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

Luo Mo's words left Elysia speechless. She hadn't expected him to insist that four Flame-Chasers were still alive.

Wake up! Only Eden is left now!

But… whatever. Seeing Luo Mo's calm and confident demeanor, she decided to let it slide. She wasn't one to break a promise to him, after all.

"Class Monitor too…" Kiana's eyes brimmed with tears as she watched each Flame-Chaser exit one by one.

Each had fought against the Herrscher of Corruption in their most glorious form, right up to the very end.

The weight of the world and civilization itself became starkly clear to her in that moment. Though she hadn't experienced it herself, she was willing to understand.

It wasn't pretense but the genuine mark of their battles.

Deep within her, the Stigmata that had lain dormant for so long began to stir faintly. It resonated with her violently trembling heart.

Though she didn't fully understand, she knew she needed strength.

(TL: Everything has its End. And everyone will End)

"Fifty thousand years of an old timer's memories… Why does it feel like the current relic hasn't changed much at all?"

The Herrscher of sentience muttered. Allowing the old Timer to take over control earlier had been a mistake, a rash and impatient move on her part. Thankfully, the old Tiner hadn't taken the opportunity to lecture her further.

Still, the look on her face suggested deep thought, especially the ever-silent memory fragment of Hua.

"Hua hasn't changed… which is a good thing, right? Staying true to oneself through the passage of time, growing in every aspect, and understanding the meaning of battle, it's quite commendable, don't you think?~"

Elysia smiled, vouching for her comrade.

Although the Herrscher of sentience intrigued her, Fu Hua was undoubtedly closer to her.

"Well, I can agree to that, but 'in every aspect'…"

The Herrscher of sentience dragged out the words, her tone mischievous as she cast a glance at the screen's image of Hua and then subtly at Fu Hua's… chest. She decided not to say more.

She thought she had been discreet, but didn't Elysia's confused expression show she noticed nothing?

Luo Mo, witnessing this scene, was alarmed. Reacting swiftly, he straightened his posture and pretended not to hear anything. This time, whatever mischief unfolded had nothing to do with him.

Still, from this perspective, in terms of physical growth, the results were indeed… unimpressive.

Luo Mo couldn't help but admire the Herrscher of sentience's perspective, even suspecting that she harbored some resentment toward his "mother figure." She might not mind it herself, but her presence was irreplaceable, especially after Bronya's outfit card had made such a strong impression.

"Uh, what are you talking about, little Senti?~" Elysia tilted her head in confusion.

"N-Nothing at all! How could there be anything… Oh, right, Elysia, isn't it your turn in the story? Want to try taking over?"

The Herrscher of sentience rubbed her nose and replied evasively, her gaze wandering.

"Me? …How about giving it to Kiana instead? Mei and I have both voiced our parts, so I have a general idea of the dialogue. Kiana must be curious about how Mei performs, right?~"

Elysia's eyes lit up as she smiled brightly.

Luo Mo took a deep breath, his thoughts spinning:, Killing someone isn't as cruel as breaking their spirit.

He hadn't planned on tormenting "Tuna" like this, but Elysia's words were truly ruthless. Still… well played.

Kiana took over, only to regret her decision almost immediately.

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

The Flame-Chasers had placed everything on the line here, all because of their trust in Elysia.

Whether they succeeded or failed, the stakes were highest at this critical juncture.

Using the spiral imprint left by Vill-V as a foundation, Su had performed an SO-1129 procedure on Mei—an operation that created a memory construct. According to Elysia, it was like riding a roller coaster while eating peanuts with your eyes.

As long as you believed wholeheartedly, Elysia had never truly left.

By paving a path with memories, Mei would enter Elysia's memory space and… bring her back.

Vill-V's threefold riddles involved finding the safest place in the Simulated Universe: one was Sakura's frozen space to delay corruption, and another was within the Herrscher of Corruption itself, where Vill-V had left a self-deleting backdoor.

The final place… was Raiden Mei's consciousness, the only domain the Herrscher of Corruption had failed to erode.

The first layer merely delayed the process. The second was meant for survival after death. But the third… it existed within the Elysian Realm, yet was separate from it.

After all the twists and turns, it circled back to the beginning.

Everything returned to Elysia. You see, she was always the beginning of everything… and the end.

The world began as pure white.

An endless expanse of white surrounded Mei, carrying her into a realm that could neither be called "something" nor "nothing."

Fragmented thoughts drifted through the void, converging into a path with neither a beginning nor an end.

On that pure white road, Mei gradually awakened.

She now found herself within her own memories—a… peculiar experience. She finally understood why Elysia had used such an odd metaphor. It was, indeed, quite fitting.

Rarely did she resonate with one of Elysia's analogies, but this time, she did.

Her head still felt heavy, yet her thoughts seemed to float as though on clouds. Each step felt like treading on cotton, sometimes firm, sometimes light.

But she didn't forget her purpose in coming here—to bring Elysia back.

She needed to search for every moment she had shared with Elysia, sketching them through memories and mending them with longing until the blank canvas was filled with the colors of that radiant girl.

She would restore the girl as beautiful as a blooming flower, see her smile again, and help her fulfill the promises she made.

And so, she took her first step.

Ahead, a door of memories appeared—a towering white wall with a golden gate etched with the symbol of a spiral tower. The surroundings were pristine, like untouched white fabric.

Placing her hand on the door, she reminisced about the memories it might hold of Alicia, yearning for the moments they had shared.

Then, she pushed the door open.

Without realizing it, she had experienced so much within the Elysian Realm.

Emotions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness intertwined, flashing through her mind. Each scene was something she had lived, remembered, and owned—indelible fragments of her past.

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[The Flame-Chasers all had a special fondness for Elysia … This proves that even among extraordinary individuals, Elysia was the most unique.]

[Vill-V: Who's the MVP of this entire story? Tell me, my audience!]

[Using memories of Elysia to reconstruct her… Can Mei really do it?]

[Of course, the story guarantees it'll happen. But doesn't that mean… Bug is in trouble?]

[Bring her back, Mei!]

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"No wonder, Vill-V. The third layer of your riddles turned out to be Mei's consciousness?~"

Elysia praised her with a delighted expression, placing her hands on her hips proudly.

"And another thing! I told you my metaphors weren't a problem, right? Luo Mo always says my writing skills were taught by a gym teacher, but I've published several books already!~"

"…I can't say if your metaphor about that surgery is accurate since I wouldn't want to experience it myself. But fine, let's just assume it's correct—riding a roller coaster while eating peanuts with your eyes…"

Luo Mo glanced at her and replied indifferently.

Though he had once claimed her phrasing was absolute nonsense, he couldn't rule out the possibility of a different teacher, like an art teacher.

Either way, she clearly hadn't been to school.

"Wait… can you actually eat peanuts with your eyes?" Kiana asked instinctively. Even as a self-proclaimed foodie, she felt hesitant about such a feat.

If Elysia could truly do it, Kiana would be forced to view her in a new light.

"…"

"Sigh, Kiana, who taught you literature?" Luo Mo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. At least he himself had some formal schooling!

"You did!"

Kiana suddenly realized her mistake and blushed, retorting like a flustered kitten.

"…?" Luo Mo pointed at himself, utterly perplexed.

He didn't recall ever being her teacher. Honestly, Elysia would've made more sense as a candidate than him, a completely unrelated party.

"Wait, don't rush to argue with me. Think about our recent literature assignments—those essays, and the self-study sessions when the teacher was on sick leave. Does it ring a bell?"

Kiana confidently asked, implying she wasn't making this up.

"...Honkai Impact 3rd's plotlines?"

Luo Mo thought of one possibility—perhaps the only one. Given the need to analyze in-game lore and strategy during those times, it wasn't entirely implausible.

Plus, Kiana knew he was involved in the game's narrative development.

A slim possibility wasn't zero, after all.

Kiana nodded with a smug smile, affirming his guess.

"…Kiana, focus on the game. Your Mei is about to bring Elysia back," Luo Mo said helplessly.

"It's just friendship. If it were me, I'd do the same," Kiana replied casually.

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

Where did memories begin?

Mei didn't know the answer to this question. The other person had made her unconsciously adapt to the existence of Elysia, and without realizing it, trust had already filled her heart.

She was always like this—magical, and trustworthy.

"Pink… Fairy Miss??"

"What is that, a nickname you gave me? So, you're such a frivolous person, huh??"

Under the orange-yellow light, Elysia's expression shifted between joy and mild reproach. Sitting on a small sofa in the hall, she looked at Mei with a troubled expression, clearly displeased.

Even if it wasn't their first encounter, it marked the beginning.

But at that time, how could Mei possibly forget her name? After all…

"A name everyone would mention, a person you could never avoid... If it were you, you wouldn't forget either."

Then came the battle before the purple light column. She stepped onto the ruins covered in purple crystals, bow in hand, poised to strike, but unlike a warrior, her expression still held a familiar smile.

"Hey, how do I look?"

"This should be the first time I've taken out a weapon in front of you, right? What do you think, does the bow suit me?"

She leaned slightly forward, asking with a smile, her other hand brushing her hair behind her ear with calm composure.

Looking back now, she was the first opposing flame-chaser Mei encountered in the Elysian Realm. She took so many firsts from Mei, both good and bad.

(TL: Elysia is Mei's first. Kiana can be her Last)

"Back then, I didn't have time to respond. The bow does suit you. But I'd love to see how you look with other weapons."

"Just take it as a small gift, a token to celebrate your temporary graduation from Elysia."

She smiled softly, in a hidden corner of the hall, gifting Mei a crystal flower. The pure purple petals, delicate and light, were placed gently in her palm.

Mei accepted it cautiously.

Now that she thought about it, the only flame-chaser symbolized by the crystal flower was Elysia. The crystal flowers that acted as keys in the hands of the flame-chasers, she should have figured it out earlier—it was always Her.

Back then, she said her journey was long, and she would receive various gifts from the flame-chasers. Now, she had met all of them…

"You'll give me a proper graduation gift at the end of this journey, won't you?"

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

In the hall,

"These are all memories related to me, from our meeting to our conflicts, and finally, our farewell… I've had many beautiful moments with Mei~"

"Don't worry, how could I not prepare a graduation blessing for you?"

"So, how does the journey feel, so far?"

Elysia smiled, her eyes always shining with anticipation for the future.

Mei felt a bit of a headache. After all, these were events that hadn't happened yet. If they were crises, she had to be alert. But if they were jokes…

Before Mei could respond, Kiana angrily cut in,

"I don't feel anything! Mei and you aren't related. It's just a game, a game!"

She emphasized those two key words.

She wanted to stress that these were just futures from another world, not memories of their own.

"That just shows how fate brought me and Mei together. Meeting was fate, and everything that followed—good or bad—was fate."

"I believe that Mei and I will get along very well~"

"Hmph—well, you have to get through me first. I won't let you off so easily."

Kiana huffed, gritting her teeth as she clicked through the dialogue choices. The "romantic lines" were selected one by one.

Though she was reluctant to see it, she was even more unwilling to let the two of them have secrets she didn't know about. Her displeasure was evident as she continued watching.

"…"

What could Mei do? She gently patted Kiana's shoulder, signaling that she wouldn't leave her.

For everything else, she would just have to make up for it later.

What kind of delicious meal should she prepare then?

Mei could accept intimate lines during voice acting sessions. On one hand, the boss treated her well. On the other hand… the line about wanting to drink Mei's "mei juice" had lowered her tolerance.

She never wanted to encounter such direct words again… though, in the end, the boss hadn't played that line, but she had recorded it for real.

So, it was all fine.

This was just a difference in personalities. At this point, Mei was still relatively kind and gentle, after all. She hadn't suffered repeated traumas, hadn't witnessed the mournful death song of a sinner, nor had she seen thirteen flame-chasers die before her eyes.

…Not counting the game, of course.

Elysia, enjoying the sight of the fuming Kiana, smiled with crescent eyes.

It seemed she understood how Luo Mo felt when he teased others.

Of course, she liked Mei, but just as Kiana said, she hadn't experienced so many hardships. She hadn't faced life-and-death separation, nor had she resisted the same battles.

Even their meeting in the Elysian Realm was due to Luo Mo. Unless you counted the game Luo Mo had sent into the Elysian Realm!

She didn't know Mei as well as she did in the game. That was inevitable. They hadn't had much interaction in everyday life. A single ordinary meeting had brought about little mutual recognition, but she didn't mind.

Enjoying the ordinary sunlight of daily life was their original dream. So, she didn't envy the deep bond Mei had in the Elysian Realm. She believed she would create something better with Mei.

With Kiana as a witness.

After all, her goal was never to tear the two apart~.

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

From the loudspeaker came a familiar voice. It was about that part of her past she least wanted to face, and she hadn't been in a good mood at the time.

"Ah… I really want to touch her horns… I care so much, so much!"

Mei knew it would show up here sooner or later.

"But… if… we could meet again…"

"…But leaving a few words on the loudspeaker as a keepsake is fine… so…"

She pressed her lips together, letting herself indulge in the fragments of Alicia in her memories. She had already begun to outline Alicia's figure in her mind and was running toward the door of memories.

"Hey, Mei, I'm always so happy to see you."

Every time they met, Alicia was happy too.

"Beautiful girl, you can do anything~"

So, she could do it, too, right?

"Leaving a mystery is also creating an opportunity for our next meeting—won't you be happy about that?"

Then... can you appear in the next moment, without letting yourself feel disappointed?

"How does it feel? Am I even more shy than you imagined...?"

No one had ever been more sincere than her, nor purer than her...

"It's far too early to marvel now. This isn't even the tip of the iceberg."

If so, could the small corner she had seen be equivalent to the entire sea of flowers?

She always remembered everything left behind in the Elysian Realm...

"So, she shouldn't disappear from the memories of the Elysian Realm—

The glowing fragments of those memories became increasingly clear, linking together to form a warm sunlight.

"Now, I've come before you. So, respond to me, Elysia..."

The timeless memory space seemed to stir, like the night when the girl disappeared.

Pink petals floated with the evening sunset, the girl's smiling face rippling across the lake of her heart. She summoned and responded, welcoming the figure she longed for.

But when she pushed open the door, there was nothing outside.

The light had vanished.

White turned into darkness, and the memories became dim and hard to discern.

This time, she had failed.

Elysia had not responded to her request.

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