Compared to the players' astonishment…
Elysia wasn't surprised at all by Kalpas' gentleness.
Rather, she came to better understand the reason for his fury in the game.
Because he was always "powerless," his rage seemed endless.
"My rage will never extinguish…"
This unending fury at himself—became Kalpas.
So that's how it is...
With an inexplicable feeling in her heart, she continued tapping the screen.
After the fake Kalpas ridiculed him, the two proceeded to the final stop.
This so-called final stop—
Was a massive stone pillar rising ahead in the path.
The fake Kalpas arrived at the pillar, observed it briefly, and said,
"Though it's an extremely ancient memory, it's still so vivid... and also... incomprehensible."
"You… really did fall from the sky?"
"Don't tell me that Aponia tampered with your memories?"
Kalpas: "...She wouldn't dare!"
[So Brother Kalpas really is an outsider from beyond the sky.]
[『Brother Kalpas from the Stars』]
[『Kalpas Falls from the Sky』]
[??? 'Kalpas Falls from the Sky' is wild.]
The players weren't especially shocked by the revelation that Kalpas was an alien being—in fact, it had long been suspected.
After all, in the Elysian Realm's plot and the Flame-Chasers' recollections, there were quite a few clues.
For instance, in Vill-V's memory segment "At the End of the Sea of Stars," there was this line:
[Should I tell Kalpas that this ship has already become more popular than him?—If it weren't for him, this plan's theoretical feasibility would still be up in the air.]
Precisely because of Kalpas' existence, the Ark Project became viable.
Why was that?
A bit of analysis leads easily to one conclusion:
Kalpas was most likely a being from beyond the sky.
All that remained was an official confirmation—and now, here it was.
The story continued.
The fake Kalpas mentioned another thing that anyone would consider utterly foolish:
Kalpas had fallen into a village ravaged by the Honkai and helped its people defeat the attacking Honkai beasts.
The villagers then revered him as a deity.
But a deity is not necessarily respected—after the awe came the cruel acts of ignorant folk.
Kalpas was tied to a stone pillar and subjected to torment.
Anyone else with Kalpas' power would've probably gone berserk by that point.
And yet, Kalpas did not lay a hand on the helpless villagers.
Even though he could have easily broken free of the chains, even incinerated the ignorant village—he didn't.
As players listened to the fake Kalpas' tale, they were visibly shaken.
What the hell? Brother Kalpas actually went through something like that?
What a classic case of "wretched mountain folk breed wicked hearts."
They grumbled to themselves.
Kalpas, on the other hand, had no interest in hearing more of his past from this impostor.
He snapped, "You talk too much!"
"I'm just expressing regret," the fake Kalpas replied, voice full of lament. "With your strength… how could you be imprisoned by mere humans?"
He paused for a beat, then continued:
"You could've broken those chains and left at any time. But until the Honkai descended again and turned the village into a land of the dead, you never once did so. Why?"
To this, Kalpas only replied:
"You can ask. But once you do—you die."
[Brother Kalpas! So badass!]
[Supporting Brother Kalpas punching that fake square in the face!]
The fake Kalpas remained unfazed, calm as ever:
"Looks like I need to remind you—
You're the one who's dying, not me."
"But then again, there's no point in asking anymore."
"No wonder you chose to clash to the death with a MANTIS during the sanatorium incident… no wonder you never acknowledged everything MOTH did, yet never left either."
"That Kalpas… even in the entire world, he stood beneath only two leaders…"
The fake Kalpas wore a look of smug comprehension.
His grating tone only made one's blood pressure rise.
Kalpas growled, teeth clenched, struggling to keep his emotions in check.
"Enough!"
"What he truly desired…"
"Enough!!"
But the fake Kalpas continued talking as if he hadn't heard anything:
"...was merely a place to return to. A 'home.'"
"Did I get that right?"
He added with a mocking tone, as if peeling open old wounds brought him pleasure.
"Enough!!!"
Kalpas' response was to unleash a furious punch at the figure identical to himself.
And that action—undoubtedly confirmed that the fake Kalpas was absolutely right.
This immediately left all the players feeling complicated emotions.
They never imagined Kalpas would turn out to be like this.
When they first entered the Elysian Realm, they'd assumed he was just a mindless brute.
And now you're telling them—
The seemingly short-tempered Kalpas was actually the gentlest of them all.
That his wish was simple: to live a normal life.
To have a place to return to—a home.
Not knowing where he came from, or where he was meant to fall—perhaps that was Kalpas' deepest uncertainty.
And that's why he longed so desperately for a "home."
To protect even just a sliver of warmth, he gave everything he had.
To protect those three small acres of peace.
He understood the bigger picture, he saw the long road ahead—
But he just… couldn't bring himself to abandon that "ordinary happiness."
And thus, toward his own powerlessness in protecting it, he bore a fire of endless rage.
This contrast—this tenderness within the iron—was without a doubt, the most moving of all.
[Uwahhh, Brother Kalpas...]
[No wonder he was devastated by losing everything twice—to him, it meant losing two homes.]
[Just now, when I saw Brother Kalpas popping off, I was laughing and gaming… then a huge sword flew across the screen and killed me instantly. MiHoYo, you really go all out.]
Players were deeply moved by this side of Kalpas.
The chat was flooded with "Brother Kalpas" bullet comments.
Of course, in the midst of these mainstream comments, a few different voices emerged.
[I've noticed something. The Elysian Realm plot is all riddles and mystery, but when it's time to stab us in the heart, the story becomes crystal clear—as if they're terrified we'll miss it.]
[…I wanted to argue, but thinking about it now… I've got nothing to say.]
[I can literally feel the writer's malice. Damn!]
Like this story Leave a review ; it would really help me out a lot.
Want to Read Ahead in Advance?
Join my Patreon!
+75 Chapters
Support me in
Patreon.com/BestElysium