242 Honkai in a Nutshell
"Excuse me, I'm just curious. How do you balance yourself among so many personalities?"
Kongming is puzzling. Normal people wouldn't understand how personalities get along with each other, right?
Vill-V doesn't outwardly react but offers a patient explanation for Luo Mo's sake. "I try to be fair to everyone – basically it's all about time management! Everyone gets their turn in the spotlight."
"If it's a situation where everyone has to work, like this time, I will control the body myself, and others can construct the characters by themselves."
"Ahhh, that makes sense. I always wondered why you seemed a bit… out of sync sometimes, like your personality didn't quite match your vibe," Luo Mo mused.
"Huh? " Vill-V's beautiful eyes widened, and her expression was not very good. How could she be so careless?
Is she the one holding back?
Well, judging from the team collaboration just now, it seems that it is really…
A pout settled on Vill-V's face. "Honestly, the other personalities are total overachievers, what am I supposed to do? I'm working hard, I swear!"
She couldn't figure it out – every other personality was a genius, while she was stuck playing catch-up.
Wasn't the main personality supposed to be the star of the show, with the others as backup?
Why was it totally backwards for her?
Vill-V chuckled. "Well, well, well... what's in it for me?"
"So, what's the Price?" Kongming asked, squinting her eyes.
"Price tag? Oh, please," Vill-V replied with a faint grin. "We're practically business partners, not haggling merchants! Though perhaps 'favour' is a more accurate term... after all, friendships are built on favours, aren't they?"
A different personality suddenly popped up, her voice tinged with playful sarcasm. "As usual, he'll pick up the tab – you can count on that."
"It's just a small item; it doesn't matter." Luo Mo added, waving off the concern.
Vill-V, with a mischievous glint in her eye, patted herself down. "Such generous patrons! Well then, I'm off to enjoy the fruits of our, ahem, partnership."
Luo Mo dug through his belongings and pulled out a handful of rare materials, offering them to Vill-V with a sheepish Smile.
"So, uh... consider this a bonus? Maybe leftovers from a lucky draw that I didn't quite win?"
It wasn't exactly the same effort as a full-blown renovation, but hey, these materials weren't going to use themselves!
Still, a nagging question echoed in Luo Mo's mind – who else could he possibly give these to? Vill-V was the only one who'd know what to do with them, even if she charged an arm and a leg...
So those fancy Divine Keys that Schicksal tries to build? Yeah, Vill-V holds the patent, and let me tell you, they're not exactly masters of efficiency.
They waste rare materials like it's going out of style.
Of course, this is not their fault. After all, high-tech research has been completely stopped, and high-tech materials are naturally the most basic aspect.
If Honkai represents the concept of entropy, It is undoubtedly a good way to minimize the use of large-scale technology.
To sum up, the use of materials such as Soulium Steel(nanobot Thing), Einstein's Torus(miniature fusion reactors), Organisation like Anti-Entropy, and Schicksal requires only a small amount of usage, so there is nothing we can do about it.
So, Luo Mo figure out, why not dump all this stuff on Vill-V? Let those crazy geniuses tinker while the rest of us focus on things like Stigmata research.
Seems like the more sensible plan, wouldn't you say?
...
The company's practically deserted in the afternoon – prime time for all the work-dodgers, and wouldn't you know it, they're all crammed in the dubbing studio!
Kongming directly chose to go to the dubbing studio with Luo Mo, determined to help Luo Mo with her own abilities, So... yeah, the two of them ended up recording a little intro for the video.
"To help our lovely viewers remember everything that's happened so far..." – Kongming started the script.
"...and to make those sweet memories dance in our hearts once more..." – Luo Mo continued.
"hey–" Kongming nudged Luo Mo under the table and stepped on her foot, a flicker of embarrassment crossing her face. "Do we have to say this?"
"Of course, it's my job as a boss to add my sincere blessings to interesting videos."
Luo Mo smiled; this time he was sincere.
Despite such a powerful threat, the guy still wants to make sure the audience is having a good time.
You gotta respect the sincerity, right?
"So, we launched a fun short video of "Honkai in a Nutshell" to help the audience recall the past plot."
[???? Are you seriously doubling down on this? ]
[The war's over, and you're dropping a recap to rub it in? Cold-blooded! ]
[Wow, you really can't let it go, can you? So generous! ]
[Alas, the camp war cannot be changed; it is a foregone conclusion, my Rita ~ ]
The video started rolling, and from the first frame, Fu Hua was already clutching her drink so hard it might explode.
She practically choked on her water, eyes glued to the screen, She didn't even care about the drink dribbling down her chin.
On that big ol' blue planet, she saw two tiny figures, arms crossed and heads held high. They were twisting and twirling in some bizarre, totally goofy dance.
If you just looked at their serious little faces, you'd think they were the smartest people alive.
Yep, it was a chibi version of Fu Hua and Kevin. Two characters usually known for being super serious and intense, totally losing their cool in the most hilarious way.
Their in-game reputations were officially ruined.
The narrator with a voice that is familiar to the players' ears begins to speak.
"Honkai, its history is much longer than we think."
"As early as 50,000 years ago, it won a war of its own and completely wiped out the human civilization of the previous generation."
The scene shifts, and there's a figure with glowing red eyes struggling to hold up the whole Earth.
It's probably that Herrscher of Finality, looking like some kind of cosmic weightlifter with a bad case of back strain. Meanwhile, way up on the planet itself, Fu Hua and Kevin are busting those ridiculous dance moves.
The whole image is just...so wrong that it's absolutely hilarious.
"Okay, what in the world is this?" Fu Hua wiped the corner of her mouth, glaring at Luo Mo in the dubbing room.
He'd dragged her in to watch this video, but...why was she starring in this ridiculous prank?
Maybe he wanted to see just how strong that Taixuan grip really was?
"Ahem—this is just a short video; don't worry about it, Fu Hua."
Luo Mo didn't expect Fu Hua to react so much.
Then, wouldn't it be more social if she saw her own performance in the extra story?
those little chibi versions are hilarious! Boss, can you make one of me, please? Pretty please?" Kiana giggled, her eyes glued to the screen.
She never expected that Fu Hua, who always looked mature in her heart, and her ancestor Kevin, who was cold, arrogant, and unapproachable, could be so cute.
really interesting!
And hey, if the boss was already making super-detailed outfits, why not a few collectible figurines? Kiana could just picture a tiny, grumpy Kevin and a wide-eyed Fu Hua lined up on her shelf.
Best. Merch. Ever.
"Heh, those friends of yours sure know how to have a good time," Kongming chuckled, watching the video.
"Okay, Kongming, take a good look. In a way, this is the fastest way for you to understand the world."
Luo Mo didn't say much.
Fu Hua frowned and also sent a message to Cheng Lixue, but the difference was that she told her to check the authenticity on her own.
…
Golden Courtyard
"A civilization from 50,000 years ago? It really was...so long ago." Even though she'd lived through it herself, Elysia still felt a pang of sorrow hearing that number.
Fifty thousand years... that's longer than the entire span of recorded history. And yet, it's nothing but a blink of an eye compared to the time it takes for a new civilization to rise.
Hua and Kevin never talked much about their time as the last survivors, but just imagining that endless, lonely journey was enough to make her heart ache.
Sometimes, the burden of simply staying can be the heaviest of all.
"Indeed, I saw sister Hua." Pardo glanced nervously at the silent Kevin from the sofa and decided against mentioning the 'and Kevin's boss' part.
Pardo's number one rule: Never, ever annoy someone who could squash you like a bug.
Besides, maybe Boss Kevin doesn't care...
But what if? Why bet?
"Sister Hua looks quite happy, but if you think about it carefully, the picture probably means that the two of them have been together as civilization has grown, and they are inexplicably lonely. Well, we can't tell."
She hugged Can close, squeezing the poor cat and smooshing its fur against her cheek. Then, she flopped back on the sofa with a dramatic sigh.
——Boss Kevin is actually a little stunned around him. This is really incredible!
"Pardo, are you so free today?"
Elysia glanced at the other party and asked casually.
"Sister Ellie, it's too hot, stuffy, and hot. We are afraid of the heat and have no desire to go out."
Pardo fell on the sofa like a salted fish.
"Without Boss Kevin, I wouldn't be able to get through today."
Ah, she has become someone who can't live without her boss Kevin—this damn weather is too hot.
Okay, maybe relying on your boss for temperature control was a bit weird, but right now, she couldn't care less. (Seriously, how is Kevin pulling off that whole ice-cold thing anyway? Eh, too hot to think about it.)
"You know it! Kevin's the best," Elysia chirped, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "That's why I gave him a special spot right in the living room. He's our very own personal air conditioner!"
"..." Kevin crossed his arms and looked at the screen.
He had nothing to say. He didn't expect that Ellie had transferred a large part of the power of the stigmata to him for this purpose.
He thought some powerful enemy was coming, but... okay
"Ahem." He cleared his throat, trying to sound dignified. "Is there a certain Su missing from this video?"
"Huh?" Next to him, Su blinked in confusion. How could anyone possibly miss being turned into a meme?
"Nope, I'm good," Su replied. "Zero interest in seeing my goofy chibi self dancing on a screen."
"Alright then! Time to give Luo Mo a piece of my mind ~ Let's see what kind of trouble we can stir up!" Elysia's eyes sparkled with amusement.
---
The narrator whose voice is familiar is of course Otto, everyone know that when they see the scene.
"It also took the one I loved away from me and set me on a journey to save her."
On the screen, a little Otto carrying a coffin appeared on his back. He carried it laboriously and walked around the vast map for a long time.
The screen flashed to the scene where he came into contact with the first Herrscher.
"When the First Herrscher was born, I had a cordial exchange with him."
"Ahem... Of course, the ending is not very pleasant."
"Soon after, the Second Herrscher was born."
"And I saw in her the hope of resurrecting an important person."
"In that battle, people continued to sacrifice their lives."
---
"Well, it's probably pretty close to the truth. It just looks... why is it so weird?"
Kallen touched her smooth chin and fell into thought.
Soon after, she recovered from her headache. After all, it was only temporary, as long as she no longer thought about it deeply.
Lesson learned – don't try to unravel time paradoxes on an empty stomach.
"So, Otto's hauling that coffin around...is that what he actually looked like? Wait, hang on, that wouldn't be me in there, would it?" A horrible thought struck her.
She'd been so caught up in figuring out who was doing the carrying, it hadn't occurred to her that she might be the cargo.
With a sigh, she gave up trying to make sense of it. Time travel, alternate timelines...sometimes it was best to just accept the weirdness and move on.
…
"The little queen is so cute when she hums a song!""
As expected, it is naturally the Queen's biggest fan—Bella.
Sure, Sirin's new outfit might be covered in that adorable Teriri mascot, and the Queen even bought a couple for herself...but Bella? She's loyal to her queen, through and through.
Besides, her image just wouldn't look as good on a t-shirt! The Queen herself forbids it.
No matter, Bella will just rock that merch in secret, Her queen would never have to know!
Especially as the Queen's image becomes increasingly popular around the world (in Bella's eyes), she has long stocked up on the Internet with a lot of Chibi-version short-sleeves to wear underneath.
Then the one worn is Teriri's, used to cover up others' eyes and ears.
"It would be more perfect if that guy didn't suddenly appear from underneath."
Bella was very dissatisfied with Welt, who emerged from the ground and suddenly pushed Sirin away in scene.
["Pleasant"? Please. You gotta know Otto was behind this cringefest of a dub. Nothing else could be this awful.]
[So, in that battle, some people were ( × ) busy dying for the cause, while others were ( √ ) busy scheming and backstabbing. Such dedication! (insert massive eyeroll)]
[Poor Sirin, getting her spotlight stolen right as she was hitting that high note. Epic fail.]
---
Okay, this short video basically crams the whole wild story of Honkai into a few minutes. It hits all the major points, plus throws in some ridiculously funny moments that always get a laugh.
Time has passed, and soon we have reached the interface where the real protagonist of the Honkai Impact III game appears.
truly famous scene—three herrschers in training vs the baddest(bad) herrscher in history!
And there's Wendy, bless her heart, spinning like a top and bravely battling the three herrschers in training.
Those whirlwind effects were truly impressive...even if they were basically just really fancy gusts of wind.
---
Over at St. Freya Academy...
"Um, why's everyone staring?" Wendy blinked nervously. It was a little creepy how her whole class was suddenly focused on her.
Thanks to Principal Theresa and the popularity of that Honkai game, most students didn't freak out about her being a Herrscher anymore. At Himeko's school, they basically accepted it. Sure, folks at other schools might get a little nervous, but they weren't hateful or anything.
Theresa even went the extra mile, handpicking cheerful, kind Valkyries as Wendy's roommates. Must've taken ages to find the perfect match!
"Hey, Senior Sister Wendy, what do you think of you in the video?"
A girl with short white hair put her hand over and joked to Wendy with a smile.
"Video?" Wendy reacted, looking at the screen, and then saw her own embarrassing scene.
"Wait a minute, let me tell you, the scene at that time was not like this."
Wendy waved her hands in panic. "It was Rita, the S-class Valkyrie you call the gentlest, who rescued me."
---
So, then we have Otto and his oh-so-brilliant plan to welcome a new Herrscher, the whole glorious "Humanity's Herrscher" thing.
"When the Queen of Honkai arrives, the world surrenders at her feet."
Although the words are described in this way, she appear to be magnificent and powerful.
However, the presentation of the images has nothing to do with the subtitles.
Sirin was suspended above, showing off her figure in a domineering manner, while the Honkai Beast beasts below were standing with their heads raised (bella included), holding support sticks dangling in their paws, and there were colorful lights in the background.
It's like a weird concert.
"There are those who do not hesitate to raise their swords and become enemies of God."
representing Himeko is also engraved with blood-colored lines, symbolizing Honkai energy. The almost overflowing energy is entrenched in the fragmented body.
Then, the flaming sword struck down without hesitation, splitting open the black space cone.
---
"I know, I know, every time I watch Himeko-Sensei fight, it gets me right here," Kiana says, pausing the video mid-action. "But something about this... it's like she's already given up hope."
Kiana sighs, her eyes lingering on Himeko's face, the harsh lines marring her forehead.
Kiana, who'd been laughing at the silly antics of her "second sister" moments before, fell silent. This scene, one she'd seen countless times, always struck a chord deep inside her. There was too much respect for what was coming to keep joking now.
"Huh, ~ Raise the blade in your hand and fight against the invincible?"
Kongming, shaking the feather fan—no more words.
She couldn't help but wonder about the 'truth' that Mr. assassin had spoken of, piecing together bits and fragments hinted at by the video.
This whole recap was just so... expansive, so momentous. But was it really accurate? Kongming found herself deeply skeptical.
Too much of it felt exaggerated, twisted into something funny even when the original had been deadly serious.
---
"To be honest, I am in awe of those warriors who burn their lives."
"They used their beliefs to bring short-term peace and tranquility to the world."
"But they never realized that my plan was progressing steadily."
"And a giant snake comes from the darkness."
[Seriously, Otto, just punch yourself already. Make that health bar glow red, really show us your commitment.] [Knew it was you. So, finally decided to drop the act, huh?] [Hey, at least he's owning the role. Gotta respect the theatrics.]
Clearly, nobody in the comments was buying Otto's self-righteous speechifying.
The guy's performance was starting to get old.
---
"So, next up is Sister Bronya! I wonder what they'll show?" Seele's eyes sparkled with anticipation.
Considering how silly things got, she hadn't expected much at first. But Himeko's scene was actually super touching! Maybe this wouldn't be a total disaster after all...
"Heh, my advice? Don't get your hopes up, Seele," Bronya cut in with a knowing glance at Luo Mo. "If he's in charge..."
Bronya trailed off, but the meaning was clear. Between his prankster tendencies and those overly dramatic games of his, she'd lost all faith in Luo Mo's ability to present anything in a normal way.
Her grand plan involves starting her own game company someday, and what better way to learn the ropes than by studying this master of questionable ethics? (No need Bronya, in the future you will inherit MiHoYo)
Since she's already sworn to surpass Fu Hua in eight years... hey, no need to worry about being outmatched in the scheming department by then, right? Revenge will be sweet!
"Hmm, Bronya... probably something..." Mei mused, a mischievous glint in her eye, "... involving a motorcycle? That boss of yours is always catching her tinkering with it, isn't he?"
W-what?
Luo Mo naturally heard the conversation between them, but was he already that bad? Will the person involved actually guess it?
He reflected deeply on his actions.
in the future he would hide it better
"Heh," Bronya's smug little smile did not inspire confidence. "Bronya knew it."
Forget the motorcycle! Why was everyone so obsessed with her motorcycle? Kiana was starting to get annoyed – Anti-Entropy wouldn't stop nagging her about "practical" inventions like giant cannons instead.
Even Luo Mo kept using the darn motorcycle to poke fun at her in his games.
Is it interesting for you?
Is he doing this fun? Do you have fun?
Bronya glared at Luo Mo, her eyes practically shooting lasers.
( ᗜ ˰ ᗜ )
But when she saw the scene in screen, she stared even more fiercely
---
Otto's voice persisted.
"After the Great Honkai, people each embarked on their own path."
"Some of them found strength and fulfilled their promises."
"But at the same time, we also encountered more powerful enemies."
The video cut to Bronya and Seele's dramatic escape from quantum Sea. So far, so epic.
But then... it somehow shifted to Seele dragging a sobbing Bronya, who could only watch helplessly as that blasted traffic cop Kevin nabbed her precious motorcycle.
Oh, and her driver's license. The humiliation was complete.
Gotta be speeding, right? There was always something weirdly satisfying about a traffic cop catching a high-tech Herrscher.
Just picture the image: Kevin, stone-faced in sunglasses and that cop uniform, a terrifying sight no matter what timeline he's in.
You can practically(illusion) hear Bronya's anguished cry – "Nooo! My motorcycle, my precious motorcycle!" – echoing in the distance as she's hauled away, powerless
---
"Boss, don't you find it strange? Why did the other party become a traffic policeman?"
Bronya rolled her eyes and as expected, Luo Mo made a fool of herself again.
"Well, because... you knocked over his instant noodles while speeding?"" Luo Mo tentatively gave the answer.
"Hmph——" What was naturally welcomed was a cold snort from Bronya.
In the golden courtyard,
"Kevin, you are too bad; how can you bully other girls?"
Elysia joked, and Kevin's surprised expression just now was really rare! ♪
