Although players were busy roasting the writers in the stream chat—accusing them of writing this scene with malicious intent—they still had to admit: this Triskelion Elysian Realm section was truly brilliant.
They were told it wasn't a bait. Turns out, it really wasn't a bait.
Kalpas's portrayal? Absolutely top-tier.
Whether it was longtime Kalpas fans or players who used to feel indifferent or even cold toward him—after this one short scene, all of them had a major shift in perspective.
Put simply… the favorability for Brother Kalpas shot through the roof.
...
Back to the story.
That punch Kalpas threw—one no one dared to underestimate—didn't land as expected.
It was simply halted in midair by an invisible force.
The fake Kalpas asked blandly, "What, you don't like this little gift I prepared? I thought it was a rare opportunity."
"Well... fine. The counterattack window's nearly over. I won't keep pretending."
"You're strong, I admit that. But... this is as far as it goes. Thank you for opening your heart to me. And thank you… for willingly becoming the next sacrifice."
"Farewell… Sixth of the Flame-Chasers."
As his words fell—
The screen cut to endless darkness.
Lines of text began to flash:
"Everything began with a Fall—and so it shall end with a Fall."
Immediately, players thought of the double meaning behind "Fall."
The first likely symbolized how Kalpas first arrived, while the second… was it hinting at Kalpas's end?
Fall?
No way—!
Brother Kalpas!!!
They'd only just started warming up to him—and now he was going to...
Players' hearts clenched all at once.
"Then at this moment, this end I approach…
Could it also be a new beginning?"
"Hahahahaha…"
Just as everyone held their breath—
Kalpas's low laughter crawled through the darkness.
"Haha... hahahahahaha…"
That maddened laugh of his—it stirred a deep, primal fighting spirit in people.
The in-game BGM surged to a fever pitch, raising goosebumps all over.
It didn't just thrill them. It set them on fire!
Brother Kalpas—he hasn't lost!
Brother Kalpas—he's still CARRYING!!
...
The first ember flared up in the dark.
That suspended fist—suddenly burst forth.
The flames blazed wildly.
Burning all things, consuming all things, destroying all things.
"I should thank you. You helped me understand what that woman said back then... A second life, a different possibility, right? Hmm?"
In that moment, Kalpas finally understood: even if the end was predetermined, he could still choose to live differently.
Or rather—he had finally received the chance to make up for his regrets.
This time—he would protect it.
Protect this… home.
Even if the ending meant being the one to charge ahead, paving the way forward—
He didn't mind. That was exactly what he wished for.
"Pretending, huh... yeah, I'm sick of it too. Come then—don't you want to see my state of mind?"
"Let's begin, in the way that suits us best—"
"Burn everything to ash... and fight to the death!!!"
[Brother Kalpas, my Superman!! Too cool!!!]
[As long as strength remains, the fight continues! Brother Kalpas, don't lose!]
[Come, it's time for Weltendämmerung... to burn it all down.]
[Wait—Kalpas actually remembered everyone's words…
'That woman's line' must be from Elysia's "Demon Subjugation" scene.
'Pretending' refers to his exchange with Mobius in Elysian Realm's past.
Brother Kalpas, I'm in tears.]
[Too bad… he still didn't remember Mei-sama's name (laugh/cry).]
This whole section was perfectly executed. Every player felt the fire ignite inside them.
Some even cried—moved by the quiet tenderness Kalpas had shown beneath the flames.
Still, no matter how turbulent their emotions were, their eyes never left the screen for even a second.
All of them burning with anticipation for Kalpas's battle with the unknown enemy.
Unfortunately—
What must come will always come.
It didn't come before… only because the time hadn't arrived.
Now it had.
Cliffhanger.
The screen suddenly shifted.
Back to the game's main menu.
Players: "???"
[Another cliffhanger?!!]
[He didn't even fight yet?! Why did it end?!]
[I'm so stupid. Really. Just when the story got good, I should've known the writers would cliff it. I should've expected this.]
[This is called multi-threaded narrative, not a cliffhanger. Everyone calm down (smile)(smile).]
As the chat exploded over another classic MiHoYo cliff—
Elysia suddenly remembered something.
"Wait! Wait a second!"
She quickly opened the Flame-Chaser files.
Aside from Kevin and Elysia, the rest of the Flame-Chaser dossiers were still all intact.
Kalpas's file… hadn't shattered! It hadn't shattered!
And as she moved, the audience noticed too.
Many immediately got excited.
[My Brother Kalpas didn't shatter! Thank you, MiHoYo!]
[He hasn't fallen yet—he's still dealing damage—he's unstoppable!]
Of course, while some players were overjoyed—
Others, remembering MiHoYo's past writing decisions, were more cautious.
[Don't celebrate just yet. He didn't shatter now… doesn't mean he won't later.]
[Yeah. As cool as Kalpas was here, the odds don't look good. He probably… won't make it back.]
[Reminder: This chapter is called Funeral of Heroes. If you haven't read Kalpas's dossier yet, do it now. You might not get another chance.]
[Is Kalpas next? Deep breaths. It's okay. I'm ready. At least… at least he chose this. No way MiHoYo can emotionally wreck me this time!]
...
Originally, Elysia had relaxed a bit after confirming Kalpas's file was intact.
But after seeing those comments in the chat, her heart started pounding again.
The chapter name—Funeral of Heroes—echoed in her mind.
Indeed…
Kalpas likely wasn't getting out of this unscathed.
"But still…"
Elysia murmured softly, "At least Kalpas is doing what he's always wanted. He got a chance to mend his regrets."
Just like Himeko back then.
Kalpas made his own choice. And he could accept the consequences that followed.
In that case—it wasn't really a regret.
So maybe… maybe she could accept his ending too.
Hmm… maybe?
She hesitated, not yet ready to click into the next main chapter.
"Elysia, are you worried?" Mobius asked.
"Yeah… I'm worried that if I go to the next chapter, Kalpas will immediately shatter." Elysia said honestly.
"Well…"
Mobius paused. "It's not certain Kalpas will fall just yet. Someone has a habit of… hiding the knife just when you brace for it."
"Because his favorite way to stab you—is to do it out of nowhere. Happened to you. Happened to Kevin."
"…You mean?" Elysia asked.
"Kalpas might be safe—for now…"
The one in danger may instead be someone who looks completely safe and far removed from harm.
Mobius held back that last part. She didn't want Elysia to worry.
Besides, it was just a guess. Who could say what the writers had in mind?
So… better not to say it.
And with Mobius's encouragement, Elysia truly felt calmer.
She composed herself and got ready to continue the story.
A light tap on the screen—
Phase 2 of Chapter 30 started just like the first: it was Raven carrying out a mission outside Elysian Realm.
As before, the segment was short—and compared to Kalpas's scene, it even felt a bit light.
Raven and Gray Serpent (Unit 10426) were fiddling with some object they retrieved from Nevers Industrial.
A self-learning, evolving robot—at least, in theory.
Gray Serpent was preparing to hack into it to complete some task.
As for what that task was—
Well…
The fact that they deliberately cut all external connections before starting, isolating themselves entirely—
It reminded players of infection containment.
Once again, they couldn't help but think of the Herrscher of Corruption.
But with too little info, they still couldn't figure out what Raven's storyline really meant.
After this short real-world interlude—
The game's perspective returned to the Elysian Realm.
First up: Eden's story.
Having gone off on her own, Eden had already reached the deepest place—and found Aponia.
But without hesitation, Aponia attacked her.
Players: "???"
What's going on?
Why did Aponia attack Eden?
"Is this Aponia fake or something?"
Elysia, still gaming, guessed aloud—recalling the earlier "Fake Kalpas" situation.
Her expression subtly changed.
If the one in front of Eden now was a fake…
Then…
"Could the real Aponia already be… in trouble?"
Elysia suddenly panicked a little.
Was Mobius right all along?
The writers' favorite way to stab people in Elysian Realm… is the surprise kind?
If you're prepared, it doesn't hurt…?
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