The moment Raiden Mei touched the imprint, violent flames instantly swallowed her whole.
In a daze, she saw a man bathed in blood bound by chains, letting out a heart-wrenching roar.
Suddenly, that man turned his head, and his burning eyes stared directly at her.
Raiden Mei felt as though even her soul would be scorched by that gaze.
At that hair's breadth moment, a familiar warmth spread from her chest.
It felt as if someone was gently holding her in their arms, and even the raging purgatorial flames became gentle.
Raiden Mei couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile, and her tense body gradually relaxed.
She basked in that warmth, as if she had returned to a moment of complete peace.
Thinking of this, Raiden Mei subconsciously touched her chest, as if a certain someone's warmth still lingered there.
Even though she was in the middle of a blazing fire, a hard-to-describe sense of joy surged from within.
When she came back to her senses, Kalpas's voice was still echoing in the air,
"All things have been burned away. The self shall also perish and be no more. In life or death, in survival or destruction, only annihilation, eternally burning and never extinguished!"
———
[In the Real World]
[Damn! This imprint fusion is too intense!]
[Was that the past version of Kalpas tied up in chains?]
[Isn't the point the light at the end that protected Mei?]
[I won't say whose power made her so happy]
[This familiar way of protecting... Van, that's enough]
[Van, just how many backup plans did you leave on Mei?]
———
Watching the experience from before being displayed, Raiden Mei, aside from being slightly embarrassed, felt more of a deep sigh.
Whether it was that once hopeless world or those companions who had once fought alongside her.
Raiden Mei once believed that sacrifice was an unavoidable price when fighting against Honkai.
But now...
Raiden Mei lifted her head and looked around her. Those familiar faces once again entered her vision.
Thinking of this, Raiden Mei shifted her gaze to Van not far from her, her eyes filled with gentleness.
And the other party seemed to have sensed her gaze, raising his head to look at her.
Their eyes met in the air. Just as Raiden Mei wanted to say something, a light cough came from beside her.
"Cough cough..."
Turning around, she saw Mobius watching them with a half-smile, the corner of her lips forming a dangerous arc.
———
[Back to the Video]
Turning her head, Mobius was watching them with a half-smile, the corner of her lips forming a dangerous arc.
When Raiden Mei returned to the golden hall, Elysia was leisurely sitting on a comfortable sofa, flipping through a beautifully bound book in her hands.
"From the look on your face..." Elysia said with a smile, "you must've met Kalpas, right?"
Recalling what had just happened, Raiden Mei replied with a blank expression, "What's with that man? I thought fusion warriors who chose to retain their memories at least knew how to communicate with others."
"Hmm..." Elysia closed her book, tilted her head and thought for a moment, "Strictly speaking, he didn't have a choice back then. But that's not the point!"
Saying that, Elysia gracefully stood up from the sofa.
"You see, back in our time, there was no Herrscher as beautiful, gentle, and kind as Mei~"
"To us, this is a completely new experience." Elysia put both hands behind her back and leaned closer to Raiden Mei, "Everyone is making friends with a Herrscher for the first time."
"As for Kalpas..." she suddenly lowered her voice, speaking mysteriously, "He's actually a rather reserved person. Give him a little more time."
"Reserved?" Raiden Mei raised her eyebrows slightly, "Isn't he not like that with others?"
Elysia blinked and cutely replied, "...Seems like he's the same?"
The two of them suddenly fell into silence.
"Whatever." Raiden Mei finally sighed. "Though in a certain sense, he really does match my impression of the previous era."
"Ahh, then that's a headache~" Elysia waved her hand dramatically. "You've been left with a bad impression~"
"You do know it's a bad impression." Raiden Mei said helplessly.
"Don't worry~" Elysia suddenly pulled out a book from behind like performing a magic trick. "Here, this might come in handy!"
Raiden Mei accepted the book and read the title on the cover,
"...'A Hundred Questions on Kalpas's Mask, From Beginner to Mastery'? …Author, Elysia?"
"From zero experience, a guide to teach you how to get along with Kalpas."
Elysia proudly puffed out her chest. "Simple and easy to understand, anyone can pick it up instantly!"
"In Fire Moth, this was a must-read alongside the survival guide."
Saying that, she playfully winked, "With this, you can boldly and confidently strike up a conversation with him."
"If you fail... Don't worry, I also provide after-sales service~"
———
[In the Real World]
[LOL, a book written by Elysia already feels so unreliable]
[Can you really trust this book (cry laughing.jpg)]
[Kalpas's Mask 100 Questions, From Beginner to Burial (confirmed!)]
[Does Kalpas know about this?]
[Kalpas, Are you being respectful?]
———
After watching this scene, Kalpas appeared somewhat agitated.
On one hand, it was because his insane appearance had been publicly executed.
On the other hand, his instincts told him that everything shown in the video most likely actually happened.
Thinking of this, he once again looked around him.
Strangely, after looking at those people with whom he'd only met a few times, Kalpas's agitated emotions suddenly calmed down a bit.
———
[Back to the Video]
As Raiden Mei's memory recalls increased in frequency, the more Flame-Chasers she encountered, and the more detailed information she obtained.
All paths leading deeper were blocked by the same name, that person was Mobius, codename [Infinity].
If Raiden Mei wanted to know what the so-called Honkai Will was...
If she wanted to know what happened in Van's past, what kind of experience turned him into who he is now...
If she wanted to know all of this, then Mobius was an obstacle she could never bypass.
Without a doubt, this was a meticulously crafted plan.
The other party was guiding her to cross this barren wasteland and proceed toward the predetermined node.
Thinking of this, Raiden Mei prepared herself to face the one behind that name.
"Elysia, it's time we had another talk."
Raiden Mei said softly, looking at the massive memory recall device in the center of the hall.
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