Cosmo, You're Shorter

Aponia and the others watched Zhang Wei warily, as if he were some creepy uncle trying to abduct a child. They wanted to look at him like he was trash. Griseo was the beloved darling of the Elysian Realm, ranked No. 1 in everyone's hearts. Even Kevin, leader of the Flame-Chasers, had to step aside.

If Zhang Wei dared do anything criminal to Griseo, Cosmo would be the first to lose control and show him what Artificial Collapse meant.

"Sweet. It's delicious!"

Taking the candy from Zhang Wei, Griseo did not check whether it was poisoned or anything like that. She simply put it into her cherry-like mouth and savored it carefully. Her eyes lit up like stars; clearly, it suited her tastes perfectly.

"I have a question. Brother has my color on him. It's strange... why is that?" Griseo tilted her little head and looked at Zhang Wei in confusion. It was her color, yet somehow different.

Swish, swish, swish!

At her words, everyone in the Elysian Realm turned to look at Zhang Wei in unison. They were certain they had never met him before, which made Griseo's words rather thought-provoking. They knew of one of Griseo's abilities: she could see the colors on other people, and she would not lie.

"Mother Aponia, Uncle Kevin, Uncle Su, Sister Hua... Grandma Mobius."

At that moment, the older Griseo emerged from one of the Hyperion's cabins. Though these people were Memory Bodies, what did that matter? Her eyes burned as she cried and laughed at the same time.

"You are... Griseo!?"

Even Aponia, who was usually unruffled, changed her tone. She looked at the dramatically changed older Griseo with complicated emotions, yet recognized her at a glance.

Little Griseo curiously looked at her grown-up self. So mature... and that figure was so nice too. She looked a little like Mother.

"Griseo, call me Sister!" Mobius's face turned green when she heard the word "Grandma." Why was it super doubled when it came to her? Her seniority had directly risen to the highest among the Flame-Chasers.

She clearly had the physique of a little girl. How did she look like a grandma?

"Sister Elysia said Grandma Mobius would like being called that." The two Griseos spoke in unison. However, unlike little Griseo's innocence, the older Griseo wore a slightly mischievous smile.

"Elysia, you fat hag, you really deserve to die!" Mobius glared furiously at Elysia, who was looking up at the sky. So now she knew how to feel guilty? Sure enough, she and Elysia could never get along.

"Auntie Mobius, I missed all of you so much!"

The older Griseo hugged Mobius, but she was no longer a child. Mobius was so petite that Griseo once again got a faceful of breasts. It felt completely different from Elysia's, yet was equally uncomfortable.

"Let go of me already!"

Still, Mobius's mouth was the toughest thing about her. Her small hand gently patted the older Griseo's back, and her voice softened unusually. "It's good that you're back. You've worked hard, Griseo."

Such a little child had ridden the Ark while carrying such a heavy burden. She must have been terribly lonely all these years. Just thinking about it made them ache.

"Griseo is so beautiful now. She resembles Blanca in so many ways." Elysia looked at the older Griseo with shining eyes. Little Griseo was adorable, but mature Griseo had a unique charm of her own.

"Of course she resembles her. Blanca used to be the beautiful assistant in my lab, but that guy Hen lured her away!" Mobius's voice carried a trace of resentment.

"Cosmo... you're shorter now!" The older Griseo looked at her best friend, having no idea how devastating those words would be to Cosmo.

She had not thought much of it. She was an adult now, but Cosmo was shorter than her. It felt a little unfamiliar.

Cosmo: "..."

Already quiet by nature, Cosmo became even quieter. He had wanted to greet the older Griseo, but the Cosmo had just been sunk by her.

Griseo had become an adult and was now taller than him. His little sister had suddenly grown up, and he was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say?

Elysia had a sudden idea and leaned close to whisper something into the older Griseo's ear.

"Cosmo, you have to call me Sister now!"

"Griseo is an adult now and taller than Cosmo. I'm not Little Sister Griseo anymore!" The older Griseo nodded, planted her hands on her hips, and seriously corrected Cosmo.

Cosmo: "..."

Cosmo completely broke down. He was deeply depressed, but since he was not good with words, he simply kept silent.

"Pfft..."

"Hahahaha..."

Everyone was amused by Griseo's serious correction. But on closer inspection, there was nothing wrong with what she said. The older Griseo was so mature that she truly did look like a big sister.

"My grown-up self has such a nice figure~" little Griseo said. She had never expected that, fifty thousand years later, she would have such an enviable body.

Some Hua out in the outside world would probably sigh at the sight. They were both Fusion Warriors—could the difference really be caused by having different Honkai Beast genes?

"It's all right, I guess. My shoulders get tired, though!" The older Griseo actually missed what she had been like as a child. The heavy weight before her chest had taken her quite a while to get used to.

Hua knowingly lowered her head to take a look. Hmm... she could clearly see her toes. Since Griseo could become the older Griseo, then she, who was still alive outside, should have grown quite a bit after tens of thousands of years, right? Even if she could not reach Aponia's exaggerated level, she should at least have a very noticeable curve. How exciting!

(Captain: Stop looking forward to it. Five are flat, three grow up, and Fu Hua, you're not one of them.)

Even Theresa could become a grown-up Theresa during Artificial Collapse, while Fu Hua's Artificial Collapse was still...

"Although I cannot see your fates, I still thank you for bringing Griseo back!" Aponia thanked Zhang Wei and the others. Among the people they worried about most, Griseo, who had long lost contact while aboard the Ark, was one of them.

"Oh? So you believe we aren't bad people now? If I'd known it would be this easy, I would've had the older Griseo meet you first!" Zhang Wei shook his head helplessly.

"Elysia always believed you weren't bad people. But shouldn't you introduce yourselves properly now? If you try to brush us off again, Elysia will get angry!" Elysia said playfully.

"We weren't brushing you off. We really did just sail the Hyperion into the Elysian Realm normally. How else are we supposed to explain it?" Zhang Wei rolled his eyes, his face practically spelling out his utter speechlessness.