The audience instinctively kept their mouths slightly open, still lost in their thoughts.
But they knew—
This time, it was truly the final ending!
---
At this moment, countless viewers around the world are silently watching this scene.
The final moment of the Penacony chapter is quietly approaching.
The Grand Theater floating in the sky has already begun to shatter under the intense impact just now.
And amidst the deafening quake—
The camera suddenly cuts to Sunday, who is trapped in darkness. His lips are pursed, his voice trembles slightly, but he says nothing.
The sound of the piano, bit by bit, strikes out different emotions through music, shaking the hearts of the audience.
And Sunday's massive body, along with the shattering of the theater, begins to fall.
During the fall, he lifts his hand, as if trying to grasp something, but his hand remains empty, catching nothing.
At that moment, the hearts of the viewers ached deeply.
On screen, Sunday hears the tremble in the reply, and also...
This all proves—
He didn't actually know nothing.
Everything just now makes it clear:
This is someone who should have soared, but broke his own wings with his own hands, willingly sacrificing everything for it.
The audience's feelings toward Sunday are incredibly complex.
He's not like other villains, not painted with extreme strokes.
Though casting everyone into a dream is certainly an extreme act, his original intention, and even his actions—
In another context, he might be seen as a steadfast martyr.
In other series, when someone says "So-and-so actually had a good heart", many would scoff and say it's whitewashing.
But with Sunday, they truly believe it.
Empathy, sacrifice, kindness, unity of knowledge and action—
Almost every virtue that resonates appears in him.
In executing his plan, aside from the Oak family members fully devoted to order, no innocent lives were taken.
This was a clash of beliefs and ideologies.
That's why some viewers feel heartbroken—
Someone so innately good, no, so thoroughly virtuous—
Would choose such a path, and destroy himself with his own hands.
As Sunday falls, so do the hearts of the audience.
"Night..."
"Is still too short."
At this moment, the camera, like Sunday, plummets at high speed.
He finally closes his eyes.
The piano music in the background explodes with emotion.
...
: I'm so sad! Don't fall!
: Please, MiHoYo, give Sunday another chance! He was just misled by the Dream Master!
: Catch him! Catch him!!
: When I heard that sigh of resignation, my heart really ached!
: MiHoYo, damn you! Why make the villain this compelling?! I wish Sunday were just a truly evil villain!
...
Just as sorrow overflows—
The screen shows only Sunday, alone, falling through the darkness.
Yet—
A graceful figure descends from the sky, carrying strands of light, tightly embracing Sunday.
Robin gently holds her older brother.
Harmony embraces Order.
In the darkness, Robin still refuses to give up on her brother, still willing to accept and embrace him, willing to fulfill the longings of family.
Many had only teared up, but upon seeing this scene, they broke down.
Tears welled in the corners of Robin's eyes too.
"Brother…"
She gently closed her eyes and whispered in Sunday's ear: "The dream... it's time to wake up."
"....."
Sunday's voice is no longer so strong, revealing at last the fragility he had been hiding.
The darkness fades.
The dawn of Penacony's morning light shines in the distance, upon the two siblings embracing.
The piano gently draws to a close.
...
: Ahhh! Thank you, MiHoYo, for sparing him!
: So touching! These siblings make me cry!
: It's so heartbreaking. Orphaned since young, relying on each other, supporting each other. Even when adopted, they were exploited. The brother was willing to sacrifice himself for his sister, and she never gave up on him, even now trying to save him... who can understand this feeling?!
: The imagery of this scene is so powerful! Seeing this, I suddenly understood why Harmony would absorb Order!
: This is also a portrayal of Harmony's acceptance.
: That's why Harmony looked over, but did nothing. Maybe, after the great Scourge ended, Harmony's absorption of Order… perhaps it wasn't such a scheme?
: I don't know... I'll leave those interpretations to the experts. I just want to soak in this ending.
...
As the barrage of comments immerses in the afterglow of emotion and sorrow, the screen gradually went black.
A young male voice appears along with subtitles:
"Amber Era Year 2158, the first year of the new era—
A burning conspiracy dawned upon the land of festivities at the start of the century, only to swiftly turn to ashes."
"Forty-eight system-time cycles: a sun falls, a paradise collapses, a body decays, vultures gather, siblings part forever."
"And an Aeon, once again, falls into slumber."
"Some cheered for it, some regretted it, and others witnessed it all."
"They are insignificant compared to the sum of the universe, saying He died with dignity this time."
"The galaxy welcomed a pure dawn, and a fierce storm is coming. In any case, the great slumber of The Order Ena falls once more in cycles."
"The story of the Astral Express ends here, and also begins anew. The journey of exploration will open a new chapter."
Ordinary subtitles, ordinary voices.
It seemed to be just a summary of Penacony's storyline.
But within it hid some chilling, thought-provoking details.
But before they could savor it—
The starry sky gradually emerged from the darkness.
"Brother, do you think stars die?"
Robin's innocent and sweet voice rang out again.
"Why the sudden question?"
Sunday responded cutely to his sister.
"Because that star constellation that looks like a bird seems a bit dim... that... Livio Constellation or something."
"Haha, that's the Oblivion Hawk Constellation. Don't worry, it's still there. But about your question—I think stars do die, just like us."
Sunday seriously answered his sister's question: "But you know, little sister, no star belongs to the present. The starry sky we see is light they emitted long ago."
"These lights can still travel for millions of light-years after the stars have died, crossing millions of years to illuminate the night sky of another world."
"I believe, in our paradise, there will also be such a star, shining with the same light. The time it shines will be 'eternity,' and it shall be named the Four Elements Archive."
Hearing her brother's words, Robin immediately retorted: "Wrong! How can there be only one? There should be two... no! The sky full of stars is more like it!"
"You're right."
"Pinky swear, promise me, we'll reach our dream even across the sky and light it up with stars."
Innocent little Sunday immediately changed his mind, thinking his sister's description of the starry sky seemed even more beautiful.
"Mm! Definitely!"
Beneath the starry sky, the two from the District made a firm promise.
...
: Ahhh, it's almost the end and they still hit us with the feels.
: The interpretation of stars is just too romantic. Those stars must be the predecessors. The things people do, like starlight, continue to shine even after death.
: Just like Mikhail.
: This scene, the sense of fate between the two is overwhelming. It's like a preview of everything that happened today.
: That narration just now, it felt like it contained so many hidden revelations.
: But it's too subtle—let's ponder it carefully after it ends, with a bunch of loremasters!
: Hope this is truly the final ending!
...
As the bullet comments streamed across the screen—
A joyful, melodious trumpet intertwined with the ticking of a clock suddenly rang out.
Amid the astonishment—
The audience found that the screen had gone black, and the true epilogue had arrived without warning.
[Honkai: Star Rail]
[Lead Cast]
[Stelle as Stelle]
[Dan Heng as Dan Heng]
[??? as March 7th]
[Himeko as Himeko]
[Welt as Welt]
[…]
The credits slowly rolled with the lingering music.
The names of those who had appeared in Penacony's episodes lit up one by one.
At this moment—
No matter where they were—
Viewers watching the show or streamers watching in live rooms—
All fell into prolonged silence.
The bullet comments also fell silent, and only the credits rolled on the empty screen.
Some were reminiscing.
Some were wondering if this really was the end.
But regardless—
It was like finishing a long journey; an overwhelming sense of satisfaction surged in their hearts.
Some leaned back in their seats, quietly listening to the music, their eyes empty, clearly lost in deep memories.
Some were so shocked they kept shaking their heads, unable to believe the brilliance of Penacony.
The comments remained silent.
Because there was simply too much to say.
Aventurine, Acheron, Firefly, Sparkle, the Express crew, Mikhail, the Sunday siblings.
The splendid stories of these characters themselves.
Harmony, Order, Trailblaze, IPC, and the intricate layers of the Watchmaker's legacy.
From the plot structure, twists, breakthroughs, to its depth—
Even viewers who were not good at expressing themselves could now write long comments, pouring out their emotions.
When they were really about to say something, they didn't even know where to begin.
In the end...
People from all over the world chose a simple but deeply respectful way to honor the story itself.
They began to applaud.
In the live viewing room,
Rion and Ms. Yun leaned back in their chairs without saying a word, quietly watching the credits.
Rion clapped heavily.
While Ms. Yun pursed her lips and clapped gently beside her.
Such a scene appeared in other livestreams as well, watching the film with the same sense of reverence.
And at this moment, the credits had reached the final segment.
[In Eternal Memory]
[Razalina Jane Estella]
[Breukelen Tiernan]
[Mikhail Char Legwork]
Under each memorial, there was a detailed biography of the three.
Very formal, and grand.
As if these three really existed in the real world.
After the tribute to the three ended, the final line that ran through the entire Honkai: Star Rail storyline finally appeared.
[May this journey, at last, reach the stars]
...
: I really let out a long breath. When seeing the comment, there was so much I wanted to say that I didn't even know how to express it. Anyway, just this one line: Star Rail is awesome! Mihoyo is awesome!
: So far, the most perfect, most shocking viewing experience!
: Truly worthy of being called the peak! After this episode, I'm sure—there's no match for Mihoyo in the entire industry!
: Isn't this the kind of story audiences want? Complete and colorful!
: Who would have thought, just moments ago, I laughed, cried, was shocked and moved. Mihoyo truly toyed with my emotions in the palm of their hand!
: My whole family and I were just silently applauding—this is the first time in my life that's ever happened!
: But this kind of feeling, it still needs to be experienced more deeply! Can't wait for the next part of the story!
: I really want to see the expressions of those haters earlier—the ones who said Mihoyo was out of creativity and couldn't wrap it up—now they've got something coming!
: Competing with Star Rail, trying to take its place—seriously? Now they've completely messed up!
: Hahaha, I can't wait to see some people's reactions!
: But more than watching those idiots, I want to rewatch this ten times and catch every detail!
: Yeah, there are still some mysteries unresolved.
: From what the Dream Master and Sunday hinted at, there's another force behind the plan in Penacony, possibly within the Harmony! The real mastermind!
: The IPC's reaction to Penacony, Sparkle's button, Firefly's whereabouts—still unknown!
: And now that such a huge leak has occurred, how will Harmony deal with the IPC? The power struggle between major factions is also something to look forward to!
: I hope the experts quickly release full analyses of the entire series! I want to see those! In-depth, detailed breakdowns! I want to hear the experts praise Honkai: Star Rail to the skies!
...
After reflecting on the past, the comments finally exploded.
Even more intense than before, densely covering the whole screen.
After all, everyone thought the story had truly ended here.
The brilliance of Episode 3 wasn't just in the episode itself—there was brilliance in everything it brought.
Obviously, the end of the Penacony arc would set off a storm online!
But just then...
Amidst the dense barrage of comments, something incredibly heavy appeared.
It was Aventurine—who hadn't appeared again since being overpowered by Acheron!
And a strange female voice!
The sudden post-credit surprise instantly pulled the audience back in!