Elysia said: "Aww, suddenly being praised like that by you makes me kind of embarrassed."
"But compared to Kevin, I might, perhaps, probably… still be just a tiny bit weaker."
"I'll do my best, though. Elysia will never let your expectations down."
With that, she flashed Mei a sweet smile.
Looking at her like this, Mei didn't dare let her guard down in the slightest.
This was the second-ranked Flame-Chaser of the Previous Era. Even if she claimed to be just a little weaker than Kevin, Mei couldn't believe it.
The authority of the Herrscher of Thunder's core surged wildly.
Facing the second Flame-Chaser,
she had to go all out from the very beginning.
In almost an instant, she struck. A bolt of lightning exploded as her long blade swung, transforming the thunder into sword qi that slashed toward the pink-haired woman.
But the other party still wore a faint smile. With a casual draw of her bow, a pink arrow struck the sword qi and shattered it instantly.
"What!"
Mei's heart jolted.
Before she could even react, she heard Elysia say: "Next, I'm going to get serious~"
With her words, dozens of arrows shot out in an instant.
The power of each arrow was no different from the previous one.
Mei's expression grew solemn. She channeled thunder onto her long sword and deflected every incoming arrow one by one.
Each arrow she knocked away weakened the lightning on her blade a little more. And when those arrows hit the ground, they spread out, quickly turning into a crystalline surface that restricted her range of movement.
After the final arrow fell, Elysia fired one more shot into the sky. That arrow split in midair, spreading in all directions until it formed a semicircular barrier that enclosed both her and Mei.
Mei watched her warily. A fighting style like this… it felt a bit playful.
Elysia seemed to sense what she was thinking.
She fired another arrow. When Mei knocked it back, it struck the barrier and instantly accelerated, ricocheting toward Mei from an unpredictable angle.
It could do that too?
Mei was a little stunned.
Seeing Elysia draw her bow again,
she instantly transformed into lightning and delivered an iaijutsu slash.
Crack~
As expected!
This woman wasn't going to be defeated so easily.
Elysia herself had vanished, replaced by a crystal pillar—her attack had only landed on that.
Seeing Elysia fire three more arrows that kept bouncing around within the confined space,
Mei directly unleashed the electromagnetic power within her body.
Terrifying thunder tore through the entire cage.
Elysia immediately put away her longbow: "Sigh, I lost, I lost. You're way too strong, aren't you? If others find out, the second spot might have to change hands."
"But since my opponent is a Herrscher, I'd say I performed pretty decently, right?"
Mei said speechlessly: "You weren't fighting me seriously at all, Elysia. You were just playing around."
Elysia said: "Aww, but you didn't go all out either, did you? Maybe we're kindred spirits—we both held back just enough."
"Anyway, now you should have no problem facing Mobius."
A stream of light lit up in the distance, weaving together in midair into the shape of a gate.
"Here, as promised—she's waiting on the other side of the door. Go ahead boldly."
"But don't get too cocky. She may only be tenth, but she's still one of the Flame-Chasers, after all."
"…" Mei continued looking at her without moving toward the gate.
"Hm?" Elysia asked: "What's wrong? Could it be… you can't bear to leave me?"
Mei asked: "What else will I encounter next?"
Elysia replied: "That's something you'll have to discover for yourself."
Her answer was within Mei's expectations, so she said: "Then let me rephrase the question."
"The Elysian Realm—this massive device for recalling memories—what is the true meaning of its existence?"
"As a database, its operating method is far too inefficient. As a trial ground for inheritance, its cost is excessively extravagant."
"I don't believe a whimsical proposal from you could gain everyone's approval."
"For all of you, its construction must have carried some crucial significance—and that is the real reason World Serpent has preserved it until now."
"This should have been something every visitor knows right from the start of their journey, yet I still know nothing about it."
"Or… is even the answer to this question itself some unspeakable secret?"
Elysia kept her usual smile and thought for a moment before saying: "Aww, what secrets could there be between us? The meaning of the Elysian Realm's existence… hmm, I'll have to think carefully to answer that one."
"Perhaps I can't give you a correct answer. Because in different people's hearts, the Elysian Realm already holds completely different meanings."
"For Eden, it's the precipitation of beautiful bygone days; for Kalpas, it's the continuation of a war."
"For Mobius, it's a derivative of the Stigmata Project, the vessel of her lifelong dreams and pursuits."
"And for Kevin… it might be more like a symbol—the symbol that the Flame-Chasers once existed in this world."
"But if you're asking for my opinion, it's actually much simpler—"
"It's a storybook, recording a wonderful fairy tale about an era, a journey, and the entirety of three people's lives."
??
This answer was completely different from what Mei had expected.
She said in confusion: "…I don't quite understand what you mean."
Elysia patiently explained to her: "Mei, when you think of our era, when you think of Fire Moth, what comes to mind first?"
"Smoke and flames of war? Ruins and scorched earth? Or perhaps suffering and sacrifice? It seems everyone says that, but actually… that's not right."
"In that dying final age, people still discussed what to eat for tomorrow's breakfast, how to spend next month's subsidy."
"People still talked about dreams and plans that would take years, even decades, to realize."
"Even on the day the apocalypse arrived, there were still those who held expectations for tomorrow."
"When civilization teetered on the brink in the darkness, light was still constantly being born from within."
"And it was in such a world that there were once thirteen remarkable people—"
"Even knowing civilization was already doomed, they still chose to exhaust every means to fight until the very end, simply to eternally engrave the proud way they had lived into history."
"What the Elysian Realm records is just such a simple story."
Mei was extremely surprised: "Just for that reason?"
Elysia said: "For me, yes. Doesn't it sound very much like my style?"
"This story has pain and failure, betrayal and parting, but at the same time it also has happiness and joy, warmth and touching moments."
"Sorrow doesn't vanish into thin air, but warm feelings will forever be treasured in the heart."
"So I said—"
"Let's leave our memories behind!"
"What should be passed down to future generations must not be only hatred and duty. Only by witnessing the brilliance and splendor of this era can people of the future understand what we fought for."
"Cold, hard knowledge and technology can be left to textbooks. What the Flame-Chasers should pass down is the glory of being Flame-Chasers, the reason for fighting."
"It is what our souls ultimately paid during this journey of pursuing the flame."
"And you who come later will witness the footprints of our lives, the imprint of our souls, and find within them the answers you seek."
Elysia looked toward the distant gate—or perhaps toward something beyond that gate.
She continued: "Behind that door, Mobius is waiting for your visit. But she isn't the end of your journey. You will pass beyond her and continue moving toward an even more distant, even deeper past."
"Perhaps you'll go far enough to see truths buried by history, the turning points of humanity's fate…"
"Everything Fire Moth did for human civilization, and… the irreparable mistakes it once committed."
"But no matter what, our era has already ended, and we did our best to fulfill our respective missions."
"Even if the world wasn't saved by heroes—at least, you were born. That was what we hoped for. Humanity received another chance."
"Of course, the new era will surely encounter all kinds of troubles, face hardships and setbacks, even come to a standstill."
"But those are problems for you to solve. And you will surely give your own answers."
"Not being pushed or dragged forward, nor walking along a path someone else chose."
"But with this kind of thinking—I want to do this, I should do this—deciding your own fate, your own imprint."
"With your own will, toward the goals you set for yourself, in your own way, giving everything to live out your life as the protagonist."
"You see, that's how I am, and how everyone else is. The era I knew, and the thirteen people it gave birth to—all of us were like that."
"Countless trajectories interweave and entwine, giving birth to a miracle of a hundred blooming flowers."
"I wonder if the Flame-Chasers' story can give you some inspiration? I think the answer is definitely yes. Isn't that the best part?"
"So the question of what the Elysian Realm truly means has never had an answer—at least, that's what I, as the one who proposed it, hope for."
"Its meaning should be decided by every visitor themselves. Each person will receive the answer they give themselves."
"After witnessing all the truths, will you choose to carry on someone's ideal? Or will you break out of the cocoon in the darkness and forge a path even we never considered?"
"With my rich imagination, I could come up with dozens, even hundreds of guesses. But what I say doesn't count. The answer in your heart is what matters most."
"Anyway, Mei, I have high hopes for you—after all—"
"You're just like me: cute, kind, innocent yet strong—a beautiful girl."
"Whether in the past or now, cute girls can do anything—only this fact will never change, no matter what."
After hearing Elysia's words, Mei felt deeply moved: "…Thank you. This is the first time I've heard you say so much."
Elysia showed a sweet smile: "Not used to it? Just treat it as a reward for defeating me."
"Aww, actually I was pretty nervous. I wonder if I managed to convey what I wanted to say properly?"
"Nervous?" Mei said bluntly: "I didn't notice at all. At the very least, I now understand why you're second, the other leader of the Flame-Chasers… You truly have the depth and qualifications to match that position."
Elysia decisively said: "Thank you. I think so too."
"…"
Her frank, unmodest way of accepting the compliment really caught Mei off guard.
Elysia continued: "Still, I don't like this serious and solemn atmosphere."
"Forget how I was just now, okay? Can we go back to our usual way of getting along?"
Mei said: "Whatever you like."
Elysia laughed happily: "I'm always happy. Who wouldn't be happy spending time with you?"
"Then I'll head back to the hall first and wait for you. I hope you have fun with Mobius."
Pink light particles gathered in Mei's hand, gradually forming the shape of a flower.
Mei looked at the pink crystal flower in her hand: "This is…"
Elysia said: "Just take it as a small gift—as a memento of your temporary graduation from Elysia."
"You might get completely different answers to today's question from others later on."
"This is a long journey. You may stall, even go for a very long time without gaining anything."
"But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Progress isn't always about obtaining something or achieving something."
"Emptiness, confusion, hesitation, self-doubt—these processes also hold meaning in a person's life—just like the thirteen of us once experienced."
"You see, they lived so proudly, unwavering to the end, playing the hymn of civilization with their lives."
"This is the story of those called Flame-Chasers, the unfinished journey of thirteen flame-pursuers."
"But Mei, your path will continue, won't it?"
"So go forward as your heart desires."
"Follow the footprints beneath your feet, and witness that journey of pursuing the flame."
"Finally, cross the final tomb of the departed…"
"And create the future we were never able to welcome."
At the same time,
at Fire Moth Interstellar Entertainment Company,
after everyone finished watching this segment,
they all pulled out their phones, nervously and expectantly looking at the chat in the official group.
When this scene was being filmed, Elysia had put her whole heart into it. As actors who loved Elysia the most, they naturally didn't want her most serious performance to go unappreciated.
"This Elysia is so smooth. If she flirted with me, I'd last at most one second!"
"Weird, I feel like there's some deeper meaning in what Elysia said, but I can't figure it out at all."
"Yeah, I really like this actress. Beautiful, optimistic, cute—none of the words can fully describe her beauty. From now on, I'm her fan. She's my wife."
"Same, I love Elysia too. She's just too beautiful. Sorry Kiana, I'm defecting."
"Hey, are you all letting your lower bodies control your brains? Haven't you noticed how off this Elysia is? She's way too enthusiastic."
"Right right right, I think so too. Among the thirteen Flame-Chasers, neither Kevin nor Fu Hua is this enthusiastic. It's completely wrong."
"Remember: pink cuts to black. Especially when someone's this enthusiastic, it's definitely mixed with lies and deception, scheming something."
"I admit she's really gorgeous, but I'm guessing she has her own agenda—maybe even the villain of this chapter."
"How can you guys think that? I really can't imagine what her goal would be. What could a villain even do?"
"Just keep watching if you don't believe me. Pink cuts to black is an unchanging truth. I'm sure even the dog director knows it."
"…"
Seeing these comments,
Kiana was so angry her teeth itched: "How can they say that about Ellie! Ellie is clearly sincere with everyone—there's no agenda at all!"
Eden also said: "Yeah, why do the audience have such a misunderstanding about her? To us, she clearly loves everyone this much."
SAKURA said: "Perhaps… they just don't know Ellie, don't know what she's really like."
Kalpas snorted coldly: "Bullshit! It's obviously the dog director deliberately leading them on!"
"Huh?"
Everyone instantly turned their gazes to Hessian in the middle.
The oppressive pressure from all directions made him feel a trace of fear—even though he'd gotten away with reckless antics before.
"Ahem…"
Hessian coughed once and pretended to be extremely angry: "These bastards! How dare they misunderstand my wife? Just wait—you'll all regret this. I'll make them regret it dozens of times more than the Otto episode!"
Seeing him like this,
no one really knew what to say.
But Mobius said unhappily: "What about me? Are you just going to let the audience keep misunderstanding me forever?"
Hessian instantly dropped his angry act: "That's different. You're not my wife. Besides… what if a lot of viewers are into exactly your type? What if they like this kind of Mobius?"