Making Honkai Impact lll In A World Where Kallen Exists [Continuation]

Looking at Elysia's baffled expression, Luo Mo awkwardly scratched his nose and offered a sheepish smile.

"I was just joking. Besides, I didn't assign that many tasks to Su Lu. For a while, I was even wondering why she was voluntarily taking on more work..."

"So it turns out she was possessed by the Herrscher of Dominance. Does that Herrscher enjoy observing tragedy, trying to experience the evils of humanity? Anyway, don't worry. I'll make sure Su Lu gets a proper break."

(TL: What a lying dog. Same as the original Boss of Hoyo)

Thus, Su Lu's long-awaited vacation remained perpetually "just around the corner."

Luo Mo wasn't abandoning Su Lu, but the Herrscher of Dominance wasn't trustworthy. Whether in-game or in real life, he didn't want that Herrscher leveraging the emotions tied to this identity. Acting indifferent might reduce its bargaining chips—or perhaps inadvertently hurt Su Lu's feelings. If that happened, he planned to sincerely apologize.

Ultimately, how things turned out depended on whether Elysia's powers could work successfully.

Fortunately, everything was moving in the best possible direction.

As for the vacation? Luo Mo pondered if letting Su Lu relive her student days would be interesting.

Welcome to the Saint Freya Academy family!

Here, you may not be able to fight—but you'll always have work to do.

After becoming a Herrscher, Su Lu appeared noticeably younger. Though she carried the unique gloom of the Herrscher of Dominance, she still exuded the charm of a melancholic beauty.

Seeing this, Elysia finally relaxed and reluctantly waved goodbye.

"Do as you please. I really need to leave now. My energy is depleted. Maybe someone else can provide power to Kevin and Su on my behalf."

Luo Mo then offered Su Lu a suggestion:

"By the way, Su Lu, here's an idea. There are so many of the Herrscher of Dominance's fragments; why not recruit some to help you with the workload?"

"Think about it. Although there were oversights on our part, the fact that they imitated you so flawlessly means they're skilled in their own way. In other words, they're useful."

He raised an eyebrow and smiled slyly at Su Lu, making no effort to hide his intentions.

Luo Mo wasn't concerned about whether the Herrscher fragments were still present. Based on the Herrscher's eagerness to take on tasks previously, who knew how many overworked individuals' grievances it had absorbed? Maybe it even enjoyed it.

If a Herrscher surrendered, it should be put to good use, right?

Su Lu was tempted to facepalm. She could already foresee the explosive results of overexertion on the Herrscher's part in the future.

Truly, she felt that day would come sooner rather than later.

Still, her boss did have a conscience, somewhat. As for how to use the Herrscher fragments... well, wasn't she the Herrscher of Dominance now? The whole "doll experience" felt weird. She had control over her body, but with other matters, the fragments seemed to be on equal footing with her.

And honestly, her boss's suggestion wasn't terrible. The dolls were oddly invested in Honkai's plotlines and didn't need her to drive them. Otherwise, they wouldn't have volunteered to take on so much work before...

But really, her boss just handed out work because the dolls asked for it? Didn't he consider how much a normal person, no, even a Herrscher—could reasonably handle?

Su Lu pouted, her eyes reddening slightly. Earlier, she'd been genuinely scared, thinking her end had come.

Her emotions were only now catching up to her. Seeing familiar faces and people she could rely on, a wave of sadness surged.

Tears welled up as she stubbornly glared at Luo Mo.

As for combat?

Perhaps it was her influence on the Herrscher fragments, or maybe the fragments' chattering after watching videos. Either way, they showed little interest in fighting Saint Freya's Herrschers.

To them, the will to survive seemed to outweigh everything else.

If you asked Su Lu, she'd bet on the latter.

(TL: then... your rank will be in the bottom of the Herrscher organization squad. Just like Pardofelis)

In any case, it had nothing to do with her!

Still, it was strange... since when did Herrschers come in groups?

Su Lu had lost hope for the future. Her only solace was that her boss hadn't abandoned her entirely... probably. After all, Elysia was the one he had asked for help. Without her, Su Lu likely would've been cut down by Kevin in one strike.

For now, the situation had settled. Elysia returned to recover, leaving many unresolved issues about the Herrscher of Dominance's dolls to the overseers at Schicksal headquarters. Across the world, signs of Honkai activity had started to dissipate, but much remained to be addressed.

Su Lu didn't know any of this. She was more preoccupied with her current predicament: being surrounded on all sides.

Kiana and the others, having seen the crisis resolved, crowded around with excitement, bombarding her with questions:

"Su Lu, how did you become the Herrscher of Dominance?"

"Su Lu, you were right under our noses, and we had no idea! What if something bad had happened?"

"Su Lu, didn't you try to send us any messages...?"

The barrage of voices overwhelmed Su Lu, leaving her pitifully staring at the Herrschers in front of her.

At work or in daily life, she might be their senior, but as a Herrscher, they were hers!

"Alright, give Su Lu a break. As for the messages—blame the Herrscher of Dominance!"

Luo Mo stepped in to diffuse the situation, dispersing the curious crowd. Secretly, he was just as interested.

Meanwhile, the Herrscher of Sentience had no interest in joining the chaos. Instead, she circled around Fu Hua, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Old-timer, let me see what treasures you've got inside you now."

Fu Hua shot her a wary glance but held her ground. Placing a hand on the Sentience Herrscher's head, she sighed, "Not now, Senti. Those dolls are still dangerous."

"Which is why I need to see them now!"

The Herrscher of Sentience declared confidently, crossing her arms in defiance.

Fu Hua ignored her protests, keeping her at arm's length. The Theater of Domination had transferred to her care, and it felt... odd.

After some spirited conversation, the group decided not to dwell on the Herrscher of Dominance for now and returned to their game.

Ah, time spent battling Herrschers always flew by so quickly.

So quickly, in fact, that before they even planned how to fight Su Lu, the Herrscher surrendered.

Their attention shifted to the screen, where an older, more mature Mei from eight years in the future was displayed.

The world of Post-Honkai Odyssey was different from the main story, resembling a freer, more imaginative exploration like Elysian Realm. It portrayed a world after Honkai's end.

The familiar characters were still present, joined by new faces.

The once-protected Mei had become the leader of a squad. The player, as Adam, had to choose a name for their in-game character to interact with others.

"I've got it! Let's go with 'Super Adorably Cute Kiana!'"

Kiana excitedly typed in the name before turning to Mei with sparkling eyes, hoping for praise.

A sharp contrast existed between the Kiana wielding dual guns and coldly facing off against the Herrscher of Dominance and her current self.

"Uh… Kiana, hmm… it's fine."

After some thought, Mei nodded, offering her approval. She had suddenly recalled a far worse name suggestion—"I want to drink Mei juice!"

(TL: COUGH! COUGH! *chock my food*)

Her cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. In comparison, the current name seemed entirely acceptable.

"Hmph, of course! Since I'll be talking to the grown-up Mei, it obviously has to be me!" Kiana declared smugly.

"But… why is it eight years later? Is there something special about that number? Or is it because a new generation of Valkyries has risen? Wait… don't tell me the Archbishop… is Auntie Theresa?!"

Her curiosity overflowed, showing her youthful naivety.

"Eight years later… I wonder what Bronya will be like? I'm suddenly looking forward to it. Since Mei has already appeared, Bronya's part should be coming soon, right?"

The silver-haired loli beside her blinked, her twin tails swaying and brushing against Seele's chest. After all the recent upheaval, she didn't seem particularly moved by the time jump, perhaps because those years felt distant, and she had since been focused on honing her strength.

"Seele should also grow into a proper Valkyrie by then," the blue-haired girl thought expectantly.

"Bronya? Oh, she's probably ditched Schicksal and gone into game development, following in the footsteps of the previous leader of Anti-Entropy. Seele's support earlier was impressive too, being a support isn't bad; it's all about playing to one's strengths."

Luo Mo casually chimed in while observing Bronya's stoic demeanor. He wasn't focused on her expressionless face but rather on whether she still remembered her previous bold claim, to surpass Fu Hua in eight years.

"And me? What about me?" Kiana eagerly asked. Could she have become the leader of Schicksal by then? Although it might upset Principal Theresa, commanding a squad of Valkyries wasn't too far-fetched, right?

In her whimsical fantasy, she imagined herself in charge, given that the Archbishop still hadn't been revealed and her voice actor hadn't been assigned.

"You… oh, haven't you already appeared?" Luo Mo replied hesitantly, his voice slowing down.

At that moment, Mei in the game happened to mention the last member of her squad—Carol.

-------------

Mature Mei: "Hehe. This kid is fine in every way, but once she gets angry, she's capable of anything."

Super Cute Invincible Kiana: "But isn't that a good thing too?"

Mature Mei: "...Yes, girls like her… they're fine too."

Mei's gaze seemed to pierce through you, looking at something far away. Her expression grew distant as if recalling someone from the past.

--------------

"...…?"

Kiana tilted her head, confused, her mind racing. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Wait, does this mean… I'm gone?"

She quickly grasped the situation, but her body trembled with denial. Grabbing Luo Mo's collar, her expression shifted between confusion, fear, and anger.

"What about Mei then?!"

"Kiana…? So something did happen." Mei sighed.

"Come on! Even if you don't trust this game, at least believe in my integrity and capabilities. I'm genuinely working for a better world. Don't worry, Kiana will be fine—trust me!" Luo Mo reassured her kindly.

"…Could it be that your guarantee is exactly why she's even more worried?" Bronya interjected with a subtle dig, causing Luo Mo's brow to twitch.

"Speaking of which, didn't Su Lu mention the upcoming plot? What kind of story could break someone's heart instantly? Boss, care to explain?"

Bronya glanced at Luo Mo, her lips curling slightly as she brought up a previously ignored topic. Her analysis was sharp, unraveling his narrative tendencies.

"Given how you killed Teacher Himeko and Elysia, the idea of you killing off a protagonist doesn't seem far-fetched, does it?" Bronya added.

"Kiana, trust me! You're destined to save the world—you're the heroic protagonist!" Luo Mo tried his best to play the emotional card.

For a moment, Kiana hesitated. Stroking her chin, she looked back and forth between Luo Mo's persuasion and Bronya's analysis.

Finally, she nodded solemnly, arms crossed. "I think I understand now. I'm not growing alongside Mei… I've become the force she remembers and draws strength from instead…"

"No, Kiana! Think about our strong bond! How could I harm you? This has to be a writing technique to create tension!" Luo Mo protested desperately, but it was too late.

Kiana's expression twisted, recalling spicy curry, their separation in the skies, and the tragic Elegy of Sin. The once-kind face became shadowed with doubt.

"This is what you call not hurting me?!" she internally screamed.

"Alright, it's basically confirmed. Mei, I'm dead. It seems the road ahead… is one you'll have to walk alone…"

Kiana dramatically turned to Mei, her performance unusually strong today. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she gazed at Mei as if she were a lover bidding farewell on their deathbed.

Bang!

Mei knocked on Kiana's head, her tone helpless as she said, "Alright, stop acting. And Boss, none of this has even happened yet."

"By the way, isn't the Archbishop Lady Theresa? I wonder what she's been doing over these eight years in the game?"

Luo Mo dropped his theatrical pretense and replied nonchalantly, "Not bad, Schicksal hasn't gone bankrupt."

"Wait, why is bankruptcy even a consideration under Aunt Theresa's leadership?!"

Kiana was both confused and deeply shocked.

"Well, it is Theresa…" Luo Mo sighed, gazing up at the sky with an expression filled with indescribable emotions.