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

"Huh? Why didn't it work?"

Kiana was puzzled, tapping the next button repeatedly, but there was no surprising turnaround, only failure.

Although she was somewhat annoyed at Mei for constructing Elysia in the consciousness space, she also didn't want to see a failed outcome.

Setting aside her jealousy over Mei, Kiana genuinely liked Elysia.

Her warmth and kindness, her playfulness and surprises along the journey, all these qualities made her nearly perfect.

Indeed, she was worthy of her position as the deputy leader and was someone everyone liked.

"...Was it too much for Sister Mei alone?"

Bronya wasn't too surprised. After all, given the usual patterns of the game, their side would need to play all their trump cards to barely achieve victory over the boss.

Clearly, there was still one living flame-chaser left in the game: Eden. She had yet to sacrifice herself...

Tsk, as expected from the boss—there were no living flame-chasers when he was involved.

Looking at Luo Mo, Bronya gently shook her head. This is the boss I know!

"It should've been our responsibility... How could we let Miss Mei accomplish it all alone? The memories we shared have made this all the more evident."

Eden spoke softly, her gaze tinged with a sense of yearning.

What came next would surely be Alicia's return. She looked forward to it with hope.

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The door... was gradually vanishing.

Mei watched the disappearing door, her head pounding with pain. Her first thought was to focus on the Herrscher of Corruption. Outside, it was still trying to obstruct and devour her mind.

Even if it couldn't corrupt her, it sought to remain alongside her.

Mei gritted her teeth and endured the sharp pain, continuing toward the door. But in the next moment, an inexplicable distance appeared between her and the door.

Though it was just a step away, it felt like the ends of the earth.

The insurmountable distance kept her from victory. Memories began slipping away from her.

But she refused to give up.

Not for herself.

"No... No... It shouldn't end like this..."

The pain bent her over, but the agony of failure hurt even more. Her vision blurred, and the memories became sharper instead.

One by one, the past came to her. She saw the backs of the flame-chasers as they faded into the distance.

This was a labyrinth with no exit, yet they had sacrificed themselves to carve a path for Mei.

Because at the end of that road lay the thing she had sought all along.

That innocent girl had treaded through the twilight of the apocalypse, illuminating the dark night with her unwavering self.

Her existence kept a flame alive in the grayest era, a flame that had burned for 50,000 years and survived to this day.

Its future should exist far into the distance. Her story shouldn't end so abruptly.

This path wasn't paved by her alone, so...

"It shouldn't end with me!!"

She vaguely heard someone calling out to her, as if it were an illusion.

Mei pressed her hand against her throbbing head, gritted her teeth, and stood upright.

No matter how far the distance, she would chase after it. At this point, it wasn't just her effort.

Her vision, blurred by the pain, gradually cleared. She could see who was calling out to her.

Before the fading door of memory, Fairy Ellie and Eden looked at her with concern. Seeing her awaken, they smiled softly.

Eden, holding a golden goblet adorned with jewels, retained her usual elegance and composure. Her gentle words made Mei's pupils constrict.

"You've done your best to make it here. From now on... let us fulfill our mission."

"A missing memory can naturally be completed with another memory."

"You've taken the ninety-nine steps toward Elysia. Let us, Fairy Elysia and I, take the final step for you."

She smiled as she spoke, untroubled by the prospect of her impending death.

As Elysia's friend and her longest companion, Eden shared a bond forged through years that might surpass the closeness of any other among the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.

Now, everything would become a path welcoming her return.

To Eden, life was merely a long drama.

To take her final bow at the perfect moment and in the most beautiful way would make this performance flawless.

Moreover, for her, completing Elysia's memories with her own existence was an incredibly romantic act.

She opened her palm, and brilliant light flowed out. Two crystal flowers, one purple, one golden—bloomed silently, joining the two from Mei. Four crystal flowers, four keys.

Though their owners had met with misfortune, the crystal flowers remained perfectly preserved.

They encapsulated a forgotten story, sealed within their dazzling hues.

Now, it was time for them to see the light of day again.

"Miss Mei, next..."

"Please, bring Elysia—our hope—back to this world."

Awakening from the haze of the past, what Mei saw was Eden reclining on the sofa, holding a golden chalice.

Fragmented light emanated from her body, merging with the shimmering memories of the space.

She smiled, filled with anticipation, looking back on her time with Elysia. And then, she became everything to her.

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"She's walked... 99 steps... Mei, you have to walk 99 steps for me too."

Kiana stared at the words on the screen, her voice tinged with jealousy.

"I could give you the strength of a hundred people... and then, Kiana would just take one big step, right, Kiana?" Mei teased, hiding her smile.

"Ah... well, that's true, but Mei, you have to take at least two steps toward me," Kiana grumbled, scratching her head, dissatisfied with the response.

"Heaven's Edge City, Sky City, St. Freya... I'm already there, Kiana," Mei said softly, stroking her head.

Compared to the sweet atmosphere here, the mood on the other side was entirely different.

"Phew... Look at this, now this is a follower truly worthy of admiration. Sacrificing herself for the leader without hesitation," someone said.

"This is what a qualified follower of Love Faction should be. Someday, I'll turn all the members into as competent as Eden! Leader, I feel like my life has new meaning!"

Luo Mo's face lit up with a radiant smile. His tone was solemn as he spoke.

He admired Eden, who completed Elysia's memory. She wasn't afraid of death and thought only of Elysia. At that moment, she was one with her.

Indeed, she was one of the people capable of carrying the banner of the Love Faction.

Though Aponia was more devout, when it came to Elysia's feelings, she was no less passionate.

Luo Mo's joy at the growth of the Love Faction was genuine and sincere.

"Love Faction... It's a pity the previous civilization only had Honkai-related religions; otherwise, I wouldn't mind making a small investment," Eden said, sipping her wine and smiling.

If he could truly achieve that level, she'd be willing to invest as much as needed.

"Eden?~"

"Don't entertain his nonsense, okay? A religion like that would be way too strange if it really existed," Elysia said, clinging to Eden's arm and whining. She glared at Luo Mo, annoyed.

What Love Faction? Shouldn't they consult her, the leader, first?

She had never agreed to this!

"This time, I actually disagree with you, Elysia. You represent truth and beauty, and your actions spread these ideals. Joining a religion isn't much different from fans attending my concerts, is it?"

Eden's light retort left Elysia speechless.

(TL: I agree with the dog Boss in this matter only.)

Elysia pouted, feeling indignant. After thinking it over, no matter how she looked at it, there were major differences.

She decided not to argue anymore. After all, someone never listened and even fueled the flames. The Love Faction's banner was now planted everywhere online...

She truly didn't know what he was trying to achieve!

"Is this how it all ends? I regret not lasting until the end. I also wish... I could become part of Elysia's memory," Aponia said with a calm smile.

However, she understood that Eden was best suited for this task, as her memories with Elysia were more abundant and filled with daily fragments Mei lacked.

"Ahhh—stop saying such things. It's not as glorious as you think, so there's no need to compete over it~," Elysia said, covering her face and shaking her head in frustration.

"If I knew you sacrificed yourself for me, I'd feel really upset."

"…Hmph."

Mobius scoffed without commenting.

She understood Aponia was only teasing Elysia, not resenting her for failing to defeat the Herrscher of Corruption and sacrificing Aponia in vain.

Still, people might think otherwise.

Besides, she didn't want to become part of Elysia. Wouldn't that mean she could never escape her?

"Mobius is sulking again. Klein, go soothe your doctor, will you?~" Elysia said mischievously.

"Um..." Klein hesitated, unsure she could manage such a task.

Still, when it came to Elysia, she knew better than to comment. Experience had taught her well.

"Elysia! Hmph, I hope you achieve victory in the end. Otherwise... their expectations will be wasted," Mobius muttered coldly.

She stomped her foot, and in the end, could only squeeze out this sentence from her mouth.

Turning her head, she avoided looking at the other person.

"...Mm-hmm, I understand. Mobius must have trusted me deeply to completely disregard everything else and go save Klein, right? Someone as smart as her would definitely have known about Vill-V's plan."

Elysia promised confidently, her eyes curving into crescent moons. Teasing Mobius was always such fun.

"Impossible. Klein is simply more useful than you."

Mobius froze for a moment before reflexively retorting.

There was no way it was just that.

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

As the singer neared her final moments, Mei finally voiced a question that had lingered in her heart for a long time:

When the Fire Moth had fractured, and even her own survival had come under suspicion, Elysia voluntarily became the Thirteenth Herrscher, standing in opposition to humanity...

In the end, she sacrificed herself, restoring the world to its proper course.

"But..."

"But is that really the truth?"

"No matter how she became a Herrscher or how her sacrifice awakened others... why did the history of the Thirteenth Herrscher end up being erased?"

There were too many gaps in logic, too many unanswered questions.

As a Herrscher herself, Mei understood how impossible it was to voluntarily become one...

Moreover, if so many of the Flame-Chasers acknowledged her becoming a Herrscher, why would that part of history need to be hidden?

"Miss Mei... you are indeed very clever."

Eden smiled warmly at her, meeting her gaze. Her deduction was entirely accurate. Ignoring the light dissipating from her own body, Eden spoke softly, "Because that was just a narrative."

"A narrative created to explain her departure to others and future generations."

"And the answer that reconciles all the contradictions you've been seeking is the truth you're after."

However, the truth was harder to accept than the narrative, which is why it was told to the world in that way. It was the best approach at the time.

This much, Eden no longer needed to explain explicitly.

"Is... that so?"

Mei felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Past moments floated to the surface of her mind. Those casual conversations had already revealed the answer.

"Indeed, perhaps. I truly did tell a great lie, the only lie in my life."

Mei remembers Elysia's words

A lie...

"After all... I was afraid."

Afraid...

"Hmm... how did I do? Judging by everyone's reactions, the outcome seems to have been alright, right? Otherwise, there wouldn't be an Elysia in the Elysian Realm..."

Hesitation...

"Thank you, Mei. To meet you in this way, I feel so fortunate. You've given me something I've always longed for but never dared to hope for."

Joy...

These fragmented words now linked into a single thread, guiding everything to one undeniable answer.

"So... Elysia... she was never the Thirteenth Herrscher, was she?"

Mei lowered her head, disheartened for not having noticed such an obvious flaw.

"Yes."

"Thirteen was a false number."

"She lied to the world, simply to reveal the truth to her loved ones before her departure."

"She was born a Herrscher."

Mei's eyes widened. Even though she had suspected as much, the confirmed truth still shocked her.

This was why Kevin suffered so deeply, why Mobius called her a betrayer, and why her existence evoked such profound emotion in Mei...

Everything was simply because she had always been a Herrscher.

If all this was true, then beneath her smiling facade...

How lonely and sorrowful her true self must have been.

Eden sang softly, her gentle voice evoking the memories of times past. In her gaze, the life of that pink-haired girl unfolded, from their meeting to their mutual admiration, until she became the one and only.

In the new era, no one would hear her songs again.

Likewise, in the new era, there would no longer be a Herrscher named Elysia.

And so, she chose to remain in the end of that era.

"She loved humanity so deeply, and equally... longed to become human."

"This was the cross Elysia bore throughout her life. And in the end... she transcended fate and reached her destination."

"Elysia will be waiting for you behind that door, and your journey will bloom beautifully at the end of all memory."

Eden's voice was filled with hope, her blessing sincere.

She sipped her wine, her eyes shimmering with emotion.

"How nostalgic. But this time... I must say goodbye to her again, earlier than I'd like."

"Then, allow me to sing one last song for you, as a parting gift, Miss Mei..."

"Her favorite song."

Eden's figure grew increasingly illusory, but the faint smile of anticipation on her lips never wavered.

"Elysia, my friend..."

"May we never part, and may time... eternally engrave this moment."

The grand and melodious song echoed, the singer's final melody spreading throughout.

When the song ended, the main page returned to the previous layer. Eden's last card shattered into blank fragments.

The once-crowded space of thirteen figures was now utterly empty.

At this point, all thirteen Flame-Chasers had perished, leaving none behind.

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[Born a Herrscher from the very beginning? Ah—]

[From the very beginning, a Herrscher? Ah—]

[Is this... the biggest lie she's ever told? Always living among humans as a Herrscher... then she...]

[Where's the promised sunshine, happiness, and positivity? It's all pain...]

[What kind of person could inspire so many Flame-Chasers to sacrifice for her? I think she must be an extraordinary person. From now on, I'm stepping into the door of love!]

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