Making Honkai Impact lll In A World Where Kallen Exists [Continuation]

"Welcome, welcome! No need to be so formal, just call me Felis—or Pardo, whichever you prefer! Feel free to pick out anything from the shelves. If it's fake, I'll pay you back tenfold, but no refunds for anything!"

She greeted enthusiastically.

This was Mei's first encounter with the cat-eared girl.

"...Your two slogans shouldn't really go together, should they?"

Mei gave a moment's thought and offered her literary critique. So… could things be exchanged or not?

"Ah, wait a moment. Are you… that Miss Raiden Mei?"

"That's me."

The bright sparkle in Pardo's eyes suggested she'd already heard of Mei's name.

But… the Flame-Chasers? The Elysian Realm? Why would they know about her?

"Wow! It's really you! Sister Ellie has told me so many stories about you!"

Elysia told her stories?

Suddenly, Mei felt a vague sense of unease.

"A successor with horns on her head who quickly became everyone's favorite after arriving, and then turned around and punched Sister Snaky for the peace of the Realm—"

Horns? Punching Sister Snaky? For some reason, Mei thought of that recording device.

She turned to look at Elysia, who silently avoided her gaze, blinking bashfully like a shy girl in love.

Meanwhile, Pardo continued her endless stream of genuine compliments.

"You're incredible! If Sister Snaky gets serious, I couldn't take her on even if there were a hundred—no, two hundred of me!"

How to describe it… Mei felt that Pardo was entirely different from any other Flame-Chaser she had met.

She stopped Pardo mid-praise. Her intent to sell something was far too obvious. Were Flame-Chasers always this enthusiastic about setting up stalls and selling goods?

"I'm looking for someone. Elysia said you might be able to help."

Mei's eyes lowered as she stood resolutely in the cold wind of the Elysian Realm.

"Oh? Information trade? No problem. Whose gossip are you looking for?"

Pardo's eyes sparkled as her choice of words vividly conveyed the kind of requests she usually received. In a place where thirteen Flame-Chasers lived, was gossip really the most-discussed topic?

"Raven."

"…Who?"

Pardo couldn't help but ask again. Forgive her, she truly had no idea who that was.

"Hmm… She's about this tall…"

Mei described Raven's height and other characteristics. Pardo racked her brain but couldn't recall anything.

However, finding someone was hardly a challenge. This was her area of expertise, what could possibly be difficult about it?

"What do you want in return?"

"Hehe, it's simple… I'd like to be friends with Sister Mei."

Pardo scratched her head, stretched lazily, and smiled with a touch of innocence.

"To be honest, it's a bit embarrassing, but the Realm's been a bit chaotic recently. Running around has become dangerous, and, well, I lost my Can during all this."

"Finding one person or two doesn't make much difference. I'll guide you, and you'll keep me safe. How about it, Sister Mei?"

Her bright, sparkling eyes extended an invitation that Mei found difficult to refuse.

--

"Uh… Sister Mei, are you allergic to cat fur?"

"No, why?"

"Oh, that's good. It's just that my tail has started shedding again recently."

During a break between battles, Pardo worriedly asked Mei. Once reassured, she quickly regained her carefree demeanor.

--------

"No matter how you look at her, she seems pure and harmless—not at all like Elysia or Mobius, who are always scheming against Mei—"

Kiana nodded in agreement.

This companion was someone she had met before, someone she wholeheartedly approved of. A good partner for sunbathing together, without any ulterior motives toward Mei.

This was what a proper Flame-Chaser should be.

"Uh… I don't think Elysia ever intended to harm me…"

Mei patted Kiana's head with a helpless expression.

She noticed that Kiana was watching over her more and more closely. Whether this was a good thing or not, she wasn't sure. But Kiana's anxious demeanor… Mei found it endearing to watch.

Recently, she had become much more obedient and clingy than before.

"There is, there is! Mei, you know a person's face but not their heart. She—she might actually be the final boss! The internet always says that pink on the outside is black on the inside. Maybe she really is!"

(TL: 😅 well, she is not wrong. But calling Ellie bad... well, I too had the exact same thoughts.)

Kiana stubbornly insisted, her lips curling into a smirk so high it could hang a bottle of vinegar. Her eyes sparkled as if trying to make her claim more convincing.

"…Kiana, you seem pretty idle lately. Why don't you put some effort into training?"

"Kiana, how about a match with Bronya? Let's see how much you've improved since we started completing missions."

Bronya raised her hand and issued an invitation. She was also curious about her own progress.

"Hey, hey—didn't you just get some external gear? That's basically cheating. But since you've suggested it, I don't mind seeing how much you've learned."

"Undefeated legend, Bronya. That's got quite a ring to it~"

Kiana chuckled, patting Bronya's shoulder.

"If it's in a game with Bronya herself…that doesn't count! But if you agree, fine. Let's give it a shot then."

Bronya's cheeks flushed slightly with anger. In making her upset, Kiana never held back.

Very soon, Bronya would show her that she wasn't to be underestimated!

---

In the Golden Courtyard.

"Elysia, your mouth is really unreliable. Just how many people have you told that story to? Why is there now another version of it from Pardofelis?"

Mobius grumbled in annoyance, glaring at Elysia. It wasn't just the fact that she had blabbed everywhere with a megaphone, it was now even Pardofelis who knew.

"Seriously, it wasn't me! How could I ever do something like that to my dear Mobius?"

Elysia protested vehemently. Mobius misunderstood her! Her lips were always sealed… But honestly, that incident was pretty funny. No way was she admitting to it, though—not now at least!

"Do you…like horns?"

"Absolutely not!"

Elysia responded firmly, denying it with no hesitation.

"…"

Kosma opened his mouth to speak but swallowed his words in the end.

"Kosma…what's wrong? Is your mouth uncomfortable?"

Griseo tilted her head as she asked, curiosity in her eyes.

"…(If I say it, Elysia will definitely touch my horns again. It took so long for her to nearly forget about it. Besides, she clearly doesn't want this to be known. Better to let it go.)"

"Mei isn't allergic to cat fur, huh? That's nice. But honestly, after all these visits, it's clear that not many people here are allergic. No, no, I'm not shedding fur right now!"

Pardofelis smiled slyly, pondering to herself. At least she didn't lose this customer. Thinking back, she needed to pay more attention when restocking inventory. Yes, yes, note it down!

-------------

Having navigated through numerous obstacles and passed through several doors, Mei followed the small paths Pardofelis pointed out, venturing deeper into the area.

"I can feel it... Can is just over there!"

Pardofelis' eyes lit up as she looked at the door ahead. She had a unique connection with her Can (cat), and through instinctive reactions, she could sense its location almost precisely.

Now, she could clearly feel it—behind that door.

No doubt about it!

"Alright!"

Mei nodded slightly, raising her blade as she leapt down from the dragon's back. Lightning surged, crackling in the air.

With a single slash, she split the monster in front of her cleanly in two, wiping out the enemies entirely.

Then, stepping through the door with Pardofelis, she saw Raven... along with an orange, plump cat.

The other woman was aimlessly wandering around, following the cat.

"Do you even know where you're going? I feel like we've been here before... Alright, alright, stop acting like I'm bullying you."

"Never mind, let's keep looking slowly..."

"Meow!"

Raven was frustrated. The guide before her was surprisingly unreliable. It had led her here, but now she couldn't find the way back.

Still... what was that pitch-black area ahead?

She pondered for a moment, then turned her head—only to widen her eyes in shock.

"Mei?! What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you that, senior. You've been missing for so long, and now I find you here... playing with a cat?"

Mei's tone was half-joking, emphasizing the word "senior," as she looked at Raven's slightly disheveled figure. Was she really here just to play with a cat?

"Spare me. Playing with a cat? More like the cat playing with me! If it weren't for this thing, I wouldn't be stuck here unable to leave," Raven replied with a bitter smile.

But… regardless, she was certain she could get out now. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to see this cat again—at least not trust its every move.

"Can, that's enough licking... Oh, is this the friend Mei was looking for?"

"To think you're with Can too—what a two-for-one deal. No, it's destiny, destiny's arrangement!"

Beside her, the can had already leapt into Pardofelis' arms. Their familiarity was evident.

She warmly greeted Raven, as they were all friends after all.

"Haha, it wouldn't hurt to support the shop sometime too."

-----------

In the villa.

"She is Last rank? Her strength... uh, I guess I never fought her directly, but her movements feel so agile, I can barely touch her clothes," Kiana blinked, not judging Pardofelis for her ranking. After all, Mobius and her class president weren't ranked highly either. These rankings explained things but weren't everything.

"For Pardofelis… her strength might lie in... luck."

Fu Hua hesitated but eventually spoke, glancing at Kiana. Honestly, she felt like Kiana's luck was stronger—even surpassing her own.

Sigh. Too bad, Seele seemed to have inherited that trait… Wait, was "inheritance" the right word?

Fortunately, Seele probably wouldn't find out.

"Pardofelis' luck, huh? Hiss, true. Compared to that old timer, the contrast is stark. But no, that's not right—Fu Hua's luck is all spent on critical moments," the Herrscher of Sentience nodded, clearly appreciating Pardofelis' fortune.

"Her defining trait is luck? Better than mine?"

Kiana widened her eyes, puffing her cheeks. Luck was the one thing she prided herself on.

"In everyday life, maybe you're even. But in the game's story, Kiana, your luck isn't exactly great. Pardofelis, on the other hand, always finds the only way out. The only time it failed... was when she made a different choice at the very end," Fu Hua sighed.

"... Luck only represents one aspect. The things beyond our control often involve many factors," she continued.

Kiana noticed the somber tone and refrained from pursuing the topic further.

"But why do I feel like she's... hesitant to move forward?" Kiana mused.

Mei led from the front, so providing backup wasn't unreasonable. It really seemed like fighting wasn't Pardofelis' strong suit.

Were there really types of MANTIS bad at fighting? At first, Kiana believed it—until Mebius called herself a "fragile scientist." Now she didn't anymore.

If it were just about being a scientist… Einstein and Tesla weren't this strong either!

"Um… she's genuinely not the combat type. Maybe... even less so than Griseo? But she's not that timid either. She's a... qualified MANTIS," the Herrscher of Sentience teased, nudging Kiana.

"A qualified MANTIS, huh..." Mei looked at the screen, imagining the difference between the Pardofelis who basked in the sun by day and restocked inventory at night, and the choices she might have made at the end.

"What about Bronya? Do you think you can beat her?" Kiana asked.

"Ugh... Hard! Very hard! She's a flawless character unless I intervene directly," the Herrscher of Sentience grumbled, though her tone grew more excited. After all, games were only fun when you had rivals.

---

"Pardo and Can... what exactly is their relationship? Come to think of it, they're always together no matter where you see them."

"At first, I thought it was just a pet adoption situation, but when you consider the fact that Can also appears in the Elysian Realm, doesn't that suggest their connection isn't as simple as just an owner and a pet? After all, a regular cat wouldn't be able to enter the Realm."

Theresa turned her head, her eyes filled with curiosity as she asked this question.

"You've gotten smarter, Theresa. That's rare."

Luo Mo looked at her in surprise, genuinely curious if the academy principle had been swapped out for someone else. After all, not many people would have thought to observe that level of detail.

"...True, Theresa's got a point? I didn't even notice that," Bronie said, squinting her eyes in amusement. She was clearly enjoying this development.

It had to be said that she got along quite well with Luo Mo. She had also found a group of people to play games with, and even Delta had discovered her purpose here. The exception was Kiana Kaslana, who often sat quietly in a corner.

"Hmph, I've gotten smarter… Wait, don't use the word 'rare' like that! I've always been smart!"

Theresa ground her teeth as she protested, realizing that Luo Mo's words could easily mislead someone into thinking otherwise.

Wait… was that a compliment just now? His choice of words was so venomous and sly!

One day, she would find a way to charge him with insubordination.

Oh, wait, she wasn't his superior. Never mind—once she became the Overseer, she could deal with him then. She'd punish him by making him help her handle all the paperwork.

"Can is more like a part of Pardo, I suppose. Ever since Pardo entered the Elysian Realm, Can appeared alongside her, almost as if summoned by her memories. I'd say... Pardo wanted to have a cat and wished for it to always stay by her side, so it came into existence."

Luo Mo shrugged and offered his explanation, indirectly clarifying why Can was so intelligent and capable of understanding human speech.