Honkai: Strijder (Honkai Impact 3 Male MC)

"An artist, a painter..."

Hera, with Theresa in one hand and a teacup in the other, the pale steam drifting over her exquisitely painted face, carried a somewhat meaningful expression.

She continued:

"The one who controls the colors, stands outside the painting, overseeing all things, outlining the destinies of living beings—so, are you, trying to become a god?"

Hera raised an eyebrow, looking at Welt with a gaze of expectation, even encouragement.

Welt shook his head with a wry smile.

"How could I dare? I'm just an insignificant member among the myriad of living beings. How could I become a god? I just want to find the method to create a perfect masterpiece and the process to realize it."

"Kindness, understanding, mutual love, unity—what you want has actually been written in the most prominent places of human history for thousands of years, even passed down from mouth to mouth. Everyone knows it, but no one takes these qualities seriously. Thousands of years have passed, and nothing has changed. So, you're just wasting your efforts."

"Hahaha! Makes sense, I need to jot that down. Shaping all the good qualities has indeed been written in human history long ago, we just need to guide and amplify this power. The goodness of one person is weak and powerless. Guiding the goodness of millions, regulating and restraining desires, that is the true utopia!"

Welt looked as if he had gained insight, jotting down something on his notebook, already marked with signs of frequent use. His gentle smile remained, unaffected by Hera's assessment of his efforts as "useless".

Hera raised an eyebrow and asked:

"You're so determined, what kind of answer are you looking for?"

Welt gently stroked the cover of his notebook, smiling slightly.

"Truthfully speaking, it should be a kind of idea. I believe that people have limits, but ideas do not. As long as I find the right idea and transmit it, it will be passed down and developed for thousands of years. Eventually, it will guide humanity to paint that perfect picture. As for me, all I need to do is to carry it out to the end, whether I achieve my goals completely or fall on the way, it doesn't matter. I will strive to the end, but success doesn't have to be mine; I just need to know that one day it can be achieved, and that's enough."

"...Naive."

Hera slowly uttered this word, setting down her teacup. She continued:

"Rather than relying on humanity to achieve utopia on its own, it's more realistic for you to ascend to godhood first and, with your own will, transform the world into what you desire. That would be more practical."

Just as the former Schicksal was a decaying and absurd religious institution, if it weren't for Otto's ascent, intentionally maintaining the world's stability and forcibly reversing everything with his strong personal abilities, the Schicksal of today would not look like this.

Welt sighed.

"Indeed, I could do that. And then what? How long can a system enforced by external force be maintained? No, I should ask, how long can I exist forcefully? When I fall, everything will dissipate again, right? Only by finding the right idea, making people comprehend, acknowledge, and willingly follow it from the heart, guiding them to spontaneously establish the order they need, can it truly endure."

Hera's eyes flickered. Yes, this is how the current Schicskal is.

Without qualified successors, when Hera, or Otto lets go, this powerful organization, unified outwardly and dominating the globe, will decay and collapse from within, and everything will slowly return to square one — humanity's flaws are so stubbornly unsolvable.

So, she said lightly:

"It's impossible. Humanity's flaws have remained the same throughout the ages; there's no order that everyone would agree to."

"Then, have you asked every single person?"

"What?"

Hera was taken aback.

And Welt, always gentle, said:

"Obviously, you haven't asked them; you just assume. But I have decided to ask, to discuss and research with them, to find that kind of order — even if not everyone, at least the vast majority, willing to follow and uphold. It must exist, the further we go, the more I believe in this. After all, we are all humans with soft hearts, why can't we work together?"

"...Naive."

Hera repeated this assessment once again.

Then, she raised her teacup.

"But, you know what? I actually don't dislike naive people, so, here's to you!"

"Haha, I'm honored."

The two teacups clinked.

"I admire those who are upright and brave, and you, you're very courageous, but I still think this is a ridiculous journey. I don't hold much hope for the future you described. When it comes to understanding human nature, I have much more experience of it than you."

"Yeah, it's quite difficult. But someone has to do it, who else could it be besides me?"

"Why are you so confident again?"

"People are contradictory, you know? On one hand, it feels difficult, on the other hand... in this vast world, who else but me? Is that strange?"

Hera shrugged, smiling, noncommittal.

Then, she changed the subject again.

"Tell me, do you think gods exists?"

"I don't think so, everything is just a person's fate and choices."

"If there are no gods, then where does the Honkai come from?"

"Well... you've got me there. If there truly exists some divine will above us, arranging the Honkai as a great adversary for humanity, watching the tug-of-war struggle between both sides until one ends – that kind of existence could be described as godlike."

Welt sighed deeply, his words heavy with both weight and sadness. The story of the Honkai was a tale woven with blood and tears, as it has always been throughout history.

Hera then asked, "If there really is such a god, how would you respond?"

"First, eliminate the Honkai, then break through the world's barrier, and array our troops beyond the world – uprooting the tree and filling the sea."

Tres, referring to the Imaginary Tree.

Sea, referring to the Quantum Sea.

In reality, they are neither Tree nor Sea, just metaphors. If one were to understand the concepts involving the origins of countless worlds simply as a great tree and a vast sea because of these names, that would undoubtedly be foolish.

But Hera understood what Welt meant.

So, she suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!"

"How could— How could you have such thoughts? Isn't this the stuff of dreams?"

"Hahaha!"

The girl laughed so hard that her laughter shook her whole body, her golden hair rippling in the night as if creating ripples, accompanied by her clear laughter like silver bells, dazzling and mesmerizing.

Welt just watched her, seeing her laughter gradually fade into nothingness.

Then, he calmly asked, "So, in your opinion, besides this, does humanity have another choice?"

"How about fleeing?"

"Fleeing to where?"

"Quantum Sea, World Bubble, how about it?"

Hera asked with a mischievous smile.

Welt stared at her, unable to tell if Hera really had a plan or if she was just teasing him in every possible way.

In the end, Welt could only sigh and say, "If we could truly escape, it wouldn't be a bad way out. But I remain skeptical; if we hide in the World Bubble, would the Honkai just stay away, or worse, intensify? Furthermore, even if the Honkai stays away, is there really peace and safety in the elusive Quantum Sea? In my opinion, we only have one path – and that is victory. Besides victory, there's nothing else."

"Victory, that's another fairy tale."

Hera said softly, recalling the civilizations that had already perished under the Honkai, and also remembering her brief encounter with the God of Honkai, she was momentarily lost in thought.

Then, she raised her glass once again.

"Here's to you again, Welt Yang!"

Hera pronounced Welt's full name, looking at the man with calm and gentle eyes.

He was no longer just a shadow of Joyce; he was Welt Yang.

Welt Yang — Hera silently repeated this name in her mind. She knew she had another person to remember.

Welt clinked glasses with Hera, finished his drink, then glanced at his watch, speaking to himself without hiding his voice:

"Well, I think it's about time. The tasks entrusted by Sigurd should have been completed unexpectedly smoothly"

Hera's smile stiffened.

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