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

"So now… only six of us are left, right? And if we include Aponia, who's presumed dead… sigh…"

Elysia sighed deeply, lamenting the difficulties of life.

The stage of thirteen Flame-Chasers had been reduced to six under the relentless destruction of the Herrscher of Corruption, with Aponia's status still uncertain.

And as for the four mentioned earlier by Luo Mo, Elysia wouldn't believe a word of it.

After all… she was someone who had played two roles—both the protagonist and the antagonist. How could she not have at least some insight into the plot?

"… why are you looking at me like that? The disaster in the Elysian Realm was caused by Mei being careless, and the one who failed to react in time was Vill-V, the owner of this realm…"

"Oh, right. Vill-V also said this one thing—'When will Dr. Mobius realize? As long as I'm here, the title of 'owner of the Elysian Realm' must come with quotation marks.'"

Luo Mo mimicked Vill-V's exaggerated tone as he recounted the line, earning a cold glare and a low scoff from Mobius.

But clearly, that wouldn't last long.

Because at this moment, a screen with blurry, yellow-tinted memories appeared in the scene.

Vill-V had creatively given the twelfth Herrscher clone Mobius had cultivated a name—"Little Mobius."

Mobius silently watched the scene, her head stiffly turning toward Vill-V. Her pupils seemed to ignite as she glared at her, gritting her teeth.

What was with the name "Little Mobius"? It was so awful!

Vill-V, unfazed, turned her head aside and whistled.

She remembered this scene, it was when Kosma had consulted her on how to resolve the hyper-evolution surgery. Why had Kosma viewed her as less than the optimal choice? He had first sought Su and Aponia, and when he still claimed he couldn't manage it, he had turned to Mobius.

How could anyone tolerate that?

What's more… Kosma's offer was too tempting.

"If Mobius herself cannot achieve this, and you can solve it, then it would make you undoubtedly superior to her."

On the screen, Kosma said this, staring calmly at Vill-V in the factory, offering a deal she could not refuse.

"…"

"Kosma... this is a bit unexpected," Adult Griseo, enjoying the game, couldn't help but smile faintly. Kosma's words had precisely struck Vill-V's sore spot.

She had thought... Kosma would never speak much in the Elysian Realm, considering that until now, their exchanges were limited to simple greetings.

"Indeed... he's played with my psychology so well that it's hard not to admire him," Vill-V agreed, nodding.

She could never admit that anyone was more exceptional than herself.

Nor could she refuse such an offer.

"...So, why drag me into this? And why didn't you come to me first? Kosma, you've hurt my feelings," Mobius said faintly, resting her head on one hand and sighing lightly.

"Clearly, it's because Vill-V's solution involves giving you a device, while your solution involves modifying the body. Both are risky, but I still think yours is scarier," Luo Mo interjected.

He had a longstanding cooperative relationship with Vill-V rather than Mobius, largely because of this reason.

Human body modification experiments were still far ahead of their time.

It was something he could hardly accept.

Vill-V pondered for a moment, then nodded solemnly in agreement. "Accurate, precise, and straight to the point."

Mobius: "..."

As expected, the beauty of human evolution could only be appreciated by her.

For instance, while Vill-V's device could produce glowing effects, Mobius could make those effects permanent without charging a cent. Unfortunately, Vill-V refused, claiming it was to get back at her.

Ridiculous… and what if it was for revenge?

"..."

Kosma silently observed the debate between the others, and soon enough, the topic shifted away from him. Was there still a need for him to explain?

Regarding excessive hyper-evolution, Vill-V's proposed solution was... to abandon even more.

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

After Sakura's death, she did not heed Sakura's final request. Instead, she crafted a dream for her—a vision of an unharmed younger sister, a world untouched by Honkai, and an afternoon filled with blooming cherry blossoms.

She exhausted her imagination to weave this dream.

Perhaps it was simply her attempt to emulate the Elysia she envisioned in her heart.

Next, the Herrscher of Corruption naturally set her sights on Mei, intending to sever all their hopes and deliver what she believed was rebirth for everyone.

Thus, she wouldn't linger here for long.

Yet, despite her near-total control over the Elysian Realm, she could not foresee what lay ahead…

As she crossed through the door, expecting to find herself directly before Mei, an unforeseen event occurred.

A massive birdcage slowly unfolded, trapping her within.

"…Kosma, have you made the same choice as Kalpas? Casting everything aside, just to stand against me?"

"If I unleash your excessive hyper-evolution here, then... there will truly be nothing left," the Herrscher of Corruption remarked with a trace of regret as she gazed at the green-haired boy before her.

Recalling her memories of Vill-V, she found a description of hyper-evolution and their conversations, sparking a new idea.

She restored the smile Elysia would have worn and stepped forward.

In her understanding, when Elysia wasn't alone, she would never allow herself to sink into grief.

So, she would imitate her as much as possible.

"Words are pointless, Herrscher," Kosma said coldly, unwilling to engage with someone who was destined to be his enemy.

This statement deeply stung the Herrscher of Corruption. Though his words weren't wrong, why did he dislike her so much when they were both Herrschers?

She could... do as well as Elysia, no, even better.

"Then, are you here to create an opportunity for Mei?"

The Herrscher of Corruption's expression darkened. Watching one "companion" after another die, sacrifice themselves, and fall at her hands had brought her... little joy.

"...It's not an attempt," Kosma replied curtly.

"You won't be able to take another step forward, Herrscher of Corruption."

This time, Kosma spoke more than usual.

His eyes glowed with blue flames as his body began to transform.

As if unveiling a painting, what lay before them was a grotesque monster, Kosma's artificially collapsed form—an embodiment of death itself.

At this moment, he seemed more like a villain than the Herrscher of Corruption.

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

"Ah—so it's Kosma's turn now?"

Mature Griseo curiously glanced around as she controlled the character to trigger the next story event.

If, during the time Uncle Su took Mei away, Sister Sakura had resolved to face her own death, then Kosma… was likely here to accomplish something similar.

Will… he die too?

She felt a little sad but didn't show it, as she was already a mature child.

But... what kind of abilities would Kosma have in the game?

Curiosity overtook her as she thought about it. Based on her earlier combat experiences in the story, she had previously controlled Mei and Sakura to fight against enemies. Next, would she get to control Kosma, or would she control herself?

Griseo held onto this thought.

However, reality deviated slightly from her expectations.

The character she controlled wasn't Kosma—it was the Herrscher of Corruption, though... with abilities resembling those of Elysia's little sister.

"Ah, look! Griseo is going to beat Kosma to a pulp…"

"Yeah… the hyper-evolved Kosma gets knocked flat by Griseo from 50,000 years later," Elysia teased gleefully, her bright eyes darting between Griseo and Kosma.

"Umm... Elysia, why don't you take over? I—I'm not very good at this," the now-grown Griseo stammered, flustered by both Elysia's teasing and the strange confrontation on the screen.

She set down the controller, her face slightly flushed, and seemed to want to pass it to Elysia, hoping she would take over.

"No way, Griseo. Practice a little, and you'll get the hang of it. I trust you… Kosma won't blame you, right?" Elysia grinned mischievously, even pushing the controller back towards her.

"Uh… no, it's not that. It's… I've never used your abilities before, and I'm worried I might lose to Kosma," Griseo admitted shyly, revealing the real reason.

Even if it was just about defeating Kosma, in the game—she didn't mind trying new things. Though she didn't like video games, she found it fascinating when the characters were people she knew from real life.

It was like how, during her long journey, she read about the past of the Flame-Chasers and sought to understand their true meanings.

Still, there were countless secrets not recorded in the archives, and she had already learned a lot just by playing the game earlier.

Luo Mo?

Luo Mo, of course, had no objections. This was exactly what he had anticipated, and he was even happy to encourage her.

"It's fine, Griseo. Get familiar with it. Look, your health is 9999. There's no way you can lose," he reassured her gently.

"Phew~ So ruthless, boss! Isn't this practically confirming that Kosma is doomed?" Kiana gasped as she finally noticed that the Herrscher of Erosion's health bar was maxed out, way beyond any normal limit.

Even players who wanted to intentionally lose would find it difficult.

"…Honestly, I'm curious. Did you skip making Kosma's attack moves on purpose and just… use Elysia's instead?" Griseo puffed her cheeks in protest and stared at Luo Mo indignantly.

During her journey, she rarely displayed such emotions, and even fewer people had the chance to see them.

Luo Mo, however, simply looked up at the clouds outside the window, noting how fluffy and white they were.

"…Alright, let's keep going. I… don't want to see that form again," Kosma interjected, breaking the tension.

In the game, even without Griseo controlling the character, the Herrscher of Corruption's health rapidly regenerated, proving Luo Mo's claim that failure was impossible.

Kosma himself had no objections to his sacrifice.

It aligned with his understanding of heroism, even if… he was merely the faint glimmer of light before dawn.

Griseo didn't argue with him. Quietly, she resumed controlling the Herrscher of Corruption, relentlessly hammering away at Kosma's artificially collapsed form.

Arrows rained down on Kosma, striking his body again and again. The monster let out frenzied roars, and Griseo's cheeks flushed slightly as she became immersed in the gameplay.

After all, it was just a game… right?

Kosma's face twitched slightly as he cast a helpless glance at the little Griseo, who was focused on the screen.

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

For Kosma, the Herrscher's power spread through him at an unusually slow pace.

Initially, the Herrscher of Corruption couldn't figure out why, but after several observations and analyzing memories extracted from Vill-V, she gradually pinpointed the source.

Vishnu's self-devouring.

A surprise even Mobius hadn't anticipated from her own creation—Kosma. As long as he had enough time and maintained enough rationality, he could devour everything and make it part of himself.

But that was only an expectation, not a reality.

Kosma struggled to remain lucid after his artificial collapse, and in facing erosion, he turned this ability inward to devour the eroded parts of himself, delaying the process.

The Herrscher of Corruption quickly came to an unwelcome conclusion: at this rate, she might genuinely be unable to leave this place, especially when every second counted.

A choice began forming in her mind.

"Elysia, if it were you, what would you do?"

She asked herself inwardly, yet the confirmation of a decision she could barely admit grew stronger, Kosma must be erased.

When she made that choice, a choice the real Elysia would never make—she didn't hesitate.

"Kosma… forgive me."

"The ones I love have already gained eternal, beautiful lives within me."

The Herrscher of Corruption's voice was filled with sorrow, her grief pouring into her words.

But she still acted, choosing to kill Kosma.

(TL: heh... now I remember who she remind me of. A cheating girlfriend who thinks what she did was correct)

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

The words "Kill Kosma" appeared in blood-red text on the screen, accompanied by a button, the attack button, representing the final blow.

A single press would completely empty Kosma's remaining health bar, scattering his consciousness into the void of the Elysian Realm, both in the game and for real, leaving nothing behind.

Griseo froze, her expression blank. She glanced around at the others and bit her lip.

She wanted to cry out that this wasn't something little sister Elysia would ever do, but she wasn't Elysia. The in-game character wasn't her, and she couldn't convey her feelings to them.

On the screen, there was no alternative button.

So… was Kosma truly going to die?

At first, she had happily played along, even accepting the act of emptying Kosma's health bar. But when the decision was handed to her, she hesitated.

Her only option was death.

Delaying was meaningless; the story had destined Kosma's death.

"little sister Elysia …"

She spoke softly, her voice as light as stepping on cotton candy, hesitant and unsure about making a decision.

"No second choice, huh?~"

Elysia encouraged with a smile, glancing playfully at Luo Mo.

It was clear that letting Griseo take control of the game was a deliberate scheme.

"…Mm."

Big Griseo nodded in understanding and held down the button to deliver the final strike.

The ferocious monster, which had been struggling till now, completely disappeared from the field after the final blow. Under the authority of the Herrscher of Corruption, escape was nearly impossible.

Regardless of the reason, she had chosen to kill Kosma.

It felt strange…

Big Griseo thought to herself.

It was as if…by choosing to erase Kosma as the Herrscher of Corruption had, she had become an accomplice.

And the true accomplice was snickering at the side—Luo Mo concealed his laughter with a cough.

Of course, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya next to them had the same knowing expressions.

(TL/ hohoho. Just wait Boss. Your time is Near☠)