Without waiting for Himeko to agree, Mobius stood up and said threateningly: "Hessian! You're a married man—don't think you can use your director's authority to do anything shady!"
Hessian was speechless and immediately said: "What are you talking about? I was just thinking of having a drink with her and discussing another project along the way."
Mobius hummed: "That's the exact excuse directors from other entertainment companies use when they impose unspoken rules."
Hessian still wanted to argue.
Himeko raised her hand and said: "You can rest assured on that point. With Director He's small build, he probably couldn't beat me—especially after drinking."
Hessian glared at her: "You might as well not explain!"
Mobius thought for a moment: "How about this—I'll go with you two. Tonight, I'll book a hotel for you and put it on the company's tab."
"Deal!"
After the group finished discussing, they each clocked off and left.
Hessian, Himeko, and Mobius arrived at a small bar far from the company.
This little bar was in a remote location, and business wasn't usually great. Plus... Hessian figured that among the viewers watching Honkai Impact 3rd, very few would like coming to places like bars, so he wasn't worried at all about running into fanatic fans.
They casually grabbed a few bottles of alcohol, listened to music on the side, and clinked glasses with Himeko.
Taking advantage of the drinking, Himeko also asked: "Director He, my character really died, right?"
She had had a strong premonition of this during filming and had fully immersed herself in the emotion of certain death.
Hessian didn't hide it: "Yes."
Himeko smiled bitterly, picked up a bottle, and chugged it down.
She had only joined the company a few weeks ago and was already dead—she really wanted to film more with everyone.
Seeing her like this.
Hessian also drank a glass and asked: "Are you worried that you won't have any more scenes in the future? Or that the audience will forget you?"
Himeko thought about it: "Both, I guess. Like Wendy—hasn't her popularity started dropping now?"
Hessian explained: "Wendy's situation is different from yours. Your character did die, but she still lives on—in the hearts of others. And your scenes won't be few either."
Seeing Himeko cheer up, he continued: "However... the project I mentioned earlier wasn't a lie. I've recently been conceptualizing another series for Honkai, and I plan to make you the protagonist."
"Really?"
Himeko instantly became joyful: "Then I can continue staying at the company?"
Hessian smiled: "Of course it's real. Rest assured—as long as it's someone Elysia brought to the company, I'll find suitable roles for you. If one doesn't work, there's always the second."
Phew~
Himeko instantly relaxed.
She even joked, emboldened by the alcohol: "Actually... I came here prepared to be threatened with unspoken rules."
Bang!
Mobius slammed her glass heavily on the table: "We've drunk enough. Himeko, I'll take you home. Let him find a hotel to rest on his own."
As Elysia's good friend, Mobius felt it was her responsibility to keep an eye on her friend's husband.
Himeko was in a great mood and readily left with Mobius.
In the following days, Fire Moth company once again entered a busy filming period.
To ensure his personal safety, Hessian had been resting at the company these past few days. During that time, Elysia came to visit him several times.
Time arrived at the airing day of the sixth episode of Honkai Impact 3rd.
For the audience, this short week felt longer than a year. They could get some general updates through the evening streams—that Kiana seemed to be in Arc City.
But there was no more information, and Kiana hadn't even streamed this week.
Now, finally, it was time for the broadcast. Everyone had been waiting in front of their televisions early.
"It's finally here—what happened to my poor Kiana?"
"A week! A whole week! Do you know how I survived this week?"
"I can't eat or sleep properly every day. Just thinking about Kiana waking up and realizing she personally killed Teacher Himeko makes me so sad I can't sleep."
"Please, director, be human— at least let us see Kiana's situation."
"I just hope it won't be like other shows, where they search for someone an entire episode and find not even a single clue."
"It shouldn't be. Kalpas said during his stream that this episode is about Kiana, and since the director dared to say that, he would definitely poison the director if it wasn't."
"Holy shit! As expected of big bro Kalpas—so badass! Directly infiltrating the inside!"
"It's starting, it's starting—I'm going to watch!"
"Me too. We'll talk after watching!"
As the opening theme played, the number of people chatting about Honkai Impact 3rd in the group instantly dropped, and replies on the forum stopped dead.
The opening theme ended.
The plot officially began.
It directly showed scenes of the Honkai disaster.
"A Honkai disaster is currently occurring in the northern district of Arc City. Citizens in the affected area are urged to evacuate quickly to the nearest shelter. Arc City patrols are rushing to the disaster zone. Repeat..."
This time was three months after the Great Honkai outbreak.
Kiana, holding a baseball bat, hid behind a collapsed wall, observing the situation outside. She happened to see a Honkai Beast attacking a mother and her child.
Fu Hua's voice echoed in her mind: "Kiana, you can't come into contact with Honkai energy anymore... Leave. There's nothing you can do right now."
Nothing?!
Hearing those cries for help one after another.
She gripped the baseball bat tightly, charged out, and blocked the Honkai Beast's attack with it.
Turning back, she said: "Run! Don't look back—I'll hold it off."
The mother and child quickly fled the area.
After buying them time to escape, Kiana prepared to run herself.
The Herrscher of the Void's voice rang in her mind: "Kiana, why run? They are prey... You are the hunter."
Kiana, who didn't dare use Honkai energy at all, now only had physical strength and combat experience superior to ordinary people.
In just a short time, she had already fallen into a disadvantage.
As the Honkai Beast's attack came.
Her eyes were taken over by the Herrscher of the Void: "Leave this body to me!"
The next moment.
She sank into that endless darkness of consciousness.
Kiana had heard others say that when on the verge of death, all past experiences flash before one's eyes like a revolving lantern.
Yet now, before her eyes, there was only pitch black.
"Wasn't I supposed to have already been pierced by the Honkai Beast's spear?" Her mind was in chaos.
She should have been like those victims who could do nothing but flee and cry, watching helplessly as Honkai Beasts descended from the sky, pierced, trampled, slaughtered...
"...Why am I still alive...?"