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

But as the saying goes... "Coolness only lasts three seconds."

"Ah—how could this be… I lost."

Theresa slumped forward in despair, her limbs sprawled on the couch, utterly ashamed in front of her grandmother.

She had been completely defeated! So frustrating!

Under the relentless taunts of Void Archives and the attacks from the servant of Lucani, Theresa's team of three—Mei, Adam, and Carol—was swiftly crushed.

The screen even displayed a taunting message, "The area ahead can be explored later."

This silent ridicule emphasized the undeniable fact of her poor skills.

Under the blood-red sky, Theresa was defeated on the battlefield.

(TL: skill issue~)

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When it comes to games, some require natural talent.

For example, no matter how much this Theresa struggled, she couldn't break through. Meanwhile, at the company headquarters, the controller was passed to Bronya. Luo Mo adjusted the settings to remove level restrictions on the storyline, but the difficulty increased significantly, presenting a formidable challenge for players lacking skill.

For someone like Kiana, who sat fuming, this was especially frustrating.

"Steam bun, are you mad about losing?"

Luo Mo glanced at her, chuckling twice in a mocking tone.

Still, he understood the difficulty he had set. After all, even he couldn't clear it.

"Of course I'm mad! You set it so hard, even Bronya, even Bronya, might not be able to beat it! Let's bet on it!"

The white-haired girl crossed her arms defiantly, clearly tempted to smash her controller. However, she restrained herself, realizing such impulsive behavior would only invite more ridicule. She obediently handed the controller to Bronya instead.

She couldn't risk giving Luo Mo more ammunition to mock her.

"Oh? I actually trust Bronya. If she can't defeat the enemies in front of her, how will she envision what she'll look like eight years from now? Maybe we'll just have to wait for someone online to clear it first before seeing the official artwork."

Luo Mo chuckled, tapping his fingers on the desk. His casual remark earned a sharp glance from Su Lu, who had been half-dozing nearby.

Bronya's eyes lit up at his words. Fixing her gaze on the giant enemy, Code XXI - The World, her determination burned bright.

"Defeat the enemy in front of me… Fine, Bronya believes in herself!"

Gripping the controller, her eyes brimmed with resolve, like a warrior stepping onto the battlefield. Her focus surpassed even that of her combat moments.

"You're cheating, manipulating Bronya to tempt her with profit!"

Kiana widened her blue eyes in disbelief.

"I'm just inspiring her to aim for victory. What if you two were scheming against me? So, are we betting or not?"

"No!"

Kiana turned her head away, snorting. She swiftly abandoned the idea she'd just proposed.

She admitted she had entertained such thoughts earlier.

But now that her opponent had blocked her moves in advance, what else could she say? Playing dirty would never beat this old schemer.

No wonder he was so suited to voice Otto and Void Archives.

(TL/N: yeah, the one who is VA Otto is the Boss. I don't know what happened to the other Otto "the employee in the company" maybe the Author forgot about him too)

Watching Kiana's reaction, Luo Mo clutched his stomach, laughing heartily.

"Bronya doesn't hold back in any game. She'll give it her all… and defeat Lucheni and Void Archives!"

Bronya ignored the banter, her mind replaying Kiana's earlier moves to analyze the enemy's skills. Confirming a few strategies, she launched a new challenge.

Unfortunately, Kiana hadn't even made it to the final phase of the boss fight.

Still… it didn't matter.

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On the screen, Void Archives sat high upon a judgment seat, accompanied by a massive monster emerging from a black hole—Code XXI - The World.

Its body was entirely red, resembling a mechanical lifeform. Its massive torso had a built-in shock absorption system, perched atop a mechanical chassis supported by four agile legs.

Wielding a weapon resembling an electrical pole, its every swing carried immense weight and pressure. Each strike generated waves of airflow, causing dizziness and knockback, greatly disrupting player attacks.

A formidable mix of offense and defense, the boss's moves were relentless, featuring skills like stomps, sweeping attacks, neural disruptors, starfall meteors, ultimate Obliteration, and Core Reformation. It presented an unending sequence of challenges.

Even for Bronya, narrowly dodging attack after attack, several strikes still managed to graze her.

"…Hmm."

Bronya pursed her lips, her gaze growing sharper as she focused intently on controlling her character.

Skillfully using Carol to repeatedly break the enemy's shield, she then relied on Adam and Mei to chip away at its health. The newly added jump and combo attack mechanics were straightforward but left little room for error, easily putting her characters in dangerous positions.

She focused on her opponent's health bar steadily depleting, while Bronya, gradually familiarizing herself with the enemy's combat patterns, managed to avoid losing much health herself.

After a grueling struggle to wear down the enemy's final sliver of health, the arena was suddenly engulfed in a blinding red light.

Waves of energy, carrying an irresistible force, pushed Mei and the others back several steps, nearly knocking them off the floating platform. At the same time, a red protective barrier rose around the enemy.

Regardless of whether Mei, Carol, or Adam launched their attacks, each strike was reduced to a pitiful "1" in damage.

"Burn to ash!!"

Adam swung his greatsword, unleashing a storm of flames in the air, which engulfed the drones maintaining the barrier, shattering them completely.

With the heavily injured World Beast exposed, Adam delivered a powerful horizontal slash, decisively ending the creature's life.

But in that moment, Void Archives struck from above.

A golden wave of energy spread out, sending the exhausted Adam crashing to the ground. His greatsword planted firmly into the platform, yet he struggled to rise.

"You will not harm my teammates!" Mei raised her blade horizontally, her longsword pointed at the man before her, her voice cold.

"Hmm, if you insist."

Void Archive's lips curled into a faint smile. Light swirled in his hands, and glowing chains suddenly shot forth, binding Raiden Mei, the most troublesome enemy in his eyes—for a brief moment.

After all, she was no Herrscher, and he wielded the God Key. Overpowering her was child's play.

Then, the supposedly slain monster reappeared out of nowhere, its weapon raised high before impaling Mei's abdomen. Blood dripped from the sharp tip of the spear, staining the platform below.

Adam and Carol's eyes widened in shock, stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Void Archive paid them no attention. Turning away, he walked toward his next destination, as though no one remaining could stop his plans.

"Come, Lucheni. Let us open the Gate of Stars for those who dwell above."

The golden barrier encased the boss XXI–World Beast, with Captain Mei's life force within rapidly fading. The enemy, contemptuous of the two remaining survivors, left behind a tiny, fleeting chance for them, a chance that seemed almost nonexistent.

Yet they had no choice.

Carol and Adam attacked the defensive barrier with all their might, but no matter how the golden waves shimmered under their strikes, the shield remained unyielding, immovable.

They poured their strength into their efforts, but some obstacles simply cannot be overcome through determination alone.

Again and again, Adam's greatsword and Carol's gauntlets struck the barrier, yet Mei remained unconscious within, unmoving.

Outside the battle, Bronya pursed her lips, her gaze flickering with subtle emotions. She glanced briefly at the boss, as if her fleeting look carried both meaning and blame.

But the current situation required something far beyond technical expertise; evasion would no longer suffice.

What she needed now was to break through the barrier.

As expected, the game entered a scripted "plot kill" phase.

Adam gripped his greatsword tightly. Blood, drawn from the recoil of his strikes, dripped down its blade onto the floating platform. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but he ignored it. His eyes stayed fixed on his captain trapped inside the barrier.

Suddenly, deep crimson patterns spread across Adam's neck, sinister and dense, an ominous mark resembling symptoms seen in Valkyries during Honkai corruption, an unmistakable sign of fatality.

This condition only occurred under extreme exposure to Honkai energy.

A bitter smile formed on Adam's lips as the spreading marks accelerated, signaling the severity of his injuries.

"Sorry, Captain... It seems I won't be able to keep my promise."

It was a promise he once made to Captain Mei. The greatsword he wielded, a weapon specifically designed for his unique physiology, could absorb, store, and release vast amounts of Honkai energy. Because of this, he had vowed to her that he wouldn't push himself too far or attempt anything beyond his limits.

But…

As Adam watched Mei's life force steadily drain within the barrier, hesitation vanished. With a low growl, he roared,

"Trial by Fire! Honkai Energy Seal—FULL RELEASE!!"

[Warning! Warning! Release protocol will fully unleash all stored Honkai energy in the weapon. Proceed?]

The warnings in his mind grew deafening, red alerts flooding his consciousness, highlighting the extreme peril.

Adam gripped his greatsword tightly, his heartbeat pounding louder than ever.

Thump… Thump-thump-thump…

The external world faded away; even the wind seemed to still. The only things he could feel were the searing heat coursing through his body and the heavy sound of his own breath.

But none of that mattered.

Not now.

Not with the barrier standing in his way. He had one thought—break it!

Channeling all his energy into his blade, Adam ignored the warnings resounding in his head.

"More."

[Honkai Energy Overload: 100%... 200%...]

"More!!"

His gaze sharpened, and with all his might, he swung his greatsword. The once-impenetrable barrier shattered with a resounding crack, exposing the monster within.

(TL: play the song!)

But it wasn't over yet.

He still had to defeat it…

Adam forced his body to keep going, even as it neared collapse.

[Honkai Energy Overload: 400%…]

He couldn't stop—not even for a second.

"Burn it All!!"

With every low roar, Adam unleashed relentless strikes upon the monster, his burning life force fueling every attack.

The battlefield became a dance of fire and crimson light, flames whirling through the air in an unstoppable blaze. His body burned itself out with every swing, all for one purpose, to protect his captain and his comrades.

Under the blood-red sky, a lone boy fought desperately, sacrificing everything.

Outside the battle, Bronya, guiding her character, felt herself immersed in the scene. The tension in the music and the unyielding determination of the boy on-screen spurred her to move faster, her fingers nearly a blur as she attacked, dodged, and strategized.

It felt as though defeating the monster even a second sooner might save a life.

She sped up, faster and faster. The Honkai energy surged to dangerous levels, the monster's health bar plummeting. This was a race against time, with everything at stake, on both sides.

And no matter what, Adam would hold on to the very end.

Bronya was equally resolute. She was utterly engrossed in the cinematic, her emotions stirred by the on-screen characters. She fought with her best precision and intensity, hoping for the light of victory to finally shine through.

Finally, a burst of white light flashed across the entire screen, signaling the moment when the monster's health was reduced to zero, a testament to Adam's persistence until the very end.

On screen, Adam had already stepped over the monster's corpse and helped up the exhausted Captain Mei. His dark red eyes were lifeless, and Honkai corruption patterns covered every inch of his body.

But ultimately, the victory was his, and that was enough.

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Bronya let out a long sigh of relief, releasing the breath she had been holding. Beside her, Seele, Kiana, and Mei all mirrored her reaction. They had been so immersed in the tension of the scene that they held their breaths, not wanting to disturb Bronya's gameplay.

Even though the final phase was likely a scripted event, they were genuinely worried that any distraction might prevent the young man on screen from dodging the monster's attack.

Thankfully, he won.

"…That was intense. That protagonist is pretty impressive, managing to win through sheer willpower," Kiana said, patting her chest as her tension eased.

"…It's an excellent story," Bronya commented after putting down the controller. She appeared deep in thought, her gray eyes flickering with light. "The narrative successfully pulled everyone into the experience. Even I couldn't help but feel the tension."

She paused, then added with a hint of anticipation, "I wonder when I'll be able to create a story like this myself."

(TL: cough! You're suppose to make the next story... but I think the Boss already made it)

"The only thing is… Eight years later, how did I get taken out so easily?" Mei scratched her cheek, puzzled, as she glanced toward Luo Mo.

From the game's events, both Carol and Adam had proven to be reliable teammates. But as the team captain, Mei felt she'd been too weak, unable to protect her team and getting effortlessly overpowered by Void Archive.

Had her skills deteriorated over eight years?

Could it be… her "baby teeth" problem hadn't gone away?

She didn't understand.

"Hmm… maybe it's to give your teammates more time to shine?" Luo Mo offered his opinion, only to receive an eye-roll from Mei.

Mei sneered, clearly unwilling to accept that explanation.

"Ugh, without Honkai energy, it feels like Herrschers are useless now. You guys need more training. Learn to be like me, master of all weapons! A little setback here and there? So what? Let them try me for a few rounds!"

The Herrscher of Sentience adopted a haughty tone, speaking like an elder lecturing juniors. To emphasize her point, she even performed a short demonstration of her martial arts.

"…Herrscher of Sentience, without Honkai energy, your existence would barely be sustainable," Fu Hua calmly interjected, dismantling her claim with a helpless expression.

"Huh? Says who? If a God Key can function independently, why couldn't I?"

The Herrscher of Sentience widened her eyes, vehemently refuting Fu Hua's remark. Logic didn't matter, if a mere tool could manage, surely she could, too!

"Bronya… you're amazing! Even during such a tense moment, you completely avoided taking damage in the final phase," Seele praised her sister, her voice filled with admiration.

"Hmm… Adam in the game was amazing as well. Honkai energy corruption… Bronya has personally experienced it. That person was indeed a qualified warrior," Bronya nodded, her voice tinged with approval.

She couldn't help but feel impressed and shaken by the scene. The combat design and the narrative execution had left a lasting impression, it was a spark of inspiration for her future creations.

The storyline, with its balance of emotional highs and lows, was impactful as always. Fortunately, it seemed no one had to die this time.

"Yeah, that's probably the essence of the greatsword character," Kiana mused. "Always cutting a path forward for everyone, and when their companions face insurmountable danger, they transform into the strongest shield to protect them."

Her tone grew nostalgic. Though she was referring to Adam, her thoughts drifted to another figure who had once shielded her, a teacher who burned brightly with similar determination and will, sacrificing everything to protect others.

"Hmm, well said, Kiana. It seems you've matured," someone remarked.

"Don't use that tone like I'm still a kid, boss! I've already passed the Thousand Herrschers arc, and according to the timeline, I've even become the Herrscher of Flamescion!" Kiana retorted.

"Heh, you? Far from it," Luo Mo teased, glancing at her braided hair for a moment before delivering his verdict.

"Really? Coming from the 'judge-by-hair' boss? You should just give me that item already, I could achieve a perfect transformation in no time!"

Kiana giggled mischievously. After spending so much time together, who wouldn't notice how Luna attire had changed things?

And besides, Luo Mo never really hid anything. Walking around the campus with his "partner" in tow, rumors naturally spread about him and a certain twin-tailed, fan-wielding Kongming . Some even joked about it being their "love child."

(TL/N: basically, they see Luo Mo and Luna as parents, and Kongming as their child)

Ah, what a mess!

It vividly illustrated the importance of first impressions, appearance could be everything.

The ordeal left the poor Kongming visibly pale for days, prompting the group to fixate on acquiring costume cards. While male Valkyries might not care, it was another story for the ladies.

Thus, Kiana sneakily brought up the topic. After all, they were friends, weren't they? She was on good terms with the boss! Bronya might have the strongest stigmata, but surely she wouldn't snatch up the costume cards first too, right?

Otherwise… favoritism! Loli-bias! Bad boss!

Luo Mo blinked and, seeing Kiana's expectant gaze, could only offer a wry smile. "I'll think about it. Just wait a bit. Worst case, I'll make an extra set for you."

"Hmph! A magical girl transformation with a flash of light, skipping both makeup and wardrobe changes. So convenient!"

Kiana eagerly revealed her intentions, her eyes full of anticipation.

Was it all for the sake of laziness? …Very much in line with Kiana's style.

Any guilt Luo Mo had instantly disappeared.

Indeed, he had only prepared Bronya's Secondary Silverwing costume card. No other way around it, costumes could always be made in pairs, but the opportunity to alter the fate of a Valkyrie was far rarer.

Right, Class Monitor?

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