Honkai Impact 3rd: The Girl Who Chases the Flame

Alicia made a face.

"As expected... Velvi has set up a backdoor..."

Chapter Thirty-Six: Collapse, Depravity

"...I do not recommend this behavior for a girl."

Aponia had just opened the door when she was found lying face up with her limbs locked. Looking at the unfamiliar ceiling and the pungent smell of rust, she said helplessly.

The hands that were restrained were covered in blood and bite marks on their wrists. It seemed that this girl had no intention of entrusting her fate to others, and had even bitten off the excess flesh from her wrists.

As for how she removed the shackles from her legs and neck, given her strength in controlling herself, Aponia had no doubt that she could easily do it without the two restraints.

"Incredible physical abilities, he's practically a monster."

Aponia spoke quietly.

"It seems that May's plan to gradually strip you of your power with the Chains of Anubis is the right thing to do."

"Shouldn't you have known from the moment I rebelled?"

Melutina said coldly that being deprived of Honkai energy for too long would really damage one's foundation.

Even if Melutina regained her Fusion Warrior abilities at that time, she was not optimistic about whether she could continue fighting.

"...It seems that whether I came to save you or I was angered by your provocation, you're planning to use the same method."

Aponia said quietly.

"It's truly remarkable that you don't entrust your fate to others."

“I’ve heard that you can see fate, Aponia.”

The muscles in Melutina's wrist began to twitch, slowly healing.

"Then why are you bound here by me?"

"Gods have lowered their threads, and everything seems like fate, but this doesn't apply to outsiders. You should ask the Honkai Beast you've merged with."

Aponia remained calm, as if she did not feel the power that could tear her flesh apart in the next second.

"But you foresaw that I would meet you."

"Of course, because this is my destiny."

"..."

Melutina slightly reduced her pressure.

"Aponia, what exactly is your purpose?"

"you."

"……I?"

I want to see you.

"……Then what?"

That's all.

"..."

Melutina fell silent; she didn't know how to interpret those words.

“Like you, dear Melutina, I do not believe that the minority should be sacrificed for the majority, nor do I believe that ‘sacrifice’ itself is something to be praised.”

Aponia smiled slightly.

"Among the Fusion Warriors, you and I are most similar. I am bound by fate, while you... are chased by the past."

"You sound like you know me very well."

"Because I specifically went to find out."

Aponia smiled.

“Qian Jie, Su, Wei Erwei… I tried to learn about you through various channels, but they may not know the truth.”

"Should I say that he truly deserves to be called the strongest psycho-sensory fusion warrior?"

"This title is meaningless. Would you be happy if someone called you the 'strongest creature'?"

Aponia countered.

"……Won't."

“You know the power of the precepts; it’s impossible that you didn’t tell them, so you understand that they have no effect on you.”

You possess the world's strongest body and most resilient mind; theoretically, no mental attack should be able to affect you.

Aponia said to herself.

"..."

“But there is one exception, that form… is also the reason why Mei treats you this way, and you know it better than anyone else.”

"...Even on this isolated island, you know everything about the world. Just like the rumors say, you are a terrifying woman."

Melutina suddenly released her grip. At this moment, there were no visible wounds on her hands, only the bloodstains on the shackles and the corner of her mouth indicating that she had indeed been injured.

Aponia stood up, dusted herself off, turned around, and knelt on the ground.

"...Even after all the restraints have been removed, you still look so completely unguarded?"

“I told you, I have no ill intentions toward you, Melutina.”

Aponia looked completely at ease.

"Oh, please forgive me for using 'you,' I don't want to be too far away from you, whether physically or mentally."

"..."

Melutina wondered if she had encountered another "Alice".

"The fact that you're no longer restraining me means you've regained the strength to subdue me, right? Then we can have a proper talk."

Aponia continued.

What...do you want to talk about?

Let's start by talking about your "second collapse".

Aponia smiled slightly.

"Mei believed in you because she had absolute confidence in your mental resilience. She didn't think you would be disturbed; she felt you were safe and secure."

"..."

"But, after saving you, she immediately tortured you with the Chains of Anubis. There is clearly only one reason why May would do such a thing."

Aponia extended one finger.

"It's that you've become unstable, no, it's not just that. The so-called second collapse isn't when you're at your 'strongest,' but when you're at your 'weakest,' right?"

"........."

Melutina neither answered nor denied it.

"Moreover, it is not under your control. You are forced to initiate a second collapse due to intense emotional fluctuations... I think this is probably not a 'man-made collapse,' but a real collapse."

Aponi suddenly moved closer, startling Melutina. She remained prone, her face only a centimeter away from Melutina's.

"Collapse, then fall. That form reveals only one thing: you are never stable."

"..."

Melutina pursed her lips and remained silent.

"So why has this situation only come to this now? Actually, it's not difficult to deduce. This is especially true for Mei. I heard that you used to have emotional deficiency syndrome."

Aponia reached out and stroked her face.

"That's your real guarantee, isn't it? As long as you're in hell forever, your emotions will remain stable, you'll never have a second collapse, and you'll always be safe."

"...Perhaps."

"Don't be upset, I'm happy for you, Melutina."

Aponia smiled.

"So, back to the topic we were just discussing, according to my guess, your second collapse actually broke down your original stable structure. To give an example, it's like turning a solid into a liquid, which eventually evolves into that white Honkai energy."

That situation isn't decomposition or corrosion, but rather fusion, am I right?

"...Has anyone ever told you that you're not suited to be a nun and should be doing scientific research instead?"

"I'm not a nun in the strict sense... Besides, people will always put in the effort to study things that interest them, right?"

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Kevin, Eating Noodles

The deepest place

"Even you can't get out?"

Melutina frowned slightly.

"Well, after all, this place was originally an inescapable four-sided prison created by Vilvie."

Moreover, the area is largely self-sufficient in food, thanks to technologically advanced greenhouses that cultivate various plants, and even livestock farms.

Aponia tilted her head as she explained.

"...That's definitely that person's style."

Remembering that this place was built by Vilvi, Melutina wasn't surprised that there was a basketball court.

"The number of prisoners here is very small, and each time someone comes in, they are all quite dangerous individuals."

They would be escorted by special personnel and placed under the "Chains of Anubis" before entering the Deepest Abyss, which was then accessed through a passage that could be entered but not exited.

Aponia explained,

“And each time a sinner enters, they are made to lose consciousness beforehand, so that they don’t even remember what happened in between… You are the same, aren’t you?”