Kiana had originally not wanted to bother with Himeko, but she couldn't stand the loneliness. She turned around, made a face at Himeko, then ran off.
"This brat..."
Himeko had just been about to lose her temper when Ye Ming walked over.
"What took so long?"
"It's nothing. Kiana just got on my nerves."
"Before we start work, how far have you gotten in the main story?"
"I've already finished the St. Freya Academy Arc. That girl gave me a headache in the game too."
The irritated expression did not linger on Himeko's face for long. Soon, her gaze became gentle again.
"Still, when Kiana called out for her mother later on, it really was heartbreaking."
"Come to think of it, after Fu Hua takes her away, we'll start resisting Schicksal, right?"
Himeko said with a smile,
"Speaking of which, as a player, I'm really looking forward to what comes next."
"Mm. Next, I'll explain the story while having you take part in the performance."
Ye Ming brought Himeko to the recording set. After learning all of the subsequent plot, her eyes first widened in shock. Then she held her forehead, her mind in complete turmoil.
Ye Ming brought Himeko a glass of water. After half an hour of recovery, the grave expression on her face finally eased.
"I see. So that's how it is."
Himeko laughed at herself.
"It really is... quite a special story."
"Do you need me to explain the key points of the performance?"
"Not for now. This may sound a little arrogant, but I can understand the character's feelings."
After all, the character Himeko needed to play was herself.
"Then let's begin."
"Before that..."
Himeko grabbed Ye Ming and asked,
"Do you think the Murata Himeko in the game is like me?"
"I made her based on you."
"So that means you think that, in the same situation, I would make the same choice?"
Himeko's question left Ye Ming stunned for a moment, but in the end, he still nodded.
"So that's how it is..."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. I just think that kind of ending suits me rather well."
Himeko smiled with relief, then began her work.
If Kiana's wonderful performance had been the result of Ye Ming using a few little tricks, then Himeko's segment was simply flawless by nature.
During the first few days of the game's open beta, almost everyone had been grinding the main story like mad.
The game being fun was only one aspect. More importantly, in an era where the entertainment industry was severely underdeveloped, players had almost no expectations for game stories.
Having grown used to swallowing chaff and vegetables, once they encountered a main story as full of twists and turns as Honkai's, they simply couldn't stop.
And the more exciting the plot became, the richer the animated cutscenes between stages grew.
Being able to get the feeling of watching an anime series while playing a game was something unimaginable in the past.
"Is the class monitor really going to attack Kiana? I'll bet fifty cents she has some unspeakable reason."
"Himeko's physical condition doesn't look too good. Don't tell me they're setting up some tragic foreshadowing?"
"Relax, this is a cute-girl raising game. It's not like they can just make the cute girl you raised disappear, right?"
Queen's Descent
"Hello, everyone! It's the beautiful girl as cute as a flower, Elysia~"
Was Elysia playing Honkai again today?
"Of course. Yesterday's pulls were a total shipwreck, and I ended the stream in disgrace. I need to regain my momentum today."
Seeing Elysia's eager expression, quite a few comments began teasing her.
Elysia's salary recovery plan. This sponsorship deal really isn't a loss.
"I didn't take any sponsorships. I'm spending because of love."
Elysia pushed through the main story while pulling. Whenever she saw a girl in the plot, she would fall for her, pause the story, and start pulling.
She truly embodied the saying: "Baby sees it, baby wants it, baby gets it."
There was no need to whale for every character at the start of the game. It was just a waste of money.
Seeing comments like that, Elysia said righteously,
"These cute girls are gifts from God! If I can't keep them by my side, how could I possibly do justice to such gorgeous treasures?"
It was rare to see Elysia so persistent, and the comments began teasing her again.
Elysia really is a cute-girl fanatic.
Do men just not catch Elysia's eye?
Did you think the title Elysian Lesbians was fake?
Eternal Paradise was the streaming guild Elysia belonged to. Faced with the title Elysian Lesbians, Elysia defended herself.
"I love all people, just as all people love me. This kind of universal love is for all humanity, regardless of gender."
As soon as she finished speaking, her game's plot reached the moment when Kiana awakened and pulled Mei into a spatial rift.
Watching Kiana scoop Mei into her arms in a princess carry, Elysia looked like a little bear that had tasted honey. Even the flower ornament in her hair seemed to bloom.
Your universal love for humanity doesn't distinguish between men and women, right?
"Ahem~!"
Realizing she had slightly lost her composure, Elysia pretended to cough and said,
"Boys have cute qualities too. For instance, I once liked someone."
Huh? Really?! Elysia liked a man?
What explosive news! Are we allowed to hear this?
Elysia ignored the flood of comments and smiled mischievously.
"Him~~ For the sake of cute girls, he could defeat Honkai, repel Herrschers, kill monsters, hold back the Abyss, reverse the past and future, rewrite destined deaths, and turn every imperfect story into the way I wanted it to be."
After Elysia finished speaking, the comments suddenly quieted considerably, and the viewers' moods settled as well.
Now it's... fantasy time!
Alright, disperse. I thought it was real.
What exactly was I expecting?
Right, how could Elysia possibly like a man?
Because Elysia's description had been far too outrageous and included so many elements from the game, not a single person believed her.
Elysia did not mind either. She treated it as a joke and lowered her head to continue grinding the main story.
"Oh my, Kiana actually turned into a Herrscher?"
On the game screen, Kiana had transformed into a domineering, cold Queen. The viewers were all captivated by that cruel beauty, both regal and magnificent, and cried out in amazement.
Elysia controlled Mei as she engaged the Herrscher of the Void in a fierce battle. However, the Queen's performance was simply too overwhelming, and Mei was soon defeated.
Just as Elysia thought she would have to reset the stage, Mei's health was suddenly restored to full by the system, and she charged at Kiana once again.
It felt as though Mei was draining her own life away. No matter how many times she was knocked down, she refused to give up, determined to awaken Kiana, whose body had been seized by the Herrscher.
"I feel so bad for Mei. I can't keep playing."
Elysia could not bear to continue the battle. At that moment, the live game screen conveniently shifted into a story cutscene.
The Herrscher of the Void gripped Mei's neck with one hand, about to kill her the next second. At the critical moment, Kiana's consciousness briefly returned.
But just as Mei thought she had awakened Kiana, the Herrscher of the Void suddenly burst into wild laughter...
Immediately afterward, the Imaginary Space opened, and a massive Honkai Beast charged out from the black hole straight toward Mei.
In that instant, an Anti-Entropy mech rushed in and saved Mei. Behind it stood countless mechs in formation.
At the same time, majestic music began to play. Facing the army of mechs, the Herrscher of the Void spread her void wings and opened countless wormholes.
Huge hordes of Honkai Beasts poured from the void, endless in number, making the enormous mech formation seem incomparably thin.
"Humans, your very existence is a mistake."
As the Herrscher of the Void condemned humanity, the defensive line formed by the mechs gradually crumbled.
At the final moment, Anti-Entropy held nothing back and removed the fire-control restrictions on every mech.
Ferocious firepower enough to swallow the sky rained down upon the Herrscher of the Void, but the Queen merely revealed a cruel smile that looked down upon all life.
With a snap of her fingers, the barrage filling the sky was effortlessly swallowed by wormholes leading to the Imaginary Space, and the music reached its climax at that very moment.
Hail my proud queen On and on on and on
Hail the Queen! The cheers went on without end!
When the short film ended, countless viewers watching the stream, along with players who had reached this scene, trembled with excitement.
The grand and majestic music, the utterly breathtaking visuals...
Those who had been shouting just minutes ago, "Herrscher of the Void, give Kiana back!" and "Hit Mei again and I'll kill you," all became slaves to the Queen.
Their inconsistent attitudes toward the Herrscher of the Void were exactly like a Napoleon joke:
A terrifying monster was released from its cage.
An evil villain tried to possess the protagonist.
A fake Kiana challenged humanity.
The spreader of disaster encountered Anti-Entropy's army.
The Herrscher of the Void swept away every enemy.
Her Majesty the Queen would arrive today in the Honkai world loyal to her.
"Hehe~~"
Having fully experienced Queen's Descent, Elysia was not as shaken as the other players.
Instead, she wore a meaningful smile.
"I never expected a game CG to recreate that scene so vividly."
"You really are incredible. You've never once made me feel bored."
No one cared who Elysia was talking to. Everyone was still immersed in the gaming feast they had just witnessed, unable to pull themselves free.
"Himeko: I Have a Bad Feeling"
"Ye Ming, our game is trending!"
Before you continue