"Elysia?!"
"Elysia!!"
"You're saying Elysia is going to act in the new episode too?"
Everyone present was completely shocked.
You have to understand… the characters in this drama get knifed hard. And Hessian, who loves his wife so much, is actually letting her join the cast? They had thought it was just a joke earlier!
Elysia said excitedly: "Ara~ Is it finally my turn? I wonder if my role will be memorable to the audience? If I have to die in the end, I hope it can be as magnificent and beautiful as Otto's, so that all the viewers will remember it forever."
Hessian affirmed confidently: "Of course! You're my wife—when it comes to your death, I'll definitely write it beautifully!"
Himeko hurriedly stopped him: "Hey, hey, hey!!!"
Kiana didn't hold back: "Dog director!!!"
Mei also panicked: "Dog director! If you have something against us, come at us—don't bully Ellie!"
Mobius immediately spoke up: "Hessian! Have you gone mad? You're actually going to write Elysia's death? She's your wife!"
Even Theresa, who had been crying for Otto, forgot her tears and shouted with a sob: "Dog director! You're truly inhuman!"
Rita also said: "Director He, you're not serious, right?"
SAKURA directly drew her weapon: "Hessian, I advise you to be kind."
Durandal immediately blocked the door: "Director He, explain yourself clearly."
Pardofelis timidly shrank to the side: "W-what's going on? Is Ellie-nee going to die?"
Even the usually gentle Eden became serious: "Hessian, what do you mean by this?"
Elysia was everyone's beloved treasure.
Everyone had joined the company because of her. They could tolerate being knifed themselves, but extending the blade to Elysia was something no one could accept!
Seeing this.
Elysia spoke up: "Actually~ hubby told me about this from the very beginning, and I agreed. Because I want to know what kind of person I am in his work."
This was indeed the truth. When the Honkai Impact 3rd project first began, Hessian had already confessed to Elysia about her eventual role.
Of course…
This conversation had taken place at home, in bed, during intimate moments.
Elysia naturally would never refuse!
Hearing Elysia say this, everyone in the company could only compromise.
But they still threatened Hessian.
Kiana: "If you dare write Ellie badly, I'll kill you!"
Mei also said: "Ellie is the best Ellie. If you dare mess up her character, I'll kill you too."
Mobius was merciless: "If Ellie's role is poorly written, you can just get divorced and leave this company!"
Then the others chimed in one after another with similar threats.
Mobius had always secretly hoped Hessian would divorce Elysia anyway!
Hessian directly tossed the script to Mobius: "Here… take a look at this script first."
Mobius flipped it open and her expression changed drastically: "Why is there a role for me? Wait! Why do I look like a child?! Why are my breasts so small now?! And why is my personality so twisted?!"
Hessian smiled and said: "Isn't this just restoring you accurately?"
Mobius glared at him furiously: "Then why is Elysia's character so perfect? A pink, fairy-like, adorable beautiful girl?"
Hessian said: "Didn't I do this according to your demands? You only said to protect Ellie—you never said I couldn't mess with the rest of you."
"…"
Everyone present instantly fell silent.
In their hearts, they all cursed: This guy's personality is really awful!
Mobius was furious but couldn't lash out.
Hessian continued: "Don't worry. In this new chapter, Mei, Elysia, Kevin, Mobius, Kalpas, SAKURA, Pardofelis, Griseo, Aponia, Fu Hua, Kosma, Vill-V, Eden, and even that doctor Su who treated Kiana—you're all main characters!"
"Wait!"
Kiana's eyes widened: "Director He, you've gone too far! Dr. Su only said during my check-up that from the plot you wrote, he could guess you might have some kind of mental illness. It was just a guess—and now you're dragging him into the drama to knife him too?"
Hessian waved his hand: "Do I seem like that kind of person? It's simply because he happens to fit one of the roles in my script perfectly. I'll leave the job of inviting him to act to you."
"I…"
Kiana was speechless and didn't dare refuse.
Kosma and the others were extremely excited. They had all seen how popular the drama was and had long wanted to join. Now, hearing they had roles, they were naturally overjoyed.
Hessian handed the scripts to them: "Here are the scripts. Shooting starts tomorrow—get some good rest tonight."
With that, he took Elysia's hand and waved to everyone: "Time to clock out!"
That night.
Countless people found it hard to sleep.
The audience couldn't sleep because of Otto's ending.
The actors couldn't sleep because of the upcoming new chapter.
Mobius couldn't sleep because she was furious after seeing herself in the script.
Meanwhile, Hessian and Elysia slept especially soundly in each other's arms. Especially Elysia—thinking about acting alongside the adorable Mei made her even happier, which also made Hessian extremely content that night.
…
Starting the next day, the company once again entered filming mode.
However…
Compared to before, the atmosphere on set was noticeably much more tense. Everyone wanted to perform their scenes with Elysia as perfectly as possible.
Elysia, on the other hand, was completely immersed in the joy of acting alongside so many beautiful girls. She happily finished shooting this episode.
Time flew by.
And soon it was the day Honkai Impact 3rd aired again.
Compared to the nationwide anticipation of last week, this week felt somewhat subdued.
Inside the company.
Everyone sat together, surrounding Hessian in the middle to prevent him from running away.
There were still a few minutes until broadcast.
Everyone was paying close attention to the messages in the group.
"I don't know why, but ever since Otto died, I haven't been looking forward to the later episodes much."
"Same here. Otto's death hit me too hard—my emotions are all over the place, and now I can barely muster any interest."
"I'll watch one more episode. If it can't hook me, I'm done. Getting knifed every time is too painful."
"Same. I already died along with Bishop Otto. Now I'm just watching passively."
"Don't give up—there's still Kevin, right? The World Serpent story hasn't even started yet?"
"World Serpent? Can that storyline possibly be as brilliant as Otto's life?"
"I don't know. Let's just watch today. I hope the dog director doesn't disappoint me."
"…"
These messages made the actors extremely worried.
This was the debut episode of their most beloved Elysia!
In this anxious mood.
The new episode officially began airing.
As the opening song ended.
The television screen displayed: Four months ago, World Serpent.
Mei appeared before Kevin.
Kevin, seated on the throne-like stone chair, asked in an icy voice: "What is it?"
Compared to their last meeting, she seemed to have changed quite a bit.
He knew she would come to him.
Mei began: "The Herrscher of Domination has been eliminated."
Kevin said: "I know."
Mei continued: "Its core has disappeared—whereabouts unknown. But that's not why I came today."
"What do you want to ask?" Kevin inquired.
Mei said: "When I clashed with the puppets using my Herrscher power, my consciousness was drawn into an indescribable space."
"That place should be the root of Herrscher authority. I felt an boundless consciousness enveloping it."
"That consciousness seemed to want to force something directly into my mind…"
"But the attempt… was obstructed by the excessive electromagnetic waves overflowing from within me."
"—Kevin, this has left me puzzled."
"If that consciousness really is the so-called god of Honkai…"
"Would it truly be unable to influence its own apostle for such a trivial reason?"
Kevin hadn't expected her to ask such a question.
When had she reached this level of understanding?
"You, who have fought since the Previous Era until now—the last hero of the Previous Civilization—cannot possibly know nothing about this." Mei stared straight into Kevin's eyes. "Just how many secrets are you still hiding from the humanity of this era?"
Kevin remained silent, seemingly considering something.
Mei pressed: "I need an answer."
"Right now!"
"…"
After a moment of silence, Kevin said: "Very well."
He made his decision: "The current you has earned that right."
"What?" Mei was slightly taken aback.
Kevin raised his hand and pointed in one direction. A lightless passage snaked out from a corner of the sacrificial hall.
At the end of that darkness lay the origin of the world.
"The qualification to seek answers."
Mei stepped into the passage.
She didn't know how long she walked. From some point onward, everything around her was pitch black.
It felt as though the passage was extending infinitely, leading into another space.
"…"
"..."
In the boundless darkness, she seemed to sense something.
"…Kevin, Kevin."
"You really love causing trouble for people."
Inside a golden palace, a pink-haired girl as beautiful as a fairy sat within, watching Mei arrive.
The television screen cut away here.
But the audience exploded.
"Who is this person? She's so beautiful!"
"If you'd told me earlier there was such a gorgeous girl in this episode, I would've watched obediently from the start!"
"No time to mourn Otto now—this is pink beauty's moment!"
"She's really stunning. And she's deep inside World Serpent—is Kevin hiding a beauty in his golden house?"
"There's something here. Kevin's been guarding the entrance all this time—could he be protecting this woman? Is she MEI?"
"How could it be MEI? Her personality doesn't match what the Herrscher of Sentience described earlier."
"Whoever she is, she's gorgeous enough—I'm in love!"
"Sorry, Bishop Otto. Mourning you for a week was enough. Now I'm moving on to her."
"One minute! I want all her information within one minute!"
"…"
The actors in the company breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the audience instantly captivated by Elysia's beauty. They turned their attention back to the drama with peace of mind.
On the screen.
Mei opened her eyes again. What met her gaze was a rather strange structure.
Broken stones and ruined walls spiraled upward around the tower, intertwining into a birdcage-like network, as if declaring itself the center of the world…
"What exactly is this?"
Mei gazed thoughtfully at the bizarre sight before her.
"Hi~"
A voice she wasn't yet accustomed to rang out without warning—like someone whispering in her ear, or a distant shout. It was as elusive and unpredictable as the scenery itself.
"How does it feel?"
To the question, Mei replied: "Not bad. No abnormalities. It feels just like reality."
The other said: "Mm, good. Some previous visitors couldn't even stand the moment they entered the Elysian Realm. It was like drowning… being overwhelmed by memories isn't pleasant, is it?"
"But it seems that concern is unnecessary for you."
"As expected of a Herrscher's constitution—quite different from ordinary people. How nice. I'd like to try it too… ah, did I go off-topic?"
"Back to the point—you look fine now. We should be able to skip straight to the next step."
"Remember, this is your first attempt. Don't feel any pressure."
"There's no punishment for failing, and no one will blame you if you don't perform well. Don't worry—I'll be right by your side."
"Though… giving up on the spot is still not something I'd encourage."
"Any other questions?"
Mei asked: "What's my goal? Defeating someone? Finding something?"
The other replied: "Goal? There's no real goal. This is just an attempt… or perhaps… a lesson?"
"No Herrscher has ever stepped foot here before, and I've never guided one either. For both you and me, this is… how should I put it? A first-time experience?"
"In any case, just follow your heart and explore to your heart's content. I'm really looking forward to seeing how far you can go… without the help of any other Flame-Chasers."
Mei asked again: "You mentioned failure earlier. What counts as failure?"
The other answered: "Perhaps being overwhelmed and defeated by an insurmountable obstacle. Perhaps losing your way in an endless cycle. It depends on you."
"Concentrating fully isn't easy. When your consciousness begins to tire, the recollection of memories naturally stops."
"Don't worry—when that happens, I'll protect that clever head of yours."
Mei said: "I have no other questions."
The other said: "Good. Then no time to waste—shall we set off now?"
"Mm." Mei nodded.
"I'll grant you my blessing, and your soul will shine even more brilliantly."
"Raiden Mei's grand adventure in the Elysian Realm—begins now!"
Mei began walking deeper into the Land.
She observed the surroundings: "So this is a world made of memories? It looks no different from reality. The First Civilization Era… humanity once reached heights I can hardly imagine."
As she pondered, a new path appeared ahead.
She stepped onto it. In an instant, the space reset, and she was back where she started.
"Spatial reset… it seems moving forward requires satisfying some additional conditions. This place is like an enormous maze. Hard to believe such a secret is hidden beneath the World Serpent's sacrificial hall."
While thinking.
She effortlessly destroyed all the Titan mechs that appeared.
These mechs were no match for her as the Herrscher of Thunder—not even close to a single exchange.
The mysterious voice appeared again: "Not bad at all~ Keep going."
With her voice, another path appeared. Mei stepped onto it, watching the scenery shift around her.
"This landscape belongs to that already-destroyed era… Kevin once stood here and witnessed the end of the world."
"Now, he's showing me all of this without reservation. This is an opportunity to learn more about him, about World Serpent."
"In the past, there were also those who fought against Honkai until the very last moment."
"MANTIS—they possessed power comparable to Herrschers, yet in the end, humanity still failed…"
"This feeling reminds me of the data space beneath St. Freya Cathedral, even though I've never actually been there."
"…No, I need to focus on what's in front of me."
She snapped back to reality. The mechs in front of her had already been destroyed by her without her noticing.
The voice appeared once more: "Mm, you're doing really well! You've already far exceeded my expectations."
Every time her voice sounded, a new path would appear.
But when Mei stepped onto it, the scenery would reset to the same as before…
"It seems… my progress has hit a barrier."
Sure enough, a completely different enemy appeared ahead.
Just as she was about to draw her blade.
A sudden wave of dizziness struck her head, forcing her to kneel helplessly.
The voice promptly returned: "Alright, alright—looks like this is your limit for now. Don't worry, you did great. I'll open the exit for you."
"There might be some discomfort when the recollection stops—don't be nervous."
In an instant.
All the enemies surrounding Mei vanished.
An anchor point appeared ahead of her.
"Is that the exit?"
"…Though there's still so much I want to investigate, for now I should follow her advice and return to reality first."
Her consciousness gradually cleared.
The familiar voice came to her ear once more: "I'm right here~ Hi, welcome back."