Lü Heng stared blankly. "So... you're really not a beautiful girl?"
Invincible Bro snapped angrily, "Stop being ridiculous! How could that be possible?!"
However, this exchange suddenly made Invincible Bro realize something. He gave Lü Heng a strange look. "You've encountered this twice now, and both times it involved gay relationships—first rejecting my confession, then confessing to me. You're clearly being manipulated. Guys... could this all just be an elaborate prank?"
Unlike Lü Heng, who was still reeling from the prospect of being confessed to by a beautiful girl, Invincible Bro's intellect remained sharp.
"It's obvious," Invincible Bro continued. "If this were caused by a Dimensional Rift or a real monster, you wouldn't have emerged unscathed after two consecutive incidents. It's far more likely an Evolver is behind this."
"If their target was the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations, I would expect to find traces of enchantment or hypnosis on you. But I've checked your status, and there's nothing. That means the Evolver hasn't tampered with you directly. They simply impersonated me twice... just to mess with your head. So, could this really just be an elaborate prank?"
Lü Heng: "Ah... ah?!"
-
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of Longcheng, inside an abandoned and dilapidated factory, Jiang Li looked puzzled. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
Sparkle, in her "Gentle Version" persona, nodded, adjusting her plain glasses with a serious expression. "Actually, any deserted area with minimal foot traffic would do. This just happens to be the closest one I could find."
"Ha~" Jiang Li couldn't help but yawn. Faint dark circles under her eyes betrayed her sleepless night, spent studying the script, dissecting the plot, planning the shot composition, and envisioning the cinematography.
Sparkle had assured her that she would handle all logistical concerns—casting, special effects, locations, equipment—leaving Jiang Li free to focus solely on directing the film.
Clutching the script in both hands, Jiang Li asked, "...What about the equipment?"
Snap! Sparkle snapped her fingers, and a brand-new, state-of-the-art camera from the European Union materialized before them. "Just name whatever equipment you need," she said. "I can get it all for you. Of course, there might be a slight 'loading time.'"
The "loading time" referred to how long it would take Firefly, currently in Europe, to rush to buy the items.
"Wow!" Jiang Li exclaimed, instantly perking up at the sight. She stared at the camera, glancing left and right before cautiously poking it with her index finger, handling it as if it were a fragile artifact. "It's Xirui Corporation's latest M30 model! Amazing!"
In truth, Sparkle knew nothing about cameras. Unsure which model was best, she had simply bought the most expensive one.
After a moment, Jiang Li asked, "So... what about the actors? It's just the two of us here..."
Before she could finish, Sparkle snapped her fingers. With a sharp snap, three figures materialized beside them: a white-haired girl with braided pigtails, a purple-haired girl wielding a katana, and a gray-haired girl with drill-shaped twin tails and an impassive expression.
Without a doubt, it was the Honkai series' Big Three: Kiana, Mei, and Bronya.
Of course, all three were clones disguised by Sparkle. She walked past the three figures, stopping in front of "Kiana." Rising slightly on her toes, she reached up and pinched the clone's cheek.
At least, that's how it appeared to Jiang Li. But Sparkle, of course, couldn't fool herself with her disguise. She knew all along she was merely pinching thin air, grasping at nothing.
Still, she said, "Kiana is just too adorable~"
Then, turning to Jiang Li, Sparkle explained, "These are the ultimate actors. They don't need food or water, they never tire, they don't require salaries, and they obey your every command perfectly. They can even rotate their necks 360 degrees if you ask."
"N-no, that's really not necessary," Jiang Li said, her lips twitching slightly. She quickly changed the subject. "What about the set design?"
Another snap of Sparkle's fingers, and in an instant, the dilapidated warehouse transformed into a vast, snow-covered plain.
"Wow!" Stunned by the miraculous transformation, Jiang Li dropped to her knees with a loud thud, gazing reverently at Sparkle. "Miss System, you're absolutely incredible!"
"Alright, no more dawdling. Let's get this show on the road," Sparkle said, her lips twitching slightly as she hurriedly helped Jiang Li to her feet. Though their surroundings now resembled a snow-covered plain, they were still essentially inside the same factory. Doesn't her knee hurt? Sparkle wondered.
"We're starting right now!" Jiang Li exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement.
In the game Honkai 3rd, the plot's initial chapters had been somewhat dull, lacking a real spark until Kiana transformed into the Herrscher of the Void.
While the early chapters undeniably laid crucial groundwork, Sparkle needed to streamline the narrative for her film. Cramming everything in would make the story drag.
After considering the narrative pacing of Marvel's Avengers: Endgame prequels in her previous life, she decided to make this first movie a purely character-driven story focused entirely on Kiana.
Thus, the opening scene unfolded on the snowy plain. Siegfried Kaslana, battered and bruised from defending a nearby village, fought valiantly against the Honkai Beasts. At a critical moment, a small, adorable white-haired girl with a bandage over one eye appeared on the battlefield. She picked up the discarded pistol, Judgement of Shamash, pulled the trigger, and single-handedly resolved the crisis.
It was witnessing this scene that prompted Siegfried to affectionately ruffle the girl's hair and formally give her the name "Kiana."
As they filmed, Jiang Li, standing nearby, asked in confusion, "This is so weird. What kind of father waits until his daughter is seven or eight years old to name her?"
Sparkle simply shook her head and delivered a classic enigmatic response: "There must be a reason for it."
Jiang Li pressed, "So what exactly is the reason?"
Sparkle struck a pose, one hand on her hip, and declared, "I'm a very moral person. I refuse to give spoilers!"
Jiang Li looked exasperated. "But I'm the director! I'm not an audience member! If you don't explain it to me, what if my interpretation clashes with the script? What if I shoot the scene wrong?"
"Uh..." Sparkle froze, realizing Jiang Li had a point. Damn it, the enigma master has been outsmarted!