MGSFV?! Chapter 428. The Bittersweet Energy Laced in the Blade; The Pressure Begins
Yes.
After the girls experienced a period of time that felt both long and short together,
they simultaneously opened their eyes—
And saw St. Freya Academy.
That place was like a home to them.
Although players were likely still immersed in the "taking flight," "rising," and other "wonderful" emotions that the writing and direction had evoked...
That was no bad thing.
This part truly deserved to be savored by every Honkai Impact 3rd player.
Or rather, had to be savored.
Only then could one fully experience the wonderful elements hidden in the performance and dialogue...
For instance—
That CG with two rotating cubes, the one everyone called "super abstract."
It had actually appeared once before—at the end of Lament of the Sinner.
Back then, it represented separation.
But now, it symbolized reunion and a deep spiritual connection.
If one caught this mirroring, it would undoubtedly make this scene even more romantic.
[Sudden sugar overload.]
[Sweet sweet sweet, turns out Honkai Impact 3rd can be this sweet? The sweetest is Honkai!]
This overwhelmingly sweet plot immediately filled the chat with "auntie smile" reactions.
And then...
They were caught off guard by the sudden appearance of St. Freya Academy.
[Okay, but why are we back at St. Freya again?]
[My chocolate door PTSD just got triggered.]
["Post-Chocolate Door Trauma"]
...
"..."
"Today's St. Freya... clear skies.
Today's story... so sweet.
There should be nothing to—"
Elysia looked at the image of St. Freya in the game.
"Everyone, don't worry. I believe—"
Unfortunately, she didn't even finish her sentence.
Upon clicking—
Kiana had already walked up to St. Freya's gates.
Gazing at the familiar scene, she softly murmured:
"I didn't expect... our first stop would be here."
She paused.
Quietly looking at a spot just a few steps ahead.
Where there was... nothing.
After a moment, she said:
"She... they really aren't here."
At the same time, the familiar St. Freya melody began to play.
Elysia: "..."
Flag raised and instantly shattered.
Players: "..."
Silence.
Mei added quietly:
"Kiana... in the Theater of Domination, you saw Himeko-sensei, didn't you?"
Theater of Domination? Himeko-sensei?
The keywords slammed straight into the players' minds.
From the music, the setting, to the dialogue—
All of it pulled them back to that time,
that pure-white place,
the true final lesson.
The memories hit hard.
They could barely hold themselves together.
[...]*n
[Just give us sugar! Why lace the sugar with knives?!]
[Himeko gazes at you gently, no longer speaking.]
[This sugar's sharp. It's breaking my teeth.]
[Please stop doing this（devastated）]
All they could say was—
HoYoverse's writers?
They were never going to turn over a new leaf.
Honkai Impact 3rd sugar...
Was meant to shine through with that bittersweet energy, glassy and laced with blades.
If you couldn't understand that—
You couldn't truly grasp Honkai Impact's unique healthy optimism.
And...
You wouldn't qualify as a seasoned Captain.
...
Although players' emotions were surging—
Kiana herself was still relatively calm.
She nodded lightly:
"Mm. In the world recorded by the Gem of Pestilence."
"As expected of you, Mei.
You always seem to know what I've been through."
But while Mei could guess what Kiana had experienced...
Kiana likely couldn't imagine what Mei had gone through during their time apart.
After all—
It was way too complex (over 300,000 words).
Even a high-level summary would be hard to fit in a few sentences.
You couldn't just say:
"I met a lot of people in this place called the Elysian Realm under World Serpent,
but in the end, they all... left."
"Though because of that, I came to understand many things."
Someone unfamiliar with the context—
Could they truly grasp the emotional depth?
Probably not.
So Mei hadn't—and couldn't—tell Kiana the whole story of the Elysian Realm.
Kiana could only assume Mei made some new friends while they were apart.
That a lot happened.
And that was it.
Back on track.
Kiana tilted her head.
She no longer sounded as frantic as she had in Sky City,
but still, when she spoke of Himeko—
"Back then... this was where we said goodbye.
After that, I became the Herrscher of Flamescion."
Her voice carried a subtle tremor,
as if it held a thousand emotions.
Players: "..."
[Kiana's voice acting here... the trembling voice... is just so good.]
[The writing's great, the voice acting's great, the music's great...
If only it were a little sweeter（sad）]
[Himeko-sensei, Kiana kept her promise. Mei made it home.]
[These memories... they're overwhelming.]
[You guys aren't crying already, are you?（sunglasses）No way, right?]
The players were clearly getting emotionally shaken by all these old memories.
But actually—
There was no need to rush.
Because...
Mei's gentle teasing tone cut in:
"That being the case...
Kiana, now returning to the academy, must be Himeko-sensei's rightful class rep, right?"
"Haha."
Kiana smiled again:
"Never thought the word class rep would ever apply to me."
Mei smiled softly at her:
"But... it fits you perfectly, doesn't it?
Also—
I'd really love for Class Rep Kiana to help this long-absent truant catch up on her lessons."
Catch up! Catch up hard!!
The players, some of whom had planned to back out—
Instantly sat upright, motionless.
If they were going to get emotionally destroyed today,
they'd do it right here in their seats.
There was no other way—
Mei was just too good at this.
No wonder she studied under Elysia in the Elysian Realm.
Hmm...
Had they considered that maybe they were just overthinking it?
Players: No way!
Regardless of what Mei in the story was thinking—
The writers definitely did it on purpose.
They just understood the writers' intentions.
Confirmed.
So—Kiana, go ahead!
Use whatever method you need to convey your feelings!
...
Alright.
Whatever method?
If the players asked for it, the writers would deliver.
And so...
"In a moment like this...
shouldn't I use one of the idioms you always used when calling me out, Mei...?"
Kiana thought hard:
"——Act without hesitation, perhaps?"
"After all...
this is the memory I've wanted most to share with you this past year."
She paused briefly, then continued:
"Let me see... where should I begin..."
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath,
and began her story in a calm voice.
"That day, the first thing she said to me was—
'Long time no see, Kiana.'"
Players: ???
Okay, but can we NOT convey feelings like this?!
Back and forth between sweet and painful—really?
They felt like they were trapped in a Schrödinger's Run or Don't Run paradox.
They wanted to run,
but also didn't want to miss any "beautiful" content.
Kiana's voice still echoed:
"Yeah, it had been a long time.
But I always felt like those days spent with Himeko-sensei, Mei, and everyone else...
were just yesterday."
"She also said...
'You've changed so much.'"
[...]*n
[The crying's about to start. The pressure's on.]
[Here comes the Honkai energy replenishment arc again.]
"But I thought—
If giving up on change could make all the bad things never happen,
then I'd rather stay the idiot Kiana that Bronya used to call me."
"Mei, that kind of thinking sounds childish now, doesn't it?"
[Don't cry, Kiana!]
[The performance's so good... it's like Flamescion Neverending all over again.]
[When you get a performance this good, just smile! It's the players' "fortune"!]
Fortune your [REDACTED]...
[Smile, okay? SMILE!! Why aren't you smiling now!?]
[I'm out of tissues!]
Elysia: "..."
As expected—
Once a meme is born, it never really dies.
At the right moment—
It would always be brought out again.
Of course, as the person who created the "smile" meme,
Elysia's feelings were complicated watching it being used.
It was like—
Coming home to find your mom holding your anime figure.
Very complicated.
...
Back to the story.
In front of Mei—
Kiana's emotions flowed out naturally.
The atmosphere grew heavier.
Even players began to set aside their usual banter, quietly watching.
"Back then, I truly believed in those miracle scenarios—
that it was possible to undo everything bad."
"Looking back now...
maybe that was just an immature psychological defense."
"When it comes to life and death...
people like to avoid the topic.
But I couldn't avoid it.
I had to talk about it—
because I am the genuine Herrscher of the Void."
"No matter how much I try to accept it,
it's something no one can change."
"Even if I was mentally prepared...
I still couldn't let go so easily."
"In that regard..."
Mei thought for a moment.
She didn't say "A person's fate is their character," but instead:
"Everyone's the same, Kiana."
"We all hope that Himeko-sensei just lost touch for a while...
That she's waiting for us somewhere in the world...
That she's only sleeping in the Imaginary Space..."
Mei's feelings for Himeko were no less deep than Kiana's.
In the manga—
When Mei became a Herrscher, she was just like Kiana in Lament of the Sinner—ready to die.
It was Himeko who brought her back with a slap!
The livestream chat quickly recalled that scene.
[Now that you mention it—Mei in the manga was just like Sinner-era Kiana.
She couldn't accept being a Herrscher either.
It was Himeko who set her straight.]
Some people brought it up sincerely—
Others were clearly trying to stack the pain buff.
Trying to ensure—
No one escapes this knife.
[Seeing the chat mention the manga...
Realizing both Mei and Kiana were so stubborn and similar... I'm crying.]
[What? It's already Chapter 32 and you haven't read the official Honkai Impact 3rd manga?
Go read it! It's amazing!（serious）]
See?
Told you some people were up to something.
...
Back to the story.
Despite her feelings—
Mei still stayed strong.
If they both broke down and cried—
No one could move forward.
So she had to be Kiana's support.
Ship it. Ship it hard.
"So back then...
Himeko-sensei asked me if I showed up too suddenly."
"She was afraid you weren't ready yet."
"Yeah, but..."
Kiana nodded.
"When it comes to this sort of thing,
who could really be 'ready'?
That'd just become another way to avoid it forever."
"So in the end... I broke down and cried in front of Himeko-sensei.
Cried pretty hard, too."
[Two people were crying back then—Kiana, and someone else I won't name.]
[Any guesses?]
Some kept it cryptic.
Others were more direct:
[Now that I think about it...
it still hurts. That knife came back out of nowhere.]
[Hearing Kiana reflect like this... she's really grown up.
I feel proud, but also... a little heartbroken.]
[She's grown. She really has.]
These were probably words Kiana had been holding in for a long time—
Words she may have already shared with Bronya, Fu Hua, or Academy Head Theresa.
"I'm not sad anymore."
"I've grown."
"I'm doing well." — That's what she was saying between the lines.
And it was true.
But still—
They couldn't help but mourn the loss of her former innocence.
That kind of growth—
Could've come later.
It didn't need to be so sudden.
Didn't need to come at such a heavy price...
But still—
"..."
[Damn you, Otto you really—]
Hokuto: ??? How did this get turned on me again?
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