Late at night, in the dormitory.
Kiana's brows were furrowed, as if tormented by a nightmare.
The camera zoomed in, revealing the truth of her nightmare.
In the dream, Kiana was guided by an unknown voice, telling her about the events of 14 years ago in Siberia, the Second Herrscher, the Herrscher of Void, and matters concerning her parents.
Just like every novel author, the story cut off at the most critical moment!
Kiana awoke from the dream, as if remembering something, yet recalling nothing.
Another day passed slowly at the school.
— —
Of course, the opening was packed with heaps of lore and buried countless foreshadowing hints, making the barrage comments lively.
[Hmm… doesn't feel like a miHoYo work.]
[Feels a bit tiring to watch, so many foreshadowing hints.]
[What's with Valkyries, Stigmata, and Schicksal?]
[And Himeko clearly hiding something, plus Bronya's sudden loss of control—this is all foreshadowing!]
[The protagonist is 100% Kiana. The key is her dream; it's probably not good news. It's bound to spark some major conflict.]
[Can we get some explosive moments? I want to see blood flowing like a river!]
— —
Kiana woke from her dream again. The voices from yesterday's dream began morphing into the people around her, gaslighting her.
The next day, the Valkyrie exam arrived as scheduled.
Despite her mental haze after the nightmare, Kiana's combat prowess saw a noticeable boost. But at the end of the exam, she was trapped in a dream once more.
All of this was observed by Rita, as if everything was within the calculations of Schicksal's Overseer.
…
The Valkyrie exam concluded, and everything returned to normal.
Based on a message from the "Moonlight Royalty" hub, the Valkyries began a mission to search for four gems.
Their first destination was the Oceania Branch in New Zealand.
The trio—Kiana, Mei, and Bronya—received orders to search for the "Gem of Desire."
There, they encountered a girl named Wendy, confined to a wheelchair.
Of course, the plot wasn't smooth sailing. The "Gem of Desire" was embedded within Wendy, making her mentally unstable.
In the end, through Bronya's verbal persuasion, they managed to calm the rampaging Wendy.
However.
At that moment.
A familiar voice rang out.
"Bronya, my dear daughter, now, retrieve the Fourth Herrscher."
[What?!]
[Holy—! That voice, calling Bronya her daughter—it's you, it's YOU!]
[Cocolia!!]
The subtitles identified the voice's owner: Cocolia.
"The Fourth Herrscher is a critical experimental subject. If she cannot be retrieved, she must be destroyed. She cannot fall into Schicksal's hands."
Bronya clutched her forehead with one hand. "No, don't!"
"Heh, you little thing, your sense of self is growing stronger, isn't it?" Though Cocolia's face wasn't visible, her tone alone conveyed her arrogance, as if everything was under her control.
"But it's all futile resistance. Highest Authority Command: Even if you can't defeat the Fourth Herrscher, stall her! My main forces will arrive soon."
At this moment, Kiana and Mei hadn't yet noticed Bronya's abnormality.
"Highest Authority Command received."
Bronya slowly stood, her expression pained as she looked at Wendy.
At that moment, Wendy was sitting atop Heavy Bunny, believing she could experience true joy.
"Heavy Bunny, switch to sniper mode. Target the Fourth Herrscher," Bronya said coldly.
By the time Kiana and Mei realized, it was too late.
Wendy fell heavily to the ground, her pupils trembling. "Big Sister Bronya, why did you attack me? Were you lying to me just now?"
[Oh man, I'm done. Why this blood-pressure-spiking plot?]
[Damn it, Cocolia's a villain in Honkai: Star Rail, and now a villain here too?]
[This is pure hypertension fuel. Everything was fine, and then THIS happens. Wendy's got it rough!]
[Already so disadvantaged, implanted with some gem, lost her legs, and now this? My heart's trembling.]
[Starting the knives this early? Something's off with Honkai Impact 3rd!]
[This is just the beginning!]
— —
With no choice, Kiana and the others fought the rampaging Wendy again.
As the battle reached a stalemate, Bronya received another order from Cocolia.
She captured Wendy and Mei, and just as she was about to take Kiana, Schicksal's forces closed in rapidly, forcing a temporary retreat.
Himeko arrived in time to rescue Kiana, but Mei and Wendy were taken by Anti-Entropy's forces.
In regret, Kiana returned to St. Freya Academy, devising a plan to save Mei with the help of Theresa and Himeko.
[Heh, letting the protagonist go but taking her love interest!]
[I can already see the ending.]
[This plot's cliché, but if it's executed well, I'm still on board. Like, my stereotype of Cocolia just got two points worse.]
[How does Cocolia manage to generate so much hate without even appearing, just with two lines?]
[Probably because of her Honkai: Star Rail impression. This world's Cocolia feels even more despicable.]
— —
ME Corp Building.
Through Theresa's information, Schicksal had no plans to declare war on Anti-Entropy, meaning the rescue mission would receive no official support.
Thus, Himeko, Theresa, and Kiana formed a temporary team, fighting alone.
As the plot progressed, Kiana and Himeko still couldn't find a way into the building.
At that moment.
Bronya quietly appeared behind them.
Kiana, believing in her bond with Bronya and Mei, chose to trust her.
As expected, they entered the building.
Seeing countless mechs inside, Kiana asked, "Why doesn't Schicksal use mechs?"
Theresa: "It's not that we don't develop them, but they're not cost-effective. Honkai energy conversion rates are too low, and mechs get damaged after one or two uses.
Valkyries, however, can perfectly harness Honkai energy, but as carriers, their bodies are constantly eroded by it.
Their lifespans are shortened, dying young."
As she said this, the camera panned to Himeko, a fleeting sadness crossing her face.
[Honestly, this shot feels like a knife.]
— —
PS: Honkai Impact 3rd's plot will move quickly. As for the knives—cough, I mean tearjerkers—they'll be kept intact.
As for the manga plot, it's unlikely to be included. Don't ask; it's to avoid getting banned!
Please understand, Honkai Impact 3rd won't take up too much space.
I'm not a lore purist. If there's an issue with the lore, just @ me, and I'll fix it!