Honkai Impact 3rd: The Girl Who Chases the Flame

"I'll go get another one."

...............

There was a slight issue with the PS timeline settings before, so I've fixed it.

The protagonist's experience of the Honkai Impact 3rd has been changed to the second Honkai Impact 3rd in Hera City. He is now around twenty years old, while Kevin and May are in their late twenties.

Also, the time intervals between the breakdowns in this game are based on the plot, and do not strictly follow official information.

Chapter 41 Aponia Wants to Be Called

The deepest place

"The outer layer is Soul Steel? No, that's impossible. How could something so precious be used in construction?"

Melutina frowned slightly.

"I won't misunderstand the properties of Soul Steel; that metal is very sensitive to the mind."

Aponia replied while checking the chicken roasting in the oven.

"Of course, Soul Steel is a valuable resource, and I can't let Miss Velvet do anything reckless. So it's just a layer of Soul Steel membrane. What confuses me is only the surface structure of the prison, but it doesn't affect my ability to extend my perception outward."

"...I have read Senior Sister Wilvi's dissertation during her doctoral studies."

Melutina picked up two slices of bread, spread cheese sauce between them,

"Although it is a highly controversial paper, its way of thinking is unique. She believes that Honkai energy can be used as a new energy source, but it is not just an energy source."

In her doctoral dissertation, she compared Honkai energy to a magic wand and talked at length about magical girls... which led a bunch of old professors who wanted to refute her to watch a series of bishoujo anime.

*Ahem, I digress.* In short, she believes that as long as the dosage and method are correctly determined, Honkai energy can achieve all sorts of things, both known and unknown, just like a magical girl can use different magic by chanting different incantations.

"...Ah, do you like magical girls?"

However, Aponia's focus was clearly not on the paper.

"...I do like it, but that's not the point."

Melutina pressed her forehead and sighed.

"In other words, the reason why the Deepest Place is so magical is that she not only used her architectural talent, but also used Honkai energy in it. Perhaps, some kind of 'anti-Kevin weapon' was added to the surface of the Deepest Place."

"It's a reasonable deduction; Miss Wilvi always likes to call these things magic."

Aponia took out a roasted chicken and handed it to Gloria, who was standing next to her.

"Big Sister, Second Sister, are you guys researching a prison break?"

Gloria tore off a piece and tasted it.

"...Second Sister?"

Melutina's expression froze.

"A popular term lately in the deepest places, because you are the only two sinners who have broken free of the chains of Anubis."

Gloria put the roasted chicken back in the oven and said to Aponia,

"Boss, it's not ripe yet."

"Ah... I thought it was perfect."

Aponia looked disappointed.

"...Never mind, the name doesn't matter."

Melutina sighed.

"Can I call you Xiaomei?"

Aponia's eyes lit up.

"Of course not."

"Woooo..."

"Compared to this, Miss Gloria, didn't the people in the deepest places ever think about escaping?"

Melutina turned her head and asked.

"There are basically none, since we generally dislike the outside world. A few people who still have ties to the outside world have tried, but they all ended up with no clue."

Gloria shrugged.

"You are not bound at the moment..."

Aponia smiled slightly.

"Then, wouldn't it be better to wait for the person who cares about you to come and pick you up?"

"No, I'm afraid it's not that simple."

Melutina shook her head.

"The senior student I know, Velvi... rarely tells the truth, and she especially likes to keep something to herself. If they come to rescue me, it proves that Velvi really gave them the design blueprints. But, can something that can be given away so easily really have that much value?"

"...You mean, even if they get the design drawings, they still can't... Xiaomei, it hurts so much!"

Melutina delivered a chop to Aponia's head.

"Don't call me Xiaomei. I've tried to figure out what Senior Sister Wilvi is like using the most twisted sense of humor, and I've come to the conclusion that this prison cannot be opened by one person alone."

Melutina squinted.

"The condition for unlocking the deepest depths is cooperation between insiders and outsiders... Aponia, am I right?"

"........."

Aponia's eyes flickered.

"You really didn't tell me the truth."

Melutina had an expression that said she had expected this.

"You say you know nothing about how to get out... That's a lie, because every sinner who enters needs your cooperation, doesn't he, Miss Administrator of the Deepest Place?"

"...Could you please stop calling me 'Miss'? It's too formal."

"Sister Aponia, could you tell me how to get out?"

Melutina blinked.

"The Chains of Anubis are the key to unlocking the deepest depths!"

Before her brain could process it, Aponia blurted out,

"Forehead……"

"Boss, you're too easy to fool..."

Golia, standing next to her, covered her face.

"I see. So your claim that the Chains of Anubis automatically lock sinners in their cells is also a lie."

Melutina gave a wicked smile.

"Then the answer is that you hold the back half of the Anubis Lock for each cell, and the sinners who come in will be bound with the front half, and you have arranged the back half in the cell beforehand."

In reality, the deepest entry is the connection of chains, thus locking the sinner outside into his fixed cell, and even the number of chains can be determined at will.

It's like... a magnet? When the magic trick is exposed, the mechanism isn't actually that complicated after all.

“...You are very clever, Melutina.”

Aponia sighed.

"Actually, it's not that I didn't want to tell you... I just wanted to wait and see, but I didn't expect you to figure it out on your own."

"Then let's make a deal."

"kindness?"

Aponia paused for a moment.

“My dearest Melutina, you should know that I have no worldly desires that can tempt me…”

"If you help me, I'll call you Sister Aponia from now on."

"make a deal!"

………………

"Huh? You mean Melutina inside has to figure it out herself?"

Qianjie squatted on a rock on the deserted island, his temper flaring up instantly.

"Don't you already have the design drawings for Velvi?"

"Hmm... I seem to have underestimated how wicked Velvi is~ (。o︿o。)"

Alicia shrugged and explained the mechanics of the Deepest Realm to them.

"That stinky woman... no wonder she gave it to me so readily."

If Wilvi were here right now, Qianjie would definitely smash her head in without hesitation.

"...But, in that case, apart from brute force, only Aponia can help. According to you, the surface here is a pseudo-imaginary space. Even if we want to attack by force, we can only destroy this deepest part."

Sakura said with a serious expression.

“If we dare to release the people from the deepest depths, it won’t just be a matter of Umehara not forgiving us; the whole world will suffer because of it.”

"Wait, Alicia, if that's the case, how did you get me out of here?"

“The secret door is with Aponia; she has a way to allow the Lock of Anubis to move freely inside and outside the deepest depths.”

Alicia explained,

"But it requires someone to receive them. In other words, as long as Aponia and the outside world maintain cooperation, they can bring people out of the deepest place."

"But there's no reason for Aponia to help..."

"Clap."

"What's this?"