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

Chapter 83: "Miss Mei, You Don't Want Anything to Happen to Kiana, Do You?"

"I understand. It's precisely because it's difficult to execute that we must be even more cautious."

Within just a few lines, Mobius and Otto had already struck up a conversation in the livestream chat…

And the topic they were discussing was something that would terrify Kiana and make Mei stomp her feet in frustration.

While these two mad scientists continued their discussion, the in-game Raven muttered:

["...Madmen."]

"..."

Both Mobius and Otto fell silent at this remark.

Even though Raven had been referring to Jackal, they couldn't shake the feeling that…

She had somehow managed to insult all three of them in a single sentence.

After mocking Jackal, Raven ordered her doll-like soldiers to take Kiana's weakened body and load her into the transport truck.

["I'm taking her back. The rest of you, continue your work."]

The screen briefly went dark.

When it lit up again—

A calm and composed Rita appeared, sitting atop a highway overpass.

Still clad in her Shadow Knight battlesuit, her loyal cybernetic hound rested beside her.

She had been watching everything unfold from afar.

["Oh dear, I was only delayed for a little while, and you already failed."]

["But it's not all bad. At least now I know there's an antidote for that serum gas."]

["Well then… Miss Kiana, you'll have to endure for now. After all, you did make use of this wicked maid before, didn't you? Consider this a little payback."]

["For now, you should just pray that help arrives soon."]

With those final words, Rita disappeared into the night.

The chapter concluded.

The next mission began in Shencheng Pharmaceuticals' industrial district.

Rita appeared on screen.

["It seems security has been significantly increased here."]

Her communicator beeped.

["Vice Captain, are you really going to continue the operation before Lady Durandal responds?"]

A worried voice came through— It was Arvette, her subordinate.

Even though she knew it wasn't her place to question orders, she still voiced her concerns.

Rita, instead of reprimanding her, agreed.

But—

She had no intention of retreating.

["Even if Lady Durandal arrives, what if it's too late?"]

["What if, by the time she gets here, World Serpent has already succeeded?"]

["What will happen to this city then?"]

["If victory means standing atop the corpses of thousands of innocents… then that is not the kind of victory I, as a Valkyrie, desire."]

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Wow! That was such a beautiful speech! Rita is such a kindhearted girl~" ✿(◡‿◡✿)

A pink-colored comment floated across the screen.

Clearly, Elysia fully agreed with Rita's sentiment.

If victory came at the cost of countless innocent lives,

she wouldn't consider it a victory at all.

At the same time, another comment appeared—

A purple ellipsis.

『Maintaining Elegance Is a Maid's Duty:』 "..."

[Because of your livestream content, Maintaining Elegance Is a Maid's Duty is feeling shy. You have gained 560 crystals!]

Back in the game, Rita began her infiltration.

Her mission was to sneak into Shencheng Pharmaceuticals' research facility.

The challenge?

She had to avoid detection from security drones.

If spotted, she would be sent back to the start.

Luckily—

She could perform silent takedowns.

One by one, she eliminated the patrolling drones.

With each clean execution, she got closer to her target.

Then—

Just as she was about to enter the research facility…

She noticed something.

["Wait a moment… where did the wreckage of the EOS go?"]

Her communicator beeped again.

["Maybe they dismantled it?"]

["I have a bad feeling about this…"]

The screen faded to black.

The text on the screen read:

"As Rita infiltrated the facility… in the depths of the industrial zone…"

The scene transitioned.

A dark, cramped medical chamber appeared.

Inside—

Raven lay in a stasis pod, recovering from her injuries.

And then—

A dream surfaced.

A young boy stood in a burning village, tears streaming down his face.

"…Nata!"

"Nata! Go, you have to survive!"

His desperate voice rang out.

And before him—

A blonde girl with twin tails reached out her hand.

But—

She was being held back.

A figure in a white mask— Gray Serpent —restrained her.

The girl sobbed, pleading:

["Please! Take my brother with us!"]

But—

Her begging was met with cold logic.

["Perhaps you are still too young to understand. But listen well, little girl blessed by the White Flower…"Life is a fragile and costly thing. A single person's survival comes at the price of countless others. Cattle must be slaughtered for their meat. Wheat must be cut down for its seeds. Trees must be felled for firewood. For every life that continues, many others must perish. Your brother… has no value. Be brave, little girl. Live on— For those who perished to let you survive." ]

The scene ended, fading into darkness.

"He took me away. He protected me. He trained me.

But even now, I still fear dreaming of my brother.

I fear him asking me…

'Have you lived well?'"

With Gray Serpent's words echoing in her mind, Raven's internal monologue resumed.

Just then—

A pink-colored comment floated across the screen…

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "I never imagined… that this girl called Raven had such a tragic past. But don't worry! Miss Fairy believes that one day, she'll reunite with her family!"

Clearly, Elysia sympathized deeply with Raven.

And so, she offered her the warmest blessing she could.

However—

At that moment, Jackal suddenly appeared on the screen.

A communication signal flashed repeatedly, pulling Raven out of her rest.

["How are you feeling? You should be fully recovered by now, right?"]

["Aren't you proud of yourself? You defeated the Herrscher of the Void.

That proves one thing—World Serpent's will cannot be stopped.

And it also confirms my conclusion—

No matter how much destruction Honkai grants its Herrschers,

they are still nothing more than mere flesh and blood."]

Raven remained unimpressed.

["Jackal, I hope you understand what you're doing."]

She warned her, trying to talk sense into her.

But having obtained an extremely valuable research specimen,

Jackal had no interest in listening.

Instead, she uttered something profoundly cold…

["No matter how much suffering it causes you, you must embrace it."]

["Look it in the eye. Learn from it. Find the opportunity to defeat it."]

["If you fail to do this, then all your suffering… is meaningless."]

["At the end of the day, personal pain, personal failures—

They are nothing more than specks of dust among billions."]

["The only pain worth curing… is the one shared by all of humanity—

The suffering brought by Honkai."]

『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 "This Jackal… If I didn't already know she was planning to experiment on millions, I might have actually been convinced by her."

A deep purple comment floated across the screen…

As a fusion warrior, Hua had endured too much.

She knew the pain of Honkai all too well.

There were even times when she found herself reluctantly agreeing with Mobius and Kevin's cold, calculating view of life.

But right now—

She couldn't accept the idea of sacrificing an entire city.

Why?

Because Himeko had once told her:

"You don't understand what it truly means when people say 'sacrifices are inevitable.'"

"The scariest thing isn't how many lives this world takes away…"

"It's how many people have grown numb to losing them."

["Activate the switch."]

["In two hours, the people of Arc City will experience their 'rebirth.'"]

As Jackal issued her command,

the mission concluded.

The next mission began.

Rita stood within the research lab, scanning her surroundings.

["According to the files we found earlier, this area should be the pharmaceutical research division."]

["If everything goes well, I should be able to find a lead on the antidote here."]

At that moment, her communicator buzzed.

["Vice Captain… what if— I mean, just in case you get caught… activate Shadow Iron Hound's auto-mode. It will cover your escape."]

["Arvette, have a little faith in me, would you?"]

With a teasing chuckle, she reassured her subordinate.

Then—

The game entered stealth mode.

Players controlled Rita as she searched for the antidote.

Surprisingly—

The research facility was… empty.

Not a single person.

Not even security robots.

This made retrieving the necessary intel incredibly easy.

After gathering enough data,

Rita reached her destination…

She knelt before the console, carefully searching through the system.

However—

In the dimly lit doorway behind her…

A shadow holding a katana appeared.

Shhhk!

A blade was drawn.

Lightning crackled.

Raiden Mei pressed her weapon against Rita's back.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Whoa! Mei?! She actually showed up at this moment? Is she here to save Kiana? Hmmm… it's so strange, though. How does she seem to know everything? Is this… a girl's intuition?~"

[Because of your livestream content, Pink Fairy Miss is excited. You have gained 840 crystals!]

Clearly, Elysia was both surprised and thrilled by Mei's sudden arrival.

But—

She couldn't understand how Mei seemed to know exactly where to be.

Seeing this, Hokuto, who had already read the script, calmly responded:

"Uh… actually, no."

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Oh? Then what's the real reason? Don't keep a lady waiting~ That's so cruel!"

"You'll find out in the next mission."

With that, Hokuto ignored Elysia's playful complaints and started the next level.

The screen lit up.

Mei stood in front of Rita, blade still pressed against her.

["I received the message you sent through that child."]

["It seems… luck is on my side today."]

Although Rita still had a blade at her throat,

she wasn't the least bit nervous.

Instead—

She smiled.

["The 'helping hand' I wished for… has arrived."]

However—

She suddenly asked something unexpected.

["Dr. Tesla didn't come with you?"]

["We prepared for the worst-case scenario when we received your message. Now— Give me one good reason to believe this isn't one of your tricks."]

Mei didn't even acknowledge Tesla.

She didn't care about small talk.

She wanted answers.

And Rita—

For once, had no room to act coy.

["Lying with a sword at my throat would be unwise."]

["Take a look around. No ambushes. Right now, I am no match for you, Miss Mei."]

She paused, then smiled.

["I simply want to make an honest deal."]

["Help me retrieve the antidote… and I will tell you where Kiana is."]

To prove her sincerity, Rita waved her hand.

Her battlesuit's built-in recorder projected an image—

A recording of her and Kiana fighting side by side.

["In this city, we are on the same side."]

["Hmph..."]

["It seems we have reached an agreement. Then, I'll leave it to you, Miss Mei."]

With Mei and Rita agreeing to cooperate, the game transitioned into gameplay.

This time, players controlled Mei, equipped with the unenhanced Valkyrie Strike battlesuit.

It felt a little clunky, as dodging couldn't immediately trigger a combo attack.

However—

The enemies in this stage were mostly small mobs, posing no real threat to Mei.

Before long—

They successfully found the antidote.

["I've done what you asked. Now it's your turn."]

["Beneath the administrative building in this industrial zone, World Serpent has built a laboratory dedicated to Honkai-related experiments."]

Rita not only revealed Kiana's whereabouts but even provided coordinates and a precise location.

However—

As she spoke...

A blade was suddenly pressed against her throat again, silencing her.

["What... is the meaning of this?"]

["Rita, I need one more thing. I want that eye— Gray Serpent's eye."]

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Gray Serpent's… eye? Oh! Mei wants to give that mechanical girl her freedom? That's wonderful! I think I like her even more now!"

[Because of your livestream content, Pink Fairy Miss is excited. You have gained 840 crystals!]

Clearly, Elysia was thrilled by Mei's request.

At this rate, her admiration for Mei would only continue to grow…

Almost as if their eventual meeting wasn't just a coincidence.

As Rita watched Mei disappear into the distance, she muttered to herself…

["With the antidote secured, it's time to find out where they've hidden the EOS."]

With that—

The game transitioned back into stealth mode.

Players now controlled Rita, navigating past security robots to infiltrate the lab.

Unlike Mei's infiltration earlier, getting caught here didn't reset progress.

Instead—

It simply triggered additional enemy spawns.

However—

This didn't matter.

Because as long as Rita eliminated all the patrolling robots, getting inside was effortless.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Mmm~ Is Mei finally going to reunite with Kiana? A long-awaited reunion between dear friends… I can already imagine how touching it will be! I might cry!"

Clearly, Elysia was deeply invested.

After all—

This was a heartfelt moment between two beautiful girls.

Surely, it would be an emotional, tearful reunion… right?

However—

Things weren't that simple.

"You'll find out after a few more missions."

Without revealing too much, Hokuto started the next stage.

As the mission began, the screen darkened.

The scene shifted to a deep, submerged darkness.

Bubbles floated toward the water's surface.

["Countless nights, she dreamt indistinguishable dreams— Drowning in an endless abyss of memories."]

["Darkness. Cold. She struggled to swim upward. She struggled to breathe."]

["But the path was too long, too black… And giving up… was so much easier."]

She was tired.

She just wanted to sleep.

To never again be a part of this world filled with pain.

But then—

A soft voice called her name.

It was weak, but it cracked through the heavy ice.

That name felt so unfamiliar.

Because she had never truly owned it.

And yet—

Every syllable made her heart pound.

["—Kiana!"]

["Kiana Kaslana! Wake up!"]

She remembered that name.

It was the name she had always longed for.

As her consciousness returned, memories flooded back.

The interrogations. The experiments.

And—

The mission she had yet to complete.

She couldn't let herself sleep any longer.

["—Cough! Cough… Cough…"]

As Kiana coughed violently, the screen finally lit up.

She was strapped to a machine, her body pierced with tubes.

Directly in front of her, a massive monitor flickered on—

Jackal's face appeared.

["Excellent, Herrscher of the Void. That time, you only lost consciousness for one-third of a second."]

["Your body is simply miraculous. Heh— No matter how much I break it, it always recovers."]

["Still able to talk?"]

Clearly, Kiana was being used as a research subject.

Her situation was dire.

But even in this state…

She chose to ask a question.

["…Your experiment… How many people in Arc City will survive it?"]

Jackal tilted her head slightly.

["Oh? You care about the numbers? I thought for a Herrscher of the Void, death tolls would mean nothing— Like breadcrumbs left after dinner."]

『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 "Breadcrumbs? Ahaha~ That's a metaphor I haven't heard before."

A golden-colored comment appeared.

Clearly, Mobius found Jackal's analogy… amusing.

It seemed even she—one of the most twisted scientists of the Previous Era—

Had never thought to compare human lives to breadcrumbs.

["And what's your answer?"]

Jackal smirked.

["Oh, I'll be sure to tell you… If you're still capable of hearing by then."]

But as she spoke,

She continued her merciless experiments on Kiana.

Even as she endured the pain,

Kiana attempted to extract more information.

Her sharp words cut deep.

Jackal wasn't amused.

["You lucky insect. Given godlike power, yet you think you have the right to lecture the world?"]

Her tone turned bitter.

["This is knowledge that will change humanity's fate!"]

["How to modify vaccines… How much Honkai energy is needed to 'baptize' this city… To fully awaken the Stigmata within human bodies…"]

["These are secrets that only a genius like me can comprehend!"]

But Kiana didn't care.

She ignored all of Jackal's ramblings.

She only cared about one thing.

["Where… Will the Honkai energy be released?" "The city center… or the outskirts?"]

Jackal froze for a moment.

Then—

Her expression darkened.

["You ask too many questions."]

["Skip the other tests— Begin the dissection."]

Jackal had finally run out of patience.

She was prepared to begin the final stage of her experiment.

However—

Just as she finished speaking—

Kiana laughed.

["I wasted so much time on you… just for that little bit of information..."]

The girl trapped inside the experiment chamber chuckled.

As if—

She had been holding back, watching a terribly scripted comedy…

And now, she had finally lost interest.

["Forget it. I guess I won't be able to get any more intel out of you."]

To Jackal, this was impossible.

The weak, trembling "test subject" before her had suddenly… changed.

The girl who was supposed to be helpless…

Smiled like a hunter.

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

A pure white comment flashed across the screen.

The one who sent it was none other than the master of the Stigmata Plan—Kevin.

At that moment, an unsettling chill ran through the entire livestream chat.

Because—

Without realizing it, Kiana had just revealed her true intentions.

She planned to stop the Stigmata Plan.

And now—

That fact had just been exposed to the one leading it.

What would happen next?

Jackal attempted to regain control.

["You will understand soon enough—"]

Before she could finish her sentence—

Kiana's fist slammed into the reinforced glass.

One punch.

Two punches…

Cracks spread like thin ice across the supposedly unbreakable material.

["You better remember this— Today, I'm not just breaking this glass."]

["I'm breaking your idiotic Stigmata Plan too!"]

Kiana tore off the tangled IV tubes and stepped out of the experiment chamber.

For the first time in a long while, she inhaled the air of freedom.

Suddenly—

The laboratory's alarm blared.

Heavy metal doors groaned as they slid open.

A massive, insect-like Honkai beast blocked her path.

Its armored shell gleamed with a sinister violet glow.

Kiana grinned and readied her weapons.

The game transitioned into combat.

Players faced the newly introduced Quantum-class boss: Tonatiuh - Shadow of the Sun.

Boss Mechanics:

High attack speed and multiple attack patterns.Can only be interrupted by heavy attacks.

Despite its aggressive nature,

It wasn't invincible.

After a tough battle, Kiana finally brought it down.

As the creature collapsed into quantum fragments and was swallowed by the void…

Kiana holstered her guns and turned toward the heavy lab doors.

With a deafening crash, the metal structure trembled and fell apart.

She spun around, bracing for another battle—

Only to freeze in place.

["…Kiana."]

Kiana had imagined countless ways she might reunite with Raiden Mei.

But never like this.

Not at a moment like this.

Not in this place.

["Mei...!"]

["What are you doing here? You— You shouldn't be here! I… It's dangerous here!"]

But Mei ignored her words.

Instead—

She rushed forward and embraced Kiana tightly.

Tears of relief shimmered at the corners of her eyes.

And yet—

The girl in her arms hesitated.

Kiana thought she had become strong enough.

She thought she was prepared for this reunion.

But the moment she saw Mei—

Her confidence shattered.

She was no longer the determined fighter.

She became the lost girl wandering Arc City once again.

The whispers of guilt and fear clawed at her mind.

Mei held her even tighter.

As if…

If she let go, Kiana would vanish like a dream.

["Kiana, you're hurt… Let's go home. Let's go back to Hyperion. The principal, everyone… they're all waiting for you."]

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Oh my god, this is so sweet! Kiana and Mei are finally reunited! Does this mean it's time for the girls to go home?"

[Because of your livestream content, Pink Fairy Miss is happy. You have gained 1,140 crystals!]

『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 "…Finally. After everything, they're together again."

『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 "Tsk. So the experiment phase is over just like that? What a shame—I was hoping for more data."

『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "You're all being too naive. Things won't be that easy."

Even as Mei held her close,

Kiana spoke words that shattered the warmth of the moment.

["I… can't go back, Mei."]

Home?

Could she truly return, laughing and joking as if nothing had happened?

Could she stand before her friends as if she hadn't changed?

Would they still welcome her the same way?

Some scars never fade.

A forced smile only made the pain more apparent.

["I'm sorry... but I can't put you all in danger."]

Kiana lowered her gaze.

And—

She turned away.

Mei stared at Kiana in disbelief.

For the first time—

She felt like she no longer recognized the girl in front of her.

Suddenly—

A third voice cut through the tension.

["Cough… Kiana, now isn't the time."]

Fu Hua stepped forward.

And—

Her face had turned slightly red.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Ooooh~ Is that a blush I see? How adorable, Hua~"

A pink-colored comment floated across the screen, exposing the hidden detail.

『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 "Cough, cough! T-this is… nothing special. A normal reaction."

Fu Hua immediately switched topics.

["Enemies are gathering in the passageway."]

["Mei, be prepared for combat."]

『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "See? I told you. It's far from over."

Kiana and Mei's reunion was short-lived.

Because—

A battle was already on its way.

End of Chapter 83