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

"Mm-hmm—installation complete! I hope you enjoy yourselves. Although I'd love to chat more with these visitors from another world, it's late, and there's always tomorrow," Vill-V said, winking playfully. She seemed quite pleased to have witnessed something so extraordinary.

"Well, let's leave it at that for now. I'll come back tomorrow to hang out. For tonight, just get comfortable and settle in," Elysia said with a hint of regret.

She found Kasumi's ninjutsu fascinating and was intrigued by its energy structure, which was completely different from Honkai energy. Its strength seemed weaker, though Kasha's surprised expression suggested this might be due to differences between their worlds.

What she found most delightful, however, were Sakura and Kasumk's ears—they looked fantastic together.

"...How about you head back first? I just remembered I left some things unpacked—"

After a moment of silence, Mobius looked away from Elysia's gaze and spoke abruptly.

"Anything you didn't unpack can wait until tomorrow. You're not trying to cozy up to them behind my back, are you? We're supposed to be on equal footing," Elysia countered with a radiant smile, leaving no room for negotiation.

Leaving Mobius alone here? What if they woke up tomorrow and found a few people missing?

"Tsk," Mobius clicked her tongue in annoyance.

She understood Elysia's point, so she begrudgingly stayed put. Gone was the proud, stubborn attitude she displayed in the Elysian Realm, much to Luo Mo's disappointment.

Where was the famously hard-headed Mobius he knew?

This felt out of character for her.

Had Elysia successfully "tamed" Mobius?

Though it wasn't exactly a farewell, as neighbors, they could visit anytime.

Under the evening sky, Elysia led Mobius and Sakura outside. After all, there was no rush; they had already seen enough for the first encounter. Better to save more topics for future conversations.

"Hmm… We should head back too. Ah—it's getting pretty late," Kiana yawned, covering her mouth instinctively.

Unconsciously, what began as a welcome for the three newcomers during the evening had now stretched into the late night.

The moonlight shone faintly through a hazy sky. Outside, only a few lights remained visible in the distance, signaling the arrival of night.

Yet, with Bronya and Seele around, Kiana felt reluctant to head to her mother's house alone. Although squeezing in wasn't entirely impossible, the thought of Himeko possibly indulging in a drink or the two mischievous kids causing chaos made her dismiss the idea.

Those two truly had the potential to wreck a house.

"Oh, by the way, you might have a mission to go on soon," Theresa suddenly remembered a notification from headquarters and mentioned it in a rush.

"Huh? Us?"

"You're not weak… You're Herrschers now. It's time to contribute to humanity," she sighed, seemingly resigned to this reality.

The small-scale chaos occurring globally had stretched Valkyrie resources thin. Kallen's branch had already dispatched most of its forces. Inevitably, this pointed to the Thousand Herrscher's arrival.

Theresa had even consulted Luo Mo, who speculated that while the sequence and abilities of Herrschers might not deviate much from the game, real-life events wouldn't necessarily mirror them entirely.

Things were getting hectic…

Worse yet, they couldn't locate the Herrscher's "Theater of Domination."

Although they'd set traps and obtained a few Herrscher Cores, they hadn't inflicted substantial damage.

The energy within those cores was likely less than a thousandth of what the game suggested. Data comparisons with past Herrscher Cores revealed something troubling, the energy seemed concentrated in one place, akin to some chaotic collective.

(TL: Did the fame spoil the Herrscher for a new plan? If yes, then bravo Boss)

"While that reasoning isn't entirely wrong, something feels off. Still, it's rare for you, Aunt Theresa, to let go of your bias against Herrschers~" Kiana grinned, clearly pleased. Missions were far more exciting than classes.

She hadn't yet had the chance to dive straight from a spaceship into a battlefield, as in the game's opening sequence, a memory still vivid in her mind.

Though, recreating the part where she accidentally kicked a friendly plane might be possible.

"It's not bias—it's just that other Valkyries…" Theresa waved dismissively, trying to justify her stance.

Her initial plan was simple, find the location, then send Durandal to resolve the matter swiftly. With Stigmata, Durandal's strength was beyond formidable.

Judging by the Herrscher of Domination's in-game portrayal, there was hardly any chance of success otherwise.

However, after two or three days, the enemy had only launched minor sneak attacks. Fatalities were minimal; their primary goal seemed to be inciting panic. This approach, paradoxically, was even harder to deal with.

--

"As for Bronya, let's have her sit this mission out," Luo Mo suggested thoughtfully.

"...Are you saying that Bronya is holding an 'unlucky core,' Boss?" Bronya frowned, her grip on Seele's hand tightening. She voiced her displeasure.

She had learned from the game's lessons and wouldn't let herself be easily manipulated again! She wasn't the repeatedly defeated Bronya from the game anymore. She could already construct a Moonlight Throne—well, one of them.

"Heh…" Luo Mo offered an apologetic smile, realizing she might be overly sensitive about this.

"No, that's not what I mean. You need time to adapt to your new powers… very important powers. For now, remove the Stigmata you're wearing—it's not suitable for missions."

"Besides, you're not indispensable for this. Regarding the Thousand Herrscher… The game's progress may align with reality, but that means the enemy is also aware of everything."

"Using a Herrscher as bait isn't likely to work," Luo Mo explained, addressing Kiana and the others as well.

Honestly, he'd prefer it if the enemy revealed their coordinates, then he could just unleash Kalpas and Mobius on them. Those two had plenty of grudges to settle.

(TL/C: Am I the only one who feels completely not worried about the Herrscher or the Honkai, Just like Luo Mo?)

As for the trio of young Herrschers, he had given them Stigmata. Though only three- or four-star ones for now, he was still working on finding better fits. They had worked so hard; he couldn't treat them unfairly.

It wasn't as if he were a heartless boss.

After calculating the feasibility of the Stigmata Project saving the world, he had abandoned the idea.

The number of Stigmata was limited—spreading them among everyone wouldn't be enough. Providing for those close to him was slightly more feasible, allowing some flexibility in allocation.

There was no point in being overly frugal. He'd keep a few optimal sets for himself; after all, his advantage lay in equipping three simultaneously.

"Bait, huh…"

Bronya stroked her chin, glancing at Kiana, Mei, and Seele. After a moment, she nodded, choosing to trust their decision.

Surely Schicksal had its own considerations.

"If Wendy and the Herrscher of Sentience  are willing, they could lend a hand as well," Theresa added. She didn't object to Bronya sitting out, as she had her own suspicions. If the Thousand Herrscher continued to lay low, it would spell even greater trouble.

"Alright, got it," the Herrscher of sentience waved nonchalantly, already pulling Fu Hua toward the door. "We'll handle it. The Thousand Herrscher? I could solo them!"

And with that, she vanished, leaving behind only a faint echo,

"Can only dominate weaker Herrschers? Hmph, go to hell—go to hell!"

"Hmm, okay. Mei and I will handle this one. Seele, you stay here… Aunt Theresa, make sure the house doesn't get robbed," Kiana joked after some thought.

"Shoo, shoo, stop jinxing it…" Theresa muttered in exasperation.

Theresa couldn't help but wave her hand dismissively, her tone tinged with resentment. This time, neither she nor Himeko had been deployed.

The operation was meant to train the younger Valkyries and, more importantly, prevent any infiltration into St. Freya Academy.

Her St. Freya was not a sieve!

She firmly believed in this notion.

Still, she subconsciously reached out her hand toward Kiana's back...

"Huh? Auntie, don't push me! I'm really curious about how things will develop later!"

Despite Kiana's protests, the group reluctantly followed her lead and left. Leaving behind were the usual ship crew members... and one original host.

"Does this count as the dove occupying the magpie's nest?"

For a moment, Luo Mo couldn't help but entertain this strange thought.

This... was hard to say.

He remembered once being Lady Theresa's blade...

Luo Mo's eyelids twitched as his inner turmoil brewed. Thoughts of guilt and questions of morality swirled in his mind. Should he don the emperor's robes and kick Theresa out of her seat?

Wait, why did this feel like he was already plotting to succeed her as the Overseer of Schicksal? It was just a villa, nothing more!

"…Did you just have some ominous idea? Why did I suddenly feel a chill?"

Theresa, who was closing the door, frowned as she spoke.

Her short white hair rested lightly on her shoulders, and her pink loungewear had a few faint creases. Under the soft glow of the light, her pale legs seemed to shine.

She still looked quite adorable.

After sending off all the guests, Theresa relaxed in this familiar environment, if only there weren't three new additions to the household.

Regrettably—or fortunately—there were now three equally adorable ones.

"It must have been the night breeze earlier," Luo Mo said seriously, shaking off his wandering thoughts.

He was never good at lying, and the breeze had indeed brushed past his skin earlier. He had almost felt compelled to grab that emperor's robe and put it on...

"I hope that's the case... Sigh, this Thousand People Herrscher. Why can't they just fight directly? This is even more troublesome than the previous ones."

Theresa sat down on the sofa, grabbed a pillow, and began kneading it as if venting her frustration.

"I think they're hesitating, perhaps even trying to recruit allies," Kongming explained, glancing at Theresa while lightly fanning herself.

"Heh, I don't really get what you're all talking about. So, where's my room? I want to play some games," interjected Bronie.

"You've seen it yourself, the suppressive force this world exerts on foreign powers is strong. Delta managed to get by because of her natural resilience, but I don't think either the ninja or I can be much help..."

"By the way, is every bubble universe like this? Or is it just this one?"

Bronie turned her gaze to Irene, whose explanation earlier seemed to hold the most insight.

"No, this place is special because this world is undergoing a trial... an irreversible process, and we just happened to arrive at the right moment," Irene answered with a shake of her head.

"Thousand People Herrscher... Are they those weird-looking dolls? I remember humans once tried to make similar puppets, but..."

Luna blinked her crimson eyes, fishing out a peculiar-looking doll from her pocket—a toy that Luo Mo had originally planned to sell.

"They were all burned later, leaving only one. Since the dolls could resemble potential enemies, banning their production was a precautionary measure."

Luo Mo nodded in agreement.

"As for you, Bronie, your room is over there. Vil-V should have already set it up."

He pointed toward a door on the side. Though the room seemed small, it was well-equipped inside.

"By the way, if you're playing games, Delta and Kasumi, you can join in too. You'll be spending a long time in this world. Just don't stay up too late."

"Like that little brat?" Delta hesitated before asking.

"Oh? Who's the little brat? Is it because you keep losing in games and can't face reality?" Bronie, ever defiant, raised her head challengingly.

"Hmm... Speaking of which, don't be too surprised later. Aside from Liliya, you'll also encounter Kallen and Natasa here. They might differ from your memories, so be prepared."

Bronie stiffened slightly, instinctively stepping back. It was clear she felt uneasy. Meanwhile, Kasumi's gaze flickered briefly before fading into a hollow stillness. A world with someone she cared for... would it only be a dream?

If so, how was it any different from not existing at all?

The three, each deep in thought, headed to their rooms to conclude their first night in this new world.

As for Irene, the one who had made the most significant contribution this time, she smiled gently at Luo Mo, the captain she hadn't seen in a long time.

"..."

"Don't look at me like that. Say something. Do you want a reward?" Luo Mo scratched his head, suddenly feeling awkward. Why did this feel like a reunion between an old married couple?

Irene blinked in surprise, then her smile widened. Pointing at him with her finger, her meaning was clear.

"Fine... Come here, let me give the returning hero a hug. You've worked hard, Irene."

(TL: pfffffft...??!!)

Luo Mo sighed, enduring the sharp, cutting gazes from Luna and Kongming.

He extended his arms and embraced the gentle lady before him.

The fresh and intoxicating scent filled his nose. Her warm, soft body made him reluctant to let go, though the embrace was fleeting.

It was a comforting moment, even as thoughts crossed his mind: See? I'm totally not into lolis!

(TL: LOL~🤣)