A Story That Exists Because of You

"Ah, are you thinking that as long as you stay like this, you can keep talking to me?"

"That's not good. If you tease a girl like that, I might really cry."

This time, the options seem to have changed a little.

[...]

[Don't want...]

Mei had a feeling that things might not turn out well if things continued like this... Mei's instincts kept sending her warning signals.

After all, during their time at the academy, she was the most honest of the Big Three. Xia Ling would usually trigger Mei's pranks on a whim. It was almost an instinct she developed from being tricked so many times. Mei felt that this option might be very bad.

But it was already too late. At this point, no matter which option you choose, you'll end up taking a group photo (laughs).

"..."

"All right."

"It's okay, if you don't feel like moving forward, just stop for a while."

The fourth time, Elysia's voice appeared again, but this time the content was a bit ominous.

"Then, look around you, look behind you..."

"Look..."

The surrounding white light instantly softened.

The scene instantly shifted to Everlasting Paradise in a flash of white light, and the Thirteen Flame-Chasers appeared before the two of them as if in a group photo.

"We'll always be here."

"Exactly the same as before, isn't it?"

Almost the instant she saw the group photo, Kiana's eyes welled up with tears, and she abruptly covered her mouth.

"Waaah... Elysia, everyone..."

Even though she reacted quickly, tears still rebelliously welled up in her eyes first.

Kiana wanted to bury her face in Mei's arms again. Anyway, it had already happened once, and Mei wouldn't think she was ashamed. But when she turned her head, through her teary eyes, she seemed to see that Mei had also turned her face away.

As the saying goes, sadness is contagious, and under the immense impact of the group photo, the two seem to have successfully infected each other.

So please don't forget—

Although Kiana and Mei have visibly lost their fighting ability, Elysia's "additional attacks" continue.

"The story recorded in the Elysian Realm is just this simple."

"This story contains pain and failure, betrayal and separation, but it also contains happiness and joy, tenderness and emotion."

Sadness will not disappear into thin air, but warm feelings will always be treasured in our hearts.

"To be passed down to future generations..."

As Elysia's voice continued to come, Theresa finally couldn't hold back anymore. She pouted and threw herself into Elysia's arms once again.

"Don't be sad, I've always been here."

Elysia smiled and gently stroked Theresa's hair, while giving Xia Ling a reproachful look.

This guy insisted on having some kind of little Easter egg... and all his hard work in comforting everyone was wasted now...

Thinking of this, Elysia couldn't help but angrily pinch Xia Ling's cheek.

"Gurgle?"

"What's with the gurgling? It's all Xia Ling's fault." Elysia said, feeling the soft touch on her hands while "squeezing" Xia Ling's face.

"I clearly said I was going to say goodbye with a smile, but now, who can still smile..."

"What? Even if you don't cry here, there are still bigger ones coming up!"

Xia Ling said that this couldn't be her responsibility, after all, there were still the Story Because of You, so crying sooner or later was the same.

"Huh? There are bigger ones behind?"

The speaker meant no harm, but the listener took it to heart. Theresa sprang up from Elysia's arms, tears still streaming down her face.

"Xia Ling —I don't remember raising you into this kind of naughty child who likes to see girls cry!"

"That's a double standard! Don't you also enjoy making me cry?"

"Well, that was on a special occasion!"

Theresa immediately felt guilty, after all, for some well-known reasons, she often made Xia Ling cry in another way, well, the kind that can't be said more about it.

"In short, I must correct this strange hobby of yours!"

Meanwhile, Kiana and Mei had already finished their group photo session.

Of course, even though they had already entered the Sixth Floor, they were still somewhat unable to calm down.

However... the gloomy atmosphere of the Sixth Floor simply couldn't allow them to maintain their sorrowful mood.

"There are only two nodes..."

"Is this story about to come to an end...?"

Kiana took a deep breath at the Unexpected Encounter before her.

As the scene shifted upon entering the node, the two saw a familiar person once again.

On a small hill of discarded data, Erosion has restored Elysia to her original form.

Although it was meaningless to the present situation, for some inexplicable reason, she still pieced together this appearance from the discarded data. She didn't want to meet Elysia in that almost Honkai Beast -like appearance.

Hi—hello?

"..."

The erosion remained silent.

"Wow, it really looks exactly like me! It's true that I look good in any color!"

"This should be our first meeting, but we should both be quite familiar with each other."

"So, let's have a chat, okay?"

"Even with this kind of erosion, Elysia still wants to communicate with it...?" Mei sighed. "That's true, after all..."

"After all, even if it's not a positive emotion, Erosion can still be considered Herrscher with humanity."

Kiana added the second half of the sentence for her.

"Elysia, she always wants to pursue the best possible ending."

The subsequent plot developments indeed confirmed Kiana Ling. Meng Bochan N Lin Jiu Leng Jiu Ya Ba's thoughts.

After some conversation, Elysia's final efforts ultimately failed to move the Herrscher of Corruption.

Or, even if she might have felt a pang of regret, it would be too late for her to turn back.

"Then let's leave it at that."

"Erosion," he said coldly.

"I accept your challenge, Herrscher of Humanity."

Her figure was gradually shrouded in black mist, and the appearance she had stolen from Elysia also disintegrated along with her dissipating form.

She integrated herself into the city.

At the same time, a barely audible sigh came from the darkness.

"The initial choice to make it this way was truly just because..."

"I think you're very pretty, that's all..."

Chapter 114 the Story Because of You

"This is a meaningless story..."

"People without a future walk the wrong path... and arrive at a failed end."

In a shimmering, green data city, a slightly distorted, corrosive sound emanates from all directions. Under the influence of its power, various unexpected attacks assault the girl who is constantly leaping around the city from all sides.

"Okay, calm down?"

A Flawless Dome instantly bloomed in this dark-toned city, deflecting all attacks from all directions with a rain of crystal arrows.

Seemingly quite pleased with her cool response, Elysia gently brushed a strand of long hair that had fallen beside her ear.

Unfortunately, her cool moment didn't last three seconds before the building beneath her suddenly collapsed, forcing her to fall to the ground.

"Elysia, Airi..."

The two entered the node and were now watching Elysia's battle with the erosion intently.

Or rather, after venturing alone into the territory he had built for himself, the scene could already be described as a battle against the entire city.

The CDs flying out of blind spots, the pipes like tentacles, the old, blocky TVs that look like building blocks and could form a giant monster at any moment... everything in this city seems to have come alive and rejects the only bright color in the city.

Besieged on all sides, Elysia's data body quickly became damaged.

"This... this isn't right..."

Kiana nervously swallowed. "Even when Elysia is fighting us as the boss, she's never this... careless?"

"Calm down, Kiana. Elysia must have her reasons for doing this... uh..."

Before the words were even finished, Elysia's data had already been completely eroded and swallowed up.

"Perhaps she deliberately lost the battle?"

They were eroded and killed in less than a minute, which only made the two more convinced that Elysia still had some backup plan.

After all... in the battle just now, she neither used the power of the Origin nor displayed her miraculous archery skills to fight against the erosion back and forth; instead, it was more like a symbolic resistance.

Unfortunately, because Erosion was a newly minted Herrscher, she couldn't tell from her combat experience that Elysia was deliberately being devoured. In fact, she knew nothing about Elysia's true power, Origin.

[Bye now]

[Elysia]

On the black-and-white television screen, the Herrscher of Corruption's final farewell appeared.

At that moment, the previously silent screen suddenly began to flicker.

[Feel sorry]

The screen, which was originally black and white, suddenly appeared in color.

I'm sorry to disappoint you.

"The Herrschers' farewell must be grand and magnificent, but it's rather lonely for just the two of us alone..."

"Aren't you right, my good Eden?"

The data of 0 and 1 instantly converged into a cluster, and then coalesced into a colorful human figure.

"That's right, Elysia."

The newly formed figure reached out into the black and white world, and then, with her help, Elysia's figure instantly reformed.

"Let's begin, the final ball."

"In the end, I still want to bring everyone together... That's why I hate you so much, Alicia~jiu?? Rei Sanba Qi Yi Umbrella"

At the same time, a melodious tune drifted from this space.

Accompanied by TruE's voice, one by Flame-Chasers, the heroes were "retrieved" from the corrupted data space by Elysia.

"This song... was sung by Elysia herself?"

In the trial space, Theresa turned to look at Elysia the moment she heard the sound.