Chapter 192: Otto: (Pulls out a Green Hat) Pink-haired? Kiana: Yes
[Sigh...]
[Kevin is right. As long as the Honkai exists in this world, and as long as Herrschers keep appearing, Kiana won't be able to stop her footsteps.]
[Yeah, because Kiana promised Himeko-sensei that she would make this imperfect world better...]
[This inevitably means Kiana will use the power of the Void again and again. Mei can save her this time, but what about the next time? Or the time after that?]
[This problem has no solution! Precisely because Kiana is a hero, she will repeatedly stake her life for the world and its people...]
Kevin's words weighed heavily on the hearts of the viewers in the livestream. Although Mei might alleviate Kiana's symptoms this time, Kevin had stated clearly that it was only alleviation. If Kiana used her powers again in the future... the same tragedy would play out. And when that happened, the same method would no longer work. There wouldn't be a second Mei who could save Kiana this way!
"But since Kevin was the one to bring this up, it means he must have already thought of a solution," Elysia noted. she knew Kevin's character well; he wasn't one for meaningless small talk. If a gun appears in a story, it's destined to go off. Kevin's question absolutely came with a pre-prepared answer.
As Elysia suspected, Kevin proceeded to extend an invitation to Mei. Walk with World Serpent, eliminate the Honkai, capture Herrschers, and seal their authorities. Prevent the Herrscher of the Void from ever increasing her power again. only by leaving Kiana's side could Raiden Mei truly keep her away from danger. And when Project Stigma was complete, both Mei and Kiana could return to being "human."
As Kevin's words fell, a roar echoed and a pillar of light erupted. The sky shattered amidst the radiance, falling like shards of glass. Time was up. The door had been opened, and before long, the Imaginary Tree would manifest in Nagazora. Sleeping Honkai energy would release from the leylines; by absorbing it, Mei could become the Herrscher of Thunder once more and buy Kiana more time!
But to truly save Kiana's life, Mei had only one path: joining World Serpent. Kevin gave her time to decide.
["Raiden Mei, Kiana's fate is in your hands."]
["I don't need to convince you, because you know better than I do..."]
["—Her ideals can save the world, but they cannot save her."]
This sentence struck the hearts of the audience. They realized Kevin was right. In Kiana's ideals, there was no room for her own future. she would only blame herself for the crimes of the Herrscher and the suffering of the people... then attempt to "atone" in her own way. Even if it meant sacrificing herself... For the current Kiana, she would rather use her life to save this world in the throes of the Honkai once more than simply go on living.
[If Mei goes to World Serpent, does that mean she's participating in Project Stigma too?]
[Kiana knows what World Serpent did in Arc City. she would never let Mei join them, right?]
[Kiana will definitely stop her! And honestly, I don't think World Serpent is a good place to be...]
[Sigh, you can't really look at it in simple terms of good and evil... but the fact that they use any means necessary to defeat the Honkai is definitely true.]
"Really? I feel like Mei joining World Serpent might not be a bad thing," Elysia offered her opinion. "Kevin treats his comrades well, and he's a man of his word. If he said he'd help Mei save Kiana, he'll do everything in his power to make it happen."
Kiana, however, was dissatisfied. "I don't agree! The whole organization is so gloomy—Jackal, Gray Snake, Raven... what if Mei gets bullied!"
Beside her, Su Mu's expression turned peculiar. Because, well... Mei going to World Serpent certainly didn't result in her being bullied. Instead, she did a lot of other things and transformed from "Mei" into "Mei-senpai" (the dominant one). In contrast, Kiana shifted from being the "top" to being increasingly "submissive"... the dynamic completely flipped.
Su Mu remembered a four-panel comic that came out when this plot originally released. Kiana was squatting by the road smoking, and Otto walked up to her. "Pink-haired?" "Yes." The two sat down to light their cigarettes together, both wearing towering green hats (symbolizing being cuckolded). It was a legendary classic.
In the game, as Mei fought through the Sea of Quanta, the buildings began to tremble violently. Initially thinking it was an earthquake, she soon realized a storm was arriving. The water level submerging the city was dropping—no, the buildings were rising! Within the pillar of light from the sky, the entire city was being pulled upward! Sharp lightning split the sky of Nagazora.
The Hyperion detected the anomaly and came under attack by Quantum Shadows! Theresa ordered Bronya and the others to split up while she handled the enemies on the deck! During the fight, Theresa saw the massive pillar of light toward Nagazora! The sea was boiling, and a storm was surging toward the city! Einstein observed the anomaly as well, her expression turning grave.
["The Honkai energy in Nagazora is seeping out from underwater at a startling rate, gathering toward the rings of light in the sky... that is definitely not the Sea of Quanta."]
["Ms. Theresa... I'm afraid we are in major trouble."]
In the following scene, a man and a woman chatted on a bench at dusk. Their backs looked very familiar to the audience.
["I remember it well."]
["That night, I happened to walk to the window and look up at the stars."]
["I suddenly had a strange feeling—as if it wasn't me looking at the stars, but the stars looking down on me."]
["Under the vast galaxy, I felt so small, humanity felt so small. Everything around me became insignificant in that moment."]
["Right then, a thought hit me—"]
["I believe that every single star in the sky is our enemy."]
One was Kevin Kaslana. The other was Dr. MEI. In this scene, Kevin was clearly younger and more naive, his voice possessing a simple honesty—completely different from the warrior image burdened with far too much that the audience knew.
["Every star is an enemy?"]
["Correct. In the physics textbook, there is a photo of Earth taken by a space probe from 6.4 billion kilometers away."]
["Ah, I remember! There was nothing in the picture. I looked for ages before I saw a tiny blue dot."]
MEI began to talk about Earth's insignificance in the universe, and how much meaning "one person" could actually have. Her words made Kevin chuckle. He found it novel; in the past, when he dated other girls and talked about the stars, they would talk about horoscopes or blood types. only MEI talked about the universe. Truly, as expected of MEI.
[Pfft!]
[Wait? Why does the old Kevin feel like a male version of Tuna! He's so dorky!]
[Talking about the universe on a date? What kind of 'death' flag is that?]
[LMAO, I can only say: This is our Kaslana! Do you have a Kaslana like this!]
[I shall call him the Progenitor Paramecium!]
The audience couldn't help but chuckle at this honest Kevin; the contrast with his future self was just too vast! In reality, Kevin at that time was the school heartthrob, a basketball star, and basically an idol on campus!
["Just like you said, the universe is big and Earth is small."]
["Maybe... to this sky, we... and everything we care about, have no meaning."]
["A heavy conclusion, indeed."]
["But despite that, I, you, and everyone in the world still live 'meaningfully'."]
["We live, we exist, we make every choice in life, we grasp every moment of the present."]
["Humanity originally had no meaning, but 'we' gave ourselves meaning."]
In the ensuing dialogue, MEI asked Kevin if he found such topics boring. Kevin replied honestly that although he only understood about half of it, the way she spoke so seriously was deeply attractive to him. So, he wanted to keep listening. only for that reason. When discussing future wishes, MEI proposed going to Mu; she wanted to meet more people and see how far humanity could go under the stars.
As the memory ended, Kevin opened his eyes and looked at the city merging with the light. Flickering light, like blood flowing to a heart. At the end of the light rings, an infinite sea of stars and infinite worlds were reflected. In that instant, in every beam of light, people died and people were born. Every one of them, everyone they met, everyone they loved... the sadness and laughter they experienced, the blood and tears shed, the oaths made, the promises unkept, the victories and failures, existence and disappearance...
The entire history of humanity... all of its legacy... every proof of being human... was just an insignificant leaf in this light. Humanity was simply too small.
The stark contrast between the Kevin in the memory and the current one made the audience sigh. If not for the Honkai, Kevin and MEI could have lived a very happy life. After all, the original Kevin was just a bright, happy boy enjoying life. But then, because of the Honkai, he endured so much and became what he is now. He witnessed so many tragedies—comrades leaving one by one, even his own lover... The more beautiful the memory, the more cruel the reality.
In the next stage, Raiden Mei thought of Kiana on the Helios. Worried about her, she fought through Quantum Shadows to reach the ship. Her headache grew worse, severely impacting her combat and slowing her down. At the critical moment, Kiana arrived riding Benares, saving Mei.
["Kiana! Why are you here! Ah... your wounds... how can you leave the Helios like this!"]Looking at Kiana's injuries, Raiden Mei's heart felt like it was breaking! ["I should be asking you that...! When did you slip out... everyone suddenly couldn't find you, do you know how worried I was?"]
Kiana didn't continue the topic, instead telling Mei to meet up with Dr. Tesla. ["Go back? Then what about you?"]
["I still have things to do."]Kiana looked into the distance. The pillar of light was still cleansing the rings in the sky. she had seen this in the Schicksal lab in North Africa. By using the power of the Void, she could close the rift and solve the source of the storm. But how could Mei agree? Kiana hadn't recovered; she couldn't keep fighting!
But Kiana was determined. she could not stand by; she had to stop this. Mei worried about her condition, but Kiana's reply left her frozen.
["That's not important."]The calm words were like a knife to Mei's heart. ["Mei, I know... about myself, about my body... I know everything."]
["Honestly, I'm scared too. Thinking that I might die makes me shiver. But I can't run away because I'm scared. I have to do what I can, to bear my responsibilities."]
["only then can I face the people who were hurt because of me, face my past self..."]
["...Face Himeko-sensei."]
[she turned back, wearing her usual smile.]
["Mei, don't worry, I'm very strong."]
["...Wait for me to come back in peace."]
Despite Mei's cries, the wind surged as Kiana leapt onto the dragon's back, flying toward the rings in the distance. Mei kept calling her name, but all sound was swallowed by the rushing flow of light... along with that receding silhouette, she could no longer see her, no longer touch her...
At this moment, the viewers felt the sheer "malice" of the writer! It could be said that Raiden Mei's current heartbreak was entirely caused by Kiana. Precisely because she cared so much, seeing Kiana repeatedly risk herself without a thought for her own safety was devastating. The more Mei cared, the deeper she was hurt by Kiana's actions!
But was Kiana wrong? Was Mei wrong? No. Neither of them was wrong. And it was precisely because they knew no one was at fault that the audience felt so conflicted!
[Kiana cares for humanity and the world, wanting to bear her responsibility and fate—that isn't wrong.]
[Raiden Mei wants to save Kiana, willing to sacrifice herself—that isn't wrong either.]
[So who is at fault?]
[The answer is obvious...]
In Senti's stream, she finally couldn't hide her grief and rage. she let out a "shout" from the soul toward the camera!
"—Old Thief Su Mu!!! Killing you ten thousand times wouldn't be enough!!"
END OF CHAPTER
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