Chapter 150: "No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Defeat the Honkai!"
Under Pardo's control, Seele began to fend off the incoming zombies. During her battle, the chat in the livestream practically exploded!
[? Rin is really dead?]
[No? Why? Why did it turn out like this? Couldn't Kevin trust Dr. MEI? Why was Rin killed!]
[Look at Rin's body; she suffered inhuman abuse before she died!]
[It was probably those people opposing Dr. MEI! After all, the internal strife within the Moths is just as severe!]
[Just looking at Sakura's hollow eyes makes my heart ache to death....]
[They were supposed to take Rin and Seele back to see the cherry blossoms together, but now....]
For a moment, the viewers were filled with tragic indignation over Rin's fate. They were saddened that Sakura failed to save her sister and enraged by the beast-like behavior of those within the Moths! From the wounds on Rin's body, it wasn't hard to imagine how much pain and despair the girl felt before her death. This ending was difficult for them to accept. After all, they had previously witnessed Yae Sakura's tragic encounter where she failed to save Yae Rin and was even the one who killed her. Now, Sakura—so similar to Yae Sakura—had also failed to save her sister Rin...
Sakura had been willing to betray her organization and fight her former comrades just to save her sister, but she couldn't change this ending!
[Wait, didn't MEI say on the comms channel earlier that a Herrscher had awakened? Why was Rin killed?]
[Right! I thought they killed Rin because she awakened... but look at those injuries. She didn't fight back at all before she died, did she?]
Soon, the viewers noticed something was off. If Rin had truly awakened as a Herrscher and couldn't control her power, her death at the hands of the Moths might have been justifiable. After all, to humanity, a Herrscher is a terrifying natural disaster, and killing Rin in a desperate situation would be a last resort. But Rin didn't look like she had fought back; she was tortured to death. So when did the Herrscher awaken?
"The people who did this to an innocent girl.... are literal demons!" Pardo's expression was full of rage. "Before awakening, Rin was just a little girl! Dr. MEI definitely ordered her to be kept under guard... those people must have disobeyed orders and lynched her!"
Based on her knowledge of MEI and Kevin, Pardo absolutely didn't believe the two of them would order Rin's execution!
As Pardo controlled Seele to complete the stage, the plot advanced. Kevin arrived at the scene, using his greatsword to clear the remaining zombies. He walked straight toward the two girls and called Sakura's name, but received no response. Sakura seemed to have fallen into an invisible abyss along with her dead sister. Kevin knew that calling out would do no good now. He shook his head and opened a comms channel to inform Dr. MEI of the situation. Other zombies were being wiped out by the Moths' actions. Although Dr. MEI believed they shouldn't let their guard down, for now, the crisis seemed... resolved?
Kevin faced Seele and told her about the Twelfth Herrscher's ability. The Twelfth Herrscher's power was the release of a massive, airborne corrosive virus at the moment of death. While Kevin and the others were unaware, the soldiers at the base had executed Rin without authorization, which in turn awakened the Herrscher. This zombie crisis was because of Rin. Kevin's explanation brought a sudden realization to the viewers, followed by torrential fury.
[If those people hadn't executed Rin without permission, maybe she never would have awakened!]
[If Rin hadn't been killed, she might have stayed unawakened forever, right?]
[So those bastards killed her before she awakened? She was just a child; how could they pull the trigger??]
[What a cycle... if Rin hadn't been killed, the Herrscher wouldn't have awakened, and those people probably wouldn't have died. Is this what they call 'heaven's justice spares no one'?]
The viewers felt no sympathy for the soldiers who died because of the Herrscher's awakening; on the contrary, they felt those people deserved it. If they had killed an awakened Herrscher, the viewers wouldn't feel so uncomfortable. But they killed an innocent girl!
Kevin sighed and spoke slowly. "Fear drove them to pull the trigger and murder Rin." "I am not making excuses for them.... It's just that the situation in the Previous Era was likely far more tragic than we imagine. Based on the game's current reveals, humanity is on the brink of extinction." "The Eleventh Herrscher caused unimaginable destruction, likely shaking the very foundations of humanity.... Perhaps because the disasters brought by Herrschers are so terrifying, people felt such paralyzing fear toward an unawakened one."
Bronya's expression was heavy. She sighed and said, "I really can't forgive those people.... even knowing they pulled the trigger out of fear. Probably because I have a sister too, seeing Sakura's despair makes my chest feel tight...."
Pardo said huffily, "Exactly! Pardo is angry too! Maybe if Rin hadn't died, the Twelfth Herrscher would never have awakened."
[I'm afraid that hypothesis doesn't hold. I think Rin's awakening was only a matter of time.]
[I agree. If she wasn't killed this time, she would have encountered the same thing later.]
[From the moment she was chosen as an unawakened Herrscher, awakening was inevitable....]
The viewers maintained a pessimistic view of the hypothesis. To put it bluntly, from the moment Rin was chosen, she was a time bomb. While they were enraged by the murder of an innocent girl... beyond the anger, they felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
[Could awakening as a Herrscher allow Rin to control her power? Maybe she could have become a Herrscher on humanity's side... helping fight the Honkai?]
[Wait, was there not a single Herrscher on humanity's side in the Previous Era? Shouldn't there be?]
[There are so many in the Current Era, so there must be a possibility, right?]
[Right, isn't the Herrscher of Thunder a good example?]
[Don't count on it. Can you be sure Rin's Herrscher personality would be like Mei's and not like the Herrscher of the Void?]
[Besides, the Herrscher of Thunder was only 'convinced' because Kiana beat her into submission, right?]
[Do you want to gamble on Rin having a strong enough will to defeat the Herrscher personality? Did you forget how much it cost to finally let Kiana control the Herrscher of the Void's power?]
The viewers realized it was an unsolvable dead end! Seeing the intense discussion, Pardo looked sad. "Sister Sakura.... was it destined to be futile from the start? This is too cruel...."
As Pardo continued playing, Seele also tried to defend Rin, arguing that if it wasn't for those soldiers, Rin wouldn't have awakened. But Kevin replied that even if they had stopped those soldiers, there would eventually be someone else, or something else, that would become the final straw for Rin! When Rin was chosen as a Herrscher, her end was set.
Death. Honkai.
As he said this, Kevin's eyes flashed with a lethal light, and his clenched fists looked like they might bleed at any moment. He struggled to keep his tone calm, but the trembling of his body exposed his pain and fury. Soon, MEI contacted Kevin again and informed him of a shocking fact. The Twelfth Herrscher had not been eliminated; the base's system was under a viral attack, and the defense programs were completely compromised. All equipment and robots had fallen under its control, and it was now seizing control of the nuclear silos.
The Twelfth Herrscher's true form was a sentient, ultimate virus! This was the true form of the Herrscher of Corruption! This revelation made the viewers gasp. A sentient virus that could even hack the Moths' systems... it was the ultimate weapon designed specifically against civilization!
Upon learning her sister was "alive" in this state, Sakura finally snapped out of her daze. She looked at Kevin and declared she was going to find Rin. But... both Kevin and Seele knew that for Sakura to go now meant a permanent farewell. Yet, Sakura was prepared. She had to find Rin regardless. Seele offered to go with her, but Sakura knew this was a suicide mission. She refused Seele and, at that moment, unleashed her ability—as her frost-laden blade left its scabbard, Sakura's strike froze space itself! In this time-stop field, only Sakura could move! This was the true face of Sakura's ability; her pinnacle strike could even freeze time itself!
Passing Seele, Sakura whispered her final words. ["I wish.... that you can reunite with your sister...."]
With those words, the game returned to the stage selection screen. Pardo swallowed hard and clicked the next stage with an extremely heavy heart. After Sakura left, Seele anxiously wanted to chase her, but Kevin stopped her. There was no point.
After an unknown amount of time, MEI's voice rang through the comms again. The Herrscher had fallen into a trap and was now contained. MEI would find a way to transfer the Herrscher into a Black Box. However, MEI received no reply from Kevin.
["Sorry, MEI. Please give me some time."]
["I have some things.... to handle."]
The pitch-black screen changed. Amidst a ruin, Sakura sat slumped on the ground, propping herself up. She was covered in wounds, her eyes vacant. A trickle of blood ran from her mouth. The aura of death pervaded the ruins; Seele could feel that Sakura's time was running out. Seeing Sakura's dying state, Pardo felt her heart shatter!
[The warrior lay amidst the endless metallic ruins, like a lonely flower in a wasteland.]
[Her most precious pendant had withered along with her figure.]
["Kevin, I know you were right...."]Facing the dying Sakura, Kevin told her that at the final moment, the Twelfth Herrscher had experienced an unexplained disturbance. MEI seized the chance to successfully seal the Herrscher.
["That's good...."]
["I accompanied Rin.... to the final moment.... until the end.... she was still my sister...."]
["I kept.... my pride as a sister...."]
[Kevin gazed at the warrior in the ruins. After a long silence:]
["You didn't regret it in the end. That is enough."]
[The girl's eyes gradually dimmed, but a hint of a smile flashed in the corner of her eye.]
[Perhaps she saw something—something only she could see.]
["Kevin, I have.... one final request...."]
["Seele.... take her back to our hometown...."]
["I promised her, I would take her to the square where the cherry blossoms bloom...."]
Even in her final moments, Sakura did not forget her promise to Seele. She entrusted this wish to Kevin, hoping he could fulfill her last request.
["Seele.... do not be sad.... some things, some regrets, are beyond our power...."]
["But you.... have someone you want to protect. When you stand with her under a cherry blossom tree...."]
["You will find that this world is still beautiful..... you will find that your world still has hope...."]
[With those words, the last spark in her eyes faded. The world bubble gradually dissolved, returning to nothingness along with the warrior's life.]
Pardo felt like a giant stone was blocking her chest. Recalling Seele's meeting with Sakura, they hadn't spent much time together... yet that gentle and strong Sakura was deeply engraved in Pardo's heart. Even though the plot segment was only ten minutes long, the viewers shed tears for this warrior... this sister.
[Is every pair of sisters in the Honkai world destined for tragedy?]
[Yae Sakura and Rin were like this, Sakura and Rin are the same!]
[Old Thief Su Mu, did you have a traumatic childhood?]
[I seriously want to 'love' Su Mu to death with a bullet!]
[Is Haji-Su really asking for love? Does he want to taste my Haji-Wan Big Cyclone?]
[Heh, typical! Do you know I feel absolutely nothing? (Sunglasses.jpg)]
As everyone was feeling miserable and denouncing Su Mu's inhumanity, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from the darkened screen.
["Hector knew the kingdom would eventually fall, and Achilles knew he was walking toward death. But both of them stepped onto the battlefield without a second thought."]
["In a story destined to be tragic from the start, not one person hesitated or wavered."]
["They were like that, and we are like that too."]
Seele was stunned; she didn't know who was speaking.
["I brought her remains back to our hometown. But when I arrived there...."]
["I saw only a barren wasteland of nothingness."]
["The Herrscher manipulated the silos, using nukes to destroy the only three cities humanity had left."]
["I stood in the square that had turned to ruins...."]
["And in my eyes, I couldn't see a single cherry blossom."]
Countless pink sparks appeared in the darkness. Amidst the boundless Sea of Quanta, there stood a cherry blossom tree that was entirely out of place with its surroundings. Kevin Kaslana stood under the tree, his fists clenched, as if talking to himself.
["On the scorched earth, I made a promise to her, and to everyone."]He turned to Seele, his whisper sounding like an oath in her ear. ——— ["No matter the cost, humanity will defeat the Honkai."]
Scalp-tingling. Kevin's whisper seemed to echo in everyone's ears, leaving the viewers in a daze for a long time. Just that short passage allowed the audience to see the entirety of Kevin Kaslana's life—his conviction, his resolve, his will... his everything.
[So that world bubble was actually something Kevin personally experienced?]
[The Twelfth Herrscher was sealed, yet successfully launched nukes to destroy the last three cities....]
[Holy crap? Only three cities left? Meaning humanity has no cities now?]
[Now Kevin can't even fulfill the promise because their hometown.... was turned to wasteland by nukes!!]
[Wait, you even had to strip away Sakura's final wish? Su Mu, are you even human?]
[Honkai 3rd writer, are you psychologically traumatized??]
[Is the writer mentally scarred, holy crap?]
[Writing Sakura to death wasn't enough, you had to stab us here too?]
[Hahaha! Rin is dead, Sakura is dead! Dead! Everyone is dead!]
[Someone stop the Old Thief! Look at the brother above, he's been driven insane!]
At the same time, in Senti's stream, Senti stared blankly at the screen. Even when the stage returned to the menu, she didn't move. She looked petrified, or rather—numb. Completely numb. Who am I? Where am I? Where should I go? Aba, ababa, ababa—
Looking at the seemingly incoherent Senti, Fu Hua sighed. The kid had likely taken too big a shock and was now in a catatonic state... Senti's hollow eyes suddenly regained their light. She stood up, arms wide, looking manic.
"Hahahaha!!! Dead! All dead! All written to death by Old Thief Su Mu!" "Wuu-wuu! All dead! Yae Sakura is dead! Kallen is dead! Rin is dead! Sakura is dead! All dead, hahaha, all of them!!" "The cherry blossom tree is gone too! It's all gone, hahaha, hahaha!!"
Senti was both laughing and crying, looking mentally unstable. Clearly, the impact was too great... Fu Hua took a deep breath, gathered energy in her finger, and delivered a finger-flick to Senti's forehead!
"Ow! Pain-pain-pain-painful!! Old Timer, what was that for!!" The previously manic Senti snapped awake in a second, clutching her forehead and shouting in pain. "I-I was just trying to create some 'entertainment value'... what are you doing, Old Timer! You didn't really think I went crazy, did you?"
Fu Hua blew on her finger and looked at Senti dryly. The kid's episodes are getting worse? It's probably because she isn't hit enough!
In Pardo's stream, Bronya's expression was beyond strange. She looked at Pardo, hesitating to speak. Pardo asked curiously: "Sister Bronya, what is it?"
Bronya spoke: "Seriously, every time I see these plots, I start to doubt Su Mu's mental state too...."
Pardo nodded, agreeing: "Pardo feels the same.... while I can't deny Brother Su Mu's plots are brilliant, every time I see him kill off characters without mercy, I wonder if he has some trauma...."
Kevin suddenly said solemnly: "Mhm, I happen to know a famous psychiatrist. Do you need an introduction?"
[Let him go! Let him go!]
[The Old Thief really needs a psych evaluation! He has to!]
[Yes, yes!]
[Wait, if he goes to a psychiatrist, does that mean Honkai 3rd has to change writers?]
[? No, no, no!]
[If he's replaced, who's going to fill the missing pieces of the Honkai plot for me?]
[Wait, even though he's a beast, he writes so well! If someone else took over, it wouldn't have the same flavor, right?]
Hearing Kevin offer a psychiatrist, the viewers panicked. Even though they "crucified" the Old Thief daily, they didn't actually want him gone! If he's gone, where can they play such authentic Honkai 3rd? He might not be human, but his skill level was top-tier! It was because his "stabbing" technique was so advanced that so many people denounced him... To put it bluntly, they were addicted to the "trauma-inducing" flavor of his writing!
Change writers? If they really changed, would it still have that "flavor"? No, absolutely not! The Old Thief cannot be changed, and he absolutely cannot die! But he shouldn't live too comfortably either! Lock him in a dark room, inject him with a "mysterious drug," and turn him into a writing machine that only produces scripts!!
"Sigh, I thought you all hated Brother Su Mu...." Seeing the audience's comments, Pardo was confused. Weren't these people ready to explode at him just a moment ago? Why were they the first to defend him now?
"Perhaps because tragedies are what stay in the heart." Bronya expressed her understanding. "The plot of Honkai 3rd is a vital part of the game, significantly affecting the players' experience... Its recognition by so many players is inseparable from Su Mu's writing."
"I guess I can understand that...." Pardo nodded half-comprehendingly. "Like that Sichuan restaurant I visited last time—it was so spicy my tongue felt like it was on fire, but it was delicious! Even getting hospitalized by the spice didn't change the fact that it was good!"
Kevin remarked: "I believe it's called... a love-hate relationship?"
After the farce, Pardo felt a bit better and picked up the controller to continue the plot. After Seele met Kevin under the cherry blossom tree in the Sea of Quanta, she immediately understood that Kevin was the "Snake." Kevin didn't hide it, telling her that the world bubble was from his memories and also his unfulfilled promise. Memories with comrades, entrusted will, and the future promised to everyone. They appear before his eyes day after day like a dream or a bubble, then vanish into nothingness. It was as if they were repeatedly reminding Kevin of the fact that humanity was once exterminated by the Honkai.
[Humanity was exterminated.... As expected, Kevin is a survivor of the Previous Era, just like Fu Hua!]
[That world bubble was what happened in the Previous Era, something Kevin personally experienced!]
[But since he's a survivor like Fu Hua, why was he sealed in the Sea of Quanta? Kevin is a warrior against the Honkai, right?]
[True, his goal is to fight the Honkai, so why did Old Yang have to seal him?]
[From Kevin's words, he probably watched countless comrades like Sakura die before his eyes....]
[Sigh, the Previous Era was so advanced yet couldn't escape destruction. Kevin bearing the mission to fight the Honkai and living from then until now is just too tragic....]
[But maybe Kevin's comrades didn't all die? Could Fu Hua have been his former battle-mate?]
[But Fu Hua is a 'ghost' now....]
The viewers felt deep sympathy for Kevin, realizing he was likely a tragic, heroic figure. But they remained confused: if Kevin's mission was to fight the Honkai, why did Welt view him as an enemy and seal him at all costs? Theoretically, shouldn't Kevin be a good guy? Is there a hidden truth waiting to be revealed?
END OF CHAPTER
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