Let's rewind a little, to just before Theresa lost consciousness.
In another place — no, "place" isn't the right word here.
Nearly three days after losing consciousness, she began her adventure again.
The last thing she remembered before fainting… was seeing that man — someone who didn't carry the Kaslana name as a prefix — Kevin, accidentally fall.
Theresa Apocalypse awoke at this moment, but the location she found herself in made her suspect she was still trapped in a dream. The scene before her was simply too unreal.
Shadows of green-black filled every corner of her vision. Twisted shapes bent at impossible angles, bizarre gears ticking, corroded blades floating in midair, broken doors hanging from nothing, and heavenly scales suspended in the void. The sky itself was painted in the hues of an abyss, and the air — if it could be called that — was thick with a sickly-sweet but dangerous scent…
It was like the tang of nitric acid orange candy lingering on the tongue.
More than once, she doubted whether she was still alive.
The creatures here were equally strange — distorted constructs of unknown origin. Worst of all, even Vishnu could not devour and erase this fragment of dreamspace the way it had done before.
This, without a doubt, only added to her troubles.
But help came from an unexpected source.
In the middle of a fierce battle, a blazing greatsword struck from behind, knocking away the monster that had been about to attack her.
And then… she heard that long-lost, teasing voice, along with a nickname that had once driven her mad.
"…Sorry, shorty. I stole one of your prey."
But beneath the sarcasm, all she felt was the shock and joy of disbelief.
"…S-Siegfried?!"
She stared in astonishment at the man who had suddenly appeared. His face was lined with the marks of time, his slightly unkempt appearance hinting at hardships endured. Clearly, life hadn't been kind to him.
They were meeting again — who knew how long it had been?
As old acquaintances do, they exchanged updates: his current condition, the ongoing battle against the Honkai.
After all, in her memory, this father had parted from his era when Kiana was still a girl who needed his care, whose grades and attendance were constant worries. And now, St. Freya Academy had already been closed for two semesters.
He admitted bluntly that even now, he felt an overwhelming sense of unreality — his body told him he was still sealed within the Stigma's frozen space and giant stone prison.
Only because Kevin had stripped Chimera of all its power did he have this brief chance to meet Theresa.
The two agreed to explore together — only to be intercepted by Ai Λ.
She warned them: if nothing unexpected happened, in the near future, the Herrscher of the Void would cause massive disruption to the Stigma Project's planetary core network where they stood.
She urged Theresa to leave immediately and reminded Siegfried that he wasn't truly here — his real body was still trapped deep in the Stigma's domain, and what stood before them now was merely his dream-walking self.
And then… came the present situation, where Kiana happened to encounter Theresa, who had fallen out of a strange subspace.
----
In the Dubbing Room.
"Whoa—ah, it's the old man~"
Kiana exclaimed in surprise.
"You didn't completely forget what your goal was at the start of the game, did you?"
Bronya glanced at her a few times, mocking and teasing in her usual deadpan tone.
"Well, uh, you can't blame me for that… I don't exactly have much experience with that kind of thing here, so how am I supposed to remember everything?"
Kiana's cheeks flushed as she fidgeted with her hands, looking guilty.
She absolutely refused to admit that she had completely forgotten about her dad—even in the game.
( ᗜ ˰ ᗜ )
Bronya didn't continue the subject, simply fixing Kiana with a pointed glare that made her wince.
Still, in this case, the "old man" was officially recorded as having died after the Second Eruption, his coffin already sealed and buried.
There were times when she missed her father, yes… but truth be told, she missed her mother more. A warrior of the Kaslana family, always drawing her sword to protect the one she loved most—compared to living out her days in regret over her father's fate in the game, the reality felt a little more bearable.
And the "ending" in the Stigma Space… well, that wasn't exactly something a person could call a blessing either.
A trace of loss flickered in her eyes. No matter what world it was, could she really never have both parents at the same time?
Was this… the path a protagonist was destined to walk?!
"In the Stigma's plan, St. Freya is actually considered the front-line base! This really is a strategically vital location—not only for training talent, but also as a contested battleground."
The Herrscher of Sentience spoke with admiration, though it was hard to tell how much of it was sarcasm.
"Heh, you little brat, tell me—Theresa and Siegfried's place, why does it feel… weirdly similar to Dr. Mobius's lab?"
She stroked her chin, slinging one arm over Fu Hua's shoulder, her tone laced with teasing.
"From that perspective, the décor of Mobius's lab really is exactly like the Relic Site. That doctor's sense of aesthetics is truly awful."
"It's just the color scheme that's similar. But deeper inside the virtual space… it's certainly bizarre and chaotic."
Fu Hua sighed softly, sitting upright on the sofa.
"Also…"
She shot a glance at her companion's very improper sitting posture, "You'd best not say that in front of the doctor."
"I know, I know, I'm not looking for trouble. Why would I deliberately make her mad?"
The girl waved her hand carelessly, as if to say there was no need to worry—she had her own plans.
"…You really can see the future, can't you?"
Kongming frowned at Ai before her. From the moment the other appeared, she had stayed quietly by Luo Mo's side—hard to shoo away, but not disturbing anyone either. She simply watched and listened, her presence so faint it almost disappeared… and yet, somehow, it was infuriatingly significant.
She was just an AI… no, more like a crystallized simulation of time itself—she must have chosen to appear in the form she looked best in, from her own future.
"Strictly speaking, no. I can only see countless possible futures, not the actual, definitive one—well, at least, that was true before."
Ai shook her head, denying the accusation.
She could no longer do such a thing now. Fortunately, it seemed the Stigma Project would probably never surface again.
In the game, she had been able to offer the protagonist's team quite a bit of help against the Stigma Project—mostly in the form of hints and reminders.
----
Back in the game.
At a critical turning point, Kiana finally managed to pick up the trail of her father, after searching for so many years. Naturally, she was determined to rescue him.
To locate the Stigma Space again, Durandal had no choice but to reveal that she too was part of the Kaslana-Stigma connection.
With the Space Ring, they gathered together the dream-illusions of over three thousand worlds. Vishnu, the Devourer of Dreams, cleansed each of the dense illusions within—depicting the stories of past civilizations, painting bridges that stretched beyond yesterday's rainbows, and the ancient, lighthouse-like crest that shone through the ages…
Working together, everyone built a passage deep into the Stigma Space. Then the sisters fought side by side, rescuing Siegfried.
When he awoke from his slumber, the strongest Herrscher and the strongest Valkyrie had both become… his daughters?!
—No matter how absurd the plot might sound, the fact was, after being cut off from the world for so long, the world before him had completely changed.
"…Dad, we've come to get you… Welcome home."
Amid the endless ice and stone of the Stigma Space, Siegfried experienced the happiest moment of his later life.
When that light of dawn appeared before him, his greatest joy wasn't his own escape—it was his pride in the two daughters standing before him.
As for Kiana—did anyone still remember that her original goal on this journey was simply to find her father?
The journey she began because of him… quietly came to its conclusion here.
In the end, she didn't just gain back her father—she unexpectedly gained a sister as well.
Durandal finally revealed the truth to all of them—about the real Kiana's story. Of course, she had already chosen to take the name Bianca for herself, a name that represented both her and the past she carried.
During this happy family reunion, Bronya and Seele suddenly showed up at the door, frowning.
Kiana looked at them in puzzlement—after all, it still wasn't the agreed time for their counterattack.
"Since you entered the Stigma Space, in the last half hour… have you seen Mei?"
Bronya's face was tense, her eyes fixed on Kiana. But she knew already she wouldn't get the answer she wanted. Kiana simply stared back at her, confused.
How could someone as big as Mei just disappear?
----
In Cecilia's villa.
"Hmph, that Siegfried… I suppose I should thank him for having two wonderful daughters."
"Why are you still so hostile toward Siegfried, little Theresa?"
Cecilia gently stroked Theresa's cheek, helplessly asking.
"Drop the 'little'—I'm the Herrscher of Binding now, hmph~"
Once the proud Headmistress who was ashamed to be a Herrscher, her inner thoughts had now changed deeply—though she herself hadn't realized it yet. "Besides, I don't have a problem with this Siegfried here—only with the Siegfried in the game."
"It's because they have the same name that Kiana and Durandal have such trouble recognizing each other, isn't it?"
Though she still harbored resentment over the Siegfried who had taken Cecilia from her, at least she no longer openly opposed him. After all, there was a difference between in-game and real life.
On this point, Shigure Kira secretly nodded—at least on this matter, she and Theresa were in agreement.
As for arranging Siegfried's storyline… she was quite used to it by now.
But for the hero who fought for all humanity, she couldn't possibly lash out at her.
Still, she could never forget that day—suddenly, Cecilia had thrown herself into the arms of a man. All she could do was stand there, watching… watching…
"…Sigh, from now on, Siegfried doesn't need to push himself so hard. With Kiana and Durandal by his side…"
Cecilia didn't try to explain anything further. She only spoke with a trace of melancholy in her voice.
----
Back in the Recording Room.
"Ai ai—why isn't Mei here anymore? Bronya, what do you think I'd do without Mei?!"
Kiana's voice rose in pitch as she shook Bronya's shoulders vigorously.
"…No, that's not it. Bronya did not—Mei-senpai isn't a child, so why would Bronya be watching her all the time?"
Bronya pouted as she mumbled her answer.
But her words, combined with her slightly fidgeting posture, made them far less convincing.
Several black lines appeared on Mei's forehead. She pinned Kiana in place, forcefully ending her nonsense, and spoke each word seriously:
"Kiana, don't use such weird and ridiculous excuses. What do you mean, 'you and I'…? And besides, how could this possibly be Bronya's fault?"
There was a faint note of exasperation in her tone.
Truth be told, Mei just felt embarrassed by Kiana's words.
"No surprise here—the main characters are always swamped with trouble. Once one problem's resolved, another pops right up. If it's not this issue, it's that one."
The Herrscher of Sentience commented casually, unsurprised in the least.
Otherwise, how could you show the "gold content" of a protagonist?
Luo Mo thought to himself. But this wasn't worth fussing over—in fact, for Kiana, this might even turn into a kind of NTR.
In her dream, Kiana was completely unaware of a little secret rendezvous—something even the strongest Herrscher couldn't guard against.
----
In the Game.
If the earlier part of the dream was a long, drawn-out prelude, then it was only upon reaching Mei's turn that the story entered its climax.
It was as if she had been dreaming for an unusually long time. In that dream, they had already defeated the Honkai, the world had returned to its rightful course, and now she, Kiana, and Bronya were meeting up at an amusement park.
Though… the park seemed strangely familiar—loudly colored rides, stalls overflowing with trinkets, and a dreamy pink castle under a bright blue sky.
All of it stirred a faint sense of déjà vu in her.
She halfheartedly responded to Kiana and Bronya's invitations to play, but her gaze often drifted toward an empty space nearby. She was trying to remember—what exactly had she forgotten?
But… what could it be? Hadn't the Honkai already been wiped out?
"Ding ding—cuties! I think I just heard you discussing what to play next, didn't I? ♪~"
"As you can see, I'm this park's official tour guide. My main duty? Why, it's to answer the questions of cute girls like you, and guide you through the most wonderful time here!"
A beautiful figure dressed in pink suddenly appeared. She clasped her hands lightly, leaning forward a little with a warm, sweet smile.
Sunlight spilled over her, carrying a youthful, sugary fragrance. She didn't seem shy in the slightest—her bright eyes stayed fixed on Mei.
That feeling… was oddly familiar to Mei.
"You see that AI guide station over there? Just choose the five-star tour guide fairy 'Miss Elysia' from the main service menu! Isn't it super easy?"
Mm… if everything else had only been vaguely familiar until now, then this person in front of her—she absolutely recognized her.
Yet when the words reached her lips, Mei found she couldn't bring herself to refuse her.
Deep down, she didn't want to refuse her.
Lost in her own unanswered questions, she didn't even notice what Kiana and the girl were talking about—or perhaps they weren't talking at all, simply fading into the background of her fragmented memories.
Until… a strange bit of electronic music pulled her back to reality.
"Testing, testing…"
Elysia adjusted the pink megaphone in her hands, catching Mei's eyes once again. At last, Mei remembered—she had seen this scene before.
"Please follow this fairy's footsteps, everyone, and let's begin our delightful journey! ♪~"
Under Elysia's lead, they toured the park, playing claw machines and ball-toss games. But from time to time, Mei found herself slipping into strange, disorienting illusions. She couldn't shake the feeling that something about all this was… off.
Especially since Kiana and Bronya had gone silent after Elysia took her attention—completely unlike their usual selves.
It felt… as if everything revolved around her. Once she devoted herself to a certain activity, they seemed unable to act on their own.
Then Elysia suggested a treasure hunt. Along the way, Mei encountered more and more items connected to her past, until she finally realized—she was in the middle of a dream.
She deliberately erased the dream-images of Kiana and Bronya. Standing before her now was…
Mei took a deep breath.
Step by step, she had been led to the answer within the dream. But realizing it was a dream also meant she would soon leave it—something she suddenly felt reluctant to do.
"It's been a long time, Elysia."
"Well, it has been a while—"
The girl before her still wore that dazzling springtime smile, her eyes rippling with warmth.
"Though I'd like to answer that way, I'm afraid I'm not the Elysia Mei remembers ♪~"
"Yes, I know. I just… wanted to say it once."
Mei smiled faintly in return, her eyes tinged with nostalgia.
With Elysia's reminder, she successfully found the most important treasure.
What she had thought was just a crumpled tourist brochure unfolded back into a crystal flower. Guided by the crystal's light, she returned to the starting (and ending) point of the treasure hunt—where she received a pocket watch… or perhaps it was a compass.
Then, a familiar heroic voice rang out:
"The end of the game is also its starting point, like a spiral—makes perfect sense, right?"
It was Vill-V's voice—her mechanical tone carrying both playfulness and gravity. Who knew she had left such a surprise here?
"Greetings, traveler who has inherited all the Hero Signets… or perhaps, sir?"
[...]
Mei stayed silent. It seemed to be just a recording.
"As your reward for clearing this stage, I'll also take over the tour guide's role and lead you out of here.
If I can turn reality into illusion, naturally I can turn illusion into reality.
Since you now bear all the Hero Signets, whether it's the Eternal Paradise Elysium or the Stigma Project, neither is the ultimate fate of humanity.
Instead, there will be an event… one related to her. Don't get your hopes up too high—we'll meet again at the back door. My lovely audience."
Following Vill-V's signal, Mei woke from the dream—only to meet up with her friends rushing toward her. In her hand, she clutched the illusory compass Vill-V had left behind… which was also a key.
----
[Teacher Big V is still working hard]
[Who's the real full-field MVP among the Flame-Chasers?]
[Ely! My Ely! Can't believe we see you again in the story!]
[Don't think too much—Ely was just streaming a couple days ago, and Griseo was so cute! Awsl]
----
In the Golden Courtyard.
"So cute! Whether it's Mei, or the Mei in my dream… Ah, if this was Mei's dream, does that mean that's how she sees me? ♪~"
"I can hardly tell the difference anymore—it just makes me so happy ♪~"
Elysia's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled, like a sliver of moonlight.
She truly thought that maybe she had appeared in Mei's dream—just like the saying goes: think of someone during the day, dream of them at night… Perhaps, unexpectedly, there was some truth to that.
"Yes yes, exactly—congratulations to Elysia for imitating the Elysia in the match and taking third place."
Mobius idly commented, her gaze drifting without focus.
It seemed Vill-V still didn't fully understand Elysia. The so-called "Sir's" words probably meant it was impossible to collect all the Seals.
Well, of course—she was just a tourist lady.
"Ahhh, it's that little speaker. Elysia really does love carrying it around, huh?"
Little Pardo, upon seeing its own product displayed, felt a kind of shared honor and pride.
"According to her, Elysia really enjoys acting as a tour guide—sharing her knowledge of beautiful things… And of course, Miss Mei's image in her heart is the same."
Eden's warm, gentle voice drifted over. She was truly happy to see someone else understand Elysia's beauty.
Of course, she had her own regret—she could not become Elysia's leader in the real world.
That was something that truly made her sad.
"Hey, hey—shouldn't all the attention be on me right now? Look! I've left behind another earth-shattering masterstroke—aren't you all amazed?!"
Vill-V exclaimed in surprise, feeling she had none of the "main character" presence.
There should be applause here.
Where was the applause?
Why was everyone still looking at Elysia?
Even the so-called "Greatest Magician of Civilization" before her wasn't happy—she never imagined that the spectacular magic she left for the next era would be overshadowed by sheer personal charm.
(T/C: Good work Vill-V 👏)
(Ellieee! 😭 So happy to see You again💕)