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

Mei stood at a crossroads, facing a decision.

In the Elysian Realm, she seemed unusually bold, perhaps even reckless, far removed from her usual caution.

Without hesitation, she took the most straightforward option: she confronted Mobius directly.

Mei found Mobius and addressed her without pretense, her tone sharp.

"Mobius, finding you wasn't easy."

Yes, Mei had gone straight to Mobius, directly challenging one of the most dangerous Flame-Chasers.

Such boldness even surprised Mobius.

The green-haired scientist shifted slightly, her soft body twisting as a faint smile graced her lips, only to quickly fade. She countered calmly,

"Hehe. Lady Herrscher, it's you who's been avoiding me, hasn't it?"

"You're afraid to approach me but keep asking others about me… hehe. Lady Herrscher, don't you think this feels like a crush?"

"There's no need to be shy. All those interesting things... I've been waiting for you to join me in experiencing them."

She licked her lips playfully, her demeanor provocative yet distinct from Elysia's teasing.

Her gaze toward Mei was greedier, more like a predator eyeing its prey on a silver platter.

Mei frowned slightly but remained unfazed by Mebius's predatory look. What mattered to her was the answers, the truth of the Elysian Realm.

"Can't we have a normal conversation for once? I came here for serious matters."

Seeing Mei's resolve unshaken, Mobius clicked her tongue in frustration. Her eyes narrowed as she muttered,

"Tch. So annoying… How does Elysia manage it? Am I not imitating her well enough?"

She couldn't understand why everyone saw such a stark difference between her and Elysia.

If she had Elysia's charm, she could have tricked countless people onto her operating table by now. Sigh. What a waste, Elysia didn't even use her appeal properly.

"You're imitating someone you dislike?" Mei quipped, her tone hovering between mockery and provocation.

Standing before the Flame-Chaser, Mei fought to keep her composure, her eyes closely observing Mobius's expression for any hidden meanings.

"If imitating her helps with my experiments, then of course I'll try it... even if it's uncomfortable."

Mobius dismissed the matter as trivial. To her, only experiments and results mattered.

As for imitating Elysia... Although Mobius didn't like it, if it made things easier, she had no reason to object.

After a brief moment of curiosity, she asked,

"So, what brings you here today? Is there something you need?"

"Business."

"Oh, don't waste my time. You know the only 'business' I care about—tying you to the lab table and studying you thoroughly. A living Herrscher... How fascinating."

"Sure."

Mei's response was concise and straightforward, as though she were simply greeting someone. It carried no sign of hesitation or deep thought.

"I knew you'd reject my offer, after all—Wait, what?"

Mobius stared at Mei in disbelief, her surprise quickly giving way to excitement and a strange, predatory longing.

Her serpent-like pupils contracted into thin slits as she scrutinized Mei's calm demeanor. The annoyance and frustration from earlier vanished entirely.

Nothing mattered more than her experiments, and she was absolutely certain of that.

What, she wondered, had prompted Mei's sudden decision? But the answer wasn't important.

What mattered was that Mei wouldn't escape her laboratory.

Mobius smiled.

"Weren't you initially unwilling to accept that gift, little mouse~?"

"True, but the information within the Elysian Realm is chaotic and overwhelming... I need to leave for a while. Before I go, I want to witness the meaning of the Realm's existence," Mei explained methodically, her gaze unwavering.

Reaffirming her thoughts, Mei closed her eyes and nodded.

"Yes, that's it."

"..."

"Haha… Hahaha! Excellent. You've become more adorable, my little mouse~"

"Wait just a little while. Don't worry, I promise it won't take long!"

Mobius's laughter rang out, tinged with a meaning that Mei couldn't quite decipher.

Then, her gaze toward Mei softened into... pity.

Mebius gave her word and temporarily withdrew her Signets.

"Bear with it for now, my dear little mouse. Trust me, this patience will be worthwhile. It will make you... reborn!"

With that, Mpbius left in a rush.

Her eagerness, unrestrained energy, and overtly dangerous aura, madness, bloodlust, and a palpable sense of peril—lingered in her wake.

Mei stood silently for a moment.

Was that her true self?

Yet Mei didn't regret her decision.

Before leaving, she needed results, something to determine whether the Elysian Realm was worth returning to.

Even if it meant facing danger.

[Imitating Elysia? I didn't expect Snake Snake to secretly care about Elysia that much.]

[Is the Mei in the Elysian Realm really Mei? She's so fierce, taking down one after another without a break.]

[Reborn? That sounds ominous. What's really going on?]

----------

"Who would've thought Mobius was imitating my way of speaking? Why doesn't she talk to me more often, then? That'd speed up our understanding of each other~"

Elysia twirled a strand of her hair, carefully examining it.

Not dry at all. Certainly not curly like Dr. Mobius's.

"Of course, it's me. My hair looks perfect!" she declared smugly, proud of outshining Mobius in this regard.

What intrigued her more, however, was the mention of little Griseo's whereabouts. But since Mei had remained silent under Mobius's probing gaze, Elysia decided not to press her further.

Although they bickered constantly, when it came to important matters, Mobius was always reliable.

Just like her, wasn't she?

"Maybe it's your own fault? Can you please just talk normally without leaning so close~?"

Mobius frowned. She decided to test Elysia's suggestion, if she could actually stop her from doing that, it'd be a blessing.

"Oh? I didn't think of it that way before," Elysia replied, feigning surprise.

"Then..."

Mobius glanced at her meaningfully.

"Well, I don't think it's a habit of mine. Look at Eden, Aponia... None of them seem to mind~"

Elysia protested with an air of righteousness, as if proximity to beautiful women was entirely innocent. She was just trying to hear them clearly, after all.

She truly had no ill intentions. She only wanted to protect everyone better...

Wait.

Did that make her... a player?

Elysia suddenly recalled a teasing conversation she'd once had with Luo Mo. The memory hit her like an arrow to the knee, leaving her momentarily dazed.

"Hmm? Why the sudden silence?"

Mobius looked up at Elysia, her gaze briefly flicking to the two curves beneath her clothing.

Though she would never admit it, that soft, warm sensation from that night…

It was infuriating. No, jealous-making. Wait, no—disgusting! Definitely disgusting.

Her sharp eyes lingered on Elysia. The chatterbox suddenly falling quiet? How unusual.

"Ah, I just remembered something unpleasant~"

Elysia sighed, a rare occurrence.

"You? Unpleasant? Tell me about it~"

Mobius raised an eyebrow, curious.

"Oh? Since when do you care about me, Mobius?"

"I don't. I just think…whatever's unpleasant for you might amuse me. According to Luo Mo's so-called 'Law of Conservation of Smiles,'" Mobius replied nonchalantly, snapping her fingers and giving Elysia an expectant look.

"When one person loses their smile, it's often transferred to someone else."

Mobius loved mocking Elysia. Just imagining Elysia's reactions brought her joy, sweet as honey. She decided, no matter what Elysia said, she would smile.

"…"

Elysia fell silent. Sometimes silence spoke louder than words. It could signify protest, defiance, or simply a refusal to answer.

"So…Luo Mo, is this the justification for the plots you've written so far?"

She turned the topic towards someone else, her expression sorrowful, tears almost brimming in her eyes.

Luo Mo felt a chill down his spine. He wasn't even part of this conversation, why was he being glared at like this?

"…But, Dr. Mobius, didn't you refute that theory as completely wrong a while back?"

Luo Mo forced a smile, confused about why words from months ago were suddenly resurfacing, striking like an arrow aimed at his forehead.

"Oh? Actually, I've found it's not entirely wrong. In certain contexts, it's quite applicable," Mobius replied with a faint smile.

"You've changed…"

"Hm?"

"You're supposed to be the evil, mad scientist obsessed with stealing people's bodies, aren't you?" Luo Mo accused, shaking his head with a dramatic sigh.

"But why would I want someone else's body when I have my own? Big…Brother~, is this how you'd like me to talk?"

Mobius blinked innocently, placing her hands on her cheeks with a sickly sweet tone, perfectly mimicking her in-game persona.

"Or are you saying that if I did such things, you'd willingly climb onto my operating table? Hm?"

Her smile grew darker, the sinister and oppressive aura in the hall spreading thickly, pressing down on everyone present.

It was the kind of pressure that a predator naturally exerted on its prey, cold and suffocating.

The Herrscher of Sentience glanced away, uninterested. Fu Hua pursed her lips but didn't react much either.

"Oh my, it's adorable that you're mimicking me~"

Elysia's soft voice broke the tension, her gentle laughter shifting the atmosphere. She looked at the changing expressions of the Valkyries around her and nodded lightly.

"…Tch."

Mobius clicked her tongue softly.

Mei, Kiana, and Theresa exchanged uneasy glances between Mobius and Elysia. Facing them in battle was one thing, but the mental pressure both exuded was undeniable. Even if they could physically defeat them, the psychological toll was another matter entirely.

And that was just the Tenth MANTIS. Here stood the Second as well…

----------

In the following explorations, Mei indeed didn't encounter any of Mobius's signets —not even once.

Although it wasn't unbearable to live without Mobius' signets as the latter had suggested, Mei remained on high alert. She wanted to probe, not recklessly court death.

Meanwhile, Elysia also sensed something unusual in the Sea of Quantum. It seemed as though a path in Mobius' lab had opened. So…had Mei secretly done something with Mobius behind her back? Or perhaps…

"Mei, you shouldn't have gone to Mobius. If something's troubling you, you can always talk to me. I…well, since it's already come to this, don't worry. I'll protect you."

Elysia's worried expression shifted to one of determination as she gripped her bow tightly, her gaze fixed deep ahead.

She could only hope Mei was safe.

On the other side, Mei had reached the final area, standing once again before the chasm. And this time, Mobius was there.

Unexpectedly,

"Come, my adorable little mouse…"

"Accept my signets, my blessing, my power. Then, come to me…"

"Take all of me!!"

Mobius generously offered all her signets to Mei, showing no concern about Mei's growing strength. Instead, her gaze grew more mocking and amused.

An infinite cascade of signets flowed from Mobius to Mei, their sheer intensity almost radiant.

Mei glanced around but found no sign of the expected surgical table.

The surroundings were pitch-black, wrapped in a suffocating sense of weight. A deep-seated threat seemed to repel everything, barring any approach.

It didn't feel like a laboratory at all.

She was even more perplexed by Mobius' intentions.

"An experiment?"

Mobius' smile deepened as she studied the confused expression before her.

Should she explain it to Mei, satisfy her final curiosity?

"miss Herrscher, what I want… is for you to take me away from here."

Her tone was innocent, almost childlike, but the danger she exuded spread relentlessly, chilling to the bone and suffocating.

"Away? Aren't you the ruler of this place? Why would you need me…"

Mei froze, as if suddenly realizing something. Klein had once mentioned an experiment conducted by the Doctor…

"Out of the Elysian Realm?"

"That's right… my little mouse~"

She giggled softly, her laughter weaving its way into Mei's nerves, conjuring shadows of fear.

Mei had willingly walked into the trap laid before her and only realized it when the net was being pulled tight.

"A living Herrscher… such a perfect body… This is the most precious gift I've ever received."

Mobius laughed maniacally, her gaze full of satisfaction as she examined her masterpiece, the little mouse now caught in her cage.

What would this "gift" do next?

"So, all those lures you set up earlier were to make my body better adapt to the infinite imprints, weren't they?"

Mei pieced together the clues and understood Mobius' intentions. Her voice was calm as she spoke.

"Mm~ Completely correct. I want to leave this place. Is that so wrong?"

"If others don't want to leave, that's their choice. Unlike Elysia, who desperately wants to see the world outside but still chooses to stay confined here…" Mobius replied, her tone laced with disdain.

---------

In the hall

"Body-snatching… Though not as intuitive as transferring consciousness, I see what you mean," Fu Hua remarked, her tone thoughtful as she glanced at Luo Mo. Was this an unspoken truth?

"I'm originally from Shenzhou, you know," Luo Mo responded, raising an eyebrow, entirely clueless about the implications.

"…I see. That does make sense."

Fu Hua hesitated for a moment before nodding. She didn't share the suspicions of the Flame-Chasers aloud, it wasn't something necessary to mention. Still, it brought a subtle sense of familiarity.

....