MGSFV?! Chapter 531: A Drop of Pearl Tears; Herrschers Everywhere, Emperor-Class Ain't Worth Much
It's just that...
Even if you think that way, reality is never so agreeable.
In the story—
Even after all that happened...
Kevin still gave no reaction beyond his usual cold indifference.
"..."
This man—even if he had once awoken in a bed soaked in tears late at night... that was long ago.
All of his sorrow had been tempered by time so long, it could no longer manifest through normal human ways.
Elysia: ...
No change at all... and yet, somehow, she wasn't surprised?
Kevin, oh Kevin.
There was a time when she and Eden used to wonder why Kevin in Honkai Impact 3rd was such a cool, aloof block of ice.
But now, she never talks about that with anyone anymore.
Because there's no need. Why Kevin turned out this way is common knowledge.
And also—because she doesn't really want to.
Kevin... even if the future can't be changed, he still wants to be the one who chooses the process of arriving at the outcome.
Is this the path you chose?
She looked at him as if looking at a sun about to burn out—burning at the highest point in the sky, pouring out its existence for all who still wish to seek the light, so they can follow him.
But...
Kevin, flying so high—what are you chasing after? And did you leave yourself any room to fall?
Probably not.
So... if anything, she hopes he does reach what he's seeking in the end.
At least then, when he falls, he will fall in peace.
...
After a long silence...
Elysia finally tapped gently.
In-game, facing Kevin who hadn't reacted at all, Prometheus withdrew her hand and turned around without another word.
Silence became the final word.
She had Kevin's past recorded in her core. She knew that once, he too...
[If I'm not mistaken, this is referring to that time when Kevin fell into depression, right? I remember Elysia personally went to talk with him about it.]
["Kevin, are you seriously going with the 'cool and distant' pretty boy route?"]
[Later on, Kevin pulled through... well... more or less?]
Prometheus clearly knew just how different the current Kevin's reactions were compared to back then.
But precisely because of that, she felt compelled to slap this man across the face.
Not just because of her anger at his indifference—
But also...
Why has the current you become someone who can no longer even express sorrow?
Someone who used to grieve, but now can't anymore.
It was her dissatisfaction with this reality that made her lash out.
She wanted to stir even the tiniest ripple in Kevin's heart, dulled by countless years.
Though in the end...
Prometheus felt the unchanged silence behind her. Her steps as she left carried a hint of disappointment.
No change at all?
The man said nothing, simply watched the two visitors quietly as they walked away.
Given the power he holds, perhaps his current attitude felt too passive.
But that's just the truth—
This man is no king, no god. He is simply—Kevin.
"..."
[...]
To be honest, no one expected that even the very beginning of this chapter would...
So decisively flood the screen with emotion.
Isn't the start of a story supposed to be the "setup" part of the rising action? Why's it already this intense?
Well, of course—
Because the really intense stuff is coming next. Everything that follows is even bigger.
There's no other reason for the story to be paced this way.
...
Like in-game—after Prometheus and Hare left, the screen only flashed a brief "..." before cutting back to Kevin.
He sat there, expressionless, like an eternal glacier.
And seeing Kevin still like this...
Everyone couldn't help but sigh in their hearts.
As expected—even after Prometheus did that...
Kevin still didn't change.
Or maybe it was naïve of them to hope the Kevin of today could still change at all?
Fifty thousand years. That's fifty thousand years.
But! Just as they were thinking that—
Tap—tap—tap~~
Who knows how much time passed, but footsteps were once again heard.
Given the nature of this place, maybe today had too many visitors.
This one walked carefully, step by step...
After all, she was about to stand before the Sovereign of World Serpent.
But when she finally arrived in front of Kevin, an unexpected sound was made.
Crack~~
Natasha Cioara: "..."
And the name displayed on-screen was no longer "Raven," but "Natasha Cioara," symbolizing that she had been expelled from World Serpent by Gray Serpent and was no longer a member.
Back to the scene.
When she reached Kevin's side, she had unknowingly stepped on some tiny shards of ice.
No one could guess what they were exactly, but... it looked like they had only recently fallen.
It reminded her of those tempered glass "Prince Rupert's Drops" she used to perform with for the kids.
And just as players were still quietly sighing, they saw this—
Hmm?
Someone instantly typed a question mark.
Ice shards? Just fallen? Rupert's Tears... tears?
That's not subtle—it's a huge hint.
[???]
[Tiny ice shards? Could that be... Kevin's...?]
[Prince Rupert's Drop has two meanings: One, used as a gift to express "you no longer have to cry—I'll take your tears."
Two, it's brittle at the tail end, symbolizing handing over one's weakness, telling someone "my vulnerability is for you alone."]
[This totally fits Kevin and Mei's relationship... both from Kevin to Mei, and Mei to Kevin.]
[So... so! Kevin actually cried for Dr. Mei in the end??]
[Most likely, yes?]
It's very clear—
After Hare and No. 17 left, and before Natasha arrived...
Kevin—who was nearly completely numb—was finally stirred.
Seems like Promy's slap really had an unexpected effect.
Someone then posted this comment:
[Ten years later, Prometheus tells her students about her achievements: "I once slapped a Kevin who rivaled Finality into tears."]
[??? Bro, I was just feeling emotional and you ruined it.]
[Lightening the mood for everyone—you guys are breaking down and this is only the start. What're you gonna do when it really hits?]
[Uh, I wanted to refute that... but I've got nothing.]
[So? Shouldn't you thank me?]
That comment... shook people a bit.
Someone responded with a sharp line:
[If Torz weren't sitting right there in the stream, I'd think you were his alt.]
[Heh—who said I'm in the stream... ahem, I mean, you all make a good point.]
...
A rather suspicious comment—but few paid attention to it.
Because...
The stream chat, known for fast topic shifts, had already moved on.
[What a pity Raven came too late—we didn't get to see... well, Kevin probably only shows it when no one's watching.]
[Really, Natasha has crazy timing. First Mei's horns, now Kevin's tears.]
[She always stumbles into stuff like this and still hasn't been silenced—her luck is nuts.]
Completely unaware that she almost witnessed a scene that could've gotten her deleted, Natasha had already started speaking with Kevin.
"Raven."
"Seems you're not aware yet."
She paused, then shrugged indifferently: "Well, I guess you wouldn't care about something this small anyway."
Then stated the fact.
"Gray Serpent has expelled me from World Serpent."
"...You don't need to mind it. Once all this is done, World Serpent will lose its meaning anyway."
Kevin remained calm, showing no sign that just moments ago he'd...
Well, to be fair, there was a faint, barely noticeable heaviness in his voice.
Compared to his usual iciness, it had... just a hint more humanity.
Barely perceptible—not enough for Raven to notice. But undeniably, it was there.
Elysia: Kevin...
Some of the more perceptive players: Kevin...
Clearly, while Raven didn't catch it, some players with sharper senses noticed the change in Kevin's tone.
Not many, though.
So much so that no one even posted a comment about it in the chat.
Naturally, it didn't become a topic of discussion.
They were still busy with something else.
For instance...
As Raven hesitated upon hearing Kevin say "World Serpent has lost its meaning":
[Raven: I mean... can I get my paycheck? Kevin: ...]
[At this point, World Serpent's basically bankrupt, right（）]
[You go bankrupt, and suddenly no payroll?! (Angry Employee noises)]
Raven hadn't even said what she meant by "just that," but they already wrote her whole dialogue.
[Raven: Can I get my pay? Kevin: Here, take the Moon Base.]
[It's over. That base is totally going to explode.]
[Hmm... given the story so far, the Moon really is in danger. So (switching gears), if Kevin gives the Moon Base to Raven, isn't that like selling off a condemned second-hand property?]
[...That last part is what you really wanted to say, isn't it?]
...
Of course, Raven's "just that" wasn't about wages.
She felt that—even though she was kicked out by Gray Serpent—she should at least tell Kevin that she's leaving World Serpent.
Just in case...
Unlikely, but what if Kevin did feel something?
To put it simply—it was her being cautious.
Raven had survived this long—from Chapters 13–14 to now—without much combat growth, simply by relying on moves like this.
Kevin: ?
He probably didn't expect Raven to be so... cautious.
But she had another small idea—
If Kevin didn't react much to her leaving, she'd just casually add that she wanted to stay at the Moon Base in case anything went wrong with New Atra.
She said just that much.
In her mind, for someone who could be described as "going with the wind," this statement made her intentions clear enough.
She didn't trust the Stigma Plan. She was ready to bring her people and switch sides—to Anti-Entropy or Schicksal.
Raven's the definition of a fence-sitter...
Come on, you just quit from my side, and now you're planning to defect to the enemy with all our confidential intel?
Even Cao Cao and Guan Yu weren't treated this badly!
No matter what kind of leader it is, this kind of betrayal usually isn't tolerated—but she was speaking to Kevin.
"I see."
"What you believe in is now completely different from before."
"Go ahead—hedge your bets. You know I won't stop you."
[Kevin... you're really okay with all this?]
[Even Kevin himself knows the Stigma Plan is the worst one—how could others still believe in it?]
[As long as Raven doesn't want to destroy humanity, Kevin probably sees everything else as helping salvation.]
[Kevin's goal, after all, is still saving the world.]
...
Yes.
After receiving Kevin's approval, Raven realized she wasn't very surprised.
Because this was always the most likely outcome.
In a way, everything was going according to her plan.
And Kevin, clearly aware of her intentions, still agreed without hesitation.
So she actually felt a little embarrassed.
Thus...
Even though Kevin didn't ask, Raven took the initiative to explain why she wanted to do it.
"It's more like... I wanted to set an example for the kids."
"Birds fly... because they want to. It's the fate they create for themselves."
"At the very least... they should see the person teaching them doing the same."
Upon hearing Raven's words shift to "why birds fly," Kevin's gaze instantly sharpened.
"But you should know... the truth isn't like that."
[And now the question is—what is the real answer?]
[No clue. I only know the answer to 'why the island flew'—because it got bombed.]
[Who asked you?!???]
[Why are you so worked up?!]
[...]
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