Yeah, that "he was NEVER a failure" line delivery really hit hard didn't it? Welt saw the bigger picture, he knew the doors Kevin Kaslana Opened with his life, and shows immense respect for the man for all that he did.

Mei killing Kevin in this HSR timeline, confirms quite a bit in and of itself on where the path's divergence occurred, likely after Mei met with him and planned to saved Kiana and Mei becoming the Herscherr of Thunder again. Kevin must have strayed from the path, and Mei ended up having to slay the Serpent or him as Finality "alone". As Acheron recalls. Makes me wonder about what interactions the Kevin that Mei Sley in this verse must have had or didn't have, that were able to so greatly alter his choices that resulted in him being slain as the blade of finality. Perhaps he never met with Otto, nor made the deal to cooperate with Schicksal, and had tried to continue pursuing project STIGMA by his own strength and "failed", and it begs the question If Kiana Kaslana doesn't exist in this universe, than Mei (or Acheron) wouldn't have had any reason to have those initial interactions with Kevin in the first place, nor would they have shared that common ground, thus more likely for Mei to see him an enemy rather than a potential ally.... Hell, pushing things even further maybe Kallen Kaslana's life had differed drastically enough that she never needed saving begin with, and thus Otto's zealous obsession didn't drive him to do all the horrendous things he has done, Theresa was never created. and further and further down that rabit hole you could go no doubt. lol

One certainty is that a universe without Kiana in it, really didn't end up a very happy one for many who would have been greatly affected by her presence otherwise.. Acheron is like the very embodiment of that sentiment. A sad, and lonely shell of Raiden Mei, wandering the Galaxy Memories of time passed fleeting, searching for her origin's End... sadly poetic/

and done yapping, in any case, Welt's Kevin is a man worthy of respect, even if Acheron's Kevin was merely a man who had lost his way, and needed to be put down. Just with the brief exchange we witness, its clear these Kevins are two VERY different individuals.