84. Kiana: Dad?
[Some time has passed since you notified Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. A heavy snow fell in Nagazora City.]
[The snow ruined all your and Mei's plans to go out. Even Senba Academy suspended classes. So, you and Mei spent a rather ordinary end of 2013, huddled around electric heaters and a kotatsu.]
[The Third Honkai Eruption was set to occur in 2014. You know that in the original timeline, it happened around March. However, considering Mei's personality and circumstances are now different, you can't be certain of the exact timing—what's certain is that the Will of Honkai will undoubtedly keep pushing Mei toward becoming a Herrscher.]
[To prepare, you began monitoring the movements in Nagazora City more closely, keeping an eye on both Anti-Entropy and Schicksal.]
[As expected, after Raiden Ryoma was imprisoned, a power struggle immediately erupted within ME Corp., affecting even the hidden Anti-Entropy faction loyal to Ryoma.]
[Soon, Cocolia's radical faction seized the opportunity to infiltrate. Although you never saw Cocolia herself, when you entered ME Corp. again as an employee, you clearly noticed many unfamiliar faces.]
[They quickly took an interest in you, placing numerous bugs and trackers in your car in an attempt to gather information about Raiden Mei's condition. But you would never let them succeed—you knew this version of Cocolia was likely already beyond reason.]
[Similarly, you noticed that many Schicksal Valkyries had also begun stationing themselves in Nagazora City. Operating under the Far East branch of Schicksal, they established a small outpost. Although the Hyperion hadn't arrived, they were already collaborating with the Nagazora City government to find ways to evacuate citizens.]
[Durandal didn't trust you just because of a phone call. It was only because, in recent days, the average Honkai energy radiation levels in Nagazora City had been steadily rising—a precursor to a Honkai eruption.]
[Strangely, Mei herself showed no signs of Honkai energy radiation. She remained an ordinary high school girl, mostly preoccupied with thinking about where to go with you the next day—completely like a normal girl in love.]
[You cherished these remaining moments together even more—because you knew that, eventually, you and Mei would have to part.]
[The day of the Honkai eruption was drawing closer.]
Boom—crackle.
Outside Gao Qi and Mei's apartment, deafening roars echoed through the night sky.
This wasn't the sound of artillery in war, nor a battle between a Herrscher and a MANTIS. Instead, it was fireworks and salutes exploding in the air, illuminating the night with dazzling brightness.
It was New Year's Eve. In the world of Honkai, humans didn't need to worry about environmental issues—no pollution could compare to a minor Honkai energy outbreak, and there were no concerns like global warming. Everyone was simply happier.
On TV, the Far East's Shenzhou's New Year's Gala played intermittently. Having lived in this world for ten years, Gao Qi spent every New Year's Eve with Mei. Mei would prepare a Far East-style New Year's dinner, complete with mochi.
When the Spring Festival arrived, Mei would celebrate it with Gao Qi, and Gao Qi would make dumplings. And so, another year passed.
Now, Gao Qi was lounging lazily in front of the TV, next to a large kotatsu. He wore a sweater on his upper body, while his lower half, tucked under the kotatsu, was clad only in shorts.
Leaning on the kotatsu table, Gao Qi took an orange from a basket and peeled it whole, just like in the comics he'd read. He tossed half the orange into his mouth and saved the other half for Mei. As he reminisced about the underfloor heating from his previous life, he couldn't help but sigh.
In the nearby kitchen, the aroma of food wafted out continuously. Tonight's entire New Year's Eve dinner was prepared by Mei alone—she absolutely refused to let Gao Qi help.
"This is so nice... but it's a shame it can't last forever."
Chewing on the slightly sour orange, Gao Qi reflected on the recent movements of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy.
Lately, Schicksal had been continuously investigating the source of the Honkai energy, but Gao Qi couldn't just hand Mei over to them. The Valkyries disguised themselves and scurried about but ultimately found nothing.
Frustrated, they could only proceed with evacuation plans, mobilizing all available resources to relocate people from densely populated areas under various pretexts.
However, although Nagazora City wasn't as populous as Canghai City or Tianqiong City, it was still a major metropolis in the Far East with a significant population. Trying to move everyone out with plausible reasons, even with government assistance, was no easy task.
An earthquake warning might evacuate everyone temporarily, but if too much time passed without a Honkai eruption, public suspicion would grow. Millions of people wanting to return home wasn't something Schicksal could control alone—evacuation was merely a last resort.
Thus, Schicksal refrained from acting rashly for now. Instead, they gradually evacuated citizens as overall Honkai energy fluctuations increased. The Far East branch mobilized nearly all available forces to evacuate Nagazora City's residents in batches.
Those with relatives in other cities or who could return to their hometowns received communications from their families. Gao Qi even witnessed a situation where a shopping mall awarded group travel tickets twelve times in a single day.
Even Mei mentioned that recently, for some reason, many students at her school seemed to have disappeared. Chiba Academy, which usually strictly reviewed leave requests, began seriously approving various applications to leave the city.
Soon, Mei received notification that her father, Raiden Ryoma, had escaped from prison and was now a wanted fugitive. Having been warned by Gao Qi beforehand, Mei breathed a sigh of relief.
Einstein and her group also began taking action. Although Gao Qi's warning had put them on alert, as members of Anti-Entropy, they believed in science and couldn't rashly start a civil war within Anti-Entropy based on an outsider's vague "prophecy."
In the end, they merely investigated the actions of Cocolia's radical faction under the guise of inspections.
This wasn't due to interference from the Will of Honkai but rather due to necessary caution. After all, from their perspective, it was just a stranger making a prophecy, and Honkai energy levels in Nagazora City were rising.
In this world, Honkai incidents occurred constantly, but major eruptions had only happened twice. Neither Schicksal nor Anti-Entropy would go on full alert because of a single statement.
This was within Gao Qi's expectations. If too many people arrived, they might get caught up in the chaos—the Great Honkai Eruption was inevitable and, because of Gao Qi's presence, would certainly occur earlier.
What Gao Qi needed to do was stay by Mei's side, inseparable from her. The moment she transformed into a Herrscher, he would use his love as her partner to bring back her rationality—and then figure out a way to avoid dying too easily.
Gao Qi had to die—this was a rule he'd discerned from the simulation system. In his last simulation with Aponia, shortly after the Herrscher of Flame, Himiko, was defeated, the Herrscher of Sentience was hastily brought into play.
It was worth noting that even in the simulation with Mobius, there was a gap of nearly half a year between the appearances of the Herrscher of Flame and the Herrscher of Sentience.
The stronger Gao Qi became and the more he changed the world, the more agitated the Will of Honkai grew, sending increasingly powerful adversaries.
This time, it directly accelerated the Herrscher of Sentience's emergence. Next time, it might supercharge a Herrscher or even unleash two at once for a double-team attack on Gao Qi—all of this was possible.
If Gao Qi didn't find ways to counter Herrschers, every subsequent simulation would turn into a life-or-death struggle with them. Continuing like this... would become very frustrating for Gao Qi.
In this simulation, Gao Qi planned to start with the closest person, Mei, and learn how to interact with Herrschers.
If the power of love truly was that strong, then... Gao Qi hoped to unite every Herrscher to rebel against the Will of Honkai itself!
This was Otto's theory, and it had been practiced by the three-and-a-half Herrschers in the Far East's "den of demons." Although Herrschers were the "examiners," if Gao Qi could romance the examiners, maybe they'd go easy on him?
Of course, this didn't mean he planned to pursue every Herrscher—after all, some Herrschers were male...
As Gao Qi was lost in thought, the aroma of food and Mei's gentle voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Gao Qi-ge, ahem, Gao Qi, dinner's ready~~"
Soon, Mei, wearing an apron and exuding the aura of a housewife, walked over from behind Gao Qi carrying several large boxes of carefully prepared Far East New Year dishes. She sat down beside him—she was trying hard to call him by his first name but clearly wasn't used to it yet.
"I made your favorite tempura, and red bean cakes... and lots of other delicious things."
Arranging the dishes meticulously, Mei wore a gentle smile on her face. She removed her apron and lovingly introduced the feast she'd prepared—a meal filled with love and happiness.
Having spent ten years with Gao Qi, their relationship had finally blossomed. Their lives were now on track. After that major upheaval, Mei's love life and daily routine had stabilized, and the future looked exceptionally bright. How could she not be happy?
"Alright, let's start eating—you have to eat a lot today! We need to wake up early tomorrow morning to make New Year's wishes together. I heard the Inari Shrine in Nagazora City is really effective. I even invited a friend to join us—can't stand her up."
After several months together, Mei was no longer as shy as before. Although she still blushed during intimate moments, she had grown accustomed to her new relationship with Gao Qi.
Now, didn't they look like a genuine married couple? They just lacked that insignificant marriage certificate—but they could apply for one anytime!
Just as Mei tucked her legs under the kotatsu, a tall, sturdy figure suddenly appeared behind her and wrapped her in a hug.
"What are you doing? Let's eat first—hey, hey, Gao Qi, stop touching me!"
Turning around to see Gao Qi's mischievous grin, Mei didn't even have time to scold him before a pair of large hands deftly slipped under her clothes, wrapped around her slender waist, and began tapping her soft skin like playing a piano, then moving upward...
Her cheeks instantly flushed bright red. Mei shot Gao Qi a coy glare but made no move to stop those "sinful" hands from groping and caressing her. Instead, she picked up a piece of fried shrimp with her chopsticks and stuffed it into Gao Qi's mouth.
"Such delicious food, and it still can't shut you up... you pervert. Let's eat first."
Over their ten years together, Gao Qi had discovered many sides of Mei that weren't shown in the games. Similarly, Mei was slowly getting to know all of Gao Qi.
Recently, especially after tacitly allowing Gao Qi's first "reckless" advance, Mei had witnessed his more... beastly side.
Of course, as a traditional girl, Mei initially wanted to do everything she could to stop it. But she couldn't resist Gao Qi's persistent pleas and reluctantly agreed. From then on, their relationship spiraled out of control.
Mei never expected that when Gao Qi used to give her massages to relax her muscles after kendo training, he was always so proper. So why, just by shifting positions slightly now, did it become so... addictive?
Of course, Mei allowed Gao Qi to do this only because he begged her so sincerely, and she was too soft-hearted. She only agreed reluctantly—definitely not because it felt incredibly good! Absolutely not!
"Rather than eating first, I'd much rather 'eat' you, Mei—I really want you to ask me that classic 'three-choice' question. My girlfriend has worked hard all night, so I definitely need to give you a good massage to help you relax~"
Gao Qi took a big bite of the shrimp, his large hand wandering over Mei's body, not aggressively targeting sensitive areas—Mei had never heard that fatigue required massaging there!
Having spent ten years together and months as a couple, Gao Qi already knew every sensitive spot on Mei's body. Although his experience with Mobius and Aponia couldn't be directly applied, he quickly made Mei tremble and melt into his embrace.
After all, if he went too far with Mobius or Aponia, they'd make him pay dearly. But Mei... was a little easier to tease? Picking on the soft and fearing the tough—truly a scoundrel!
"Mmm... I'm out of energy! Ugh, eat first! I spent so long preparing this—you feed me! Mmm!"
Sure enough, Mei just glared at him angrily before snuggling into his arms, waiting for Gao Qi to feed her. But then, Gao Qi passed her the other half of the shrimp with his mouth. She stuck out her tongue but still took the bite.
"Alright, alright... Let's see how the chef's skills are. At least the tempura is delicious."
And so, holding Mei in his arms, Gao Qi enjoyed a pleasant New Year's Eve dinner with her while sharing intimate moments as a couple. As for the details... well, that's not something to describe in polite company~~
After dinner, the two continued to hold each other, watching the fireworks outside the window in comfortable silence.
The TV program had reached its climax, and the fireworks outside were deafening, but to the two of them, the world felt peacefully quiet, as if only they existed.
"We'll stay together forever, Gao Qi, until eternity."
Mei's purple eyes reflected the flickering fireworks outside the window. She had calmed down now and gave Gao Qi a gentle kiss, speaking softly.
She felt that this was what happiness truly meant, and her future... would be just as happy.
Gao Qi was momentarily stunned before nodding in response.
"Yes... I'll love you forever, until death do us part."
Before he could finish, Mei's delicate hand covered his mouth.
"Gao Qi! Don't say that word—it's New Year's! Ugh, ugh, ugh!"
Hearing Gao Qi utter the word "death," Mei immediately frowned, raising a finger to press against his lips.
No matter what, Gao Qi couldn't bring himself to say the word "forever."
He couldn't stay with Mei forever. In fact... he might not even have a few months left. The day they parted would be the day Gao Qi died.
Fu Hua, Kiana, Mobius, Bronya, Aponia... Everyone in the simulated world, whether his sister, daughter, or lover—Gao Qi couldn't stay with them forever.
But Gao Qi wasn't despairing over this. He would do his best before he died and was ejected from that simulated world.
And because of this, even though the atmosphere had reached that point and Mei was already emotionally moved, her delicate body trembling in his embrace, Gao Qi ultimately couldn't bring himself to take that final step.
Gao Qi knew that if he wanted it, the gentle Mei would definitely agree. But he simply lowered his head and gave Mei a deep kiss.
The path ahead was something Mei had to walk on her own. He had already hurt her enough—he couldn't leave her with a burden she couldn't bear alone after his death, something only she would have to endure. She was destined to become a Valkyrie.
"Alright, let's sleep early tonight. And of course, you're not allowed to go back to your own room~~"
"Eek!"
With that, Gao Qi picked Mei up in his arms and carried her toward his room. Mei struggled, but her soft fists pounding against Gao Qi were utterly powerless.
That night, Mei learned many more things from Gao Qi.
————
The next day, Mei woke up and gave Gao Qi a few solid punches before dragging him out early to a shrine in Nagazora City.
Mei wore a kimono her mother had left her, carefully adjusting the collar to hide the hickey on her neck from their wild night. Gao Qi simply chose casual clothes.
The two arrived at a shrine in the mountains near Chiba Academy. Although it was New Year's, the place was remote, and there weren't many visitors.
"Alright, I know you don't believe in this, Gao Qi, but let's just think of it as seeking good luck. Make a sincere wish, okay? They say the fox deity here is very effective!"
Dressed in a gorgeous dark blue kimono, Mei walked briskly, pulling Gao Qi to the shimenawa rope at the shrine and tossing two coins into the offering box.
Gao Qi knew that in the world of Honkai Impact 3rd, there were no fox deities that turned into foxfire and got blasted away. But to make Mei happy, he followed her movements, clapped his hands, and made an impossible wish to a non-existent deity.
[I hope Gao Qi and I can stay together forever. Even if we can't, no matter where he goes, I'll find him.]
[I hope... Ha, that I can reunite with the people I love and those who love me. Even if I have to cross the bubbles of the Sea of Quanta or the branches of the Imaginary Tree, I'll make my way to them.]
The two made their wishes and smiled at each other.
"Mei, I think I can guess your wish."
"Don't say it out loud! If you say it, it won't come true—Here, take this pen. Fill out the ema properly, and I'll hang it over there."
Smiling, Mei handed Gao Qi an ema shaped like a fox's head. After they both wrote their wishes, she stood on her toes to kiss him before quickly running off.
"Wait here for a bit and look around. I'm going to pick someone up."
Gao Qi, with his hands in his pockets, began to wander around.
Soon, he walked over to the omikuji box, gave the shrine maiden a small donation, picked up the box, and gently shook it twice.
"No matter what, the lowest fortune at shrines is usually 'Moderate Blessing'..."
However, when the fortune slip fell out, Gao Qi narrowed his eyes.
Great Misfortune.
Then, from behind him, came a voice that was both familiar and unfamiliar, tinged with a hint of uncertainty.
"Um, hello, I'm Mei's friend. Are you Mei's boyfriend? She described your clothes to me..."
Gao Qi turned around and saw a lively girl not far away, dressed in casual clothes with a white braid.
It was—Kiana.
When the girl, as beautiful and dazzling as moonlight, saw Gao Qi's face, her eyes widened in disbelief. Even before her fragmented memories could resurface, she instinctively uttered the title she hadn't spoken in years.
"D-Dad?!"
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
Please support the original author: warboss
Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?