MGSFV?! Chapter 574. A Meow Like Theresa's; Look at Them, Eating Knives While Thanking Us
Actually.
If Hokuto had also decided, back in the Final Battle, to treat everyone's blessings like…
Like Kevin's classic line, "I load my life into the chamber"—
To load the players' blessings, the wishes of the masses, into the chamber to create a future.
Then those who chose the first ending might've realized much earlier that their story path wasn't the same as everyone else's.
However, for certain reasons, Hokuto didn't do that.
As a result, only now did they suddenly realize—
What "Otto" meant by "everyone can choose how they reach the ending" was… this.
And it affected way more than they'd imagined.
[I'm going back to play it again.]
[Mmm, I'll just watch the cutscene in the stream first.]
[No rush, no rush.]
And so, everyone made their choice once again.
…
Let's not dwell on that now.
The white light in the game finally began to fade.
A cutscene?
Quietly surfaced from beneath the "waters."
Lush green grass, warm sunlight—
A perfect day for an outing.
"Meow!"
A familiar meow rang out.
Kevin slowly opened his dreamlike eyes—
And saw his old friends.
[Huh?]*N
Players were clearly more surprised than Kevin.
Weren't they all already…
Wait, no.
[This must be a dream, right? I remember there's no Can in reality.]
[miHoYo dropping Can in right at the start—clearly they want to make sure we know this is a dream.]
[Was it Kiana who shattered the Commandment that forbade Kevin from dreaming? So he could, at least in his dreams…]
Of course, maybe Aponia had left a backdoor in the Commandments from the beginning.
A blessing she left for the MANTIS.
[So why doesn't this scene appear in the first ending?]
[Probably because in the first ending, Kiana fights all the way to Kevin and immediately battles him—maybe she just didn't have the "energy" to help Kevin after that (just a guess).]
[Mmm…]
A very realistic reason.
After all, saving the world is no easy feat.
[I kinda want to replay it right now.]
[If I can grant Kevin a sweet dream—even if it doesn't mean anything big (dreaming won't trigger a medical miracle or anything)—I still want to give him just a bit of romance at the end.]
[Kevin is so tired. He really deserves a nice, relaxing dream.]
[I'm getting impatient now (sweat)]
The thoughts of players who chose the first ending were shifting rapidly.
And those who reached the second ending saw the cutscene and couldn't help but look a bit different.
Though it was just one extra dream for Kevin—
It made them feel that their effort to "retry" had been worthwhile. They were glad they didn't give up.
And more thankful for those who "came before."
Who knows who that "first person" was—if they even existed.
But if they did, they truly deserved thanks.
After all, they were the first to spark the light.
Hokuto: ...
Hokuto: Alright, alright, keep spamming the chat. He can see it. No need to thank me (smile.jpg)
If one day the players find out "the first person" was Hokuto…
That'd be quite the scene.
All the gratitude now would turn into very complicated feelings.
…
Back to the cutscene.
"Meow!"
With Can's crisp meow—
Pardofelis was seen frantically trying to yank Can off of some blue… thing.
Once, twice, three times…
Hehe~~
"Ahh! Can, you can't eat that!"
The odd noise finally made Kosma lift his head, surprised, and scratch his head.
"Hmm? Something fuzzy on my head…"
"..."
So… what Can was gnawing on was…
"Ah." Griseo's soft voice: "Can is chewing on Daddy's hair."
[This is great. Kinda funny...]
[What a sweet dream~~]
[So wholesome. Just lovely.]
The emotions in chat didn't quite match their words.
[Griseo appeared in Kevin's dream too—does this hint at the ending of Project ARK?]
[You guys are overthinking it. Just enjoy it. Besides, Griseo is still a child…]
Hmm…
This cutscene definitely leans toward the "let's make everyone smile" route. Probably.
"Huh? Now that you mention it, Mobius complained to me several times—said her hair was mysteriously damp in the mornings, and asked if I invented some new nonsense again…"
The camera zoomed out to include more people.
First to appear was Vill-V.
In her rare casual outfit.
Though honestly…
You had to wonder: why did Mobius go to Vill-V first when this happened?
Is this an extension of the rule that "if something breaks, it's Kalpas," or "if someone's unwell, it's Mobius"…?
Now it's "if something inexplicable happens, it's Vill-V's fault"?
"So that was the truth."
Came Sakura's voice.
And then…
"Wow, I want to play with the kitty too!" Rin's voice.
"Better be careful. That little kitty's fierce!"
"You just scared it by being too enthusiastic."
"There's a saying: the more aloof you are with cats, the more they like you."
Destobia, Eden, Klein…
Kosma: "...!"
Kosma's reaction was quite amusing.
He didn't say anything, but the camera gave him a thoughtful close-up.
Maybe he was considering Klein's words…
And was planning to act cold and distant to attract Can's attention.
That's very cool. Very Kosma.
[You can tell the story is really trying to bring joy here.]
[Kosma… acting aloof doesn't work on cats. They're just pragmatic. If they need you, they'll be friendly. It's all instinct—they go where they slip.]
[Why do you sound like you're spouting fortune-cookie wisdom? Are you prepping for grad school?]
[Oh? How'd you know? Results are out this week.]
[…Wishing you ace every question and nail every guess (smile)]
Clearly, it wasn't just the story trying to create a warm vibe—the players were trying too.
To enjoy this rare sweet "vacation."
Just like…
"Wrong guess!"
Elysia appeared on screen.
Healthy, sunny, vibrant.
She smiled and said: "Can likes Kevin because Kevin kept secretly feeding it~~"
Aponia nodded. "I also caught him sneaking into the kitchen late at night more than once…"
Kalpas: "Hmm?"
"No wonder Can's getting heavier…" Hua rested her chin in one hand, looking thoughtful. Give her a hat and she could cosplay as Watson.
Pardofelis, after tugging for ages, finally managed to pry Can off of Kosma's head—only for her hands to suddenly drop from the unexpected weight.
That made her realize Can was way over the healthy limit.
"No good, Boss Kevin! At this rate, Can's gonna turn into a pig!"
"Meow?"
The only reply she got was a meow full of wisdom.
[Suddenly remembered Can's voice is actually done by Theresa.]
[Such a lively, joyful scene—this is wonderful.]
Everyone's here.
[Kalpas only got one line but it was strangely funny.]
[Kosma, Elysia, Pardofelis… all had great moments.]
[Yeah, yeah. It's so nice seeing them together again…]
Everyone was here…
Right beside him.
Exactly like "back then."
At the end of the story, it felt like a return to the very beginning.
[A bittersweet reunion is still a reunion.]
[HE. I declare this is a Happy Ending!]
Full of blessings, yet still unable to face it with a smile, some players typed stubborn comments in chat.
After all, separated by the internet, no one could see what kind of faces they were making.
They could totally XX while XX-ing.
[Happy for Kevin.]
[Not that painful. Really.]
And so, everyone stated their "positive and uplifting" attitudes.
Even when…
"Seems like they're talking about you, Kevin."
Mei appeared behind Kevin, gently holding his hand—
They still managed to type:
[So sweet sweet sweet sweet!!]
[Ugh… they're holding hands! YES!!]
[Kevin and Mei can finally hold hands again! YES!]
[Actually, I remember Kevin, after all this time, can now control his body temperature. But Mei had already… ahem, this scene is just too beautiful!!]
…
It really was.
But maybe—if they could sincerely express what they were feeling—it'd be even better.
At least, Hokuto thought so…
Well, maybe there's a charm to this too?
Back in the story.
Kevin and Mei quietly left the group.
Elysia, arms full in both hands, laughing and spinning among the crowd while chatting—
She slightly turned her head to look in their direction.
But aside from a small smile, she said nothing.
Instead, she called out to Pardofelis, who was planning to scold Kevin about secretly feeding Can.
Don't bother them~~
This moment is rare.
And so, Kevin and Mei arrived at a quiet place.
They sat on the grass.
Mei held Kevin's hand, listening as he shared his thoughts.
"Mei, when you look at the sky, what do you think about?"
Mei answered: "Hmm… the weather's nice? The view is wide and clear. Tonight we'll probably see a sky full of stars."
She didn't talk philosophy or science—just something age-appropriate.
Simple, ordinary—tinged with a girl's romanticism.
Her gaze on Kevin was especially gentle.
At last, they could simply… be.
Of course, maybe to "those outside the game" like Elysia and the others—
Kevin and Mei's current state was exactly how they always should have been.
Thinking that way…
This return to peace came late, but—
Better late than never.
[This is the life they deserve!]
[YES!]
[Are you guys parrots or… just one hand free to type?]
Their conversation continued.
Kevin, after listening to Mei, shared his own view now.
He said—
"I remember you once said, the stars in the sky are all enemies."
"What about now? Have you changed your mind?"
"You were right. But… now I want to believe that those lights don't just bring threat, but also hope—hope for the future."
"Pfft~~"
Mei let out a soft laugh, unsurprised.
"I almost forgot," she said.
A gentle breeze swept across the grass, blowing a few strands of Mei's hair onto Kevin's shoulder.
Just lightly.
"You've always been a romantic."
"Strong and brave, but never able to let go of that innocence."
[Mei's description of Kevin is so accurate—it's exactly what I wanted to say but couldn't word right.]
[I now believe in the psychology saying 'like attracts like.' Two romantics in love… I'm dying—cough, cough—no really, this is perfect!]
[YES!!]
"…Sorry."
"No need to apologize. It's because of that… that we—"
She paused.
The scene softened—
Mei leaned slightly closer to Kevin. The sun grew warmer, and the music gentler.
"You've worked hard all this time."
"But don't worry. This time, I'll stay with you. We all will."
"You'll never be alone again."
Kevin: "..."
"Haha…"
He laughed, lightly, freely.
Looked up at the sky…
The sun was perfect. The breeze gentle.
Among thousands, you meet the one meant for you.
Across endless time, without arriving too early or too late—
Just right on time.
You smile at each other.
And meet again in beauty.
Even if it's just a dream, still, it feels like…
"What a beautiful day."
[...]
[...]*N
[I'm panicking, I MUST replay it from the beginning! Let's go!!]
[I'll lead the charge!]
Looks like many more players will be thanking that "first person" soon.
Look at them—
Eating knives and still thanking us. (Strike that out. Thanks.)
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