Pure-hearted Pardo couldn’t stand stories like this.
She already saw plenty of it in reality; now she had to watch it on some stream too—how was she supposed to bear it?!
The moment Pardo’s comment dropped, the others vented their feelings as well.
Miss Pink Elf♪: Something’s not right with this story, is it?
Mei’s been captured, Bronya’s fallen to darkness, and only Kiana made it out.
No matter how you look at it, this doesn’t seem like the warm, happy little story you promised, Yuexi.
No Exams Thanks: Mei—my Mei!
Wants to Buy an Island: The fighting between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy is far worse than I imagined.
Kitty Snuggles: That hateful Anti-Entropy!
And in the real world, Kiana, watching in-game Mei get hauled away, lost control of her emotions for a moment.
She turned to Theresa and spoke in agitation.
“Auntie, Auntie, is Mei really going to get captured?!
Mmgh—and Bronya too.
I never thought dummy Bronya would end up mind-controlled.”
Looking at Kiana, Theresa felt rather helpless.
How had she ended up with such a foolish niece?
The Kaslana family really does keep producing idiots.
She reached up, pressed a hand to her forehead in resignation, and said gently to Kiana.
“Kiana, what this stream is showing is a game.”
The words had barely landed when Kiana reflexively shot back.
“No way—not even in a game!
Mei is going to be with me forever and ever!”
At that, Theresa couldn’t hold back.
She sprang up and bonked Kiana right on the head.
“Idiot, your Mei is out grocery shopping right now.
Even if this game’s plot were real, it hasn’t happened yet, has it?
When the time comes, you just stop it from happening!”
“What are you getting so worked up for!”
Kiana, rubbing her head with both hands, processed Theresa’s words and lit up with delight.
“Oh, right!”
“I just have to change it, hehe.”
Then she broke into her usual goofy grin.
Watching the chat go wild, the corner of Xiyue’s mouth curled.
We’re barely anywhere yet—if this little bit’s already too much for you, how are you ever going to handle the “healing” arcs made just for you all later?
Still, for now, she had to keep them steady.
“Everyone, settle down—how is this a gut-punch at all?”
“Look: Mei and Bronya got captured, but Kiana didn’t.
What does that tell you?”
Kitty Snuggles: Tell us what?
Seeing this, Xiyue’s lips curved.
“Kitty’s clearly never read a novel or watched TV, huh.
Let me ask you—who’s the protagonist of this game?”
Put on the spot like that, Pardo was a little puzzled.
“Kiana?”
Xiyue narrowed her eyes and kept reeling her in.
“Exactly.
And what’s our protagonist going to do next?”
Before Pardo could even answer, Xiyue went on.
“Naturally, she’ll infiltrate Anti-Entropy all by herself, go on an absolute rampage, successfully rescue the beauty Mei plus her good pals Bronya and Wendy, and smash this evil organization to pieces!”
“Kitty, tell me—isn’t a story like that just heartwarming~”
Hearing Xiyue out, Pardo felt it made a certain sense.
The protagonist’s bound to be amazing, after all; you’d never let the protagonist or her companions wallow in tragedy.
If you did, who would ever play such a depressing game?
Pardo was convinced.
Kitty Snuggles: Oh, I see~ So as long as Kiana and the others get their sweet ending, it’s all good~
No Exams Thanks: Right, right, right—Kiana will totally do exactly that, hehe.
Miss Pink Elf♪: Fine, I’ll believe little Yuexi-cutie this once.
But if it turns out otherwise, Yuexi-cutie, you’ll just have to answer to onee-san~
Chlorinated Kiana: Heh.
Just then Raven, hearing all this, felt something was off—though she couldn’t quite put her finger on what.
As she was about to voice her doubt, her superior Jackal finally replied to her message.
Raven brightened and hurried to read it.
Jackal: Funds are tight.
Cannot approve.
Denied.
Raven read it, and her face went dark.
Your funds, tight?
You, Jackal?
“You stingy miser!”
Meanwhile, the real Wendy once again chalked Mei’s capture and Bronya’s fall up to her own doing and withdrew into herself again.
Even though Xiyue said the ending was a good one, she still felt it was all her fault.
“Bronya-nee-san, Mei-nee-san—it’s all me.
If it weren’t for me, none of you would have to go through this.”
Wendy murmured, her whole body radiating a thick, hopeless despair.
…
Seeing that everyone believed her, Xiyue let out a breath.
It was still too early; she had to drag this out all the way to the Final Lesson.
As for Elysia’s little threat, Xiyue didn’t take it to heart.
No Exams Thanks: Quit yapping and play it already, play it!
I want to watch Kiana go on a rampage, rescue Mei, and win the beauty’s heart, hehe~~
Seeing Tuna’s comment, Xiyue pressed a hand to her forehead in resignation.
Sure enough, this paramecium hadn’t changed one bit—throw her a single compliment and she’s over the moon.
“All right, all right.
Before the next part of the story, let’s watch a short video first.”
“It’s about Wendy.”
“Didn’t Miss Chlorinated Kiana say Wendy was a bit weak?
Let me show everyone just how strong Wendy used to be~”
Chlorinated Kiana: ?
And Wendy, still wrapped in that thick despair, lifted her head at Xiyue’s words, confusion in her eyes.
“The old me?”
As she spoke, Xiyue first backed out of the game screen, then found a video—the one the System had handed her back when the Queen called Wendy absurdly weak, though she hadn’t had time to check it.
Before opening it, Xiyue grinned and told everyone.
“The Wendy of old was the single strongest Herrscher under the Honkai—the world honored her as Emperor Wendy.”
Chlorinated Kiana: Impossible!
World’s Cutest: Huh?
Xiyue watched the Queen’s comment, offered no further explanation, and simply hit play.
▶ “Wendy of the Past vs.
Wendy of Now”
The video opened with the very scene they’d just played through.
Wendy now—both legs paralyzed, in a wheelchair, treated as a vessel for the Gem of Desire.
Out of hatred she became the Herrscher of Wind, but all she does is spin in circles, round and round, stuck forever in the noob village, her tornadoes leveling a parking lot, mocked as the weakest Herrscher.
As the BGM cranked into high gear, a chibi, Indian-styled Wendy popped up, narrating as she fired off her skills.
Wendy of old—her tornadoes ferociously strong, able to whip up the sands of an entire desert; the true Herrscher of Wind, who even became the boss of the Fantasy Sea.
Unmatched in battle, all swagger and presence.
A personality bound by nothing, free as she pleased.
Once Death Spot activates, it’s either she dies or humanity does—the single strongest force under the Honkai!
The video ended.
No Exams Thanks: Th-th-this is Wendy?!
Emperor Wendy—so cool, so badass!
I think Kiana needs a title too.
Let’s call her Emperor Kiana, hehe~
Kitty Snuggles: She feels totally different from the Wendy in the story.
But shouldn’t Kiana be Emperor Tuna instead?
Miss Pink Elf♪: You’re all fixated on combat power—am I really the only one paying attention to Wendy’s figure~ I never expected Miss Wendy to be so… substantial.
Won’t she let onee-san give her a hug~
Wants to Buy an Island: Even so, Yuexi—these two aren’t the same person at all, surely.
Chlorinated Kiana: Strongest?
Heh.
What a joke.
Fight me and you’ll know who’s truly the strongest under the Honkai!
World’s Cutest: The Wendy in that second clip is nothing like the Herrschers I’ve seen.
Is this another game too?