Honkai Impact 3rd: The Girl Who Chases the Flame

……

"Ha...hahahahaha...this is my ending...fantastic...don't you think so, dear Melutina?"

“Vilvie…”

"What's wrong? Are you feeling soft-hearted?"

Farewell...

"..."

……

"Hmm...?!"

Melutina was jolted awake from her bed, her eyes now appearing as vertical pupils.

"Is it... a dream? Is this my dream, or yours?"

Melutina pressed her head down, her eyes filled with a dark and uncertain look.

Sagara, that's the name Mebius gave her.

She is neither human nor a Honkai Beast.

Their lives take many forms, but in the beginning, they all share the same inner world—

That was a blank space.

They were born from the same template, but they are divided into different ethnic groups.

Her world was destroyed before she was old enough to understand.

She crossed the stars and arrived at this place, where she encountered the first human being—

Kevin.

That was also where she completed her first evolution.

They initially have the same form, but their forms change due to different experiences, eventually evolving into different forms.

The ability to evolve according to one's environment is a characteristic of Sagara.

Kevin thought that Sagara's powerful defense was something she was born with, but that was actually the opposite.

She gained an indestructible body because she met Kevin.

Their lives are influenced by the environment and the will of others, thus gradually evolving into new forms.

The Black Dragon is not a reflection of Melutina's inner self, but rather Kevin's.

The template she initially copied was also Kevin's.

But the one she ultimately coexisted with was Melutina.

It took much longer than Kevin's time for Sagara to be gradually influenced by Melutina's heart, which led to the Second Collapse and the Third Collapse.

Personality, character, memory.

Based on this model, Sagara evolved into a complete life form.

It was not Sagara's power that made Meludina so powerful, but rather that Sagara materialized Meludina's inner world, which made Sagara so powerful.

As a being that depends on others for survival, Sagara can empathize with anyone's memories.

That's why she calls herself Melutina, because that's who she is—not born as a shadow, but rather her very existence is a shadow.

However, as a life form that cannot exist on its own, her differences with Linnaeus are equally contradictory.

Wanting to bear it, wanting to accept it.

These two are incompatible, and the result is that both sides suffer losses.

……

"It's here, the Honkai is here."

On February 1, 2000, in Moscow, Melutina looked up and felt it.

(In this story, Melutina refers to the Black Dragon, and Linna refers to Melutina Carl von Linna.)

"If my memory serves me right, the First Herrscher doesn't require my attention, but..."

Melutina leaped out of the window, black wings unfurling from her back.

“There are no exceptions. Kill her before she causes a disaster.”

……

"...The worst-case scenario?"

Fu Hua looked up at the sky, gazing at the familiar figure with its black wings spread wide.

"If she also has the memory of the hatred that came when Anti-Entropy was established, then perhaps I should worry about Otto more than the Honkai."

"Old friend, you just cut off communication. What happened?"

A familiar voice rang out, sounding unhurried, but Fu Hua suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for this man…

Because he didn't yet know what he was about to encounter.

"Just following an old friend."

Fu Hua could no longer see that figure, she said calmly.

“Otto Apocalypse, without a doubt, the Second Herrscher has now appeared.”

"kindness?"

Otto's tone changed; he hadn't received any prior notification.

"sure?"

"She's already taken action, so there's no mistake."

Fu Hua said with certainty.

"Her? Which 'her'? Meltina? She has the power to sense the Herrscher?"

Otto sounded somewhat surprised.

"Otto, let me finish what I have to say before you start complaining."

"kindness?"

"First of all, there are actually two Melutinas."

"How can I not complain?!"

……

"The moon...is she flying?"

Wearing a nightcap, Linnai, still half-asleep, received a certain memory.

"Wait?! She's flying?!"

The next second, she instantly regained consciousness.

"Wow!!!"

Lin Nai rolled over and accidentally fell off the bed, her face getting stuck on the floor.

“Meddy, don’t do things that only comedians do late at night.”

Dr. Einstein sat up straight, pressing his head down; the two of them slept in one room.

"The...Second Herrscher has appeared!"

Linnaeus yanked off his nightcap.

"..."

Dr. Einstein's computer crashed.

"...You're awake now, aren't you?"

"Quickly, Lisser, contact Walter, no, we need to go find him now!"

"What do you intend to do..."

Dr. Einstein looked Linnaeus up and down a few times.

"Go like this? I believe his first reaction won't be to issue a warning, but rather that you're going to launch a night raid."

"...Huh?"

Lin Nai lowered her head, then silently buttoned up her clothes, pulled up her pajama bottoms, put on her glasses, adjusted them, and calmly said,

"Okay, we can go now."

"..."

Dr. Einstein scratched her messy hair and said tactfully,

"Your hair looks like you just came out of a fire... way more like it than mine."

"Stop complaining! This is perfect! Otherwise, that brat will think I'm going to a party with him!!!"

Lin Nai said, her face flushed.

"I think..."

Already awakened, a weary-looking Walter Young knocked on the door and entered.

"No need. Besides, Sister Melutina, your hair is much more convincing than your expression."

……

Headquarters of Destiny

"Grandpa, what happened? You don't look well."

Theresa received orders to prepare to depart, but found Otto looking exhausted when he arrived.

"...If you see a flat-chested, dark-haired woman, remember to steer clear, Theresa."

Otto put his hand on Theresa's shoulder and said earnestly.