Kiana had just dodged a sword qi and was still in midair when she heard the Herrscher of Sentience shout: "Take my dart!"
A Fenghuang Down feather was thrown by her like a dart. The power contained within it was something even Kiana didn't dare take head-on. She could only summon a Subspace Lance to knock it away, but the force of the dart sent her flying backward as well.
No good!
Kiana understood that continuing like this would never let her defeat the Herrscher of Sentience.
She landed on the chain again and ran toward the sword hilt.
As several more sword qi came slashing in, this time Kiana chose to lower her body and slide underneath them.
Facing the incoming dart again, she threw a Subspace Lance to counter it. If there were too many darts, she chose to knock them away. Since she was standing on the chain, she could resist that force.
In this way, she rapidly closed the distance to the Herrscher of Sentience.
Once she was very close to the sword hilt, she leaped into the air. The power of the Herrscher of the Void emerged beneath her feet, allowing her to flip several times and arrive right in front of the Herrscher of Sentience.
She clenched her fist and smashed it toward her.
The Herrscher of Sentience raised her hand to block: "Too many openings!"
Her right fist slammed hard into Kiana's stomach, sending her flying once more.
This battle scene left the audience stunned.
"I was wondering why the earlier fight with Kevin was so sloppy—it was all saved up for here?"
"I get it! No wonder they didn't show the fight with Kevin before—because Kevin is too strong!"
"What do you mean? The Herrscher of Sentience herself said she was on par with Kevin!"
"Idiot, exactly because Kevin is strong, the Herrscher of Sentience would definitely go all out. Wouldn't that expose her Herrscher form? The dog director was afraid we'd find out, so he deliberately didn't release it."
"I see. So Kevin already knew she was the Herrscher of Sentience and still deliberately gave her the feather? Why? Isn't he afraid his good comrade Hua would die?"
"Definitely not. I guess Kevin has a backup plan, or rather...he trusts the Herrscher of Sentience's character. Or Hua's abilities."
"It's just excessive trust in Hua. How could he know this Hua completely doesn't know how to comfort kids—look how angry she made the Herrscher of Sentience."
"..."
Before everyone could chat much more, they were once again drawn into the battle on the TV.
To prevent herself from falling off the edge of the clouds, Kiana used the Herrscher of the Void's power again to teleport herself onto the platform below.
This time, the Herrscher of Sentience followed directly.
Looking at her climbing up from the ground, she asked: "Calmed down yet, Student Kiana? Look! This is the gap in strength between you and me."
"You can't beat me. You can't!"
"If I don't try, how will I know!" Kiana got up and launched another attack.
Give up?
No!
She had never even considered that option.
Kaslana gunfighting techniques, Subspace Lances...countless combat methods were all displayed.
Even though every one was easily dealt with by the Herrscher of Sentience, she continued to attack relentlessly.
The Herrscher of Sentience kept trying to persuade her patiently: "Think about it! What meaning does this fight have! What can the result possibly change? This world needs my power—it needs me! Winning or losing is meaningless. You losing to me is only natural."
At that moment.
A voice rang out in Kiana's mind: "I'm here, Kiana."
It was this faint voice that gave Kiana tremendous motivation. Her originally somewhat weakened attacks suddenly became sharp again: "The squad leader is still holding on."
She simply replied.
But it only made the Herrscher of Sentience even angrier.
Long spear, long whip, giant sword...various weapons appeared one after another. The seemingly chaotic attacks were actually highly methodical.
Compared to defeating Kiana, right now she seemed more intent on displaying her own strength.
She questioned unwillingly: "That's only because of my mercy. She's almost at her limit—is this worth it! Why protect...a useless piece of trash!"
Now she was determined to completely crush Kiana!
Gripping the long spear, she launched an even fiercer assault toward Kiana.
Kiana, who had originally been able to resist somewhat, could now only constantly dodge.
Just as Kiana was about to be struck by the spear, a feather appeared at the spear tip, blocking what would have been a crippling blow.
Fu Hua's voice appeared: "The help I can provide is limited. You must seize the opportunity, Kiana..."
It was precisely this opening that allowed Kiana to exploit the flaw. With a summon of her hand, a rectangular construct created by the Herrscher of the Void fell from the sky, smashing the Herrscher of Sentience hard into the ground.
"Ah..."
The Herrscher of Sentience roared and completely shattered the construct: "How is this possible, how could it turn out like this? You two...can't you just obediently listen to me?"
At this moment.
Kiana felt Honkai energy more terrifying than ever before.
She no longer dared to hold back her power. She fully became the complete Herrscher of the Void and flew straight upward into the sky.
"Damn it!!!"
The Herrscher of Sentience stepped onto a flying sword, forming sword seals with her hands. Countless flying swords circled her body and, under her control, shot toward Kiana.
Kiana countered by summoning countless portals, redirecting the attacks to the ground.
But the Herrscher of Sentience suddenly appeared right in front of her face, sword in hand.
"Fool! Idiot!"
While cursing, she swung her long sword in a frenzy of slashes.
Kiana could only use Subspace Lances and the squad leader's help to barely defend, ultimately getting knocked to the ground.
The Herrscher of Sentience had now completely lost her temper.
Countless long swords crashed down toward where she had fallen.
"Why get in my way? Why help that piece of trash? Why!!!"
"You're all...failures!!!"
Finally, she even unleashed Fu Hua's Taixu Sword Qi. The entire illusion trembled, and countless long swords rose from the sword graveyard, converging toward her.
"This is the squad leader's..." Kiana's expression changed drastically. For the first time, she felt the thought that she might be no match.
At that moment.
Fu Hua's gentle voice rang in her mind. The body that had wanted to retreat was supported by her: "Kiana, control your power. Recall what I taught you..."
Kiana also began to perform Taixu Sword Qi: "Taixu Sword Qi! Divine Grace!"
Seeing the Taixu Sword Qi they unleashed, the Herrscher of Sentience finally understood that she was not the true Fu Hua.
At this moment, her heart wavered.
Herrscher of Sentience: "How could I lose to this person!!"
Kiana: "The squad leader was never...a failure!"
The two forces collided, and the entire illusion began to collapse.
But they only held for a few seconds before Kiana suddenly felt the pressure drop sharply. Fu Hua's Fenghuang Down also floated out from her body, rushing toward the exploding vortex, toward the Herrscher of Sentience...
"Thank you, Kiana. I'll leave the Herrscher to me. The illusion is about to be dispelled—go back..."
"This time...it's probably goodbye forever."
She decided to use her last remaining power to seal the Herrscher of Sentience and perish together with her.
Kiana hurriedly shouted: "Wait, squad leader! Maybe there's another way!"
Fu Hua said: "Perhaps, but...this is my duty."
"Ah..." Kiana's pupils shrank. These words were more familiar to her than anyone else—she had once said them to Mei. She also understood Fu Hua's actions better than anyone.
She watched the final feather fall into her hand: "Enough...it's always like this."
"Using sacrifice to exchange for so-called victory—I can't accept it... Give the squad leader...back to me!!"
She poured the power of the Herrscher of the Void into it, opening the sealed gate, and jumped straight inside.
The entire world turned pitch black...
Within the darkness were countless rays of light, each one a fragment of Fu Hua's past experiences, her former memories...
Here, Kiana experienced every single one of them firsthand.
"Jingwei, I did not lie."
A bullet pierced through Fu Hua's head, as if it had also pierced Kiana's skull.
It made her collapse to the ground in pain.
Fu Hua's true inner thoughts emerged: "I have experienced too much betrayal and deception."
Kiana struggled to stand: "Squad leader, I will absolutely never deceive you..."
Before she could fully stand, a Subspace Lance suddenly stabbed forward—and into the chest of the girl ahead.
She could only hear her final words: "Li Xue can only accompany you this far..."
Kiana could feel Fu Hua wanting to hold her back, could feel her inner voice: "Even the people I trusted were dragged down because of me..."
"I'm very strong—don't worry about dragging me down!"
Kiana fully stood up and took another step forward.
The ground beneath her suddenly collapsed. Kiana fell in, and around her flashed countless people Fu Hua had encountered: "No matter what, we cannot resist the passage of time. In the end, I was still alone."
"I won't let you be alone!"
Kiana finally reached the place of the seal. Raising her fist, she shattered it with a single blow.
She arrived before the true Fu Hua.
Fu Hua saw Kiana appear and instinctively wanted to reach out and hold her, but the shackles of responsibility in her heart made her withdraw her hand.
"Kiana, how could you appear here? If the seal is broken..."
Kiana boldly grabbed her hand and held it tightly: "Shut up! Then I'll just blow her up again. If you think you can escape from my side—forget it!"
The seal disappeared...
The surrounding illusion vanished...
Sunlight poured down on the two of them.
Sun and moon rose and set, seas turned to mulberry fields. Having endured countless partings, grown accustomed to despair, having lost track of time, racing through endless cycles solely for—the mission...
Fu Hua's life, every identity she had ever held, was presented one by one on the TV.
Until the very end...
Here, everything had changed.
As this scene finished playing.
The Herrscher of Sentience also fell silent.
She had seen it all—seen how Kiana had risked everything for Fu Hua.
Just as she had said before, she was the fairest. She had already admitted defeat.
"..."
"..."
"How strange. Why did I lose?"
"Whether in speed or power, whether in mind or will... I should have far surpassed you two."
"Hmph, hahaha..."
"Is it because I'm a Herrscher that I was destined to lose?"
Fu Hua said: "You realized it?"
The Herrscher of Sentience's mood was very low: "Of course. No matter how much I deceive myself...when I used my full power...no, actually even earlier..."
"I should have known long ago."
"I just refused to admit it... Heh, I'm the Herrscher who controls consciousness. Denying whatever I want should be effortless, right?"
"Effortless..."
"In the end, the one I always wanted to become was never me. The one I always wanted to eliminate was actually myself. I mocked everyone—haha, but the funniest one turned out to be me."
"...This world really has no fairness, does it?"
The Herrscher of Sentience was almost on the verge of tears.
Fu Hua sighed: "...Being born a Herrscher is not your fault."
"Honkai consciousness has always lurked in your heart, trying to corrupt it, but you never submitted. I once resided there, so I know... I know you are not the embodiment of evil, not Honkai's puppet."
"I abandoned this body, and you were born from it. It belongs to you, but right now I cannot hand it over to you..."
"I'm sorry. There are still people who need me. There are still things I must do."
The Herrscher of Sentience took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions, and said: "...You know your spirit is already shattered beyond repair, right? If I die, you will die too."
Fu Hua nodded: "I know."
The Herrscher of Sentience continued: "You know Honkai consciousness is still watching us, right? With your current state—even if you regain the body, can you resist Honkai's erosion? Can you bear a Herrscher's authority?"
Fu Hua said: "I will do my best to resist. So, I would like to ask for your help."
"..." The Herrscher of Sentience refused decisively: "No way!!"
"You still want me to help you? Hahahaha, are you stupid!? I won't help you! Go die! Share a body? Just thinking about it makes me sick!"
"You won, I lost—you are Fu Hua, and I am nothing. Goodbye!...No, never see you again! I'm leaving. You'll never be able to stop me—nor will you ever be able to."
Fu Hua quickly asked: "Where are you going?"
The Herrscher of Sentience said irritably: "None of your business! I'll go wherever I want. No one can control me. Heh, I'm the Herrscher of consciousness! You'd better pray you never run into me again."
"Thank you..." Fu Hua thanked her sincerely.
The Herrscher of Sentience leaving on her own meant the body would be returned to her, so she no longer had to worry about death.
The Herrscher of Sentience didn't appreciate it at all: "...This isn't for you, old antique. Do whatever you want with it. I have nothing more to do with you. Goodbye!"
Fu Hua hurriedly said: "Without a body, Honkai's erosion will be even more dangerous for you."
"..."
The Herrscher of Sentience looked into the distance: "I'll do my best to resist. Even if I lose—at least I know someone was able to defeat me."
"Farewell."
She waved her hand and left Fu Hua's body.
In the sunlight.
Fu Hua, once again in control of her body, walked toward the newly awakened Bronya and Kiana, who was holding her.
The ending theme began to play.
This episode officially concluded.
Eden said somewhat reluctantly: "It's...over?"
Elysia nodded: "Looking at the runtime, this episode should be the end, right?"
Eden let out a soft sigh: "What a tsundere cute girl. I hope she won't be destroyed by Honkai. I hope there can be a good ending."
SAKURA spoke up: "That's easy. Just use your status as the golden backer to order Director Hessian to write a good ending."
Eden smiled wryly: "That won't do. Precisely because I'm also a celebrity, I know how much of a blasphemy it would be to casually interfere in a work."
She looked at Hessian and said: "Keep up the good work. I think...you've already planned out everyone's endings, right?"
Hessian didn't act modest and said directly: "Yeah, I've had the overall structure and ending of this drama prepared for a long time."
Eden encouraged: "Then please keep it up."
Hessian corrected: "It should be for everyone sitting here to keep it up together."
Eden was somewhat surprised: "Including me?"
Hessian nodded: "Of course. Don't you want to act alongside Ellie?"
Elysia said in surprise: "There's a part for me too!?"
Hessian raised his voice and announced: "Of course there is! I want the whole world to know how amazing my wife is. I want every viewer in the world to fall in love with you—until there are only two kinds of people in this world!"
SAKURA asked curiously: "What two kinds?"
Hessian smiled and said: "One kind is people who don't know Elysia, and the other is people who love Elysia."
"Tch!!"
The entire lounge was filled with boos.
It wasn't that everyone doubted Elysia's charm. On the contrary, it was precisely because everyone knew how wonderful Elysia was that they didn't believe Hessian could perfectly portray her in a TV drama.
Hessian didn't bother explaining further. He simply waved his hand, telling everyone to go do whatever they needed to do.
Once most of the people had left.
Fu Hua, with a nervous heart, opened her social media account.
Sure enough!
Her followers had skyrocketed.
And it was an explosive increase!
Even the videos she had posted before had their likes multiplied several times over. The comments and private messages had all exploded.
At this moment!
She truly realized Hessian's scriptwriting ability. With just one script, he had shaped her so perfectly and turned countless people into her fans.
"Thank you, Director Hessian!"
She hurriedly thanked Hessian.
Hessian waved his hand and said: "Get ready. The Herrscher of Sentience is about to go live."