Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players

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Witnessing this scene, despair flickered in Raiden Mei's eyes. She began questioning their chances; could they truly confront the Herrscher of Winter standing before them?

This Herrscher of Winter was unlike ordinary Herrschers. Everyone present could be considered Ana's family, and facing her now meant overcoming the sight of Ana's face itself.

In essence, from every angle, the Herrscher of Winter seemed insurmountable for them.

Raiden Mei understood this, Durandal acknowledged it, and even Ana, watching from above amidst the stars, recognized it. In fact, no one comprehended the Herrscher of Winter's power better than Ana herself, as she had orchestrated the creation of this monstrous being.

Honestly, if not for necessity, Ana would have preferred keeping the Herrscher of Winter around. If controlled properly, she could be quite charming, much like Senti.

Unfortunately, despite her current demeanor resembling Senti, their core essence differed significantly. Senti emerged when the newborn Herrscher consciousness was overwhelmed by thousands of years of memories from the ancient relic, ultimately transforming into Fu Hua.

However, the Herrscher of Winter could not become Ana; fundamentally, they were distinct entities. If Ana hadn't chosen to yield, the Herrscher of Winter's personality might have been even more malevolent.

After all, Heart Demon operates on a balance—when one diminishes, the other grows stronger.

Once Ana's consciousness vanished from this body, the Herrscher of Winter, as Heart Demon, lost its rapid growth opportunity.

Initially, Ana planned to engage the Herrscher of Winter in a mental confrontation directly. She barely utilized the Plume of Dust feather, Aponia's power, or Su's abilities.

Truthfully, Ana didn't anticipate that defeating the Virtual God Remains at the mental level would immediately elevate her consciousness to the Herrscher of Finality.

In a sense, she first became the Herrscher of Sentience and then ascended to the Herrscher of Finality through it—a form of transcendent enlightenment via consciousness.

As for the Herrscher of Sentience that was originally destined to emerge, it would indeed still come into being. After all, Ana could manipulate Honkai's selection process; she merely needed to fill the gap accordingly.

Initially, Ana planned to traverse time and save Chen Tianwen, eliminating the root cause of the Herrscher of Winter's existence. Then, using the combined strength of two Fusion fighters and the Plume of Dust, she intended to reclaim the personality of the Herrscher of Winter. Ultimately, her goal was to become the Herrscher of Winter herself.

Following this, by acquiring the Authority of Primogenitor, she would tread Kiana's original path: gathering Authorities to become the Herrscher of Finality.

Unfortunately, plans often fail to keep pace with unforeseen circumstances.

However, this did not render Ana's contingency measures useless. These backup strategies would serve as props on the stage, assisting her in completing the final act of her performance.

Though truly regrettable, there was no other choice—the Herrscher of Winter must die.

Ana couldn't guarantee that after leaving the intrinsic world, the Herrscher of Winter would continue safeguarding humanity. As before, she emphasized, "I am different from the Herrscher of Sentience."

Senti had the freedom to wander across various worlds, and similarly, the Herrscher of Winter could do the same. Moreover, the Herrscher of Winter posed even greater unpredictability and uncertainty.

Ultimately, Ana had one irrefutable reason: To her, the current Herrscher of Winter was the true Usurper, the imposter who had usurped her rightful place. What issue would there be if she vanquishes this intruder, akin to eliminating a home-invading burglar?

Moreover, could it be argued that by stepping aside temporarily, her body ceases to belong to her anymore?

"Enough, let's put a definitive end to Ana Schariac's story!" Ana murmured softly and closed her eyes. Even though she left her original body and now inhabited another, it didn't sever all connections with her former self.

In a sense, the consciousness belonging to Ana Schariac within the Herrscher of Winter is merely dormant, not deceased.

This situation parallels yet differs from Queen and Kiana's case.

Essentially, the Queen could have eradicated Kiana's personality, but the Herrscher of Winter lacks such spiritual prowess. Even if Ana's own consciousness were passive, allowing the Herrscher of Winter to gradually consume her, it still couldn't truly kill Ana.

In the Honkai World on Coral Island, just as despair seemed imminent for everyone present, the Herrscher of Winter, poised to counterattack Raiden Mei, suddenly froze and let out a mournful cry.

Within the consciousness space, Ana quietly appeared. The version manifested here was Ana who had already mastered the Cocoon of Finality, rendering the Herrscher of Winter powerless under her mental Authority.

"You...weren't you supposed to have vanished?"

"Oh dear, did it not occur to you that if I disappeared, so would you?" Ana shook her head with a smile.

"You..."

"Alright, alright, you've had enough time in the spotlight. By disregarding my feelings and harming those I love, it's now time for you to pay the price."

As Ana spoke, she raised her hand, emitting a silver glow - the manifestation of Binding Authority. Being a Herrscher herself, naturally, the Binding had significant influence over the Herrscher of Winter.

The Herrscher of Winter attempted to struggle and resist, but alas, it was all futile. Within moments, she was completely subdued, and control over her Authority once again returned to Ana's grasp.

This sensation felt somewhat peculiar to Ana.

How should she describe it? She could simultaneously wield numerous Authorities, and for Ana, the Authority of the Herrscher of Winter held double significance. However, the concept of thirteen Herrschers' Authorities was never fixed.

If Ana wished, she could effortlessly create a Herrscher of Rain or any other variation, showcasing the immense power derived from mastering the Cocoon of Finality.

However, at this point, the Authorities were no longer crucial; what mattered most now was Ana's acting skills.

"Cough, cough, cough—"

On Coral Island, within the central platform's Imperial Palace of Winter, the Herrscher of Winter suddenly clutched her head and let out a piercing wail, followed by a brief moment of calm.

The Herrscher's reaction did not ease the vigilance of those present. Moments later, as she continued coughing, the palace made of ice and snow began to melt around them.

The aura surrounding the Herrscher of Winter reversed, akin to the arrival of spring; ice thawed, warm breezes blew, bringing vitality and life.

Even the eyes of the Herrscher of Winter transformed, and the black-and-white Herrscher attire acquired subtle hints of pale green, gradually shifting to a light pink.

Her outfit resembled blooming camellias, yet upon closer inspection, there was a poignant beauty reminiscent of a night-blooming cactus, fleeting and ephemeral.

"Cough, cough, cough - My apologies for causing you trouble, cough, cough, cough—" The Herrscher lifted her head, revealing her signature gentle expression, but her exquisite face bore a sickly pallor, hinting at a sense of impending doom.

Undoubtedly, the original Ana had returned.

"It's alright, just glad you're back, but...you..." Bianka responded warmly, concern evident on her face as she observed Ana's appearance.

"It's nothing; I just don't have much time left." Ana managed a faint smile, undeniably one of the most beautiful smiles in this world.

Despite still being the Herrscher of Winter, Ana's winter was not that of the Herrscher persona but rather the final chill before snow and ice melt away.

Humans abhor cold weather, yet as seasons change, they often miss the harshness of winter once it passes—indeed, what we cannot possess always seems best.

"We'll take you back to Schicksal for treatment!" Bianka stepped forward, intending to help Ana up, but Ana gently declined.

"There's no need. Neither Kevin from World Serpent nor Bishop Otto of Schicksal can do anything about my condition," Ana said weakly yet kindly.

"Suppressing three cores simultaneously while controlling a Herrscher personality, all while enduring the backlash of holy blood... This time, I've truly bitten off more than I can chew."

As she spoke, Ana lowered her head and closed her eyes, appearing profoundly weary. Bianka moved closer, enveloping Ana in a warm embrace.

Her words plunged everyone present into silence. Controlling three cores with human willpower, suppressing a Herrscher personality, and bearing the repercussions of holy blood on her body—it transcended mere resilience; Ana had been nothing short of superhuman.

Raiden Mei's understanding ran even deeper; she was a Herrscher herself and knew firsthand the pain Kiana endured previously. Additionally, from Jackal at World Serpent, Raiden Mei had learned about the existence of holy blood.

Sirin could indeed control multiple cores, but first, she wasn't truly the Herrscher of Human. Secondly, Sirin possessed the Gem of Serenity, which combined with her powers over life and death, ensured her remarkable resilience.

Moreover, Sirin's development of Authorities remained shallow; she couldn't attain titles like Herrscher of Winter. She was simply the Second Herrscher or Herrscher of the Void.

Later on, when Kiana bore the power of one core and two gemstones, it nearly pushed her body to collapse. Now, Ana carries three active cores within her, along with the holy blood, considered an arch-nemesis to Honkai—the unimaginable agony she must endure...

Not to mention, Ana also has to suppress the Herrscher personality simultaneously...

Raiden Mei dared not fully grasp the enormity of this burden.

"In these final moments, seeing you all here is truly wonderful." Ana lifted her head, gazing at the three individuals before her, a smile once again gracing her face.

As Ana's words trailed off, her body began trembling again, and a layer of gloom enveloped her Herrscher attire. This reaction instantly heightened everyone's alertness.

It was evident that the Herrscher personality Ana had been suppressing was stirring once more.

However, swiftly, she managed to suppress that darkness, albeit at a cost—her complexion grew even paler, devoid of any trace of color.

Without needing to approach closer, they could all sense that Ana's life force was rapidly fading. A purple network indicative of Honkai Energy corruption appeared on her arms, occasionally receding only when Ana furrowed her brows with great effort.

"Lady Ana, why do you burden yourself so?" Rita limped forward, her expression filled with sorrow as she gazed upon Ana.

"My apologies, Rita. It wasn't my intention, but as Schicksal's Valkyrie, I believe it's my duty to take action against Honkai... Why must our Valkyries continually sacrifice themselves while Honkai keeps resurfacing, defeating our warriors time and again? Why?"

"That's why I chose to become Honkai itself, to be the torch igniting the old world's demise."

As Ana spoke, she paused momentarily and coughed again, expelling fresh blood mixed with faintly purple particles—the tiny crystallized remnants of Honkai Energy.

"I know this path has no return."

"However, being able to neutralize three Authorities makes it all worthwhile."

A smile graced Ana's face, one filled with satisfaction and immense pride. Setting aside her transformation into the Herrscher of Finality,

she had saved Wendy, consumed and controlled the Gem of Desire, minimized casualties from the Herrscher of Ice's disaster, prevented the birth of the Herrscher of the Rimestar, and for Chen Tianwu—well, at least ensured he didn't die.

Ana felt genuinely remorseful towards Chen Tianwu. Throughout their interactions, she had been manipulating him, while his feelings for her were genuine and sincere, born out of true love. Despite her initial dissatisfaction with how their original storyline unfolded, even now, she harbored some guilt for playing with his emotions so callously.

Indeed, she had let him down, although initially, there was never any expectation for him to do anything for her.

"Bianka, tell me, am I a worthy Valkyrie?"

With closed eyes, Annie turned her head towards Bianka, a smile still lingering on her face.

"Yes," Bianka replied without hesitation.

"Ana, you're Schicksal's finest Valkyrie! We take immense pride in you!"

"That's good... Though, no need for such pride."

"As Valkyries, we must also cherish ourselves. We are warriors protecting the people, but at the same time, we are vibrant young women like drifting blossoms."

"Cecilia's ideals still hold truth."

"Sigh... I'm so tired, longing for rest..."

Ana's voice grew increasingly feeble, mirroring the weakening of her breath.

"Ana!"

"Teacher Ana!"

All three called out simultaneously, trying to awaken the slumbering girl, but it was too late; Ana's consciousness had already departed from her body.

However, before her demise, Ana had made one final preparation.

As her physical form faded away, so did the palace condensed by her Authority. Amidst the eternal ice and snow, plants began emerging, blossoming with vibrant flowers that instantly wilted.

The wind blew, scattering petals across the sky, and amidst this flurry, Ana's body also started dissipating. When all settled down, Bianka held only three dim Herrscher Cores in her hands...