In The Honkai World: Transforming Into An IF-Route Valkyrie

"Irene~ It's Elysia here." Elysia's voice came from Eden's card. "I've already heard the news. As expected of Kevin."

"To be able to find Griseo, he really worked hard."

Hearing Elysia's voice, Irene actually breathed a sigh of relief. Great, it seemed like there were still people who cared about Kevin after all. "He's still inside the Sea of Quanta right now; he hasn't come out."

"Who cares if he comes out or not? Anyway, since he could send Griseo out, he'll be able to come out sooner or later," Kalpas's voice came from the photo album.

"Let's just bring her back first."

"Well, you can't exactly say that," Irene smiled. "Even though Kevin will probably execute Project Stigma as soon as he returns, it's impossible for him not to come out, right?"

Irene hadn't forgotten about Little Corruption's world. There, because Kevin didn't come out, Gray Serpent took it upon himself to undertake Project Stigma. Although it was unknown what went wrong, Project Stigma was forcefully initiated by Gray Serpent and even succeeded.

But that did not represent victory; rather, it represented another kind of terror, another Finality brought about by humanity itself. The Spiritual Adam dragged all of humanity into the hell of spiritual death.

Irene couldn't possibly watch such a situation unfold, and she didn't know what method Gray Serpent used to execute Project Stigma that ultimately led to such a result.

But there was a most direct method to prevent this ending from appearing: just pull Kevin out and slam him down in front of Gray Serpent. That way, no matter what, that cruel outcome wouldn't occur.

Victory would not usher in an eternal dawn, but rather an absolute doomsday of death.

"Mhm, Uncle Kevin saved me and brought me out. We can't just let him stay in the Sea of Quanta like this," Griseo chimed in from the side.

"Suit yourselves." Kalpas seemed to snort coldly before hanging up the comms. Elysia smoothly took over the conversation. "Alright, alright, Kalpas is just caring about others too."

"But Irene, are you all prepared? You should know what Kevin is going to do once he returns, right?"

"It's only a matter of time, isn't it?" Irene looked at the photo album in her hands. "And even if I don't go look for him right now, he will definitely come back. It won't make any difference."

"Besides, Elysia, do you still remember Little Corruption?"

"Of course I remember." Elysia's voice was full of certainty, but then she realized something. "Irene, are you going to prevent that possibility from happening?"

"I don't know how he did it, but I know there is a simplest method to prevent reaching that ending," Irene nodded.

"I just need to bring Kevin to him. Just like Mr. Kalpas said just now, he'll come out sooner or later anyway."

"Then go do it." Elysia's voice was filled with a sense of encouragement. "As long as it's you, Irene, I will definitely agree with and believe in any decision you make."

"Mhm, thank you, Elysia." Irene nodded.

Then, a final voice continued to transmit from the photo album.

"Oh, right, Irene, but you still have to bring Griseo back as soon as possible. Everyone misses her very much."

"Don't worry, I will." Irene nodded, then turned her head to look at Griseo. "Griseo, wait here for a moment. I'll be right back, okay?"

"Of course." Griseo nodded. "Also, could you give me that photo album? I want to chat with everyone for a bit longer. I haven't seen everyone in a very long time."

"Of course you can." Irene handed the photo album to Griseo.

Then, she leaped up forcefully and dove into the vortex, while Griseo looked at the photo album in her hands.

"Um, everyone, I'm back." With her back to the Eye of the Deep where Irene had disappeared, slight tear tracks seeped from the corners of Griseo's eyes as she looked at the photo album painted with everyone in front of her.

On the other end of the photo album, Kosma, holding Little Griseo's hand beside him, also had a trace of tears flash across his eyes.

He had actually wanted to say something right from the start, but everyone was talking, and he didn't know what he should say. Originally, Project Ark was supposed to be executed by him!

But when he learned from Irene back then that the person who truly executed it was actually Griseo, he understood his own fate. He had become a warrior, stepped onto the stage on the moon, and ultimately died there.

While Griseo boarded the Ark, leaving her homeland to endure loneliness and her whereabouts becoming unknown, only returning now.

[Um, everyone, I'm back.] Griseo's voice, carrying a faint sob, came from the photo album. Hearing that voice, Kosma took a deep breath and also responded.

"Welcome back, Griseo..."

Eye of the Deep

Irene had just passed through the barrier between the Sea of Quanta and the Proper World when a figure flew directly in front of her. Irene casually caught him, looking at Welt who had fallen into her arms.

"Whoa, you guys really fought fiercely." Irene helped Welt up, then turned to look at Kevin, who was holding a black Condensing Ice greatsword. "Is this necessary? Besides, the agreed-upon time between us hasn't arrived yet."

"It's not that far off." Kevin looked at Irene. "Now I need to go back and execute the plan. It cannot be delayed any longer, so I should return."

"Alright, I'm not stopping you from going back either." Irene looked at Kevin and shrugged, but Welt leaned on Irene's shoulder to prop himself up.

"No, Miss Irene, we absolutely cannot let him return to the Proper World, otherwise..."

"He'll execute Project Stigma, I know." Irene supported Welt's body and looked at him. "But Mr. Welt, I just want to ask you one question."

"As of right now, do you have a plan that can be realized?"

"I..." Welt wanted to say something, but swallowed his words back. A plan—unfortunately, they didn't have one, but...

"Then you have no right to say such things here, Mr. Welt." Irene looked at Welt and shook her head. "Even the worst plan is better than no plan."

"If we cannot overcome Finality, then we have no right to talk about continuation."

"..." Welt looked at Irene in silence. He was indeed an idealist, but he also understood the current situation. He was unwilling to accept Project Stigma.

Because it was too harsh and too cruel. Yet, now that Irene asked him if he had an alternative plan, he couldn't provide an answer either.

Because it seemed they truly had no plan right now. Or rather, relying solely on the single Moonlight Throne they currently had could hardly be considered a plan.

Seeing the silent Welt, Irene patted his shoulder. "Those without a plan shouldn't come to the table. If you really don't want to see him put that plan into reality,"

"Then use your own plan to gain his approval and reject his. Besides, you've already lost the fight."

Flashes of electricity sparked in Irene's hand. Active Polarization rapidly stimulated the vitality within Welt's body, beginning to quickly repair his physical form.

Unfortunately, Welt's body right now was like a diesel engine on the verge of being scrapped. Even if she provided him with polarized vitality, the broken gears could not provide any more power to this body.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. It's been a year, and your body hasn't seen any improvement." Irene sensed the physical condition of the Welt beside her and shook her head. In this state, Active Polarization couldn't save him.

He needed to get a completely new body.

Kevin slowly floated in front of Welt. "I only wondered where your hostility towards me came from. But just as Irene said, if you truly do not approve, then present a real plan to stop me."

"Use your plan, use your abilities to tell me that you are the one who is right, and command me to step aside."

Kevin looked at Welt, the black Condensing Ice greatsword in his hand gradually disappearing.

"And if you cannot present any reason right now, then please step aside."

"Miss Irene..." Welt could only cast his gaze towards Irene, hoping she would persuade him again like before, but Irene shook her head.

Irene gently patted Welt's shoulder. "What you need to do right now isn't to ask me for help, but to think carefully about what you should do as the leader of Anti-Entropy."

"I believe that when Welt Joyce handed the Core to you back then, he didn't hope for you to fight to the death here. He hoped you would find a path to save others, right?"

Welt opened his mouth, ultimately stepping aside in silence. "I understand."

Kevin nodded. "If you truly want to stop my plan, then step over me and prove to me that you are right."

After Kevin finished speaking, he looked at Irene. "Where is Griseo?"

"Waiting for you outside," Irene pointed out. "She doesn't know the way around anymore."

"I know." Kevin nodded. "I will take her to the Elysian Realm. If possible..."

"Mhm, I get it, I get it." Irene nodded, guessing what Kevin had left unsaid. "I didn't tell her what you're going to do. But you won't be able to hide it from her."

"..." Hearing Irene's words, Kevin fell silent for a moment. "I'll do my best. If she decides..."

After another moment of silence, Kevin continued, "Please take care of her."

"She no longer needs to be taken care of." Irene looked at Kevin. "Just as you saw for yourself, she has grown up. She's grown very tall. She's not the little painter she used to be."

"While all of you were unaware."

"...I know." Kevin nodded. When he was in the Sea of Quanta, there were several times he wanted to speak, but he swallowed his words back down. All the psychological preparation he had made over these tens of thousands of years seemed to be nothing but passing clouds.

He had clearly prepared himself. Even if his friends came to stop him, he would be able to harden his heart and continue executing the mission, even if all of them became his enemies.

But when Kevin truly saw his friends, realizing that every single one of them would become his enemy to stop him from completing that plan, all those prior preparations became entirely useless.

But he was Kevin after all. Ultimately, he would still harden his heart. Standing in front of everyone, he would firmly push forward Project Stigma, right up until someone else proposed a more viable option.

"Since that's the case, I have a little something to remind you of." Irene looked at the departing Kevin and called out to stop him. "If you are truly going to execute Project Stigma, it's best if you handle many things personally."

"Do not place excessive trust in Gray Serpent's abilities."

"Gray Serpent?" Kevin was slightly taken aback, then asked, "Why?"

"Although it should be a future that will no longer come to pass," Irene pointed at her head. "You also know that I have many counterparts from other parts of the Sea of Quanta in here."

"They have all witnessed doomsday with their own eyes. And that Herrscher of Corruption you met last time, he once experienced a version of Project Stigma."

"...Keep going." Kevin immediately realized the severity of the matter. Project Stigma was the final plan; absolutely nothing could go wrong.

"That time, because you weren't there, Little Corruption didn't know exactly what Gray Serpent did either, but he ultimately executed Project Stigma. However, that was another kind of doomsday."

"The Spiritual Adam can die. And all of humanity connected to it as its foundation will also die along with its death."

"The means to overcome Finality became humanity's final Finality. Little Corruption put in a lot of effort, but he couldn't stop all of humanity from gradually sliding into the hell of spiritual death."

"So, if possible, it's best to personally oversee everything yourself. At least that way, we won't slide into that most tragic outcome."

"I understand." Kevin nodded. "Thank you. I will look over them one by one."

"Mhm, it's just a reminder." Irene nodded. "You can keep it in mind, but there's no need to take it completely as an absolute certainty."

"I know." Kevin nodded. Just as he prepared to cross over, he heard Irene's voice from behind again.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing." Irene suddenly remembered that she still planned to take everyone for a trip to the Realm. She still had to give Kevin a heads-up about this matter, more or less.

"...Speak." Kevin turned his head back, a rare trace of helplessness flashing across his face as he looked at Irene.

"Later on, I might take everyone for a trip to the Realm. You know, my group of Herrscher friends." A smile adorned Irene's face. "Don't worry, they're all good people. But I figured I should probably still give you a heads-up, so..."

"Just take them there yourself." Kevin nodded. With more Herrschers fighting for humanity, Elysia wouldn't even have enough time to be happy; he naturally wouldn't stop it.

The purpose of the Realm lay in this very aspect. As long as they weren't going inside to cause destruction, Kevin welcomed them with open arms. After all, when he was fighting Welt just now, he actually harbored a slight intention of knocking him out and tossing him into the Realm.

This was, more or less, a rare breed. He had to take him back for Elysia to take a look.

Seeing Irene fall silent again, Kevin looked at her and confirmed once more, "There's nothing else, right? If not, then I'll be leaving."

"Nope~" Irene waved her hand. She still had to handle the others and Welt's physical issues. She wouldn't be heading to the Realm that quickly. Letting Kevin take Griseo there first would be fine.

"Alright."

____

________________________________________

🌸 Help Love Bloom!

Our girls need a little push... and you can help!

💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 100 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.

🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 20 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.

👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉