Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

……

This beautiful moment cannot last forever, because there are still many, many more new futures that you and Jiangcheng need to create together.

The street vendors displayed a dazzling array of goods, nothing overly luxurious, just colorful handicrafts—the need for spiritual fulfillment, once the rumbling hunger subsided and the stomach was full, became urgent.

At least this change allowed the girl, who quickly gained access to a new supply chain, to feed herself and the kittens she brought with her.

Vendors showcased their exceptional skills and creativity, engaging enthusiastically with customers; the streets were filled with laughter and the lively sounds of shopping.

[Holding hands gently, you and Jiang Cheng stand at the forefront, where you can see a truly exquisite fountain, its water jets shimmering like pearls.]

[It's almost like a surreal fantasy, like a fairy tale. The source of its creation and the structure that allows it to function in this way are nowhere to be found; all that can be seen is what appears to be a localized light rain, with raindrops shimmering with iridescent colors in the sunlight.]

Flowers gently surround the area, their origins unknown, so vibrant and romantic, their colors varied yet harmonious. Each bloom, in its own way, sways in the breeze, releasing a captivating fragrance. Occasionally, a few loosened petals drift away on the wind towards the end of the street.

Everything seemed so harmonious, except for a young man whose imposing figure was still evident even though he was dressed in the white clothes of a gardener.

【and many more……】

[Bustling physique?]

【…】

【…】

[—A thousand tribulations?!]

Why would he tend to the flowers?

So he actually had this hobby?

【…】

"It's Lady Alicia!"

The sudden sound interrupted your thoughts. A roadside vendor looked on in surprise as you and Jiang Cheng happily held hands.

Even though you and Jiang Cheng intentionally kept your footsteps quiet and didn't want to disturb people because you were in a densely populated area, the residents of this street still noticed your arrival.

【cheer.】

【praise.】

The peaceful, quiet atmosphere was shattered in an instant. Almost the instant the first person shouted, hundreds of heads turned to look, with only a few seated individuals failing to stand up.

If given a choice, they would definitely not choose to sit down, and they would definitely not want to lose the opportunity to see you for it.

Your inherent charm is extremely special; this flawless purity emanating from a beautiful young woman is an irresistible allure that no one in the world can resist.

Even if you consider yourself numb, even if you're on the verge of collapse every moment, even if you believe it's all just a poisonous mushroom's brightly colored exterior designed to attract and harm others.

Ultimately, you cannot deny your own captivating charm.

[You don't need to say or do anything proactively; just a little natural behavior, simply standing there quietly, is enough to gather countless supporters willing to give everything for you.]

This inherent trait is not surprising, because people always have a natural protective instinct towards beautiful things and yearn for beauty to exist forever.

Your numbness and sorrow will not diminish your beauty in the slightest; on the contrary, they will drape it in a layer of poignant sadness, evoking pity in everyone in the world.

[——Beautiful, strong, and tragic.]

In most people's eyes, you can probably already be described using these three words.

Although if someone were to actually use such a word to address you, others would definitely disagree, deeming it insufficiently specific, elegant, or aesthetically pleasing, failing to truly capture your beauty and transcendence.

These elements combined are already terrifyingly alluring, not to mention that, in a sense, you are both the creator and the savior of this place.

Although Qianjie had more to do and was busier with appearances, he had to make decisions and judgments on all matters, big and small, in the town.

[This resident, who was the first inhabitant of Eternal Paradise you saved from the very beginning, has never claimed the slightest credit for herself.]

[Still the same old tsundere, all talk and no action; even describing them as having a sharp tongue but a soft heart wouldn't be an exaggeration—the tofu is still incredibly tender.]

People facing disasters also need spiritual solace, something that can be found in quiet faith.

No matter how much we say God is dead, or how much we reject God's existence, it cannot be denied that the human heart ultimately needs something sacred, whether that sacredness is simply about deities or specific beliefs.

Essentially, it all boils down to placing one's emotional attachment on something one perceives as absolutely secure.

[It could be the sun, the moon, a natural phenomenon, a figment of one's imagination, a government agency, or something else.]

In the past, people's disputes were usually about a deity that only existed in their imagination.

[The delusions of two different groups of people can ignite a war that lasts for hundreds of years, killing millions upon millions of lives, and even overthrowing a great empire.]

Humans are at their most powerful and least intelligent when they are in groups; they blindly follow the crowd, chasing after anyone who picks up a napkin.

【And now. 】

They saw God's daughter in reality.

Who could refuse?

Who can deny it?

No matter how much someone denies anything, they cannot deny the existence of the goddess who truly existed and even saved them from danger.

[Your worship and reverence have, in a sense, become the most prevalent and important thing in this rebuilt town.]

【although……】

—You don't like this kind of worship.

Her rosy lower lip was being bitten too tightly by her pearly white teeth, and the slender, white fingers that gently held Jiang Cheng's palm unconsciously tightened their grip, as if she were afraid of losing her beloved again.

Like a petal falling into her pink, starry eyes in a gentle breeze, they trembled slightly, blinking incessantly, their pupils gleaming with fear.

Even her steady breathing became somewhat excessive, and her chest, which was wrapped in pink silk and only had a small gap exposed, heaved violently for a moment.

The greasy, soft flesh was squeezed and constricted excessively, causing the flesh to overflow and rub against itself. Even the fabric, which should have been sturdy, emitted a faint, mournful sound. A patch of snow-white, soft, beautiful flesh was sewn deep into the seam of the dress, revealing glimpses of spring.

— Fear in the literal sense.

Alicia was gripped by panic. Even though she could still feel the boy's presence beside her, her body was trembling uncontrollably.

It's not simply that I dislike being surrounded by others, nor that I dislike hearing people cheer.

It is the cheers that prove this is an eternal paradise.

Like the cheers of people recorded in fairy tales.

If a place is utterly desolate, with only superficial beauty, where people don't even smile or cheer, then that place can never be called a paradise; it's merely a pink prison.

This fear, this trembling, this emotion that almost stopped the young heart, caused happiness to vanish in an instant.

——So similar.

……

86. Alicia: There's... nothing to be afraid of anymore.

They look so alike.

Memories buried deep within are vividly awakened, and the refusal to recall them inevitably brings back vivid images of the past.

That was the girl's second mistake, and that was her first loss.

The boys who were never apart.

The boy I never lost.

She lost the boy who would always be by her side no matter what, and who could always be seen, and whose heart could always be at peace.

This image lingers only in the deepest nightmares of my heart.

Even this sorrow was pushed to the bottom by the continuous and excessive tragedies and the arrival of even more terrifying and cruel disasters.

Until now...

Until now...

—The girl was caught up by her past.

Even the smallest details were perfectly captured and completely etched into the depths of her heart. The girl could even see that the expressions on the faces of the people surrounding her remained unchanged, as if they had transcended time and space.

The only thing missing, the only thing that can't be seen, the only thing that's different is that the boy who should have been standing in the corner seems to have disappeared into the crowd.

Do not……

don't want……

I beg you.

I beg you.

I can accept anything, I can bear any kind of treatment, but there is one thing I absolutely cannot accept, this is absolutely unacceptable.

The fear buried deep in her heart was awakened once again, and her pink, starry eyes welled up with tears, almost as if she was about to cry.

With her hands clasped tightly, whether she was holding the air or the boy's palms, her slender, delicate fingers were simultaneously making a prayer in her heart.

Please...

—Never again.

……

And at this moment, the boy who would help the girl overcome the disaster like a hero or a prince, just as he had seen when he first came into the world, had almost the same fear and sorrow flickering in his dark eyes.

—Because he was also a firsthand witness.

It is even more profound than that of a young girl.

It is far more sorrowful than this fear.

It was a genuine, first-person feeling of sadness that had been ingrained in my heart since then, without any concealment or burying.