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

"What on earth are you even saying?"

Elysia pouted, a delicate charm unique to young girls gracing her expression as she scrunched her nose in confusion.

Spaghetti, screws, concrete, high-energy protein...

Were those even words a normal person would string together?

Even someone as socially adept as Elysia found herself at a loss in the face of this scene.

"Luo Mo, can't you be a little more reliable?"

Theresa also chimed in with a complaint. She had been eagerly awaiting a proper answer, only to be met with this nonsense, leaving her speechless.

Of course, if you asked Luo Mo, he'd say he was just trying to lighten the mood because everyone seemed so tense.

"Hmm… Little Mouse, your explanation was quite entertaining. It reminds me of the meetings at Fire Moth,.I always sent a representative to listen in," Mobius said sarcastically, her tone dripping with mockery.

Even though the game seemed to have laid everything out in front of her, she couldn't be sure whether her plan had succeeded, it all seemed too perfect.

But Luo Mo's words? Pure drivel.

"What do you want me to say? That was so long ago. The fact is, there's no Mobius among the surviving Flame-Chasers now. Isn't that enough?"

"...Don't tell me you don't know?"

Mobius hesitated, staring at him with sharp eyes that seemed to pierce through any pretense.

But Luo Mo, having been through so much, maintained his playful gaze without flinching.

"I know everything."

"Alright, he doesn't know," Mobius concluded swiftly, then elegantly ignored him entirely.

---

In the Golden Courtyard, the sudden reversal in the story left the Flame-Chasers surprised.

Whether they were privy to Mobius's secrets or not, after the initial shock, they felt a strange sense of calm, it was, after all, Mobius.

Anything unusual placed in the context of her name required no explanation.

Just as normal people couldn't comprehend the thoughts of the insane, mortals couldn't grasp the minds of geniuses, or madmen.

Mobius… she happened to straddle the line between genius and lunatic.

"Snake Lady wouldn't have really gotten rid of her true self, would she?"

Pardo, visibly shaken, felt chills thinking about the fact that she'd spent fifty thousand years around the Snake Lady.

Was it sheer luck that there were so many of them in the first place? With everyone accounted for, it would've been easy to notice if someone disappeared. Otherwise…

She'd definitely have been reduced to Pardofelis. Just Pardofelis.

Then again, Pardo probably didn't have much research value… right?

"Maybe," Vill-V said, brushing her ear with a confident smile. "At the very least, the following events match exactly with the description of the memory fragment. After Elysia… she really hasn't been as unhinged as before."

"Then-then-then, should we do something?"

Pardo asked nervously, grateful Mobius wasn't here. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to keep her composure and would've likely been taken out in one go.

But… how was anyone supposed to deal with something like a memory fragment eliminating its real counterpart in reality?

Who could've foreseen such a scenario?

"That kind of thing is obviously her business. No need to interfere, right? After all, she's still Mobius. At most... she's just regressed a little. We've spent 50,000 years with her and didn't notice anything wrong, did we?"

Vill-V teased Pardofelis with a sly smile.

"Oh, little Pardo, why are you clinging to me so much now that Elysia is gone? Is it because Hua isn't here? Or is it because Kevin and Kalpas are hanging out together? Or could it be because yesterday's little invention mysteriously disappeared, and you've come to strike up a conversation? Whatever the reason, I don't mind."

"But… as her companions, shouldn't we…"

"Enough. Maybe the Mobius in reality intended for this to happen. She's not so easily deceived, not even by herself," Vill-V interrupted nonchalantly, raising her eyebrows.

"The past is decided. Let it remain buried in the dust," Kevin interjected, casting a glance at Vill-V. His words served as the final verdict on the matter.

--------

Meanwhile, in the hall of Elysian Realm, Mobius, who had stepped out first, unexpectedly encountered someone. It was none other than Elysia, who was visibly concerned after sensing that something wasn't right.

Ever since noticing the anomalies, Elysia had been keeping an eye on that particular area. And, as luck would have it, it seemed Mei had indeed run into trouble.

Elysia could already sense the fluctuations of Herrscher energy coming from Mei. Clever girl, she had learned to call for help using this method. A good child, so obedient, and she even remembered every word Elysia had said,

"No matter when or where, Elysia will always respond to your call."

However, Mobius suddenly brought up a wager, one concerning Mei's life or death.

...Of course, how could Elysia possibly refuse?

"I accept~" Elysia said with a gentle laugh. "Someone who intrigues both you and me wouldn't let you win so easily, would she?"

Unbeknownst to Mobius, a subtle change had already occurred in a hidden corner of the Realm. Elysia could sense Mei's presence, but Mobius remained blissfully unaware, still confident in her doomed wager.

It was both exasperating and delightful.

"Hmph—"

"Elysia, don't overestimate yourself. Do you really think you can save her?"

"Oh, by the way," Mobius suddenly added, "didn't you always want to see me wear something pink?"

"Today, I'm in a relatively good mood. If she manages to walk out of the Elysian Realm alive... I'll wear pink for you right away. What do you think?"

Faced with the pink-haired woman before her, Mobius struggled to maintain her usual composure. Even during the previous era, Elysia had always had a way of getting under her skin.

At this moment, Mobius was more than a little agitated, completely caught up in the wager.

And the outcome arrived so quickly that Mobius didn't even have time to take back her words before a voice came from behind,

"Alright then, go ahead and wear it."

The voice was calm, familiar, one she had heard not long ago.

Mobius froze for a moment, her previously confident expression shifting through a rainbow of emotions. Shock was unmistakably written across the face of this brilliant scientist of the previous era.

She had lost the bet.

(TL/C: LoL~ start wearing Pink, little pink snake~)

Behind her stood Raiden Mei, brushing away the stray electric arcs in her hair. With arms crossed, she observed the two women who had just used her as the subject of their wager, especially the petite green-haired figure.

Was she angry? Not really.

She had expected this outcome. From Mobius, she had learned that even within the Elysian Realm, it was unwise to treat things as a mere game.

In the end, she had won. And now, it seemed Mebius would have to wear the pink outfit she apparently detested. Mei couldn't understand why, but the thought was oddly amusing. Perhaps she was even a little... curious. What would someone like Mebius look like in a pink dress that so clearly didn't suit her?

"W-what?!"

"See? Mobius, didn't I tell you? A cute, girlish charm is always unbeatable~" Elysia teased, her bright eyes brimming with amusement.

Mobius's clenched fists began to sweat. She turned sharply to glare at the pink-haired woman who had baited her into this situation. Cold light flashed in her eyes.

"It was you... wasn't it, Elysia..."

"Hmm?" Elysia tilted her head innocently, her smile unwavering.

"...Tch."

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, Mobius stormed off, her frosty expression betraying her frustration.

"Wait, Mobius! Don't go so soon... Mobius!"

Elysia's calls were genuine, she wasn't done teasing her just yet. Was she being too much? Maybe. But Mobius had certainly added color to her life, even if others didn't quite share her fondness for the scientist.

Watching her retreating figure, Elysia turned to Mei and sighed,

"She must really hate pink if it upset her this much."

"But, you know, that pouty look of hers..."

"It's like she turned into a little pufferfish. Don't you think so, Mei?"

Back in the warmth of the hall, with Elysia's playful chatter filling the air, Mei could only think one thing: everything was as usual.

Elysia remained as mischievous as ever, and Mei, for once, was glad not to be the main character of the joke.

As for Elysia's question... Mei was sorry, but she couldn't see what was supposed to be cute about Mobius at all.

Raiden Mei couldn't help but feel that Kiana was rather adorable, warm, silly, clingy. But perhaps everyone had their own preferences.

Some liked cats, others preferred snakes, and still others adored petite, loli-like figures...

Mei herself was more curious about something else, did Elysia know everything about Mebius's intentions when she made that bet? If she did, then why...?

Well, perhaps Mei had idealized Elysia too much at the start, unconsciously beginning to rely on her. But if Elysia had really stood by and watched her fall into a trap, even if she ultimately rescued her, Mei couldn't help but feel a seed of doubt sprouting in her heart.

"Of course not. Mobius told me herself after she came out," Elysia explained, attempting to clarify the situation.

"Well... how to put it..."

Elysia scratched her head, trying to find a suitable way to express her feelings. She genuinely wanted to share her inner thoughts!

But, as previously mentioned, Elysia's analogies were notoriously terrible.

"It's like… when the cat you're raising scratches up your curtains and then proudly shows off to you... Something like that?"

She scratched her cheek, her bright eyes focused intently on Mei's face as she spoke.

"..."

Silence.

For a moment, the hall of the Elysian Realm was shrouded in an awkward quiet. Neither of them were socially anxious, yet the atmosphere felt like the embodiment of such discomfort.

Perhaps realizing her mistake, Elysia tentatively offered a more constructive suggestion,

"Maybe... if we replace the cat with a snake, it'd be more fitting?"

Elysia's analogies were, as always, fearsome.

-------

[Another masterpiece of an analogy! Too bad Mobius wasn't 'lucky' enough to miss it.]

[The perfect example of one thing countering another. Suddenly, I'm curious about what Elysia has done to Mobius before—our snake gets teased so easily!]

[Pufferfish? Pardon me, but that just reminded me of a certain tsundere Herrscher. It's fine, Sirin, your legacy of tsundere behavior has been passed on! Wait, considering the timeline, maybe Sirin is the one inheriting it?]

"It's so... Elysia-like. Totally her."

"Uh-huh?"

Elysia glanced over at Mobius, whose expression was growing darker by the second. Strangely enough, this only seemed to brighten Elysia's mood.

Of course, she made sure not to laugh out loud. After all, she was quite skilled at handling the other party's emotions delicately.

Unexpectedly, Mobius was 'lucky' enough to overhear Elysia's analogy.

As for the pink dress... Elysia had already realized that idea.

The process? Well, it was quite smooth.

Hmm, maybe it wasn't the best way to describe it, but it was certainly fitting. Would that evaluation be satisfactory?

"You! Elysia, if you don't know how to make comparisons, then don't!" Mobius snapped, her face dark and teeth clenched. What did she mean by a cat ruining curtains and showing off? Did Elysia see her as a cat? There was already a cat among the Flame-Chasers!

"But I was worried Mei wouldn't understand, so I thought this would make my answer clearer~"

"But your analogy was completely inappropriate!"

"Really? But you understood immediately, didn't you?"

Elysia poked the crown on Mobius's head. The black metallic texture felt nice, though Elysia had no idea why Mobius insisted on wearing it. At least it wasn't heavy.

"...Please refrain from using analogies on me in the future."

Mobius crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly upward as she glared coldly at Elysia, her disdain palpable.

"Oh? Are you setting rules now?"

"I can learn!"

.....

"Do they always act like this?"

Kiana quietly approached Luo Mo, who was watching the scene unfold, and poked him in the side.

"Hiss—what are you doing?" Luo Mo glared at her angrily.

"Geez, so weak! That won't do~ How about joining Valkyrie training and seeing for yourself?"

"No way!"

"The meaning of life lies in movement."

"Movement only depletes my life. I'd rather dedicate my limited time to infinite pursuits. Now, to answer your earlier question: what do you think green and pink are like together?"

Luo Mo refused with a disdainful expression. As someone who didn't even want to work, how could he possibly participate in the Valkyries' grueling training?

What kind of suggestion was that?!

"Brown!"

Kiana answered immediately, her eyes gleaming with curiosity as she stared at him.

"What a coincidence—I didn't know either... You actually knew?!"

Luo Mo was genuinely shocked. Judging by how quickly she answered, it must have been correct... Was this still the same Kiana he knew?

Wasn't she only good at multiple-choice questions?

"Is it that surprising I'd know? And besides, Valkyrie training is for your own good, boss..."

"How so?"

"Training doesn't last forever. Outside the facilities, there are lots of pretty Valkyries taking breaks..."

Kiana gave Luo Mo a knowing look, throwing him a cheeky grin.

Luo Mo fell silent, scrutinizing her carefully.

Suddenly, he found himself reevaluating Kiana.

So, this was her motivation for training? Well, maybe not, she was already sleeping next to Mei every day...

Still, was this considered bribing your boss as an employee? Could he dock her pay for this?