Chapter 365

"I'm sorry... Bishop, he has indeed hurt many innocent people for various schemes."

"I've already said, his affairs have nothing to do with you. You don't need to, and you don't have the ability to, apologize on his behalf. Let's not talk about this unpleasant topic anymore. Let's get down to business and quickly investigate the anomaly in spacetime around here. My instrument... it seems to be reacting a bit in this area."

If this goes on, the girl will probably have to apologize again. Although she is Valkyrie under Otto, Durandal is not a bad person. Tesla has a pretty good impression of this strongest Valkyrie. Of course, Tesla will not take out his resentment towards Otto on Durandal. He should focus on doing what he needs to do now.

"Alright, let's check the area carefully then... Hmm? There seems to be a spacetime node over there, let's go take a look."

Having composed themselves, the three continued onward. Durandal spotted a glowing time-space node at a street corner ahead. Intrigued, they approached and reached out to touch it. At the same time, a voice entered their minds.

Sasha... she still hasn't woken up?

"Yes. And her vital signs are very unstable; if this continues..."

[It seems we have no choice but to try the effects of the Black Abyss White Flower.]

Should we Schariac Family help?

No, their bloodline is too diluted now; their control over the Black Abyss White Flower won't be much stronger than mine. Rather than forcing them to do things they can't do themselves... it's better for me to control them personally.

The sound from the time-space node ended there. The voice consisted of two people: one was a girl, and the other voice was very familiar to all three people present. There was no mistake; it was Otto's voice.

"He seems to be preparing to use the Black Abyss White Flower to heal the injuries of someone named Sasha. Let's continue to check if there's any other leaked spacetime information around us... Oh, there is, let's see what they say."

They found another time-space node, and the three of them went there together and touched it again. Just like before, the voices of those two people rang out again.

Teacher! Are you alright? How are things?

[Hmm... Ah, I still... couldn't control... the power of the Black Abyss White Flower.]

Ah. Even you, teacher, are...

I'm sorry... Vera, I tried my best... but... there's nothing I can do.

No, teacher. You are simply taking on a responsibility that no one else dares to take on.

[But it's all meaningless, isn't it? I... I promised Kallen I would protect her, that I would give her freedom... Vera, I'm such a useless piece of trash.]

The information in the node disappeared. From these sounds, Tesla and others could roughly deduce what had happened. It turns out that Otto had also had such moments. It's hard to imagine.

"It seems they still couldn't save this girl Sasha."

Tesla shook his head. Tragedy really does happen all the time, in every corner of the world.

"This person must be very important to the bishop... I've never seen him so depressed before."

From these points in time, Durandal felt as if she were seeing a different Otto. Was he once the kind of person who would be saddened by the loss of someone else's life?

Chapter 71 To Your Future Self

"Hmph, who knows? Maybe he did retain more human emotions five hundred years ago. It's hard to say for sure. There seems to be another information point nearby. Let's keep looking."

Tesla crossed his arms and said dismissively, "Otto still has humanity? That's probably something from hundreds of years ago. Anyway, right now, Otto is the person Tesla trusts the least. Instead of getting hung up on this, I'd rather continue investigating things related to Leanna. It's just an Otto; it's not worth wasting my time on."

Seeing Tesla's reaction, Theresa and Durandal were both somewhat helpless, but they did understand Tesla's feelings. After all, that bishop had indeed done a lot to hurt her and Anti-Entropy. In a way, Tesla had already been very good. If it were Shen Gonglin, she would probably teleport to Otto's bedroom every day to give him the final arrow as revenge.

[Hi, future you. I'm Vera. You could say I'm your senior. My teacher told me that this crystal can record a person's voice. So I wanted to use it to preserve this voice in the future and give it to you, who will truly be able to use the Black Abyss White Flower. In our time, Schicksal has just experienced a civil war. My teacher, Father Otto Apocalypse, led various righteous armies and ultimately defeated the evil Bishop Marcel, reorganizing the entire Schicksal power structure.]

The new crystal contains these words: Vera, who must be the girl who spoke to Otto before, and it seems that this voice is meant for the future user of the Black Abyss White Flower. But does this user refer to Durandal?

Feeling somewhat surprised, the three continued listening to what had been preserved from hundreds of years ago—people from that era, they too had lived.

However... winning such a just war doesn't guarantee a happy ending. In this war, twenty-eight students from the St. Michele Monastery, including myself, participated in the front lines, and three of them, unfortunately, did not witness the final victory: Francesca, Alessia ... and Sasha.

The voice in the recording became sorrowful and heavy, and Theresa and the others heard Sasha's name again. It seemed that she had sacrificed herself during the Destiny Schicksal War. Otto had tried to save her life with the Black Abyss White Flower, but the result was ultimately unsatisfactory.

[If we had had Valkyrie like you back then, skilled at healing others, perhaps things would have been different. However, my teacher once said something very insightful: we don't go into battle prepared; we prepare for battle.]

The voice in the recording perked up again. Although their comrade had left, this was something they had mentally prepared for long ago. There are always some battles in this world that cannot be avoided. When fate brings them together unexpectedly, they can only use whatever weapons they have at hand.

The evil Bishop Marcel may be able to make the Honkai submit to his will, but ultimately, the victor will be us, representing justice and the will of the people. In short, I hope you understand; we greatly admire your talent, but we never presume to possess it. I also hope that you can fight lightly on the battlefields ahead, without burdening yourself too much. I've prepared a special gift for you in the safe; the password is 281491. I hope you like it.

The gentle, lively voice abruptly stopped, and Durandal pondered for a moment before speaking, "Is this... a message sent to the users of the Black Abyss White Flower five hundred years ago?"

"Yes, that's about it. But judging by time and history, the recipient of this recording file is probably not you yet. It should be Leanna Brigantia. Before her, the Black Abyss White Flower, this Divine Key, seems to have been in a state of being unusable for a long time."

Tesla tapped his chin and calculated the time. It definitely couldn't have been reserved for Durandal. There were users of the Black Abyss White Flower before her, and before that, it should have been Leanna.

"Is that so...? Did the past Leanna really receive that gift from Vera?"

Unable to contain her curiosity, Durandal suddenly wanted to know what kind of gift Vera had left for Senior Leanna, but such a thing was probably impossible to find out now.

"How would I know? But if you want to confirm, there might actually be a way... Let's see if we can gamble on whether this safe is still in some room nearby. Come on, girls, let's get moving, it's time to start the treasure hunt!"

Tesla, always quick to act, clapped her hands, beckoning Durandal and Theresa to her, before starting her own search. The two Valkyrie could only manage wry smiles; this was practically like finding a needle in a haystack. But seeing Tesla's enthusiasm, they couldn't ignore her interest and decided to help her search...

To my surprise, they actually found it.

The three looked at the safe in front of them with considerable surprise. They had only wanted to gamble, but they hadn't expected it to actually work. With the two behind them, Durandal stepped forward and entered the password. The safe opened with a "click," and the three of them crowded around to look at the contents of the safe, their expressions showing surprise.

A belief, and a comb that looked like it was made of ivory. Durandal picked up the envelope, which was not sealed. Inside was a letter and a somewhat faded photograph.

"Wait, the person in this photo... isn't that Leanna?!"

Tesla stared in surprise at the person in the photo, puzzled, while Durandal read aloud the words from the letter.

[To your future self, I don't know under what circumstances you will see the contents of this letter, but I believe you will also be an exceptional Valkyrie. In the past, when I gained the right to use the Black Abyss White Flower, the Archbishop gave me this safe, sealed away for many years. Quietly placed inside this safe was a gift from 1491: a wooden comb handcrafted by Lady Otto Vera. She hoped that the future Valkyrie would know that that era of war and turmoil contained not only pain and sacrifice; those who lived in that era also had their own pursuit of beauty.]

The three of them huddled together, listening quietly to the message from their ancestors. Indeed, no matter how much suffering they encountered, humanity never gave up its pursuit of a better future.

Chapter 72

Lady Otto Vera's gift has moved me deeply. It made me realize for the first time that all those who have passed away truly lived in this world as flesh and blood. They had their own lives, their own joys and sorrows; they simply chose to leave all of that behind when faced with the mission they had to fulfill. So, having realized this, I've decided to leave you a beautiful gift of my own. I hope that when you see it, you will also realize...

I've lived a real life in this world, just like you. I wanted to be lazy, and I loved to look good, just like you. Aside from the slight difference in our eras, there's nothing fundamentally different between us. While striving to be a great Valkyrie, embrace your life; it deserves your love.

—Reanna Leanna. February 23, 1848.

[P. S.: I accidentally broke Lady Otto Vera's original comb recently, so I had to use my own little gift to replace hers.]

The letter was neither too long nor too short. After Durandal finished reading it, the three fell silent for a moment. Durandal picked up a comb from the box. The white ivory comb looked very high-quality. The girl touched the comb with her fingers. She could vaguely see a bright-eyed girl once dressing in front of a mirror. After receiving the mission, she casually put down the comb and fought for the beauty of all mankind. From ancient times to the present, there are indeed some very important things that have been passed down.

"She really is a good person, isn't she? I'm sorry... that's the only word I can think of to describe her. She really, really is a very, very good person."

As if recalling past events, Tesla lowered her head and could only repeat these words: she studied science, and if she had studied humanities, she would definitely have been able to think of something more suitable for Leanna. She didn't know Durandal and Theresa could understand her, and she needed to give herself some time to reorganize her thoughts.

However, ten minutes passed, and Dr. Red, Anti-Entropy was with her, still couldn't organize her thoughts. Durandal and Theresa, who were with her, also remained silent. The three of them put their hands on Tesla's shoulders to comfort the girl who was somewhat out of control.

Indeed, they are not the only ones fighting for a better future for all humanity. Before them, countless people shone like brilliant stars, and they are now following in the footsteps of their predecessors, continuing the fight on the path they once fought for.

Meanwhile, a certain "predecessor" is engaged in a battle with his "successor," a battle where they deliberately let each other out.

"Sigh, I lost, I lost. You're too amazing! If others find out, the second place will have to be changed. But, considering I was playing against Herrscher, I think I did pretty well, right?"

In the Elysian Realm, Elysia, who was hopping around with her Mei and arrow as if taking a stroll, waved to Mei, indicating that the battle was over. Elysia, who had put away her bow and arrow, jumped to Shen Gonglin's side. This was just a friendly fight, after all, she and Mei were such pretty girls, she couldn't really slap them, pull out their hair, and knock their brains out, could she? So this was fine.

"It's over?" Shen Gonglin Rin, who had been lost in thought, snapped out of his daze. He had been watching the two of them fight with great interest, but after a while, he lost interest again. Neither of them had used their real skills, and there were no chokeholds, chest grabs, or thigh twists. What was so interesting about that? It was not interesting at all.

"You weren't fighting me seriously at all, Elysia. You were just playing a game."

Mei also retrieved her Key of Punishment. Both of them were well aware of the battle's progress; calling it a battle was more like a warm-up.

"Oh dear, you didn't use your full strength either, did you? Maybe we were on the same wavelength. We both stopped short of each other. Shen Gonglin, what do you think? Who's stronger between us?"

Ignoring Mei's aggressive gaze, Elysia walked around to stand in front of Shen Gonglin. The girl squeezed next to Shen Gonglin and asked him what he thought of the battle just now. She was hoping to hear Shen Gonglin's praise. Although the battle wasn't really serious, Rin had seen Elysia's Shen Gonglin performance.

"Huh? I didn't notice just now. Why don't you two have another fight? This time, don't use weapons, just wrestle. Let's see who's stronger, okay?"

Shen Gonglin, who had been lost in thought, snapped out of it and looked at Elysia, who was rubbing against her like a maggot. Shen Gonglin pushed her head away with disgust. As for who was stronger... Mei was very strong now, but she didn't know Elysia's true strength. She really didn't know who was stronger between the two of them.

"That's a good idea. Don't worry, Elysia, I'll give it my all this time."

Mei rubbed her fists together, eager to fight. To be honest, the feeling of punching someone was really good. She hadn't had this experience since she beat Kiana up last time. Now, seeing Elysia Mei feel uncomfortable. She was too shy to get so close to Shen Gonglin because of her modesty, but this fairy was so unrestrained in getting close to Shen Gonglin. Did she think she was dead?

"No need, no need. Save it for another time. In any case, you should have no problem facing Mobius now. Elysia wishes you all the best. I'm sure you're ready to face Mobius."

She wouldn't be so foolish as to accept any wrestling suggestion. How could a beautiful and elegant girl like herself do that? So, Elysia rejected Shen Gonglin's suggestion without hesitation. The girl raised her finger, and streams of light lit up from afar, weaving in the air to form the shape of a door.

"Look, it's a promise. She's on the other side of the door, so go ahead without worry. But don't be too arrogant. Even though she's only tenth, she's still one of the Flame-Chasers... Hmm? What, could it be that you're reluctant to part with me?"

They offered their blessings and words of advice to the travelers ahead, but Mei didn't take a step. When Shen Gonglin tried to leave, Mei grabbed her arm, as she still had something to ask Elysia.

"Elysia, what will I encounter next?"

Mei asked the question, but Elysia's expression remained unchanged, as if she knew Mei would say that.

Chapter Seventy-Three: What Our Predecessors Left for Future Generations

What will happen next?

As if knowing what Mei wanted to ask, Elysia's expression remained unchanged; the girl still smiled faintly, like a beautiful flower in full bloom. Elysia reached out and gently waved her hand to her lips.

"Mei, this won't do. As the proctor, even though you've passed my test, I can't let you miss out on the other proctors' questions. You can definitely do it yourself; this is my trust in you, beautiful girl."

She corrected Mei's lazy thoughts. She's clearly a very smart girl, so why does she always want to look at the answer key? This kind of thing is irrelevant to a beautiful girl. Look at Shen Gonglin, she doesn't care about this kind of thing at all. In Elysia's eyes, Shen Gonglin is really special. He seems to never have a trace of confusion or hope. He does what he wants to do from beginning to end and works hard for it. This brilliance is no less than that of the thirteen bright stars.

Well, Shen Gonglin's trait is generally referred to by the members of St. Freya as being heartless.

"...Let me rephrase the question. The Elysian Realm, this enormous memory reversal device, what is its purpose? I've asked this question before. As a database, its operation is far too inefficient; as a trial ground for inheritance, its costs are far too extravagant. I don't think a suggestion made out of interest will be agreed upon by everyone. At least some of the people I've met disagree."

The question was raised again. Mei still remembered why she came here. She originally just wanted to ask Kevin what she had blocked with the electromagnetic barrier in the Domination Theater. But she ended up being tricked by this riddle-maker and ended up meeting this group of riddle-makers. How strange.

"For you, its construction must have some important significance, and that is the true reason why the World Serpent has protected it to this day. That should be something every visitor knows at the beginning of their journey, but I still know nothing about it. Or perhaps... even the answer to that question itself is a secret that cannot be told?"

Mei brought her question to the table once again, and now Elysia had no choice but to answer, otherwise the girl might start to doubt her own character.

"Oh dear, what secrets could we possibly have between us? The meaning of the Elysian Realm... Hmm, I'll have to think about that before I can answer you. Perhaps there's no way to give you a definitive answer, because the Elysian Realm holds different meanings for different people. For Eden, it's the sediment of a beautiful past; for Chakravartin, it's the continuation of a war. For Mobius, it's a derivative of the Stigmata Plan, the embodiment of her lifelong dreams and pursuits, and for Kevin... it might be more of a symbol, a symbol of Flame-Chasers's existence in this world. But if you want my opinion, it's actually simpler..."

Elysia jumped off the rock and moved gracefully closer to Shen Gonglin and Mei, spreading her arms as if showing off her most prized possession.

"It is a storybook that records a beautiful fairy tale about an era, a journey, and the entirety of thirteen people's lives."

It's that kind of talk again... Although it's described in a very touching way, it actually says nothing at all. Do people like this really enjoy riddles? It's so strange.

I don't quite understand what you mean.

As Mei said this, she secretly glanced at Mei Shen Gonglin. She wondered if he thought she was a stupid girl. The main problem was that Elysia's explanation was too vague, and she really didn't understand. Mei wanted to find out exactly where this place was.

Fortunately, Shen Gonglin looked even more bewildered than Mei. Seeing Shen Gonglin's reaction, Mei felt relieved. Not bad, not bad, she wasn't the dumbest one after all.

"Mei, when you talk about our era, when you talk about the Flame-Chasers, what comes to mind? Is it the smoke and fire of war? Or the ruins and scorched earth? Or the suffering and sacrifice? It seems like everyone would say that, but that's not right."

Elysia shook her head. She wanted to correct this incorrect thinking. The people of the previous generation did not only experience battles and suffering in their lives. Each of them actually had a light in their hearts for life. She wanted Mei and Shen Gonglin to understand this. Their lives were the same as theirs.

"In that doomed world, people would still discuss what to eat for breakfast the next day and how to spend their end-of-month allowance. Even on the day the apocalypse came, some people still held onto hope for tomorrow. When civilization was teetering on the brink of collapse in the darkness, light was still constantly being born. It was in such a world that there were thirteen remarkable people who, even knowing that civilization had perished, still chose to fight to the very end, just to forever etch their proud lives into history."

So that's how it is. The Elysian Realm is a symbol of humanity's past struggle against the Honkai, serving as a role model to inspire future generations to continue fighting against the Honkai, thus achieving some kind of continuation. Shen Gonglin pondered this. The Elysian Realm the Dead holds more than just fragmented memories. These heroes who fought for humanity, they all truly lived, is that what it means?

"The story recorded in the Elysian Realm is just this simple one, and that's how it is for me. Don't you think it's very much my style? This story contains pain and failure, betrayal and separation, but it also contains happiness and joy, tenderness and emotion. Sadness won't disappear into thin air, but warm feelings will always be treasured in the heart. So that's what I said back then..."

Elysia cleared her throat, the girl thinking about how she looked standing in front of the twelve people back then.

"Let us leave behind all our memories. What we pass on to future generations should not be just hatred and a sense of mission. Only by experiencing the brilliance of this era can future generations understand the meaning of our fight. Let textbooks teach cold, hard knowledge and techniques. What Flame-Chasers should inherit is the glory of being Flame-Chasers and the reason for fighting. It is the ultimate entrustment of our souls on this journey of chasing fire."

"And you who come after us will witness the footprints of our lives and the imprints on our souls, and find the answers you seek within them."

After saying that, Elysia looked at the door in the distance, or perhaps at something behind that door. It was time for them to move on.

Chapter Seventy-Four: The Gift

"Behind that door, Mobius awaits your visit. But she is not the end of your journey. You will cross her and continue to move towards a more distant and profound past. Perhaps you will have the opportunity to go far enough to see the truths buried by history, the turning points in human destiny... everything the Flame-Chasers did for human destiny, and... the irreparable mistakes it made."

At this point, Elysia's expression showed a slight hint of regret, but the girl's spirits quickly lifted again. Regret is part of life; isn't it their wish to leave behind the valuable experiences of their predecessors for future generations? So there's nothing to be sad about.

"In any case, our era has ended, and we have all done our part. Even if the world was not saved by heroes, at least you brought about a new life, which is the ending we hoped for. Humanity has been given another chance. Of course, the new era will inevitably encounter all sorts of troubles, setbacks, hardships, infidelity, and stagnation. But those are problems you must solve, not being pushed or swept along, nor following a path chosen by others."

Elysia offered Mei her sincere blessings. At first, Mei was quite serious, but when she heard a certain word, the corner of the girl's eye twitched violently. That must have been Elysia's slip of the tongue. Mei didn't think that matter could be related to the fate of humanity. Could she have meant something by saying that?

"You should all think like this: I want to do this, I should do this—determine your own destiny, your own mark, and live out my life as the protagonist in a free and fulfilling way, towards the goals you have set for yourself. You see, this is how I am, and this is how everyone is. This is how the era I know, and the thirteen people it produced."

Besides showing Mei her stunning beauty, Elysia wanted Mei to see something deeper.

"Countless paths intertwine and intertwine, giving birth to the miracle of a hundred flowers blooming. I wonder if Flame-Chasers's story can offer you some inspiration? I think the answer is definitely yes. Isn't that the best thing? So, what is the meaning of the Elysian Realm? This question has never been answered. At least, that is my hope as the proposer. Its meaning should be determined by each visitor themselves, and everyone will receive their own answer."

"After witnessing the truth of everything, will you choose to continue someone's ideal? Or will you break free from your cocoon in the darkness and pave a path we never even considered? With my rich imagination, I could come up with dozens, even hundreds of guesses. But my opinion doesn't count. You have your own answer in your heart, and that's what matters most. Anyway, Shen Gonglin, Mei, I have high hopes for you both. After all, you're like me—cute, beautiful, innocent, and strong girls... Ouch, ouch, ouch! Shen Gonglin, what are you doing? I finally managed to get this sentimental!"

At this moment, the girl looked like a radiant goddess. However, Shen Gonglin, the blasphemer, did not hesitate to reach out and attack the goddess. He pinched Elysia's two pointed elf ears hard, and the girl immediately showed a pained expression. What's wrong?

"Don't think I didn't understand what you were saying just because you spoke so fast. It's fine to say 'beautiful girl' as Mei, but what's the meaning of bringing me into this? You're so brave and arrogant, don't you know I'm a guy?!"