89 The Last Lesson..

The screen showed a sea of bubbles, swirling and bursting in waves. Himeko's eyes were the only thing visible in the screen, reflecting the chaos around her.

She held a tube of reagent in her hand, The God-slaying Spear. She looked at it with a blank expression, as if she had lost all hope. Then, she clenched her hand tightly, and a spark of determination flashed in her eyes.

She walked towards the battlefield, where the enemy was waiting for her.

But Himeko did not care. She had a mission to accomplish, and she would not back down. She was a warrior, and she had to fight.

"I really want to… have another drink." She remembered her last words to her friends and student, before she left them behind. She wondered if she would ever see them again.

But she had no time to dwell on that. The video showed the battle starting, and Himeko charging into the fray.

...

"Wait, the name of this clip… The Last Lesson?" Theresa said, as she noticed the title of the video.

She stared in disbelief at the figure on the screen, who was covered in wounds and scars, ready to face the enemy.

"Did you… did you know this was going to happen, Himeko?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"… Watch, Theresa, after this battle, it's time for me to fall." Himeko said calmly, as she sipped her wine and smiled.

She looked at the screen with pride, not regret. She had lived as a warrior, and she would die as one. She had no fear of death.

"What do you mean, time to fall? You can't just leave us like this!" Theresa protested, tears in her eyes.

She watched the video and remembered the times they had spent together, fighting for the academy and the world.

"When Judas was useless, you were useless too, Theresa." Himeko interrupted her, jokingly.

She saw the sadness on her face, and wanted to cheer her up.

"Ahhh! How can you say that when I'm so moved? do you also think that Judas is the S-class Valkyrie? not me?" Theresa said, pretending to be offended.

She clutched her chest and pouted, trying to hide her tears.

...

Himeko was ready to face Benares, the mighty dragon.

She had activated the God Slayer Armor Battle Suit, She looked fearless and determined, as she charged towards the Dragon.

but Himeko had the upper hand, Himeko struck the dragon with debris. She inflicted heavy damage on Benares, who roared in pain and anger.

After a few minutes of fighting, Benares collapsed to the ground, unable to stand up. Himeko approached the dragon, ready to deliver the final blow.

But Sirin was not going to let her kill her beloved Bella. She used her spatial powers to pull Himeko into the imaginary space. She had learned her lesson from the last time, when Kiana and the others interfered with her fight,

This time, she would make sure that no one would stop her from taking revenge.

...

"Oooh, Queen-sama, you really do still care about me!" Bella exclaimed, as she hugged Sirin's leg.

She was overjoyed to see her master again, and she cried tears of happiness.

"Go away! Bella, your horn is poking me! And don't wipe your nose on my clothes." Sirin said, annoyed.

She tried to shake off Bella, who was clinging to her leg. She hated being touched by anyone, especially by a stupid dragon.

"Oooooh, my queen." Bella said, ignoring Sirin's protests.

She held on to her leg tightly, and refused to let go. She was so happy that she didn't notice the battle that was about to start.

"This is the moment, the time of judgment☆, fight, fight!" Sirin said, excitedly.

She watched the screen, where Himeko and her were about to clash. She was looking forward to showing her true power, and making her pay for what she had done.

Cecilia watched the game's short animation and thought. It looked familiar, didn't it.

Himeko, imaginary Space, Sirin…

Wasn't this the same scene that she had seen in the footage? The one that showed the future of the world?

The Honkai Apostle was killed and paid for everything. Was this game really going to end like that?

She shook her head and smiled. It didn't matter, it was just a game after all.

It was not real.

But she couldn't help but wonder, what about Kiana? Would she really become like that girl in the PV? The one who had Sirin's eyes and voice?

She loved Kiana the way she was, and she didn't want her to change,

Was she being selfish as a mom?

...

The scene changed to the imaginary space, where Sirin had the absolute control. She laughed mockingly, as she entered the void and floated down. Her footsteps sounded crisp and clear in the dark space, as if she was walking on a stage. She looked down at Himeko with cold and cruel eyes.

"Do you think, you can escape?" She asked, taunting her.

Himeko held her large sword firmly, and watched Sirin's movements carefully. She was not afraid, but ready to fight at any time.

"Hmph, I've been waiting for you for a long time." Himeko said, defiantly.

"I hope you're ready... to meet your maker?" Sirin asked, scornfully.

She stretched out her right hand, and unleashed her spatial power. She wrapped Himeko in a force field, and pushed her out violently. Himeko crashed into the barrier of the space, and felt a sharp pain.

"Do your best to struggle as hard as you can, worm." Sirin said, sadistically.

She snapped her fingers lightly, and a black cube appeared around Himeko. It trapped her inside, and started to spin rapidly. Himeko felt dizzy and nauseous, but she did not give up.

Sirin then summoned the Spear of Subspace, her signature weapon, She swung it with a flash of light, and slashed the cube twice. The cube cracked.

"Is that all you can do?" Sirin asked, arrogantly.

She declared herself the winner of the battle, and turned her back on Himeko. She was about to leave, without caring about her fate.

But then, a loud cracking sound interrupted Sirin's departure. She felt a strong impact on her back, and she was thrown forward. She looked behind her in shock, and saw a dark red rectangle flying towards her. It was the sheath of Himeko's sword, that she had thrown with all her strength.

Sirin reacted quickly, and used the Herrscher power to open a portal in front of her. She hoped to deflect the sheath, and avoid the damage. But she was too late, the sheath had already reached her heels, and it hit her hard.

She groaned in pain, and fell to the ground. She looked up, and saw Himeko emerging from the smoke and dust. Himeko's body armor was cracked, and her clothes were torn. She looked like she had been through hell, but she was still alive.

Her body was covered with red lines, that showed the Honkai energy flowing through her. She was using the God Slayer Armor, at the cost of her own life. She walked slowly, but steadily, towards Sirin. Her red hair was messy, and her eyes were burning with determination. She was not going to give up, until she finished her mission.

"I guess you re done attacking. It's my turn now.. hope you don't mind, girl." She said, word by word, her voice weak, but convincing.

She raised her sword, and pointed it at Sirin. She was ready for the final showdown.

"Heh heh heh… Die!" Sirin sneered.

She got up, and glared at Himeko. She was furious, and humiliated. She had underestimated her opponent, and she had paid the price. But she was not going to admit defeat. She was the Herrscher of the Void, and she would not let anyone stand in her way.

She summoned her Spear of Subspace again, and prepared to strike. She was going to end this, once and for all.

The duel was officially on.

A crusade against the gods as human beings, at the cost of their lives.

The battle reached its climax, as Himeko gave everything she had to the fight. She knew she had no chance of survival, but she was determined to stop Sirin, and save Kiana.

Himeko swung her sword with great force, clearing the way for her final attack. She fought with courage and skill, despite the overwhelming odds. Her sword was engulfed in flames, and her body was bleeding profusely. She ignored the pain, and focused on her target.

She leaped into the air, and brought down her sword with all her might towards Sirin, who was below her. She wanted to end this, with one decisive blow.

At the same time, a gentle voice spoke to Kiana, who was unconscious.

"Kiana, when you wake up, you will realize that everything has changed." The voice said, softly.

"You'll realize that the world is no longer beautiful, and those mundane routines will be gone for good." The voice continued, sadly.

"But don't give up, never give up." The voice urged, hopefully.

The voice was Himeko's, who was leaving her last message to Kiana, her student and friend. She wanted to give her some words of encouragement, and hope.

"You pathetic human insect!" Sirin angrily exclaimed

Sirin was also fighting for her dignity, using all of her herrscher power to defend herself. She created a black spiral cone, that pointed directly at Himeko. It was a weapon that could pierce through anything, even the God Slayer Armor.

The moment the sword and the cone collided, the entire space turned into pure white. It was a blinding flash.

As Himeko was dying, she saw the faces of her friends, comrades, her students, silhouettes of Theresa, Mei, Fu Hua, Bronya, and the others emerged, one by one.

They all called out Himeko's name, with love and gratitude. They thanked her for her sacrifice, and for her guidance.

And at the end, what appeared in front of Himeko, was the face of her most troublesome student. It was Kiana, the girl who always annoyed her, but also amused her. She was not the best student, but she had a good heart. She was innocent, kind, and hopeful. She was the student of Himeko's Murata, the one who wanted to be the strongest Valkyrie.

She smiled at Himeko, and said, "Auntie Himeko, I'm proud of you!"

Himeko felt the last of her power leaving her body, but she also felt a surge of pride. She had done her duty as a teacher, and as a warrior. She had given her life, to save her student, and to give her a chance to live.

She saw flames like feathers blooming behind her, and she knew it was the end. It was the last fire of her life, burning brightly, and defying the odds. She used the Haste Gem in her armor, give her last chance, and she aimed it at Sirin.

She swung her sword, and broke through Sirin's barrier. She carried the flames with her, as she fell from the sky. She shouted to Kiana, with her last breath.

"Kiana! Keep your head up and keep going! Go and take this imperfect story and make it what you want it to be!" She said, with courage and hope.

Sirin looked up, and saw the sword coming down. She realized it was too late to dodge, and she felt a pang of fear. She closed her eyes, and waited for the impact, in the blinding light.

"Live, Kiana." Himeko said, with her last breath.

The light faded, and the sword, Himeko's sword, pierced through Sirin's back. It was the final blow, that sealed her fate. Himeko had thrown her sword, with all her remaining strength, and hit her target.

Himeko had completely burned out, and slowly fell towards the ground. She had no more power, no more life. She was dying, but she was at peace.

"This is the… the last lesson…" She said, softly.

She had taught Kiana everything she could, and she hoped she would remember her words. She wanted Kiana to live, and to be happy. She wanted Kiana to be the strongest Valkyrie, and to make the world a better place.

And only on Sirin's back, the reagent that had already completed its injection was clearly visible. It was a tube of liquid, that God-Slaying Spear, It was the key to Sirin's defeat, and Himeko's sacrifice.

The effect of the God-Slaying Spear was activated, and the collapse of Honkai energy caused Sirin to scream. She felt a terrible pain, as her power was drained. She felt her consciousness slipping away, and she hated it.

Himeko had done it. She had defeated Sirin, the Herrscher of the Void, and saved Kiana, her student. She had used the God-Slaying Spear that could save her own life, to destroy the Honkai energy inside Sirin.

She had paid the ultimate price, but she had no regrets.

As if symbolizing the defeat of the herrscher of the Void, the imaginary space collapsed, revealing the blue sky and white clouds of the outside world. It was a beautiful sight, that contrasted with the horror of the battle,

It was a sign of hope.

Himeko, on the other hand, closed her eyes and slid down from the ground, falling into an endless black abyss in the middle of the blue sky. It was a dark hole, that swallowed her whole,

It was the end of her journey, and the beginning of Kiana's.

...

After watching the video, Kiana felt a surge of emotions. She could not believe what she had seen. She had seen Himeko, her teacher, risking her life to save her from Herrscher of the Void.

She had seen Himeko, fighting with courage and determination, until the very end, leaving her a message of hope and love, before she collapsed.

Kiana ran out of the room, without saying a word. She wanted to see Himeko, and to thank her. She wanted to hug her, and to tell her how much she appreciated her. She wanted to see her smile, and to hear her voice.

As she ran, her mind still replayed the scene from the video, over and over again. She could not forget Himeko's face, her voice, her words. She could not forget the red color, that symbolized Himeko's life and fire. She could not forget the light, that marked Himeko's victory and glory.

Himeko had shown her by example what a hero was like, and that red color was deeply imprinted in Kiana's heart. She felt a mix of admiration, sadness, and guilt. She wished she could have done something, to help her, or to thank her.

She reached Theresa's Villa, and opened the door. in living room She saw Himeko lying on the sofa sleeping, with Theresa by her side.

Kiana ran to the sofa, and hugged Himeko. She cried, and let her tears flow. She felt Himeko's warmth, and her heartbeat. She felt relieved, and grateful.

"Oooooh, Himeko-sensei, thank you, I'll definitely study hard and listen to your lessons from now on." Kiana said, with tears in her eyes.

She really didn't expect that Himeko-sensei had done so much for her. She realized how much Himeko cared for her, and how much she owed her.

Himeko could have quit at any time, she could have chosen to live. She had the hope of survival in her hands, she had the reagent that could cure herself. No one would blame her, if she was seriously injured and didn't go to the battle.

But she didn't do that. She took the burden, and then went forward. She didn't leave herself any way back. She gave up her life, for Kiana's sake.

"Why did you teach us that if your comrade is out of control due to Honkai energy… One must end her life without hesitation." Kiana asked, with a crying face.

"Then, why, why didn't you end my life?"

when she was possessed by Sirin. She wondered why Himeko saved her, when she was the cause of so much trouble.

She blamed herself, for everything that had happened. She thought it was all her fault. She thought she had triggered a series of chain reactions, that caused so many people she cared about to be injured. She thought she had ruined everything.

"Because… You're my student, ah, teachers are responsible for the lives of their students." Himeko said, as she opened her eyes.

She heard Kiana's voice, and she smiled. 

"Oooooh, what a sly way to put it!" Kiana cried, as she hugged Himeko.

She felt Himeko's touch, and her words. She felt Himeko's love, and her wisdom. She felt Himeko's spirit, and her legacy.

"I… I don't accept it!" She said, with a sob.