"Impressive? That's only natural."
Fu Shibao placed her hands behind her back, tilted her chin up with confidence, and wore her signature radiant smile.
Hokuto took the chance to approach, already pulling up a certain video on his tablet.
"The promo PV is already done, but I still wanted you to preview it, Shibao. I can't rest easy unless you give it your seal of approval."
Fu Shibao was tempted—mainly because what Hokuto said hit her right in the feels.
Preview it, approve it… Only if she was satisfied could he feel confident releasing it.
"Mm! Then I'll take a look."
"Come, let's sit over there."
Seeing her agree, Hokuto led her over to a small couch.
Falling behind, Fu Hua blinked in confusion. She didn't understand why Hokuto suddenly brought up the Herrscher of Sentience's promo PV with Shi.
Wasn't the top priority right now to get Shi back to her livestream?
"You don't get what Hokuto's doing, do you?" Rita—who'd just helped pass the tablet with perfect timing—spoke beside her.
"Not really," Fu Hua admitted frankly.
"You're really not great at coaxing kids, are you?"
Rita smiled softly. "Now's not the time to go straight to the point—you're supposed to offer them candy first, and then wait for the right moment to…"
She paused mid-sentence, catching Fu Hua listening intently.
"If you're interested, I can explain it in detail."
A flicker of hesitation crossed Fu Hua's face, but she still gave a small nod.
While the two chatted, Hokuto and Fu Shibao were now seated on the couch. He placed the tablet on the coffee table and gently tapped the screen.
The PV began to play.
A pitch-black screen flashed the familiar miHoYo logo, and then—Otto's voice rang out.
"Continuing from the last episode—ssshhh… No, no, that's not right."
Otto's tone shifted into a storytelling rhythm, accompanied by a slightly eerie background score.
"Continuing from the last episode~ Now then—this woman, bearing a striking resemblance to Fu Hua, led Kiana and Bronya up the celestial mountain. Yet fate would have its way, and it was she who revealed her true form. Unexpectedly, she was… the Herrscher of Sentience."
"This Herrscher of Sentience—who is she? A divine incarnation of the Crimson Immortal of Mount Taixu. The eighth-ranked Herrscher. Shrouded in crimson mist, wielder of three divine weapons, her might pierces through heaven and earth…"
"In movement, she can split mountains and stir the seas, shift yin and yang; in stillness, she gazes in the mirror admiring her own clever makeup. She even possesses swordflight—rising and falling like a bird, vanishing without a trace…"
A short opening monologue, narrated by Hokuto, hyping up the Herrscher of Sentience to the extreme.
And indeed—this script was very much to Fu Shibao's taste.
As the sound of a xiao began to play, the black screen faded.
Under a moonlit night sky, the camera slowly descended, settling upon a grand sword graveyard.
Ink-brushed calligraphy gradually appeared:
[The Sentient, source of all soul and mind.]
[I, sovereign of all living thought.]
The camera accelerated, crashing through the calligraphy and diving into the heart of the graveyard.
The Herrscher of Sentience sat cross-legged atop a colossal sword, smirking arrogantly.
She leapt high into the air, crimson mist swirling around her, and landed atop a stone platform etched with a Taiji yin-yang symbol.
The music shifted.
Drums, xiao, and pipa began to layer together.
The tempo quickened like thunder and lightning—a wave of deadly intensity surged forth.
The Herrscher of Sentience began to demonstrate on the platform.
She wielded three weapons, able to switch freely between them.
Otto's narration returned.
"Speaking of those three divine weapons—each has a storied origin."
"Sword: Talk too much and get cut. Spear: Say it straight with the spear. Chain Blades: Wacky tools of yin and yang."
"Their glow flares with might, shifting with her whim…"
Enemies appeared from all sides. The Herrscher of Sentience nimbly switched weapons to attack.
Arcs of crimson light slashed through the air, sending the enemies flying. After a swift combo, she landed a final blow—turning away and giving a big thumbs-down.
"You're so weak!"
Countless red sword shadows erupted into pillars of light, wiping out all enemies.
Immediately after, stronger enemies appeared.
"Hahaha~~"
The Herrscher of Sentience showed no fear—on the contrary, she laughed in pure delight.
The scene shifted suddenly—the whole world seemed to shrink into a black orb, collapsing into her hand.
"I shall—reshape the universe!"
As she spoke, she clenched her hand, shattering the world orb in a single grasp.
Grip of Taixu, light exploded outward.
The Herrscher of Sentience's ultimate—cool beyond words.
"AWESOME!!"
Unable to hold back, Fu Shibao slammed her leg in excitement.
"I… How can the Herrscher of Sentience be this cool!? She's the best!"
Her eyes remained glued to the screen, eager for more.
But then—
Otto's voice returned with a storyteller's cadence:
"So this outbreak by the Herrscher of Sentience—truly a fearsome clash. Heaven and earth upended, stars in reverse… What happens next? Find out in the next installment…"
The screen went black. End of video.
"That's it!?" Fu Shibao cried in disbelief.
She hadn't even had her fill yet! That's it!?
"You're satisfied with the Herrscher of Sentience PV, right?" Hokuto grinned smugly.
Fu Shibao shook her head violently:
"That was way too short!"
"What do you mean, 'next installment'!? Keep going! You didn't even cover one-tenth of my strengths! You have to continue!"
"We're good friends, right? Aren't we?"
Hokuto: "..."
"Oh! And add an opening poem too—it'll be even better that way."
"An opening poem?"
"Mhm mhm mhm." Fu Shibao nodded.
Hokuto froze for a moment, then let out a helpless laugh. This kid sure had high standards.
"Well then, how about this—"
"The virtues of emperors past, the glory of dynasties long gone.
The Five Hegemons, the Seven Warring States—fleeting in history's palm.
How many names remain in green scrolls? How many lie in silent tombs?
Fields tilled by the past, reaped by the present—so much for dragons and tigers' strife."
"Continuing from last time—this Herrscher of Sentience seems a divine being descended, a demon god incarnate…"
He lowered his voice, mimicking Otto's dramatic storytelling tone perfectly.
Fu Shibao was instantly captivated.
Their chemistry was perfect.
Watching from nearby, Fu Hua couldn't help but sigh softly, sincerely amazed.
"Coaxing children… truly is a skill. I don't think I could manage it."
"..."
Rita, also watching, offered gentle comfort:
"Hokuto is an exception—you don't need to compare yourself to him."
...
...
Meanwhile—
Some players, moved by the plot twists of the main story, flocked to the official forums to vent.
Some debated "What exactly was Otto's long-cherished wish?"
Some argued over "Was the Herrscher of Sentience really equal to Kevin?"
Others speculated: "Since Previous Era Himeko was the Herrscher of Flame, could the current era's Flame also be Himeko? Could she be returning?"
Though all were Honkai Impact 3rd players, their focus varied widely.
After all, HI3 isn't just one storyline—it's a vast universe.
Among all the analysis threads, one in particular began attracting attention from a specific group.
[Any Fu fans who finished the main story early? Come in and discuss.]
QueenLongLive (Post 1): What's going on? Are we discussing something? Wait—don't tell me squad leader actually… nooo!
TrueImmortalOf50kYears (OP, Post 2): I don't want to spoil, just wanna talk with fellow Fu fans who finished the story.
It'sSentienceNotFuHua (Post 3): Stop being cryptic!
DimForceIntro (Post 4): I finished it too, but I don't know how to say it…
ShibaoIsSoCute (Post 5): ??? Bunch of riddlemen, what even is this.
More and more Fu fans gathered in the thread.
Some hadn't played the story yet, waiting for the official stream—those folks were mostly confused and tense.
Because every Fu fan who'd finished the main story posted replies like:
"Such a shame for Shibao and Fu Hua."
"Honestly, yeah."
"Squad leader really gave everything…"
Perfectly ambiguous.
Just enough to make those who hadn't played yet start spiraling.
Could it be that squad leader really sacrificed herself just like some people had predicted…?
miHoYoHasNoHeart (Post 233): Don't tell me she really dies? miHoYo! You heartless monsters!
Finally, someone couldn't hold it in.
Suddenly, a flood of players piled into a sub-thread:
"Don't panic! Trust me! Honkai Impact 3rd is pure sugar—there's no way they'd kill the squad leader! (doge emoji)"
"No lies—we get a perfect happy ending! Everyone's safe, I swear! (funny face emoji)"
"All thanks to Kiana going full beast mode and punching through the Imaginary Space! Paramecium GOAT!"
But miHoYoHasNoHeart wasn't buying it.
He'd seen this routine too many times. He himself had used it countless times.
HI3 is sweet? Tell that to the noobs.
A perfect ending? What—does that mean both Fu Hua and Shibao die? Some hellish "happy ending"?
Kiana punches through Imaginary Space? Are you sure you didn't mean Seele??
Seething with doubt, he angrily replied—
"Like hell I believe you. You Captains are all full of crap!"
"You gotta believe me, man! We Honkai Impact 3rd players don't lie to other HI3 players. If I'm lying, I'll lick a spinning electric fan at speed setting 5!"
"HI3 players don't lie to HI3 players +1"
"miHoYoHasNoHeart: Heh. If y'all didn't lie, I'll do a livestream in a dress cosplaying the Herrscher of Sentience!"
With that, he slammed the forum shut and opened the official miHoYo livestream.
Why bother watching if he thinks Fu Hua's going to get axed?
Don't ask.
Just understand this—
Even if miHoYo stabs him a thousand times,
He still loves miHoYo like it's his first love.