Honkai Impact 3rd, a simulator of lifelong regret!

For the incompetent, the ordinary, the incapable of changing anything, ending their lives in ignorance may not be such a bad thing.

Even if they knew they were about to die, they were powerless to change anything; they could only increase fear and chaos, causing man-made disasters in the world.

But Raiden Mei is definitely not incompetent, ordinary, or mediocre. Even ignoring all of Chiki's talents, as the sole heir of the Raiden family, she was destined to rise to the top.

This is something we must face; it won't end just because we close our eyes. There's no escaping the collapse and calamities of the world.

The malice of others will not disappear by closing your eyes. On the contrary, if you know nothing, you may not even know where your lifeline is.

No matter how painful it is, you must open your eyes; no matter how much you are lost in a dream, you must be prepared to wake up tomorrow, because a beautiful dream is a luxury. There is no dream in this world that can be perfect and happy throughout one's entire life. If you cannot escape forever, then in the end you can only face it.

If we cannot overcome this obstacle, then everyone will die, and humanity will turn to ashes. Perhaps a few will survive to the next era to continue the fight, bringing new sparks and perpetuating the cycle endlessly, but that is all.

Only by increasing one's own resources can one survive repeated collapses; only by becoming stronger can one possibly overcome disasters.

"So I have to admit my problem, I have to admit that being a riddle teller is very unethical... These are things you, as the person involved, should know, are entitled to know, and will inevitably know. I failed to inform you in advance, which caused the disaster... I am also at fault."

"Because on this point, I can't even use the excuse that hiding it is for your own good. I know your talent, and I know you are capable of knowing all this."

"The biggest difference between ordinary people and heroes is that when a capable hero encounters a problem, he will try to do something even if he knows nothing."

"And you can actually do something, good or bad, you can get things done instead of just struggling and rolling around in place like a salted fish."

……

what……

Why should I expect others to treat me so well?

Why should I expect someone else to tell me the truth?

Why do you still believe in me so much even now?

Even after I've made so many mistakes, destroyed this city, and killed countless people, this is still the case...

If Mei really had any talent, she wouldn't be so indecisive, and wouldn't be so easily defeated by the smallest things.

If I had just gritted my teeth and endured it like before, keeping it deep inside, I wouldn't have hurt so many people.

The entire city of Changkong has at least several million people, and they were killed simply because they lacked willpower, simply because the bomb was handed to people who were incapable of keeping it safe.

Even ordinary people can get into huge trouble, and anyone can do great things when they're at a crucial juncture. This kind of talk is just trying to comfort me... comforting this good-for-nothing who only knows how to cause trouble.

You didn't have to say it; you had no reason to tell me these things. Please don't... please don't think it's your fault because of this, and don't blame my incompetence on your own.

This is the self-doubt of a girl who has long felt inferior in the face of light; it is also the instinctive rebuttal of a gentle-natured person against injustice.

No one is born obligated to be kind to others. The truth that you obtain through your own abilities should not be given to those who are not capable of knowing it.

Just as all the disasters that have happened before are beyond reproach and logically sound, if one's father is imprisoned, then it is perfectly justifiable to discriminate against the daughter of a criminal. Similarly, it is morally undeniable for some people who have suffered losses due to financial fraud to beat or scold others.

The fundamental laws governing the world are common sense built in everyone's mind, and an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth are the most reasonable things to do.

Faced with this seemingly flawless problem and self-consistent logic, everyone can only choose to accept and tolerate it, silently bowing their heads.

"—But I refused."

……

Slender fingertips touched the girl's delicate lips, and dark eyes, so close they offered no choice, were right in front of her. The girl could even see her own face in those deep pupils, as dark as stars in the night sky, and she stared blankly, forgetting to close her mouth, looking like a complete idiot.

From a distance, the profile of the boy, who appears somewhat ordinary, suddenly seems as exquisite as a prince from a fairy tale. The light from the cold incandescent bulb is unmistakably cold.

what……

what happened?

At this moment, the sharp mind seemed to be slowed down infinitely, time stood still, or perhaps the brain of a top student had its IQ forcibly lowered.

In the span of a few seconds, or even tens of seconds, the only thing that could flash through my mind was the most basic doubt; I didn't even have the slightest thought of resistance.

In the first instant, Jiang Cheng had no intention of explaining; he simply and unreservedly displayed his dissatisfaction, using the best method for someone with autistic tendencies—eye contact—as if forcing their souls to reveal their entirety to each other.

Without giving them a chance to speak, they cruelly deprived everyone of this right that belongs to each individual. The boy could not accept that the kindness of the benevolent people had happened again.

Those kind words are too hurtful to ordinary people; excessive tolerance can sometimes turn into cloying sweetness.

"Please don't say things like, 'Why did you do this? I don't deserve it. You can't find any reason to do this.' Since you can suffer for no reason and be targeted with malice for no reason, why can't you receive care from others for no reason?"

"Why should you be hated by others? Why should you accept all the bad things? Why should you be tied to the operating table and turned into a monster?"

"What you should question is never the care you receive; what you should question is, and should only question, the unwarranted hatred from others."

"If you must have doubts, then believe in something superficial."

……

"shallow……"

The shimmering crimson pupils proved that the girl named Raiden Mei still didn't understand how superficiality could possibly boost her confidence.

If you can't even muster the courage to stand tall for something you've always persisted in, you can't even stand in the sunlight.

So what reasons can we find?

What can serve as evidence to convince oneself?

……

"It's some superficial and vulgar, and it's something that shouldn't be said at this time. Usually, only hooligans and thugs would say such things."

The boy took a deep breath, his fingertips lightly touching his chest, but instead of making any solemn oaths or unbreakable promises as he usually did, he simply lowered his head and uttered some vulgar words that shouldn't have been said during a rescue.

"Aren't you very good-looking?"

"Your curves are more beautiful than those of so-called celebrities!"

"Appearance, figure... these are inherent facts that you cannot deny, no matter how much you deny your studies, your innate talent, your status as a swordsmanship genius, or your ability to be passed down through generations."

"As a beautiful girl with a cute appearance, isn't it natural for others to like her? It would be strange if she were disliked."

"This world is all about looks. When it comes to attracting investment, even if the candidates are of similar or slightly lower ability, everyone will only want the better-looking ones."

"Cats love beautiful birds, especially those with soft feathers and extraordinary colors. They even prefer the most vibrant flowers when they grow potted plants."

"You may try to nitpick, you may point out your own problems, but the ability to appreciate beauty is something everyone has."

Jiang Cheng blinked his right eye gently, mimicking the way a certain fairy lady would act coquettishly, raising a pitiful, gentle curve.

"Having been a young lady of high society, you must have a lot of experience. How can you bear to tell me... that you're actually much uglier than those other people outside?"

……

cannot……

Because that's a lie.

A girl cannot lie to a boy.

Even though every time I meet him I hear lies that are so obvious that I could tell with just a little thought, and I simply can't bring myself to lie.

People with a people-pleasing personality are always infinitely tolerant of others and infinitely strict with themselves, especially in front of extremely important people. They wish they could become a sycophant and do everything they can before writing a self-criticism. This is written to a young man who is leisurely lying in bed, eating an iced drink, with the air conditioning on and a blanket covering him—because he would never bear to let his lover do anything.

Cooking feels too hot and could potentially cause injury; cleaning feels too dirty; and even going out to work makes me worry about whether my loved one will get tired.

Ignoring oneself and caring about others... this bad habit, which is almost impossible to break in front of Jiang Cheng, leads to absolute double standards towards oneself.

However, precisely because of this, Raiden Mei is unable to reveal the lie that she is plain and ordinary in both figure and appearance.

This is an advantage that can never be lost, a talent that cannot be denied no matter how much one falls into depravity or self-loathing.

The reason she was called the Thunder Queen was because she was quick and decisive in rejecting other people's confessions. The number of people was so large that even young girls had to use the fastest, most frequent, and most decisive way to reject them so as not to disturb their own time too much.

Even if someone is deliberately trying to curry favor because of their family background, those who are truly aware that they should please young girls usually don't do it in such a rash way. Instead, they do it more subtly, such as by acting as a sycophant or a lackey.

The vast majority of people who shamelessly and without any self-awareness hand over love letters are simply shocked by the attitude.

Her beauty and elegance almost reached the limits of human capabilities, like that of a princess... no, even surpassing the nobility of a princess.

Even the so-called elite high school students, who are well-informed and knowledgeable, can only serve as background figures, cannon fodder, and casually mentioned losers.

This appearance is a real product of this world, and it will not be shaken by personal thoughts, because apart from madmen, beauty in the world is common in many ways. What makes one person feel particularly beautiful is usually also considered beautiful by others.

……

"So you do have your strengths too, don't you?"

The boy's fingertips gently pressed on the girl's soft cheek. With just a little pressure, he left a mark on her flawless, milk-like skin. The slight blush that appeared was not a sign of roughness, but rather shyness.

The excessive pink color is almost impossible to describe as simply red; it's as if it has been infused with too much of the cherry blossoms at their peak bloom in spring.

"This is something that even if you try to change it later, it will leave side effects. It's more important than the results of so-called hard work, you know, because it's something you're born with~"

"Even with today's surgical techniques, it's impossible to perfectly recreate an absolutely stunningly beautiful girl~?"

……

The boy, who should have been very measured, was instead pushing his luck, his fingers poking the cheek to an almost exaggerated level—constantly and forcefully demonstrating that he was poking there.

An absolutely stunningly beautiful girl...

Rather...

Rather...

"Irrefutable."

Raiden Mei is not blind, nor is she ignorant. She cannot utter the lie that most people in Changkong City are better looking than her, nor can she say that Changkong City is a city where everyone is particularly ugly. She is making such a malicious sweeping generalization that is even worse than a lie.

Although there are no more people left in Changkong City, even if you casually spout nonsense and make unrestrained accusations, there will be absolutely no one in this world who will hear it, find it, or even have the ability to take revenge.

Can't deny.

It's not narcissism.

Even self-loathing.

The truth is simply too absolute, leaving no room for denial or rephrasement. Not wanting to lie, the only option is to give the single correct answer.

Raiden Mei, who was raised to be introverted and humble by the atmosphere and environment she grew up in, almost voluntarily admitted her own excellence for the first time in her life.

The result of not having faced oneself for so long is that even this simple truth, which is not even a boast, is enough to bring a blush of shyness to one's face.

……