My Game Studio is Full of Valkyries?!

Hokuto had his own ideas—but what truly ignited the entire Honkai Impact 3rd community was this:

Otto might finally be getting a health bar.

After all, we're talking about Otto.

The Otto who had remained the most "popular" antagonist ever since Honkai Impact 3rd exploded in popularity.

The Otto they had gritted their teeth over, again and again, wishing he'd finally show up in battle.

Now, that day had finally come!

Every major forum erupted.

Analysis of Pre-Apocalypse flooded in from all directions.

Players couldn't hold back anymore, posting things like "Haha, Otto's finally dying," "I've waited so long for this," and "Champagne sold out!"

All signs of their excitement to punch Otto's smug face into the ground.

In fact, the sheer hype even overshadowed the ongoing Elysian Realm.

And keep in mind: this Elysian Realm wasn't like the one from their past lives. Its popularity wasn't just about new gameplay or new characters.

Elysia. Eden. Characters who brought in legions of fans by themselves.

And yet, Otto still stole the spotlight.

That alone showed just how strong Honkai players' collective bloodlust toward Otto truly was.

Even content creators who had already prepped scripts to discuss the Elysian Realm—Elysia, Eden, Kalpas, and all the eccentric stars—were shaken by the Pre-Apocalypse reveal.

For instance—

At the shared apartment of the content creator Guozi:

"Otto's getting a health bar? Looks like I need to catch up on the main story."

His roommate, who had never touched Honkai Impact 3rd before, was now totally hooked, fingers flying across the screen.

"Let's go! We'll fight Otto together!"

Guozi glanced at his roommate—an avid "Eden simp" who'd immediately joined after hearing Eden was in the Elysian Realm—and smiled encouragingly.

"No need to rush. The main story of Honkai is really worth savoring."

"..."

His roommate's hands paused for a moment. Then he glanced at Guozi sideways. "You think I don't get Honkai memes? You're just trying to bait me."

He hadn't fought any of the bosses himself yet—but he'd watched Guozi rant about Honkai so often that he wasn't totally clueless.

"Heh~~ You're gonna be disappointed. I'm totally prepared. Honkai's never gonna emotionally damage me."

"That's… really unfortunate."

Guozi looked at his roommate's confident face, recalling how he too once believed he was immune—that no twist could shake him anymore.

Only to end up repeatedly shattered and betrayed.

He struggled to hold back a smirk, barely containing his laughter, and solemnly shook his head.

"Go ahead and keep playing. I'm going to compile Otto's long list of sins. The moment he falls—I'm diving in."

He sat at his desk and opened a blank document.

...

...

After the release of the Pre-Apocalypse short…

Honkai Impact 3rd's buzz and hype skyrocketed.

Elysia and the others, once they'd wrapped up their current work, even sent messages of… congratulations—no, condolences.

Kevin, Supreme Leader of World Serpent: Heard you're getting a health bar?

'Otto': That's correct.

Kevin: On behalf of all members of World Serpent, I wish you a smooth journey. Please die thoroughly. And try not to come back as a zombie.

'Otto': ???

Welt, Leader of Anti-Entropy: Heard there's finally a health bar above your head?

'Otto': ...Did you all coordinate this today?

Welt: You're not the first who's asked me that. But it's understandable. This is kind of a big deal.

'Otto': So what exactly are you trying to say?

Welt: Nothing really. Just confirming the news. Now that I know it's true, that's all.

'Otto': ...

Elysia, Second Leader: Hi~

'Otto': Yes, I'm getting a health bar.

Elysia: I hadn't said anything yet. As expected of you, 'Otto'-san~~ You know me so well.

'Otto': No, it's just that a bunch of people already asked.

Elysia: A bunch?

'Otto': Kevin, Theresa, Welt, Tesla… too many. I've lost count.

After this wave of "sympathy,"

miHoYo returned to business as usual—busily preparing the next phase of the main story.

But Hokuto wasn't in any hurry to update the Koruosten arc just yet.

He calmly updated the interlude Undying Blade and rolled out the event centered on Otto and Kallen's story.

First, to enrich the narrative and flesh out the characters.

Second, to give players more time to grind in the Elysian Realm—because there's a huge difference between spending weeks with the Flame-Chasers and spending months. Emotions need time to brew.

Players, of course, completely missed Hokuto's thoughtful planning, assuming miHoYo was just following the update schedule.

And to be fair, the interlude Undying Blade and the new event were both packed with content—each update delivering more lore than the last.

Undying Blade didn't just give players critical info; it introduced a new character too.

Otto's second encounter with the Herrscher of Corruption, his elaborate schemes, Bianca's past lives, the true identity of the Undying Blade Durandal, and the researcher Nagamitsu's story…

Speaking of Nagamitsu, that connection was thanks to Einstein and Tesla's team.

And then there was Otto, who had observed the entire Herrscher of Dominance incident—and quietly walked off with the Herrscher Core.

And about that—

Elysia, who was currently streaming her playthrough of the main story, had something to say.

She looked smug.

Not surprised—smug. Like a puffed-up pufferfish one poke away from popping.

Hands on hips, she declared to her viewers that she'd called it long ago. The moment she saw that "golden thread," she just knew Otto was to blame.

But when asked how she guessed it—

"Oh, how did I know? Isn't that the default in Honkai? If something goes wrong—it's Otto's fault."

Her answer left viewers speechless… yet strangely convinced.

Looking at everything that's happened in Honkai Impact 3rd so far—even if not 100%, at least 80% of incidents were directly or indirectly Otto's fault.

So yes, "It's Otto's fault" wasn't actually wrong.

With that consensus, they continued watching the stream.

After finishing the interlude, Elysia dove straight into the new event.

The opening scene was a sunlit field.

A young Otto running, releasing a paper plane into the wind. He watched it soar and felt pure joy.

But then, harsh voices called out from the side.

"Wasting time on nonsense again."

"Stop chasing things you can't do. With your health, just being alive is a blessing."

"I can't believe I have such a useless little brother."

The young Otto, full of helplessness and sorrow.

A sharp contrast to the Otto of the present story—someone who could shake the entire world with ease, his trump cards seemingly endless.

Players had already seen this scene in the official manga—but it still hit hard on a rewatch.

Then came Otto's inner monologue.

He was confused. What was the point of continuing like this? But if he stopped… what was the point of that?

He longed to hear someone say he mattered—to know that his existence had meaning.

That's when Kallen appeared.

"That plane flew so high!"

She climbed over the wall to appear before him.

Under the blue sky, her long hair danced in the breeze, her innocent smile dazzling.

"Is this yours?"

"...Yeah. I made it."

"Wow! You're amazing! You're definitely going to be a great inventor someday!"

For Otto—abandoned by everyone—it was the first time he had ever heard words like that.

That someone could expect something of him. That he could be needed.

His life was suddenly lit by warmth.

[The light of redemption is so beautiful.]

[Even though it's Otto, this scene is always so sweet!]

[Let's be honest: wanting to slash current Otto and loving young Otto and Kallen's story aren't mutually exclusive.]

Elysia, too, had an auntie-smile on her face. But amid the joy, a question flickered through her mind.

Kallen? Who voiced her? Was it synthesized?

As she pondered, the chat kept coming.

[Don't forget—Kallen dies later… Otto must have regretted not saving her. That's why he fell.]

[Please don't ruin the mood like this.]

[I bet there's a mountain of emotional knives waiting behind this event.]

[Thanks. Already shaking.]

The players' Honkai PTSD was acting up again.

Elysia saw the messages—and her smile faded just a bit.

She paused for a moment, then quietly tapped to advance the scene.

This event featured both familiar and unfamiliar content.

Otto and Kallen's shared past was arranged chronologically, giving players clearer insight into Otto's motivations.

As usual, it started with warm, lovely everyday life.

The kind of beauty players never wanted to leave.

But fate always knew the worst timing to strike. Plague. Failed crusades. All crashing down.

Power and authority—fertile ground for corruption—turned Schicksal's faith into a breeding pool for decay.

In this world of chaos, their fates quietly shifted course.

Players immediately tensed up.

Based on everything they knew about Honkai Impact 3rd…

The next part of this story was going to hurt.