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

In the end, Elysia, still smiling, gave her thoughts on the experience of touching Mei's horn, completing the earlier setup.

Leaning forward slightly, she gently pressed a light kiss to Mei's forehead.

(TL/N: this never happened in the original. The Author (or Luo Mo) must have added this for extra)

As expected... Beautiful girls can accomplish anything they set their minds to, can't they?

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Thank you for indulging my curiosity. I'm happy for the whole day now~"

---------------

At this moment, Mei covered her face, feeling a bit unable to look directly at the situation.

"What's with all those weird sound effects...?!!"

Kiana trembled as she pointed at the screen, now blackened, with only the conversation between Mei and Elysia audible. That silent yet vivid scene felt louder than any words.

(TL: 🤣)

What kind of bizarre request was that? She had never encountered such conditions in her entire life.

Why was the key to entering the depths touching a horn?!

She couldn't comprehend it!

"Ugh... Uh, this."

Bronya, wide-eyed, seemed to have experienced a CPU crash in her mind.

Were their reactions... really just about touching a horn?

(TL: I'm dying~🤣🤣)

"What a strange request, Bronya-sis... Does that Elysia-sis really enjoy touching others' horns?"

Seele curiously stared at the screen, deeply realizing the diversity of this world and how different people could be.

"But... there aren't many people with horns, are there?"

"True. Other than sister Mei, it's quite rare."

Bronya nodded blankly. In her mind, the number of people with horns could be counted on one hand.

In the vast crowd, there seemed to be only a handful of them.

Mei, Kosma, Delta... From her knowledge, that seemed to be all.

...

"Ely-si-a!!! This grudge shall not go unanswered!"

Kiana raged, exclaiming in frustration. What was this supposed to be? Being publicly cuckolded?!

Her mind had already spun up millions of words of indescribable scenes. What... what was all this?!

---

In the Golden Courtyard

"It seems... I may have done something rather outrageous. Ah, don't all look at me like that. It wasn't intentional."

Elysia looked at the screen and blinked innocently at everyone.

She hadn't gained anything from it, so how could she be blamed for this? Such accusations were unfair!

"...We know exactly what kind of person you are. Don't worry."

Mobius spoke in a strange tone, the corners of her mouth curling as she gave a reassuring yet unsettling expression.

Indeed, the Elysia on screen perfectly matched the one in her memory, no differences at all.

"Y-yes, Elysia!"

"Elysia is just straightforward, that's all. Though... it's a pity I don't have horns."

Eden, as always, smiled apologetically, unwavering in her trust and support for Elysia.

She showed no unusual emotions, merely offering a polite laugh. Sometimes, Elysia was like a child, full of curiosity about certain things or people.

"....." Kosma lowered his head, seemingly focusing on the painting Grace was working on.

"Though I'm touched by how much you all trust me, Doctor Mobius, was there... some hidden meaning in your words?"

Elysia scratched her cheek awkwardly, scanning everyone's faces. She could sense that their perspectives on her were about to undergo a peculiar shift.

And Mobius... Was she angry? If not, why did her words sound so passive-aggressive?!

Elysia pondered Mobius's tone, unable to detect her usual sharpness.

(TL/C: She is just Tsundere jealous she doesn't have horns~)

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After the horn-touching, Elysia kept her word and guided Mei to the path leading to the depths.

Though... the price Mei paid was entirely different from what she had expected at the start.

Still, no matter what, the first step had been successfully taken.

Not long after entering the Elysian Realm, they quickly noticed a suspicious figure following them. Raven had been trailing them for some unknown reason.

"...After all, I have my own reasons to seek her out, don't I?"

Raven didn't rush to leave. Instead, she crossed her arms and rubbed her dark-red, sharp claws together, smiling as she spoke.

"But, Mei, the price you paid is only enough for one person to go to the depths…"

Elysia glanced at Raven with a faint smile.

"Sorry, but I don't have horns for you to try out. Interested in my claws? They're red too."

"...Mm-hmm?"

Elysia smiled silently, neither pursuing the topic further nor giving an answer. It wasn't a big deal, after all. Besides, she had a feeling that the two of them might make things more interesting.

Mei, on the other hand, frowned. Listening to Raven's words, she seemed to realize something… How did Raven know about that incident?

"Raven, back then… you saw it?"

"Saw what?"

"N-no, nothing."

"I just saw the whole process of you getting your horns touched. Nothing more."

With a faint chuckle, Raven 'honestly' answered.

"...Could you forget about it?"

"It's not that bad. I'm not going to tell anyone."

"Could you… forget about it?"

This time, Mei's tone was filled with gritted teeth. Repeating the request only emphasized the turmoil in her heart. Her eyes carried a trace of killing intent as she stared at Raven.

Why did someone have to see that? Mei desperately wanted to find a hole to crawl into. At this moment, Mei probably really considered silencing Raven as an option.

-----------

[Was turning your head really necessary~? Such a small action, yet so much damage~]

[What's more awkward than embarrassment? Answer: Being embarrassed in front of even more people.]

[At this moment, Mei had never felt such a strong urge to strike someone.]

[When a black history is known, congratulations—it becomes part of living history.]

At Theresa's Villa

"Uh… poor Mei," Theresa muttered, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead. She had just… imagined herself in that situation.

Honestly, what else could she do but kill everyone who knew about it?

So humiliating, if people found out about her magical girl transformation process… she would definitely have to silence all the witnesses!

In this moment, Theresa made her inner decision. It had nothing to do with St. Freya Academy or the disparity in combat power.

The fact that people knew about her magical girl antics was bad enough. If they also knew about that outfit… and that transformation process… she'd be socially dead!

"Indeed, she probably wanted to dig out a three-room apartment beneath her feet. Just imagining it is embarrassing."

Luo Mo sighed.

"...You're the last person who should say that. Weren't you the one who designed it?"

Theresa puffed her cheeks and nudged Luo Mo.

"Well, it was all destiny's arrangement."

"Ha—blaming everything on fate, huh? That's what all fraudsters do."

Delta sneered, casually taking a jab from the side.

"Priest? Somehow, you're starting to overlap with a certain character. Too bad, Theresa wouldn't agree with that, would she?"

Luo Mo wasn't upset, smiling slightly as he shot back. Arguments? Who was afraid of those?

"Huh?"

Theresa paused, then angrily kicked at him. What was he trying to pull?

Was being equals in status not satisfying him anymore?

"That's just a voiced game character... Don't mix fiction with reality!"

Theresa huffed in frustration.

------------

Following Elysia's guidance, Mei and her companions entered an even stranger space.

In this place devoid of sun and moon, chaotic colors splashed across the room wildly.

There were floating, intricate magical cards, a hollow white dome with a towering spire, bizarre boats without sails, a deep purple-painted sky, and white staircases leading into the heavens…

This space felt more like a vivid painting brimming with imagination, its hues piling up in peculiar ways.

The grass beneath their feet wasn't soft. Raven crouched to touch it and discovered it was uneven and not real grass at all—it was painted with colors.

So lifelike, yet so chaotic…

It was hard to imagine what kind of person could create such a masterpiece.

Suddenly, a melodious harmonica tune echoed from not far away. A boy sat amidst the golden hues of a painted sunset, softly playing his instrument. Beside him, a dark gray-purple creature lay curled up peacefully.

The grass beneath him was thickly colored. The boy's eyes, filled with novelty and calm, slowly turned to meet theirs.

His curved horns were strikingly prominent, his dark green hair curled, and his muted clothing made him seem cold and distant.

Silent, without a word.

After a long pause, he introduced himself.

"...I am Kosma, Ninth Seat of the Flame-Chasers."

After that, it felt as though a quiet battle of patience began—a contest of endurance without words.

It was clear that this Flame-Chaser didn't like talking.

According to Raven, he was someone with intense internal monologues, as his eyes constantly wandered and his small expressions never ceased.

Instead of engaging in conversation, they were soon forced to accept a trial. The creature beside him took flight, circling them and launching attacks.

If they wanted to continue forward, Kosma took it as their desire for the "signets of Daybreak."

After some hesitation, he finally bestowed the signets upon them.

This path was merely a narrow trail carved out from countless dead ends, a faint glimmer amidst the dawn of salvation…

The so-called Daybreak, nothing more than that.

Yet even so, he stood in their way, refusing to let Mei and Raven pass.

While this was indeed the path to the depths, it seemed that without the proper key, it was still impossible to proceed.

-----------

Watching the progress in the game, Mei rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"That silent boy, huh? Well, he doesn't seem to say much here either."

The place they had reached clearly wasn't the depths. If anything, it reminded her of something she had seen in real life, Griseo's gallery.

Mei had seen Griseo's painting space before, and the room in the game immediately brought it to mind. Although there were many differences, she couldn't help but feel a strange similarity. The vibrant and interwoven colors, the completeness of both the imagery and atmosphere…

Griseo's paintings always carried a distinct personal touch.

…Though, when she painted, she often ignored everything else. Sometimes, she'd end up covered in paint like a messy little kitten, tirelessly continuing her work even when it meant skipping meals. And… not wearing shoes was something Mei couldn't understand. Every time she visited, she'd see ink stains on Griseo's pale feet, like a vivid canvas.

"Kosma, huh? Griseo mentioned him to me once. When she saw him in the recording studio, she was surprised. He actually talks!"

"By the way," Kiana chimed in eagerly, sharing all the tidbits she had learned. Most of it sounded more like gossip than actual facts.

"Griseo said his room is filled with famous figurines, costumes, and even gun replicas. Oh, and when he saw his voice-over script, he reportedly sighed in relief."

The credibility of Kiana's information? Well…

Heh, who knows. Maybe none of it was true.

"...No, it should be fine. Even Elysia mentioned that he gets along best with Griseo. But… Daybreak, a glimmer of salvation before dawn, huh…"

Mei looked at the screen, where the first light of dawn was born, accompanied by the emblem of the Flame-Chasers. Her expression grew contemplative.

Unconsciously, she had a habit of carefully dissecting and piecing together information about the previous civilization.

"Kosma? Not much to comment on. More transparent than an antique, maybe? But he got along well with Kevin initially. In fact, Kevin was probably his idol. Later, though, something seemed to sour their relationship."

The Herrscher of Sentience yawned, patting her mouth, clearly sleepy. She didn't know much about Kosma.

"Indeed, the only thing Bronya remembers about him is… he has horns, just like Sister Mei."

"…"

Mei's expression turned odd. After a heavy sigh, she muttered, "Maybe I should ask him for advice… But he doesn't seem like the talkative type either."

A sort of camaraderie between future victims, perhaps?

It had to be said: if Elysia ever decided to mess with someone, Kosma would undoubtedly be the first target of her mischief.

"Griseo or Pardo might serve as excellent translators," Fu Hua suggested, her tone quite reasonable.

---------

Compared to Kosma, Griseo's name was far more familiar to everyone, both within the game and beyond.

Mei had heard the name mentioned multiple times before.

Of course, Elysia's guidance wasn't wrong… That space was more like a dreamscape called the Painter's Dreamland, created by another Flame-Chaser, Griseo.

It was a necessary path to the depths.

After preparing adequately, Mei pressed on. That woman… Aponia had deeply affected her. She had to see for herself.

During the journey, Mei deliberately left some monsters for Pardo to handle. Despite constantly claiming she wasn't skilled at fighting… Mei couldn't help but feel curious about her companion.

"...Huff… Huff… I'm finally… safe…"

"Mei, you don't actually think… I've been hiding my strength, do you…?"

Pardo, disheveled and exhausted, clutched a can of food as she darted and dodged. Occasionally, she'd extend her trembling claws to deal with monsters, looking utterly pitiful amidst the horde.

She glanced at Mei with teary eyes, her gaze filled with blame, as if silently asking, Why would the cat lie to you?

Mei was now certain… Pardo truly wasn't good at combat.

Fortunately, they reached their destination—a blue-haired girl.

Amidst the sky's chaotic colors, she sat high on a wooden ladder, wielding a paintbrush like a tiny squeegee. Before her, a massive canvas displayed a dazzling array of colors, converging in an almost incomprehensible way to form a painting that existed only in imagination.

Hearing movement, the girl turned slightly. Her ethereal, pure gaze landed on Mei's direction, her pale purple eyes blinking in confusion.

"Have you returned, Kosma?"

"...Huh? …Not Kosma?"

-----------

"Painter's Dreamland? Oh—so, little Griseo, is this where your painter nickname comes from?"

Elysia smiled as she ruffled Griseo's hair.

"Griseo doesn't know. Brother Luo Mo gave it to me… I don't dislike it," Griseo replied, shaking her head and blinking her large eyes.

"Painter of the World? That's quite similar to Kevin's title of Savior…"

Elysia pondered quietly