"Dog director, give me back Elysia, Pardo-cat, and the others!!"
"Knife the dog director, reclaim the Thirteen Flame-Chasers!"
"He actually knifed me like this—fuck, refund!"
"Charge Fire Moth Company—for Elysia!!"
"…"
Outside the company, huge crowds of emotionally unstable viewers and fans, driven mad by the knives, kept roaring in anger.
And their numbers were still steadily increasing.
What was hardest to hold back was that quite a few reporters had rushed over upon hearing the news, but they didn't start interviewing.
Instead, they joined the condemnation crowd, demanding to knife a certain dog director!
Himeko swirled the wine glass in her hand and couldn't help sighing, "As expected of you—you really know how to rile up the audience."
Yet Hessian showed no fear at all. He directly played his biggest trump card—Elysia.
As Elysia appeared in the public eye, the originally rioting viewers and fans all fell silent one after another.
Many of the more emotional fans even turned red at the eyes.
Elysia showed her breathtakingly beautiful smile and said in her sweet voice:
"Everyone, next up is the livestream time for the Thirteen Flame-Chasers of the Elysian Realm."
"Please exit in an orderly manner, okay? I'm begging you all~?"
After watching the Elysian Realm arc, no one could refuse Elysia's request.
The originally agitated viewers and fans were as if enchanted; the anger from being knifed was completely extinguished.
"Since Elysia said so, temporarily letting the dog director off isn't impossible."
"Elysia, I'm your fan!"
"I want to be Pink Fairy Miss's dog!!"
"…"
Comparing the audience's attitude toward himself versus toward Elysia,
Even Hessian—who had orchestrated this scene himself—couldn't quite hold it together.
"Okay okay okay, double standards, huh!"
With a kindly smile on his face, Hessian murmured.
Seeing this, Kiana, Seele, and the others all felt a shiver run through them.
There was no helping it—as Honkai Impact 3rd's plot kept advancing, this dog director was becoming more and more knifey.
From the fast and ruthless strikes of Herrscher of the Void and Final Lesson, to the heart-wrenching moments of Herrscher of Flamescion and Apocalypse, As Said…
And then look at the Elysian Realm—the knives came like rain, catching you off guard at every turn.
And they were the kind that hit both hard and soft, fast and slow in perfect measure.
Not long after.
With the Thirteen Flame-Chasers starting the livestream, plus guest Mei appearing,
The livestream room's popularity skyrocketed, quickly breaking nine figures and nearly crashing the servers.
"Mei, Mei, while you were in the Elysian Realm, did you miss Kiana who's still in Anti-Entropy?"
"Eden, please become the archbishop of our Elysia Cult—we will always love Elysia! Elysia gate!"
"Pardo kitty, don't run—hehehe, little kitties like you are born to be petted!"
"Is the Elysian Realm really gone for good? Wuuu, I miss it so much!!"
"…"
Watching the waterfall of danmu in the livestream, Kevin, Elysia, and the others all played their respective roles.
Especially Kevin, who was playing the Elysian Realm version of himself—yet many people treated him as Sovereign Kevin.
"I don't know what the me in reality would do, but he is still a Flame-Chaser bearing the inscription of Deliverance."
Kevin, deliberately keeping a straight face, could only say this.
"Ah, I know girls like me are very likable, but please don't get too excited, okay?"
Elysia acted in character; a single casual sentence could trigger massive waves of deranged danmu.
Though Griseo was young, her acting was anything but.
Especially when imitating other Flame-Chasers—or imitating Mei from the plot.
"Brush, submit to me!"
"Roar, pots and pans!"
Those two short lines not only made Mei's expression change but also sparked a flood of danmu.
Of course, there were also those who were not good with words and tried to stay aloof, like SAKURA, Kalpas, and Kosma.
Su kept his eyes closed the whole time, relying entirely on Vill-V's custom Bluetooth earpiece to listen to the danmu.
…
After a lively livestream, Elysia also announced the short film.
The story "Because of You"!
"Weren't there attentive viewers who noticed some foreshadowing in the Elysian Realm plot that wasn't resolved?"
"The answer is all here—everyone, please look forward to it!"
"Let me say upfront: all Thirteen Flame-Chasers will appear, but I'm the heroine of the story, okay!"
As she spoke, Elysia winked with her right eye; that playful, adorable gesture made countless viewers' hearts race.
But that's just Elysia—her beauty is peerless, her soul flawless and radiant, her charm unstoppable.
Precisely because of this, the short film teaser in the livestream was eagerly anticipated by countless viewers.
Every day there were endless fans and viewers urging for updates.
Fortunately, Hessian was already fully prepared; just three days later, the special short film was released.
Viewers nationwide gathered in front of their televisions.
Inside Fire Moth Interstellar Entertainment Company.
The cast was also on high alert, staring intently at the screen.
Precisely because they recognized Elysia's charm, they cared so much about a short film starring her.
Even Mobius—who had always been at odds with Hessian—was now glued to the television screen.
On the television.
At first there was no picture—only the sound of da-da-da footsteps.
Then the darkness receded, and everything around slowly emerged.
It was mountains of discarded data, all coming from various corners of the Elysian Realm.
Forgotten memories, abandoned thoughts, buried fragments.
They formed towering structures, forming… a city.
And right in the center of the city, a beautiful pink-haired figure slowly appeared, causing countless viewers to widen their eyes.
Because her name—Elysia!
At the same time, Elysia effortlessly found that person.
And greeted her warmly, "Hi, hello there."
"…"
Sitting atop a pile of boxy old televisions, the Herrscher of Corrosion—taking Elysia's appearance—sat with legs crossed.
Looking at the Herrscher of Corrosion before her, Elysia showed no anger or hatred at all.
Even though she had previously been killed by the Herrscher of Corrosion, who also killed the other Flame-Chasers and destroyed the Elysian Realm.
As if appraising a close girl next door, Elysia marveled,
"Wow, it really is exactly like me!"
"As expected, I look good in any color~"
Such blatantly narcissistic words, when coming from Elysia, carried not the slightest dissonance.
Instead, they added a touch of playfulness to the flawless girl, serving only as a slight embellishment to her charm.
The viewers in front of the television screens felt no repulsion at all.
Instead, they were all excited; many burst into manly tears on the spot.
"Elysia, my Elysia—I finally see you again!"
"Wuuu, it's complete—as long as I can still see Elysia on the TV, I can die without regrets!"
"Elysia, my Elysia—every minute and second without you feels like torture!"
"Just thinking about it makes me angry—that damn dog director created such a perfect character just to knife us with her!"
"Dog director, fuck, sooner or later I'm gonna knife you!"
"…"
Looking at the phone Kalpas handed over—or rather, the contents of the fan group on the screen—Hessian's mouth twitched.
In a way, being remembered even now showed that his "charm" was indeed quite high.
Of course, whether that charm was positive or negative was up to the wise to decide.
Shaking his head, Hessian still turned his gaze back to the television.
…
After repeated replication and fusion, the Herrscher of Corrosion had finally managed to perfectly recreate Elysia's appearance once more.
But in the current situation, such imitation was already meaningless.
Looking at the still-silent Herrscher of Corrosion, Elysia took the initiative again:
"This should be our first meeting, right? But you and I should both be very familiar with each other."
"So, let's chat a bit, okay?"
The Herrscher of Corrosion couldn't help saying, "…Why?"
"Hm?"
Elysia placed her index finger to the corner of her lips, as if she didn't understand the question.
The Herrscher of Corrosion said, "You… should understand, right?"
"You should delete the Elysian Realm—along with me."
"Not come before me again like this."
"Because I will never let go of the chance to erode you."
"As long as I make you part of me too, I can completely seize control of that command."
"Whatever can destroy me will cease to exist, and everything they did will become meaningless."
As she spoke, the Herrscher of Corrosion looked down at the pink figure before her and said slowly:
"Cherish your comrades' efforts, fulfill their wishes."
"That's clearly what Elysia would do, isn't it?"
It had to be said—the Herrscher of Corrosion truly lived up to her name; just a few words ignited rage in the viewers' hearts.
But Elysia was not like that. She only said somewhat nostalgically:
"You really do understand me quite well… but not comprehensively enough."
"Everything has two sides, you know."
"That special authority of yours really is quite powerful…"
"So I also want to do something bold with it."
"To give the Elysian Realm its own grand finale…"
At this point, the corners of Elysia's mouth lifted.
"When I told that decision to another girl who had read through my entire life, she understood me very well, you know."
"Hehe, that's exactly why I like her so much."
The Herrscher of Corrosion immediately understood who that girl was and said darkly, "Raiden Mei…"
"Are you saying… compared to me, she is more qualified to be Elysia?"
Elysia said somewhat puzzled, "Hm? Mei is just Mei…"
"She's not Elysia, nor anyone else."
"Likewise, you are also your unique self—why must you become Elysia?"
"…"
Sighing, the Herrscher of Corrosion lowered her eyelids and said, "I don't know, and I don't understand."
"But I still have time… and opportunity to find the answer."
Understanding the implication in the Herrscher of Corrosion's words, Elysia said somewhat sadly, "In the end, it can only be like this?"
The Herrscher of Corrosion said expressionlessly, "I've thought about it for a long time. Indeed, this is my will."
"I want to live—no matter what, I want to live—just as you deeply love humanity."
"…I cherish my own existence more than anyone."
Elysia tried to persuade her, "But existence doesn't only mean living, you know."
The Herrscher of Corrosion said, "But our endings are destined to be only one kind."
"…"
"After leaving here, I will weave the most beautiful dream for you."
"And let you be… together with them."
As if softening, the Herrscher of Corrosion made a promise.
Elysia refused without hesitation, "Sorry, I can't let you leave here."
"Besides, being together with them doesn't necessarily have to be in a dream, right?"
Herrscher of Corrosion: "…"
As if her patience had finally run out, the Herrscher of Corrosion's voice turned cold, "Then so be it."
"I accept your challenge, Herrscher of Humanity."
As her words fell, the figure the Herrscher of Corrosion had imitated was gradually enveloped in black mist.
Finally it vanished completely, merging with the entire city.
The gradually blurring face wore a sorrowful smile; a barely audible sigh echoed in the darkness.
Until the very end, the Herrscher of Corrosion's voice rang out: "The original choice to become like this… was really just because…"
"I thought you were very beautiful—that's all…"
On the darkened television screen, the title of the short film finally appeared, leaving viewers nationwide dumbfounded.
What the heck?
"Can I interpret this as—the Herrscher of Corrosion is actually an Elysia stan too?"
"Okay okay okay, so the Elysian Realm only has Elysia stans and twisted Elysia stans, right?!"
"Exactly! Pure and flawless Elysia—we adore you!!"
"The Herrscher of Corrosion really—I'm crying to death—but this thing still has to die!!"
"…"
Although some viewers spotted the blind spot, the calls to kill the Herrscher of Corrosion still overwhelmingly dominated.
No other reason—because this bitch killed Elysia!
And the Thirteen Flame-Chasers!
Just recalling the knives they ate in the Elysian Realm made many viewers' hearts twitch.
They wished they could jump straight into the screen and slaughter the Herrscher of Corrosion a million times over!
At the same time.
On the television screen, as the Fire Moth Interstellar Entertainment Company logo slowly faded,
"This is a… meaningless story."
"A people with no future, walking the wrong path."
"Arriving at… a failed ending."
In the city under nightfall, the Herrscher of Corrosion's voice rang out amid static.
And a pink-haired figure leaped nimbly like a sprite between skyscrapers.
Dodging attacks from the Herrscher of Corrosion.
"Okay, calm down."
Facing three massive data snake heads, Elysia—who had nowhere to dodge—remained completely unflustered.
Instead, she drew her bowstring and aimed upward. In the next moment, pink power formed a flawless, radiant dome of crystal flowers.
Laser-like arrows shot out, reversed, and in the blink of an eye eliminated the enemy's claws.
"Hmm~?"
After dealing with the enemies, Elysia flicked the pink hair by her ear, revealing adorable fairy ears.
Elegant—too elegant!
Before the viewers in front of the screens could even applaud and cheer,
Elysia—who had only taken two steps—suddenly paled in shock from the violent shaking beneath her feet.
But Elysia was still Elysia. Facing the sudden tremor underfoot,
Miss Pink Fairy not only didn't fall but instead used the momentum to leap, ultimately landing steadily on the ground.
At the same time, the Herrscher of Corrosion finally revealed herself—or rather, opened her terrifyingly huge eyeballs…