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

Chapter 98: Elysia – "Trying to take advantage of our Kevin? So infuriating!"

As the CG ended, Mei had finally found Kiana.

However, what should have been an overwhelmingly joyous moment failed to bring any comfort to the livestream audience.

『Your Great Inventor:』 "I don't mean to dampen the mood, but… doesn't it seem like Kiana is already on the verge of breaking? It's a miracle she hasn't undergone full Herrscher transformation yet."

A green-colored comment floated across the screen…

The sender—Otto Apocalypse, the man responsible for all of this.

He had remained silent until now, likely due to his ongoing negotiations with Kevin.

Yet, despite his usual manipulative tendencies, he wasn't wrong.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Ah… poor Kiana-chan. She's so kind, yet she has to endure all the world's cruelty."

[Because of your livestream content, 『Pink Fairy Miss』 feels sorrowful. You have gained 1,140 crystals!]

A pink-colored comment followed right after—Elysia.

As the first Herrscher, one born as a Herrscher, she could deeply empathize with Kiana's suffering.

However, compared to Elysia's emotional response, Hua's thoughts were much more direct.

『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 "Otto… the man who caused all of this. He is one of the few people in this world I genuinely wish would disappear."

[Because of your livestream content, 『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect』 feels furious. You have gained 1,400 crystals!]

『Your Great Inventor:』 "..."

A green ellipsis floated across the screen.

It was obvious that, after watching so much of the story unfold, Otto had been cemented as the universal villain of the livestream audience.

And yet, Hua's limited memory—due to how long she had survived into this new era—was the only reason Otto still drew breath today.

If the past Fu Hua had retained all of her memories at the time, she likely wouldn't have let him walk away from Taixuan Mountain alive.

As the chat continued reacting, Hokuto clicked into the final segment of Chapter 16.

The Helios medical bay appeared on the screen.

It had been ten minutes since they had retrieved Kiana.

Mei stood in front of the sealed doors, her expression clouded with worry.

After enduring so much, she had finally taken Kiana back—a journey four months in the making.

For four months, she had never stopped thinking about the moment they would reunite.

And yet, when that moment truly arrived—she felt no relief.

Only fear.

["Kiana…"]

She was exhausted—but she couldn't close her eyes.

Because the moment she did… she would see Kiana suffering again.

She couldn't believe it. Just two days ago, that girl had been smiling at her, as if nothing was wrong.

And now, her body was covered in bloodstained Honkai energy marks, unconscious.

Everything Kiana had displayed—her strength, her smiles, her "I'm fine" attitude—was all a lie.

She had been suffering alone.

Mei refused to believe what Raven had said. She rejected the conclusions made by World Serpent.

She desperately prayed that the people inside that medical room would prove that this was all just a false alarm.

—The door opened.

["…Dr. Tesla! Kiana—how is she?!"]

["She's stable for now after emergency treatment. She should regain consciousness soon. But… her condition is still deteriorating. That damn Herrscher inside her is constantly agitating the cores' erosion."]

Tesla's voice was far heavier than before.

["Kiana did her best. For four months, she fought against Sirin non-stop. But… at this rate, her body will collapse first."]

["…And just when it's already this bad, she had to absorb enough Honkai energy to destroy an entire city…"]

Tesla's voice grew weaker and weaker—until it was barely a whisper.

["I've already sent out a Level 1 emergency alert to the Hyperion. They're moving at full speed to meet us."]

["Mei, you need to stay calm and listen carefully."]

As Tesla spoke, the screen faded to black.

["Two months… That's all the time she has left. That's all the time we have left."]

As the scene played out, the livestream fell into a long silence…

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Only two months left… This is too sudden. Mei-chan hasn't even had a proper chance to talk to Kiana yet, and now it's almost over?"

A pink-colored comment floated across the screen after a long pause.

The sender was none other than Elysia.

Clearly, she had not expected Kiana's condition to be this dire. That lively and cheerful girl now had only two months left to live…

For both her and Mei, this was an unbearable and cruel reality.

Hokuto took a moment to think before responding,

『Hokuto:』 "Don't worry, you shouldn't always assume the worst. Maybe within these two months, they'll find a way to save her?"

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Eh? Really? Could something that lucky really happen?"

『Hokuto:』 "Of course. Trust me."

After all, he had already read the script—he knew Kiana wasn't going to perish here.

If Kiana was the hero, then in this world, someone would always rise up for the hero when she was at her lowest.

Without any hesitation, Hokuto clicked into the final stage of Chapter 16.

As the cutscene played, a cold voice suddenly broke the darkness.

["Hey, it's me."]

It was Raven.

["How's the situation?"]

The voice responding to her belonged to Gray Serpent.

Clearly, this conversation was happening in real time—between two members of World Serpent.

["Everything is in order. The Honkai energy in Nagazora City is about to reach its eruption threshold… The experiment can proceed as planned."]

["Heh… heh heh."]

A cold chuckle came from Gray Serpent.

["What's so funny?"]

["Everything is in order? I don't think so. I've seen every move you've made."]

["…Hmph. So, you knew?"]

Raven's voice held no surprise—she had anticipated this.

Gray Serpent, on the other hand, remained as composed as ever, his voice carrying a warning tone.

["Natasha, Natasha, how many times have I emphasized this to you? The Herrscher of the Void is a special case. Every detail about K423 must be personally assessed by the Sovereign. There is no room for personal decisions."]

["I'm truly disappointed… Do you really think you can walk away from this unharmed?"]

That last sentence—was a death sentence.

Gray Serpent was Kevin's most loyal follower.

For him, and for all those who lived for Project Stigmata, following the Sovereign's orders was absolute.

If someone in the organization disobeyed, there was only one outcome—elimination.

But…

After a moment of silence, Raven finally responded.

["That's not necessarily true~."]

["What do you mean?"]

["You must be troubled too, aren't you? If Kiana Kaslana remains trapped in this half-human, half-Herrscher state forever… what value does she have to World Serpent?"]

[...But I found it.]

[The power that World Serpent truly needs—the power that can make the Herrscher of the Void complete her transformation—I have found it.]

As the final cutscene played, Chapter 16 officially came to an end.

The remaining stages were challenge missions and high-difficulty stages with no story content.

To save time, Hokuto went straight to Chapter 17: "When Thunder Shatters the Sky."

Before tackling the story stages, he first played through the prologue of the chapter.

As the scene opened, the game's perspective shifted to the Void Cage, where Otto and Kevin were having their conversation.

[Long live World Serpent.]

"???"

A wave of confusion flooded the chat as Otto's first words left everyone stunned.

"Pfft—"

Despite the initial shock, Otto soon burst into laughter and continued his smooth conversation.

His eloquence was undeniable—always polite, never losing his composure, and at the right moment, he even proposed a mutual destruction scenario.

On the other hand, Kevin, despite his overwhelming strength, didn't seem to have the upper hand in this exchange.

Eventually, after Otto's relentless efforts, Kevin reluctantly agreed to his proposal.

But among the MANTIS squad members, his agreement didn't seem that impressive.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Wow, just as I expected! That cunning bishop is totally trying to take advantage of Kevin!"

『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "???"

『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 "Hmm... I can only say, as expected of the scheming Bishop of Schicksal. Compared to him… even with absolute strength, Kevin doesn't seem to have gained much of an advantage. It's surprising."

『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "?"

『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 "Hehe~ Who would have thought Kevin could ever be put in such a passive position? Ha—! I almost laughed out loud~"

『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "..."

With each remark, Kevin found himself continuously taking hits in the chat.

From his perspective, he had already achieved the best possible outcome… and even did Otto a small favor.

Still, compared to these small matters, he had far more important things to handle…

In the game, Otto returned the Void Archives to Kevin, officially concluding their negotiation.

With that, the prologue of Chapter 17 came to an end.

First Story Stage of Chapter 17 Begins

As Hokuto entered the next stage, the game's perspective shifted back to Helios.

Inside the rest lounge, Tesla poured a cup of coffee for Mei.

[Here, have some coffee. You haven't rested in a long time.]

[...Thank you.]

Mei took the paper cup, but as she looked down, she saw her own reflection in the dark liquid.

A shudder ran through her body, and the rippled surface of the coffee distorted the face staring back at her.

Just an hour ago, she had finally found Kiana in the ruins of Nagazora City.

Thanks to Tesla's emergency treatment, Kiana was now out of immediate danger.

However—the three Herrscher Cores inside her continued to devour both her spirit and body.

And with that, the devastating truth was revealed—

Kiana's body was already at its limit.

The time they had left...

Less than two months.

[I can't believe it… This… this is too sudden.]

[Just three days ago, in Arc City… she was still so healthy, acting like nothing was wrong…]

Hearing Mei's trembling voice, Tesla spoke.

[I've already contacted Hyperion. They're on their way to rendezvous with us.]

[Welt is also keeping a close eye on this situation. If there's anyone who understands Herrschers better than anyone, it's him.]

[Even though I want to evacuate Kiana to a safer location as soon as possible, the reconnaissance station has reported that Schicksal forces have been spotted nearby.]

[Given our current condition, if we run into them, things will get ugly.]

[To be safe, we should wait for backup to arrive.]

[Doctor... I'd like to ask you for a favor.]

Mei pleaded with Tesla not to tell Kiana the truth about her condition. Tesla had no objections—she understood the importance of keeping a Herrscher emotionally stable.

Afterward, Mei prepared to enter the room to see Kiana, but Tesla stopped her.

She handed Mei a towel.

[Wash your face before you see her. This is your first reunion after four months—hold yourself together.]

Mei paused in front of the medical room's door.

She wanted to move forward—but as she reached the door, she stopped once more.

Something was holding her back, keeping her from taking that final step.

Hesitation? Anxiety?

No—it was fear.

...Fear?

Was she actually afraid of facing Kiana?

...How could she have such a thought?

Mei took a deep breath, forcing all the tangled emotions from her mind.

And then—she stepped forward.

The door opened.

[Mei...]

[Ah—]

A familiar, long-missed voice embraced her along with the light spilling from the room.

As the white screen faded, Kiana's gentle, smiling face appeared before everyone...

Though her body was frail, she still chose to greet Mei with a smile.

[Mei, long time no see… No, wait, we actually saw each other just a few days ago.]

[Kiana... you're awake...?]

Mei's voice trembled—filled with emotions of relief and sorrow.

The game didn't need to show her expression—anyone could tell that her face must have been filled with pain.

[Mhm, I just woke up not long ago. I was a little nervous at first, waking up in an unfamiliar place… but then I saw you, Mei. That's when I understood everything.]

[In the end… you still found me.]

Kiana lay quietly on the bed, smiling at Mei.

But suddenly, a strange orange object covered her view.

[Ah! Mei—what's with throwing things at me?! ...Wait, isn't this my lost jacket?!]

But just as Kiana realized what it was, Mei couldn't hold back her frustration any longer.

[...You idiot! How can you say something like that so easily?!]

[Do you have any idea how worried we were about you? How much we missed you?!]

[Why... why would you rather hide alone in Nagazora instead of reaching out to us?! Instead of coming to find us?!]

Hearing Mei's emotional outburst, Kiana fell silent for a moment...

And then—she changed the subject entirely.

[Your new hairstyle… suits you. I like it a lot.]

[Mei, you really do look beautiful no matter what...]

[...I'm sorry. I'm home.]

[Kiana… you're home…]

Mei took a deep breath, finally relaxing.

[...Welcome home!]

Mei threw herself forward, wrapping her arms tightly around Kiana.

The warmth—the softness—made time turn back.

For a moment, she felt like she was back in St. Freya Academy, under the bright morning sunlight, basking in its gentle warmth.

Nothing had changed.

Nothing had ever changed.

Later, Mei told Kiana everything that had happened in the past four months.

Kiana joked about Bronya's height, then expressed her desire to go outside.

Mei, though hesitant, couldn't bring herself to refuse.

And so—hand in hand, the two girls left the room.

The fear and unease in the air—

At some point, it had disappeared.

End of Chapter 98.