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

Happy moments are always fleeting. For Vill-V, this was no exception, even though she wasn't particularly happy.

Instead, she existed as someone who highlighted others' happiness.

But at last, this grueling period was over, a stretch of time worth commemorating and meaningful in its own way.

Vill-V wiped the sweat from her forehead and glanced sideways at the group lounging on their chairs, as if they were leisurely enjoying afternoon tea, living a life of comfort and ease.

The corners of her mouth curled slightly upward as the various Vill-V exchanged glances. Even the Extremity personality, who had previously refused to join their group chat, nodded in agreement. At this moment, they had all reached a consensus.

Although she had earlier feigned the role of a victim weakly swinging a shovel, doing odd jobs, and putting on an act,

The idea of truly building a villa with their own hands in just five days was nothing more than a pipe dream. How could that possibly be done?

After all, the five days she mentioned included every step of the process.

So...what she had been doing just now was mostly an act of exaggerating her misery.

Being skilled in psychology, she understood that when people are faced with stark contrasts in situations, they're more likely to feel pleasure. When are people most inclined to be generous?

The answer: When they see others in miserable situations far worse than their own.

So, she had deliberately pretended to be pitiful earlier.

Once the heroes longer paid attention to her as she dusted away debris, Vill-V started operating her machines. A swarm of small robots appeared out of thin air, along with large vehicles rapidly assembled, and with the push of a button into automated remote control mode, the construction speed suddenly soared. Then she also began slacking off.

Why else had she suggested taking their belongings outside in the first place?

Avoiding blowing up St. Freya Academy was certainly one of the key reasons, but even more so, she had already prepared to rebuild their home.

They thought they were punishing Vill-V, but she, of course, knew full well what she was doing.

So, she quietly snuck into the control room, where the eight of them comfortably lay down.

Why work hard?

In this lifetime, it was impossible for her to work herself to the bone. For such a rough job, just putting in some token effort was enough.

Strictly speaking, there were nine personalities. However, one of them had been put away because it was too difficult to control. If she were to release the personality designed to counter Kevin's armed persona…she wouldn't have a moment's peace!

After all, that personality's core logic revolved around challenging Kevin and preparing for combat.

The other Flame-Chasers present didn't say much about it, as they too hoped for the house to be built quickly. As for Vill-V? Well, she'd already been working quite seriously.

Thus, the reconstruction of the Golden Courtyard proceeded steadily. A new home was bound to rise from the original ruins.

Cleaning debris was only temporary, everyone had a bright future ahead.

---

By noon, Theresa received a piece of good news from her beloved niece.

"W-What?"

The comic book she had been pretending to read slipped from her hands onto the table, revealing the cover hidden inside.

As for why she hadn't torn it up…well, the fact that the headmaster of St. Freya Academy secretly read manga had already been fully exposed in the game. What was the point of keeping it a secret anymore?

Luo Mo had a valid point, why waste any more energy trying to cover it up?

But now, the manga in her hands was crumpled, her face tinged with anger as she struggled to form words.

Her furious gaze locked onto Kiana, determined to uncover who had dared plot against her!

"You—you—you! Say that again, Kiana Kaslana!"

Who was it?

Her grandmother had only just left to handle some headquarters affairs, and now this?

As the headmaster of St. Freya, could she not even slack off in peace?

Why did strange things keep happening around her?

Was it truly because the protagonist always attracted trouble? Theresa glanced at Kiana, whose hands were nervously fidgeting in front of her. She felt a pang of despair.

"I just thought…we should take inspiration from the Thirteen Flame chasers in the game and form a Herrscher organization of our own."

"I really thought it was a great idea! Oh, and Aunt Theresa, is that Homu manga you're reading the latest edition? I haven't seen it yet."

Sensing something was off, Kiana maintained her composure and explained herself. She even shifted the topic slightly away from the more fatal part of the conversation.

"Yes, it's the latest…don't change the subject! Tell me, who put you up to this? A Thirteen Herrschers organization at St. Freya, all made up of beautiful Herrschers…"

"If that happens… is there any hope left for my academy?"

Theresa spoke with a mix of grief and indignation, her trembling finger pointed at Kiana. When had her academy turned into this?

Does she still have a chance to get rid of the title of Far East Demon Cave?

She felt faint, her vision spinning and darkening as the world tilted.

Could this world still be saved?

That question lingered in her heart.

Yet life had no intention of ceasing its torment of her, continuing to pile its injustices onto the headmaster of St. Freya.

"Don't say that, Aunt Theresa. Look, the academy has so many more facilities now. Even your manga collection is always up to date. Using a phrase I learned in class, things are 'thriving and prosperous'!"

Kiana bent down slightly, apologetic yet affectionate, drawing closer to Theresa with a playful smile.

"W-Well, that's because I, as your headmaster, have been working hard alongside you!"

Theresa's face flushed slightly as she hastily hid the manga book in her drawer.

Upon closer inspection, a yellow rabbit graced the cover, with the words "The Grand Appearance of Homu King" prominently displayed.

She discreetly pushed the book further into the drawer.

As for the financial situation, she understood perfectly well how things stood. The academy's finances relied entirely on that company's support.

In another sense, St. Freya was effectively an official entity endorsing Mihoyo's company, so it wasn't exactly taking advantage. Although…the other branches were indeed envious.

But the company exclusively employed academy personnel! They even occupied her villa!

Just yesterday, two more people had moved in. (Elysia, Mobuis). While they claimed they'd only stay for a few days, Theresa vividly remembered Luo Mo saying the same thing back then…

Theresa felt a headache coming on.

"Hehe—still, I've never thought there was anything wrong with Herrschers. If we really had a problem, wouldn't it have shown by now?"

"You are you, and those later Herrschers are those later Herrschers. You've seen the Herrscher of Dominance, how could we possibly include her?"

Theresa stubbornly resisted, her head now resting on the desk in utter despair.

"Don't tell me this was your boss's idea again?"

Her tone was laced with suspicion, her eyes narrowing as if scrutinizing a guilty party.

The boss had too many prior offenses to escape suspicion.

"Uh... don't underestimate me! This time, it was entirely my idea!"

Kiana thought for a moment before deciding to take full credit.

With this initiative, she might even secure the top position in the organization, finally outshining that Elysia from the opposing group!

What choice did she have? Though she hated to admit it, among the Herrschers, whether it was the Herrscher of Reason or Wendy diligently studying in class, Kiana didn't feel confident in her ability to win against them.

Wendy, in particular, had taken significant strides. Despite the criticisms from the game's fans about the "Three Herrschers Debating Wendy's Supremacy," Wendy chose to focus solely on her studies. Her mastery of Herrscher powers had progressed immensely.

During a recent power outage at the academy, Wendy volunteered to generate electricity using wind energy, keeping the school running for an entire day, all while leisurely finishing a book.

Her power output wasn't particularly high, but her endurance and precision were remarkable.

Notably, during that outage, only the Golden Courtyard remained brightly lit, turning the villa into one of the academy's seven wonders.

"…" Theresa sat up straight. Though she barely reached Kiana's waist, she sighed deeply with a mix of helplessness and exhaustion.

"Why are you so proud of something like this?"

"Auntie, just tell me if we're going to establish it or not. Do we need to create a proper excuse or disguise it? How about I set up a club or something like that?"

"Is this how the school teaches you to use idioms?"

Theresa widened her eyes, clearly baffled.

"Hehe, I taught myself."

Kiana averted her gaze with slight embarrassment, pretending to look like a product of the school's nurturing.

"…Kiana, do you know what you're doing?"

"I do. If even the Flame-Chasers, who are fusion warriors, need an organization to counter external suspicion, then wouldn't Herrschers, who differ even more, need such a team sooner or later?"

"Herrschers need a group that accepts them even more than fusion warriors do, don't they?"

"So you really understand… but can't this wait until the Herrscher of Dominance is resolved?"

Theresa looked at her niece, surprised. Kiana wasn't just growing in the training room, she had become exceptional in ways she hadn't noticed.

Truly worthy of being Cecilia's daughter!

"But… wouldn't that mean giving up on a thousand people?"

Kiana mumbled, her gaze once clouded, now clearing to reveal a bright and determined light.

"I don't know if this choice is right, but if we do nothing, it'll surely mean failure. I've seen the game. Maybe it saved some girls who were possessed, but many others weren't saved, right?"

She murmured softly, glancing at the conflicted Theresa with a calm, composed expression. "The majority versus the minority… Are you willing to bet?"

"You're so sly… How am I supposed to argue with you?"

Theresa sighed, clearly wavering.

It wasn't that she thought Kiana was wrong, but rather that the timing wasn't right. Trying to get people to accept Herrschers as more than disasters and to trust them was a fragile hope.

If another Herrscher appeared and immediately devastated human society, it would only make it harder for people to accept them.

But if they didn't form the organization, as Kiana said, they would have no choice but to wait for the Thousand Herrschers to arrive, reacting passively to disasters.

The light Kiana suggested might not be strong, but it wasn't insignificant either.

The real question was whether the Herrschers in the game, Herrscher of the Dominance and the Herrscher of Binding, still harbored a longing for beauty and light.

No one could give a definitive answer to that.

"…What's wrong? Can't the Headmistress make a decision yet?" Kiana raised an eyebrow, speaking lightly.

"It's not that easy… How can you be sure you'll bring the Herrscher of Dominance into the fold?"

"Hehe, intuition! Besides, doesn't the boss always say to capture all the Herrschers?"

"That guy? I think he just wants to see chaos. Would the disappearance of St. Freya Academy benefit him in any way?"

Theresa responded bitterly, her eyes full of resentment.

"Well, it would save the company a fortune!"

Kiana teased, feigning surprise.

"You! …Fine, let me think about it some more."

Theresa waved her hand, dismissing Kiana for now.

"Okay."

Kiana nodded, shuffled to the door, and left. But just as her figure disappeared, she peeked back through the door and added,

"Oh, by the way, Auntie, the boss approves of this. No need to ask him."

"Knew it… You were egged on by him, weren't you?! Luo Mo!!"

---

At Schicksal Headquarters

Kallen sat at her desk in a daze. Since her return to headquarters, she had been sitting here for two hours.

This time, she didn't bring Durandal or Rita back with her. Partly because she was just handling some matters quickly, and partly because of the warmth radiating from the stigma on her back and the power she now held in her hands.

Especially after receiving some speculation relayed by Mobius, Kallen was sure no one could hinder her now.

At the moment, she was merely staring at a drawer beneath the desk. It contained countless letters, including one penned before Luo Mo's arrival.

Those letters, written in moments of agitation, beneath the moonlight's frost, with ravens passing through swaying branches, at dusk as the sun kissed the earth, again and again, she had written idle musings, hopes, and messages for someone who never came to read them.

They remained confined in that small space, untouched by the light of day.

She simply stared at the drawer, and the words she once wrote echoed endlessly in her mind.

History no longer remembered him. To Kallen Kaslana, he would always be a comrade-in-arms. Theresa's emergence as an Apocalypsis, the tangled relationships Otto struggled with, and…

The countless times she came close to expressing her hopes at the end of those letters, to hear from a dear friend once more.

And now, she had witnessed it herself.

She has witnessed history,.

Otto would be remembered in a new, honorable light, as a symbol of cleverness, wisdom, strategy, mischief, and pure love.

No one would recall his grief and frustration, those were in the past.

No one would remember his sins, they weren't real.

No one would speak of his curing diseases, that was a recorded fact.

No one would mourn the person he truly was, because now, there was someone else.

Kallen lowered her gaze, her blue eyes filling with tears as she sank into memories of the past and the emotions stirred by her conversation with him.

For a moment, she felt like curling into herself, wrapping her arms tightly around her body, and letting herself feel lost for just a few moments, in a world where she was utterly alone.

(TL/C: Idon't fell annoyed anymore after their reunion. So, let it all out.)

"To fight for all the beauty in the world..."

She murmured softly, letting her gaze become vacant, as if she had lost focus.

Those were the words she had once spoken. He had carried them forward, turning them into the motto of generations of Valkyries.

It nurtured those outstanding Valkyries and became a priceless legacy leading to victory.

She had even seen him one last time, fulfilling the wish she had always written at the end of her letters.

Surely... there shouldn't be so much sadness anymore.

And yet, as Kallen looked at the letters she had once written to him, her heart trembled faintly.

People will always become greedy once they gain something.

She had come to understand this truth more deeply now. But that hope, no miracle would ever make it come true again.

This world would become a better place,

as would his world.

But not him.

...