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

"It seems that everyone has their little secrets, even little Griseo. To care so much about something like this..."

Luo Mo sighed with emotion.

Hearing that, Griseo glared at him fiercely, as if trying to pierce through him with her gaze.

"Those manga... Do I really understand that kind of content? Isn't it... Ahhh, Griseo really..."

Theresa stammered as she spoke, looking in shock at the situation that had just unfolded.

She never expected that a child even younger than herself would already know so much.

"That's right, that's right. While the academy head was still reading Homu manga, our hero had already started drawing even more mature-themed works."

Luo Mo spoke with admiration, as if dreaming.

"..."

This time, Theresa was also angry.

"No, no way! Homu manga isn't childish at all!"

"To be honest, Kevin's outfits are really quite nice... Have you ever considered officially debuting as a male idol? With those scripted lines, I think you have great potential~"

Elysia gleefully looked at the gathered male heroes, her amused gaze evaluating them one by one.

An awkward silence fell over the room.

No one responded.

Clearly, none of them had the slightest interest in that idea, and Elysia did not press further. After all, the boys of the Golden Courtyard were still too shy.

So, she turned her gaze toward the next potential candidate.

"..."

Luo Mo pointed to himself in confusion, speaking up in surprise.

"You're sure about this? Me? I think I'm already too famous. I'll have to politely decline."

He shook his head furiously, resolute in his refusal.

Absolutely not!

(T/C: Wahahaha!)

"Well then, did Griseo really draw something like that? I'm suddenly curious. After all, inspiration comes from life."

Elysia cheerfully turned to the next guest, her sparkling eyes looking at both little Griseo and older Griseo, filled with anticipation.

"Elysia... Please, don't bring this up again..."

Little Griseo clutched her paintbrush and pouted.

"Hmm, what should I do? I've already forgotten whether I did or not."

Older Griseo responded with a teasing smile.

"W-What? Me?"

Little Griseo's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the older version of herself, completely unable to believe what she had just heard.

Why wasn't she helping her?!

She pursed her lips, feeling wronged, and looked at her older self with a pitiful expression.

-----------

In the midst of the scattered books, Griseo pouted, her purple eyes glaring at Su, Elysia, Kosma, and the headscarf-wearing figure who was bowing in apology.

Snow from the eaves fell onto her head.

For a moment, the scene was both comical and adorable.

As it turned out, "Master of Drawing" was indeed an incredibly prolific manga artist. Though not all of the books that had fallen were their works, a considerable portion of them were.

Suddenly, Griseo had an idea.

Since these books were inappropriate, why not... turn them into useful fuel?

The next moment, after cleaning up the fireplace, a bright fire roared to life. The fuel? Those books that had caused Griseo's social demise.

For example... Forbidden! The Princess and the Evil Dragon.

She must preserve purity in this world!

The cryptic poetry that was usually hard to understand had invaded her mind in a most wicked way.

As the fire burned in the fireplace, the room instantly became both brighter and much warmer.

Griseo was unusually enthusiastic as she fed book after book into the flames, providing warmth to everyone. The headscarf-wearing girl also stretched out her hands from within her plush costume to warm herself.

Vill-V collapsed in exhaustion onto Aponia's shoulder, while Aponia continued typing on her laptop—some people, though they appeared to be taking a break, were actually working overtime in silence.

Griseo wiped the sweat from her forehead.

The warmth, combined with the joy of destroying evidence, made her feel a deep sense of satisfaction.

Not bad—bringing warmth to both body and soul.

And this fire... it would light up people's hearts as well.

Because she had been in the cold for so long, and then had to break through her embarrassment, Griseo hadn't noticed a certain sensation in her body...

Once she finally felt warm, another urgent need made itself known.

For some reason, as she looked at the headscarf-wearing girl warming herself by the fire, in Griseo's eyes, she suddenly turned into a giant canned cat food.

Her hunger made a thin line of drool slip from the corner of her mouth.

"So hungry... If only this fireplace could roast some bread... or some sweet potatoes!"

Completely oblivious, the headscarf-wearing Pardo stretched out her hands from within her plush costume, enjoying the hard-earned warmth.

It was mealtime, so hunger was understandable.

But biting people?

Biting a cat...? That wasn't normal, right?

"Aaahh, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts—!"

Griseo didn't hesitate anymore.

Griseo didn't hold back.

She lunged forward and bit down on the soft plush leg of the "cat."

Her cheeks puffed up as she bit hard, a blissful expression appearing on her face.

But for the other party, it was a completely different story.

The headscarf-wearing Pardo let out a miserable cry. The peaceful moment of warming themselves by the fire was instantly shattered.

Her hands trembled in pain.

"This isn't food! Everyone, help me think of something!"

She wailed for help.

She wasn't food!

Why was Griseo eating her?!

She was a headscarf-wearing girl, not canned cat food!

-----

[For a moment, I don't know who to feel bad for.]

[Headscarf Pardo, it's time to sacrifice yourself as canned food to fill Griseo's stomach.]

[Headscarf girl and canned food... a strangely fitting combination.]

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

Seeing this scene, Pardo was on the verge of tears but couldn't cry. She unusually reminded Griseo carefully:

"Ah, this… Griseo, you mustn't eat Pardo! And of course, canned food is also off-limits!"

Her tone was more serious than ever.

She really didn't want to become someone's emergency food supply!

"But… last time I ate canned food, and it was really delicious?"

Griseo innocently replied.

"Aiya, this canned food is different from that canned food! In short, Griseo, remember this— we are companions, you mustn't eat me."

Pardo could only grit her teeth and continue explaining.

She was doing this to protect the life of the fat cat sitting on her shoulder.

Even if she usually did small things, what if something serious actually happened? Just like… that time she really did steal Sister Ely's dress, a bunch of books, and Boss Kevin's instant noodles.

She had just put those things down when she saw—

"But, but… how would I eat Sister Pardo? You mustn't believe such things."

Griseo said.

"Haha, of course not! I completely trust you, Griseo! We have such a good bond!"

Pardo laughed heartily.

However, Griseo, who could read people's emotions well, had already sensed a bit of the truth. She looked a little deflated, her small tuft of hair drooping lifelessly.

-------

At that moment, when everyone had just woken up and their stomachs were growling, the aroma of braised meat and beef stew suddenly filled the air, tempting everyone's taste buds.

Without a doubt, as Griseo hallucinated from hunger and Mobius started drinking her precious nutritional formula, there was only one person who saved them all—

Kevin.

A pot of instant noodles was placed on the fireplace, and as it gradually heated up, the fragrance spread more and more.

Smelling this delicious scent, Pardo finally poked her head out from her hiding spot— she was starving too! If she really had canned food, she wouldn't mind sharing it with Griseo.

Little Griseo, too, was drawn in by the real aroma of food. She let go of her temptation to nibble on Sister Pardo's leg, poked her little head out, and looked toward the pot, eyes sparkling with excitement.

"I made instant noodles. Want some?"

Kevin glanced at the crowd gathering around and tilted his head, asking.

"Waaah—" Griseo cheered excitedly.

"Boss, I truly admire you!"

"Ah!♪"

Everyone gathered around, staring in awe at the pot of noodles.

Even though they had once criticized Kevin's obsession with instant noodles, at this moment, when everyone got a steaming bowl of it, they had to admit—

Ahh, so delicious!

"Noodles, noodles, hot, steaming noodles!"

Vill·V swayed happily as she received her portion.

Except for… one person.

Crouching in a corner, still too shy to join in.

"Kalpas, don't be shy! Come eat some noodles!"

Elysia called out enthusiastically.

Maybe it was his pride as a chef, or maybe he was still embarrassed—

Kalpas remained on the sofa, facing the wall in self-isolation. He held up a trendy cowboy magazine and pretended to be engrossed in it, replying,

"…I'm not eating."

–Gurgle gurgle

But the loud growl from his stomach betrayed him.

"Are you really not eating?♪"

Elysia teased, intentionally fanning the delicious aroma toward him.

Still, there was no verbal response.

Kalpas stubbornly kept up his cool act— but in the end, he still picked up a bowl.

-----

[Kevin: This scene reminds me of the time Fire Moth Squad gathered to eat instant noodles.]

[The World's Instant Noodles · Fresh Flavor]

[Now I'm craving some too.]

[Wait… that packaging looks familiar. Is that the limited-edition instant noodles?!]

[That's the one linked to that lady with the unforgettable face and voice…]

----------

Meanwhile, in the reality Golden Courtyard

"Kevin may not be good at making dumplings, but when it comes to instant noodles, he's a master!"

"In a situation without water or electricity, we all survived thanks to Kevin's instant noodles."

Elysia chuckled, half teasing.

"…I'd rather not receive this kind of praise."

Kevin covered his face in exasperation. What was wrong with loving instant noodles?

They were convenient, delicious, and quick to prepare…

Also, could they please move on from this topic already?

Among those suffering the most from the chaos were Griseo, Kalpas, and, of course, Kevin himself.

At least, in the real world.

"Wow, that smells amazing! Luo Mo, is there a bitter melon flavor?"

Theresa asked, tugging on Luo Mo's sleeve with curiosity.

Judging from the packaging, it was clearly a collaboration edition of instant noodles.

A perfect chance to sneak in some self-promotion— no wonder St. Freya Academy was still thriving.

"…I don't think anyone likes that flavor. Just add some bitter melon yourself, Theresa."

Luo Mo sighed in resignation.

----------

At that moment, outside the mansion—

The true owner was riding a fiery red motorcycle through the snow, arriving at the scene.

Eden, the landlady, was making a grand entrance.

As her motorcycle came to a slow stop, Eden was puzzled. Why was the Golden Courtyard so dark? Was no one home?

But they had just video-called earlier— surely no one would pull such a weird prank.

Stepping inside, Eden was greeted by the orange glow of the fireplace warming the entire house.

And then… she saw the whole group gathered around, slurping instant noodles together.

For a moment, she wasn't sure whether to admire the unique gathering atmosphere or be concerned about their budgeting choices.

Had their living conditions really fallen this far?

After learning about the whole situation, Eden gracefully took a seat.

Despite being a superstar, she didn't seem the least bit bothered. She also picked up a bowl of noodles and started eating.

Rather than focusing on the taste, she cared more about enjoying a meal with friends.

As for the instant noodles— well, Kevin was overjoyed.

And the one responsible for this stockpile— Pardo— ended up receiving high praise from Elysia.

"Actually, actually, you don't have to thank me. These noodles were from Boss Kevin's stash. He just forgot about them."

Pardo mumbled through a mouthful of noodles.

Even though they were now hers, the original owner had been Kevin, so there was no conflict.

Besides, she would never hoard instant noodles!

"…Me?"

Kevin was surprised but quickly found it reasonable.

Just earlier, when he was tearing open the packages, they had felt strangely familiar…

But if these noodles were truly his…

Did that mean there was something wrong with the timeline?!

Pardo nodded, confirming that the noodles did belong to him.

She even provided proof—

"Yes, these were from when you first moved in."

This also made Kevin, who was sipping instant noodles, recall the situation at that time.

When he had just moved in and was about to put his belongings into the cabinet, he never expected… inside, there was a large cat—one that was exceptionally big.

He tried to stay calm, convincing himself that nothing unusual had happened…

Then, the "cat" suddenly spoke. It stuck its head out, looked around, and asked, "Hey, is Kalpas outside?" After confirming there was no danger, it dashed away like a streak of smoke, not forgetting to grab the bowl of instant noodles from the table.

At that moment, Kevin felt a chill in his heart…

Indeed, lying to himself was useless. The dark shadow in his heart only grew larger.

But looking at the scene before him now, he scanned the area—under the firelight, the warm sight of people gathered together. He let out a slow breath. In the end, things had turned out relatively well.

"No matter how much time has passed, it still feels just like yesterday~" Ellie said cheerfully.

"That's right, even though so much time has passed…"

Aponia instinctively wanted to agree with Ellie, but then she realized a critical issue—those instant noodles should have expired!

"But, can this bowl of noodles still be eaten?"

Kosma and Griseo, startled, stopped what they were doing. The scarf was still floating in the air, as if completely ignoring safety protocols.

Kevin paused for two seconds, looking at his fork, hesitated for a moment, then let it slip back into the bowl.

"Maybe we should eat less of this…"

He sighed.

He really didn't want the whole group to be wiped out because of a single bowl of instant noodles.

------

Meanwhile, in the real courtyard.

"Ah, expired again? I never expected this ending," Elysia covered her mouth in surprise.

But this warm and comforting moment… wouldn't fade just because of such a small flaw.

"So, is this your assassination attempt, Luo Mo? My dear friend?"

She then turned to Luo Mo with a teasing look.

He scratched his head, staring at Elysia in disbelief, unable to comprehend her words. Then, he frowned and gave himself a once-over, his expression immediately becoming heavy.

"Ellie… do I really look like a murderer?"

He asked, feeling somewhat sorrowful.

A sorrow born from being misunderstood.

But this time, he was truly innocent! It was the New Year… he just wanted everyone to have a good time.

Look, he even released the script for all thirteen heroes before the New Year. Doesn't that prove his conscience?

"Is it possible… that you actually are?" Elysia asked in a calm voice.

She firmly believed that if he released an animation, there must be tragedy!

If not, then it simply hadn't appeared yet.

She would not believe in a no-tragedy theory ever again!

Even though dying from expired instant noodles would be a strange and absurd way to go, what was even stranger was that everyone had survived unharmed.

Given the choice between two possibilities, she had already made her decision.

She looked at Luo Mo with absolute confidence.

(T/C: Hah! how do you feel to not be trusted?)