Honkai Impact 3rd: The Girl Who Chases the Flame

……

"You deleted Melutina's data?"

"That's right, the Honkai Beast she fused with is an outsider, which will definitely affect the plan."

"Since you put it that way, then so be it. One Yingjie's stats aren't a big deal."

"Okay, then you should see the news of her death tomorrow."

……

"That printer, that death notice! It's real! It must be real! How could you..."

"The Law of Corruption said in disbelief."

"Fools think they know everything."

Melutina reached out her hand and smiled, but that smile...

It is definitely not something that belongs to her in paradise.

"I am the greatest fool, because I..."

There is no need for false pretenses anymore.

Before it sealed off Paradise, a second [life] had already entered.

She stood there, like the greatest mockery, piercing the pride of the Herrscher of Corruption.

"omniscient."

The woman in the white coat looked down at it.

"Meltina Carl von Linnaeus, how should I put it? Nice to meet you? Or...long time no see?"

"How did you manage to fool the typewriter! It can't lie!"

What's even more incomprehensible to the Herrscher of Corruption than the mere presence of a second living person is that someone in this world of data has deceived it with data.

"So, I wasn't lying either."

Melutina smiled quietly.

"Don't you understand? It's just a simple trap question."

"A trap question? You mean..."

The Herrscher of Corruption paused for a moment, then suddenly understood.

"Impossible! Could it be... could it be that you... you're actually the first one!"

"Don't be so surprised, Mei."

Melutina had her back to Raiden Mei, but you could sense her question.

“I am the first, the first in Paradise… to have my data deleted. Not… Alicia.”

"To let you in... she deleted her own data?! Why, why, why! Why didn't she want to live? Why would she give up her life just for the sake of so-called hope?!"

There is only one set of data. When Melutina completes all the updates, her past self will have disappeared.

Put your own life into the gun first.

This is the awareness of those who chase fire.

"Herrscher of Corruption, look down and take a good look."

Melutina looked down at it.

"You have... lost her appearance."

"What...what did you do?"

The Herrscher, reduced to a machine once again, roared.

"It's just that a hero named [Merutina] has put his life and memories into the gun barrel."

Purgatory has never been cowardly; on the cruel path, she has never chosen to retreat.

"No one is born a hero; they become heroes because they have nowhere else to turn."

Melutina extended her hand and said somewhat coldly,

Do you know why the data you looted disappeared?

"..."

"Because I am here, my memories are here."

A blazing fire erupted from the Herrscher of Corruption's chest as she cried out venomously:

"Kevin!!!"

“I am the backup of the Thirteen Heroes.”

Melutina smiled, a smile just like Alicia's.

"Now, I have succeeded. Foolish Herrscher, you underestimated me..."

"Thirteen heroes have emerged." X12

Chapter Eleven: The Ball Begins

a few days ago

"Hey Mei, this is Paradise's typewriter. Everything recorded on it is objective fact, without any subjective factors. For example, look... the first page is out?"

Alicia took out a piece of paper, paused for a moment, then crumpled it into a ball.

"Haha, it seems... there's a slight malfunction?"

Is it something they don't want me to know?

Raiden Mei didn't seem to care.

"Hmm, a little bit... a dark history?"

……

"The Paradise Typewriter? I don't think Raiden Mei saw that, right?"

Melutina looked at the crumpled paper and roughly understood what had happened.

"So...aren't you going to explain?"

Alicia spread out the paper.

"After all, it says here... [Merutina is dead]."

"If that's the case, then you're not wrong. You must have noticed something unusual by now, right?"

Melutina was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"I never expected to meet you in this way."

"...But for me, that child has truly disappeared."

Alicia, however, did not show her usual smile.

"She wanted to give you a perfect ending."

Melutina smiled.

"So, I decided to become... no, it was [she] who decided to become the first and only [victim]."

"So, something must have happened."

“Yes. That’s another reason why Raiden Mei came here.”

"And the first one?"

"You should already understand."

"This was...your idea?"

“No, Kevin recruited her. You should be able to tell that, unlike the previous people, she doesn’t accept the Stigmata Project… so.”

Melutina smiled again, and Alicia found it hard to reconcile this cheerful girl with the taciturn woman she once was.

Even so, that was the future she was facing.

"This is Kevin's belated birthday present for you. You did it, better than all of us... did it."

Melutina looked at the sea and sat down in a chair. She patted the seat next to her, gesturing for Alicia to sit down as well.

"Tell me about... your experiences in the next civilization."

Alicia sat on the chair with her legs drawn up to her chest.

"Good. Just as you expected, the Herrschers have had the opportunity to rebel, although not every one of them is Raiden Mei. But some are even more powerful than her."

Melutina reminisced about her past.

"I met a big boy who was wholeheartedly devoted to good. He was the First Herrscher, and he was upright, brave, and sacrificed himself for his friends and innocent people."

He also passed down the core, and the second Herrscher of Reason inherited his name. With him as its symbol, an organization called Anti-Entropy was established. I am also a member of it. They fight for all that is good in the world, and their representatives are the Herrschers.

"Wow, fighting for all the good things in the world. I love that phrase!"

"And the Second Herrscher, hmm... that's a story closely related to Mei's sweetheart."

"Really? But I think Mei might like me a little more?"

"So that counts as infidelity during marriage...or infidelity during separation? About her..."

……

"Really? Hua deceived her Herrscher personality?"

"Yes, after that, the Herrscher of Knowledge never spoke to her again."

"Ha ha ha ha……"

……

"Otto is quite an interesting person."