"Let me start by saying it. Wang is like a mirror in my eyes. A magical mirror with self-awareness and tendencies. He will become like whoever he stays with. When he stays with people, he will be like a person. When he stays with Honkai Beasts, he will be like Honkai Beasts."
"If you say so, he should be more inclined to be a Herrscher if he stays by your side."
"That's why I said it was a [biased mirror]~ If he wants to insist, he can also resist reflecting the existence around him~ And I think I am a [human]~"
"Is that so... As expected of you, Alicia."
Mei Yao smiled helplessly.
"However, based on your idea... it does confirm one thing for me."
"Well?"
"Alicea, you regard Wang as a mirror. I don't think it's wrong, because this can also explain why Gray Shu is so close to him, even after becoming a fusion warrior. But... in my eyes, he is more like a book, a book that is recording everything he has experienced."
Mei spoke slowly.
"He has a good memory, doesn't he? Just like a written diary, he writes down everything that is worth noting, whether good or bad. He briefly skips over things that are not worth noting, but he will eventually write them down... He will write down everything he experiences, and the emotions that arise along the way will also be written down by him. They accumulate little by little, and finally at a certain point... they explode."
"Alisa, you are a natural Herrscher, but correspondingly, this also means that you should be the First Herrscher. The First Herrscher we recorded on the surface is actually the Second Herrscher. All subsequent Herrschers should step back one position, so... Wang should now be the Fourteenth Herrscher."
"In other words, when Wang denies his own existence as a human being and even desires to become a Herrscher, we... have already entered the countdown."
Mei looked out the window. The whale-like creature transformed by Eden was still flying in the sky, and the drizzle was still there.
"Of course, according to what you said before, he should just be regaining his power and restoring his identity as a Herrscher."
"........."
Alicia was speechless for a moment.
"Alisa, you know, after learning about your situation, I have a guess... Maybe [Honkai Impact] is really a test for our civilization."
"Since the [First Great Collapse], every [Great Collapse] has been a test for us, the most obvious being the [Eighth] and [Tenth]."
"The Eighth Herrscher asked us to choose between the illusory beauty and the cruel reality, testing whether we were firm enough, but obviously we were not... The psychological trauma left by the Eighth Herrscher is still affecting everyone, and even because of the increasingly tense environment, this trauma is getting worse. In the end, we had to let Aponia use the Discipline to make up for this trauma... But this led to even more tragic consequences."
"The Tenth Herrscher asked us to choose between doubt and trust, testing our faith and cohesion... But obviously, we are now fragmented, and the seeds of doubt have taken root in everyone's heart, which further led to the incident of Ling."
"And in this process, what are your and Wang's responsibilities?"
Mei withdrew her gaze and leaned back in her chair.
"You, Alicia, as the [First Herrscher], a natural [Herscher], your duties seem simple. You accompany us in our growth, give us help, and help us get through the subsequent [Herscher] one by one. In the end, that is, now, your identity has been exposed to us, and we will also face a test - whether we are willing to trust you as a [Herscher]."
"This is completely different from Ling's situation. After all, Ling is only a [Suspected Herrscher]. As long as she is alive, the [Twelfth Herrscher] will never appear. And you are a natural, true [Herscher]."
"Then...what about Nozomi, who appeared just as early as you and can now be considered the [Final Herrscher]?"
Mei looked at the ceiling and expressed her speculation bit by bit.
"He accompanied us as a human being, experienced everything among us, and then recorded it one by one, engraved it in his mind until the final moment came."
"At this moment, he will become a mirror just as you said, returning everything he has recorded and experienced to us... just like now."
"You two Herrschers are like the beginning and the end of a story. You will bring us the initial convenience and provide us with the initial strength to resist the collapse... and he, after experiencing everything, will decide our ending."
"But now it seems... our [end] may not be a happy one."
Mei sighed.
Everything is too late. When Wang denies his own existence as a "human" and begins to identify and lean towards the "Herrser" with murderous intent and resentment towards humans, the "end" of this era has already begun to be written.
"…But now's not the time to give up, is it, Mei?"
Alicia said with a smile, her tone normal.
“Even Wang is like that, huh? He… actually values his identity as a human being very much, huh? Otherwise… even I, even Grayshuin, wouldn’t be able to support him.”
"……Oh, yes."
Mei acknowledged this with a slight nod.
If Xi Wang really wanted to completely deny his identity as a human being, he would not stop because of Alicia's dissuasion... He still maintained his identity as a human being, even though it was very fragile, but he did persist.
Mei wasn't quite sure why...but she felt that it was probably the work of Sakura and Alicia, as well as Ling and Graysh.
However, Xi Wang's fragile persistence was doomed to be short-lived, and the [ending] of this generation was already determined.
"But... it's not time to give up yet."
"Yeah, that's right~ It's not time to give up yet. We still have a lot to do~"
Alicia blinked and suggested to Mei.
"Then... Mei, what do you think... if all Herrschers could be like me, like us, wouldn't it be better~"
"……what you up to?"
"It's just an idea. And it's something only I can do."
Alicia smiled and told Mei her thoughts.
Yes, the [ending] of this generation is already determined and cannot be changed now, but the future... is still full of possibilities.
…………
………………
No one knew about the subsequent conversation, but a few days later, the [Ark Project] was officially launched and Grayshu was designated as the executor.
Everyone who knew the situation understood what this meant... Mei had already begun preparing to deal with Xi Wang. Grace was sent away to avoid participating in the battle - Mei was not so crazy as to let the little girl go to the battlefield, not to mention that Grace didn't even know how to use her abilities to fight.
On the day of separation, Grace hugged Xiwang gently.
"Look, brother...goodbye..."
She spoke very seriously, as if she believed that she and Xi Wang would definitely meet again.
Then, Grayshu stepped into the [Ark] and flew into the universe.
After that day, Xi Wang's mental state began to slowly become unstable. Although he was still normal when he was with Alicia, once Alicia left, he would quickly show a "hunting" attitude.
He was not crazy, nor did he become a Herrscher. He simply released the repressed hatred in his heart. He behaved normally around Alicia... only because he did not want to show that kind of self in front of Alicia.
And Alicia was also aware of this, and she stayed by his side for some time, occasionally bringing Eden with her and asking Eden to sing for her... Gentle music can always soothe people's hearts, even if the effect on Xiwang was minimal.
Alicia was still as lively as ever, as if everything around her had no effect on her. She took Xiwang out for a walk, trying her best to soothe him.
But... the rain is still falling, with no sign of stopping.
It was another night, and Alicia brought Xiwang to the rooftop as usual. She asked him to wait there while they played, and she left for a short while, as if she was preparing something.
"........."
Xi Wang was speechless. He just came to the edge of the rooftop, stood by the fence and looked at the building not far away... There were many Fire Moth members there, they were walking back and forth in a hurry, quickly advancing various [plans].
tick-
The rain dripped onto the railing, making a small hole.
Xi Wang's body became increasingly damp, and a cold murderous intent began to spread. In the distance, many people with sensitive perceptions felt as if they were being targeted by a predator.
On rainy days, as long as Xi wanted, the rain would turn into spikes and sharp blades, quickly crossing long distances, piercing through the glass, and killing those in a hurry.
But he didn't, because Alicia told him to wait here, it didn't take too long, just a little while.
With a casual wave of his hand, the dark blue sword floating behind him danced with his gestures, drawing scratches with white waves in the air.
But please rest assured, these are just temporary entertainment and will not cause any harm... as long as no one else comes looking for him now.
Phew—pop!
At this moment, in the distance, at the edge of the base, a crisp sound was heard, and soon, several beautiful fireworks bloomed in the rainy night, adding some beautiful colors to the sky that had been gloomy for several days... Even if a firework is fleeting, the next one will soon follow and bloom in the sky again.
The continuous fireworks lit up the sky on the rainy night. The beautiful scenery made everyone subconsciously stop their actions, wanting to keep this rare moment in their memory.
But even facing such a beautiful scenery, Xi Wang only took a quick glance and then turned his head to look at the pink girl who was secretly moving towards him.
"That's too much, Wang... should I pretend I don't know at this time?"
"Alishia...it's still raining."
Xiwang gave a subtle hint.
The rain was still falling, and she wasn't particularly far away from me, so I could definitely sense her.
"Forget it~ That kind of thing is not important~"
Alicia walked briskly to Xiwangdi, leaned forward slightly, and blinked her pink pupils.
"Eat candy?"
She handed over a small white star.
"........."
Xi Wang nodded silently, took it and put it into his mouth.
The long-lost sweetness filled the air...but Xi Wang was still looking at her, his eyes never moving away.
"Why? Are you mesmerized by my cuteness? Or... have you noticed something different about me?"
"........."
Xi Wang looked at her long hair, the white veil on her head, and the...similar yet different uniform on her body, and said nothing.
More importantly... the aura she exudes.
[Herrser], there is no doubt that she is [Herrser].
“Shh—Okay~ I know Wang has a lot to say, but I can’t do that now~ Cute girls must be given priority now~”
Alicia tapped her finger on Xiwang's lips to stop him from speaking.
"I know~ Wang actually likes people, right? Just like me~"
Alicia took Xiwang's hand, held it in her palm, and spoke softly.
"Otherwise, Wang wouldn't have persisted all this time, right? Hmm... maybe I have contributed a little to this, right?"
"……Um."
Facing Alicia's eyes expecting an answer, Xi Wang nodded slightly. As for which question he was answering... it was hard to say.
"I knew it~?"
She is very happy.
"Then... would you allow the lovely girl, that is, me, to make a small wish for you?"
"it is good."
"I knew it~?"
She was really happy. She walked up to him and hugged him, burying her head in his arms. Rarely, she didn't look at him.
"Promise me, I hope... you will always, always persevere~"
Lala——
The pink crystals were growing, gradually wrapping around his body, but he didn't dare to resist or move... because Alicia was in his arms, and if he struggled a little or used a little strength, he would probably hurt her.
"I know, I hope you like them as much as I do~"
"Even now, Wang is still holding on. If it were me, I probably wouldn't be able to hold on like Wang until now... As expected, Wang is really a very strong person..."
"So, don't worry, just hold on, and then... just wait with hope in your heart~ just like your name once said."
"........."
"see?"
Alicia, who didn't get a response, raised her head slightly and looked at him, but was a little stunned for a moment... There was a rare hostility in his eyes towards her.
Ah... this is only natural... after all, I am really going too far now...
Alicia knew very well what she was doing... She was using Xi Wang's "love" for her to force him to do something, and using his unwillingness to hurt himself to restrain and restrict him.
I'm such a bad girl...
"……it is good."
But in the end, he still said so and agreed.
"...I knew ~ Wang likes me the most ~?"
