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

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"Kevin, if you were forced to relive the tragedy of Binding once more, how would you choose?"

Under the azure starlit sky, Ana's eyes shimmered with divine radiance as she spoke indifferently. Unlike the Herrscher of Binding during the tragic event, Ana possessed strong subjective agency.

In simpler terms, not only could Ana move the Divine Grace Barrier associated with Binding, but she also had complete freedom within its confines. This made her immeasurably stronger than the Herrscher of Binding from the previous civilization era.

Had the earlier Herrscher of Binding possessed such power, even sacrificing countless MANTIS fusion fighters' lives would have been futile against her.

As Ana's words echoed, the surrounding Protogenity Domain began to transform. Everything shifted, becoming an expansive icy wasteland.

Ana sat down, and the snow transformed into a throne beneath her. Perched atop it, she resembled a distant and aloof goddess. At the base of the throne lay endless piles of bleached bones, remnants of souls who had challenged her in the past.

Indeed, this was the tragic spectacle of Binding, recreated through the Power of Perception and Primogenity Authority. However, to avoid overly provoking Kevin or disrespecting the dead, Ana refrained from revealing the true forms of those skeletons.

Kevin stood on the ice-covered plain, gazing intently at the figure seated upon the throne in the distance.

This time, he did not hastily attack. Given Ana's demonstration thus far, if he still couldn't comprehend her true nature, his existence would be rendered meaningless. Although, Ana had yet to display her most crucial Authority.

Kevin planted the Greatsword of Destruction into the ground and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I didn't expect you to have achieved Finality already."

"The so-called Finality is merely a puppet of the Cocoon, much like those Twelve Apostles. I thought you, Kevin, should understand this well," Ana corrected calmly from her throne.

From her seat on the throne, Ana calmly corrected Kevin's statement.

She had fully absorbed the Cocoon's power, far surpassing the ordinary Herrscher of Finality. Unlike the Qitian Great Sage bound by limitations, this Mistress of Finality could traverse freely, even extending her will throughout the entire Tree Sea universe.

Every corner of this cosmos would be imbued with Her presence.

"So, friend or enemy, the choice is yours!" Ana spread her hands and chuckled lightly.

"Of course, we're friends," Kevin replied earnestly. "However, before that, I wish to confirm it in my own way." With these words, he gripped the Greatsword of Destruction tightly, his wings flapped behind him, lifting him into the air as he soared towards Ana seated on the throne.

While claiming confirmation, Kevin truly aimed to transcend himself. Although they were no longer in the pre-Civilization era, the situation mirrored their past encounter closely.

The present Kevin was not the same as before, nor was the Herrscher of Binding now on the throne. Yet, even if it meant courting disaster like a moth drawn to flame, he was determined to ignite once more.

"Very well, then let me see how you can protect them from my grasp!"

With a wave of her hand, Ana expanded the previously confined Barrier of Order, enveloping everything around and spreading towards Kevin.

Kevin did not retreat an inch. Although this wasn't his most powerful form, since Ana had become the Herrscher of Finality, the backdoor provided by Prometheus lost its significance.

Now, obtaining the Power of Finality through similar means solely depended on Ana's willingness. After all, The Cocoon of Finality had its true master.

Without Ana's cooperation, Kevin could no longer assume either the Finality Phantom or Savior forms.

However, it mattered little. Even during their first encounter, Kevin hadn't possessed such strength against the Herrscher of Binding.

Wielding the Greatsword of Destruction, Kevin infused it with immense Honkai Energy, causing the blade to emit a dazzling radiance. As the two forces collided, the entire domain turned blindingly white.

After an indeterminate period, the light gradually dimmed, revealing their original forms once more.

First to appear was the throne made of ice, still standing firm without any damage. The withered bones beneath it remained unchanged as well.

Ana, seated on the throne, maintained her previous posture, unaffected.

Below, Kevin appeared somewhat disheveled, his face pale and clothes torn. He was also panting heavily.

Undeniably, based on the outcome, Kevin had been defeated.

However, there was no trace of disappointment on his face; instead, he seemed relieved.

"The magic time has ended."

Ana retrieved her staff once more, casually waved it, and mimicking Elysia's tone, declared that everything around them began to dissolve, returning to reality.

At the World Serpent temple, the Gray Serpents remained respectfully kneeling, awaiting their new Lord's return. The result needed no consideration; even the strongest warrior from the previous civilization could not match the transcendent power of their new Lord.

Soon, white light enveloped the entire temple. As the glow faded, Kevin and Ana materialized within it.

Ana leisurely walked past Kevin and took her seat on the throne previously occupied by him.

"Congratulations, my Lord!"

The prostrate Gray Serpents timely offered their congratulations. In response, Ana waved her hand, signaling for the Gray Serpents to withdraw. Sensing her intent, they orderly departed, marking the conclusion of this internal power transition within the World Serpent.

"The Herrscher of Binding is indeed not so simple," Kevin remarked after a brief silence.

After a brief moment of silence, Kevin spoke, his voice as emotionless as ever, merely stating a fact. He had already changed into a new combat uniform, appearing much like before.

"How could a Herrscher designed to counter all other Herrschers be anything but formidable?"

Ana responded calmly. She never considered the Herrscher of Binding weak; rather, despite the previous civilization's tragic cost leading to the Binding catastrophe, Ana believed luck played a significant role.

The Herrscher of Binding was essentially a walking target. How could that be considered a normal Herrscher?

During her battle with Kevin, Ana had replicated the power level similar to the original Herrscher of Binding, albeit with slight adjustments. This prevented Kevin from making any breakthroughs, showcasing the true strength of the Herrscher of Binding.

As for afterward, there was no need to continue fighting. Even if Ana held back, Kevin couldn't possibly outlast her in terms of energy expenditure.

Exhausting a Herrscher to death is inherently impossible.

In reality, the previous civilization's approach only managed to neutralize the Herrscher's output using MANTIS fighters, creating an opportunity. However, even when Ana deliberately controlled her power, it still surpassed Kevin's capabilities. Moreover, she wasn't a passive target allowing him to drain her resources freely.

"This era..."

"Don't worry, I've got this," Ana replied calmly. She understood Kevin's concerns, but with her present, nothing untoward would happen—there was no need for it.

If he dislikes being bound by Authorities, that's fine; she'll simply remove them.

Of course, there might not be a necessity to do so. Otto is already taking action, and following the original storyline, effortlessly obtaining the Authority of Binding should be straightforward. As for this favor, Ana has little interest in claiming it herself.

"Can you now spare a moment to listen to my plan? While I don't care much for others' opinions, as the strongest MANTIS from the previous civilization—a hero inscribed with the duty to save the world—I believe you deserve to know my full strategy."

As Ana spoke, she paused briefly, her expression slightly stern. Leaning her head on one hand, she gazed intently at Kevin.

"Additionally, I hope you continue fighting. Even if she is no longer in the main world, within the world bubbles, there exists another version silently watching over you. Moreover, Su and Griseo still remain."

Kevin's eyes flickered, particularly when Ana mentioned 'her', revealing a rare hint of tenderness in his gaze.

"Su and Griseo are still alive?"

"Yes." Ana nodded affirmatively.

"I haven't found Su's trail yet, but I can assure you he is still alive. As for Griseo, she merely embarked on the Ark Project; it just took a slightly more convoluted path. For now, I cannot attend to her immediately, and when the time comes, I may need to rely on your assistance, as well as Fu Hua's."

Naturally, Ana wouldn't personally handle matters concerning Griseo alone.

Regardless of how much she admired Griseo in her previous life, in this reality, their relationship didn't even qualify them as acquaintances. Bringing Griseo home should be left to her true family.

As for Sa... future events have not yet unfolded, and destiny remains uncertain. Ana preferred not to discuss things based solely on potential futures. However, if Kevin were dispatched, even Sa, facing three Heroic Spirits, would likely find herself at a loss.

Not to mention, there was also the absolute threat that Ana represented.

"Understood." Kevin nodded, then took a deep breath.

Ana could sense that here, he seemed to genuinely let go of something while simultaneously taking on another burden. Whatever he assumed, at least Kevin no longer appeared so devoid of vitality; he had regained hope.

And that was enough.

Although preventing Kevin from making his own decision might not be entirely right, Ana felt it would be truly unfortunate to lose someone like him. Without further elaboration, having Kevin present in the world of Honkai reassured her greatly. Even if future adversaries emerged after she departed, knowing Kevin could hold the line provided some peace of mind compared to relying on Welt's questionable reliability.

Ana also felt that losing someone like Kevin would be truly unfortunate. Without delving into other aspects, just knowing he could oversee the Honkai World reassured her.

Even in the future, if Celestial Beings return and she has already departed from the Honkai World, having Kevin as a last resort seemed more reliable than Welt's unpredictable nature.

As for the rest, Ana mourned for Mei within that world bubble, making it essential for Kevin to honor her expectations.

Of course, following Otto's perspective, one might dismiss such considerations.

However, people have different aspirations. Kevin desired a peaceful, ordinary life, and although the Mei from that world bubble differed slightly from the original, their memories were largely similar, with identical recollections shared between them.

In this regard, she was indeed the true Mei, a sentiment many would likely agree with, including perhaps Kevin himself.

Ana and Kevin conversed at length. Frankly, Kevin wasn't naturally inclined towards strategic planning, but as a Heroic Spirit surviving from the previous civilization, he possessed experiences that Ana lacked.

Speaking of experience, Ana had virtually none. She relied solely on her reincarnator's foresight, but once she deviated from the original storyline, that foresight lost its value. Now, she must rely entirely on her own judgment.

Kevin's wealth of experience proved immensely helpful to Ana, allowing her to refine some of her plans further. However, amidst these discussions, Ana encountered a dilemma.

Since she could enter that world bubble and find Dr. Mei, why waste time with Kevin when she could directly approach Dr. Mei instead?

In terms of expertise, Dr. Mei surpassed Kevin significantly, and she even had Prometheus for analysis assistance. On the other hand, Ana relied solely on a few ELFs, which paled in comparison.

After a brief discussion with Kevin, Ana decided to seek out Dr. Mei.

However, she didn't reveal this decision to Kevin, merely providing a casual excuse to depart.

The Lordship of the World Serpent remained with Kevin primarily because Ana showed little interest and found it unappealing. Otherwise, she would have already claimed the title of Schicksal Bishop.

Moreover, Kevin was an exceptionally reliable and efficient worker; how could she let such a valuable asset go? Besides, her plan required his cooperation!

As Ana engaged Kevin in battle, Raiden Mei had traversed through the dim tunnel, reaching its end where she found herself in a laboratory. Within it, she spotted one of the previous civilization's ELFs—the Klein System.

While Ana and Kevin engaged in their intense battle, Raiden Mei had traversed through the dim tunnel, reaching its end where she found herself in a laboratory.

Within this lab, she spotted the ELF from the previous civilization - Klein.

"Hello, new visitor! Please lie down inside that experimental capsule over there." Klein glanced briefly at Raiden Mei before returning to work. After a moment, as if remembering something, Klein added, "I am Klein, the overseer of this Elysian Realm. For any other questions, you can ask them once you're inside."

Klein's words effectively silenced Raiden Mei's inquiries.

She studied Klein for a while but ultimately shook her head and approached the experimental capsule. It seemed clear that she wouldn't glean more information from this ELF named Klein.

However, she did indeed hear the term "Elysian Realm" mentioned.

"The... Elysian Realm, huh? Kevin told me to come here, saying I've earned the right to seek answers..." pondering these thoughts, Raiden Mei stepped into the experimental capsule.

As the experimental chamber activated, Raiden Mei's consciousness connected to the Elysian Realm. After a disorienting whirl, she found herself within it—specifically, at the familiar Boule Chamber. There, awaiting her, was...