Sakura's Joy

Feeling solid ground beneath him again did nothing to calm Chrono's rage. If anything, it only intensified. He counted every second, and only after 3600 seconds, a full hour, did he finally touch down. He hadn't been this furious even when facing natural disasters in the form of Herrschers. Flames raged around him, turning the Hyperion's deck into a scorching inferno.

Whoosh!

Tables, chairs, and parasols spontaneously combusted, turning to ash. Zhang Wei frowned. "Chrono's really asking for it, starting fires everywhere!"

"Chrono, please calm down!" Aponia said, helpless. She was forced to use Discipline, even though she knew it would only enrage Chrono further, but she couldn't just stand by and watch him continue his rampage.

"..."

"Aponia! I'm going to kill you! A thousand, ten thousand times over, and it still won't be enough!"

Discipline took effect, and Chrono stopped his advance towards Zhang Wei. However, his fury burned even hotter. The killing intent in his eyes was palpable, and he glared at Aponia with undisguised hatred.

Aponia sighed softly, unfazed. Perhaps it was due to the sins she herself bore.

"Chrono, calm down!" Sakura couldn't help but interject. Only she could truly reason with the volatile Chrono. As expected, after Sakura spoke, the flames around Chrono dissipated. He snorted and stood aside.

The other Flame-Chasers exchanged smiles. Sakura's words were indeed more effective. However, Aponia's use of Discipline had also played a crucial role; otherwise, Chrono would likely have experienced freefall once more.

"The Flame-Chasers really have all sorts of personalities," Kiana remarked with a sigh. Still, the people before her could all be called heroes.

"Sakura, we have you to thank for calming Chrono down. Otherwise, he would have had to experience freefall again."

"Do you want to know about your sister?" Zhang Wei asked with a slight smile.

"!!!"

Sakura's pupils contracted sharply, her breathing becoming unusually rapid. Her hand instinctively tightened around her sword hilt, and the fur on her long ears stood on end.

The other Flame-Chasers fell silent in unison. Sakura had died alongside the Twelfth Herrscher, so this later period of memory had never been recorded in the Elysian Realm. Those who knew the truth had tacitly agreed not to tell her the sad details, fearing she couldn't bear it. Yet, here it was, brought up today, and by Elysia no less.

"Sakura, your sister..."

Before Elysia could finish, Sakura interrupted her, her voice filled with sorrow. "Elysia, you don't need to say it. I already know the truth about myself and my sister's fate."

"You know?!"

Elysia exclaimed in surprise. The memory-based Sakura had never shown any signs of extreme grief, leading them to believe she was unaware of the situation and thus had refrained from telling her.

"Yes, I know. Even if I'm slow, after so many years in the Elysian Realm, I could have guessed the outcome. It's already happened, and there's no point in dwelling on it now, is there?" Sakura's voice was heavy, tinged with sadness and bitterness.

Aponia closed her eyes. This matter was inextricably linked to her, one of the sins she had committed.

"Captain, what were you going to say?" Sakura asked.

"In the previous civilization, Sakura's sister, Ling, descended as the Twelfth Herrscher. However, perhaps due to the time constraints, the Divine Key eventually created was only a semi-finished product."

Vill-V nodded. As the designer of most Divine Keys, her words carried more weight. "The Erosion Key is indeed a semi-finished product, and it should have made its way to the current civilization by now!"

"Could it be?" Sakura wasn't foolish. A possibility dawned on her, her voice trembling as she clenched her fists.

Seeing this, Zhang Wei didn't play coy. He nodded. "That's right. In my opinion, Ling's soul should still exist. If it can be extracted, there's still a chance for her to reappear."

Sakura's eyes widened, her heart filling with joy and excitement. The gloom in her eyes vanished. Her sister was still alive? There was a chance to see her again?

"Where? Where is Sakura's sister now? Please, tell me. I owe you a favor!" Chrono stepped forward, staring intently at Zhang Wei. He cared deeply for that girl, treating her like his own sister. He had never asked anyone for anything before, but this time he made an exception.

"Heh!" Mobius chuckled, pouring cold water on the situation. "Chrono, use your brain. Even if we find out, what good will it do? We're just memory fragments; we can't leave."

"Aren't you, Mobius, very capable? You pride yourself on being the smartest. How come you can't even manage to get us out of here temporarily? How laughable!" Chrono retorted mockingly.

"You..."

Mobius gritted her teeth, her young face turning green, then black. Chrono might appear to be a brute who only relied on his fists, but that was only because he disdained schemes and tricks; he wasn't stupid.

Pardo quietly edged further away. Staying too close risked angering Chrono, which would turn her into Pardo and Felis. Angering Mobius meant being tied to a laboratory table and used as a white mouse.

Poor kitty, her status in the Elysian Realm was truly too humble.

"Captain big brother, since you said it, you must have a way, right? Please tell us," Mobius said, choosing not to argue with a brute like Chrono. She looked at Zhang Wei, her voice young and alluring, like poison, carrying a dangerous aura, akin to a venomous snake that sent shivers down one's spine.

The corners of the Flame-Chasers' mouths twitched. They had never seen Mobius act like this before. Goosebumps rose all over their bodies. They wondered if their ears were playing tricks on them. Was this something they were meant to hear?

"You want me to beg you?!" Zhang Wei immediately turned into a mischief-maker, looking at Mobius with a grin, clearly indicating that if she begged him, he would reveal the method. He wondered if Mobius, the proud and beautiful snake, could bend like the "Black Tower" next door.

"..."

Mobius's lips twitched. He had such a wicked sense of humor. She really wanted to capture him and use him as a white mouse, but she couldn't defeat him. It was infuriating. However, seeing Sakura's expectant gaze, Mobius felt a rare moment of softness and whispered shyly, "Please!"

After saying that, even Mobius's face flushed with embarrassment. It was so mortifying, especially in front of so many Flame-Chasers. She felt a strong urge to kill them all to silence them and make this black history disappear completely.

"Please!"

"Please!"

In the next moment, a chorus of echoes rang out. Mobius completely lost her composure, stiffly turning her head to glare at the damned Pink Fatty and shouting, "Ely! Sia!"