Having finished the video, Wendy froze for a moment.
“Am I really that strong?”
Watching the discussion, Xiyue gave a soft laugh and went right back to playing coy.
“I don’t know either~”
“Maybe this Wendy is the Wendy from a very, very long time ago~”
It wasn’t something she could spell out clearly, and there was no way to explain it properly—a vague answer was the best she could do.
Her goal was accomplished anyway.
After all, Guns GirlZ and Honkai Impact 3rd were games from the same company, so a little retconning was par for the course; miHoYo were veteran retconners.
Back on track.
No Exams Thanks: What are you even saying?
I can’t make out a single word of it!
Wants to Buy an Island: Pfft, riddler.
Miss Pink Elf♪: Really not cute at all~
Xiyue, seeing the comments dunking on her, hurried to change the subject.
She glanced at the stream clock—running low—and figured she’d better get a move on and finish clearing Chapter Four.
“All right, all right, that part’s not important!
Playing the video was just to show everyone Wendy used to be plenty strong.”
“Enough chit-chat—let’s see how our protagonist Kiana plays the hero and rescues the damsel~”
Chapter IV: Betrayal Has a Silvery Smile
This stage was simple: Kiana, Himeko, and Theresa, the three of them, would infiltrate ME Corp to sneak Mei and Wendy out, with a side helping of Anti-Entropy backstory.
Theresa: Our top priority this time is to infiltrate the building and rescue the three Valkyries.
As for the secondary objective—well, if the chance comes up, let’s wreck the place a little~
Kiana: Yes, ma’am!
Miss Pink Elf♪: The things this Theresa says don’t sound like a nun at all—but they’re exactly my cup of tea!
No Exams Thanks: Hehe, Theresa’s got a whole belly full of mischief!
World’s Cutest: ?
“Ow, Auntie, why’d you hit me again?!”
Theresa ignored Tuna.
Kiana was the textbook case of “go three days without a thrashing and she’s up tearing the tiles off the roof.”
Back to the story: after Theresa laid out the mission, the three-person squad set out, while Xiyue used the Queen to mow down Anti-Entropy mecha and blaze through the plot.
As she played, she tossed in her commentary.
“Infiltrate?
More like waltz in through the front door.”
No Exams Thanks: Schicksal Valkyries wouldn’t lower themselves to skulking around (tsundere Minion)
World’s Cutest: The true meaning of “infiltration” is to march in openly and then wipe out everything you see.
Yuexi, it seems your understanding falls short.
Kitty Snuggles: So that’s what infiltration means?
“That’s our World’s Cutest, all right.
If you ever met Theresa, the two of you would have plenty to talk about.”
World’s Cutest: Naturally~
In this chapter, Mei’s father and Cocolia were introduced, giving players who hadn’t read the manga at least a little of the setting.
Most players skipped the story, though.
They came to play a game, not to watch cutscenes!
They ran the main story only to nab those crystals—though of course there were plenty of story-lovers too, who cleared the plot and earned crystals along the way; it just cost them a good deal more time.
In the current scene, the trio hadn’t found a way to sneak in, so Himeko tried to persuade Kiana to head back first and let her and Theresa go in—after all, Tuna’s strength was a touch lacking right now.
Kiana: No!
How could I just turn back like this?!
I won’t go back!
Even if I’m the only one left, I’m going to save Mei!
As the resident Mei-addict, Tuna had eyes for nothing but Mei.
Seeing this, Xiyue thought of Mei’s iconic scene in the World Serpent arc, and of the fact that Elysia—a future romantic rival—and Tuna were both in the stream.
When she streamed the Elysian Realm in a few days, what would Tuna feel watching Elysia and Mei interact?
The more she thought about it, the more excited Xiyue got.
She drove the Queen even harder, fighting while tossing another riddle out to the stream.
“Tuna and Mei really are true love~”
“But if one day Mei really did leave Tuna and met a girl as lovely as a flower—what would Tuna do then?”
Xiyue’s offhand remark drew an instant rebuttal from Kiana.
No Exams Thanks: Impossible!
What nonsense are you spouting?!
Kiana and Mei will be together forever!
Miss Pink Elf♪: Right, right—such a sweet pair, how could they ever split up~
Watching Kiana and Elysia both comment, Xiyue nearly burst out laughing.
Once the Elysian Realm gets going, Kiana, Elysia—will you two still be able to say things like that?
Back to the story: fortunately, the now-lucid Bronya—Anti-Entropy’s insider—opened the door for Kiana and let them in.
Theresa, meanwhile, was as commanding as ever.
Theresa: Even if it’s a trap, no need to be afraid~ Aren’t I right here?
If we find out it’s a trap, we just smash through the wall and stroll right out~
No Exams Thanks: Theresa’s that strong?
Himeko: Indeed.
Back when she was still active, she was reckless, yes—but tremendously powerful.
At one point she was to be awarded the title of S-rank Valkyrie, but she turned it down, because—
At this point Theresa cut Himeko off.
The reasons were simply too many, and she had no wish to share them with Kiana.
World’s Cutest: Naturally.
Stronger than you could ever imagine.
Kiana looked at Theresa sitting at the dining table, sipping bitter-melon juice, at that short little frame, and truly couldn’t picture her own auntie ever having been a Valkyrie, let alone an S-rank one.
In her mind, Theresa was nothing but a lazy, manga-reading, bitter-melon-juice-drinking, slightly childish good-for-nothing of a principal.
Xiyue could practically feel Theresa back in the real world planting her hands on her hips in delight—so she said the thing players had always wanted to say.
“Yep, yep—the S-rank Valkyrie Oath of Judah and her A-rank launcher.”
Theresa’s smug grin stalled the instant she heard Xiyue.
But Xiyue wasn’t finished; her voice carried right on.
“Oath of Judah really is such a humble Valkyrie~”
It took Theresa a long while to come back to herself.
She felt the deep insult buried in Xiyue’s words; the Oath of Judah materialized behind her in a flash as she rose to her feet, glaring at the stream.
“This Yuexi—I’ll show her what an S-rank Valkyrie’s real strength looks like!”
“Aaaargh, ‘Oath of Judah’s launcher’—so infuriating!”
And Kiana, watching Theresa rage impotently, badly wanted to laugh but didn’t dare.
She could only clap both hands over her mouth, squint, and watch her dear Auntie.
Because she thought Yuexi was right, too.
The S-rank Valkyrie Oath of Judah and her A-rank launcher~
Pfft~
Kiana couldn’t hold it in and laughed out loud.
The moment she realized her mistake, she clapped her hands over her mouth again—but Theresa’s gaze was already fixed squarely on her.
(Silly-resa)
Starting from now, there will be 2 chapters a day.
Also, I’ll be taking Sundays off every week to rest.