Chapter 60: "Glory to World Serpent! Welcome, Leader of World Serpent..."

Chapter 60: "Glory to World Serpent! Welcome, Leader of World Serpent..."

 Not long after Durandal's message appeared, Hokuto suddenly heard the system notification sound in his ear.

 [Due to your livestream content, "Hard Work Always Pays Off" is feeling surprised. You have received 840 crystals!]

 "More unexpected rewards? Haha! She barely said a word this whole time, and now that she's finally meeting Cecilia, she's suddenly so happy?"

 Of course, it wasn't just Durandal who was feeling surprised—the long-awaited Seele was just as excited.

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "She finally appeared—Cecilia... Kiana's mother! Wow! As expected, she's such a beautiful and charming woman!"

 From the moment Seele saw Cecilia, she felt a warmth she had never experienced before.

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "If only my mom could be this gentle too..."

 ...Huh? Your mom?

 Hokuto's mind instantly recalled a certain blond woman's voice from an earlier chapter...

 No, no, no—that's impossible.

 Cocolia... is a whole other level of "problematic."

 You really can't compare her to Cecilia!

 As the chat flooded with messages, the CG continued playing, showing Cecilia's next line.

—

 [Ah, sorry about that—I stole your prey.]

 [Heh, still as powerful as ever! No wonder you're known as Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie—Cecilia.]

 [Hehe, don't flatter me like that, Theresa... You're going to make me shy~ Oh, right! The beautiful girl next to you... must be Kiana, right?]

 At this moment, the CG camera switched to show Cecilia's gentle smile, before shifting to Kiana's side profile.

 [Ce...Cecilia... Mom...]

 The always energetic Kiana suddenly became shy.

 And with her soft, trembling call, the CG faded to black—signaling the end of Chapter 5's main story.

—

 "Finally! A perfect clear!"

 Hokuto stretched his arms, cracking his neck while checking the time.

 There was still a while before dinner, so he could squeeze in more content.

 Streaming a little longer = more rewards.

 Who would say no to more shiny crystals?

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Streamer big bro, do you... still remember promising to play the animated short?"

 『Hokuto:』 "Of course I do. What's wrong? You're getting impatient?"

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Of course! I've been waiting for so long! Hurry up!"

 Right after Seele's message, a green comment followed right after.

 『Your Great Inventor:』 "Heh, count me in as well. I'm quite eager to see how well-made this animated short actually is."

 However, just as Otto expressed his interest, Durandal suddenly sent another message.

 『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "Apologies, I have work to do. I don't have time to watch for now. Goodbye."

 The moment her message ended, the livestream displayed a system notification.

 [Hard Work Always Pays Off has left the livestream!]

 "Huh?! She left? Now it's just the two of you?"

 Seeing the already small audience shrink even more, Hokuto instantly became unhappy.

 "Come on! I barely have any viewers, and now one of them just left?"

 Damn... this kinda sucks.

 If only I could directly invite more people in… Wait—!

 Suddenly, a thought crossed Hokuto's mind.

 "System, why hasn't the livestream gotten any new viewers all this time?"

 [New viewers can only be invited through audience referrals. However, if the host desires, the system can randomly select a new viewer to join the livestream. This option is limited to three uses.]

 "Viewers have to invite others? Why didn't you say so earlier?! I should've had them bring more people in!"

 "...Forget it. Just pick someone at random."

 [System Reminder: The host only has three chances to use this function. Are you sure you want to proceed?]

 "Yes! Less talking, more inviting! I need to finish this stream and go eat dinner!"

 More viewers = more crystal rewards.

 Who in their right mind would turn that down?

 [Understood. System is selecting... Invitation successful.]

 [Welcome, "No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai" to the livestream.]

 !!!

 "SYSTEM—!!"

 Hokuto instantly realized who had just been invited.

 "I take back everything—I underestimated you. SEND HIM BACK. NOW."

 [The host's system can only mute viewers. Whether a viewer stays or leaves is up to their own decision.]

 "Useless!"

—

 Deep within the Quantum Sea…

 In a world bubble, a man stood alone in the empty void.

 His white hair and steel-blue eyes radiated an unyielding determination.

 The long coat he wore fluttered ever so slightly in the bitter cold.

 The frost surrounding him extended outward, freezing everything within its reach.

 From a distance, it looked as if a storm had been trapped within an invisible sphere.

 He had already spent over a thousand years here.

 And in the future, he might spend even longer.

 But no matter how much time passed…

 He would activate the Stigma Plan.

 Because he believed it was the only way to defeat Honkai.

 No matter the cost…

 [Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have now been bound to the "Honkai Audience System"!]

 ...

 The unexpected voice made the man's gaze shift slightly.

 His eyes scanned the empty world bubble.

 [With this system, the host can now access livestream broadcasts at will!]

 "...Who are you?"

 [I am the system.]

 "...You have no physical form?"

 [Correct. Please do not direct such intense hostility towards me, Host. I can sense your killing intent.]

 "When encountering an unknown entity, the first priority is determining if it can be eliminated."

 [Host, there is no need to be so wary!]

 "Your fear confirms that you can be destroyed."

 [H-Host… Please cooperate with the system…]

 In the brief silence that followed, the system hurriedly added:

 [If you are uninterested, you may simply think "Disable Audience System" to unbind it!]

 However, even after the system backed down, Kevin…

 Did not respond.

—

 『Hokuto:』 "Welcome, new viewer!"

 『Your Great Inventor:』 "Heh… what an interesting name. Looks like this stream is attracting more and more… unique individuals."

 Yet…

 Even after a long time passed…

 The new viewer never replied.

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Huh? Why isn't he saying anything? Hey, are you still there?"

 …And Seele, of course, had to make things worse by prodding him for an answer.

 "Ahem! Since this viewer prefers silence, let's not disturb him."

 Hokuto quickly spoke up, trying to stop Seele from getting too friendly.

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Eh? But, big brother, wouldn't it be rude if we just ignored him?"

 "Being too enthusiastic is even ruder..."

 Seriously, how come Seele had been so shy when meeting Kevin in person, but now, just because of a livestream screen, she was acting all warm and friendly?

 If she knew how cold this guy actually was… she'd probably dig a hole and hide in it out of sheer embarrassment.

—

 『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "Who are you?"

 A pure white comment floated across the screen.

 Unlike the standard font, this comment emitted a faint, icy glow—making it stand out.

 It also brought an inexplicable chill to everyone watching.

 "...Ahem! As you can see, I'm just an airborne janitor doing a mid-air split."

 『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "A janitor? What do you clean?"

 "No, no, no. 'Janitor' is just a nickname. My real job is being a streamer. Basically, I broadcast live footage for you guys to watch."

 After Hokuto's explanation, Kevin fell silent again.

 No one knew what he was thinking.

 Hopefully, he isn't already considering how to destroy this place...

 No, no, no—that's unlikely.

 Kevin's only goal was to defeat Honkai.

 Everything else meant nothing to him.

 So as long as this stream didn't interfere with that, he had no reason to attack.

 Seeing Kevin remain quiet, Hokuto finally let out a sigh of relief.

—

 "Alright, alright! Everyone's been waiting long enough! Time to play the animated short!"

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Yay! I'll watch it seriously!"

 Seele was visibly excited, making it clear she wouldn't leave midway.

 "Alright then, let's start! The short film I'm about to play is called 'Cyberangel: ZERO Exception.' Just so you know, it's about the birth of the Herrscher of Reason."

 『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "Herrscher?"

 As soon as Hokuto mentioned Herrschers, another bright white comment appeared on the screen.

 Yep, just as expected—Kevin immediately became alert the moment Herrschers were brought up.

 Good thing Hokuto had clarified things first, or else this conversation could've gone in a much worse direction.

 "Yeah, that's right. The short film I'm about to play, 'Cyberangel: ZERO Exception,' tells the story of how Bronya becomes the Herrscher of Reason."

 A person named Bronya… becomes the Herrscher of Reason?

 Kevin quickly extracted the key information.

 If this was true, he had to observe carefully.

 『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "Understood."

 His response was immediate, almost without hesitation.

 This caught Hokuto off guard.

 But since Kevin wasn't questioning anything, that meant Hokuto could just go ahead and play the video.

 Or at least, that's what he thought—until a certain troublemaker suddenly jumped in to stir the pot.

—

 『Your Great Inventor:』 "Oh? How interesting. This new viewer doesn't even ask what a 'Herrscher' is?"

 A green comment floated across the screen.

 The sender… was none other than Otto Apocalypse.

 Welp.

 The first meeting between these two legendary figures was supposed to happen much later in history.

 But thanks to this livestream, they were now meeting decades ahead of schedule.

 And worst of all?

 It was happening right here in Hokuto's damn chatroom!

 "What do you mean by that?"

 Kevin didn't answer Otto's question.

 Instead, he countered with a direct interrogation.

 But Otto? He didn't back down at all.

 Instead, he continued pressing forward.

 『Your Great Inventor:』 "Oh, nothing much. I'm simply curious about you, dear guest. Could it be… you've had prior encounters with Honkai?"

 Damn.

 That question was straight-up a probe.

 If Kevin answered carelessly, Otto would definitely figure things out.

 Hokuto decided to stay silent and just observe.

 This situation was too delicate—one wrong step, and things could spiral out of control.

 How would Kevin respond? Would he give anything away?

 Hokuto held his breath, staring at the screen.

 One second… one minute… two minutes…

 Time ticked away in utter silence.

 And then…

 Kevin taught everyone the best possible way to deal with interrogation.

 He simply refused to answer.

 "...Alright, alright! It's getting late. Time to start the animated short!"

 Hokuto couldn't be bothered wasting time anymore, so he immediately opened the in-game menu.

 Scrolling to the animated shorts section, he quickly found the one labeled 'Cyberangel: ZERO Exception' and started playing it before anyone could interrupt.

 This rushed behavior naturally upset a certain someone.

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Big brother! Don't be so hasty! I wanted to check if there were other shorts about Bronya!"

 "Oh, come on! You can watch those later!"

 Hokuto tried to distract her.

 The less Seele saw, the better for his sanity.

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Oh... okay then. But you better remember your promise!"

 "Of course, of course. I have an excellent memory!"

 Unless I don't want to remember…

 Hokuto swallowed the last part of that thought and focused back on the screen.

—

 As the video began playing

 a wounded Bronya stumbled forward on her broken mechanical legs.

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Bronya?! Who... who did this to you?!"

 Her message turned bright red in anger.

 [Due to your livestream content, 'my favorite sister Bronya' is feeling furious. You have received 560 crystals!]

 Seele got so mad that her chat color turned red?

 Wait… anger counts as an "emotional reward" too?

 Hokuto glanced at the system notification and the red glow of Seele's message.

 Damn… She's probably so pissed she wants to jump into the game and start throwing hands.

 "Don't worry, dear viewer. Things will get better soon."

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "...Really?"

 As Seele's emotions stabilized, her chat color returned to blue.

 Seeing this, Hokuto let out a small sigh of relief and refocused on the livestream screen.

—

 On-screen, young Bronya was smiling happily, full of life—a stark contrast to her current battered state.

 This deliberate juxtaposition was brilliantly executed.

 『Your Great Inventor:』 "Interesting. Using past memories to contrast the present—an excellent method for evoking emotion."

 Hokuto: "...Huh? This viewer, you're analyzing things so closely?"

 Otto's green chat bubble had appeared once again, dropping a serious critique of the animation.

 And in response to Hokuto's surprise, Otto smoothly replied:

 『Your Great Inventor:』 "Every frame of an animation or film carries the creator's artistic intent. If you pay attention, you can always discover something new."

 "...Yeah, fair enough."

 Despite being just a cutscene from a game, Otto was treating it like a fine art exhibit.

 It was clear—he was truly invested in this scene.

—

 『Bronya: "Is this… the Sea of Quanta?"』

 Bronya's soft, uncertain voice echoed as the scene transitioned.

 Her childhood photos with the Arlene sisters appeared on the screen.

 『Bronya: "The Core of the Herrscher of Reason… is here?"』

 The camera zoomed out—showing Bronya wandering alone, surrounded by floating golden cubes.

 Each cube displayed fragments of past memories.

 Then, the camera cut to Bronya's determined face as she spoke resolutely to Seele.

 『Bronya: "Seele, I will definitely save you."』

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Bronya…neesan? Why… why is she saying she needs to save Seele?"

 Seele's blue chat bubble trembled slightly, revealing her inner turmoil.

 Damn… that was close.

 If she keeps reacting like this, someone's gonna put two and two together!

 "Ahem! Dear viewer, please remember—this is just a game cutscene!"

 Hokuto immediately cut in, steering the conversation away before Seele accidentally exposed herself.

—

 On the screen, Bronya reached toward the dark red crystal—the Herrscher of Reason's Core.

 Even as pressure crushed her, she held on with all her strength.

 And finally—she succeeded.

 But the moment she touched the Core…

 The screen darkened.

 Pale, thread-like tendrils shot out from a pitch-black void, wrapping around her!

 The Core slipped from her grasp.

 Bronya fell unconscious.

 『my favorite sister Bronya:』 "Bronya!!!"

 Seele's chat bubble burned red again, filled with panic.

 As Bronya sank deeper and deeper into the abyss…

 A small, glowing blue core slowly drifted toward her.

 She reached out—and grasped it.

 With that light… she was reborn.

—

 The new Herrscher of Reason descended.

 Heavy-armored Bunny transformed—its new form revealed!

 Then, the true battle began.

 The massive enemy loomed ahead, but Herrscher Bronya was no longer powerless.

 As the background music "Cyberangel" began to play, Bronya mounted Heavy-armored Bunny in motorcycle form.

 No road? No problem.

 Wherever she went, floating platforms appeared beneath her wheels.

 And finally, the final boss appeared—Tlaloc, a Judgment-class Honkai Beast.

 Bronya's final charge began.

 Bronya blazed forward, piercing straight through Tlaloc!

 A massive explosion engulfed the screen.

 Then… silence.

 In the air, Bronya and Heavy-armored Bunny reached out toward each other.

 They clasped hands.

 The camera spun around them in a breathtaking display.

 『Your Great Inventor:』 "What a beautiful shot."

 Even Otto, usually a critic, couldn't help but praise the cinematography.

 The final strike landed.

 Tlaloc disintegrated into pink light, scattering into the wind.

 Bronya stood tall, eyes closed, arms outstretched to the sky—embracing her rebirth.

 As the animation reached its climax…

 A lone, chillingly bright comment appeared in the chat.

 『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "Tlaloc… is dead?"

 Instantly, the entire chatroom felt a collective shiver run down their spines.

End of chapter 60