Honkai: You're telling me this difficulty is from Honkai Impact 3?!

Himeko, though surprised, kept her questions to herself, unlike Kiana, who was struggling to contain her excited whispers.

"Huh? They gave me the Hyperion? (no, the SELENE) And the password is my birthday?"

Kiana's expression was a mixture of disbelief and delight. Who would give her a battleship? Had her dad struck it rich?

Her in-game counterpart quickly dismissed these ideas, leaving the Hyperion's origins a mystery.

Then came the revelation about Anti-Entropy's "control." The neural implants, the virus…Bronya suddenly felt much better about her own situation. Cocolia's control could be suffocating, but it wasn't this bad. Cocolia still cared for the orphans.

The first chapter ended. Shu paused the video, inviting questions.

"That Titan mecha…" Himeko began, but Shu cut her off.

"I don't know much about it. Just that it's Anti-Entropy's tactical mecha. Mass-produced, and very powerful." The first question had landed squarely in his knowledge blind spot.

"Are Valkyries Schicksal's equivalent of Titans?" Otto asked.

"Sort of, but Schicksal predates Anti-Entropy by a long shot," Shu said, thinking. "The combined ages of Anti-Entropy's core members are probably less than yours…"

"Haha, Otto, you're an old geezer now!" Kallen laughed. Otto's expression remained unchanged, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Then tell us about those four keys," he said, choosing the most difficult question from Shu's anticipated list.

Shu: "…" This man is dangerous. He holds grudges.

"It'll be explained later," he said, rolling his eyes, starting the second chapter. The others didn't have many questions. The most crucial information had already been revealed. Watching the story unfold was more about seeing those "what ifs" play out. There wasn't much actionable intelligence in the game's story.

Otto, however, was thoroughly enjoying himself. He wanted to see who the idiot was who let his Kallen slip away.

The second chapter was more mundane. Theresa and Fu Hua appeared. The Valkyrie exams, St. Freya…everything was new and exciting. Except for Kiana, who still needed tutoring, and Fu Hua, who remained at the top of the class.

"Ugh~" Kiana groaned. "Even when it's all about fighting, I'm still last! Can't beat the class monitor, fine, but can't I beat anyone else?"

"Kiana, balanced development is always essential," Fu Hua said, adjusting her glasses, clearly pleased with her "top of the class" status. See? Still the perfect student.

Then came Kiana's dream, and the repeated mention of the "Second Honkai Eruption."

"Ugh, why do they only tell half the story? And get out of my dream, you creep!" Kiana muttered.

Shu nodded sympathetically. Everyone in the Honkai-verse was great, except for their tendency to speak in riddles.

He'd expected Kiana to react more strongly to seeing her parents in the dream, though.

Then, the dream ended, introducing Stigmata, Emperor-class Honkai Beasts, S-rank Valkyries, and other terms, which Shu dutifully explained as the chapter concluded.

"Rita…" Otto murmured, lost in thought. Kallen nudged him.

"That Rita…she looks familiar, doesn't she?"

Otto nodded, his frown deepening. Kallen only had a vague impression, but he remembered clearly. If the two Ritas were related in the same way he and that other Otto were…things could get interesting.

As the questions subsided, Shu looked at Kiana. Shouldn't the protagonist have the most questions? Why was she so quiet? Her parents, the Second Eruption, the Herrscher of the Void appearing in her dream…

He asked her, and understood.

"Huh? They don't explain it later?" Kiana looked at him, surprised. "Then tell me! Why do they always leave things hanging?!"

He'd worried unnecessarily. Despite her immersion in the story, she still maintained a clear separation between the game and reality.

Why am I so on edge? He shifted uncomfortably, realizing he was tired from standing. He sat down, and they continued watching, getting a proper introduction to the power of a Herrscher.

"Uh…Shu, can Titans really defeat Herrschers that easily?" Theresa asked, looking at him doubtfully. Beside her, Otto mirrored her expression, silently accusing Shu of false advertising.

"That was an exception! An exception!" Shu insisted, without pausing the video.

What do you mean, a few Titans can defeat a Herrscher? Just wait until you see Sirin snap her fingers and bankrupt Anti-Entropy.

The story continued. Everyone was engrossed, Kiana even shedding a few tears. Bronya, however, felt increasingly uneasy.

Wait…I thought Otto was the villain…why am I the boss twice? And why is Cocolia a villain too?

And…Wendy looks just like Seele…no wonder I was so gentle with her…

Otto, too, wore a strange expression.

Huh?

Huh?!

He looked down at his discarded "Romance Saves the World" plan, then picked it up as if it were a precious artifact, quickly crossing out "Romance." He glanced at Kallen, who was now sobbing softly against his shoulder, and a look of understanding dawned on his face.

I think I know what that other Otto did.