Für Elysia/Dialogue

* Für Elysia
* All About Me

Eden closed the door to the rooftop, cutting off the flickering lights behind her as she went.

The sound of music drifted in and out on the other side of the door, as though the show from earlier was still going on.

**Strange Girl:** Hey! What are the odds? Out for some fresh air, too?

An unfamiliar voice stopped Eden dead in her tracks.

**Strange Girl:** The musical shouldn’t be finished just yet.

Realising her disguise was still intact, Eden relaxed a bit and nodded.

**Eden:** Next will be the curtain call.

**Strange Girl:** You don’t like curtain calls?

**Eden:** Applause can overshadow the light of the play. I only wish to appreciate its original form before that happens.

It was a weird response, but she laughed anyway.

**Strange Girl:** Yeah, no kidding.

**Strange Girl:** The characters are back to being actors, standing on stage during the curtain call… it’s almost a sad scene.

**Strange Girl:** It’s like saying “It was all just a story, and when the curtain falls, the story is done”.

**Eden:** But that’s what the curtain call is all about. You don’t wanna see it?

**Strange Girl:** I’m sad to see it end. It’s a pretty romantic story, and I’d like to savor it some more.

**Eden:** Romantic… that’s the first time I’ve heard someone use that word to describe this play.

**Eden:** Solemn, sad, depressing… that’s how most people describe it.

**Strange Girl:** It is a tragedy, after all.

**Strange Girl:** It’s a bit much, really. Nothing happy happens from the first act onward. Things just keep getting worse and worse.

**Strange Girl:** The characters are hopeless and powerless, passively pushed forward by fate. It’s all too real.

**Strange Girl:** It’s hard to get people to sit through an entire story like that.

**Eden:** You mean impossible, no?

**Eden:** So what makes you call it romantic, then?

**Strange Girl:** Because of how it ends, of course.

**Strange Girl:** It’s sad for the most part, but I quite like the ending. A small bud rises from the smoldering ruins… it’s beautiful, no?

**Strange Girl:** Maybe it’ll bloom, or maybe it’ll wither, but at the moment, it’s right there, announcing its new life to the whole world.

**Strange Girl:** That moment will stick with me for a long time.

**Strange Girl:** It tells me that tragedy isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of hope.

**Strange Girl:** Our footprints will someday guide someone else forward.

**Eden:** “Tragedy isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of hope.”

The words lingered in her mind.

**Eden:** That’s pretty optimistic. But… I guess you’re right. It is romantic.

**Eden:** Only humanity could think like that. And only humanity could try to realise such a conviction.

**Eden:** Whether the journey is good or bad, whether the ending is happy or sad, this beauty exists solely because of people.

**Strange Girl:** Yep. After experiencing the pains of adulthood, that child will one day wake up with the same convictions from before.

**Strange Girl:** Humanity’s beauty is fragile, yet perfect and pure.

**Strange Girl:** Like… a crystal flower in bloom.

The young girl gazed into the starry sky and sang softly, a sight Eden was very familiar with.

It reminded her of the view on stage when she was enamored with singing.

**Eden:** Even among professionals, few can gaze upon the world with such delicate grace.

**Eden:** Are you… an actress? Writer? Composer?

**Strange Girl:** I’m just another viewer. Sorry to disappoint.

**Strange Girl:** What’s so special about me? Maybe having been to a lot of places, seen a lot of people… and looking a little cute?

**Eden:** Haha.

**Strange Girl:** What I said… are just my personal feelings about the play.

**Eden:** Your personal feelings? If you don’t mind, maybe we can talk about it more after the show.

**Eden:** Beauty is what I’m after too. So how about… the Ice Float Canteen at the top of the Blue Sky building?

**Strange Girl:** Whoa! Is that the restaurant with a never-ending wait list? Wouldn’t it be too much trouble to bring me along?

**Eden:** Not at all. They always save two seats just for me.

**Eden:** One day that might change, but we should still be good… for tonight at least.

**Strange Girl:** That sounds… awesome! Of course, I’d love to go!

**Strange Girl:** But… after all this talking, I realise I haven’t even introduced myself.

The young girl looked back, smiling at Eden. The moonlight reflected silently on her face.

**Elysia:** My name is Elysia, the symbol of paradise… and you?

…

…

…

**Eden:** Aponia, your body…

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** Yes, I’m sorry. Kalpas… used his life to uncover the enemy’s location for us, and also let me… complete my “touch”.

**Aponia:** As for the “anomalies” on my body…

**Aponia:** “Please” do not interact with the other person in any way. This Discipline is the last gift I can give to you.

…

**Eden:** The Herrscher of Corruption…

**Aponia:** In those final hours, Kalpas told me everything he knew.

**Aponia:** …All of it.

No need to say anything more. They all knew what that meant.

**Eden:** …

**Aponia:** Don’t give me that look, Eden.

**Aponia:** Death… as far as I’m concerned, just sets me on my path a little bit earlier.

**Aponia:** I’m glad I gave her that flower in advance. Griseo… is a smart kid, she’ll keep it safe.

**Aponia:** So, go find her, Eden.

**Eden:** Su said Kevin left him with something before disappearing. You two must have the same idea.

**Eden:** That’s how we can be certain three of the keys are safe and sound.

**Aponia:** The only one left… is Vill-V.

**Aponia:** When I “touched” Kalpas, I caught a glimpse of her.

**Aponia:** I hope she’s still doing alright… I couldn’t tell from just now.

**Eden:** Before I got here, Mei had already gone to meet her.

**Eden:** It’s Vill-V. She’ll make the right call.

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** Is that so…

**Aponia:** Then… all we can do is believe in her.

**Eden:** I’ll find Griseo and Su before the Herrscher, gather up all the crystal flowers, and… get them to bloom as they should…

**Aponia:** Good. Eden… go now.

**Aponia:** Let the secret of that night… see the light of day.

A gentle sigh rose up from the quiet, like a final prayer. After a moment of silence, her heavy gaze fell back on Eden.

**Eden:** Aponia, this is goodbye.

**Eden:** Thank you for this last Discipline. Please protect me… until this is over.

**Aponia:** Take care…

**Aponia:** Though there is nothing more I can do, I’ll offer you my blessings… from the ocean of chaotic data.

**Aponia:** And I’ll pray for you… for a better future.

Eden disappeared into the darkness.

Behind her was nothing but silence, yet she knew she would soon face an even darker abyss.

…Death.

When the bard who tells the story of her time becomes part of the story, how does she lead it to its conclusion?

For no apparent reason, those words floated up into her mind again.

**Eden:** …

**Eden:** Tragedy isn’t the end… It’s the beginning of hope.

--

#### Gameplay 31-2 - Behind the Scenes

The lights of the empty amusement park were still on, the facilities all running as usual. There stood two young girls opposite each other.

The hostile gaze of one of them erected an invisible barrier between them.

**Mei:** Who… are you exactly?

**Elysia (?):** Ah, it’s only been a short while and you’ve forgotten me?

**Elysia (?):** It hurts to see how much you don’t care.

**Mei:** Drop the act.

**Mei:** …We all clearly know you’re not her.

**Elysia (?):** Well then… no need to keep up this show, it seems.

**Elysia (?):** I can’t believe my friend would betray me like that… I really trusted Vill-V.

**Mei:** Trust? I wouldn’t call it that.

**Elysia (?):** Don’t say that Mei… I’ve seen you in her memory. She’s quite fond of you.

**Mei:** You…

**Elysia (?):** What’s wrong? I’m using a familiar face and voice, but you don’t seem happy at all. Why’s that?

**Elysia (?):** It’s almost like… you hate me? I don’t actually know what Vill-V’s said to you. It doesn’t matter. I’ll look over the data when I have time.

**Elysia (?):** But before any of that, you should know, I don’t mean you any harm.

**Elysia (?):** Why don’t we start over, as a sign of good faith?

**Elysia (?):** I’ll go first. I’m a Herrscher born between life and death. I live on data and assume the physical form of a certain entity.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** In more familiar terms: the Herrscher of Corruption, that’s me~♬

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I think that name is still a bit crude, though.

**Mei:** Why did you take Elysia’s form?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Is that what you care about? It’s easy, really. Other than the familiarity it makes you feel…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** This look is very cute on me, no?

**Mei:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Aw… c’mon Mei, don’t look at me like that. I mean it.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Just because I’m the Herrscher of Corruption, I can’t choose my own appearance?

**Mei:** It surprises me you’d say that.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Well, it just so happens that I took over her data. So why not?

She pointed at her own cheeks.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You should know better than me that nobody cherished her unique beauty more than herself… which is me now.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** (Wait. She said… she took over Elysia’s data. Vill-V said her data was deleted…)

**Mei:** (Why would the Herrscher of Corruption tell such an obvious lie?)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Accepting outside data allows me to grow.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Because with life, I learned to fear death; with form, I began to pursue beauty; and with nothingness, I wish to cherish everything.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Born from nothingness, I am learning what it means to live. It would be a mistake to see me as an enemy of humanity.

**Mei:** A mistake?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Yeah… I did invade the Elysian Realm. After all, my existence is built upon corruption.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But Mei, I never meant to cause anyone harm, even if they are just memory sims made by data.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I speak the truth. Look, nothing in the Elysian Realm has disappeared.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Maybe they are no longer in the form you’d recognise, but they are still around. Right…

She pointed at her forehead.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Here.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** After the corruption is done, they become a part of me. Or rather, I become part of them.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Because I was once a tabula rasa, I am able to fully embrace everything from them.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I received their data, immersed in their experiences, and inherited their emotions and will.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So you can see me as the continuation of the Flame-Chasers. Doesn’t that… cheer you up?

**Mei:** Cheer me up?

The scene from the other day floated up into her mind. Obituaries drifting like snowflakes, dots of light slipping from her palms…

Mei lowered her eyelids, hiding her anger.

**Mei:** You invaded this place, manipulated everything, trampled over the last remnants of these heroes…

**Mei:** They died before my very eyes. And you have the gall to tell me you’re a continuation of their lives?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Ah… fine then. It seems that no matter what I say, you’ll always see me as the villain.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Since you’re looking for a fight so badly, I guess I have no other choice. The last thing I want is to disappoint.

**Mei:** So you’re finally revealing your true colors?

**Mei:** I don’t get why you’re putting on such an innocent face… but it ends here.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I don’t want to fight you at all. It’s pointless. We shouldn’t be enemies.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But I know you’re the type of girl that likes to get right to the bottom of things.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So I’m happy to show you the power of Corruption… and put all my cards in your hand, one by one.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** And prove to you, that before your eyes, is the real me~♬

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Now, first…

**Mei:** This is…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You had a similar battle when you came to the Elysian Realm not long ago, right?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Using the secret of the MANTISes as bait, luring you in, and attempting to replace you…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Mobius and I think alike, but you’re more lenient with her than you are with me…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Do you feel like you’ve been overpowered? That’s normal.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** The data may come from Mobius, but ultimately, it’s my power. Victory is mine.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Wow! We’re evenly matched, you should be proud of yourself! Now…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I’ll refer to this data!

**Herrscher of Corruption:** She accepted death’s inevitability, and so she asked Kalpas for death. I was shocked when I saw it.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You’re so bold, Mei. I love how playful you are, but I’m also worried about your tendency to put yourself in danger.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Ah, what should I do? Kalpas would want to fight a Herrscher to the death.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But I’d hate to see anything scar Mei’s beautiful body… so I have no choice but to suppress that urge of his.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Yet another tie! Next… I’ll call this one to fight.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Vill-V’s tricks caused me a ton of trouble, but I still consider her a dear friend.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** This magnificent performance is brought to you by… the Great Magician? The Expert? Oops… I can’t recall.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But no matter. Every byte of Vill-V’s data is mine, same as the other sims.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Alright, that’s enough.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You need to see just how pointless this kind of fighting is.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You know there’s nothing you can do, and yet you come at me again and again… I like that about you.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** (Fighting like that is just a game to her. But the strength of those phantoms… is real.)

**Mei:** (Could it be that in this data space, she’s invincible?)

**Mei:** (She can wield any data she corrupts. She gets her greatest strength from the Elysian Realm’s data.)

**Mei:** (That means I can’t easily use the Authority of Conquest on her like I did with the puppets.)

**Mei:** (I don’t know enough about the power of Corruption. I only have one chance, and should I fail…)

**Mei:** (Ngh…?!)

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck her head. Mei stumbled and grit her teeth as she choked back a cry.

The Herrscher of Corruption’s voice still reached her ears, but was muffled by the pain.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** See. I told you before, I wasn’t going to hurt you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Now do you believe me? We aren’t enemies. In fact, it’s the opposite. I…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

She watched as the Herrscher of Corruption’s lips kept moving.

But there was like a barrier around her voice such that it couldn’t be heard.

**Mei:** (What’s going on? My head is pounding… Was it that fight? Was I… corrupted?)

**Mei:** (No… if I was corrupted like the memories, she would’ve shut up a long time ago… besides, she doesn’t seem to notice what’s going on…)

**Mei:** (Wait, this feeling…)

Amid the pain’s coming and going, a few words of advice flashed in her mind.

**“Helix” Vill-V:** But, you might not understand just how… critical you are to the entire plan.

**“Helix” Vill-V:** But that’s fine, Su will help you understand. I hope he got my message.

**“Helix” Vill-V:** …Those are all the pieces to the puzzle.

**“Helix” Vill-V:** Take it, Mei… the real Signet of Helix.

**“Helix” Vill-V:** That’s all I can do… whatever I’m capable of… you are too. So…

**Vill-V:** Go and unravel all the mysteries.

**Mei:** (Vill-V? The Signet of Helix… is doing something to my consciousness…)

After she realised this, the pain began to subside like a wave returning to sea.

She could hear clearly again.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Are you really giving me the silent treatment, Mei?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Everything you want to know, I can tell you.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** (Looks like I need to stall her until I meet up with Su.)

**Mei:** (Finally, an opportunity.)

**Mei:** I’m not looking for advice. You didn’t give me any other option, did you?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I knew a cold-faced but warm-hearted girl like Mei wouldn’t have the heart to turn me down.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Where to begin? I’ll have to give it some thought… oh, I know! I’ll start with what you want to know most!

Snap!

With the snap of her fingers, the amusement park began to change form…

When the lights were on once more, everything was different.

**Mei:** A Ferris wheel…?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Elysia probably told you…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** “We’ll go to that foggy island, where the final banquet took place, and witness the birth and death of the 13th Herrscher together.”

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Come, Mei. Let’s make good on that promise.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Now is the time to really open up to one another. Just like… a date?

…

…

…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Wow… so this is what it looks like up here on the Ferris wheel.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I’ve seen similar scenes from memory, but to experience it first-hand is completely different.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I almost get why they made a space just to store all this seemingly meaningless stuff.

**Mei:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** C’mon Mei, don’t be such a sour puss.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Wouldn’t it be a lot of fun just to have a romantic date with me on the Ferris wheel?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh… don’t tell me you’re surprised I can pull a Ferris wheel out of thin air. Just my inner child coming out to help liven up the journey~♬

**Mei:** Liven up? You mean showing off?

**Mei:** It seems like you keep making your control over the Elysian Realm crystal clear.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh… Mei, if you keep making me out to be the bad guy, it’s gonna hurt my feelings.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I thought you’d understand where I’m coming from, or at least become my friend. After all… we’re really the same.

**Mei:** The same? Perhaps you’ve forgotten that the girl you’re pretending to be is also the same.

**Mei:** Why did you erase Elysia’s memory? Vill-V told me that, out of all the data, only Elysia’s was completely erased by you.

**Mei:** I assumed it was because she was a Herrscher, but what you’re telling me now suggests the opposite. How can I not be suspicious?

**Mei:** What is it about Elysia that scares you so much?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Alright, alright. Since Vill-V’s already told you, I guess there’s no point in hiding it.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I did delete Elysia’s data. As for why…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It wasn’t for any particular reason. It was an accident.

**Mei:** An accident?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Mei, you’re well aware of how I came to the Elysian Realm, yes?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Back then, my journey to becoming a Herrscher… or better yet, becoming alive, had just begun.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Like a child, I have an ignorant, mechanical understanding of the world around me… my only emotion and instinct is a desire to live.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It was in such a state… that I met her.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** She was the first person I came across, the first existence outside myself, but at a time when I couldn’t distinguish friend and foe.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It’d be better for you to see what happened afterwards for yourself.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** If Mei were in my shoes, she’d understand.

Darkness came from all sides and enveloped Mei completely.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I was such a handful back then. And now… I’m filled with remorse.

…

**Mei:** Where… am I?

She didn’t feel strange, but everything in front of her began to silently change.

**Mei:** (The Herrscher of Corruption… rewrote the environment?)

Just another sign that here in the world of data, her power was unlimited.

**Mei:** What are you trying to do?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Don’t worry, Mei. I just want to show you…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** What sort of choice was thrust upon me that evening.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So then, let’s see what choice you’d make, Mei.

**Mei:** Choice? You didn’t even tell me what’s going on.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Life doesn’t need explanations. Can’t you feel it? The drive to kill, the threat of death… they’re all here.

**[CHOICE] =** Don’t move

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Mei… why aren’t you moving a muscle?

**Mei:** Didn’t you want to see what I’d do? This is my answer.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Well, well, clever you. If I was half as smart as you, a lot of things wouldn’t have happened.

**[CHOICE]** = Attack

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh… so that’s how it is. Mei made the same choice as I did.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You acted, didn’t you? You destroyed all the enemies.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But don’t you see? They never had any intent of attacking you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** This should help you understand just what kind of situation I was in.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Both the fear of the unknown and desire to survive… it’s too enticing for someone so young and feeble.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** As you saw, she didn’t fight back… which I guess proves she had no ill will towards me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Unfortunately… I only realised that after acquiring more data and growing.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** If you only attacked Elysia out of instinct, then what happened after that?

**Mei:** You didn’t stop there. After acquiring all this information and power over the Realm, is everything else just a matter of instinct too?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** After that, I hibernated. There was enough here to complete my metamorphosis.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** That was my original intent. I had no idea Elysia’s disappearance would have such a rippling effect.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Another force posing an even greater threat had emerged: Kevin. Once he knew about me, I was sure all that awaited was my demise.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** All at once I began to feel like I had a target on my back. Do you know what that’s like, Mei? Loneliness, fear, remorse… and confusion.

**Mei:** Hmph… confusion.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It was then that Vill-V… “Pure Evil” reached out to me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** We had that same impulse to survive, and so we became friends. She would give me new opportunities, and I would help her solve difficulties.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But… there were two unexpected variables. One of them was Kalpas.

**Mei:** (Kalpas… He’s already…)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** He was making so much of a ruckus… so I had to meet him for myself.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Luckily Kalpas can be pretty straight forward, so we had a pretty good conversation.

**Mei:** I bet Kalpas welcomed you with open arms.

**Mei:** (Which is to say he wasn’t aware of the Herrscher of Corruption.)

**Mei:** (So what did he do to cause a confrontation?)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It was another accident… it was you, Mei.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I didn’t trust you at first, so when “Pure Evil” went to put her plan in place, I didn’t do anything to stop her.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But you managed everything so well, taking care of her in a way that I didn’t even think of.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So how could I keep from wanting to meet you… to meet someone that was able to get through to “Pure Evil”, to dissolve her drive to survive.

**Mei:** (Has she not had time to assimilate Vill-V’s data? She hasn’t discovered Vill-V’s original self.)

**Mei:** (It looks like… there are corners in the Realm that are beyond her perception’s reach.)

**Mei:** So, that’s your defense then?

**Mei:** Causing harm just to feed your desire for life… I have nothing to say about that. But, you ought to know…

**Mei:** Any action comes at a cost.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You shouldn’t jump to conclusions, Mei.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** From a human perspective, life ends with death. But memories are different, they’re data, embodied; a form of existence, separate from life.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** And so, I, and only I, can…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Bring them back from death.

**Vill-V (?):** Like this!

**Mei:** Vill-V…

**Vill-V (?):** What’s wrong, Mei? Why the sad face?

**Vill-V (?):** The ability of the ego shouldn’t be confined to just one space, be it the dark recesses of the mind, or a virtual space comprised of data.

**Vill-V (?):** Vill-V should take the entire world as her stage.

**Vill-V (?):** Now the ego can last forever, until each and every idea is fully realised…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Can this script satisfy you, Mei?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Vill-V’s data will continue to spread through me… so long as I have a backup, she can continue to evolve.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Her thinking is too forward for this era, so it must be preserved for the next one.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** This world cannot hold her, so I will change the world to be one that can.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** That will allow the fantastic inventor to realise her every wish and become the genius she truly is.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It’s the perfect ending, no?

**Mei:** No. In the real world, there is only one word for such a being…

**Mei:** A virus.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh… and here I thought it was a good idea.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** To take the data from the Realm and realise their wishes. Didn’t Mobius have the same idea? I just turned it into reality.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Well, if Mei isn’t happy, maybe we can…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Try something else~♬

…

The scene before Mei’s eyes had changed yet again, revealing an incredible sight, and an even more incredible person.

**Mei:** …Kalpas?

**Kalpas (?):** What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.

**Kalpas (?):** Is there something weird about me being here?

He tugged at his collar.

**Kalpas (?):** This is stupid, do I really have to waste my time on these games?

**Kalpas (?):** Just because it’s that lady’s birthday?

**Mei:** It’s about time you stop this farce, Herrscher of Corruption.

**Kalpas (?):** Herrscher? Why bring up what has been completely wiped out?

**Kalpas (?):** But… Hearing that name after all these years gives me an itch for battle.

**Kalpas (?):** If you’re free, call everyone you know and let’s fight…

**Kalpas (?):** Mei Raiden.

**Mei:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** What are you surprised about? This is the life Kalpas wanted.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** A life without change, a good rival, and… a place to call home.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** He really is a simple man. It’s a shame so many people don’t get that.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It can be so hard to fully understand one another. Even in those closest to us, there are still corners of the heart we can never know.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But data doesn’t lie. The world I’m able to see differs greatly from yours.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Only I can understand them. Only I can provide the future they wish for. Only I…

!!!

Suddenly, the surrounding illusion collapsed with a loud bang, revealing the Herrscher’s shocked face.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh, I get a bit emotional whenever I’m interrupted.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It can’t be… that you dislike the future I’ve planned for Kalpas, can it?

**Mei:** Drop the act.

**Mei:** And quit imitating. You’re just cementing what a bad actor you are.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Elysia… it all comes back to her, no?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I know she’s special to you. You’re angry. You felt she deserved a better ending.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** This… is very difficult. I can only restore her data using other memories and myself as a template.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So what you’re looking at… is the limit of what I can do.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I will try my hardest to become her. To let her thoughts be my thoughts and her voice be my voice.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** We have the same face, the same personality, the same memories. If you want, we can relive those memories all over again.

**Mei:** Enough…

**Mei:** The more you pretend to be her, the clearer it is that you and her… are nothing alike.

**Mei:** Do you want to know what she would have done?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh?

**Mei:** It’s a shame that this conversation would never happen. She would never want to disappoint anyone.

**Mei:** You desperately try to imitate her, insulting whatever trace of her is left in this world again and again. All for yourself…

**Mei:** Just to… activate a long-failed Kevin Killer.

Suddenly the air around the Ferris wheel froze.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Mei:** That’s all you’re afraid of. It’s the only thing in the Elysian Realm that can wipe you out for good.

**Mei:** The call to stop the Elysian Realm from existing is neither decided by unanimous decision nor majority voting…

**Mei:** It comes down to Elysia’s will, right?

**Mei:** You tried your hardest to imitate Elysia just to get hold of the sheer power of Kevin Killer Mk 666.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Haha… hahahaha…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Mei, you really are one smart girl.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** That’s right. I never thought the unprecedented genius that is Vill-V would leave behind such an amazing gift.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Wipe out the entire Realm with the click of a button… that’s quite the invention.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But it seems you got one thing wrong, Mei.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I didn’t want to take that power, I wanted to create it.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Elysia was all that was needed to activate the Kevin Killer. But now she is gone and the only person who should get to control it is me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I have patience in spades. I’ll take control of it a little at a time.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** In the meantime, I’ll slowly corrupt every inch of the Elysian Realm.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** And guess what sort of ending waits when I’m done with all that?

Click–

The Ferris wheel made a quiet noise and stopped. The sky became dark and ominous.

**Mei:** (This must be a lie. If it were true, why would she be so preoccupied with me?)

**Mei:** (What is clear is that she’s afraid… afraid of a possibility that could put a stop to her.)

**Mei:** (And if that’s the case… Now's my chance.)

**Mei:** (I have to convince her that I’ve figured out how to undo what she’s done. This opportunity…)

**Mei:** (May be my only shot.)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Well, Mei?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Nothing to say? Thinking of a comeback? Or perhaps… you agree with me?

**Mei:** I was just thinking… you really shouldn’t have deleted Elysia’s data.

**Mei:** If not to live, then even just for your own sake.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Mei:** Data can’t lie. You know that better than anyone. And if you go through her life, you’ll see…

**Mei:** Even if you can replicate her look, her behavior, her every word…

**Mei:** You’ll still never be her.

…

…

**Mei:** You’ll never, ever be her.

The darkness enveloped them like vines creeping in the shadows.

Mei slowly rose amid the endless darkness as though waking from a long dream, which was an experience that had been etched into every stage of her life.

A dull glow floated in the distance, like the remains of a soul.

She reached out towards the light…

…

**Mei:** Where am I?

**Mei:** (I remember being on the Ferris wheel, lunging at the Herrscher of Corruption, and then…)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh… look at what you’ve done.

**Mei:** Herrscher of Corruption…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You don’t need to be so defensive. To be honest, I don’t feel like arguing with you at all.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Mei, even you’re not dumb enough to try to pull some stunt at this height. I would prefer not to experience a fall like that twice.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …Forget it. We’ll just chalk it up to you being eager. Anyway, now that we’re here, are you satisfied?

Mei looked around and instantly understood.

**Mei:** Is this… that island shrouded by fog?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Yes. This should put an end to all your doubts… wouldn’t you say so?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But as you can see, there’s nothing here. I’ve had it in my back pocket for so long, and the answers you’re looking for…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I am certain they have never existed.

**Mei:** Impossible.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Mei, when did you begin to trust her so much? That’s not like you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Did you not suspect that when she told you the truth, she might have been holding something back?

**Mei:** I’ll find the answer to that question in time, but not now, and certainly not with you.

**Mei:** I know what you’re after. And I won’t give you the opportunity to learn more about her past…

**Mei:** Faker.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Mei… it hurts when you say stuff like that.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** After your last couple fights, I thought you were smarter than that.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Don’t take on an unbeatable foe… that’s the key to survival, isn’t it?

**Mei:** Really? As I remember it, that’s a strange conclusion to have reached.

**Mei:** Are you really as infallible as you claim to be… Herrscher of Corruption?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Well then, if Mei wants to learn it the hard way, I’m happy to teach you a lesson.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But be warned: I won’t go easy on you this time around.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You see? Just as before. How many more times shall we repeat this?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Aren’t you bored yet, Mei? I’m going to yawn…

**Mei:** Is that so? Well how about this…

…!

Surrounded by lightning, the blow broke the earth in two from top to bottom, leaving a huge rift from which icy blue data shot out.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh?

**Mei:** Like I expected… after all this corruption, the Realm isn’t as stable as it once was.

**Mei:** Data space can be fractured with the right technique… two can play this game.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** What’s your point?

**Mei:** What’s got you interested all of a sudden?

The Herrscher of Corruption blinked and was silent.

**Mei:** I always wondered what Kalpas had done to make someone as cautious as you want to come out in person.

**Mei:** From what I know of him, he’ll only take the most direct and effective method: violence.

**Mei:** Your existence relies on the Elysian Realm… any damage it takes, you take, right?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You figured that out from just our conversation? No wonder everyone says you’d make a better Herrscher of Reason.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** All you need to make me weaker is to attack the Realm… It’s an interesting concept; only…

She casually ran three fingers past her eyes and the fissure simply disappeared.

**Mei:** …?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** A blow like that… probably uses 10 percent of your power, right?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** How confident are you in your strength, Mei? Hard to say whose body’ll give out first, hm?

**Mei:** As the only thing in the Realm that can’t be corrupted, you ought to know exactly what kind of threat I am to you.

**Mei:** Elysia has been gone for a while, and yet only half the Flame-Chasers are corrupted. Perhaps you aren’t as strong as you had thought.

**Mei:** I don’t know what it takes to corrupt a more resolute will. Maybe it’s effort, or maybe it’s time. Either way, it can’t be easy.

**Mei:** Not to mention… you took on Elysia’s appearance. I’m sure it’s been a double-edged sword for you, hasn’t it?

**Mei:** To make sure you and her are the same, you have to behave just like she would, otherwise you’d lose control of Mk 666.

**Mei:** That’s why you came to me first. To stall me, the only threat stronger than Kalpas. It was the only way to carry on your plan.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Reasonable enough. But… that’s all.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Ha. I guess I really shouldn’t say too much around you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** If things keep going like this, I’ll have shown you my entire hand.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But… even if you did find more weak points, you can’t stop my corruption of the Realm.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** The gulf between us is simply too great.

**Mei:** Perhaps.

**Mei:** But I’ve accomplished what I set out to do.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Mei:** You’re neither omniscient nor invincible. I’m satisfied having proven that much.

**Mei:** You haven’t noticed yet, have you? While we were talking, aftershocks from that blow have spread all over the Realm.

**Mei:** And there are a certain two people here who must have gotten my message. And now…

**Mei:** They’re on their way.

A light appears in the distance.

A dazzling white light that envelops everything.

**???:** Good… seems like I’m not too late.

**???:** So, let’s start from the beginning…

**SAKURA:** …Herrscher of Corruption.

--

#### Gameplay 31-3 - My Resolute Heart

…

…

…

**Elysia:** Well then, SAKURA…

**Elysia:** Do you still want to believe me? Like you… used to?

**SAKURA:** …

**Elysia:** Please, don’t… consider this my request.

**SAKURA:** Elysia? Is there something you want to tell me?

The look on SAKURA’s face was hard to make out in the endless darkness.

But the silhouette of the weapon at her side was clearly defined.

**Elysia:** My concern is… there shouldn’t be any more need to use the Seven Thunders of Retribution here in the Realm.

**Elysia:** There… aren’t traitors here.

She was met with silence. After a short while, SAKURA’s voice rang out.

**SAKURA:** I just want to confirm one thing, Elysia.

**SAKURA:** After that… I’m sorry, I cannot promise what happens next.

**Elysia:** That’s fine… I like chatting with friends… what is it you want to know?

**SAKURA:** It’s about a girl. I want to hear it from your own mouth.

**SAKURA:** You might try to dodge, but you’ll never lie. And only you can figure… if it’s right for me to be silent.

She sounded eerily lighthearted.

Those who have a habit of seeing the separation of life and death understand that the more sorrowful the mourning, the more serene the mourner.

**SAKURA:** Due to my experience before life, I have the greatest gap in my understanding. But, we communicate so easily and get one another.

**SAKURA:** Except for one thing.

**SAKURA:** I keep having the same dream. In an empty void, a young girl is sitting by herself, crying with hatred.

**SAKURA:** Maybe it’s because of my lack of memory, but I can’t recall who she is. And whenever I walk up to her, I wake suddenly.

**SAKURA:** I keep having this dream more and more frequently.

**SAKURA:** It’s been so long since…

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** I learned… that RIN was killed as the Herrscher of Corruption.

She finally spoke.

**Elysia:** What do you mean… It’s been so long?

**Elysia:** SAKURA, you…

**SAKURA:** Yeah.

**SAKURA:** I’ve always known.

Elysia’s eyes grew wide.

**Elysia:** What… since when? You never mentioned anything…

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** Is that how it is, SAKURA… keeping secrets out of the goodness of your heart, just as everyone has done for you?

**SAKURA:** Not everyone has good intentions. Everyone has a different opinion regarding the possible consequences of letting me know.

**SAKURA:** And then there are those that just don’t want to hurt me. Like… you.

**Elysia:** SAKURA… I…

**SAKURA:** It’s strange, isn’t it?

**Elysia:** No, SAKURA. It isn’t strange. I just… don’t want to see you have to make such a painful choice again.

**SAKURA:** It was a painful choice…  so much that I can’t let go. And yet revenge has lost all meaning…

**SAKURA:** Who can I take revenge on? Those killers who died tens of thousands of years ago? Aponia, who’s just a memory now?

**SAKURA:** Eden always said “I wish this moment would last forever”, but it’s me that wants time to stop most. So that beauty can live on.

**SAKURA:** With the future, everything becomes chaotic, always moving towards… some unpredictable end.

**SAKURA:** That’s what the Honkai is, in my opinion. Nobody has truly made a mistake, yet everything is lost.

**SAKURA:** Including… me.

**Elysia:** I’m sorry… I should have noticed sooner…

**SAKURA:** Don’t look so sorry, Elysia… I chose to hide it from everyone.

**SAKURA:** RIN… has been my entire life for so long. When I learned what happened, I was consumed with hatred.

**SAKURA:** Everything I said before was useless. Even now, while I can understand it, I still can’t stomach it…

**SAKURA:** I lost the object of my revenge a long time ago, but I’m still tortured by the impulse… Maybe only by exacting my revenge on everything like Kalpas can I alleviate my pain.

**Elysia:** But you didn’t…

**Elysia:** So you asked Vill-V to fix it and retrieve the sealed memories?

She looked down to SAKURA’s waist where the Divine Key hung.

**SAKURA:** I tried to find answers from it that would free me. But sealed by Discipline, I only remember the time I waved my sword against my own kind.

**SAKURA:** Instead, the typewriter let me experience wonderful memories that were never mine, like the night I bid you farewell.

**Elysia:** It’s a shame… we should have moved sooner.

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** Elysia, what if I told you… I was the one hiding something back then?

**SAKURA:** I had a chance to take RIN away before the MOTHs got to her. But… she turned me down.

**Elysia:** What do you mean? How could that be…

**SAKURA:** She’s still a child in my eyes, but in reality, it’s just not true.

**SAKURA:** She grew up watching a world full of disaster. She was aware of her lot… and more worried about herself even more than the MOTHs.

**SAKURA:** She was scared, but thought the MOTHs had their reasons. She let herself get taken voluntarily so as not to put others in danger.

**SAKURA:** And she believed… Dr. MEI would make the right call. As irrational as the Honkai is, we… humans… have the opportunity to control ourselves.

**SAKURA:** By virtue of responsibility… and compassion.

**Elysia:** …She’s a pretty great kid.

**Elysia:** Back then… did you disagree with her?

**SAKURA:** Yes… that’s why we said goodbye. And everything that followed…

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** The moment I found that memory, I realised… the girl in my dream wasn’t just anyone. It was…

**SAKURA:** Myself.

As she said this, a bitter smile spread across her face.

**SAKURA:** I thought the pain and hatred was a hole left behind in my heart by RIN… but I was wrong.

**SAKURA:** Like how I mistakenly thought I was keeping her safe. Everything had already changed when I decided to go against her wishes and free her.

**SAKURA:** It was her keeping me safe. The person unable to leave is… me.

**SAKURA:** And so… I cannot take revenge.

**SAKURA:** As a MANTIS, once my rationality is gone, so is my autonomy… the only ending left then is an existence no different than a Herrscher’s.

**SAKURA:** Tainting everything RIN strove so hard to prove.

**SAKURA:** I cannot… disappoint her again.

Though she was skilled at hiding how she felt, she could not mask the hopelessness in her voice.

**SAKURA:** I’m the older sister after all… I have to set a good example, right?

**Elysia:** (SAKURA… you’ve had it… so hard.)

In a flash, Elysia understood that the girl before her had never felt relief.

During the 50,000 years she had spent in the Elysian Realm, an unimaginably long, sad battle had been raging inside her.

**SAKURA:** So… I just want to ask you one thing, Elysia.

**SAKURA:** I want to know how it truly ended for me.

**SAKURA:** After going against RIN’s wishes… at the end of my life, did I… finally make the right choice?

**Elysia:** …

She recalled how she defended the pride of being an older sister with her life. And how the girl chosen by the Honkai had proven her resolution.

**Elysia:** Well then, SAKURA…

**Elysia:** Do you still want to believe me? Like you… used to?

A cloud slowly drifted by, eclipsing the moon and causing everything to go dark for a moment.

Elysia stepped forward and held SAKURA in her arms. SAKURA was quiet. Her body collapsed into Elysia, falling into her neck.

**Elysia:** You all did what you could.

It’s unclear who let out the last cry, and then, silence.

…

**Elysia:** Thank you for telling me everything.

**Elysia:** I never thought… you would open up like this.

**SAKURA:** Maybe it’s because you aren’t just anybody.

**SAKURA:** Or maybe this is payback.

**Elysia:** Payback? What did I do wrong?

**SAKURA:** I’m not kidding. In fact, I’m still… hiding something.

**SAKURA:** Because of my fusion with the genes of Yaksha, I perceive scent differently. This ability is amplified in the Realm.

**SAKURA:** In this place where memories are thrown together, I didn’t just capture RIN’s ending… but yours as well.

**Elysia:** It’s quite a beautiful end, isn’t it?

**SAKURA:** I’m not the memory’s owner, but I can pick up the scent of the subtle emotions of those involved.

**SAKURA:** And I… believe it was a very beautiful end.

**SAKURA:** I truly regret leaving this world before you.

**SAKURA:** …Sorry, forget about it, it was a little strange to say that. I just wanted to know if witnessing your end would make any difference for me.

**Elysia:** Seeing you like this doesn’t make me happy to be the one to teach you.

**Elysia:** You all never change… that’s why I like everyone so much.

**SAKURA:** Absolutely.

**SAKURA:** I hope it never happens again. Otherwise, it’ll be just another thing I cannot face.

**SAKURA:** What do you say, Elysia?

…

**SAKURA:** …Elysia?

…

There was no answer.

Remembering what had just been said, SAKURA turned away, thinking Elysia was making another one of her jokes.

But now, aside from herself, no one else was there.

It seemed impossible. Even if she was once an assassin, there’s no way she could disappear without SAKURA knowing.

**SAKURA:** Wait, this…

A chill ran down her spine as she picked up on a familiar scent…

…

…

…

**SAKURA:** Hmm…

What place was this?

In a daze, she began awakening from her nightmare and tried to resume control over her consciousness.

**SAKURA:** Did I escape…

How much time had passed?

The memory of that threatening presence coldly clung to her mind.

**SAKURA:** What happened… after… did Kalpas… get my message?

She must leave this place.

Amid the darkness she gripped her weapon for reassurance, knowing she would slice in two anyone that tried to approach her.

**???:** Don’t panic, SAKURA.

**???:** It’s me.

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** …Su?

Her senses were active once more. Before her was a narrow, closed off space.

With it, the memory was awakened. She had used Setsuna just in time to freeze space and barely escape through the fracture she had caused.

Boundless darkness followed.

**SAKURA:** I can’t believe I’ve been asleep that long. How are things going?

**Su:** It doesn’t look good.

**Su:** As expected… this era’s Herrscher of Corruption has already descended on the Elysian Realm.

**SAKURA:** …

“Corruption”. He said the word without any hesitation.

And with that said, she was fully caught up to speed.

**SAKURA:** How… No wonder I didn’t realise…

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** And… Elysia?

All she received was a sigh in return.

**SAKURA:** …I see.

**SAKURA:** Su, how did you find me?

**Su:** Kalpas tipped me off. He followed your message, but unlike me, he didn’t have the 2nd Divine Key to cut through frozen space.

**Su:** Also… Vill-V left behind a message that pointed to your location.

**SAKURA:** Vill-V?

**Su:** I’m afraid… she’s gone too. But she left me a riddle, asking about the safest place in the Realm.

**Su:** Your data showed some anomalies but was never corrupted further. I think it might have to do with the riddle.

**SAKURA:** You think this space… is the safest place to be?

**Su:** At the very least, this suspended space you created can stop the spread of corruption.

**SAKURA:** But… that’s as far as it goes.

**SAKURA:** Are you planning on using this as a refuge? My sword technique can only stop corruption, not end it.

**SAKURA:** Otherwise, I wouldn’t be like this…

Her voice stopped short.

If she was already corrupted, why would she have woken up at this moment.

SAKURA looked down to find the green haze that once shrouded her body was beginning to disappear.

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** Su? Where are you… I can’t see you…

**Su:** I’m right here.

**Su:** It’s just… difficult for me to appear fully.

**SAKURA:** What have you done? I should have… already been corrupted…

**Su:** I’ve replaced some of your data with mine. I hope this data will slow your suffering.

**SAKURA:** But that means you’ll…

**SAKURA:** You should’ve told me first.

**Su:** I’m a healer. To not help those that suffer goes against my nature.

This didn’t seem like a cure, but a bad trade.

**Su:** …Time is short. I couldn’t wait for you to awaken any longer.

**Su:** Your ability to move is more important than my safety. Your skill at trapping anything, even if it’s just Setsuna, is enough.

**Su:** Take it, SAKURA.

Amid the light, Forget-Me-Not’s mask was returned to its owner.

**Su:** Kalpas kept it for you up until now… now is the time to return it.

SAKURA took the mask and a faint heat stung her fingers.

She knew this feeling too well. In the years she served Cocoon, that fiery man burned this heat into the hearts of others.

As with the heat lingering on this mask.

**SAKURA:** …

She opened her mouth slightly, but did not utter a sound.

At long last, she murmured two words.

**SAKURA:** …I understand.

And they were enough.

She put on the mask and reached for the weapon worn at her waist again. That warmth had gone, leaving only a piercing chill.

**SAKURA:** What do you need from me?

**Su:** It was Vill-V’s final gambit, a 3-part riddle.

**SAKURA:** Is it the same riddle but with three different answers?

**Su:** The answer we came up with was just the first part. The other two are the key.

**Su:** So now I need you to reveal the second answer, SAKURA.

**Su:** And the only way to do that…

**Su:** Is by facing death.

**SAKURA:** What happened earlier was too implausible to be called a fight.

**SAKURA:** So… let’s start over, Herrscher of Corruption.

**Mei:** SAKURA…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh… Must it always turn out this way? I wanted to keep you out of it because I care about you, SAKURA.

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** …

**Mei:** It’s not just her looks. Her personality is becoming like Elysia’s… and I mean that in a bad way.

**Mei:** At first I was surprised, but now I get it… she’s after Kevin Killer Mk 666.

**Mei:** She has to become Elysia to control it.

**SAKURA:** I see. Is it something for the curtain call?

**SAKURA:** Su’s data lets me know what’s going on here. But it will take me some time to fully understand.

**Mei:** Data? You mean Su is…

**SAKURA:** What’s done is done. We have to trust his decision. Besides, isn’t he known for being wise?

SAKURA looked again at the uncannily familiar face.

**SAKURA:** She’s the only one like herself in existence, right?

**Mei:** It looks like she’s having trouble maintaining this state.

**SAKURA:** Then all we have to do is keep her here. If we cut her off completely…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So sorry to interrupt, but I overheard you two whispering.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It’s rude to leave people out of conversations… besides, you’re getting in the way of our date, SAKURA.

**Mei:** Oh? This all seems pretty normal to me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Uh huh? I’m surprised you’re experienced on the matter… later you’ll have to tell me all about it.

**SAKURA:** It’s fine if you overheard what we were talking about. It’s not like any of it was a secret anyway.

**SAKURA:** And as far as dating goes… I’m sorry, but you’re more of an old friend to me.

**Mei:** (…SAKURA?)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh… how direct. I like you even more now than how you were that one night, SAKURA.

Reminding her of that night caused SAKURA to frown.

**SAKURA:** Don’t… say that with her voice.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Decisive as always…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Is she really that special to you? So special that… no one can replace her?

**SAKURA:** That’s hard to say, I’m not the only one she’s close to.

**SAKURA:** But… you won’t have enough time to find out.

She laid her hand on her weapon and began emanating a certain aura… the aura of an assassin.

**SAKURA:** I don’t want to have to put this blade up to her face.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** He… hehe… so that’s how she had felt at the time. I finally get it now.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Even though you unfairly misunderstand me, I still am not cruel enough to want to hurt you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** We’ve been here before… what makes you think you can change anything now?

**SAKURA:** Last time you got away due to your unpredictability. But I know about that now…

Even Setsuna wouldn’t capture the fleetingness of that moment.

A momentary extreme.

**SAKURA:** It’s not so hard staying out of your reach.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Seems like… you’re having fun.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So… you really don’t want to think it over again, SAKURA?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I’d hate to see all of your hard work get wasted…

As her tone changed, strange sounds rang out from all over…

Monsters summoned at will had begun gathering around them…

**SAKURA:** So many. Trying to keep me and Mei apart?

**SAKURA:** This would be difficult if I only had myself. But…

**Mei:** Roar, Kurikara!

**SAKURA:** I need not worry.

**SAKURA:** Now you’ll have to fight us yourself, Herrscher of Corruption.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …Is this the fate I must suffer as Elysia?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I’ve been nothing but sincere from the outset, but you still want me to prove it?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** And not just prove it, but prove it with my life…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …To tell you the truth, the reason I’m staying out of this battle is because I just can’t be bothered.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It’s not like you’ll believe me anyway, so why should I try and prove myself?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Besides… whose life should be used to prove I’m serious?

**SAKURA:** Careful, Mei… “Beyond the Flame-Chasers” doesn’t even begin to describe her.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** How about that? What I said doesn’t sound so wild now, does it?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** How are things looking, SAKURA?

**SAKURA:** “Not going great” would be generous…

While they whispered, she kept her eye on the Herrscher at a distance.

She seemed completely at ease without a thought of her opponents escaping or striking back.

**SAKURA:** Mei, she wasn’t lying. Just from the power level alone…

**SAKURA:** Even if all the other Flame-Chasers arrived, she’d still be able to crush us all.

**Mei:** Then it might be best to retreat.

**Mei:** SAKURA, go find Aponia… I can resist her corruption, so I’ll buy us some more time.

**SAKURA:** If the gap between our power wasn’t so large, maybe we’d stand a chance. But as it stands, she’s powerful enough to take us both on.

**SAKURA:** I originally wanted to take her by surprise, but it looks like we have no choice but to fight her head on.

**SAKURA:** I mentioned I have a sword technique that can freeze space.

**SAKURA:** While not destructive on its own, it can give us an opportunity… to land an attack.

**Mei:** But SAKURA… with just one hit…

**SAKURA:** I know. Which is why…

…

**SAKURA:** I’m giving you the 3rd Divine Key.

**Mei:** The Seven Thunders of Retribution?

**SAKURA:** As you know, it’s just the reappearance of a memory here. But in your hands, it may be bonded to the Core of a true Herrscher.

**SAKURA:** Through the Herrscher of Thunder, the Key of Sanction can destroy its enemies.

**SAKURA:** To make this work… we’ll have to work together to ensure the blow lands.

…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Are you done chatting?

**SAKURA:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** My date is clearly ruined, but to leave you two alone… that’s enough to make even me upset.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** SAKURA, what you two said… you wanted me to hear it, didn’t you?

**SAKURA:** I already told you, it doesn’t make a difference.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Yep. Doesn’t matter if it’s you or Mei, the girls here in the Realm… are always up to something.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So what is it you’re hiding? That technique that can freeze space… and how you’ll make sure it doesn’t fail?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh, I’m sorry… SAKURA, you have the Signet of Setsuna, so I might not be able to avoid it.

**SAKURA:** I don’t know for sure, but it never hurts to try.

She slowly raised the tip of the Seven Thunders of Retribution.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** (The Divine Key? They didn’t… swap weapons?)

She looked beyond SAKURA and saw Mei standing in place, as if she were waiting for something.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** (Is this what I think it is? It’s a clever strategy. What a shame…)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Alright, SAKURA, show me what you’ve got.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Well… should we begin?

**SAKURA:** Mei, please stay out of this one. Save your strength for that moment.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh c’mon now. I can hear your plans!

**Herrscher of Corruption:** What’s wrong, SAKURA? Still waiting for your chance?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But if this goes on… hope will only grow slimmer.

**SAKURA:** It’s difficult to find your flaw.

**SAKURA:** Being faster than you is the key. There are no shortcuts.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Absolutely. It’d be a blast racing against Setsuna.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Despite seeing it once… I’m excited to see it again.

**SAKURA:** I presume you’re not excited about the swordplay, but our helplessness.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I don’t bear you any ill will. Even in times like this, I can praise you for something…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You really are clever.

**SAKURA:** Fine then… let’s give it a shot.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Doesn’t your sword technique have a name, SAKURA?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Calling it by its function is a bit of a mouthful…

**???:** Names mean nothing to an assassin.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** (Hmm?)

It was SAKURA’s voice.

But to the Herrscher of Corruption’s surprise, it came from behind.

Cracks began to form across SAKURA’s body, starting from her mask. In the distance, Mei also began to break apart into several pieces.

Then, the real SAKURA had emerged from her disguise, ready to strike with the Seven Thunders of Retribution.

**Mei:** You’re too late, Herrscher of Corruption.

*[CG plays wherein SAKURA and Mei flash forward striking the Herrscher of Corruption, Frozen Naraka and Seven Thunders of Retribution in hand.*]

**SAKURA:** If you’re really that curious…

**SAKURA:** Let’s call it Setsuna Blade: Mumyo.

Behind Mei and SAKURA, the Herrscher of Corruption was frozen along with her surroundings, unable to move.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** How… did you…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It’s tough to pretend I’m surprised.

**Mei:** …?!

**Herrscher of Corruption:** SAKURA, you’re really something. I didn’t know you were so good with a sword.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** By switching identities with Mei, you were able to take me by surprise and freeze me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** To do it without even communicating at all…. I’m a bit jealous really.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But my focus is always on you. If I can avoid the sword that freezes space, Seven Thunders of Retribution is nothing to worry about.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** And now you’ve lost your only chance.

**Mei:** …SAKURA?

Though it wasn’t obvious, Mei recognised the dark green color that began spreading from SAKURA’s arm.

**Mei:** That attack… did it make contact?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Don’t be too surprised. SAKURA’s very fast. I had to take a little risk to catch her. I’d say it was worth it.

And with that said, the corruption began to spread.

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** It was just a bad move, right?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** That’s right…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …Huh?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Why does it seem like… you’re still hiding something?

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** When I learned about the plan, some parts seemed a bit needless.

**SAKURA:** But now I see… he was right all along.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …He?

**SAKURA:** Perhaps you’re a bit too confident in yourself. You were able to see through our illusion, but you missed something else.

**SAKURA:** The Herrscher of Corruption deceives through illusions… My sword techniques aren’t capable of that.

**SAKURA:** The only ones that are capable of that in the Realm are the 8th Divine Key… and a psychic MANTIS.

For the first time, the Herrscher of Corruption’s eyes grew wide in genuine surprise.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Psychic? Here…

A warm light filled her shocked gaze. It emerged from Mei’s body and engulfed her.

**???:** You see, this battle was never… a 2-on-1, but rather a 3-on-1.

**???:** Seed of Sumeru.

…

…

The rending feeling of crossing space in an instant was spreading throughout Mei’s entire body.

Mei tried to open her eyes for a moment and was forced to close them again due to the light.

**Mei:** …Su?

**Su:** It’s me.

**Mei:** So… this was the plan all along?

**Mei:** SAKURA offered her support so you could… get me away from the Herrscher?

**Su:** Seems like you get the gist.

**Su:** This realm is the space SAKURA had opened. I had SAKURA go into battle while I waited here for an opening.

**Mei:** Vill-V set it up, didn’t she?

**Su:** That’s right. She left me a riddle with 3 answers. In it lay the key to defeating the Herrscher of Corruption.

**Su:** “Do you think there’s a place that’s perfectly safe in the Elysian Realm?”

**Su:** I thought about it. And no such thing can exist with the Herrscher of Corruption around.

**Su:** So…

Mei recalled the sharp pain she had felt in her head and knew the answer.

**Mei:** “A place that doesn’t exist”… that’s the answer?

**Su:** That’s right. It works as three different answers. It led me to the frozen space where SAKURA was hiding, which was the first answer.

**Su:** As for the second… it’s up to me to find out. And that will require me to take on death directly, just like SAKURA.

**Su:** And the final, third answer, which is the most critical one…

**Su:** The absolute safest place in the Elysian Realm, which is both a part of the Realm and outside of it, is…

**Su:** Your mind, visitor.

**Mei:** My… mind…?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** So that’s what Vill-V meant…

**Mei:** Because of my power, the Herrscher of Corruption can’t corrupt me. If this could extend to space, it could be free from corruption as well.

**Mei:** And that could allow… a counter attack.

**Su:** That’s right.

**Mei:** But… how?

**Su:** This should have been taken care of by both me and Aponia… but now, it’s up to me alone.

**Su:** Vill-V left a Signet of Helix in your mind. I’ll use it as a beacon…

**Su:** And perform the surgery known as SO-1129.

**Mei:** That’s for creating a sim…

**Su:** Just as when the Elysian Realm was first completed, I will let your mind develop, like the Flame-Chasers, there in the form of a sim… no, a memory space.

**Su:** Only then can we… welcome Elysia back.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Su, the key to winning is still Mk 666… right?

**Su:** Yes. Every effort has to be made to regain control of it. It is the only way to defeat the Herrscher of Corruption, there is no other way.

**Mei:** Then no matter what…

**Mei:** There can only be one ending… right?

**Su:** …

**Mei:** …

**Su:** Don’t be concerned, visitor.

**Su:** As I’ve told you when we first met, we are but shadows of the past, and this land is only scraps of past scenery.

**Su:** “The past has disappeared, and those who are gone will no longer return. How can you disturb the non-existent? If you asked Elysia or Eden, they would have given you the same answer.”

**Su:** You’ll see them soon. So smile, this is what they wished for too.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** …I understand.

**Mei:** SO-1129… Eysia said it was an experience similar to riding on a roller coaster while eating peanuts with her eyes.

**Mei:** I’ll find out if she’s lying right away.

**Mei:** Is the girl I’m about to meet the same girl I know?

**Su:** As long as you have faith, she never did leave.

**Mei:** Faith…

**Su:** Just like the birth of every memory replica, all your happiness, sadness, meetings, and partings will be used to weave an immaculate world when you expand your memory space.

**Su:** So, recall. Recollect every moment you spent with her, remember every bit of change she brought about…

**Su:** Pave your way to her using your memories.

**Su:** Even if data has been erased, memories will leave ineffaceable traces behind.

**Su:** Take it with you.

He passed the blue crystal flower in his hand to Mei.

**Su:** Eden will give you the remaining two.

**Su:** The four keys all seal a single episode of the past. The page that you should have flipped open, now…

**Su:** Let it blossom again in your memories.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Mm… of course.

**Mei:** You know my answer.

…

…

…

**SAKURA:** You know my answer.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So, did you come here solely to be corrupted by me?

**SAKURA:** Even Su can’t be certain… whether you can notice the moment the Cosmic Juggernaut activates and stop it with your powers.

**SAKURA:** But even you… would have to use a considerable amount of effort to corrupt a strong memory replica.

**SAKURA:** In fact, you won’t be able to keep up with this seemingly omnipotent state for a while.

**SAKURA:** That’s why Su welcomed death for my request.

**SAKURA:** Looks like… our gamble paid off.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** SAKURA… Sometimes, I really can’t understand any of you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You just want to see her off, no need to put up an act of trying to defeat me.

**SAKURA:** You’ll be suspicious if I let you touch me easily again after I had already made a mistake before, no?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You sure went around in a big circle…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But, SAKURA, do you really know what you’re doing?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You could’ve escaped and yet you deliberately came back. Did you go through that grueling battle only to sacrifice yourself?

**SAKURA:** It doesn’t matter. I’ve already… had that sort of experience once.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh… Is it because of my identity as the 12th Herrscher?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Although she and I don’t share the same existence, you want to use me… to give closure to the past, don’t you?

**SAKURA:** I just wanted you to prove some things to me, but it seems like… there’s no need for that anymore.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Prove?

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** I truly regret leaving this world before you.

**SAKURA:** …Sorry, forget about it, it was a little strange to say that. I just wanted to know if witnessing your end would make any difference to me.

The words she had said just recently resurfaced in her memories.

**SAKURA:** …It didn’t at all.

**SAKURA:** My end did not change even after watching Elysia leave.

**SAKURA:** But… indeed, she also said this to me.

**SAKURA:** “I like everyone so much precisely because… none of you have ever changed.”

**SAKURA:** Come, Herrscher of Corruption. Use your hands… Use my death… to prove that she was the one who was right.

She had already used all her trump cards.

The land that she stood on would undoubtedly become her grave.

**SAKURA:** But before that, I have a request.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …Speak.

**SAKURA:** If it’s possible, please give me a more painful death.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**SAKURA:** Do your best to make me feel desperate, remorseful, and helpless.

**SAKURA:** Only then will I know how incompetent I have been.

**SAKURA:** Only then will I know how I… kept my pride as an older sister till the end.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** SAKURA… You still haven’t let go?

**SAKURA:** I have not and never will.

Perhaps the change she brought herself was the chance to stay immovable, unchanged from the start.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Even so, you still wish to stand here and resist me. Don’t you want to listen to the voice in your heart telling you to live on?

She answered by slowly raising her blade.

**SAKURA:** I do not… and never will.

--

#### Gameplay 31-4 - The March of Time

…

…

…

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** How? Just like we intended…

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** I had let Kevin retreat.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** His strength became a part of you, just like two pieces of bubble gum merging into one. Tell me, how does that feel?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It’s definitely surprising.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It’s hard to believe that… a human could achieve such high aptitude.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** It’s Kevin after all.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** Alright, down to business. It seems like you don’t trust me very much?

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** Mei Raiden is only a Herrscher… Oh! That’s rude of me to say, both of you are of the same kind.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** Anyway, I don’t know why you’re striking at her now but… I alone should be enough for it, right?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** The reason is simple, Vill-V…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** This look you have when you pretend to be ignorant of my intentions catches my attention.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** …

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** Oh, there is an interesting hypothesis indeed.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** A Herrscher that cannot be corrupted and the ability to partition the mind… Are you worried that I’ll join forces with her?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I said no such thing, I only wanted to help you.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** No, you’re right. She and I, maybe with Su and Aponia’s help as well… We definitely have a chance to create a domain and render your ability to corrupt useless.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** But you worry too much.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** After all, she is a Herrscher. I need her consent before I can partition her mind, but that’s impossible to get.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** Plus… once we do that, the Herrscher of Thunder will be like a memory replica. She’ll lose the very trait that makes you helpless against her.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** Do you think she would take up such a suggestion?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Is convincing her… a difficult feat for our con artist?

A grave expression began to cross Vill-V’s face.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** So you refuse to let me act alone even when you have my life in your hands?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Because I care for you.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** …

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** Seems like my understanding of you was off the mark.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh?

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** You once said that… you only deleted Elysia unintentionally because you were in a panicked frenzy from feeling threatened.

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** Back then, I thought it was a reasonable explanation. But…

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** Now, I can’t help but suspect…

**“Pure Evil” Vill-V:** Are you sure that… it wasn’t intentional?

The rush of memories stopped abruptly.

Not because she was limited in power, but because she was getting increasingly frustrated.

**Aponia:** Nothing has changed…

**Aponia:** No matter how many human emotions she may gain, she’s ultimately a form of virus. I’m afraid my powers… are ineffective.

She lowered her head to look at her hands, full of self-loathing like in the past.

**Aponia:** Kalpas… used his life to ensure that I could touch the Herrscher of Corruption more…

**Aponia:** Yet I can only investigate her memories… Is there no way for me to communicate with her consciousness?

Now, as the most peculiar individual in the Realm, Aponia was constantly providing information for the surviving Flame-Chasers through her touch.

SAKURA’s innocence, the emergence of the Herrscher, the truth of the cataclysm… Flowing hymns spread the memories she could touch to every corner of the Realm, until they reached their ears.

There was only one person, in reality and in the Realm, who could achieve this unaided while corrupted.

Through her touch, she could face the Herrscher of Corruption head-on and pursue her deepest thoughts in a way she was most familiar with.

She had already acknowledged that Herrschers simulated human minds. Even if data were unable to defeat them, it was possible for their souls to be broken, just like humans.

Just like… the 8th Herrscher from the past.

**Aponia:** If I can interrupt her consciousness, I… might be able to lead the way.

**Aponia:** But how much time do I have left?

…

**Aponia:** …Huh?

**Aponia:** To think they can already break in here… Have they… grown again?

**Aponia:** Hmm…

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** Looks like it takes far more energy than I expected to hinder the corruption.

**Aponia:** Or… did I take too long?

Using her unique characteristics in the Realm, Aponia made two decisions after being corrupted and halved her energy to proceed with both ideas simultaneously.

One was to form a connection with the Herrscher of Corruption’s consciousness and reconstruct it, like she had tried to when she was still alive, to neutralise the danger.

The other was to slow the corruption down and maintain her control over data using her powers of mental perception.

This was the only way she could convey any information obtained to everyone in the Realm while investigating.

**Aponia:** But now… I’m running out of time… Are both ideas going to fail?

She sank into hesitation.

From her past attempts, she knew that she could no longer balance between the two methods. She had to place all her energy on the path with a better chance.

Yet… it was impossible to conclude which side held a better chance.

**Aponia:** If I allow the corruption to fester, maybe I can dive deeper into her consciousness.

**Aponia:** But if I am unable to find an opportunity to reconstruct her mind… this would be a meaningless sacrifice.

**Aponia:** Yet… it’s also possible to yield nothing if I continue to read the Herrscher’s memories here.

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** Is this… how it feels to make a decision without knowing the future?

**Aponia:** It’s been a long time since I last faced such a situation. At times like this… I’m even weaker than the average person.

That was true. She ironically lacked experience in such common scenarios.

But at the same time, she mostly felt… comfort in her heart.

Even though she didn’t know what future awaited her, she still felt that doing this was meaningful.

**Aponia:** Elysia… is this also what you wished for?

There was not enough time.

**Aponia:** Then, let’s do this.

**Aponia:** Come forth, Herrscher of Corruption. “Please” come into my arms.

**Aponia:** Is this it?

**Aponia:** Kalpas…?

**Aponia:** How can this be… Does she imprison every existence deemed valuable here after their data has been stolen?

**Aponia:** Kalpas…

**Kalpas:** Hah… You’re finally here, Aponia.

**Kalpas:** Have you come to get me out?

**Aponia:** You…?

**Aponia:** (This tone… No, it’s not him…)

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** (But…)

**Kalpas:** What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy to see me.

**Kalpas:** It’s quite interesting here but I’ve had enough. Get me out of here quickly.

**Aponia:** (Why does he speak… a little like Elysia?)

**Aponia:** (What if… this isn’t his preserved consciousness, but rather a fake reconstructed by the Herrscher of Corruption based on her understanding?)

**Aponia:** Kalpas, didn’t you… come here willingly?

**Kalpas:** Willingly? I still have so much left to do.

**Kalpas:** Why would I… stay here forever?

**Aponia:** Things left to do? Kalpas, do you… still have plans that I don’t know of?

**Kalpas:** Plans? Does that sort of thing require a plan? Just get me out of here and…

**Kalpas:** Let’s kill every human alive and wipe out… their selfishly ugly, arrogant, and useless existence, how about that?

**Kalpas:** Sounds interesting, right?

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** That’s enough, Herrscher of Corruption.

**Aponia:** Kalpas is my friend… If you want to announce your victory, you can use other methods…

**Aponia:** I won’t allow you to… humiliate him like this.

**Kalpas:** Herrscher of Corruption? What are you talking about? Hasn’t it already been sealed away in that box long ago?

**Kalpas:** It’s me, Kalpas. Look at my face, don’t you remember me?

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** (Strange. This isn’t the Kalpas I know, but it isn’t the Herrscher of Corruption either. And… this tone that belongs to Elysia…)

**Aponia:** What exactly went wrong?

**Aponia:** Vill-V… So you’ve also…

**Vill-V:** Oh wow, you’re here too!

**Aponia:** (It’s Elysia’s tone again…)

**Vill-V:** Why, is something wrong? Come over here, I’ve been so worried about you.

**Aponia:** It’s nothing. I just… didn’t think you’d keep this carefree attitude of yours.

**Vill-V:** Huh?

**Aponia:** Have you… forgotten? If we are here, it means that we’re… already dead.

**Vill-V:** How can that be, Aponia? If that’s true… how can you be standing before me like this?

**Vill-V:** Oh my, are you… feeling unwell?

An ordinary tone. Except this was clearly Vill-V, not Elysia.

**Aponia:** …Vill-V, even though it wasn’t a genius move, to my knowledge, you’ve also chosen to sacrifice yourself to go against the Herrscher of Corruption.

**Vill-V:** …

**Vill-V:** Don’t make jokes like that, Aponia. Even I can get upset if you continue.

**Vill-V:** That’s the thing I hate most, how could I possibly have done that?

**Aponia:** (Hate? Did Vill-V harbor such animosity towards sacrifices…?)

**Aponia:** …Really?

**Aponia:** But your death was a meaningful one. Perhaps… it’s the key to turning the tables.

**Vill-V:** I just can’t accept it, meaningful or not.

**Vill-V:** Because… to some people, this also hurts them deeply.

**Aponia:** I… don’t quite understand, can you tell me more? Be a bit more specific.

**Vill-V:** Ugh… Although I’m just projecting my beliefs…

**Vill-V:** After all… I love everyone, so… no matter how noble the cause may be, I’d prefer it if everyone cherishes every day of their life instead.

**Vill-V:** That way, everyone’s smile wouldn’t disappear… To me, that’s the most important thing.

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** (Looks like Elysia is still the key to everything. Would she… be here?)

Not a single trace of Elysia could be found in this world of thought.

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** Of course… Why would someone uncorrupted appear here?

**Aponia:** But every trace of consciousness here… displays Elysia’s characteristics…

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** Could it be… just as I thought? Not just her looks, actions, and speech… even her emotions have been taken away by the Herrscher of Corruption?

That was clearly unacceptable.

**Aponia:** So… the corruption she inflicts on the Flame-Chasers is done out of love?

**Aponia:** She did not lie. When we gave up everything and fought to our deaths, she was really just… trying to save us in her own way?

The truth… was no longer important.

If that was true, then… her failure was indisputable.

She had wanted to reconstruct the Herrscher’s mind through a certain turning point and change her behavior.

But if she did it out of love, even if that love had long been misplaced, how can she be turned around?

**Aponia:** Am I… still powerless?

She couldn’t help but imagine a future where the Herrscher of Corruption had succeeded.

Everything outside ceased to exist and only a concept named Elysia stayed in the world… eternally.

**Aponia:** (Did they start with the same objective… but reach completely different ends?)

**Aponia:** But… that’s definitely not the future that Elysia wants.

**Aponia:** I… can’t stop here.

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** …Huh?

She had a sudden realisation.

“That’s the thing I hate most, how could I possibly have done that?”

**Aponia:** No… It’s impossible for Elysia to voice out such a strong rejection.

**Aponia:** Was I… wrong from the start?

**Aponia:** Is this… not the Herrscher of Corruption’s mind?

**Aponia:** Ah…

**Aponia:** So it’s… you…

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** I’d never thought… that it’d be you.

**???:** …

**Aponia:** This is not the Herrscher’s mind. It’s your domain.

**Aponia:** That familiar tone… doesn’t belong to Elysia. It belongs to your usual imitation.

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** I’m overjoyed to meet you here…

**Aponia:** Mobius.

**Mobius:** …I’m the one who should be making that expression.

**Mobius:** Don’t you think you’ve kept me waiting for a little too long?

**Mobius:** What, you can’t possibly believe that… I’d disappear without a word like that, can you?

**Aponia:** If someone really believed that, then they… know nothing about you.

**Aponia:** Then, I now understand… what the “Kalpas” and “Vill-V” I saw really are.

**Aponia:** Mobius… Was your “experiment” a success?

**Mobius:** Why, is it that surprising?

**Aponia:** So, am I… your last line of defense?

**Aponia:** You… can only confirm the need to release it if the situation got so severe that I can’t handle it and the corruption started to spread here?

**Mobius:** Oh? Do you really… see me as such a cautious person?

**Mobius:** Don’t think too highly of yourself, Aponia. I was only willing to wait because I still have use for you.

**Aponia:** Really… As I am now, what can you use me for? Enlighten me.

**Mobius:** Break the barrier and connect the Realm to reality, Aponia. Then, send me to where Klein is.

**Mobius:** Under the Herrscher of Corruption’s control, only you… can accomplish this for me.

“Only you can accomplish this for me.” Mobius had never held others in such high regard, which gave away the crisis the genius was in.

Her judgment was entirely correct. At this time when the Realm had been completely corrupted and Vill-V had gone, the only possibility of breaking that barrier lay in herself.

In that dying era, she chose to merge her mind with the Realm, and thus she was nigh omnipotent in this world.

However, their enemy was from outside this world. To fight it, they naturally had to resort to a power that was equivalent to this world itself.

But…

**Aponia:** …

That meant she must blend Aponia’s everything.

But if Mobius’ plan did not succeed afterward… It would be a meaningless sacrifice.

**Aponia:** …

**Mobius:** What’s wrong? We’ve already come down to this, don’t pretend to be reluctant.

**Aponia:** No, I just… don’t know how I can thank you.

She answered with a relieved smile.

**Aponia:** When Kalpas left… I promised him that I would redeem the sin I’d committed then. I thought that I would have to… go back on those words.

**Aponia:** After all, it only came to this world in the past because of me. But this time…

**Aponia:** Mobius… You won’t let history repeat itself, right?

**Mobius:** Of course. I’m not like you.

**Aponia:** Then… I’ll do as you wish.

For no reason, Aponia recalled something.

“Before me, nothing existed in this world. Whatever can last for eternity, is settling inside my body.”

When she bid that world farewell, she swore to use her body to carve the whole of that person into history.

Yet her body was about to crumble.

But the thing that could last an eternity shall return because of their prayers.

**Mobius:** Hah, an undefeatable enemy? Then let me give her an equally undefeatable opponent.

**Mobius:** Don’t you want to know if she’s stronger than it? I can’t wait to find out.

**Aponia:** Mm, alright…

And then light burst out.

Like a newly-hatched butterfly that rose from the depths and fluttered toward the bright horizon.

**Aponia:** If you can, please apologise to it in my stead, to the…

**Aponia:** Former 12th Herrscher.

--

#### Gameplay 31-5 - Behind Every Hero

…

**Vill-V:** I named it Little Mobi. Very affectionate name, isn’t it?

**Vill-V:** The imitation of the 12th Herrscher is just like Dr. Mobius, full of fun and surprises… She really managed to complete it and even hid it here.

**Vill-V:** But what a pity, nothing can hide from The Magician’s eyes.

Vill-V lightly held a small black cube between her fingers.

**Vill-V:** We even had a big fight over this… When will Dr. Mobius finally understand? As long as I’m around, her title as the “Owner of the Realm” is only ornamental.

**Vill-V:** Don’t you agree? As another “surprise” that she had personally created, what do you think…

**Vill-V:** …Kosma?

She looked at the other person in the room from the corner of her eyes.

**Kosma:** …

**Kosma:** That depends on whether you can accept my request.

**Kosma:** If you can do what even Mobius cannot, then you’re naturally more outstanding than her.

**Vill-V:** Oh, that’s definitely a tempting offer…

**Vill-V:** But unfortunately… I’ll just be honest, I can’t do it.

**Kosma:** …

**Vill-V:** That suggestion is truly interesting - partition the mind and leave one part of your consciousness in an isolated area to slow the over-Meta-Morph effects on your mind.

**Vill-V:** But in reality… the rational part of your consciousness cannot be awakened. I’ve tried something similar before and Mk 5 was created as a result.

**Vill-V:** As you can see, she’s not exactly very personable.

**Kosma:** …Okay.

**Vill-V:** Perhaps you can try your luck with Su or… Aponia?

**Kosma:** I’ve tried, and they gave me the same answer you gave.

**Vill-V:** Huh? So I’m your third choice, after Aponia? Alright…

The young girl shrugged. Although her disappointment did not show on her face, she still seemed helpless.

**Vill-V:** I’ll do it.

**Kosma:** …

**Vill-V:** Now that’s a good expression.

**Kosma:** You just said that you can’t do it.

**Vill-V:** I can’t help it. Even I… can get a little competitive knowing that I’m not the first person you look to.

**Vill-V:** And… when I say “I can’t do it”, I was referring to something else.

**Vill-V:** It’s not that I can’t fulfill your request, but I’m not sure if I’m determined enough to…

**Vill-V:** “Kill” a comrade myself.

**Kosma:** Don’t beat around the bush…

**Vill-V:** This is why you’re more suited to be an assistant, rather than a spectator.

**Vill-V:** Let me think, where should I begin…

**Vill-V:** Oh, I’m sure you’ve heard about the consequences of a memory replica killing another in the Realm, haven’t you?

**Kosma:** From what I know, it won’t make a difference.

**Vill-V:** Normally speaking, you’re right. Due to the importance of the Flame-Chasers’ memory replicas, they create a backup in the Realm once every 4.1 seconds.

**Vill-V:** For the “dead”, after their data has been recovered from those backups, their memories are practically unaffected.

**Vill-V:** In other words… they might not even realise that they’ve already died once.

**Vill-V:** But with your idea… things will be completely different.

**Kosma:** It seems that between those two…

**Kosma:** …!

**Vill-V:** Have you finally noticed?

**Vill-V:** You cannot reverse the progression of your over-Meta-Morph effects. To you, it’s more like a form of continuous decay.

**Vill-V:** Therefore, you can’t solve the root of the problem by partitioning or using backups as replacement, unless…

**Kosma:** Unless I give up more than the others?

**Vill-V:** That’s right. Of course, I can partition your mind and save what you have now.

**Vill-V:** After that, if you ever lose yourself because of a certain decision one day, you’ll be able to return as a “human” with your death and backup.

**Vill-V:** But the price is… you’ll lose everything you experienced in this duration.

**Kosma:** Just like Hua?

**Vill-V:** Not at all. Although Hua had lost her memories, those experiences still left traces in her.

**Vill-V:** Even though she doesn’t remember them, she still has them. For you… Once you’ve made this decision, you’re bound to lose everything you experience after.

**Vill-V:** In other words… from the moment your mind has been partitioned, what’s left of you isn’t quite alive anymore.

**Kosma:** It’s picking between the lesser of two evils again?

**Vill-V:** Yes. To live as a human with nothing or to become a monster along with everything you have one day… Give it some thought, it’s truly a difficult choice.

The young girl paused, worried if what she was about to say was too apathetic.

**Vill-V:** After all, you can’t have the best of both worlds.

**Vill-V:** In fact… you’re more likely to lose on both ends.

**Kosma:** Lose on both ends? Are there other concerns that I don’t know of in this plan?

**Vill-V:** Other than that time in Mu… you’ve never fully unleashed your over-Meta-Morph, right? We don’t know if we have the power to kill you in that state.

**Kosma:** So… you need a trial?

**Vill-V:** Yup, go now, Kosma. If you’ve already made up your mind… get Kevin to come over here.

**Vill-V:** You can only live forever if you die today.

…

…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Don’t worry, SAKURA.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** As long as I have not died, you can live forever.

Despite how everything seemed to contradict that statement, it wasn’t a lie.

She was going to end everything before her out of a learned love.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

Along with a long sigh, all of SAKURA’s data was finally taken by her. SAKURA’s very last moment also passed, never to return.

After she calculated the time she needed silently, the Herrscher of Corruption did not move. Instead, she leisurely began to create a perfect illusion for SAKURA.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Your sister safe and sound… in a world without the Honkai… in an afternoon when the cherry blossoms bloom…

It didn’t take much of her time. Just like every other Flame-Chaser, what SAKURA really wanted was very simple.

In the era they lived in, anything more than what they wished for would seem too unrealistic.

Yet, they could not even achieve those simple things.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** See, SAKURA, don’t you think it’s much more humane to live like this?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I don’t get it. Since we’re both Elysia… and we both want all of you to survive…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Compared to sacrificing yourselves, fusing together to protect everything clearly achieves the best of both worlds. Why must all of you be so stubborn?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Okay, to make sure that everything I’ve just done isn’t in vain, SAKURA, I have to make haste too.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I shouldn’t admit this to sustain this perfection, but…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** They are right, that is definitely a method that can kill me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But don’t worry, I… we will be fine.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Alright, it’s tiring to always play the villain. Let me be the female lead once in a while, hmm?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Hmm… the Realm’s defense mechanism is still working? What a pity, I don’t have time to educate all of you now.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Now, Mei… I’m catching up to you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …?

Just as she entered that door, an abrupt rush of sorrow crashed into her, almost pushing her to the ground.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Ah…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** H-How can this be… This feeling is…

The strongest existence in the Elysian Realm now could barely keep herself together because of this sudden pang of emotion.

But this emotion didn’t belong to her.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …Is this Elysia’s emotion? What happened?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …?!

And as an omniscient being, she immediately knew why… An enormous bird cage shot out of the ground, trapping her and the other inside.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So it’s you…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Kosma, are you making the same decision that Kalpas made? You’ll give up everything just to go against me?

She seemingly recalled something, stopping in her tracks as she began to browse through Vill-V’s data.

“For you… Once you’ve made this decision, you’re bound to lose everything you experience after.”

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But… Kosma, you ultimately chose not to partition your mind then.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** If you unleash your over-Meta-Moprh here, nothing… will remain of you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

Wearing Elysia’s usual smile once more, she walked forward again.

To her understanding, Elysia would never let herself wallow in sadness if she wasn’t alone.

The sight before her was also just like she imagined.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Must what I hate to see the most happen yet again?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Or can you give me another answer…?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …Kosma?

**Kosma:** …

**Kosma:** “Enough talk, Herrscher.”

**Kosma:** “This will not become your hunting ground.”

**Herrscher of Corruption:** What a cold way to address me. Have you already heard about me?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Including how… I’m undefeatable?

**Kosma:** “…”

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Looks like you have.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Since you know that you don’t stand a chance against me head-on…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Are you also here to try to create an opportunity for Mei?

**Kosma:** “It’s not just a try.”

**Kosma:** “I’m afraid you won’t be taking a step further, Herrscher of Corruption.”

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Until you’re completely defeated?

The young man nodded.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** This again. Never mind if it’s someone else…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But Kosma, from what I know about you, don’t you find the act of self-sacrifice absolutely unacceptable?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Now, are you really alright with doing it yourself?

**Kosma:** “Unacceptable?”

**Kosma:** “I’ve never thought that way.”

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Alright, I really don’t want to remind you of what happened that time.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But… it’s more important to stop you from dying in vain.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You’ve never forgotten what happened in Mu, right?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Just like you, to create an opportunity for someone else, Griseo’s father…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You don’t mind if I bring up his name, do you?

**Kosma:** “…Go ahead.”

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Her father, Ato… made a decision that seemed like he was picking the lesser of two evils and easily sacrificed himself.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** And that was also when you were made to lose everything. You unfortunately turned into a monster, and yet still were unable to save your companion who was both mentor and friend.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Think of how you felt then, hm?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** If you let history repeat itself, you’ll be pushing the agony you felt back then onto others.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Unlike the 9th Herrscher, I’m not some villain who’ll leave you with no choice, alright?

**Kosma:** “…Indeed. But your perception of Ato is far from the truth.”

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Kosma, you don’t have to force yourself.

**Kosma:** “I mean what I say.”

**Kosma:** “From the start, Ato’s decision was not choosing between two evils, but rather getting the best of both worlds.”

**Kosma:** “It’s precisely because he found the only solution for me that I can stand here before you now and do what I’m supposed to do.”

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** (What happened? Kosma’s personality and thoughts… have completely changed. But he didn’t partition his mind…)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Enough playing around, Kosma. Just take this as a plea, alright?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** To me, there’s no doubt… who will win in this fight.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You should also know that those backups Vill-V mentioned are ineffective against me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Don’t let yourself… lose on both ends again.

**Kosma:** “Enough chatter.”

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Alright then… Although I already knew what I was up against when I came here…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It’s still an insult. I’m supposed to be the villain, yet I’m “forcing” all of you to live again and again.

**Kosma:** “But of course, Herrscher of Corruption…”

*[CG plays wherein Kosma gives in to the genes of Vishnu, entering his over-Meta-Morph state:*

***Kosma:** No matter how you see it…*

***Kosma:** I look more like a villain… no?*]

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Haa… so it still ended up like this.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** And what for… Kosma, look at what you’ve become. You can’t even speak anymore.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Don’t you want to leave the Realm and see the world outside?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** The real Kevin and Griseo are waiting for you outside.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** The corruption has… decelerated? Kosma… you…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Kosma… so this is what you’re really after?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It’s true that simply unleashing your over-Meta-Morph to enhance your powers makes no difference against me…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But is Vishnu’s instinct to devour… also effective against corruption?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Which means, since the beginning, you’ve been devouring yourself?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** No, even though it does have a delaying effect, it cannot stop me completely, it’s only…

With the interference of such a special trait, the corruption process became impossibly slow.

Despite the exorbitant amount of time she originally had, there wouldn’t be enough if she got held up here.

This… was an insufferable risk.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** (Elysia… If it were you, what would you do?)

That was just a passing thought that she did not further entertain.

Undoubtedly, there were differences between the both of them that could not be overcome with data. She could not give herself an accurate answer to that question even if she worried over it.

But there was something that she could not overlook. She did not even hesitate when she made a decision that the real Elysia would never make.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Kosma… forgive me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Everyone I love… has already attained an eternal perfect life within me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** If I let all of you continue, it’ll be equivalent to killing them again.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Is this how it feels like to choose between two evils? At least now… I can feel you. If this is the path you’ve chosen…

She finally decided to use the ability that she had only used once, despite how it could easily resolve everything.

Now that the Realm’s backup mechanism had been corrupted and damaged beyond repair, doing this would only yield one outcome.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I’m sorry… I’m really sorry… I didn’t want to do this.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But for everyone’s sake, I can only… delete you completely.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I promise, when everything is over…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Kosma, I’ll do whatever I can to recreate you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Kosma?!

**Herrscher of Corruption:** How can this be… The deletion is complete. His data is also…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …?!

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh, is that it… Just because the data has disappeared doesn’t mean it’s been deleted?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** As expected… how naturalistic indeed.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Looks like I’ve really missed a lot in the time that SAKURA disrupted my omniscience…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Then, be careful. I don’t want to… hurt someone again.

Evidently, this arrow would have missed even if it wasn’t aimed at Kosma who was in an over-Meta-Morph state.

It was aimed far too haphazardly, as if it had given up on itself.

Yet that meaningless attack made her giggle knowingly.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Alright, come out now. I haven’t agreed to be your model.

The world before her eyes tore away at a corner where the arrow had landed, not unlike a spark landing on paper.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** That’s why Kosma had changed so much. That’s why he could fight me even though his data had disappeared from the start…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Because Kosma… has long become one of your paintings.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Isn’t that so, Griseo?

--

#### Gameplay 31-6 - Glimmering Night

**Vill-V:** Yup, go now, Kosma. If you’ve already made up your mind… get Kevin to come over here.

**Vill-V:** You can only live forever if you die today.

After a long silence, there was still no response heard in the workshop.

**Vill-V:** True, you don’t need to make your decision right now.

**Vill-V:** And in fact, the later you partition your mind, the better.

**Kosma:** The later, the better?

**Vill-V:** From the moment you partition your mind, your life is set in stone. Vishnu gave you the ability to grow endlessly, but its side effect… can only be neutralised when you give up on that growth.

**Vill-V:** The later you do it, the more things you can get and retain, no?

**Kosma:** But…

**Kosma:** This entire time… have I really grown at all?

**Vill-V:** I’ve also asked myself that before and I’m afraid the answer is… in the eye of the beholder.

**Kosma:** …

**Kosma:** …Okay.

**Kosma:** I take back my request, Vill-V. I don’t intend to partition my mind anymore.

**Vill-V:** Oh?

For a person who had always aspired to be a hero, this was a truly surprising reply.

**Vill-V:** Do you also think, like Kevin, that it’s more important to carry everything you have with you?

**Kosma:** …

**Kosma:** You’re mistaken, Vill-V. I’ve long since given up on becoming a hero like him.

**Kosma:** But, just a moment ago, I thought of another idea.

**Kosma:** An idea that… can achieve the best of both worlds.

…

**Kosma:** That’s also why I came to look for you… Hua.

**Hua:** Kosma?

**Kosma:** …

**Hua:** Did it work?

A slightly concerned voice brought him back from his thoughts.

When he opened his eyes, Eden had already left, but Hua remained standing next to him.

**Kosma:** At least I don’t feel anything wrong.

He raised an arm to demonstrate to the other two people.

It had already been corrupted recently when he had tried to use Vishnu’s ability to devour anything to consume the monsters that the Herrscher of Corruption manipulates.

**Hua:** Indeed… There’s never been an instance of recovery before this.

**Hua:** So is it really feasible to use Vishnu’s special trait to devour the corrupted part of yourself?

**Kosma:** …Yes, but it comes with a price.

**Hua:** Does it take more energy, compared to before you were corrupted?

**Kosma:** Yeah, albeit minutely. I’ve devoured a part of myself, after all.

**Kosma:** And… if it’s caused by the Herrscher of Corruption, I’m afraid I can only slow it down. It’ll be impossible to recover.

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** Then, we can only rely on the original plan, huh?

**Hua:** To prevent her from getting any closer to Elysia, we must use…

**Griseo:** The original plan?

**Hua:** …?!

**Kosma:** Griseo?

This was not the first time Griseo had joined their conversation since Hua had brought news about the Herrscher of Corruption to the two others.

Before this, she was only speaking to Eden about something and displayed an uncaring attitude to the situation at hand. In fact, she was unable to understand what a Herrscher really was.

When she was involved in a similar situation in the past, she was merely a weapon with no will and had no need to understand the circumstances.

**Kosma:** This is a conversation between adults, you can continue painting.

**Griseo:** Adults?

She looked at Hua and Kosma with suspicion, seemingly showing her disapproval.

Thankfully, just as always, she was very obedient to the young man who acted as her older brother or even father figure.

…

**Kosma:** Alright, let’s continue.

**Kosma:** The original plan you speak of, does it include Griseo?

**Hua:** Yeah.

**Kosma:** …Then I decline.

**Kosma:** If it’s only to buy time for the Herrscher of Thunder, we have other ways to do it.

**Hua:** Other ways? But you said it yourself. Against the Herrscher of Corruption, even you can only slow it down…

**Hua:** And after she notices that the process is taking too long, she might choose to delete you immediately.

**Hua:** In that case, even slowing it down would be meaningless.

**Kosma:** You’re mistaken. Just a moment ago, I thought of another idea.

**Kosma:** An idea that… can achieve the best of both worlds.

**Kosma:** This idea also requires us to use the 8th Divine Key. I need you to… deceive someone for me.

**Hua:** Do you mean the Herrscher of Corruption?

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** Understood.

**Griseo:** …Huh?

**Griseo:** Kosma, are you done with the… conversation between adults?

**Kosma:** Not yet, but… this time, I need you to give me a hand. I promised that I would tell you what I’m going to do.

**Kosma:** A terrible person has appeared… in the Realm. We can only defeat her using your powers.

**Griseo:** Terrible person? Do you need Mr. Knight’s help?

**Kosma:** …

**Kosma:** We don’t have to trouble him. Griseo, you just need to paint like you did before.

**Kosma:** But… it’ll be a little different.

**Kosma:** Can you… not use my colors, but still paint what I tell you to?

**Griseo:** No, Kosma.

**Griseo:** Without colors… it’ll be really ugly.

**Kosma:** Don’t worry, I… Hua as well, we’ll help you.

**Griseo:** …

**Griseo:** Then… alright.

**Griseo:** Kosma, what do you want me to paint?

**Kosma:** Let’s start with a portrait of a young man.

**Hua:** …

As she lowered her brush, Hua ultimately could not hide the hint of unwillingness on her face.

She stared intently at the brush in Griseo’s hand, as if its every stroke would bring a frightening disaster.

**Kosma:** He… should be really thin, but just like every other boy, he wants to become a hero.

**Kosma:** When he was eight, he had already begun to commit heroic deeds. He wanted to chase after his aspiration this way.

**Griseo:** Wait, Kosma.

**Griseo:** How do I paint out these stories?

**Kosma:** Err… Relying on only himself to gather evidence and intervene in the bad guys’ plans?

The young girl shook her head.

**Griseo:** That has no imagery at all.

**Griseo:** Hmm… He should be…

**Griseo:** Wearing a skinsuit, running along the eaves under a moonlit night…

**Kosma:** …

**Kosma:** Alright, let’s paint as you suggest.

**Kosma:** During that time, he always wanted to achieve the best of both worlds and indeed, everything went smoothly as he wished.

**Kosma:** Until… a companion of his, who was a mentor and a friend, met with grave danger.

**Griseo:** Companion? How should I paint him?

**Kosma:** Maybe… like a father figure.

**Griseo:** Like a father? Alright.

**Kosma:** At that time, he had to give up his life to save many others against a practically invincible enemy.

**Kosma:** Of course, most people thought that he chose the lesser of two evils, that it was the rational and right decision.

**Griseo:** But that young man couldn’t accept that?

**Kosma:** Yeah. He believed that it was because he wasn’t strong enough.

**Kosma:** So… he willingly turned into a monster to prevent such things from happening again, but… it was all in vain.

**Kosma:** He struggled resolutely, but whenever he chose between two evils, he would ironically lose to both.

**Griseo:** Kosma, I’m not sure how to continue if you phrase it like this.

**Griseo:** Do you have… a more specific image in mind?

**Kosma:** …Yes.

**Kosma:** As he approached the end of his life, he faced another completely unacceptable dilemma.

**Kosma:** He was assigned a task, to board a huge spaceship and leave the Earth before the world faced an annihilative crisis to search for new hope for everyone.

**Kosma:** That is to say… he could survive the crisis, but he would be a deserter.

**Kosma:** Or… he could stay and die with the rest of the world as a hero.

**Griseo:** That sounds… familiar.

**Kosma:** Is that so? Perhaps I’ve told you this story in the past.

**Kosma:** Although I don’t like this story, I finished it after all.

**Griseo:** But Kosma, you shouldn’t say that about others.

**Griseo:** Those who search for hope are also heroes.

**Kosma:** But… Griseo, that was an abandoned plan… To begin with, it wasn’t really meant to search for hope.

**Kosma:** A trip to visit the stars… is still too far for humans.

**Kosma:** Although that spaceship was made by a genius, it could not accomplish such a tremendous task because of the limits of that era.

**Kosma:** So… the young man’s real orders were to hide in endless darkness and wait arduously for the day he could return.

**Kosma:** If the world really came to an end, he could scatter the “kindling” kept on the spaceship over the earth again.

**Kosma:** Scatter it over… the corpses of his past comrades.

**Griseo:** Then… what did he choose to do?

**Kosma:** Someone else made the decision for him.

**Kosma:** In the end, that young man was… too childish and weak. He did not have the power to make a decision between two evils.

**Kosma:** But I’m telling you all this because I hope that you can make some changes to the young man in your painting.

**Kosma:** Can you… draw him as someone who can calmly accept reality, someone more mature?

**Griseo:** More mature?

**Kosma:** Yeah. I hope that in this painting, he will no longer feel that the serious decisions made by others are merely one of two evils.

**Kosma:** He’s not as stubborn as me, he is someone who strongly believes that as long as the person who made the decision thinks that it was worth it, then it’s actually not picking between one of two evils, but getting the best of both worlds.

**Kosma:** What he kept rejecting was himself, who could not calmly face such situations.

**Kosma:** Selfish people are… detestable, right? Don’t paint him that way, alright?

**Griseo:** Mhm, unlike Kosma, selfish people are the worst.

**Kosma:** Are they now…

**Kosma:** Then can you paint what I just said?

**Griseo:** I don’t know, but I’ll try.

**Kosma:** Don’t worry, it’s alright even if you can’t.

**Kosma:** After all, it’s only natural that… you can’t change someone who was so selfish.

**Kosma:** Now, Hua… I’ll leave the rest to you.

**Kosma:** Please… deceive her for me.

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** (We’ve… really come down to this?)

**Hua:** Understood.

A short time ago.

**Kosma:** No. I want you to deceive Griseo’s perception using the 8th Divine Key.

**Hua:** …What?

**Kosma:** As I mentioned… Even if I have the special trait to devour, as a memory replica, I can’t hold the Herrscher of Corruption for long.

**Kosma:** Unless… the “me” who stands before her isn’t the memory replica that she’s familiar with.

**Kosma:** Before she realises this, we can create more opportunities for the Herrscher of Thunder.

**Kosma:** So, I want to become one of Griseo’s paintings.

**Hua:** Her painting? But Griseo has to use your colors before she can…

**Hua:** Wait, you’re saying…

**Kosma:** Yes, I’m hoping she could use all my data instead of my colors.

**Hua:** Why…?

**Kosma:** On one hand, it’ll be a layer of disguise that could obstruct the Herrscher’s corruption and deletion against me. On the other…

**Kosma:** I’ll make some requests to Griseo when she’s painting.

**Kosma:** That way, she can paint a Kosma that is similar to yet different from me.

**Kosma:** Only then can she create a Kosma that can fully unleash his over-Meta-Morph while retaining his beliefs as a hero.

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** Kosma, are you still… unable to face that part of yourself?

**Kosma:** You people would call this my inner demon, and… I don’t have the time to conquer it anymore.

**Hua:** But Griseo would never agree to this, do you know what this means? You’ll give up everything as a memory replica and turn into mere data. In the current Elysian Realm, that’s equivalent to death.

**Hua:** That’s equivalent to… making Griseo kill you herself.

**Kosma:** This is why I’m asking you for this favor.

**Kosma:** And, in the Realm, we require assistance from a psychic MANTIS to do anything on a data level. However, Aponia and Su can no longer help us.

**Kosma:** So… we can only rely on the 8th Divine Key.

**Kosma:** Don’t worry. I’ve been looking for a similar way to unleash my over-Meta-Morph since long ago.

**Kosma:** To become one of Griseo’s paintings… This is the perfect way.

**Kosma:** I won’t die, I’ll live forever… in a different way.

When Hua woke up from these memories, the painting had been completed.

Drop by drop, the color black turned into paint and settled on the paper.

And the owner of that color… Kosma’s body was already nowhere to be found.

**Griseo:** …Thank you, Miss Hua.

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** I’m sorry. Kosma had asked me for help so earnestly, but…

**Hua:** I still think that you should make the decision yourself.

In the end, she did not use the powers of Fenghuang Down.

**Hua:** And you’re a lot stronger than he imagines.

**Hua:** (Or maybe, he doesn’t really know the true meaning behind his actions…)

**Hua:** I hope you don’t blame him. He has his own reasons… for hiding this from you.

**Griseo:** It’s alright.

**Griseo:** Mama Aponia once said that some lies are white lies.

**Griseo:** But Miss Hua, what do you mean by “strong”?

**Griseo:** Isn’t that a good thing?

**Hua:** (I knew it…)

She pondered over the words to say. Should she use more child-like words to ease this cruelty?

When she was facing death in the past, how did others guide her?

**Griseo:** You see, Kosma…

**Griseo:** He simply found another way to stay here.

**Hua:** (No, Griseo, he’s already…)

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** Wait… Griseo?

**Griseo:** Yeah.

**Griseo:** I also lied to Kosma.

**Griseo:** If there are no colors, I cannot paint. I still used Kosma’s colors in the end.

**Griseo:** So this painting… is the real Kosma. And…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So that’s how it is…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So, although he looked weird, the Kosma just now… was his true form.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** And he claimed to mean what he said…

Although he did not expect Griseo’s recklessness, Kosma’s plan was still successful.

And perhaps, the reason behind this coincidental turn of events was because Kosma did not understand himself well enough.

The determination that the young man claimed he never had was actually engraved deep in his heart since long ago.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But Griseo, since you already knew… why did you still come to me?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Aren’t you worried that you would let him down? Kosma… stayed behind so that you wouldn’t need to sacrifice yourself.

**Griseo:** Because I… cannot leave.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh right, I shouldn’t have asked that. The answer was too obvious.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I’m sure Kosma would also feel comforted if he could see this now.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Didn’t he already pass on the Daybreak… that he got from Ato?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Alright then… Little Griseo.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I’ll take good care of you… in his stead.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I truly feel regretful… over Kosma’s decision.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Promise me, Griseo, that you… won’t sadden me like that.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Kosma… Stop trying to stop me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** After wasting so much time, I’m not about to leave with my hands empty.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** How strange, this feeling is…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

In that moment, she finally understood that Griseo meant much more when she said that she could not leave.

Undoubtedly, Griseo didn’t have the special trait that Kosma had. If she touched her ever so slightly, she could corrupt her completely.

But why?

Why couldn’t she feel the usual, vivid sense of fulfillment she got after a corruption?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Griseo… You…

**Griseo:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You drew yourself into that painting too?

**Griseo:** In the end, “someone else made the decision for him”, that’s what Kosma said… right?

**Griseo:** Then of course there should be “someone else” in this painting…

**Griseo:** Since everyone says that I’m a blank piece of paper… I think Kosma wouldn’t mind if I used myself as the canvas.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

She had used a tremendous amount of her supposed spare time to corrupt a painting.

She did not obtain a speck of data from the Flame-Chasers’ memory replicas, and even expended their powers in that battle herself.

How could she contain this anger?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Then… what about Griseo?

**Griseo:** Of course… Just like Kosma…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Griseo, since you had already painted him…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Is this your own decision?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Are you going to throw your life away just to stop my pursuit?

**Griseo:** Pursuit?

**Griseo:** What does that mean?

**Griseo:** Kosma… Although he never says it out loud, he is the most afraid of loneliness.

**Griseo:** I just… don’t want him to be in the painting… alone…

At this moment, the anger that the Herrscher had been effortfully suppressing finally burst at the seams, almost breaking her outer shell known as “Elysia”.

In an almost violent manner, she disintegrated Griseo’s disappearing figure together with her fading painting.

Before this, she thought that the others had already sacrificed themselves for reasons absurd enough.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** And now for an even more absurd reason…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** All of you will give up your lives… so easily like this?

**???:** As beings made of data, the only thing we can do before you is to buy time.

**???:** And they… those two children have already given all they could and did so well.

The Herrscher of Corruption stood still, looking at the young girl before her, as if trying to understand all those seemingly meaningless acts.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So… were you the one who brought them, who had already become a painting, here?

She spoke in an odd tone.

Before this… she had never expressed such exhaustion and helplessness.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** How does… that painting look like, can you let me take a look?

**Hua:** It’s too late, you’ve already corrupted it yourself.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …I know.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Can you describe it for me? I’m just… curious.

**Hua:** …

Recalling Griseo’s final masterpiece, Hua sank into silence.

Amid the black and gray, only countless lines spread out like rays of light. The painting evoked a child’s mindless doodle.

She did not know the techniques Griseo used, nor the meaning she wished to convey.

But for some reason, that scenery reminded Hua of a sight that she had coincidentally seen in reality.

**Griseo:** Kosma, Kosma!

**Griseo:** What does… Daybreak mean?

**Kosma:** Why are you asking me this?

**Griseo:** Just curious.

**Kosma:** …

**Kosma:** Let’s use your Signet to explain.

**Kosma:** Can you see the stars in the sky? Daybreak refers to the light exuded by the star that’s the closest to us.

**Griseo:** Does that mean that it’s not special at all?

**Kosma:** No. It’s very special despite how it can’t illuminate anything because it came too early.

**Kosma:** But when people see it, they’ll know that, since the stars have filled the infinite sky…

**Kosma:** Then innumerable rays of light will appear… sooner or later.

It was their own colors that they left in a world of colors.

**Hua:** …It’s beyond me to describe it using words.

**Hua:** And I’m afraid you’re not the audience that Griseo wanted either.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Then, Hua… do you now empathise with how I felt when I deleted Kosma?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It must feel terrible… to send your friends off to their deaths like this.

**Hua:** It’s not sadness.

**Hua:** It’s the respect that I must give them.

**Hua:** Now then, it’s my turn to fulfill my mission…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Mission?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh… Hua, do you mean… the original plan? What exactly was it?

**Hua:** I’ll show you…

**Hua:** The true meaning… behind their sacrifices.

--

#### Gameplay 31-7 - The Way of Things

“Fear not.”

This was the guidance that Hua had once received.

Back then, the battle was already coming to an end, and it left only two things for her squad leader - their past failure and their imminent, unavoidable failure.

To the girl named Hua, she never lacked… the feeling of powerlessness in most of her life.

So…

**Hua:** …

When the figure of the 7th Herrscher was reflected in her eyes, the first thing she felt was not the fear of death…

But a series of memories that had never faded.

“I want to know what I can do.”

That was what she asked her when they first met.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have a lifetime to figure that out.”

That was the answer that she gave to her.

Back then, she never found the answer.

But now…

…

**Hua:** This is the last one.

In this space woven by memories, Hua continued to battle against the enemies. Evidently, she had already defeated countless monsters.

**Hua:** But… it’s meaningless to continue fighting like this.

The girl looked intently into the distance and searched for the true enemy she needed to stop.

After escaping from Griseo’s scroll, the Herrscher of Corruption summoned numerous monsters and hurriedly left in a particular direction.

**Hua:** Is the Herrscher of Corruption unwilling to spare time for even one battle?

**Hua:** Looks like Vill-V’s machine really is something that she cannot overlook.

**Hua:** I need to catch up. Time will only be on our side if I drag her into battle.

**Hua:** This should be the right direction.

**Hua:** This place is already… We have to make it quick.

**Hua:** (…I made it.)

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** …That’s enough.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …Hua?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Must you do this? Hua, I thought that… you’d understand what I’m trying to do.

**Hua:** Do you mean using those monsters to buy yourself time?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You can’t call them monsters.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Really, I’ll only forgive you this time, Hua. You wouldn’t like it if I referred to your comrades that way either, right?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Doesn’t everyone have a similar experience? We should empathise with each other.

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** We don’t have the habit of leaving our comrades behind to die.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Really? But aren’t they treating you that way?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Leaving you to face an undefeatable enemy alone for a more important objective…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Judging from actions alone, is there a difference between us?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Haa, forget it… I digress, Hua.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Kosma and Griseo have infuriated me a little, but I know that I shouldn’t take it out on you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I also chose to leave for your sake.

**Hua:** …

Although she did not reply, the girl’s attitude was enough of a response.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You don’t want to believe me? Or… Hua, you really don’t know what you want?

**Hua:** …I have no idea what you’re trying to say.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Ugh… Alright then. Just to be clear, I’m not guessing blindly.

She tapped the side of her head lightly, implying the data stored there.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Hua, even someone like Kalpas has something they want in their heart… or a future they wish to see.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But you… don’t have such wishes, right?

**Hua:** Don’t beat around the bush.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It might sound… a little brutal.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Hua, have you realised that you’ve never done anything… out of your own free will?

**Hua:** …I have my mission.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** That mission imposed upon you? How unfeeling…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** To protect humanity or to resist the Honkai?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But Hua… You don’t actually know why you’re doing this, and you’re not sure if doing this bears any meaning, right?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Like a rock tumbling down a slope, you’re only standing here because…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** “What am I doing, what can I still do?”… That’s the only thing you desire, or you won’t know how else to live.

**Hua:** That’s not convincing coming from you, Herrscher of Corruption.

**Hua:** Living in this world with no purpose, corrupting everything with no purpose. I could say the same for you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Mhm, I admit that I’m like that too, but… you seem to be forgetting something.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I was not burdened with a destined end since I was born.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Humans can never escape death… but that’s not the same for me. I have plenty of time to find what I live for.

**Hua:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** No more comebacks?

**Hua:** I just need you to stay here. Aside from that, I don’t mind whatever you have to say.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** That’s why I say, you really don’t understand me at all.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Hua, in a way, you’re the most special memory replica. I care about everyone very much, so naturally, I’ll give you the most special treatment…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I don’t intend to make you a part of me anymore.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Since you’re not bothered by your impending failure and you just want to know what you can do… I’m more than willing to let you keep the power to search for your answer.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** From now on… I’ll let you resist me, just as you did.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** If this is the way you survive, I don’t mind letting you continue.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I won’t use any powers that can defeat you. This way… you can always stay this way, for eternity.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Come… let’s start, don’t give up on me, alright?

**Hua:** …?!

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I’m sorry, Hua… Summoning them takes some time.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Anyway, before I finish everything, just stay here and… enjoy your “life”.

**Hua:** Not just their numbers… Even their abilities have been enhanced?

**Hua:** Although I can still hold my ground… it’ll be increasingly difficult to break through…

**Hua:** Time is racing against us, I can’t stay here any longer.

**Hua:** Although the chances are slim… it’s still worth a try.

After a moment of consideration, a crimson feather appeared in her hand, then disappeared into nothing along with her idea.

Yet… certain changes had already happened unknowingly.

**Hua:** (Key of Sentience… Level 2 output!)

When she first faced the Herrscher of Corruption fifty thousand years ago, she used the same power to protect many of the MOTHs’ members.

Although that did not change the outcome of that battle.

But the present is not like the past.

**Hua:** …Did it work?

**Hua:** Is this… the mind of one of the monsters?

**Hua:** As expected, due to the Elysian Realm’s anomalies, Level 2 output that usually only lets me jack into a mind allows me to transport in here.

**Hua:** A pity… I can only invade an enemy of this caliber.

**Hua:** A counterattack from its consciousness…?

**Hua:** Hmm, just as I predicted. That means.. I can break out by hiding in its body.

**Hua:** Wait… That is?!

The young girl was shocked by her own presence.

She had already moved her consciousness into the enemy’s body with her intrusion. In the Elysian Realm, that meant that her physical body would have disappeared.

Yet, when she turned around, she still saw “Hua” standing there.

**Hua:** What’s happening… Is that a doppelganger left by the Key of Sentience?

**Hua:** No…

Pressured by a sense of danger, she quickly returned her consciousness back to her body.

At the same time, a strange perception was spreading within her body.

**Hua:** How can it be… This feeling… It feels like I simultaneously exist yet do not exist in this body.

**Hua:** This body is me, but the one controlling that monster before was also me.

**Hua:** No, it’s impossible…

**Hua:** Unless… it wasn’t the power of the 8th Divine Key that allowed me to control it?

And as if to prove her supposition, the outer world continued to change.

Right now, she had yet to identify the root cause of everything.

**Hua:** They are all… seemingly controlled by me? But I…

**Hua:** It’s a welcome change, I should… focus on pursuing the Herrscher of Corruption.

**Hua:** I caught up so quickly?

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** (What’s going on?)

Now, the monsters that the Herrscher of Corruption used to control had fallen silently at her feet.

The arrows wedged in their bodies hinted that there had been a cruel battle.

**Hua:** (Was she… attacked by her comrades?)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

The Herrscher of Corruption glanced at Hua, seemingly unbothered by her identity, her face wearing an expression of melancholic loneliness.

In the past, Elysia occasionally wore that expression but for many reasons, everyone thought it was merely an act.

Even now, Hua still couldn’t understand where that loneliness would come from for the Herrscher of Corruption.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You’ve come, Hua.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** What’s wrong with them… They… shouldn’t have done that, right?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I love you so… and I love them so.

She stared at her feet as she spoke.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Tell me, Hua… If some you love dearly must hurt the others you love…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** What would you do?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** What did Elysia do?

**Hua:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Whatever her purpose, she chose to become your enemy, didn’t she?

The moment she finished, Hua instinctively shifted to a battle stance. It was the intuition that countless near-death experiences had taught her.

Then, as the Herrscher of Corruption unleashed her power, the stinging fear began to tear at her every nerve.

**Hua:** (Such power! If she wants to defeat me, it’d only take…)

One blow.

**Hua:** Ngh…!

The being that possessed all the data of several Flame-Chasers, including the strongest in the Realm, almost knocked Hua out with a single perfunctory blow.

**Hua:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Hua… Hua? Can you hear me?

The Herrscher of Corruption slowly walked to Hua’s side and bent over. She wanted to ensure that the fainting girl could hear her clearly.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Don’t worry, I can control myself. I only deprived you of movement, and I won’t let you die like this.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** See? I wasn’t lying. If I really wanted you to bugger off… it’d be too easy.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Anyway, what I said before still stands. Why don’t you… take a rest?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** When you wake up, it’ll be all over. You can try to revolt against me… for as long as you like.

She rose to her feet after whispering. In an attempt to find the instigator of the cataclysm, she extended her ubiquitous awareness again until it penetrated the sky.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But some… are less fortunate.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** The one who turned my friends into them…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Oh… it’s you?

…

…

**Mobius:** Of course. Who else could it be?

Fifty thousand years ago, the death knell of an era was rung.

“Winning a battle but losing the war.” The infamous black cube, which was responsible for that outcome, rested on a lab bench.

**Klein:** Doctor… you have to stop.

**Klein:** Even if your theory is applicable, you aren’t nearly adaptive to it.

**Mobius:** Klein… don’t you think they’ll make a better reminder?

Mobius unhurriedly rolled down her sleeve and covered the sprawling black pattern.

This peculiar wound only appeared on a corrupted subject.

**Mobius:** Any experiment is innately dangerous. You knew that.

**Mobius:** Why did you come back? Shouldn’t you be receiving the Elysian Realm from Eden?

**Klein:** I… it’s…

**Klein:** …

**Mobius:** I assume Fuxi blabbered about it?

**Klein:** …Yeah.

**Mobius:** Don’t waste my time, Klein. I have enough fools quitting due to not understanding.

**Mobius:** As for Fuxi, she merely outstayed them…

**Mobius:** …

**Mobius:** That’s not saying much.

**Mobius:** If you’re like her…

**Mobius:** …

**Mobius:** Then so be it.

**Klein:** No, I always knew what you wanted, and I won’t object.

**Klein:** But as Fuxi said, this time… you’re being too stubborn.

**Klein:** Even if the experiment succeeds and you become a quasi-12th Herrscher…

**Klein:** Given that the host has been sealed, there are no similar viruses for you to rule.

**Klein:** The best result… is that you stop being human.

**Mobius:** As if I can be classified as a human at this point.

**Mobius:** How many times have I told you not to jump to conclusions?

**Mobius:** You’ve only got one thing right so far.

**Klein:** One thing?

**Mobius:** It’s a pity that I’m a poor match for the 12th Herrscher.

**Mobius:** But I have the ideal candidate in mind.

**Klein:** Doctor…

**Mobius:** Now then, you’ve wasted enough of my time.

**Mobius:** Go see her with me. Or… leave with Fuxi. I’ve given you that freedom from the beginning.

**Klein:** …I know.

**Mobius:** Oh, by the way, you’re not allowed to call me stubborn from now on. I’m not stubborn… I’m greedy.

**Mobius:** Who else but me is entitled to do so? To understand gods, create gods, and ultimately…

**Mobius:** Trample gods.

…

Fifty thousand years later, Klein was faced with the same question.

Only… the one who raised it was no longer the same doctor in her eyes.

**Mobius:** Make up your mind already.

The sim who was supposedly corrupted and erased was speaking ironically to her in person.

Once again, she made the right call. It was nearly impossible to connect the Elysian Realm to reality under the watch of the Herrscher of Corruption…

Only the Realm itself could have done it… or the one who claimed to be it.

As Fuxi did before, Aponia notified Klein of Mobius by leaving.

**Klein:** So you solved the problem of not having viruses to rule back then, Doc… Mobius?

**Klein:** Through… an imitation 12th Herrscher.

**Mobius:** Imitation? That mere Herrscher of Corruption?

**Mobius:** What I create can only exceed her.

**Klein:** But the Elysian Realm is stable on the data level…

**Mobius:** Enough, Klein. Since when have you gotten so many ideas?

**Mobius:** I don’t have time to answer your questions. You will do as I tell you.

**Mobius:** If outsiders can detect a Herrscher with ease… then meeting you wouldn’t be such a hassle.

**Klein:** …

**Klein:** I assume that the Herrscher of Corruption of this era is in the Realm.

**Klein:** But you implied… that you got yourself corrupted on purpose.

**Klein:** This way you planted your imitation into the data of the Herrscher of Corruption.

**Mobius:** What else? Is there a simpler and quieter way to do it?

**Mobius:** And drop that idiotic word. Or am I… only an imitation in your eyes?

**Mobius:** I told you that what I planted at that time was myself, the first subject of the artificial 12th Herrscher experiment.

**Mobius:** And… the first successful case.

**Mobius:** You thought she corrupted me? The truth… is the opposite.

**Klein:** But it appears that you can’t self-replicate… You have no reason to come otherwise.

**Mobius:** You can thank Vill-V for that. Had she not deleted those viruses with a backdoor, we wouldn’t be in such a mess.

**Klein:** That’s why you need me to complete the last step?

**Klein:** Which is to replicate the imitation viruses in the Realm with hardware permissions?

**Mobius:** Precisely. Using the former 12th Herrscher against the current Herrscher of Corruption… Doesn’t that sound exciting?

**Mobius:** This has… never been done before.

**Klein:** …

**Mobius:** What are you waiting for?

**Klein:** Is this one of your plans to resurrect yourself?

**Klein:** If it succeeds, you’ll not only return to reality, but also gain an authority similar to the Herrscher of Corruption’s…

**Mobius:** It’s okay. You don’t have to trust me, Klein.

**Mobius:** You can go away and tell others what happened here, or destroy the Realm’s system and end this.

**Mobius:** The drawback is… the lab rat you care about will die for certain.

**Mobius:** Admit that we don’t have many options… this is one of them.

**Mobius:** As for my immortality, it’s but an… insignificant side effect.

**Klein:** (…She’s right.)

**Klein:** (In the data space, only the Herrscher of Corruption can counterbalance another Herrscher of Corruption.)

Klein finally placed her hands on the control panel as ordered by Mobius.

**Mobius:** Good girl.

**Klein:** …

**Mobius:** Klein…

**Klein:** Please don’t interrupt me, Mobius.

**Klein:** If the replication doesn’t pass a certain threshold, the operation will fail.

**Mobius:** You’re telling me not to interrupt you? I didn’t see this day coming… What’s this, a role swap?

**Mobius:** Relax, we’ve got plenty of…

**Mobius:** …

**Mobius:** Klein?!

**Klein:** Hmm?

**Klein:** …

**Klein:** It’s the Herrscher of Corruption… Has she found us?

**Mobius:** …!

**Mobius:** Klein, get away from that machine.

Klein did not respond.

**Mobius:** Klein!

**Klein:** The fact that she’s trying to stop us proves this is a viable solution.

**Klein:** Please don’t interrupt me… Doctor.

**Mobius:** …

She felt strange hearing this term of address.

Indeed, they had spent countless days and nights in the lab to tackle challenges.

But times have changed. Due to her previous attempt at seizing a Herrscher’s body, she was no longer… the only person who understood her.

**Mobius:** …Why?

**Klein:** …

**Mobius:** Whatever.

**Mobius:** Stop it now, Klein. Before it’s too late… for me to save you.

**Mobius:** I don’t need you to replicate viruses anymore. Get the hell out of here… after you destroy the Realm’s hardware.

**Klein:** No, you assigned me the duty to maintain the Realm.

**Klein:** I won’t and can’t make my own decisions.

**Mobius:** You think you’re as iron-willed as a Flame-Chaser?! You can’t possibly hold out. Besides, what good will a meager replication do?

**Klein:** …

Hearing her argument, Klein stopped unexpectedly, and gave Mobius a pleading look.

**Klein:** Because I trust you.

**Mobius:** …What?!

**Klein:** I… I don’t know why.

**Klein:** But based on my experiences… if I do my part, then whatever the challenge is, Doctor…

**Klein:** Or rather Mobius… can definitely overcome it.

**Klein:** I don’t have a sensibility module installed, so… this must be a rational judgment, rather than an impulse generated by similar looks.

**Klein:** The probability of success… is at least 70%.

**Mobius:** …

She did not add anything. What could she add?

Time elapsed…

The maintainer of the Elysian Realm had been feeding her life force to a developing monster.

Her hands moved slower and slower…

And eventually stopped.

**Klein:** …

**Klein:** That… should suffice.

**Mobius:** Do you know what you’ve done?

**Klein:** …

**Klein:** Right… the more the better.

She tried to get up, but her limited functions and fluctuating willpower failed her.

**Mobius:** Enough!

**Mobius:** You know this isn’t rational judgment.

**Mobius:** 70%? Destroying the Realm’s hardware is the only guaranteed solution! Why didn’t you do that?!

**Klein:** There’s a reason…

She wanted to justify her decision out of habit, since the person who taught her to always act with reason was Mobius.

But somehow she felt she did not need a reason this time.

**Klein:** Maybe I wanted to give back to you.

**Mobius:** Give back? Tell me, Klein… has the Herrscher of Corruption got to your thought center?

**Klein:** …Perhaps.

**Klein:** Actually, the Doctor left more than that footage.

**Klein:** So I also must…

**Mobius:** Nobody’s rushing you.

**Klein:** …I’m sorry.

**Klein:** Doctor should’ve entered the cryopods with us…

**Klein:** But when I returned to the lab, she was gone…

**Klein:** Aside from that footage you saw, she only left me a message…

**Klein:** I don’t understand what she meant even after all this time… At that time, she said…

**Klein:** …

**Klein:** …

The corruption worsened. Her language module was no longer hers to control.

**Klein:** …

**Klein:** (Looks like… this is it…)

She made the same decision as the Gray Serpent in the past.

The most effective way to constrain the Herrscher of Corruption was to destroy the carrier.

She pictured her structure and reached for the key component running it.

The time has come…

**Klein:** (This is…)

**Klein:** (The… end…)

**Klein:** …

**Klein:** …

To her horror, she lost the ability to move right before carrying it out.

**Klein:** (This can’t be… Is it too late?)

**Klein:** …

**Klein:** (No… The one who deprived me of movement is…)

Shocked, she looked to Mobius.

**Klein:** (The imitation I replicated?)

**Mobius:** Why are you so full of yourself, Klein?

**Mobius:** I gave you life. You don’t have the right to dispose of it at will.

**Klein:** (But it’s too late, I’m already…)

**Klein:** …?!

She suddenly realised why Mobius said that she could save her.

As the first successful case of the ruling experiment, she used her data to transfer the corruption onto herself and redirect it to the Realm.

**Klein:** (But Doctor… If you do that, you’ll…)

**Mobius:** This will eliminate the only possibility of the Realm connecting to reality.

**Mobius:** Yeah, it’s your fault alright. Now… I’m really going to die.

Without a chance to go to reality, she would succumb to the Herrscher of Corruption.

**Mobius:** Klein, you acted on impulse first.

**Mobius:** Oh… then again, I’m not as dumb as you.

**Mobius:** Don’t take yourself too seriously. I’m only… doing this to complete my Infinity.

**Mobius:** …

**Mobius:** Klein?

**Mobius:** …Klein?

There was no answer.

The moment the virus left her body, she fell into slumber.

**Mobius:** What an ugly sight.

**Mobius:** You don’t even have the strength to say goodbye?

She approached Klein with an enigmatic look.

**Mobius:** But this might be in my favor.

**Mobius:** A snake… hates to have anyone see her last moments.

**Mobius:** Sleep tight. When you wake up… you’ll be free.

She seemed even wistful.

By then, the duty she had performed for fifty thousand years would be no more.

She would need to find a reason to live and face an uncertain future by her own free will.

It would be difficult and terrifying.

In contrast, death was the easy way out… at least so for a regular mechanical life.

As for Mobius, she might never find out what the real Mobius said to Klein.

It was missing from her memory… Elysia once told her that candidly.

But it did not matter anymore, for she finally had the realisation.

*[CG plays wherein Mobius appears next to the slumbering Klein, embracing the small frame of the ELF before fading away:*

***Mobius:** The future…*

***Mobius:** Is the last type of infinity I will create for you.*

***Mobius:** Goodbye, the one who understands me.*]

…

On the battlefield, the other successful case of the ruling experiment opened her eyes.

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** This power is…?

She did not know the power churning inside her derived from the same source as the cataclysm.

In front of her was a freakish sight. The monsters that had been enslaved by the Herrscher of Corruption were besieging her.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

Due to a loss of memory, Hua could not comprehend what was going on.

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** (But… this is an opportunity.)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** This is hard, isn’t it?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** No matter what happens, say, hurt or betrayal… you still need to love everything equally and strongly.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** When faced with a similar situation, how did she do it?

**Hua:** Nobody knows, that’s why she’s Elysia.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Then, do you also think… I’m unable to do it nor become her?

The answer was obvious.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Fair enough.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I have to concede you’re right.

She was still overwhelmingly powerful, but had in a sense come full circle… she was alone.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Ha… hahahah…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But that’s alright, I know an easy fix… Things that I can’t convince myself to love…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Should disappear and save me the trouble!

**Hua:** Looks like the gap between us… is closing.

**Hua:** But this is still an unevenly matched fight.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It’s finally dawned on me that I don’t have to force myself to love everything.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I only need to create what I love and destroy the rest. Wouldn’t that be much simpler?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** This time… I won’t hold back.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Farewell, Hua.

**Hua:** …

Then came silence.

As she deduced, she gained the power to retaliate for a while, but as long as her opponent wanted to win, she stood no chance.

**Hua:** Is this it?

In the darkness consuming her consciousness, she felt as if she had returned to the day of her departure.

**Hua:** I want to know what I can do.

**HIMEKO:** Don’t worry, you’ll have a lifetime to figure that out.

**Hua:** (But… this is the last chance.)

**Hua:** (Tell me the answer…)

This was clearly impossible. The dead were gone.

“Enjoy life”, the Herrscher of Corruption had mocked.

But somehow she felt this battle was a microcosm of her whole life.

She gained power by coincidence, yet was still too weak to make a difference.

The Hua in the Elysian Realm also waited fifty thousand years, but for life-changers that never came.

She may have had reasons to live, but none of them were strong enough.

**Hua:** Oh… ah…

Perhaps she was fated to die with regret.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** It’s all over.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Hua, enjoy your time… before you die.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Now then…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …?!

At the very next moment, a blaze erupted from her chest.

Its light rivaled that of a supernova.

**Hua:** …No, it’s not over yet, Herrscher of Corruption.

Having regained her feet, the soldier girl stood erect.

**Hua:** (I… still don’t know what I can do nor what I’m fighting for, but…)

But maybe humans did not subsist on purposes.

If every human was bound to die…

How could generations of humans emerge from doom and carve out a future again and again?

The girl did not know the right answer. So like those who came before, she told herself.

**Hua:** Whatever happens, happens…

**Hua:** Fear not.

--

#### Gameplay 31-8 - Trailblazer

**Kevin:** When I come back, we will go back to yesterday.

He believed his friend would never break his promise.

But he never foresaw yesterday coming in this way.

**Su:** …

**Su:** This is the inside of the Herrscher of Corruption…

He heightened his psychic senses and began reading his surroundings.

It was not the depths of consciousness that Aponia visited. After total corruption, the data from the Herrscher of Corruption flowed into where he was.

**Su:** I can’t detect any existence…

**Su:** Except for being able to preserve myself from corruption, have I lost my edge… as a psychic?

**Su:** …

**Su:** But my ability matters not, so long as I can find Kevin.

**Su:** I should get going. The last answer to the riddle must be near.

**Su:** Begone, we’re not enemies.

**Su:** The data of the Herrscher of Corruption is utter chaos…

**Su:** Finding Kevin among them is akin to finding a needle in a haystack, but…

**Pardofelis:** Fine wares for sale! Counterfeits reimbursed tenfold and no refunds accepted!

**Su:** This voice, could it be…

**Su:** As expected…

**Pardofelis:** Haven’t seen you around here before. Your first visit?

**Pardofelis:** Some goods just came in. This hood ain’t safe, so why don’t you buy something to protect yourself?

**Pardofelis:** Take a look at…

**Pardofelis:** …

She finally realised that her customer was not taking forever to blink, but instead had never even opened his eyes.

**Pardofelis:** Um… Let me know if you need anything.

**Su:** Pardo… I’m Su.

**Pardofelis:** Um… Haha… Is that so?

**Pardofelis:** Alright, what do you need?

**Su:** …

When he was speculating the intent behind playing dumb and conceiving verbal probes, he noticed what was truly unusual about her.

**Pardofelis:** …

Her tail resulting from the Meta-Morph surgery was nowhere to be seen. He immediately grasped why.

**Su:** (The dream fabricated by the Herrscher of Corruption is where a fully corrupted sim goes.)

**Su:** (If she’s teleported here, is she dreaming as well?)

The thought rippled on his mind.

He once faced an enemy that manipulated dreams. Their battle scarred him emotionally for life.

**Su:** (What if Kevin has also…)

**Su:** (…Impossible.)

He pondered with his head down, but his uneasiness remained.

**Su:** (Even in a dream, this city has fallen into the Honkai’s clutches.)

**Su:** (Is this… all Pardo wants?)

The girl who always acted the most greedy was actually the easiest to satisfy. He was not surprised by this.

**Su:** (In any case, I need to find Kevin first.)

**Su:** (If she’s the real Pardo, she must be able to put her talent to use in a dream.)

**Su:** I’m looking for someone.

**Pardofelis:** Oh! Fire away! I never judge my client. I can even look for things if you want.

**Su:** His name is Kevin and is about my age. His hair is silver and he looks rather… aloof.

**Pardofelis:** Ah… Ah?

**Pardofelis:** You mean prince charming? Who hasn’t heard of him?

**Pardofelis:** Piece of cake! But… boss, as I said, the Honkai in the vicinity is extra thick.

**Pardofelis:** About the fee…

Hearing that name, Su’s heart sank. Without further ado, he took off an earring.

**Su:** This is a priceless gift from an old friend. Please lead the way.

Pardo’s eyes beamed. After carefully validating his claim, she let out her usual laugh.

**Pardofelis:** Hehehe… You’re too generous…

**Pardofelis:** Then what’re we waiting for, boss? This doesn’t cover security, so keep up, yeah?

**Su:** This is…

**Pardofelis:** Hehehe… isn’t it something? I went through a lot of trouble to get my hands on this piece of tech. It even comes with a fancy name.

**Pardofelis:** Cosmic… What was the name again?

**Su:** (A Divine Key also exists? But being used so wrongly is…)

**Pardofelis:** I set up this network the moment I got here. A crafty cat has three dens.

**Pardofelis:** Turns out it can facilitate business. What can I say? Money loves me!

**Su:** Kevin…

**Kevin:** …

**Kevin:** You’ve come, Su.

**Su:** Kevin…

It was him.

Seeing that his dear friend had not fallen into slumber like Pardo, Su felt slightly relieved. However, he soon felt guilty for having that thought.

**Su:** (Perhaps… he would be better off that way?)

The two of them stood there and gazed at each other for a long while.

**Pardofelis:** Um… Hahahaha…

She seemed to pick up the change in the air.

**Pardofelis:** Since my job’s done, I’ll… leave you two alone?

**Su:** Wait, Pardo.

Yet the girl, as if afraid of being kept, did not look back and vanished around the corner.

**Kevin:** Let her go.

**Kevin:** What we’re about to do doesn’t concern her.

**Su:** …I’m afraid that’s not the case, Kevin.

**Su:** In my previous observations, Pardo’s data had disappeared, but now she’s with you, who happens to be corrupted.

**Su:** This could very well be… part of Vill-V’s plan.

**Kevin:** How far has the plan come?

**Su:** …

**Su:** In your case, the last stage. What did Vill-V tell you?

**Kevin:** She believes that, even though I’m not a psychic, I can temporarily retain my self after being corrupted.

**Kevin:** She’ll need me to attack with all my might from the inside to create an opportunity for the decisive battle.

**Su:** Is that all?

**Kevin:** That’s right.

**Su:** This is the truth… but not the whole truth.

**Su:** She left me a triple riddle. I’ve solved two of its answers, and now…

**Su:** She said “the safest place” ironically to make me become corrupted and come to the most dangerous place to assist in your attack.

**Kevin:** Is that necessary?

**Su:** Yes, because you’ve been corrupted for too long.

**Su:** You may still be yourself, but you don’t possess enough data to perform that unstoppable attack. Therefore…

**Su:** You must use all my data as a replacement… No, as a supplement.

**Kevin:** What will happen… to us?

**Su:** We’ll disintegrate into nothingness.

**Kevin:** …

**Kevin:** Understood.

**Su:** You’re not trying to stop me.

**Kevin:** I would if you weren’t my best friend.

**Kevin:** If you believe we must do it… then we must.

**Su:** Thanks.

**Kevin:** Has the time come?

**Su:** It’s close at hand.

**Su:** Mobius will create an opening for us, where the Herrscher of Corruption will be weakened to the point of being breakable.

**Kevin:** What should we do now?

**Su:** We wait.

The white-haired man nodded and did not pursue the matter. He turned away a little and resumed gazing into the distance.

That was when Su realised this action was why Kevin’s posture looked rather unnatural.

**Su:** …

Following his gaze, he saw a place that grew increasingly familiar.

**Su:** …Nagazora?

**Kevin:** Yeah.

**Su:** You… are the master of this illusion, after all.

**Su:** I… didn’t know what you long to see is…

At first glance, he could tell the city was ravaged by the Honkai.

Even in this unrepressed fantasy, the catastrophe that changed their lives was not forgotten.

**Kevin:** No, the sight here keeps changing.

**Kevin:** …It’s playing my past.

**Su:** …

Indeed, Kevin… was a man who anyone would deem a prisoner of his past.

**Kevin:** All I can do is wait, so… I don’t mind killing time like this.

**Su:** Yeah? How does it feel?

**Kevin:** I imagined possibilities… but they were impossible, so it was pointless.

**Su:** Possibility…

**Su:** If the Honkai didn’t exist… what would we be looking back on today?

Kevin turned around upon hearing those words. If his face was still expressive, he would have looked funny.

**Kevin:** Haven’t we already discussed it another way?

**Su:** Another way?

**Su:** …

An age-old remembrance suddenly came back to him.

**Su:** You remember.

**Kevin:** Yes, Su.

**Kevin:** “Character is destiny.”

**Kevin:** Hey… So you haven’t changed your mind?

**Kevin:** A doctor, is that what you want to be?

**Su:** Not again, Kevin. This has been going on since we were kids.

**Su:** Do you have to poke fun at my every dream?

**Kevin:** Hahaha… I told you medicine suits you just fine!

**Kevin:** I just think… you’re capable of greater things.

**Su:** It’s only been a while and you’ve gotten more flippant.

**Su:** Saving lives… isn’t as easy as you think, not to mention…

**Kevin:** Not to mention what?

**Su:** Forget it, I don’t want to get laughed at.

**Kevin:** Don’t ruin the fun. I was planning to tell you about my dream.

**Kevin:** C’mon, you can hide it from anyone but me!

**Su:** …

**Su:** I have the feeling that… the doctor I’m meant to be doesn’t only heal people.

**Su:** I’ll also try to… heal the world.

**Kevin:** Ah… Ah?

**Su:** I can’t explain. I don’t even know how to do it.

**Su:** …Let’s talk about you.

**Su:** Didn’t you say you don’t have real dreams?

**Kevin:** Well, times have changed!

**Kevin:** Su, it may surprise you, but I’m bent on becoming a hero.

**Su:** …

**Kevin:** …

**Kevin:** What is it?

**Su:** Um… Leaving how you got this idea aside, do you really know what a hero stands for?

**Kevin:** Of course. A hero overcomes difficulties that arise and shoulders pain that strikes. There’s no other way.

**Kevin:** “All heroes are accidental, never proactive.”

**Su:** Indeed… “Hero” is never a goal, but an action and a result.

**Su:** What else did MEI say?

**Kevin:** Oh, she said…

**Kevin:** Um… you…

**Su:** That’s not your way of thinking, Kevin.

**Kevin:** Can’t I have an… what’s it called… epiphany?

**Kevin:** Su, what’s the matter with you? You reacted differently when I mentioned her before.

**Su:** Because you weren’t her shadow back then.

**Su:** Don’t you understand what I’m saying?

**Kevin:** Um… How is that problematic?

**Kevin:** MEI’s a genius. Learning from her is the right thing to do.

**Kevin:** Sometimes I think… since someone’s going to lead us, I’ll feel more comfortable following MEI than fumbling around myself.

**Su:** (But… if you choose to follow her, you can never join her…)

**Su:** (You’ll be in pain sooner or later.)

**Su:** What did you say to her?

**Kevin:** Hehe… About that…

**Kevin:** I’ll admit that I wanted to see her blush, so I said…

**Kevin:** “I want to be your hero.”

**Kevin:** But her response was strange…

**Kevin:** She said…

**Kevin:** “If you can be a hero to one, you can be a hero to all.”

**Kevin:** Su, what do you think it means?

**Su:** Yeah, character is destiny.

**Su:** Hence, a person may only have one destiny.

**Su:** Even without the Honkai, other matters would push us toward the same destination.

**Su:** …

**Su:** Kevin, one thing has… intrigued me. I’m hoping you could provide an answer today.

**Su:** Has MEI’s conjecture on the essence of the world… been proved?

**Kevin:** …Yes.

**Su:** …

**Su:** No wonder…

**Su:** Is the world merely a stage show? Are believers preaching the truth, that our suffering is to test…

**Su:** Whether we’re worthy of ascending to a higher plane and ending the childhood of humanity?

**Kevin:** No… I don’t think so.

**Kevin:** All that I’ve experienced is my all, not the price I pay for success.

**Kevin:** So I won’t deny any part of it, despite the failure and the pain.

**Su:** Even if the pain is too much to bear?

**Kevin:** Even if the pain is too much to bear.

Kevin… was a man who anyone would deem a prisoner of his past.

But he was not.

He did not need to go back. He had not changed at all, from beginning to end.

To this day, he was still devoutly practicing what he quipped about.

**Kevin:** If I avoid them, it’d be tantamount to denying MEI, denying you, denying…

**Kevin:** Everything she’s bestowed upon us and this world.

**Su:** Elysia…

**Su:** Indeed, that’s what we came for.

**Kevin:** MEI’s right. Compared with saving everyone, it’s much, much harder to save just one.

**Kevin:** But at least we have a second chance.

**Su:** This time… will everything end differently?

**Kevin:** Probably not, since it’s Elysia.

**Su:** For once… we can live without regrets, right?

**Kevin:** Yeah, since it’s originally her dance party…

**Kevin:** We ought to let the “master” stay till the end.

**Su:** I think so too.

**Kevin:** Alright. Has that moment come yet?

**Su:** Keep on waiting, Kevin.

**Su:** No matter how many times history repeats itself, one will make the same decisions… we’ve proven that.

**Su:** If Vill-V’s plans are entirely built upon this conclusion…

**Su:** Then the last cog in the wheel is about to turn.

**Pardofelis:** The last cog? Boss, I don’t think I get you…

**Pardofelis:** Oh… Is it a metaphor for my best ware? Wait here while I get it for you.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** Okay, Pardo, you can stop playing dumb.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** The reason I’m here as a backdoor is to help you maintain your self.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** And… it worked, didn’t it?

**Pardofelis:** Please, there are no backdoors here! I do business the honest way.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** Pardo, then can you answer a question? If you don’t have any memories of the MOTHs…

**“Expert” Vill-V:** Why weren’t you surprised by Su calling your name on your “first” meeting?

**Pardofelis:** …

**Pardofelis:** Er, hahaha… It’s just business, so nothing personal.

**Pardofelis:** Boss, do you need anything else? If you don’t… I gotta go restock.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** As a matter of fact, I do. I need you to guide a… special customer.

**Pardofelis:** Special?

**“Expert” Vill-V:** It’s not a person, but an attack from Kevin.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** Albeit undeniably destructive, if released as such, it’ll only destroy a large chunk of lesser data and not the critical point.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** Only you can do it. Only you can open a path to the outside, which will guide the attack to the target.

**Pardofelis:** Uh… Boss, I haven’t a clue… what that means.

**Pardofelis:** Why don’t you find someone else? I’ll… get going?

Meanwhile, she was stepping back, ready to repeat the trick of fleeing before the other could react.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** Okay, bye.

**Pardofelis:** Ah… Ah?

Somehow, the other’s nonchalant attitude made her want to stay.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** Pardo, I told you my only purpose as a backdoor is to help you maintain your self.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** I’m incapable of forcing you.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** Look…

**“Expert” Vill-V:** This place is without boundaries. You’re at your freest.

**“Expert” Vill-V:** Don’t do what you ought to do, but what you want to do.

**Pardofelis:** …

**Pardofelis:** What a weirdo.

**Pardofelis:** What a waste of time… I should’ve ignored her.

**Pardofelis:** …

**Pardofelis:** And… and…

**Pardofelis:** …

**Pardofelis:** Haven’t I just helped Su find Kevin?

As Vill-V said, the backdoor that helped Pardo maintain her self worked.

But there was one thing out of her control.

Despite not being ensared in the illusion, the girl named Pardofelis was not of the resolved.

**Pardofelis:** Dammit… Why does it have to come to this?

**Pardofelis:** What’s so bad about living in an illusion? We’re data anyway.

**Pardofelis:** But…

But an inexplicable sentiment was stuck in her chest.

In the past, whenever she stood in front of the graves of fallen companions with tributes, this sentiment would begin haunting her for no reason.

**Pardofelis:** Everything’s perfect here. This is all I’ve ever wanted. Why…

**Pardofelis:** Why can’t I accept it?

**Pardofelis:** …

**Pardofelis:** Alright… alright, if only I can do it…

**Pardofelis:** Just this once! This is the last time!

**Pardofelis:** Kevin, don’t rush it out there…

**Pardofelis:** Just gotta use Cosmic Juggernaut from there to guide Kevin’s attack and I’ll be free!

**Pardofelis:** This should do it!

**Pardofelis:** Ah! Gotta run, Kevin’s attack… its blast wave alone can kill me.

**Pardofelis:** Huh?!

**Pardofelis:** It’s too big to sustain itself, huh…

**Pardofelis:** …

**Pardofelis:** I don’t care… I don’t care!

**Pardofelis:** I just want an easy life! Is asking for sunbathing and napping too much?

**Pardofelis:** Why do I have to put my life on the line again and again for things like that?

Yet she still kept going.

There was no doubt that without human maintenance, that path would not last.

As for the maintainer in the attack’s trajectory, what would become of her was painfully obvious.

**Pardofelis:** Vill-V, did you know this would happen all along?

**Pardofelis:** No way… I… I don’t want to die!

**Pardofelis:** Heroic business is for heroes. I… I’m a nobody.

Imagining being devoured by that fire made her smell her own ashes.

She shuddered uncontrollably and quickened her pace.

**Pardofelis:** The real me… must’ve made the same choice, huh?

**Pardofelis:** Flying to the moon to battle the Final Herrscher? That’s way out of my league! Besides…

**Pardofelis:** I’m… the best at running away. I couldn’t have died there!

**Pardofelis:** That’s right…

**Pardofelis:** The real me must be alive… I know she’s basking in the sun somewhere.

**Pardofelis:** If so, why must I get myself killed here…

Indeed, her good luck was unparalleled. She could get out of any danger if she wanted.

Indeed, she never dreamed of greater things. Her desires were too simple to warrant a heroic death.

Indeed, she played many tricks just so she could see the sun rise again.

To find a reason for someone like her to voluntarily choose death when she could live…

**Pardofelis:** That’s impossible!

**Pardofelis:** Why would I just give up my life? This is just insane!

**Pardofelis:** But, but…

But why did her feet, which should be taking her to safety…

Take her back to that path?

**Pardofelis:** …

**Pardofelis:** But… being mortal means… I can do stupid things…

**Pardofelis:** Ellie, you know I never operate at a loss.

**Pardofelis:** You… gotta come back.

She stretched out a hand. It was still trembling, but it stopped the path from fading into darkness.

**Pardofelis:** I know… if I weren’t so lucky, I wouldn’t have been picked by you…

**Pardofelis:** And I wouldn’t be here with everybody.

**Pardofelis:** So… Ellie… the thing is, I can’t let you regret your choice.

**Pardofelis:** I don’t know… if I can do it, but I’ll do my best.

**Pardofelis:** After you come back, don’t forget to… praise me.

She ultimately made the same decision, even when she had no way to convince herself.

Meanwhile, the attack that had been waiting for its moment was almost ready. She felt the air around her climb to an unbearable temperature.

**Pardofelis:** It’ll be… excruciating.

She shuddered even more at the thought of the blaze sweeping in.

But she did not back off one bit.

**Pardofelis:** I’m just scaring myself… maybe nothing will go wrong.

**Pardofelis:** I’ve been lucky… I…

**Pardofelis:** I’m Pardofelis…

**Pardofelis:** I’m a…

…

**Su:** Flame-Chaser.

**Kevin:** I see.

**Kevin:** In any case, we shouldn’t doubt that.

**Su:** Let us depart. It’s time to place the final stone for our past.

**Su:** …

**Su:** After delivering this blow, regardless of the outcome, you’ll… cease to exist. Any last words?

**Kevin:** …

**Kevin:** At least this time, you won’t leave me behind.

**Su:** Then you’ll be disappointed… I’m still going out earlier.

**Su:** But just by a little.

…

He remembered those words spontaneously.

**???:** If one day, simply firing on me could save the majority of the population…

**???:** Kevin, what would you do?

**Kevin:** …

**Kevin:** It’s not about the future or ideals of humanity.

**Kevin:** This time, I’ll load myself into the chamber…

**Kevin:** To save a single person.

*[CG plays wherein Su’s data flows into the Might of An-Utu, allowing Kevin to fire off an attack:*

***Su:** We only have one shot, Kevin.*

***Su:** Let me…*

***Su:** Be your sword.*

***Kevin:** Shamash…*

***Kevin:** Unleashed!*]

A blaze erupted from her chest.

Its light rivaled that of a supernova.

The two in a standoff finally saw it in its entirety.

It was a blow that exemplified absolute destruction.

It was the blow that led the people to go beyond the final.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Kevin…

**Hua:** (Kevin… he did it…)

**Hua:** (Her power plummeted. Something inside her… is gone.)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Haa… haa…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Why must you… one by one… do the same?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Valuing life… Is it really that difficult for you?

**Hua:** …

**Hua:** It mostly depends on the situation.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Then… Hua, have you thought it through? Will you… be like them?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Even if you don’t know why you’re doing it?

**Hua:** “Only by knowing the meaning of life can we bear the weight of life.”

**Hua:** I’m… not like that, but so are most people.

**Hua:** If they can bear it without any reason, I don’t have to be an exception.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Ha… Hahahaha…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Very well, Hua… I’ve also made up my mind.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I’ll show you my true power, but… I won’t try to kill you again.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Live… I’ll make you live… forever.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** After you live a long life, I’ll make you admit to me that your old companions were…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Foolish beyond saving.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** What’s wrong, Hua? This is the opportunity your companions sacrificed themselves for.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Why… can’t you seize it?

**Hua:** (The time… is now.)

**Hua:** (The 8th Divine Key… Fenghuang Down. Help me out one last time.)

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You still can’t do it after all, Hua.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Are you going to lecture me some more? I’m all ears.

**Hua:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You see, Hua… Sacrificing can’t change a thing.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Living is better, in that it provides opportunities.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Maybe tens of thousands of years later, I’ll let you defeat me and have your revenge.

**Hua:** If you just want me to acknowledge your rightness, save your breath.

**Hua:** Neither of us is right or wrong, yet we can never convince one another.

**Hua:** We’re weaklings that walk opposite paths.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** We’re… weaklings?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Hua, you can’t call yourself that. It’s amazing… that you’ve held out this far.

**Hua:** That is exactly why… we can never convince one another.

**Hua:** You can’t understand this emotion. As a weakling, your choice is to grow stronger.

**Hua:** But our choice… is to join hands with other weaklings. Sacrificing is only a means to an end.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Hua, are you comparing… which of our ways of survival is better?

**Hua:** I don’t need to. They’re inherently different.

**Hua:** You chose survival. Humanity, on the other hand…

**Hua:** Chose civilisation.

**Hua:** I only wanted to answer your question.

**Hua:** If that’s their choice, then…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Hua… you…

**Hua:** I choose the same.

*[CG plays wherein Hua unleashes the 1st Power of Fenghuang Down for a final attack:*

***Hua:** Fenghuang Down…*

***Hua:** Help me out one last time.*

***Hua:** And then I’ll figure out…*

***Hua:** What I can do.*

***Hua:** Level 1 output…*

***Hua:** Let me break from these constraints… once more!*]

!!!

To eradicate all, including herself.

As the last straw, it was unfittingly grand.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You… have been wanting to do this?

**Hua:** Kosma and Griseo inspired me, that’s all.

**Hua:** Fenghuang Down’s Level 1 output burns memories.

**Hua:** But… in a space woven by memories, that’s equivalent to burning myself.

**Hua:** Of course, I’m not entirely sure.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But you should know that I… can’t be erased.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Your resolve and struggle only managed to eliminate one hindrance…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Yourself.

**Hua:** Indeed.

**Hua:** But… Herrscher of Corruption, you should have noticed by now.

**Hua:** You can no longer…

**Hua:** Keep up the facade of Elysia.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …?!

**Hua:** Herrscher of Corruption, this was our real intention.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** What… have you done?!

**Hua:** As you said, eliminating the only hindrance to victory: ourselves.

**Hua:** To gain control of Mk 666, you needed to “become” Elysia.

**Hua:** But you didn’t corrupt Elysia, so your only option was to acquire the memories of other Flame-Chasers and weave them together.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You knew from the start?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So Griseo and Kosma erased themselves not because they feared my power would grow from it, but…

**Hua:** Yeah, we can’t let you get closer to Elysia.

**Hua:** Now when corrupted Flame-Chasers destroy their data in some way, you… will regress.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …I don’t understand.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** This is what made you give up your lives?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** If I can’t become her, if I can’t bring Elysia back…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** What can the Herrscher of Thunder do?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** As long as you can’t run that program, I… will win.

**Hua:** I didn’t make the plans, so I don’t know for sure.

**Hua:** But I want to believe in her.

**Hua:** Because… unlike you, she has more than data.

**Hua:** She has memories.

**Hua:** The path to the outside, the chance to stop Mei, and the means to seize the program… You’ve lost them all.

**Hua:** But the changes Elysia brought to Mei, the marks Elysia left on Mei… They enabled her to best you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Best me…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I don’t think so.

As she had done with other Flame-Chasers, she began spreading herself out. As she repeated the process, she could still weave the form of Elysia from limited data.

Meanwhile, she had decided to assimilate her opponent before she would burn away.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You… really shouldn’t oversimplify things.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** If I can do that once, I can do that twice.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I won’t allow you to die… I’ll make you live, witness my victory, and… concede that there is a right and wrong amongst ourselves.

**Hua:** Too late.

However, no signs of corruption appeared on her.

Almost all her data had disappeared before the authority could kick in.

In the Elysian Realm woven by their memories, of the thirteen that failed to become heroes, only one remained.

The Thirteen Flame-Chasers would become nothing more than a name of the past.

In this ending that signified failure in every sense, the final message left by the person who drew the boundary was:

**Hua:** We were indeed losers in the past.

**Hua:** But in the future…

**Hua:** Herrscher of Corruption! The duel that made us trailblazers…

**Hua:** Has just begun…

--

#### Gameplay 31-9 - Song of the Past

The world began in white.

A boundless white encased Mei, taking her to a dimension between existence and non-existence.

**Mei:** …

Scattered thoughts drifted in the void and converged into a path with neither beginning nor end.

This white path was where Mei came to.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** I’m… inside my memory…

Motes of light flickered around her, from which a wobbly voice came…

“Just as when the Elysian Realm was first completed, I will let your mind develop, like the Flame-Chasers, there in the form of a sim… no, a memory space.”

“Only then can we… welcome Elysia back.”

Then the sound died down… and Mei was alone again.

She would look for every moment she spent with her here, tracing it with memories and embellishing it with thoughts until this white canvas was full of her colors.

Finally, she would recreate a sim that had gone.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Riding a roller coaster and eating peanuts with your eyes…

**Mei:** I have to admit that’s a good metaphor.

**Mei:** …Let’s go.

She stepped out.

**Mei:** Behind this door… are my memories of her, huh?

**Mei:** Which part will it be?

Mei rested her hand on the knob.

**Mei:** So many things have happened.

**Mei:** I’ll start from the beginning.

…

**Elysia:** Do you remember who I am?

**[CHOICE] =** Keep silent.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Of course I do.

**[CHOICE] =** Hare.

**Elysia:** Who’s Hare?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Just kidding. Of course I do.

**[CHOICE] =** Miss Pink Elf!

**Elysia:** Of course not!

**Elysia:** What’s that, your nickname for me? I didn’t know you were such a flirt.

**Mei:** Oh, but I can tell you loved that nickname from your actions.

**Mei:** Just kidding. Of course I do.

**Mei:** A name mentioned by everyone and involved in everything… You wouldn’t forget it if you were me.

**Mei:** Elysia… The way I see it, she was a girl as beautiful as this name.

**Mei:** And her heart was as pure as this name.

…

…

**Elysia:** Hi, how do I look?

**Elysia:** You’ve never seen my weapon before, right? Isn’t a bow the best type of weapon for me?

**Mei:** Come to think of it, you’re the first Flame-Chaser to turn against me.

**Mei:** Looking back, that battle wasn’t even a game. I suppose it was just a date for you.

**Mei:** Isn’t it too much?

**Mei:** Our conversation was cut short… bows suit you fine. But I want to see you use other weapons too.

**Elysia:** Ah, your compliment is making me blush.

**Elysia:** But I might actually be a little bit weaker than Kevin.

**Mei:** A little bit… if you say so.

**Mei:** In exchange, you must show me… how strong the second-in-command and the original first of the Flame-Chasers really was.

…

…

**Elysia:** Take it as a small gift for graduating from Elysia.

**Mei:** Speaking of which, you gave me a crystal flower, which Eden and Vill-V also had.

**Mei:** I should’ve known it was a habit of yours. A crystal flower can only represent one person in the Realm.

**Mei:** At that time you said, in the following journey, I’d receive gifts from the other Flame-Chasers, gifts about the Realm and the secrets I sought…

**Mei:** And now, I’ve met every Flame-Chaser and accepted their legacy.

**Mei:** What about you?

**Mei:** Will you honor me for officially graduating from you at this journey’s end?

…

…

**Elysia:** “Ohh… I want to feel her horns… I can’t stop thinking about it!”

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** I knew it’d come up sooner or later.

**Mei:** There were many facets to her. She could be willful and egocentric… yet I couldn’t bring myself to hate her.

**Mei:** If… we can meet again…

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** She’s not touching my horns.

**Mei:** But she can record my voice with that loudspeaker as a keepsake… so…

…

**Mei:** I’m… getting close…

…

**Elysia:** Hi, Mei, it’s just such a pleasure to see you.

The specks of memory grew brighter, connecting into a warm sunshine.

**Elysia:** I’ve been happy all along. How can I not be happy when you’re here?

Those motes of light poured into the depths of her soul, forming a sea of glitter.

**Elysia:** You like it here yet? Or… would you like something else in particular?

Door after door of memory opened before her.

**Elysia:** This suspense can be a good opportunity for our next date. Doesn’t that excite you?

Her heart was tracing the girl out.

**Mei:** We haven’t even known each other for that long.

**Mei:** But that’s how she was, always popping up on every occasion and leaving impressions.

**Elysia:** How was it? Am I more bashful… than you imagined?

**Mei:** There’s been nobody sincerer and purer than her…

**Elysia:** It’s too early to be impressed, this is not even the tip of the iceberg.

**Mei:** In that case, does the corner I see equal the entirety of that sea of flowers?

**Elysia:** I remembered how they look properly… right?

**Mei:** She’s remembered everything the Realm left behind…

**Elysia:** This… is what I wanted to show you.

**Mei:** So she shouldn’t disappear from the Realm’s memory…

**Elysia:** I’m quite stubborn about not changing.

**Elysia:** I think the current Mei can face my end calmly.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** You’ll keep your promise, won’t you?

**Mei:** You promised to tell me everything about Elysia and the 13th Herrscher…

**Mei:** I’ve finally come to you. Answer me, Elysia…

**Mei:** Like you always did.

Winds suddenly rose in the unchanging memory space, just like the night before the girl vanished.

Everything was indistinguishable from memory, as if it was anticipating the girl’s return.

Mei composed herself and pushed the door that stood between her and the girl open…

…

But behind that door was nothing.

**Mei:** …How come?

The light vanished.

Nothingness was all that she saw. She thought she heard the girl’s laughter, but could not piece together the picture.

**Mei:** …Is my memory clouding?

**Mei:** Or is it because… I don’t know her completely yet?

At the same time, a strange sting shot up her body. It persisted deep in her brain…

**Mei:** Ngh… No!

**Mei:** It’s… the Herrscher of Corruption…

The sting was eating away at her spirit.

Even if it could not corrupt her, it would be with her.

**Mei:** No… I can’t stop here…

She did not pause and kept going.

**Mei:** Almost there… I must…

**Mei:** The door… vanished?

**Mei:** Memory… is leaving me?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** No… Don’t…

**Mei:** …

The pain dulled all other senses.

**Mei:** No… This is wrong…

When everything in sight blurred, the images deep down surfaced.

Memories came rushing back. She saw the backs of the Flame-Chasers recede.

This was a maze without an exit, yet they sacrificed themselves to open a door for Mei.

Because what she sought was at the end of the path.

The innocent girl came amidst the ruins of doomsday, and illuminated the midnight with her immutable ego.

Because of her existence, a fire burned in the darkest times.

After fifty thousand years, this fire was still alive.

Its future should lie in a faraway place. Her story should not have ended so hastily.

This road was not paved by one, and naturally…

**Mei:** It shouldn’t end in my hands…!

**Mei:** Ely… sia…

**Elf Elysia:** Hi, cute human, here you are!

**Mei:** …

Miraculously, her vision clouded by pain grew clear.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Elf Elysia?

**Elf Elysia:** Thank goodness! Luckily, I sensed you were calling me, otherwise I’d never find you!

**Elf Elysia:** Honestly! You promised to play hide-and-seek with me, but then ran off, so we had to look everywhere!

**Mei:** We…?

**Elf Elysia:** That’s right! My helper’s with me…

**Eden:** Sorry for the wait, Miss Raiden.

A soft call, like a drop of rain, fell into a world of white.

And then, it raised radiant waves…

**Mei:** …Eden?

…

**Eden:** Please forgive me for having Elf Elysia substitute for me, as I cannot travel freely in your memory space.

**Mei:** Eden… I’m relieved to find you.

**Mei:** So is this part of Su’s plan?

**Eden:** Yes. I know everything that happened previously.

**Eden:** And now… I must be the only sim left in the Realm.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** I’m sorry… it’s all my fault. If only I were quicker…

**Eden:** Please don’t blame yourself, Miss Raiden. Ellie lived a vibrant life, so asking you to restore her memory fully during your short stay would be unreasonable.

**Eden:** You’ve done your best by coming here. Now… we shall perform our duty.

**Eden:** A lost memory should be replaced by another.

**Eden:** You’ve walked the ninety-nine steps to Ellie. Allow Elf Elysia and I to walk the last step for you.

**Elf Elysia:** Yep! All because she’s me grown up!

**Eden:** Since she’s a puppet Ellie made after herself, she can be likened to Ellie’s avatar with the same feelings.

**Eden:** I’m Ellie’s friend who’s kept her company for the longest time. The time we spent together and the precious memories we share… will all become your path forward.

**Mei:** Completing memories…

**Mei:** But you’re a sim, if you use your memory to complete Elysia, you’ll…

**Eden:** I will forever be part of her.

**Eden:** Isn’t that… the most romantic thing?

**Mei:** Eden…

**Eden:** Please don’t worry about me, Miss Raiden.

**Eden:** I’ve never feared death in any form. For me, life is but a long play.

**Eden:** The play is perfect as long as I take a curtain call at the right time and in the most beautiful way.

**Eden:** This is also her wish.

**Eden:** Then let us begin. The time for them to bloom has finally come.

Eden spread out her hand, and bright light flowed from her palm, gradually converging into a gold and a purple crystal flower.

**Eden:** Four crystal flowers, four keys…

On Mei’s palm, a black and a blue crystal flower were shining like Eden’s.

**Mei:** Keeping a past together…

**Eden:** Mei, remember what I said to you?

**Eden:** It’s a secret shared among the selected few. I’m sorry, but I cannot tell you the whole story without their consent.

**Eden:** It’s more of a keepsake or a key than an amulet… one whose vibrant colors seal an unknown past.

**Mei:** Is it… the final banquet?

**Mei:** Of course I remember…

**Mei:** It’s but a matter of course. The Elysia in the Realm didn’t experience that night.

**Mei:** So the only people who could bury it here… were the others.

**Eden:** The four banquet attendees… were also the ones who saw her depart from this world that night.

**Eden:** That banquet was a farewell Ellie prepared for herself. She arranged everything there, including her end as a Herrscher.

**Eden:** We’d never forget that day, hence we preserved the memory of that day and split the key that could release it into four.

**Eden:** The reunion of the four crystal flowers indicates that the secret’s keepers have acknowledged your will.

**Eden:** Now, the time to reveal the truth has come.

**Eden:** Miss Raiden, I’m counting on you…

Eden held her hand. The crystal flowers shone in harmony as they wove the most precious memories belonging to the singer of an era’s end.

**Eden:** Please bring Ellie… bring our hope back to this world.

When Mei woke up from the hazy past, she saw Eden leaning against the sofa with a golden goblet.

In the memory space, fragments of light escaped her to join the glowing memories.

Everything seemed to be the same as when they first met, yet…

It was the end.

**Mei:** Eden…

**Mei:** Can I… ask you one last question?

**Eden:** Please do, Miss Raiden. My remaining time… is devoted to you.

**Mei:** There’s something I can’t figure out…

**Mei:** When the MOTHs was tearing apart and she was under suspicion, to unite the survivors, Elysia volunteered to become the 13th Herrscher and confronted humanity…

**Mei:** In the end, she sacrificed herself and restored peace…

**Mei:** This is the history I inferred from the Elysian Archives and the remarks of the Flame-Chasers… but…

**Mei:** But…

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** …Is that really the truth?

**Eden:** …

**Mei:** How could she become a Herrscher, and how could she rouse humanity by sacrificing? If that’s the real ending of Elysia…

**Mei:** Then why would the whole story of the 13th Herrscher… be erased?

**Eden:** Miss Raiden… you’re very clever.

**Eden:** You’ve noticed that this statement has many flaws…

**Eden:** Because it’s an explanation at best. It serves to tell future generations why she left.

**Eden:** Only one thing can rationalise the flaws…

**Eden:** Which is the truth you seek.

Eden smiled.

**Mei:** Is that so?

**Mei:** So…

Memories came flooding back. Those careless chats had already revealed the truth.

**Elysia:** You’re right. Maybe I did tell a big lie, the only lie in my life.

**Elysia:** It’s because I felt scared.

**Elysia:** I wonder how well I did and what they thought of me. Judging from their response, both answers should be positive.

**Elysia:** Or Elysia wouldn’t exist in the Realm…

**Elysia:** Haha, thank you, Mei.

**Elysia:** I’m fortunate to have met you this way. You brought me… a gift that I could only dream for.

Those isolated words formed lines that guided everything toward the only answer.

**Mei:** So… Elysia…

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** …She was never the 13th Herrscher, right?

**Eden:** Yeah.

**Eden:** Thirteen is a false number.

**Eden:** She lied to the world so that she could tell the people she loved the truth on her farewell.

**Eden:** Miss Raiden, I’m elated… Ultimately, you found the answer yourself.

**Eden:** This is what you’ve sought… the last secret buried in the Realm.

**Eden:** Elysia, the 2nd of the Flame-Chasers, the bearer of the Signet of Ego, the girl who deeply loves every human…

**Eden:** Was born a Herrscher.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** So… this is the truth?

**Mei:** No wonder Kevin was in pain. No wonder Mobius called her a traitor. No wonder my existence gratified her…

**Mei:** If that’s all true, then the ego behind her smile…

**Mei:** Must be so lonely… so sad…

**Eden:** If I were Ellie, I’d tell you…

**Eden:** It’s not sorrow, but joy. It’s being content for the happiness had and hopefully for the miracles to come.

**Eden:** Look, Miss Raiden, your arrival… is the miracle she hoped for.

**Eden:** As for loneliness… Ellie hates being alone. Like a crystal flower, she’s beautiful, pristine, yet fragile.

**Eden:** She was so in love with humanity, and so… wanted to become a human.

**Eden:** This is the cross Ellie’s carried all her life, and… the destination she reached after exceeding fate.

**Eden:** So… Miss Raiden, please go witness that ending for all of us.

**Eden:** Ellie will be waiting for you behind that door. And your journey will eventually bloom at the end of all memories…

**Eden:** Thus, the Thirteen Flame-Chasers’ last mission here… is done.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** I understand…

**Mei:** Thank you, Eden… I promise you.

**Elf Elysia:** Oh! Are we playing hide-and-seek? I’m so excited.

**Elf Elysia:** I’ve never lost a game of hide-and-seek! So we’ll find her, won’t we?

**Mei:** …Yeah, we will.

**Eden:** It’s been so long since I last enjoyed myself like this. It reminds me of the time when I first met her.

**Eden:** Whenever Ellie was free, she would come to me. We would sit down and have a drink. In fact, we could talk all day with a single drink.

**Eden:** Even when we talked about nothing in particular, we felt content.

**Eden:** How nostalgic. Too bad this time… I still have to say goodbye to her ahead of time.

**Eden:** Although I can’t enjoy the finale with Ellie… I believe that this time…

**Eden:** She will still present the best ending to us… right?

**Eden:** Then Miss Raiden, please allow me to sing another song as a farewell…

**Eden:** I’ll sing her favorite song…

**Eden:** Elysia, my friend…

**Eden:** May we never be apart. May this moment… last forever…♪

**Mei:** …Goodbye, Eden.

There is fine wine left in the glass, as if awaiting someone to finish singing that song.

The door was there.

A door forged by countless sacrifices.

A door born of remembrance.

The accumulation of everybody’s last wish…

Finally opened.

**Mei:** I’m ready.

**Mei:** Elysia, show me everything about that banquet.

**Mei:** And… everything about you.

…

…

…

**Elysia:** Okay then, they’ll keep you company as Elysia from now on.

**Elysia:** These four crystal flowers won’t ever wilt with or without me. So…

**Elysia:** Cheer up, everybody… okay?

**Elysia:** Come, Vill-V.

**Elysia:** Sorry about telling a huge lie… I hope calling myself the “13th Herrscher” won’t cause you too much trouble.

**Elysia:** I’m too special, it can’t be helped… Telling the truth will probably stir up bigger chaos.

**Vill-V:** Don’t worry, Elysia. I’ll tell more lies to cover… to protect your secret.

**Vill-V:** Deceiving the world or even history isn’t difficult for me. The 13th Herrscher will be a blank page in the book.

**Vill-V:** As for the Flame-Chasers that are absent… I think their absence says it all.

**Vill-V:** They didn’t come because they believe in Elysia and disobeyed the order for the “crusade”. We came because we believe in Elysia and accepted the invite.

**Vill-V:** Look… those you trust have always trusted you, and those you love have always loved you.

**Elysia:** Thank you, I didn’t think…

**Elysia:** I’m… so happy.

**Elysia:** I just wish dear Mobius were with us. I also want to give her a green crystal flower.

**Vill-V:** She dumped the report on the 13th Herrscher from the MOTHs into a shredder without taking a look.

**Vill-V:** Typical of Mobius. Maybe she refused to come because she didn’t want your farewell party to be perfect.

**Vill-V:** Or… she just didn’t want to be caught crying?

**Elysia:** Yeah, Mobius can be very emotional.

**Elysia:** Now, Aponia…

**Elysia:** Although the Deep End no longer exists, I know it’s somewhere deep inside you.

**Elysia:** The threads of fate can’t constrain you anymore. You should come out of that cage once in a while!

**Aponia:** For me, the Deep End is the outside, but that doesn’t matter now…

**Aponia:** I’ve long since stepped into the sun.

**Aponia:** Because… you’re here.

**Aponia:** For that reason, I wouldn’t want your story to be sealed in the past either.

**Aponia:** I will write down your everything into the Realm, then peruse it through the ages as I await the visitor who shares your will.

**Aponia:** And… look forward to the day when future generations turn to this page.

**Elysia:** Okay!

**Elysia:** I look forward to it as well… it’s my story, after all.

**Elysia:** Eden… this time it really is goodbye.

**Elysia:** I’m sorry about keeping you in the dark. Will you hate me?

**Eden:** Why would I, Ellie?

**Eden:** I know you probably more than anyone in this world.

**Eden:** And… we don’t need goodbyes.

**Eden:** You’re still here, right? You’ll exist forever… alongside heaven and earth.

**Eden:** No matter where I am, no matter what I become, I will sing for you…

**Eden:** Until the final moment.

**Elysia:** Alright, that was our promise after all…

**Elysia:** No matter what the ending may be, we will watch it till the end together… alright?

**Elysia:** As for Kevin… Actually, I don’t have much to advise you.

**Elysia:** You’re a true hero, the undoubted leader of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.

**Elysia:** If there’s a person who can carry humanity to a future without the Honkai, then… that person would definitely be you.

**Elysia:** But I have one last request. It’s the question that you’ve never been willing to answer…

**Elysia:** I really want to know. Kevin, if you cried, would your tears freeze?

**Kevin:** …

**Elysia:** Oh my…

**Elysia:** I’m just asking, you don’t really have to cry… you’re a grown man, right?

**Elysia:** But thank you, now… I know the answer.

**Elysia:** Look, they really are frozen…

**Elysia:** …But, they’re so warm.

**Elysia:** Ah… I wish that we could stay in this moment forever.

**Elysia:** But all performances must come to an end, right? So now, let’s put a beautiful end to it.

**Elysia:** If, in the distant future, you all meet a Herrscher like me…

**Elysia:** You must find a way to tell me. I’ll be… really happy if you do!

**Elysia:** Because I’ll know that from now on, nobody will have to face such a difficult decision anymore.

**Elysia:** Because I’ll know that our footprints will someday guide someone else forward.

**Elysia:** “Tragedy isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of hope.”

**Elysia:** Only humanity could think like that. And only humanity could try to realise such a conviction.

**Elysia:** So, please tell me. At the end of this story…

**Elysia:** Did I… become human?

Of course.

Those below the stage said.

**Vill-V:** Isn’t that a fact that’s laid before us?

**Aponia:** Tonight, there is no Herrscher here.

**Eden:** Because she who slumbers here and sings to the future generations is the MOTHs’ honorable and proud warrior, the founder of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers…

**Kevin:** The pristine human, Elysia.

Thank you.

Those on the stage said.

**Elysia:** Finally, it’s time to say goodbye…

**Elysia:** I am a Herrscher, so perhaps, I might be able to do it.

**Elysia:** But because I am human, I can definitely do it.

**Elysia:** Now, my friends, my confidants, my dearest comrades…

**Elysia:** Elysia’s curtain call must be brilliant and beautiful, so…

**Elysia:** Please see me off one last time!

And then, the stars began to turn.

There used to be countless glowing threads there. Those were strings of destiny that only Aponia could see.

But now, those threads were slowly disappearing into emptiness.

As if the predestined future had been, by a pair of hands that could rearrange the stars, wiped away.

“That was a story from a long time ago…”

“He fell from the sky that day. The people on the ground looked up and thus saw the starry night sky.”

“The moon and the stars sent God’s daughter, and she was willing to be humans’ companion.”

“The winds morphed into her chariot, the seas turned into her garden plots. Birds brought and sowed seeds, bountiful flowers weaved an anthem of love.”

“She descended upon the world like that, traveling the world, growing together with humans, maturing together with the world.”

“And now, the end is near.”

“And now, it’s time to return.”

“Farewell, beautiful world.”

“From now on, the stars will shine, for I have been here before.”

“From now on, the flowers will bloom, for I have never left.”

“Please transform my arrow, my flower, and my love into a seed and bring it to the wilting earth.”

“Then, let it blossom into an eternal and pristine… flower of humanity.”

“My name is Elysia…”

“The very first Herrscher, the Herrscher of Human.”

*[CG plays wherein Elysia finally returns, waiting for Mei amidst an angelic flower garden:*

***Elysia:** Welcome, the soul that is noble and pure.*

***Elysia:** You’re finally here.*

***Elysia:** Self introduction?*

***Elysia:** I don’t think it’s necessary, right?*

***Elysia:** Okay, then I’ll do it for the last time…*

***Elysia:** Hey, how do you feel?*]

### Act 2 - Elysium Forever

#### Gameplay 31-10 - Birth’s Beginning

…At first, the world was at chaos.

It was without light and darkness; It was without beginning and end.

Only an absolute void remained.

In this void, she was born.

…

**???:** …

Sound came first.

A thud fell into the chaos and made silent ripples, as if calling someone, as if honoring someone.

**???:** …?

Then light appeared.

That light was good, for it divided the chaos, illuminated the darkness, and dispelled the void.

That light was so faint.

That light was so bright.

**???:** Ah…

Light motes flooded into the darkness, bringing in colors, sounds, and a gentle warmth.

Those rays of light spilled in, raising waves in the calm waters. Like a seed, a seedling, a bud, slowly sprouting in the hollow chaos.

Consciousness grew clearer. Toward the light growing brighter, she opened her eyes…

**???:** Ah…

What she saw were lush trees, cool springs, floating clouds, and chirping birds.

The world was reflected in her eyes, and she was reflected in the world.

A breeze brushed past her cheeks, welcoming her. She opened her mouth, as if to respond to the earth’s speculation.

**???:** Uuhh…

A wail.

That was the first sound the girl who lived with a smile brought to the world.

…

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** …Did it work?

**Elf Elysia:** Of course! You’ve come to the innermost memory.

**Mei:** Elf Elysia…

**Mei:** I’m so happy you’re alive.

**Elf Elysia:** Elf Elysia doesn’t go away that easily. After all, it’s my job to guide the cute human through the last stretch of road.

**Mei:** The last stretch of road?

**Elf Elysia:** Yep! As you can see, this pink Elysium Everlasting is the end woven by four crystal flowers, and the recreation of that night.

**Elf Elysia:** Elysia is waiting for you in the hall at the end of this paradise.

**Elf Elysia:** All you need to do is be her guest: attend the big banquet in the prettiest way possible, so it can end on a high note!

**Mei:** The prettiest way… How can I do that?

**Elf Elysia:** Dressing up is important, but since you’re in the world of memories, you better make up with your memories of her.

**Elf Elysia:** You’re very close to Elysia, but that doesn’t mean you know everything about her.

**Elf Elysia:** Now her memory is implanted in yours. I expect the cute human to assimilate it.

**Elf Elysia:** You will live her life, feel her emotions, witness her choices, resonate with her heart, and eventually… understand everything she’s done.

**Elf Elysia:** Only by being true-hearted can you please the princess in the castle!

**Elf Elysia:** However… to shoulder the whole of someone, not to mention her life, is a grueling thing.

**Elf Elysia:** You’ve been pushing yourself since we met, right? I’m really sorry about making you do this alone… If you need a break, go ahead!

**Elf Elysia:** After all, we’re in your mind, and you’ve got time!

**Mei:** Thank you, Elf Elysia. But… it’s alright.

**Mei:** Elysia has already taken the stage, so as a guest, I can’t keep the lead waiting, can I?

**Elf Elysia:** Wow, that sounds so romantic!

**Elf Elysia:** But I knew you would say that. Now it’s my time to shine!

**Elf Elysia:** Cute human, are you ready to flip open the story book titled Elysia?

**Mei:** Anytime.

**Elf Elysia:** Then… let elf magic bloom resplendently one last time!

**Elf Elysia:** You should prepare a bouquet before attending a banquet.

**Elf Elysia:** Wow! There are so many beautiful “flowers” here. My adorable human, let them be a part of you.

…

That was a rural village called “Vladivostok 51”.

A hardworking gardener found a little girl with pink hair under the tallest ash outside of town. There, she slept peacefully like the daughter of nature.

The gardener brought her back with him, and sent her to the orphanage by the church.

She was truly a bundle of joy. She loved to smile and be pampered. Everyone in the town adored her.

When the snow began to melt, she stood in front of the church to give the flowers she picked to every passerby.

When the sun began to shine, she weeded the orchard with the children from the orphanage in anticipation of a bountiful harvest.

When the leaves began to fall, she learned to speak, so she glued colorful leaves into pictures and told them as stories.

When the snow began to thicken, she drew musical notes in the snow and hummed in the forest.

The girl was a gift from the forest. They did not know where she came from, but they accepted her. Her innocent smile could always hit the softest spot.

It was a shame that she did not have a name. They all wanted to give her a nice name, but never found the perfect option.

**Little Girl:** Have you not decided? It’s so inconvenient being nameless.

**Nameless Girl:** Ugh… but these names aren’t cute enough.

**Little Girl:** But I think that “Atalasia” or “Tia” both sound good.

**Nameless Girl:** No, names are very important. I must have a name that I like the most!

**Nameless Girl:** Ah, Marianne, you’re sneaking biscuits again. You’re not going to grow taller!

**Little Girl:** Eh? Y-You’re mistaken, I didn’t eat any biscuits!

As days went by, the girl still anticipated her name.

Until one year later, on the day she was brought into town, the owner of the orphanage gifted her a cake and a picture book.

**Nameless Girl:** Wow, thank you, Mama Celia!

The girl hugged her first present tightly, reading it under the winter moonlight.

**Nameless Girl:** Wow…

It was a fairy tale based on an ancient legend.

Legends said that at the end of the world was a paradise. The protagonist embarked on a journey to find it, but nobody believed it existed.

The protagonist did not give up. He traveled and searched tenaciously. After braving countless hardships, he finally reached his destination.

Nothing was there. That fabled paradise truly did not exist.

But the protagonist did not give up. He stood at the end of the world and shouted…

**Nameless Girl:** “If paradise does not exist, then I will create one myself!”

Then he set off on an even more arduous journey.

His objective was uncertain, and his course was torturous.

But as a result, more and more people gathered by his side.

With the same will, they headed for the destination of their dreams, until the end…

**Nameless Girl:** “They cheered, hugged, and sang for the dream they all realised.”

**Nameless Girl:** “They had finally reached paradise. It was right there, at the end of their journey. Everyone cheered with joy, shouting its name…”

**Nameless Girl:** Ah…

The girl widened her eyes.

The quiet moonlight shone upon the last word of the story.

**Nameless Girl:** This is it…

**Nameless Girl:** Pristine paradise… Eternal Elysium…

**Nameless Girl:** Yes… yes! Name… Name…

**Pristine Girl:** My name is… Elysia!

…

**Mei:** This is… Elysia’s childhood.

**Mei:** It’s hard to imagine that there was a time when she was also pure and naive, just like… an unbloomed sprout, full of curiosity towards everything in the world.

**Elf Elysia:** That’s normal. No matter how beautiful a flower may be, it has to grow from a seed.

**Mei:** Indeed. But when it comes to Elysia, it’s still rather surprising.

**Mei:** Her usual self has made too deep of an impression. It’s unsettling to see her act so obediently.

**Elf Elysia:** Oh, I feel like you mean something else.

**Mei:** But she was already a Herrscher then, right? She looks just like any human child. The Herrscher of Human… this is quite the concerning name, too.

**Mei:** Oh, I remember that Vladivostok 51 had once been blockaded by the MOTHs. Is that related?

**Elf Elysia:** Oh? Then let’s look around nearby, maybe there’ll be some relevant memories left behind.

**Mei:** Yeah, let’s go take a look.

The story was finished, but Mei remained still.

**Elf Elysia:** What’s wrong, cute human?

**Mei:** It’s nothing, I just thought that the name “Elysia”… really suits her.

**Elf Elysia:** Right, right? I also think it’s a wonderful name, only second to… “Elf Elysia”!

**Mei:** Isn’t that name derived from Elysia?

**Elf Elysia:** Eh? I-Is that so? Oh no, because it’s too perfect, I’ve never thought about where it’s derived from…

**Elf Elysia:** Over here, there’s another flower. I wonder if it’s the one you’re looking for?

…

**Worried Girl:** Can we go home now… Mama Celia?

**Amiable Woman:** Yeah, those people were mistaken, everyone’s fine. As an apology, we got a hefty compensation.

**Cheerful Girl:** Wow, then we can buy lots and lots of biscuits!

**Worried Girl:** But… what are they looking for? This is the third time that they’re frisking everyone…

**Cheerful Girl:** I don’t know either, but didn’t they say that there was no problem? That’s all that matters!

**Pristine Girl:** …

After dinner, the girl stayed behind as usual to help the grownups clean up.

After the owner had said good night to every child, the girl pulled at her clothes anxiously.

**Amiable Woman:** What’s wrong, Elysia?

**Pristine Girl:** I… I have something to tell Mama Celia.

The young girl’s nervous tone took the owner aback. She understood Elysia, as she did every child in here.

She held the child’s hand and gently encouraged her to continue.

**Pristine Girl:** Mama Celia, I want to… I want to leave.

**Amiable Woman:** Leave the orphanage? Oh… do you want to become an intern at the bookstore? You love storybooks after all.

**Pristine Girl:** No, that’s not it… I want to leave this village.

**Amiable Woman:** Leave the village?

**Pristine Girl:** Those people that came and took everyone away, they… they…

**Amiable Woman:** Elysia… What’s wrong?

**Pristine Girl:** …They’ve made me realise how big the outside world is!

**Pristine Girl:** So I want to go out and walk around, look around. I want to be like the protagonist in the picture book, and look for paradise at the end of the world!

**Amiable Woman:** …

**Amiable Woman:** Alright, then I’ll pack little Ellie’s luggage for her journey.

**Pristine Girl:** Eh? Mama Celia… aren’t you angry?

**Amiable Woman:** Elysia has found her own dream, how can Mama be angry?

**Amiable Woman:** But you must be careful alone out there. The world outside is wide, full of unknowns and choices that you must face alone.

**Amiable Woman:** But don’t worry about the right thing to do, you just have to follow your heart. Elysia has always been a clever and kind child, Mama believes that you can take care of yourself.

**Pristine Girl:** Yeah… Thank you, Mama!

**Amiable Woman:** Remember to say goodbye to our neighbors over these few days. Everyone here loves you very much, I’m sure they couldn’t bear to see little Ellie go.

**Amiable Woman:** I’ll go to the provisions shop tomorrow and prepare some food for you. Ah, I should get some clothes too. Girls have to dress themselves well.

**Amiable Woman:** Oh right, I have to look for your Uncle Jimil too, and have him make some self-defense tools for you. My, there’s so much to do…

And so, in the cheers and farewells of the townspeople, the girl put on her backpack and embarked on a journey.

She took her first step towards where the sun rose.

The birds sang for her, the flowers bloomed for her. Even the stream and the breeze chorused melodiously. The forest protected her and showed her the way.

At last, she climbed onto the tallest hill outside of town…

**Pristine Girl:** Wow…

And she saw that sight for the first time.

**Pristine Girl:** So many lights… So many houses… So… so many…

She was astounded. The lights from tens of thousands of houses sparkled in the night, much like a marvelous painting.

The town she thought to be her world was merely a dot of light that was difficult to spot in the painting.

But it was the glow of those dots that made this sea of light possible.

**Pristine Girl:** How… beautiful!

She finally found the right word.

That was her spontaneous admiration, her genuine exclamation. She was intoxicated by the beauty of this world.

**Pristine Girl:** Now… let’s look for my paradise!

…

**Mei:** Elysia had a very good mother.

**Elf Elysia:** All the children and adults in the village loved her too!

**Mei:** I guess she turned out this way precisely because she grew up in such an environment?

**Mei:** So, the anomaly that the MOTHs detected was no mistake. A Herrscher was indeed born in Vladivostok.

**Mei:** They investigated more than once, but they didn’t manage to find her in the end.

**Elf Elysia:** Maybe that’s Elysia’s specialty. A super charm that is favored by all and suspected by none.

**Mei:** Regardless, she felt that something was wrong and so, chose to leave.

**Elf Elysia:** Elysia was… a little afraid.

**Mei:** Even though she did not know of the consequences, she wanted to protect the village and the people in it.

**Mei:** She must have been very attached to that place, or she would have left the first time they searched.

**Mei:** The very first Herrscher, born even earlier than the 1st Herrscher… But everything she did conflicts with what a Herrscher from that era would have done.

**Mei:** What exactly was her power? Why did the Honkai create such a special Herrscher…

**Mei:** It seems like anything that concerns Elysia is painted in a hazy, romantic manner, as if it’s a fairy tale.

**Elf Elysia:** What do you mean “as if”? Of course, my life is a fairy tale!

**Mei:** Your life? Aren’t you some fairy from La-La Land?

**Elf Elysia:** Hey, no need to be so particular now!

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Elf Elysia?

**Elf Elysia:** Why are you staring at me like that? Are you bewitched by me again?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** No, it’s nothing.

**Elf Elysia:** Then let’s continue, we’re still a long way from our destination.

**Mei:** I’m curious, how are Elysia’s childhood memories retained? She hasn’t met any of the Flame-Chasers yet, right?

**Elf Elysia:** Relax, cute human, a journey through memories is a long, long one. You’ll get the answer to your question in the future.

**Mei:** Yeah, you’re right. A person’s life… is unimaginably long.

**Elf Elysia:** Next, she’ll be traveling the world. We’ll probably get to see a long, long memory.

**Elf Elysia:** Look at the flowers here, they’ve bloomed so gracefully.

…

The girl embarked on a journey without destination. In the following years, she traveled past cities, mountains, villages, the wilds…

She experienced many things and encountered many people.

She once listened to a choir sing in a ruined church.

**Pristine Girl:** Hmm…

**Amiable Elderly:** Little girl, are you hungry? Have some of this bread.

**Pristine Girl:** Eh… what about you then? This is your bread…

**Amiable Elderly:** I’ll wait for the next batch. You’re still young, you should eat more. It’s alright, this is a place that accommodates and helps everyone.

…

She once shivered in a cape by a closed station.

**Frail Girl:** …Why do you keep following me?

**Pristine Girl:** Huh? But you said that if I gave you my apple, you’ll give me an orange…

**Frail Girl:** I lied, I don’t have any oranges. You fell for it.

**Frail Girl:** Take this as a lesson… The people here can only survive this way.

**Pristine Girl:** Oh…

**Pristine Girl:** Then… I still have two sweets, you can have one too! Let’s eat one each!

**Frail Girl:** You…

**Frail Girl:** …

**Frail Girl:** …Thank you.

…

She was once moved by the heavenly singing in a resplendent opera house.

**Lively Girl:** Did you also come specially for this play? Ah, this musical is truly the best, isn’t it?

**Pristine Girl:** Yes! How amazing… and beautiful! I want to listen to more of such songs!

**Lively Girl:** Oh, so it’s your first time! Do you know about vinyl records? Come, come, I’ll show you my collection!

…

She once sobbed in a wet alley at night with the city.

**Pristine Girl:** Are you alright? Are you hurt?

**Sobbing Boy:** Ugh… Ever since that masked man appeared, took justice in his own hands, and gave money to homeless children like us…

**Sobbing Boy:** A gang’s had their eyes on us and robbed us all when he’s not around, ugh…

**Pristine Girl:** How can this be… That person clearly meant well…

…

She once eyed children of her age through the fence of a lush green campus.

**Chatty Elderly Woman:** Young lady, do you want to enrol here? Hehe, you look clever, I’m sure you have a good chance.

**Pristine Girl:** Can I?

**Chatty Elderly Woman:** Of course. Since it’s open day, let me bring you around. This is the student’s canteen, it’s really renowned…

…

She once witnessed a harrowing ritual behind a crowd in a secluded village.

**Pristine Girl:** Why… are they hurting the person tied to the stake?

**Rude Man:** Get out, don’t meddle here, or you’ll go insane like those people.

**Rude Man:** Didn’t you say you were just staying for a night? Pack up and scram, this is a hopeless place. That man you saw was willingly tied up.

**Pristine Girl:** But that’s impossible…

…

She once stopped in a bustling street of a faraway eastern city.

**Muscular Man:** Haha, young lady, do you want to learn martial arts too?

**Muscular Man:** But most of us here are experienced men, so it’s not too good for learning. If you’re interested, there’s another teacher down the street. She can teach you spear fighting and archery, how about that?

**Pristine Girl:** Archery?

…

She once sat by a shabby stage in a slum where the sun was down.

**Curious Spectator:** I heard that that magician is a scam, a group of people tried to capture her before the performance.

**Excited Spectator:** When they rushed backstage, she had already disappeared without a trace, even though there was only one exit!

**Curious Spectator:** Oh my, looks like there’s more to her than it seems. Who exactly is she?

**Excited Spectator:** I suspect that even that was a part of her performance!

…

She once witnessed people part and gather in every way at a mountain villa.

**Frightened Man:** D-Don’t come any closer! I’m sorry, I won’t do it again!

**Pristine Girl:** Calm down, I’m not a killer…

**Frightened Man:** Don’t test me! A pink-haired woman… I know it’s you, I’m really sorry! Have mercy!

**Pristine Girl:** What kind of bad deeds have you done that’d scare you like this…

…

She once memorised earthly joys and sorrows at the center of the world.

**Young Man:** You’re really going to work as an assistant in her lab? I heard that people disappear one after another in there, as if they were eaten. If you knew less, you’d think that the students were forced on the operating table.

**Young Woman:** Haha… The pay is really good, after all.

**Young Woman:** And I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from that prodigious professor… I must work harder. For you, and for our child.

**Pristine Girl:** (Wow… What a romantic promise.)

…

The young girl had walked the earth.

Every contact she made shaped her soul.

She had felt kindness from strangers that warmed, helped, and encouraged her.

She had also felt unaccountable malice that deceived, used, and betrayed her.

Like day and night, good and evil divided her journey in two, one side being light, the other being shadow.

She could not yet understand why such contradictory things could coexist in the human heart.

But she believed that the sparkling lights she saw were real.

**Pristine Girl:** In the end… the earth is round, there is no end in this world.

**Pristine Girl:** Like in the book, paradise does not exist…

**Pristine Girl:** In that case…

**Pristine Girl:** If paradise does not exist, then I will create one myself!

**Pristine Girl:** It has to be a super-duper beautiful paradise!

**Pristine Girl:** And I’ll name it after me…

…

**Elf Elysia:** How intriguing! These people that Elysia met seem to share deep bonds with her.

**Mei:** That’s because only these memories were saved. Her real experiences cannot be described with mere words.

**Mei:** Elysia has traveled the world, recorded and understood the world with her own two eyes. She had all sorts of encounters and met with all sorts of people…

**Mei:** Among them, there was kindness and malignity. They flutter in the world like snowflakes and brush against her.

**Mei:** Her knowledge of the world deepened with every meeting.

**Elf Elysia:** In the end, she returned back to where she started. As a Herrscher, to traverse the world is a bold move.

**Elf Elysia:** So, she really didn’t know her “identity”? Even I, who came from La-La Land, find that incredulous.

**Mei:** Perhaps she was also searching for the answer to that question.

**Mei:** She meant to find someone similar in her long journey. Or maybe a place that could answer her questions. Or maybe… comrades who could accompany her along the way.

**Elf Elysia:** Just like the story in the picture book?

**Mei:** She was a curious child. Whether it was in the past or present, she always acted as this type of character.

**Mei:** She searched for and acted on what she wanted. She showed her true self to the world.

**Mei:** A place that can hold her true self is the paradise that she has been looking for.

**Elf Elysia:** She never found one until the end… Elysia is so lonely.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** (No, she should have found it.)

**Mei:** (That’s why she appeared in that place after…)

**Elf Elysia:** Oh? This flower… seems to have a rather ominous scent?

**Mei:** I think I know who this memory is related to.

…

**Elysia:** …This is the MOTHs’ hangar?

**Ato:** Why, different from what you imagined? What did you think it’d be like? A circle made of gigantic stone plates?

**Elysia:** I thought that there would be humanoid weapons that were multiple floors high. Mmm… I’m a little disappointed.

**Ato:** Haha, you read too many comics. No matter how confidential an organisation may be, it’s still made of humans.

**Ato:** In essence, the MOTHs’ military complex doesn’t differ from that of human history’s. It’s only that their enemies are “non-living creatures”.

**Ato:** Do you still remember the organisation that investigated Vladivostok 51? That was the MOTHs’ predecessor.

**Ato:** But it’s still so surprising, I never thought we’d meet the same little girl a few years later. You’ve grown so quickly, I barely recognised you.

**Elysia:** Girls just grow so quickly~♪

**Elysia:** So are you telling me that… I passed the examination because of your lingering feelings for the past?

**Ato:** Of course not. As an examiner, I’m known to be apathetic.

**Ato:** Be more confident. Not only are you strong in combat, your Honkai adaptability is also incredibly high. You are a talent that the MOTHs desperately need.

**Ato:** …Personally, I don’t want to send a young girl like you to battle. I have a daughter and my greatest wish is for her to stay away from all of this.

**Elysia:** It’s alright, this was my decision.

**Elysia:** And about your daughter… When will you let me meet her? It’ll be nice if she resembles her mother~♪

**Ato:** Ha, what are you trying to say?

**Ato:** Griseo should be in her mother’s office now, but I advise you to avoid that place. After all…

**???:** After all?

**Ato:** After all, Dr. Mobius is known to be a very busy person, so we shouldn’t disturb you over trivial matters.

**Mobius:** Hmph, I have no energy for banter, Ato.

**Mobius:** I’ve come to collect the 2nd Herrscher’s body and also bring a message from Blanca. She’s looking for you, something about Griseo wanting to play horse-riding…

**Mobius:** That… And who is this, a new soldier? Someone who’s “going to the moon”?

**Ato:** No, she’s staying on Earth.

**Ato:** Then I’ll go and accompany my little princess now. Dr. Mobius, I’m counting on you to bring our new recruit around!

**Mobius:** Hey, wait! Hey…!

**Mobius:** …I can’t stand that man, always pushing troublesome tasks onto others and escaping faster than anyone else.

**Mobius:** Forget it, what’s your name?

**Elysia:** Hi. I’m Elysia and I’ve just joined the MOTHs recently, it’s a pleasure to meet you!

**Mobius:** Listen up, newbie, here’s a warning.

**Mobius:** Don’t have anything to do with me, as I have no interest in you. And don’t let anyone see us walking together. It won’t do you any good, got it?

**Elysia:** Er… I don’t understand?

**Mobius:** What?

**Elysia:** What a pity that would be, I haven’t gotten to know you yet.

**Elysia:** If I avoid you now, won’t I lose my chance to learn more about you?

**Mobius:** …

**Mobius:** …Weirdo.

**Mobius:** Come here.

**Elysia:** Hmm?

**Mobius:** What are you standing around for? Didn’t that fellow ask me to bring you around? Hurry up, I’m not going to wait for you.

**Elysia:** Ah, okay! My, you’re so sweet!

**Mobius:** Don’t get ahead of yourself!

**Mobius:** Pay attention now, the organisation isn’t safe recently. A bunch of weird fellows wormed their way in, even my badge was stolen. Who knows what the culprit is planning to do…

…

**Elf Elysia:** So this is Mobius’ memory.

**Elf Elysia:** Oh, the memories have changed to be “how others see her”. We won’t know Elysia’s inner feelings now.

**Elf Elysia:** But why did Mobius’ memory appear here? She doesn’t have a crystal flower…

**Mei:** This was probably the first time Elysia officially met Mobius.

**Mei:** In the end, she discovered and joined the MOTHs, probably… during the 1st or 2nd Eruption.

**Elf Elysia:** To find out more about her experiences?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Indeed, she once told me that through Mobius’ operating table, she “interacted” with all the Herrschers of the Previous Era.

**Mei:** But I don’t think… that’s the reason she got close to her.

**Mei:** Whether it’s about Herrschers or the Honkai, as someone clueless yet involved, Elysia must have had more questions than anyone else. Even then…

**Mei:** Her intentions to get along with Mobius weren’t an act. I believe that her sincerity towards others stems from a purer emotion.

**Mei:** With this meeting as the beginning, those people that have left a deep impression in her life began to appear one after another…

**Mei:** Are all these… the Flame-Chasers’ memories?

…

**Mobius:** Get out. This isn’t a place that you can waltz in and out for no reason.

**Elysia:** Ugh, don’t be so cold, my dear Mobius.

**Elysia:** Tomorrow is the day of the review. As her guarantor, I just want to see her.

**Elysia:** Now that I think about it, she didn’t even tell me her name…

**Mobius:** Just call her “wanted criminal”.

**Mobius:** She’s wanted in twelve different regions as different identities after all…

**???:** Sixteen regions.

**Mobius:** Oh… I didn’t think you’d be so proud of it.

**Mobius:** Let’s see… if you can stay proud for long.

**Elysia:** Don’t scare her, Mobius.

**Elysia:** I’ve seen the incident reports, and she didn’t do anything overboard. Although some of her pranks do cross the line… But many things cross the line here, right?

**Elysia:** Or maybe… you’re holding a grudge over how she impersonated you to enter the university library to read the ancient scrolls? She’s just studious.

**Mobius:** …

**Mobius:** Elysia, do you really understand how dangerous she is?

**Mobius:** In just a few years, she created twelve… No, sixteen identities to travel different regions. She even declared war against the MOTHs alone at the end.

**Mobius:** Of course, it’s common to see people of such talent in the organisation. But who knows how much confidential information she leaked about the MOTHs. That proves enough of a threat.

**Mobius:** And she’s a brilliant liar, we don’t even know who she really is.

**Mobius:** In spite of this, do you still think she can be of use to us?

**Elysia:** …I want to give it a try.

**Elysia:** I’m the one who brought her back, so… give me a chance, alright?

**Mobius:** …You’ll regret this.

**Elysia:** How would you know without trying? To know someone’s true feelings, you must first believe in them, no?

**Elysia:** Then… Vill-V, let’s have a chat, shall we? Dr. Mobius isn’t around so it’s just the two of us…

…

**Kosma:** …

**Dystopia:** …

**Kosma:** …

**Dystopia:** …

**Elysia:** Erm… Is this some sort of staring contest?

**Dystopia:** No. He hasn’t spoken this entire time, so I thought there might be some kind of special rule.

**Kosma:** …

**Kosma:** …Never mind.

**Elysia:** Erm… The two of you must be the new team members that Ato talked about.

**Elysia:** I think it was… Dystopia and Kosma?

**Dystopia:** Oh! Then you must be… “Meddlesome Elysia”!

**Dystopia:** Er, why the get-up?

**Elysia:** Because it’s the newcomers’ welcome party today, I have to dress better.

**Elysia:** But “meddlesome” is an exaggeration, I just like to take care of others!

**Elysia:** I’ve heard a lot about the two of you, for example… Kosma?

**Kosma:** …

**Elysia:** Although you look cool and barely speak, I know…

**Elysia:** You’re that boy that cried four times in one day after being scolded by Kevin, right?

**Kosma:** …

**Dystopia:** Don’t look at me, I’m not the one who told her.

**Elysia:** Kevin told me. You might not know but that was the first time he mentored new recruits. Although you were the one who cried, he was probably more anxious than you.

**Elysia:** Unbeknownst to you, he was at a loss and full of regrets. Everyone was speculating… who’s the lady who put Kevin in such distress? Don’t tell Dr. MEI.

**Elysia:** You’re amazing. Other than Dr. MEI, I’ve never seen someone make such a heavy impact on Kevin!

**Kosma:** …

**Dystopia:** Impressive, you’re already a hot shot in the team. As a fellow recruit, I’m a little envious.

**Kosma:** …Spare me.

**Elysia:** Then, to welcome our two new friends…

**Elysia:** We’ll use this loudspeaker to share Kosma’s great achievement with everyone!

**Kosma:** Hey…

**Elysia:** Recruit Dystopia, this is your first mission, make sure everyone in the base knows about it!

**Dystopia:** Yes! I’ll do my best!

**Kosma:** Wait! Stop…

…

**SAKURA:** Sister?

**Elysia:** Yup. You see… You’re a pink-haired girl, I’m also a pink-haired girl…

**Elysia:** If we change our clothes and stand together, people would think that we’re sisters.

**Elysia:** Then, nobody will suspect our real identities.

**SAKURA:** …Alright, you have a point.

**Elysia:** Wah, so you agree? Great!

**Elysia:** Then SAKURA, you’ll be the older sister, okay? In that aspect, you’re more experienced than I am.

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** How… did you know?

**SAKURA:** Did you peek at my pendant?

**Elysia:** Not at all! I just unintentionally glanced at it! When the plane took off, you opened it once, right?

**SAKURA:** …

**SAKURA:** I thought nobody would notice such an inconspicuous action.

**SAKURA:** Looks like… Elysia, I can’t treat you like a normal colleague after all.

**Elysia:** I think so too. Since we’re comrades together on a confidential mission, we should get to know each other better, right?

**Elysia:** I’ve never had the chance to talk to you much. Then… SAKURA, can you tell me more about that photograph?

**Elysia:** You’re smiling so sweetly in that photo, I want to see you smile like that too.

…

**Elysia:** Come here, Griseo! Let me pinch your cheeks… Oh my, how soft~♪

**Griseo:** …

**Elysia:** How are you so cute? You don’t look one bit like your father, what a relief!

**Elysia:** Ah~ I’m so weak for cute children like you~♪

**Griseo:** …

**Elysia:** Oh, since Aunt Mobius isn’t around, I’ll bring you out and play!

**Elysia:** Little Griseo doesn’t want to stay in this green place all the time either, right? Let’s go do something only girls will do, okay?

**Griseo:** …Okay.

…

**Elysia:** Talk to me about anything, Aponia.

**Aponia:** …

**Aponia:** Miss Elysia…

**Elysia:** Don’t be so cold, call me Ellie!

**Aponia:** You… are not afraid of me?

**Elysia:** Afraid?

**Elysia:** Did you think that I would distance myself from you because I was worried that your beauty would steal the limelight?

**Elysia:** Not at all, I love pretty girls!

…

**Su:** Sorry, I actually don’t know…

**Elysia:** Please, Doctor… This is very important to me…

**Su:** …

**Su:** May I ask you something, Miss Elysia?

**Elysia:** Just call me Elysia… What is it?

**Su:** How is Kevin’s weakness… related to your illness?

**Elysia:** Ugh… Doctor, you don’t understand…

**Elysia:** This is a young girl’s emotional illness…

…

**Elysia:** Whew. It’s so difficult to meet you. Poor me.

**Elysia:** You have no idea how many sentries they’ve set up. It’s like a prison here… Maybe you should try escaping once?

**Kalpas:** It’s not hard to, but it’s meaningless.

**Elysia:** You’re Kalpas, right?

**Elysia:** You look like a certain friend of mine, though you’re a little wilder and… unrestrained.

**Elysia:** Oh, could the two of you be related?

**Elysia:** Can you take off your mask and show me your face?

…

**Elysia:** It’s meaningless to repeat what someone else has said before, right?

**Elysia:** So today, there will be no solemn talks, just a relaxed, happy chat.

**Elysia:** Just some girls’ talk. This is the team’s style, so you should adapt to it quickly.

**Elysia:** Firstly, hmm… Right, let’s start with outfits.

**Hua:** Outfits?

**Elysia:** Did you forget? It’s the MOTHs’ “tradition” next month.

**Elysia:** The MANTISes don’t join the ball at the base, so we hold one ourselves.

**Elysia:** There’s a different atmosphere even though there are less people. You can look forward to it, remember to dress up beautifully and make a few more friends~

**Elysia:** This is your first mission after joining the team. Recruit Hua, please take it seriously because… I’m responsible for your examination results~♪

…

**Elysia:** You can’t do that.

**Pardofelis:** Ah…!

**Elysia:** Other things are fine, but that’s a gift for someone else.

**Pardofelis:** Ah, this… Oh, you mean this hair clip? I just picked it up from the floor! Haha… Sometimes, this kind of thing happens…

**Elysia:** Yep, then let’s say that I was careless this time. Be careful next time, alright?

**Pardofelis:** Ahaha… Then, boss… I’ll go ahead first?

**Elysia:** Hold up~♪

**Pardofelis:** Eh?! W-What’s wrong…

**Elysia:** Let me see what stocks you’ve got.

**Elysia:** That crystal flower brooch looks like it’d suit me perfectly.

…

**Elysia:** Then… Su will be ranked 7th? Any opinions on that?

**Kevin:** …

**Elysia:** Kevin, don’t be so quiet. Are you still bothered by what happened?

**Elysia:** Don’t worry, I’m not angry anymore. You’re right, we shouldn’t wallow in the past. So look, I’m making plans for the future now.

**Elysia:** You don’t have anything to say about your old friend’s rank? Anything is fine.

**Kevin:** Elysia, I still don’t know what you want to do.

**Elysia:** Hmm? Kevin, I thought you had already guessed it, since you were so silent.

**Elysia:** Even if you haven’t, you should at least understand the importance of the current situation, right?

**Elysia:** Look, everyone’s going to split up soon. Although it’s upsetting, there’s still a chance that’ll let us hold greater authority over important decisions.

**Elysia:** I’m planning to make… a team of heroes who will be humanity’s last line of defense.

**Elysia:** …The Thirteen Flame-Chasers.

**Elysia:** Are you satisfied with this name?

…

Countless memories rushed forth and surfaced in their minds.

Like waves, those memories ebbed and flowed.

A person’s lifetime is so trivial, chaotic, yet enduring.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** …Such lively memories. So many things happened.

**Mei:** Although Elysia always claimed that she has never changed, over such a long time, you can still see her slowly mature from her youth.

**Elf Elysia:** And even more skilled in certain ways!

**Mei:** Every meeting is a turning point that split her life into different parts. She seems so different, yet so similar in everyone else’s eyes.

**Mei:** She’s always smiling, just like a happy elf who never has a moment of sorrow.

**Mei:** Even in the Realm, when you look at her like this… she makes you feel happy and comforted.

**Elf Elysia:** Because the essence of a person does not change.

**Elf Elysia:** Elysia’s feelings towards everyone definitely aren’t fake, right?

**Elf Elysia:** Even if nobody knew that she was a Herrscher, even in that rational era, where Herrschers are bound to become humanity’s enemy… But she’s definitely special, right?

**Elf Elysia:** So, her ending will definitely be happy and warm…

**Elf Elysia:** …Right?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** …Now that I think about it, someone important seemed to be missing from that memory just now.

**Mei:** I think… we might get an answer to this question in her remaining memories.

**Mei:** Come, Eden…

…

**Eden:** So… this is your childhood, Ellie?

**Elysia:** Yes. Even if I were to forget it, you’ll remember it for me, right, my dear Eden?

**Eden:** Of course. You know me, how can I forget anything related to you?

**Eden:** But, Ellie, are you sure you didn’t exaggerate any details? Rather than memories, this feels more like a fairy tale.

**Elysia:** Haha, Elysia’s story has to be a fairy tale.

**Elysia:** Ah… I really wish that this starry sky will continue to shine eternally. Pity, the night is coming to an end.

**Eden:** …

**Eden:** Ellie, are you… leaving us?

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** …I really can’t hide anything from you, Eden.

**Elysia:** I think I will.

**Elysia:** Dr. MEI was right… At least, she was right about the most important point.

**Elysia:** Perhaps…

**Elysia:** I…

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** Perhaps I really am a Herrscher…

**Elysia:** I knew this day would come…

**Elysia:** So it’s alright, I’ve already thought about what to do after.

**Eden:** …

**Eden:** I see.

Eden smiled but said nothing else.

The two of them immersed in silence. Elysia only spoke after a long while.

**Elysia:** Eden, I’m sorry…

**Eden:** It’s okay, Ellie.

**Eden:** I know how much you love this world, how much you love the people in your heart.

**Eden:** Because of that, I also understand that this was a difficult choice for you to make.

**Eden:** That this was the last resort you took when you were at a complete loss over what to do.

**Eden:** So, I’ll walk to the end with you.

**Eden:** As for the truth… that’s not important to me, we can find out about it at a time that pleases you.

**Elysia:** Thank you, Eden.

**Elysia:** I’m just… a little afraid.

**Elysia:** It must be strange… to hear me say “afraid”, right?

**Elysia:** But I really am worried…

**Elysia:** If “Elysia’s” existence is a lie, then all those experiences… and beautiful memories that we’ve been through together, those oaths and promises…

**Elysia:** …Will they all disappear?

**Eden:** They won’t, Ellie.

**Eden:** Such “special” circumstances have never sullied your shine, only made your pristineness more beautiful.

**Eden:** No matter what you may be hiding, I always believe… that you’re my beloved friend, Elysia. One who treasures and protects the beauty of this world.

**Eden:** That’s enough, right?

**Elysia:** Yes, that’s enough, Eden. That’s enough.

**Elysia:** After all, there aren’t many people who will dislike a cute girl like me, right?

**Elysia:** Then… during that last banquet, can you sing again for me?

…

The memories drifted away. The next thing Mei knew, the flower had become an invitation that drifted into her hand.

**Elf Elysia:** In the end, she finally knew the answer… right?

**Elf Elysia:** But… it was a sad answer…

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Elf Elysia… You…

**Elf Elysia:** Oh my… I’ve been found out. I think I’m becoming a little translucent?

**Elf Elysia:** Think about it, the me here is a vector of memories, created by the Flame-Chasers’ thoughts towards Elysia.

**Elf Elysia:** Now, those thoughts are becoming your emotions.

**Elf Elysia:** So, I’m also gradually becoming a part of you.

She smiled.

**Elf Elysia:** Don’t worry! I won’t disappear, because I will become “me”.

**Elf Elysia:** The “me” that everyone remembers, the “me” that you’re working so hard to find, that is undoubtedly me too.

**Elf Elysia:** So, don’t feel sad, don’t look back. Watch “my” story till the end, okay?

**Mei:** …Okay.

**Elf Elysia:** Rest assured! Until I completely vanish, I will always be by your side. After all, I know that my cute human is afraid to be lonely.

**Mei:** Just like “you”, right?

**Elf Elysia:** Haha, I can’t deny that… Then let’s hurry and open this letter!

**Elf Elysia:** After this, Elysia walked towards her end, that final banquet. Look… She already sent you an invitation.

…

**Elysia:** After that, I thought about it for a very long time.

**Elysia:** I really am a Herrscher, right?

**Elysia:** That’s for certain. Or else, there are too many things that don’t make sense.

**Elysia:** Although I used to feel a little grateful… that I am different from the other Herrschers. I did not become one from a human, but I appeared as one out of nowhere.

**Elysia:** But now, I must accept reality…

**Elysia:** In the end, what is my power?

**Elysia:** Nobody has ever told me about this, and nobody has ever told me to do anything.

**Elysia:** Hmm… Let me think, other than being a little cuter, a little smarter, and a little more perfect…

**Elysia:** I’m just like everybody else!

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** So… this is the answer, right?

**Elysia:** I have the looks and virtues of a human.

**Elysia:** I breathe and live like a human.

**Elysia:** There are times when I’m happy, sad, disappointed, and resolved. I can’t bear to part with the past, but I am also willing to… let go of the future.

**Elysia:** So my name should be the Herrscher of Human, right?

**Elysia:** A human-like Herrscher, humanity’s Herrscher.

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** So, now…

**Elysia:** I also need to do some things that… only a human would do.

The girl quietly brushed her hair in front of the mirror.

Cosmetics were strewn before her. Evidently, she just had an intense struggle with those bottles.

**Elysia:** Ugh… For some reason, I’m just not satisfied.

**Elysia:** Is it because my eyeshadow is uneven? Ah, the placement of my blush seems uneven too…

**Elysia:** Haa… I should have asked Vill-V to teach me more about putting on makeup. I didn’t think it’d be so difficult.

**Elysia:** After all, I look so good, I never needed to wear makeup.

**Elysia:** Hm, let’s try again…

…

**Elysia:** Oh no, my lipliner is slanted…

…

**Elysia:** Hmm… Maybe I shouldn’t have used the highlighter…

…

**Elysia:** Ah! My eyeliner smudged!

…

**Elysia:** All done~♪

She smiled at herself in the mirror, and looked to the twelve invitations on the vanity.

Twelve invitations. She prepared SAKURA’s.

Only she never sent them.

**Elysia:** I told a huge lie… after all.

**Elysia:** Once a crystal flower has been shattered, it will never return to how it was before.

**Elysia:** A human’s true feelings are the same, no?

**Elysia:** The beauty of humanity… is so dazzling, yet so fragile.

**Elysia:** But it is precisely because it’s fragile that we should protect it carefully, right?

What followed was the last banquet she prepared for herself. It would go down in history as humanity’s victory over the Herrschers.

And she would perform the true ending on the unseen backstage.

**Elysia:** If Herrschers no longer meant an eternal farewell, if every Herrscher had the potential to regain humanity…

**Elysia:** Humans would never need to face such difficult decisions again. Humans… can attain a chance at hope.

**Elysia:** To us, that is more valuable than victory.

**Elysia:** So, if “humanity” is my power, if all that is beautiful in mankind is made of “Elysia”…

**Elysia:** Then, at the end of the story, let me bring them back to where I was born.

**Elysia:** And then, I’ll scatter the seeds on the withered ground…

**Elysia:** I believe, since humanity’s civilisation raised me, then I can also let…

**Elysia:** …A pristine and eternal flower bloom again.

…

**Mei:** Those unsent invitation letters… Those aren’t meant for a banquet at all, right?

**Mei:** From the beginning, that was a mission, a “crusade” against the 13th Herrscher…

**Elf Elysia:** But Elysia disguised it as a banquet, for she wished for her ending to be beautiful and dazzling.

**Mei:** But in the end, she still never sent those invitation letters.

**Mei:** She was afraid that the others would not accept the truth about her, afraid that her one lie would hurt those she treasures.

**Mei:** She would rather leave this world with the title of the 13th Herrscher than to see everything she loves… turn to nothing.

**Elf Elysia:** Are you… disappointed in her?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** How could I be…

Mei raised her invitation. It was glittering like a poetry or love confession that begged to be opened.

**Mei:** So what… if she’s a Herrscher?

**Mei:** Aren’t I… a Herrscher too?

But she did not.

**Elf Elysia:** Huh?!

**Elf Elysia:** W-What are you doing?!

A wind from the sea gently took the invitation from Mei. She stood there quietly and watched the invitation flutter into the distance.

**Elf Elysia:** Cute human… why…

**Mei:** The 13th Herrscher doesn’t exist… right?

**Mei:** Since the sender never existed, what purpose does this invitation serve?

**Mei:** Even though they did not receive their invitations, the Flame-Chasers in reality made the same decision I did, no?

**Elf Elysia:** Oh… So that’s what you mean. You gave me a scare!

**Elf Elysia:** You’re right, nobody wanted to treat her as an enemy. I’m glad.

**Elf Elysia:** But you didn’t have to go so far! This is just a memory…

**Mei:** Yes, this is only part of her memories.

**Mei:** So everything in her memories is identical to history, nothing will change.

**Mei:** Naturally… everything will also move towards its destined end.

**Mei:** In reality, only four Flame-Chasers attended that banquet. I’m afraid those four had hidden motives behind their attendance.

**Mei:** Elysia didn’t think that most of them would be absent as a way to object to the “crusade”, so only those four witnessed her end.

**Elf Elysia:** Only? What do you mean…

**Mei:** To Elysia, it must have felt a little regretful. After all…

**Mei:** To walk towards the end while surrounded by everyone… that would suit her aesthetics more, don’t you think?

**Elf Elysia:** Cute human, don’t tell me that… you’re intending to create something that never happened in history from your own memories? To create… a perfect banquet?

**Elf Elysia:** Is that… really possible?

**Mei:** I don’t know, but… it’s worth trying. Because I promised Vill-V that I would do my best to get… the best ending for everyone.

**Mei:** This is the Flame-Chasers’ wish, and also… my wish.

**Elf Elysia:** But… the Flame-Chasers’ memory replicas will never come back.

**Elf Elysia:** Are you going to revive all twelve of them by yourself?

**Mei:** That would definitely be impossible.

**Mei:** So now, I can only invite the last person in the Realm to attend this banquet, which is…

My: …”Myself”.

**Mei:** Since we are in my mind, it’s alright for me to use a bit of my memories as embellishments, right?

**Mei:** If the past left marks that can turn into hope in the distant future…

**Mei:** Then of course, we can use the future she created and convert it to… hope for the past.

**Mei:** What do you think?

Mei looked at Elf Elysia.

**Mei:** Elysia?

**Mei:** …

**Elysia:** …Mei, when did you notice?

**Mei:** Since you called yourself “Elysia” instead of “the mature me”.

**Elysia:** Wasn’t that right from the beginning?

**Mei:** The real Elf Elysia probably disappeared along with Eden and became one of the many memories here.

**Mei:** After all, your childhood experiences didn’t seem like it was told by someone else. In fact… there was an extra layer of “fairy tale magic”.

**Elysia:** I just gave it a little flair! The content is the same, I promise!

**Mei:** Of course, I won’t suspect you anymore.

**Mei:** What I saw was your “ego”. And I suppose all that you said along the way were also heartfelt words?

**Mei:** Just like those twelve unsent invitations, you were also afraid that… I wouldn’t accept your true self.

**Mei:** Even though you were afraid, you still freely showed me everything about your past.

**Mei:** Look at you, disguised as Elf Elysia, following me around anxiously, and watching my every reaction…

**Mei:** You’re nothing like a Herrscher, you’re clearly just a normal girl.

**Elysia:** Really, you see right through me, Mei.

**Elysia:** But I’m also just a small part of Elysia, an aspect that you’ve first awoken.

**Elysia:** So now, I can finally disappear peacefully, and become a part of you.

**Elysia:** Let’s part ways here for now, and… go awaken the whole of “Elysia”, alright, Mei?

**Mei:** I will.

**Mei:** Thank you for opening up your heart to me, and thank you… for coming all the way here with me.

**Elysia:** I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for understanding my everything, Mei…

**Elysia:** But if we’re parting ways, there are more suitable things to say, right?

**Elysia:** For example, the awakening code that matches with… the keeper’s closing code.

**Elysia:** Mei is really smart, so you can definitely guess it, right?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Yeah. Farewell… Dearest Elysia.

**Elysia:** Hehe, farewell!

**Elysia:** Oh no, maybe I should say… “see you later”?

**Mei:** Mhm, see you later.

She finally set foot on the last step.

**Mei:** (Once I enter this door, I won’t just be a spectator.)

**Mei:** (I’ll be stepping into her story as an attendee.)

**Mei:** Of course, I’ve long been prepared.

**Mei:** Elysia, show me everything about that banquet.

**Mei:** And… everything about you.

…

…

…

**Elysia:** This is “my” everything.

**Elysia:** I think I should tell you everything before it all ends…

**Elysia:** …Dr. MEI.

There were only two people under the stars.

**MEI:** Yeah.

**Elysia:** Hmm… To be honest, I’m not entirely sure about what’s going to happen.

**Elysia:** I’ve always advocated that pretty girls can do everything, but to change a Herrscher… is still beyond my imagination.

**Elysia:** Maybe I’ll succeed and from now on, every Herrscher will be a Herrscher of Human like me.

**Elysia:** Maybe if I do even better, in the next second, the Honkai will completely disappear from this world.

**Elysia:** But maybe… nothing will happen.

**MEI:** …

**Elysia:** Even so, I still want to try.

**Elysia:** Those people who have fought fervently up till now, everyone who I love deeply… They deserve to have a better ending.

**Elysia:** This is something that only I can do, and I should do.

**Elysia:** Perhaps I was born for this moment, what do you think?

**MEI:** If even you have to guess, then we really know nothing… about the Honkai.

**MEI:** But if I think about it, “Honkai”, “Herrscher”, “Final”… They are all terms that the MOTHs have coined as a description for mankind’s current situation.

**MEI:** But this description is ultimately only a prediction, not the root of the situation.

**Elysia:** Don’t say that, at least I’ve ascertained for you that the so-called “will of god” is only a making of humanity’s imagination.

**Elysia:** A god that leads the Herrschers does not exist. At least for me, the “sentience” that those disciples speak of has yet to appear.

**Elysia:** In my own subconsciousness, I can only vaguely feel a sense of chaos, just like a newborn cocoon…

**Elysia:** It seems to be telling me that everything I had experienced was not a judgment, nor a trial…

**Elysia:** It’s just an “embrace”.

**Elysia:** But… for humans, this type of embrace is too agonising.

**MEI:** Maybe this is the price that civilisation has to pay to mature from its “childhood”.

**MEI:** Of course, it’s joyful to be a child, but that also means that you allow others to control your destiny.

**MEI:** In the end, we will not be trapped by this planet, we’ll metamorphose and fly towards the vast galaxy. That is the MOTHs’ calling, and a future that belongs to human civilisation on this earth.

**Elysia:** Metamorphose… What a beautiful word.

**Elysia:** In that case, a Herrscher like me can be a “metamorphosis” too, right?

**MEI:** Indeed, it’s a suitable definition.

**MEI:** I hope everyone in the future will have a chance to use it one day.

**Elysia:** Yes, I’m sure they will.

**MEI:** …

**MEI:** Elysia, thank you for telling me this.

**MEI:** I regret that… I won’t be able to witness you bloom.

**Elysia:** Don’t worry, your condition is no secret after all. Wouldn’t it be strange to make a sickly, normal person attend the “crusade” against the 13th Herrscher?

**Elysia:** The world now desperately needs… trust. Humans need something they can have faith in, a reasonable “saying”…

**Elysia:** So, let the very first Herrscher, the Herrscher of Origin…

**Elysia:** …Become a perfect fairy tale.

Dr. MEI wanted to say something, but did not.

**Elysia:** No need to be so solemn.

**Elysia:** I am the female protagonist of this story, isn’t it natural for me to save the world I love once?

**Elysia:** See, even as doomsday draws near, there are still people who bear hope for tomorrow.

**Elysia:** When civilisation was crumbling, there was still light coming out from the cracks.

**Elysia:** I like this kind of humanity, this kind of world. They gave birth to the miracle known as the Herrscher of Human.

**Elysia:** We have indeed created an unprecedented story along the way.

**Elysia:** I believe that… in the future, humans can also do so, right?

**MEI:** Of course.

**Elysia:** So, can you promise me, MEI?

**Elysia:** Even if “STIGMA” is a successful project, don’t give up on “EMBER” no matter what, alright?

**MEI:** After all, the most unthinkable plan holds the greatest potential, right?

**MEI:** I promise.

**MEI:** Whether it’s Project STIGMA that will overturn and redefine everything, or Project EMBER that will smoothly and quietly change destiny…

**MEI:** They share the same true power, and will create a path towards the future after us.

**MEI:** And coincidentally, one is the worst project and the other is the best. How interesting.

**Elysia:** Yeah.

**Elysia:** …Just like humans themselves, right?

…

At first, the world was at chaos.

It was without light and darkness; It was without beginning and end.

The same as deleted data. The same as erased memory.

Only an absolute void remained.

Then… what was the thing that remained?

**???:** …

A blurry light appeared in the distance.

**???:** Today… I will only sing your favorite song.

It was a warm, gentle, and nostalgic light.

**???:** You… have changed destiny.

That light was good, for it divided the chaos, illuminated the darkness, and dispelled the void.

**???:** Don’t wear such a surprised expression.

That light seemed to be calling someone, to be honoring someone. That light seemed to be chanting someone’s name, to be singing someone’s story.

**???:** Because we have always believed in you.

**???:** …

…Why?

At the end of this story, she would confront humanity and depart this life as the 13th Herrscher, so the people she loved most could take over the stage. Supposedly.

But why…

In the end, the one in the spotlight surrounded by everybody… was herself?

And why…

Were these memories that should have died with time… alive here?

**???:** Because I am here.

**???:** Because I will remember.

**???:** Because your birth, footsteps, and every detail in your life will be remembered by those you love…

**???:** Eternally saved her beyond millenniums.

**???:** Yes, because we still remember.

**???:** Our lives are intertwined with each other’s, our memories are linked together.

**???:** As long as someone remembers, they will continue to exist.

**???:** Her figure has been engraved in our lives, her name still endlessly being called.

**???:** Hmph, what a weird name.

**???:** It’s too long. Can’t remember it.

**???:** But it’s such a nice name! It sounds like a big shot!

**???:** Thank you. I will not forget your kindness and your name.

**???:** We were brought together by this name. Even if we have never been acknowledged, this was an undoubted fact.

**???:** As long as we acknowledge ourselves, then we are one.

**???:** So, I’ll do everything I can, regardless of how. By my name…

**???:** Everyone is together…

**???:** Herrscher of Origin… a name that suits you so much.

**???:** You are the origin of yesterday, and also the origin of tomorrow.

**???:** You really created it, no? A paradise in your name, Elysia’s paradise… Look, it’s right here.

**???:** An everlasting and pristine Elysium.

**???:** An era that belongs to humans.

If there was anything that could crown a human.

It could only be humanity itself.

**???:** So come back… and take a look again, at the world that exists because of you.

**???:** This is a story that you started.

**???:** And also a stage that I dedicate to you.

**???:** Just like before, respond to my call…

**???:** …Elysia.

*[CG plays again, this time with altered dialogue:*

***Elysia:** Oh my… you still caught me in the end!*

***Elysia:** I’ve been waiting for a long time.*

***Elysia:** A reunion after saying goodbye… how about we greet each other properly?*

***Elysia:** Hi, miss me yet?*]

--

#### Gameplay 31-11 - That Day’s Goodbye

Petals fell. The girl from the memories was there.

**Mei:** …

**Elysia:** …

**Mei:** You’re not going to say anything? It’s unlike you to be so silent.

**Elysia:** Then… I’m back?

**Mei:** Yes, welcome back.

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** Wow… That’s such an emotional thing to say. How unfair.

**Elysia:** You’ve become quite assertive when I wasn’t around, huh?

**Mei:** After all, someone decided to disappear all by herself.

**Elysia:** Then… Am I the same as how she is in your memories?

**Mei:** Exactly identical.

**Elysia:** Good.

**Elysia:** …You really did it, Mei.

**Elysia:** Now, your memories and everyone’s memories… They are all here, entangled together.

**Elysia:** I’ve seen them all… I’ve told such a huge lie, it’s only natural for everyone to be angry at me.

**Elysia:** But they all smiled and forgave me in the end… Don’t you think they’re spoiling me too much?

**Mei:** Is that really something you should say about yourself?

**Mei:** You’re sincere with everyone, so they also reciprocate with sincerity… I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.

**Elysia:** Wow, since even Mei thinks so, then it must be true!

**Mei:** You expected me to say that.

**Elysia:** Mhm~♪

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Elysia.

**Mei:** I have finished a story named “Elysia”… Now, I’m left with the last page.

**Mei:** The ending of that banquet…

**Elysia:** Was also my ending.

**Mei:** This time, I don’t want to be a reader or spectator outside the story.

**Mei:** To be unable to touch anything while reading a distant memory… I don’t wish to meet the end this way.

**Mei:** So this time, I want to enter the stage in this book and witness the end of the human, Elysia, as an attendee.

**Mei:** To witness… everything about you and the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.

**Mei:** And engrave it all in my heart.

**Mei:** This is the greatest respect I can give as a successor to the heroes that have paved the way for us.

**Elysia:** Hmm…

**Elysia:** If you say it like this, there’s no way I can refuse.

**Elysia:** Then let me lead you… into the last page of this story book~♪

The languid bell rings clearly, turning the entire world into a pure white.

The petals float down as the pages turn back to where the story began.

**Elysia:** How nostalgic.

**Elysia:** Then…

**Elysia:** I wonder if this pretty lady here would be willing to…

**Elysia:** Join this fabulous feast?

**Elysia:** On that night, the first to attend the banquet was Vill-V.

**Elysia:** She always arrived much earlier to prepare enough surprises for everyone…

**Elysia:** Like this special claw crane. Wanna try it out?

**Elysia:** Oh my, you caught me.

**Elysia:** Mei, don’t go easy on me.

**Elysia:** Get serious, I’m looking forward to it.

**Elysia:** Mei, I’m here.

**Elysia:** Mei’s really good at this game.

**Elysia:** Mei… Try to focus.

**Elysia:** Kyah!

**Elysia:** It’s my turn. Are you ready? Three… two… one!

**Mei:** How special indeed.

**Elysia:** Especially interesting, don’t you think?

**Elysia:** I. Caught. You.

**Elysia:** Mei, you can’t run.

**Mei:** I have the upper hand now.

**[CHOICE] =** Draw

**Elysia:** Oh my, it’s a draw.

**Elysia:** It’s like we have a special connection!

**[CHOICE] =** Win

**Elysia:** You’re fabulous, Mei. You won!

**[CHOICE] =** Lose

???

**Elysia:** Phew…

**Elysia:** Vill-V invents the wackiest things, don’t you think?

**Mei:** She’s creative, that’s for sure.

**Elysia:** She loves the smile of others more than anything.

**Elysia:** That was an appetizer. Let’s move to desserts, shall we?

**Elysia:** The second to arrive was Aponia.

**Elysia:** She wore a gown with that veil. She was so gorgeous that I almost didn’t recognise her.

**Elysia:** She said “I detest fate for taking you away, yet I thank fate for bringing me to you”.

**Elysia:** Typical Aponia, right?

**Elysia:** She also said she’d do whatever I wanted with me in the final days.

**Elysia:** So I grabbed her and played girl games~♪

**Elysia:** So, are you ready, Mei?

**Elysia:** Just relax and enjoy this.

**Mei:** Yeah, I’m ready.

**Elysia:** Then… let’s go!

**Elysia:** I’m not surprised you could do it with ease.

**Elysia:** Wow, that shot was amazing! Mei, did you see that?

**[CHOICE] =** Draw

???

**[CHOICE] =** Win

**Elysia:** Mei won! How incredible!

**Elysia:** I’m glad Mei took our match seriously.

**Mei:** You’re one to talk. I thought I was going to lose.

**Elysia:** My, are you praising me? Then go ahead and say more.

**[CHOICE] =** Lose

**Elysia:** Wow, I won! That feels good!

**Elysia:** Mei, you didn’t go easy on me, did you?

**Elysia:** Actually… I’m already content with playing with Mei like this.

**Elysia:** We had so much fun. I think you have what it takes to be a sharpshooter!

**Mei:** Because I have a great teacher.

**Elysia:** Uh-huh, that’s what Aponia said that day.

**Elysia:** Recalling that banquet fills me with feelings…

**Elysia:** The third to make an entrance was my BFF Eden. She was breathtaking… I was speechless.

**Elysia:** Eden was so caring that she dressed according to my hair color…

**Elysia:** And even invited me on a joyride.

**Elysia:** But back then, we didn’t take a roller coaster. As for what we took… I’m sure you’ve already guessed it.

**Mei:** Yeah, I think I know.

**Elysia:** Hehe, but it’s nice to take the roller coaster with Mei like this.

**Elysia:** How about ramping up the romance? Such as… more fireworks…

**Elysia:** I love fireworks. They give up everything for a moment of shine. How captivating.

**Elysia:** Now, let me give Mei a surprise…

**Elysia:** Keep your eyes peeled.

**Elysia:** The last fireworks must be grand and breathtaking!

**Elysia:** As for our dance… it’s about time that it begins.

**Elysia:** The last to arrive at the banquet…

**Elysia:** Was that seemingly cold but passionate boy.

**Elysia:** So, I reached my hand out to him like this.

**Elysia:** Just like how I’m inviting Mei now.

**Elysia:** May I have… one last dance with you?

**Elysia:** What are you thinking about, Mei? You shouldn’t space out when you’re dancing with a cute girl.

**Mei:** Oh no, I just saw…

**Mei:** They’re all here, right?

**Elysia:** Yup, now let us build up to the climax of this banquet.

**Elysia:** Let us welcome our beloved guests on stage!

**Elysia:** Guest number one is about to bring us her performance!

**Elysia:** Hehe, wrong guess~

**Elysia:** Too slow. Is that all you’ve got?

**Elysia:** Looking forward to it. How’s my luck?

**Elysia:** Oh, lucky!

**Mei:** Looks like this is another guest’s forte.

**Elysia:** Mhm~♪

**Mei:** This is Elysia’s true power…

**Mei:** Then I must… live up to her expectations.

**???:** Hehe, then let’s give Mei another push!

**Mei:** Pardo?

**???:** Is it that surprising? You haven’t paid your debts, don’t think I’ll ever forget that!

**???:** We can’t let Ellie down either, right?

**Mortal of Reverie:** Dreams are ever-changing. You can share in my good fortune!

**Guardian of Vicissitude:** Life is short, but the will carries on.

**Painter of Stars:** Your hue… is like a starry sky.

**Youth of Daybreak:** So go beyond infinity… Don’t let me down!

**Youth of Daybreak:** This is the daybreak you have lighted.

**Sakura of Setsuna:** A single strike can last forever.

**Enlightened of Bodhi:** With this wisdom, the way forward is opened.

**Mad King of Decimation:** Rise up and behold complete annihilation!

**Fool of Helix:** Steal this moment and receive helical applause!

**Diva of Gold:** With this golden song, sound the melody of destiny.

**Ascetic of Discipline:** No need for Discipline. We, the Thirteen Flame-Chasers…

**Hero of Deliverance:** In the name of Deliverance, be bequeathed to future generations.

**Mei:** The powers of the Signets are fusing together…

**Elysia:** And guiding you as they did before, right?

**Elysia:** Look, they are all here to witness this banquet.

**Elysia:** Because you did it! You’ve been acknowledged by the Thirteen Flame-Chasers!

**Mei:** This is the final farewell, the most grandiose finale… So I cannot leave any regrets behind.

**Mei:** Show me everything you have… Elysia!

**Elysia:** Yeah, come at me, Mei!

**Elysia:** Finally, we’ve reached the climax of this dance.

**Elysia:** Are you surprised, Mei?

**Elysia:** The Herrscher of Origin, that is my other name… What do you think?

**Mei:** Herrscher of Origin?

**Mei:** You’re just a normal human girl, nothing more.

**Elysia:** Do you like a snowy landscape like this?

**Mei:** If I had to choose, I’d rather you be passionate.

**Mei:** These dance steps are hard to keep up with.

**Elysia:** That’s why you need to be more assertive, Mei.

**Elysia:** Wow, Mei, I was flying high! Did you see it?

**Mei:** As clear as can be.

**Elysia:** Mei, the dance is not over yet~

**Elysia:** A waltz under the stars deserves the most spectacular closure. What say you?

**Mei:** Let’s do it.

**[CHOICE] =** Lose

**Mei:** My true powers… are far beyond this.

**Mei:** This banquet… won’t end here!

**Elysia:** …

…

**Mei:** Is this… the end?

**Elysia:** Yep.

**Elysia:** I never imagined I could relive that banquet like that… Thank you, Mei.

**Mei:** So, that was how the Flame-Chasers… saw you in the end.

**Elysia:** Yeah.

**Elysia:** “They didn’t come because they believe in Elysia and disobeyed the order for the “crusade”.”

**Elysia:** “We came because we believe in Elysia and accepted the invite.”

**Elysia:** I thought I could unite everybody by establishing a common enemy… In the end they were, but for other reasons.

**Elysia:** I’m so lucky to have met them.

**Mei:** Kevin, Eden, Aponia, Vill-V… The owners of the four crystal flowers figured it out, didn’t they?

**Elysia:** After Dr. MEI finished examining me, I told Eden my story in full detail.

**Elysia:** You know, the romantic moonlight makes you open up, and she’s such a good listener.

**Elysia:** Aponia knew I was special all along, since her power really lets her see things.

**Elysia:** But she never told anyone about it. “I want to believe in the you that I see, not the hazy threads of fate.” It’s rare to see her so agitated.

**Elysia:** And our Vill-V… Ah, like Dr. MEI, she was clever enough to deduce the answer.

**Elysia:** But she didn’t let it get out either. “Exposing the magic is spoiling the fun.” Nothing says Vill-V like that response!

**Elysia:** As for Kevin, he was clueless about the truth. He only attended the banquet to tell me…

**Elysia:** “There’s no Herrscher here, only a Flame-Chaser bearing the Signet of Ego.”

**Elysia:** From my perspective, he’s silly, isn’t he? Exactly the same as before…

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** They trusted me… How could I not have known?

**Elysia:** But what I wanted to do wouldn’t change nor could be changed.

**Elysia:** Our civilisation is history. The only thing I can do is to leave hope for the next generation.

**Elysia:** At the cost of my dissolution, I made a bet. I hoped that the future… the destiny Aponia deemed written could change somewhat.

**Elysia:** I didn’t know if it would work, let alone what would happen afterward…

**Elysia:** But I still wanted to believe that it’d lead to something…

**Elysia:** I wanted to believe that humans have the power to change.

**Elysia:** And now… Mei, I finally found the answer.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** I’m the Herrscher of Thunder and, even more so, Mei Raiden. I’m living proof, the best proof.

**Mei:** I know it’s too late to say this, but…

**Mei:** Thank you, Elysia. Thank you… for giving us the chance to change our fate in the very beginning.

**Mei:** The weight of a person’s everything is unthinkable, but you, and you all… make me feel like I must do it.

**Elysia:** Now Mei knows me inside out and isn’t afraid to show it!

**Elysia:** You’re just making it harder for me to say goodbye…

**Mei:** …

**Elysia:** Mei, wanna guess what I wanna do now?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Take another look at Elysium Everlasting?

**Elysia:** Bingo! But you missed one thing… I wanna do it with you~♪

**Mei:** Of course.

**Elysia:** Let’s walk around before parting ways… okay?

**Elysia:** Mei, do you know why it’s always dusk here, even though every other part of Elysium Everlasting has day and night?

**Mei:** Because the amusement park is the most beautiful when it’s illuminated by lights, right?

**Elysia:** Correct! I want to capture its most beautiful moment for eternity.

**Elysia:** Even if… “eternity” would also come to an end one day.

**Elysia:** Initially, I had planned to take the roller coaster here with Mei to that island, but I didn’t expect so many things to happen.

**Mei:** Does this roller coaster encircle the entire Elysium Everlasting?

**Elysia:** Yup! It travels around it again and again on a long track, so we can take in all the stunning scenery.

**Elysia:** And when it reaches its terminal, we’re back at its starting point.

**Elysia:** Look, it’s a carousel!

**Mei:** Elf Elysia said that she really likes this.

**Elysia:** Who doesn’t like carousels? I’ve once considered adding it into the Thirteen Flame-Chasers’ team building program… but I decided against it in the end.

**Elysia:** Because there are only twelve seats on that carousel. Whoever's left behind would feel so upset.

**Elysia:** But today, we don’t have to worry about this…

**Elysia:** Although the empty seats do make me feel lonely…

**Little Girl:** Ellie! Ellie! Let’s play!

**Elysia:** Sorry, Marianne, but I can’t play with you today.

**Elysia:** I need to take this pretty lady around~

**Little Girl:** Um… Alright then, let’s play together next time! That’s a promise!

**Elysia:** Mhm, I promise.

Grandpa: Oh… Why, if it isn’t our little Ellie! Are you hungry?

**Elysia:** Grandpa Seti! I am, because your cakes are the best~

Grandpa: Haha, I knew it. Here, I specially left it for you.

**Elysia:** Thank you, Grandpa Seti! I can’t wait!

**Elysia:** Mei, come try this. Good things are meant to be shared.

**Mei:** Alright.

Elsa: Heeey, where are you going all dressed up like that?

**Elysia:** Hi, Elsa. you’re right, I’m all dolled up today because… Wanna take a guess?

Elsa: Hmph, cliff-hanging again? I’m not guessing, you’ll tell me anyway.

**Elysia:** My, you know me too well~

**Mei:** Now that I think about it, that mural…

**Elysia:** Oh right, I haven’t explained this to you. That mural depicts the moon.

**Mei:** Moon?

**Elysia:** A long, long time ago, humans found something on the moon, but within the MOTHs, that part of history has been left out.

**Mei:** So it's been deliberately hidden?

**Elysia:** Maybe it’s only kept from me, since Mobius has long begun to suspect me.

**Elysia:** In the end, I still came back here.

**Elysia:** This is also my favorite place in all of Elysium Everlasting.

**Elysia:** As you can see, it’s a peaceful and timeless dreamland where all beautiful things gather and all ideals come to.

**Elysia:** Elysia’s life deserves nothing less, don’t you think?

**Elysia:** Elysium Everlasting is perfect, as always…

**Elysia:** It hasn’t changed at all.

**Elysia:** Then, where it all began…

**Elysia:** I’ll bring it to a perfect close!

**Mei:** …

**Elysia:** I know you can’t let me go, because I can’t either.

**Elysia:** We have to part right after being reunited…

**Elysia:** This doesn’t make any sense, does it?

**Elysia:** But people will part, like stories will end.

**Elysia:** So don’t look at me that way… Mei, smile for me, okay?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Is it… really ending?

**Elysia:** Uh-huh, this is the moment everybody fought for.

**Elysia:** Don’t worry, I’ll protect you, so you can return to reality safely.

**Elysia:** Congratulations. This means you’ve officially graduated from the Realm.

**Elysia:** Walk proudly toward your future with your head held high.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** I…

**Mei:** I’m not…

**Elysia:** You’re not… ready for goodbye?

**Mei:** …

**Elysia:** Actually… me neither.

**Elysia:** In the last moments… why don’t we ride the roller coaster again?

**Elysia:** Let’s go slowly to enjoy the view, okay?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Okay.

…

**Elysia:** Actually, I totally saw that coming.

**Elysia:** I’ve gotten to know you better, too!

**Mei:** You’ve known everybody around you well.

**Elysia:** Yep, that’s because I paid attention to everybody.

**Elysia:** The Flame-Chasers, MOTHs soldiers, and civilians I’ve met… each of them are ordinary yet special people.

**Elysia:** During our days together, I observed their lives, felt their emotions, shared their thoughts, and witnessed… their unique souls.

**Elysia:** It’s the accumulation of those nice things that led to the birth of Elysia.

**Elysia:** I just love these people and this world.

**Mei:** Yeah.

**Mei:** I believe every word you say now comes from the heart.

**Elysia:** Hmm? Are you saying it didn’t? Do you want to break my heart?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Elysia… you’re joking around more often than usual.

**Mei:** Are you trying to hide your emotions by jokingly digressing?

**Mei:** You’re… terrible at lying.

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** Mei…

**Elysia:** If you go on, I really will cry!

**Elysia:** I don’t want to see you off with tears… because girls look prettier when they smile.

**Elysia:** So… did you memorise my smile?

**Mei:** …Yeah.

**Mei:** I will always remember… always… deep in my heart.

**Elysia:** Mhm, don’t ever forget it. My cute face, my sweet voice, and every word I’ve said to you, everything, don’t forget a single bit!

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** But… if you really do, it’s alright.

**Mei:** …

**Elysia:** …

**Mei:** …

**Elysia:** Mei… why are you crying?

**Elysia:** Want me to give you a big hug?

**Mei:** I’m not crying.

**Elysia:** You’re not?

**Mei:** I’m not.

**Elysia:** You’re… really not?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** …Now, I’m really not.

**Elysia:** Yup, that’s better.

**Elysia:** Like I said, you look prettier when you smile!

**Elysia:** I can’t help teasing you after hearing you say that. I won’t let you have the upper hand on such occasions.

**Mei:** Mhm, you won, alright?

**Elysia:** Ha ha~

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** Will you feel… disappointed?

**Elysia:** You strove for more than just a goodbye.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** At least we can part ways properly, right?

**Mei:** I feel like… I’ve been saying a lot of goodbyes. I think that this won’t be the last time…

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** But…

**Mei:** “Tragedy isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of hope”… Right?

**Mei:** Even if I can’t change the future, how I get there is up to me.

**Mei:** What’s important is what I want to believe in this journey.

**Mei:** That’ll determine what I get when I reach the end.

**Mei:** And that’ll give the outcome a different meaning.

**Mei:** Just like this very moment…

**Mei:** I met all of you in the Realm, touched upon your lives, felt your wills, and witnessed everything in the Thirteen Flame-Chasers’ lives…

**Mei:** These memories we share will never disappear.

**Mei:** The feelings left between us will never disappear.

**Mei:** They will become irremovable marks on my body. Through me, they will extend on and on into the future…

**Mei:** I will be proof that all of you existed.

**Mei:** I will be… proof that all of you exist forever.

**Mei:** This is something only humans can do.

**Mei:** This is also the most remarkable thing about stories.

**Elysia:** Yeah…

**Elysia:** As with the Realm, someone from the future will see this scene, and… feel something different, right?

**Mei:** Yes. As long as we believe it… the past can create the future, and yearning can create the present.

**Elysia:** Then we gotta end it in a better way than we did in history…

**Elysia:** A grandest finale that leaves no regrets.

**Mei:** What are you going to do?

**Elysia:** After I send you out of the Realm, I want to personally visit the Herrscher of Corruption.

**Mei:** Why not activate Mk 666?

**Elysia:** I could do that… but I still want to meet her first.

**Elysia:** Even though she is an enemy… as a Herrscher, I still want to understand her thoughts and feelings.

**Mei:** She is a unique existence in the Realm, you could endanger yourself.

**Elysia:** Uh… Maybe. But it’s only human to courageously try even when you are well aware of the dangers, no?

**Elysia:** Plus, I also need to get everyone back.

**Mei:** Everyone…

**Elysia:** As I live in their memories, they live in mine too.

**Elysia:** The lives of we thirteen have long been intertwined and are inseparable.

**Elysia:** So what they can do, I can too. This time… it’s my turn to go to their side.

**Mei:** Right, you’ve always been like this…

**Mei:** …And you’ve never let anyone down.

**Elysia:** Of course! It’s me after all.

**Elysia:** Even if it’s the finale, I still hope that the Flame-Chasers’ stories will shine with glory.

**Elysia:** We’ve survived, struggled, and lived to our fullest. Now, we will give all hope, future, and the right to choose the path to all of you.

**Elysia:** There is no true perfection in reality, but those who accept their flaws, face their agony, and carry their burdens with courage and wisdom…

**Elysia:** Are the ones closest to perfection.

Wheels kept turning forward, like the spinning destiny, sending the two into the distance. Mei saw Elysium Everlasting in its entirety for the first time, and watched it recede.

This was the end.

**Elysia:** Now then, our story… is really coming to an end.

**Mei:** …

**Elysia:** Mei, this is the last time. Just like before, meet “everyone” for the last time and… bid your farewell, alright?

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** …Yeah.

The roller coaster rushed into a light.

In the warm light, Mei heard familiar voices. They were their memories etched into the Realm, and their final blessings bestowed upon their successor.

Their ride spanning fifty thousand years was over.

Then they would head for their own tomorrows.

**Pardofelis, Flame-Chaser of Reverie:** Mei, I’ll share my good luck with you, so don’t worry!

**Pardofelis, Flame-Chaser of Reverie:** From now on, if you find some cash in the clothes you haven’t worn for a long time, or get an extra drink from the vending machine…

**Pardofelis, Flame-Chaser of Reverie:** That’s my good luck working its magic!

**Pardofelis, Flame-Chaser of Reverie:** Heheh, because Mei is my friend. So friends get my help, free of charge!

**Hua, Flame-Chaser of Vicissitude:** Mei, I think I can understand the story about that Class Monitor you told me now.

**Hua, Flame-Chaser of Vicissitude:** I understand the emotions that she… that “I” had at that time.

**Hua, Flame-Chaser of Vicissitude:** Thank you for helping the future me. As for the past…

**Hua, Flame-Chaser of Vicissitude:** It has long become a part of the future, right?

**Griseo, Flame-Chaser of Stars:** The clouds are pretty, the stars are pretty, and Mei is also very pretty.

**Griseo, Flame-Chaser of Stars:** The stars and I will always look over Mei.

**Griseo, Flame-Chaser of Stars:** We will all become stars and protect Mei.

**Griseo, Flame-Chaser of Stars:** So, we’ll always be together.

**Mobius, Flame-Chaser of Infinity:** I would never have imagined that you could leave here in one piece.

**Mobius, Flame-Chaser of Infinity:** What a pity. Whether it’s gaining or losing something, only change can make one better, don’t you think?

**Mobius, Flame-Chaser of Infinity:** Never mind, don’t say something like “I’ve gained a lot of memories”. I will not wallow in the past.

**Mobius, Flame-Chaser of Infinity:** So… live your finest after you leave, lab rat. Don’t let me down.

**Kosma, Flame-Chaser of Daybreak:** …

**Kosma, Flame-Chaser of Daybreak:** …I think there’s no need for words.

**Kosma, Flame-Chaser of Daybreak:** You will go further than we all did, you will overcome the obstacles that we all could not.

**Kosma, Flame-Chaser of Daybreak:** So, godspeed.

**SAKURA, Flame-Chaser of Setsuna:** I’m glad to have met you, Miss Raiden.

**SAKURA, Flame-Chaser of Setsuna:** Be it in reality or in the Realm, I rarely meet someone that I can get along well with.

**SAKURA, Flame-Chaser of Setsuna:** It was my honor to have fought by your side. May your future be…

**SAKURA, Flame-Chaser of Setsuna:** Victorious.

**Su, Flame-Chaser of Bodhi:** Visitor, have you gotten the answer you were looking for?

**Su, Flame-Chaser of Bodhi:** Even if you harbor doubts in your heart, there is no need to fret. You will have plenty of time to mull over it.

**Su, Flame-Chaser of Bodhi:** The act of thinking itself is a meaningful process.

**Su, Flame-Chaser of Bodhi:** You, and all of you, will eventually find your own path.

**Kalpas, Flame-Chaser of Decimation:** Enough. Go.

**Kalpas, Flame-Chaser of Decimation:** Huh? Are you expecting me to say some sentimental nonsense?

**Kalpas, Flame-Chaser of Decimation:** Then you’re talking to the wrong person.

**Kalpas, Flame-Chaser of Decimation:** But, I remember your name now… Mei Raiden.

**Vill-V, Flame-Chaser of Helix:** Heh, Mei, here’s a surprise! I actually left a backdoor in your mind! Have fun looking for it after you leave!

**Vill-V, Flame-Chaser of Helix:** Don’t spout nonsense. The backdoor that I left behind can’t possibly be discovered by anyone else.

**Vill-V, Flame-Chaser of Helix:** Wait, shouldn’t you clarify that you didn’t leave a backdoor?

**Vill-V, Flame-Chaser of Helix:** Haa… I hope you’ll never have to argue with yourself. Well then… farewell.

**Eden, Flame-Chaser of Gold:** Thank you, Miss Raiden. You’ve given so much to the Realm.

**Eden, Flame-Chaser of Gold:** I have nothing to express my gratitude, except for my blessings and prayers.

**Eden, Flame-Chaser of Gold:** May civilisation blaze eternal like meteors.

**Eden, Flame-Chaser of Gold:** May this world shine like gold.

**Aponia, Flame-Chaser of Discipline:** The Elysian Realm welcomed an ending that I foresaw, ruin and darkness.

**Aponia, Flame-Chaser of Discipline:** But I’m glad that it realised itself in this manner.

**Aponia, Flame-Chaser of Discipline:** So, please break free from destiny, Mei…

**Aponia, Flame-Chaser of Discipline:** You have long possessed the power to.

**Kevin, Flame-Chaser of Deliverance:** You have been acknowledged by the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, so I need not say more.

**Kevin, Flame-Chaser of Deliverance:** Whether it’s the me here, or the me in reality.

**Kevin, Flame-Chaser of Deliverance:** That’s right… He is already waiting for you. I hope the two of you will meet a fulfilling ending.

**Kevin, Flame-Chaser of Deliverance:** Face the future with your head held high, Herrscher of Thunder. You know that you can believe in yourself.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** Tadah! At last, it’s back to me!

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** I’m the original “first” after all.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** That’s how Elysia is. She’s the start and end of everything, right?

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** So this time… we’re really going to say goodbye.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** Thank you, Mei.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** Thank you for coming here, for meeting us, for talking to us.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** Thank you for being willing to remember our names, to listen to our stories.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** As long as you remember us, this story will never vanish.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** Only humanity could think like that. And only humanity could try to realise such a conviction.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** So now, I’ll give my final “ego” to you, human of the new era.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** This name holds the origin of everything, our thoughts and blessings. One day, it will become your new strength.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** And you will also give this name a new meaning.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** We will remain in the past.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** And you will walk towards the future.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** Then, you will radiate in your very own pristine and beautiful glory.

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** After all…

**Elysia, Flame-Chaser of Ego:** Cute girls can do anything!

…

…

…

**[CHOICE] =** Please leave.

**[CHOICE] =** No…

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** Oh my, what’s wrong?

**Elysia:** If you don’t say anything now… you really won’t get a chance later, you know?

**[CHOICE] =** Please leave…

**[CHOICE] =** No…

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** Alright… I know. You can’t bear to leave me, can you? Of course, I’m the same.

**Elysia:** But it’s alright, haven’t you already shouldered my everything?

**[CHOICE] =** Please… leave…

**[CHOICE] =** No…

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** Ah, did you think that we could keep talking if you remained like this?

**Elysia:** You can’t do that. I’ll really cry if you pull at my heartstrings like this.

**[CHOICE] =** …

**[CHOICE] =** No…

**Elysia:** …

**Elysia:** …Okay.

**Elysia:** It’s alright. When you don’t wish to move forward, you can stop for a while.

**Elysia:** And then, look around you, look behind you…

**Elysia:** You’ll see that…

**Elysia:** …We’re always here.

**Elysia:** Just like in the beginning, right?

**Elysia:** So, please don’t forget…

**Elysia:** The story documented by the Elysian Realm really is that simple.

**Elysia:** In this story, you can find pain, failures, betrayals, departures, but also happiness, joy, warmth, and kindness.

**Elysia:** Sorrow doesn’t go away easily, but touching memories can be treasured by the heart forever.

**Elysia:** Hatred and anger shouldn’t be our only legacy. Only those who’ve experienced the beauty of our age can understand us.

**Elysia:** Leave the facts for the textbooks. The Flame-Chasers must also pass on our pride, glory, and the reason why we fought.

**Elysia:** That’s what has kept our souls alive in this flame-chasing journey.

**Elysia:** As our successors, follow the trails of our lives and the marks of our souls to find your answers.

**Elysia:** Instead of being pushed forward or being dragged onto the path chosen for you…

**Elysia:** Try to keep this mentality: I want to do this. I can do this. I’ll decide how the future is written.

**Elysia:** You’ll live every day for the rest of your life enforcing your will and pursuing your goal.

**Elysia:** That’s what I did and everyone else did. Everyone in our world and the thirteen individuals fighting for its existence.

**Elysia:** Thousands and thousands of trails crossed and intertwined to form a miraculous blossom.

**Elysia:** This is the beautiful eternity and the ego… I believe in.

**Elysia:** This is the Elysian Realm, the story of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.

**Elysia:** Now, our story has come to an end.

**Elysia:** From now on…

**Elysia:** It is your story.

**Mei:** …Thank you.

**Mei:** I will never forget.

**Mei:** Farewell, Thirteen Flame-Chasers.

**Mei:** Farewell, Elysia.

Clack, clack.

When she first stepped into this space, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.

This mountain of unwanted data flows in from every corner of the Elysian Realm.

Those forgotten memories, abandoned dreams, and buried fragments began to form tall buildings; to form… a city.

And there she was, in the middle of that city.

**Elysia:** Hi; hello!

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Elysia:** Whoa, just like me! Naturally I look good in every color~♪

After repeatedly copying and fusing, the Herrscher of Corruption could finally recreate her.

But such imitation was meaningless in the current situation.

**Elysia:** This is our first meeting, right? And yet we should know each other well enough by now.

**Elysia:** So let’s have a chat, yeah?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …Why?

**Elysia:** Hmm?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Don’t you… get it?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** You should have deleted the Realm and me. But here you are in front of me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I’ll never not try to corrupt you.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** If I make you a part of me, I’ll have complete control. I’ll destroy anything that could harm me, leaving everyone important against me.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Try to honor your friends’ efforts and finish what they started. That’s what Elysia would do, right?

**Elysia:** That’s pretty good, but… not quite the whole story.

**Elysia:** There are always two sides. You have a special power… why not use it to give the Elysian Realm the ending it deserves?

**Elysia:** I recall running this by another girl that had gone through my life’s memories. She seemed to get it.

**Elysia:** That’s why I like her so much.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Mei Raiden…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** Are you telling me… compared to me, she makes a better Elysia?

**Elysia:** Hm? Mei is who she is… not Elysia or anyone else.

**Elysia:** Just like you. You’re just yourself, so why do you have to be Elysia?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I don’t get it. I don’t understand.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But I know I have time to find the answer…

**Elysia:** Still like that, even now?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I had a lot of time to think. This is what I’m after.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I want to live. Just as much as you love humanity, I care more about surviving more than anyone else.

**Elysia:** But living isn’t the only way to survive.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** But it always ends the same way.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I’ll weave you the most beautiful dream with the rest of them as soon as I leave here…

**Elysia:** I’m sorry, but I cannot let you leave here.

**Elysia:** As for being with the rest of them, that doesn’t just have to be a dream, does it?

**Herrscher of Corruption:** …

**Herrscher of Corruption:** So, that’s how it is.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I accept your challenge, Herrscher of Human.

She became shrouded in a black mist, disappearing into the city.

The face faded with a sad smile. A faint sigh escaped the darkness.

**Herrscher of Corruption:** The reason I became this way originally really is because…

**Herrscher of Corruption:** I think you’re beautiful. That’s all…

*[Special CG **[Because of You]** plays:*

***Herrscher of Corruption:** This is a story without any significance.*

***Herrscher of Corruption:** Futureless people walk on the wrong path towards an end full of failure.*

***Elysia:** Oh, okay…*

***Elysia:** Calm down.*

***Elysia:** Judging by the criteria of a Herrscher, I must say your look is a little… special?*

***Elysia:** Oh, please don’t be mad…*

***Elysia:** You don’t wanna see me cry, do you?*

***Herrscher of Corruption:** The Elysian Realm is just your lie.*

***Herrscher of Corruption:** Memory is nothing more than a phantom of the past, built up by redundant data…*

***Herrscher of Corruption:** Of course you don’t care…*

***Herrscher of Corruption:** But I do. I’ll escape and survive…*

***Herrscher of Corruption:** I’ll grow and propagate, until I fill every corner of the whole wide world.*

***Herrscher of Corruption:** I won’t lose to you and this is not the end!*

***Herrscher of Corruption:** This is my drive…*

***Herrscher of Corruption:** I’ll… live forever.*

*Farewell, Elysia.*

***Elysia:** Sorry… I’ll have to let you down.*

***Elysia:** The ending of the Flame-Chasers must be grand and spectacular.*

***Elysia:** And the two of us only would be a lonely duo.*

***Elysia:** What do you think?*

***Elysia:** Dear Eden.*

***Eden:** You’re right, Ellie.*

***Eden:** Let’s start our very last ball.*

***Mobius:** Not surprisingly, you still have to get everyone on board.*

***Mobius:** This is why I find you so annoying, Elysia.*

***Elysia:** Huh? But I can’t tell you’re bothered, not in the slightest.*

***Kalpas:** Shred everything into pieces!*

***Vill-V:** Restoration won’t work this time!*

***Aponia:** With this, the Elysian Realm will have to embrace its final destiny.*

***SAKURA:** This has never been seen before, right?*

***Su:** Hopefully the traces we leave behind can create a new future for those who come after.*

***Kevin:** Are you ready, Elysia?*

***Elysia:** Of course!*

***Elysia:** Look, they’ve lived with pride and sung a beautiful ode to civilisation with their lives.*

***Elysia:** This is the story of the people called Flame-Chasers.*

***Elysia:** It’s about the unfinished journey of the thirteen.*

***Elysia:** However, visitor, your road ahead never ends, right?*

***Elysia:** Then follow your heart and move forward.*

***Elysia:** We agreed to move forward!*

***Elysia:** Walk along the footprints to witness the flame-chasing crusade.*

***Elysia:** In the end, you will go beyond the graves and create a future we could not reach!*

*For the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.*

*Elysian Realm wraps up.*]

--

#### Gameplay 31-12 - Afterword, Complete

A long time later.

Damp air filled the nostrils and a cold chill landed on the skin…

Long lost reality.

**Mei:** I’m… back?

She had the past fading behind her. A poignant but long gone past.

In front of her was the future she would undertake…

**Mei:** …Huh?

An expected figure appeared before Mei.

**Kevin:** …

In an expected way.

**Mei:** So you’re the final safety here.

**Kevin:** …

**Mei:** But you didn’t make a move.

**Mei:** Looks like you have a lot of faith in your old companions.

**Kevin:** So do you.

**Mei:** …

For a moment, she could not tell what that meant.

**Mei:** Kevin, they…

**Kevin:** I know.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Even so… you don’t want to see them for the last time?

“There is no point.”

Is what she figured he would say.

But he didn’t.

**Kevin:** I don’t want to disappoint her.

He said it calmly, as always.

Mei immediately knew that this man who had embodied strength was not complaining, but stating his weakness.

Kevin wasn’t just standing here as the final safety.

But to memorise, to… part.

But rather… to see his former friends off.

**Mei:** Kevin…

**Kevin:** Let’s go.

Only because nobody had truly sensed his loneliness.

**Mei:** …Where are we going?

**Kevin:** Project STIGMA.

She knew, of course. With the 12th Herrscher eradicated and the 13th Herrscher revealed to be a lie, the fated moment had come.

**Mei:** Today’s the final day, isn’t it.

**Kevin:** Otherwise, it’d be pointless for you to stay here.

**Mei:** I never agreed to this, Kevin.

**Kevin:** That’s not important, as long as you understand it.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** Understand?

**Mei:** Perhaps…

Having witnessed that era from beginning to end, she was certain that she understood why this man became who he was better than ever.

**Mei:** But understanding isn’t the same as agreeing.

He was silent once more.

**Mei:** Kevin, everyone has the potential to become a hero.

**Mei:** But… you can’t ask everyone to be the hero of your choosing. That isn’t what she would want.

**Kevin:** Mei Raiden.

**Kevin:** …There won’t be a second Elysia.

**Kevin:** And the results she was looking for were never here…

**Kevin:** But instead were in you.

**Mei:** …

**Mei:** It seems… there’s no more reason for me to remain in the World Serpent.

**Mei:** So the real reason you wanted to recruit a Herrscher to the World Serpent was…

**Mei:** …Already completed by me?

**Kevin:** Yes.

His voice was surprisingly soft. Mei wasn’t even really sure it was his.

**Kevin:** That’s how it is… Mei Raiden…

**Kevin:** As head…

**Kevin:** I grant you permission to leave the World Serpent.

### All About Me

Boundless darkness engulfed them.

The passage of time had not yet stopped here. And then, amid the surrounding quiet, the moment came.

As though struck by lightning, her heart began to flutter violently.

Anger, surprise, pain, dismay, sadness… countless emotions bubbled fourth unexpressed.

And then, all the voices in her head fell silent.

The fog began to dissipate and dark green marks now covered her arms.

An indistinct voice could be heard from far away.

“Oh… been seen so soon?”

“Your vigilance always amazes.”

“But you can't do anything about it now. That's what you get for always staying in the workshop.”

“Anyway, let's have some fun, shall we?”

The bubbles on her body began to rise upward.

As if at the bottom of the sea, only fragments of words could be heard intermittently.

“Oh…”

“So this is your experience?”

The voice sounded familiar, but what was she going on about?

She still felt groggy and everything felt like it was running in slow motion.

“You are our sharpest sword, you cannot fall into its hands.”

“So I need you to die immediately.”

…

With one particularly large bubble came an arrogant voice.

“Oh dear, going backstage during a performance and threatening the magician, guards…”

“Vill-V… this is not the time to joke.”

“Why, because Kevin's dead?”

“You… already know?”

The minute voices became clearer, but she couldn't hear them through the silence.

As though drowning, she struggled to wave her arms, looking towards the only light.

It can't be. It can't be. Time to wake up.

The bubble rises to the surface, becomes smaller, and then pops the moment it reaches the surface.

The sense of floating suddenly disappears.

As though wakened from a long dream, she opens her eyes.

**Vill-V:** Huh…

**Vill-V:** Am I the only one left?

**Vill-V:** …

**Vill-V:** I remember, whenever I would wake up, this place would be really active.

**Vill-V:** This doesn't feel right… it's too quiet.

As she walked down the corridor, she noticed there was something off about the tile under her feet, but it was already too late.

“Bang!” Rainbow confetti fell from the ceiling and stage lights turned on.

**Vill-V:** Huh? What's this…

**???:** Welcome back! Now, let me present to you the best magic show of this century!

**???:** You shouldn't oversleep so much, you'll miss some pretty great shows.

**Vill-V:** …

**Vill-V:** Of course, it's you, Great Magician.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** I can't help being the first to greet you each time.

**Vill-V:** Sure, thanks. But try not to do it like this next time.

She brushed confetti off her shoulders.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** That'd be boring! I do this all to put a smile on your face!

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** I suppose it's still a bit rough around the edges. Next time I'll have something really good prepared.

**Vill-V:** Well, I'm happy to see you again, even without the surprises.

**Vill-V:** After all, it's really been a while.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Yep. This place has changed a lot since then.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Luckily the audience isn't in their seats and the curtain hasn't been drawn. You're just in time!

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Speaking of, what do you think of this stage?

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** We'll just set up some lights here and over here, and then you've got a show!

She shook her head at the empty space in front of her.

**Vill-V:** They remodeled this place again? Honestly, it's kinda weird.

**Vill-V:** For a stage… even if you set the lights up just right, you're not gonna get the atmosphere you're going for.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** That's the problem. There are always corners the light can't reach.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** But every climax needs a twist. Blind spots'll add to the suspense, no?

They both looked toward the dark corridor where there were countless mirrors in the shadows.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** A word of advice: best not to head down that way again.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Y'know, she was really upset when the Conductor gave up on her.

**Vill-V:** But I have to go and stop her…

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** I wouldn't worry about it. She hasn't noticed yet, so you should still have time.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Take a walk, find some place nice and take things slow. It's not every day you get to wake up, so enjoy it.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Think about it… there must be something you wanna do, right?

**Vill-V:** Hmm…

**Vill-V:** Well, there is one thing I want to do.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Oh! And what's that?

**Vill-V:** How to put it…

**Vill-V:** It's a bit complicated. But for now, I have to go fix something.

**Vill-V:** I… need to act soon. There's a lot to do.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Hey, what's the rush! Let me put on a special performance before you go!

**Vill-V:** …

**Vill-V:** It's not a bomb or some prank like that, is it?

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Now, am I the type of person that would do that to an old friend? It's just a harmless card trick!

The Great Magician shuffled the cards and fanned them out.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Take a card, any card, and remember the suit.

**Vill-V:** And then you just guess the card? This is a pretty simple trick, no?

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Yep. It's the first trick you learned and was a big hit with the kids on Sundown Alley.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Alright, be patient. This isn't just any old trick. It takes real talent to guess a magic card.

**Vill-V:** …I don't see the difference.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Have you chosen yet? Don't tell me what it is, just keep it in your mind.

**Vill-V:** (…King of Spades.)

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Next, I'll split the cards up into three stacks. And like any good magician, I'll discard the top card…

**Vill-V:** (How weird. She's performing real magic.)

After chanting a few words and messing with the cards, she pulled one from the stack.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Is this your card?

**Vill-V:** Nope. My card was the King of Spades… What?

The Magician gave a wink and a mysterious smile.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** That is your card, right? Here, take it and have a closer look.

The card was not a King of Spades. In fact, it wasn't even a common card for magic tricks.

The moment she touched the card, a long-lost familiarity washed over her, a warmth running form her finger tips to her body.

**Vill-V:** A Weapon Card…

**Vill-V:** (So that's how it is… I had almost forgotten how it felt.)

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** What do you think? Great show, huh? The Great Magician never messes up a trick.

**Vill-V:** Thank you, it's definitely the card I wanted. But it still isn't enough; this is just a prototype.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Then how about meeting with someone else? Chat a bit, maybe get something out of it.

**The Great Magician Vill-V:** Anyway, that's the whole show. Until the show officially begins, farewell, friend!

The lights dimmed again with a crisp finger snap.

As she walked through the pinkish haze, the air was filled with a sweet smell.

**Vill-V:** It's true… there's a lot I don't recall. It's just been so long.

**Vill-V:** How long has it been since I talked to everyone…?

**Vill-V:** The air smells sweet… like the taste of candy.

**Vill-V:** (There's only one person that can make that taste.)

**Vill-V:** (Maybe Flavorful is there. I'll go check.)

**Vill-V:** These are… gummies?

**Vill-V:** Did Flavorful drop this by accident? Let's keep it for her for now.

**Vill-V:** A gummy shaped like a spider…

**Vill-V:** How unappetising…

**Vill-V:** So here you are.

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** It's normal for amusement parks to have dessert stands, no?

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** A lollipop is probably better for an amusement park. Candy and play make for a perfect day.

**Vill-V:** Speaking of, I found some of your candy over there. Did you drop it?

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** Ah, thank you… so, would you like a lollipop?

**Vill-V:** Alright. So the orange one… is orange flavored, yeah?

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** Careful with your teeth when eating it. I might have mixed some buttons and other stuff in… it doesn't matter, no guests are coming anyway…

**Vill-V:** Huh? It tastes like watermelon.

**Vill-V:** Hm? And this green one… tastes like chocolate.

**Vill-V:** So what does the pink one taste like…

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** Ah, that… you probably shouldn't try it. Not that I'll stop you…

**Vill-V:** \*Cough, cough\*… it's so spicy!

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** …That's right, it's spicy flavor.

**Vill-V:** A surprise, as always.

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** I found some special ingredients. With the right ratio, I can synthesise all sorts of flavors, some we don't even have names for yet…

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** But the majority aren't that good.

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** Either no one likes them, or no one will want to test them out.

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** In gathering every flavor… a lot of recipes just end up as useless scraps of paper.

**Vill-V:** Well, what should I say…

**Vill-V:** I used to have a lot of self doubt too. I know the feeling.

**Vill-V:** Even though we're both Vill-V, I'm not great at cooking. I typically just throw it all in a pot and hope for the best.

**Vill-V:** Sometimes I wonder what flavor I'll get with different ingredients. Or if I've remembered to mixed certain ingredients.

**Vill-V:** You've thought about this too, right?

**Vill-V:** This curiosity is what gives birth to different flavors. Otherwise, food would be bland and boring.

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** …

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** I get the feeling you said something similar, a long time ago.

**Vill-V:** Is that right? It's been so long that I forgot. Just pretend it's the first time I said it, so it's not awkward.

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** It really has been a long time…

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** Speaking of time, that's about it for me.

As soon as she had said that, a bell rung.

**Vill-V:** Hm? I've never seen this dessert before. Seems pretty unique… is it new?

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** Pretty much.

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** It's my first time making it, but I've gone over the recipe a million times in my head.

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** I was trying to think up a recipe that represents me.

Vill-V- Flavorful: The taste is a bit off due to limits with ingredients… it's kinda half-baked.

**Vill-V:** Half-baked…

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** You can have it… it's Vill-V's recipe, after all.

**Vill-V:** (Sweet… Flavorful's power.)

**Vill-V:** By the way, have you seen Kevin Killer Mk 68?

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** The card assistance robot that was always goofing off at the amusement park?

**Vill-V:** I'll go look. Thank you, Flavorful.

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** Don't mention it. I'm counting on you for anything left unfinished.

**Vill-V - Flavorful:** It's something only you can do.

The recipe in her hand was still warm as the scent of candy dissipated into the air.

**Vill-V:** These troublesome fellows just keep coming. Looks like it's only a matter of time before it sees through the mindspace's disguise.

**Vill-V:** I don't have much time left.

**Vill-V:** If I can find that robot, perhaps I can get more information about the cards… Will it be around here?

**Vill-V:** Let's take a look.

**Vill-V:** …Not here.

**Vill-V:** It's not here either. Where could the robot have gone?

**Vill-V:** Unless, it went somewhere else?

**Vill-V:** Or maybe it has already…

A rustling sound came from behind.

She felt tense for a moment, but she relaxed when she saw who was coming.

**Vill-V:** Oh, it's you…

…

**Vill-V:** But you aren't who I'm looking for. I'm sorry.

…

**Vill-V:** After all this time, you haven't changed much. No matter what happens to this place, you never change.

**???:** Oh, of course…

**Vill-V:** As always, you like popping up when people least expect you.

**Vill-V Looking Down Upon the Stars:** We can do some catching up later.

**Vill-V Looking Down Upon the Stars:** With you here, my suspicions are confirmed.

**Vill-V Looking Down Upon the Stars:** Still as obsessed as ever.

**Vill-V Looking Down Upon the Stars:** It sent you to look for an irregular sphere, a metallic item created in the past. It sent you to fulfill an incomplete wish.

**Vill-V:** …That's right.

**Vill-V:** That's her regret. I'm very familiar.

**Vill-V:** We can't change the past. But maybe we can make up for some past regrets before the end comes.

**Vill-V Looking Down Upon the Stars:** That's also your regret.

**Vill-V:** Perhaps. As well as a chance to change things…

**Vill-V Looking Down Upon the Stars:** Hoping a robot will help with your Weapon Card? Makes sense, but it's probably busy training students.

**Vill-V:** Students… I thought she would've quit a while ago. Impressive.

**Vill-V Looking Down Upon the Stars:** So, what are you going to do? You're not handy at fixing up machines.

**Vill-V:** That's true. But I understand them a little bit.

**Vill-V:** Don't underestimate me. I'm Vill-V too, y'know. I just don't have the same level of talent as everyone else…

**Vill-V:** But I believe in everyone, and in myself.

**Vill-V Looking Down Upon the Stars:** Almost identical… your answers are the same, word for word.

**Vill-V Looking Down Upon the Stars:** With how it is now, the only way to fix your Weapon Card is to go there in person.

**Vill-V:** That's true…

They looked beyond the flurry of petals, toward the top of the tower.

**Vill-V Looking Down Upon the Stars:** No more dallying.

**Vill-V:** Wait, I have one more question.

**Vill-V:** Did you come here just to say goodbye?

There was a long silence.

Her voice was carried across the wind, drifting across the sea of petals.

**Vill-V Looking Down Upon the Stars:** Of course not. I'm here to say "see you later".

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Hey, you're here?

**Vill-V:** That makes two of us… How long have you been here?

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** I came as soon as I got the Scholar's message, but the Expert's operating system is so complex, it took forever to see what's going on.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Even though we're both in engineering, there's a bit of a barrier.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Why don't you kick your feet up and have a snack? The console takes a while to start up.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** If the Expert wasn't always going on about telling us to be quiet… we wouldn't have any issues right now.

**Vill-V:** That reminds me of something that happened a while ago.

**Vill-V:** When the Expert got really angry.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Ah right, when the workshop was all messed up?

**Vill-V:** Yep. There was a bit of an accident. I woke up before I was supposed to.

**Vill-V:** When I turned around, I realised I was in the workshop with hundreds of flashing red lights and alarms going off…

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Sounds like quite the scene.

**Vill-V:** I looked through as many of her drawings as I could, trying to see what happened or find a solution.

**Vill-V:** But you know her. I came up with nothing.

**Vill-V:** I had to rely on myself… and bring the workshop back to working order.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Haha, no wonder she was so angry. That explains all those pages of safety code she posted on the bulletin board. So then what happened?

**Vill-V:** …I did my best to make amends. It was all my fault, after all.

**Vill-V:** Since then, the Expert started keeping a work log.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** No wonder… so that's when that started.

**Vill-V:** …Huh?

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** That must have been when she realised I was leaving most of my work for her… it's getting harder and harder to cheat~

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Alright, the work bench is ready. You can start whenever.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Ready?

**Vill-V:** Of course.

**Vill-V:** The Great Magician's card, Flavorful's recipe, the Scholar's prophecy, the Expert's drawings… and my totality.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Oh, almost forgot my signature… there you go.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** This should be the last thing and then it'll be fixed. I hope I didn't miss anything.

A shrill siren went off.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Hm? Is something wrong?

**Vill-V:** No, I don't think it's your problem.

The shadow began spreading upward.

**Vill-V:** Someone's trespassing… it's going to find us any time now.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Oh? They're just in time to be the first to try out your Weapon Card, no?

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** I'll make sure the system is working right. The rest of the show is in your hands!

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** That went well. With that, the Lecturer's unfinished work, the Weapon Card, is fixed and completed.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** She would have felt relieved seeing it. It's basically a miracle.

**Vill-V:** …Yep.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Well then, you finished the first thing you wanted to do. You should smile; try not to look like that all the time, yeah?

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** It's a little too early to celebrate, but at least take a moment to be happy.

She looked at the card she was holding and gave a reluctant smile.

**Vill-V:** Alright. Then, I'll make a small change here and…

“Snap.”

A snapping sound rung out and the surrounding room changed.

**Vill-V:** Is this better?

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Not bad, a more festive atmosphere!

**Vill-V:** Would you like some more desserts with tea?

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** That's alright. Before we start tea, I have something to tell you. But… it's something you probably already know.

**Vill-V:** Is it about “it”?

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Yes. I'm sorry for sacrificing the Villain all on a risky gamble…

**Vill-V:** I get it. And I get why she fought back. It's the only way to keep Vill-V alive.

**Vill-V:** Wait, did you…

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** I suppose I can't ignore it.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** I always thought she'd do everything in her power to keep Vill-V alive. And then… you'd be awakened.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** If it was you, you'd have a plan to survive both the Villain and the Herrscher of Corruption.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** That was the last thing I was to conduct.

**Vill-V:** …

**Vill-V:** But there's still so many details in the plan I haven't thought up yet… I'm the ordinary one, am I really able to do it on my own?

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** What do you mean? You're not doing it on your own.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Don't forget, we're always there for you. There's nothing you can't do.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** You'll just become another you when you want, to discuss plans and make decisions.

**Vill-V:** …

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Feel better?

**Vill-V:** Yep.

**“Conductor” Vill-V:** Then I'll leave you to it. I have some things to take care of, so I'm going to head out.

**Vill-V:** See you later, then?

She looked up to find that no one was there.

But really, it was only ever her.

**Vill-V:** She waited for the right moment for a long time. So long that she began telling stories to pass the time.

**Vill-V:** She went over all the different greetings. By the time Mei Raiden had appeared, she was prepared to say:

**Vill-V:** “What should I say? Long time no see? Or… nice to meet you?”

**Vill-V:** And that's how the story ends. What do you think?

She closed the book and reached out to prod at the 7 paper figures.

**Vill-V:** Well… guess I'm not so great at telling stories.

**Vill-V:** Time moves more slowly when you have to wait. You start to remember a lot of things from your past.

**Vill-V:** If someone sees this memory in the future, would they be confused?

**Vill-V:** Self-doubt and pride. Solemnity and enthusiasm. There are discrepancies between us, but they're still Vill-V and are all the real me.

**Vill-V:** Humans have always been a collection of contradictions. Even ordinary people have conflicting thoughts, no?

**Vill-V:** Like whenever I have a decision to make. There's always two voices in my head, one saying “let's do it”, and another saying “that won't work”.

**Vill-V:** I used to be bad with choices. I'd hesitate and not make a decision.

**Vill-V:** Lucky for me, the Conductor is good at making decisions. And the Great Magician is good at socialising, so I let her handle that.

**Vill-V:** The Scholar's knowledge, the Expert's rigor, Flavorful's culinary skills… I wouldn't have gotten far without them.

**Vill-V:** Mk 5… has always been like that. Sort of like insurance since a lot of expectations get put on her.

**Vill-V:** Last but not least… you'll know when you see her. I'll tell you about it when I have the chance.

**Vill-V:** …Suddenly, I get the feeling I've been slacking off behind everyone's back.

**Vill-V:** No way! I've put things in place… you're a big part of the plan.

**Vill-V:** I'm really looking forward to seeing you and having a nice chat, Mei Raiden.

**Vill-V:** But… you'll be disappointed when you see me.

**Vill-V:** After all, I'm pretty plain compared to the other Vill-Vs.

**Vill-V:** But maybe this is an accident, or a like reversal?

**Vill-V:** Don't forget, I am the con artist.

**Vill-V:** Vill-V of Helix's most magnificent curtain call is about to take place.

Transcription provided by PXLPancakes