MGSFV?! Chapter 569. Raven and Mei Prison.avi; A Large-Scale Public Humiliation Scene
Anyway, back to the official short animation that served as the opening—Kevin pulled a charging cable from the Skyfire.
He then picked it up and held it in his hand, transforming into his Herrscher form.
Although the animation itself was comedic, the story it represented was far from it.
Through the sacrifice of another Prometheus, Kevin seized the power originally belonging to the Cocoon of Finality and used it to empower himself.
Thus, the Stigmata Plan was successfully advanced.
Of course, the current Stigmata Plan is no longer the original version.
Originally envisioned by Jackal, it involved—
Sacrificing countless ordinary human lives to filter out individuals capable of adapting to the Honkai.
But it has since evolved into a version where humanity disappears from reality through transcription and sinks into a dreamscape, allowing the archetypal concepts that were once Stigmata to replace humanity in advancing civilization.
And in the subsequent plot, it's quite obvious...
Jackal did not agree with this. She even went so far as to burn her own Stigmata to assist Gray Serpent 1904 in backstabbing Gold Serpent.
Although her motive wasn't out of belief that "a civilization without humanity is meaningless"—because clearly the version she had planned was even more inhumane.
Would Jackal feel sorry for humanity? How is that possible?
She simply couldn't accept that the version of the Stigmata Plan she had devoted her life to had been tossed into the trash like garbage.
For a scientist, this might be the most unacceptable thing of all.
[Now that I think about it, quite a few people backstabbed Gold Serpent: Hare, Gray Serpent, Jackal, Raven... Pretty much every named cadre in World Serpent was involved.]
[Was Raven involved? She just left World Serpent. Doesn't seem like the type to take part in that. She'd probably stay neutral.]
[I think there was something… Weren't those awakened by the Stigmata on the lunar base supplying blank dream fragments altered by the Stigmata to Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, making their plan run more smoothly?]
[You mean Raven was the one coordinating that behind the scenes? Hmm, she was taking care of children at the lunar base after leaving World Serpent.]
[A goodwill offering to Schicksal and Anti-Entropy—just in case they win, Raven can ensure she doesn't get crushed in the end.]
Player: "..."
Betting on both sides definitely sounds like something Raven would do.
But it's unclear whether Raven's just a pure opportunist or if she's slightly biased.
After all, Kevin kept mumbling about "why the island flies," and maybe Raven got so fed up she decided to just blow him up…
Ahem—not that. I mean, Raven and Mei have already cornered each other against the wall multiple times. At this point, they're practically—
Ahem—no, what I meant was that even though Raven says she no longer has dreams, she still hopes that those who do can have a chance.
Just like how someone worn down by society might still smile and say, "Do your best," when they hear a child talk about their innocent dreams.
Whether it comes true or not is one thing; whether you want it to is another. Holding onto a bit of hope for the future might not be such a bad thing.
At the very least, for Raven—who's adopted many orphans and is a full-time child caretaker—this could be her thinking, and she might be willing to offer some help.
[Actually... I'm really looking forward to Raven getting arrested and imprisoned by Schicksal after this big battle (can I even say this?)
Then Mei visits her in prison, and the once "close confidante" is now one behind bars, the other outside. And the one in the cage has to agree to all kinds of "improper" demands from her former friend just to escape…]
[And thus, a tale of love and hate begins.jpg]
[So this is what you're all into? Well... I like it too (dog head). Got any fanworks to recommend?]
[DM me.]
[DM now!!]
...
Let's not talk about the players who took the conversation private.
Or rather—we must talk about them.
It is absolutely necessary to criticize them seriously—for not sharing the goods with everyone!
Ahem.
Back in the livestream, after the explanation of the Stigmata Plan—
The scene shifted.
On the other hand, the Fire Moth Project—strictly speaking—never even had a concrete plan.
According to Dr. Mei, all it relied on was unwavering dreams and an unchanging true self.
If realized, it would bring about the best possible ending for humanity.
In a sense...
It meant letting the current civilization deal with it on their own.
The Honkai breaks out, Herrschers appear, the world is on the brink of destruction… In the face of these catastrophes, the current civilization can handle it however they see fit.
If they manage it well—great. If not… well, there's still the Stigmata Plan.
It doesn't matter either way.
Of course, rather than being completely hands-off, quite a few pioneers from the Previous Era still offered much support to the current civilization.
Just like... the miracle's beginning.
That flawless one.
She was born from a probability so small it could circle the Earth in decimal places.
And she held the most beautiful hopes for humanity.
Her sacrifice. Her dedication.
It changed the once-deadly Stigmata Plan and ignited the true flame for the Fire Moth Project—
Hope.
And this hope wasn't just...
The kind where someone says: "I hope you become kind and beautiful."
But rather: After struggling through this thing called life, the only truth I'm willing to accept is this—Everything will pass.
Though if we're going to talk about hope, maybe it has to come from within yourself, not someone else telling you.
Those who burned like torches never demanded that those who came after them achieve anything specific.
But the flames they left behind never went out.
So...
In this era, there are Herrschers born with humanity and aware of what kind of hope they truly desire.
The successors of Origin.
The Herrscher of Human: Ego.
[Amen!!]
[I... actually kind of understand that feeling.]
[Huh?]
[I mean, I was helped by so many people yesterday. That feeling finally made me understand a little—what's been supporting Kiana and the others all this time.]
Yes, it's a strange feeling.
When they were about to give up...
Because, here, to trigger a branch, you really do get tormented for a long time. Honestly, even if it's mixed with a bit of real-world weirdness, if you don't have some inner resolve, you won't keep retrying until the branch unlocks.
Like that one streamer—the whole time muttering about giving up—but still retried far more times than they planned.
It's not something you can just chalk up to "stream content."
It's a choice.
Let those willing to accept the first ending go that route—the following story skips some farewell dialogue...
Let those who want a second ending get that one—and what follows better fits their expectations...
Hokuto said it: Even if the ending doesn't change, everyone can choose how they get there.
And so, players who persevere for that second ending naturally have a greater emotional acceptance of what's to come.
So...
When they saw those points of light appear—just to block a bullet for them—
The impact hit hard.
[Yeah, I was just about to let go of the keyboard. But… when I saw everyone's blessings appear, I suddenly got hyped and charged in headfirst.]
[Hahaha, that sudden rush of emotion—it's really something.]
[There was no path on the ground—but enough people walking made it a road. And once there's a road, it's easier for those who come after.]
...
Many players couldn't help but talk about the emotional shock from yesterday's stage.
Some said they almost blacked out from resets, others talked about leaving behind several different messages...
All kinds of stories.
Even with the animation paused, the livestream chat was still buzzing.
However...
Of course, the animation couldn't stay paused forever.
So naturally...
A new change appeared.
A glow—moving from far to near—stirred the scene.
Lines of silent subtitles shimmered like starlight on the side of the screen.
"Stars dance with a lively rhythm, crossing the shimmering Milky Way."
As the glow approached—
The players realized they were stars trailing fiery tails.
The strange sight instantly captured everyone's attention.
What is this?
They blinked in confusion.
But they hadn't yet realized what was hidden within the starlight.
"Stars and moon shine together. A brilliant light will illuminate the sky."
"Dawn approaches, and the journey nears its end."
"But in our night sky, starstreams still twinkle—look!"
[Look? Look at what?]
[Hmm, the stars seem to be falling?]
[They're falling!]
Yes.
Those stars that had moved in from the distance didn't vanish after the subtitles faded.
Instead, they began... to fall.
And during their descent, they shed their dazzling shells, revealing something more modest, yet perhaps more genuine and touching...
["It's all Otto's fault."]
???
What the heck?
Ahem, hold that thought.
["Get it together, Kiana!"]
["For all the beauty in this world!"]
["Brothers, I don't want to study under Instant Uni anymore."]
["As a proper Captain, you must learn to seek out emotional damage yourself."]
By this point—
Many players had realized.
These were their messages!
Which meant… that first one—
Hokuto: Missed out on a good spot during last event, this time I'll definitely pick a place that suits my heart best.
???
Is this… abuse of power?
Hmm...
Maybe not?
After all, he really was the first one to clear it.
Sure, he cleared it first because he knew the stage design well.
But that's not important (definitely.jpg)
What matters is...
[Theresa is the cutest in the world!]
[Elysia is the cutest in the world! Amen!]
[Fight! Fight!]
[Can we please be serious? Captains, at least make your messages normal during this moment.]
Countless stars fell.
They shed their dazzling shells and turned into glowing text.
Trailing their final embers, they landed at the convergence point—
Becoming pixels.
These were...
Stars lit by countless wishes.
They were...
The future, woven together by starlight.
Countless falling lights gathered before the players—
Sketching and filling in a starry tapestry of the OG Trio.
Bronya Zaychik.
Raiden Mei.
And our Kiana Kaslana.
...
[!!!]*N
[I'm the head!]
[I landed on Kiana's ahoge! (Surprise.jpg)]
[(Tears) So jealous you're that close. I've already rolled off to Kiana's cape.]
[Being next to them is still nice... It just means someone else gets to be in the middle.]
[Wait, you guys can see where your message ended up? (Shocked.jpg)]
[Lucky, just happened to notice it.]
[Am I the only one thinking—this is a huge public embarrassment scene? www]
Still—
Whether or not they had the luck to see where their message landed in the starry painting—
When they saw their blessings fall from every direction to form the OG Trio—
They couldn't help but feel emotional.
But when they tried to speak, they found the words hard to organize.
So they simply stared at the glowing illustration—
Standing in the same positions as the launch promo art (Valkyrie Ranger, Valkyrie Chariot, Valkyrie Bladestrike)—
And zoned out a little.
Time has passed, and the OG Trio is no longer the same.
Kiana matured and took on responsibility, but also lost much; Bronya reunited with Seele and understood the meaning behind the Herrscher of Reason; Mei traveled through Nagazora, World Serpent, Elysian Realm, the Moon...
They all grew from clueless girls into those who can shoulder great responsibilities—even stand against the Honkai.
And the players...
Found themselves remembering how they felt when they first started Honkai Impact 3rd—fighting pigs and shadow Bronya.
Now, looking back, they couldn't help but smile.
Even though the Shadow Bronya battles were adjusted by Hokuto before release (holding back Bronya who wanted higher difficulty)—
Newbies unfamiliar with the controls still struggled.
Now, many players have become veterans at rerunning for perfect scores—and can't help but chuckle at their former AAA-spamming selves.
But behind that chuckle at their old naïveté, excitement, and curiosity—
They realized they've come this far, together.
[They grew in-game. I grew in real life. That feels oddly romantic.]
[May every star we lit illuminate the road ahead for them.]
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