Otto's voice actor hadn't been decided yet.
Hokuto really hadn't figured it out.
"Rita, you want me to voice Otto?"
Hokuto recalled the Elysian Realm's Herrscher of Knowledge roasting Otto in Wings of Rebirth.
The Herrscher of Knowledge had once complained that Otto was like a scriptwriter—whatever he said went, everything unfolded just as he planned.
No way. Hokuto wasn't interested in that kind of meme.
"The boss is unwilling?"
"I just think it's not very suitable." Hokuto told the truth. He wasn't some kallen-obsessed lunatic.
"In Rita's view, there's no one more suitable than you."
Rita sat with her legs neatly together, hands folded over her lower abdomen—either deliberately flattering him or being genuinely serious.
It was hard to tell what she was thinking.
"If you were our Overseer, I'd have no objections at all."
"Or… is it because you resent Otto Apocalypse being a villain in Honkai Impact 3rd?"
She tilted her head slightly as she looked at Hokuto, wine-red eyes seeming to ripple like water, giving off a deep and unreadable air.
"That's not it." Hokuto shook his head.
Though Otto was the kind of villain you'd want to stab one last time just to make sure he was really dead…
He was also the kind of man you'd willingly place flowers on his grave for after his death.
He wasn't someone everyone would like—but he wasn't someone people could truly hate either.
"In that case, Boss, what are you hesitating for?"
Rita paused, then used Hokuto's own earlier words against him. "Just like you said earlier, Honkai Impact 3rd belongs to everyone at miHoYo. Everyone would want you to leave your mark in it."
"Yeah. Hokuto, are you resisting because becoming a game character, or voicing one, feels like a bad thing?" Durandal also chimed in.
"...Of course not. Fine, I'll give it a try."
To avoid making Durandal suspicious, Hokuto had no choice but to take the lead.
Of all the people, only Kiana Kaslana was a bit surprised at Durandal joining miHoYo.
The rest of the team welcomed their big sister Kiana's addition.
Hokuto had Himeko help Durandal get familiar with the job, while he returned to the office to continue working hard on Honkai Impact 3rd.
Until neon lights sparkled outside the window.
Hokuto, finally done with the day's work, stepped out of the office and into the darkened studio space.
Well, not completely dark.
A light was still on at Kiana's desk.
A girl was biting the end of her pen, scribbling frantically across her desk.
Stacks of thick drafts piled up beside her. Crumpled balls of paper littered the floor around her feet.
Every so often, she'd even yank at her hair until it looked like a bird's nest.
"Kiana?"
Hokuto reached out and picked up the stack of drafts—it was filled with all sorts of storyline scripts.
No doubt, Kiana was quietly working hard.
He raised a brow slightly.
Hokuto had always thought that a Kiana who never experienced Final Lesson, never battled Mei in love and tragedy, and still had all her friends around her…
Should've been able to retain that youthful, carefree personality.
Yes—lucky. Because Hokuto always believed that an overly mature Kiana had endured too much.
So, being a little naive wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
But now, it seemed he had assumed too much.
This Kiana, who had grown up normally in a normal world—though carefree—also had a mature side.
"Boss?" Kiana looked up at the sound.
"Just call me Hokuto."
"Hokuto? Heh, I think that sounds better too. 'Boss, boss' feels a bit distant."
"It's so late and you're still not off work? Writing scripts?"
Hokuto held the draft pages and teased lightly, "The studio's broke. I can't afford to pay you overtime."
Kiana blinked at the window. "Ah? It's that late already?"
"Forget that for now."
She shook her head, then pointed to the drafts in Hokuto's hand. "I've been thinking—since you've taken over the main storyline, there's no way for me to help with that. But games need side events too, right? I can help write those!"
Hokuto gave her a few extra glances, surprised. "This was your idea?"
"Of course. Is there a problem?"
"…No, no problem."
He flipped through the pages seriously. "This time you wrote a story about a virtual character invading the real world?"
"Mhm! What do you think?"
"It's pretty interesting. But I think rather than invading the real world, it'd be better to write about Honkai Impact 3rd characters invading miHoYo—especially if all the characters team up to beat the scriptwriter."
"Why?" Kiana widened her eyes in confusion.
Hokuto grinned with confidence. "Trust me, Kiana—once the game goes live and the story starts updating, events like that will definitely be popular among players."
"Hmm…?"
With lingering questions, Kiana left the studio with Hokuto. Along the way, he used Battle Through the Heavens as an example to teach her writing tips—
Things like building anticipation, how to manipulate reader emotions.
Even though Battle Through the Heavens was seen as basic by most, its simplicity made it easier to learn from.
If he brought up something complex like Lord of the Mysteries, she probably wouldn't grasp the plot design structure at all.
Eventually, the two parted ways outside the building.
It was late. The streets were nearly empty.
A cold wind blew.
"Brr~~ it's a bit chilly." Kiana rubbed her arms.
Tap—tap—
A white-orange jacket was gently draped over her shoulders.
"Mei?"
"You were just with Hokuto?"
"Mhm! Mei, Hokuto's amazing! He taught me so many new things!"
"..."
Mei looked at the excited Kiana, her initially strange gaze softening into resignation.
"Alright, let's go home. I made something tasty for you."
"Mei's the best~~"
Kiana threw her arms around Mei.
...
...
After the initial chaos of discovering miHoYo was filled with Valkyries and Durandal's arrival for her interview, things gradually settled down.
In the blink of an eye, four months had passed.
Thanks to the system's detailed data, by the time September rolled around, Honkai Impact 3rd had been completed.
On the day of the open beta—
Raiden Mei: [I'm relying on you again this time.]
Elysia: [Don't worry! If it's for Mei, I'll definitely help! Besides, I watched the promotional CG—it feels like Honkai Impact 3rd is going to be amazing.]
On pilipili, there was a virtual streamer named Elysia with over a million followers.
Her avatar was a stunningly radiant pink fairy, as if condensed from all the beauty in the flow of time.
She captivated viewers with her cheerful personality, innocence, and quirky livestream content.
At 6 PM sharp, the pink fairy girl went live.
Pink glowing lights lit up the stream, accompanied by a soft voice.
"From between the canopy and stars and moon…"
The light gathered in the center of the screen, forming a pink crystal.
"Above withered and desolate lands, love blossoms in layers."
The pink crystal shattered, scattering into countless petals. The fluttering fairy hovered among the rain of flowers.
"A girl as shy as a blossom—Elysia—that's me!"
"Did everyone like my opening line this time?"