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

"It really is... But does that mean we'll never speak again? Maybe I should go see what's written in that book?"

"..."

Kosmo closed his eyes, put his hand to his forehead, and felt helpless at the jokes made about him by the heroes.

But if I had to say...

Pado's meaning was actually not far from his, though she added a lot of her own personal touch. Thinking about it, there was no need to remind her...

"Wow, that's amazing!"

Alicia boasted and clapped repeatedly.

"……Ugh."

Vervi sighed, not particularly surprised.

Hua's pupils contracted, showing his shock.

Qian Jie narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly. He also remembered the book about him.

Aponia smiled without saying a word, observing the scene before her.

...

Even though Mei passed through the barrier of the Dream of the Painter, she still couldn't find a path to the deepest part of it. According to Pado, everything that happened here could not be seen by Nia, and... if she didn't want anyone to go in, no one could go into the deepest part.

In the end, Mei could only return empty-handed with a frown. In the hall, she saw the young painter painting again.

But just as she was about to talk to the group, a familiar feeling welled up inside her—mysterious, painful, and irresistible…

Mei's consciousness was once again pulled into the room where Aponia was.

A dark, gloomy, and oppressive atmosphere permeated the air, like a prison.

"Mei, you did a better job than I expected, and you really brought about changes to this paradise that shouldn't have happened."

Her words, spoken with a compassionate and loving tone, conveyed sympathy and love. She seemed to always view everything from a unique perspective, possessing an extraordinary quality.

Here, only Aponia exists.

Even now, Mei still doesn't know her purpose, just like this darkest space... Her thoughts have never been revealed to Mei.

But she must have some feelings for me... otherwise, she wouldn't have dragged me here so many times.

"Thank you... It was you who helped those two children leave that dream world. Since the creation of Paradise in the Past, they have rarely made such a decision."

"I think Gretchen must have seen something in you."

Without a doubt, she was referring to Kosmo and Gretchen.

But... you rarely leave that dream world... But why is it because of yourself?

Mysteries lingered in Mei's mind. She always faced the other person with complete ignorance, and thus gained nothing.

"...Mei, do you know? At first, I was just curious and wanted to see the Herrscher who came to Paradise as a successor."

"Was the change she brought about ultimately good or bad?"

"I have the answer... but for this, my heart is filled with regret and remorse."

The person in the shadows paused for a moment, and naturally, a sadness permeated their words and the atmosphere. The pressure spreading in the air made Mei feel sad as well…

She didn't understand what the other person meant, but she knew that what followed would be the moment of revelation, if not everything.

But at that moment, she had no idea that what she was about to say would be so dangerous.

The woman chuckled softly, and even through the darkness and the railing, Mei was quite certain of the smile on her face.

"Please let me hold your hand, Mei."

The unseen woman whispered, her voice filled with sympathy and helplessness.

Unable to resist, her body acted before her consciousness could... Is this the woman's magic?

Mei watched as her outstretched hand was grasped by the other person. The fair, delicate hands cradled hers as if they were precious treasures, the two equally slender hands creating a heartwarming scene.

But Mei was reminded of Senju's furious roar—tearing her hand to shreds and throwing it into the filthy blood...

She shook her head, trying to dismiss unrealistic fantasies.

"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes... how I wish that tragedy hadn't happened ten days later..."

She stroked it, their hands rubbing against each other.

Cool, delicate, soft... Mei could only feel that touch and looked up at the other person in astonishment.

tragedy?

Aponia lowered her head, just as she had said, with regret and sorrow.

But her gentle, whispered words broke down Mei's defenses.

"Your arrival will bring destruction to this paradise, and none of us want to see it reduced to rubble because of you. Therefore, in ten days, I will have to..."

"End your life with your own hands."

She delivered the final announcement, gentle yet firm, without the cunning of Mebius or the angry roar of Qian Jie; she simply and gently proclaimed the facts.

The camera focuses on Mei's suddenly constricted pupils. Ten days later... will she die?

...

Inside the villa, the wind seemed to stand still at that moment, and the laughter also ended at that moment.

"Huh? Why will Mei die in ten days?"

Kiana blinked. She had no idea that this had happened, nor did she understand how it was related to the later plot.

All she knew was how dangerous Mei was in the original world at this moment.

And this scene... is so abrupt and illogical.

Mei narrowed her eyes, her expression unchanged as she looked at the so-called prophecy on the screen, revealing little of her true feelings.

Fu Hua, Seele, Bronya, and the Herrscher of Knowledge all looked at Mei with surprise.

Chapter 39 Magic Show

...

Golden Courtyard, Hall

Many heroes were clearly surprised by this news, after all... it was Aponia's prophecy, and in any case, her prophecies were rarely broken.

"Death in ten days? Aponia, you've really scared Mei this time."

Alicia's eyes widened slightly, and she tugged hard at Aponia's sleeve.

"...But I'm not good at deceiving others; it must be the truth as I see it."

Aponia said softly, a hint of longing in her eyes.

More than anyone else, she hoped that someone could shatter the future she envisioned.

She was more inclined than anyone to believe that it wasn't the future, but rather a curse.

"Hehe—that woman is at it again, hahahaha."

Qian Jie laughed loudly, "Come on... let me see what happens to that woman."

"……well,"

Aponia lowered her eyes, unmoved by the malice emanating from Qianjie. "Qianjie, I can no longer see the threads of fate, nor can I foresee the ending."

"Ha—so what?"

Qianjie let out two cold laughs.

"Hey, Aponia, do you think the you shown in the game... is real? That prophecy..."

Mebius frowned, staring at the screen suspiciously. What kind of crisis might be brewing in Paradise?

Based solely on that Herrscher of Thunder?

From what she could see, if Klein hadn't intervened at the last minute, she could have handled it all by herself.

"But it should indeed be what I saw... Ten days later, Paradise collapsed. But there might be other reasons..."

"Just like when Mr. Luo Mo came last time, what I saw was the scene of Paradise collapsing."

Aponia's eyelids trembled slightly, her hands clasped together, and her lips parted slightly.

Just as she had seen at the beginning, Paradise vanished into nothingness after she left. But fortunately, she had seen more than just that scene; she had also seen Alicia leaving. So… she never mentioned it.

"...Hmm. You mean, it's possible that Paradise collapsed, but the rest of the events might not necessarily have anything to do with Mei?"

After a long silence, Alicia finally gave an answer with a furrowed brow.

She genuinely didn't understand, but... the disappearance of Paradise after Luo Mo's arrival was something she had personally experienced, uh... it was clearly their own fault for going out.

"Sigh... In any case, Ellie, that's a scene from a game. I didn't see those scenes in reality, so I can't give you an answer."

The plump nun sighed and looked at Ellie with a hint of helplessness.

"But Mei still has so many scenes to go, so she must be alright and have gotten through this safely. Hmm, that's impressive."

Alicia smiled, her eyes darting around, and clapped her hands as she spoke.

"The death of ten days... In other words, this catastrophe was destined for Paradise."

With her eyes closed, Su said this, taking a sip of tea with some anxiety. The tea was of a leisurely color and had a delicate aroma.

To put it simply, it's more like tea from an ancient mountain ruin in China, which Su easily discerned.

"...Su, I can tell you're very anxious."

Kevin glanced at Sue and said quietly.

He felt that his friend had become increasingly lax lately. Although he didn't have anything important to do, he spent his days leisurely enjoying tea and watching movies, clearly taking health preservation as his responsibility.

"Haha, Kevin, you're so funny... Su, uh, I am indeed very anxious!"

Paddy chuckled, somewhat surprised by Kevin's joke, but glancing back and seeing his eyelids trembling slightly, she acknowledged his anxiety.

Su Ge is getting more and more health-conscious; sooner or later she'll join the ranks of those sunbathing.