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

Mei is still wandering around the amusement park.

Of course, they also "bumped into" Paddo, who had been following them all along. When the blade was held to Paddo's neck, the cat shamelessly raised her hands in surrender. She hurriedly explained why she had appeared, but it was simply because she was afraid of being disliked for being too weak.

She was afraid that if she held Mei back, Mei would refuse to let her go. Even she didn't want to do nothing and watch her companions doubt each other.

"No matter what... I'm not thinking about getting supplies, right, Mei-nee?"

Paddy chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of her head to show her innocence.

"Wait... Mei-nee, you don't suspect me, do you? If I really had that kind of ability, I would definitely get my hands on Eden-nee's Golden Garden first, and then have Boss Kevin and Brother Jie deliver goods to me. Hmm, right, having Ellie-nee and Ahua help me watch the shop wouldn't be bad either..."

She tried her best to dispel her suspicions, but for some reason she imagined that wonderful future and became somewhat envious, inadvertently revealing the truth.

Unfortunately... she really couldn't be the murderer.

Naturally, they wouldn't have the ability to fulfill such outrageous wishes.

“I can testify that that’s what little Paddo wants to do,” said Vervi, praising her idea.

Putting the facts aside, the characters she described were indeed perfectly capable of doing those things, and without a single mistake. It's just that it was somewhat of a waste of their talents.

Meiyi: "..."

She naturally wouldn't say no, not only because of the listless Pado in front of her, but also because more people meant more help. Since the mastermind was watching Ying Jie's actions, having more Ying Jies around wasn't a bad thing.

Unfortunately, despite investigating the amusement park for a long time, the three of them still failed to find any new clues.

Seeing that there was no movement for a long time and that she could not find the fairy Ellie after searching the whole park, Velvi took out her secret weapon with a smile at the right time - a hat.

But it's clearly not just about how it looks on the outside.

"This is a magic prop I specially developed—a consciousness collector."

"In short," Hurva said confidently. "This hat can help you enter other people's minds and look at their memories."

"Through it, we can check everyone's alibi, and of course, prove our innocence."

"Viewing memories? Wow, that's amazing! Is this really just magic, or some kind of sorcery?"

Paddy was undoubtedly a great straight man, clapping loudly for him from the sidelines.

Thunderous applause erupted, and Vervier's face lit up with joy.

“Magic?” Mei shook her head. “It should just be displaying data based on the characteristics of a memory entity.”

Vervi's face immediately fell, and she pouted.

"Trying to reveal the secrets of a magic trick...is not the mark of a good audience member."

"So...do you want to examine my memories? Ms. Mei, this is a testament to my trust in you!"

A smile appeared on Vervi's lips, her eyes calm yet turbulent beneath. She looked at Mei, who was deep in thought, and extended an invitation that was cryptic.

Although it may seem abrupt, at a time when no clues have been found after much searching, Vilvi's invention undoubtedly offers a new perspective.

"I reject."

Mei said without hesitation, discerning Yingjie before her, yet still not placing much trust in her.

Her actions were not enough to dispel Mei's wariness of her since they met. Moreover, after experiencing so much, her doubts about the magician's great invention were even greater.

Who knows if that hat might surprise her at some point—like an explosion? Or perhaps a shower of fireworks?

Knowing Vervie well, Mei became even more convinced that this was possible.

Her inventions are no longer trustworthy.

The defendant, Vervi, swore she absolutely did not add any seasoning, especially since this was a life-or-death situation.

Pado bravely accepted the task of being the experimenter, allowing Mei to examine her memories. Clearly, she was still bothered by Mei's earlier suspicions and also wanted to contribute to the team.

...

In the hall, the heroes were not too surprised by Pado, who was cowardly yet frequently appeared, after all, she had indeed lived up to her reputation as a hero in the final battle.

At most, it's just a slight deviation from previous memories and understanding.

Kiana looked at her friend, whom she knew quite well, with some surprise. Didn't she say she just wanted to be an ordinary person and bask in the sun? Why was she charging even faster than Mei?

She couldn't help but ask Pado in surprise, "Why don't you stand back a bit?"

That's not something you can handle.

But... Kiana then thought of herself, and realized she didn't seem to have the right to ask such a question.

"Checking memories? I have a feeling I'll find something surprising. What do you think, Vilvi?"

Alicia stroked her chin thoughtfully.

She felt that she might be able to overhear her companions' secrets, in the corners of their memories that even she herself was unaware of. Whose secrets might she be able to find?

"Perhaps. But such a device is useless to us now, since we are no longer just data. So, there's no point in building it."

Vervi immediately saw through Alicia's little scheme and shut her up.

"But Pado... it's rare for her to be the first to be a guinea pig. Generally speaking, Pado is the first to be the first to experiment on things made by Baiwei."

"That's what Vilvi asked."

"Huh? I—, that wasn't a dish, it was an experiment? Oh well, anyway, it tasted really good."

Pado muttered, wagging her tail.

Did she really know nothing about it? Not necessarily; she was simply blinded by the smell.

“Clearly, you, who brought out that experimental subject, are the most suspicious,” Mebius clicked his tongue.

"What about Dr. Möbius, who didn't show up? Wasn't she the one who secretly planned everything?"

Instead of proving her innocence, Vilvi threw mud at her, smiling sweetly.

...

As promised, I entered Pado's memory.

With the mastermind still elusive, she had no reason to waste time. If Velvi's device could indeed provide convenience, she couldn't refuse it simply because of her intuition and vigilance.

She didn't really believe that Pado was the traitor, but she did need to verify the function of the so-called consciousness extractor first.

She delved into Paddo's memories, arriving before the girl resolved to help.

She sat on the stall, kicking her little feet, basking in the eternal sunshine of this paradise. Beside her, a can lay lazily on its side, gazing at the portal to conflict before it, muttering to itself:

“I know—we’re not the type to have a proper conversation, and we have complicated pasts.”

"But why must we fight each other endlessly? We're partners who've even faced death together... Shouldn't we be considered partners?"

"Meow..." The cat's low meow seemed to carry a hint of sadness, even the canned food seemed to be meowing.

But Paddo seemed to have cheered up, and said with a smile,

"Don't try to comfort me, Canned Food. Don't worry, I finally found a place to stay, and I'm not going to just stand by and watch my companions fight amongst themselves!"

"After all, even if I'm only last, I'm still one of the thirteen heroes recognized by Sister Ellie."

"Even an orphan like me from Twilight Street can be called a hero one day! Hey, canned food... If my mom and dad were still here, what would they think? Would they be proud of me?"

Gradually, a smile appeared on Pado's face; she had made her decision.

Having poured out her heart under Mei's watchful gaze, she dusted herself off and headed towards the portal. Just as she said, she didn't want to see her companions fall into infighting.

Mei was surprised by how simple the other person's thoughts were.

As she always mentioned, she just wanted to be an ordinary person.

In the memory space, a little later in time, on the night Kevin disappeared, Mei was surprised to hear Paddo's voice. It was already late at night, but she was still awake.

Mei couldn't help but wonder what the other person was doing.

But all she could see was the sound of counting as she nimbly flipped through the day's 'spoils' with her slender fingers, already actively planning to buy them, as if she could already see the glittering gold coins behind her.

She counted her spoils and spent the night talking in her sleep. Her mind was becoming increasingly hazy. Just as Mei was about to leave, she heard Pado talking in her sleep.

"The first one... I'll choose Boss Kevin... but I have to keep this a secret from Ellie... and Mei too, otherwise she'll definitely not let me off the hook..."

Looking at the sleeping Padre, Mei felt a little curious about her last murmurs in her sleep.

What is it that you must keep from her and Alicia?

In reality, Padre confidently proclaimed her innocence; how could she possibly lay a hand on Ellie and Boss Kevin?

Hopeful eyes also turned to Mei, who had seen the firsthand information.

Mei hesitated for a moment, then pointed out the last thing she wanted to hide.

Suddenly, Pado's face turned pale, her hands involuntarily clasped together, she twisted and turned, and even stuttered as she spoke.

It immediately attracted the attention of Mei and Wilvi, who were present.

"Hmm?" Vilvi's lips curled up, and she looked at Pado with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Uh...no...it's about...that..."

Pado hesitated, glancing subtly in Mei's direction before quickly lowering her head, her face pale.

"Huh? That?" Mei asked, puzzled.

"It's... that... the horn on your head."

Paddy kept her head down, afraid to look up, lest she be met with Mei's cold gaze. But she had no choice; the only option before her was to confess.

“I’m planning to rent out your horns to other people to touch. If Sister Ellie finds out, she’ll definitely spread it around, and you’ll be furious.”

Meiyi: "..."

"Sister Mei! I was wrong, I'll never do it again!" Pado immediately apologized sternly and bowed deeply.

Mei took a deep breath and frowned as she looked at Pado, who was showing weakness in front of her. She believed Pado's thoughts, and they were consistent with the other woman's usual behavior.

What she was curious about was—how many people actually saw the incident where her corner was touched?

Or was it caused by someone's propaganda?

For some reason, another person has been added to the list of people with a dark past. How should this be resolved?

Perhaps Paddy misses her parents too, and they would certainly be proud of her becoming Yingjie.

[Padau...you've learned some more secrets you shouldn't have.]