In the end, under SAKURA's cover, Hessian left the company unscathed.
And because this episode of Honkai Impact 3rd had given out sugar, the audience didn't curse him out… at least not too harshly.
Especially when Kiana and Mei appeared together in the livestream, it drew a massive crowd of viewers.
Meanwhile, Hessian and Elysia were at home, lying in bed watching the livestream together.
The next day, however, Mobius dragged him back to the company to start shooting the new episode of Honkai Impact 3rd.
"SAKURA, save me!"
Brandishing the amusement park tickets, Hessian tried to bribe his bodyguard.
However, SAKURA only gave him a faint glance: "I am only responsible for your physical safety."
"Besides, the same trick won't work on me."
At this point, Elysia explained: "Actually, Mobius went to Eden to discuss it and gave SAKURA some extra benefits."
Hearing this, Hessian looked at Mobius in disbelief.
Come on, what grudge do you have against me?
Mobius sneered: "This old lady just can't stand working overtime while the main culprit gets to laze around carefree."
Anyway, her plotline was already finished—she wasn't afraid of the dog director messing with her in the story anymore.
At first, the actors watching this scene found it quite entertaining.
Until—they remembered they were actors too, and if Hessian couldn't relax, neither could they.
Just like that, a week passed in the blink of an eye.
Even before the new episode of Honkai Impact 3rd aired, a huge number of viewers were already waiting eagerly in front of their screens.
"Hurry hurry hurry—I can't stand not seeing Kiana-Mei together; it feels like the dog director is crawling all over me!"
"Sugar sugar sugar sugar—I've developed a sugar addiction. Dog director, don't be ungrateful and start throwing knives again!"
"In the new episode, I want to see Kiana-Mei sticking together, and Bronya and Seele sticking together too!"
"Beautiful girls sticking together is the way—heteros can burn to ashes!"
"By the way, we're almost at the finale, right? Dog director, aren't you going to let him fake his death (meaning Otto)?"
"…"
Soon, the new episode of Honkai Impact 3rd officially began airing.
Picking up where we left off.
After Kiana and Mei finally reunited, the two youthful and radiant beautiful girls remained in their close, clinging posture.
Mei said thoughtfully: "So… Kiana, our authorities are all malfunctioning, right?"
Kiana confirmed: "Mm, including Bronya."
"But that said, Mei, you're really amazing."
"If it were me in my current state dealing with so many Quantum Shadows, I wouldn't have any leeway left at all."
As she spoke, Kiana scratched her head, somehow giving off the vibe of a little wife.
Mei replied: "Ah… it's a long story."
"This is also the first time in recent days that I've been able to fight in reality without any reservations."
"Honestly, I never expected that the experience I gained from World Serpent—spanning fifty thousand years…"
"Would provide me with such tremendous help even when my Herrscher authority failed."
"So, what about Bronya? You said earlier she's nearby too?"
Kiana nodded: "Mm. We originally thought those monsters' attacks were related to the abnormal connections between world bubbles."
"Never expected…"
Mei continued: "Never expected—they were attacking me?"
"But in that case, your view might actually be correct as well."
"So, let's head back to a place where we can stand properly first."
Only then did Kiana react: "…Ah?"
It was only now, finally snapping out of it, that Kiana realized.
Although they had long since stopped falling, the two of them weren't standing on solid ground.
Instead, like the scattered debris around them, they were floating at what seemed like a very dangerous height.
Mei comforted her: "It's fine—this is the Sea of Quanta. Many areas can't be judged by common sense."
"Leave it to me—Kiana, hold on tight."
Mei, who was already holding Kiana, now wrapped her arm more firmly around the white-haired girl's slender waist.
With a burst of Honkai Energy, by the time Kiana reacted, her feet were already touching the ground.
Mei then let go and said: "Alright, next—let's go find Bronya together."
Kiana's pretty face flushed slightly as she replied: "Mm. Since we can't use our own authorities, her situation…"
"Probably isn't looking too optimistic either."
Before the words finished, a pair of small feet in red thigh-highs appeared on screen.
Bronya picked up: "Yes, Bronya thought about it for a long time—whether to have Heavy Bunny catch you directly in midair."
"After all, when you were up there, you didn't look nervous at all."
Seeing the trio finally assemble, another wave of viewers erupted in celebration.
Sugar—it's still sugar!
Dog director, you did good!
On screen, Mei didn't seem embarrassed either; she smiled faintly: "Long time no see, Bronya."
Bronya immediately replied: "Mei-senpai… long time no see."
Kiana asked in surprise: "Bronya? How did you…"
Bronya answered: "I just inexplicably shook off the Quantum Shadows."
"Then inexplicably found a spatial connection point that circled around behind you."
Kiana asked: "Inexplicably?"
Bronya nodded: "Mm. How should I put it."
"Bronya felt as though she was being guided by some kind of… fate?"
Hearing this fortune-teller-like statement, both Mei and Kiana fell somewhat silent.
Bronya didn't dwell on it and continued: "Anyway, back to the main topic."
"Since Mei is here too, it seems Bronya's earlier guess was correct."
"—This is an operation targeting Herrschers. Perhaps others are also trapped here."
Mei gave an "mm": "And… on that point, I can tentatively be considered an insider."
Bronya immediately said: "As expected—World Serpent?"
Mei nodded: "Yes. Raven said their Stigmata Project is nearly complete."
Kiana's eyes widened slightly: "What?!"
Mei continued: "This also aligns with Kevin's earlier words and actions."
"He said he was preparing to carry out the Stigmata Project and told me to leave World Serpent voluntarily."
"…And on the way out of World Serpent, I was interfered with by some mysterious force and lost consciousness."
"If I didn't mishear before losing consciousness—our current predicament is probably related to their executive Hare."
"But exactly how she achieved this, I have no idea either."
"However, based on what Bronya said earlier…"
"You should also be able to sense that faint, elusive guidance in the Sea of Quanta, right?"
Somewhere in the unseen, a certain lurking consciousness silently typed out a question mark.
Because she clearly hadn't influenced Mei at all.
Mei went on: "It's strange—it keeps trying to guide me toward a certain place."
"But it's very vague, as if it doesn't want to be noticed."
"If the Quantum Shadows trying to obstruct me hadn't kept increasing, I probably would have kept following its guidance."
"Although we can't be sure whether what we're sensing is the same thing."
"But if there's no other way… I'm willing to try. What about you two?"
Bronya spoke: "Rather… isn't it precisely by following that guidance that we managed to reunite smoothly?"
"In that case, trying to follow that feeling is definitely worth it."
Kiana asked puzzledly: "So… what exactly is this guidance you're talking about?"
Seeing that Kiana still hadn't caught on, quite a few viewers immediately recalled her original image.
And remembered something the Herrscher of a Thousand had once said.
Kiana has changed in every way—except for that dumb little head of hers.
Mei explained: "More precisely, it should be a man-made spatial flaw."
"But it can only be detected by people with specific experiences?"
"For example… right here."
Mei suddenly looked in a certain direction—her gaze so sharp it was hard to meet directly.
Not long after, she led Kiana and Bronya to an anomaly point.
Mei couldn't help sighing: "If I hadn't adopted Elysia's habits—or rather… her way of thinking."
"I probably wouldn't have noticed the abnormality here."
Kiana asked puzzledly: "Elysia… is she with World Serpent?"
Mei answered: "She's one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers. She fought side by side with the Class President and Kevin."
"And she's also—a friend I've made recently."
As she spoke, Mei continued leading the two to search for anomaly points, soon arriving at another hidden spot.
"And this place is one that Pardofelis would often pay attention to."
Kiana pursed her lips: "All names I've never heard of. Mei, it seems you've made a lot of new friends?"
At this moment, viewers outside the screen inexplicably caught a whiff of vinegar.
Mei said somewhat subdued: "And said goodbye to a lot of new friends too."
"Ah… in the positive sense, so you don't need to worry too much about me…"
Upon hearing this, the audience completely lost it.
"Translate translate—what does [positive sense] mean?"
"[Healthy and sunny], [positive and uplifting]…"
"I can't take it anymore—really can't praise the dog director for even a second; I almost broke."
"You're right, but Honkai Impact 3rd is…"
"It's over—another day of wanting to beat up the dog director."
"…"
Jokes aside, the plot on screen couldn't be skipped.
Kiana said: "Of course not—because right now Mei's heart feels very fulfilled."
In the midst of conversation, Mei found another anomaly point—this one exceptionally unusual.
Bronya examined it and said: "Mm, same feeling as when facing the Sea Abyss Eye."
"This really is a rift connecting different world bubbles."
Mei asked: "…And are there also artificial traces?"
Bronya shook her head: "Can't confirm yet, but the possibility is high."
Kiana asked eagerly: "Should we head out and try it right away?"
Mei said: "I'm afraid there's no other choice."
"However, compared to before, we should be even more vigilant now."
Bronya agreed: "Indeed. On the other side, there may exist variables we can't handle at all."
"But…"
Kiana continued: "But when it comes to facing unfamiliar worlds…"
"We all have plenty of experience, right?"
Mei also said: "Unfamiliar worlds, huh…"
Thanks to the method she had just used, Mei had a vague premonition about the world on the other side of the door.
Perhaps the reunions that would happen today were far from over.
…
The scene shifted.
On the other side of the door, the ground was cold and dry lunar regolith, surrounded by sheer rock walls like a prison.
The endless darkness overhead seemed to devour all starlight…
And this was merely one of the countless sand pits outside the main body of the base.
Emptiness, silence, strangeness—no matter how you looked at it, even with its cold and austere atmosphere, it was still a breathtaking sight.
But one thing was ultimately surprising.
In the eyes of this visitor—who had arrived ahead of time thanks to her own unique gifts.
Why was everything completely frozen in place?
"Ugh… finally out of that hellhole."
"Sea of Quanta… how did I suddenly get thrown into a place like that?"
"And moreover…"
The figure of the Herrscher of Sentience emerged, her face full of puzzlement.
Even as the Herrscher of consciousness, existing now only as a strand of thought.
She couldn't extend her palm and physically feel the loss of energy through muscle power…
But the Herrscher of Sentience could sense that her authority had indeed lost more than half its power.
Recalling the scam she had fallen for, the Herrscher of Sentience couldn't help thinking: "…Could it be that old antique again?"
"…"
"Hmph, whatever—who cares if she's going all out or not."
"Fine, she does her thing, I do mine—first figure out exactly what's going on with me."
"No matter what, this is the genuine cosmos."
"Just who could pull off something this outrageous?"
Before this, she had followed a certain guidance and entered the world before her eyes.
Though similar to Mei who would arrive shortly.
That guidance was enough to let the Herrscher of Sentience—who possessed all of Fu Hua's memories—realize—
This world bubble might be located in the time of fifty thousand years ago.
However… the nature of that guidance was far more than just that.
Air, sound, even light—everything here was completely frozen.
As if some supreme-willed existence had pressed the pause button exactly to its liking.
The Herrscher of Sentience asked herself—if she weren't the embodiment of consciousness, she probably would have been unable to move freely after stumbling into this place, just like everything else.
Thinking this, the Herrscher of Sentience guessed: "Could it be that the guidance was actually a call for help?"
"…"
"Ugh, why overthink it? I'm already here."
"Anyway, no one can do anything to me—might as well go take a look, right?"
Unlike the girls who had yet to arrive.
Although limited, when the Herrscher of Sentience tried to mobilize her authority.
She could still extend invisible mental tendrils and interact with her surroundings more efficiently.
However, the Herrscher of Sentience frowned: "My power… only about thirty percent of what it used to be?"