Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

There is absolutely no room for intervention.

Perhaps it was empathy for Vilvi's profound sorrow, perhaps it was a shared sense of despair for another version of myself who would rather sink into oblivion than awaken, or perhaps it stemmed from this empathy, through the constant mention of Jiangcheng.

That name, which sounded like a man's, left no trace in my memory. None of the departments of the Fire Moth had any impression of it, and I couldn't find any individual who had ever existed.

Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with her. In this matter, everything about Alicia is no longer her concern.

For the first time in his life, Eden was an outsider, only able to watch what happened to Alicia from the sidelines, gazing into her sorrowful eyes. No matter how uneasy he felt about the unfamiliarity, or how indignant he was about the girl being bullied, there was only one thing Eden could do.

"That……"

"Ok."

"—Since it's your request."

……

……

Ultimately, there was nothing we could do.

Originally, it was out of a protective instinct that things were eventually brought to an end. Even the person being protected was rejecting it, so how could one possibly persist in doing something meaningless?

Eden finally stopped, watching helplessly as the flawless girl was forcibly awakened in a manner that was almost crude and violent.

Tickling and other minor tricks have been exhausted, and even the weaknesses that the boy once told her about are of no use.

Today, the behavior has become even more egregious, a tactic that even the genius standing here today never imagined he would one day resort to.

Even when he hated that girl the most, and when the anger he had accumulated from witnessing Jiang Cheng being ignored time and time again was about to overwhelm him, the decision he made was still to put pressure on himself, determined to step into the abyss, determined to jump off a cliff where there was no way out.

I can't imagine that one day it will be like this.

It's unimaginable that the boy's family would be hurt like this.

It's unimaginable that they would attack that fairy-like girl.

The world always manages to produce the worst possible outcomes in ways no one can predict, and those caught in its grip can only watch as this perverse pleasure spreads.

The delicate fingertips collided with skin as tender as cherry blossoms in spring, leaving marks that seemed to be as red as cherry blossoms and as red as roses.

The extension of five fingers painted on the milky white face, which was rosy and radiant with the vitality of spring, continuously performing the work of awakening.

No one can wake someone who is pretending to be asleep.

The root of the problem wasn't sleep, but rather that the girl herself didn't want to wake up, didn't want to face anything, didn't want to face herself, didn't want to face Wilvie, and couldn't accept a world without him.

A person who is truly asleep can be woken up by any means necessary, but a person who is pretending to be asleep does not even want to wake up themselves, and even forced awakening is useless.

As it turned out, their ideas were meaningless. The heroes failed to save Alicia once again. This time, they didn't even have the chance to participate personally and could only watch helplessly as everything unfolded.

Everything has reached a stalemate.

An even more complete stalemate.

The situation we are facing now is worse than anything before, because at least initially there was only one person who had a mental breakdown and whose mind was completely shattered.

And now...

"what……"

"Wake up!"

Vilvi's hands, swaying wildly with the collar of her dress, were almost frantic. Her slender, soft fingertips, meant for creating the future, now resembled claws. Even her silver-gray eyes, which should have been calm and thoughtful, and naturally intelligent enough to plan everything in the world, were now tinged with excessive excitement.

……

-

Raiden Mei was awakened by the cold. She felt a damp chill seeping into her feet, which then spread directly from her fair soles to her spine.

The girl peeked out from under the covers and saw a small crack in the long-neglected window. A bit of the chill from outside crept in, seeping through the blankets and causing her delicate body to tremble slightly.

call……

Even just taking a light breath made my whole body feel cool, as if a cold wind had flowed from my lips to my throat.

It was a feeling she had never experienced before, and even though a considerable amount of time had passed, her former young lady's body still found it difficult to adapt.

Even with diligent sword practice and learning from any Houmu Sword Saint, the only difficulty one faces is the learning itself.

There may be some training in facing different environments, but these practices certainly do not include struggling in harsh environments. As one of the world's top entrepreneurs, Raiden Ryoma probably never imagined that his daughter would one day live in a dilapidated room and face the predicament of shivering from the cold wind at night.

As a doting father, he probably couldn't imagine that even the company he founded would have to take a backseat to his daughter in terms of importance.

The world changes in ways that never come to anyone’s imagination, and the aristocratic young lady who grew up in a high-walled compound will one day have to face life for herself.

When a family business is taken over by an outsider, all the funds are taken away, leaving only a small amount of real estate.

Even though she still had the old house where she was born and grew up, the girl was unable to maintain it because the housekeeper, who was supposed to be loyal to her to the end, had left.

The mere threat of cutting off the water and electricity to the villa has rendered those who own the property virtually worthless.

Even renting a place outside is extremely difficult. Even if it's not the most difficult environment under the bridge, it can already be called hell compared to the past.

Even this one was something I searched for a long time before finally managing to rent at an outrageous price.

Human malice is never absent when it comes to kicking someone when they're down.

……

Raiden Mei's bare, white feet were exposed.

Go down to the ground and close the window.

Completely blocking the chill from the outside, Raiden Mei breathed a deep, relieved breath of the warm air in the room, banishing the chill that was creeping through her body. She couldn't help but look up and glance at the clock in the room out of the corner of her eye.

— It's about 7:30.

Fortunately, it's still early, so there's no need to worry about being late.

Wearing a coat and black stockings, the perfectly sheer stockings were her expensive attire when she was a young lady from a wealthy family, and they even revealed a hint of flesh color.

Pulling back a corner of the curtains, the light of dawn had already broken through the layers of white clouds, and the soft golden gauze fluttered slightly in the direction of the pink and blue eyes, shining on the ground washed by a night of light rain.

Sunlight streamed in, causing the girl to squint slightly. The earth, which had been pounded by chickens and smelled of dirt, unexpectedly exuded a freshness from new life.

I could still feel the slightly damp raindrops dripping onto my arms; at this moment, that slight dampness had seeped deep into my body.

The rain has stopped, but its effects have not yet dissipated. Springtime is quite humid, and even just one of the continuous light rains has a considerable lingering effect.

Raiden Mei stood by the window, time gently resting on the edge of the bed, and she could clearly hear the sound of the accumulated, clear raindrops dripping onto the bricks and tiles.

In the nearby woods, newly sprouted willows peeked out, their jade-green leaves dripping with damp rain. A chill seeped into their bodies, though it couldn't penetrate the body of a martial artist—the fruits of their past training weren't just good looks; the aftereffects, like rheumatism, still caused discomfort. The mere act of manually washing their damp clothes was enough to make the once pampered young lady suffer.

Because it is a remote area, you can encounter some natural scenery that you don't find in big cities. A clear spring flowing through the hillside and the sound of raindrops falling after the rain intertwine and create a sense of tranquil beauty.

This is something you won't find in bustling metropolises or rapidly developing commercial districts; there are only people, endless people, and an endless stream of people radiating malice.

With tender bamboo shoots and willows full of vitality, everything in the world eventually moves forward, and the world, which has not yet escaped the cold, is gradually enveloped by sunshine and spring.

A gentle breeze arrives, rustling through the low grass and into the bushes. The soft whispers blend into the alleyways, which have the feel of deep mountain forests. The warm spring sun awakens the vitality of the white and purple lemon blossoms, which burst into a lively chorus.

"Everything that needs to be prepared has been prepared."

"Laptop, cell phone, wallet..."

"If I introduce this city to Jiangcheng, will people mistake it for a date?"

Raiden Mei opened her portable vanity, rubbed her forehead, which still felt slightly dizzy from preparing until midnight last night, her face was a little pale, her half-closed purplish-red eyes looked sleepy, and there was a dark circle of eyeshadow around her eyes as proof of staying up all night.

As a birthday gift she once received, the handbag she still carried was one of the few things she could bring from her old house. The girl carefully placed the items she had prepared the night before into the compartments of the bag.

As a supplement to her memories, Raiden Mei meticulously wrote down all the places she could recommend to Jiangcheng, recording the beautiful spots in the city from her past impressions, to avoid giving wrong directions.

The cell phone was an important means of communication with Jiangcheng, and she should at least be thankful that her father's imprisonment did not take everything away from her.

As for the wallet...

Jiang Cheng was recruited through a special recruitment channel.

Unlike regular students, they probably don't have much money.

It is said that students in China are not allowed to hold much money, and many people's daily food expenses are strictly limited to one yuan.

Raiden Mei squeezed the wallet in her hand that bore the Raiden family crest; it was no longer bulging as it was today, but now it was pitifully thin.

Since Raiden Ryoma was sent to prison, all of the Raiden family's assets have been liquidated, and even the girl herself can only keep some daily allowance. To survive in this city, she can only rely on part-time jobs.

Because her father was a notorious financial fraudster, it was almost impossible for the young woman to get a good job. Her looks made her an easy target for unwanted attention. Even if she was lucky enough to find a decent job, the wages were meager, and she even had to cook for herself—as a young lady who had never cooked before.

Expenses outside are unacceptable; even spending just a little bit will inevitably make an already dire situation worse.

Jiang Cheng is a boy.

It's normal for the guy to pay, right?

No one would object.

Jiang Cheng is a student at a prestigious academy; no matter what, he's better off than a down-on-her-luck young lady like you.

Have you ever thought about how miserable your life will be after you acted impulsively today, as a price to pay for your arrogance and vanity?

It was as if someone inside the girl was questioning her future, revealing the inevitable ending, and pointing out an ending that no one in the world would hate.

Yes.

The girl has already acted as a guide, and even ignoring her female identity, this responsibility should be compensated by having others bear her expenses.

Jiang Cheng is a very gentle person, and he will not refuse this. Since he dares to talk to someone that everyone hates, and since he dares to break in when others are most vulnerable, he should take on the responsibility of a lifeguard.

If you're going to go into the water to save someone who's drowning, you should do your best to save them, rather than finding a better spot to watch the person struggling against the current from a clearer, more realistic perspective, or even shamelessly pushing the already weakened drowning person into deeper waters.

Jiangcheng is not...

—Are they already lying?

……

No.

can not do this.

This method of defrauding Jiangcheng is unacceptable.

It's the only one, the last one.

Raiden Mei still stuffed her wallet into her handbag, her pearly teeth lightly biting her lower lip, her eyes flickering slightly, but without any hesitation, resolutely facing the life that would definitely become more difficult in the future.