HHR 83-93 (Patreon)

Final drop tomorrow. Chapter 84: Captain Himeko's Departure CeremonyA cool sea breeze blew in, slightly lifting Himeko's fiery red bangs. On the volleyball court, the match between the older boys and the teens continued in full swing, while the sounds of Titan mechs operating echoed from the beach.The open-air stage for the music festival was rapidly erected thanks to the combined efforts of the mechs."I don't really have many memories of my parents," Himeko said softly, gazing absently at the sea."My mother passed away when I was very young. At that time, my father was working at the aerospace research institute. He would be away from home for long periods whenever he went on business trips. It wasn't until I joined Schicksal that I learned he had actually become the director of the Schicksal St. 7308 Research Institute a long time ago. This job requires absolute secrecy and keeps him away from his family.""Actually, I resented him a lot when I was little. Captain, you know I've always been terrible at cooking and basically incapable of taking care of myself. While I wouldn't starve, my room would inexplicably become a mess whenever I lived alone for a while."Himeko took a deep breath, squatted down, wrapped her arms around her knees, and buried her face in them."Looking back now, it wasn't that I couldn't learn to tidy my room; it's just that I always wished someone would take care of me. As I grew up, this bad habit of being unable to take care of myself just wouldn't go away.""Then I thought, if I can't stand by my father's side as a daughter, then what if I worked hard and got into the best university in the world and got a job at his workplace? Wouldn't I be able to work with him as a colleague?"“Not to brag, but I've always found myself learning much faster than other kids, so I buried myself in my studies, even skipping several grades, all to get into the aerospace research institute sooner. So when I heard that Schicksal's space base was recruiting astronauts for long-term stays on the space station, I immediately signed up.”“To stand beside my dad, I don't know how much time and effort I spent preparing for this exam. I passed all the tests smoothly, but then… my dad just casually said, ‘You're too young,’ and removed me from the shortlist.”Himeko chuckled self-deprecatingly. “I was furious then. I felt like my whole life had been inexplicably negated. So I had a huge argument with him in front of the teacher and even printed out a dropout application on the spot using the institute's printer and signed my name…”“…After that, Captain, you probably know what happened,” Himeko said softly.Shortly after arguing with her closest loved one, tragedy struck, leaving no room for regret or for apologies to reach their ears.It's a rather clichéd and simple story, yet for those who experienced it firsthand, it's an unforgettable tale.Yu Fan paused for a moment, then calmly sat down next to Himeko and softly asked, "Have you ever thought about seeing them one last time? You know I can do it now."This was indeed true.As the creator of the new rules, Yu Fan's control over the Sea of Quanta and the Bubble World was almost omnipotent.Of course, due to the paradox of omnipotence, true "omnipotence" doesn't exist in the strictest sense.But if it's just about reversing time and life and death—things even Graeme's Wish Machine and ELF Tesla Zero can do—then Yu Fan is certainly capable of it as well.Himeko turned her face, buried in her arms, toward Yu Fan, her nose twitching slightly."...What are you planning to do?""There are many methods; it depends on what you think. Reversing time, summoning spirits, or even the most direct resurrection could all reunite you with your father and teacher."Yu Fan paused mid-sentence. "Although... I actually quite suspect they weren't really dead.""Huh?" Himeko blinked her teary eyes, her mind momentarily blank."Uh... how should I put it? I think I've explained things about the Bubble World to you before."Himeko hesitated. "Is it... that these miniature worlds of ours are, in a sense, just projections of a larger, more complete world...?"“Your teacher’s name was Welt Yang. Because he detected a signal resembling extraterrestrial life, he and your father piloted the spacecraft called Canghai 9, plunging into the unknown black hole from which the signal originated, and then completely lost contact…”Yu Fan recounted the news of the deaths of Murata Ryusuke and Welt Yang in this world, his expression somewhat subtle. “Although I don’t know your father very well, that old Yang guy, in any world, would be considered a master at manipulating black holes. I really find it hard to imagine that he would die in a black hole.”“…You mean they might still be alive, just transported to some other dimension?”“That’s just speculation. After all, I’m not entirely sure if the old Yang in this world inherited the First Herrscher’s abilities. Logically, when Otto and Welt were still alive, Joachim shouldn’t have joined Schicksal. Yet he acted alongside your father as a physicist within Schicksal.”As he said this, Yu Fan couldn’t help but show a slightly pained expression.While he might be considered omnipotent in the Sea of Quanta, he was far from omniscient.In many situations, he simply couldn't understand how these bizarre Bubble Worlds could function properly despite a plethora of factual and setting inconsistencies…Take the history of this world, for example. Even the origin of Schicksal is a bug because its prototype is merely a port city from Shenzhou.This Bubble World doesn't even have other countries—no Europe, no North America, not even the Far East.Where did Schicksal and Anti-Entropy come from?This Bubble World was relatively mild; those that seemed to be breaking the fourth wall were far more suspicious than the last, and these kinds of bugs weren't just one or two—they were as numerous as mountains.To Yu Fan, these bizarre Bubble Worlds were like mountains of code accumulated over countless millions of years, completely devoid of documentation and interfaces. Even if he possessed all the skills of programming and could add new instructions to these mountains of bugs, he would have absolutely no interest in them.When a mountain of bugs can function, never even think about touching it, or no one knows what the consequences will be.Finally, completely at a loss for words, Yu Fan could only say in a weary tone, "Anyway, you just need to know that I'm simply incredulous that Old Yang could die suddenly in a black hole. I'm not trying to comfort you.""What? Such an ambiguous statement..." Himeko pouted in dissatisfaction, then straightened up, propping herself up on her knees, and flashed a smile. "Anyway, thank you, Captain.""Haa—it really does feel a little better to have everything bottled up inside."She stretched lazily, then suddenly turned her gaze to Yu Fan. "You suddenly told me about Teacher Welt; is it to give me a goal to live for?"“I suppose so.” Yu Fan didn’t deny Himeko’s words. He glanced at her eyes. “Judging from your expression, you’ve pretty much figured it out?”“Yes.” Himeko nodded frankly, her face suddenly flushing slightly. “You’ve so eagerly declared yourself family; if I didn’t take your words seriously, wouldn’t I be incredibly ungrateful?”Himeko turned her head, gazing at the boundless sea, a longing look in her eyes.“However, my thoughts haven’t changed. After seeing the scenery beyond the world with you, this little Canghai City can no longer satisfy my thirst for knowledge and adventure—ah, here, adventure is actually the same as thirst for knowledge, not that I want to actively seek out dangerous places. Don’t misunderstand.”“I understand. As long as you can figure out that the purpose of traveling beyond the world is to realize your personal value, not to carry the burden of atonement, I won’t stop you, even if you’re driven by curiosity to explore things that seem dangerous.”Yu Fan shrugged. “After all, with the Hyperion’s performance, it shouldn’t have any problems escaping. There shouldn’t be any place in this world that can trap it.”“Hyperion?” Himeko was taken aback.“Since everyone in the family is going on a long journey, of course I have to give you something grand and impressive to show off.” Yu Fan smiled and raised his arm, snapping his fingers. “Music—!”Chicken You’re Too Beautiful—Yu Fan almost spat out blood. “Damn it! No! Wrong, wrong! Not this unlucky thing! Next song!”Rendering my form, setting free—!A thunderous roar— A symphony!In another world, in Xianzhou Luofu, a certain cool-faced little green dragon running through the Liuyun Ferry map suddenly felt an itch in his nose and sneezed loudly."Achoo—!!”Back in Canghai City, to the accompaniment of majestic background music and powerful baritone singing, everyone standing on the beach stopped what they were doing and looked around blankly.Tesla, too, looked bewildered at the newly set-up stage amplifier, wondering if Honkai could actually power it. She hadn’t even plugged in the power yet.The next moment, the sea began to tremble.A thin black line suddenly extended from the center of the beach toward the horizon, slowly splitting apart and carving a canyon-like fissure into the calm sea.This magnificent scene of the sea parting should only be seen in science fiction or mythological movies, or even in the game cinematics of Honkai Star Rail, but Yu Fan had somehow managed to bring it to life in this small Bubble World.Himeko, her mouth slightly agape, exclaimed in astonishment, “Hey! Hey! Hey! You’ve gone too far with that commotion! What is this thing?! And it even has background music?!”“Anyway, this world already has enough bugs. One more won’t make a difference,” Yu Fan chuckled calmly. “As for the aftermath, let Schicksal of this world deal with that.”As he spoke, a long, white, ribbon-like ship appeared from the gap in the sea. Its hundreds-of-meters-long hull cleaved through the surface, slowly hovering in midair amid a low engine roar.“Alright, this ship is yours now. Aren’t you happy? Surprised?” Yu Fan patted Himeko on the shoulder, smiling broadly."Although it’s not the original ship I lent to Delta, it’s still a hyperspace ship I personally modified. Its performance and spatial configuration are top-tier. For example, it can easily carry you around the Sea of Quanta a few times.”“I—” Himeko opened her mouth, staring blankly at the Hyperion causing a commotion on the beach, then at Yu Fan. “But I didn’t say I was leaving today.”Yu Fan gestured dismissively with a “no big deal” expression. “Then just leave it here. You have control. It’s not like it’s going to grow legs and run away. Anyway, the ones who should be worried aren’t you or me, but Schicksal and the others in this world.”“You have a lot of complaints about Schicksal?”“I’m willing to do anything to annoy that old man Otto,” Yu Fan chuckled. “Of course, the main purpose this time is to give you a generous farewell gift. Making that old man jealous is just a side effect.”“Should I thank you?” Himeko’s eyes twitched as she spoke through gritted teeth.“No need for thanks. Just patronize my café more often in your free time,” Yu Fan said matter-of-factly.“Pay more often at your café?” Himeko stared in disbelief. “You didn’t build your café on this ship, did you?!”“No.” Yu Fan shook his head, a smug look on his face, clearly quite satisfied with his modifications. “I just opened a special passage so you can come anytime. After all, you’re a former Hyperion captain; you have that much authority.”Himeko stared blankly for a long time, then suddenly realized, “So you asked me out on a date and specifically brought me to the beach just to show me this from the beginning?!”“Aren’t you satisfied?”“It’s not that I’m dissatisfied, but you could at least have given me some mental preparation!” Himeko was getting a little frustrated. “How am I supposed to control this thing?! And why is the background music still playing?! Did you hide a speaker on the beach?!”“Who uses such an outdated thing as a speaker to play background music? The essence of sound is vibration. I just slightly modified the sound wave laws of this world. What you heard was just the sound of the wind.”“????”----Chapter 85: The Sage King’s Thousand Layers of SchemesThe Hyperion II departed without peace.Despite Yu Fan’s repeated insistence that stopping it there wouldn’t cause any problems, and at most would just add a little more work for Schicksal, Himeko wasn’t the type to bother others. So, after figuring out how to operate the Hyperion II, she immediately boarded this imposing time-traveling ship and fled the world as if escaping.In a distant building, Bronie, sitting on the edge of a rooftop, put down her binoculars and said listlessly,“Boring. No fun at all.”By the tent of the music festival stage, Kongming, dressed as a magical girl, and Luna, who had undergone a simple disguise, peeked out furtively. They watched the Hyperion II speed away from this Bubble World, exchanged a glance, and then quickly ducked back inside.Kongming instinctively wanted to wave her feather fan but suddenly realized that what she held was just a magic wand, so she had to give up for the moment.“Let’s go back,” she said helplessly.Luna, beside her, gently adjusted her baseball cap and nodded silently.But just as the two turned around, preparing to leave, a surprised voice suddenly made them stop in their tracks.“Huh? Theresa? What are you doing here?”Behind the two, a figure with pigtails walked toward them, her back to the sunlight.“I remember you had a few tour shows this afternoon, didn’t you? How come you suddenly have time to come to our ME Pan-Entertainment stage?”Tesla stopped behind them, narrowing her eyes and staring at Kongming’s back with a wary gaze. “Could it be that you’re trying to spy on our ME Pan-Entertainment concert? You’re a national idol of Canghai City. You wouldn’t resort to such low-class tactics, would you?”“Ahem.” Kongming’s lips twitched. She was silent for a moment, then forced a childlike smile.She turned around, her voice trembling. “Oh, come on. Teriri just ran out of energy and wanted to relax on the beach. What are you talking about, big sister? I don’t understand at all.”“Pfft...” Luna couldn’t help but cover her mouth as an uncontrollable laugh escaped her nose.“Oh~ Just wanted to rest?"Tesla lightly adjusted her glasses. The lenses suddenly reflected a dazzling yet intelligent gleam, like a detective in a mystery anime. She flicked her finger, her voice filled with undeniable confidence.“Objection—!”Kongming’s eyebrows twitched slightly. She couldn’t help but take a step back, her fingers clenching tightly.“Wh-what? Big sister, don’t point at me! Teriri’s so scared~”“Hmph, don’t think I don’t know your tour route. Half an hour ago, you should have been in Canghai City’s largest commercial district!”Tesla crossed her arms, her eyes sharp. “If you just wanted to rest, why would you travel across half of Canghai City to the beach? And why such a coincidence to end up in our ME Entertainment territory—!”As Tesla spoke, she couldn’t help but raise her chin, revealing a triumphant expression.“Hmph, as expected. After learning that ME Entertainment had also formed a new idol group, you Schicksal people couldn’t sit still, right!”“Otherwise, why would we send your star idol to our stage to spy on the enemy? That’s simply unrealistic!”Luna covered her mouth and nose, bent over, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably as a slight pain shot through her abdomen.“...”Kongming’s lips twitched. She suddenly stopped smiling, rested her hand on her forehead, and let out a long sigh.Seeing the instant change in “Magical Girl Teriri’s” expression, Tesla immediately took a step back warily.“So you gave yourself away, huh? But don’t forget, this is ME Pan-Entertainment’s home turf! Perfect timing! I’ve been racking my brains for ages trying to figure out how to take you down, Canghai City’s number one idol. Since you’ve delivered yourself to my doorstep, I won’t be polite! You can live peacefully in your dreams forever with those Homu!”“Attack! Titan mechs! Capture them both!”With a deafening crash as a massive object landed, the mechs that had just been setting up the stage instantly surrounded the area under Tesla’s command.But in that instant, a volleyball suddenly hurtled toward them like a cannonball with a sonic boom, its target the Titan mechs’ half-finished stage.Boom!Unsurprisingly, with a sound almost like an explosion, the barely half-built stage and the Titan mechs surrounding it were instantly destroyed by the volleyball’s powerful impact.Tesla’s expression froze, her neck twitching like a rusty robot as she screamed, “Ah—!! My stage! My mechs—my budget—!!!!!”“...Pfft.”Kongming, like Luna, covered her mouth as an uncontrollable laugh escaped her throat.Although she knew such gloating was immoral, Kongming had to admit that seeing the once-aggressive Dr. Tesla reduced to this state brought a strange sense of satisfaction.Just then, the culprit behind this tragedy ran over, looking utterly embarrassed.“Uh, sorry, I didn’t quite control my strength...” Siegfried chuckled awkwardly, scratching his silver hair, then froze when he reached the scene of the tragedy. “Huh, Theresa? What are you doing here?”Before he could finish speaking, his arm was suddenly grabbed.Siegfried instinctively turned his head, his expression freezing.Tesla’s eyes were filled with blood, and her entire being emanated an aura like a ghostly apparition, the intense curse almost tangible."Did... you... do... this...?!”Siegfried was instantly horrified, his scalp tingling as he nodded. “Yes, I’m sorry, I... I’ll make amends...”“Make amends?” Tesla chewed on the word, a chilling chuckle escaping her lips. “Do you think we’ll have many usable Titans left after the Honkai? The batch you just destroyed with that volleyball was Anti-Entropy’s last batch of Titans. Make amends? Heh heh... How can you make amends? What can you use to make amends?! You couldn’t afford to make amends even if you sold yourself!”Finally, Tesla, nearly driven mad, grabbed Siegfried by the collar, her roar filled with despair, as if she were weeping blood.Siegfried was drenched in cold sweat. Although his martial prowess was exceptional, he wasn’t the quick-witted type. Seeing that he seemed to have committed an irreparable disaster, even this former strongest knight of Schicksal was at a loss. “Then what should we do?”Tesla tilted her head, posing the probing question. “You’re asking me?”Siegfried was speechless for a moment, cold sweat pouring down his forehead like a waterfall.Just then, Kongming suddenly spoke, as if remembering something. “What are you planning to do with this stage?”What else could a stage do besides perform?Luna and Siegfried both froze, while Tesla turned her gaze, as if her heart had died, to Kongming. Her voice was weak and feeble, a wisp of breath escaping from her mouth like a ghost.“What else could it be? Didn’t I tell you it was ME Entertainment’s music festival...? I’ve poured all the available funds into promoting this water park, and now it’s all over, all over. If I can’t recoup my costs, I’ll definitely be laughed at to death by that Mophead when I get back... Waaah ┭┮﹏┭┮...”“...So you were originally planning to use me for free?”Suddenly, a clear, youthful voice rang out in the ruins. Tesla, unaware of the situation, subconsciously nodded.“I heard Schicksal has been owing the Hyperion captain’s salary, so I was thinking of using the guise of an internship to trick him... Huh?!”At this moment, the sweating man instantly transformed from Siegfried into Dr. Tesla.“Go on,” Yu Fan sneered. “Why did you stop? What are you trying to do to me using this internship excuse?”“...” Tesla broke out in a cold sweat for a while, then suddenly paused, letting out a long sigh, as if she had completely given up. “What’s the point of saying this now? The stage is already destroyed. Without the Titan mechs, with Anti-Entropy’s current manpower, it’s impossible to rebuild the stage in the short term.”“The task of rebuilding the stage can be left to us.”Kongming crossed her arms, her youthful, clear voice speaking with a tone full of confidence.“Although you wronged me, the person who ruined your stage was, after all, from Schicksal. The resulting losses should be borne by Schicksal.”“Theresa…!!” Siegfried exclaimed, his face filled with emotion. “I’ll never call you a little dwarf again!”“...”Kongming remained silent. Although she had initially made the suggestion out of personal desire, after hearing Siegfried’s thoughtless words, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret and began to seriously consider whether she should just leave this idiot there.Of course, Tesla wouldn’t give Kongming a chance to back out. Upon hearing Kongming’s suggestion, she shuddered, abruptly releasing her grip on Siegfried’s collar. Her lifeless eyes came alive again."You said it yourself! You can’t go back on your word!”“Ahem, of course I won’t go back on my word.”Kongming pursed her lips, her gaze inexplicably becoming somewhat unfocused. “Right, right, you just said you originally planned to use the internship as a pretext to lure the Hyperion Captain, who’s been owed wages by Schicksal, to work here. Is that right?”Yu Fan froze, a sudden sense of foreboding washing over him.“Huh?” Tesla was also stunned. She stared blankly at Kongming, then at the Hyperion Captain himself, her mind reeling.“If you can lure him here… as payment, I can personally stand on the same stage as him and support your music festival,” Kongming said calmly. “Since your purpose in organizing the music festival is to promote this seaside amusement park, then I think you have no reason to refuse the popularity that Magical Girl Teriri has in this city, right?”“...”She was unable to refute.Although Tesla has always considered Magical Girl Teriri as ME Entertainment’s ultimate rival, there are no permanent enemies in business. If Magical Girl Teriri could personally support her music festival, then Tesla simply had no reason to refuse.But… this condition…Tesla swallowed hard, glanced at Yu Fan’s dark face, hesitated for a moment, and tentatively asked.“Um… you heard Theresa’s words, so perhaps…”“No way! Don’t even think about it!”Yu Fan shook his head without hesitation. He took a step back and said righteously, “I’m the captain of the Hyperion! What kind of image would I have as a soldier if I became someone else’s idol?”“Can’t we discuss it? The payment is negotiable,” Tesla asked persistently.“Nothing to discuss. Find someone else. Goodbye!” Yu Fan shook his head firmly, his voice filled with unwavering determination.Then—“Mr. Assassin come with me”—In an instant.All his impenetrable defenses were easily shattered by Kongming’s words, full of coquettish tenderness.Luna stared blankly at the scene, suddenly gaining a profound understanding of Tesla’s earlier heart-wrenching emotions.---Chapter 86: French Girl Bronya, and the Magical Girls Who Arrived Ahead of ScheduleHumans are social beings, and even those belonging to the anti-Honkai organization, which transcends society, cannot defy this principle.Everyone’s identity in society is extremely complex. Take this expressionless girl named Bronya Zaychik as an example: in Anti-Entropy, she is an “embedded versatile girl’s decisive weapon” controlled by Cocolia; in the underground assassin world, she is the “Ural Silver Wolf,” who set the record for the fastest ascent to the top of Charon’s Register; in the gaming world, she is the “Metal Gear Bron,” who has consistently dominated several game charts.But if we’re talking about the identity Bronya values most, then without a doubt, none of the titles mentioned above that command respect or strike fear into the hearts of people from all walks of life are as important as the simple phrase “Bronya Onee-chan.”Because of her participation in the X-10 experiment led by Cocolia, Bronya’s amygdala was burned, leaving her with little that could be called “emotion.”Even so, she still remembered the scene of Seele disappearing before her eyes—in a strange space not belonging to normal dimensions, filled with quantum states unobservable by ordinary people.A  timid yet resolute girl cried out in despair, pleading for help. The look of relief and trust on her face appeared when she saw herself, who had also entered that strange space.But when she decided to stay by that person's side, she resolutely rejected that reassuring feeling and chose to return to the real world.—In Seele's heart, Bronya Onee-chan was the bravest and strongest!The girl who selflessly took her place in the experiment, only to end up disappearing from the real world, cried out like this before her.—Bronya Onee-chan was Seele's hope!—But you abandoned hope and chose to run away!—Seele…didn't want to see Bronya Onee-chan like this.The girl, always so compliant and endlessly kind, showed resistance for the first time before her.Faced with this child's resistance, she, about to leave, made this promise——Then, it's a promise.—No matter how slim the hope, Bronya will find a way to rescue Seele.—Bronya will never give up until she finds that way!—After all, Bronya…is Seele's sister [Hope].………………………………2013, Nagazora City.At the entrance of Hyperion Cafe, Bronya stood expressionless.Before arriving at this space containing the record of the disappearance of the target Herrscher entity—Raiden Mei—Bronya had already checked the surrounding surveillance footage and satellite images. Neither the satellite aerial images nor the surveillance records showed any trace of the café. Even to the naked eye, the space where the café was located was a void devoid of anything.However, Bronya confirmed the café's existence through something that wasn't hers.She slightly closed her gray eyes, using the power left to her by the girl who had disappeared from the material world to materialize a massive floating robot—Project Bunny 19C. Then, this girl, who had become an "embedded general-purpose girl's decisive weapon" through Cocolia's training and modifications, immersed her senses into this quantum robot suspended in mid-air.Through Project Bunny 19C's monitoring [vision], the two-story building, difficult to detect by the naked eye and electronic monitoring equipment in normal dimensions, clearly appeared in Bronya's field of vision.—Miraculously, when Bronya saw the building through Project Bunny's monitors, a faint surge of excitement welled up deep within her emotionless mind.But Bronya knew perfectly well why she felt this excitement.Project Bunny 19C was a power bestowed upon her by Seele.After studying the principles of Project Bunny 19C, Cocolia had already put the quantum shift of the Titan armor on the agenda. Even so, in the current Anti-Entropy, this Project Bunny 19C, belonging only to Bronya, remained a unique quantum machine.Undetectable by normal-dimensional monitoring and the naked eye, yet observable by Project Bunny 19C, a machine transformed from quantum mechanics—even though she wasn't a researcher, Bronya could vaguely sense what this fact meant.In terms of its material composition, this café, like Seele, whose physical body had vanished from the real world, should be a kind of "quantum ghost" detached from reality.In fact, Bronya's choice to use Project Bunny 19C's monitoring system to observe this space was not accidental.Although Bronya's physical body did not enter a quantum state like Seele's, she had experienced entering the Sea of Quanta as a consciousness after participating in the X-10 experiment.Bronya and the Sea of Quanta were not parallel lines that never intersected; previously, she had already established connections with this anomalous dimension.Thanks to that experience, Bronya also possessed an almost sixth-sense-like intuition about quantum states. Therefore, upon arriving at this space, she summoned Project Bunny 19C almost without hesitation to observe this seemingly empty space, and the final result was indeed as she expected.An "Open" sign hung above the café's door, and the frosted glass windows let in a faint light from the lobby. Bronya, eyes closed, walked to the door, took a deep breath, and, relying on her shared vision with Project Bunny 19C, reached for the doorknob.The moment her hand touched the doorknob, Bronya suddenly froze.To be honest, having roughly guessed that this café was some kind of "quantum ghost," she had mentally prepared herself for not being able to physically touch it.But when Bronya grasped the doorknob, she felt a very distinct sensation of solid wood in her palm.That sensation, indistinguishable from real wood, made Bronya instinctively open her eyes.…For some reason, the moment she actually touched the café with her own body, the café, previously invisible to the naked eye, suddenly appeared in her field of vision without warning.A myriad of complex thoughts flashed through Bronya's emotionless mind like lightning. Half a second later, Bronya turned the doorknob and stepped into the café's lobby.The instant Bronya opened the door, three figures—two short and one tall—came into her view.The three were jogging toward her, seemingly preparing to leave the café. They paused for a moment when they saw the door open but didn't stop for her entry. They merely nodded and brushed past her.Bronya stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly whirled around.Among the three people leaving the café, she clearly saw a girl who looked very much like her… no, almost exactly like her. That girl was wearing a very cyberpunk-style hoodie, and her face was filled with an expression that spoke, "This is going to be interesting."That girl didn't seem surprised to see her and made no attempt to stop. By the time Bronya realized what was happening and turned around sharply, the three girls had already vanished.Before Bronya could recover from her confusion and bewilderment, a clear voice suddenly rang out."Huh? Bronya? What are you doing at this café?"Called by her name, Bronya instinctively turned her head back, then froze.She saw a silver-haired girl she had never seen before sitting at a table with her target—the prototype of the Third Herrscher. Directly opposite the two girls was Dr. Tesla, one of her mother's thorns in her side, an executor from the Anti-Entropy conservative faction.Bronya hadn't forgotten Cocolia's mission, so upon seeing the Third Herrscher's physical form, she instinctively raised her arms, assuming a fighting stance and intending to retrieve it.But at that moment, a cold gaze from behind the bar sent a chill down Bronya's spine.—Rita Rossweisse, Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie.Why is Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie here?As this obvious question arose in Bronya's mind, Raiden Mei and Kiana, sitting opposite Dr. Tesla, simultaneously and keenly sensed Bronya's hostility."Bronya?" Raiden Mei frowned slightly. "What's wrong? Why the sudden—?""Wait, Mei, she doesn't seem like the Bronya we know." Kiana stood up, took a step forward, and subtly shielded Raiden Mei behind her."Not the Bronya we know...?"Raiden Mei also sensed something was amiss.Frankly, because the Bronya before them was just as expressionless as the Bronya they knew, Raiden Mei could barely distinguish between the two based on appearance alone.However, the three of them had been together for three years, and as the "big sister" who had always mediated the conflicts between Kiana and Bronya, Raiden Mei, with Kiana's prompting, noticed the subtle differences between the two.The Bronya they knew, although unable to show many expressions due to the destruction of her emotional module in her brain, was not a cold-hearted person. On the contrary, she deeply valued the bond between the three of them.Kiana was especially aware of this. Although she and Bronya had their share of minor and major conflicts, since joining St. Freya Academy, Bronya had never shown that "combat weapon" side to either of them.She was even willing to burn out the biochip in her brain to protect them.Out of trust for her companions, Kiana was unwilling to attack Bronya first. However, knowing the special nature of this café and that she might be seen as a stranger by Bronya, Kiana was also mentally prepared for an attack.…Fortunately, although the Bronya before them didn't seem to be the companion they knew, both Bronyas possess extraordinary insight.So, after glancing at the people in the hall, she quickly suppressed her fleeting hostility and simultaneously raised her hands, surrendering on the spot."Combat strength comparison complete. Our side's chance of victory is 0.14%, escape chance is 3.2%, and the chance of capturing the Third Herrscher is 0.03%, all lower than estimated. The plan is changed. Bronya chooses to surrender unconditionally and, in accordance with the Geneva Convention, requests reasonable prisoner-of-war treatment.""..."Bronya's French-style approach left Raiden Mei and Kiana bewildered.However, since the other side had chosen to surrender, Kiana and Raiden Mei, who never wanted to become enemies with Bronya in the first place, naturally had no intention of further escalating the conflict.The two exchanged a glance and nodded. Raiden Mei waved to Bronya, who was standing in the doorway."Anyway, come in. Everyone in this café is a customer. Bronya, what would you like to drink? I'll make it for you."Bronya walked in quite brazenly. As a former child scout and former assassin, she had never been one to care much about saving face; her skin was much thicker than many people imagined.So, realizing she had no chance of winning, using her youthful appearance to beg for sympathy was something Bronya felt no guilt about whatsoever.Just then, the shop door was suddenly pushed open again, everyone's eyes instinctively turned to the entrance.Several elegantly dressed yet playfully charming girls were gathered there, led by a silver-haired girl in a pink-and-white dress."Is this the café where Sirin works?"Behind the silver-haired girl, a gray-haired girl with Roman curls in a black dress peeked out, surveying the scene in the lobby. Her gray eyes, identical to Bronya's, shone with surprise."The decor looks pretty good. Why didn't you invite everyone over before, TeRiRi?""I only found out about it recently, huh?" The silver-haired girl at the head of the group looked at the stunned Bronya with surprise. "Look, Broboli, this child looks exactly like you! Is this the 'us' from the different world Sirin talked about?"----Chapter 87 Silly Kiana, Self-Destruction OnlineAlthough Bronya had lost more than 80% of her emotions, seeing these little girls walking orderly into the lobby still gave her the feeling that her CPU had completely crashed.The silver-haired girl at the head of the group seemed oblivious to the extent of Bronya's mental turmoil. As a magical girl who had always protected the people, she naturally maintained an optimistic and kind attitude. So, upon encountering a girl who looked exactly like an acquaintance, the naturally cheerful TeRiRi approached her without hesitation.She walked up to Bronya, grasped the expressionless girl's hands, and flashed a bright smile. "Hello, I'm TeRiRi, an ordinary magical girl. Hmm… based on the cramming Sirin did for me, you must be a child from another world, right?""You scared her, TeRiRi."Perhaps because they were from the same body, although Bronya maintained her expressionless face, the girl in black behind TeRiRi vaguely sensed her unease. She approached TeRiRi, a gentle expression softening her usually indifferent face. "Hello, nice to meet you. I'm Broboli, a magical girl from the Crescent Moon District, just like TeRiRi. What's your name?"Bronya hesitated for a moment, then obediently gave her name. "...Bronya.""This child seems much more introverted than you," TeRiRi said with some surprise. "By the way, where's Sirin?"Kiana raised her hand, then pointed to the stairwell on the second floor. "Sirin seems to be doing something in his room on the second floor."Looking at the two girls before her, both from the same world as Sirin, Kiana couldn't help but wear a slightly strange expression.She certainly knew what magical girls were. Although her beloved auntie had been trying to erase that dark history that drove her crazy, "Magical Girl TeRiRi" was, after all, a character that had sparked a trend in an era, with derivative products practically ubiquitous across comics, anime, and games.Back when she was a lazy bum at St. Freya Academy, indulging in all sorts of entertainment, Kiana, a fan of various forms of entertainment, certainly wouldn't miss out on something so interesting.Even so, she never imagined that one day she would see this virtual character, based primarily on Theresa, appear in real life.And… with Bronya… no, Magical Girl Broboli along too.Kiana thought for a moment, then suddenly pulled out her communicator and took a picture of the two magical girls standing in front of Bronya."What are you doing?" Raiden Mei asked, somewhat puzzled."I'm just curious how Bronya and Auntie will react when they see them." As she spoke, Kiana suddenly chuckled, as if she had just thought of something amusing.Bronya looked at the beaming Kiana and suddenly spoke. "...If the Bronya you know is the same person as Bronya, Bronya doesn't think she'll react strangely, so please don't have any expectations."TeRiRi and Broboli exchanged a glance, a big question mark appearing above their heads.TeRiRi couldn't help but ask, "Magical girls? Is there something strange about it?""No, no, no, you misunderstood." Kiana waved her hand, smiling broadly, and put the communicator away again. "It's just that in our world, magical girls aren't real things, but rather virtual characters created for art. That's why many children admire magical girls. Just think of me as purely vain... Something I thought was just a fantasy has actually appeared before my eyes. I wonder if Auntie will be envious after seeing the photos I sent her.""You contacted the headmaster?" Raiden Mei raised an eyebrow, a slightly surprised expression appearing on her face."Um, something's not right—"Kiana's expression froze mid-sentence, as if she had been petrified, her heart pounding wildly.Damn it!I forgot I was on the run!Realizing the implications of suddenly sending a message to Theresa, Kiana, her heart pounding, frantically pulled out her communicator again.Kiana: [Images: Magical Girl TeRiRi, Bronya, Magical Girl Broboli.]Theresa: ? ? ? ? ?Theresa: Are you Kiana?Theresa: You actually know you need to contact me? Huh? ?Theresa: Where are you? What's the meaning of this photo?Theresa: Wait, when did I take this kind of photo with Bronya? Why do you have this photo? Why do you have two Bronyas?Theresa: Answer me!Theresa poked you.Theresa poked you.Theresa poked you.Theresa poked you.Theresa initiated a video call with you.Theresa initiated a video call with you.Theresa initiated a video call with you.Theresa: Answer the call! Where are you?! Mei's been looking for you like crazy, you know that?!"..."Watching Theresa's continuous replies and communication requests, Kiana felt as if her aunt's frenzied, furious expression was flashing before her eyes, her face turning a deep liverish color in fear and panic.At the same time, Raiden Mei's communicator suddenly rang.A slight smile played on her lips as she calmly pulled out her communicator under Kiana's terrified gaze.Theresa has initiated a visual communication with you.Accept/Decline."I'm going to...! Mei! No—!!!"Kiana lunged at Raiden Mei, but the latter, already prepared, easily dodged her.Beep.With the sound of the communication being connected, a virtual screen unfolded in mid-air, displaying Theresa's youthful face, brimming with anger.The moment the video call connected, Theresa blurted out at lightning speed."Mei! I have amazing news! Kiana just sent me a picture! I've immediately had Dr. Einstein track her location. You and Dr. Tesla—!"Her hurried words abruptly stopped upon seeing the image displayed on Raiden Mei's screen.A deafening roar followed."Kiana—!? You're right next to Mei—?!?!"Kiana shrank back, cautiously raising her head to look at the angry figure on the screen and chuckled awkwardly:"Yo... yo, Auntie, it's... long time no see...""Long time no see my foot—!!"Theresa on the screen instinctively sprayed Kiana in the face, then suddenly realized, "Mei, where are you now? We're coming right now! Kiana, you stay by Mei's side and don't run away! How dare you run away from home alone for so long?! You think you're all grown up now! Just wait and see how I deal with you!""Ugh... that other me from the other world—she's so fierce, Broboli..."Just then, a voice tinged with fear suddenly rang out.Dressed in all black, Broboli gently patted TeRiRi's head and silently walked to her side."Don't be afraid, TeRiRi. This is probably just something like a magical communication device. The person from another world isn't in this café."Theresa on the virtual screen froze. "Who... whose voice is that? Are there other people with you?""Hmm... how should I put it..."Raiden Mei thought for a moment, then pointed the communicator at the café's entrance."As you can see, we just encountered a few ordinary magical girls.""Magical girls?!" Theresa on the virtual screen stared in disbelief. She looked at Broboli, Bronya, and TeRiRi appearing on the screen, completely bewildered."All three of them are... no—wait! Mei, where are you and Kiana? Why are there magical girls?"Are you guys kidding me?"Correction: Bronya is not a magical girl and has no interest in becoming one." Bronya calmly raised her hand, speaking in a completely emotionless tone. "Please don't confuse Bronya with those two.""Huh—? You're Bronya? But isn't Bronya still here—"Just as Theresa on the screen was showing an increasingly bewildered expression, a click came from the communicator as a door opened."Headmistress, Bronya heard that Kiana suddenly contacted you?"Followed by crisp footsteps and a slightly childlike voice."Is the Headmistress contacting Mei-neechan to explain the situation?"Theresa on the screen turned her head toward the direction of the voice. "Bronya… why did you suddenly get out of bed? You just returned to reality. Are you alright?"“Bronya is fine. Compared to the injuries she sustained in the Sea of Quanta, Rosalia's brooch hurt her more.”The slightly childlike voice spoke softly, footsteps growing closer, until finally a youthful face with a serene expression and gentle gray eyes appeared on the virtual screen next to Theresa's.“More important than Bronya's situation is Kiana and Mei-neechan's… huh?”The person on the screen paused upon seeing the scene in the hall, their expression gradually turning serious.“Bronya and the Headmistress are also with Mei… in this situation, could it be…”“…Mei-neechan, why did you suddenly go to the Sea of Quanta?”“Huh?” Raiden Mei looked surprised. “Bronya, how did you know?”“Because Bronya recently came out of the Bubble World of the Sea of Quanta with Seele, so she has experience dealing with similar situations…”As she spoke, Bronya on the other side of the screen suddenly looked confused."Wait, since Mei-neechan is in the Sea of Quanta, the communicator there shouldn’t be able to connect to the real world… so why can Mei still contact the Headmistress?”Raiden Mei hesitated for a moment: “…Well, I’m not really sure either…”“Wait—wait a minute—!”Suddenly, a loud voice interrupted Raiden Mei.Bronya, standing before the two magical girls, maintained a calm expression, but her steps into the hall carried an unprecedented intensity."Seele—you just said that you and Seele recently returned to the real world from the Bubble World of the Sea of Quanta?""Please tell Bronya about Seele! Please! Bronya will do anything!""..."On the other side of the screen, Bronya stared intently at the Bronya in the hall, a strange expression flickering in her eyes.After a moment of silence, Bronya on the screen spoke."I received your request, but the situations differ in each world. Bronya cannot trust you. Bronya proposes that you share all the information you possess with us."Bronya on the other end immediately replied, "Agreed. What do you want to know?"The Bronya on the screen said calmly, "Based on your physical characteristics and interpersonal relationships, we infer that you are from four years ago—that is, Bronya in 2013 AD. Is that correct?""Yes, Bronya's time is December 1, 2013. I came to Nagazora City to carry out Mother Cocolia's mission and capture the prototype of the Third Herrscher—Raiden Mei."Upon hearing Bronya introduce herself in the lobby, Raiden Mei and Kiana both showed expressions of sudden realization.No wonder Bronya had instinctively shown hostility upon seeing Raiden Mei.If she was from 2013, then Bronya had maintained an antagonistic relationship with both of them.Suddenly, Kiana froze.Realizing what it meant for someone from 2013 to be in this café, her pupils contracted sharply.Bronya on the screen pondered for a moment."December 1st, 2013… that means Seele has been missing for four months in your world?""To be precise, one hundred and three days."Bronya in the lobby lowered her eyelids dejectedly.Although most of her emotions had subsided, when she recalled the scene of Seele disappearing before her eyes, a sharp, cutting pain still throbbed in her chest.-----Chapter 88: The Upheaval at Heliopolis Life SciencesBronya on the screen stared calmly at her dejected "other self," her heart devoid of much emotion.As a fellow "Bronya," she could certainly understand the predicament she faced in 2013, shortly after Seele's disappearance.However, firstly, her 2013 self hadn't encountered this strange café, and even as a fellow Bronya, she wasn't the same person standing in the lobby.Secondly, if this "Bronya" has a similar experience to her past self, then at least in Bronya's own eyes, the other person doesn't deserve her sympathy.Bronya considers her life quite eventful. After the Second Honkai War, Siberia, a major disaster-stricken region, was engulfed in a severe civil war. It was during this time that Bronya was adopted by a local warlord and trained to be a fearsome killing machine. In 2012, during an assassination attempt, she was adopted by the "witch" Cocolia and enjoyed a brief period of warmth and comfort for the next two years.Up to this point, her life could be said to have been relatively free of major mistakes. However, after Seele's disappearance, Bronya committed a crime that she herself could not absolve.In order to find Seele, who had disappeared in the real world, she and Cocolia placed their hopes on another Stigmata holder—Raiden Mei.To unleash Raiden Mei's power, they jointly planned the "Third Eruption" in Nagazora City, which directly led to the death of millions of people.Bronya isn't the type to dwell on the past. Having experienced several upheavals in her life, she knows how to console herself quite well. Rather than wallowing in past mistakes, she prefers to demonstrate her feelings and resolve through actions—a ruthless and taciturn approach.Driven by this almost obsessive personality, even before finding Seele, she was willing to risk her life by deliberately burning the biochip in her brain to protect Raiden Mei's life and break free from Cocolia's control.By now, Kiana and Raiden Mei would likely no longer question Bronya's friendship regarding their experiences during the Third Eruption, and Bronya would certainly not invite trouble by dancing in a minefield right under Raiden Mei's nose.But that doesn't mean Bronya has completely forgotten what happened during the Third Eruption.If she had the chance to go back in time, she would most likely slap her past self across the face. Even with the legitimate reason of finding Seele, the current Bronya didn't believe it was an excuse to disregard the lives of millions of residents in Nagazora City.Firstly, in terms of the outcome, actively instigating the Third Eruption did absolutely nothing to help her find Seele.Even if she successfully found Seele after creating the Third Eruption and using the results, given Seele's kind nature, how could she possibly be happy?It could be said that even in Bronya's own view, her 2013 self had lost the necessary composure due to Seele's disappearance and had completely lost the ability to weigh the pros and cons. Therefore, it was only natural that she couldn't give her past self a pleasant look....Of course, how much of this was because she had successfully found Seele and become a winner in life was something no one else could know.“Since you are Bronya from 2013 and have already admitted to plotting the Third Eruption with Mother Cocolia, then first—Bronya demands that you immediately abandon your plan to create Honkai in Nagazora City,” Bronya said calmly on the screen. “Bronya can tell you that creating the Third Eruption will not help in finding Seele.”“Understood.” Bronya in the hall raised her head again and nodded slightly.“Secondly, Bronya requires you to stay in that shop and keep an eye on Kiana—yes, that silver-haired, idiotic paramecium next to Mei—and don't let her wander out of the shop.”Kiana, caught in the crossfire: “??????”Are you out of your mind, Bronya?!After hearing Bronya's request on the screen, Raiden Mei's expression became somewhat subtle."Bronya, Kiana is still under my nose. You don't need to have your past self specifically monitor her, do you?""Exactly!" Kiana's eyebrows shot up, hands on her hips. "And you little rascal, are you trying to smear me again?! How many times have I told you! Don't call me a paramecium! You think I won't beat you up?!"Bronya on the screen ignored Kiana's argument. She slightly rolled her eyes, focusing her scrutinizing gaze on Raiden Mei.No, it's very necessary. Knowing Mei-neechan as I do, if no one else is supervising, who knows if Mei-neechan might inexplicably give in to that idiot Kiana's persistent pleading?""Uh… is it that serious?" Raiden Mei felt a little guilty.“It’s that serious,” Bronya spoke calmly on the screen. “So, I’m leaving that idiot in your hands, Bronya from the past.”Bronya in the lobby glanced at Kiana and nodded. “Understood. As long as Bronya is alive, she will absolutely not let her step out of the café.”“…It’s not quite that bad,” Bronya on the screen spoke. “Mei-neechan, where exactly are you located?”“A café in the suburbs of Arc City, called Hyperion. The exact coordinates are 106°35′E, 32°96′N,” Raiden Mei said. “Also, this café seems to be visible only to certain people. All other electronic surveillance equipment can’t capture its image. Please be careful when you come over.”“A café in the suburbs of Arc City… Hyperion?” Theresa on the screen suddenly paused.“Hmm, the situation at this café… is a bit unusual. We'll discuss the details once everyone's here.”Raiden Mei nodded. “Also, please don't be hostile toward the other people in the café. The store manager helped Kiana control her Herrscher persona, and most of the staff aren't the people we know.”“The same person from different Bubble Worlds? Bronya understands; after all, she just experienced something similar.” Bronya nodded on the screen."He helped Kiana control the Herrscher persona?" Theresa's eyes widened in disbelief on the screen. "Mei, is this true?!""Yes, according to Class Monitor, it should be true." Raiden Mei nodded."Class Monitor... Fu Hua is with you too?" Theresa was surprised at first, then nodded quickly. "I understand. If this Store Manager really helped Kiana control the Herrscher persona within her, then he is Kiana's benefactor, and also our benefactor, and deserves our kindness and reward.""I'll come pick you up with everyone right away. We'll arrive at your location in about five hours. That's all for now."As soon as she finished speaking, the image on the screen abruptly went black, and the atmosphere in the hall fell silent once more.—In 2017, just as Theresa and Bronya, fresh from their escape from the Sea of Quanta, were hastily preparing to reunite with Kiana and Raiden Mei,at midday in Arc City, Heliopolis Life Sciences was undergoing Schicksal's investigation. They were experiencing an unprecedented and significant upheaval.Initially, neither Durandal nor Rita took this minor investigation seriously. After all, the initial purpose of the investigation was to find clues about the experimental subject K423 from Heliopolis Life Sciences' information channels.Now, Rita had unexpectedly discovered K423's location, rendering their search through Heliopolis Life Sciences' information pointless.However, the moment the two S-class Valkyries stepped into the technology park, Durandal's expression suddenly changed.—In the Heliopolis Life Sciences technology park, she sensed something unusual.Durandal found it difficult to describe the eerie sensation, because it was less a scent and more a kind of sixth sense.Four years ago, in the Sea of Quanta, she confronted a self-proclaimed "god" Honkai creation while protecting a Bubble World. This Honkai creation manipulated the Honkai within her, corrupting the Bubble World's ether anchor and thus achieving near-divine control over it.Although this so-called "god" soon perished under Durandal's holy sword, the brief corruption had inextricably bound the world's etheric anchor to Honkai, leading to its collapse.To delay the Bubble World's destruction, Durandal, under Dr. Schrödinger's guidance, inverted the Bubble World into her own body.Therefore, in a sense, Durandal at this moment is also a near-godlike being in the eyes of that Bubble World.Of course, given Durandal's personality, even if she became the "god" of that Bubble World, she wouldn't recklessly rewrite its contents.However, regardless of her personal thoughts about the identity of "god," she undeniably stood in that position and genuinely gained power from an entire Bubble World.Firstly, because an entire Bubble World resided within her, Durandal's spatial awareness was amplified to a level incomprehensible to ordinary people.Normally, human perception of space relies on the five senses.Conversely, if the five senses cannot reach a certain area, then for ordinary humans, that space can be considered non-existent.After all, humans cannot confirm things they cannot see or touch.But for Durandal, even without relying on her five senses, she could grasp the state of space to a certain extent.The most direct benefit of this extraordinary spatial ability is that, after equipping the fourth-generation armor called Bright Knight: Excelsis, even if Durandal cannot always visually pinpoint the location of her self-controlled spirits "King" and "Queen," she can easily control them and fully utilize their capabilities on the complex and ever-changing battlefield.To outsiders, the self-controlled spirits "King" and "Queen," controlled by Durandal, are probably just like two perfectly coordinated comrades-in-arms.For the same reason, since Durandal can perceive every change in space without sight, she can certainly detect abnormal spatial fluctuations even when obscured by objects.For example, right now—even without directly seeing the source of the anomaly, Durandal keenly sensed a spatial fluctuation deep beneath the Heliopolis Life Sciences industrial park that should only exist in the Sea of Quanta.Based on the presumption of innocence, without concrete evidence, even though she detected the abnormal fluctuations deep underground, Durandal didn't directly connect them to Heliopolis Life Sciences.But as a Valkyrie, she couldn't simply ignore the anomalies disrupting the real world.So, after meeting with Cioara, an advisor to Heliopolis Life Sciences, this straightforward and adorable girl immediately made her request."—I'm going to breach your ground. Please have all staff at Heliopolis Life Sciences prepare for the tremors.""Huh?"The consultant, dressed in office attire, and Rita, in a formal suit, were both stunned by Durandal's unexpected suggestion.As the vice-captain of the Immortal Blades, Rita, knowing her captain wouldn't speak without reason, reacted immediately."Lord Durandal, are you sensing anything down there?""Hmm, if left unchecked, it will likely cause a major disaster for this city."Durandal nodded, then donned the Bright Knight: Excelsis armor in a dazzling blue glow before leaping into the air from the Eos's landing platform, giving the stunned consultant no time to react."Wait...!! You...!"Without giving the consultant any time to stop her, after soaring into the air, a burst of intense blue flames erupted from behind Bright Knight: Excelsis, and Durandal's body, like a falling comet, plunged straight into the ground in the center of the industrial park."Damn it! This madwoman—!!!"Boom!Accompanied by a shockwave that swept across the ground, the thick earth was torn apart layer by layer by Durandal's incredibly violent impact.Rita instinctively raised her arm to protect her eyes, but her pupils contracted sharply after seeing what was deep underground.Bizarre Honkai beasts, bizarre zombies, and countless corpses floated in incubation tanks. The zombies were covered in markings resembling holy stigmata, reflecting an ominous light in the sunlight.------Chapter 89: The Hyperion Café in the Previous EraFrom a certain perspective, the Valkyries belonging to Schicksal can be considered a type of public servant.Although Schicksal is not an organization belonging to any particular nation, when faced with this behemoth that transcends conventional social structures, almost all political systems tacitly allow Schicksal Valkyries to possess law enforcement power above that of government agencies within their own territories.This tacit acceptance of the Valkyries' law enforcement power beyond that of conventional political institutions is inextricably linked to Schicksal's overwhelming military might, but ultimately, it stems from the fact that during its five hundred years of world domination, Schicksal has successfully cultivated an image of impartiality and selflessness in the minds of most people.This trust has risen to a level akin to faith.Schicksal's actions are all for the sake of humanity—This understanding has been deeply imprinted in the minds of the vast majority of people, even those cold-blooded politicians, like a spiritual brand over the past five hundred years.As a member of the Valkyries and the leader of the strongest Valkyrie squad, Immortal Blades, Durandal naturally enjoys law enforcement authority transcending political systems worldwide.She can enter the territory of any country as if it did not exist, and even if she causes serious damage to local buildings in the process, no country will likely come after her.Even “executioners” like Rita, who have long operated in the shadows, can exercise even greater authority than Durandal in the course of their missions.As one of Schicksal's few S-rank Valkyries, if necessary, she can even kill in public without consulting anyone or collecting evidence against the suspect, without facing any legal consequences—on the contrary, if she wants to kill someone, even without evidence or a legitimate reason, local law enforcement agencies can only cooperate with her in full.Despite this, due to her upright and earnest nature, Durandal did not take this almost arbitrary power for granted.Although she was more adept at resolving problems with her fists, she was not unreasonable. Therefore, if Otto truly ordered her to punish someone, she would not, like Rita, indiscriminately take their life without clear evidence and reasonable justification.From this perspective, while Rita might appear to be the gentler and more humble member of the Immortal Blades team, Durandal's methods were actually more lenient in carrying out missions.—Of course, all these principles only apply when dealing with “humans” who can reason.Faced with Honkai, which was utterly unreasonable from the start, Durandal's modus operandi swiftly shifted from “persuasion through reason” to “swift, precise, and ruthless” attacks aimed directly at its weaknesses.She knew all too well that in the face of Honkai, even a minute's delay could result in more deaths; eliminating Honkai as quickly as possible was the only viable option.Under the midday sun, the azure comet plummeted downward, its unparalleled violence instantly shattering rock layers.The raging shockwave tore through the air, creating a sandstorm-like hurricane that sent the entire tech park flying. Lush greenery was uprooted, and streetlights and utility poles collapsed amid the violent shaking.With Durandal's descent, not only was the ground within a radius of several hundred meters pulverized, but even the foundations more than fifty meters deep sank completely, forming a massive crater.But upon seeing the scene deep underground, both Durandal, standing amid the ruins, and Rita, perched on the edge of the pit, simultaneously experienced a sharp contraction in their pupils.A pungent stench assaulted their nostrils—a chaotic mixture of rotting flesh and the stench of stagnant water filled with excrement.Bodies, indistinguishable from corpses, lay buried in the rubble, bloodshot eyes rolling among the loose stones. Muscles, brutally torn from the bones, were splattered with a bizarre liquid—blood or some other unknown substance—from the crushing weight of the stones.Despite their utter decay, these corpse-like figures still seemed to stir, emitting sounds barely audible, not even whimpers.The nightmarish scene made Durandal and Rita feel utterly nauseous, almost to the point of vomiting.“Zombies?”Although her stomach churned with nausea, as Schicksal's executioner accustomed to corpses, Rita remained calm. Gazing at the scene beneath, her voice was colder than ever before.“Ms. Cioara, may I ask you a question? Why is there such a laboratory beneath Heliopolis Life Sciences, teeming with so many zombies?”The instant these words left her lips, a beam of icy blue light emanated from Rita's hand. A massive scythe, accompanied by a whistling wind, pointed at the consultant's neck.Because she needed the consultant's testimony, Rita did not choose to take her life immediately.Even so, upon seeing the underground laboratory of Heliopolis Life Sciences, an uncontrollable killing intent flickered in her eyes, and her blood pressure rose uncontrollably.She remembered clearly that during her confrontation with the experimental subject K423 and the store manager of that café last night, the store manager had told her that the Herrscher powers possessed by the experimental subject K423 had actually been taken away by him. Therefore, Rita had speculated that the frequent Honkai incidents around Arc City might not be related to the Herrscher of the Void.But she never expected that, just one day later, the culprit behind these Honkai incidents would appear before her in such an unreasonable way.After the anger subsided, an unparalleled sense of dread followed. She did not possess Durandal's powerful spatial awareness. If she had been the only one contacting Heliopolis Life Sciences today, Rita believed she would not have had much chance of discovering the crimes committed by Heliopolis Life Sciences.Feeling the cold touch on her neck and seeing Rita's piercing, murderous gaze, the consultant rolled her eyes, raised her hands, and tentatively asked."If I said I did not actually know what was down there, would you believe me?”“What do you think?”Rita chuckled angrily, slightly digging the tip of her scythe into the consultant’s skin.A trickle of blood seeped from the cut."You had better not try to fool us, Ms. Cioara. Even without you, we can still force our way into your Heliopolis Life Sciences database and painstakingly gather evidence and data on your crimes. Believe me, with Schicksal’s technical expertise, doing so is not difficult; it just might take some time.”“Treading into someone else’s territory without permission and brazenly spying on their secrets… you of Schicksal are just as I imagined—arrogant and ignorant.”“…”Rita’s expression turned cold. She showed no mercy, applying force to the scythe in her hand. The blue tip sliced into the consultant’s neck without resistance, blood splattering——No, what splattered was not blood, but a flock of black crows.Just before Rita was about to behead the consultant, her body was suddenly covered by a curtain of shadow.At the same time, a flock of crows flew around, flapping their wings wildly, and the thick fog that obscured the view spread out at lightning speed.Unfazed, Rita raised her scythe, her long, slender fingers weaving through the hilt, spinning it rapidly like a fan. Then she extended her arm, swinging the shield formed by the spinning scythe around her.The crisp clanging of metal, accompanied by sparks, echoed incessantly from the scythe's hilt. Short spikes made of feathers were quickly deflected by Rita's impenetrable defense, scattering across the ground.“As expected of Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie. It seems that to defeat you, I will have to use the latest achievement of the ‘Serpent.’”The advisor's voice came from all directions through the thick, dark fog. Rita raised an eyebrow, a hint of disdain flashing in her eyes.“Heh, do you really understand what kind of opponent you have provoked?”“Oh.” The advisor chuckled mockingly. “Are you talking about yourself?”“While Rita does not believe she will be defeated by you, unfortunately, in this particular situation, what Rita is referring to is not herself~” Rita laughed."You agree, Lady Durandal?”As if in response to Rita's words, a violent explosion, accompanied by a violent tremor of the ground, resounded.“Wh—”Faced with Durandal's indiscriminate violence, the thick black mist covering Rita's body, and the advisor hidden within it, were all blown away by the fierce storm.“Whoosh—”The black cloak billowed in the scorching midday sun.The advisor, who had somehow changed into a bodysuit, appeared slightly disheveled as she flew through the air.In their field of vision, at the edge of the deep pit, Durandal, her back spewing shimmering blue flames, hovered in mid-air, standing shoulder to shoulder with Rita.“I’m sorry, Lady Durandal. It’s Rita’s incompetence that she could not capture this scurrying rat.”“Now is not the time to be discouraged,” Durandal said calmly. “I have already dealt with the zombies in the underground lab. Rita, go retrieve the data from Heliopolis Life Sciences. As for this escaped crow, I will bring her back.”“Understood, Lady Durandal.”The instant Rita finished speaking, the flames she spewed intensified, but just before Durandal was about to rush toward the rapidly fleeing advisor——an indescribable chill suddenly ran down the spine of this strongest Valkyrie.The Honkai energy within a radius of hundreds of kilometers instantly formed a massive vortex, converging toward a chilling “center point.”She instinctively turned her gaze toward the source of the chilling aura.Thousands of meters apart, two pairs of strikingly similar blue eyes met.Then, in the next second.The silver-haired man, who had stood thousands of meters away just moments before, appeared without warning, standing before the two S-rank Valkyries as if teleported.Upon seeing him, Durandal and Rita's pupils contracted simultaneously.Though the color was the same as Durandal's, those deep azure eyes, like those of a predator from tens of thousands of years ago, easily awakened the fear etched deepest into human genes.Durandal's eyes sharpened. The instant she saw him, she immediately understood that the pursuit of the advisor had utterly failed, and the blue trail of flames behind her vanished.She stepped forward, subtly shielding Rita with her body, and with a flick of her wrist, pointed the knight's lance that had appeared out of thin air at the silver-haired man."You're the leader of Heliopolis Life Sciences, aren't you?”“...” The silver-haired man glanced at Durandal silently, then spoke calmly. “Come on.”“As you wish!” Durandal spoke in a deep voice.—At the same moment, in the Hyperion café.After a brief exchange, with everyone in the lobby reaching a consensus, the atmosphere in the café returned to its peaceful tranquility.Bronya and the two magical girls sat at a table, nibbling on the braised beef rice bowl that Raiden Mei had prepared, while Kiana dutifully picked up a broom and began sweeping the wooden floor.At the top of the stairs on the second floor, Sirin popped her head out, holding a long red banner.“Finally finished...”“What’s that?” Kiana, who was sweeping the floor, looked up and asked curiously.“A banner with a welcome message. It’s said to be a custom from the Store Manager's hometown,” Sirin said, unfolding the banner, which read: “Warmly welcome the Magical Girl Academy Principal to provide guidance!”“...” Seeing the banner, Kiana was momentarily speechless. Just then, a red figure suddenly appeared behind her, his expression complex. “Your Store Manager... was he from Shenzhou?”“Rather than Shenzhou, it’s more like a place somewhat similar to Shenzhou. I’m not really sure.” As she spoke, Sirin's expression suddenly hardened. “Why are you suddenly asking this?”“Uh, because I’m from Shenzhou, and this banner... does indeed seem to be some kind of custom from our area,” the red figure said.Suddenly, the café door opened.A little girl with pink hair peeked in furtively.She scanned the lobby, then ran to the counter and asked Rita, who was standing behind it, in a clear voice.“Um, hello! I’m hungry. Do you sell lunch here?”Seeing that cute pink-haired figure, Fu Hua felt a slight throbbing pain in her head.------Chapter 90: Hyperion Café in the Elysian RealmMany, many years ago, under the influence of the Meta-Morph factor, Fu Hua, suffering from hyperthymesia, had been constantly burdened by memories that accumulated over time.Because those memories were so vivid, she knew every single moment clearly. To suppress their rampant growth and reduce the burden on her consciousness, Fu Hua had to periodically filter her memories, stripping away those that were not particularly important to fighting Honkai.Later, as Fu Hua's control and use of Fenghuang Down became increasingly refined, she even learned to use her memories as fuel. Although Fu Hua herself was quite resistant to discarding all her memories, she would not hesitate to do so if necessary.—The ultimate result is the remnant spirit now floating around Kiana.The current Fu Hua has long since lost most of her past memories.For a long time, she had only a vague impression of being a forerunner from the Previous Era, with little real memory or feeling.But regardless, to fulfill her mission, there is only one type of memory she can never forget.That is her knowledge and information about [Honkai] and [Herrschers].For the past fifty thousand years, whenever she closed her eyes, Fu Hua would contemplate how to fight the Herrschers she had encountered in the past.Aside from a few Herrschers with exceptional abilities or whose contributions and scale were simply unmatched, she had found ways to deal with the vast majority of them.If she maintained her peak strength, Fu Hua could probably easily defeat most of the Herrschers from that era.Among the few memories she had preserved, and considered “most important” by Fu Hua, were those of the “Thirteenth Herrscher” from the Previous Era.Why did Fu Hua agree to Otto's Sirin Plan? Because she knew that, under the influence of “that one” from the Previous Era, Herrschers born in the current civilization era did indeed have the potential to break free from Honkai's control.The First Herrscher of this era was irrefutable proof that this possibility had become reality.However, lacking knowledge of the specific technical details of the Sirin Project, Fu Hua at that time was unaware of the profound “price” Otto had prepared....Even so, even though she did retain some memories of the “Thirteenth Herrscher,”Upon seeing the little girl who had suddenly entered the café, Fu Hua still experienced a slight, almost bewildering throbbing pain in her mind, preventing her from immediately confirming the girl's identity.The little girl, with her bright pink eyes sparkling, asked if the café sold lunch, while her gaze, brimming with curiosity and a strong thirst for knowledge, wandered around.A cute girl.A cute girl.A super cute girl.Wow the girls in this café are so cute~ and that lady floating in the sky is so pretty too!Why are there so many pretty girls in this shop?!Is this shop... the Elysia, the paradise in the storybooks, found only after reaching the ends of the earth?What?! The legendary paradise is right here in this shop?The paradise is clearly here! Why did the storybooks say it did not exist?Sure enough, the stories in books are completely unreliable!The pink-haired girl silently told herself.At the same moment, as the little girl, already showing signs of lesbianism, happily scanned her surroundings, the long-haired maid standing behind the bar could not help but cast her gentle yet slightly amazed wine-red eyes at the flawless pink-haired girl.—Rita Rosemary.—An incurable person of the same ilk as Rita of the original world, no matter the world.She suppressed the urge to commit a crime, desperately reminding herself to maintain the decorum expected of a maid and not tarnish the café's image. She offered the little customer a polite, gentle smile.“This café, of course, serves light meals. My lovely little customer, are you alone? Where are your parents?”Her gentle, melodious voice carried a hint of concern.Rita could not help but worry. Although the pink-haired girl had a near-flawless face, her overall demeanor exuded a weary, travel-worn air.A simple black robe covered her petite frame, and the backpack on her back was almost taller than she was.Her pink hair looked like it had not been cut in a while. While it was not unattractive given her appearance, if someone could tidy it up properly, the already adorable girl would likely only become even more irresistible to a an enthusiast like her.At least, the moment she uttered those words, Rita had already mentally regarded the other person as a dress-up doll that existed only in her imagination, freely changing into various images.“This one looks so pretty, that one’s so cute... Sigh, really, with such a perfect foundation, why do her elders never think to dress her up a bit?”The pink-haired little girl was a good child who did not know how to lie, so when she heard Rita's caring words, she answered the question almost without thinking.“Adult? I don’t have any adults with me. My home is very, very far away. I’m traveling all by myself!”“Hehe! Pretty impressive, right!”The girl raised her chin, and for some reason, she had a very happy expression on her face, as if waiting for praise.“Ah, this...”Should I praise her?Rita's expression was somewhat subtle.Because of the café's unique, detached nature from society, the staff were not required to adhere to the social norms and customs of modern society.Conversely, since they themselves did not follow these rules, Rita had no reason to demand that people from a different world abide by the rules of modern society.Responsible parents must raise and educate their children to adulthood—this common sense, which is considered a "social obligation" in modern society, is not a necessity in different worlds with different social structures.During her travels in the Sea of Quanta, Rita had witnessed many Bubble Worlds where children were capable of standing on their own from a very young age.Not to mention the distant past, the three magical girls sitting in the café were not much older than the pink-haired little girl. However, in their Bubble World, these three magical girls, far from adulthood, had already obtained professional positions and become public servants with stable jobs and salaries.Thinking this, Rita's face softened into a gentle smile again. "Since you yourself are quite satisfied with the current situation, it would be ungrateful of me as a meddler to continue.""Is your name Rita?" The pink-haired little girl's eyes lit up. "My name is Elysia, nice to meet you!""It is nice to meet you too, lovely little customer." Rita smiled gently. "You must be quite hungry. Would you like something?""Emmmm..."Ellie-chan pondered for a moment, then suddenly pulled a small patterned purse from the hem of her black robe. She opened it and counted her meager travel expenses while weighing the necessary costs ahead against what she would have left after lunch."If it is just a meal, I should be able to afford the hotel... But if I accidentally exceed my budget, I can manage with a tent for the night..."Even fairies who transcend the mortal world must abide by the rules and common sense of human society if they want to walk among humans. This, of course, includes the market transaction rules centered on currency.—The flawless girl who embarked on a world tour with a heart full of passion is also struggling with her current financial situation.Just as Rita was starting to feel uneasy, a calm voice tinged with weariness suddenly rang out."Put her expenses on my tab first."No one expected that the first person to generously help Ellie-chan would be the aloof Fu Hua. Kiana, who thought she knew this Class Monitor quite well, showed an expression of disbelief.Ellie-chan was initially surprised, then smiled brightly. The fairy-like girl, already showing signs of social boldness, did not mind accepting kindness, even from complete strangers:"Thank you so much to this lady floating in the air! If you ever run into trouble, be sure to tell me! Do not let my appearance fool you, Ellie-chan is very powerful!"This was not boasting. Although still young, Ellie-chan realized soon after embarking on her journey that she possessed powers far exceeding those of ordinary people.However, in most cases, her innocent and adorable appearance made it hard for people to believe this, and almost everyone dismissed her words as childish ramblings.Sigh~ (*?Д｀)=3 being too cute has its inconveniences...No one believes me when I tell the truth~Just as Ellie-chan was thinking this, she heard a very serious and confident "Hmm."Fu Hua nodded, a rare softening appearing on her usually calm expression. "I believe you."Ellie-chan paused, her smile more radiant than ever before.After everyone in the café had settled Ellie-chan, Kiana quietly brought her lips to Fu Hua's translucent ear.Her first words were a soul-searching question—"Class Monitor... where... did you get the money?"Fu Hua's expression froze instantly.Perhaps it was because she had spent so much time with Kiana, but ever since she had followed Kiana into this café, she felt as if her brain, along with Kiana's plummeting IQ, was being dragged into an abyss."Um... this..."In her intense embarrassment, Fu Hua, her face flushed crimson, inadvertently forgot the fact that she was currently just a consciousness.Mimicking Kiana's actions, she brought her mouth close to the latter's ear, lowered her voice, and whispered."That child is an acquaintance of mine. Could you pay for her first? I will tell you my bank card PIN later.""Sure, it is just lunch, but..."Kiana looked at Fu Hua suspiciously."Class Monitor, why... why do you think our bank cards still work?""..."Fu Hua was speechless, feeling a sudden, intense weariness.Could you be less perceptive about such trivial matters?! I do not know if you are stupid or smart!For Kiana, paying for Fu Hua was not a big deal.Kiana was not a stingy person to begin with. In fact, if Fu Hua had not asked, she would have already been prepared to pay for the little girl's lunch.After all, the way the little girl was traveling at such a young age was, in a way, quite similar to Kiana when she was a child.Out of empathy and the protective instincts that most people have, Kiana did not mind lending a helping hand to such a cute little girl.However, Fu Hua's strange behavior, as if she had suddenly lost her mind, was indeed a bit suspicious.Kiana currently did not know Fu Hua's identity.If she had not encountered this café, Kiana, preoccupied with dealing with the Herrscher Persona, probably would not have had much time to investigate Fu Hua's past and identity.But with the Herrscher of the Void's will now completely under her control, Kiana had more free time and naturally had the opportunity to fully satisfy her restless curiosity."Class Monitor, you said you knew that little girl before?"Fu Hua was silent for a moment, then nodded."...Sort of."What do you mean "sort of"? That hesitant expression...Kiana's face suddenly became somewhat subtle."Class Monitor, you... you would not happen to be a L****on like Rita, would you?""What is a L****on?" Completely clueless about this dark side of the industry, Fu Hua humbly asked.Kiana coughed lightly. "To put it more formally, it is pedophilia."Fu Hua almost choked on her breath. If she still had a body, she might have accidentally suffocated.Meanwhile, in a certain unknown trial space——A fierce-looking girl with two horns on her head stared blankly at a shop door that had suddenly appeared in the lobby of the Elysian Realm."What is this?"Finding herself full of questions, Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei, who had been thrown into the Elysian Realm not long ago, said this.-----Chapter 91: The Heroic Team BuildingLife is like a gamble with no guaranteed outcome because you never know whether what you are about to face is a sweet reward or an unreasonable bully. It is like Raiden Mei walking through the Elysian Realm—she never knows whether she will bump into Kalpas or Elysia in the next second.In 2017, in a dimly lit space devoid of any sense of time, the Herrscher of Thunder curled up in a booth sofa against the wall, reminiscing about recent events.—Having learned of Otto's plan by chance and wanting to provide immediate assistance to Kiana and the others in Kolosten, she used the portal opened by Kevin to reach the Sea of Quanta. She pushed the power of the Herrscher of Thunder to its limit, allowing her consciousness to penetrate the core of the Herrscher, the deepest part of the Gem of Conquest.In that "space of nothingness" created by the "Will of Honkai," she briefly lent Kiana the "Thunder of Conquest," allowing her to return herself to full potential.At the same time, it was also in this "space of nothingness" that she encountered the invisible, intangible, and indescribable "Will of Honkai."Recalling her recent encounter, Raiden Mei could not help but sigh softly.Ñersonally, being able to meet Kiana in this special way and confirming that Kiana's condition was much better than she had expected naturally made her happy and gratified.But the bigger issue this meeting brought up—the Will of Honkai—gave her a sense of relief mixed with unprecedented pressure and frustration.It would be strange if she were not frustrated. Besides herself, there was Otto, who had been dead for some time, and probably the "real Sirin," who had been dead for over a decade. Apart from these three, no one in this civilization era had ever directly confronted the so-called "Will of Honkai."Therefore, if she wanted a deeper understanding of the "Will of Honkai," she had to find clues from those who had fought against it—the memories of the Flame-Chasers within the Elysian Realm.However, the memories of these Flame-Chasers...Raiden Mei recalled the faces of everyone she had encountered since arriving in the Elysian Realm—Kevin... she chose to skip over this master of deception, the leader of the Flame-Chasers.Recalling that enigmatic persona—whose opening lines were always "You do not need to know this" or "This is not an answer you need to know," and whose closing lines were always "If the real me did not answer your question, why do you think the one standing here will answer it"—Raiden Mei felt her blood pressure rise.She rubbed her temples and took a long, deep breath, as if trying to cast aside those unpleasant memories, then continued to recall her experiences with the other Flame-Chasers.Elysia... she decided to leave that talkative Miss Pink Elf aside for now.Raiden Mei had to admit that compared to Kevin, the perpetually sullen and aloof master of deception known as Kaslana, Elysia was far more agreeable.Although she still did not quite understand how to approach this overly enthusiastic fairy, Elysia usually answered her questions diligently.However, once her questions touched on deeper matters, specifically secrets about "herself," this seemingly warm and selfless fairy would use an impenetrable wall of deception, even more sophisticated than Kevin's, to deflect all her questions.At least for now, Raiden Mei felt she had reached a point where she could not extract any more information from Elysia.As for Hua, Sakura, Su, Eden, Mobius, and Kalpas...Wait...Raiden Mei looked around the empty hall and suddenly realized something was wrong....Where did Raven go?Speaking of which, Raiden Mei knew about Otto's plan because Raven had sneaked into the Elysian Realm to inform her.Bt before she left, did he not say he wanted to slack off here? Why did he suddenly disappear as soon as she returned?The entire Elysian Realm hall was deserted.Apart from the slight noise of the main control system and the low hum of the cooling devices, only the sound of Raiden Mei's breathing remained.She stood up from the sofa and looked toward the data portal floating in mid-air deep within the hall, but suddenly froze.The Elysian Realm is a trial space composed of data.The entrance to this data space is a memory input device suspended in mid-air. When no one approaches, the dormant device shrinks the portal into a miniature sphere to reduce energy consumption.But now, that device suspended in mid-air had suddenly become—"What is this thing?"Raiden Mei's expression was astonished, her tone involuntarily carrying a hint of absurdity."...A wooden door?"Although the trial area of the Elysian Realm is a strange scene pieced together from the memories of the Flame-Chasers, this hall of the Elysian Realm cannot be strictly considered a data space. Rather, it is a place where data and reality meet.The memories of the Flame-Chasers can interfere with the matter in the hall to some extent, but this hall itself is a building transformed from the real private mansion that existed in the Previous Era—the Golden Courtyard.This building not only perfectly preserved the original appearance of the Golden Garden but also housed the hardware of the Elysian Realm....From a certain perspective, if anyone could destroy this place right under the noses of the Flame-Chasers, the so-called Elysian Realm would cease to exist.However, at this moment, before Raiden Mei's eyes, in this enormous courtyard that had not changed in 50,000 years, appeared a wooden door that had never been there before.And it had inexplicably taken over the portal connecting the data space and the real world.Had the Elysian Realm's data malfunctioned?Where was Klein? Given ELF's personality, should she not have immediately appeared to debug the Elysian Realm's data with this sudden, serious issue?Looking around and finding no ELF, Raiden Mei was momentarily bewildered.Klein did not appear, meaning the wooden door was not some bug in the Elysian Realm.Could this be another prank by Elysia?She could not help but wonder.Given Elysia's unrestrained and free-spirited personality, it seemed like nothing she did would be out of the ordinary.Oh well...Since she was already here, and it appeared in the Elysian Realm, she might as well go in and take a look.If it was just a prank by Elysia, nothing too outrageous should happen... right? Raiden Mei thought somewhat uncertainly.Then, with a touch of hesitation, the idle red electric dragon, filled with extreme vigilance and a hint of inexplicable anticipation, gently pushed open the wooden door before her.In the split second the wooden door opened, Raiden Mei imagined countless scenarios that might unfold behind it.Maybe monsters would suddenly appear and charge at her, or perhaps there would be nothing behind the door, and it was just a wooden door that had appeared out of nowhere. In her imagination, she even envisioned Elysia mischievously jumping out from behind and covering her eyes.She focused her attention to an unprecedented level, confident that whatever she saw behind the door would not make her falter in the slightest.However, when Raiden Mei fully opened the door, her expression froze instantly, her mind as blank as Kiana's.Behind the door was an interior hall slightly larger than the Golden Garden. The all-wood décor reflected a deep agate-like red under the dim ceiling lights, exuding an understated yet menacing aura. The floor was covered in golden teak, and a semi-transparent red-and-white figure floated in mid-air.At the bar in the depths of the hall stood four people she absolutely could not mistake.Rita, Kiana, Bronya... and another version of herself—Raiden Mei.The moment Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei opened the door, everyone's gaze turned in that direction.Kiana and Raiden Mei, standing at the bar, were initially stunned, then quickly recovered.They exchanged a glance, and after a brief exchange of looks, Raiden Mei stepped forward to greet her other self."Welcome, customer. Are you alone?""..."Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei glanced at her other self, remained silent for a moment, then looked around at the surroundings.Besides the four people at the bar, there were three other customers who looked very young sitting at a table in the lobby.At the top of the stairs leading to the second floor stood a face she had only ever seen in history books: the Second Herrscher, Sirin.But why did this legendary Herrscher of Thunder, who caused countless deaths and injuries, seem so harmless? Even Kiana was completely unguarded toward her.Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei is a very perceptive person, so after a brief moment of astonishment, she immediately realized something was wrong.So weak...Apart from Rita, the long-haired woman standing behind the bar whose strength she could not discern, everyone in this café was much weaker than anyone she knew.Leaving aside the others, she had just recently witnessed Kiana displaying the full power of the "Herrscher of Flamescion."Compared to the Kiana she knew, the Kiana in this café possessed Honkai energy so weak it was almost unbelievable for a Herrscher.She narrowed her eyes, scanning everyone in the hall one by one, then focused her attention on the little girl who was eating—the one who appeared to be Elysia's past form.Finally, her gaze fixed on the "herself" before her.You…"The words caught in her throat.Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei glanced speechlessly at the "herself's" attire. "...Why are you wearing this?"Raiden Mei remained unfazed, a formulaic smile on her face. She waved lightly toward the door. "This is our uniform. We apologize for making you uncomfortable. If you truly cannot bear it, you may leave.""Uniform?" Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei pondered the word, then chuckled softly and placed one hand on her hip. "I don't recall ever working in a strange shop before.""This is an illusion of memories, isn't it? Let me guess... Given Su's personality, he wouldn't play such a cruel joke on me, and Elysia doesn't have the ability to create illusions. So, by process of elimination..."Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei completely understood. She raised her chin, a dragon-king-like smile curving her lips as if she held everything in the palm of her hand."I never expected that the legendary 'Third One' would possess the ability to freely peek into others' memories."Silence fell over the hall.Ellie-chan curiously looked up.Ah! Another beautiful older sister!But why does she know my name?Ellie-chan tilted her head, her face full of confusion.Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei frowned, a hint of displeasure in her expression. "What? I admit your illusion is quite realistic, but even after being seen through to this extent, you still refuse to appear before me, Aponia?"The atmosphere in the hall remained silent.Raiden Mei looked at the confident "her" before her, feeling so embarrassed she almost dug a three-bedroom apartment out of her shoes.Floating in mid-air, Fu Hua couldn't help but speak up. "Wait, Mei, we're not—""I understand. You won't appear before me unless I break the illusion, is that it?"Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei interrupted Fu Hua without hesitation."...Alright, I understand."Thunder roared, and dazzling lightning scattered in all directions.Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei sneered. She spread her fingers, and an ancient katana imbued with the unrestrained power of lightning appeared in her hand."A mere illusion of the past—I’ll shatter it for you!""Chidori—! Draw your sword—!"...Three minutes later.A disheveled Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei was thrown back into the Elysian Realm's main hall, utterly bewildered.Why were the Class Monitor and Rita in that illusion so powerful?Just as this confident yet defeated Herrscher gasped for breath, she suddenly felt as if a shadow had enveloped her.She instinctively looked up and saw all the Flamechaser memories she had seen before and those she hadn't—thirteen Flamechaser memory replicas in total—forming a fan shape around her body, which had been thrown out of the door.All of them were looking up, their expressions varied, staring at the wooden door in mid-air.-------Chapter Ninety-Two: A Myriad of Human BeingsIn the records of the World Serpent, including the current Raiden Mei, no one born in the current civilization era had ever seen all the Flamechaser memory replicas.For the World Serpent, the Elysian Realm holds two significant meanings.First, it allows successors to access more of the truth.Most successors who undergo "baptism" in the Elysian Realm develop a deeper sense of belonging to the World Serpent after learning more about the truth.In the real world, the World Serpent is a shadowy religious group with its own doctrines and objects of worship. However, compared to Schicksal and other religions, their faith is in a concrete, existing "ideal."The second purpose is to awaken the power buried within the successors.Most Flamechasers from the Previous Era possess exceptional combat skills. While they may not be suited for teaching, those who undergo baptism in the Elysian Realm are outstanding individuals selected through Gray Serpent's rigorous process; their comprehension abilities are naturally exceptional.Moreover, even without strong comprehension abilities, as long as one can accept and utilize the power called "Signet," their physical body will be strengthened to some extent even after leaving the Elysian Realm.However, for the same reason, the amount of "Signet" that successors can access is limited. "Signet" is like a growth hormone, and like most drugs, it will produce side effects if taken in excess."Signet" is by no means without drawbacks for the human body.Therefore, the moment a successor enters the Elysian Realm, its matching module automatically guides them to the most suitable Flamechaser or one who shares their will.Besides this simple objective factor, not all of the thirteen Flamechasers are interested in successors from this civilization.Relatively speaking, as a replica of the "Lord," [Deliverance] Kevin is usually the most responsible. Although he is a master of deception and a cryptic, enigmatic figure, he is a very dedicated "teacher" when it comes to enhancing a successor's power.Completely opposite to Kevin are Elysia and Aponia.In all the records of the World Serpent, none of the successors of the current civilization era had ever seen these two Flamechasers—although this record had recently been broken by Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei. This also indirectly proves how rare and precious it is for thirteen Flamechasers to appear simultaneously.After a brief moment of confusion, a slightly hurried sound of footsteps suddenly reached Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei's ears. She instinctively turned her head and saw a small doll clatter to her side, its steady voice like that of an inorganic robot."Blood pressure... heart rate... body temperature... all vital signs are stable.""Hello, test subject. Welcome back to reality. Your body is not damaged, but you are still lying on the ground. Why? Should I conduct a more thorough examination of your central nervous system?""...No need." Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei then realized she was still lying on the ground, her pretty face flushing slightly.She coughed and nimbly stood up, supporting herself on her knees."Mei, Mei, did you just fly out of that door?"Just as she was feeling embarrassed, a clear, melodious voice rang out without any awkwardness, beautiful girl with pink hair walked up to Raiden Mei, her eyes bright and sparkling, filled with curiosity."What's behind that? You look a bit disheveled. Did you encounter a very strong enemy?"Before Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei could answer Elysia's intrigued question, ELF Klein interrupted her with her usual emotionless voice."I advise you not to be curious about this door. This strange wooden door isn't part of the original material. Judging from how the test subject was just thrown away, there seems to be a space behind the door that doesn't belong to the Elysian Realm.""After you leave this material space, no one can guarantee what will happen.""Of course, the more likely scenario is that you won't even reach the other side of that door."Her cold, rational words extinguished Elysia's curiosity like a bucket of cold water—of course, that was impossible."How can we be sure without trying?"Elysia made no attempt to hide her curiosity and longing for the wooden door. Not just her, but probably every Flamechaser who had come here was interested in it.In these unchanging fifty thousand years, most of these Flamechasers had become incredibly bored. Leaving aside Mobius, who was always eager to return to the real world, even Aponia who had been secluded in the depths of the Realm was already mentally prepared to meet unexpected outsiders.She had planned that if Raiden Mei returned to the Elysian Realm and re-entered the Trial Realm, she could use her near-omnipotent control over the Realm to guide her target to Mei's side.Once the two met face-to-face, Aponia would lose the meaning of her seclusion in the depths, and her fifty thousand years of "self-imposed confinement" would naturally be lifted.However, she never expected that shortly after entering the halls of the Elysian Realm, this Herrscher of Thunder, whom she had initially held in high regard, would suddenly disappear without a trace, as if she had died.Within the Elysian Realm, Aponia is a near-omniscient and omnipotent being. Unless Raiden Mei physically leaves the Elysian Realm, as long as her consciousness is locked onto the Herrscher of Thunder's exact location, theoretically, even if the Herrscher of Thunder wanted to run, she couldn't escape her observation.Yet, she abruptly vanished without ever leaving the Elysian Realm.Aponia wasn't the only one who noticed this. Besides Pardofelis, Vill-V, Griseo, and Kosma, all the other Flamechasers who had seen Raiden Mei had, to varying degrees, focused their attention on her.Elysia, who had been completely absorbed in Herrscher of Thunder, and Eden, who happened to be with Elysia, were the first to arrive. Sakura and Hana, who already had a good relationship with Raiden Mei, also rushed over immediately. Kevin, as the leader, and Su, who, like Aponia, was a psycho-sensory user, arrived even faster than the two of them. Following closely behind were Vill-V and Mobius, both researchers with a strong spirit of exploration, and Kalpas, who had sensed Aponia's departure and followed them.Compared to the aforementioned Flamechasers, who each had clear objectives, the presence of Pardofelis, Griseo, and Kosma here was more like an accident.In fact, the introverted and reserved Kosma hadn't wanted to come out. Since his domain was adjacent to Griseo's, and Griseo's domain was adjacent to Aponia's, the only ones who could immediately sense Aponia's departure were these two Flamechasers, who were relatively close in age.For reasons unknown, Griseo, upon realizing Aponia seemed about to leave, suddenly and inexplicably looked up and called out to the sky."Mommy Aponia, can I come with you?"Aponia, who doted on Griseo beyond measure, couldn't possibly refuse such a call of "Mommy."Thus, the socially awkward boy, who believed he was no less devoted to Griseo than Aponia, was caught in the crossfire and helplessly followed.As for Pardofelis, she was in an even worse situation. She had just spent a few months "exploring" Vill-V's workshop. After returning to her own shop, she counted a batch of silver coins left by customers.Even though she was a MANTIS and a memory, she was so tired that she couldn't move even half a finger.Just as she was preparing to have a nice nap in the beautiful sunshine, she suddenly discovered that her colleagues in the Elysian Realm—at least the group of people she considered her colleagues—were running out of this data space one by one.Helpless and unable to refuse her colleagues, Pardofelis, exhausted like a cat suddenly woken in broad daylight, reluctantly dragged her weary body, forced a smile, and followed the others to the Great Hall of the Elysian Realm to meet them, all to avoid appearing out of place.But the moment she saw the door, her eyes lit up, and all her fatigue vanished.In the past fifty thousand years, Pardofelis had practically explored every inch of the Elysian Realm she could reach—including what was considered the most dangerous "The Deep" of the entire Elysian Realm.In a sense, aside from Aponia, who possessed extraordinary abilities, Pardofelis had the most comprehensive understanding of the Elysian Realm. Even Aponia might not have been able to uncover all the secret passages she had secretly dug.Of course, having explored all of the Elysian Realm's accessible areas over these 50,000 years also meant that the sources she could "explore" were rapidly dwindling.So, when Pardofelis saw what appeared to be a new area, her mouth watered.Compared to the other Flamechasers, Kevin wasn't particularly interested in the door in mid-air.Standing there, he was merely a memory entity, unrelated to anything happening in the real world.He was confident in his strength and ability to resolve all the anomalies occurring in the Elysian Realm.However, out of a sense of responsibility as a leader, he still asked casually."What did you encounter after that?"Actually, Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei wanted to retort, "That's not something you should know right now," to vent her resentment at being tormented by the riddler.However, considering that not all thirteen people present were speaking in riddles to her, she answered honestly to avoid affecting innocent bystanders."A coffee shop and a few people who looked familiar.""Were they your enemies?" Kevin asked calmly."Uh... I don't think so?" Herrscher of Thunder Mei hesitated."So you fell on your own?"Herrscher of Thunder Mei felt a pang of guilt. "It was just... a small misunderstanding.""I see. You started it." Kevin nodded, summarizing calmly."..."Raiden Mei was momentarily speechless. Strictly speaking, what he said wasn't wrong, but why did it give her such an unpleasant feeling?"I won’t ask who it is specifically. Since it’s someone you know, you can handle it yourself."With that, Kevin turned away indifferently, his body vanishing like a phantom."Hmph. Boring."Kalpas glanced coldly at Aponia, then disappeared like Kevin."Griseo, let’s go too," Kosma said softly, patting Griseo’s shoulder."No." Griseo shook her head.For some reason, since arriving in the hall, this master painter, who had remained silent the entire time, had been staring intently at the door in mid-air."The colors of that door are beautiful—blue, pink... and a little yellow. It feels very comforting. Kosma, can’t we go in?""Uh, well..." Kosma didn’t know how to explain these technical matters to Griseo. He glanced at Klein, hesitated, and realized that if he didn’t understand, Griseo probably wouldn’t either. So he turned his pleading gaze to Elysia, hoping that this pink-haired fairy, trusted by all Flamechasers and adored by Griseo, could stop her request.But clearly, Elysia betrayed his expectations, because she herself longed to run behind that door."It's okay, Griseo. Even if you encounter any danger, this horned sister in front of you can definitely protect you. Am I right, Mei?""...But Klein already said there's a high chance you won't be able to get through that door.""Hey, don't be as rigid as Klein! Didn't I tell you that beautiful girls are omnipotent?" Elysia spoke discontentedly, then revealed a mischievous smile. "Even if we really can't get in, that just means we can't get in, right? Didn't you just come out from inside? Who did you see in there? An old friend? A beautiful girl you knew? Or something you're too embarrassed to tell everyone?"Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei sighed. "You when you were little.""Huh?""I mean, I saw you when you were little."In an instant.Kevin and Kalpas, who ran far off, suddenly reappeared.-----Chapter Ninety-Three: Elysia - A Dignified Decline!In the lobby of Hyperion Café, Rita swiftly and elegantly closed the café's door. The striking, dangerously sharp scythe dissolved into a purple mist.A pleased smile played on her lips as she looked at Fu Hua, who floated in mid-air."Thank you for your help, Ms. Fu Hua. This troublesome customer was unexpectedly stubborn. Without your assistance, I wouldn't have been able to handle her alone in such a short time."Ellie-chan took a sip of warm milk, smacking her pink lips. Her large eyes, though filled with curiosity and confusion, showed little fear or unease at the sudden conflict in the lobby.Although she was inherently kind and had maintained her pure true self despite witnessing all the harsh realities of human nature, she was never mindless. On the contrary, she was quite intelligent and understood the common sense of human society.So, although the beautiful older woman's sudden outburst was somewhat pitiful, since she started the trouble, as the instigator, she should have been prepared to be retaliated against.Based on this reasoning, Ellie-chan naturally felt no sympathy for the woman.Compared to that unreasonable older woman, she preferred the sweet, fragrant milk in her hand.On another note, such delicious food and drinks were truly a first for her. Was this the standard of what shops in big cities offered?Sigh... If she couldn't experience this kind of taste again after leaving this city, it would be a real pity…Ellie-chan sipped her sweet milk, a touch of regret in her heart.The journey was arduous, Ellie sighed.On the other side, Fu Hua, who had been specifically thanked by Rita, remained silent, only giving Rita a meaningful look.Deep within her usually aloof and unfathomable eyes, a profound sense of apprehension flashed.If the strength possessed by the store manager of this café was beyond Fu Hua's comprehension, then this counterpart of Rita Rossweisse, who possessed exceptional skill in both consciousness and physicality, was at a level Fu Hua herself could reach or even barely surpass at her peak.However, precisely because Fu Hua herself could approach Rita's level, she could more deeply understand that, if she were to use her full strength to defeat Raiden Mei, who seemed to have fully awakened her Herrscher powers, it would be no difficult task for this Rita Rossweisse.The instant Herrscher of Thunder Raiden Mei made her move, Fu Hua witnessed Rita instantly draw her scythe. The blade was adorned with irregular, beautiful patterns resembling blazing flames, and the hilt was a European-style tall lamp emitting a dim light.Within that luminous glass lamp, Fu Hua sensed a terrifying energy fluctuation.That profound and mysterious energy fluctuation even surpassed the power expected of a typical Herrscher core. Previously, Fu Hua had only sensed similar power from Durandal.It was difficult to imagine the effect if Rita were to fully unleash the energy source within that lamp.Therefore, to prevent Rita from using her full power and to protect the safety of this Raiden Mei who had suddenly barged into the café, Fu Hua had no choice but to preemptively knock her away.The tense atmosphere in the hall dissipated in an instant. Although the power displayed by the long-haired Rita was troublesome even for someone like Fu Hua, she wasn't Fu Hua's enemy.While Fu Hua was clumsy with words, she wasn't the type to make enemies easily, especially since she, Kiana, and Mei were currently in a dependent position. She couldn't possibly harbor hostility simply because Rita had displayed extraordinary power.However, before she could say anything, the door that Rita had just closed suddenly opened again from the outside.A head with pink hair cautiously peeked through the crack in the door.She didn't look inside but kept her head down, carefully and slowly stepping her toes onto the wooden floor of the hall, muttering under her breath."Be careful... be very careful...""Hey!"Thud—the sound of a black boot hitting the ground.The moment the boot touched the floor, the beautiful girl who had just entered the store suddenly burst into laughter like a husky running free."Wow! I touched it! Kevin! Eden! Did you see that?! I did it! I touched the wooden floor behind the door!""What! Klein-chan saying I couldn't possibly succeed—hmph As long as I'm in the Elysian Realm, there's nothing Elysia can't touch! I'm a beautiful girl loved by everyone! As a beautiful girl, of course I'm omnipotent! How could the limits of the material world possibly stop an omnipotent beautiful girl"After running around for a while, the beautiful pink-haired fairy finally began to carefully examine the scene in the hall."Wow! Wow!! Wow wow!! Wow wow wow~~!!!"At first glance, Elysia's eyes were immediately captivated by the café's flamboyant "decor" and "furnishings," and tears of joy involuntarily streamed down her face.A beautiful girl who looked just like Kevin… a beautiful girl who looked just like Dr. Mei… a beautiful girl who looked just like Hua, and several other beautiful girls who, while not immediately recognizable, were equally stunning!And that little girl over there—it really was her as a child!Wow! Wow wow wow~~! What—what is this café all about?! Heaven?! Is this café heaven?!A halo of white light appeared above Elysia's head. Her expression was one of utter blissful satisfaction, and her body involuntarily became translucent.No, no, no, that's not right!She suddenly jolted, ripped off the halo from her head, and threw it a hundred and eight thousand miles away.How could she be satisfied with just that? Getting to know these adorable girls was only the beginning!She wanted to have a proper, heart-to-heart talk with her past self and these beautiful girls.But who should she start with? Her past self was adorable, the girl who looked like Kevin was adorable, the girl who looked like Dr. Mei was adorable, the girl who looked like Hua was adorable, and there were these other adorable girls she didn't know… everyone was so cute!Ugh, it's so hard—so hard to choose! Is this the dilemma of happiness? Everyone is so cute; how could she possibly choose?!No, Ellie. I'm the fairy who wants all the beautiful girls to be happy! How could I choose just one at a time like this?With this determination, Elysia opened her arms to everyone in the hall."Hello, lovely girls! It's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is El—""Don't block the door, move aside."But before she could finish speaking, a cold, impatient voice interrupted Elysia.A black-gloved hand reached out from behind the door, ruthlessly shoving Elysia's head aside. The lovely elf stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.Then, led by Kevin, who had casually shoved Elysia aside, the Flamechasers who had been blocked by her filed in.Unlike Elysia, who was so fickle she didn't even choose her childhood self immediately, the moment they entered the hall, everyone's gaze focused on the little girl drinking warm milk, their pupils contracting sharply."Oh It really is you as a child."Mobius, sitting atop a suitcase, licked her lips. Her serpentine eyes, like those of a predator, slowly narrowed. "And... not some data entity or consciousness, but a living person with a vibrant body?""This really makes one want to—"In an instant.The very moment that chilling, sadistic voice fell, nine icy gazes—aside from Elysia herself, Griseo, and Pardofelis—locked onto Mobius's youthful body.One of Vill-V's personalities, with an unreadable expression, patted Mobius on the shoulder and spoke with a sigh."While I'm also interested in that child, if I were you, I wouldn't say something so thoughtless in front of everyone."Kalpas turned his masked head toward Mobius, his violent voice filled with barely suppressed rage. "Do you want to die?""Stop thinking that, Mobius," Kevin spoke coldly. "In the Elysian Realm, I've been lenient enough with you. Don't make me even consider freezing a Flamechaser's data forever. You should know I can do that.""Alright! Alright!" Pardofelis quickly tried to smooth things over, chuckling awkwardly. "No, no, no... don't be so tense! We've been partners for tens of thousands of years. Kevin, and Snake—Sister Snake certainly didn't really want to do anything to Ellie when she was little! Right, Sister Snake?"Griseo tilted her head and cautiously asked Kosma beside her, "Kosma, are Uncle Kevin and Grandma Mobius arguing?""Don’t worry, Griseo," Kosma said calmly, gently shielding her small frame. His voice, though calm, sounded slightly grave. "They won’t hurt you.""But why are they arguing?" Griseo asked anxiously. "Grandma Mobius and Uncle Kevin... and Uncle Kalpas—everyone’s color looks red. They’re all so happy; why would they clash over the same happiness?"Griseo’s innocent words instantly eased the tension in the hall."Hmph! Who's happy about this!"Without mocking Kevin and Kalpas or defending her words, Mobius turned her face away the moment the atmosphere eased, speaking with utter disdain."I just think it's better for me to borrow her body than for this idiot to waste that precious power herself. With such extraordinary innate talent, yet ending up like that—doesn't she feel ashamed? What a waste!"Just then, a somewhat thin figure suddenly stepped out from the Flamechasers' ranks.The one who broke away from the group was Hua. She bypassed the spot where Kevin and Mobius had clashed, walked straight toward Kiana, and stopped in front of her.Fu Hua slightly raised her head, her gaze complex as she looked at the other "self" floating in mid-air. She pondered for a moment."Is this an illusion I created using Fenghuang Down? Or the real person?""Unfortunately, my ability to use Fenghuang Down isn't yet proficient enough to deceive another Fenghuang Down user."Floating in mid-air, Fu Hua quietly looked at the other "self" on the ground, pursing her lips. "You are... a clone I created using Fenghuang Down?"Before Hua could answer, Fu Hua shook her head, rejecting the conclusion herself. "No, it doesn't look like it... Your outfit looks like Fire Moth's uniform. At that time, my memories shouldn't have spiraled out of control to the point of needing periodic fragmentation.""Elysian Realm," Hua said succinctly. "Don't you remember?""..." Fu Hua frowned, carefully searching her memories, then finally shook her head dejectedly. "It seems I've forgotten something very important.""Since you chose to forget it, it means these memories aren't important," Hua spoke calmly. "But since this café is your location, you should know what’s going on here, right? Can you sync your memories to me using Fenghuang Down? In any case, this café has appeared in the Elysian Realm, so as a memory of the Elysian Realm, I can't just leave it unattended.""Sure." Fu Hua didn’t refuse Hua’s request. She flipped her hand slightly, tossing a feather that appeared out of thin air and letting it drift slowly into Hua’s hands.After tossing the "feather" containing some information about the café to her memory, Fu Hua was silent for a moment."Can you share your remaining memories with me?""?" Hua was taken aback. "It's meaningless.""But I don’t want my life to be reduced to just 'meaning'," Fu Hua said, pursing her lips."..." Hua stared at her original body, then suddenly said, "You look like you’ve changed a lot.""Everyone changes after experiencing many things. Me... and the two of us are no exception," Fu Hua said."I have no right to interfere with your choices. Since you want to retrieve those memories, I can only comply," Hua said calmly. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a "feather" in her palm, mirroring Fu Hua's earlier gesture."I hope these memories won't hold you back.""They won't hold me back; they will only become the strength that propels me forward." Fu Hua carefully accepted the feather from Hua's hand and nodded."Thank you.""..."Hua shook her head, glanced at Kiana, then at Raiden Mei."The Herrscher of Thunder from this civilization era told me that I, in the real world, am a companion she knows. I can sense that she admires you greatly. Don't disappoint those who admire you.""I will."At the doorway, Elysia squatted on the ground, drawing circles with a pitiful expression and muttering under her breath."How could he treat Miss Elf like that? How could he treat Miss Elf like that... That wretched Kevin, I... I'll remember that!""Are you alright, Elysia?"That warm, gentle voice made Elysia's shoulders tremble. She pouted, looking like she was about to burst into tears."Eden! Kevin was really mean, right!"As she spoke, Elysia raised her tear-filled eyes. "The way he treated me, I felt wronged and angry—""—E... Eden?"Her words trailed off, her aggrieved voice instantly turning into confusion and bewilderment.Because her beloved Eden wasn't looking at her; instead, she patted her shoulder dismissively while her beautiful, jewel-like eyes were fixed intently on her past self.