Kosma silently looked at Mei, countless thoughts swirling in his mind.
Raiden Mei... She has been trying to find a way to enter the Depths all this time. What is her goal? Aponia?
Should he remind her that she has long been targeted by the other party?
But if all of this is within Aponia's "sight"...
Forget it. It's better not to say anything.
Padophelis stammered, "Uh... ah... this... that...?"
"Sister Mei, thank you for bringing new colors here." Griseo suddenly spoke, "Your color, I like it very much. So, I want to give you a gift..."
She slowly raised her hand, and a warm power flowed into Raiden Mei's body.
At the same time, an ethereal voice echoed in Mei's mind.
"Let me paint a picture for you, with my favorite colors...."
"The blue of the ocean, the green of cypress trees, and... the gray on you and me..."
"Let them... paint for you a night sky shining with stars."
Raiden Mei felt the new power within her and murmured, "The Stigmata of Stars..."
"Yes, my Stigmata." Griseo jumped down from the little ladder. "From now on, the door to the studio will always be open for you. Let's go, Kosma."
After the two of them left, Padophelis suddenly started looking around. "Weird... Canned Food, search more carefully?"
"What's wrong?" Raiden Mei asked.
"Of course, it's the entrance to the Depths!" Padophelis spun in a panic. "It should be somewhere around here..."
The little cat meowed weakly.
"Ah! I get it!" Padophelis clapped her hands, suddenly realizing something.
"We've already been discovered by Sister Nia! The entrance is here, but if she's determined not to open the door, then no matter what path we take, it won't matter."
Raiden Mei thought for a moment. "So, what you're saying is, our every move is under her surveillance?"
"Well, at least now that you have the Stigmata of Stars, you can enter the studio anytime." Padophelis comforted her. "Maybe one day Sister Nia will change her mind."
"Mm, you're right. Send me back, Pado."
Back in the Elysian Realm's hall, Raiden Mei saw Raven crouching on the ground, talking to Griseo.
"Oh, I see. You like jellyfish, right?" Raven asked with a smile.
"Yes, I like the ones that can fly," Griseo answered seriously.
"Flying jellyfish, now that's something." Raven raised her head to look at Raiden Mei. "Well, well, look who's back?"
"What are you doing?" Raiden Mei walked closer.
"Just chatting, passing the time." Raven slowly stood up and stretched lazily.
"You're really good at dealing with children."
"Not really." Raven glanced at Kosma standing nearby. "That one over there, I just can't handle at all."
Kosma silently turned his gaze away.
"See? What did I tell you?" Raven helplessly spread her hands.
"Kosma, don't be angry." Griseo gently tugged at Kosma's sleeve. "Sister Natasha isn't a bad person."
Kosma looked at Griseo and finally spoke, "They shouldn't continue searching for the Depths. The secrets hidden there are far too dangerous for successors. They're dancing on the edge of a blade..."
"They won't, not if it's dangerous." Griseo shook her head. "So... there's no blade in the studio."
———
[In the Real World]
[So cute! My little Griseo, come to auntie's arms!]
[Ahhh, another heart attack moment!]
[True, the studio has no blade... because the whole of Honkai Impact 3 is one giant blade!]
[Hiss~ Suddenly remembering... If Griseo doesn't appear in the present timeline, does that mean...]
[STOP! STOP RIGHT THERE!!!]
[miHoYo's writers, do you even have a heart? How can you be so cruel to such a small child?!]
[Sob sob sob... Griseo, my Griseo, take me with you!]
———
Seeing the screen flooded with bullet comments, Bianca and Ato exchanged a glance, then hugged their daughter sitting between them with pained expressions.
The cruel reality rendered them speechless for a moment, leaving them to comfort her only in this way.
On the other side, Griseo seemed to sense her parents' emotions. She stretched out her small hands and gently rested them on their arms.
This scene touched everyone present deeply and made them feel grateful, that their world had never experienced collapse.
———
[Back to the Video]
Raiden Mei was staring blankly at Griseo and Kosma when suddenly everything went black before her eyes.
That familiar dizziness struck again. When her vision cleared, she realized she had returned once more to the Depths.
"Mei, you've done better than I expected." Aponia's voice came from the darkness. "And you have indeed brought changes to this Realm that were never meant to happen."
"Changes?"
"Yes, your arrival has brought too many changes to this Realm." Aponia's soft voice echoed, sounding like both a sigh and a judgment.
"Whether it's Griseo or Kosma, Elysia or Mobius, or even Van, who never wanted to come to the Depths..."
Raiden Mei's pupils narrowed slightly.
Van's name was like a thin needle, pricking her thoughts.
"I think, they must have 'seen' something in you... that's why these changes have happened."
Raiden Mei fell silent for a moment, then let out a cold laugh.
"Aponia, does this have anything to do with our repeated conversations? Will you tell me everything you know?"
A soft sigh came from the darkness.
"Ah, Mei, please forgive me..." Aponia's voice suddenly grew gentle, like a soothing whisper.
"At first, my interest in you was just curiosity. I wanted to see what kind of person the Herrscher who came here as a successor would be... and whether the changes she brought to the Realm would be good or bad."
As the sound of chains clinking grew closer, Mei finally saw the face behind the iron bars.
Aponia's figure slowly emerged, her smoky-gold hair covered by a pure white nun's veil, cascading down to her waist.
Her delicate features carried an expression of deep compassion, giving her an almost holy air.
"Now... I already have the answer." Aponia said softly. "At this moment, my heart is full of... regret and sorrow."
"Regret... sorrow...?"
"Please let me hold your hand, Mei."
Raiden Mei's right hand rose uncontrollably, passing through the iron bars.
"I can feel your resolve, your determination, and... the sorrow and loneliness you've buried deep inside."
Aponia's voice seemed to come from far, far away. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes... how I wish that tragedy could have been avoided."
"Tragedy?"
"A tragedy no one could have foreseen, and no one wishes to revisit. Your arrival will bring destruction to the Realm, and none of us want to see this place reduced to rubble by your hands."
Aponia's voice turned deathly quiet, almost cruel. "For that reason, ten days from now, I will have no choice but to... end your life with my own hands."
———
[???]
[Wait, what just happened???]
[Wasn't this a calm hand-holding fortune-telling moment? Why are we suddenly talking about killing?!]
[Aponia says Mei will bring destruction, but based on what?]
[No way it's because Mei met the God of Honkai when she entered the Realm, and now the God is trying to invade the Elysian Realm, right?]
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