Creating Happiness with Heart in Honkai

After reuniting with Kevin, Bronie's Haxxor Robot had nearly finished its underground exploration.

The underground labyrinth was separated from the seabed by a fragile mechanism. If the mechanism were triggered, seawater would instantly flood the entire underground passage, sweeping everything into the ocean.

Where exactly they would be swept to, Bronie didn't know.

Similarly, there was another expert trapped in this underground labyrinth.

That was Sakura, The Flamechaser of Setsuna!

When the Haxxor Robot found Sakura, she was still dutifully navigating the maze. Each section of the labyrinth posed a riddle, and solving it was the only way to progress to the next area.

Bronie couldn't help but marvel at Sakura's diligence, one of the two honest individuals from the Elysian Realm.

Who was the other honest person?

Of course, it was our over-50,000-year-old Miss Fu Hua!

Naturally, Fu Hua's experiences over those fifty thousand years were much richer compared to her memories in the Elysian Ream, so she wasn't as straightforward as she used to be.

If given the time, Fu Hua wouldn't have navigated the maze like Sakura. Instead, she would have used her fists to carve a new path.

"Alright, the maze is almost fully explored. Next, we wait for Sakura to join us, then we can search for others on the island or wait for the mysterious person to open new areas."

Under the guidance of the Haxxor Robot, Sakura broke through the walls on her way.

Occasionally, Bronya could still hear the sound of walls collapsing. To ease her uneasiness, she quickly hid beside Bronie.

"Got it! Kevin, tell another joke! Then Fu Hua, Bronie, this is what you'll do…"

While waiting for Sakura, Elysia suddenly had a new idea.

Kevin's challenge task wasn't completed yet, and although Bronie was indeed amused, both Pardo, Fu Hua, and Bronya were clearly scared by Kevin's cold joke.

So, to help Kevin complete the challenge and unlock the next area, Elysia came up with a plan.

"..a joke, huh? Alright. once upon a time, an ice pop was walking down the street, and suddenly it..."

"Hahahaha!"

Before Kevin could finish the joke, Elysia burst into laughter.

"Heh, hmm, pfft... Kevin, your joke-telling skills are truly something..."

"No, Fu Hua, the punchline of the joke is..."

"Hahahaha!"

Bronie also laughed.

But Pardo, thoroughly confused, had no idea why everyone suddenly started laughing

"Hahaha!

Bronie understood Elysia's plan, and as her laughter echoed, Vil-V's broadcast reappeared.

[Ding—Kevin has completed the challenge task, team reward points: 500! Total: 2532 points~]

"Hooray! The plan worked!"

With Elysia's celebratory shout, Fu Hua and Bronie instantly composed themselves.

As if nothing had happened.

At this moment, Kevin also realized that just laughing was enough.

Jokes weren't necessary at all.

But his joke was still unfinished...

Kevin felt a bit disappointed, and just then, Sakura arrived.

"Elysia, Pardo, and Bronie, as soon as I saw the robot, I knew you must have entered this underground maze too. And... Kevin, why are you here?"

Because everyone was very familiar with each other, Sakura immediately recognized that this wasn't the Kevin from the Elysian Ream.

So, facing Kevin, Sakura's feelings were quite complicated.

"I woke up and found myself here."

"Tada~ Now everyone's gathered!"

Just as Sakura was about to ask Kevin why he didn't often return to the Elysian Ream, Vil-V suddenly appeared.

Sakura warily placed her hand on the hilt of her sword.

If her guess was correct, this underground labyrinth was definitely Vil-V's doing.

"Vil-V, have you betrayed? Why did you bring everyone here, and where are the others?"

"Oh my, dear audience, don't be so nervous! See, even Bronie has never been this excited! And how is this a betrayal? It's just a little show I've prepared for you! Vil-V—transform into tank mode!"

"Wow! Sister Vil-V suddenly turned into a tank!"

Pardo watched as Vil-V split apart, transformed, and turned into a massive tank, leaving her stunned.

The transformation from something small into something huge was incredibly impressive.

"Watch out! Kevin!"

Elysia knew this was definitely some sort of tank designed to target Kevin.

Sure enough, the tank's first charge was aimed directly at Kevin.

Kevin didn't hesitate. He quickly summoned his power to create an ice wall. It briefly blocked Vil-V's attack, allowing him to dodge the tank's charge.

"Haxxor Robot, take on Vil-V~"

Bronie projected the spider-like robots again, their small mechanical bodies capable of slipping into the tank's component gaps.

They could recklessly destroy the internal components.

"Bronie, who taught you to make such tasteless robots!?"

Clearly, the Haxxor Robots were highly effective against Vil-V's tank. After just a few moments of internal damage, it quickly lost most of its functions.

"The more components a machine has, the easier it is to break from the inside. I originally designed this to deal with the Herrscher of Reason! But it seems to work pretty well here too, doesn't it?"

Vil-V fell silent, while Kevin seized the opportunity to freeze the tank.

"Alright, Vil-V, enough. Shouldn't we be figuring out how to leave this island instead of playing around?"

The tank was frozen, but another 'Vil-V' popped out from somewhere.

"This isn't playing around. Whether we can leave the island isn't up to me. You all should just participate in the activities and complete the final game."

"Sakura!"

Fu Hua took action!

Although they hadn't collaborated much before, qualified MANTIS always developed a tacit understanding.

This was something Vil-V never understood.

Certain cryptic gestures or looks were always useful during missions.

Sakura responded swiftly, and in an instant, her blade flashed, cutting off the legs of yet another of Vil-V's bionic robots.

"Detected attack behavior. Initiating evasive mode."

With its legs damaged, the robot changed its hands into drills and began to burrow underground, as if attempting a full escape.

But Bronya's Project Bunny wasn't idle. Sensing Vil-V's escape attempt, it summoned Project Bunny to deliver a heavy blow.

The punch landed hard, smashing Vil-V's magician's hat to pieces.

The bionic robot came to a halt and ejected a card.

[Congratulations, Bronya, for completing the Whack-a-Mole challenge. Player points increased to 3032. New scene, Abyssal Depths, unlocked!]

"Oh no! This is the island's bottom. With Vil-V's drills and Bronya's Project Bunny's punches, we..."

Before Sakura could finish, the surrounding walls cracked, and seawater flooded in, sweeping everyone away.

But Bronie was prepared.

The underwater breathing apparatuses activated just before the water hit, and the ocean balls provided additional safety.

After an exhilarating underwater slide, Elysia opened her eyes, adjusting to the seawater.

"Before Vil-V arrived, she had already started breaking the walls. To minimize damage, she even smoothed the edges to prevent sharp cuts."

"So this was all part of Vil-V's plan? Amazing, Vil-V! Such a meticulous girl is always charming, isn't she?"

The first thing Elysia saw upon opening her eyes was Bronie, probably because Bronie wanted to protect her.

How nice~

"So, Bronie, do you have a plan?"

"During our underwater ride, Vil-V didn't follow us, which means my small actions are still unnoticed. I don't know how she's monitoring us, but interestingly, if she's focused on us, she might miss other things."

"Oh? What surprise do you have in store, Bronie?"

"You'll find out later. Knowing the setup in advance spoils the fun. For now, let's find the others." Bronie looked around.

Sunlight filtered through the water, making the sea surface look like a blue sky.

A colorful coral fish swam past, rising towards the sky along with a large ice block.

"Bronie, look at the big ice block~"

"That's Kevin..."

Bronie was speechless. If it were a memory of Kevin, he wouldn't be encased in ice just by entering the water.

But this was the real Kevin.

When he gets emotional, it's hard for him to control his power, sometimes freezing the glass of water he's holding.

Considering his earlier attempt at telling jokes and Vil-V creating new weaponry for him, the battle wasn't intense, but Kevin did use his Honkai ability.

Warming up and cooling down take time, and the seawater came at just the right moment. Even though Kevin quickly retracted his power, he couldn't avoid being encased in ice.

"Ever since Kevin gained this power, he's faced all sorts of troubles. This amusing scene wouldn't have happened if there was time for Kevin to swim in the pool during the previous civilization."

Elysia was amused by Kevin's predicament.

Worried about Kevin's safety?

These days, who doesn't have the ability to survive in a vacuum?

Herrschers and MANTIS Soldiers have such tenacious vitality that a bit of freezing is no big deal!

"Oh! I almost forgot!"

"Hmm? What is it, Bronie?"

Elysia tilted her head in confusion.

"Su is still sunbathing up there, which means—"

"Which means?"

"Kevin is going to collide with Su, and then it's going to be a bloody mess. If they make a bigger commotion, it'll be easier for me to move unnoticed."

"Even after all these years, Kevin and Su's relationship is still the same~"

"Yes, so close that Su would throw Kevin into the Sea of Quanta. Without precise coordinates, Kevin would be lost forever. I can't even imagine what would happen."

Despite her words, Bronie believed Kevin wouldn't get lost in the Sea of Quanta that easily.

"Elysia! I finally found you!"

Pardo had awakened, with Fu Hua and Sakura beside her. Bronya who was, protected by Project Bunny was also walking on the seabed.

The seawater seemed non-existent, with fish swimming above them—a rare sight.

Bronya was mesmerized by seeing the ocean from this perspective for the first time.

"Hey~ Things aren't as bad as they seem. Isn't this view romantic?"

"Indeed, the top dating spots are aquariums and amusement parks."

Bronie responded, and Elysia just smiled at her.

"Isn't it great! Watching the beautiful fish with everyone, and look, there are even buildings over there! Is that an underwater volcano?"

In the distance, black smoke-like plumes connected the ground and sky. This eerie sight reminded Bronie of an underwater volcano.

That area was dangerous.

"Honestly, this reminds me of an underwater city from the previous era."

When Sakura mentioned it, everyone looked at her.

"I took my sister there. They used the latest technology, allowing anyone to live like a fish underwater, enjoying food and drinks just like on land."

"Wow, that sounds fascinating..."

Bronie was amazed that technology had advanced to such a level in the previous civilization.

In the absence of Honkai, this kind of technological development was normal.

"I know that place! I took Eden there once. She had a concert, and I had a great time..."

"No wonder I smell something nice. So those buildings are Vil-V's, and she's prepared food over there!"

Pardo was practically drooling, though it wasn't visible underwater.

Just then, Bronie's stomach growled.

"So, that's smoke, not an underwater volcano? Shall we check it out?"

Bronie suddenly remembered. If it's who she thinks, he might really be cooking underwater.

"Yes! Absolutely! I'm starving! If there's good food, we have to try it!"