Chapter 460

What are these?

Kosma looked at the strange enemies before him. Griseo had said the oddity she sensed was from these things; they looked like faded paint. Looking at the enemies, Kosma Griseo behind him. He'd handle this...

"Strange colors are appearing more and more..."

The emotionless, emotionless girl spoke up, saying, "These colors are strange."

Just as Kosma was about to make a move, a dazzling bolt of lightning descended from the sky. Accompanying the lightning, a dashing young woman appeared before the two of them. They were quite familiar with her, because recently, everyone in the Elysian Realm had been revolving around her.

"A deafening roar from the sky, Mei makes her dazzling entrance!"

Following behind her, Shen Gonglin acted as a narrator, describing Mei's arrival. The girl, embarrassed by what he said, could only reach out and cover Shen Gonglin's mouth. Okay, okay, now that you know he can talk, there's no need to say anymore.

"Looks like we made it in time, Griseo. Are you alright?"

With her two attendants by her side, Mei bent down slightly to look at Griseo. Had problems arisen here as well? Griseo and Kosma were also in danger.

"Yes, I'm fine."

Griseo remained quiet, but then Kosma stepped forward and blocked her behind him. Now the people in the Elysian Realm were playing Werewolf. What was the Herrscher of Thunder doing here again? Was she looking for Griseo?

"We needed to talk to Griseo about something, so we came together."

Mei doesn't care about Kosma's attitude; she doesn't expect Kosma to be nice to her anyway. Solving the problem is the priority.

"Us?"

"Of course, I'm included too!"

She had been concealing herself since the beginning. With a surprised cry, a cloud of smoke rose behind Kosma and Griseo. The Great Magician Vill-V had prepared a grand entrance for herself. Otherwise, it wouldn't be enough if only Ms. Mei so eye-catching. However, almost instantly, Vill-V, who appeared from the smoke, had sharp claws pressed against her neck.

"Uh... what's going on? Does everyone have to put a deadly weapon against my neck? If this is the case, I'll have to charge admission for my neck."

Vill-V shrugged helplessly; these people really had some bad habits.

Vill-V... She came with Shen Gonglin and Raiden Mei, which means she's now also in the know.

After a moment's thought, Kosma, having learned the truth, released Vill-V's neck. His claws left her pale neck, and the boy managed to squeeze out a few words.

"Don't do that again next time. This is not a performance occasion."

Knowing Vill-V's personality, Kosma knew that saying this would be futile, but he still had to say it.

"Let's get down to business. The monster that Kosma was fighting with you just now... was it drawn by Griseo?"

Interrupting the Flame-Chasers ' "friendly exchange," Mei asked about the purpose of their trip. They had already seen those monsters with their own eyes, so Mei didn't need to describe them again. Did these monsters have anything to do with Griseo?

"No, Griseo didn't touch a penny today. I was with her the whole time, and I can testify to that."

Kosma spoke up to clarify for Griseo, saying that she hadn't painted all day, so those faded monsters must have nothing to do with her.

"Then... could it be one she drew before?"

Mei asked this question, and Kosma fell silent. He could make a promise today, but he couldn't say what he had said before.

"No, Mei, although they smell of paint, the color is strange. I didn't paint them."

Peeking out from behind Kosma, Griseo stood in front of Mei and explained that the monsters had nothing to do with her and she didn't know how they appeared.

After listening to Griseo's words, Mei reached up and rested her chin on her hand, thinking. In this situation, she believed that Griseo would not lie to her. Could it be that someone was using Griseo? In the Elysian Realm, who would have such an ability...? Shen Gonglin?

For some reason, Mei suddenly thought of Shen Gonglin Mei. With his social skills with the opposite sex, he should be able to easily deceive Griseo.

"Mei... are you looking for strange colors? If so, there are some over there."

Griseo her hand to help. Mei investigating this matter? Although she didn't understand it, it might be helpful to the recent events in the Elysian Realm. Griseo really wanted to help.

"Hey, Griseo, can you track the scent of those monsters?"

This surprised Mei. She had no clue about the appearance of these monsters and could only encounter them by sheer luck. But Griseo said that she could track them, which was a breakthrough.

"Hmm... but there's only a little left."

The girl with the eccentric personality spoke ambiguously, but Mei had already made up her mind. Since Griseo could track it, she would go and see for herself. Her intuition told her that this thing must be related to what had recently happened in the Elysian Realm.

"Then let's go take a look."

Mei agreed to Griseo's addition, Vill-V excitedly exclaimed, "Two more assistants have joined! This reminds me of the time I performed with Kosma. Human dismemberment, sword-insertion-in-barrel escape from water tanks... so many amazing performances!"

Vill-V was incredibly excited, but after hearing her words, Shen Gonglin gave Kosma a subtle look. Had he once been Vill-V's assistant? And those programs she had mentioned earlier...

"By your standards, these programs are rather ordinary. They're not much different from our time; as long as you utilize the mechanisms on the devices..."

Good girl Mei spoke up at this moment. She had seen many magic trick explanations and knew that these seemingly scary magic tricks could actually be done by Kai using mechanical devices. She wanted to show off her knowledge in front of Shen Gonglin. She thought that Vill-V was just a magician of this level.

"Ah, there are no traps."

Vill-V's words were astonishing, Mei was immediately speechless. There was no mechanism, then... Mei also looked at Kosma. This child, no way.

"In order to create an unprecedented magic trick, I deliberately made sure that there were no props with any mechanisms missing. I still remember the gasp my usually silent assistant made after he crawled into the box!"

Recalling the past, Vill-V was so happy she wanted to dance, but when Mei and Shen Gonglin thought of the scenes she described, they felt horrified.

Chapter 204 Speak Frankly

This can hardly be considered magic anymore, right?

Listening to Vill-V's vivid narration, Shen Gonglin and Mei couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. Just imagine, Kosma was tricked and coaxed into the prop box, which turned out to be a simple box without any mechanisms, and then watching the blade that cut through the human body approach step by step... Did Kosma finally confess?

"... Let's not talk about the past anymore, let's go."

It seems that Kosma himself doesn't want to recall that tragic past. The autistic boy takes the initiative to change the subject. At times like this, he wants to say something like, "Do you eat fried dough?" This is no longer magic; it can be considered intentional harm. Kosma seems to be the designated target of the Elysian Realm. Looking at this boy with horns on his head, just like herself, Mei feels a little sorry for him. This guy is so pitiful.

Under Griseo's leadership, two new members joined the exploration team. Griseo has a unique perception of color, and soon Mei discovered another enemy whose color had faded. Without hesitation, Mei drew her sword and attacked. This time, she easily eliminated the enemy, which seemed no different from the previous ones. However, she felt like she had seen this monster somewhere before.

The girl rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought, while Griseo looked quite puzzled. Seeing this, the others gathered around her. Did Griseo have any different insights into these faded monsters?

"Griseo, what's wrong?"

"It's strange...strange colors, there are two kinds...those faded monsters have my paint on them...but the other kind has no paint...only one...one...familiar feeling?"

The girl's words were somewhat puzzling, but it was clear she was trying hard to make them understand. However, Mei could only keep this description in mind. A familiar feeling? The information was better than nothing, but it was just as she had suspected. These things were indeed related to Griseo.

Since that's the case, it's best not to involve Griseo any further. Looking at the innocent girl in front of her, Mei, who has the Mei of a kindergarten teacher, really didn't want her to be in danger.

"Very good, Griseo, you've been a great help... However, that's enough for now. You and Kosma, just wait here. I'll explore the rest with Shen Gonglin and Vill-V. If I need anything, I'll come back for your help."

After reassuring Griseo, Mei realized that continuing to take her along might be dangerous, and it was better to let the adults handle such matters. Although Shen Gonglin didn't look much older than Griseo, Mei knew that he could indeed be considered an adult.

And it seems that Kosma doesn't want these meddlesome people to continue being with Griseo.

"Kosma, were we able to help Mei?"

Watching Mei and the others leave, Griseo softly asked the person beside her who was like an older brother. Mei had said that she had helped, but Griseo felt that she hadn't done anything, or rather, what she had done was far from enough.

"Maybe."

Watching the figures disappear, Kosma sighed deeply. Something was happening in the Elysian Realm, and as Flame-Chasers, as someone "alive" in the Elysian Realm, he did want to do something. But Griseo, he couldn't let her be in danger.

"Is there any danger at Aponia's mother's place...?"

Griseo asked again, "If Elysia isn't here, and Kevin isn't here, then what about Aponia, her mother? I haven't seen her in a long time either."

"... With Eden around, there shouldn't be any problem."

Although she felt a bit... uneasy about Aponia, since Griseo was worried about her, Kosma wouldn't want anything to happen to her. Eden was very reliable, and with her there to deal with Aponia's situation, she should be fine.

"Should we follow them and see?"

Griseo was eager to help. She really wanted to help. With everyone so busy, she didn't want to be protected like this. She could sense that Kosma wanted to do the same.

"... No, just as Eden said, we should stay away from danger."

Kosma responded in this way: under these circumstances, he still did not want Griseo to put herself in danger. She just needed to wait quietly here, and they would take care of everything.

"Kosma a liar."

The girl, hands on her hips, refuted Kosma's words, saying that they should stay away from danger. She could tell that Kosma clearly didn't want to stay away from danger. What he wanted to do was the same as Shen Gonglin Mei and Mei wanted to do: he wanted to solve the problems in the Elysian Realm, and so did she.

Kosma remained silent. He felt once again that in front of this girl who could read minds, no amount of pretense was of any use. To her, lies meant nothing.

"Kosma, you don't like waiting here, do you? You've been thinking about other things since earlier. When Mei, Rin, and Vill-V left... Kosma, you stared at them for a long time. Rin even glared at you. I know you wanted to go with them."

Beyond mere observation, the girl could also read the nuances of people's hearts, so she knew what Kosma was thinking. After hearing her say this, Kosma spoke up, but he was clearly concerned with something else entirely: what had he just heard? How had Griseo addressed Shen Gonglin?

Rin-nii? Didn't she always call Shen Gonglin by her given name?

"Griseo wanted to call him brother... Rin-nii-san. He would say whatever was on his mind directly, without any darkness... or rather, even if he had darkness, he would never hide it. He was very pure, just like Elysia- nii-san... Griseo liked that kind of person..."

Having understood Kosma's question, Griseo slowly spoke, explaining that she could see pure colors on Shen Gonglin, a very rare occurrence, much like Elysia.

Is that so?

Kosma was quite surprised that Griseo would give Shen Gonglin such an evaluation. In his opinion, Shen Gonglin shouldn't be worthy of such praise... Ah, no, Hua seems to treat her differently as well. If other people in the Elysian Realm might be misled by certain things, Hua is definitely not one of them.

She's the most honest and upright person.

Chapter 205 Becoming a Hero

"Yes, that's right... It was like that back then too. Kosma wanted to fight alongside everyone, but he was forced to board that ship. Kosma loves spaceships and stars. I know that was Kosma's dream. But why weren't you happy at all back then? So, I went to Sister Vill-V and told her that I wanted to board that ship in Kosma's place."

The topic was changed again in an instant. Kosma always liked to do this. He never said what was on his mind. He clearly wanted to fight alongside everyone, but because of the Project Ark, he had to board that ship. Griseo didn't want him to be so unhappy, so she went to find Vill-V to take his place. This was something Griseo had never said.

As expected, Kosma sighed inwardly upon hearing the news, just as he had guessed.

"I see. I asked Vill-V many times, but she always insisted that it was just a whim..."

"I asked Sister Vill-V to keep it a secret. I didn't want Kosma to be sad, so... after that, Kosma, did you get your wish?"

Griseo asked with some anticipation. She had boarded that ship, and her self in the Elysian Realm was a memory, so she didn't know what would happen to Kosma next. She wanted to know if Kosma had fulfilled her wish.

This question left the young man extremely hesitant; he didn't know how to answer it, because even he himself didn't know.

"I don't know. Maybe I just lost my life in vain, without accomplishing anything or becoming a hero. I... I haven't asked anyone else about my fate. I don't have the courage to ask. I'm afraid to hear answers I don't want to face."

Everyone in the Elysian Realm probably knows their fate, but Kosma has never asked. If he doesn't know, he can still hold onto a sliver of hope, but if he gets an answer he doesn't want from them, he'll probably be crippled. Kosma simply can't bear that reality.

"Kosma... then why do you want to be a hero?"

Quite suddenly, Griseo asked this question. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; this question had been lingering in Griseo's mind for a long time. And this time, Griseo presented the question that Kosma had asked himself countless times to him: Kosma, why do you want to become a hero?

Is it because the hero is very powerful?

Griseo tilted her head and shared her thoughts: because heroes are so powerful, Kosma wanted to become a hero.

"That's only one aspect... A hero is someone who can help everyone and lead people to victory."

He expressed his views on heroes, saying that Kosma identifies with heroes, admires heroes, and even wants to become a hero himself.

"In that case, that person will definitely fight... Oh, then I can't be a hero."

Having asked the question and received an affirmative answer from Kosma, Griseo lowered her head in disappointment. Everyone else was refusing to fight on their own, which meant she wouldn't become a hero.

"No...no, Griseo. Sometimes, when we talk about fighting, there's more than one way."

Knowing that Griseo had misunderstood, Kosma comforted her, explaining that the battles of heroes were not limited to the one she had just understood; the battles that heroes faced were diverse.

"Kosma, hero... must he die?"

This question was incredibly heavy. Kosma wanted to say no, but he also knew that there was no need to say an answer that even he himself couldn't believe to the girl in front of him.

After a brief silence, Griseo shook her head.

"Then I don't want Kosma to become a hero."

These words might sound a bit willful. If becoming a hero means certain death, then she really doesn't want Kosma to become a hero. She hopes that no one will become a hero. The girl's words this time were incredibly firm. Clearly, this was not the kind of person Kosma. His words should have been more silent and more indecisive.

This seemed to be the first time that Kosma had heard Griseo speak with such a strong sense of self.

"My mom and dad are missing, and I heard the adults say they're heroes. My sister Dessidobia is missing, and you all say she's a hero too. In the end, Kosma is leaving me to become everyone's hero. Everyone has become a hero... What about me? This time... will Kosma want to be a hero too?"

Counting the heroes around me who have already left, even though heroes will all sacrifice themselves, it seems that everyone still rushes forward one after another. Are heroes really that important?

Griseo looked up, her eyes seemingly sparkling with stars. Kosma stared into those eyes, unable to speak for a long time. Words were not his usual way of expressing himself; he knew that letting Griseo know in this way was more appropriate.

After all, the voice you hear from your heart, the color you perceive from your heart, cannot be lied about.

"Griseo... becoming a hero isn't something you can simply decide to do. When the time comes, you'll know... you must... do something, no matter the cost. Maybe it's for someone, maybe it's for something else... And this time, what I couldn't do fifty thousand years ago, I..."

Looking into Griseo's eyes, Kosma silently recited his answer, hoping Griseo would understand his silence. But as the promise was about to be uttered, Kosma chose another way.

A promise.