Chapter 343: The Final Decisive Battle Commences! The Diva of the Honkai Multiverse!
"If this beautiful dream is destined to shatter, everything will eventually depart: friends, family, strangers; then the light breeze, the flying birds, the stars… and finally, yourself."
"Every single person, everyone in their memories, those smiles and tears, the promises fulfilled and unfulfilled… in the end, they will all march toward their preordained conclusion. If, at the very beginning of your departure, you already knew the destination of this journey…"
"Tell me, would you still embark on this trip?"
Acheron's third question concluded.
The Trailblazer had only one option on the screen.
[ I will forge ahead on the Trailblaze without looking back. ]
And this,
Was also the most resolute choice of Little Gui and countless players at this very moment!
Perhaps some players had hesitated, harboring doubts and worries.
But after experiencing so much and witnessing such a vast story,
At least,
At the moment they clicked this option,
Their hearts, in an instant, achieved sublimation and release!
The haze and sorrow of memories…
The misfortunes and hardships of life…
The heavy burdens and worries of the future.
At this moment,
All of them were swept away!
Leaving only the purest version of themselves!
…
"I would, because the Trailblaze never stops!"
"I foresaw all the sadness, yet I still chose to go."
"But the process of pursuing meaning during the journey must have meaning!"
"No matter the ending, I don't regret coming to this world for a lifetime."
"A living life should be lived to its fullest!"
"Turn this imperfect story into the shape we desire!"
…
Facing such an answer,
The corners of Acheron's mouth curved slightly.
"I am glad. The answer is not important; what matters is that you have made your decision."
"If Nihility is life's most primal fear and trembling, any noble belief seems insignificant under Its colossal shadow…"
"To listen, to touch, to think, and thereby you shall gain feelings. Cherish it. By feeling, we exist. This is also the only answer humanity can give in the face of Nihility."
"Then, behind this shadow, there must also exist the most intense light source in the world."
"Just as every life marching toward death is growing passionately, toward the end of Nihility…"
"We chase that primal light."
Little Gui was completely dazed.
She was clearly the person who had walked the furthest on the Path of Nihility.
Yet at this moment, she was elaborating on the meaning of existence in such detail!
An image popped into Little Gui's mind—
In an Aeons' gathering,
IX the Nihility was eating melon seeds while complaining to other Aeons: "I am the representative of Nihility, yet my Emanator talks about existence with people every single day."
The corner of Little Gui's mouth twitched slightly.
Her own bizarre train of thought…
She was truly speechless at herself.
At this moment,
A voice in the game lamented.
"Clearly residing within Nihility, yet watching over people as they leave Nihility…"
"What an absurd and meaningless mission."
This was… Tiernan's voice.
When this flashback appeared in the previous scene, everyone thought it was already the end.
Who would have thought it would appear again now!
Could it be,
That there was still something special about to happen in this memory?
"But someone must do it. As for the meaning you speak of…"
"Even without it, haven't I made it to this day?"
Tiernan sighed, "Even if the future you forge might not belong to you?"
Acheron: "It might not belong to me, but it will definitely belong to someone."
"Your past must have been so hard…"
"If that's the case, let me do one meaningless thing as well…"
"Finally, please tell me your name."
Acheron fell silent.
And the players watching the story… were also completely dumbfounded.
Acheron… isn't her name just Acheron?!
Why would Tiernan ask for her name again here?
The bullet chat was filled with suspicion and uncertainty!
They suspected that Acheron's name held some monumental significance!
Once spoken, it might trigger some chain reaction or something…
However,
At this moment,
There was one person
Whose heart was experiencing a raging storm!
On the Astral Express,
Welt's hand
Was trembling slightly.
He was already trying his best to restrain himself and calm down,
But his heart was still pounding wildly.
Could it be…
That name…
Would really appear in the main storyline of Honkai: Star Rail?
Did this mean…
That Feathered Spirit was also fully aware of what happened in his homeland?
He knew the important significance of this name!
So he specially created this plot!?
Seeing Acheron's silence, Tiernan
Continued, "Perhaps in the next moment, my existence will vanish… No one will remember this conversation, or your answer…"
"But I still believe… your name should be remembered…"
"And this universe… will remember it too."
Acheron let out a soft breath.
She said, "Some things are already hard for me to recall, but some things… are hard for me to forget."
"That is memory. It is something created by the past, yet able to bloom with meaning in the distant future."
"That is my name…"
"Raiden Bosenmori Mei."
…
"Huh?"
"So this is… Acheron's real name…"
"Bosenmori should be an official title. Her real name is Raiden Mei."
"Raiden Mei? That name sounds so familiar!"
"Never heard of it, but from now on, I will remember it."
"Is there any veteran who can explain? Does this name have some important significance?"
"That is probably another story."
…
Drip… drip… drip…
Within the Horizon of Existence, it actually began to rain.
Dripping onto the pitch-black surface of the sea,
Creating ripples one after another.
"The golden dream is about to stir."
"In the long night ahead, you will likely encounter many setbacks and witness numerous tragedies."
"In the end, only black and white will remain in your sight."
Acheron looked back.
At the exact same time,
It also began to rain in the dreamscape of Penacony!
The perspective gradually pulled up.
At the very top of the lighthouse,
Boothill was holding onto a long pole with one hand, gazing into the distance.
Under his hat brim,
His gaze became calmer and more determined than ever before.
He pulled out his revolver…
Toward the sky,
He fired that bullet!
A purple light shot straight into the clouds.
At the exact same time!
Red lightning began to run wild.
Acheron slowly unsheathed her long blade.
The sea beneath her feet began to churn.
"But please believe, in that black-and-white world, a touch of red will flash by when you make your choice."
"—It will surely manifest once more."
With a single slash,
Everything in Penacony seemed to freeze at this instant!
Covered in black and white.
Raindrops hung almost suspended in mid-air.
In the next moment,
A violent storm erupted outward!
Skyscrapers, flowing traffic…
All were annihilated into their most primal substance under this power—
Blue Memoria.
Splashing open like a burst soda bottle!
Countless people drowned in the dreamscape floated in the air like puppets, drifting with the tide.
And in the sky,
Accompanying the first shot fired by Boothill,
Behind him,
Similar shooting stars were chasing after that light!
…
"She slashed again! She slashed another time!"
"This time she's going to slice through the entire Asdana Star System and tear apart the Dream of Ena."
"This BGM is so atmospheric."
"Penacony is destroyed once again…"
"Charge! Our moment has arrived!"
"Holy cow! Boothill just fired a shot, and so quickly there are rising lights chasing after it."
"The Galaxy Rangers arriving at the speed of light."
"Galaxy Rangers in position!"
"This is the Galaxy Rangers. The power of the Hunt ignores time; the Rangers can arrive at the most precise moment!"
…
Stelle fell from the sky.
But this time, she didn't crash into a crater on the ground like the first time.
Instead, she was caught by Acheron's hand.
"And you, must chew upon its meaning carefully, and then return to the waking world."
The screen constantly traversed with that red light,
As if falling into a kaleidoscope.
The moment the light appeared,
The members of the Express Crew appeared in the frame!
Stelle stood in place,
Her left hand still reaching toward the sky,
Maintaining the posture of holding hands with Acheron.
And here,
It looked like a signal to rally and regroup!
"We will all find our answers there!"
Welt, March 7th, Himeko, and Dan Heng also woke up from their dreams one after another!
Standing by Stelle's side, they drew their respective weapons!
And above them,
The mist dispersed.
A colossal figure leaned down to look at them.
It was none other than… the Harmonious Choir, the Great Septimus!
It was still completely intact!
But the final battle
Was just about to begin!
…
"FORM THE LINEUP!!!!"
"It's coming, it's coming!!"
"Time is quietly waiting for you to wake up."
"Everyone cleanse debuffs."
"The final battle!"
"The Express squad goes to war!"
"The Express Crew's first full-member deployment [ except Pom-Pom ]!"
"Fix bayonets, everyone! Prepare to attack!"
"This is our Express Crew!"
"They're awake, they're all awake!!"
"We are here, we are back!"
"We will win back everything we lost!"