Elysia, Eden, and Kalpas

"Focus. Your stance must be stable, your strikes precise." The girl, her posture impeccable, remained unfazed by Lin Wei's relentless attacks, her hands clasped behind her back as she moved with effortless grace.

A tilt of her head dodged a punch.

A shift of her body evaded an elbow strike.

A step back avoided a kick by a hair's breadth.

Hua observed Lin Wei's movements, her eyes pointing out his flaws, silently demonstrating possible counterattacks, yet not actually striking, only offering calm guidance. "Root your feet, use your core strength, center your qi, and control your breathing!"

Lin Wei, panting with exertion, continued his assault while inwardly complaining, "No wonder he's from a martial arts family..."

Wait, do martial arts schools even teach like this?

Hua had a general understanding of Lin Wei's progress.

She, who had been constantly retreating, suddenly focused, stepping forward without warning and striking Lin Wei's abdomen with a powerful punch.

"Inch Punch - Mountain Collapse!"

Thanks for the heads-up! Lin Wei inwardly screamed, instinctively crossing his arms, a black bracer materializing to block the lightning-fast attack.

Bang!

Hua slowly retracted her fist, her stance steady, calmly observing Lin Wei as he stumbled back several steps.

Seeing he hadn't fallen, she nodded, a hint of praise in her voice. "Quick reflexes, and your lower body is relatively stable. You're improving rapidly."

Lin Wei lowered his guard, hands on his knees, gasping for air, too winded to reply.

Hua raised her hand, her knuckles red and slightly swollen, shaking faintly. She shook her head in disappointment. "As expected, without the physique of a MANTIS soldier, these mortal martial arts are useless in battle. They're only good for physical conditioning."

This wasn't the real Hua, just a projection created from a feather of the Feather of Dust, her physical abilities close to that of an ordinary human, serving as his sparring partner.

"I apologize, Lin Wei. Aside from these insignificant techniques, all I have to offer is combat experience, which is… currently beyond your reach."

Lin Wei was speechless. You're so blunt.

She had a point. In all of Honkai Impact 3rd, the only ones capable of tearing enemies apart with their bare hands were Fu Hua and Durandal, both absolute monsters.

Fu Hua's "Inch Punch - Shattered Sky" relied on her MANTIS physique and the Divine Key, Edge of Taixuan.

No matter how much he trained, he would probably only achieve… physical conditioning.

But he wasn't disappointed. He knew his limitations. He hadn't expected to become a master overnight. He was content with solidifying his foundation here.

Perhaps, after leaving, he could ask the real Fu Hua to teach him Taixuan swordsmanship. If not, it wasn't a big deal.

He couldn't practice such techniques on his own. He needed proper guidance.

Even a slight misunderstanding could have dire consequences.

Qi deviation would be the least of his worries.

As for now…

He glanced at Hua, deciding not to mention it – he'd pass on the original Edge of Taixuan, thank you very much.

The Taixuan swordsmanship he sought was the updated version, refined by Fuxi (Azure Empyrea), which at least wouldn't mess with his mind like the original.

"Let's end it here for today. We can gradually incorporate other training regimens later," Hua said, sensing her projection was about to dissipate. Her form began to fade, turning into a feather that drifted down, dissolving into data.

Lin Wei shook out his arms. His stamina recovered quickly here, as expected from a realm of memory and consciousness.

He sighed and walked towards another area – there was still SAKURA's wood waiting to be chopped.

...

"Hee hee hee, hahahaha, that was so funny! Eden, it's such a shame you missed it. It was truly a sight to behold~" Elysia, tipsy from drinking under the golden light of dusk, was about to doze off when she heard a clear, melodious laughter carried by the gentle breeze.

"Ah, Elysia, it's you~ Would you like a drink?" Eden opened her languid eyes, seeing the lively girl approaching.

A lazy smile curved her lips as she gestured towards another ornate chair beside her. "Seeing you so happy makes me happy. Did something amusing happen? It's alright, Elysia. Hearing you recount the events is just as enjoyable as witnessing them myself."

"Your joyful smile is the best gift for me. You came at the perfect time, Elysia. Look at this necklace, it shimmers beautifully in the sunlight. It would suit you perfectly."

"Thank you! You're the best, Eden!" Elysia accepted the gift without hesitation, her smile bright and unrestrained. Eden smiled gently in response.

"Ah, is it your interactions with Mr. Lin Wei that brought you such joy? It's rare for a successor to pique your interest so much~ I'm truly happy for you, Elysia~"

As if in celebration, Elysia raised her jeweled golden goblet and took a sip, then hummed a cheerful tune.

Elysia closed her eyes, listening intently, her expression blissful.

When the song ended, the melody fading into the breeze, Elysia opened her eyes, a mischievous glint in them. "Not entirely. It was Kalpas!"

She briefly described Lin Wei and Hua's training session. "Then, Kalpas appeared. You know Kalpas, he's not very good with words. He started with~" Elysia cleared her throat, her expression turning serious, lowering her voice to imitate Kalpas's tone. "You spend your days learning this laughable nonsense? No wonder you're still so weak after all this time!"

Eden chuckled. "That's… surprisingly gentle for Kalpas, isn't it?"

"Isn't it? Come on, Eden, let me tell you all about it~"

...

"You spend your days learning this laughable nonsense? No wonder you're still so weak after all this time!" Hua's projection had just vanished, and Lin Wei was about to head to his next training session when he heard Kalpas's characteristically abrasive voice.

Lin Wei stopped, rolling his eyes. That guy was only still alive because few could beat him in a fight.

He turned around and saw the masked man standing under a tree, arms crossed, a mocking glint in his eyes, even through the thick mask.

"Well, excuse me," Lin Wei retorted, crossing his arms as well, his tone flat.

There was no point in trying to appease Kalpas. You had to meet his barbs head-on.

"Hmm?" Kalpas felt the defiance and glared at Lin Wei menacingly.

"Don't look at me like that, it's not going to work. I've fought Herrschers, you know. You can't scare me," Lin Wei glared back, his voice brimming with false bravado. "You're just a bit older, a bit more talented, a bit stronger, and have a bit more experience. What else is there to be so arrogant about?"

"…Oh? Brat, do you know what you're saying?" Kalpas was taken aback. He had never met someone so weak yet so defiant.

"Doesn't everyone start weak? Besides, you're not a bad guy, and you're not going to hurt me, so why should I be afraid of you?" Lin Wei rolled his eyes, then offered a backhanded compliment.

"Hmph!" Faced with Lin Wei's unwavering yet friendly attitude, Kalpas felt strangely disarmed.

He wasn't stupid. Lin Wei's defiance was, in a way, a sign of trust.

It was a novel experience…

"A Herrscher? Those weaklings are nothing but a joke. Hardly worth bragging about." Kalpas actually liked this kid. He could tell Lin Wei genuinely didn't see him as a "monster" or an "outsider." He just found his arrogance irritating.

"Yes, yes, you're the strongest, Brother Kalpas. One punch from you could tear this entire Elysian Realm in half. Even Hua is just a rookie compared to you, and I'm just a little chick~ So, how about teaching me a thing or two?"

...

"Eden, isn't that funny?" Elysia recounted the scene, giggling uncontrollably.

"Yes, it is rather amusing…" Eden gently brushed a stray strand of hair from Elysia's face. "Kalpas… he's a tormented soul. It's a shame my music can't reach him. It's fortunate he has a successor who understands him."

"My dear Eden, always so kind~" Elysia sighed, then her laughter returned, her eyes sparkling with excitement, like a child with a new toy. "The fun part is yet to come… Where was I?"

...

"Teach you a thing or two?" Kalpas felt his brain lagging. How did the conversation jump to this?

What was he doing here again?

"Didn't you say Hua's teachings were too basic? You're here to teach me some real skills so I won't be so weak, right? Aw, Brother Kalpas, you're too kind, you shouldn't go to so much trouble!" Lin Wei shamelessly continued his charade.

Kalpas felt something was wrong. He was being played. But he couldn't bring himself to argue. Lin Wei was pathetically weak, it wasn't worth it.

And… his logic… was strangely sound…

Teaching him a few moves wasn't such a bad idea?

"Hmph, brat, watch closely! This is how you fight to kill!"

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Kalpas suddenly roared with laughter, leaping into the air, his fist engulfed in flames, and brought it down with a resounding crash!

BOOM!

The ground shook violently.

Lin Wei lost his footing and fell.

He looked up to see half the landscape destroyed, a massive chasm splitting the earth.

Too hasty, I forgot Kalpas is a battle maniac… Lin Wei facepalmed.

Two blades of light, one blue and one red, appeared.

The blue light cascaded down, freezing time and space, extinguishing the flames. A fox-eared girl in blue armor materialized, shielding Lin Wei, staring at the still-excited Kalpas with disbelief. "Kalpas, you…" SAKURA was bewildered.

The red blade of light paused, seeing Lin Wei was unharmed, then shot towards Kalpas.

Like a meteor, trailing flames, it hurtled towards the similarly fiery man!

"Yae Sakura, come back! It's a misunderstanding!" Lin Wei jumped up, shouting, using short, concise words to convey the most crucial information.

If that strike landed, things would get ugly!

"Hmph!" The meteor vanished, and the fox-eared shrine maiden landed beside Lin Wei, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with SAKURA, facing Kalpas, her expression cold and resolute, her eyes burning with barely contained rage.

Kalpas seemed to realize what he had done, looking down at his fist, then at the devastated landscape, wondering why it was so fragile.

Unable to figure it out, he simply turned and walked away without a word.

He could tell he was no longer welcome.

"It's not Kalpas's fault. I was being presumptuous, asking him to teach me. He was trying not to hurt me, so he directed his power at the ground, which is why it ended up like this. It's all my fault," Lin Wei explained to the two SAKURAs and the belatedly arriving Hua, taking the blame.

"Hmph, I've always done as I please. I don't need anyone to explain for me! Meddlesome!" Kalpas snapped, without turning around, before vanishing.

...

"Eden, you should have seen how Lin Wei was punished later, it was hilarious!" Elysia recounted the events, her laughter increasing with each detail. "He had at least five bricks on his head, and he had to chop wood according to SAKURA's instructions, perfectly precise, with perfect control, a thousand times! He couldn't leave a second mark on the wood, and he couldn't let a single brick fall!"

Elysia's expression turned sympathetic. "Oh, that poor boy. Don't you think SAKURA and Hua were a bit too harsh?"

"It does sound like a rather… interesting experience. The Elysian Realm hasn't been this lively in a long time~" Eden raised her glass in a toast. "Don't worry, Elysia. Hua and SAKURA are kind. They wouldn't be too hard on a successor."

Elysia fiddled with her hair, a puzzled frown on her face. "It's strange… why does he seem so much less open with me than with Hua or Kalpas? It's not like he's wary of me, it's more like… he's closing himself off."

She sighed. "Have I become unpopular? That's so sad. Shouldn't a cute girl like me be irresistible?"

"Ah, Elysia, perhaps your enthusiasm and straightforwardness are a bit overwhelming for him? Not everyone is as genuine as you, you know" Eden chuckled. "Don't worry, I'll chip away at his defenses, little by little. And then, I'll find out what little secrets he's hiding"

Elysia's eyes lit up, like she was playing a game. "Hee hee, Elysia never gives up!"

"Just like with Kevin?" Eden teased, knowing Elysia's fascination with Kevin.

"Oh, Eden!" Elysia whined, having been hit where it hurt. "You know Kevin has become so boring lately, all cold and distant. I don't want Lin Wei to become like him!"

"I'm truly curious, what is it about this successor that fascinates you so much, Elysia?" Eden had never seen her so interested in anyone else.

A wistful, bittersweet expression flickered across Elysia's face.

She recalled pressing Lin Wei for an answer earlier—

"You and RIN became good friends in the end, didn't you?"

Lin Wei had paused, then sighed.

"There was no Herrscher. Just a lonely human girl…"