The Real Showstopper - Chapter 9
Shu raised an eyebrow, giving them a moment to process the ending.
Kiana opened her mouth, looked at Mei, then at Shu, and finally stood up, flustered. "I…I need to use the restroom."
She needed a moment.
Mei looked at Shu, concerned. "Shu, this…"
He remained silent, knowing anything he said would be a spoiler.
When Kiana returned, there were still traces of water on her face. "Mei, don't worry, I won't ever become like that!" she declared, sitting down, her expression serious.
Mei smiled, patting her hand reassuringly. This time, Otto was on their side.
Shu, satisfied, started Chapter 9, the true heartbreaker of the story.
They watched as Theresa and Bronya appeared, fighting valiantly, only to fall before the Herrscher of the Void. They watched as Mei's Herrscher core was extracted. A heavy silence fell over the carriage.
So this is a Herrscher… Their in-game counterparts were far stronger than they were now, wielding Stigmata, Honkai energy, advanced technology, and Divine Keys…
Even they had fallen, so what chance did they have in reality? This sense of helplessness was something the manga couldn't convey…except for Theresa, whose in-game counterpart was constantly getting beaten up.
What would they do if they faced a Herrscher in real life?
Could they only rely on Shu?
Fu Hua appeared, but this time, she couldn't replicate her previous victory, becoming another casualty.
Then came Otto, wielding the Schariac Holy Blood. Those who had read the manga knew what drove the Herrscher away, but their hearts grew heavier. Even if the Schariac Holy Blood existed in reality, would they have to sacrifice its wielder, just like in the Second Eruption? Wouldn't that be a pyrrhic victory?
"Phew…" Kallen, one of the two outsiders, relaxed her grip on Otto's arm as the Herrscher retreated.
It was the first time Otto had managed to free himself so quickly. He glanced at the marks on his arm, deeper than the bite marks, wincing slightly.
At least she didn't use her nails…
"Otto, you finally did something good," Kallen said, patting his arm. "I almost thought you were a completely irredeemable villain."
Otto, his expression neutral, moved his chair to Kallen's other side, offering his unblemished arm. No one knew Otto better than he did, not even Shu, who was clearly enjoying their misery.
"Immortal Phoenix…I Didn't lying…"
Kallen: "…"
Otto sighed, offering his arm again.
"Class monitor…" They turned to Fu Hua, the first "casualty."
Fu Hua's eye twitched. "Don't worry, it's just a game. Didn't Shu say my in-game counterpart is a playable character too?"
Shu, unnoticed, grinned, then quickly schooled his expression. Otto, while putting on a pained expression for Kallen's benefit, wondered what that grin meant.
Playable characters were rare…Shu had emphasized that repeatedly. Usually, their backstories were tragic, designed to evoke sympathy, and they were generally…lucky.
Otto's eyes widened.
Lucky in major events…but that's just convention. What if this game didn't follow convention?
Playable characters can die too…
That's not good… He looked around, his gaze settling on Himeko. Her in-game counterpart had exhibited too many concerning symptoms. The side effects of the artificial Stigmata, coughing up blood, frequent exhaustion…but they'd all dismissed it as the aftereffects of the Honkai resistance serum…
…conveniently forgetting how rare that serum was.
So that's it…Shu, you're a cruel man.
Shu, oblivious to Otto's deductions, was struggling not to laugh at their expressions.
Empathy? Please! He wasn't some newbie Captain, susceptible to emotional feedback.
Okay, maybe he was a little afraid…not of the feedback, but of Kiana realizing he'd been manipulating their emotions.
Before they could mourn Fu Hua's "death," the scene changed, showing her, in a different outfit, appearing before Himeko. They all knew the reason, but they still breathed a sigh of relief.
"Glad the class monitor's okay…" Kiana murmured.
Fu Hua: "…"
As Otto had predicted, Himeko obtained the Honkai suppressant, rescued Tesla, fought her way to Schicksal's fourth-generation Godsbane battlesuit vault, and donned the most suitable one. But despite this apparent victory, a sense of dread filled the carriage. The foreshadowing had been relentless. Himeko wasn't wearing a battlesuit; she was wearing a costume adorned with death flags.
"It'll be okay…" Kiana muttered, cheering on her in-game self, who was about to fight Himeko. "You'll win!"
The long-awaited battle began. Empowered by the battlesuit, Himeko achieved a significant victory, wounding the Herrscher of the Void!
Then came the fully charged, meticulously foreshadowed superweapon: the Selene's Throne!
The Herrscher faltered, and Kiana cheered.
"Yes! Himeko-sensei is so strong!" she exclaimed, as if it weren't her getting beaten up on screen.
She's lost it, Shu thought, then, with a mischievous grin, he projected The Last Lesson.
Kiana, who had just opened a metaphorical bottle of champagne: "…"
Everyone else, metaphorically sprayed with champagne: "…"