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

In a fantastical space with a pink sky, ancient buildings rose as if suspended in the clouds, creating a dreamy fairy-tale-like scene.

"It's a remarkable sight... Is this the architecture of the first civilization era?"

Mei cautiously scanned her surroundings but couldn't locate the person who had just spoken to her. The exquisite architecture before her filled her heart with admiration for the civilization that created it.

This was a view she had never encountered in her current civilization, further solidifying her recognition of the speaker's words.

That... woman she had seen the moment she entered this place.

"So, how is it? A bit ahead of your time, right? But in my era, this was just an ordinary residential building."

The voice in the air carried a hint of amusement, perfectly timed to deliver its explanation.

To Mei, the voice felt oddly reassuring.

At present, Mei, appearing as the Herrscher of Thunder familiar to many, was exploring a mysterious space within the World Serpent base under Kevin's guidance, searching for secrets yet unknown.

However, it seemed she'd encountered a strange yet beautiful girl, though her memories of the person were oddly hazy...

Who was she again?

Seemingly unaware of Mei's inner confusion, the chatty girl continued speaking, her tone as lively as ever. It wasn't so much a set of instructions as it was sharing the joy of exploration.

"This sense of dislocation across eras is part of the fun in exploring the Elysian Realm. Before encountering even more unbelievable sights, why not savor this moment a little?"

"Back to the main topic, you seem to be in better shape now, so let's move on to the next step."

"For now... just enjoy exploring. This is your first attempt, so don't overthink it."

"There's no punishment for failure, and no one will blame you if you don't do well. Don't worry, I'll always be by your side."

The voice behind her seemed to giggle softly, soothing Mei's thoughts. This was a guest the girl had personally welcomed, and Kevin had not forgotten to remind her to do so.

Well then... let it all begin now!

How exciting it was to think of where Mei might end up.

"So, what's my goal? Defeat someone? Find something?"

Mei furrowed her brows and asked. She was still somewhat puzzled by the situation, suddenly thrown into combat with the creatures here. Moreover, it seemed she had been enhanced by some additional factor in this space.

Was this... really still reality? A faint doubt arose in her heart.

"Uh, not exactly. All you need to do is explore and experience. After all, this is just a trial. Stop overthinking!"

"No Herrscher has ever stepped into this space before, so for both you and me... this is a first, isn't it?"

"..."

"I think I understand the situation now, but there's one critical question left,"

Mei nodded slightly and then asked a question that left the voice behind her stunned.

"—Who are you?"

"...Hey, you're serious? I literally introduced myself a few minutes ago!"

The soft voice behind her now carried a hint of frustration, struggling to adapt to Mei's forgetfulness.

"Unbelievable... Are you messing with me on purpose? How could you do this to a girl you just met?"

"With such a cute face, you sure have a cold heart."

It was almost too easy to imagine the girl's pouting and playful expression at that moment.

Mei, however, remained unmoved by the sweet teasing. After her past painful experiences, she no longer displayed the gentle demeanor she once wore openly.

She responded indifferently,

"Fine. I have no further questions."

"Well then, no time to waste, let's get started!"

But the girl's enthusiasm and cheerfulness remained unaffected by Mei's cold tone.

"I'll grant you my blessings, and your soul shall shine with even greater brilliance—"

She sang softly, her voice melodious, though her playful mischief soon became evident.

"The grand adventure of Raiden Mei in the Elysian Realm begins now!"

Shortly after, a series of engravings appeared on the right side, each displaying different effects. From the engraving interface, it was easy to recall the preview that had shown erased symbols, making the identity of the engravings almost obvious.

The lower section listed the effects of the engravings, each unique and selectable.

Thus began the layers of battles, fighting numerous Honkai beasts, mechs, and dead soldiers. Yet, Mei soon realized that the engravings she'd chosen had significantly strengthened her.

As the battles continued, Mei discovered that the only engravings she could accept now bore the shattered purple crystal flowers engraved on the doors.

---

[Mei's Elysian Realm Adventure! Yay, it's an adventure!]

[Whoa~ she's already making moves? So smooth!]

[World-renowned masterpiece: Kiana in Anti-Entropy.]

[Wait, did she even introduce herself? Those lines… she's definitely a sly one~]

"Hmm~ Is it finally my turn to shine?"

Elysia smiled lightly, her voice as charming as ever.

In the villa, Elysia had effortlessly claimed the central spot on the couch. She wasn't unreasonable, but when she asked Theresa, the reply she got was "do as you please."

Naturally, she thought she could.

However, judging by Theresa's later expression, it seemed she wasn't entirely pleased.

And besides, she couldn't just randomly cuddle an adorable girl like she used to. Back in the Golden Courtyard, she would usually have Eden or Griseo by her side, sometimes even hugging other cute girls like Sakura or Rin...

Alas, she couldn't quite decide whether Sakura's ears felt better or her own.

The main issue was the lack of practice, she couldn't make a definitive judgment!

But whenever she brought it up, the others always seemed to evade her advances. She really didn't mean any harm!

Elysia's smile grew even sweeter as she adjusted her posture, enjoying the game where she listened to her own voice acting.

After some time passed, looking back from a third-person perspective gave everything a different flavor.

"Truly worthy of me! I'm sure Mei's heart must be racing in the game by now~"

"Ah, by the way, Luo Mo, where did that Miss Irene, who looks just like Miss Rita, go? I haven't seen her around lately," Elysia asked, her tone curious.

Everyone sat in a circle on the crescent-shaped sofa, chatting and laughing, enjoying a lively atmosphere. Yet, somehow, both she and Mobius were overlooked, a fact that left her feeling a little down.

Had she gone too far recently?

Elysia didn't introspect deeply; she merely wanted to be close to everyone here, after all.

"And, Theresa, didn't you say you hate school bullying the most? Doesn't that include cold-shouldering people? Why are you treating me and Mobius this way? It's so mean~"

"If you didn't keep throwing yourself at me for hugs…ugh, you're worse than Luo Mo!"

Theresa, hearing her name called, turned her head to see Elysia, her nose wrinkling with slight annoyance as she spoke.

Compared to others, Theresa was much more direct in expressing her discontent. Elysia's sudden and overly familiar hugs were almost too practiced!

Was it possible that Theresa didn't want to be treated like a child, lifted into hugs? Moreover, that overly prominent chest of Elysia's, wasn't it her duty as a nun to rid the world of all sins?

Glancing at Elysia's chest, Theresa quickly shifted her gaze, worried that the other might notice.

Elysia reclined comfortably, crossing her legs in an effortlessly graceful manner. Her smooth, fair thighs caught the eye, her five delicate toes peeking out from her house slippers. Dressed in a casual light-pink T-shirt and shorts, today she lacked her usual ethereal fairy-like aura but still exuded undeniable charm.

Switching to a more relaxed position, she let out a contented sigh.

As for the weight gain she mentioned, Luo Mo, having discreetly glanced over, couldn't see any evidence to support it.

Theresa, narrowing her eyes, noted that Irene had already been gone for several days.

In other words, she was now the only anomaly left in the villa!

Even Mobius, the mastermind behind the Loop Project and someone Theresa instinctively disliked, had an unimpressive figure, which reassured her.

Yes! Small chests were the majority here!

"Huh? Worse than Luo Mo…really? Maybe I should reflect on that~"

Elysia stroked her silky hair in mock distress, sighing dramatically.

Luo Mo, on the other hand, felt exasperated and drew a sharp breath.

Glaring at the two who were mocking him, he grumbled, "Say whatever you want, but don't use me as a comparison! I'm not some kind of unit of measurement."

"That's true. A negative unit isn't very helpful and lacks fairness," Theresa nodded, surprisingly agreeing with Luo Mo's complaint.

Clicking his tongue, Luo Mo glanced at the petite yet bristling Theresa. For someone so small, she sure had an endless supply of energy.

Hopefully, she wouldn't become a Herrscher of Pufferfish or something.

"Cough, cough—while I doubt that Mr. Assassin is as bad as you claim, I'll refrain from commenting further."

"Hmm? What are you all talking about? Humans, do you have any costume cards for me? I want some…"

Observing the conversation with a faint smile, Kongming covered part of her face with a fan, her curiosity apparent.

She felt that she might have been overworked at the company recently. What was the term again…capitalists?

Still, most people seemed to willingly comply, despite voicing complaints. Their grumbles aside, their loyalty was undeniable.

Luna, however, was more straightforward, her eyes shimmering as she tugged at Luo Mo's sleeve, her soft voice asking gently.

That pleading look made Luo Mo a little uneasy.

He had tried, and it seemed Luna could use costumes. Somehow, when Theresa asked her to try on the Magical Girl outfit, it looked surprisingly good…

He guessed it was because the costumes were categorized under Theresa's role in the game, meaning most could be shared?

Still, he had never seen Luna wear Klee's outfit, and he was too embarrassed to ask about the gift he had already given away.

"Cough,—there will be more costumes soon, Luna. Yours should arrive in a few days," Luo Mo stammered, averting his gaze.

Right now, he could hand over a costume, but…which one? None seemed suitable, so he decided to delay for now.

Should he give Luna a wedding dress? Or her Moonlight armor? He feared doing so would make three people cling to him endlessly, so he figured it was better to wait.

Besides, what didn't exist simply didn't exist. He couldn't conjure something out of nothing.

"Hmm? What was that look on your face just now?"

Kongming frowned, eyeing Luo Mo suspiciously. She felt a deep sense of malice.

To be honest, she was highly curious about the cards as well. Such logic-defying tools resembled magic that should only exist on paper.

"Ahem—I was wondering who Irene might bring back with her."

(TL/C: are we finally getting the Captain squad?!)

Luo Mo shifted the topic seamlessly, steering away from anything unfavorable to Kongming.

"Speaking of cards…why do my attacks turn into cute bombs? Do you know what's going on?"

Theresa's face darkened at the mention of cards, recalling her own experiments with them. The result? Her throws kept producing bombs. Thankfully, they were merely aesthetic…

Otherwise, the headlines the next day would be absurd: "Shocking! St. Freya Engulfed in Explosions," "Coup or Independence? Choose Wisely!" or "What's Behind the Thunder at St. Freya? A Look at Theresa, the Woman of the Hour!"

"I don't know!" Luo Mo quickly denied it, shaking his head vigorously.

Could it be a special effect? He briefly considered the possibility.

"Hmph—let's hope you really don't know," Theresa muttered, pouting as she ignored him.

...

"Mobius, don't you think we're being left out? Why isn't anyone talking to us?"

Shifting her position, Elysia discreetly poked Mobius in the back.

"...Huh?"

Mobius, her eyes half-closed, responded in a steady and sleepy rhythm. Having just woken up, she seemed a little dazed.

"Where is this?"

She questioned with confusion. Wasn't she in her room? After completing her experiments, of course, she needed a good sleep! But... why were there so many people here? And where was Klein?

Sitting up, she scanned the surroundings, only to see the familiar faces of those seated and the screen projecting in front of them.

It felt as though she'd missed countless events. What year was it now?

"Ah, I thought it was finally time for our story segment, so I invited you to join us for a watch!"

Elysia said apologetically.

"Did you ask if I wanted to watch?"

Mobius's lips twitched for a while before she accepted the reality. She had pulled an all-nighter, and now, in the morning, she was being dragged to watch a "movie"?

For the past few days, she had even agreed to let the AI she invented handle the dubbing, ensuring it perfectly matched her voice, but still, Elysia rejected it... Ugh, what a hassle.

What exactly was going on here?

Looking at Elysia's smiling face, Mobius already knew the truth.

Of course, this was also why Luo Mo and the others maintained a careful distance from Elysia, imagine being princess-carried from your room. That's just absurd! Absolutely no sense of personal boundaries.

"Hmm? I'd guess that all beauties think alike, wouldn't they? Alright, alright, we agreed to watch the main story together, didn't we?"

Elysia said soothingly.

"But this is not—"

Mobius retorted coldly, trying to suppress the frustration of her morning irritability. She was gritting her teeth but couldn't win against Elysia.

Blame it on the universal guestroom keys, this kind of thing could never happen in the Golden Courtyard!

"But this is our story, isn't it?"

Elysia replied warmly, flashing her signature smile.

Knock knock knock—

"Oh, Mei is here! I'll get the door~ Oh dear, they're a bit late; they've missed part of the conversation~"

Hearing the familiar rhythm of the knocking, Elysia immediately beamed with excitement.

Of course, you couldn't have this scene without inviting another protagonist!

Hmm… Hopefully, Kiana wouldn't get upset. After all, it was just a game. She wouldn't be that petty, right?

....

Sure enough, Mei stood at the door, leading Kiana, Bronya, and others.

Elysia's smile grew wider. However, Kiana's face didn't look too happy, surely just a trick of the light? Elysia convinced herself.

_____

TL:

Throwing 2 extra chapters today, for the Flame-Chasers "coming soon" in Honkai star rail. 🎉🎉

"Glory to the Thiertheen!"

_____