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

"You only see scenes like 'real men never look back at an explosion' in movies," Meng Weiyu muttered to herself.

He didn't care whether Hanunu and Archer Potio saw through his little trick. Even if they did, it wouldn't lower their opinion of him. Instead, they would think he was a reliable person.

"How long will it take for their reinforcements to arrive?" Caster [Xi Lian] asked [Ha Nu Nu].

"Reinforcements? Those bastards from the Wuwubo family have already run away." [Potio] pointed his gun at the nearby Interstellar Peace Corporation patrol team that was preparing to retreat and mocked them.

He ultimately refrained from indiscriminate killing; as long as they didn't stop him from smashing Oswaldo Schneider's head, he wouldn't mind letting these henchmen go.

But Hanunu showed no mercy. Under the barrage of rockets, the interstellar peace patrol team not far away was blown to pieces and scattered in all directions.

Seeing that they did not retaliate, the Habek werewolf coldly snorted and stopped his attack.

“Their reinforcements will probably arrive in two minutes at most. Those mechs are equipped with state-of-the-art communication devices in their heads, and they have maintained contact with us since the start of the firefight…” After doing all this, [Hanunu] turned to [Xilian] and said.

There were hardly two minutes left. Just after Meng Weiyu returned to the group, the four of them noticed the increasingly large black dot on the horizon!

That's an interstellar warship! A warship big enough to hold an entire city!

A flash of bright white light appeared on a secondary cannon at one of the edges of the giant ship, and in the next instant, the area where Meng Weiyu and the other three were located was turned into a sea of ​​fire.

The sea of ​​fire stretched out over an extremely wide area, even encompassing the nameless guest not far away and the fleeing employees of the Interstellar Peace Corporation.

If the Star Train hadn't been nearby, and the company hadn't been worried about a complete falling out with the well-connected [Pioneer] faction, this giant ship would probably have already fired all its main cannons at once!

Fortunately, the secondary cannon's destructive power was only close to the level of the Noble Phantasms encountered by Meng Weiyu and Caster [Xi Lian]. They were able to survive the sea of ​​fire by relying on the time-stop field and the constantly rewinding barrier.

Archer [Potio]'s face was contorted with deep-seated hatred and rage as he frantically pulled the trigger, unleashing his fury. The scene was all too similar to what had befallen his homeland, and his bullets, compared to the city-sized starship, were as insignificant as he was to the entire Interstellar Peace Corporation…

As Meng Weiyu continued to build defenses, his mind raced, trying to come up with a solution, but he had no clue what to do. He couldn't determine whether the starship had already locked onto their location, and if so, nothing he did would help.

Hanunu stared coldly at the massive interstellar warship; no one knew what he was thinking…

Faced with such revolutionary weaponry, the situation took a dramatic turn for the worse with just one attack from the secondary guns.

At this moment, Meng Weiyu finally understood why, even with Mikhail and other nameless figures, the Masked Fool, the Mourning Actor, the Omen Vanguard, and many other masters of destiny, the War of Independence in Pinocchio was still so brutal, and the specific scenes were even banned from broadcast within Pinocchio due to their bloodshed and violence.

Given the company's ability to razor the Earth's surface and destroy planets with its violence, it was a miracle that Hanunu and his companions were able to win that war.

He turned to look at the girl with pink hair and a purple dress beside him, wondering what suggestions and thoughts she had at that moment.

Looking at the sea of ​​fire beside her, Xi Lian's eyes held a barely perceptible sadness. She knew that the company employees and the nameless people caught in the blaze were not real lives, but in that real war of independence, countless vibrant lives must have perished on this desolate border planet.

She instantly understood the essence of these fictional yet real people—they were shadows summoned by some power from countless people who had existed in Pinocchio!

"With a few strokes of the pen, how many unknown names have been taken away? Yet, there are always those voices that will traverse the desert of time, destined to leave behind an eternal echo." Caster [Xi Lian] spoke in a gentle voice, as if comforting countless departed souls. At the same time, the ceremonial sword in her hand emitted a dazzling light!

This sentence comes from a small Easter egg that Meng Weiyu collected in the game. It is a eulogy from Pinocchio to the nameless victims.

An invisible wave emanated from the ritual sword of [Xi Lian], sweeping across the entire interstellar warship at the speed of light. Wherever the wave reached, all the company employees who had been resurrected by [Anti-Star Treasure - Pinocone] vanished!

It wasn't just the crew of the starship that vanished; some modules within the interstellar warship that possessed human-like consciousness also disappeared in the fluctuations at that moment.

This ultimate weapon, which once relied on its superior ships and cannons to open the doors of countless planets, can no longer even maintain its floating in the sky after losing its human operators and the assistance of its intelligent modules.

It plummeted rapidly in an ugly manner, triggering an explosion no less powerful than the attack itself!

In the starry sky, on a warship several times larger than the previous starship, a man who witnessed this scene through a satellite angrily smashed everything on the table.

Even for a high-ranking person like him, such a loss would be hard to accept.

"Number 22 crashed... We must find a way to get rid of that Caster!" the man in the suit said through gritted teeth.

Chapter 70 Containment [Memory]

“That Caster’s ability actually broke the rules we set. She doesn’t seem to be from [Flowing Light Memory Court]. Could she be from [Forgetfulness]?” In the conference room-like screening room, Ruler [Gopher Wood] looked at the crashing interstellar warship on the screen and pushed up his black-rimmed glasses.

The information about the Holy Grail War that he and [Mikhail] were given after being summoned did not include detailed information about each Servant.

"I don't think the rules were broken; she just used the power of [memory] to cheat," Ruler [Mikhail] said somewhat nonchalantly.

To him, this Holy Grail War was like a group of actors performing the experiences he and his companions had shared. He was more like a judge evaluating this drama. What he cared about most was the performance of the suspected Servant, [Hanunu], and the other young man who was also a [Outer Territory Pioneer].

“Mr. Mikhail is right.” Meng Weiyu, dressed in white, explained, “She was summoned based on Phlia093. She was recently glanced at by the Star God of Memory again. Although she has not yet revealed the hidden power of her original body, she has additional means to deal with things related to memory.”

"A second glance?" Ruler [Gopher Wood] keenly noticed the word "again." Those who have been watched by the Star Gods are already few in the universe; to be glanced at again is likely no longer a simple traveler on a destiny's path…

"Yes, while her true form was glimpsed by the Star God of Memory in Onfaros, which made her a demigod of [Time], she also hid some unknown 'little secrets'."

"Shortly after being summoned from the Holy Grail, she, who inherited the original body's memories and some of its abilities, was once again observed," [Meng Weiyu] earnestly explained to the "chicken-winged, black-haired old boy" dressed as a priest in front of her.

"It can be like this..." [Gopher Wood] said quietly, no one knew what he was thinking at that moment.

“In the last Holy Grail War, Caster [Xi Lian] used a similar ability. She collected Saber [Yun Li]'s memories in the illusion, causing the former to lose her main support, thus allowing her and another version of me to leave smoothly.”

"Yun Li... the most beloved granddaughter of the general of the Immortal Boat who has lived for thousands of years, one of the famous Eight Flame Wheels of the [Zhu Ming Immortal Boat], actually appeared here..." As the later head of Pinocone, [Gofemu] must know the intelligence of the major forces in the world, but it is difficult to know such a detailed level.

Meng Weiyu and Mikhail were not surprised by this. In the past, before Gofemu became the head of the family, he was already a diligent and hands-on person. So much so that when he was ostracized by the other founding members of Pinocone, Mikhail was the first to stand up for him.

In the history of Pinocchio, Mikhail's trust and unconditional support gave Gopher a chance to rise to power. However, neither of them could have imagined that a few Amber Cycles later, due to differences in ideology, the once highly respected "Watchmaker" Mikhail would be ousted from the core of power by the families controlled by Gopher...

At this moment, Mikhail didn't seem to care much about it. Just as he said at the beginning, even if he and Gophermu fought a big battle here and a winner was decided, it wouldn't have any impact on Pinocchio or the Star Train outside.

Since things have come to this, let's continue watching this Holy Grail War on the screen, a story unfolding the history of Pinocchio.

"This little girl is quite interesting. The Memory Collectors of [Flowing Light Memory Court] collect memories, but she can destroy [memories]," [Mikhail] joked.

“Mr. Mikhail, you’ve misunderstood.” Meng Weiyu, wearing the upper half of the Fool’s Mask, smiled.

"She simply used this method to contain the [memories]."

"You mean, you contained those company employees as [memories]?!" Inside the Holy Grail, after learning the information Caster had given him, Meng Weiyu was extremely surprised. So much so that, even while wearing the Trailblazer outfit, he subconsciously made the Trailblazer's signature head-scratching gesture.

"So, we can still release them at the right time?" Before [Xi Lian] could answer, he quickly asked the question that concerned him the most.

“Yes, when I summoned Berserker [Mirror Stream] and Rider [Kagemoto] before, I used similar abilities. They told me these things back then.” The pink-haired girl in the purple dress held his hand, passing on her answer through [memories].

“If it’s the 'me’s' partner in Onphalos that’s being summoned, people can sense that something extra might happen.” [Xi Lian] smiled and winked at Meng Weiyu.

Hanunu, who was not far away, led them to a nearby stronghold, while the archer Potio vigilantly guarded their surroundings.

If Meng Weiyu's actions of defeating four company mechs and projecting a barrier to allow everyone to escape the inferno unscathed were surprising, then Xi Lian's single strike that caused a city-sized warship to crash can only be described as shocking.

[Potio] wanted to ask, but just before he opened his mouth, he seemed to remember something and shut his mouth, as if he was unwilling to ask about his partner's privacy and trump cards.

Hanunu, on the other hand, offered a few words of praise before hurriedly leading them away.

Meng Weiyu didn't seem to care too much about this. After discussing it with Xi Lian, they decided to explain to the two of them when they got to a safe place, since the four of them would probably face even more difficult battles later on.

He was initially disappointed that despite shooting down such a massive warship in the battle, he hadn't gained much.

But after hearing Xi Lian's answer, he felt that the gains were a bit frightening.

First came the mechs, then the company's warships; surely the next enemy won't be one of those planet-destroying weapons...

Even the swarms of insects and warships aren't Servants, so what exactly will they face as their true enemy? Meng Weiyu frowned slightly.

In Pinocchio's history, Mikhail and his two companions clashed with Hanunu, a conflict that was quickly resolved through Mr. Sousa's mediation. Their reconciliation led the company to consider the three of them as targets to be eliminated.

In the ensuing conflict, Lazarina was severely injured, and the game's depiction of Pinocchio's history is subtly described as follows:

Countless cracks appeared on the Mirror Princess's body...

He looked at Xi Lian beside him, a worried expression on his face.

A kilometer away, beside a burning tree trunk, a figure was lying on the ground, with a tiny communication device on one of his ears.

Compared to other employees, his uniform blended in with his surroundings like a chameleon.

He held a sniper rifle that looked like a withered tree trunk, aiming it at Caster [Xi Lian]'s forehead.

The sniper rifle is loaded with special bullets that can affect those who remember or are memes!

Chapter 71 [The Stone Boss]

In the command center of the flagship warship in the Asdna star system, a man in a suit and tie is monitoring the every move of Meng Weiyu and her three companions via a satellite suspended high above the prison.

The three walls in front were covered with screens of various sizes, one of which was showing the image of the sniper [Xi Lian] aiming at the caster.

The man looked around at the numerous screens. This command center, which could accommodate hundreds of people, now housed only him.

He is the enduring and famous villain in Pinocchio's animated films and movies—Rider [Stone Boss]!

[Stone Boss] narrowed his eyes slightly, carefully recalling the knowledge that had been instilled into his mind since he came into this world:

Rider, as one of the seven official classes in the Holy Grail War and the Fate series "Dreams and the Holy Grail", specifically refers to a Heroic Spirit incarnation that has an origin in riding objects such as living beings, vehicles, or abstract concepts.

This class typically possesses high-energy riding skills. Their base stats are generally lower than those of Saber, Archer, and Lancer, the "upper three classes," but they can make up for their disadvantages through legendary mounts or Noble Phantasm performance.

He tapped the empty tabletop lightly with his hand, a faint sense of smugness in his heart: neither Meng Weiyu, who was playing the role of [Mikhail], nor [Hanunu], who was suspected of being a follower, could imagine that there was someone "riding" an interstellar warship in the [Interstellar Peace Company], which they considered to be the enemy.

Each of the company's interstellar warships can turn the surface of a planet into a sea of ​​fire, and the warship he is currently sitting on is the flagship with the most powerful firepower and the most advanced configuration!

In his understanding, aside from the Star Gods, the Commanders, and geniuses like Chadwick in later generations, this could almost be considered the pinnacle of mortal martial prowess.

He could even use more than one ship to create such a "masterpiece"!

Strictly speaking, they are not historical projections of Pinocchio, but rather Noble Phantasms belonging to Rider [Stone Boss]!

The new knowledge in the mind of the Stone Boss tells him that Noble Phantasms, as the ultimate weapons of Servants, are materialized miracles and proof of the pinnacle of their life's glory. They are formed into weapons or skills based on human imagination.

He was unaware that the rules set by Ruler Mikhail and Gopher had affected him with the Anti-World Noble Phantasm Pinocchio. He only felt that he had received a huge boost as a native Heroic Spirit—whether in history or in the widely circulated animated films of later generations, he was the biggest and strongest villain!

Thinking of this, the Stone Boss's gaze sharpened slightly, and the image of Hanunu, the original rebel and leader of the uprising, resurfaced in his mind.

Unfortunately, through the deliberate arrangements of the [family], Hanunu was portrayed as a "tyrant," and his existence and influence were even deliberately erased.

Compared to Mikhail, the "Clockboy" who fought to the very last moment for the happiness of everyone in "Dream Town," he doesn't even have a statue...

The knowledge conveyed by the Holy Grail told him that if it weren't for the existence of Dream Reef and the few documentaries on the verge of being banned that recorded this character who was about to become a virtual figure, perhaps in the not-too-distant future, no one would prove that Hanunu had ever been to this world.

“It’s so sad…” he murmured.

Having received the Holy Grail's [memory] and learned about the history of Pinocchio from several [Amber Periods], even though they were now enemies, [Stone Boss] couldn't help but feel sorry for the fate of this last leader of the rebellion:

Hanunu sacrificed his life to wipe out most of the Interstellar Peace Corporation's manpower and most powerful weapons in Pinocene, yet most of Pinocene has almost forgotten him since...

Ironically, his archenemy, Rider [Stone Boss], is one of the few people who know this guy very well...

That's why, from the very beginning, [Stone Boss] paid the highest tribute to Hanunu—to destroy him with all his might!

He actually has a lot of cards at his disposal. In the most widely circulated story in Pinocchio, the "Stone Boss," who appears as a crocodile, has 22 "strong and powerful crocodiles" as his henchmen.

Under the influence of the rules set by the [World-Defying Noble Phantasm - Pinocchio], Rider [Stone Boss] does not need to release the true name of his Noble Phantasm like other Servants. After the Ruler ruled the rules, he truly possessed 22 extremely capable subordinates!

Whether it's the starship that appears at the very beginning or the sniper on the screen who is about to aim at Caster [Xi Lian]'s forehead, they are his most capable subordinates and also the manifestation of his Noble Phantasm.

Theoretically, he could have swept through the Holy Grail War with his overwhelming power, but everything has its advantages and disadvantages. While the Anti-World Noble Phantasm Pinocchio used by Ruler [Mikhail] and [Gopher] provided a powerful boost to him, it also limited him as a result:

Even when facing a deadly crisis, "Stone Boss" cannot go against the history of Pinocchio.

He couldn't use powerful interstellar warships to completely destroy the surface of this prison planet, nor could he destroy the Star Train where the "Light Chaser" Granholm was located. Even when launching attacks on fictional civilians, the number of civilians he indiscriminately killed could not far exceed that in history...

Forced by the restrictive rules, [Stone Boss] had to plan carefully. It wasn't until Meng Weiyu, Caster [Xi Lian], and Archer [Potio], who played Mikhail, that he dispatched the strongest force he could currently mobilize—a starship—in an attempt to kill them in one blow and bid them farewell to this Holy Grail War.

He even sent his company's troops to distract them, allowing the real trump card to arrive in time.

Then, he saw his trump card crash under the influence of the energy emanating from the pink-haired girl in the purple dress…

The Stone Boss instantly realized that this girl with the power of memory was his greatest enemy—her ability had suppressed the "capable henchmen" he had summoned in his past legends.

He abandoned his plan to prioritize attacking [Hanunu] or Meng Weiyu, who was impersonating Mikhail, and instead ordered his men to use bullets designed to target [Memory] to try and completely kill the caster [Xilian]!

Coincidentally, in history, Lazarina was also seriously injured in this battle. If the gun were pointed at this unsuspecting actor now, the rules of the ruler would no longer impose any restrictions on [Stone Boss] and his men!

The man in the suit and tie fired a shot with a loud "bang," the dull sound of a sniper rifle echoing through the screen.

In the Holy Grail, the moment the sniper pulled the trigger, Archer [Potio] and [Hanunu] reacted immediately.

The bullet travels much faster than sound, and in less than a second, it was less than half a meter away from Caster [Xi Lian]!

An invisible domain expanded in time, and the bullets were suspended in mid-air, unable to move forward. Seeing the change in the expressions of [Potio] and [Hanunu], Meng Weiyu subconsciously activated the time-stop domain of [Pathfinder Memory].

"Enemy attack!" Meng Weiyu's pupils contracted sharply when she saw the bullets stop.

Chapter 72

The halted bullet made Meng Weiyu instantly realize their current predicament—this was a premeditated ambush!

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his inner panic and unease, his thoughts racing as he began to weigh the pros and cons of dispelling the time-stop field:

I can't yet use the [Pioneer Memory] field without affecting anyone other than Caster [Xi Lian]!