The interview was still ongoing.
"I have one final question—this one comes from the audience. May I ask: why is the game called Honkai Impact 3rd? Is there some deeper meaning behind the name?"
"..." Hokuto remained silent.
Of course, there was no deeper meaning. But it didn't seem appropriate to explain that directly.
In the end, he simply gave Sister Qing a polite smile.
Sister Qing nodded thoughtfully. So, there really was some kind of hidden meaning?
Could it be related to the fact that the game characters were the same people working in the studio?
"Today's interview ends here."
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll have Rita escort you downstairs."
"No need, no need."
Sister Qing declined politely and left miHoYo with the intern Yuyu.
Very soon afterward—
An announcement was posted on Game Day's Weibo:
Breaking News: Honkai Impact 3rd will soon update with a new main story chapter.
Interested players can purchase the next issue of Game Day magazine for details.
In no time, every player following Honkai Impact 3rd knew: a new story chapter was coming!
Players who had already started playing the game—like a certain group known as the Thirteen Flame-Chasers—began rushing through the story.
However, perhaps because she didn't get Rita's permission, Sister Qing didn't reveal anything about miHoYo Studio's internal situation.
In a way, she was quite professional—unlike some unscrupulous journalists.
If it had been one of those kinds of journalists, they would've ignored the wishes of the involved parties and published a sensational, baseless exposé that would've stirred up the entire internet.
After sending off the Game Day reporters, Hokuto picked up the script on the table again.
Rita, who had been quietly standing in the background the whole time, stepped forward and asked:
"Is this the plot for the new main story? Isn't it being released too soon? Honkai Impact 3rd just launched."
"For one thing, as you know, our company's finances are strained—we need to recoup some funds. And for another…"
"For another?" Rita asked, puzzled.
A warm smile spread across Hokuto's face: "I just can't wait to let the players experience what real Honkai Impact 3rd is."
If it weren't for the fact that players needed some time to build empathy with the characters, he might've updated the story all the way to Chapter 9 right from the start.
After all, that's the most crucial turning point in the Honkai Impact 3rd story.
"'Real' Honkai Impact 3rd?" Rita recognized the smile on Hokuto's face.
It was one she often wore herself—a smile used to hide one's true intentions.
Her gaze lowered and settled on the script in Hokuto's hands, and a vague sense of unease rose in her heart.
The upcoming story seemed like it would be… intense?
"May I take a look at the script?"
"No rush. Go gather everyone in the recording booth. You can all read it together."
"..."
Rita left to gather everyone.
In the meantime, Hokuto printed a few more copies of the script and thoughtfully stapled them together—just in case they got too emotional while reading and ended up scattering pages everywhere.
Yes… he really was a considerate boss.
"Hokuto, I heard from Rita that you finished the new main story?" Kiana asked as soon as she entered the booth. As a scriptwriter, she naturally cared most about Honkai Impact 3rd's storyline.
"I also heard that it's a healthy, upbeat, positive story!"
Her eyes curved into crescents as she smiled happily. "That's wonderful~~"
"..."
"There are some spotlight moments for Kiana," Hokuto replied. He didn't feel like he was lying.
After all, the Queen and Kiana shared the same origin.
So, the Queen's spotlight moments basically counted as Kiana's spotlight moments.
Nothing wrong with that logic.
"Really? Really?" Kiana got excited. "Don't tell me there's actually a scene where Kiana single-handedly steamrolls Schicksal?"
She rested her chin in one hand and nodded seriously: "The hero storms the Demon King's castle—that's classic shounen progression."
"Ahem."
Seeing her reaction, Hokuto couldn't help but cough lightly, barely holding it in.
In reality… the hero becomes the dragon.
He silently handed the stapled scripts to Rita for distribution.
Flip—flip—
The booth was filled with the sound of pages being turned in anticipation.
The plot of Chapter 5, Tundra Reunion, was still fairly normal, but then...
"Theresa, you got wrecked again." Kiana pointed at the scene where Theresa's arm got broken.
"...Sigh, I'm used to it."
Theresa let out a sigh. She now fully understood her role in the script.
On the surface, she was Academy Head of St. Freya, an S-rank Valkyrie—sounded impressive. But in truth, she was just a cute punching bag.
She could only hope that Hokuto wasn't lying about her eventual spotlight.
The more beatdowns she took now, the more glorious her comeback would be.
Theresa silently comforted herself.
One day, she would tear apart this sky that humiliated her!
Meanwhile, since her scenes came later in the story, Himeko finished reading the script faster than the others.
And her mood… was beginning to spiral.
"Hokuto, is the rest of the plot… serious?"
"Didn't you say it would be a healthy, positive, uplifting, and heartwarming story?" Her voice had risen slightly.
"What's wrong?"
"…Didn't expect both me and Himeko to be wrapped up already," came a slightly unfamiliar voice.
Fu Hua slowly closed her script. Indeed, in miHoYo, she had little presence.
She was the kind who would appear at critical moments, dependable and composed, but somewhat transparent in daily life.
It wasn't that people didn't like her—it was just her personality.
"Wrapped up?" The girls' hearts grew uneasy.
They'd invested a lot of emotion into Honkai Impact 3rd.
They'd built it from nothing with their own hands.
And the characters in the game mirrored their own personalities.
Sometimes, they even felt like there was a parallel world out there where they really were Valkyries fighting against the Honkai.
"No way! Hokuto! What did you do to Fu Hua and Himeko?!" Theresa shouted, nearly jumping up to punch him in the knees.
"Fu Hua doesn't die."
Hokuto explained quickly. Someone on par with sit-up champion Yang couldn't possibly be taken out so easily.
The girls breathed a sigh of relief.
Then he added, "Only Himeko's gone."
"???"
"My Auntie Himeko is gone?! Aiyo~~"
Kiana was halfway through her outburst when Himeko smacked her on the head with a punch.
Still visibly annoyed, Himeko said, "Don't call me Auntie. Do I look that old to you?"
"Well, you are at the age for blind dates. And every time, for some reason or another, the date ends before you even meet the guy."
"Waaaah~~ Himeko's already so pitiful in real life. Why do you have to torment her in the game too?"
"Hokuto, you have no heart!!"
Hokuto silently stepped away from the muttering Theresa.