Chapter 59: "Cecilia-mama! I Will Definitely Save You!"
Chapter 59: "Cecilia-mama! I Will Definitely Save You!"
The Honkai Beast that emerged was clearly different from the others.
Its asymmetrical body—one side much larger than the other—made it seem like it had been split into two.
As for the missing half?
No one knew.
The beast roared and charged forward.
—
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Watch out!"
As the creature lunged, Seele's blue text appeared on screen.
However, just moments after her warning, Bronya fired several charged attacks, instantly draining the creature's HP.
Then, Hokuto pressed the Ultimate button.
The motorcycle descended from the sky—and the Honkai Beast collapsed, its remaining HP vanishing into nothingness.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Huh? This boss… felt way weaker than it looked."
『Hokuto:』 "No, no. This only counts as half a boss."
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Half a boss? So… there's another one just like it?"
『Hokuto:』 "Yeah. Just look at its design—it's clearly incomplete. If the two halves fuse, they'll evolve into a much stronger form."
Hearing Hokuto's explanation, Seele sent a quick "Mm!" and stopped talking.
She probably wouldn't fully understand… until Ashborn showed up at the laboratory doors to get himself killed.
—
With the battle over, the game displayed a dialogue scene between Kiana and Theresa.
[It got away!]
[No time to worry about that now! The Second Herrscher is definitely heading for "The Tower"—we have to stop her before she arrives! We can't let Siegfried's sacrifice be in vain!]
Theresa's voice shook with urgency.
She was so worried about Siegfried that her voice cracked, revealing her emotional turmoil.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "I never expected… Theresa Academy President to lose her composure like this. I didn't know she had such a vulnerable side…"
Seeing Seele's innocent remark, Hokuto simply smiled and said nothing.
Wait until you see what really breaks Theresa… when Cecilia sacrifices herself.
—
『Your Great Inventor:』 "…Siegfried… he isn't dead yet, is he?"
A green comment floated by, expressing a certain someone's complicated feelings.
『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "Why is Theresa so upset? Siegfried isn't dead yet, right???"
『Hokuto:』 "…Do you want him to die?"
『Your Great Inventor:』 "I never said that. Don't twist my words."
Twisting?
That didn't feel twisted at all…
Of course, Hokuto didn't say that out loud.
Otto would never admit it anyway.
And if Hokuto pushed any further, Otto might flip the conversation around and trap him instead.
『Hokuto:』 "Alright, let's move on."
—
The game resumed.
[Theresa… She really cares about Dad.]
Just as Kiana was realizing that her aunt and father weren't as hostile as she'd thought…
Another voice cut into the comms.
[Theresa, I never expected you to be so concerned about my dear husband~]
The voice was soft and gentle.
Just listening to it made one picture the warmth of a kind and gentle woman.
Theresa's reaction was immediate.
[That voice—! Cecilia! Have you already arrived in Siberia?!]
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Cecilia!/Cecilia-sama!"
As Cecilia's voice echoed through the speakers, two audience members cried out at the same time.
One was Seele.
The other was Durandal.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "I didn't expect Kiana's mom to show up at a time like this… I wonder what kind of person she is? Judging from her voice… she must be a really gentle mother, right? Hehe~"
『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "So this is the aura of the former strongest Valkyrie in Schicksal? …Why do I suddenly feel… at ease?"
Both of them were deeply intrigued by Cecilia.
Or rather…
Both of them were longing for something they had never experienced before.
—
The dialogue continued.
[Cecilia-sama! T-This is my mom's voice?!]
[Yes, luckily I arrived in time—I managed to save my dear husband.]
[Siegfried… is still alive?!]
Upon hearing Cecilia's words, Theresa finally reacted.
[He's not out of danger yet. Half of his body is covered in burns, but I'll do my best to heal him. You two should head toward "The Tower"—once I've stabilized him, I'll join you.]
As Cecilia shared her plan, Theresa grew concerned.
[Healing injuries caused by the Heavenly Fire's release… Are you using Abyss Flower? But… your body—!]
[Oh, Theresa~ You worry too much. It'll be fine, it'll be fine.]
With Cecilia's reassurance, the conversation ended.
However, Kiana's inner emotions began to appear on the screen.
She was excited.
She was nervous.
Because…
She was finally about to meet her mother.
And that emotion gradually spread beyond the game—reaching the live chat.
—
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "…A mother, huh… That must be nice. I want to see my mother too. But just like Kiana… I've never even met her."
『System Notification:』 [Due to your livestream content, "my favorite sister Bronya" is experiencing joy. You have received 560 crystals!]
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "I think… my mother must have been someone… someone just as kind and gentle as Cecilia, right? Ugh… Sorry, I got distracted…"
『System Notification:』 [Due to your livestream content, "Hard Work Always Pays Off" is feeling shy. You have received 840 crystals!]
Both Seele and Durandal—two children who had suffered their own losses—were deeply affected by Kiana's emotions.
『Your Great Inventor:』 "Mother, huh… A very distant word."
For once, Otto actually sent a comment.
But unlike the others, his words carried no emotion.
A mere passing remark.
『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "They really do look alike… you could even say—"
Just as Durandal was about to state her realization…
A green text message floated across the screen, abruptly cutting her off.
『Your Great Inventor:』 "…But so what?"
Otto.
The very person who orchestrated it all—naturally, he understood exactly why Sirin's voice had appeared in that earlier scene.
—
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Eh? Aren't you guys surprised? It's the Second Herrscher! The same super-powerful, glowing blue person from before!"
"Pfft—!"
Hokuto couldn't hold back his laughter.
Glowing blue person?!
HAHAHAHA—!
This had to be the worst roasting Sirin had ever received.
The Queen of Honkai… the hardest-working Herrscher in the modern era… reduced to just "the glowing blue person"?!
—
『Hokuto:』 "Ahem! Just to clarify—she's not some 'glowing blue person.' It's just that someone encrypted her data inside the virtual space."
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Eh? But how do you know that, big brother?"
『Hokuto:』 "Do you remember what Theresa said when she entered the data space?"
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Oh! Now I remember—she did mention something was encrypted. So that's why the Second Herrscher is all blue and glowy!"
Now that Seele understood the situation, she came up with a new question.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Then… who encrypted her? And what does the real Second Herrscher look like?"
『Hokuto:』 "No need to rush. Just keep watching, and you'll find out."
Hokuto purposely dangled the mystery in front of her, letting curiosity pull her forward.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Again with the 'keep watching'… alright! But… I just hope Kiana and her family can all be okay."
Hokuto: (…Hah?)
'Okay?'
Yeah, that's not happening.
This is a Mihoyo script—you should be grateful if the entire family doesn't get wiped out.
Sure, they're all happily reunited now, but this is just… setting up for the big heartbreak later.
Hokuto already knew what was coming.
And when Cecilia dies, Kiana realizes it was all fake, and Fu Hua suddenly betrays them and takes her away…
Would Seele end up crying again?
…Wait, why did I say 'again'?
—
『Hokuto:』 "Ahem. Let's keep going—this chapter's almost over."
Hokuto resumed the story.
After a short distance, Bronya encountered another wave of Titan mechs.
With a few quick shots, she easily cleared them out.
Then, a larger, white-colored elite mech descended from the sky.
『Hokuto:』 "Huh. A Rattlesnake Mk.II. A ranged Titan model."
Not that it mattered.
Before it even finished standing up, Bronya unleashed her Ultimate and a charged attack, instantly obliterating it.
With the road to "The Tower" now clear, Bronya prepared to move forward.
But before she could, the comms chimed in.
Cecilia.
—
[Theresa, good news—I've stabilized my dear husband.]
[As expected of Mo—er, I mean, Cecilia-sama. Even injuries from the Heavenly Fire can be healed…]
Kiana was practically bursting with joy.
Her kind and gentle mother had managed to save her stupid dad—what could be better?
However, Theresa quickly shot her down.
[That's not 'good news' at all! Burns from the Heavenly Fire can only be healed with another divine relic—Abyss Flower. But using it will rapidly drain your stamina and life force!]
[Theresa, you worry too much. Look at me—I'm still at full power~]
[Don't joke about this! After healing Siegfried, your stamina isn't even half of what it used to be! If you fight the Second Herrscher like this…]
—
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Wow, Theresa Academy President really cares about Cecilia!"
Seele excitedly sent a comment.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "It's almost like she's Cecilia's second daughter!"
『Hokuto:』 "…You know what? That actually makes a lot of sense."
If you lined up everyone with Kaslana blood—Theresa, Siegfried, Kiana, and Durandal—around Cecilia and took a family photo…
It would probably look like a happy family of five.
Too bad… that picture will never exist.
Because…
—
[If I can't handle her alone… then I'll just have to count on you, Theresa!]
[Abort the mission! Cecilia, you've been unwell ever since childbirth—I… I don't want to lose you!]
Theresa, unable to contain her emotions any longer, finally blurted out those words.
『Your Great Inventor:』 "…Theresa, sigh…"
A green comment appeared, carrying emotions too complex to put into words.
『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "That's impossible. The duty of a Valkyrie is to fight Honkai to the very end. Only then… can we protect others."
Not long after Otto's comment, Durandal also shared her belief.
Ragna's sacrifice had forged her resolve.
Her Kaslana and Schariac bloodline allowed her to uphold it.
And this…
This was Cecilia's will as well.
—
[That's impossible, Theresa. If we back down here, more lives will be lost to the Second Herrscher.]
[Protecting humanity is our sacred duty as Valkyries. Now, I'm heading for "The Tower"—let's meet there.]
With those final words, Cecilia ended the call.
The path to "The Tower" lay open—welcoming all who dared to step forth.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Big brother, I have a bad feeling… Cecilia won't run into danger at The Tower, will she?"
Hokuto nearly laughed out loud.
Relax—there's no way they'd kill off Cecilia this chapter.
If anything, this is her moment to shine.
Of course, he wasn't going to tell Seele that.
『Hokuto:』 "She should be fine. You're overthinking it. Just keep watching."
—
Bronya accelerated forward.
Soon, she reached the outskirts of Babylon Lab.
And there, just outside the gates…
A floating, cube-like polyhedron awaited them.
[Is that core ahead controlling the Honkai beasts and mechs?]
As Kiana approached the Honkai Core near the entrance of Babylon Labs, a red subtitle appeared on the screen.
Then, alarms blared through the level, and the core's health bar lit up.
Well, if the health bar is visible, that means it's time to fight!
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Eh? So this is the Chapter 5 boss? It looks kinda weak... I thought the Second Herrscher would be waiting at the door!"
『Hokuto:』 "What? Boss? No, no, no. This thing is just an elite enemy."
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Eh? Then what's the actual final boss of Chapter 5?"
『Hokuto:』 "You'll find out soon enough."
Without any hesitation, Bronya dashed forward and unloaded a full barrage at the core.
A few charged shots later—BOOM!
The cube-shaped core disintegrated on the spot.
As blue electric sparks crackled across the ground, a new red subtitle popped up.
[Eliminate the guards first, then break through the barrier.]
[The core's outer shell has been destroyed. Detecting an abnormal energy reaction inside.]
Right after the game's system warning, a floating orb slowly appeared.
But… it couldn't be targeted or attacked.
At the same time, small rotating polyhedral drones started spawning across the battlefield.
While they weren't too dangerous alone, if left unchecked, they would soon fill the screen with bullet hell attacks, making dodging a nightmare.
Better deal with them quickly!
Bronya swiftly cleared the minions, and the core's main health bar finally became attackable.
Then, you can probably guess what happened next.
One Ultimate later, and—BOOM!
Game over.
—
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Is this game designed so that once an enemy's health bar appears, they just automatically die?"
『Your Great Inventor:』 "There truly isn't much challenge to these fights. However, I can tell that the creator's focus isn't on difficulty—it's on storytelling."
『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "These battles feel… too easy. They don't really convey how terrifying Honkai actually is."
The audience began complaining about how easy the game was.
Hokuto just chuckled silently.
Easy? That's because I'm the one playing.
『Hokuto:』 "Ahem! Have you guys considered that maybe… the game isn't too easy? Maybe it's just that my character is too strong?"
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Huh?"
『Hokuto:』 "I'm playing with a fully maxed-out Bronya, complete with top-tier weapons and Stigmata. Of course, I'm not gonna struggle!"
Yeah. If I had trouble clearing levels with this setup, I might as well just quit gaming altogether.
—
Hokuto clicked 'Next Stage', bringing them to the final battle of Chapter 5.
The opponents? The 'Twins'—Son of Dawn and Son of Darkness.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Wait, it's these two again? Does that mean… they're the final boss of this chapter?!"
『Hokuto:』 "No, more accurately, it's 'him.'"
The two enemies didn't spawn together.
First to appear—Son of Darkness.
He was tall, humanoid, and clad in white-and-blue armor.
He lasted approximately five seconds before getting obliterated.
Next up—Son of Dawn.
Same size. Same humanoid shape. Just red instead of blue.
He also lasted about five seconds.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "That's it…? These two were so underwhelming! Wait… why isn't the stage ending?"
Seele was surprised.
Normally, after beating a boss, the game would trigger a cutscene or a victory screen.
But now?
Nothing.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Big brother… I remember you saying these two could combine?"
『Hokuto:』 "Correct. Now, you'll see the real Chapter 5 final boss—Assaka!"
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Eh? Why do you sound like you already knew this?"
Damn it, why is this girl suddenly sharp at the worst possible times?
Hokuto quickly came up with an excuse.
『Hokuto:』 "Because I was a beta tester. I played the game during its early access period."
Technically not a lie—he was a veteran player before getting isekai'd here.
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Wow! That's amazing! It must've been really hard to get into the beta!"
『Hokuto:』 "I had my ways. Don't worry about it."
With that settled, he refocused on the game.
—
Assaka finally revealed itself.
Its attacks had massive wind-ups, so as long as you didn't panic, dodging was easy.
The only real challenge was breaking its arm armor—destroying it would drastically increase the damage it took.
Still, even with its defenses, it was no match for Bronya.
The moment her motorcycle dropped onto it, its arm armor shattered.
Then, well… you can guess what happened next.
A fully charged attack. A health bar rapidly dropping.
And finally…
Boom. Boss down.
—
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "That was the final boss, right? Eh? That was so fast…"
『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Wait—wasn't Kiana's mom supposed to show up in this chapter?"
『Hokuto:』 "Patience. She's coming soon."
And right as he said that—
The screen faded to white.
The game began playing a CG cutscene.
—
[Kiana, don't let your guard down. We need to finish this quickly and enter 'The Tower'!]
The scene depicted a battlefield outside Babylon Labs.
On one side—Assaka , the Second Herrscher's minion.
On the other—Kiana and Theresa.
They looked hopelessly outmatched… until—
A massive spear suddenly fell from the sky—
—and impaled Assaka.
[So… so strong! A single attack took down the Honkai beast!]
Theresa smirked proudly.
[Hmph! That's the power of the Holy Relic—Abyss Flower!]
The camera panned up—a hand gripping the spear's shaft.
[You did well, Theresa.]
The view zoomed out—a beautiful, silver-haired Valkyrie appeared on screen.
Cecilia.
Kiana's mother.
『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "Cecilia… The strongest Valkyrie in Schicksal. We finally get to see her…"
—End of Chapter 59—