My Game Studio is Full of Valkyries?!

Kiana and Himeko walked down a long road.

This road—

Was the path leaving St. Freya.

Himeko walked ahead, Kiana followed behind.

Gentle piano notes wafted through the air, softly "plucking" the strings of the heart.

"Yesterday at St. Freya still feels so vivid... I remember when you first enrolled, shouting about becoming the strongest Valkyrie..."

"Honestly, I really wanted to watch you all grow up. I really wanted to return to St. Freya... continue teaching you, training with you..."

Kiana looked at Himeko's back ahead.

Listening to her gentle voice, her emotions were almost impossible to suppress.

Himeko never looked back. Like a pioneer, she simply kept walking forward.

"To write on the blackboard again, to return to my room and sip a drink...

Those days at St. Freya were some of my most cherished memories..."

"The road ahead is still long, but... it seems I can no longer walk it with you."

"But it's alright, Kiana. You've never disappointed me. Always remember—there are people by your side who will support and protect you.

That includes me."

Himeko's earnest words, paired with the fitting piano melody, stirred the audience's hearts.

And yet...

Though she was encouraging Kiana to bravely face the future, her own steps were growing slower and slower.

A small detail—

Himeko, too, must be reluctant.

She worried whether her most mischievous student could truly carry on.

She really wanted... to stay with Kiana just a little longer.

But she was Kiana's teacher.

She couldn't show weakness in front of her student, could she?

For this final moment, she wanted to leave Kiana with a perfect impression.

...

With that thought, Himeko led Kiana to the end of the road.

To players listening intently to Himeko's words, it felt like mere moments had passed.

Turns out, that seemingly long road wasn't all that long.

"My journey ends here."

"From this point on, Kiana, the path is yours to walk."

At some point, the surrounding scenery lost its color.

Only Himeko—and the door she pointed toward—remained in color.

"Once I leave that door... all of this will disappear, won't it?"

Kiana's voice was hoarse, like she was suppressing something.

Himeko's voice was especially gentle:

"I don't know... but it probably will."

"Remember to say goodbye to everyone at St. Freya for me."

"Okay." Kiana's voice trembled softly.

Himeko kept speaking, asking Kiana to pass on words to Mei, to Bronya, to Fu Hua, to Academy Head Theresa...

Many were already in tears at this point.

Seeing Himeko's endlessly gentle smile, hearing these farewell-like words...

Elysia: "Himeko, why don't you go yourself~~ Just go say it yourself~~"

It was a childish suggestion, but no one blamed her for it—in fact, everyone agreed.

Yes... we wish Himeko could tell them all herself.

But sadly... everyone knew that was impossible.

And that's what made it hurt.

Himeko's final words came:

"And lastly... tell yourself, Kiana..."

"I will always be by your side."

Upon hearing that—

Outside the livestream area, even Mei and Bronya began discussing if there was a way to ask Hokuto to include them in this scene too.

Even Fu Hua wavered.

At the very least, they wanted to say goodbye to Himeko in person.

In the livestream area—

Elysia was inhaling deeply and repeatedly.

"Elysia, do you want to take a break? It's okay. Everyone will understand."

"N-no need."

Elysia shook her head.

Himeko had wrapped her final recording. She had prepared herself emotionally.

Yes, she was fully prepared.

She could handle this.

...

In the game—

Kiana's emotions had reached a breaking point.

She was silent.

Himeko silently kept her company.

Eventually, Himeko smiled gently:

"Kiana... don't take it too hard."

"Just treat this like a dream.

When you wake up, everyone must keep moving forward.

Don't be afraid of farewells.

Saying goodbye to the past is for the sake of reaching the future."

"..."

"I understand... Himeko-sensei... I understand everything..."

At that moment, the background music of Final Lesson slowly rose again.

miHoYo appeared with the speaker on his shoulder.

Everyone: "..."

That painfully familiar tune, paired with Kiana's choked, tear-laced voice—

It completely broke down everyone's emotional defenses.

No one could hold back anymore.

Kiana couldn't either.

"I'm sorry..."

"I'm sorry... Himeko-sensei..."

"I know... I should be smiling when saying goodbye to you at a time like this...

I should walk out that door with strength..."

Tears slid down the girl's face, leaving pale marks on the ground.

"I know this is just a lingering memory...

That reality is where I should return to..."

"But I still can't help thinking..."

"If I never step through that door...

Will time stop flowing...?

Will this moment remain unchanged forever...?"

Kiana's voice trembled, her tone distorted by her sobbing.

But that emotional distortion only made her performance more powerful.

As players listened to her crying, with the music ringing in their ears—

It was as if something reached in and yanked at their tear ducts.

Tears flowed uncontrollably.

"I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye..."

"I still had so much I wanted to say to you...

All those bold declarations... I haven't fulfilled a single one..."

"This is just a dream...

And dreams must end... I know that..."

"I'll return...

I'll defeat the Herrscher of Thousands...

I'll bring Mei home...

The Eleventh, the Twelfth...

Even the Herrscher of Finality—

I'll defeat them all..."

"I'll turn this imperfect story... into what we always hoped it would be..."

"I just..."

Kiana could no longer speak clearly through her tears.

"I just want you to see it all, too..."

Right then, the music reached its climax.

In reality, Kiana couldn't hold back anymore—

She threw her arms around Himeko, sobbing uncontrollably.

Himeko kept handing her tissues—

And took some for herself too.

Even after countless emotional breakdowns, watching it again still shattered them.

Perhaps it was because Kiana's wish now was far simpler than before.

Not to be the strongest Valkyrie.

Not to be in the spotlight...

She just wanted Himeko to stay with her.

With everyone.

To return to St. Freya.

And live an ordinary life again...

But that once-simple wish now felt utterly out of reach.

At that thought, Himeko gently placed her hand on Kiana's head.

At least in this reality, they could still enjoy these quiet moments.

"Kiana~~ When the livestream ends, let's go find something delicious to eat.

Or we can ask Mei."

"Himeko...sensei...?"

Kiana looked up from Himeko's arms with teary eyes, puzzled.

Himeko smiled gently:

"That's what Paramecium truly longs for, isn't it?"

"Strange as it may sound...

Sometimes I just want to do things that Paramecium and Murata Himeko can no longer do."

Maybe it was because their sense of immersion in Honkai Impact 3rd characters was too strong.

"Even if it's just the most ordinary of daily routines."

"Himeko~ sensei..."

...

In the game—

Himeko also placed her hand on Kiana's head, with the exact same posture—

As if to wipe away all her pain and sorrow.

"Kiana, as long as you wish it—I can see it."

"Because I live in your heart."

Her tender eyes, her gentle words, her warm palm—

All softly soothed Kiana's soul.

"You remind me of myself, when I was little...

At my mother's funeral, I cried my heart out, clinging to my father.

In the end, it was just the two of us."

"After a long, long time... my father touched my head and said—

'It's okay, Himeko.

Mama has become a star watching over us from the sky.'"

"...Even now, I still believe what he said."

At that, Himeko smiled faintly:

"Kiana, as long as you believe—

I will become a star in the night sky, guarding you."

"Even if the flame dies out, even if the moon loses its glow—

This constant light will illuminate your path ahead."

"So don't be afraid. I never left you."

"Becoming the strength that pushes a student forward—

That's the most romantic ending for a teacher."

"When you're lost... just look up at the starry sky.

I'll be there—lighting the whole night for you."

Kiana: "..."

Everyone was silent as Kiana paused.

They were all just quietly waiting for her response.

"Thank you, Himeko-sensei."

A white light shone from the edge of the world.

"...I... should go."

Himeko withdrew her hand, still offering encouragement:

"Mm. Go.

Step forward, Kiana.

Just march boldly ahead.

I'll always bless you, watch over you.

After all—"

"You're a student of Murata Himeko!"

In the final shot—

The screen showed Himeko's proud smile.

Players who had been crying tried to smile at Himeko—

Only to weep harder.

All they could do was reach for tissues.

Kiana, though, was stronger than anyone expected.

Through tears, she smiled:

"Himeko-sensei... I'm so glad I was your student!

Meeting you... was my greatest honor!"

Himeko returned a radiant smile:

"It was mine too."

"Go, Kiana."

"Goodbye, Himeko-sensei."

...

The story paused at this point.

Kiana stood at the final stretch of the road, with Himeko watching over her nearby.

At the same time, the system presented players with a choice:

Talk to Himeko, or Leave Himeko and move forward alone.

Upon seeing this—

Some players chose to walk away immediately, moving on alone.

Because they didn't want to disappoint Himeko's expectations.

All farewell words had already been spoken—

They wanted Himeko to see their courage.

Of course, there were also players who simply couldn't bear to leave.

Elysia, noticing Kiana's surprised expression as if to say "there's more?", had her character walk up to Himeko again.

On stream, she said:

"Himeko, just a few more words with Kiana. That's all."

Normally, this scene wouldn't have much additional dialogue.

She just hoped Himeko would speak a little more.

She pressed the interaction button.

Himeko's voice came:

"Go, Kiana."

Elysia refused to move, and pressed it again.

Himeko said:

"Everyone is waiting for you outside."

Just one more line.

Just one more...

After every line, Elysia thought of finally letting Kiana go.

But she couldn't bring herself to do it.

So with that thought in mind—

With millions of viewers watching—

Elysia kept pressing the interaction button.

And with each press, new dialogue was triggered.

"I'll keep watching over you."

"This may be our last meeting, but it's not a final goodbye."

"What is it, Kiana? Still want to hear me say something more?"

"It's not good to stand still, you know."

"Feels like it was just yesterday that we were in class at St. Freya...

Ah, I guess for me, it really was yesterday."

"That red dress I got... I never got to wear it even once. Such a pity."

...

Elysia didn't know how many times she had clicked.

The dialogue just kept going, seemingly endless.

She wasn't annoyed at all—just emotionally overwhelmed.

On one hand, she admired how detailed miHoYo remained.

On the other...

It hurt.

So much.

Because it meant Himeko still had so much left unsaid.

So many things she hadn't been able to explain.

So many wishes still unfulfilled.

The more Elysia listened, the more her heart ached.

And then—

The screen changed.

Because of Elysia's persistence, a hidden Easter egg was triggered.

Himeko looked up and gently gazed at Kiana.

"I once heard a story, Kiana...

A mother who had passed away wrote many letters for her child,

So that the child would receive one each birthday."

"As a reward for the child's strength,

Each letter came with enough allowance for candy—

And as the child grew older,

The candy increased too."

"She hoped to stay with her child that way—

To accompany their growth,

Even if she was no longer in the world."

"Sadly... I didn't have time to leave letters like that for you.

But, Kiana...

I'll still accompany you as you grow."

"The things you learned from me,

The things you inherited—

Those are the candies I've left you.

They'll grow with you,

And quietly become your strength moving forward."

...

The dialogue ended.

But Elysia still couldn't bring herself to leave.

She pressed the button again.

But this time...

Only one sentence remained on the screen:

"Himeko gazes at you tenderly, speaking no more."

No matter how many times she clicked—

The result was the same.

Her story had truly ended.

Just moments ago, Kiana had been wondering how Hokuto managed to have Himeko record so many lines.

And now, she was stunned.

That's it? It's really over?

She hadn't heard enough...

Himeko-sensei...

Say just a little more.

Just a little more...

Elysia clicked a dozen more times out of stubbornness.

But when she realized that was truly the end—

She understood.

Kiana needed to move toward the future now.

Elysia pushed Kiana forward.

But after two or three steps, she couldn't help turning back to look at Himeko.

And then...

She saw it.

Himeko was really watching Kiana leave with gentle eyes.

But the moment Kiana turned around,

Himeko subtly averted her gaze—

As if she didn't want Kiana to see her reluctance.

Didn't want to hold her back.

Elysia: "..."

Her fingers trembled slightly.

miHoYo, why do you have to be so detailed even at a time like this?!

After a while—

She pressed her lips tightly together,

And continued guiding Kiana toward the door.

This time, she didn't stop.

Because Himeko would want Kiana to keep going forward.

Even if she wanted to stop.

Even if she knew Himeko was gently watching her from behind—

She resisted.

But as she walked—

"Why is this road so long?"

"miHoYo... did you do this on purpose?"

"I want to stop... but I can't...

I can't let down Himeko's expectations."

In that struggle, Elysia reached the end of the path.

She stood before the great door—

Couldn't hold back her longing anymore—

She rotated the camera angle, and looked back for a long, long time.

As if she wanted to etch that crimson silhouette into her memory forever.

Then, she closed her eyes—

Bit her lip—

And chose to leave.

"Kiana, you are my pride."

Himeko's final soft words rang out at that moment—

Like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

In that instant—

The livestream audience, Kiana, Himeko—

Even Elysia, who had kept a perfect face through it all—

Finally couldn't hold on.

All at once—

They reached for the tissue box.

And all froze.

"..."

Kiana & Himeko & Elysia:

"Where did all the tissues go?!"

"Rita just brought us more—how is it all gone already?!"

"I'm out of tissues..."

Utterly broken, Elysia let out a sorrowful cry.

Outside, Hokuto—having anticipated this—

Picked up a fresh pack of tissues.

He had already shut off the real-life livestream camera,

So he simply walked in holding the tissue pack.

"Here, here—tissues coming through."

As he spoke, he even helpfully opened the flap for them to use more easily.

The three girls: "..."

The girls were silent.

Hokuto blinked and tentatively held out one sheet to Elysia.

"Need me to help you pull out the tissues?"