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

A new pair of black and white swords, Gan Jiang and Mo Xie, were projected out. This time, Meng Weiyu did not hold them, but threw them in two arc-shaped trajectories towards Berserker [Mirror Flow]!

【Crane Wing Triple Combo】!

This is a technique that Meng Weiyu had never used before. It is one of the signature skills of Archer Emiya, the original owner of the [Projection Magic], and also the strongest way to use [Gan Jiang Mo Xie]:

【Crane Wings - Not Yet Falling】!

Berserker [Mirror Flow] immediately stopped its fierce attack and turned around to try to defend itself, but under its deliberate control, it avoided the former's attack range and flew behind her!

【Mind and Skill: Reaching Mount Tai】!

He projected another pair of Gan Jiang and Mo Xie swords and threw them at Berserker [Mirror Stream]. At the same time, two Gan Jiang and Mo Xie swords flew back from behind the latter, attempting to attack from both sides!

If Meng Weiyu were to continue using the [Crane Wing Triple Strike] to project a third pair of [Gan Jiang Mo Xie] while simultaneously charging forward and attacking, even if the real Saber Artoria were present, she might be caught off guard.

However, he did not believe that he could defeat [Kagami-ryu] at close range with such a fighter jet, so he abandoned the last three moves of [Crane Wing Triple Strike] and used the brief time gained by the two pairs of [Gan Jiang Mo Xie] to widen the distance between him and the Berserker [Kagami-ryu]!

"I am the bone of my sword."

As he created distance, Meng Weiyu used [Fantasy Collapse] to draw his bow again, buying time for the incomplete version of [Unlimited Blade Works] he was chanting!

Chapter 46 The Movie Kings

Just as Meng Weiyu had predicted, both pairs of Gan Jiang and Mo Xie were completely cut down by Berserker's Mirror Flow. The moment they were cut down, the Illusion Collapse equipped with the Pseudo-Spiral Sword was launched!

An unparalleled icy blue sword light collided with the rapidly approaching counterfeit Noble Phantasm. The two exploded violently.

This was a plan he had devised during meditation. When the so-called trial turned into a duel, he had already anticipated all the possibilities and discussed them with [Xi Lian] through [memory] communication.

Meng Weiyu erected the [Seven-Layered Sky-Covering Ring] and layers of invisible, transparent barriers imbued with magic, but was surprised to find that the woman with such precise timing in the battle did not rush to his side at that moment.

However, he did not stop chanting [Unlimited Blade Works], but seized the opportunity to finish reciting all the parts he could at the moment.

One after another, [Pseudo-Spiral Swords] floated around Meng Weiyu, their tips pointing directly in the direction of [Mirror Flow]!

Meng Weiyu's pupils contracted sharply. With the help of the "magic thermal imaging" vision provided by Caster [Xi Lian], he noticed that Berserker [Jing Liu] was not in its original position in the smoke and dust of the explosion.

She's leaping into the air! That's her ultimate move in the game—[Ephemeral Beauty, Heavenly River's Dream]!

Without the slightest hesitation, all the [Pseudo-Spiral Swords] were launched simultaneously at this moment, driven by the level 15 [Escape Sword]!

Meng Weiyu still felt that this was far from enough. The moment the explosion occurred, he spent a lot of magic power to rewind these [Pseudo-Spiral Swords] again, preparing for a new round of attacks!

"Partner! Don't attack! She's not using her full strength. She seems to just want to use this energy clash to leave quietly. She..." [Xi Lian] transmitted her voice to him using the barrier, but before she could finish speaking, the barrier was destroyed in the massive energy collision.

Meng Weiyu used the [Escape Sword] to ride on the projected flying sword to reach [Xi Lian]'s side, and replaced the precarious barrier that she had set up in advance with the [Blazing Sky Seven-Layer Ring], blocking the aftershocks of the energy collision.

Compared to Saber's attacks, which were close to Noble Phantasm level, the destructive power of this battle was much smaller.

"What was the second half of what you were about to say? I didn't hear it," Meng Weiyu asked telepathically, holding Xi Lian's hand.

“She has already left this place…” [Xi Lian] revealed a thoughtful and solemn expression.

Just as if to verify her statement, the [Entertainer's Encyclopedia] in Meng Weiyu's mind remained unchanged.

As the smoke and dust dissipated, only a golden Saber chess piece, the size of two fists, remained where Berserker [Mirror Stream] had stood. It was engraved with the upper body of a swordsman holding a sword upright and wearing a helmet.

Not far from the chess piece, in another direction, is the Holy Grail, which has never been moved.

Meng Weiyu picked up the chess piece from the ground. Just as he was worrying about how he would carry more and more chess pieces in the future, he discovered that the golden chess piece had disappeared...

Before he could even speak, the [Entertainer's Dictionary] in his mind finally changed at that moment:

The "Enhancement Level" field has changed from "???" to "???+1"!

This sudden change caused Meng Weiyu's pupils to contract sharply. Details she had previously avoided by using [Slaying Illusion], details she dared not dwell on, resurfaced at this moment:

When Chang Letianjun was first asked what would happen if he died here, He did not give a direct answer.

Why did Mimi, also known as Caster [Xi Lian], show a puzzled expression when she first met him?

Why is the real [Ceremony Sword] summoned, and only disappears intentionally after he sees its effect?

Why would Jingyuan, who doesn't even exist in this Holy Grail War, be so familiar with Jingliu and [Xilian], calling them comrades-in-arms?

How long have I been inside this Holy Grail? How many times have I experienced life and death? How much time has passed outside?

Is it possible for me to leave this place and return to Earth where my parents are?

Besides the Star God of Pleasure, who else is pulling the strings behind the scenes? Why does Assassin [Kafka] say that her greatest enemy is herself?

He could escape these facts or avoid thinking about them in the short term, but when they appeared on the system panel, which even the illusion couldn't affect, he couldn't ignore them even after using up all his [Delusion Slayer].

The upgrade in [Enhancement Level] made Meng Weiyu feel that all of his physical abilities had improved to a certain extent, but his hands trembled slightly, not because of fear, but because he was getting closer and closer to a truth he did not want to approach...

If Meng Weiyu is completely unable to go home or leave the Holy Grail, she should just give up and give up.

But compared to utter despair, that faint glimmer of hope is the most unbearable.

In this way, one's previous persistence and expectations become a curse before they are ultimately realized or shattered.

"Is this what it means for me to struggle against fate?" Meng Weiyu said softly.

He used his mind to tell Xi Lian about his recent experience and his guesses.

After a moment of silence, Xi Lian did not convey her thoughts to him, but instead spoke softly to comfort him:

“My friend, like you, I have also lost a lot of my memories and don’t know how long I’ve been here.”

"So when I first saw you projecting the quill pen, I felt like I had seen this scene before."

"But some things we thought we had lost have actually always been there, haven't they?"

"For example, these details that are deliberately hidden and ignored, such as that [Mirror Flow], she must be fighting against fate here in some way, even trying to cut down the stars in the sky."

"The 'me' of Onphalus lost the memories of thirty million lifetimes, thirty million lifetimes... Doesn't it feel like you're closer to 'eternity'? That 'me' truly lost the memories of Xilian for that long."

"Just like the wonderful time she and the pioneers spent in the Elegant Secret Pavilion, people increasingly feel that instead of hoping for 'forever,' when 'memories' are fading, why not turn our attention back to the present and let ourselves relive those important moments?"

"It's always nice to reminisce about the good old days, but what's more important is that we take steps forward and achieve what we want to accomplish, right?"

"Hmm." Meng Weiyu closed her eyes slightly, using [Slaying Illusions] to once again sever all distracting thoughts from her mind, and the flame in her heart was rekindled.

"Let's make a promise not to think about what has already happened, and turn the page on the next chapter of the story together~" Under the starry night sky, [Xi Lian] smiled and gently swayed his little finger.

Inside the tavern, watching the young man dressed in pioneer attire and the girl with pink hair and a purple dress make a pinky promise and walk resolutely toward the Holy Grail, Meng Weiyu, wearing the upper half of the Fool's Mask, once again paused the image of the Holy Grail by relying on his peculiar connection with it.

"Are you going to prepare for the opening ceremony of the 'tavern'?" Giovanni asked, looking at Meng Weiyu in front of him, even canceling the projection of the Holy Grail.

“Yes, but that’s not the most urgent matter.” [Meng Weiyu] picked up the Holy Grail and held it in her hand: “Mr. Memory Maker, who is disguised as Lord Giovanni, is about to lose a part of his important [memories]. Aren’t you going to make a move?”

Chapter 47 Refusal to Negotiate

Meng Weiyu's tone was as calm as usual. If Giovanni hadn't taken the Holy Grail into his hand at that moment, he would have thought he was joking.

“Brother Meng, this joke is not funny.” [Giovanni] looked at the young man in front of him seriously.

"Is there any point in continuing this pretense now?" [Meng Weiyu] looked around the luxurious room. "You have the ability to have two destinies: [Memory] and [Pleasure]. You and your friends who are Memory Receivers have already surrounded this place and completely detached this room from reality."

"Am I right? My friends who have been enlightened by the Heavenly Lord of Flowing Light, no longer relying on physical bodies, but living in the form of memes." The young man in plain white clothes pushed up the Fool's mask that only covered the upper half of his face, looked around the room and repeated himself.

No one responded to him; the room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"It's pointless." [Meng Weiyu] shook her head. "So you're unwilling to admit it either? This Mr. Memory, disguised as Lord Giovanni?"

"I don't understand what you're talking about." [Giovanni] seemed a little angry.

“You are a good memory, but not a good actor. You, too, walk the path of pleasure and wear the ‘Follower’s Mask. But if you think that you can perfectly impersonate the ‘Masked Fool’ with just that and Giovanni’s memories, you are underestimating me, the ‘Outer Territory Pioneer’.”

“I really underestimated you, a short-lived species who only lived for a little over twenty years. Tell me, how did you figure that out?” After a long silence, [Giovanni] laughed.

"The meaning of life lies in its breadth, not its length. Perhaps in some place, the people and things I encounter are far richer than all of yours combined." [Meng Weiyu] looked down at the Holy Grail in her hand, seemingly making a pointed remark.

The air around the walls of the room seemed to ripple slightly, as if something had been provoked.

Sitting at the table, Giovanni did not feel offended or angry at being mocked with ulterior motives. He listened calmly to the young man's narration and nodded slowly, signaling him to continue.

"My first attempt was to address you as 'Mr. Giovanni Giorgio,' which, as far as I know, is not his full name. But I didn't expect that you, as a big shot who can organize intergalactic events, would not care at all and would not correct me on the spot."

"Oh? You started to doubt me back then?" A hint of surprise appeared on Giovanni's face.

"No, I first suspected you much earlier, after you heard my story. You said you heard 'How many people truly catch deer, unaware that they dream of being fish all day long?' on Earth in my universe."

"When I heard this poem, I felt a little confused. In this created universe, many of the cultures and customs of my hometown are actually attached to the culture of the Immortal Ship, rather than appearing on Earth, which is never mentioned in the game," Meng Weiyu said calmly.

“Such subtle flaws are hard to avoid. Only someone like you, a ‘pioneer from beyond the borders,’ could be so perceptive as to notice them.” Giovanni shook his head with a wry smile and sighed. “When we impersonate others to obtain memories, the best course of action is to say less and do less. Unfortunately, almost every ‘masked fool’ dislikes silence and boredom.”

"So how did you test him after that?" Giovanni asked Meng Weiyu curiously, just as he had been watching the story unfold in the Holy Grail with curiosity and surprise not long ago.

"Afterwards, I intentionally or unintentionally mentioned Lord Liuguang, Yiting, and you Memory Masters, and your performance was flawless." [Meng Weiyu] stared at the eyes behind the [Fool's Mask] on [Giovanni's] face. "But I heard about it back when the 'Tavern' was being built. There was a Memory Master who was on a path of pleasure and would stop at nothing to gain memories and fun."

"It wasn't until I, in the illusion, revealed my ability to deal with memes and illusion monsters that you, being a meme yourself, showed extraordinary interest, which made me completely certain."

"By the time I discovered that this place was disconnected from the outside world, I was quite certain that all your helpers had arrived." [Meng Weiyu] shook her head helplessly.

"So that's why you went to the restroom back then, just to confirm this." [Giovanni] suddenly realized.

"Half and half, I guess. Another reason I went there was that I really wanted to resolve a personal issue, but unfortunately, I didn't succeed in the end." After saying that, Meng Weiyu couldn't help but sigh, as if he had thought of something that made him sad.

"Speaking of which, I almost failed just now too. You discovered me when I was about to finish setting things up, and I almost failed at the last minute." [Giovanni] sighed, mimicking [Meng Weiyu], and then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, but I should thank you! Young man! Even though you saw through me and my friends, you didn't make a move. Instead, you patiently chatted with me for so long." [Giovanni] stared into [Meng Weiyu's] eyes, his expression behind the three-colored mask full of mockery. "Now, our arrangements are complete!"

“Can’t we still have something to talk about?” Meng Weiyu said seriously. “Isn’t the essence of negotiation to reach a solution that satisfies everyone through consultation? I told you before about the three possible outcomes after I encountered the forces of Liuguang Tianjun. As long as it’s not the last one, I can accept it.”

"Unfortunately, young man, this is not a business negotiation. My friends and I are not the moderates in the Memory Court. When the gap in strength between us is so large that one side can completely crush the other and eliminate them without leaving any future troubles, the negotiation has long lost its meaning." [Giovanni] looked at the young man in front of him with a bit of sympathy, feeling that the serious look in his eyes seemed both clear and foolish.

"Oh?" Meng Weiyu wanted to raise an eyebrow, but found that his whole body was stiff and his limbs no longer obeyed his commands.

In the luxurious room, ghostly figures emerged from the walls, scoffing at Meng Weiyu, who had previously mocked them for their limited lifespan but was now completely immobile.

Even if he was suspected of being the Pleasure Envoy, he was powerless to resist under the targeted arrangements.

“Take him and the Holy Grail with us, and hurry up, there are more and more ‘Masked Fools’ here!” Giovanni said.

Outside the tavern, on an open space not far away, a starship has come to an abrupt stop.

“Mr. Giovanni, this is illegal parking! And this is Miss Zhong Shan’s Starship!” A famous reporter complained somewhat indignantly as she jumped out of the back seat of the Starship. She was an AI whose head was made up of yellow cameras.

“Wild, go and greet those managers. It’s rare to receive an invitation to the opening ceremony of the ‘Tavern.’ Time is of the essence, so Ms. Camille and I will head over first.” The real “Masked Fool” Giovanni di Giorgio da Epsilon stepped out of the Starship and arrived on this land he had been away from for some time.

Chapter 48 A Hall Full of Flowers, Intoxicating Three Thousand Guests

“I also want to be a law-abiding citizen,” Giovanni said with a wry smile, “after all, if I’m any slower, I’ll miss this good show.”

"We're almost there, Mr. Giovanni. Now can you tell me what this show specifically refers to besides the opening of the 'tavern'?" Ms. Camille, a professional journalist, asked curiously once again.

Actually, I don't know any more than you do, Giovanni thought to himself.

But as the Masked Fool, he still said in a joking tone: "From the snippets of conversation among my brothers and sisters, I have some personal speculations. He is not only a new member of our Masked Fool, but he is also very likely a big shot with a significant background. This opening ceremony may be the time for him to make his public debut."

"He might announce his formal entry into the stage of 'Pleasure' and become a member of 'The Masked Fool' by directing some kind of good show."

"An important figure?" Ms. Camille became excited. She could feel that her "control system" was processing perception and generating commands much more efficiently. "Is it an envoy of the same level as General Xianzhou?"

“I can’t guarantee that, madam.” Giovanni coughed lightly. As a Lawful Good [Masked Fool], he was unwilling to mislead with speculation: “But someone who could open an even bigger 'tavern' near the [tavern] to intercept customers could not possibly be an ordinary [Masked Fool].

"I'm really looking forward to it. I wonder what kind of 'pleasure' show this 'Masked Fool' will orchestrate as the director?" The voice coming from the camera lens carried a hint of laughter.

"Haha, I'd rather be an observer than a participant in this great show," Giovanni said with a smile.

Just as Ms. Camille was about to ask for more details, she heard a faint commotion coming from not far away.

Giovanni, in a gentlemanly gesture, led the famous journalist forward.

At the end of the road was a huge square, where a large number of pleasure devotees and attracted passersby and tourists gathered to celebrate the upcoming official opening of [Aha's Pleasure Tavern] in their own unique way.

The entire square was like a bizarre party, filled with unrestrained laughter, inappropriate pranks, and various minor disturbances caused by them.

Several masked people on comical stilts threw candy and confetti at the nearby crowd, and sometimes the candy would explode in the air with a "bang" as a pretty little firework.

Some people changed their faces like theatrical masters, imitating the expressions and tones of different characters, which drew bursts of laughter from those around them.

But Giovanni knew that the vast majority of those causing "moderate" trouble at this moment were not the Masked Fool, but rather fanatical followers of Ahab and ordinary people who wanted to become the Masked Fool. Of course, under this premise, they were most likely employees of the Tavern of Ahab's Pleasure.

After all, for the Masked Fool, who is good at creating mischief, there is no need for a reason to hold a party; all that is lacking is an excuse to get together.

The reporter, Ms. Camille, seemed to have a similar thought. Giovanni noticed that she was looking around, as if trying to figure out what the real "Masked Fool" was doing at that moment.

“Miss Zhong Shan! What are you doing?” Camille saw the “Masked Fool” whom she had recently met through Giovanni’s introduction.

Amidst the noisy atmosphere, the "Masked Fool," who had once released members of the "Release Gang" on the "Luofu" Immortal Ship, was now sitting alone on a single lounge chair in the corner of the square, savoring her favorite martini made with toprolol olives and Bernard fractal peppers, while earnestly... writing furiously?