Plans and Changes

"You don't seem surprised."

"..."

When the silver-haired woman appeared in front of him, Lin was not surprised at all.

Parallel World, World Bubble, and people capable of suppressing the consciousness of Herrscher... Lin could only think of one person who was related to this, and she was also the kind of person who would do such a thing.

As the saying goes, one can learn from others' mistakes by looking at them. When the person being used as a mirror is someone very similar to oneself, one can see everything about oneself more directly from that person.

The woman with long silver hair was wearing a black robe, beneath which her entire body was wrapped in bandages. Her expression was exactly the same as when she left, cold and indifferent with a hint of bitter hatred.

"What's wrong? Aren't you going to tell me about your childish ideas this time?" Yan Luo mocked the silent Lin without any politeness. "Or did you witness those people's deaths and it triggered you?"

"..."

Two people with the same hair color stood facing each other in the cold wind of the night.

This is the first time I've met you in person.

"Surprised?"

"I am indeed surprised..." Mei's gaze slowly moved down from the woman's beautiful, delicate face and jelly-like lips to her cloak and bandages. "But what surprises me even more is... what are you wearing?"

"Your curiosity is quite strong. Mobius's clothes are more shameful than mine."

"At least it's still clothes..."

"Have you said enough? Have you seen enough?"

Upon hearing this from the expressionless woman, Mei immediately shut her mouth and shifted her gaze away from the woman's beautiful figure.

It wasn't that she was abnormal, but rather that the other person had a special feeling, much like Lin, except that she had more humanity than Lin.

"What just happened? Who was that person?" Mei steered the conversation back to normal, still feeling a chill down her spine whenever she thought of the terrifying man from earlier.

Speaking of which...

Mei touched her slashed neck, her hand covered in blood, which made her frown. When the woman saw this, she placed her hand on Mei's neck, and after a moment of warmth, the wound healed.

"You..." Mei was surprised. She knew that this was a wound caused by the Black Abyss, which could not be healed except by the Black Abyss White Flower. The fact that a woman could heal this wound meant one thing.

She possesses the power of the Herrscher of Death.

"That's not human, it's Herrscher." The woman coldly lowered her hand and replied, "Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying that Herrscher are not human, but at least that guy is not human, but Herrscher is purely on the side of Honkai."

"Do you mean Herrscher consciousness?"

Mei understands this deeply. The cause of the Third Honkai War was the Herrscher consciousness of the Third Herrscher that once existed within her. After she completely ascended to immortality, her original consciousness regained all control.

The woman didn't speak, but a strange look flickered deep in her eyes.

After a moment, she said calmly, "I'll take you back after he leaves."

"... Aren't you going to fight?" Lin remembered what Yan Luo said before he left: he would never let him go the next time they met.

He has decided to end it here, nipping any potential Herrscher in the bud.

"No need. Looking at you like a stray dog, I don't even have the urge to lay a hand on you." Yan Luo crossed her arms and wrapped them around a tree trunk. She glanced at the teaching building of the Chienyu Academy. "How does this world feel?"

"Very good."

Lin couldn't say it was bad. This was probably the world that he, Hen, and all the members of the Fire Moth had been pursuing: a world where the Honkai hadn't altered their lives, where they were on the right path, until the end of an ordinary yet happy life.

"As long as it is 'Ye', it will inevitably Honkai; it's just a matter of time."

"What's the meaning?"

Yan Luo gave him a meaningful look. "As you can see, this is a world without you. Didn't you swear before that you would save everything? Then use your eyes to see what kind of life they would lead without you."

Seeing Yan Luo turn to leave, Lin thought of something crucial. He stared at her silver hair and said, "Wait a minute, I have another question for you."

"..."

"Are you the consciousness of Herrscher or the consciousness of Lin?"

She is Herrscher, but she still maintains human consciousness. Lin wants to know how she does it, or whether she is actually Herrscher of Reason from Previous Civilization.

He wanted to know if there was a solution to all of this, and to everything that would follow.

He was willing to try whatever method was available.

The silver-haired woman broke the stillness and walked forward.

A faint voice carried on the evening breeze. "I am nothing, and you wouldn't want to know how I became like this."

So, what's next?

A world without Honkai, so there is no need for fighting.

So what... is he going to do?

For the first time, Lin truly experienced what a world "without Honkai" was like. Even when he walked in the most prosperous places and saw a peaceful scene, he always felt that there was a one-way glass called "illusion" in the sky. All the beauty was just a lie, and in an instant, he would be hurt and bleeding by the shards of the collapsing glass.

But now, that glass has been removed, leaving only true peace.

But even so, what can we do?

This is not his world. Even if his wish is fulfilled and there is no more Honkai, all the futures he envisions are meaningless.

In those futures, there is his own world, and his friends.

So, what does he have left now?

"Lin, the rest is up to you."

"Go, my hero... you promised me..."

My body, as if still in that sea of blood, sank numbly.

The noise around him had stopped, but his heart could no longer find peace.

"Hey, hey, hey? Are you spacing out? Can you hear me?"

"He's just staring blankly without blinking... Is he sleeping with his eyes open? Hey! Hello! Please say something! There's a cute girl here who wants to talk to you!"

"That's strange... it doesn't look like he's asleep."

Who is speaking?

When Lin's consciousness was withdrawn from that sea of blood and returned to his body, he saw the scene before him.

Even though he couldn't see colors, he knew exactly what color the person in front of him had.

But how did she end up here?

At the wrong time, in the wrong place.

"Eri... Sia?"

"Oh! You actually know me? Are you a fan of mine? That's great! I can finally meet my fans in real life!"

A flawless girl with pink hair laughs carefree under the night sky.

Chapter Five: Planning and Change

Well, although people often say that plans can't keep up with changes, most of the time people don't actually have plans at all, while changes are always making their presence felt from some nook and cranny.

Lin knew little about Elysia's past; to be precise, the file she could tell at a glance was entirely fabricated, and that was all she was willing to show others.

Elysia joined the Firemoth through an informal process, a fact that Mobius told Lin. Elysia had stolen Mobius's badge and entered the Firemoth through back channels, so she had no record of any formal onboarding process.

Before that, it remained a mystery.

Her birthplace, experiences, and even the authenticity of the name Elysia cannot be verified, and Lin Wanwan never expected that he would meet Elysia in the Far East at this time.

... Shouldn't it be said that if there hadn't been the Honkai, she would have arrived in the Far East at this time?

"I finally met my fan in real life!" She was overjoyed, a lovely blush rising on her flawless cheeks, and she smiled happily at Lin. "Want a handshake? An autograph? Or a hug? But I'm sorry I can't treat you to dinner; I haven't even had my own dinner yet, I'm a little short on cash lately~"

Elysia playfully stuck her tongue out at him.

"You..."

Lin's mind was in a mess. He knew that the girl in front of him was not the Elysia he knew, but she had the same personality as Elysia. Every smile and frown was exactly the same. Lin couldn't even find any difference.

But... this must be Elysia.

She looked like that when they first met after the Second Honkai War ended, and even after nearly ten years, time had not left any marks on her.

She seemed frozen at a certain point in time, never to change again.

"Your name is Elysia, your favorite color is pink, your hobbies are flowers, sweets, tokusatsu dramas and book writing, your height is 163cm, your birthday is November 11th, and your weight is 5..."

"Wait, wait, wait a minute!"

Lin's mouth was covered by a pair of fair hands. Elysia winked at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of shame, indignation, and curiosity.

"You know too much about me. Are you stalking me? Even though you're my fan, this isn't good. But I guess it's also my fault for being too perfect. My apologies..."

As Elysia finished speaking, she chuckled to herself twice.

At least in terms of narcissism, Lin couldn't possibly have mistaken someone else.

"Hmm... After dinner tonight, I'll have to eat instant noodles every day."

Elysia rested her limp face on the smooth tabletop, looked at the bank account number on her phone, and sighed with teary eyes.

Lin, sitting opposite her, stared blankly at her, seemingly lost in thought.

"Um..."

After a while, Elysia looked up, raised her eyebrows suspiciously at Lin, and then...

"Heave-ho!"

With a flick of her wrist, she ripped Lin's hood off.

A head of silver hair was exposed under the light.

"Huh?" Elysia was stunned for a few seconds after seeing the figure under the hood, then she narrowed her eyes. "So cute~ Hehe, then this meal was definitely worth it~"

"..."

"Don't keep quiet, say something."

"... What do you want to say?"

"Like, what's your name? You have such a cute face, but you're so cold... But that's kind of funny." Elysia rested her chin on her hand, popped the drink the waiter brought into her mouth as she did so, and chuckled playfully. "You've found all my information, but I don't even know your name. That's not fair~"

Is this a ploy to elicit information?

Thinking back to their first meeting, Elysia already knew a lot about him. She must have asked many people to get information out of him and secretly searched for his information in the database.

"My name is Lin."

"Lin? What a nice name." Elysia toyed with the fork in her hand, her fingers deftly turning it, while her crystal-clear eyes remained fixed on Lin. "Then, my dear Lin, why are you investigating my information? I'm just a new anchor."

Newcomer... a streamer?

Lin then realized what she meant by "fans".

However, regardless of which Elysia it is, her seemingly nonchalant but actually sensitive and delicate nature remains unchanged. She seems to have noticed that Lin is acting strangely, and that he is not just a fanatical fan.

After all, which die-hard fan can remain calm and expressionless when face-to-face with their idol?

So, how should Lin respond?

"I..."

Lin was about to speak, but he swallowed his words and glanced at Elysia's attire.

In Lin's memory, Elysia was indeed incredibly beautiful. Even Lin, who was not sensitive to appearances, could not say that Elysia was not outstanding in appearance. Moreover, she was a person who loved to dress up. Even her uniforms would be modified to be form-fitting and waist-cinching to accentuate her figure.

And this Elysia, she also has a head of fluffy, slightly curly pink hair, and her side-swept bangs and ponytail are exactly the same. Putting everything else aside, just her eyes, which always have a warm smile, are extremely beautiful and charming. However, her clothes are an ordinary casual combination of a hoodie, trousers and sneakers.

Lin remembered that Elysia had never dressed like this before; she didn't like clothes with hoods because she wanted to wear her long hair down.

She just said, "I'm just a new streamer," and she was incredibly excited after discovering that Lin was a fan.

"I think I can work with you. You have an excellent foundation and the potential to become an instant star." Lin spoke quickly, leaving Elysia staring at him in a daze.