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

"Reevaluating one's past from an outsider's perspective… opportunities like this don't come often. You should thank me, another me," the figure said, hands casually tucked into the pockets of her lab coat.

Despite the fifty-thousand-year gap, she accurately predicted the current situation without error.

"If I were myself… I suppose the rebuttals have already been exhausted, haven't they?" she mused aloud.

Though addressing no one in particular, it felt as if she were conversing with the Mobius in the Elysian Realm.

"Of course, by the time you see this recording, you may have changed quite a bit, perhaps you've become someone who talks a lot.

"But regardless… this is the last time. Please, be patient and listen to everything I have to say, alright, another me?"

"..."

The Mobius on the ground lowered her head, her expression obscured by shadow.

She remained silent.

Perhaps she was shaken by the appearance of this "new" Mobius. Or maybe she had decided to heed her advice and truly listen.

Her lack of response indicated acquiescence.

The Mobius in the hologram seemed to sigh in relief.

Her tone became somewhat conflicted, as though she wasn't sure where to begin.

"Hmm… even though I wanted to seize this last opportunity, I honestly don't know what to say."

"Do you know? A long time ago, I had already made this decision. The arrival of the End was merely an excuse—a pretense of helplessness."

"...Absurd!"

The Mobius on the ground gritted her teeth and spat out the word, her voice filled with suppressed anger. She didn't want to hear any more of this.

"I know, it sounds absurd, doesn't it?"

"To most people, Mobius is immortal. No matter how many times she dies, she always comes back, a monster who defies death."

"But you… you know better than anyone. I… we… fear death more than anyone else. We fear the unknowns born from death."

"What's the big deal? A little pain, a little shrinking, shedding a layer of skin…"

It's often said that no one knows you better than yourself.

But such sayings are often just ironic quips, used to refute shallow judgments from others.

At this moment, the impossible was unfolding as reality.

"..."

Mobius doubted not only the other figure but also herself. Why could this other version of her anticipate her every action, down to her exact words?

It couldn't possibly be real-time communication… could it?

Logic told her that the figure was nothing more than a recording, a remnant of the past.

But her intuition suggested otherwise, that this figure truly foresaw every move she made.

Could Mobius, the great and unparalleled, truly be predicted? The Mobius who stood at the pinnacle of intellect, unmatched by anyone—how could her thoughts be laid bare by another?

Was she… the fake one?

"When I first became a MANTIS, I didn't think it was such a terrible thing."

"At the time, I even took joy in my abilities—they gave me an unending life, allowing me to explore every possibility for human evolution…"

"Until…"

"…I became what I am now."

Her voice paused, and her tone shifted noticeably, transforming from that of a tall, imposing woman into the voice of the petite girl so familiar to everyone.

The holographic Mobius wore the same white lab coat, but her figure had undergone a striking change.

Life is meant to grow and evolve, yet her method of revival defied that principle, forcing her into reverse growth. From maturity, she regressed—growing smaller and smaller.

Now, she stood identical to the Mobius of the Elysian Realm.

She continued,

"It was then that I finally realized something…"

"Reviving after death doesn't equate to having infinite life."

"I can still die… truly die. But when will that happen?"

"Will it be after I've died ten times? A hundred times? A thousand?"

She asked herself these questions, though they were directed outward, to no one in particular.

The space remained silent, for who but she could answer these questions?

"Will it happen when I regress to a child? A baby? An embryo? A single cell?"

"I don't know… I know nothing at all."

"All I remember is that, for the first time, I felt the terror of the unknown. And that fear… it crushed me."

"..."

She remained silent, giving no response to these musings.

Lying on the ground, she listened to the words—words she found ridiculous!

"So, while pursuing evolution, I began to desperately seek a way to achieve true immortality. A method that would ensure the shadow of death could never catch up to me."

"...Enough."

Mobius's sharp voice rang out, attempting to cut off the incessant monologue.

These ridiculous, helpless-sounding words, they didn't belong to Mobius!

But this was a recording, a hologram.

It wasn't a living person.

When she wished it would behave like a recording and remain silent, it spoke. Yet when she wanted it to hear her, it acted deaf.

How cunning…

Why should she have to relive all those failures, that torment, and that pain?

The hologram, as if oblivious to her anger, continued speaking. Its tone carried a hint of sadness, each word drifting into her heart,

"But… what's the point of it all?"

"I still remember that night… another experiment had failed. Dan Zhu lay on the floor, too exhausted to even get up."

"She asked me, 'Doctor, what's the purpose of pursuing immortality?'"

"At that moment, I searched every corner of my mind for an answer, yet I couldn't piece together anything coherent."

"Yes… what was it all for? Humans are destined to die, aren't they? So what was the purpose of my obsession?"

"For the first time, I began to doubt myself."

Mobius clenched her teeth, spitting out her disdain through gritted teeth. "...Foolish!"

Her pupils contracted sharply, revealing the turmoil in her heart.

The hologram seamlessly continued, almost as if mocking her reactions.

"It does sound foolish, doesn't it? But that wasn't even the most foolish thing…"

"What truly awakened me was something I never expected: the death of Elysia… the person I once despised the most."

"Her death made me realize something."

"Those who act out of fear, without knowing where they're headed, I used to mock them, yet I never noticed I was one of them too."

"I never realized that, in truth, I was…"

"…a failure."

The final word was delivered cleanly, leaving nothing but a sense of sorrow in its wake.

One of the greatest scientists of the previous civilization, admitting she was a failure?

Mobius, once so proud, so dazzlingly brilliant—now reduced to this?

Clenching her fists tightly, she glared at the hologram through her disheveled bangs, her eyes brimming with hatred.

"And that's when I finally heard another voice within myself."

"It told me… only death remains eternal."

"You must understand that too, don't you?"

"The old me would never have imagined that the word 'dying' would ever be applicable to me."

"Of course, if I wanted to… even the Herrscher of the End might not be able to kill me completely."

"Not very convincing, is it? Especially when I'm already in this state—on the verge of death…"

"But you are another version of me. I don't need to convince you that I'm not lying."

"Even if civilization collapses and the ground beneath us disappears, as long as the end of time hasn't arrived, there's still a chance for me to revive."

The words were bold, almost arrogant, yet everyone present had no hesitation in believing her.

Why?

Because she was Mobius.

That alone was enough.

"Only… now, I no longer wish to do so."

"For Mobius, this death will be the final one."

"..."

Her words finally came to a halt, silence lingering for a long moment.

"What's wrong? Finally realized that all your words are pointless?"

The Mobius on the ground raised her face, devoid of any sympathy or sorrow.

Her gaze, filled with mockery and pity, locked onto the other Mobius, who had been speaking so eloquently about herself.

Couldn't she understand herself better than this?

"Ridiculous… why did I suddenly start saying such things?"

"Is it because I finally feel that I'm about to die? But these words were meant to be left for you… Mobius."

"Before me, infinite possibilities are converging towards a predetermined end."

"The arrival of the End will soon turn everything in this era into a barren wasteland of ignorance…"

"Although I don't care, I still feel… I should convey these words to you before that happens."

"Gray Serpent, Klein, they've both heard these words, and I believe… they understand my intentions."

"But as for you… another version of me, I can't help but worry."

"..."

The Mobius on the ground narrowed her eyes but gave no response.

What exactly was the hologram talking about? Worry, fear, terror…

Snakes are supposed to be cold-blooded, aren't they?

So why was it all so strange? And why did it unsettle her so deeply?

"You and I face different circumstances. Infinite paths still stretch endlessly before you…"

"No one can interfere with you, and no one has the right to make choices for you, not even me, your creator."

"…Enough."

Once again, she tried to stop the other's words.

And once again, it was futile.

Whether it was disregard or inevitability, the hologram's continuation made its stance clear.

It didn't care about her actions.

"Of course, you're still Mobius."

"If, in the end, you choose the path that belongs to Mobius, if you choose to become me…"

"That too… will be a choice made by your will among infinite possibilities."

"Either way, you are free."

Yes, she was free.

The Mobius on the ground let out a mocking laugh, lowering her gaze to the floor, where a faint reflection of her blurry shadow appeared.

But that was before you showed up…

Why… did you have to appear?

A familiar voice interrupted the recording, it was Klein's,

"Doctor, the stasis pod is about to activate. Please come over quickly."

"Mm… alright, I'm coming."

"It seems… to call me a complete failure isn't entirely accurate."

Her tone was relaxed, as if she had come to terms with it. What she referred to wasn't total failure, but rather the earlier voice of Klein.

"Infinite possibilities… after realizing my flaws, I could no longer possess them."

"But I created them, didn't I? Through Gray Serpent, through Klein, through…"

"…You."

"The choices you all make… those are my 'infinity.'"

The hologram's voice grew softer, as if sensing its imminent end.

Even the sound of her breathing became audible, and every word carried a sense of… fragility and uncertainty. It didn't sound like her at all.

"Heh—how long do you think it's been since I recorded this? Thousands of years? Tens of thousands? Or… even longer?"

"Everything I know, everything we remember… by the time you see this recording, it will all have turned to dust, blown away in the wind."

"But for you, everything is just beginning."

"You are my most perfect creation, my most unique existence."

"From the moment of your birth, you have already achieved… the culmination of my life's pursuit."

Yes, she was her most perfect and free creation, destined to pursue infinity on her behalf.

"Cough—Mobius… the other one in this world…"

She coughed weakly, her voice growing softer.

"Could you… say a proper goodbye to me?"

She was her most perfect and proud creation, destined to fulfill her dream in a distant future.

But at least for now, she stretched out her arms, attempting to embrace the other.

Even if separated by millennia, even if it was just a spatial alignment across thousands of years, it was still precious and meaningful.

"..."

The Mobius on the ground didn't respond but instead reached upward with her hand.

A fair, delicate, and equally fragile hand.

It seemed, in the next moment, the two would embrace, bridging fifty thousand years without physical contact…

But in the next moment, countless green blades pierced through the hologram's body, sharp and deadly.

Her most perfect and free creation—her creation—had killed her!

Even if it was just a hologram.

Freedom to the extent of killing its original creator…

Yet the hologram's lips curled into a faint smile. Whether she had predicted this outcome or was simply delighted by the embrace that could have been, it was hard to tell.

A conversation between two Mobius, spanning fifty thousand years, came to a close in an absurd and ironic fashion.

....