Chapter 223
[After completing the harmonization, Mei didn't continue to disturb Griseo's painting. Instead, she found Vill-V and asked her about matters related to Aponia.
However, regarding Aponia, Vill-V spoke with some profound meaning. She believed Aponia was indeed a kind person, but kindness doesn't necessarily yield good results.
Afterward, Mei sought out Kalpas, hoping to get information about her friend Aponia from him. The result was like mentioning Dan Feng before Blade - Kalpas immediately became extremely irritable and completely impossible to communicate with. After meeting Kalpas, Mei was once again pulled into the Depth, but this time she had more ability to think there. However, what followed was still Aponia's [warning].
This time, having witnessed the diverse abilities of the Flame-Chasers, Mei somewhat believed in Aponia's prophecy.]
[Silver Wolf]: "Mei asking Kalpas for information about Aponia? How is this any different from asking Blade about Dan Heng?"
[Stelle]: "Of course it's different! One just loses control in rage, the other triggers Mara."
[Blade]:'There are five people, the price has three, you are one of them!!'
[Dan Heng]:"...I've told you I'm not him!"
[March 7th]: "Sigh, how did you guys get them stuck in this death loop again?"
[After Mei emerged from the Depth, an Elysia suddenly appeared beside her: "Hi! Mei, you can't pretend not to see me. Ah—your complexion... looks really terrible."
"Let's go rest together and do something fun, okay?"
Mei had no mood for this at all: "If I don't hurry now... I'm afraid I'll never be able to leave this place."
"You mean... you're worried that staying here too long will make you more and more reluctant to leave me?"
Under Elysia's care, Mei's furrowed brows finally relaxed: "...Alright, being with you does make it hard to stay sad."
Mei told Elysia about the prophecy Aponia had made for her. After learning this, Elysia became uncharacteristically serious. "Although I don't know why this would happen... this is Aponia's [prophecy] after all."
"The future that Aponia sees... is probably truly an unchangeable established fact. Even Aponia herself can only [see] it but is powerless to do anything."
"She has tried more than anyone else for this."
Seeing that Mei still seemed somewhat confused, Elysia gave an example: "Once... a member imprisoned in the Depth was about to be assigned to the Moth, and Aponia [saw] that he would die in his first mission."
"So she used her methods to force that person to stay in the Depth."
"Just as the prophesied time of death approached, a disturbance happened to break out in the Depth, and that person failed to protect himself. As a result, the prophecy was fulfilled in another way."]
[March 7th]: "This..."
[Elios]: "Sigh... Compared to me, you're more deserving of the title [Slave of Fate]."
[Silver Wolf]: "It's over, now we can confirm Aponia's prophecies aren't the same type as Elios'."
[Kiana]: "Wait! Didn't Mei safely emerge from the Elysian Realm? Teacher Yang, what exactly is going on?"
[Honkai Star Rail·Welt]: "...I don't know everything either. These stories about prophecies, I don't know about them..."
[Stelle]: "Uncle Yang really wants to answer your question, but Uncle Yang truly knows nothing."
[After leaving Elysia, Mei asked more Flame-Chasers about Aponia's [prophecy], and was even pulled into the Depth by Aponia one more time.
Finding no clues and with the time of Aponia's prophecy drawing closer, Mei suddenly came up with a brilliant idea! "Aponia's prophecy is [I will die in ten days]..."
"So I'm very curious, what would happen if before that, I already faced a [certain death] situation? For this, I must..."
"...Challenge Kalpas!"
Mei arrived before Kalpas with imposing momentum— "Oh, Herrscher, you..."
Mei directly interrupted Kalpas, saying arrogantly: "Kalpas."
"Please roll over here."
Kalpas didn't even process it himself, pausing for a moment before saying: "Huh? Herrscher... what, did you mistake me for someone else?"
"No, this is something I learned from you, Kalpas."
"Haven't you always been using this method to bluff?"
Mei looked at him with complete disdain and contempt: "This isn't some novel tactic. I've seen many small animals use similar methods trying to scare away predators."]
[Pardofelis]: "Ahhhhh! Mei-nee! You're really risking your life!!"
[March 7th]: "So she wants to change the prophecy this way? This is really asking for death."
[Boothill]: "Well I'll be damned, Mei this is really..."
[Stelle]: "Mei is so polite, she even added 'please' when telling someone to roll over!!"
[Kiana]: "Mei is the best, no need for you to say it!"
[Silver Wolf]: "Shall we have our great prophet judge Mei's actions?"
[Elios]: "I'm not very optimistic about Mei's approach. If fate could be changed so easily, it wouldn't be [established fate]. Rather than changing fate, Mei's actions are more likely conforming to fate."
[Dan Heng]: "So you mean, before the [established outcome] arrives, having Raiden Mei experience [death] is actually part of fulfilling the [established outcome] in Aponia's prophecy?"
[Kalpas laughed in extreme anger, "You think this is bluffing... good, very good."
His final tone was masked by the sound of breaking air, the distance between them seeming not to exist at all.
Not even needing a blink of an eye, the man's right fist already grazed Mei's cheek. "Before provoking me... have you prepared your last will, Herrscher?"
"There's no need for that."
"My only preparation... was planning what I would do next if you disappointed me."
"Well then, Kalpas, now you should understand, this is [a challenge]."
"I think... you wouldn't dare not have the courage to fight a successor, would you?"
Kalpas laughed loudly: "I just started thinking you weren't so annoying, and you have to seek death at this moment? Under any circumstances, I won't hold back."
"I certainly understand that going all out is your form of respect. Otherwise, you wouldn't bear the name [Decimation]."
"Good... then as you wish. It's been too long since I've personally killed a Herrscher."
"Go on, I'll give you enough time to come up with a hundred ways to save your life!"]
[Pardofelis]: "Mei-nee has really angered Kalpas-nii! Hope she's okay, hope she's okay!"
[Mobius]: "Little white mouse, I hope you can last a bit longer. Don't expect anyone to save you."
[Stelle]: "Seems like no one believes Mei can defeat Kalpas?"
[March 7th]: "Do you believe it?"
[Stelle]: "I don't."