MGSFV?! Chapter 561. This World Is Not Beautiful;
Player: Are they doing shenanigans again?
Hokuto: ...
Looks like the player community atmosphere has taken another "wonderful" turn.
From now on, every new player entering the game will probably feel the "enthusiastic welcome" and "eager expectations" from the veterans.
What a comforting thought.
If others knew what Hokuto was thinking right now, they would definitely be full of question marks.
???
However...
There is something that makes people very curious.
That is... how does he know what happens in the players' private chats?
Hmm...makes one ponder deeply—what exactly was his position during the earlier incident?
Could it be that... ahem, let's leave it at that.
Let's set that aside for now.
Back to the story.
Though the barrage comments had some mischievous undertones, they were actually quite helpful.
At the very least, they gradually helped players realize one thing amidst the excitement.
The Q&A between Kiana Kaslana and the Cocoon of Finality sounded like a job interview at first, but in truth, it was more like... as they say in their country, a questioning of one's true heart?
Questioning the heart. Understanding the true self.
That's very important.
Even though Kiana is just Kiana, in her position, every decision she makes will inevitably affect all of humanity—and the course of civilization itself.
Just like Kevin Kaslana—
Even if he remains quite down-to-earth now, chatting calmly with Vill-V, Raven, or children met in dreams...
His Stigmata Plan is undeniably pushing civilization down a completely different path.
The same goes for Kiana's decisions.
So now, having come this far—
After stumbling, tasting joy and bitterness, and seeing the world—what does she want to bring to humanity?
In fact, after a moment of serious thought, players already had a rough outline of the answer in their minds.
Kiana probably...
"...Whether it's fire or the power of Finality, they will eventually become a natural part of human life, found everywhere."
"And humanity, through them, will take another step forward into the future."
Humanity fears Finality because they don't understand it—
Just like how humans once feared fire, like wild beasts.
But... it never stays that way forever.
As long as...
"So I've come for that reason—to become a lightning bolt that strikes the old tree."
"And what humans can create with the flame from that old tree..."
Kiana paused briefly, then showed that pure smile everyone knew so well, placing her hands on her hips in the most classic "Buggy" pose.
"Let's wait and see."
She's willing to be lightning.
To be fire.
To bring the spark of fire to civilization.
It will bring change.
It will push civilization forward again.
It will bring forth a vaster, more magnificent future.
That is what she believes in, and she has walked this far for the sake of that future.
This world is not beautiful.
So she wants to bring it closer to beauty.
Kiana...
The players couldn't help but be dazed for a moment.
Elysia blinked, then pressed her lips together.
Offstage, Himeko looked at the Kiana inside the game, then at the one outside. As the contemplation in her eyes faded, a soft glow emerged...
And many, many others...
And many, many feelings...
Each of them different, yet with the same quality.
[Actually... I've always thought, "This world is not beautiful, but I want to bring it a little closer to perfection"—is a beautiful sentiment.
Not reaching, just approaching. Maybe in the end, it still won't be perfect, but... at least it will be a bit closer.
If someone in the future is inspired by the fire and is willing to take the baton and keep going, then perhaps, one day, this dream really can become reality.]
[They might seem insignificant. Might seem futile. But that's only because, right now, they are still seeds.
Seeds of beauty will one day bloom into flowers across the mountains and fields.]
...
So...
The next question from the Cocoon of Finality:
——Why do you want to do this?
[Isn't that question basically—why do birds fly?]
[Foreshadowing payoff?]
[You could ask this question to anyone in Honkai Impact 3rd. Why did Himeko do it? Why did Otto Apocalypse do it? Why did Kevin do it?]
[Why they did it—their reasons, their beliefs—are the very theme of Honkai Impact 3rd.]
[To ask that question now? (How poetic)]
This seemingly sharp question—
For Kiana, who had seen, heard, and experienced so many people explaining what they're "fighting for" and "why"...
Wasn't that hard to answer.
"Ha, so your 'why' has two meanings?"
Kiana could even tell the question was actually twofold.
'For what' and 'Because of what.'
"To be honest, every human who takes action doesn't think too deeply about this question."
"Because the answer has always been within arm's reach, right in front of their eyes."
Take Otto Apocalypse, for example.
He probably never thought too much about what saving Kallen meant.
To him, the act itself was already meaningful.
Kiana paused and gave her answer.
"Because this world raised me."
"Because before me, someone once moved forward to make the world a better place, to bring happiness to the people who helped them."
As expected.
Just like they thought in the beginning.
Because she was once illuminated, she knows how it feels.
So she wants to pass that light to others.
This answer, while grounded in reality, feels more authentic—
More than the idea that someone was born to burn themselves to save all humanity.
She's been lost. She's hesitated. She's felt disillusioned.
Her path wasn't smooth or easy. It was filled with stumbles.
But in the end, she learned to be strong. She understood her true self.
She reclaimed the wings that once chased her dreams.
Then, carrying a body weathered by time, she once again soared like a child with pure eyes.
"They taught me unwavering strength; they gave me the courage to move forward; they showed me what love and beauty are."
"They're also the ones who've accompanied me to this day."
"Even if, most of the time, we're strangers who never met—
Who can truly say they've never been helped by them?"
"So, even if the one standing in front of you today isn't me—
Someone else will surely appear, for their sake."
Pay attention, this'll be on the test.
"And that 'other her' will definitely carry the exact same will as I do now."
"This world gave us life. But only by burning it do we realize our worth."
...
A moment of silence.
Then, the final question from the Cocoon.
"..."
Hm?
Players quickly noticed—
The game didn't display the Cocoon's question on the screen like before.
This surprised them.
They weren't going to be told the final question?
Surely not...
Cocoon: "..."
Kiana: "..."
But in-game, a timered conversation between Kiana and the Cocoon played next, seeming to confirm the players' suspicion.
Player: ...!!
This screenwriter's riddle obsession is terminal!
They held back this long, only to relapse at the very end.
Truly...
"Isn't it obvious?!"
Just as players' expressions were about to change and type barrage comments, Kiana's voice came through just in time—
Stopping them mid-action.
Though honestly, what stopped them—
Wasn't her voice.
It was...
The sudden option that popped up on the game screen.
[Of course I do...]
???
What's with a dialogue option at this point?
Players froze, unsure how to respond.
Elysia blinked, nodded knowingly, then seriously selected it.
Right after, two more options appeared.
[...]
[To fight for all that is beautiful in this world.]
"...So it really is?"
Elysia murmured, then opened the dialogue history.
A subtle but telling detail—
The previous choice she made wasn't in the history.
Which meant...
This was both Kiana's answer and...
[Could it be asking us to answer too?]
A surprised player voiced the thought—
Then remembered Kiana's earlier words.
Even if the one standing here today isn't me, someone else will surely come.
And that "other her" will carry the same will as I do now.
Will they show the same will?
Will... they?
To be honest...
If it were them, maybe not...?
With hesitation creeping in, a different answer slowly formed.
They hadn't gone through what Kiana had.
They would never even see the Cocoon.
So if they had to respond—
It really would be... hard.
Tsk.
So that's why there are two options.
One is [...]
One is [To fight for all that is beautiful in this world.]
Damn, writer, you really thought of everything.
Sigh~~
With a sigh in their hearts, they firmly clicked one of the options on their devices.
[To fight for all that is beautiful in this world.] *N
Indeed.
In reality, they would give a very realistic answer.
But this wasn't reality.
So they wanted to give her the most beautiful ending possible.
Unrealistic.
But it's what they hoped for.
...
The players' choice at this moment—
Even Hokuto, who later pulled up backend data to see how many chose the second option, was stunned.
He didn't expect these people to...
Hah~~
Adding that extra option almost feels redundant now.
Of course, that's something he would reflect on later.
Right now—
He just looked at the suddenly quiet stream room, wondering if the players were still deciding what to pick.
Then, out of curiosity, wondered which they'd ultimately choose.
He was prepared for most to choose the first.
But Elysia, as expected, clicked the second without hesitation.
(Maybe some players were influenced by Elysia?)
The story continued.
After the answer, the Cocoon stepped forward—smiling without replying.
The moment it came to a stop——
Something surged into the body.
Resonated in the soul.
"As expected, you're just a mirror."
"Or rather... you are me."
Kiana had already realized it.
"To face your truest self... is this the qualification to inherit Finality?"
Seems not that hard.
Or rather, Kiana made it seem effortless.
But judging from how players had hesitated earlier—
Even with just a couple of choices, they hesitated.
Kiana's questioning of her heart was not as easy as it seemed.
The reason she could do it so easily—
Was because she's Kiana.
She had seen enough.
Been lost, hesitated, disappointed...
So she's no longer bothered by such things.
If someone from a power fantasy world where people are born world-destroying and world-saving switched places with Kiana—
Unless they could destroy the Cocoon outright, they probably couldn't pass this test of the heart.
In novel terms, this would be... the "Heart Demon Tribulation."
...
After Kiana inherited Finality, the game moved to the next scene.
"Looks like we're finally standing at the same starting line as Kevin Kaslana."
"We."
It was clear Kiana wasn't speaking to the Cocoon anymore—
But to...
"Even though his method was nearly a theft, the Cocoon still acknowledged him—and now looks forward to seeing the victor among us."
"If that's the case, then we better win with style."
The camera zoomed out.
With Kiana at the center, more of the surroundings were revealed.
Mei, Bronya—
Standing solemnly at her sides in the classic Team Kaslana formation.
[Classic trio pose.]
[Cool!]
[But why doesn't Kiana team up with Kevin and beat the Cocoon together?]
[What if they did beat the Cocoon?]
[Is it over...? If the Cocoon is gone, humanity might still have to face the Honkai. But by then, they could probably handle it, right? Can it really be worse than the Cocoon-corrupted Honkai?]
[Didn't you already say it? Before something actually happens, no one knows how it'll turn out. Kevin wouldn't accept that kind of uncertainty. And if you want him to give up his insurance plan for that—he'll just fight you instead.]
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