Honkai Impact: Dreams and the Holy Grail, but the Servant is Rei.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Meng Weiyu's voice was choked with emotion.

"It's not late. The time you spent from start to finish was only half a minute. These injuries... were caused by removing the Holy Grail's contamination." Assassin [Kafka] reached out with some difficulty to straighten the slightly disheveled collar and hat of the Pioneer, which had been running.

This simple act reminded Meng Weiyu of her mother who raised her. At that moment, sadness, pain, and the mental pressure from the various dangers she encountered in the Holy Grail after her transmigration all turned into a torrent of tears that welled up in her eyes.

"I've left you something else; you'll find out soon enough." Assassin's figure began to gradually fade away.

"Be careful, your greatest enemy is always yourself." In the very end, she vanished as a speck of crimson light.

Meng Weiyu stood in the rain, letting the raindrops soak his clothes, as if the rain was a reflection of his inner state. At this moment, it was impossible to tell whether the water on his face was rain or tears.

The Trail Blazers' clothes were already soaked through, clinging to their skin and bringing a bone-chilling cold.

Xi Lian gently held his hand without speaking. Her eyes were lowered, as if she could feel the surging sadness deep in his heart.

After an unknown amount of time, the purplish-red umbrella vanished along with its current owner, and the means of concealing one's presence was simultaneously dispelled.

The item under the umbrella caught Meng Weiyu and Xi Lian's attention—it was a golden Holy Grail containing immense magical power!

That was a remnant left behind after the monster disappeared, which was preserved by the assassin [Kafka].

In the very end, she did not make any wish using the Holy Grail...

"If you want it now, I won't stop you." A clear, cold female voice suddenly rang out from not far away.

"But are you really ready?"

Chapter 41 The Star Slayer (Part 1)

Meng Weiyu turned her head to look in the direction of the sound and saw a woman not far away wearing a light blue flowing dress, with silver hair and red eyes as cold as moonlight.

berserker [Mirror Flow]!

Jingliu was the former sword master of the Luofu Immortal Ship, known as "[Flying Light Without Gap]", and was one of the legendary "Five Valiant Warriors of the Clouds", hailed as "the pinnacle of swordsmanship that is unattainable even after ten thousand years".

She captured Mingxiao, the legion commander of the Winged Ones, and Hulei, the war leader of the Step-Leaving People, and performed thirteen extraordinary feats. However, after the "Rebellion of Drinking the Moon," she violated the laws of heaven and had her name erased.

The so-called violation of heavenly laws was because, having lost her dearest friend, she stepped into the destiny of the immortal race—falling into the demonic realm and committing murder. However, she was not killed by Jingyuan's divine lord, but instead disappeared.

Later, she transcended worldly victory and power, embarking on a completely different path solely to gain the power to slay the "Star God".

From then on, the records of the Immortal Ship were missing one Luo Fu [Sword Master], and gained one [Traitor] whose name was erased.

Her martial arts skills impressed even the proud and aloof Dragon Lord of Luofu in the past, and her casual strike forced Yan Qing, the strongest swordsman on the current [Luofu] Immortal Ship, to defend himself with all his might.

Not long ago, Aha told him personally that Berserker had severed her connection with the Holy Grail, so Meng Weiyu could not see any trace of the Holy Grail's corruption on her!

Even though Berserker [Mirror Stream] had said he wouldn't stop him and Caster [Xi Lian] from obtaining the Holy Grail, Meng Weiyu could still clearly feel his adrenaline surging wildly, more intensely than ever before.

Having experienced all sorts of worst-case scenarios, Meng Weiyu had little hope left and was prepared for a fierce battle.

[Archer Emiya]'s state had vanished. Even with [Xi Lian] by his side, even if they were further apart, and even with his own preparations, he felt no chance of winning whatsoever.

Perhaps because the Pioneers and Jingliu are not familiar with each other in the story, there is no prompt for the entry for "Pioneers from Beyond the Territory".

Jingliu's eyes were not covered by the black blindfold with silver moon patterns printed on the surface, which was used to suppress the demonic body. This suggests that she may not have met the pioneer. The servants that he and [Xilian] encountered may even have inherited Jingliu's memories and abilities before she fell into the demonic body.

Meng Weiyu held Xi Lian's hand tightly, conveying information about the Mirror Stream to her. The latter, on the other hand, gripped the illusory, transparent ritual sword, seemingly preparing to launch something before the worst-case scenario unfolded.

"The little girl whom the Flowing Light Heavenly Lord glanced at, and the poor people trapped here, I want to ask how much [pleasure] you have experienced here?" Berserker [Mirror Flow] first looked at [Xi Lian], and then stared into Meng Weiyu's eyes.

Meng Weiyu was startled. He had not expected Berserker [Mirror Stream] to ask such a question, nor had he expected that Berserker [Mirror Stream] would know about his affairs. He also did not expect that among all the Servants, including himself, only she had noticed the Memory Star God Fuli's glance at [Xi Lian] and understood the essence of this Holy Grail War!

"We didn't feel any 'jokes' at all. Rather than calling those pranks and unexpected encounters a kind of 'joke', it's more like a fate that was deliberately arranged." Unexpectedly, it was Xi Lian who spoke first, clearly recounting her and Meng Weiyu's previous experiences.

“Fate… that I was once bound by fame and fortune, and stood firm for loyalty and righteousness.” Berserker [Mirror Stream] paused for a moment, then continued.

"But they all eventually left her sword." She reached out into the void, and the Ephemeral Sword, formed from moonlight, took shape in her hand. The so-called "Seamless Flying Light" is "stealing a ray of moonlight as a sword."

"So both she and I felt that a sword is a sword, a weapon that decides life and death! It is so pure that it cannot be eroded by any external things."

"Only by traversing the fiery path of anger, the blade of stinginess, and the bloody path of ignorance, and battling all obstacles—can you understand why you wield your sword!" She pointed the Ephemeral Flower Sword at Meng Weiyu, instantly making the latter feel a pressure as heavy as a mountain.

"Do you know why Chang Letianjun chose you out of all the countless beings in the universe? Is it because of the pitifully few [Pleasure] cells in your body? Or is it because of your identity as a [Pioneering Explorer from Beyond the Realm]?"

"None of that is correct. All of these combined only make Him curious about you." Her voice carried a hint of the manic tremor unique to the [Demon Body].

"The real reason He chose you is because He found it truly amusing to see you struggling against fate in your memories!" With that, Berserker [Mirror Stream] smiled, as if she were laughing at the man and woman before her, or perhaps at herself.

"Do you understand now? You poor soul who can't go back to your hometown, or perhaps I should call you the promising [Envoy of Pleasure]." Berserker [Mirror Flow]'s lips curled up as she looked at Meng Weiyu, her expression a mixture of mockery and pity.

Meng Weiyu felt as if his head had exploded, as a huge amount of information and countless speculations flooded his mind like a tidal wave.

He could feel that the small, fair hand holding his was unconsciously tightening its grip slightly, clearly indicating that it was also greatly shocked.

"How...how do you know so much?" Meng Weiyu's voice trembled with indescribable surprise and disbelief.

"Why do you think... I know so much?" Berserker [Mirror Stream] asked with a smile.

Meng Weiyu didn't want to think too much about it. No matter which possibility it was, it made him feel terrified. In front of such a powerful person who could kill him in an instant, he had to concentrate all his energy.

"Partner, there's a golden chess piece on her!" At that moment, the silent Caster [Xi Lian] took his hand and quietly conveyed this information to him through memory.

"If you fight seven Holy Grail Wars and collect seven pieces to eliminate the Holy Grail's corruption, you can have one more wish granted." Meng Weiyu instantly recalled the rules set by the Star God of Pleasure when they first met, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

Could she really know so much just because of that golden chess piece? Could she really understand herself so well?

"So what preparations do you think I should make before obtaining the Holy Grail?" Meng Weiyu calmed her emotions slightly and deliberately asked, recalling Berserker's [Mirror Stream] words from the beginning.

At this moment, he was no longer in a hurry to obtain the Holy Grail. Berserker's extraordinary understanding of him made him decide to find out the truth before ending this Holy Grail War.

"I will give you a chance, a chance to overturn the chessboard as a pawn!" The silver-haired, crimson-eyed woman, as cold as moonlight, returned to her initial expression of indifference. With one hand, she pointed the Ephemeral Flower Sword at Meng Weiyu, while with the other hand, she flipped upwards, revealing a golden Saber chess piece!

"If you still have the courage to scoff at the clumsy script that He and fate have written, then draw your weapon!"

Chapter 42 The Star Slayer (Part 2)

"If you still have the courage to laugh at the clumsy script that He and fate have arranged, then draw your weapon!" Berserker [Mirror Stream] held a golden chess piece in one hand and the Ephemeral Flower Sword, formed from solid ice and moonlight, in the other, pointing it directly at Meng Weiyu.

As a powerful being who had severed her connection with the Holy Grail, she did not use the renowned Fragmented Sword from the era of the Five Heroes of the Clouds. Instead, she wielded an ice sword that she had mastered with ease after reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship. However, she seemed unwilling to overwhelm herself and Xi Lian with absolute force, but rather...

"Her purpose is to..." Meng Weiyu hesitated for a moment, but still didn't bring up the bold guess of "cutting down the stars in the sky" in her mind.

In a game created and dominated by the Star God, for an ordinary person with no power to resist to utter words of god-killing might seem amusing to the Lord of Pleasure, who might give you a chance to try it out, but that would be far too insane.

"Slaying the stars from the sky was just that person's obsession; I am merely a memory of hers that has come back to life." The silver-haired, red-eyed woman not far away seemed to have guessed Meng Weiyu's thoughts, revealing the true nature of a Servant in just half a sentence!

Meng Weiyu's expression turned to shock. All his previous questions and confusions about [magic] were answered at this moment. In fact, he had already vaguely guessed the truth in those two layers of illusion...

He is currently in a world constructed of memory matter!

The so-called "magic" is nothing more than the use and manipulation of memory matter. The memory matter is bound here by a large number of laws and theorems unique to the Holy Grail, which constitute the representation of the material world within the Holy Grail!

Meng Weiyu released his grip on [Xi Lian]'s hand, which had been exchanging information. The black and white twin blades named [Gan Jiang Mo Xie] took shape in his hands. He did not immediately launch an attack, nor did he use projection and rewind abilities to set up a trap.

In a very short time, too much important information flooded his mind, making him, who was already prone to overthinking and making sarcastic remarks, unable to help but ponder the shocking news that Berserker [Mirror Flow] had just said.

Of course, facing a powerhouse far superior to Yun Li and Yan Qing, Meng Weiyu didn't think that a battle with all the traps set up, or even his [Archer Emiya] form, would have much of a chance.

But opportunities are always earned! As Berserker [Mirror Stream] said, even if the future is full of a poorly written script by Him and fate, he still has the courage to laugh it off!

Having come this far in the First Holy Grail War, what is there to fear when facing an even more powerful being with even more information?

However, what he needs to do now is not only to fight Berserker [Mirror Stream], but also to maximize his chances of winning!

"I want to take a day to adjust my condition. If you don't want to, we can fight now." Meng Weiyu said seriously, looking into Berserker [Mirror Stream]'s crimson eyes.

“A reasonable request. You were recently exhausted from numerous battles, both physically and mentally, and now that you know this information, you do need to make adjustments.” The Tan Hua Sword, which had been pointing at Meng Weiyu, vanished into moonlight. Berserker [Mirror Flow] looked at the young man before him and slowly nodded.

Wow, so easy to talk to? At this moment, Meng Weiyu could hardly believe her ears.

After arriving here, almost every hostile Servant he encountered started fighting without any explanation or listening to his and [Xi Lian]. However, the Berserker, who should theoretically be the most insane and difficult to communicate with, turned out to be the most knowledgeable, clear-headed, and easy to communicate with among all the Servants.

This world is truly bizarre!

“You can rest here. I’d also like to have a private chat with that little girl whom the Flowing Light Heavenly Lord glanced at.” Berserker [Mirror Flow] looked at the girl beside Meng Weiyu.

“Lord Jingliu, my name is Xilian, which means ripples of the past.” Xilian replied neither humbly nor arrogantly. Following the information Meng Weiyu had just conveyed, he did not address Jingliu as the former sword master of Luofu, fearing that the Demon Yin Body might bring unnecessary trouble and changes.

“Let’s talk here. You can inject what you want to tell me into this [Memory] crystal that only I can analyze, and we can communicate through it.” The pink-haired girl in the purple dress understood the Berserker [Mirror Stream]’s implication and realized that there might be bystanders in this Holy Grail War besides the Star Gods.

Hearing these words, Meng Weiyu felt no worry or concern. Just as Xi Lian trusted him in the illusion, he trusted Xi Lian completely at this moment!

He gathered his thoughts, sat cross-legged, and the panel of the [Entertainer's Dictionary Box] system clearly appeared in his mind:

[Master]: Meng Weiyu

【词条】：【域外开拓者·白色·1级（7/10）】、【贪饕的赞许·紫色·2级（1/2）】、【投影魔术·红色·50级（121/1000）】、【开拓者·记忆·金色·50级（234/1000）】、【战斗续行·紫色·1级（0/1）】、【遁剑·蓝色·15级（742/1000）】、【怪力·白色·1级（0/100）】

[Servant]: Xi Lian

[Servant Class]: Caster

[Noble Phantasm]: Unknown (All Servants, including Demi-Servants, are unable to use Noble Phantasms in this Holy Grail War)

[Command Spell]: 0 strokes

[Costume]: None available

[Enhancement Level]: ? ? ?

Beside the system panel, the figure formed from Meng Weiyu's consciousness appeared. He stared at the entries on the panel while pondering how to face the battle a day later...

Inside the tavern, having already learned too much information and witnessed Meng Weiyu's gradual and powerful improvement within the Holy Grail, Giovanni, the Masked Fool, wasn't particularly surprised when he heard what Berserker, Mirror Stream, said.

When Assassin [Kafka] said, "The greatest enemy is oneself," he could already vaguely guess the relationship between the two Meng Weiyus and their future.

After all, another unfathomable figure, Meng Weiyu, was sitting right next to him. He was more curious about the secret conversation between Berserker Jingliu and Caster Xilian.

"Can you guess what they're going to say?" Giovanni asked tentatively.

"Mr. Giovanni, do you think I, who have been single since birth, could guess what they're talking about?" [Meng Weiyu] said with a hint of sarcasm.

At that moment, Giovanni seemed to have some kind of illusion, realizing that since some time ago, this humble and polite young man had stopped answering his questions directly.

Did he sense something? Giovanni wondered.

The image of the Holy Grail projection started fast-forwarding again, but much slower than the illusion.

No one speaks in the scene, as if a silent play is being performed.

Meng Weiyu's attention was not entirely focused on the Holy Grail and its projection. He looked around the room. Since Giovanni's arrival, there had been no visitors.

Chapter 43 Slaying Me

Inside the Holy Grail, Meng Weiyu sat cross-legged amidst the ruins. He no longer contemplated the various skills and entries in the [Actor's Aphorism Box] system panel within his mind. Instead, he utilized the [Memory] ability granted by [Xi Lian] during the previous mana replenishment to meticulously analyze, word by word, the vast amount of information hidden within Berserker's [Mirror Flow] words:

“She said I was ‘a poor soul trapped here,’ which means she knew about the game Chang Letian and I were playing. But how did she know? Just from that golden ‘Saber’ chess piece?”

"She said that Lord Chang Le Tian was curious about me, and when we came to the Holy Grail in the [Crossroads of Fate], He himself basically admitted it. But at that time, only He and I were present. How could anyone else have known?"

"It's impossible that He's also gossipy, but it's not that bad... Well, with the God of Fun above, anything is possible."

"She even asked us how much 'pleasure' we experienced here. Goodness, it was only because she asked with that Mirror Flow poker face. If it were Old Sambo, I think 'Xi Lian' and I would have misunderstood."

"Damn it! What was I thinking? This is time for a debriefing! A debriefing!"

Meng Weiyu recalled when she first met Berserker [Mirror Stream], who was supposed to be the final or heavyweight character in this Holy Grail War, and to have a decisive battle with him and [Xi Lian].

But she didn't even hinder him from obtaining the Holy Grail; judging from her words, it seemed she wanted to give him a trial or a test.

Of course, Meng Weiyu also suspected that her trial might actually kill someone...

So why did she, or the one behind it all, do this? Was it because she and Xi Lian were too weak and their strength was far inferior?

But there are thousands of ways to compete, and there are hundreds or even thousands of ways to compete that involve "pleasure," so why choose to use the method of drawing a sword?

"The real reason He chose you is because He found your struggles with fate truly amusing!" These words from his memory seemed to echo in Meng Weiyu's ears at this moment!

When he first encountered Saber [Yun Li] and was driven to the brink of despair, he took a risk and made a bet with Chang Letianjun. Looking back now, he can be considered to have won that bet.

But in this so-called gamble, does winning or losing really have anything to do with him?

Just as [Xi Lian] said in response to Berserker [Jing Liu], what the two of them encountered was nothing more than a deliberate arrangement and an inescapable fate.

After a long silence, a sharp will gradually took shape in Meng Weiyu's mind.

Beside the system panel in his mind, the figure formed by Meng Weiyu's consciousness appeared, and his sharp will transformed into a phantom transparent one-handed sword in his hand.

The sword was three feet and seven inches long, yet it felt as light as a feather in his hands.

If Berserker [Mirror Flow] were present at this moment, he would be surprised to find that Meng Weiyu also possessed the same sword that she had longed for.