Help! My Honkai Impact 3rd Livestream Attracted the Actual Characters!

Chapter 99: Raiden Mei, World Serpent Wants to Make a Deal With You. The Cost Is… 

After leaving Helios, Kiana and Mei wandered through the ruins of Nagazora City.

Technically speaking, it was a leisurely stroll—but with how much destruction surrounded them, there wasn't much to see or enjoy.

A light drizzle fell upon the city, Honkai-infused rainwater dripping onto the polluted seawater below. Kiana and Mei walked through the rain, side by side.

But after just a few steps, the game refreshed a wave of Honkai Beasts.

The two immediately entered battle.

Since they were fighting together, neither could fully unleash their Herrscher powers—but these low-level enemies weren't a challenge anyway.

After several encounters, they finally defeated all the monsters, and their stroll truly began.

["Hah… how far have we walked?"]

Kiana asked, her voice carrying a hint of fatigue.

["Quite a distance. Let's rest for a bit."]

Mei responded, guiding Kiana to sit on a stone slab by the roadside, taking in the broken, yet nostalgic scenery.

["Everything looks the same… the streets, the buildings… all sunken beneath the water."]

Kiana stared out at the ruined cityscape, then suddenly reminisced—

["Mei, do you remember? Back then, we ran through the city just like this."]

Unlike Kiana's nostalgic tone, Mei remembered something… slightly different.

["Mm, I remember. You ran ahead, and your stomach wouldn't stop growling. You couldn't go three sentences without mentioning food."]

["Why do you always remember stuff like that?! Ugh… You've changed…"]

Kiana pouted, her expression turning slightly awkward.

Mei laughed softly—

["I'm just joking."]

She looked around and continued, her voice gentle—

["I remember everything. You led me through the Deadwalkers, we went to the shrine, crossed the bridge… but now, those places are all submerged."]

["Back then, Bronya was with us too. It feels like it was just yesterday."]

Kiana's expression softened as she listened.

Back then, they never imagined they'd experience so much—

That they'd meet so many people, witness so much cruelty, and face the terrifying power of Honkai…

Now, they were still themselves, but their burdens had changed entirely.

["Time really flies. Has it already been three years?"]

Kiana sighed.

Mei, however, took this moment to voice her thoughts—

["We've all changed a lot in these three years."]

Kiana shook her head.

["Have we? I don't think we've changed that much. You're still you, I'm still me—we're still the same as before."]

Then, Kiana stood up, looking out toward the other end of the city.

Her gaze passed beyond the ruins, reaching toward the distant horizon—

["Mei, walk with me a little longer."]

["You still want to keep going? We've already strayed pretty far from Helios."]

Kiana nodded.

["Yeah… There's somewhere I really, really want to go. I want to visit Chiba Academy again."]

And with that, the stage ended.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "I can't believe they've been together for three years now… Mei's such a great person, and she can cook too. If nothing unexpected happens, they'll probably stay together forever, right?"

A pink-colored comment floated across the screen.

Clearly, Elysia had a lot of faith in Mei's abilities.

At the same time, she also felt regret over Kiana's circumstances.

With that, the game transitioned to the next stage.

This time, the player controlled Kiana, following Mei toward Chiba Academy.

On the way, more Honkai Beasts appeared, and Kiana visibly struggled.

The sound of her heart rate increasing played in the background.

Through subtle details like this, it became clear to everyone watching—Kiana was forcing herself to smile.

Finally, after pushing through multiple battles, the two arrived at their destination—

Only to find that the road ahead was completely flooded.

Mei turned to Kiana.

["What should we do now?"]

["Ah… whatever, it's not like I can do anything about it."]

Kiana sighed in disappointment, her head drooping like a deflated balloon.

Taking this chance, Mei finally asked the question she had been holding back—

["Kiana, I've been meaning to ask… Why did you decide to return to Nagazora?"]

["Honestly? There's no special reason. I just… wanted to see how much this place had changed."]

Kiana's voice was calm, almost as if she were talking about someone else's story.

["At the time, I had just escaped from the conflict between World Serpent and Schicksal. My mind was a mess, and my body felt terrible. All I wanted was a place far away from everyone, somewhere I could think clearly."]

["And somehow, I thought of Nagazora."]

She paused for a moment, then laughed at herself—

["I guess when people are lost, they instinctively want to return to where it all began. I met you here. I met—"]

Kiana stopped herself mid-sentence.

She clenched her fists, lowered her head slightly, then forced a smile—

["Ah, forget it… Never mind."]

Mei instantly noticed something was wrong.

["Kiana…?"]

Kiana avoided her gaze.

Her expression dimmed, sinking along with the damp air surrounding them.

Mei understood immediately.

She knew exactly what Kiana had wanted to say—

But she didn't know how to respond.

Because that topic—because that person—

Was a wound they both shared.

["I… still remember everything from that day."]

Kiana's voice was low, calm, but the weight behind it was suffocating.

["These past four months, I've passed through so many cities. I've seen so many people suffering because of Honkai."]

["I kept running. I kept running… But no matter where I went, I couldn't escape that nightmare."]

『Your Great Inventor:』 "Finally ready to face the truth? Her growth has truly exceeded my expectations."

A green-colored comment floated across the screen.

The sender was none other than Otto Apocalypse—

The very man who shattered Kiana's world.

As the orchestrator behind everything, Otto had—

Created 'Kiana'Planned the Herrscher's awakeningDisregarded human life for his own ambitions

Even now, watching Kiana confront her past, he had the nerve to praise her progress.

His ability to draw hatred was truly remarkable.

Yet no one could deny it—

His "foolishness" had brought Kiana into existence.

His "transgressions" had forced her to confront reality.

Herrscher of the Void was born from Sirin's hatred and despair.

But Kiana Kaslana was born from Sirin's kindness and longing.

They were two sides of the same coin.

But Kiana refused to accept that.

And Mei—

Mei refused to accept that, too.

["That's not true…!"]

Mei instinctively denied it—but Kiana shook her head.

["It's okay, Mei. It's okay."]

Her voice was calm, but too calm—

Like someone who had already accepted a cruel fate.

["Acknowledging the truth doesn't mean I'm giving up. In fact, it's helped me figure out what I need to do."]

Kiana's eyes were firm—clearer than they had ever been before.

["Sealing the Herrscher of the Void is my responsibility."]

["But not just that. I can use her power to protect people—to fix what Honkai has broken."]

["In Arc City, I saved a lot of people. But there were also many I couldn't save."]

["During that time… I slowly came to understand something."]

Kiana lifted her head and looked Mei straight in the eyes.

["Mei, maybe my existence started as some cruel joke—"]

["But I can turn it into something meaningful."]

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Kiana-chan… She's grown so much. It's painful, but it's also beautiful…"

A pink-colored comment floated across the screen.

It was rare for Elysia to sound so serious.

Even she, a Herrscher herself, could deeply feel Kiana's pain—

And admired her resolve all the more.

With that, Kiana continued speaking, baring her true feelings to Mei.

After finishing her words, Kiana turned back to Mei with a bright smile.

At that moment, it felt as if sunlight had broken through the cloudy sky. Three years ago, that girl who once declared she would save her had smiled just like this.

Seeing Kiana like this, Mei was deeply moved and felt her heart ache. At this moment, she told her—no matter who she was, no one would abandon her.

["When all of this is over, when the storm has passed, let's come back together—to Chiba Academy."]

Mei made a promise to Kiana...

Kiana looked at the water's surface, her gaze tracing the reflections toward the far horizon.

Finally, she turned around and nodded firmly.

["Mm! It's a promise!"]

With that, the two prepared to return.

However, before heading back, Kiana heard a strange noise. She followed the sound and ended up discovering a barely breathing giant dragon.

It was none other than Benares—the very same dragon Mei and Raven had fought and defeated earlier.

Now, in Kiana's presence, it appeared strangely docile, almost harmless.

After a brief interaction, the two decided to bring the dragon back with them…

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Eh... It was really emotional at first, but then I realized they just picked up a dragon on their stroll... This feels... oddly amusing? But why did the dragon become so tame? Does Kiana-chan have some special magic power?"

A pink comment floated across the screen…

It was clear that 『Pink Fairy Miss』 didn't know much about Benares.

She didn't realize that the dragon's loyalty was never to the Herrscher of the Void, but to Sirin…

Later, aboard the Helios.

Tesla had some very direct opinions on the matter.

["I mean, stray cats and dogs, sure, but I've never heard of someone bringing home a Honkai beast?"]

["First, a cyber-enhanced girl. Then, a refugee kid. And now, an Apostle-class Honkai beast? At this rate, should we expect a World Serpent executive to drop by for a party next?"]

After settling Kiana in, Mei quietly stood before the red-haired, twin-tailed scientist, obediently accepting her scolding.

Her attitude was sincere, so Tesla didn't pursue the matter further.

Of course, the bigger reason was... there was something even harsher that needed to be said.

Tesla led Mei to the communications room and connected to Einstein.

Moments later, Einstein's hologram appeared, delivering grim news.

["Mei, I believe you have the right to know everything. So I will tell you the truth without any concealment."]

["After discussion, we suggest immediately transferring Kiana to Baffin Bay Base near the Arctic and ensuring proper containment."]

["Anti-Entropy will protect her from danger, preventing further escalation—while also keeping the risk to a minimum."]

Einstein then laid out the harsh reality to Mei.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "I didn't expect… there's really no other way? That's... too cruel…"

『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 "Given how bad the situation is, this was inevitable."

『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 "Heh, minimizing risk… In the end, human nature is always to drive away potential threats. How very predictable~"

Several comments rolled across the screen as the truth settled in.

It was clear that everyone was shaken by the sheer brutality of the situation.

What surprised them even more was that after Mei followed Sora to the Nest, she unexpectedly discovered…

They were finally leaving.

As she exchanged parting words with Sora, Raven appeared.

["Sora, go and gather with the others. We're leaving soon."]

["Ah, okay!"]

The girl waved to Mei in farewell before disappearing into the depths of the shelter.

Once Mei was out of earshot, Raven turned her gaze back to her.

["That kid really likes you. She kept going on about wanting to say goodbye, and the next thing I knew, she had slipped out on her own."]

Mei, however, remained cold and distant.

["Where are you taking the children?"]

Hearing her question, Raven answered directly—along with an unexpected word of gratitude.

["Don't look so suspicious. Relax, it's somewhere safe. I've always wanted to get them out, and now I finally have the chance... Ah, speaking of which, I have to thank you."]

["They used to be afraid of the outside world—afraid of strangers, afraid of a life beyond this place."]

["But you changed their minds. You showed them that warmth and kindness can come from unfamiliar faces. You filled the void… left by that Herrscher in their hearts."]

Raven's words carried a deep meaning. If one wasn't aware of what had happened in Nagazora, they might not understand how much this meant to Mei.

["I hope they never learn the truth."]

With that final sigh, Raven ended the topic and got straight to business.

Business that concerned her.

Business that concerned World Serpent.

["Now, back to the point. From that look on your face, I assume you fully understand Kiana's condition now."]

["I wasn't lying, was I? Anti-Entropy will try everything to save her, but in the end, it will all be in vain. What do you plan to use to save her? Ideals? Hope? Human emotions?"]

Unable to bear Raven's apathetic words, Mei snapped.

["Enough!"]

["Ah... My apologies. Don't get me wrong, I'm not here to mock you, nor do I have any interest in fighting you again."]

["I just think… there's something you might want to know."]

She leaned in, her voice a whisper—soft but razor-sharp.

["Raiden Mei, World Serpent wants to make a deal with you."]

["You want to save that girl, don't you? Schicksal can't do it. Anti-Entropy can't do it."]

["—But World Serpent can."]

Faced with a rope descending into her pit of despair, Mei couldn't help but be drawn in.

["...What?"]

End of Chapter 99.