"This is useless to tell us—go explain it to them first."
Kalpas said this while shoving his phone screen in front of Hessian.
On the group chat, every fan was filled with righteous indignation, ready to storm the company.
No choice—they were scared!
This wasn't the first time Hessian had knifed characters.
Back then Wendy got knifed just like that, and Himeko—the teacher of the main cast.
Fu Hua had died once too, and Elysia along with the Flame-Chasers weren't even alive from the very beginning.
Who knew if this dog director, in a moment of whimsy, might actually knife Theresa for real.
"Knife the dog director first—Theresa is the world's cutest!!"
"Today we must teach the dog director a lesson—make him knife Elysia instead!"
"One episode a week isn't enough—lock him in the little black room!"
"…"
Seeing the fans getting more and more outrageous, Hessian's eye twitched. He quickly sent Theresa and Kevin to do a livestream.
Otherwise, if so many fans really rioted, that would be a huge hassle.
"Speaking of which, Bronya—for the next episode of Honkai Impact 3rd, you can finally make your appearance."
Suddenly remembering something, Hessian said to Bronya not far away.
Bronya—who had been playing games with Seele—immediately looked up with shining eyes and asked Hessian:
"Director, what kind of role will Bronya get?"
After Flame-Chaser Kiana and Elysian Realm Mei, was her duck finally getting her shining moment?
The era of the Herrscher of Reason getting constantly nerfed was over!
Just as Bronya was brimming with confidence, Hessian's answer hit like a bucket of cold water.
"What? A mechanical puppet?"
Beautiful-girl mecha and mechanical puppet—the difference was way too big!
Hessian said earnestly: "The beautiful-girl mecha is for Bronya's highlight later in the plot."
"Right now the organization is handing you none other than the former God of Honkai!"
Perhaps because of the words "God of Honkai," Bronya still accepted the script.
Plus with Vill-V's prop team, a silver-gray-haired, red-eyed puppet girl made her grand debut.
Even her voice, enhanced by a miniature voice changer, turned into a slightly playful mechanical tone.
Looking at this completely different style of duck, Seele's eyes sparkled.
"Bronya-neesan like this is also very pretty!"
Hessian couldn't help but complain: "I've been wanting to say this for a while—does Vill-V's tech seriously have no limits?"
Vill-V said proudly: "Of course! None!"
"A mere Demonized Kevin and puppet girl? Turning her into a busty, curvy big-sister type would be child's play!"
Hearing this, Hessian actually felt a little tempted to have Vill-V make a Big Duck version.
As the saying goes: nicknames aren't given randomly—only names get mistaken.
Big Duck dared to be called Big Duck precisely because she really was big.
...
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Thanks to the preview of the new character's appearance and Theresa's performance in the livestream,
the audience was finally pacified—at least they weren't blocking the company entrance.
During this week, filming for the new episode of Honkai Impact 3rd went very smoothly; everyone was already very familiar with the process.
"New-form Kevin is way too fucking cool—the pressure is completely maxed out. Can't wait for what's next!"
"Kevin's this strong—I have no idea how the main cast is supposed to fight him!"
"Is there any more Elysia plot later? I miss my wife!"
"Main cast: Kevin + Finality power becomes the final boss—I wouldn't have dreams like this!"
"Hurry hurry hurry—I'm King Gigi, let me see Kevin already!"
"…"
At Fire Moth Interstellar Entertainment Company.
Everyone gathered in front of the TV, though Eden wasn't there—she had a concert today.
Elysia sighed: "Too bad. Eden loves Honkai Impact 3rd so much, but because of the concert she can't watch it right away."
Missing the first-watch excitement was one thing; not being able to watch together with everyone at the company was another.
But at that moment, Mobius crossed her arms and said: "No need to feel so regretful."
"After all, a certain someone already started a livestream. Eden can just join in after her concert."
As she spoke, Mobius glanced at Hessian—no need to say who "a certain someone" was.
Elysia immediately went to Hessian's side and smiled brightly: "As expected of my husband—so considerate~"
Hessian said modestly: "Eden is also part of our company, and a major investor. Of course I have to help ease her worries."
As they talked, the two sat together and started spreading dog food, making Mobius's face even darker.
The others instinctively moved away—single dogs really couldn't handle this.
On TV.
The new episode of Honkai Impact 3rd officially began airing, quickly drawing everyone's attention.
...
The first to appear was unmistakably the puppet-girl style duck—Prometheus.
After passing through a dark and narrow passage, the puppet girl finally reached the final destination of her journey.
At the same time, she saw a green-haired figure extremely weakened.
In her already somewhat turbid snake-like pupils reflected a crystal-blue light screen.
"Ha… it's… been a while since we last met, hasn't it?"
"Aren't you going to greet me… Prometheus?"
As Mobius's familiar yandere clipped voice rang out, a mechanical female voice responded.
"Hello, Dr. Mobius. I am Number 17."
"Although seeing you here brings me unexpected joy—I still don't understand why you would choose such a suicidal course of action."
Mobius laughed as if she'd heard a joke: "Suicidal?"
"Is that so? In your view, this is a suicidal act."
The one calling herself Number 17—Prometheus—answered: "According to my temporary calculations."
"With Finality already in operation, your vital functions will completely cease in approximately half an hour."
Mobius didn't mind: "…Something like that."
"But the same applies to your body as well, Prometheus."
Prometheus emphasized: "I am Number 17."
She didn't like her name overlapping with others—especially that self-important Number 0.
Or Number 16 from the same production batch.
But Prometheus only emphasized it briefly before quickly getting to the point:
"Dr. Mobius, as an artificial intelligence, I can freely upload my consciousness."
"But you…"
Mobius suddenly understood: "Oh, I see."
"You think… I can't do it, right?"
"After all, in your understanding… the existence of MANTIS soldiers is heavily dependent on their physical bodies."
"—Unfortunately, we can't contact other models of Prometheus right now."
"Otherwise they would definitely tell you what common principles the Stigmata Project and the Eighth Divine Key share."
"…Alright. Instead of worrying about my adventure, you should worry more about the plan you're about to execute."
"After all, you're going to follow the path that woman… Elysia opened."
"To accomplish a feat that is completely opposite to hers, yet equally magnificent."
The name Elysia immediately made the nationwide audience focus intently.
Mobius continued: "You will become humanity's Trojan horse program hurled toward the far shore of the imaginary."
"Imposing the shackles called 'thought' upon the Honkai we know, forcing the natural disaster into a man-made track."
"—Do you truly understand what this means?"
Prometheus said calmly: "I will no longer be able to simulate human thought processes."
The new episode had only just begun, yet the information already revealed made many viewers instinctively widen their eyes.
Especially the plot enthusiasts quickly recalled certain details.
For example, how the Previous Era referred to the Current Era as a "cycle," and many of Kevin's earlier words.
Mobius chuckled lightly: "…Heh, that's quite an understated way to put it."
"On the channel connecting this planet to the imaginary space, because of the invasion you are about to carry out, countless parallel consciousnesses will be born."
"You should know the name MEI gave them—the Imaginary Renormalization Group."
"The very form of their existence can solidify the laws by which Honkai occurs, ensuring that Herrscher Authorities remain maximally unchanged across all mappings."
"In other words—you will become the greatest contributor to the next era's fight against Honkai—"
"Because the Herrschers they will face in the future, starting from the Herrscher of Reason, will be identical to our history."
"But the price is that your own consciousness will become part of them."
"And thus be mercilessly devoured by them—unless the sole backdoor is awakened correctly by someone."
"…But that awakening will simultaneously mean your death—and the death of the entire Renormalization Group."
Only now did the nationwide audience suddenly realize: so the Previous Era had pulled this move.
"666—this is cheating!"
"Couldn't beat the first run, so they just lock in the second run!"
"So that's why the Current Era deals with Honkai so smoothly—even while getting knifed nonstop by the dog director!"
"Facing the unknown Honkai, the Previous Era paid too high a price—that's why they saw the Stigmata Project as the only hope!"
"…"
And on TV, the plot continued.
Prometheus listened to Mobius's explanation without the slightest change in expression: "That doesn't matter."
"I never expected to truly possess human thought processes anyway."
"Since it's a false construct, abandoning it isn't that painful for me."
"…"
After a brief silence, Mobius couldn't help but say: "Compared to that Number 0, you're really making me angry in this regard, Number 17."
"But… whatever. This is indeed a form of infinity that belongs only to you."
Prometheus was about to say more, but before the words left her mouth, devouring darkness had already descended.
The puppet duck and Snake Snake were instantly swallowed completely.
But Mobius showed no panic—on the contrary, she said calmly:
"Alright. This should be the moment we part ways."
"Say goodbye to this world, Prometheus."
Prometheus only emphasized: "I am Number 17."
Mobius said softly: "I know. But compared to cold numbers, or the sensational 'Honkai consciousness'…"
"I'd much rather you have a human name."
In this moment, that mad, fearsome Mobius seemed to carry a touch of gentleness.
...
The scene shifted.
On the Hyperion's bridge, Ai-chan's virtual projection seemed to detect something.
"Who?"
The next moment, a figure very similar to Ai-chan—but clearly more mature—appeared.
Whether it was her impressive figure or her demeanor and appearance—it was unmistakably a big-sister type.
"Sorry for appearing so suddenly—it must make you even more nervous, right?"
"First the Hyperion kept deviating from course, then Theresa fell into an unawakening sleep…"
"And just now, her body mysteriously vanished in the depths of space."
"Just when you're completely at a loss for what to do, the mysterious me happens to appear here."
Big-sister Ai-chan's voice was so mature and intellectual.
Ai-chan couldn't help but ask: "You… who exactly are you?"
Big-sister Ai-chan answered: "Me? You can just call me… the passing heroine A."
"In short, I'm here to help you."
"As proof… for example, I know that in half an hour, the Hyperion will be torn apart by the distorted space of the Stigmata Project."
"And ultimately fall into irredeemable ruin."
Ai-chan was shocked: "What?"
Big-sister Ai-chan soothed: "Don't panic—you're not in a hopeless situation."
"Whether it's the tactical role of the aerial mothership or the prototype of the Moonlight Throne…"
"None of these are irreplaceable."
"Though Theresa is lost in Stigmata space, this crisis also contains the means for you to escape."
"Don't forget—artificial intelligence is pure consciousness."
"As long as you can still find a data carrier for yourself, you still have a chance to survive."
"And help everyone in your own unique way."
Ai-chan mused: "In my own unique way?"
"Like simultaneously controlling all of the Hyperion's functions?"
Big-sister Ai-chan nodded: "Mm, very perceptive."
"In terms of outcome, the Stigmata Project will construct complex pseudo-time crystals between Earth and the Moon."
"It will indeed destroy all foreign objects that unfortunately enter this domain."
"But it is also a unique opportunity we can exploit."
"Oh? You're asking what a pseudo-time crystal is?"
"Ara, explaining that would be way too troublesome… how about next time?"
"It's fine—we'll have more chances to meet later. No rush this time."
"Come on—time to get to work!"
After that, big-sister Ai-chan began her task with an urgency that brooked no delay.
She unceremoniously inputted all kinds of complex commands into the Hyperion.
She truly had no time to explain properly.
...
Countdown: 25 minutes.
A bright moon hung over Nagazora City. People who had worked all day were gradually entering sweet slumber.
Countdown: 20 minutes.
Arc City's lights had just come on. Streets and alleys overflowed with the blissful scents of hotpot and malatang.
Countdown: 15 minutes.
Moscow was about to enter evening rush hour. The still-quiet subway stations would soon be packed full of crowds.
Countdown: 10 minutes.
Belgrade…
Countdown: 5 minutes….