MGSFV?! Chapter 563. Stubborn but Refreshingly Sincere; Pity Otto for a Lifetime of Misfortune
Although the grand waves of the future may not be something the trio desires, and the plain and ordinary now may be what they yearn for but cannot attain—
Who could have known that, except the players who possess foresight?
Player: ...So?
Player: This is partly an explanation, but also... the emotional stabs are getting more subtle.
Player: Thanks to the writing team, we're once again reminded why "flashbacks" are called flashbacks. (Claps.jpg)
In truth, the truly "interesting" part is still to come.
Player: ?
In-game, the casual conversation among the three continued.
"In the end, Kevin, basketball just isn't your sport. Swimming, track and field... even weightlifting would be better..." Su offered his advice.
"Those are meaningless. They're just about pushing physical limits. Boring."
Kevin instantly shot back with an astonishing reply.
"Just" meaningless, huh.
"What I care about is victory. Do you get it? You really think tossing a ball around makes me happy?"
"What I love is the moment of victory."
He didn't care what that victory brought him.
As long as he could witness that moment.
To know—victory was near.
That alone was enough.
Even now, that line still suits Kevin.
"As with many of your other ideas... it's far too self-indulgent and unrealistic," Su replied calmly.
"You just don't understand it, do you... What do you think, Mei?"
"I completely agree with Su."
"...?"
"But, sometimes, I feel that this pure side of you is..."
Is what?
Players, Elysia, and many who knew Kevin and Mei leaned in, listening closely.
Especially people like Mobius... tsk, curious to see what Kevin and Mei's relationship was like in another world.
But what the scene gave them was only Mei turning away mid-sentence and leaving.
As if she hadn't said anything at all, and yet—she had said everything.
That youthful innocence—
Made the corners of one's mouth curl upward.
"Alright, go get changed. I'll wait outside."
Su, stuffed full of unexpected PDA, was the second to leave after Mei.
Mei first, Su second...
And then, the mood of the flashback sharply shifted.
As the basketball soared high—miraculously, against all odds, the shot didn't miss.
The moment of victory.
The "young man" slowly opened his eyes on the cold throne.
At this place, only he remained.
Mei...
Su...
Everyone else...
The slight smile that had just appeared on the players' faces froze in place.
They let their guard down...
No, they just didn't care enough.
Clearly, the BGM, the flashback format—everything was a warning.
[Thinking about it, the order they left is exactly the order Mei and Su left Kevin.]
[You figured it out fast.]
[I wish I hadn't.]
[It wasn't me leaving you. It was you all leaving me.]
[This joy—Kevin no longer has anyone to share it with.]
[See? I told you 50,000 years ago being a hero wasn't worth it. I wish you'd realized it earlier... Oh, wait. You still haven't realized it, have you? You're really... such a headache.]
Who is this—
So stubborn, yet refreshingly sincere?
Of course, unless someone noticed it, that line was just lost in the sea of barrage comments—unremarkable.
...
And so the story progressed.
By now, everyone should be aware—Kevin was ready.
Whether the ending brought joy or disappointment.
The camera shifted elsewhere.
It was time to check in on Kiana Kaslana.
Thinking that, they subconsciously formed an expectation of what the next scene might look like.
But...
They soon realized their expectations were pointless.
Because what appeared before their eyes was—
The Hyperion's login elevator?
Huh???
"Did I get disconnected?"
That was the first reaction of many.
But they quickly realized—that wasn't it.
Kiana was...
What's going on??
They tried to focus and observe, but someone mischievously switched the camera again.
Curious what happened?
Well, not showing it now.
Player: ...
About fifteen minutes earlier—
Kiana and the others had left the Cocoon of Finality and returned to St. Freya.
There, they exchanged a brief farewell.
Because no one wanted to raise a death flag, they didn't discuss what would happen if they succeeded or failed.
They simply told Kiana to go do what she needed to do—they'd take care of everything else.
Of course, though nothing was said, many had realized one thing.
That if Kiana succeeded, Earth likely wouldn't be able to withstand the power of the Herrscher of Finality directly.
Then, just like Kevin now—
All she could do was stay in outer space to control the entire Honkai energy field.
And this ending, conveyed through other characters' inner monologues, temporarily distracted the players from their frustration over the earlier scene-switching tricks.
[Huh?]
[Is this implying Buggy will be sealed on the moon?]
[Let's stay positive—just call it remote work.]
[It's just temporary. She'll return eventually.]
[Eventually? Easier said than done... imagine years of holidays, Kiana watching Earth alone from the moon... can we really say "eventually" so lightly?]
Kiana watching Earth from the moon.
Bronya and Mei watching the moon from Earth.
An incredibly evocative image.
[Maybe Mei and Bronya can visit her on the moon?]
[That's like saying parents can always visit their kids working far away. Sure, they can—but that doesn't mean the other person's there every time you miss them. Most of the time, it's still separation.]
[So in the end, if that's how it ends, the only difference from being sealed is that Kiana can still move. Like being imprisoned, but not fully.]
...
You could say that's a good thing—
But not really.
And it made them realize—
This was likely the final question the Cocoon of Finality had asked Kiana.
"If you succeed, you'll have to stay in space, controlling all Honkai energy—separated from friends and family for a very, very long time."
If they remembered right...
Of course they remembered—it had only just happened.
Kiana's answer was——
"Of course I do."
Clearly, no matter what outcome awaited her, Kiana was already prepared—
To take the torch from another Kaslana.
And bear that burden.
So, it was time to go.
After the farewell at St. Freya, everyone else left.
Only the three who would participate in the final battle remained.
"Shall we head out?"
Kiana looked up at the moon, her eyes unwavering.
"Mm." Mei nodded.
Bronya stepped forward, raising her hand and explaining her plan:
"Bronya will construct a [Stargate] here to teleport us back to Neo-ATLANTIS."
"Then, we'll go find Kevin..."
"Please wait!"
A voice unfamiliar to Kiana and the others—but very familiar to players—suddenly interrupted.
"...?" x3
"Perfect timing—I made it."
Ever since the Moon Arc began, Ai-chan had been watching from the sidelines.
And now, for the first time, she appeared before Kiana, Mei, and Bronya.
That instantly triggered a realization among the players—
Could the reason Kiana ended up on the Hyperion's elevator be because of Ai-chan?
After all, her full name is Ai Hyperion Λ.
As expected, they were right.
Ai-chan had indeed brought the Hyperion over.
She couldn't do much more, but she still wanted to send Kiana and the others off properly—
So they could meet Kevin in the best possible condition.
For the four heading into battle, this was the perfect setup.
[Hyperion's in—so basically, we're in.]
Hokuto: ...
With the Hyperion piercing through Earth's atmosphere, players eagerly piloted it into space, toward the moon.
They excitedly fired off barrage comments.
Even though there were no rousing lines of dialogue—
The stunning visuals, supported by Hokuto's black-tech code, were more than enough.
It got them hyped all over again.
But... this was just the beginning.
Soon, enemies poured in from all directions—countless in number.
"?"
"So many."
"Will the Hyperion be sunk by these things?"
As concern rose—
Ai-chan's voice sounded:
"Hyperion main cannon—Moonlight Throne, fully charged!"
Players could now switch to cannon mode and blast the obstacles.
"As expected, a battle without a difficulty option is probably just for show—should be easy."
But just as that line dropped—
BZZZT~!
With an inaudible tremor,
The [Imaginary Finality Beast: Existentialism]—which Mei had fought before—once again bared its fangs.
Previously, Mei crushed this thing.
But don't be fooled—this creature had the power to [affect rules].
And now—
Without even close inspection, players noticed its golden body was covered in ominous purple blotches.
Who knows what it ate.
It looked like the death-dream remnants from Kevin's shadow.
"Uh-oh..."
A terrible feeling welled up.
With Existentialism's menacing new form—
This clearly wasn't going to be just a cutscene.
So—
They focused and aimed the main cannon.
A blinding beam, like a torrent of starlight, obliterated everything in its path.
Unstoppable force—
The players relaxed a bit.
No problem. No problem.
Just the fun warmup before the real fight...
BOOM! KRAK!!
Before that thought could even finish—
Existentialism blocked the cannon blast—
Then struck the Hyperion with a fatal blow,
Right as players failed to dodge.
The next moment, its attack pierced the Hyperion.
Stunned, players watched the cutscene:
Kiana, Mei, and Bronya evacuated the powerless Hyperion—
Worked together to slay Existentialism—
Then pressed forward.
As they reached the destination—
The camera zoomed in.
A close-up of the slightly weary trio.
The screen froze.
[Proceed from here]
[Try again]
"..."
"What does that mean?"
"It means—you can choose to beat Existentialism yourselves, so Kiana and the others arrive at their destination in top condition."
Hokuto explained:
"Of course, it won't affect the ending. But if you do it—
They might still have the strength to say a proper goodbye afterward."
[So we can pilot the Hyperion and really beat that level ourselves?]
"Yes."
[Then obviously we're trying again!]
[We just weren't ready last time. It's time—to show peak gameplay.]
["Simple as That"]
With Hokuto's explanation,
Naturally, many players clicked "Try again."
No way...
[MMP—There's not just a boss, but a swarm of mobs too! All I've got is the Hyperion! How am I supposed to handle all that?!]
They were quickly humbled by Existentialism.
[Don't worry. Once it hits phase 2, you'll unlock controllable drones.]
[Wait, this boss has a phase 2??]
[Can this fight even be cleared normally?]
After dying again, Elysia also glanced at Hokuto.
He simply nodded calmly.
"Of course it can."
He had beaten it himself.
"But if it's too hard, you can wait a bit—
It might get balanced later."
"Or just leave it—it won't change the ending."
"Alright, today's story ends here. Time to move on to the next stream segment."
Hokuto looked at Elysia.
"Will you keep hosting—or are you going to give it another shot?"
Elysia: "..."
She thought seriously.
Then left the stream area with Hokuto, found a quiet spot,
And began the battle anew.
Soon after—
She racked up her third, fourth...
Countless deaths.
"Try again."
Still undaunted, she hit "Try again."
[Captain "Miss Pink Elf~♪"...]
"?"
[You've repeated this stage many times—why keep going?]
"??"
"I want Kiana and the others to..."
Elysia reflexively answered.
[You want to help them? But they may not need your help.]
[Even if you do help, they won't remember you—and won't thank you.]
[Your actions may be a passing whim—and misunderstood by others.]
"..."
[Even so, do you still choose 'Try again'? To bring them a possible better ending?]
[Yes]
[No]
"Yes."
For others, that might take thought.
But for Elysia, she clicked without hesitation.
And it's because this world has many people like her—
That Hokuto dared to build this feature.
So...
She restarted again.
Facing Existentialism—who had tormented her over and over—
She took a deep breath, wiped her sweaty palms,
And focused on her unknown-numbered challenge.
Phase one, cleared.
Phase two, cleared.
Phase three...
A swarm of enemies.
Uncountable attacks—meteors, light beams, kamikaze strikes, self-destruct bugs...
Only by precise control of the main cannon could a path be cleared.
Even then—the Hyperion would still get scraped.
HP slowly dropped—
For both the Hyperion and Existentialism.
1%
Coincidentally, both hit their final slivers of health.
Elysia, tense, aimed the cannon.
Charge… charge...
The radiant white beam would bring the dawn of the future.
Hyperion! Fire main cannon!
"We've got it!"
Excited, Elysia raised one hand from the controller.
And in that split second—
A suicide bug appeared from nowhere, diving toward the Hyperion.
At its speed, it would hit before the main cannon landed.
Elysia: "...?!"
Her heart stopped. She panicked to correct her input.
Hard left! Evasive maneuvers!!
Too late...
BOOM!!
"Damn it... huh??"
Elysia was ready to hit "Retry"—
But to her shock, a fighter suddenly appeared, blocking the suicide bug.
It exploded—and its explosion spelled out words:
[It's all Otto's fault]
"?"
While Elysia wondered—
The view returned to the Hyperion.
Ai-chan, equally tense and drenched in sweat, finally released her grip.
She gazed out toward space—
Watching the Hyperion cruise steadily toward the final battlefield—
And breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Then looked upward again.
The camera zoomed in on her face.
"I've seen countless futures—but none ever went this smoothly."
"So when it finally happened, I almost couldn't believe it."
"Was this really something I made happen?"
Elysia: That's the power of resets. Never underestimate the resolve of Honkai players!
"I think..."
Ai-chan closed her eyes, quietly sensing it.
Because of her unique nature—
She could feel time's anomalies.
The repetition—
The countless loops.
"I don't know the details...
But surely, a 'you' gave everything to make this happen."
Elysia: Hmm?
"And if there's one of you—
Then surely there are many like you, all working for this future..."
Elysia: ...Yes. There are many like me, still trying now.
Even if...
She thought of the text in-game—how some said it wasn't worth it.
But—
They once laughed because of this story.
They once cried because of this story.
The resonance they felt—
Was not fake.
It was real.
And those emotions, like drops of water—
Became streams.
Became oceans.
And in turn, stirred ripples in the story itself.
So, someone out there—
Would make the same choice as her.
She believed it.
"So, I want to help those who still need help. Those still fighting."
"But before that—
If you, the one who helped me—
Who watched this story for so long—
Really exist—
Could you leave a message for me, for us, and for another me, another us?"
[Please enter no more than 25 characters.]
"This is..."
Elysia was surprised—then realized.
That little fighter that helped her earlier—
Was the blessing left behind by the last player to succeed.
"But why would you write... 'It's all Otto's fault'?"
"Just how much do you hate Otto?"
Thinking that,
She decisively did not write "Pity Otto for a lifetime of misfortune"…
Ahem. Of course she wouldn't.
Instead—she thought it over seriously, then carefully wrote...
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