To create Honkai Impact 3rd in a world where Kallen exists.

"I have never been alone."

"But we are not alone...we clearly...have a thousand companions..."

The doll replied without hesitation.

Yes, they... are clearly companions too.

"What connects you is not ideals, not understanding, and certainly not trust in each other."

"You just come together for a common purpose and vent the same polarized emotions."

"People like this are not companions."

"..."

The last puppet remained silent, then spoke with difficulty.

“I see… But Kiana, I have one more question…”

"With your so-called trust, so-called companionship, so-called protection... can you really defeat the Honkai?"

"We may have failed, but the enemies ahead are far more contradictory and stronger than us."

"...By then, will you still be able to contend with them using these vague and illusory things?"

"I will not give up."

“Besides, this is by no means something illusory.”

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“This is proof of what makes us human.”

Kiana calmly gave her answer, unmoved by the words of her enemy.

"Haha... Kiana. To be honest, I'm almost convinced by you."

The doll chuckled softly, but it was no longer so sinister and eerie; it seemed that in its final moments, it had acquired human-like emotions…

I wonder how much of what he said at the end was true or false.

"I envy you guys... You're right, we're nothing but broken puppets, and what binds us together are those annoying threads..."

"Strange... Which side am I on? Is it because I'm about to die that I'm thinking about these weird things?"

"Hahaha, ha, but human malice doesn't disappear, Kiana..."

"You'll understand soon enough... no... you've always known that there are still many tests ahead for you."

"Ah...ah...he's here..."

"The golden threads have already wrapped around me..."

The puppet lowered its head, said no more words, and quietly waited for its own end.

Kiana remained silent, turning towards the last puppet, towards the theater where the curtain had fallen—

She swung her sword.

The Herrscher of a Thousand, who originally represented the malice of humanity, was safely overcome by Kiana and her group, just as she had promised, that she would never give up.

Pain may have buried the path forward, but the sparks will eventually ignite.

Countless people fell on the road, but even more people surged forward, carrying the will of their predecessors and heading towards a farther road.

Darkness eventually gives way to dawn.

I don't understand why she loves this world; perhaps, like Bronya said, she's a fool. I really like this character; I can't explain why, maybe it's just that a lost soul wants to get closer to the light!

[The doll is an embodiment of malice, but it's not pure enough... and the last piece of information it revealed—golden threads? Could this be the emergence of a new Herrscher?]

[After defeating this, there's still so much more to come... Sigh, I thought we were on the verge of the final victory, but then I was dealt a heavy blow.]

...

In the Golden Courtyard,

Kevin watched the dawn break in silence, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts, perhaps recalling their past victories.

But recalling those times is just that—recollection.

And this time, does even the Law Master of a Thousand People have human emotions?

Kevin didn't know. Looking at the doll's expression, he recalled how the Herrscher of Death had looked back then... Did the doll truly have human emotions back then? Did the doll have them or not?

"Oh wow, golden threads? I have a bold idea!"

Vervi's eyes lit up, and she said excitedly.

“Your idea is too audacious, I don’t think it will work!” Möbius rejected the other person’s idea without hesitation.

Without even thinking, you know the other party will definitely come up with some terrible idea.

"Actually... the golden threads remind me of Judas and the Herrscher of Binding... The only problem is that the Herrscher of Binding won't appear, so the answer is already confirmed: it's Theresa, the final mastermind! This also explains why she hasn't appeared yet!"

After quickly finishing her 'rigorous' analysis, Velvi flicked the brim of the magician's hat with her right hand and pointed with one hand.

"..." Everyone fell silent, watching Vervie perform alone there.

Mebius rubbed his head with one hand, somewhat speechless. The other person must have guessed who the real absentee was.