At first, no one could react in time.
No one knew which mastermind was posing such a soul-crushing condemnation!
They could only stare in awe at the puppets that had appeared in the theater—grotesque and twisted, yet somehow radiating a sacred aura!
Then—
The scene abruptly shifted!
A beam of light shot into the sky like a signal flare!
What followed was the rapid dissolution of Penacony's prosperous cityscape!
Skyscraper rooftops, suspended pipelines, luxury sports cars on the streets—all were swept up in a violent storm, dissolving into nothingness!
Countless blue fragments of Remembrance scattered into the air.
The entire crowd was stunned speechless!
"Again?!"
"Double the disaster?!"
"Penacony's second cataclysm!"
"By the Aeon of Erudition, what sins has Penacony committed to be destroyed twice in one day?!"
"I'm numb."
"I'm done. Just end it already!!"
At the top of a lighthouse, a man gripped the railing with one hand, gazing into the distance at Penacony.
Beside Boothill, someone couldn't help but ask: "Bro, why does that silhouette look exactly like you?"
"What the hell—that is me!" Boothill's shark-like teeth gleamed.
He never expected—
He would appear in Honkai: Star Rail's storyline!
"Worth every damn credit I stole from the IPC to whale on this game!"
The scene changed again.
In the depths of a dark ocean, two figures stood opposed—
Pale-haired Acheron and another person.
Acheron's expression flickered slightly.
Meanwhile, in the hallway—
Aventurine's reaction was far more intense.
"That's... me?!"
Unfortunately, the shot lasted only a split second.
Aventurine barely caught a glimpse of the figure.
He had no idea why he'd appear in such a scene!
Now, his mind was flooded with questions—
He desperately wanted to fast-forward to the next patch to see what his in-game self had done!
"Like a moth to flame, embracing death to be reborn..."
The next scene revealed Firefly!
After speaking those words, she turned away—
As if resolving herself to something irreversible.
...
"Firefly won her revival arc!"
"I knew she wasn't gone for good!"
"Damn it! I'm sold! This has to be legit!"
"The soundtrack is hype!"
"The real boss is about to show up!"
After Firefly's scene, Stelle donned a peculiar hat.
Black Swan glanced back from the crowd.
These were likely preparations before the final battle.
Then—
A azure dragon soared across the screen!
The next frame revealed—
The golden figure of the Lord Ravager!
The dragon coiled around the deity, and at the center of these two colossal beings—
Two figures stood suspended in the air!
Dan Heng and Jing Yuan!
Dan Heng wielded the Abyss Pearl, while Jing Yuan tightened his grip on his glaive, poised to strike.
...
"A dual ultimate? Holy shit!"
"Jing Yuan's 100% participation rate stays undefeated!"
"Divine General + Dragon? Guaranteed win!"
"Bro, are you two even from the same art style?!"
"Look closer! There are Xianzhou starskiffs behind them!"
"The Luofu is here for backup!"
"It's over! We've won!"
"It matches! Look up—the Xianzhou fleet really arrived!"
"Has Penacony been taken over by the Xianzhou?!"
...
At this moment, high above Penacony—
Jing Yuan and Dan Heng were also monitoring the situation, ready to intervene.
On their screens, the same footage played.
Jing Yuan smiled knowingly.
This was exactly the glimpse of the future Yu Ling had once hinted at!
Now, it was unfolding in reality!
This video had to be Yu Ling's work—
A leaked preview of upcoming story content.
But the next scenes—
Were even more shocking!
The sky over Penacony split open—
A circular rift unleashed a rain of gold!
A voice declared:
"I will overturn this dream."
"And craft the grandest death."
The rift was colossal, engulfing the entire city below.
Combined with those words—
It was literally Penacony's annihilation!
The spectators were beyond numb.
...
"AGAIN?!"
"Three times! Three times!"
"Penacony can't catch a break!"
"EVERYONE wants to destroy Penacony today, huh?!"
"That voice... sounds familiar?"
"Isn't that Aventurine?!"
"Golden rain...?"
"Wait—is HE the final boss?!"
...
As the camera zoomed in—
The "rain" wasn't water—
But an endless storm of golden chips!
The figure in the sky clutched a gemstone—
No ordinary jewel, but the Stoneheart's cornerstone: Aventurine's Gem!
Paired with his flamboyant attire—
His identity was undeniable!
Instantly, all eyes locked onto Aventurine!
"Well well... The final boss was right beside us!"
"You're the mastermind?!"
"Prisoner A, care to explain?"
"Oh, now we see the traps!"
"We've been played!"
"I'm done trusting anyone!"
"Until Yu Ling's official release, stay skeptical!"
"In Yu Ling we trust!"
Now, no one still believed Acheron was the final boss.
And the next scenes—
Shattered those doubts completely!
As the golden chips fell—
March 7th writhed in agony.
But then—
Someone stepped forward from the Express crew!
With a single stride—The ground before them blackened, as if soaked in void!
Instantly, the raining chips froze midair!
And the one who stood before the Express—
Was... Acheron!!
This scene defied all expectations!
According to the Family's earlier claims—
Acheron was the embodiment of destruction, an envoy of death seeking to overthrow Penacony...
Yet now—
When Aventurine sought to shatter the dream—
When the Express needed aid most—
She stood with them!
Her blade raised, one hand crimson—
The prelude to her draw!
Simultaneously, the screen flashed back—
Likely to Acheron's past.
In a desolate wasteland—She stood alone amidst a battlefield of discarded weapons.
No survivors—
Only her solitary silhouette.
Strangely—
This "Acheron" wore her blade at her hip, but with a pair of horns atop her head.
Most dismissed it as part of her backstory.
But Acheron herself—Felt a tremor in her heart.
"Izumo..." she whispered.
This was a memory from her homeland.
Yet Yu Ling had somehow preserved it in their game—
A world already erased by the Void.
Did this mean... a way to resist oblivion?
But nearby—
Someone was far more shocked than her!
Welt's hands shook violently, his cane nearly slipping!
In the era of Honkai—
There was a woman who embraced her Herrscher self, joining World Serpent—
Declaring the return of the Herrscher of Thunder!
Her name—
Raiden Mei!
And this scene perfectly mirrored Mei's Herrscher form!
Welt took a deep breath, suppressing his shock.
If not for the circumstances—
He'd demand if Acheron's real name was Raiden Mei!
As the flashback faded—
Acheron's hair had turned pale, her eyes crimson.
Blood-tears fell.
Red lightning surged from her blade.
Against the golden chips—
The stage was set for climactic duel!
Now, it was clear—
Acheron had intervened for the Express!
This shattered all prior assumptions!
For several seconds—
No one could speak.
Then, a hoarse voice broke the silence:
"So... Acheron is... on our side?!"
"No way..."
"HOLY SHIT!"
"The video spells it out."
"...The enemy is our ally?!"
"Acheron! I misjudged you!"
But most were still reeling from the revelation.
This was a complete reversal!
Earlier footage had cemented Acheron as unstoppable, terrifying—
The Express had literally staked their lives against her!
Yet now—
Sparkle's video rewrote everything!
Acheron was fighting alongside the Express!
The final boss—
Was an ally!
This defied all conventions!
Among the crowd—
Opportunists had already recorded the footage.
And leaked it online!
To be continued…