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

At this moment, Mei had never felt such a strong urge to kill someone.

When your dark past becomes known, congratulations—it will become living history.

Villa Theresa

"Ugh... Mei's so pitiful," Theresa couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from her forehead. She had just... actually put herself in Mei's shoes and thought about what she would do if she were in that situation...

In reality, the only option left is to kill everyone who knows.

This is so embarrassing—if anyone finds out about her magical transformation… she’ll kill everyone who saw it!

At that moment, Theresa made her own choice, regardless of St. Freya or the difference in combat power.

It's embarrassing enough that the fact that she's a magical girl is known, but if that outfit... that transformation process... it's just too embarrassing!

"Indeed, you could probably dig a three-bedroom apartment out of her feet back then... It's really embarrassing to think about it now."

Luo Mo sighed.

"...I think you are the least qualified person to say that. Wasn't that your design?"

Theresa puffed out her cheeks and nudged Lomo.

"That's all fate's arrangement."

"Ha—you blame everything on fate, huh? That's what charlatans like to do."

Delta chuckled and silently delivered the finishing blow from the side.

"Father? I feel like he's becoming more and more similar to a certain character. Unfortunately, Theresa obviously wouldn't agree with that."

Luo Mo wasn't annoyed. He just smiled and started talking. After all, who's afraid of bickering?

"what?"

Theresa paused for a moment, then angrily kicked the other person, wondering what they were up to.

Is treating him as an equal no longer enough for him?

"That's just a voice-over character in a game... Don't drag real life into this!"

Theresa said angrily.

...

Following the path pointed out by Airi, Mei and her friends stepped into an even stranger space.

In that space devoid of sun and moon, mottled and chaotic colors were splashed wantonly throughout the room.

A series of intricate and ever-changing magic cards float in the air, along with a white-domed, openwork tower, a strange little boat without sails, a deep purple sky, and white cube staircases leading to the heavens…

With its unusual accumulation of colors, this place resembles an imaginative painting.

The grass on the ground wasn't soft. The raven stopped, bent down, and touched it, only to find that it was uneven and not real grass, but paint that had been drawn on.

But it's so realistic, so chaotic...

It's hard to imagine what kind of person could have created such a masterpiece.

Suddenly, the melodious sound of a harmonica drifted from not far away. A boy sat amidst the golden sunset, gently playing his instrument. A slightly darker, grayish-purple monster lay quietly beside him.

The grass on the ground was lush and green. The boy's eyes slowly gazed over, a mixture of curiosity and calm.

His curved horns were strikingly prominent, his dark green hair was curly, and his dark-colored clothes made him appear somewhat aloof.

They remained silent, not uttering a single word.

After a long pause, he explained,

“...I am the ninth seat of Yingjie, Kosmo.”

Then, it seemed as if they had fallen into a calm war, a contest of patience between them.

It's clear that Yingjie doesn't like to talk.

In the words of a raven, its mental activity was extremely high, its eyes were constantly scanning back and forth, and its little expressions never stopped.

They didn't have any conversation with him, but were quickly forced to undergo a test. The monster beside him circled around them and attacked them. If they wanted to continue, he would treat it as an attempt to obtain the mark of the rising sun.

He lowered his eyes slightly, but still bestowed the mark upon the other party.

This path is merely a trail forged from countless dead ends, a tiny ray of light in the dawn of salvation...

So-called Asura, that's all...

But he still blocked Mei and Raven, refusing to let them pass.

This is indeed the path to the deepest depths, but clearly, without the right key, it is still difficult to pass through.

...

As she watched the game progress, Mei stroked her chin, deep in thought.

"That boy who always keeps quiet? Well, it seems like he hasn't said much here either."

The place she was heading to was clearly not the deepest place... If she had to say, it was as if she had seen it before in reality—Gresch's gallery.

She had seen where Gretchen painted, and when she saw that room in the game...

The first place that came to mind was there. Although there were many differences, she felt a strange similarity. The vibrant colors intertwined perfectly, and the painting and the atmosphere were both beautiful...

Greta's paintings always bear a distinct personal touch.

...Well, when he paints, he doesn't care about anything else. Sometimes his paint turns into a big mess, but he'll keep painting even if he forgets to eat or sleep. And...I don't know where he learned to go barefoot, although every time I look, there are definitely ink drops on his toes, which are very conspicuous on the white 'canvas'...

“Kosmo, Gretchen mentioned him to me. I was quite surprised when I saw him in the recording studio... I didn’t know he could talk!”

"However, Gretsch said that his room is filled with some famous figurines and clothing, and even gun models... By the way, Gretsch said that he breathed a huge sigh of relief when he saw the lines he was going to dub."

Kiana couldn't wait to share the information she had gathered with Mei, most of which was gossip and rumors.

As for its authenticity... hehe.

Maybe they're all fake.

"...No, it should be fine. Alicia also said that he and Gretchen are the closest. But... Ascendant Light, a ray of salvation before dawn..."

Mei looked at the image in the picture, at the first ray of sunlight at dawn, and at the pattern of the moth chasing the fire, and a thought crossed her mind.

Unconsciously, she enjoys dissecting information from pre-civilizations and then carefully connecting and thinking about it.

"Kosmo, there's not much to say about him. He's even more transparent than an old relic. However, he and Kevin had a pretty good relationship at first, and Kevin was probably his idol. It seems that things deteriorated later because of something."

The Lawbringer patted his mouth and yawned, feeling a bit sleepy.

She didn't know much about Kosmo.

“Indeed, all Bronya can remember is… that he, like Mei, has horns.”

"..."

Mei's gaze suddenly turned strange, and she sighed heavily, "Sigh, perhaps I could ask him for advice... but he seems like he's not very easy to talk to."

Is this a way for victims to band together for mutual support?

It has to be said that if Alicia really had that kind of need, then Kosmo would undoubtedly be the first one to be persecuted.

"Could Gretchen or Patto be an excellent translator?"

Fu Hua gave her a suggestion, a very reasonable one.

...

Compared to Kosmo, Gretchen's name is perhaps more familiar to most people, both inside and outside the game.

Mei had heard this name more than once.

Of course, Alicia's directions were correct... that space was more like a dream, called the Dream of the Painter, created by another hero, Gretchen.

That is the only way to the deepest place.

After making thorough preparations, Mei went there again. That woman... Aponia, had a profound influence on her, and she had to go and confirm it.

As for the battles along the way, she deliberately released a few monsters for Pado, who was accompanying her, to deal with... After all, she had been following her all along, and even though she kept saying that she had no fighting power, well, she was indeed curious about her.

"...Phew...Phew...Ha, ha...Finally...safe..."

"Mei-nee, you don't think... I'm hiding my true strength, do you...?"

Pado, looking disheveled, clutched the can of food and dodged and weaved, occasionally extending her paw to deal with the monsters, but even then, she was trembling. She looked utterly pitiful amidst the vast horde of monsters…

She looked at Mei pitifully, her pupils filled with resentment towards Mei, as if to say... Why would the cat lie to you?

Mei also confirmed that... Paddo really wasn't good at fighting.

Fortunately, the trip went smoothly, and they arrived before the blue-haired girl.

In a sky of chaotic colors, she sat on a tall wooden ladder, her small hands and paintbrush-like brushes splashing across the huge canvas in front of her. The various colors gradually converged in ways that ordinary people could not understand, forming a painting that only existed in imagination.

She heard the noise, turned her head slightly, and cast her clear and pure eyes toward Mei's location, her pale purple pupils blinking in confusion.

"Is that you, Kosmo?"

"...Huh?...Not Kosmo?"

...

"The dream of the painter? Oh—, little Gretchen, is that where you got your nickname as a painter?"

Alicia ruffled Gretsch's hair and asked with a smile.

"Gresh doesn't know, it was Brother Luo Mo who gave me this name... I... don't dislike it."

She blinked and shook her head.

"Eishi? It's quite similar to Kevin's Salvation..."

Ellie pondered to herself.

Chapter 38 Death in Ten Days

"...Why does everyone think I'm hiding my strength? Don't test me, I'm really not good at fighting."

Pado said pitifully, then hooked her tail and deftly caught a piece of fruit, which she then put into her mouth.

"Because...we are all heroes."