As the video concluded, the people outside the screen let out cheers of joy. The chapter "Herrscher of a Thousand" might have felt uneventful at first, but the puppet's words later were truly thought-provoking.
However, the trope of a righteous hero defeating an evil villain, though old, still resonated with many. After all, it was Kiana, whom they had watched grow, that they were witnessing.
Every time they controlled the Valkyries in combat, some would wonder if this was another person's life – rich and colorful, vibrant, and filled with every imaginable joy and sorrow. While they themselves...
...lived ordinary lives, worried about money daily, working from early morning to late night, constantly earning just to get by. Wasn't this a reflection of our own reality? This was a true portrayal of real life.
There was a saying that captured this sentiment well: "Inside the game, she is extraordinary; I am the unnamed captain cleaning quietly. A hundred years later, she will be dust, while I will remain unchanged."
"Outside the game, she is a painted figure; I am one of the common masses. She remains exquisite and beautiful through the ages, just as I first saw her, while I will eventually grow frail and old."
"Within her world, she is known by almost everyone; I am known by almost no one. She shines like gold, like the sun in the sky, while I am but a speck of dust in the darkness, drifting aimlessly."
This is life.
Lu Ze, sitting in his shop, chuckled as he watched everyone gathered in the hall, a silent sigh escaping him:
"It's so good to have you all. At least I'm no longer a nobody. Like you, I too... have experienced brilliant moments. Alright, enough with the sentimentality, it's time for the next PV."
That's right, he had prepared two PVs. Besides "Embers Rekindled," there was also "Thus Spoke Otto Apocalypse." Compared to the previous PV, this one... might provoke even deeper reflection.
As the play button was pressed, the pitch-black screen instantly flickered to life, bearing the familiar, large Honkai Impact 3rd logo. However, this time, the protagonist wasn't Kiana, but Otto Apocalypse, long considered the villain.
There are no absolute villains in this world, only absolute standpoints and desires to achieve.
From Otto's perspective, his intentions were not wrong. It was just that over these hundred years, his methods had caused the deaths of countless people. Kiana's parents, though Siegfried himself didn't die,
...even their daughter, the true Kiana, became a sharp blade for Schicksal, a mere puppet.
Yet, how many ordinary people survived because of Otto's Schicksal? Countless. After all, there were only two organizations fighting against the Honkai.
The world is vast, and no nation could withstand the descent of the Honkai. It was already a commendable outcome that someone stood up to confront it.
Enough preamble, let us witness all the efforts Otto has made.
The screen gradually began to show images, transitioning from darkness to color. A crow slowly flew across, letting out a caw.
"When a person truly wishes to change the world, they discover just how insignificant individual strength is."
"How much evil must one commit to bring her back from the abyss of hell into the dawn? How far must one travel to reclaim their original self at the end of time?"
"The saint gave everything for the people, only to be met with cruel shackles and a noose."
As a familiar voice resonated, a woman in white, her hands bound by shackles, was led step by step toward a cathedral under the supervision of two guards.
The scene shifted. The cathedral's colors changed. A young man with blond hair braced his left hand with his right, and despite the immense pain from the wound, he held onto his mission.
"The world is so chaotic; it is neither fair nor reasonable. It persecutes heroes, nourishes the wicked, and ugliness abounds... Let an evildoer sever the world's malice!"
In a void of nothingness, surrounded by the shattered remnants of buildings, strange objects emerged from the sand, transforming into one person, no, a group of people.
They all bore the same likeness as the blond-haired youth, adorned with peculiar green markings on their bodies, but that was unimportant.
The blond-haired youth grinned, extending his right hand. A golden greatsword appeared, Void Archive instantly simulating the form of the Flame-Strike Greatsword. As the blond-haired youth looked up, a pair of green eyes ignited a storm of flames.
The images flickered rapidly. Back in the familiar cathedral, a white-haired maiden, still wearing shackles, silently followed her captors. The surrounding crowd murmured, but no one stepped forward to intervene.
To them, this woman was beyond saving.
Soon, the path reached its end. The white-haired woman ascended the steps, and as the executioner placed a noose around her neck, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
No one is unafraid of death, even the strongest saint. Yet, her face betrayed no fear; only composure and a deep sadness. Perhaps she had lost all hope in these people.
How tragic, how laughable, that a hero was to be executed as a monster!
The scene then shifted again, to a red desert littered with the ruins of buildings. But that was unimportant. The camera slowly panned down to a blond-haired youth, wielding the golden Flame-Strike Greatsword.
Leaping high, the sword in his hand, driven by his purpose, for the girl's sake, no matter how many enemies stood before him, they would not deter his progress. Even if he could change things, even a little, just a sliver!
His hands clenched the golden Flame-Strike Greatsword tightly and brought it down with force, immediately sweeping a torrent of flames across the ground. An explosion followed, sending countless orange flames outward, turning humanoid monsters into fragments.
Yet, even so, the surviving humanoid monsters quickly charged towards the blond-haired youth. Though these monsters wielded no weapons, they intended to rely on sheer numbers to defeat the young man. But could this truly work?
The answer was no. The blond-haired youth reacted swiftly, slicing through an oncoming humanoid monster with his sword, then kicking another away.
Watching the ever-increasing number of humanoid monsters, the blond-haired youth calmly dealt with them. Each step was solid, as if he had long been accustomed to such prolonged combat.
"This is the distance between her and tomorrow; this is the world's cruel rebellion against her. But her followers will never give up because of it."
With a powerful swing, the golden Flame-Strike Greatsword shattered. However, the golden fragments quickly transformed into a massive spear, strikingly similar to Herrscher of the Void's weapon, except for the color, they were identical.