Rita's "close friend" was easy enough to guess—she was definitely another "Valkyrie."
Which meant, unless something unexpected happened, miHoYo Studio was about to welcome a new Valkyrie into the fold.
A thought crossed Hokuto's mind.
Who would've thought running a game studio in a modern urban setting would give him the thrill of pulling gacha?
And honestly? It felt pretty great.
Maybe, when the time was right, he could invite even more Honkai characters to join miHoYo Studio.
Like maybe… a certain pink fairy to be their front desk mascot?
Who wouldn't love a beautiful, elegant, emotionally intuitive big sister-type?
Of course, that was assuming this world even had such a pink fairy to begin with.
He'd seen several familiar characters so far—but there was no guarantee that every character from Honkai Impact 3rd existed here.
"Hokuto, what do you think?" Rita's voice snapped him out of his daydream.
"Me…?"
Hokuto smiled faintly. "Sounds like you have a lot of confidence in the Honkai Impact 3rd project, Rita."
After all, she had turned down her friend's offers of help multiple times in the past.
And now she was the one suggesting it—clearly, she believed in the project's potential.
"I believe Honkai Impact 3rd has what it takes to go viral nationwide."
As she tossed her trash into the bin and gracefully brushed dust off her fingers, Rita looked every bit the picture of the perfect professional secretary—her persona flawless and unshakable.
"Letting my friend join miHoYo in its current state… honestly, she'd be getting the better end of the deal."
"If she comes with your recommendation, then let her interview," Hokuto nodded, glancing around the office that Rita had just tidied up so neatly. "I've always believed that excellent people attract other excellent people."
"Is that a compliment? If so, I'll graciously accept it."
Rita's lips curled into a small smile, her pupils shimmering like red wine swirling in a crystal glass.
"Don't worry—she's highly capable. And now that I'm your secretary, I have to consider what's best for the company too."
"Hm?" Hokuto raised a brow. "When did you become my secretary, exactly?"
"Because you're now miHoYo's boss, of course~~"
Tap—tap—
Rita took two elegant steps forward. Her long, toned legs formed an enticing silhouette with every step.
Even Hokuto—who had just finished lecturing a room full of "Valkyries" like a strict old veteran—couldn't stop his eyes from briefly drifting downward.
When he looked back up, he locked eyes with Rita's amused gaze.
"So naturally, I'll be transferring departments from Theresa's team. Unless…"
She was perfectly composed, her tone measured and calm, her expression serious.
"Unless… you don't need a personal secretary?"
Truthfully, Rita had always done more than just secretarial work at miHoYo. She also handled accounting, front desk, and a dozen other responsibilities.
"This…"
Who could resist this kind of test?
Honestly, who could say no?
Hokuto couldn't.
He pressed his lips together, then nodded.
"Of course I do."
…
In the days that followed, things began falling into place.
Hokuto and Bronya worked together on the programming side, ensuring there were no major issues.
Visual design was covered by Mei, with help from the others, so that was under control too.
The only thing they didn't have? Professional voice actors.
But fortunately, the game they were working on was Honkai Impact 3rd. Theoretically, they could get a better voice performance than in Hokuto's original world—without spending a single extra dollar.
After all, could Earth's miHoYo ever get real Valkyries to voice themselves?
"I object!"
"Me too!"
In the studio's makeshift recording booth, the group sat in a circle, having just finished reading through the script. Kiana and Theresa were the first to protest.
"What's your issue now?" Hokuto asked as he set down the freshly calibrated mic. He had voiced plenty of protagonists in adult games in his previous life—he knew this gear inside and out.
"Do I really sound this dumb?!" Theresa slammed the table. "Theresa is not Theresa Stupid!"
"Yeah! That's right!" Kiana nodded rapidly in agreement.
"…"
Hokuto hadn't expected this—these two were literally roasting their own in-game selves after reading the Honkai script.
Rita, meanwhile, chimed in support of Hokuto, "I think the writing is wonderful. Especially that line, 'Theresa is still as cute as a doll.' It spoke to me."
As for her own role in the script—which definitely came off a bit villainous—she didn't seem to mind one bit. If anything, she was completely unbothered. The most she'd do was stop adding sugar to Hokuto's coffee the next day.
"What part of that is good?!"
Theresa pointed to another line in the script, her face full of indignation. "What kind of S-rank Valkyrie gets tossed around the whole plot like this? All I do is lose! I seriously suspect you're targeting me, Hokuto!!"
Hokuto stared silently at the fired-up Theresa for a moment before replying with a straight face:
"Think of it as a narrative necessity. If you go full power right from the start and wipe the floor with everyone, how are we supposed to keep players spending money?"
"Uh…"
Theresa couldn't argue with that. But she still looked disgruntled. "But I really don't think I can pull off this clumsy, cutesy loser role…"
She was supposed to be imposing and full of authority!
"This is acting, Theresa."
Hokuto patted her small shoulder, then made a bold promise he had no idea when he'd fulfill.
"Fine. I'll give you a future highlight moment—punching Herrschers, kicking Finality herself, becoming the undisputed queen of the battlefield."
"How about that?"
"T-That… Okay, fine." Theresa finally nodded in reluctant agreement.
Kiana, meanwhile, had already been talked into it by Mei and Himeko.
Stuff like, "Lowering your IQ is a small sacrifice to become the main heroine," or "It's not dumb—it's cheerful and optimistic!"
Weird logic, sure. But somehow… it worked.
Hokuto was stunned. That actually convinced her?
Of course, it was Kiana. The fewer smart people in the room, the higher her relative IQ appeared.
"All right, looks like everyone's ready. Himeko, you're up first—record the intro line."
Hearing her name, Himeko stepped confidently toward the mic setup.
"Don't be nervous. I know it's your first time, but trust yourself," Hokuto encouraged from the side. "This is your character. No one can voice her better than you."
"I'm not some little girl, you know. I don't need a pep talk. But thanks anyway," Himeko replied with a soft smile.
Then she took a deep breath, recalling the script.
She began channeling the character known as Murata Himeko.
Maybe it was because the role was modeled after her, but slipping into character was far easier than she'd expected.
In a flash, her emotions synced with the scene. Her gaze sharpened like a seasoned warrior.
It was as if she was truly standing on the command bridge of the Hyperion, issuing orders.
"Helios, this is Hyperion. Report your mission status!"