Chapter 278: The Real vs. The Fake Fu Hua? I am Fu Hua, So Who are You?
["You feel different from the Hua I knew."]
["Well, I feel the same way. Whenever I look back at my old memories, I always think: 'What happened? How did things end up like this?' Perhaps rebirth has allowed me to see many things more clearly."]
Senti placed her hands behind her back, flashing a bright and healthy smile.
["Think of it this way, Kevin: I am a better Hua than before."]
Senti's words met only silence from Kevin. He wordlessly drew the Greatsword of Shamash.
["...You understand me well. I had the same idea."]
The man raised his greatsword, its tip pointing directly at her.
["Friend or foe—choose."]
This scene was undoubtedly a callback to the previous animated short, Reawakening. However, the phrase "a better Hua than before" deeply resonated with the livestream audience.
[Is she truly a better Hua?]
[In a sense, maybe she actually is.]
[The old Fu Hua's experiences were often too stifling. Her personality made her overthink everything, leading her to make choices she would later regret.]
[Exactly. Senti might act like a brat, but what she does is satisfying! I've hated Otto for a long time, and Kevin too. Beating up Otto, tearing apart World Serpent... Honestly, I feel like she's venting all the pent-up frustration Fu Hua ever had.]
"If it were Old Timer, she definitely wouldn't have killed Otto or destroyed half of Schicksal," Senti remarked, feeling a deep connection to the scene. "Old Timer is always like that—always considering the bigger picture, enduring grievances alone for the sake of the greater good. Despite having immense power, she was always constrained by others..."
"Senti is right. The Class Monitor knew Otto was a hopeless piece of trash, but Schicksal needed his leadership. Even with all that resentment, there was no way to let it out... After all these years, she just kept everything bottled up. Honestly, it makes me both heartbroken and frustrated," Kiana added, scratching her head in agreement.
To put it bluntly, she felt Fu Hua had more reason to "turn dark" than anyone else. Her suffering, the burdens she carried, and her tragic past—all of these were more than enough reason for anyone to lose themselves. But Fu Hua didn't. Even after being betrayed and exploited, she remained steadfast in her fight against the Honkai. That is likely why the character is so beloved by players, yet leaves them feeling so indignant on her behalf.
Because of this, seeing Senti wake up in Fu Hua's body and wreak havoc on Schicksal and World Serpent in her name was incredibly cathartic. It felt as refreshing as putting on clean underwear on New Year's morning! Senti was forcefully avenging all the injustices Fu Hua had faced. By extension, she was venting for the players too.
So... how could anyone not love Senti?
"I think if Senti were in the Class Monitor's position, she wouldn't necessarily have made better choices," Bronya countered, shaking her head. "In the end, this is all hindsight. The Senti in the game is more like a newborn baby who hasn't experienced that much. As she said, looking at those memories feels like watching someone else's life—therefore, she isn't the Class Monitor, and she never can be."
"If Senti had personally experienced everything the Class Monitor went through, she wouldn't be able to act so recklessly."
Fu Hua nodded: "Bronya is right. The more you experience, the more you are bound by circumstances. Kevin is a prime example; he wasn't always the way he is now."
Elysia giggled: "I'd say everyone's personality is shaped by their environment~"
Everyone: "..."
They really wanted to ask: Exactly what kind of environment turned you into the Queen of Lesbians, Elysia?
"That's all just hypothetical. I was never Old Timer to begin with, right? So, what exactly is the deal with the me in the game? I'm totally lost. Su Mu isn't even at the office; where am I supposed to ask?" Senti grumbled. She had planned to have a long chat with him today, only to find him missing. Wasn't that guy usually a total workaholic?
"Him? He's probably out on field duty," Elysia noted. "Su Mu never stays idle for a moment. Even on his days off, he's busy making games. His head is nothing but games..."
"True." "That's just how Su Mu is."
The group nodded in unison. Su Mu's "dedication" was legendary; their first instinct upon his absence was that he was working elsewhere. Skipping work was simply not in his vocabulary.
As the game continued:
After her battle with Kevin, Senti lay in the shadow of a giant rock, eyes closed, humming a song. In her words, she was "recharging her batteries." She certainly needed it—hours ago, she had dueled the strongest warrior, and the fatigue was setting in. Regardless of the outcome, she had fought to her heart's content and achieved her goal.
Earlier, after the duel, Senti had stopped the fight according to the tradition of "martial arts courtesy." When she asked Kevin if he believed she was the real Fu Hua, Kevin made a cryptic gesture—placing his right hand over his heart and looking toward the distant sky where nothing could be seen.
["?"]
["...Yes, you are here."]
Kevin reached out, and a feather—one of the many fragments of Fenghuang Down—appeared floating in his palm.
["I am returning this to you, Hua."] Kevin whispered.
The feather drifted toward Senti, and she snatched it. While Kevin's actions seemed loaded with meaning, Senti clearly didn't pick up on it. She was just happy to have accomplished her mission of retrieving the feather from him.
["Don't die before the Honkai is defeated, old friend."] Senti gave Kevin a friendly warning before leaving.
["By the way, here's a tip: the one who told me to find you was Otto Apocalypse. I heard you're in an alliance with him? Let me tell you, don't believe a word he says. One day he's your brother, the next he's sending me to mess with you. He's clearly no good."]
Kevin replied flatly: ["I know."]
He knew exactly what kind of man Otto Apocalypse was. However, what the audience found most interesting was Kevin's attitude. Normally, since escaping the Sea of Quanta, the man had been cold—his hatred for the Honkai and his desire for revenge hidden beneath an emotionless exterior. But facing Senti, he was different, almost as if he were humoring a child. He seemed to find her quite amusing.
After the flashback ended, Senti expressed her disdain for Otto's attempt to play both sides. How could she fall for such a cheap trick? She had retrieved the feather "effortlessly"!
"Effortlessly" (Meaning: Trashing World Serpent and dueling Kevin).
[Regardless of the outcome? Haha, she definitely lost to Kevin, didn't she?]
[Kevin obviously held back. If they had really gone all out, World Serpent's remaining bases would be gone.]
[Senti, you know you were sent to "harm" Kevin? Talk about self-awareness!]
[Schicksal and World Serpent are a total mess now... But wait, I remember in the Reawakening short, there were scenes of Senti fighting Bronya. Are Bronya and Kiana going to fight her?]
In the game, Senti proudly pulled out the feather, tossing it into the air to show off her "spoils of war." However, she quickly noticed a seal on it. This was no obstacle for her; using her power, she broke the seal instantly. As the seal shattered, the crimson feather transformed into the form of Fu Hua—the one the audience knew well, who had traveled with Kiana, saved ARC City, and sacrificed herself to hold off Kevin.
Seeing Fu Hua again, the audience's feelings were complicated. They hadn't expected to see her again so soon. The reunion, coupled with everything Fu Hua had endured, was deeply moving. However, Fu Hua's figure was faint, her eyes closed.
["Your energy is almost gone. How did Kevin use you to reach this state?"]
Senti grabbed the phantom's right wrist. Fenghuang Down vibrated violently—as if startled—before calming down, seemingly too weak to resist.
["Don't move. Let me give you some energy first. You can barely manifest. If this continues, you'll turn to ash and vanish."]
["...No wonder Kevin sealed you away."]
Under Senti's power, Fu Hua's figure gradually became clear, and her eyes slowly opened.
["There!"] Senti let go of the phantom and clapped her hands, spreading her arms wide like a child waiting for a teacher's praise.
["Who... are you?"]
To her surprise, the first thing "Fenghuang Down" did was ask for her identity.
["I am your master. Sigh, looks like your memory is almost gone... You are a fragment of me, after all. Seeing you like this actually hurts a bit."]
A look of confusion appeared on Fu Hua's face.
["I am... your fragment?"]
Senti nodded and explained the situation.
["Yes, you are a feather of Fenghuang Down. An individual created when I copied my personality and thoughts."]
Finally, she told Fu Hua to return her memories and power. However, Fu Hua remained unmoved. It was as if she understood something, her gaze becoming profound.
["I see. You are the one from that time..."]
["What are you talking about?"]
["The moment I was killed by him, I activated Fenghuang Down's zeroth rated power to transfer my consciousness into a feather."]
Fu Hua gazed at the Senti before her.
["That body was left behind. It was empty of a soul."]
Her calm words left Senti looking shocked.
["What are you trying to say?"]
Fu Hua asked: ["If I am here... then who are you?"]
"LOL, talk about an Uno reverse card!" Kiana couldn't stop laughing at the comedic turn. "Class Monitor must be stunned. She wakes up to find someone else in her body, and that person claims to be her master. This is too funny!"
Senti recoiled in disgust: "What is this, Journey to the West? No, this is weirder than the real vs. fake Sun Wukong... Did I really think I was Old Timer? Eww, no way! I don't want to be Old Timer!"
Fu Hua was speechless: "Do you really hate my body that much?"
Senti's eyes widened: "Of course! I don't want to be 'Shenzhou Flat'!!"
The moment those words left her mouth, a very "kind" smile appeared on Fu Hua's face.
"My foolish sister, would you like to repeat what you just said?"
Fu Hua cracked her knuckles. For a split second, Senti felt like she saw the Star of Destiny flashing in the sky.
"I-I meant... Old Timer, you are so charming and amazing! How could I possibly be worthy of such a handsome, majestic, and domineering body!"
Watching Senti's survival instincts kick in, the others in the livestream couldn't help but laugh. This girl was a total riot!
In the game, Senti and Fu Hua strolled through the clouds, chatting.
["...By the way, can you see? You don't have a physical body, so how do your eyes receive light? Also, you can hear me. Strange—do you have eardrums? How does your auditory system work?"]
["It is the power of Fenghuang Down."]
["Oh. Convenient. If something doesn't make sense, just blame Fenghuang Down. Like memories—they should be in my brain, right? When those seven brats pierced my head back then, I forgot a ton of stuff."]
Senti thought for a moment and giggled.
["But you... you're in a feather. It doesn't have a brain. Where are your memories stored? I bet the answer is still Fenghuang Down."]
The topic eventually circled back to the true identity of the feather.
["You were practically bald when you fell into Kevin's hands. Your memories must have taken a hit."]
["Or maybe something critical broke."]
["So you started overthinking, feeling like you're more than just a feather... feeling like you're the original. It's understandable!"]
She even comforted Fu Hua, saying memory errors were normal and she would help her. After all, Fenghuang Down was her fragment; they were like sisters.
["It's fine if you want to wait until you've cleared your head before giving back my power... actually, forget it. I'm not petty. I've given out so many feathers—I even stuffed one into Otto—so why would I begrudge you one?"]
["Come with me. We can be partners. Being alone is too boring."]
Senti's speech left the livestream audience stunned for a moment, followed by another burst of laughter.
[I get it, this is Stygian Nymph, right?]
[When do we get the 'Please, the other me' moment?]
[Is this 'Fenghuang Nymph'? 'Fenghuang Nymph'?]
[I didn't expect Fu Hua and Senti to become sisters this way! But why does it feel... a bit like mother and daughter?]
[It's the classic 'No Brains' and 'Unpleasant' duo!]
END OF CHAPTER
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