"Kiana, do you hate me?"
Hearing Himeko's melancholic voice, Kiana couldn't help but shiver, forcing an awkward smile.
"How could I? Professor Himeko? I respect you more than anyone."
"Don't call me Professor Himeko. Is this how you show your respect—by casually making a mini-game that kills me off?"
"But the one who gets hurt the most is me!"
Kiana protested indignantly.
"Professor Himeko, think about it carefully. Who does the story really hurt more—you or me? My heart still aches just thinking about it! It feels suffocating."
Himeko sighed. Upon reflection, she realized that while she did feel some pain, her heart ached more for Kiana in the story. She couldn't imagine the agony Kiana would feel when she woke up.
As for her own death in the story, Himeko wasn't too upset. After all... the ones who suffer are always the living. For a game character, her death could be seen as a perfect conclusion.
Now, she had one question...
"Why did you suddenly decide to make this mini-game?"
In Genshin Impact, they were just used as character models, but this game directly used their names.
Of course, Himeko didn't bother commenting on Kiana shamelessly making herself the protagonist.
"It's all Fu Xuan's fault."
Kiana crossed her arms, annoyed.
"Fu Xuan said that to avoid the story collapsing and the game flopping, we had to make another game. I volunteered, but she doubted me. So, of course, I had to prove my skills."
"And your way of proving yourself was to make a mini-game inside Genshin Impact?"
"How is it? Isn't the game good?"
"It is good," Himeko had to admit. Kiana really had talent when it came to making games. "But the game is a bit too..."
Kiana interjected, "What do you think? Isn't it healthy, sunny, and uplifting?"
Himeko stared at her, speechless.
Healthy? Sunny? Uplifting?
From a narrative perspective, it was indeed healthy, sunny, and uplifting.
—But good luck convincing the players of that.
Just wait and see if the players buy your explanation.
"When are you planning to release this mini-game?"
"Version 2.2."
Kiana made the decision outright:
"Alongside the official opening of Inazuma, the Supreme Bishop will release this brand-new game to break into Inazuma's internet market. The Traveler will be asked to test it—this will be the event storyline for the second half of Version 2.3."
Himeko nodded in understanding, then suddenly remembered something. "By the way, why is this mini-game called Honkai Impact 3rd? What about Honkai Impact 2nd and Honkai Impact 1st? Aren't you releasing those first?"
Hearing Himeko's question, Kiana tilted her head, a question mark appearing above her.
Seeing Kiana's expression, Himeko nodded again. "Alright, I get it. If players ask, remember to say it's called Honkai Impact 3rd because of the Third Honkai Eruption."
Furina looked at the new script in her hands, narrowing her eyes slightly as she read it carefully. While reviewing the script, she was also seriously considering how to turn the tables this time.
Being outsmarted by Ye time and time again had become unbearable. This time, she was determined to get her revenge.
"Lady Furina? Haven't you finished reading yet?"
Hearing Ye's question, Furina put the script away and glanced around.
At this moment, they were in a beautiful pavilion located in the western part of the Court of Fontaine.
For Furina, this was a rare place of relaxation and leisure. The pavilion had been built under her orders.
Now, Ye had brought Furina here to begin filming the fifth episode of Reporting to Lady Furina.
Furina carefully surveyed her surroundings.
This was her territory.
The cool breeze was refreshing. There were no desserts, no other people, no small animals—nothing that could potentially embarrass her.
The only one here was Ye.
In other words, she could finally get her revenge.
So, how could she pay him back for all the times he had outsmarted her?
While thinking this, Furina maintained a calm expression and smiled as she replied, "I've memorized all the lines. We can start, Ye."
"Understood, Lady Furina."
Ye nodded slightly.
"We're rolling now."
In an instant, Furina shifted the atmosphere, showcasing her professional acting skills. She wore a thoughtful expression as she asked, "Is the Traveler heading to Inazuma?"
"Yes, Lady Furina."
Ye's voice was calm.
"She should already be on her way to Inazuma."
"You mentioned before that you've formally met the Traveler?"
"I'm not sure if it counts as formal, but in Liyue, I did meet the Traveler who's famous across nations. It caused quite a bit of wariness and hostility."
"What do you think of her?"
"She seems easy to fool."
"Huh?" Furina sounded puzzled.
Ye remained expressionless. "Although this first impression isn't great, it's not a big problem. The next time we meet, this bad impression should be resolved."
"...Are you planning to go to Inazuma too?"
"The preparations in Inazuma are complete. It's time to reap the rewards."
"I don't know what you're planning, but Inazuma is dangerous. You should be careful."
"Thank you for your concern, Lady Furina. I'm well aware of the Raiden Shogun's strength and know my limits. I won't confront her directly."
"I wasn't talking about the Raiden Shogun."
"..."
Furina and Ye locked eyes. In this moment, she wasn't reciting lines but speaking from the heart.
"Sen'emon Asada, the current head of the Asada family. Her strength far surpasses all previous generations of Sen'emon. On the day she was born, the Raiden Shogun recognized her as the strongest human in Inazuma—twenty years have passed since then, and no one knows how strong she is now."
"Ye, even you could fall to her sword if you're not careful."
"...Thank you for the warning, Lady Furina. But I'm not so easy to kill."
Furina narrowed her eyes sharply. "It seems you're determined to fight her."
"This isn't up to me," Ye said nonchalantly. "If she's willing to turn away from darkness, then naturally, we won't be enemies."
"However, given her loyalty to the Raiden Shogun, that's impossible."
"And when that time comes, the only one who can stop her... will probably be me."