Chapter 255 Sparkle: The smile won't disappear, it will only transfer to my and Su Mu's faces.
The audience in the livestream room was both angry and helpless regarding Otto's primitive behavior.
After all, in the game Honkai Impact 3rd, more than half of the blame lies with Otto. Just like the saying passed down among players in this world—if something is wrong with the world of Honkai Impact 3rd, it's Otto's fault. If it's a mistake related to the game itself, it's the "Old Thief's" fault.
It seems they've found the perfect scapegoats for both the game and reality.
Watching his in-game self knock out Welt Yang with one punch, Otto couldn't help but chuckle. Although he felt a secret thrill at being able to beat up his business rival, he certainly couldn't show it at a time like this.
"After all, Mr. Otto's head is filled only with himself; humanity and the big picture have nothing to do with him."
Yae Sakura, standing aside, commented with a smile.
"Tch..."
Otto curled his lip but couldn't rebut. Putting himself in those shoes, if he were in the same situation as the Otto in the game, he would absolutely use any means necessary to try and resurrect Kallen.
"Although I really want to blame Otto, it seems I don't have that right either."
Kallen shook her head.
"In that Sanka Saga before, what I did wasn't much better than the Otto in the main story, right? To resurrect Sakura, I also broke taboos and did things a human shouldn't do... From that perspective, I indeed have no right to scold Otto."
Otto looked at Yae Sakura: "What about you? Miss Yae, if it were you, what would you do?"
Yae Sakura thought for a moment and replied: "Probably something similar to what you two did."
Kallen shrugged: "From that point of view, the three of us indeed have similarities..."
Similar to this guy?
Yae Sakura and Otto glanced at each other, both wearing expressions of extreme disgust.
Are you kidding? It's enough to make one vomit!
While the small play was unfolding here, the livestream room was also constantly denouncing Otto's backstabbing behavior.
Kiana almost couldn't stop herself from jumping up and swearing. If she hadn't realized she had to keep up the act, she would have started yelling at Otto by now.
Seeing her stifled expression, Su Mu covered his face. It's so exhausting, why not just stop pretending! I told you the word 'lady' has absolutely nothing to do with you, you blockhead!
Siegfried was also wringing his hands nearby. What exactly was the deal with this humanoid creature that looked like his daughter? Though he hoped Kiana would change, the humanoid creature he wanted to see was definitely not this!
It was like walking in shoes of the wrong size—a total klutz!
Amidst the two's tacit internal complaints, the Otto in the game was preparing to deal a lethal blow to Welt Yang.
Fortunately, Siegfried arrived in time to stop Otto's actions.
However, Otto's skills were extraordinary. Almost instantly, he moved behind Siegfried, took one of the Judgments of Shamash, and shot Siegfried, wounding him.
But Otto didn't plan to take Siegfried's life. Instead, he persuaded Siegfried to leave this dangerous place.
As long as Siegfried agreed to leave, he would not only help heal his wounds but also return the Judgment of Shamash to him.
["Are you asking me to ignore whether he lives or dies? Don't joke around, even if we perish together..."]
Siegfried had no intention of abandoning Welt Yang; after all, he still owed him a favor. And as a Kaslana, how could he stand by and watch this happen?
However, before Otto could speak, the fallen Welt Yang used all his strength to shout at Siegfried.
["Idiot!! Perish together?! If you lose your life for a moment of impulse, how can you protect your friends, your family, and this world!!"]
["My body is already failing; even if I survive, I won't be able to continue fighting the Honkai!"]
["Close your eyes, leave this place and live, go protect this world, Siegfried! Siegfried Kaslana!!"]
Knowing his own physical condition, Welt Yang didn't want Siegfried to sacrifice himself here in vain. He could feel Otto's extraordinary power; if Siegfried remained stubborn, he would likely die here too!
Under Welt Yang's persuasion, Siegfried slowly stood up.
["I see... you clown have strange abilities. If I fight you, I'll probably lose nine times out of ten."]
Siegfried's words made Otto relax quite a bit.
["You are indeed reasonable."]
However, just when he thought Siegfried would obediently leave, Siegfried suddenly rushed forward and punched Otto hard in the face!
Siegfried's punch sent Otto's hat flying and cracked his mask!
His actions shocked both Otto and Welt Yang.
["What are you doing? Siegfried! You're just throwing your life away!"]
Such an impulsive move was clearly unwise, and Siegfried knew it. He knew he was no match for the clown before him.
But...
["Dying in vain? Don't get it wrong! Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, this time is different from the last."]
Siegfried endured the pain in his abdomen, drew the Judgment of Shamash, and pointed it at Otto.
["Me, I've hated those grand moralities since I was a kid."]
["Protecting the world, sacrificing the few for the many—I never believed in those grand theories. I only do what I think is right."]
["If I watch someone who helped me twice die before my eyes, my conscience will never be at peace, and even the food I cook will taste bad."]
["And most importantly—if I do something so ungrateful and my wife finds out when I get home..."]
["I'll be forced to kneel on a washboard!!"]
Despite such a righteous and death-defying speech, Siegfried's last sentence made Kiana lose it instantly.
"Pfft! Dad, what on earth are you doing! Saying that kind of stuff with such a serious face—you can't stay cool for more than three seconds!!"
Siegfried's face turned shades of green and purple: "Shut, shut up! You stupid daughter! Why didn't you keep up your 'lady' act! You sure are energetic when it comes to mocking your dad!"
Theresa shrugged with a helpless expression: "That really sounds like something Siegfried would say. After all, that man is indeed like that."
Cecilia couldn't help but smile: "Siegfried has always been like this. That 'my way or the highway' personality has caused a lot of trouble for many people..."
Siegfried scratched his head awkwardly: "Cecilia, why are even you saying that about me..."
Cecilia continued: "But, doing things his own way and only doing what he thinks is right is also one of the reasons I like Siegfried, haha."
Siegfried was deeply moved, took Cecilia's hand, and looked at her with deep affection: "Ce... Cecilia..."
"I can't take it, I absolutely can't take it anymore!"
Sirin stood up and slammed the table.
"Dad, Mom, please pay attention to the occasion! Don't show off your affection in public; have you considered everyone's feelings!"
Kiana immediately chimed in: "Yeah, at least consider Auntie's feelings!"
Theresa looked stunned: "Huh? What does this have to do with me!"
Kiana waved her hand: "Auntie is an older single woman who has never experienced the nourishment of love! If you keep setting off 'flash bombs' in front of her every day, are you trying to drive her to despair!"
"Kiana, although I'm quite interested that you've finally stopped using that humanoid tone, it seems you've just touched a taboo that must never be touched..."
Theresa cracked her knuckles loudly.
"Do you want to try Auntie's long-lost Hell-Sent Guillotine Chop? Relax, Kiana, dizziness is normal—"
Seeing the entire livestream room turning into a mess, Sirin leaned toward Su Mu: "Brother-in-law, shouldn't we do something about this? I feel like a livestream accident is about to happen!"
Su Mu looked at Elysia and smiled slightly: "This is pretty good too, isn't it?"
Sirin felt a splitting headache: "Brother-in-law, you... I never realized before, you really are wicked."
"How can you call it wicked, Sirin? You don't understand."
Su Mu suddenly looked at Sirin with a very serious expression.
"As the saying goes, no one is perfect! Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses! Only by calmly accepting this can one go further on the road called life!"
Sirin stumbled and almost fell: "So you have no intention of reflecting at all, right? You have no thought of changing your wicked ways! How can you say that so righteously!"
Su Mu gave a thumbs-up: "Sirin, that retort was strong and powerful. As expected of Kiana's sister, your skills are profound."
"Yeah, yeah, what's so bad about it? Besides, our livestream room has always been like this! This doesn't even count as a livestream accident~ In fact, accidents are our normal content!"
Elysia giggled and put her arm around Sirin's shoulder like a veteran.
"Sister Sirin, relax~ If you keep scowling, you'll get wrinkles. A cute girl looks best with a smile~"
The livestream room and the area outside were instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere. Watching all this, the Kallen and Yae Sakura outside were somewhat dumbfounded.
"Is... is this normal?"
"Pro... probably?"
"What turned them into this? Is it Honkai Impact 3rd?"
Otto held his forehead; there was no helping it, Honkai Impact 3rd was what turned them into this... As someone who had caused multiple livestream accidents, Lord Otto had clearly realized that these character archetypes just standing in the room was pure entertainment value.
After some commotion, the livestream finally returned to the main topic.
Thanks to Siegfried's heroic performance and Otto's hesitation—as his plan required Siegfried not to die here—he eventually let Siegfried and Welt Yang go and departed.
Afterward, Siegfried took Welt Yang back to Babylon for treatment, finally getting him out of danger and saving his life.
Although Siegfried tried to investigate the clown who suddenly appeared, the results were nil.
And...
More importantly, according to Schicksal's satellite, Benares had already flown out of the atmosphere with Sirin, and Schicksal had no effective means of attacking targets outside the atmosphere.
This gave Sirin a chance to catch her breath.
In her daze, the voice that guided her to become a Herrscher rang in Sirin's mind again.
It called to Sirin, leading her to the far side of the Moon.
[The Moon? What on earth is up there?]
[I remember in the Previous Era, the MANTISes led by Kevin fought the final battle against Finality on the Moon, right?]
[Could it be that the so-called "Honkai God" is on the Moon?]
[That's very likely!]
[What does it want with Sirin by calling her to the Moon? Is it going to give her a buff?]
The audience in the livestream room raised many guesses about the appearance of this mysterious voice.
However, this question wasn't immediately answered in the next chapter, as the story inserted a tale about Siegfried Kaslana.
For Siegfried, born into the Kaslana family, the mission to protect the world had accompanied him since birth.
However, unwilling to be bound by mission, Siegfried fled the Kaslana home at the age of fifteen.
Originally, Otto was furious and said he would mobilize all troops to capture Siegfried, but Siegfried's mother pleaded desperately, and Otto eventually let him go.
After that, Siegfried traveled all over the world, using his own eyes to confirm the meaning of his life.
The content in the game made the Siegfried in the livestream room instantly look embarrassed.
"W-why is even that stuff... so clearly known!"
In his youth, because he couldn't bear the burden of the Kaslana family, he indeed ran away. His encounter with Cecilia also happened during that escape. Before then, Siegfried didn't believe in love at first sight, but after meeting Cecilia, he understood his former self simply hadn't met someone he truly liked.
After learning the other party was the eldest miss of the Schariac family, Siegfried worked incredibly hard to grow into an outstanding man worthy of Cecilia. Finally, hard work paid off; his efforts were recognized by the family, allowing him to marry the woman he loved most—Cecilia.
So, is the next part going to tell the story of how he and Cecilia met? Su Mu, really, to actually make a game out of his old father-in-law's love history, this is very embarrassing!
"I say, Kiana, you didn't tell Su Mu about this, did you?"
"Huh? Does he even need me to tell him? Dad, you brag every day about how you wooed Mom. Who knows if you let it slip while chatting with Su Mu!"
"Nonsense! I didn't! That's slander, slander!"
Cecilia just watched the father and daughter bicker, smiling without a word.
Sirin felt quite helpless, looking troubled, but seeing her second sister and dad tearing into each other, she couldn't help but be amused.
Su Mu, however, was watching them with a smile on his face.
Theresa was looking at his side profile and noticed Su Mu's expression immediately.
"What are you smiling about?"
"Hmm, because I'm happy?"
"True, seeing this family so lively indeed makes one feel happy unconsciously. Even though Siegfried is an unreliable man and Kiana inherited that unreliability..."
"Even though you're sharp-tongued, you seem to really like this family."
"W-what... that talk sounds like an old man... aren't you about to become one of them too? Nephew-in-law?"
"Don't tease me, you know it's fake..."
Su Mu shrugged helplessly, looking innocent.
"True... after all, you already have good girls like Seele and Bronya by your side. And, I said it before, didn't I?"
Theresa gave Su Mu a cheeky grin, her blue eyes sparkling.
Fish long for water, birds long for the sky.
"I don't plan to let go, you know? Even if it's my only niece, I don't plan to yield you to her."
The tenderness in those eyes made Su Mu's face turn red, and he looked away.
Ever since that event, Theresa would start these "straight-ball" attacks from time to time.
Though Su Mu had seen many such direct approaches from Seele, these two gave off entirely different feelings.
Once they decide on the person they like, they won't change... I see, this Theresa really isn't just like Luna Vow in body, but in this aspect as well.
The game really does come from life.
If "When the Red Moon Fades" is actually released, it'll probably be another "blood-red storm" (sad).
After saying those words, Theresa turned her gaze back to the game screen.
The subsequent plot was just as Siegfried had guessed.
Denmark, 1991, inside a Schicksal transport vehicle at the border.
Schicksal Valkyries were executing the transport of the "Herrscher Killer." Among the accompanying personnel was the Saint of the Schariacs, Cecilia.
Midway, the vehicle was attacked by Welt Yang, resulting in total annihilation.
However, Welt didn't find anything related to the "Herrscher Killer" in the transport, but Cecilia's blood caught his attention, leading him to judge that Cecilia and the Herrscher Killer must be linked.
On the other side, Siegfried, who happened to be hunting Honkai Beasts in Denmark, saved Cecilia.
Though he didn't want to get involved with Schicksal again, as a man, he couldn't leave a girl to die.
After Cecilia woke up, she hid the truth of the attack from Siegfried. And Siegfried didn't tell Cecilia he was from the Kaslana family.
Because she had to get back to headquarters, Siegfried offered to personally escort Cecilia back.
However, along the way, Cecilia was observing everything in this world with curious eyes.
It turned out she had never left headquarters before.
Like a little bird in a cage that had never been outside.
This reminded Siegfried of himself as a child, bound by the Kaslana mission. He couldn't bear to see Cecilia go back just like that.
So, using the excuse that his motorcycle was broken, he said they needed to stay in this town for a day.
During this day, Siegfried accompanied Cecilia to play in the town, even taking her to an arcade.
As a result, Cecilia instantly broke Siegfried's record, which sparked Siegfried's competitive spirit.
Thus, the two began a duel in the arcade.
Although he didn't win a single game, both were extremely happy.
In the final guessing game, seeing Siegfried answer a question wrong and having to put his hand into the open mouth of a Homu.
Cecilia, worried for his safety, rushed up and tackled him to the ground.
With a reminder from an older woman nearby, she realized the Homu's teeth were just made of sponge.
Realizing she had just done something stupid, Cecilia's face turned as red as an apple, and Siegfried scratched his head in embarrassment.
The scene became incredibly ambiguous for a moment.
[A white-haired beautiful girl falling from the sky—what kind of anime plot is this!]
[Damn it, why can't I meet such a beautiful girl!]
[Jealousy, jealousy has already made me unrecognizable!!]
[Bro, I'm begging you. I don't really care, seriously. It's just my friend can't stand this. He said if he keeps watching, he's going to lose some beautiful things soon...]
[Face reality, brothers. One day you will meet an angelic girl who doesn't need your house, doesn't need your money, and doesn't need you.]
[That pierces the heart, old buddy.]
[Wait, where did this take me? Is this still Honkai Impact 3rd? Spreading "dog food" out of nowhere, huh?]
Seeing Siegfried and Cecilia develop feelings for each other—that youthful and innocent appearance—the audience in the livestream room all started eating "lemons" (being jealous).
"Haha, sorry about that, everyone. That's just how it is... Cecilia and I have been a destined pair since a long time ago."
Though still feeling quite embarrassed, for Siegfried, the happiness and satisfaction in his heart far outweighed the embarrassment.
After all, looking back on his life, the best decision he ever made was chasing Cecilia!
Just this one thing was enough to make him the proudest, most boastful man in the world!
Theresa spoke up coldly from the side: "Haha, who knows who was the well-known playboy in their youth, famous for being flirtatious in Schicksal."
Siegfried was mortified: "I-I told you, that was a rumor spread by Shigure Kira! Theresa, don't you know the truth?"
Theresa started playing dumb: "Theresa doesn't know, teehee~?"
Siegfried: "Don't play dumb with me!!"
In the game, after Siegfried and Cecilia finished their day of fun, they were eating in a restaurant.
During this time, Siegfried promised Cecilia that as long as she liked, he could take her out to play anytime in the future.
For Cecilia, the "caged bird" who had never seen the outside world, Siegfried's words undoubtedly pierced her heart.
She also longed for such a life, but... because of the responsibility she bore, she was destined not to be like an ordinary girl, playing freely in the vast sky.
Even if Cecilia stated her stance and told Siegfried not to contact her again.
Siegfried still stated he wouldn't give up easily.
Afterward, Siegfried took Cecilia to see a movie. Cecilia felt Siegfried had done enough for her today, and she should show some appreciation too.
So Cecilia used an excuse to leave, wanting to go to the arcade to catch a robot toy Siegfried liked.
However, neither knew that their every move was being watched by Welt and Einstein.
Einstein appeared before Cecilia, helped her retrieve the robot toy stuck in the machine, and used gas to knock her unconscious while she was off guard.
Taking the chance, she collected a blood sample from Cecilia.
On the other side, Siegfried heard about a toxic gas leak at the arcade. On his way there, he was stopped by Welt.
Before the ten times gravity of the Star of Eden, Siegfried's body could collapse at any moment.
But even so, he was unwilling to leave Cecilia.
He forced himself to walk to Welt under ten times gravity, wanting to give him a punch.
But in the end, he collapsed from exhaustion.
Einstein, having obtained the blood sample, returned to Welt's side and asked if they should take Cecilia away.
But Welt replied.
["This boy and girl still have an unfulfilled promise. We have no right to trample on their feelings and dreams."]
Just like that, the awakened Cecilia finally found the unconscious Siegfried. Seeing him alive, she finally sighed in relief.
She let Siegfried's head rest on her lap, but just then, Otto appeared before Cecilia.
The unconscious Siegfried seemed to realize he was about to be separated from Cecilia.
In his half-asleep state, he kept murmuring.
["Don't go... the arcade game... I haven't beaten you yet..."]
Looking at Siegfried, Cecilia's tears fell down her cheeks. This man had recklessly barged into her heart, making her remember his name forever, along with the precious memories of this day.
["No, you've already won, Siegfried. You've... already won."]
By the time Siegfried woke up, Cecilia was gone.
No one remembered she had been there; it was as if everything had never existed.
Everyone told Siegfried it was just a dream.
Siegfried visited all the places he had gone with Cecilia, but those familiar places only held lonely memories.
He couldn't find a single thing to fill the large hole in his chest.
Originally, Siegfried thought he was just a person seeking freedom, unconstrained and carefree.
But Cecilia's single tear left on Siegfried's face was still faintly warm, as if it were burning into the depths of his soul.
Siegfried's soul told him he couldn't stand the days without Cecilia.
He had to go see Cecilia.
Two years later.
In the lonely darkness, Cecilia had been constantly reminiscing about her time with Siegfried.
She kept thinking, if she had held Siegfried's hand back then, would things have been different.
However, Cecilia didn't expect Siegfried to appear before her again.
["What's wrong? Are you surprised to see me?"]
Seeing her long-awaited him appear before her, Cecilia's face showed an expression of disbelief.
["Siegfried, why did you..."]
Siegfried's face was covered in bruises and wounds, but even so, he smiled and reached out his hand to Cecilia.
["Didn't we promise... I won't let you go until I defeat you."]
["So, let's compete... together..."]
Cecilia, weeping with joy, threw herself into Siegfried's arms, and the two embraced tightly.
It turned out that during those two years.
Siegfried underwent inhuman, demonic training, finally meeting Otto's requirements to be allowed to see Cecilia.
Otto was also shocked by Siegfried's growth. Initially, Siegfried—the "shame of the Kaslanas"—didn't even have the strength of an A-rank Valkyrie.
But in those two years, he made rapid progress, and his strength was no longer what it used to be.
Watching the scene of Cecilia and Siegfried's reunion, Theresa thanked the Otto beside her.
["Regardless, I have to say thank you to Grandpa this time. I haven't seen Cecilia's smile in a long time."]
Theresa's thanks made Otto freeze for a moment, then he wore a somewhat lost expression.
["Thank you? Hehe, my dear Theresa, you didn't think I did this out of the kindness of my heart, did you? I just want to see if combining the Schariac blood with the Kaslana lineage will give birth to an even more powerful Herrscher Killer."]
However, watching the two below, Otto momentarily saw Kallen's figure.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
["That's right... the kind Otto died with her long ago."]
Although the process was a bit twisted, Siegfried and Cecilia finally ended up together.
This scene also made the audience in the livestream room feel heartfelt joy.
[Damn, it wasn't easy! Finally, a pair of lovers who can be together!]
[Though the process was a bit convoluted, they reunited in the end... this is a rare bit of "sugar" in Honkai Impact 3rd, right?]
[Regardless, I'm already happy to see the "father-in-law" and "mother-in-law" together...]
[Yeah, I totally understand your feelings, brother. After all, hardly any young couples in Honkai Impact 3rd have a good ending, right? Kallen and Yae Sakura, Ana and Chen Tianwu, even Kiana and Mei are separated now... sigh.]
[That's why seeing a relationship bear fruit like this feels so precious, haha...]
Watching the joyful expressions of everyone in the livestream room, Sparkle in the recording room curled her lips into a playful smile.
"Smile, smile, smile while you can."
"Fate has already marked the price for every gift..."
"Su Mu, you're waiting too, aren't you? Soon, it'll be time for you and Lady Sparkle to smile together!"
END OF CHAPTER
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