MGSFV?! Chapter 353. I Hope She Learns to Face Despair
Scriptwriter-sensei?
If it were any other game, players casually calling the writer "sensei" wouldn't seem out of place.
But in Honkai Impact 3rd, especially after that recent "family portrait" segment?
It hit differently.
It showed just how much Elysia's reappearance had shocked the players in a good way.
The livestream chat exploded in excitement for quite a while before things finally calmed down.
"Elysia, how about taking a short break for now?"
Hokuto suggested to Elysia.
Elysia blinked. "A break?"
"Mhm, we've been streaming for a long time now," Hokuto explained. They could take a moment to rest and get something to eat.
"Hmm... that's true." Elysia nodded. "We've been broadcasting for quite a while. I guess I am feeling a little tired. And besides..."
She crumpled the tissue in her hand.
"I think I need to take a moment to sort through my emotions."
"Then..." Hokuto followed up, "let's pause the stream for a bit."
"Okay."
Elysia agreed, then turned to face the camera, giving a small wave to the viewers.
She smiled and said:
"We're going to take a short break now."
"Everyone, see you in a bit."
[Goodbye, Miss Fairy.]
[Even though I don't want to leave, and I really want to know what happens next, logic tells me I should take a breather too. My eyes are sore from crying.]
[Friendly reminder: if you don't want spoilers and want to continue the story with Miss Fairy, don't go to the forums. Don't go to the forums. Don't go to the forums (important things must be said three times).]
[True. The official forums are in chaos right now (translation: everyone's losing their minds).]
[Thanks for the heads-up, reclaiming the hand that almost clicked open the forum.]
...
The players were helping each other out in perfect harmony.
Elysia gave everyone a proper farewell.
Outside the room, Rita switched off the streaming camera.
Then Hokuto and Elysia got up and walked out of the work area.
But the moment they stepped outside, the others immediately surrounded them.
No one said anything at first. They just stared at Hokuto with a variety of expressions—some deep, some contemplative.
Hokuto: "..."
"Oh my~~"
Elysia blinked again, then silently shuffled sideways into the crowd...
Then turned around, smiling sweetly at Hokuto.
Naturally. Casually. So very Elysia.
She was just as good at stirring things up as she was at calming them down.
"You guys…"
Hokuto, unbothered, calmly removed the mask from his face and smiled slightly.
"If you have anything to say, just say it."
"You look pretty calm. Aren't you afraid…?"
Mobius, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, asked from the side with an intrigued expression.
"Afraid...? Well..."
Hokuto lightly brushed the still-warm mask with his fingers, speaking slowly.
"If you were really planning to do something to me, maybe I'd be afraid."
"Tch." Mobius clicked her tongue.
They had come in so aggressively, yet this man still saw through it—clearly, no one here was actually planning to do anything.
After a brief pause, Hokuto continued.
"After all, while I can't speak for others, I know you lot wouldn't reject this story."
A person's fate is their character.
Maybe in this world, they were just "ordinary people" living peaceful lives—but when it came to certain choices, they were bound to arrive at the same place.
So, he believed—they would agree with what their counterparts had done in the story.
"..."
"Accept it... huh?"
Someone quietly raised a question: "Sure, like you said, we do accept the story... but…"
"To be honest, I'm a little curious—did you write Elysian Realm just to create thirteen memorable characters and then cut them down all at once?"
"How could that be?" Hokuto immediately shook his head.
Tragedy was never the core of Honkai Impact 3rd.
Or rather—if it was only tragedy, it wouldn't move people the way it does.
"Fight for all that is beautiful in the world."
"Make this imperfect world what we hope it can be."
"Tragedy isn't an end. It's the start of hope."
...
The story thus far had made that abundantly clear.
If one were to summarize it in a single line, perhaps this one fits best:
We've witnessed how cruel the world can be—and yet also how warm and beautiful it can become.
That spark of eternal humanity touches the heart.
Still, despite how decisively Hokuto denied it, everyone else continued to look at him skeptically.
So he elaborated.
"Really, Elysian Realm is both a story about the thirteen Flame-Chasers, and a story designed to help Mei grow…"
"Think about it. Kiana went through Everlasting Flames, then Krosten. She overcame her past, avenged Himeko, and has basically achieved emotional closure."
"And in the future, Mei will inevitably reconnect with Kiana. If Mei is still stuck in Because of You, and the two clash in ideology, what then? Have them fight again after reuniting?"
"That does make some sense..." Elysia nodded thoughtfully.
"Hold on."
Mobius suddenly cut in. "I'm not particularly 'invested' in that little test subject or what happens between her and Kiana, but…"
She paused, then continued, "From what you're saying, if Mei doesn't change, she will conflict with Kiana?"
"If I'm not mistaken, their argument in Arc City happened because... Kiana intended to sacrifice herself, right?"
Mobius's implication carried a subtle tension.
After she spoke, Hokuto could feel the eyes on him grow even more intense.
But still, he didn't give a direct answer.
"In any case, Mei and Kiana fighting again—once was enough."
"That's why Mei needs to grow. Elysian Realm is there to help her learn to 'face despair.'"
Face despair?
That phrase felt like it said nothing… yet also everything.
And—
"I don't know if Mei's learned to 'face despair,' but I do feel like the players have."
Someone quipped sharply.
"..."
"Mmh… I won't deny that."
"You look kinda happy about it?"
"How could I be?"
Hokuto straightened his expression and replied, 'seriously':
"Look, I'm not particularly concerned whether every one of you gets emotionally destroyed by the story or not..."
"I'm more curious—when you encounter this story, how do you react? Will you be happy? Stirred? Will you feel the beauty carried by the tale?"
"That's what I really want to see."
"Happy? Stirred? Beautiful?"
Someone looked him over doubtfully. "Sure, Honkai has all that—but I still don't believe you actually think that way."
"Looks like everyone's got a little misunderstanding about me, huh? But of course I really think that way."
Hokuto gave them a look that said, "Whether you believe me or not, I've already convinced myself."
"Tragedy isn't an end. It's the start of hope. So, farewells are just for better reunions in the future."
"Reunions?" Elysia blinked. "There'll be reunions? Really?"
She paused, then furrowed her brows slightly.
"By reunions, you don't mean the Chapter 31 Part 1 story just now, do you?"
"Well… maybe. Who knows? Guess for yourselves."
"Does teasing us make you happy??"
"Kinda?"
"Heh." n
Everyone chuckled in unison, and began cracking their knuckles.
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