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

"Forget me… Your reasoning is much stranger. Pardo would only think about looting me dry," Luo Mo shot Elysia a sidelong glance, unimpressed with her speculation about a midnight raid.

Besides, Pardo clearly had no such thoughts. And even if she did, where would she raid?

Did they really think the Golden Courtyard would let him in so casually?

Sure, during the day, maybe. But at night? That would be impossible. If someone dared suggest that "Pardo didn't sleep either," then they'd probably have to deal with Jeko's relentless chase—or tea from Mobius' lab.

Just the thought was nerve-wracking.

How had things even veered into midnight raid territory?

If anything… wouldn't raiding Elysia be a much better option?

He stole a couple of glances at Elysia. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination or if he'd become a little twisted, but somehow, it felt like she looked better when she wasn't crying.

(TL/N: to every Elysia's fans. If you want me to write a side chapter for Luo Mo's suffering again, just say it)

"Uh… N-no way!"

"I-I would never do something like that! Even though, Boss, you are very generous…"

Pardo's face flushed bright red as she quickly waved her hands in denial. Although… if all of that really became hers, how many gems would it amount to?

At that thought, Pardo felt a flicker of temptation in her heart.

"And Boss, about this whole 'dying when encountering a door' thing, you can't just spread rumors like that. Clearly, I chose to be a great hero—out of courage!"

She counted on her fingers as her tail wagged enthusiastically. She was in an unusually good mood, though she did feel a bit guilty about making Elysia cry twice.

But looking at her in-game self, she had to admit, she'd really managed to earn some pride for herself!

"Great job, Pardo, really well done~"

Elysia patted Pardo's shoulder, smiling gently.

Luo Mo, on the other hand, was reminiscing about when he had first witnessed this scene. Back then, he'd been someone who wholeheartedly believed in the beauty of sunshine, a positively optimistic, model young man.

Sadly… now, every time he saw these two words appear in a presentation, his heart couldn't help but race with dread.

He was an ordinary and average person, so he couldn't expect to be treated differently, he should react the same way as everyone else, even to the things he feared.

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By this point in the war of erosion, nearly all of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers had met their deaths. Among them, Pardo had died the most times.

Of course, that's assuming Mobius' experiments and Vill-V's multiple personalities are excluded. From the perspective of an ordinary person, Pardo had undoubtedly proven that mortals could indeed become heroes.

A Flame-Chaser who bore the engraving of Empty Dreams, in the end, still held onto her dream of Elysia's return.

It was clear, while never explicitly stated, every Flame-Chaser from the previous era shared the same regret.

Elysia was the regret of all of them.

So much so that even Vill-V, despite wielding the power to expel the corruption, couldn't fully acknowledge her; so much so that Kevin was willing to stake his life, loading it into the barrel of his gun for her alone.

And so much so that Pardo was willing to sacrifice her peaceful life—and her very existence.

The creation of the Elysian Realm served many purposes, but above all, it was their collective effort to mend the regrets of the past.

---

On the other side of the passageway, where Pardo poured everything into keeping it stable, the other two participants of the plan began their final preparations to face death head-on.

"I see…"

"No matter what, we should not doubt this."

Kevin, sensing the familiar guiding presence, pressed his lips together. He now understood who it was.

Regardless, she was one of the Flame-Chasers.

He looked at Su, showing no hesitation, even though this strike would cost him his life.

But it was merely the answer to a question posed long ago.

Perhaps the reply had come a little late.

"If one day, pulling the trigger on me could save countless people … Kevin, what would you do?"

Once, Elysia had asked him this.

"It has nothing to do with humanity's future or the ideals of the many," Kevin whispered softly, raising the great sword of flaming of Shamash.

"This time, I will load my life into the barrel..."

"—for the sake of saving one person."

Su opened his eyes, purple light glimmering with a dreamlike brilliance. He took on Kevin's Erosion and transformed all of its power into Kevin's Sword.

"Shamash … unsheathe!"

The searing blaze was like the death of a star, consuming the life of its wielder, obliterating everything in its path.

And delivering to the enemy… the destruction they deserved.

In this moment of confrontation, the two of them finally saw its true form.

A strike none could withstand, embodying the very essence of destruction.

A blow meant to lead everyone forward, crossing the end.

Amidst the roaring flames and rising smoke, the surroundings centered on the Herrscher of Corruption were engulfed by fire. The temperature soared sharply.

An unexpected strike shattered the stalemate between the two.

"Kevin…"

For the first time, the composed expression of the Herrscher of Corruption faltered. She dropped to one knee, clutching her chest. There was no blood, yet streams of data flowed out from her body.

She murmured the name of the one who had inflicted such immense damage upon her, her eyes brimming with uncontrollable anger.

Opposite her, Hua keenly sensed a noticeable decline in the Herrscher's power.

Within her… something had vanished.

It was a part of her essence, intrinsically tied to her origin, making its absence unmistakable.

"Is cherishing life… truly so difficult for all of you?"

She let out a bitter laugh, looking at Hua with a mix of anger and irony.

Freed from her inner chains, it seemed she had resolved to abandon the identity of Elysia entirely. Or rather, it was no longer a question of whether she wanted to, it was whether she even could.

The appearance and personality of "Elysia" that she maintained were pieced together from the memories of the Flame-Chasers. With each successive death among them, she found it increasingly difficult to sustain this facade.

After all, she was not Elysia.

(TL: Never was)

Hence, her earlier question, to them, was life always just a bargaining chip?

If so, then her own desperate desire to survive born out of fear… what did it even mean?

"Perhaps, it depends on whether there is a necessity," Hua responded thoughtfully, her posture steady and her expression calm.

She understood that this was the final battle.

Even though the Herrscher of Corruption had been severely wounded, Hua held no illusions of victory. She knew she must die, to prevent the Herrscher from obtaining her memories entirely.

Though Hua still struggled to comprehend what she was fighting for, it hardly mattered.

She had always been someone who followed, going along with others' suggestions if they seemed reasonable. Life, death, and even the future—perhaps she had always drifted with the current.

But so what?

If most people chose their paths without knowing their true purpose, there was no need for her to be an exception.

Thus, the battle resumed.

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

"The Herrscher of Corruption is starting to feel like a philosopher," someone commented in jest, "No wonder, despite being the enemy, she's going to great lengths to keep all of you alive."

"And here you are, as her 'body's managers,' standing in front of her, eager to die. Honestly, I… feel a bit sad about it."

Elysia placed her hand over her chest, worry evident in her eyes as she watched the unfolding events in the game.

Scene after scene depicted the Flame-Chasers sacrificing themselves one by one, rushing toward death as if it were their duty. Though she vaguely understood their reasons and necessity, she couldn't help but feel moved by their actions.

Everything she had done had been seen and remembered by them.

Marked in their hearts.

Gratitude and remembrance lingered.

But it was clear that Hua's situation was grim.

In the battle, Hua was being utterly suppressed. The Herrscher of Sentience, who was currently controlling Hua in the game, was a skilled player. Yet, even her expertise was no match for the enemy's seemingly unfair mechanics, like invincible health locks.

The Herrscher of Corruption, with her thirteen health bars and impossibly tricky attacks, was nearly unbeatable. Despite a few rounds where Hua displayed impressive technical skill, avoiding damage altogether, her own attacks barely scratched the enemy.

It was a narrative-driven fight, after all.

Letting the "Old Tiner" die under her control didn't feel right either.

"Aaaah! This is impossible to play. Fine, old Timer, you handle finishing yourself!"

Forced by the situation, the Herrscher of Knowledge handed control back to Hua. After all… it wasn't her fault if the ancient relic met her end at her own hands, right?

The issue wasn't just the grind but the taunts from the enemy, mocking them as "fools," talking about how the deaths of their comrades had created these opportunities.

It was infuriating.

Frustrated, she shot a glare at Luo Mo.

Luo Mo didn't turn to look; he could feel the weight of her gaze but had no intention of reasoning with a child.

"What? Child? Who are you calling a child?"

The Herrscher of sentience's face turned beet red when she heard his thoughts, her lips pouting high in indignation. She hated being called that more than anything.

Gradually, from the earlier praise of the "old timer," she pieced together the truth. Luo Mo had been treating her like a child, humoring her all along. Worse, she hadn't even realized it at the time.

Now that she thought about it, the fact that the compliment had come from Hua was the only solace in this humiliation.

That matter was over.

Luo Mo froze briefly, almost forgetting that she had the ability to eavesdrop, and that her temper tantrums could escalate into flipping the entire situation.

But really… wasn't it her own lack of patience?

"Patience?" The Herrscher of Knowledge raised an eyebrow, but she certainly wasn't the type to explode in anger over such trivial things!

Slander! This was pure slander!

Just then, Kiana's startled cry rang out. The Herrscher of sentience quickly turned her attention to the screen.

A shift seemed to be happening.

On-screen, Hua's health was inexplicably drained to near zero. In a moment of desperation, she unleashed the Eighth Divine Key, Fenghuang Down.

Though it wasn't clear why two seemingly minor hits had depleted Hua's health so drastically, the use of Fenghuang Down finally turned the tide.

With each strike, the Herrscher of Corruption's health began to fall drastically. And now… the invincible health lock seemed to be in Hua's favor instead.

The health bar remained steadfastly at 1, unmoving no matter how many attacks it endured.

Although Fu Hua, controlling herself in the game, didn't understand the reason, it was clear that what had been unplayable under the Herrscher of sentience's control was now progressing.

She quickly began chasing down the Herrscher of Corruption in the game, directing her character to relentlessly attack.

When the enemy's health dropped to a certain level, a cutscene automatically triggered.

Fu Hua adjusted her glasses, exhaled lightly, and smiled. "Mission accomplished."

The Herrscher of sentience's mouth fell open, her eyes blinking in disbelief.

Had she just made a mistake?

But when she glanced back at Luo Mo's innocent expression, she convinced herself otherwise. With that face, advocating for her fans wasn't wrong.

The enemy's onslaught, which nearly brought her to tears multiple times, alternated between sweetness and devastation, it was nothing but pure torment disguised as mixed emotions.

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

To the Herrscher of Corruption's continuous dialogue, Hua responded simply, pointing out the irreconcilable gap between them.

"As a fellow weakling, your choice was to make yourself stronger."

This statement caused the Herrscher of Corruption to frown slightly, she didn't want to admit to being weak.

"But humanity's choice… was to join hands with other weaklings. Sacrifice is merely one of the means."

Hua spoke calmly, her demeanor unwavering despite being on the losing side.

"Your choice is survival. Humanity's choice…"

"…is civilization."

The Herrscher of Corruption stared at Hua, dumbfounded, her frown deepening.

Somewhere within, she reluctantly acknowledged Hua's point. But the key issue was the present moment, if Hua could say something like that, then…

"If that's their choice, then mine should be no different."

Fenghuang Down, first-stage release—Unleash!

Once again, she released its constraints. For someone as logical as herself, such moments were pitifully rare, but their impact was undeniable.

If this were the final straw, it was overwhelmingly monumental.

The sky turned faintly crimson-gold as an enormous, golden sword, brimming with countless sharp edges, descended from above. It carried an unstoppable momentum, its blade aimed directly at the Herrscher of Corruption.

Golden sword energy slashed across the battlefield with unparalleled ferocity, its destructive power almost rivaling Kevin's earlier attack.

Eradicating everything, even herself.

With this strike, Hua burned away all her memories.

Regardless of what happened to the Herrscher of Corruption, as a being composed of memories, Hua herself could no longer survive.

As Hua faded away, the Herrscher of Corruption clutched her arm, glaring fiercely. She now understood that this had been part of Hua's plan all along.

But… she couldn't be completely destroyed.

Survival was her true strength, far more than battle. In the sea of data and the Simulated Universe, this was her defining trait.

Thus, Hua's full-force effort only erased herself.

The Herrscher mocked her with a sneer, silently conveying that Hua had made the wrong choice. After all, she had given Hua countless chances to live.

"But this was always our intention."

Hua used our, referring to the other Flame-Chasers whose sacrifices were not in vain. Their true purpose now became clear.

The Herrscher of Corruption could no longer maintain Elysia's form. From the image of a beautiful girl, she reverted to a virus-like Honkai beast, her red-patterned eyes glaring defiantly. Green, glowing fluid seeped from her damaged body.

She was gravely wounded.

Still, the inability to sustain Elysia's form left her visibly shaken. It meant exposing her vulnerabilities to the outside world, stripping her of her safety net.

She would once again face the prospect of being easily erased at any moment.

The sacrifices of the Flame-Chasers had never been to overpower her, as her strength was something they could never fully resist.

But they couldn't let her get closer to Elysia.

By burning away all the memories that constituted the Flame-Chasers and reducing their data to ashes, they ensured that the Herrscher could no longer imitate Elysia, forcing her into regression.

Now, as the plan unfolded step by step, she lost her path to the outside world, her chance to stop Mei, and her ability to seize the program.

The Herrscher of Corruption had been stripped of everything.

In Hua's final moments before vanishing, the Herrscher tried to corrupt her, but it was too late. Hua disappeared completely, leaving nothing behind.

Thus, in the Simulated Universe, among the thirteen who never became heroes, only one remained.

The title Thirteen Flame-Chasers was about to fade into history.

Hua left behind her final words before burning everything away,

"In the past, we were indeed failures."

"But for the future…"

"Herrscher of Corruption, this battle that makes us pioneers…"

"…is only just beginning."

The book of the final battle had only just turned its first page.

Meanwhile, on the home screen, the images of fallen Flame-Chasers began to break one after another—Aponia, Su, and Hua.

The space that once held thirteen cards now had only one left—Eden's. She remained, her color still vibrant, though the screen felt desolately empty.

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

In the Hall

"They're dead… all of them…"

Pardofelis was stunned and muttered. Without the final screen reminder, she had almost forgotten that only one Flame-Chaser remained.

The Thirteen Flame-Chasers had become fleeting memories, their legacy fading like smoke.

For some reason, as she looked at the blank home screen, she felt a pang of sorrow.

It had once been filled with life, but now, seeing its emptiness, grief welled up inside her.

"Survival… civilization… Hua's words were truly beautiful. Because humanity has never been alone, and that's why I love humans so much."

Elysia's eyes sparkled with delight as she carefully reflected on Hua's words.

To be honest, they felt more like something Fu Hua would have said fifty thousand years later, but the sentiment touched her deeply.

Civilization, so radiant and splendid, it was precisely that brilliance of humanity that she cherished and yearned for.

What weighed on Kevin's shoulders, and the shoulders of every Flame-Chaser, was not merely their personal survival but the hope of an entire past civilization.

But…

"Bronya seems to recall someone saying earlier that four Flame-Chasers would survive in the end?"

Bronya spoke softly, her gaze fixed on Luo Mo's position.

If the final screen hadn't shown that only one non-white Flame-Chaser card remained, she might have forgotten about that detail.

"Hmm? Boss, what do you have to say about this? A frozen Sea of Quanta? A Flame-Chaser murder mystery?"

She narrowed her eyes, her appearance still enhanced by the effects of her outfit card, adding a touch of intimidation.

"...Say what? I'm just sitting here talking. It's not over yet—why the rush?" Luo Mo replied casually.

After all, he never specified which "final" moment he was referring to.

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