Who is that pink, cute, and clever person?

Mei and Bronya's heavy hearts lightened with laughter as they watched the scene unfold, their shoulders shaking slightly.

"As expected of Kiana, she can effortlessly make light of a serious situation," Mei said.

Bronya glanced over at the other side, trying to hide her own chuckle. "It's good that this is just another world. At least here, Captain Himeko is still alive."

Mei sighed, regretting that she wasn't there to witness Himeko's final moments.

Although now, it feels like a curse.

"Ah, it's not easy, huh…"

The Herrscher of Sentience sighed, a rare occurrence. She looked at the birds outside the window and the bright sunshine, speaking softly.

She might have been traveling at the time, but she had heard a little about it from Old Antique… No, she wasn't spying because she cared!

Therefore, everything that Kiana experienced was confirmed in her mind.

She couldn't reveal the specifics of their conversations, but the events were identical.

Her slight initial dislike for Kiana instantly disappeared. Kiana had carried so much on her shoulders, her unwavering resolve left her with no doubt about the outcome of the battle.

"..." Fu Hua looked at the Herrscher of Sentience, confirming certain things in her heart.

The Herrscher of Sentience was more harmless than she thought. Perhaps she was wrong in the game...

Seeing her own funeral, Himeko could probably give a definite answer to what it felt like. For a moment, her emotions were complex.

But if Theresa heard her unspoken criticism, she'd probably jump up and beat her…

What a troublesome school principal… And what troublesome, cute students… How could she… leave them?

Himeko looked down at Kiana's goofy smile, and a strange memory of Captain Ragnar's words came to her mind.

They, represent infinite possibilities, the initial seeds of all good futures.

Suddenly, she had a deeper understanding of the words. The captain must have seen her that way back then. Back then, she was also a naive seed. The legacy of the Valkyries is passed down from generation to generation like this.

She was fortunate to be a torch in this legacy.

She will pass on that will to protect the beautiful future to the next generation.

-----

As the daytime bustle faded and the night sky shimmered with stars, the evening wind carried seeds of longing, and silent melodies whispered through the flowers.

Raiden Mei, the student who had departed, came to pay her respects to her teacher in the quiet solitude of night.

A vibrant tapestry of flowers adorned the marble, a swirling embrace of shared memories.

She silently bowed before the broken sword.

—Regrettably, she was unable to attend during the day.

"I'm so sorry, Captain Himeko," she whispered, her lips barely moving.

"I apologize for coming to see you alone at this time."

She carefully weighed her words. There were many things she wanted to say, but she felt that once spoken, they would lose their meaning.

Some things are best kept in the heart.

But some things, she chose to speak aloud.

"I've always kept your teachings close to my heart. They have made my choices stronger."

"You taught me how to protect someone, how to live my life to the fullest."

"And I did just that."

Mei took a deep breath, gazing at the desolate moonlit sky and the shattered great-sword in the darkness, speechless.

After a brief pause, she offered her final farewell.

"Perhaps actions speak louder than words?"

"Thank you, Captain Himeko."

"It was an honor to be your student."

With a final bow, she gently stirred the night air and the marble platform with these words.

[…Thank you for saving the most important person to me]

[It seemed like Mei was absent, but she chose to be there in the end…]

[Kiana once said the same thing… They both carried the same will, yet they reached this point]

-----

Silence descended once more upon Himeko's villa. No one had expected Mei, who had journeyed to World Serpent, to attend this funeral.

And to choose such an unknown moment.

"No, no, no, Mei, I never taught you to protect someone like that," Himeko quickly waved her hands in denial, but a faint smile curved her lips, her expression teasing.

Clearly, it was a playful jab at Mei.

Mainly, she was uncomfortable with the current solemn atmosphere.

"... Captain Himeko…" Mei felt a little embarrassed, looking helplessly at her.

She felt a bit shy. The her in the video and the her now were still quite different.

"But, those words... Should we have a contest to see who's the student I'm most proud of?"

Himeko raised an eyebrow, her voice tinged with mischief.

She didn't want to see any scenes of people mourning her right now. That would be... The more she could delay it, the better.

"Don't, don't say that… I didn't mean it that way at all."

Mei stammered, flustered.

"Huh? Mei wants to compete too? Captain Himeko, can you have two students you're most proud of?"

"...? K-i-a-n-a~, don't try to cheat!"

"Ow, that hurts."

...

"Himeko... she was truly a warrior worthy of respect," Eden sighed, her words echoing the similar fate of the one who looked like her.

"Then let us pray for her peace," Elysia whispered, her hands clasped together. She took a deep breath, her mind filled with memories of Himeko's past.

Aponia's posture was impeccable, her prayer imbued with sincere piety and compassion.

While the others didn't make any overt gestures, they were willing to offer a moment of silent grief for the hero before them.

She was once someone who raised a rebellious sword against the heavens in another world.

Now gone, she deserved to be mourned.

Compared to the emotional fluctuations of some players, the students who had interacted with Himeko more deeply felt a more profound impact.

Some students' eyes had indeed turned red, proving that Himeko's worries weren't unfounded.

-----

In the depths of World Serpent's base,

A chilling silence reigned supreme. Cold moonlight streamed in through the window, casting long shadows across the towering steps. The throne at the top held the white-haired, blue-eyed Flame-Chaser.

"... What is it?"

His voice was even colder than the atmosphere. The man on the throne looked at Mei, taking the initiative to speak.

She had changed considerably since their last meeting.

"The Herrscher of Dominance has been eliminated," Mei stated the facts.

"I know." Kevin nodded slightly in response.

"Its core has vanished, its whereabouts unknown."

"..."

"But that's not why I'm here today."

"What do you want to ask?"

Mei fixed her gaze on him, hoping to see a different expression on his face. She was disappointed. The ice that had encased him for millennia wouldn't melt for a simple question.

She was destined to find no answers in his expression.

So, she continued,

"When I collided with the puppet using the Herrscher's power, my consciousness was drawn to an indescribable space."

"It should be the source of the Herrscher's power. I felt an endless consciousness enveloping that place."

"It seemed like that consciousness wanted to directly implant something into her mind..."

"But that attempt—was thwarted by the excess electromagnetic waves in my body."

"..." Kevin lifted his head slightly, scrutinizing her in this present state.

He seemed to be assessing her qualifications.

She had come into contact with things she shouldn't have known, but... they were things that she would inevitably need to understand in the future. He had to weigh it.

"—Kevin, this has left me confused."

"If that consciousness is the so-called 'Will of Honkai'..."

Raiden Mei posed her question naturally. This was something she couldn't understand even after returning.

Her keen intuition told her that Kevin... or rather, the previous civilization, should know this.

"Would it truly be unable to influence its own Apostle for such a simple reason?"

Kevin didn't expect her to ask such a question. He looked at her deeply. Had she grown to this extent?

"You, who have fought since the last era, the last hero of the previous civilization, couldn't possibly be unaware of this."

She stared directly into Kevin's eyes.

"How many more secrets are you keeping from the people of this generation?"

Kevin remained silent, his gaze flickering slightly.

"I need an answer… right now!"

Mei said urgently, her eyes fixed on him.

"... No problem."

Finally, he made his decision. "You are qualified to know now."

The man raised his hand, pointing in one direction. A path without light snaked out from a corner of the sacrificial ground.

The end of that darkness connected to the very beginning of the world.

"The qualification to seek answers..."

He repeated the words, solemnly, with deep meaning.

[Mystery Man? When will Mystery Man finally die?]

[Is that all the Will of Honkai can do? If I were it, I'd be confused too. Electromagnetic waves directly cut off the call]

[Was it because Mei was strong enough? Yeah, Duck and Fu Hua both had their powers sucked away~]

[Will of Honkai... what exactly is it?]

Mei walked along the path Kevin had indicated, for what felt like an eternity. There was nothing but darkness.

It seemed as if this passage stretched endlessly, extending to another dimension.

"..."

Even the ellipsis in the video was replaced with a pink symbol.

In the boundless darkness, at the end of the passage,

Someone seemed to have sensed something, that a 'guest' was about to grace this paradise.

"... Kevin, Kevin."

"You really love to cause trouble, don't you?"

A girl's voice, tinged with both weariness and a hint of excitement, drifted through the air.

Darkness receded, light flooded in, and the scene at the end of the passage was revealed to everyone for a fleeting moment.

A stunning young woman with vibrant pink hair sat gracefully on a stone chair, her slender legs crossed. In her left hand, she held a purple, transparent vine that had sprouted into a crystal.

Her right hand was poised near her mouth, her lips curving into an intriguing smile.

A sleek battle suit clung to her body, outlining the graceful curves of her youth. Her long ears, like those of an ethereal being from a fairytale, twitched slightly. Her slightly curled pink hair swayed with the movement.

Even more captivating were her bright eyes, perpetually holding a hint of amusement.

The main storyline ended here.

It concluded with the appearance of a striking and enigmatic young woman, a mischievous femme fatale with pink hair, stirring a frenzy of speculation among players.

The appearance of this pink, adorable, and clever girl revealed a glimpse into Mei's life within World Serpent.

[Who is this? A random pink-haired girl… definitely a bad woman. She's messing with my heart]

[Did Mei end up meeting her? jealous - Kiana - jealous]

[World Serpent actually has such a beauty? No wonder they're one of the three major organizations! I thought they relied on old ladies pretending to be young]

[Is she also from the previous civilization? Like Sakura and Kevin who have appeared before]

-----

"It's Mei!"

"Ah—! So that line was actually my dialogue back then?"

Elysia exclaimed, her hand covering her mouth in a gesture of bashful surprise.

Her long elven ears twitched rhythmically, making her presence a radiant spectacle in itself.

"... When did you go for voice acting?" Mobius stared at her, her eyes filled with a mix of confusion and suspicion.

Was this the prelude to the arrival of Elysian Realm?

Should she try to capture more test subjects before that happened? Her reputation had spread, making Valkyries difficult to catch!

As for turning things around? Mobius never considered that possibility.

"Hmm? I was surprised too! That time, I pestered Luo Mo to go to the company to watch Mei… watch Mei and the others work on their project,"

"Luo Mo casually threw a line at me and told me to try voicing it… and I just voiced that one line. Luo Mo didn't say anything else after that, so I thought it was just a simple voice test!?"

Elysia twirled a strand of hair, playing with her smooth locks as she smiled with mischievous eyes.

"Oh well~! It's a bit unexpected. I wish I had tried it a few more times. Too bad Luo Mo just called it a pass right away. As expected of Elysia, the one who can do anything!?"

Looking at Elysia, who was openly and subtly expressing her joy, constantly seeking praise,

Mobius, choosing to ignore the past, let out a silent sigh of relief and said,

"It seems you were just a placeholder…"

"Mobius... are you jealous?"

"Hmph—! What's there to be jealous about in doing voice acting for a game? If it wasn't a promise I made to that little white rat... I wouldn't do any voice acting, now, in the future, or ever!"

Mobius's words were firm, her expression resolute.

"Then... Mobius , do you know... about the Honkai God… that Honkai consciousness that Otto mentioned, what Mei was talking about? Hmm?"

Elysia tilted her head slightly, smiling as she asked.

How come she hadn't heard of this thing?

She had no knowledge of a Honkai consciousness during the battles of the previous civilization. At least... not before her death. It couldn't have been something she brought with her, could it?

To give the entire Honkai a human nature... that would be a bit too high of an estimate for her.

Moreover, did the powers accompanying the emergence of the Herrschers really repeat themselves entirely?

She had doubts about that.

"..." Looking at Elysia's kind expression, Mobius subtly turned her head away.

After weighing her options, she replied, "Actually... I think game voice acting is quite fun. How about next time... you bring me along?"

"Doctor~ Changing the subject isn't a good habit, you know."

"I don't know, ask Vill-V."

Mobius decisively chose to cut her losses and escape.

"Huh?" Vill-V blinked innocently, a look of naive wonder on her face as she gazed at Elysia, remaining silent.

Elysia sighed softly. "Really, does it matter if I know now or later? Forget it…"

"Looks like I'm the first one to appear in Elysian Realm! Too bad I lost the opportunity to be alone with Mei now."

She frowned slightly in regret, but quickly broke into a cheerful smile again.

"The artist is pretty good, huh~ Griseo, did you draw it?"

"... Yes, Elysia sister, yellow brother... Luo Mo brother made me draw for a long time."

The little artist responded softly, changing her words midway because she remembered their agreement...

Speaking of which, she still didn't understand if she was supposed to ride Luo Mo brother or Su (Lu) Sister to work.

She gently sucked on the end of her paintbrush, still unsure of the meaning of those words.