The amusing little cat brought lots of smiles to the audience.
For the cat and for the audience, it was a beautiful moment.
Kalpas, on the other hand, fell silent for a while—lost in thought.
Eventually, he got straight to the point.
"Honkai Impact 3rd updated today, so... let's play Honkai Impact 3rd."
As he spoke, he didn't give the viewers or Pardofelis a chance to react.
He launched the game and went straight into the story of [Inheritance].
[Another leaf falls...]
[Before our world was destroyed, each forerunner was entrusted by MEI with plans to fight against the Honkai. Of course, that includes me.]
Su appeared on-screen, leaning against a tall tree, holding a fallen leaf in his hand.
"Isn't that the blind guy...?"
Kalpas instinctively muttered when he saw Su.
"It's really Brother Su?" Pardofelis was also surprised—they hadn't expected to see Su all of a sudden.
In the story, Su began explaining MEI's plans once more in a calm monologue:
The Ark Project to find a second home beyond Earth, the Flame-Chasers Project to preserve knowledge and culture, and the Hengsha Project entrusted to him—to observe other worlds in search of truth.
He spoke of how he had witnessed the rise and fall of countless worlds, and finally found an answer.
He also called Kevin his best friend.
In short, it all gave off an impression of vague profundity—this man seemed to carry an air of lofty mystery.
From a character design perspective, it was...
"Pretentious." Kalpas said bluntly. "The more I watch, the more he seems like a cultist."
"Ah~~ Brother Su's words are kind of hard to follow."
Pardofelis held her head and swayed. Her brain itched—it felt like a Honkai Impact 3rd was about to sprout from it.
The scene shifted to Schicksal HQ, where the first activation test of the Second Divine Key was underway.
Bianca and the Immortal Blades were stationed to guard the event.
But then, an accident.
Bianca was abducted by an unknown force and brought before Su.
Su told her directly that among the infinite possibilities he had observed in countless worlds, it was Bianca who stood out—she was the key to defeating the Honkai.
Here, an issue arose—across all infinite worlds, Bianca always had golden hair.
But Kiana Kaslana, as we know, was born with white hair.
So Hokuto slightly adjusted this part of the script.
Despite Su's grand declarations, Bianca couldn't simply trust a stranger upon first meeting.
Naturally, the two fought.
Hokuto had players control Su in this battle, letting them experience the strength of a "forerunner" from the Previous Era firsthand.
The goal was to leave players with a deep impression of Su.
The fight ended with Su defeating Bianca and casting her into an illusion—a trial was about to begin.
At this point, the story finally started to make sense.
Pardofelis let out a sigh of relief.
The real Brother Su seemed quite normal—
A guy who sends emoji like (;▔д▔) in chats.
So why did he turn into...
Well, not a riddle-spewing enigma—Su was quite frank, actually.
More like... his manner of speech was just so profound, people began to feel like,
"Ah yes, Master. I have achieved enlightenment."
But when they came back to their senses—
All they'd actually "attained" was a teapot full of soap bubbles.
[It felt like I understood, but I guess I didn't. I'm just... thoroughly shocked.]
[This new character's wild—he easily beat Dumb Goose.]
[I totally get it now! 👁️🧠👁️]
...
"Brother Kalpas, you don't think Brother Su will become like that too, right? That'd be terrifying."
Pardofelis shuddered at the thought of Su going around saying "Life and death are impermanent" or "Reincarnation is endless" with the air of a sage.
"...I believe in Kevin." Kalpas gave a strange reply.
"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?" Pardofelis was confused.
"..."
Kalpas didn't answer.
But a random comment floated across the screen:
[Because being a clown is contagious.]
In Su's illusion—
The Arc City of this world had just suffered a great catastrophe.
What followed was the global outbreak of the 100% fatal "Honkai Erosion."
In this worldline, Bianca's close friend "Rita" had been attending high school in Arc City at the time and went missing in the chaos.
Bianca herself had forgotten her identity as a Valkyrie, and became a doctor devoted to treating the Honkai Erosion.
But—
[There is no cure for Honkai Erosion. The only option is to try cutting away the infected tissue.]
[However, the moment the excision begins, the infection rapidly worsens. No surgery has ever succeeded.]
Trying everything yet saving no one—being powerless to help.
For a kind-hearted doctor, this was pure torment.
Bianca tried to apply to MOTH in hopes of researching a cure.
But MOTH rejected her application.
After yet another failed operation, Bianca curled up in a corner, wracked with guilt—
Until Director Ragna found her.
"Ragna?" Pardofelis repeated the name.
If she remembered correctly, Ragna was the one who passed on the belief of "fighting for all that is beautiful in the world" to Himeko.
If not for Ragna, the story of Vermilion Knight: Eclipse wouldn't exist.
"Actually, Rita became a maid because of Ragna's influence," Kalpas suddenly added.
"Hmm?" Pardofelis let out a curious sound.
"What? You haven't read the official novel Durandal?" Kalpas shot back.
Pardofelis scratched her canned fish and cautiously replied, "I just didn't expect you to have read it..."
Brother Kalpas, should you really be so out of character?
[It's Ragna! Suddenly this world feels nice. I always thought it was such a shame she died so early.]
[Don't get too caught up in sugar-coated fantasy.]
That said—
Seeing Ragna gently comfort Bianca,
Along with a daily-life scene between the two specially added by Hokuto,
The players couldn't help but comment:
"The writer's finally showing some mercy."
But...
Writers love to throw punches at exactly this moment—
To remind you how naive you are.
Another failed surgery.
A ten-year-old girl, dead before her eyes.
Bianca vented her emotions at home, muttering again and again, "I can't do anything."
Then came a phone call.
Ragna, in a gentle tone, reminded her not to stay up too late, not to stress too much, to take care of herself.
Such genuine concern from a senior—
No need for grand speeches.
Just saying, "Don't stay up late," "Take care of your health," "Get some rest early"—
That's all it took to move people.
Players couldn't help but smile.
In this broken world, this small dose of sweetness still held warmth.
The screen shifted.
Ragna—who had just spoken so tenderly—put down her phone.
The camera panned to her hand, now marked with Honkai corrosion.
That warmth?
It was a farewell in disguise.
The players' smiles froze.
Before they could process it,
A familiar figure stepped out from the shadows in front of Ragna.
Otto—missing one arm.
"Based on your condition, the Honkai energy will spread through your entire body within six hours. I'm sorry, my old friend," Otto sighed.
"Doctor, can you grant me one last wish? Please... take care of Bianca."
[The moment I heard Otto say "old friend," I instantly got PTSD.]
[I was just about to praise the writer for letting Ragna live in this world, but no—I was too naive.]
[Why? Why must Ragna die even in an illusion? Why?]
"Maybe there'll be a miracle," Pardofelis held on to hope.
"Ragna might survive."
After all, not everyone infected with Honkai Erosion dies in the original world.
Maybe Ragna was one of the few chosen by fate.
Maybe she would awaken on the brink of death.
But unfortunately—there was no miracle.
Ragna died, just like the countless victims of Honkai Erosion.
Gone, with no chance of saving.
Bianca, rushing to the hospital upon hearing the news, had her first encounter with Otto.
What was shocking was—
The Otto in this illusion... seemed like a good person.
Hard-mouthed, soft-hearted.
He became Bianca's research partner,
Though he often mocked her efforts as futile, warning her not to meddle with dangerous things like Honkai Erosion.
Yet when Bianca sincerely begged,
He'd always "reluctantly" offer corrections to her antidote formula.
Their dynamic left players bewildered.
[Is such a gentle Otto even real? It must be an illusion.]
[Don't think like that—according to the earlier exposition, Bianca's experience here is based on Su's life, just with people she's familiar with swapped in.]
[For example, the mentor who guided Su was replaced with Otto—Bianca's subconscious made the choice.]
[Could you say that again, but simpler?]
[Basically, in Bianca's subconscious, Otto is equivalent to a mentor and spiritual guide.]
...
Having reached that conclusion, the players were still in disbelief.
Otto?
Bianca's life mentor?
It felt... surreal.
But then they remembered—
Ragna, too, had been inspired by Otto to become a Valkyrie.
And so, doubts surfaced.
Was the Otto they thought they knew...
Truly the real Otto?
Maybe—
They knew nothing about Otto.