Chapter 228 Otto: Kongming only dies a few times? Then I can accept it!
Otto's sudden mental collapse gave both Theresa and Su Mu a fright. Looking at Lord Otto, who was twisting in place and almost crawling on the floor in a dark, brooding manner, Su Mu couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
Wait, where did this lead me? Is this still the Lord Otto I know?
Theresa was originally very sad to see Kongming pass away, but Otto's sudden "attack" forced her to swallow her own sorrow. "Grandpa! Why are you shouting so loud all of a sudden! I'm still streaming!"
Otto slumped back into his chair as if exhausted. His eyes were vacant, and he kept muttering: "Kongming, my lovely Kongming, my sweet granddaughter, waaaaah—"
[Lord Otto can't take it anymore!]
[Old Thief Su Mu, look! Look at what you've done to Lord Otto!]
[Whoa, Old Thief, you're too malicious! Doing this right in front of the actual grandfather and granddaughter? You're going to be dumped in Tokyo Bay tomorrow!!]
[Lord Otto, stay strong, stay strong!]
[I have to say, the Old Thief is truly brave to actually participate in this stream.]
[If I were Lord Otto, I'd crush his head in a heartbeat!]
[This guy is a total monster, a complete 'born-yesterday' bastard!]
Seeing Otto's breakdown, the viewers didn't feel he was doing anything wrong. On the contrary, they felt this was a true display of emotion! It was all Old Thief Su Mu's fault! Look at how this Old Thief has driven the majestic Lord Otto to this point! Old Thief, your crimes are supreme!!
For a moment, the chat was a mix of sympathy for Otto and condemnation of the Old Thief. Clearly, this plot was a bit too "explosive" for both Otto and the audience. Facing Lord Otto's breakdown and the audience's vocal protests, Su Mu simply sighed.
"We've only just begun—"
Before he could finish, Theresa slapped a hand over his mouth. "Just say less!" she looked helpless; she was genuinely afraid Otto might lose his temper and turn the stream into a mixed martial arts arena.
Events in the stream spread quickly. Soon, the majority of Honkai 3rd players were posting on forums with tears in their eyes and indignation in their hearts, listing Su Mu's crimes! All of Schicksal and every Honkai 3rd player knew: Otto Apocalypse was an absolute granddaughter-con! Yet, not only did you create such a "knife" in the new plot, but you also made Otto attend the stream to witness his lovely granddaughter's death with his own eyes? This isn't even a matter of being human or not; are you even a carbon-based lifeform?
The entertainment value was peaked, but at what cost?
"However, there should still be a turn for the better," Theresa sighed. In times like this, she had to be the professional one to smooth things over. Honestly... Su Mu had zero self-awareness. "After all, Kongming said that if it's the Captain, he will surely find a way for everyone to survive. He might change the ending for Rita and Kongming."
"And that 'Mr. Iron Fist'—I mean, Xiao Te—who stayed in Empyrean should be the key to saving her. Combined with previous plots, the Captain seems to have the magical power to travel through time and space. So I think what follows will be the story of the Captain traveling through time to save Kongming."
Theresa finished her analysis in one breath, only to notice Su Mu's surprised expression. "...Why are you looking at me like that?"
"No, I was just thinking... Theresa's analysis is completely correct. As expected of the successor to the Schicksal Conglomerate."
"I won't give you candy even if you flatter me."
Theresa's analysis sparked heated discussion in the chat. Truly, if the story ended there, Lord Otto might have twisted Su Mu's head off without waiting for the fans. But obviously, the foreshadowing suggested the Captain would be the savior. The plot was clearly centered on how to save Kongming. It was partly because of this that Otto didn't actually start crawling on the floor; as a veteran player, he still trusted the game's writing. A messy, unexplained ending like that definitely wouldn't happen.
It took a while for Otto to recover from the shock of Kongming's death. his expression finally returned to normal, and he apologized to the audience with a slight air of regret. "I apologize; I was a bit too agitated... because it involves Theresa, I became overly emotional. Please forgive me. And if possible, I hope everyone continues to support Magical Girl Teriri..."
his polite apology won back a lot of favor from the audience, and even those who disliked "Otto" in the game found their impression of the real Otto improved... though the "granddaughter-con" label was now permanently etched into his identity.
Under Theresa's analysis, the audience finally calmed down. As they put it, the Old Thief's game is right here; the monk can run, but the temple stays. It's never too late to flame him.
As Theresa continued playing: The Captain finally found the sleeping Xiao Te and tried to activate her to save Kongming. Due to low power, Xiao Te didn't fully wake but maintained a low-energy state. However, the Captain's desire to save Kongming triggered a miracle. Xiao Te activated the Captain's time-travel ability and successfully sent him back three months—to the moment Kongming just returned to the Empire.
Seeing the Captain successfully travel back and the living Kongming waving her fan—her tone and mannerisms identical to everyone's memory, no longer the cruel tyrant—everyone let out a long sigh of relief.
During this trip, the Captain learned from Kongming that the Empire's situation was not optimistic. Kongming had sent envoys to the other two nations for aid. But the Captain, knowing the future, told her bluntly that reinforcements would not come. his explanation convinced Kongming. Regardless of aid, she had to be fully prepared. Thus, Kongming and the Captain went to the undersea altar to investigate. Through the Seven Stars Array, they located Huodou. They also saw the altar and the already destroyed wish-granting machine, Golem.
By the time Kongming and the Captain arrived at the battlefield where Rita fought Huodou, Rita was already covered in wounds. Fortunately, this time, she had not yet sacrificed herself. While Huodou was hiding, Kongming provided basic first aid to Rita and was very angry at her recklessness.
["Rita, you didn't let me come... you weren't entertaining the foolish thought of taking Huodou down with you, were you?"]
[Rita looked at Kongming and laughed.]
["When Lady Kongming went to seal Huodou back then, weren't you entertaining the same 'foolish' thought?"]
["you..."]
This dialogue moved many in the chat. For the two of them, that was an event from a thousand years ago when Kongming was twelve. Back then, Kongming had intended to sacrifice herself and left the city without a word. Pityingly, the current Captain hadn't experienced those events, so while the talk felt familiar, he couldn't say much more.
["Hmph, I didn't expect that both monarch and subject could be so 'foolish'..."]
[Facing an angry Kongming, Rita sighed softly.]
["Rita merely felt ashamed that during Lady Kongming's absence, I failed to protect the Empire."]
she often thought about Golem granting them ageless bodies. If things were as Golem said, as long as the two lived, the Empire would endure. Even if war came, if they stayed outside the city, Golem could always reverse the situation. But Kongming had warned her repeatedly:
["The Empyrean Empire is not just the two of us."]
Initially, Rita didn't fully understand. But on the first of every month, she and Kongming would visit the Pavilion of a Thousand Stars. There were dances and shows prepared specifically for them. Though beautiful, seeing the same things year after year grew tiresome. they didn't even notice when the performers changed. However, ordinary people also came to watch. they crowded the narrow streets, but they didn't actually care for the shows—they wanted to see "Lady Kongming" and "Lady Rita," whom they rarely saw. And Rita and Kongming didn't care for the shows either; they preferred watching the people.
Prompted by Rita, Kongming recalled those past events.
["That sugar-sculpture shop I loved... even if I greeted the shopkeeper, I could never keep my favorite sculpture forever."]
["And the incense shopkeeper's daughter always asked me for candy. her father was a dull, honest man who always insisted I take extra packets."]
["But a thousand years have passed. Some shops were passed down, while others died with their owners. The city may still be the city, but the people are no longer the same."]
For the ageless Kongming, how many people had she met and how many old friends had she bid farewell to over a thousand years? Time flies and the world changes. Even as she stepped onto familiar yet foreign streets, she never forgot the marks left by time. The city is the same, but the people have changed... This single line allowed the audience to feel Kongming's current state of mind.
["Precisely. That is why Lady Kongming... understood that the Empire is not just us two."]
["'Every living person is Huanyue City, is the Empyrean Empire.'"]
["Those are the words Lady Kongming said to me. I have never forgotten them."]
[The dusty monarch and the battered prime minister fell silent amidst the drifting embers.]
The dialogue made Senti, in her own stream, feel emotional. "As long as the people remain, new memories will appear, allowing that era to be remembered and passed down... not forgotten. This is likely why Kongming and Rita are so stubborn. Even if they can survive through agelessness, can an Empire without its people still be called Empyrean? 'Every living person is the Empire'... did Su Mu really write that? When did he change his style? Holy crap!"
In the game, the beast Huodou attacked again. However, with Kongming and the Captain assisting her, Rita held her scythe and confronted the beast.
["Both of you have helped me this far... if Rita does not win this battle, I will have no face to meet the people of my Empire!"]
The next moment, Rita's aura underwent a complete transformation. she was no longer the elegant, composed Prime Minister with a smiling gaze. she became like a general on the battlefield about to fight a final stand... perhaps that simple title fit her best now.
—Valkyrie.
Undoubtedly, Rita at this moment was like a god of war, her figure firmly planted between the Empire and the beast, refusing to retreat a single step. Her gaze turned sharp and determined, her robes fluttering in the wind. And responding to her will and resolve was a massive armored phantom that colored the sky!
The giant phantom overlapped with Rita's silhouette, making Theresa cry out in front of the screen: "Rita... she's so cool!"
[Rita is way too cool?!]
[Whoa, Sister Rita actually has such a badass side?]
[Ten-year Rita fan in tears! she gets persecuted so much in the main story, all her dignity is gone... Thank you, Empyrean Empire, give me a dozen of this domineering Rita!!]
[To be fair, this side-story Rita is cooler than the main story version, right?]
[True. Main story Rita always feels too relaxed, making you think she has a backup plan, only to fail in the end! But this Rita, knowing she is no match for Huodou, still chooses to fight to the death to protect the people and Kongming!]
[One fails due to underestimating the enemy, the other fights with her life despite knowing the odds... the difference is obvious!]
[Now I can finally say it—Rita, the Eternal God!]
The audience was instantly won over by Rita's coolness, especially that line: "If Rita does not win this battle, I will have no face to meet the people of my Empire." It sent chills down their spines and set their blood on fire! Su Mu had expected this. Honestly, the entire series involving Kongming and the Honkai Kingdoms was excellent writing. In terms of quality, it was top-tier. And it wasn't an exaggeration to say that this was why The Day You and the Stars Disappeared became such a core memory for veteran Captains.
Su Mu felt the biggest reason was that the story of saving Kongming was self-contained and complete... which was rare given the usual Honkai 3rd writing habits of digging holes and retconning lore. For example, the plot related to Luna Vow—waiting for the Captain for ten thousand years—took years to conclude... The wait was too long. Many were in high school for "Midsummer Night" and already working by the time the conclusion arrived.
"It seems this time, the beast will be defeated." Otto let out a sigh of relief. With the Captain and Kongming's help, Rita wouldn't die. This meant the later tragedies wouldn't happen, and Kongming wouldn't die.
But for some reason, Otto had a bad feeling. He felt like countless eyes were watching him... wait, he was streaming; of course countless eyes were watching him. Otto's intuition was quickly proven right.
In-game, with the duo's help, Huodou was cornered. Before dying, it tried to trigger an explosion to take everyone with it. The Captain, disregarding his safety, lured Huodou to the seaside and fell off a cliff with it. Just as he thought he was going to die, Xiao Te's countdown began. The Captain realized the time-travel transfer had limits. But as he fell, he was relieved; since Rita was saved, the later tragedy wouldn't occur. He had saved them.
However—after the transfer ended, the Captain found himself in an endless desert. It was near the ancient battlefield, where they had fought Huodou. He found a Poplar tree in the desert, and beneath it was a familiar figure.
It was Rita.
But the Rita before him was almost unrecognizable. Her cheeks were sunken, and her spirit was far weaker than during the battle. she was incredibly frail. And her eyes... they were hollow and weary. The Captain had seen that look before. It was the look on the face of the "Sage King Kongming" who unified the world. only someone who had lost their most important person would have such a hopeless gaze.
As it turned out, Huodou's final explosion caused immense damage to Schicksal and the Pirates, making survival difficult. Jormungand's sea evaporated into dry land. Schicksal's snowfields melted into a vast ocean. Both nations had sent reinforcements to Empyrean, but the troops never arrived, mysteriously vanishing along with the Empire's own envoys. Believing Empyrean had detained the troops, the two nations declared war. To protect the people, Kongming had Rita evacuate everyone to safety while she stayed alone in the city, fighting to the end, and finally perished.
Rita's narration in the game made Otto's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, die completely. Rita survived, but Kongming still couldn't escape death. Furthermore, the Empire was occupied, and the people lost their homes. This ending was far from perfect.
"I thought with Huodou defeated, the ending would change... but Kongming still died." Theresa sighed deeply. "I guessed it wouldn't be easy to save her, but seeing Rita so haggard makes me really sad..."
The audience agreed with Theresa, finding the outcome hard to accept.
"Huodou was defeated, but it caused immeasurable damage... the war started by Jormungand and Schicksal became the cause of Kongming's death. And the disappearance of the reinforcements was the trigger... only by finding those troops can the crisis be resolved."
Though Kongming's death was hard to take, there was no BGM or CG "jump-scare" this time, so Otto's mental state remained stable. As a guest, he analyzed the situation to distract himself... otherwise, he might have picked up a stick and given the "Dog Thief" Su Mu a four-stage heavy strike.
The Captain got intel from Rita and unexpectedly found the names of the Olenyeva sisters on the list, which triggered a keyword for Xiao Te. With her help, the Captain successfully returned to the time before the final battle. He believed the twins shouldn't have been defeated so easily and looked for them along the march route. Sure enough, in a valley, he found Rozaliya and Liliya.
The appearance of the two jokers made the heavy plot lighthearted. Their interaction was hilarious, making many laugh. Truly, wherever the Vodka Girls are, they bring joy. That was why fans loved them. Their arrival lightened Otto's grief as well. He should have known saving Kongming wouldn't be simple. But the Captain was a quick study and found the key... and based on the opening of Honkai Kingdoms: ZERO, Kongming must be saved eventually. Since she will be saved, failing a few times in between is normal. Failing three or four times is fine; ten times would be insane... but as long as she is saved in the end, Otto felt he could handle it. He could likely maintain his image and finish the stream smoothly.
Otto thought: There's nothing to be afraid of anymore!
END OF CHAPTER
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