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

Luo Mo's thoughts once again drifted into strange territory.

"That makes a lot of sense."

"Right? Right~"

Kiana was a little proud of herself. She had only come to understand these things after experiencing them firsthand. More importantly, her current level of fame meant that when she rested, other girls would occasionally strike up conversations with her.

"But I can't go, right? And... have you seen a single man in my company? Such a pity. There are even fewer opportunities for overtime now. Sigh... Honkai really is biased."

Luo Mo lamented, though his frustration seemed more aimed at the lack of people to drag into overtime work. Valkyries always found ways to waste their energy on trivial matters.

"..."

Kiana squinted at him. Perhaps getting rid of this menace would be a great act of public service?

Though Luo Mo's thoughts jumped all over the place, his fixation on overtime work... was utterly bizarre.

She had only wanted him to step outside and be more active, definitely not to expose himself, get surrounded, and end up in a mob. But his first reaction was overtime?

"So, what does this have to do with colors?" Kiana asked flatly.

"Nothing, really. It's just that their relationship is truly one of love and rivalry. Despite Mobius's tough words, when Elysia was in danger, she was devastated."

Kiana remained silent at Luo Mo's explanation, simply sighing at his absurdity.

As for Luo Mo, he was already lost in thought about what Kiana had mentioned earlier.

To admit something somewhat embarrassing, what intrigued him the most was, what would the scent of a heavily sweating, beautiful girl after intense training be like? Would it form some kind of unique chemical reaction amidst various undertones?

As for the love-hate relationship between Mobius and Elysia, Luo Mo was spot on.

After Elysia's death, Mobius might not have been the one who mourned her the most, but she certainly wasn't as indifferent as she claimed.

Among humans, there weren't many that Mobius admired. Elysia was one of the rare exceptions, shining brilliantly even as Mebius gradually realized that Elysia might not have been entirely human.

---

In the Golden Courtyard, Eden fell in silence.

"Pink clothes? Oh, Elysia once asked me to modify some for her... I ended up altering them to—"

At that moment, Eden abruptly paused, casting an apologetic glance at the curious onlookers.

Had she helped Elysia fulfill a small wish of hers? Eden thought happily. The precise measurements flashed in her mind once more, perfectly matching someone petite, Dr. Mobius.

Well, the other outfit required even more drastic alterations, and it belonged to someone even smaller.

Eden's gaze lowered to the quiet figure staring at the screen, Klein.

Compared to when she first emerged, Klein now seemed much more human.

Was this the power of Stigmata? Or perhaps the result of spending time with someone close?

Eden simply smiled, noticing Klein's ears flush red. However, Klein stubbornly refused to lower her head or turn away. Her logical mind analyzed the situation, knowing that doing so would only expose her further.

---------

Word of Raiden Mei's survival had spread, prompting many to come forward with 'congratulations.'

However... were those really congratulatory words?

Compared to Raven's initial greeting, which included a playful jab about how to address Mei—Raiden Mei, the distinguished lady, or perhaps Mobius's assistant?

"Mobius," Mei replied coldly, her tone sharp and unambiguous as she looked at Raven.

"...Heh,"

Raven chuckled helplessly, her lips curling into a sly grin. "Well, that's not like her at all. At the very least... shouldn't I call you sister?"

After all, Mobius had always been fond of such terms, though Raven couldn't help but feel chills every time she heard them.

Mei was slightly exasperated by Raven's teasing.

Still, looking back, Mei understood why Raven had fled at the time. In hindsight, Raven had made the smartest choice.

In a situation where death was nearly certain... the ability to sense danger and retreat swiftly was a skill in itself.

"One has to admit, her instincts are sharp. The moment she sensed danger, she didn't hesitate to escape," Mobius commented.

"What a pity... if I had been just a step closer, I could have trapped her there for good."

A hint of regret flickered in Mobius's eyes. Perhaps she should have placed the trap a bit further ahead?

She had agonized over the decision for quite some time, biting her nails in frustration before ultimately deciding not to take the uncertain risk.

On second thought, her prey's tendency to flee at the slightest hint of danger made any pursuit futile.

"I thought you looked down on that kind of behavior~" Mei remarked, glancing at her.

After all, in the footage, Mobius had clearly expressed disdain for such actions.

"Look down? My favorites are the mice who charge straight at me. As for those who run at the first whiff of danger, forcing me to chase them down... Of course, I don't like that."

"But for a mouse, isn't it natural not to want to be experimented on?"

Mobius chuckled softly, her voice dripping with charm yet laced with mockery.

Mei could naturally hear the hidden meaning behind Mobius's words. Compared to Elysia's whimsical metaphors, Mobius's analogies were far clearer, but far more unsettling.

--

"It's truly surprising, Herrscher. You're still alive."

A burst of flames flickered behind him as a masked Kalpas spoke.

His words carried a fiery intensity, like the eruption of a volcano, anger and disdain that one could never forget.

And these were just his opening words, his version of a greeting to Mei. It was almost touching how deeply concerned he seemed to be.

As a result, Mei took quite a bit of time figuring out how to respond.

"Perhaps you should feel fortunate to be alive to hear my praise," he said, his tone both icy and blazing, as if his words could ignite a war at any moment.

"...Praise? Are you talking about that just now?"

Mei asked hesitantly, uncertain. Had she missed something? Or was he really calling that a compliment?

Did her mere survival warrant such acclaim, to the point it was worthy of praise?

"..."

Kalpas ignored her confusion and continued,

"To face Mobius in that state and hold your ground... I must have underestimated your growth."

He paused briefly before his voice boomed again.

"Now you're qualified to be reduced to ashes by my flames!!"

His eyes burned with battle lust, his intent unmistakable.

Mei, however, swiftly declined the absurdly unprovoked challenge. She had no desire to go from fighting one Flame-Chaser to immediately challenging another. She wasn't a battle maniac!

"And what's your plan? Keep buzzing around this Elysian Realm like a fly, randomly stopping people to interrogate them?"

Kalpas's words hit hard, almost as venomous as Mobius's sharp remarks.

His stubbornness was not only due to his preference for resolving issues through combat but also because of his equally sharp tongue.

Mei was momentarily left speechless by his cutting metaphor.

A fly? Randomly interrogating people?

The bizarre phrasing oddly reminded her of a certain pink-haired girl. Strangely, she found herself missing that girl's company, if only because she wouldn't leave Mei this flustered.

"Kalpas... could you maybe phrase it more politely?"

"You get my point, don't you, Herrscher?"

He snorted, entirely unmoved.

--

Mei, notorious troublemaker of the Elysian Realm, naturally brought the conversation to a sensitive subject, Klein. She tactfully connected Klein's experiences with the topic of Kalpas's former assistant, Emil.

"Wasn't their reluctance to bring this up because they feared Mobius losing her composure? Perhaps even retaliating as fiercely as you might. Am I right?"

Of course, Mei directed the question at Klein.

But that didn't stop Kalpas, already brimming with rage, from exploding.

"Get out! None of you have the right to bring up that name...!"

His roar echoed like a thunderclap, filled with unrestrained fury.

----------

"Wow... truly worthy of Flame Chasers's reputation. If that day ever comes, I just hope he doesn't come to congratulate me..."

Pardofelis's fluffy tail twitched nervously as she muttered, her brows furrowing while watching the screen.

This kind of praise? It felt premature for this era, or even the previous one.

"Oh... Are you sure about that?"

Kalpas's cold laughter cut through the room as he turned his head slightly.

Pardofelis froze, realizing too late that Kalpas wasn't far away and had heard everything.

"Ah, Kalpas, I misspoke just now! That's not what I meant at all!"

She immediately folded, surrendering without hesitation, her tone pleading like someone guilty of a grave offense.

"..."

"Leave."

Kalpas fell silent for a moment, seemingly unsure how to respond. He even looked slightly regretful, as if he felt bad for his earlier harshness. However, the idea of consoling a frightened cat clearly didn't appeal to him.

"Got it!"

She bolted, taking refuge behind Kevin without a second thought. Safety was far more important to her than keeping her spot on the couch, or the small gift from Vill-V.

"Hmph."

Kalpas turned away, brushing off the minor incident as unworthy of further attention.

--------

Compared to the chaos, Hua's greeting was perhaps the most normal one Mei had received.

"Impressive. Though I don't know why you ended up fighting Mobius...

"If a successor were to defeat her in that state, I would make sure to preserve the memory in my backups."

Fu Hua—no, Hua as she was known in this Realm, her name from the previous civilization, spoke earnestly. Her gaze held genuine respect and acknowledgment.

If Mei had the power to rewind time, or if Kalpas were present, she would have made him watch closely. This was what true praise looked like.

But that wasn't possible. Kalpas's version of praise was unique and couldn't be replicated.

Mei bowed her head slightly, silently acknowledging Hua's words.

Even so, she understood deep down, the Mobius in the Elysian Realm and the one in the real world were not the same. Without Klein's help, she wasn't sure she could truly defeat the real Mobius.

After all, according to her own account, Mei had single-handedly defeated two Flame-Chasers.

And in the presence of the Squad Leader, or even someone who merely resembled her—Mei always felt a sense of trust and a safe harbor. It was as if her mind could relax subtly in this presence.

-------

"The old timer never changes, no matter what time period she's in!"

The Herrscher of Sentience grumbled, dissatisfied. The tone became tranquil whenever the old timer was mentioned, boring and predictable.

Even her words were so dull!

"How dull," she muttered.

"But the Squad Leader is always reliable, protective, and trustworthy..."

Kiana countered, ticking off these qualities on her fingers as if listing numerous virtues.

"But boring is still boring," the Herrscher of Sentience said, puffing out her chest with pride as she criticized without reservation.

Of course, if anyone dared to join her in criticizing, she would turn on them immediately.

"Look at Kalpas, or even Raven, they leave much deeper impressions. I'm just being considerate for her sake," she said with a sigh, feigning the appearance of someone genuinely concerned for a junior.

Hua—no, Fu Hua, frowned, clearly tempted to interrupt this nonsense multiple times.

"But don't you think having someone normal among the Flame-Chasers is rare in itself?"

Luo Mo interjected gently.

"Hmm... You're right! That is unique in its own way!"

The Herrscher of Sentience's face lit up, quickly shifting moods.

After all, she was still a child at heart.

---------

The closing of the conversation naturally belonged to the one who had been observing everything from the very start.

Piecing together all the clues, Mei finally confirmed that the perpetually smiling girl wasn't as oblivious as she claimed. From the beginning to the end of the battle, she had witnessed everything.

"Oh, don't look at me like that~! The story was truly thrilling."

"The beautiful and kind Mei triumphed over the ultimate demon king, Mobius, and knocked her to the ground. Isn't that fascinating?"

"Of course, there was the pink fairy of beauty and kindness, the trials of fire, the sages' guidance, and the help of the little dwarves along the way..."

The elegant pink fairy spun her tale, her sweet and melodious voice crafting a song that seemed almost otherworldly, or perhaps literally otherworldly.

"Can we pause this story for a moment? As the supposed protagonist, I have no memory of any of this."

Mei crossed her arms, casting an unamused glance at the speaker. The deviations from reality in this tale were far too exaggerated.

The "pink fairy of beauty and kindness"? Well, considering it was Elysia, praising herself so openly wasn't out of the ordinary.

"Hmm?~"

Elysia's hum carried amusement as she rested her chin on one hand, her eyes twinkling. She stopped her whimsical narrative but seemed reluctant to abandon the story entirely.

"I felt your gaze during the battle," Mei said pointedly.

"Oh my, I even remember what you said at the end—'I trust myself, and I trust you far more than I trust these meaningless numbers.'"

"So, we're already this close? I'm so touched!"

Elysia exclaimed with delight.

The trust conveyed in those words... she cherished it. Although the context suggested Mei was speaking to Klein, could it also have included her, observing from the outside?

If so, that thought was truly delightful.

"Thank you for saving me... but why?"

"Because it made things more interesting, of course."

"...Let me rephrase. You knew this would happen, yet you didn't act to prevent it. Why? Was it really just for your entertainment?"

"I knew you'd understand me~!"

Elysia responded without hesitation, effortlessly mirroring Mei's phrasing.

Mei sighed, her tone softening as she turned to leave.

"Alright, fine. I admit, I know a little bit more than most people," Elysia said hurriedly, pulling Mei back with a light gesture. She even made a tiny gap between her fingers to illustrate just how little more she knew.

She went on to explain exactly what she did and didn't know, striving to prove that her intentions toward Mei were entirely harmless.

Finally, she added with a grin,

"You'll definitely beat her, Mei. After all, you're a perfect girl who rivals me in beauty, intelligence, and strength!"

Elysia reached out as if to tap Mei's forehead, but Mei deftly avoided her touch.

"Enough. If I ever truly find myself in danger, I'm sure you wouldn't just stand by and watch, would you?"

Mei concluded, summing up her thoughts. Elysia didn't need to promise anything, her actions had already proven this.

"I'll keep moving forward... and someday, I'll uncover your true intentions."

Mei turned back, gazing deeply at Elysia before walking away. The path she sought to explore was still far from its end.

Mobius was but a checkpoint, not the final one.

"..."

"Honestly... Why does everyone think there must always be an ulterior motive behind someone's actions?"

After Mei left, Elysia reclined on the sofa, a faint trace of helplessness flickering across her face.

Or was it that... she didn't appear sincere enough?

But she was the most sincere person! What more could she do, lie through her teeth and say that Mei was more beautiful and outstanding than her?

No way... she wouldn't go that far.

...