Making Honkai Impact lll In A World Where Kallen Exists [Continuation]

No one had anticipated that all Kalpas needed was merely a place to return to, a place that could accept him.

What awaited him, however, was only his solitary death, and the proof that Sakura had not betrayed them.

That is, if he managed to transmit the enemy's information back.

---

Meanwhile, Mei was still wandering through the amusement park.

Of course, she also "coincidentally" encountered Pardofelis, who had been following them. When a blade was placed against Pardofelis' neck, the cat unashamedly raised her hands in surrender. She hurriedly explained her presence, saying she was afraid of being deemed too weak and looked down upon.

She was afraid of being a burden that Mei might reject outright, even though she didn't want to just stand idly by and watch her companions grow suspicious of each other.

"At the very least... I wouldn't be thinking about stocking up inventory, right, Mei?"

Pardofelis said with a sheepish grin, scratching the back of her head to appear innocent.

"Wait… Mei, you're not suspecting me, are you? If I really had that kind of skill, I'd have already taken Eden's Golden Courtyard for myself, asked Boss Kevin and Kalpas to deliver goods, and maybe even had Elysia and Hua help me run the shop..."

She desperately tried to clear herself of suspicion, but somehow ended up fantasizing about such a beautiful future. She couldn't help but feel a little envious as she inadvertently revealed her true thoughts.

Unfortunately… she really wasn't the culprit.

Naturally, she also lacked the ability to realize such absurd dreams.

"I can attest to that, that's exactly what little Pardo would want to do," Vill-V praised her idea with admiration.

Setting the facts aside, the roles she'd described did seem fitting for the people involved, and it would work flawlessly. Though admittedly, it might be overkill for such tasks.

"..."

Mei, of course, didn't voice any objections. Not just because of the downcast-tailed Pardofelis before her, but also because having an extra person around was ultimately a good thing. Given that the mastermind seemed to be targeting the Flame-Chasers, having more of them nearby wasn't a bad idea.

Unfortunately, despite their prolonged investigation of the amusement park, they failed to uncover any new clues.

When no progress was made after searching the park thoroughly and failing to locate Elysia, Vill-V timely pulled out her secret weapon, a peculiar hat.

But it was clearly not just as simple as its outward appearance suggested.

"This is my specially-developed magical tool—the Consciousness Collector," Vill-V declared confidently. "In simple terms, this hat allows you to enter another person's mind and view their memories."

"With this, we can verify everyone's alibi and, naturally, prove our innocence."

"View memories? Wow, that's amazing! Is this really just magic and not some kind of sorcery?"

Pardofelis was undoubtedly a great sidekick, clapping enthusiastically to add to the commotion.

The applause was thunderous, while Vill-V's expression momentarily lit up.

"Magic?" Mei shook her head. "It's probably just leveraging the properties of being a memory entity to display data."

Vill-V's face immediately fell. Pouting, she replied,

"Trying to unravel the secrets of a magic trick... That's not what a good audience does."

"So... do you want to view my memories, Miss Mei? This is a gesture of my trust in you!"

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Vill-V's lips. Her gaze was calm but hid a turbulent undercurrent as she looked at the contemplative Mei, issuing an ambiguous invitation.

Though it seemed abrupt, at a time when they'd searched endlessly without finding a single clue, Vill-V's invention undoubtedly offered a new line of thought.

"I refuse."

Mei didn't hesitate to reply. She studied the Flame-Chasers before her, still reluctant to place much trust in Vill-V.

Her actions thus far hadn't been enough to dispel Mei's long-standing wariness since they'd first met. Let alone now, after all they had been through, Mei harbored even greater doubts about the magician's grand invention.

Who knows if that hat might provide some kind of surprise at the perfect moment, such as an explosion? Or maybe a burst of confetti in the sky?

Knowing Vill-V as she did, Mei was convinced such scenarios were entirely possible.

Her inventions simply weren't trustworthy anymore.

The accused, Vill-V, on the other hand, firmly promised that she hadn't added any "extras" this time, after all, it was a life-and-death situation!

Pardofelis, however, bravely volunteered as the test subject. She suggested Mei view her memories, clearly still bothered by Mei's earlier suspicion and eager to contribute to the team.

--------------

In the hall, no one was particularly surprised by Pardofelis, who, despite her usual timid nature, often appeared at critical moments. After all, during the final battle, she had indeed lived up to the title of a Flame-Chaser.

At most, it was just a bit of a contrast with how they'd remembered her.

Kiana, for example, was quite surprised to see this familiar friend of hers. Hadn't Pardofelis always said she just wanted to live like a regular person, basking in the sun? Why was she now charging ahead even more fiercely than Mei?

She couldn't help but feel like asking Pardofelis in amazement, why not stand back a bit?

This wasn't something she could handle anyway.

But then... Kiana thought of herself. She didn't really have the right to ask such a question either.

"Viewing memories? I feel like we might discover something shocking. What do you think, Vill-V?"

Elysia mused, stroking her chin in thought.

She entertained the idea that she might overhear some secrets about her companions, hidden corners of their memories even she wasn't privy to. Who knows what she might find?

"Perhaps. But this device doesn't work on us anymore, since we're no longer purely data. So, even if it exists, it's useless."

Vill-V easily saw through Elysia's little scheme and immediately shut her idea down.

"But Pardofelis... It's rare for her to volunteer as the first test subject. Normally, she only tries things that Kalpas creates."

Vill-V raised an eyebrow as she posed the question.

"Huh? I—didn't realize that wasn't food but a test product? Well, whatever. At least it tasted good."

Pardofelis mumbled, her tail swaying lightly.

Was she really clueless? Not necessarily. She had probably just been too distracted by the flavor to care.

"Clearly, you, who produced such a test item, are the most suspicious."

Mobius clicked her tongue as she spoke.

"And what about Dr. Mobius, who hasn't shown up? Isn't she the one who orchestrated everything behind the scenes?"

Vill-V didn't bother defending herself and instead threw accusations back at Mobius with a sweet smile.

------------

As planned, Mei entered Pardofelis' memories.

With the mastermind still lurking in the shadows, she had no reason to waste time. If Vill-V's device could indeed provide an efficient solution, she couldn't let her instincts and caution hold her back.

While Mei didn't believe Pardofelis was the betrayer, verifying the so-called Consciousness Extractor's functionality was still necessary.

Delving into Pardofelis' memories, Mei arrived at a moment just before the girl decided to help.

Pardofelis was swinging her legs while sitting at a stall, basking in the eternal sunlight of the Elysian Realm. By her side, Can lay lazily on its side. She gazed at the teleportation gate leading to the fray and muttered to herself,

"I know, everyone just isn't the type to sit down and talk properly. There's such complicated history between them."

"But why does it always have to end in endless fighting? We've shared even death together... doesn't that make us comrades? Probably?"

"Meow..." The low purr of a cat, tinged with sadness, seemed to echo Can's sentiment.

But Pardofelis quickly perked up, cheerfully saying,

"No need to comfort me, Can. Don't worry. I've finally found a place I can belong to. I won't just stand by and watch my companions tear each other apart!"

"After all, even if I'm the last one, I'm still part of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers acknowledged by Elysia."

"For someone like me, a street orphan from Twilight Street, to one day be called a Flame-Chaser... Hey, Can, if my parents were still alive, what would they think? Would they be proud of me?"

Gradually, a smile appeared on Pardofelis' face as she made up her mind.

Under Mei's gaze, she shared her heartfelt thoughts. Then, she brushed the dust off her pants and headed toward the teleportation gate. Just as she said, she didn't want to stand idly by while her companions fought among themselves.

What Mei didn't expect was how simple and sincere Pardofelis' reasoning was, surprising her.

It was just like Pardofelis always said, she simply wanted to live as an ordinary person.

In the memory space, time shifted forward to the night Kevin went missing. Mei was startled to hear Pardofelis' voice. It was late at night, yet Pardofelis hadn't gone to sleep.

Mei couldn't help but feel curious, what was Pardofelis doing?

She soon saw Pardofelis muttering to herself, counting quietly. Her slender fingers deftly handled the day's "spoils of war," already planning potential buyers, as though the glittering gold coins were right in front of her eyes.

Pardofelis spent the entire night counting her loot. Even in her dreams, she mumbled incoherently. As Mei prepared to leave, she overheard Pardofelis' sleep-talk.

"The first... should go to Boss Kevin... But I have to keep this from Elysia... Hmm, and Sister Mei, or she'll definitely not let me off..."

Looking at the sleeping Pardofelis, Mei found herself curious about that final murmur.

What exactly was Pardofelis planning that needed to be kept secret from her and Elysia?

In reality, Pardofelis firmly proclaimed her innocence, insisting there was no way she could ever harm Elysia or Boss Kevin.

Hopeful gazes turned to Mei, who had witnessed the first-hand details.

After pondering for a moment, Mei pointed out the final detail that Pardofelis wanted to hide.

Instantly, Pardofelis' face turned pale, her hands fidgeting nervously. She stammered as she tried to explain, attracting the attention of both Mei and Vill-V.

"Hm?" Vill-V raised an eyebrow, her gaze scrutinizing Pardofelis.

"Uh… it's not… it's just about… that…"

Pardofelis hesitated, glancing briefly at Mei before quickly lowering her head, her face as pale as before.

"That?" Mei asked, puzzled.

"It's… about your horns," she admitted, keeping her head down, afraid to meet Mei's cold gaze. But there was no other choice, she could only confess.

"I was planning to see if I could rent out your horns for people to touch. If Elysia found out, she'd definitely broadcast it everywhere, and you'd be mad at me."

"..."

"Mei! I was wrong! I won't do it again!" Pardofelis immediately yelled, bowing deeply in apology.

Taking a deep breath, Mei stared at the pitiful Pardofelis. While she believed Pardofelis' intentions were in line with her usual antics, she couldn't help but wonder, how many people had seen her horns being touched back then?

Or… was it someone's doing that spread the story?

Why did it feel like her list of blackmail-worthy secrets just kept growing?

----

[Pardofelis must miss her parents too. They'd definitely be proud of her becoming a Flame-Chaser.]

[Pardofelis… you've uncovered secrets you shouldn't have known.]

[Best-selling product in the Elysian Realm, Mei's horns!]

[Pardofelis: Vill-V, you've really set me up this time.]

----------------

In the Golden Courtyard,

"…First of all, I want to praise Pardofelis for her earlier thoughts. Those are the emotions any normal person would have."

"Next, I'd like to affirm your dream plan. Please go ahead and turn Mei's horns into your product."

Elysia joked, smiling brightly at Pardofelis, who looked flustered and uncomfortable.

"Meow—"

Even Can, sensing the tension, leapt out of Pardofelis' arms, leaving the poor cat standing alone.

Forcing a smile that was more pitiful than tears, Pardofelis pleaded, "Elysia… please, don't say that. I can't do it. And Sister Mei, it's—it's all a misunderstanding!"

"How could I be bold enough to do something like that?!"

Gathering her courage, she looked up to meet Mei's gaze, biting her lip with a pitiful expression.

"No, you're definitely bold enough," Mei remarked. "Weren't you just planning to make Kevin and Kalpas your delivery guys and have Elysia and Fu Hua run your store? Oh, right, it just so happens to be the team that fought a god earlier. Maybe you could even add someone like Su or Aponia with foresight abilities."

After some thought, Mei concluded, "Pardofelis, you should believe… anything is possible."

Pardofelis shook her head vigorously, denying everything.

"I wouldn't even dream of it, Mei! Spare me!" Pardofelis said, puffing her cheeks in frustration.

She sighed. First, she offended Kalpas, though fortunately, he didn't hold a grudge. Now, her relationship with Mei was strained. That meant even fewer supply channels for her trade.

When would her bad luck end?

If only she really had those abilities…

"Classic Pardofelis. But setting your sights on Mei? That's crossing the line, and I might get mad!" Kiana said with hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow.

If Elysia had tried something like that, Kiana might have been furious. But with Pardofelis, she was mostly just teasing.

"Uh… I don't have that kind of power. Please, have mercy," Pardofelis pleaded.

"I've heard that dreams can turn into reality. Though that has something to do with Stigma powers, I wouldn't know much about it," Vill-V remarked slyly, adding fuel to the fire.

"Stop already! I'm just a dreamer, okay? Let's leave it at that!" Pardofelis protested, starting to feel defeated.

Why did everyone love teasing a poor cat like her?

Fine then, she'd show them what "instant death" looked like soon enough.

"But Pardofelis, you're truly an excellent Flame-Chaser. Be more confident—we've never doubted you," Elysia said gently, patting her head.

"Wha—?"

"Yes, we've always trusted you. Just like how you've always trusted your companions, we've always trusted you too," Elysia continued, radiating a saintly aura as she comforted the crestfallen girl, preventing her from spiraling further.

"That's true. As my goddess Elysia says," Luo Mo chimed in. "Twilight Street produces all kinds of talents, can't all of them be so bold and brash, right?"

Elysia, Kalpas, and Aponia all turned their gaze to Luo Mo.

Pardofelis inexplicably felt that Luo Mo had made a valid point. Among the trio, wasn't it normal for there to be one underperformer?

If she and Kalpas were balanced out, wouldn't it work out perfectly?

"…I think you could've just omitted that first sentence," Elysia subtly pinched her fingers, silently questioning Luo Mo's statement.