Wholesome and Uplifting…

A chorus of gasps and exclamations filled the carriage, and Shu felt a flicker of pride.

So surprised, huh? Guess I hid it well. I was worried I'd be exposed on day one.

Even Otto is…

He glanced at Otto, who raised an eyebrow at him. They stared at each other for a long moment, then Otto spoke, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

"Wow, so unexpected."

The perfunctory response sent shivers down Shu's spine. He rolled his eyes at Otto's sarcastic "support."

"Shu, you said…you're not from this world. What does that mean?" Unlike Otto, the others were genuinely shocked. They'd suspected he wasn't ordinary, but they'd assumed he came from some real-world equivalent of Fire Moth.

Didn't Kiana say he was a Schicksal clerk…

Wait a minute…

Fire Moth and Anti-Entropy…their origins are suspiciously similar. It makes sense that Shu would invent a similar organization under the circumstances…

"Exactly what it sounds like," Shu said, scratching his head. He'd rehearsed this countless times, but he still wasn't sure how to explain. "I don't know why I'm here, but I'm definitely not from this world."

"Then why do you know us?" Otto interjected smoothly, providing a helpful prompt.

Shu hesitated before answering.

"Because…I played a game, and the main character…" He looked at Kiana, who had just sat down.

"…was named Kiana."

"Huh?!!!" Kiana shot up again, pointing at herself, her face a mask of shock. "Me?!"

"Yeah, you." Shu nodded, watching her, suddenly at a loss for words. Discovering you're a video game protagonist must be…a lot to process.

"Mei! I'm the main character! Haha, I knew I wasn't ordinary!" Kiana puffed out her chest, beaming with pride.

Shu: "…"

Everyone else: "…"

"Kiana, let Shu finish," Mei said, gently pulling her back down, then turning to Shu. "Shu, did you learn about all of us from this game?"

Shu nodded, relieved. They were taking it well. He could speak freely.

"Shu, Shu, what kind of game was it?" Kiana, despite being seated, was still practically vibrating with excitement.

This question-and-answer format is much easier.

He answered without thinking.

"A wholesome, uplifting, positive…" He trailed off, suddenly realizing what he'd said, and fell silent.

"Wholesome, uplifting, and positive?" Himeko narrowed her eyes. "Really?"

You learned about the Honkai from this game too…and you're telling me it's wholesome and uplifting? Even I know that doesn't sound right.

Bronya, hugging a Homu plushie, stared at Shu with a deadpan expression. As an experienced gamer, she sensed something fishy. This felt…like those people online who recommended her Your Lie in April, A Certain Magical Index, and Toradora!, claiming they were "healing" anime. She still hadn't forgiven them.

"Liar…" she muttered.

Shu looked away, avoiding her gaze. "Okay…maybe not entirely accurate, but the core message is positive."

"You said things are different here compared to what you know, right?" Theresa asked, stroking her chin. "What exactly is different?"

This was Shu's cue.

"Lots of things!" He held up a hand, ticking off the differences on his fingers. "First, the biggest difference is that the Honkai isn't this bad in the story! No sudden global outbreak, no 99% population decrease in a single day. Nothing like that! Even the Previous Era took twelve Honkai eruptions to reach that point! Not to mention all the smaller-scale eruptions in between!"

Otto's hand twitched. He stared at Shu, his gaze suddenly sharp.

The Previous Era?

What did that mean? A new storyline? Or…a civilization that failed in the story? His thoughts raced. Failure in a game with a positive message…

Could it be…that surviving the Honkai is the exception?

Shu paused, then continued, holding up a second finger. "Second! Otto!" He pointed at him.

"Hmm?" Otto, startled, looked up. He'd been lost in thought about the Previous Era. "What about me?"

"You shouldn't even be here. You should be leading Schicksal, the most powerful organization in the world, elegantly orchestrating your evil schemes!"

Otto: "…"

"Huh? Grandpa's a villain?!" Theresa exclaimed. "What about me? Am I a villain too?!"

Otto: "…"

Could she be a major antagonist? No, that's Grandpa. Is she one of his top lieutenants? The thought filled her with dread.

"Ah, no, you're not," Shu said calmly, his expression softening.

Theresa sighed in relief. "Thank goodness…"

Otto: "…"

"You're his successor."

Theresa: "…"

Otto beamed. "See? I knew I chose well. Theresa, my dear granddaughter, is my perfect successor!"