One day before the launch of Honkai: Star Rail Version 1.7, at 11:59 PM, countless players clutched their phones and computers, their eyes glued to the official account's feed, eagerly awaiting the release of the video they had been anticipating.
However, given that Lumina-related videos had already broken established patterns, some players were wavering.
According to the usual schedule, the Keeping Up With Star Rail series, which typically airs after a character's gacha debut, had been released several days earlier.
And the animated short mentioned during the preview live stream? Still no sign of it...
Every other character's animated short dropped before their gacha debut. Why is Lumina the exception?
Playing special, huh?
So what if you're a little prettier, a little nicer, and a little more overpowered? Why do you deserve special treatment?
Just wait—we'll get so mad, we'll kneel down and beg you to come to us!
Some players protested, adopting the most arrogant demeanor while uttering the most pathetic words.
But what could they do? Lumina was just too irresistible...
Not pull for Lumina? Impossible!
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Ding-dong~ Your followed user, Honkai: Star Rail, has posted a new video.
As the clock struck noon, every player who had been camping the official Honkai: Star Rail account and followed it received the notification.
Upon seeing the notification, most eyes lit up instantly. Click! Without hesitation, they immediately clicked through.
Having learned from past mistakes, a small group of players glanced at the title first:
Honkai: Star Rail - Lumina Character PV: "Eternal Garden of Everblooming Flowers"
Once they confirmed it was indeed Lumina's character PV, their lingering anxieties finally eased.
They rubbed their hands together, anticipation bubbling as they clicked play.
As the flagship character concluding Version 1.x, the PV can't be subpar, right?
[Front Row First!]
[Animated Short! Animated Short! Animated Short! Don't make me beg on my knees!]
[Front Row First!]
[miHoYo, let me believe in you one more time!]
Despite the video having just been released mere seconds ago, a torrent of comments had already flooded in, vying for the coveted "Front Row First" title.
Everyone was brimming with anticipation, hoping that Lumina's character PV would surpass even the previous high-quality ones...
Age Rating: 12+
miHoYo
As the series of logos faded, the PV officially began.
[La♪↑ La♪↓ La La♪~]
A melodious chant filled the air as an immaculate and beautiful Eternal Garden unfolded on screen.
This idyllic garden, a realm of timeless tranquility, stirred a deep longing in the viewer's heart, a desire to dwell there forever...
The camera gradually zoomed in, revealing adorable creatures scattered throughout the garden. Some lay sprawled among the flowers and grasses, basking in the warm sun, sleeping soundly as if indulging in a lazy afternoon nap.
Others flitted among the blossoms and foliage like flower sprites, adding an extra touch of vibrancy to the already flawless garden.
At the heart of these creatures sat the most beautiful, holy, and perfect being, swaying gently on a vine swing. Her white-green hair floated weightlessly in the air, swaying back and forth, as if she were the sole center of the world...
Boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom!
But a series of thunderous crashes shattered the serene scene.
The previously carefree and adorable animals instantly tensed up at the sound, swiftly forming a protective circle around the girl, as if shielding her from an unseen danger with their bodies.
A pitch-black aura shattered the Eternal Garden's tranquility and sanctity. Harsh, rasping voices echoed as hordes of shadowy creatures, their bodies radiating dark energy, surged into the garden, ruthlessly trampling every blooming flower.
"Hmm... looks like another Out of Control incident is upon us."
The white-haired girl murmured, opening her eyes and slowly rising from the swing. A seamless 3D-to-2D transition materialized before the audience.
[ Cosmic Wanderer ] Lumina
[It's her! That familiar 3D-to-2D transition!]
[Mihoyo's 3D-to-2D transitions are still as fluid as ever!]
[The ancient Greek god who governs the transition from 3D to 2D!]
[Amazing 3D-to-2D transition!]
The familiar and fluid 3D-to-2D transition drew gasps of admiration from the viewers watching the video.
As the video continued, the environment shifted dramatically after the 3D-to-2D transition ended. The lush garden transformed into a lightless abyss, as if the heavens and earth had plunged into an endless void. The small animals that had surrounded Lumina vanished, leaving her alone as the sole beacon in the darkness.
"If this is all you have, it won't be enough," Lumina murmured, her gaze fixed on the hidden currents lurking within the Abyss. A Jade Green Staff materialized in her hand, and with a gentle wave, she unleashed a series of basic attack effects, repelling the encroaching darkness.
As the Abyss recoiled from Lumina's basic attack, the scene reverted to the Eternal Garden.
However, the once harmonious, serene, and Immaculate garden had been severely corrupted. The Raven Blitz from the Abyss had tainted the land, its dark aura spreading relentlessly.
Trees crumbled, flowers withered, and animals perished, transforming the Eternal Garden—once a sanctuary of perpetual life—into a wasteland of death and decay.
Only Lumina remained, standing at the garden's heart like the last vestige of untouched paradise.
"No matter how many times I try, no matter what methods I use, does it always end in failure?" The girl lifted her gaze, a fleeting trace of sorrow flickering in her eyes.
"But whether it ends in failure or success, it's still an outcome..."
As her words faded, the staff in her hand transformed into a round, magical core, which she then plunged into the ground.
The once-silent garden began to seethe. Seven-colored light slowly emerged, clashing against the darkness, and withered life stirred anew.
La♪ la la la la la la♪
La♪ la la♪ la la la la♪
A magnificent, holy, and flawless melody filled the air, as if the world itself were singing.
"Let this unsung melody begin again!"
[Immaculate Verse, Eternal Garden]
"To commemorate the world's joyous song!"
Under the assault of "the entire world," the dark "Abyss" gradually retreated, until it vanished completely.
The beautiful, resplendent, life-filled, and flawless garden returned once more to its former glory and tranquility. The holy maiden, too, settled back onto the vine-woven swing, as if everything that had just transpired had never happened at all...
But as the camera zoomed in, the sorrow etched on the girl's face betrayed the truth: everything that had just occurred was all too real...
Honkai: Star Rail
As a flower bloomed at the center of the screen, the Train leaped forth from its petals, transforming into white and green lettering. The video was drawing to a close...