To create Honkai Impact 3rd in a world where Kallen exists.

Good grief, one's forcing a sale, the other's staged accident—let's see who's more skilled!

So... Aponia was waiting for Mei?

"What a coincidence! But it seems Pado is the one who stole the goods, and the so-called 'stock purchase' was also..."

Theresa frowned slightly as she pondered.

"Indeed, Pado has a habit of grabbing things without thinking. I wonder if that has changed since she came out."

Luo Mo nodded in agreement.

Do you think so?

"I don't think so," Luo Mo replied quickly, without even thinking.

"...Why? I'd like to hear your reasons."

Although Theresa also felt that the other party was inextricably linked to the recent high-flying thief on campus, she also wanted to know the other party's opinion.

"...because she came to my room last time wanting to buy some goods."

Luo Mo sighed and silently expressed his opinion.

"..."

Theresa was speechless. Could the other person... be any more competent? Was he some kind of hero, or had her destiny failed to provide him with the necessary support?

"There's no need to worry about the cat... I meant Paddo. Her situation is mainly related to her living conditions; she used to make a living by stealing, unlike now. She... probably didn't steal anything important..."

Luo Mo coughed twice, still satisfied with Pado; at least she was always available when called upon, and her voice acting was never subpar.

Don't underestimate this point; dubbing Yingjie was quite troublesome.

"They stole a few sparkly glass marbles, which I confiscated from the children, and now I can't return them... The others mostly had things that weren't very valuable."

Theresa shook her head helplessly and stopped thinking about it.

Her hobby is stealing. What should she say? It's rare that she's encountered someone older than her. She already lacked the advantage of height, and now she's lost that advantage too…

...

In the complete darkness, Mei finally understood what the raven meant by feeling like she was in a cage.

It was pitch black all around, with invisible pillars seemingly rising high, and one could not leave without the permission of the owner of this space...

Come to me, stranger.

"The answer you seek is right here."

The unfamiliar voice continued to echo, she seemed unhurried, compassionate and merciful... like an embodiment of holiness, yet she resided in this invisible, desolate realm.

"No need to rush... Here, no one will urge you forward."

"You can slowly walk this path that you should take."

Keep moving forward along the road,

The road stretched on endlessly, the night was silent, there were no lights, no railings.

No one urged her, but Mei felt a vague sense of anxiety and worry in her heart...

What does the other party want to do?

Finally... she walked up to her, and through the dim railing, she looked inside.

A figure appeared and disappeared, its hands so pale and pure, clasped tightly in front of it.

"Stranger, may I ask your name?"

"Thunder and Lightning Meiyi."

She frankly revealed her name, as if without even thinking...

"Hmm? That's strange, how could I...."

"Mei, what a warm name... It's nice to meet you."

"..."

"Who are you?"

She had realized that her answer just now was not something she could control.

Mind control type... is it really necessary to be this powerful?

"...Please forgive me, Mei. I cannot answer your question right now."

She spoke with sincerity, and every word she uttered made people believe her without question, not because of the logic or truth, but because of the power within them.

"That would only deepen your doubts, even lead to misunderstandings... These are not my intentions, so please believe me, neither I nor this prison... harbor any ill will towards you."

"..."

She couldn't speak, but she began to vaguely believe him.

But... why? The thought flashed through my mind.

"Ah...look, there's a hint of doubt between your brows, but more than that, it's the weariness this journey has brought you."

"You need a corner where you can rest for a while, and a friend who can share your troubles..."

(It feels...very strange...)

(My intuition tells me... this woman in front of me is dangerous. But... I can't help... wanting to confirm what she's saying... just how...?)

"It's alright, Mei..."

“I can understand... there are still walls standing between us.”

"Does she... know what I'm thinking?"

Mei gritted her teeth, but didn't change anything.

"...As I said, there's no need to rush. Here, no one will urge you on."

"The sands of time will eventually cause the walls to crumble; after that, the warm sunlight will dispel the shadows between us."

"Ah, as expected... it's still too much of a burden for you..."

"It's okay, Mei, relax... listen to my words, close your eyes..."

"Imagine... an endless grassland, a gentle breeze blowing... release all your stress, slowly, slowly, you close your eyes..."

"You're asleep—"

Suddenly, Mei opened her eyes, and what came into view was Pato's nervous expression and the pendant she was clutching in her hand.

And the warm-toned hall, with its orange light shining everywhere, was cozy and comforting, dispelling all the chill from my body.

Just as she said, she no longer felt tired...

But the inner turmoil was deeper and the mystery more difficult to unravel, so she had to ask others for more information to solve the puzzle.

...

"So this is... mind control type...?"

Kiana was stunned for a moment, completely unable to understand Mei's actions and Aponia's behavior.

Why couldn't Mei move from the very beginning? What kind of power is this?

It's completely incomprehensible. Compared to the hidden danger of Mebius, which is like the bite of a venomous snake, and compared to the open and earth-shattering danger of Thousand Calamities... the danger of Aponia is invisible and intangible, yet it has already trapped me in a cage through each and every word.

There was no malice, yet it revealed the deepest malice. In an instant, she seemed to understand why Qian Jie and Mebius were so wary of her.

Even from our brief encounter in real life, I could tell she was an extremely gentle and sensitive older sister type.

“No… there are many types of mind control, but only Aponia can do this much.”

Fu Hua shook her head and explained.

"But this... why, why is this so perverted?"

Bronya opened her mouth slightly in surprise.

"Pervert? Hah—So, Aponia is third. A position still represents a portion of her strength. She is practically invincible against humans."

The man who knew the law crossed his arms and said to the group, half showing off and half explaining.

Ying Jie is strong, and she is proud of him! The Lawyer is strong, and she is even more proud! She stands firmly in an invincible position.

"The third one...that's Alicia!"

Kiana exclaimed in surprise, suddenly remembering Alicia's self-introduction, which she hadn't paid much attention to before. Alicia said she was the second... Well, at the very least, her strength should be comparable to the third, right? But Aponia utterly defeated Mei...

"She truly lives up to her title as the deputy leader. In fact, before Kevin rose to prominence, she was always the strongest."

Fu Hua nodded in agreement, saying that only people from that era would know such secrets.

"We will surpass her sooner or later."

Kiana said seriously,

Now, they have witnessed the power of mind control and indirectly realized... what the title of second seat means.

...

Mei asked Eden and Sakura, learning a lot about Aponia from them, but she still couldn't find out how to safely enter it.

Mysterious and dangerous, gentle... that's how Eden saw her.

During her conversation with Sakura, she was once again pulled into that space, to its deepest depths.

This problem is even stranger, unlike the dangers of Möbius and Thousand Calamities.

Aponia always spoke in a gentle tone, trying her best to consider things from her perspective, and even expressing her apologies...

The problem is that she can only follow the other person's train of thought, and whether it's asking questions or expressing her own ideas, they are all revealed to the other person.

This time, she decided to start with a simple topic, asking Mei what kind of animals she liked to keep... and Mei could only obediently answer.

This incident deepened Mei's perception of Aponia's danger and made her even more eager to find a way to see her herself.

So... she went to see someone who seemed to know everything—Alice.

"What? You saw Aponia?"

She smiled gently, her features exquisitely beautiful, her gentleness indescribable.