Honkai: Strijder
Chapter 457: Twist After Twist
"Hi… me… ko…"
"Himeko?"
"Himeko!!!"
Just a moment ago, Theresa had maintained her cold indifference and killing intent. But when she saw Himeko silently close her eyes, cracks appeared in that icy expression.
"Himeko—AAAAAA!!!"
Theresa released Himeko's throat, letting her fall helplessly toward the ground, while clutching her own head tightly. Her eyes flickered between blue and gold as she roared and wailed in agony.
Otto had once devised a plan: by using sacrifice to stimulate Kiana's personality, it could overpower the Herrscher persona. And in the original timeline, he had succeeded.
Now, the same principle applies.
Witnessing Himeko's death with her own eyes was an unparalleled shock to Theresa's original personality. It began to mount a truly powerful resistance.
"AAAAAA!!!"
Human and Herrscher—two consciousnesses with entirely different origins and ways of thinking—clashed within a single body. For Theresa's original self, this was an extraordinarily difficult battle, and naturally, unbearably painful.
Her body twisted in midair. Meanwhile, beneath her, within the dust and chaos, a shadow quietly slipped away.
…
"Haah—"
Himeko regained consciousness amidst the howling wind.
The moment awareness returned, intense pain surged from every part of her body, inside and out. Her face contorted instantly, her eyes rolling back uncontrollably from the agony.
Hera had injected something into her neck.
Soon after, the pain eased. Himeko gasped for breath with difficulty and looked down at herself. The sight of her limbless, blood-soaked, mutilated body instinctively filled her with fear.
"I… what about Theresa?"
That instinctive fear quickly faded. Her first reaction was to ask about her friend's condition.
Hera, flying forward with only her upper body, lowered her head and smiled.
"You did very well. Although the inhibitor didn't achieve its intended effect, your efforts awakened little Theresa's original personality. My greatest concern was that she'd be overwhelmed by excessive negative emotions, allowing the Herrscher persona born from Honkai to completely seize control. If that happened, everything would truly be over—even killing and reviving her might not save her. But now, you've pushed her to open the mental barrier sealed by the Will of Honkai. From here on, things become much easier."
"Cough! You're not just saying that to comfort me because I'm dying, are you?"
"Not at all. Theresa's resistance isn't just visible in her body, it's also reflected in the flaws within the binding field. With those flaws, there's a lot I can do. So now, it's my turn… Do you have any last words? I can record them for you to listen to later."
After briefly explaining the situation, Hera shifted topics, smiling as she looked at Himeko, whose face was drained of color but whose eyes were gradually regaining brightness.
"Cough!"
Himeko coughed up a mouthful of blood. She instinctively tried to raise a hand to wipe it, only to belatedly realize she no longer had hands. Weakly, she said:
"It'd better be as optimistic as you say… otherwise all my effort was for nothing. By the way, am I really beyond saving? I feel pretty spirited right now."
"One of my little inventions. Not particularly meaningful—it just lets you experience a brief 'last flash of life.' It's usually used to give frontline soldiers in critical situations a chance to take the enemy down with them or pass on key information. As for you—your limbs are gone, your organs are failing, and your blood loss has far exceeded survivable limits. Even with full medical facilities, you'd be beyond saving, let alone in this empty simulated reality space. So don't get your hopes up. Finish your last words and prepare to experience the novelty of death."
"…"
At the brink of death, Hera's casual, indifferent explanation oddly made Himeko feel as if it wasn't such a big deal.
After a moment of silence, she spat out the blood in her mouth and smiled.
"What a shame… I never even got to fall in love. They'll definitely laugh at me later—Captain Ragna and the others, won't they? But honestly, we're all about the same, so it doesn't matter! Hahaha!"
"Ragna…"
"The Overseer should know her, right? She's a very outstanding Valkyrie."
"You could say she was my student. I taught her quite a lot."
Hera let out a faint sigh.
Himeko's eyes suddenly widened.
"What!?"
"I said I was, in a sense, Miss Ragna's teacher. I taught her."
"Impossible! How could someone as ruthless as the Overseer have taught a Valkyrie as perfect and righteous as Captain Ragna?"
"Being a person and being a teacher can be separated. Don't be so biased. I take ideological education for Valkyries very seriously. Look at little Theresa and Durandal, they were raised by me too, alright?"
Hera showed no reaction to being called ruthless. Instead, she corrected Himeko's misunderstanding about education. Lesser educators follow textbooks; greater ones lead by example. Otto stood above even that—he was skilled at instilling what he considered absolutely correct ideals into the Valkyries he favored, shaping them into what he believed Valkyries should be: righteous and gentle, like Kallen Kaslana.
Faced with that, Himeko truly had no rebuttal.
After a moment of silence, her worldview shaken, Himeko suddenly felt an unprecedented weakness—as if the life within her body had become something tangible and was being rapidly drained away.
"I think… I'm really going to die."
"Yes, indeed. If the Herrscher of Death were here, there might be a slight chance to save you. But unfortunately, given Sigurd's excessive protectiveness, he would never allow those immature children to face an enemy as dangerous as the Herrscher of Binding. Rationally speaking, you are going to die."
"Promise me… bring Theresa back safely."
"I will do my best. As I said earlier, you've opened a gap, and that makes everything much easier from here… Hmm? Wait—hold on a little longer. There might still be hope!"
Hera suddenly looked ahead, a hint of surprise in her voice as she urged Himeko.
But the faint life force stimulated by the drug was already running out. Himeko's consciousness could no longer respond—her gaze grew unfocused, her awareness drifting until she no longer knew where she was.
…
When Himeko opened her eyes again, she realized for the first time that death could be such a winding, drawn-out process—though that was mainly because she wasn't familiar with the experiences of Welt and Fu Hua; otherwise, she wouldn't have thought so.
"Himeko-nee, Himeko-nee, hang in there! Seele won't let you die!"
In front of her, a teary-eyed Seele and Kiana knelt beside her. Seele desperately poured power into her body, trying to pull her fading life back. As for Kiana, the foolish girl wore a strange expression as she fought back sobs, large tears streaming down her face nonstop.
Further out, Sigurd, Fu Hua, Durandal, Raiden Mei, Ana, and the others stood around Himeko's mangled, incomplete body. A heavy atmosphere of grief and sorrow hung over them.
Himeko felt that her face and mouth were somewhat cleaner—someone had probably wiped them for her. She forced a weak, pale smile.
"What… I thought I'd at least get a peaceful passing… or maybe a handsome guy confessing to me first, that would've been nicer."
"Himeko… Auntie Himeko…"
Kiana kept wiping tears that wouldn't stop coming, sobbing as she called Himeko's name. Her pitiful, disheveled state made Himeko's heart soften.
"Alright, it's not such a big deal. Everyone experiences partings like this. Besides, I've already left a mark in Valhalla, this is a good chance to try that so-called resurrection… assuming someone helps me accumulate enough merit. I already spent all mine on this not-so-useful Vermilion Knight armor."
"Auntie Himeko, don't give up! Don't die so casually! Seele will definitely save you!"
"How many times have I told you… don't call me 'Auntie'…"
"If you live—if you live, I'll never call you that again!"
Kiana cried out, finally breaking down into uncontrollable sobs.
Himeko felt her eyelids growing heavy. With a faint smile, she slowly said:
"Idiot… tell… Theresa… it's not… not… her fault…"
As the final word fell, amid Kiana's cries and Seele's desperate efforts to pour power into her, Himeko finally closed her eyes completely.
"Ah!!!"
Seele's eyes turned a deep crimson as she desperately unleashed her power of creation, trying to pull Himeko's life back—but it was in vain.
Everyone watched Seele giving it her all, yet no one stepped forward to stop her or tell her it was enough.
After a long while, Seele's pupils returned to their original icy blue. Supporting herself on the ground with trembling hands, she cried:
"It's no use… the brain, the internal organs, the muscle tissue—too many areas are damaged. I just… can't repair it all…"
I can't do anything.
For those who coexist with the Honkai, this was never some kind of joke—it was a bone-chilling despair.
It wasn't that Seele had never experienced death before. But having a familiar friend placed in her hands to be saved, only to pass away under her care—that kind of impact was overwhelming.
"Seele! It's not your fault! It's not your fault!"
Kiana rushed forward and hugged her.
Seeing Seele on the verge of total despair, Kiana forgot her own grief and tried to comfort her.
The result was the two of them clinging to each other, breaking down together in heart-wrenching sobs.
"Waaah… Himeko-nee… I'm sorry…"
"Waaah… it's not… not your fault, Seele… Himeko…"
"Waaah…"
Amid the sorrowful crying that could move anyone to tears, the others—those less close or more composed—also showed grief. Raiden Mei, for instance, silently wiped away her tears.
Even Sigurd, who was usually calm and steady, couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.
Grieving the death of a beloved elder was not something anyone should interrupt—normally, that would be the case. But they had been crying for too long.
Sigurd: "That's enough."
Kiana & Seele: "Waaah!"
Sigurd: "Enough."
Kiana & Seele: "Waaah!"
Sigurd: "I said stop."
Kiana & Seele: "Waaah!"
Sigurd: "(ꐦ≖≖)!"
He raised his hand, about to deliver a chop to Kiana's head to force them to focus on the matter at hand.
But then, from both sides, two hands reached out and stopped him.
Fu Hua grasped his arm and said helplessly, "Sigurd, at a time like this, be a little gentler."
Durandal held his wrist firmly, saying with righteous seriousness, "Lord Sigurd, mourning the dead is a natural right of being human. You shouldn't strike Kiana at a time like this!"
Fu Hua was tactful, offering a gentle reminder while still respecting Sigurd. Durandal, on the other hand, was far more direct—her disapproval clear and formal, though perhaps partly motivated by standing up for her "younger sister."
Sigurd paused. He glanced at the golden barrier in the distance, narrowed his eyes slightly, and slowly withdrew his hand.
"Himeko can be revived. Also, are you still going to rescue Theresa?"
"We are!!!" ×2
The two girls immediately stood up. Their faces and eyes were red from crying, yet their voices were filled with unwavering determination.
This response softened Sigurd's expression. He reached out and patted their heads.
"True courage and strength aren't about never shedding tears, they're about continuing to run forward even with tears in your eyes. Seele, recognizing and accepting your own limitations means you must strive even harder. Kiana, learn to accept this grief and carry it with you as you move forward. You both need to grow up. So keep moving, we still have a future to protect."
"Yes!!" ×2
They nodded in unison, their resolve firm.
This rare moment brought a sense of comfort in their growth, casting a faint glimmer of light into the heavy atmosphere of grief.
Afterward, everyone watched as a drone carried Himeko's body away. Then, together, they turned their gaze toward the golden binding field.
That was the problem they now had to face.