It wasn't over yet.
The screen was dark at first. Then, as a pleasant voice appeared, the camera slowly moved, the scene gradually brightening.
Familiar figures came into view—characters players had often seen in the game, heroines who had once saved the world.
"Alright, just like I said last time—today, your lovely pink elf lady will take you on a tour of the voice recording studio! ♪" Elysia's voice was sugary sweet.
The camera then showed a green-haired girl, her emerald eyes carrying a trace of frustration. She wore the St. Freya Academy uniform and was holding a script, reading her lines.
"The world's greatest bard must tune the strings of his harp."
"This is Wendy! Although she left the game fairly early, I heard she'll be playing a brand-new role in the next title! Something to look forward to! ♪"
Elysia smiled faintly toward the camera, gesturing for attention to focus on Wendy. Her expression made it obvious she was in a good mood today.
"This role is so hard to voice! I don't wanna do it—why should a young lady like me have to make a little boy's voice?!" Wendy huffed, tossing down the mic and pouting, squatting in the corner.
Then she hugged her head and sulked.
In the game, her other self—the Herrscher of Wind—had yearned for freedom. Perhaps after her in-game death, that wish had brought her to a different world. It was a nice thought… but she was starting to realize that voice acting wasn't as fun as she imagined.
She could now understand why Kiana always looked like she didn't want to work.
The livestream's comment feed rolled like a flood
----
[It's the pink elf lady streaming! My favorite host is finally live~]
[The "While Alive" series—so Kiana really did go to the moon? Guess I'll have to support our national space program now!]
[Wendy, live well in that other world!]
[So you're all voice acting for a new game? Who's the god that could gather so many Herrschers? (doge)]
[At first I thought the boss was just a ship simp, but now… what is he even aiming for? Still, with this VA cast, it's already a masterpiece!]
---
A lively, cute voice from off-screen stirred the players' curiosity.
Naturally, Elysia didn't mind tilting the camera—revealing none other than Kiana, whom everyone had once imagined working on the moon as an astronaut.
"Big mound, small hill, two Khukhu looking, three Khukhu picking herbs, four Khukhu endure~!" Kiana was reciting a children's rhyme for her lines, even acting out the motions—placing her little fist near her chest and letting out an energetic cry.
(T/C: Paimon?)
No one knew why she had to voice-act with her whole body, but Luo Mo found her immersion in the role amusing. Still, it wasn't quite like Welt, who could express things subtly without showing it.
----
[So cute! Right into my heart!]
[What?! My monthly dream just crumbled… but hey, Kiana's doing fine on Earth too.]
[She's our unbeatable, super adorable treasure!]
---
Kiana's appearance once again delighted the players. Having accompanied them all the way to the end as one of the "Three Greats," her popularity had never waned.
"You guys say that just like Kiana went to Mars, you all want to go too. Fine, fine—Kiana's still doing great, at most… she's about to fall into my strategy."
Elysia's smiling face curled into a sly grin as she turned to the camera, wearing a proud and slightly mischievous look, almost like she was fishing for praise.
"What are you talking about? Don't make things up! Even if there's a 'strategy' going on, I'm the protagonist here—it's me who's strategizing you!"
Kiana planted her hands on her hips, speaking with lively energy.
Among the students, some clearly waved her flag of support, which made her quite happy; but the fact that the target of the "romantic dream" was her—or even herself—made her anything but pleased.
"Alright, alright, it's a deal!"
Elysia forcibly grabbed Kiana's hand and made her high-five to seal the promise, leaving the originally annoyed Kiana dumbfounded. She stood there, eyes wide, watching the forced scene unfold.
Her face twisted in a bitter expression, which only made Elysia's smile grow even more delighted.
"Y-you—you! Mei is still here, you know!"
Kiana suddenly came to her senses, yanking her hand back and glancing nervously left and right, as if she wanted to wipe out all the witnesses.
The barrage of live comments watching this scene burst into teasing laughter.
---
[So you said it out loud~ Gonna dump Mei now~ (evil grin)]
[Mei: So Kiana doesn't want me here, huh.]
[Elysia: Don't worry, you're all my wings~]
[As expected of Elysia—what a wicked woman. Kiana got grabbed hard.]
----
"Ah…" Mei sighed softly.
She had seen the whole thing clearly, but she couldn't bring herself to feel anything extra about it—this kind of scene had happened far too many times.
No matter if it was her or Kiana, they had both been constantly pulled into contact by the other.
After the Honkai was no longer a threat to the world, Elysia seemed to have completely let herself go, leaving traces of her presence everywhere on campus—except inside the Golden Courtyard of the inner grounds.
Kiana, though considered a "Goddess of Earth," didn't really carry much divine air about her—which honestly made her happy. She was still just her.
"Don't complain. At least our characters are pretty normal. Look at Mei's lines over there—they're so awkward and chunibyo."
Anna poked the sulking Wendy and whispered, motioning her to look toward Mei.
[Now… time for annihilation!]
Mei was frowning, eyes closed, imagining a sword-drawing practice in her mind.
She didn't really understand why she had to draw her sword from this position… but for a character from a land of deities, this role wasn't too bad. At least she didn't have to say things like, "I can't do anything" or similar nonsense.
That gave her some comfort.
(T/C: she won't be able to cook)
The only thing she regretted was that her character had no interaction at all with Kiana's character… which left her a little disappointed.
Speaking of which, if there were really a parallel world like this in reality, she wondered what kind of special training she could receive there. And in terms of appearance, that so-called "Shadow God" might be willing to give her some pointers… After all, the other party had the face of a virtuous wife who was also a great cook.
She herself had been teased as the "Herrscher of Rice," so she wondered—what would the other one be called?
"…True, Mei's role does look kind of troublesome."
Wendy perked up instantly. Compared to her own struggles, seeing others suffer was oddly comforting.
Of course, deep down, she still liked that Wind God character very much.
"Hmm… Let's not interrupt Mei's immersion in her role—she's a little focused right now. Oh, and let me share something fun: my character meets everyone in the story! All of them~ ♪"
Elysia deliberately emphasized the final note, her bright smile nearly impossible to hide.
(T/C: NO 😳)
She pretended to shyly cover her face, but through the gaps in her fingers, you could clearly see her eyes—sparkling as if saying:
"Luo Mo already told me that this time, Mei and I will have heart-to-heart contact. I just can't wait—my heart's going thump-thump-thump!"
Mei shot her a glance but didn't respond. She already knew part of the upcoming script—if they were calling it "heart-to-heart contact," it was really just a near miss at some deep emotional exchange.
"Bronya's the one with the real problem—my role takes forever before I even show up."
Bronya sounded quite displeased.
(ᗜ ˰ ᗜ)
(T/C: what was original 5 years changed to 6 year. Thanks Hoyo)
After all, she had grown quite a bit in the past year, finally showing a few signs of maturity. Back in the orphanage, she had barely survived thanks to Seele's nutrition, but now she was in a much better place.
And honestly, that period of "nutritional acquisition" had been well worth it—it was actually a super bargain.
"And I'm a villain on top of that!"
She didn't mind playing the Eastern Empress antagonist, but she wanted to appear sooner. Kiana and Mei's characters showed up very early, while hers was stuck far behind.
Still, putting her character in the late part of the story gave her plenty of free time to work on her mecha game. She had even decided to sign under Luo Mo's company label and collaborate with Welt to pursue their passion project, "Araharto." Preparations were in full swing—
Though sadly, she hadn't been able to poach Su Lu, the perfect candidate for management.
The look in her eyes when she turned her down—sad yet heavy—was something she'd never forget.
But then again, if it was sister Su, well… hating work would make perfect sense.
"Look, everyone—guess what I found? A wild, growing little duckling! I just want to take her home~ >_♪"
Elysia pointed the camera straight at Bronya, who was staring blankly into the lens.
Her dazed look was completely captured on film.
"This is not a wild one!" Seele stomped angrily beside her. "She's clearly mine!"
"…Is that really the important part here, Seele?"
Bronya sighed, her face showing even more embarrassment.
---
[Cute little duck, I just want to roast and eat her]
[Bronya's grown up? No way, that's impossible!]
[No, this can't be real. This must be some nightmare—Bronya would never betray our cult's ideals!]
[Quick, point the camera at Theresa—she's probably still exactly the same]
----
Some of the "cult members" in the chat went on spouting nonsense online. The law might be slow, but it never misses—sooner or later, they'd be brought to justice.
As for reasonable requests, Elysia was still happy to listen.
And look—Theresa just happened to be in the corner, complaining to someone.
She gave a faint smile and quickly walked ahead.
"Damn it! Damn it, damn it! Why is the academy head role still just a little girl?!"
"And even worse, always locked up and restricted! Is this what the head of the academy should be like?"
She was supposed to be managing the entire academy, yet somehow she'd become a misbehaving student who got grounded every day.
(T/N: she means She is Klee)
Theresa was furious. She crossed her arms, pouting in dissatisfaction.
But honestly, this image suited the character perfectly.
Some players had been worried, but in the end, their fears didn't come true—
The headmistress still looked exactly the same as she always had, without the slightest change.
"Theresa, you have to understand—every gift from fate comes with a price."
Luo Mo earnestly advised her, though the smirk at the corner of his lips betrayed his true thoughts.
"Speak human language."
Theresa shot him a cold glare. Where did he even learn to talk in riddles like that?
"When you accept that particular costume, you have to voice-act for that role.
But I promise—later on, you'll get to voice a much older character."
"Really?"
She was a little tempted, though she didn't show it, keeping her stubborn act as she looked up at Luo Mo.
But her eyes, once firm, were already showing a flicker of anticipation.
Once in a while, she did want to play a mature female character! Even if only in-game…
Well, except for that one time Luna—that one clearly wasn't the same person as her!
"So tell me, why do I always have to play these kinds of characters? And the costumes—don't tell me you're doing this on purpose!"
Theresa was pretty sure she had a good reason to be suspicious.
"Maybe… they're assigned based on height?"
Kiana recklessly stepped up to her, grinning as she offered her "brilliant" theory.
"Ki——a——na!!"
In no time, Kiana had a large bump on her head and ran off to find Mei for comfort.
---
[Look! It's that cruel man again! Where's all that warmth and joy you promised?]
[Excuse me, how do I apply for this company? Standing by online, it's urgent.]
[Even the Goddess of Earth couldn't beat Theresa in the end. Now you understand why St. Freya is called the Eastern Devil's Den?]
---
"Haha, the warmth and joy will be in the next game.
Our Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2 is about to begin—it'll definitely bring everyone back together."
Luo Mo grinned as he gave his answer.
He really did pay attention to the players' feelings. In that regard, he was a lot like Elysia—though their goals weren't exactly the same.
He, for instance, loved to make players cry first, then quietly peek from the sidelines to see if they were really tearing up.
"As for that 'Eastern Devil's Den' rumor—right now, there's only one Herrscher."
From afar, Kiana made a silly face at him.
"Elysia, stop petting yourself and get over here to record the heroine's voice! You're the last one left. Seriously, you finished your lines ages ago and then went and made yourself extra work."
Theresa called out to Elysia with a tired sigh, shooting her a resentful look.
What on earth had she done to keep Theresa from even snatching the heroine role in the Py script deal?
Not that… she cared about that deal. Hmph.
"Hehe, of course—it's so everyone will remember me more vividly! After this, I'll say farewell to my lovely audience~"
"Hmph!"
Elysia cleared her throat in front of the camera. Her face filled the frame as she smiled and said:
"That's right—this time, I'm the heroine of the next game! Please look forward to it!"
"And by the way, that scoundrel Luo Mo boosted my voice lines at my very affectionate request."
She waved her tiny fist to show it wasn't hard for her to convince him—
which made the players watching from the other side of the camera cheer,
while Luo Mo… well, he was clearly on the receiving end of her "persuasion."
Wait… now some of them were starting to feel jealous.
"You all still want to ask about Honkai Impact 3rd, huh? Well… that's that. Their story has ended, but in reality, ours hasn't. From here on… there will probably be new stories."
"What, too sudden for you? Haha, I think so too.
But hey, the long journey's been tough—
next up will be lovely, heartwarming everyday life and side stories. He's entrusted the final side-story scripts to me."
She pointed at Luo Mo, who could only give a wry smile and nod.
Faced with her relentless charm, he had no choice but to agree to this request—
allowing her to plan the everyday-life and extra episodes.
She wanted to record all the beauty in life,
or write down the fun little adventures of traveling the world together.
It was going to be interesting—but only within the scope of Honkai Impact 3rd Part 1.
Future installments would be passed on to her later.
"Elysia would never let you down~"
"Oh, don't say it like that."
"A story that ends at its most perfect moment is like fireworks—ending silently at the peak of its brilliance. How's that? Pretty fitting, right?"
She smiled sweetly, her expression blooming like a flower—just like meeting her for the first time,
just like that very first encounter in peaceful days.
Beautiful, as it was at the beginning.
---
Elsewhere, in another game's recording studio.
After Honkai Impact 3rd, Luo Mo naturally wasn't going to stop—
he still needed to create many more games.
And now, the system didn't require him to focus on just one game at a time.
In theory, he could work on multiple projects simultaneously.
That was also why he'd put Bronya's studio under his own label—
even a mosquito's leg is still meat, after all.
Bronya might not be as skilled as him in making players cry (or wiping their tears), but she wasn't bad when it came to sustaining emotional impact either.
At the moment, the group was discussing characters and concepts for Honkai: Star Rail.
(T/C: Let's Go!)
"So, when exactly will Mr. Welt cross over somewhere else?"
Kiana asked, bored, counting on her fingers with one hand while resting her chin on the other.
She slouched over the table, looking completely lifeless, like she'd lost the will to live.
She kept staring at the bright moon outside, longing for Welt to leave—
because maybe then she could tag along to another world for an adventure.
Honkai Star Rail had to be a real world somewhere, right?!
She was like Pam's tail, wagging with excitement.
"What's the point of looking forward to Mr. Welt so much?" Mei poked her cheek. A blush crept up her face, and she tried not to let a mischievous smile escape her lips.
"From a rational standpoint, I actually think there's no need to rush like this…" Welt adjusted his glasses with some difficulty, seemingly glancing at her with a trace of resentment. His voice still carried the lingering tone from his in-game dubbing—he found it comfortable, so he just kept using it.
"In Honkai Star Rail, isn't it about Mr. Welt's journey after traveling between worlds? Sounds interesting… the only problem is, we still don't know when he went missing." Disappointment was written all over Kiana's face—clear as day.
"A navigator, huh… it feels a bit nostalgic for my youth," Himeko muttered wistfully, looking at another game project she had planned. Was it just coincidence? She didn't know. But at the very least, maybe it was tied to her earliest dreams when she first started learning. As for coffee… she still hadn't given up on trying it. She didn't believe it could really be that bad. Watching everyone else treat it with polite distance only made Himeko's competitive spirit flare—she wanted to try it at least once.
"Himeko… Teacher Himeko, if you still have this dream now, you should try it!" Kiana pushed her on enthusiastically.
"Haha… now? My youth has passed. Dreams belong to your generation." Himeko's tone was calm. After so many years of fighting against the Honkai, it was hard to find that old spark again. "But if I'm lucky enough to see it from up close, that would still be nice."
"Look, boss—Teacher Himeko also wants to send Mr. Welt somewhere," Kiana said with a grin.
"If it were me doing the voice acting, I'd definitely pick that baseball-themed star! Baseball is my weapon of choice! The Galactic Baseball Association! Yeah, I'd be the main character again!" Kiana was visibly excited.
"Then I'll be March 7th—pink, girlish vibes, super cute!" Elysia raised her hands as if she could already feel the character's aura… though for some reason, it reminded her of a certain messy, tangled past from another game. Hopefully just her imagination.
"But your birthday isn't March 7th—your character profile clearly says November 11," Kiana shot her a strange look. She just didn't want to form a new 'Royal Three' with her. Where was Mei? Where was Bronya? Hurry up!
"Uh… Achron—such a melancholic name. Her looks… well, let's just say you can clearly tell it's me." Mei couldn't help but touch her face.
Was it a coincidence? Other people's characters changed a lot between games, but she always ended up looking recognizable—blade in hand, lightning powers, purple hair… basically confirmed.
"Bronya, your hair turned into triple drills?" Bronya tilted her head, confused. Why did her hair have to change every time—from twin drills, to quadruple drills, now to the Truth single drill… so strange.
"Wow, they actually gave me the Silver Wolf role to voice—but why does she feel like some mischievous brat?" Bronie blinked curiously at the character.
"You really do understand yourself well," Bronya said with a nod, making Bronie glare back in mild annoyance.
"Seele, your in-game counterpart feels nothing like you… no, actually, more like another version of me."
Seele scratched her head. The Seele in-game looked brave—very bold, actually. Could she be her counterpart from another world?
"Compared to me, it looks like someone here is about to cry—didn't even get the chance to play her usual 'shorty' roles," Bronie teased, glancing at a certain someone.
Theresa indeed looked pitiful, her grievance practically spilling over. She had thought she'd jump into a fresh role again, but no—apparently her new one was just… for show? That was a real blow.
"Obviously, this role doesn't suit Theresa," Kongming said matter-of-factly, then added, "Anyone can see that."
"Wow, she's being so blunt! I can't stand it! Headmaster, are you just going to take that?!" Bronie fanned the flames from the side, clearly enjoying herself.
"You—you—you!"
"Oh, this character is great—perfect for a thousand reincarnations!" Elysia exclaimed, having found a treasure—her weapon perfectly matched the character's style.
…Another round of game-related discussion followed.
When it came to choosing between two possible sequels for Honkai Impact 3rd, Elysia was determined to keep control of the conversation. She couldn't just let him swing the blade like that!
"Honkai Impact 3rd: Star Rail—that's a perfect title, right?" Luo Mo reluctantly gave in.
"No, that's completely unreasonable. You literally said not long ago that you wanted it to be called Honkai Academy! Compared to exploring the universe, people want to see a beautiful academy life!"
"Then it must be even more beautiful than the St. Freya days." Elysia refused to back down, hands on her hips, speaking passionately for the players who dreamed of an academy setting.
"If you insist, fine. Have it your way," Luo Mo agreed calmly. As for the joy she might get from it—that had nothing to do with him. He had planned to leave the choice to the players anyway; reorganizing and reforming Honkai Academy 2 was already a huge project, not to mention the unknown effects it might have on this world.
Everyone believed Honkai Impact 3rd was a true reflection of this world. Who could guarantee the second step would be the same? But if she wanted to see a different world, then so be it. Everyone together in the underworld—perhaps that too was a beautiful ending. Luo Mo couldn't help but wonder if Elysia would regret her choice later. He was curious.