Chapter 60: Chapter 60: It Had To Be You, Didn't It?
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No one spoke further, recognizing that additional words would serve no purpose.
With her words, Ana effectively pulled the rug out from under them. Regardless of what choice Himeko made, it would adhere to Ana's logic. Fu Hua was also deeply affected, contemplating the significance and value of everything.
However, for now, Ana chose not to dwell on these matters. She simply needed to observe their actions before deciding her next move.
Until then, all she had to do was wait—an unexpected respite amidst the chaos.
"Rita, take them back to the Church and lock them up!"
Without waiting for any reactions from the four individuals, Ana turned and left. Her presence here was no longer required; one could even say her part in this chapter had concluded.
Now, it was time to cheer for the Queen's imminent arrival.
Version 2.3 of Honkai Impact 3 was also particularly significant. The introduction of two new characters garnered immense popularity among players, but that wasn't all that made this version distinctive.
It could be argued that Version 2.3 marked the most contentious period since the game's launch. With the continuous rollout of new characters, sometimes even two per update, many players, especially those who heavily invested financially, expressed their dissatisfaction.
As the game progressed and the Abyss competition intensified, older characters began to feel underpowered. Meanwhile, newer characters received specialized weapons and exclusive Stigmata sets, shifting away from the previous approach of using mixed gear.
For future Captains, this might have become the norm, but for players during this version, it felt like blatant cash-grabbing tactics.
Capitalizing on this discontent, opportunistic trolls and shills from rival gaming companies ramped up their efforts. For a while, the official live stream's bullet comments were overwhelmingly toxic, filled with criticism and abuse.
However, if Bilibili had enforced stricter moderation at the time, the situation would likely have remained within manageable bounds. It became clear whether there was a genuine mass exodus of players or just orchestrated trolling.
However, on the narrative front, this update generated immense buzz.
Initially skeptical Captains now had their doubts dispelled, and Ana was hailed by players as the voice of reason. Some, eager to stir up more drama, began comparing Ana with Otto.
The forums erupted in heated debates until a passing Ana fan decisively settled the argument:
"Ana can join your ship; Otto cannot. Heck, Ana could even start a harem in Honkai Impact 3, while Otto just gets to be the perpetual third wheel. Yes, you're right, it's true—Honkai Impact 3 is indeed... Oh wait, I forgot the rest."
The commenter's ID: Vanilla Cake—none other than Brother Cake himself.
Indeed, there was no need for comparison. The moment anyone attempted to pit Ana against Otto in terms of wisdom, our Ana emerged victorious without breaking a sweat. After all, Otto, at five hundred years old, remains a celibate third-wheel, whereas our Ana is still a vibrant maiden untouched by such entanglements.
What could Otto possibly bring to the table when compared to our Ana?
Unfortunately, the current Ana fans were unaware of future storyline developments; otherwise, they would have countered with even greater conviction.
However, this version's protagonist was not Ana herself. Although her speech resonated strongly with the Captains, it wasn't the main focus of this chapter.
What truly captivated everyone was the arrival of the Herrscher—the Herrscher of the Void, also known as the Queen—a title she rightfully earned.
The final PV at the end of the chapter left every Captain utterly stunned.
On Bilibili, Brother Cake's live stream room:
While Captains could progress through their own game's main storyline, many preferred watching Brother Cake's live broadcasts instead. It's akin to players who have great setups and skills but still opt out of tackling Abyss challenges on their personal accounts.
Yet, they frequently assist others in optimizing their Abyss runs or battling on the battlefield within ship's crew groups.
There were also some exceptionally demanding bosses who intentionally created peculiar accounts just to torment streamers. Recently, Brother Cake had endured quite a bit of such harassment.
Fortunately, today he preemptively titled his stream "Advancing Main Storyline," deterring any outrageous visitors.
To put it bluntly, earning money is always nice, but Brother Cake himself was already a whale player, no stranger to spending generously. Being subjected to torture despite having ample funds made it genuinely challenging for him to maintain composure.
Brother Cake swiftly progressed through the storyline. As an experienced player focused on maximizing scores, he strived for perfection during battles and rarely took damage.
Just then, viewers in the live chat reported: [Brother Cake, Brother Cake, the official animated short has been released!]
"Whoa!"
Seeing the comment, Brother Cake's hand trembled momentarily, causing his character to take a hit instantly.
In that instant, bullet comments flooded with requests for giveaways. Earlier, Brother Cake had promised to give away 100 RMB red envelopes for each mistake, not a huge amount but still significant for the viewers.
After all, he committed to issuing one giveaway per error.
"I'll send it later; let's watch the animated short first."
Scratching his head, Brother Cake didn't make excuses for his slip-up or resort to handing out yen like some digital pet. Instead, he promptly opened the animated short.
Right from the start, it was intense—Raiden Mei being choked by Herrscher of the Void. Although early in its release, numerous bullet comments were already flooding the screen:
["Born from the same root, why hast thou such haste to harm?"]
["I couldn't do anything..."]
However, once the Queen becomes obsolete and the Herrscher of Thunder takes center stage, more Captains will likely revisit this scene, resulting in even denser bullet comments.
Next came Raiden Mei's iconic moment—tumbling across the ground. Years later, Durandal would adopt the same move.
[Two head-first landings; poor Mei...]
[Neymar approves!]
[A true dimensional advantage—the power of a Herrscher is astonishing.]
Following that, the Honkai Beasts summoned by the Queen sneak up on Raiden Mei, prompting her classic defensive crouch.
[It's here! The unbeatable skill—crouching cover!]
Yet some Captains expressed disappointment with Raiden Mei's performance:
[I thought she was going to transform into Phantom Armor.]
Brother Cake couldn't agree more.
"Fighting a Herrscher as Red Sakura seems quite unfair, doesn't it? Didn't they mention something about the strength of the 3rd Herrscher?"
He couldn't resist chiming in sarcastically.
The appearance of the Titan mecha instantly swelled the bullet comments. Importantly, the Titan's arrival successfully saved Raiden Mei from peril.
[Titan dad, unstoppable!]
[Titan: Don't fear, kiddo! Your old man's here!]
However, some players focused on more unique aspects.
[So Mei actually has a ponytail? I always thought...]
The Titan mech then engaged in combat with the Honkai Beast. Although ESP typically overpowered machinery in the game, in this short film, the Titan effortlessly dominated the beast.
[Unbelievable! Machinery now counters ESP!] exclaimed one commenter.
As the battle between the Titan and the Honkai Beast intensified, several firecrackers soared through the air, instantly blasting the beast into dust.
Next, amidst a wave of spatial distortions, a vast horde of Titans dequantized around Raiden Mei—the earlier firecrackers having been fired by remote-controlled mechs.
Countless machines then appeared on the bridge, surging towards the distant Second Herrscher like a torrential steel flood. Amidst them, Raiden Mei seemed as insignificant as a tiny insect.
[Get ready for the mind-blowing epic: "Anti-Entropy's Great Honkai - Biology vs. Machinery"] quipped a Captain who quickly skimmed through the video. Indeed, it was accurate; Einstein and her team had deployed well over half their available mechs, truly risking everything they had.
Simultaneously, within the clip, the prelude to the Herrscher of the Void's signature theme began playing, signaling the approaching climax.
The Herrscher of the Void spread her arms wide, the eyes on her Herrscher attire opening, before gracefully levitating into the air. One after another, Virtual Gates materialized, unleashing hordes of Honkai Beasts.
These creatures immediately clashed with the sea of Titan mechs, resulting in a surprisingly evenly matched confrontation.
In both missions and storylines, these Titans were effortlessly dismantled by powerful Valkyries like Ana, giving viewers a sense of unreality.
Captains cheered for the Titan mechs through bullet comments, despite this being a short film centered around the Herrscher of the Void as the protagonist. However, there was no escaping it—she indeed played the antagonist's role.
As more Honkai Beasts appeared, the Titan mechs grouped together, deploying barriers reminiscent of those seen in the game. Relying on these shields, they strained to hold their ground.
But with each swing of its spiky appendages, the Templar Honkai Beast began crumbling the Titans' defensive line.
Behind the Titans, ranged mechs took their positions; however, instead of targeting the Honkai Beasts, they locked onto the Herrscher of the Void soaring above.
Instantly, countless bolts of lightning streaked across the sky, converging towards the Herrscher of the Void. The spectacle was truly awe-inspiring.
[This is precisely when Anti-Entropy goes bankrupt!]
[Nice attention to detail!]
[These mech scenes look so cool]
[Suddenly feeling hyped about the Titan mechs!]
Praise for the Titan machinery flooded the screen continuously. Alas, no matter how fervently these Captains cheered from outside the video, the Herrscher's power was not something mere machines could overcome.
Confronted with this barrage of radiant beams, the Herrscher of the Void scoffed and snapped their fingers.
A multitude of virtual gates materialized across the sky, absorbing and redirecting all incoming attacks. The background music reached its pivotal turning point.
The endless sea of light resembled salvoes welcoming the Queen's return, thunderous and unceasing.
After swallowing the onslaught, the Herrscher raised their hand again, commanding the virtual gates to reopen. Below, the Titan mechs gazed upward, astonished.
Awaiting them were the very same salutes they had bestowed upon the Queen earlier. In that moment, she generously returned the favor.
Amidst the relentless bombardment, Captains spammed bullet comments, mourning Anti-Entropy's fate.
[Einstein's Bankruptcy Chronicles]
[Poor Einstein...]
[Einstein: I'm fucking bankrupt!]
Despite sounding sympathetic, the Captains seemed quite gleeful about it. Their attitude towards Anti-Entropy has always been somewhat nuanced.
Remember during the Wars of Schicksal when Otto even invited Captains to join the fray? Now look at what Anti-Entropy has been up to—kidnapping Wendy and Mei. Despite their assistance in this assault on Schicksal, it couldn't entirely dispel existing biases.
Unless—a female Valkyrie emerges from Anti-Entropy (Bronya doesn't count).
In the sky above, accompanied by a dragon's roar, the wounded Benares returns to the battlefield. It circles overhead before slowly descending to land amidst the Honkai Beasts.
The Herrscher of the Void alights next to Benares's raised head, exuding immense authority. The scene almost resembles that of a master with her pet, prompting a flurry of bullet comments:
[Bella—Wang—Cai!] [Bella—Fido—Wealth!]
Following this regal moment, the Herrscher of the Void turns with an imposing profile, leaving Captains overwhelmed and flooding the screen with sharp remarks. Finally, the video concludes with credits honoring the production team.
Although the animated short has ended, the Captains remain engaged, passionately discussing its content during the blank interlude reserved for related information.
Some already begin envisioning future episodes, while others seek out new patches or updates.
Some Captains continued to enthusiastically add humorous remarks, like "This world needs more heroes," or "Based on true events"...
Although the animated short wasn't fully over yet, Brother Cake had already lost interest in the production credits. For him, who these people were didn't matter much.
He cared solely about the game; however, if it involved voice actors, he wouldn't mind paying attention.
But strangely, while all other characters' voice actors were credited, Ana's voice actor was notably absent—not entirely, though.
The credited voice actress mentioned that she only provided vocals for some parts, with crucial sections being voiced by another mihoyo-affiliated talent. The specifics remained unknown to her.
This added a mysterious aura around Ana's character.
Indeed, despite Honkai Impact 3's protagonists supposedly being the Main trio, Ana has consistently played significant roles and garnered considerable popularity.
What's peculiar is that this character only released with one armor set. Considering Old Mi's usual practice, akin to how they continuously rolled out Fu Hua's armors, it seemed unusual.
In response, Da Wei stated—Ana holds significant importance for mihoyo, so the development team meticulously refines her content, striving for perfection.
Listen to that! Even Kiana, often considered their true "daughter," hasn't received such treatment. This led many players to suspect some behind-the-scenes favoritism.
Adding fuel to the speculation, within the game's lore, the House of Schariac possesses immense financial power. Consequently, there emerged a joke among Captains about a wealthy executive parachuting into Old Mi's plans—a reference originally intended for Bronya, the Russian executive.
During Brother Cake's live stream, he replayed the Herrscher of the Void animation multiple times before suddenly declaring:
"Folks, I'm ready to bow down at the Queen's feet."
[Wow, Bro, are you giving up on Ana?]
[No way!]
"No, no, no, everyone, I adore both Ana and the Queen."
"But why can't I be both Ana's dog and the Queen's dog?"
[Damn, 6666!]
[Only you could pull that off!]