Chapter 431

"The thing that was missed... what is it?"

Mei was curious about the person Aponia mentioned. What kind of person could Aponia be to elicit such an expression from her? In fact, Mei already had an answer in her heart: there was only one such person, just as Aponia said, you can always trust her.

"Just like you and me now, on that day, she stood before me, telling me of her fate of vanishing in ten days. And fourteen days later, the new clothes Eden had prepared for her would be finished, and there would still be genuine joy and anticipation in her eyes. Sixteen days later, Kevin's birthday would arrive again, and she would softly sing a lullaby to leave him one last gift. Then, she also said those words. You understand, Mei. You...you all ultimately made the same choice."

Looking at Raiden Mei before her, Aponia's eyes softened with tenderness. She and Mei were the same kind of people, completely different from herself. She was trapped in the shackles of fate, while they possessed the ideals of light and warmth. This spirit was something Aponia envied yet could only yearn for.

"Even if the future cannot be changed, I want to decide for myself the process of reaching that outcome—how admirable! But when that helplessness truly befalls you, can you still say it so calmly? I don't know... But until then, please keep moving forward. Rather than talking to me about these uncertain things, you should... go and meet your own kind."

As Aponia finished speaking, white lights suddenly bloomed in the sky, transforming into a staircase that appeared beneath Mei's feet. This ascending staircase pointed in an unknown direction—this must be the key to her goal. Aponia had said this about her kind...

"That person... is that your companion during these ten days? The one who guided me to continue this trial at just the right moments."

Having already made this deduction, Mei realized that besides her own decisions and efforts, there was someone else guiding her to this point. This person had also led her to this point on her own, and Mei already had a general idea of who that person was.

"Yes, just as she said, Mei won't let anyone down. All your quests, the meaning of the existence of the Elysian Realm, the secret protected by the true the Deepest Place... Therefore, you, the Thirteenth Herrscher, are qualified to go there."

The Thirteenth Herrscher? This answer was somewhat unexpected for Mei. Is there a Herrscher in this Elysian Realm? And everything Aponia did to her before was to help the Thirteenth Herrscher test her?

"Of course, I have my own selfish reasons, but that's all. I've been waiting for someone like you to come along, and now my wish has come true. Go, she's waiting for you."

Aponia gazed tenderly at Mei, while Shen Gonglin had already eagerly climbed the steps. The Thirteenth Herrscher — Herrscher she had never seen before. She wondered what it looked like. Shen Gonglin felt no fear of Herrscher. So what if they were Herrscher? She had plenty of them around her.

Mei turned around to climb the stairs, but the girl hesitated, still having a question unanswered, "Can I ask one more question, Aponia?"

"Please go ahead."

"We just fought... if you can call it a fight, what you said then, was it really from the heart? That... hatred."

Mei was deeply impressed by Aponia's performance in that previous "battle." The emotions Aponia displayed at that time were incredibly genuine. Mei didn't believe that those emotions were faked for the sake of the "trial." It was all Aponia's true feelings.

"... Mei, if I give you a positive answer, it might cause you to lose trust in Flame-Chasers. But... consider it a thank you on behalf of Griseo. Yes, I have always been pessimistic about humanity. In my view, it is their deserved end that some people are wiped off the face of the world."

She did acknowledge this point; it was precisely because she had witnessed so much that Aponia came to this conclusion: some people are better off dying sooner to avoid many tragic events. That's why she was so pessimistic.

"But you did not do anything intentionally malicious."

"I am different from you, Miss Mei. Her departure... suddenly made me realize the meaning of the process, but as I have proven before, humanity cannot be changed. To this day, I still value the result more. But... this does not conflict with the care I have given to everyone. Embracing with denial... is still embracing. I am not an exception, I just do not hide anything."

Aponia candidly expressed her feelings. Although the process was important, what good was going through the process if the outcome couldn't be changed? Just as she couldn't convince Mei, she couldn't convince herself either.

"What is a hero in my eyes...? A noble person who has to sacrifice his life for the survival of the despicable. Even knowing that the group he is protecting contains people he hates and who hate him, he still has to stand up for them. This is... unfair."

Aponia shared her insights, and Shen Gonglin nodded vigorously in agreement. She was right, which was why she never considered herself a hero. Although she had done many heroic things so far, her primary motivation was to help those she wanted to help, such as the Class President, Kiana, and everything around her. But as for others... Shen Gonglin probably didn't have that same intention.

For example, those people who are still spreading rumors and slandering him that he got his bishop position by living off Theresa's money, do they even realize that they have taken on the responsibility of an entire world for Alto!

"You seem very unhappy about this."

Mei pressed down on Shen Gonglin's head, afraid that he would say something strange. Aponia's words seemed to have hit a nerve with Shen Gonglin. Calm down and don't overthink it.

"Because I am not a hero, but... I sometimes believe that everyone has a need to be saved. Alright, please set off as soon as possible. Do you remember the possibility I mentioned before... Since those moments that I preserved... the only thing worth passing down here is about to see the light of day again... then this Elysian Realm must also face its final fate."

Let's say goodbye for now.

Chapter 108 The Thirteenth Herrscher

Before me.

There is no creation in the world.

If anything is eternal.

So it is sinking into my body, opening the door to the end.

A noble and pure soul...

Amidst Aponia's murmurs, Shen Gonglin and Mei climbed the pristine white steps one by one. After pushing open the white door at the end, a scene of birdsong and fragrant flowers appeared before them. Butterflies fluttered among the green leaves, and a familiar yet expected voice entered their ears.

"Hi, you two have finally arrived. Well then, let me reintroduce myself. I am the second of the Flame-Chasers, the True Self..."

Elysia stretched on the garden bench, the Pink Elf girl smiling as she looked at the two who walked out of the door. She had been waiting impatiently, but finally, the two of them appeared before her.

"Wait a minute, we can talk about the self-introductions later. Those steps were really too high, and it seems like Shen Gonglin is having a fit of acrophobia. Let him lie down first."

Interrupting Elysia's self-introduction, Mei quickly carried the trembling Shen Gonglin onto the bench. The stairs had no railings, and Shen Gonglin couldn't help but want to slide down halfway up. There was really no way to deal with his fear of heights, so Mei forcibly pulled him up, and this is the result.

"...ah?"

Alicia was already eagerly anticipating seeing Mei and Shen Gonglin's surprised expressions, but instead, she was greeted with this scene. Before Elysia could even react, the semi-conscious Shen Gonglin was placed on her lap. Only after placing Shen Gonglin did Mei breathe a sigh of relief and take a half-step back. The girl nodded her chin at Elysia.

Does this mean I have to start introducing myself all over again? This feeling... well, well, what can I say, she's Mei.

"The second of the Flame-Chasers, Elysia of the Motto of the True Self. And her other identity, Mei, you should have already guessed it, right? But, when you actually stand before the Thirteenth Herrscher... hey, how does it feel?"

As Elysia gently massaged Rin Shen Gonglin's head on her lap, she introduced herself to Mei. Finally, someone could come into her mental world. As expected of Mei... Oh, and Shen Gonglin too.

"I feel... Hmm? It seems that now is not the time to talk about it. These things will appear no matter when."

Before Mei could speak, many familiar enemies appeared in the Mei courtyard: mechs, Suicide Squad, and Honkai Beast. Were these things born from the Honkai of the Previous Era, or were these enemies extracted from her memories? However, enemies of this level were no longer worth mentioning to Mei now.

Having deactivated the full form of the Herrscher of Thunder, it's uncertain what will happen next. For now, she's fighting in her normal state. The two horns on her forehead have disappeared, and the Herrscher star ring on her back has been concealed. In Shen Gonglin's words, her current state should be described as a youthful version of the Herrscher of Thunder.

"Honestly, it's really annoying to be interrupted during self-introductions. Mei, let's have a competition and see who can deal with these annoying little things first."

Taking out her pink longbow, Elysia gently placed Shen Gonglin's head on the bench. The girl pointed to the right and then winked mischievously at Mei. Let's see who can take care of these little things first.

Huff... Mei didn't speak. The girl bent down and rushed out. These things were something she could have solved when she was still an ordinary Valkyrie, and for her now, the Youthful Version of the Herrscher of Thunder, they were even less of a concern... Ugh, it's not the Youthful Version of the Herrscher of Thunder. How did she get so influenced by Shen Gonglin that she misspoke?

The sharp blade sliced through the Suicide Squad's body, dissipating him. The homing missiles launched by the mecha could only be eaten by dust behind her due to Mei's rapid movements. Finally, the girl slashed the last enemy with a single stroke. As the girl sheathed her sword and stood up, a soft clapping sound came from behind. Elysia sat on a high place, watching Mei with satisfaction. She had also finished dealing with her own side.

"As expected of Mei, but she's still a few seconds slower than me."

Elysia jumped down from that height with a superhero landing pose. She had no interest in the competition and, watching the dissipating "corpses," Mei had other things she wanted to ask Elysia.

"These enemies are all your memories, aren't they? It seems they don't welcome me very much. But I didn't expect that even you would be attacked."

Hearing Mei's words, Elysia waved her hand, and the girl tidied her slightly messy pink hair from the earlier activity as she walked over. "Don't be so surprised. This place is a bit different, but it's still part of the Elysian Realm. The principle is the same as other realms you've seen, there's no difference... Oh, right, I haven't formally introduced it to you yet... I was interrupted by these little guys halfway through..."

Elysia raised her little fist to her mouth and coughed lightly twice. The girl cleared her throat and spoke in a joyful tone.

"Welcome to the deepest secrets of the Elysian Realm, preserved from the Deepest Place, composed of Elysia's memories, a complete reconstruction of Elysia's beloved world, Elysia's mental world. As you can see, it is like the condensation of all beautiful things, a peaceful and eternal dreamlike fairyland, a flawless paradise standing at the end of all ideals. I wonder if the name Eternal Elysium... fills you with curiosity?"

Elysia proudly introduced everything around her to Mei. This was her own space, a mental world woven entirely from her own memories. Every blade of grass, every brick and tile was the most beautiful and dreamlike thing.

"Eternal Elysium ... Well, let me apologize first, because my boyfriend might be ruining your garden right now, I'm really sorry."

Admiring the dreamlike scenery around her—the castle, the garden, the fountain... everything here was like something out of a fairy tale. But when she saw a certain spot, Mei's pupils contracted slightly, and the girl immediately bowed her head to Elysia. It felt like her own naughty child was destroying someone else's carefully maintained lawn. In any case, it was better to apologize first.

Chapter 109 Eternal Elysium

"Ruined my garden? What is this... Ugh! Shen Gonglin, why did you vomit so much? This... Wash it off quickly. Honestly, you didn't consider the feelings of someone with a fear of heights at all. This is truly my dereliction of duty."

At first, she didn't quite understand, but when Elysia followed Mei's gaze, she finally realized what the girl was talking about. At this moment, Shen Gonglin had woken up at some point and was vomiting by the fountain. As expected of Shen Gonglin, even when he vomited, it was something like a rainbow. The fairy girl quickly ran to Shen Gonglin's side and patted his back.

The stairs I just climbed to get here were so high that Shen Gonglin's head is still spinning. However, I did hear Mei and Elysia's conversation. The space called Eternal Elysium, is that Elysia's memory space?

"Leave it to me... Aren't you going to explain this space again?"

Mei took Shen Gonglin from the pool and gently scooped up water to wipe Shen Gonglin's face. She looked at Elysia, hoping she could explain more. She had finally made it to this space, but the mysteries were still as numerous as ever.

"Hmm? Mei, aren't you excited? Among the successors, you are the first to come here, and the first to be able to understand Elysia's true feelings. Mei, Shen Gonglin, it's okay to be even happier."

The girl waved her hands, showing them the current scenery, but neither Shen Gonglin Jingu nor Mei felt anything real. This scenery alone couldn't explain anything; they wanted more, more truth.

"You think coming here will reveal the truth? Knowing you as I do, it's probably not that simple."

Mei shook her head. She didn't think things would be that simple. Although she had gone through a lot of hardship to get here, it didn't make sense for her to get the truth just like that. This woman was too mysterious. Elysia everything she had seen with Elysia, Mei felt like the whole Elysian Realm was revolving around her.

"Huh? My God, how could you think that? Who turned you into this? You've already proven yourself to everyone—well... maybe not everyone? But at least the vast majority. If I were to keep hiding it, wouldn't that be going too far? Look, I've already openly told you about my other identity, haven't I?"

How could Mei think of me like that? She makes me sound like one of those scheming women. That won't do. Elysia cares a lot about the impression I have in Mei's eyes. I'm perfectly honest. In this whole Elysian Realm, Elysia is the only person you can always trust.

"...Indeed, I didn't expect the Thirteenth Herrscher at first."

Mei said calmly, but there was no great fluctuation in her purple eyes. This identity did surprise her, but that was all she was surprised about.

"Hmm, that's strange. I feel like... you don't seem particularly surprised?"

Mei's reaction elicited a somewhat subtle response from Elysia. She had expected Mei to be greatly surprised, but her reaction was far too calm, as if she had already anticipated it. Mei that clever?

After all, it's just a Herrscher identity. Who isn't the same? Or rather, Mei isn't so hard to accept the Herrscher identity anymore. She is Herrscher, Kiana is Herrscher, Bronya is Herrscher. Among the people she knows, the proportion of Herrscher is just too large, so it's not surprising at all.

"It's not that I'm not surprised. But rather than knowing, I feel more like confirming. Originally, my purpose in coming to the Elysian Realm was to explore the truth about Honkai and the Will of Honkai. And in this process, you were the first one to appear before me, you were the one who led me deeper and deeper step by step, and in the end, the one I still know nothing about... is still you. It's hard not to have all sorts of thoughts."

Mei has spent a long time in the Elysian Realm, so long that Mei has almost come to believe that this is a real world. But in fact, the girl has not forgotten the purpose of her coming here. Kevin said that he came here to pursue the truth, and the first person he met was Elysia, and the person he understands the least is also Elysia.

"I know nothing... Mei, you can't say that, can you? We've shared a lot of secrets with each other. And... why the Herrscher of the Thirteen? Haven't you considered other possibilities, like aliens, fairies from another world, or... a beautiful girl who just happened to pass by? Why did you suddenly think of the Herrscher?"

Elysia counted on her fingers, giving examples one by one. Why did she guess the Herrscher answer directly? There were clearly many other options. How did Mei immediately think of herself as the Herrscher? Elysia felt that she should be more like a simple, ignorant, and pretty girl who happened to pass by.

"... Let's just take it as my intuition. The Thirteenth Herrscher, as far as I know, this name has never been recorded in any specific way in the records of the Previous Era. A Herrscher, but no information left behind... I don't know what caused this result, but this mysterious and unpredictable atmosphere is very similar to you."

Mei paused for a moment. This question had been lingering in her mind, but if she put all the doubts into Elysia's mind, it didn't seem so strange. It made sense.

"Oh! So that's how you've always seen me? I never imagined that."

Elysia covered her mouth in surprise. So this was the kind of feeling she gave off? People would think of her whenever they thought of something mysterious. It perfectly matched the image of the mysterious girl she had passed by.

"Hoo... about your powers, the truth behind your becoming Herrscher, whether there is a key between you and the Honkai beyond this, and... how should I face you."

After confirming Elysia's identity, Mei's attitude towards her became subtle. After all, the existence of Herrscher... Although she was surrounded by Herrscher, Mei still didn't know how to deal with them. Elysia being Herrscher was a surprising yet expected answer.

Having vomited everything out, Shen Gonglin finally regained some of her energy, but the questions were only piling up.

Chapter 110 The Master of Balance

Mei is such a curious girl. Faced with her series of questions, Elysia squinted her eyes and revealed her flawless smile. She felt embarrassed knowing that Mei was so curious about her, but thinking about it, it made sense. Mei was just that kind of girl who liked to get to the bottom of things.

"I think so too. It's normal for you to have these questions, Mei. Of course, you can find the answers to all of these questions here. That's the meaning of Eternal Elysium. But it seems a bit inappropriate for us to talk about this here. The atmosphere is just right now, and I don't want to be interfered with by a third party... Shen Gonglin, don't look at me like that. You've never been a third party."

Whether it's the Herrscher or the Flame-Chasers, Mei doesn't want Elysia to have too much contact with Shen Gonglin. This fairy girl's charm is just too great, even Mei has to admit it. She holds Shen Gonglin's hand and keeps him by her side. This Eternal Elysium is all unknown, and she still can't let him leave her side.

"That's true, this isn't the right place to talk. And... I also want to know more about this Eternal Elysium. You've never been one to just talk the talk. Since everything here is Elysia's memory, it's crucial to the truth I need to know, isn't it?"

Whether it was the Elysian Realm or the Eternal Elysium, Shen Gonglin did not interfere too much with his decision. According to him, it was because his pursuit of the real thing within him prevented him from focusing all his attention on things that others deliberately showed him... Mei didn't quite understand this. The only thing she knew was that he would not interfere with her decision and would deliberately reduce his presence.

Perhaps I should send Shen Gonglin back to the Hyperion; the environment here is not suitable for Shen Gonglin to stay any longer.

"Mei, you're such a smart girl, and... we're really on the same wavelength. Come on, I'll tell you everything about Elysia, and Shen Gonglin, you have to listen carefully too, this is an open-book test for you, you have to remember, everything about the Thirteen Herrscher, I'll tell you everything you want to hear."

Elysia winked at Shen Gonglin Mei, but Mei blocked Elysia's view with a blank expression. Another reason she wanted Shen Gonglin to leave as soon as possible was that there were just too many beautiful girls among these Flame-Chasers. Even though they were just memories, Mei felt uncomfortable. She was very confident in her appearance, but that didn't stop her from being surrounded by so many people.

"Mei, I know you're very possessive, but a girl like that can be quite intimidating. Hmm... Even though I've told you everything, the thought of revealing everything to Mei and little Rin makes my heart flutter a little. It might take a little while, you don't mind, do you?"

He led Shen Gonglin and Mei around in their own courtyard. The dreamlike surroundings made this Miss Pink Fairy seem even more like a legendary fairy. This girl seemed to really like Mei, or rather, she seemed to like everyone. It would take a little time to tell Mei everything she wanted to know, but this way, he could spend more time with Mei.

"It doesn't matter, as long as I get the answer in the end, I don't care about the process."

Mei shook her head. How could such a thing affect her thirst for knowledge? She had already come this far, and had stayed in the Elysian Realm for so long for this moment. No matter how long or complicated the subject was, she was prepared to listen attentively.

"Great! Well then, let's proceed at my preferred pace. If you feel the pace is a bit slow, just let me know. Come on, let's take a stroll in the garden. It's usually tightly closed here, but it'll be specially opened for you today."

Leading the two to a door, Elysia snapped her fingers, and the door swung open with a bang, revealing a world filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers. However, aside from this beautiful scenery...

"It seems you have more than just us as guests. We really can't let our guard down for a moment."

The huge garden maze in front of them was very much in Elysia's style, but the sudden appearance of the Suicide Squad was a bit of a downer. Mei swung her sword and cut the attacking Suicide Squad in half. There were enemies even here, so she couldn't relax for a moment. Elysia gave Mei an embarrassed smile.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. Let's just consider it a unique feature of the Elysian Realm. It's too early to be making such a fuss. This isn't even the tip of the iceberg... No, no, the tip of the iceberg is for Kevin. For me, a corner of the sea of flowers would be more appropriate... Hey, where's the iceberg? It just happened to be here."

As they continued deeper into the area with Mei and Shen Gonglin, Elysia suddenly spotted a white figure leaning against the wall. The girl showed no surprise; she was happy to see anyone.

This is... Kevin's memory?

Looking at the silent figure before him, the man stood there. In this world of pink and purple, Kevin's figure stood out. This was Elysia's mental world, and the Kevin before her was also her memory... no, it seemed to be the real person.

Although this person is somewhat different from the real person.

"It's Kevin. It's true that this can happen... Although I really want to open up only to the two of you, it would be a little unfair to everyone else."

I explained the current situation. There's nothing I can do about it. Because Elysia loves everyone, everyone can see their own heart. You can always trust Elysia, no matter what.

"Elysia ...I respect your choice. But you should have informed us beforehand."

Those blue eyes lingered on Shen Gonglin and Mei for a moment. The first among the Flame-Chasers looked coldly at Elysia. This was Elysia's world, and it was none of their business who she wanted to invite in, but she should inform them in advance, which was in accordance with the rules.

Mei didn't speak. Kevin's words were brief and vague. It seemed that because of the presence of Mei and Shen Gonglin, a third party, Mei could tell that he wanted to talk to Elysia alone about something.

"Oh dear... Mei, you might have to wander around by yourself first. Look, Kevin doesn't seem to want us to have some alone time. Don't worry, I'll appease him... well, I mean, deal with him, and then I'll come see you."