My Game Studio is Full of Valkyries?!

Chapter 581 - 580: Happy Graduation

MGSFV?! Chapter 580: Happy GraduationSome year, some month, some day,

Some station, miHoYo Official Livestream Room.

"Alright, dear viewers, next we'll switch the screen over to Miss Elysia."

"There may be a few minutes of black screen in between, please be patient."

Zzz~~ zzz~~

[Black screen? That was fast.]

[Countdown begins—10, 9, 8, 7...8, 9, 10...]

[Hey you in front, how is your countdown even going upward?]

[No rush, no rush. Once the livestream lights up, I'll end my countdown.]

Bored viewers in the livestream chat began bickering idly.

[Surprise announcement!]

But very soon, someone brought exciting news.

[What surprise?]

[The official account just updated with an animated short.]

[???]

First came a brief silence, then swiftly—

Just a few short words detonated the entire livestream room like a deep-sea bomb.

[The official account updated? Real or fake?]

[It's real! It's real! I just watched it!]

[Brothers, no need for words, CHARGE!!]

——

The perspective shifts to the entrance of the venue, the room decorated like a train car.

Seats were already arranged, everything set up.

But...

Kevin was gone.

Kiana didn't want to watch the short under the camera.

So only Hokuto and Elysia were sitting there.

"I posted them, all of them."

While the livestream screen was switching, Elysia speedily posted a few comments from the official account under the "Graduation Trip" short using her phone.

And just at that moment,

Players who had been idle in the official livestream room began flooding in upon hearing the news.

For all the beauty in the world: Arrival.

miHoYo you heartless devs: First!!

Inch Strength Skullcracker: Ha, first? You're fourth at best.

Carbon-Based Slipper Amoeba: All old friends, huh. So... you were all always here?

This world is not beautiful at all: Honkai never falls, with you till old age! (dog head)

——

In the blink of an eye, the comment section exploded.

Even though many people liked Elysia's comment, it still teetered on the edge, bouncing up and down, like it would sink into obscurity at any second.

To save face, perhaps—

She immediately added a follow-up under her comment: "I'm the official account, give me attention QAQ."

After this, her likes quickly surged, finally stabilizing her at second place.

Huh? Second?

First was...

She looked closer and saw that the comment from the account in Hokuto's hand was sitting comfortably at the top.

"Why are you so stable...?"

"Huh?"

Hokuto blinked and replied casually and truthfully: "I can pin my own comment."

Elysia: "..."

——

Meanwhile, as some players noisily clicked over to the new short on the official account,

The official livestream room finally had video.

Most of the players who hadn't moved yet instantly abandoned the idea of following the early crowd to the video.

Some who had left even came back and opened another window just to keep the stream running.

They focused on the livestream.

The screen was very simple and clear.

Familiar miHoYo logo, and the title of the short: "Graduation Trip."

Straight to the point?

Wait a minute—

Realizing miHoYo was airing an animated short live, the players perked up.

Then, quickly did a few things:

Adjusted the volume to a comfortable level, pulled out a tissue pack from the drawer and placed it within reach, took a deep breath, straightened posture, turned off the chat overlay...

It was a routine they had become very practiced and natural at.

Though truthfully, none of them wanted to "get used to it," much less be "practiced" at this.

After all, if they had to say, it would be a somewhat sad story.

The kind that made them always say "Come play Honkai Impact 3rd, the plot is super sweet," with sad irony.

But the fact was—they were fluent to the point it would surprise outsiders.

Back to the story.

The players quickly finished preparations.

The animated short also began its proper playback during this time.

From the very start, the opening was different from previous shorts.

The miHoYo logo at the center of the screen slowly receded under their gaze.

A phone frame appeared, followed by one of Kiana's fingers.

So this meant...

Kiana was watching with them?

To confirm the speculation, the animation even showed a few frames of the comment section.

Honkai Impact 3rd's No.1 Idol, Ai-chan: Safe travels, Kiana. We'll be waiting for you to come home!

Honkai Impact 3rd: Thank you for this beautiful story. Goodbye.

Elysia: "..."

The moment she saw those frames, she instantly understood why Hokuto had been ready to post a comment right away.

So that's why.

Hoping that "our" blessing could truly be seen by Kiana?

As always, that's how she interpreted it.

Of course, for many players, they just thought miHoYo was pulling a stunt again, so they laughed and moved on.

——

In the video:

Kiana leaned against the railing and put down her phone, hands behind her back.

A smile was on her face.

If going by Elysia's interpretation, that smile meant she was happy to receive everyone's blessings.

Though many players didn't think as deeply as Elysia, they were still moved by Kiana's peaceful smile.

Gradually, they relaxed.

And at these moments—people let their guard down most.

"When a story is about to end, we always think of its beginning."

Kiana's gentle voice, her words worth savoring, like silk threads, subtly guided their thoughts to soar.

"It's like... everything returned to the start."

Trying to hold it back.

But her earliest self emerged in their minds anyway.

That was—

The scenery outside the train suddenly changed—red desert, dazzling Imaginary Tree, casting strange tones into the carriage.

But that was only the beginning of the strangeness.

Because—

"For example... just like now, right?"

A voice that could snap ninety-nine percent of players out of their emotional state instantly rang out.

???

Why is HIS voice in the short?!

They hadn't heard his voice in-game for a long, long, long time.

The last time was the last time.

As for who it was—

One who could make all players simultaneously shudder and reveal shocked expressions...

It wasn't hard to guess. Only a few candidates.

Combined with the Imaginary Tree outside the window—

A certain name was on the tip of everyone's tongue.

[Otto?! Otto Apocalypse??]

[Oh my God! Otto resurrected!!]

[Bring me my wine bottle!!]

When Otto appeared in the train car, swirling his wine glass—

They had no choice but to reenact that classic scene.

A favorite saying among Honkai players: Huh?

But...

"Heh, you don't seem surprised?"

Otto looked at the Kiana with a slightly serious expression, his signature smile on his face.

"..."

At some point, Kiana had switched back to her Herrscher of Flamescion form, giving him a knowing look with no words.

Because she knew... it wasn't just Otto.

Otto, finding no response, wasn't bothered at all. He turned to look at the nostalgic scenery outside the train.

And continued: "Isn't this scenery quite nostalgic?"

"Don't flatter yourself..."

But the one who replied wasn't Kiana.

It was another voice that could instantly awaken ninety-nine percent of the players.

"She's not like us. She still has to keep moving forward."

The puppet slid down from above in a difficult pose, wrapping around a pole, and boldly approached Kiana.

"Heehee, ahahaha—how about it, surprised to see me?"

Players: ...?

Although, yes—

The few people who could make them react like this were limited, they weren't expecting to see ALL of them again.

Well, not all yet. Missing the Herrscher of Corruption...

As that thought rose in their minds, they suddenly felt a chill.

No way...

The scenery outside silently changed again—a city built from dark green pipes and television machinery, casting a cold light into the train.

Clearly, that "no way" had become real.

A wave of pixelation swept across, turning the train into a corrupted color scheme.

Even the station sign that used to read "Flamescion Station" now turned into a big eyeball.

"Oh? Now we're all here!"

The Herrscher of Corruption made a grand entrance.

But unlike the overly familiar Herrscher of Sentience, it just gave a sideways glance with nothing to say.

o(￣ヘ￣o＃)

Even if they didn't seem eager for another fight, the atmosphere was still... complicated.

After all, the three present were once the most rage-inducing villains in their respective stories.

So...

"Heh heh..."

Otto, like the spokesperson, chuckled and calmly said:

"But unfortunately, our story has already ended..."

Damn you Otto, as if saying 'end' just wipes the slate clean...

But the next moment—

The last one to appear, the Herrscher of Corruption, left behind a line of "no signal" and vanished.

???

"People of the past... let them stay in the past."

Otto swirled his wine glass, gazing into the red wine and the reflection of himself.

Still the same Otto.

He left himself five hundred years ago, in exchange for someone else to head toward the future.

Faded away peacefully.

Leaving nothing behind.

Only the Herrscher of Sentience waved at Kiana as she turned to walk forward.

"Well then... goodbye."

Players: ...

Those three.

Think they can leave cleanly and just...

Forgiveness? Impossible.

But what they represented—those pasts—did give strength.

Anger born from love carries equal strength as love.

They typed something... then deleted it.

——

They quietly watched Kiana walk to the end of the car.

The camera suddenly pulled up high.

Kiana, in her Herrscher of the Void form, stood at the login deck, placing a hand against the glass.

"Aren't you going to say something?"

Unlike before, this time she spoke first.

And the person she asked...

All who had been watching Kiana's journey had the same figure flash through their hearts.

The reflection in the glass—another "Kiana"—showed a completely fitting expression.

"Hmph."

"Well done."

For the first time ever, the Queen shut off her reverb and spoke the words "well done" in a tone she had never used before.

The Queen isn't tsundere anymore—this is the end of an era.

"..."

It really was... an ending.

Thinking about the short they were now watching—

The usual jokes now seemed to carry unfamiliar weight.

Their expressions started to shift uncontrollably.

And hearing the Queen's words, Kiana slowly smiled in comfort.

Feathers scattered around her like snow.

When the feathers cleared—she suddenly found herself in midair, falling at a steady pace.

But—

Kiana didn't look flustered.

Not because she was confident she could land face-first and still be fine.

But because—

This time, she wanted to reach out and accept the hand beside her.

The one they once missed.

Warm fingertips met hers.

Another delicate palm gripped hers tightly.

Her body felt light—

The feeling of freefall vanished—

Replaced with warmth and solid ground.

Another small regret—mended.

"Mei..."

Kiana looked at the one who caught her.

As expected—it was her.

The two stood on the rooftop of Chihaya Academy, exactly the same as before.

Origin Highlands, Finality Crater, and the wormhole between them—none were missing.

"So many things have happened."

"Yeah, really... so many things."

A variation of the Honkai World's Diva theme played at the perfect moment in the game, using a brighter melody to create a beautiful atmosphere.

And so...

"This time, are we parting ways again here?"

Facing Kiana's question,

Mei chose to hold Kiana's hand tightly.

With determination and gentleness, she replied, "No. This time... we'll walk to the end together."

The sun rose from the horizon, consciously arriving at where it was meant to be.

The sun had risen.

Light would soon shine across the land, filling people with hope for the future.

Just like... the future Elysia once guided them to envision.

Departure is not a farewell.

Reunion, meeting again—there will still be new encounters in the future.

For those we cherish, our hearts will never be apart.

So, let's depart.

Kiana pulled Mei by the hand, turned around, and together they stepped into the light.

Bravely advancing toward their own futures.

Believing in themselves, and in those they hold dear.

Then—

Came a piece of Canon.

Personally performed by someone—and of course, it wasn't just "personally performed" that easily.

There was also...

Just like this Canon itself.

It made people want to smile, only to freeze halfway.

Want to cry recklessly, but instead forced a smile.

For the joyful, they heard a touch of sorrow.

For the sad and lost, they saw hope.

Scenes that seemed so familiar—

Kiana and Mei in their standard outfits walking through the long-destroyed but now-reviving Changkong City.

Miss Natasha stood at the corner, watching them leave.

They no longer had any entanglement.

The present is not the past...

Only when a story is about to end do you realize—even saying that line becomes difficult.

Thinking of how in the future, they might never again get to trigger "100sp > 175sp" in the story...

Suddenly, a bit of loneliness arose.

What does it mean for something to end—it became clear in their hearts.

The scene changed.

Kiana and Mei walked into a bustling city and met...

Li Sushang, already integrated into modern life and eating a big roasted pork bun. She wore her Sword Archive outfit.

A familiar outfit, a different setting.

Bianka and Rita, crouching and playing with Stan, had set aside their Valkyrie duties, now simply ordinary girls.

Familiar characters, different everyday lives.

"Yeah, we've been to so many places... left behind so many memories."

"This is a story about love. And it shall have a conclusion born of love."

Arriving at the beach—

Rosalia and Liliya were playing along the shoreline. Seele and Bronya sat beneath a sun umbrella drinking icy-cold beverages.

Everyone wore swimsuits.

It was from that summer of cicada songs, a way to dispel the sweltering unease and bring some coolness to the Valkyries.

Hmm...

Though this world never had the legend of the Fortuneteller Squad, they too had their own "once upon a time."

"So, just like before—step by step, keep moving forward."

Bronya, who had been eating ice cream with Seele, stood up after seeing Seele's knowing smile.

She quickly caught up with Kiana and Mei.

The next part of the story would be told with all three of them together.

"Look..."

Siegfried, Sirin, and Cecilia were at a shopping mall.

The original trio greeted them first.

"Anytime..."

They came to foreign streets, where they happened upon people from those lands...

Joyce, and the scientist trio.

The Flame-Chasers outside the Golden Courtyard doing a group activity.

Bronya looked at the map, Kiana analyzed beside her, and Mei... turned back and met eyes with Elysia in the distance.

"It's right here."

The background Canon subtly layered in more instruments.

One by one, others joined in to say farewell to this story.

Raven, Rita, Bianka, Bronya...

Yes, even though there were no lines here, Hokuto added a bit of artistic touch.

This Canon that began with him—

As the story moved forward, more new companions picked up instruments and added new melodies.

Just like in Kiana's life, friends slowly gathered around her.

Her story, their story, everyone's story...

Like a Canon.

Rich, beautiful, harmonious, warm, and even a little noisy.

...

The players suddenly wanted to close their eyes and enjoy this moment of lingering time.

But... just like how they realized not long ago that several years of Honkai Impact 3rd had already passed—

No matter how lingering time felt, it always felt too short.

Before they knew it—

Before they were satisfied—

They had returned to the train station.

Theresa held up a phone case—still the magical Teriri model—to take a photo of the original trio.

Aunt Himeko's first appearance in a short—and it had to be in someone else's short (）

Fu Hua appeared behind the trio, patting them on the back and joining the conversation with a smile.

The five huddled together, whispering to each other—the scene was bustling and lively.

Canon's melody grew richer.

But just then—the moving train arrived at the station.

"..."

Kiana, not wanting to disrupt the joyful moment, quietly stepped back and boarded the train.

Mei took a step forward, paused, and chose instead to simply watch in silence.

Until—the train door closed and separated the past.

Canon halted abruptly.

The blissful expressions on the players' faces froze.

As the music cut off, it felt like their hearts did too.

All the emotion that had been steadily building suddenly surged all at once.

The unstoppable train.

The unstoppable passage of time.

This graduation trip was nearing its end.

Soon, very soon—

It would be time for them to say to Kiana—and to themselves—Happy Graduation.

But...

Could it stop just a little longer...?

At times like this, their "battle-hardened experience" proved useful.

They took a deep breath and pulled themselves together.

Smiled.

They could do it.

Believed in those behind them who had given their blessings,

Believed in the strength this beloved story had given them.

Moving toward tomorrow—was not about forgetting the past.

Those beautiful memories, those days of old, would forever be kept in their hearts.

Everyone—would be there.

At last, they had built up enough emotion to face the final finale.

This time, they could definitely smile and...

"Kiana."

But just that one sentence—that short call—made everyone freeze instantly.

The voice was so gentle, so familiar, so...

Made you want to say...

What the hell! Damn you, Script-Writer Scum! Don't come any closer!!

But still...

Even while thinking that, they couldn't take their eyes off Kiana as she turned around.

Himeko, the class president, Academy Head Theresa, Mei, Bronya—stood before St. Freya in their original battlesuits.

With the most sincere gazes, they watched Kiana who was about to journey forth.

Etching this moment deeply into their hearts.

"Da Capo" began to play.

"When friends once dear to you depart

Do you hope they'll still remember your name?

When the good old days fade away

Does your heart remain as it once was?

..."

And so—shock became surprise, but before they could even smile at the surprise,

The emotions rising from deep within gave them a different expression.

They reached for tissues and held them tightly.

Facing their true selves.

Could they?

No... they couldn't.

[Someone, destroy the speakers!]

[These lyrics, this song—it's too powerful.]

[No one is allowed to smash the speakers this time!]

"We cannot stop the passing time

Only leave the tracks behind

For the road ahead is longer still

..."

Kiana, one hand in her pocket, the other rubbing her nose.

A bit immature in her maturity—

But so much like the Kiana from the very beginning.

Carrying everyone's blessings, she turned once more—toward the future.

The train sped toward the Cocoon of Finality.

That would be the end of this journey.

Kiana spread her arms—flying toward it.

Just like at the start of the game, when she jumped down from the sky.

Only this time—the ending had already changed so much.

[...] *N

As it turns out, even if you're fluent at one-handed typing,

It's not enough for every situation.

Like now.

When no one could spare even a single hand...

...

The main story ended. Next came the ending theme.

Credits of the production team flashed by.

The screen showed...

A small Kiana, carrying an oversized backpack, trudging through the snow.

"There once was a storyteller

Who painted sunlight and rain

But people must grow up

Spending their lives learning love and pain

..."

Little Kiana fell heavily into the snow.

After such a long journey, she was too exhausted to get back up on her own.

But she didn't give up.

Once, twice, three times...

Quietly gathering strength,

Believing she could stand once more.

And maybe—she could.

Only this time, the grown Kiana—who appeared at some unknown point—lifted up little Kiana.

Brushed the snow from her face.

And nodded to her.

Encouraging that bewildered self to continue forward.

And so—

The two brushed past each other.

One walking toward Earth,

The other toward the Moon.

"...

If saying goodbye is too hard

Then let's try singing it aloud

You are the eternal beauty shining in this world."

[Happy Graduation, Kiana.]

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