrscher of Dominance hoped to assimilate Kiana, making her the core of the Herrscher of Thousands.

The Herrscher of Dominance possessed immense power. In the original storyline, Kiana might have been able to break free by sheer force of will, igniting that spark within her.

However, currently, not only was the Herrscher's power overwhelming, but that spark had also failed to ignite.

Is this truly where it ends?

Kiana's eyes gradually dimmed as her world slipped into darkness. This time, they had failed to overcome malice and defeat the Herrscher of Dominance.

Just as Kiana's world was about to plunge entirely into darkness, suddenly, she glimpsed a light—a flicker of flame.

"Is that...an illusion?" Kiana murmured, her eyes momentarily flashing. However, the flames she perceived as illusory did not fade; instead, they blazed brighter and more radiant.

Dimly, Kiana seemed to recognize a familiar figure amidst the inferno: long fiery red hair, burning with intense flames—it was...it was...

Murata Himeko! Their beloved teacher from Saint Freya Academy, the one who brought them hope!

"Teacher Himeko!" In the depths of darkness, Kiana shouted that name aloud.