20. The Tug-of-War: Mobius, the Two-Faced One.

This is a bizarre theater that seems to float in the sky. Dark blue-green ripples emerge and spread from the edges and bottom of the field of vision, with deep blue gradually turning into pitch black above. The strange structure, which looks like a discarded product or a geometric spiral, is stationary around and above this continent, like an expensive decoration on an exquisite watch face.

The girl stood there, like a prisoner bound by rings of confinement, or a mortal lost in a sea of nothingness, unable to find the truth.

She glanced at the empty space nearby, where the scattered, broken structures in the distance remained eerily still, just as they had been when she first arrived.

This is where Mobius lived.

Raiden Mei said calmly:

"Come out, Mobius. Do you enjoy playing hide-and-seek?"

"Or is it that ever since you lost to me once, you've lost the courage to face me directly on your own turf?"

Clearly, this kind of provocation worked very well on Mobius.

A chilling laugh and a few words drifted down from above.

"Haven't seen you for a while, and you've grown even more arrogant, Little White."

She emphasized her tone:

"So, may I ask, what brings you here, Herrscher?"

Raiden Mei looked towards the direction of the sound.

The young beauty was sitting on a suitcase-like object. Her figure Snake Molt, but the well-designed dress still accentuated her slender and graceful figure.

From a bottom-up angle, one can clearly see the small, bare feet that are usually hidden under the floor-length dress. The fair skin is as white as fresh snow, and the black nail polish stands out in contrast.

The girl, with her firm sexual orientation, had no interest in this. Instead, she focused her attention on the girl's cold, indifferent snake-like eyes and the dangerous smile on the man's lips, trying to figure out how to properly begin her attempt to extract information.

Appropriate provocation is a necessary means to get the other party to appear, but if it goes too far, it will turn into a meaningless fight and make normal communication impossible.

However, directly revealing one's purpose can easily put oneself in a passive position.

After all, handing over the reins to a dangerous person like Flame-Chasers is far too risky.

Mobius sensed the familiar aura emanating from the girl, the coldness in his eyes concealed beneath a warmer exterior. Even the childlike voice that escaped her lips was deliberately adjusted to sound harmless and innocent as she spoke in a gentle tone:

"Hmm, the [Infinity] Imprint, you got it again?"

"I know it's just as tempting and addictive as I am, but Herrscher, don't you think a good horse shouldn't go back to eat the grass it already grazed?"

"Of course, if you really change your mind, I can overlook all the unpleasant things we had before. After all, it means you're willing to give your body to me, hehehe."

"If we are one, then naturally there will be no more enmity, right?"

These words are clearly veiled sarcasm. No human being with normal logical thinking would choose to hand over their body to another and allow an outsider to inhabit and replace them, especially since the relationship between the two is quite hostile.

Even Mobius himself only made those remarks to mock the other party.

As for beating someone up to vent your anger?

The girl, being a pure scientist, didn't have much of a competitive nature. Even Chrono-Chaos, due to the shift in the world line, lost the rope that could hold her back from her pain.

In the civilization that Su Qing'an experienced, the tragedy caused by the Thousand Herrscher did not spread as far as in the original timeline.

Although the original Klein still died due to the Finality, the numerous changes in details make the Klein in the Sea of Quanta different from the Armed Puppet given this name in other timelines; in a deeper sense, she is the original Klein.

Therefore, even for a beast as unbridled as Chrono-Chaos Calamity, it wouldn't be an easy task to truly provoke the current Mobius with pure language.

Moreover, Raiden Mei's rhetoric is still limited to her past character and manners, far from the kind of manipulation that truly pierces the heart.

So Mobius just wanted to make a few sarcastic remarks to drive the other party out of his territory.

This is ultimately a corridor of memories, and as the provider of the memory entity and even the technology for the Sea of Quanta, she naturally has many licensing rights.

Even with that person's protection, Raiden Mei cannot freely re-enter this place unless she is willing.

This time, they used the [Infinite] imprint to sneak in unsuspecting, but next time...

She was certain the other party would never even touch the edge of this area again.

But at this moment, Raiden Mei curled her lips and uttered words that were completely unexpected:

"OK."

"If you can help me escape this Sea of Quanta, I can give you this opportunity once."

Upon hearing this, Mobius, with his sinister, serpentine eyes, observed the other's seemingly familiar face with great interest, and chuckled mockingly:

"I see. So that's why the Little White, which miraculously survived, willingly hopped into the snake's mouth. It turns out it encountered problems in the outside world, right?"

"How pitiful, Herrscher sister. You're so helpless and lost that you can only come here begging for my help."

Her tone shifted abruptly, becoming indifferent and sarcastic:

"But... what makes you think I'd help a Herrscher, Little White?"

It's very simple logic.

If Mobius truly still desires to seize the other's body, he should simply try again. If he wins, there's nothing more to say; even if he fails, the other party will still need his help, and it won't be too late to negotiate then. Considering their previous exchanges and experiences, there's really little possibility of them sitting down and having a proper talk.

Raiden Mei said calmly:

"Because you can't get out."

"Mobius, even though you were one of the top scientists of the last era and the provider of the technology for this facility, you still cannot break free from the shackles originating from outside the Sea of Quanta after you have taken over my body."

She glanced at the etched pattern on the back of her hand and began to lie with a straight face:

"Besides, since I dared to come here, I naturally have a way to escape. This [Infinity] mark was given to me by Elysia, you should know what that means."

"If the negotiations fail, given the limited bargaining chips you can offer, I won't choose to come back again after I leave. Instead, I'll prepare to put my plan for leaving into practice."

"Therefore, once I succeed, you will have no further chance to obtain this body."

Mobius glanced at the mark on the back of the other's hand, frowned, and remained silent.

Elysia...

It's her again? She's such a persistent nuisance.

As the technology provider for the Elysian Realm, she could naturally understand through her communication with Klein and her own accurate judgment that the reason why Raiden Mei couldn't leave now was indeed unrelated to the facilities inside Sea of Quanta.

Since everything is normal and there are no unusual disturbances internally, the problem must be due to something unusual externally.

The opponent can be considered a Herrscher who can fight him. The innate advantage of his powers and the way his core draws Honkai Energy from the Imaginary Space lead to a very clear problem: even Mobius himself cannot compare to the opponent in terms of pure destructive power.

Even if one were to actually obtain this body, reconnecting the Herrscher Core and consciousness is a very mysterious and unpredictable process.

Su Qing'an's existence proves that the soul is not ethereal. Mobius himself has also delved into this field to study Fuxi and the other party. Even though he couldn't understand many things due to the passage of time, he has his own opinions.

This actually had a great impact on her subsequent research field, because it meant that the immortality granted by the Snake Molt was only freedom in the sense of the physical body, while basically ignoring the spirit, self, and even the soul, elements that are difficult to control.

Such immortality has a fatal flaw.

Even aside from Su Qing'an and Fuxi, there seems to be few abilities that can accurately address this flaw. Even the power of consciousness or other types of spiritual Fusion Warrior can find ways to ignore it. However, for Mobius, who strives for perfection in this area, imperfection means failure.

Therefore, she conducted in-depth research later, but due to time constraints, the results were meager.

This detail, which does not exist in the original timeline, means that, theoretically, the current Mobius, as a memory of the Sea of Quanta, is no longer qualified to identify himself as the real Mobius.

Because the existence of the soul has been proven.

Yet this mad genius scientist still employed almost the same tactics and obsessions as in his previous battle with Raiden Mei for control of the body.

Even after proving the existence of the soul, Mobius remained convinced that he was the real Mobius, and this conviction remained unwavering.

The cycles and paradoxes of philosophy never end, just like Seele and the Herrscher of Death in the past. They both carried the same data, but had different outer shells on their disks.

But does this necessarily mean they are two different kinds of items?

Or conversely, can disks with identical casings but containing completely different data still be considered the same thing?

Looking at Raiden Mei now and Kevin's views on this, we can draw a conclusion that is of some significance.

Therefore, Mobius did not change his behavioral logic due to the change in his understanding.

On the contrary, the existence of the soul proves the reality of the power link associated with it.

This means that Raiden Mei's body has been plundered. In essence, it is nothing more than erasing her consciousness and personality, so that a personality named Mobius is hidden in the shell of her soul. This replacement will not cause any change in the link of powers.

A perfect inheritance.

The reason Mobius would use the phrase "integrated whole" rather than "purely seizing the body" is precisely this.

She knew very well that a pure memory could not support the link between power and authority, and could not even easily control the other person's body after the transfer. However, simply erasing Raiden Mei's personality and becoming a brand new personality herself was a different matter.

Even if seizing the body does not affect the use and operation of powers, based on past battles with Raiden Mei herself, it is indeed not possible to break the shackles that the other party cannot break through through pure force.

If he cannot leave this place immediately, the other memories will likely be extremely dissatisfied with his actions. It is not impossible that they will collectively use the mechanisms within the Elysian Realm to switch the two back, causing him to fail at the last minute.

Therefore... there is indeed room for negotiation.

Well, that's what they say, but it's impossible for me to agree immediately; I'll still have to be stubborn.

Mobius smiled, remaining outwardly unmoved:

"Perhaps, but I'm not that interested in you anymore, Herrscher sister."

She lowered her eyelashes, her rosy lips curving into a seductive smile, a hint of malice lurking on her innocent face, and said:

"Or are you so confident in your body that you're eager to be my guinea pig?"

Raiden Mei silently opened the gap in the corridor of memories. The [Infinity] mark did not grant her permission to enter and exit at will, but this was on the premise that Mobius deliberately chose to block it.

While negotiations were still ongoing, the girl's decision to run away completely surprised the other party.

Therefore, this dark crack was easily torn out, which strangely proved that her previous statement that she could run away at any time was becoming more and more true.

The girl glanced at Mobius indifferently, then walked out without saying goodbye.

Trying to get entangled or engage in a tug-of-war with someone like Mobius is far too troublesome. It's better to simply use the tactic of playing hard to get, and then leave without any hesitation. This way, the conversation can skip over many pointless and meaningless topics.

Time is unimportant to all memories existing in the past, but for her it's a completely different matter.

"Come find me when you've made up your mind, Mobius."

"Of course, I'm pressed for time. I might not be able to wait for you to come and help me; I'll go find [[Ashes]] directly."

Before she could finish speaking, Raiden Mei had already stepped into the crevice to avoid being exposed. Following the trajectory of the memory corridor, she seemed to be teleported back to her original body in the Golden Courtyard, leaving only Mobius, who felt as if all his energy had been wasted, stunned for a moment, silently gritting his teeth.

In the midst of her emotional turmoil, it took the girl a few seconds to realize the words the other person had uttered.

[[Ashes]]?

Raiden Mei wants to leave this Sea of Quanta through [[Ashes]]?

Her expression was enigmatic, revealing a faint, mocking smile:

"How ridiculous. He's just a Herrscher, yet he wants to pry into his affairs?"

"And even if he ascended to godhood during his lifetime, all that remains here is a skeleton left behind from before that time. What good is that to you?"

For all Flame-Chasers, leaving behind memories is to complete the plan for the Sea of Quanta.

But [[Ashes]] are different.

That person burned everything in the end, and the only remaining Black Abyss had to be thrown into a new battlefield in the escalating war that followed, no longer serving as the other party's legacy.

After Hua completely forgot about him, there were very few people in this world who could remember him.

The reason Mei and Mobius incorporated each other's remaining memories into the plan for the Sea of Quanta was not because they hoped he could provide much help to future generations.

In fact, this memory itself was not given any task or mission.

His existence serves as Su Qing'an's final tombstone.

A tombstone that can ignore the passage of time, remaining intact even as the successors of the next civilization knock on the door of time.

The reason why [[Ashes]] are called [[Ashes]] is...

The reason is the same.

Su Qing'an left nothing behind; her bones and soul both vanished into nothingness.

It couldn't even appear in the memory of the most important person, not even a trace of its outline.

Only this memory, numbered zero, can remember the departed original body, silently inheriting its own past, freezing all time, as if everything is still in the spring when birds are flying and grass is growing.

Both Mobius and Mei were clearly rational people, yet at that time they did something so meaningless, yet subtly romantic.

However, after Hua Du, who was a memory entity, forgot [[Ashes]], even they were unsure whether this was a good thing.

Even though the future has ceased to preserve the memories of this place, the incompleteness of Hua's memories forces [[Ashes]] to confront the scars originating from the future.

These two people never met here in the thousands of years, like a broken fairy tale shattered in two collections of stories, which can never be pieced together into a complete picture.

[[Ashes]] remembered everything about that version of herself, but in doing so, she also bore the bitterness and sorrow that she shouldn't have had to bear.

Mobius knew he would never see the other person.

However... Raiden Mei, who could be accurately identified as possessing the same soul as Mei, might not be unable to see him after obtaining the [[Floating Life]] mark, given that she is the successor of this era.

After all, Hua still exists in the outside world, continuing its own mission.

In theory, Raiden Mei, the only one who could grasp this information, did indeed possess a bargaining chip that [[Ashes]] could hardly resist.

This means, even if it's indirect.

She has a chance to contact him again...

Mobius didn't have much interest in creating a human from the [[Ashes]] memory in the way he used to, as he had in the past when it took over the other person's body. After all, unlike before when she had a physical body, she and he no longer had the conditions to carry out the kind of experiment they used to have.

However, for some reason, the previous Mobius, despite being very curious about the many mysteries surrounding Su Qing'an, still failed to extract any memories from that memory.

This is why she still retains an interest in it, even though she now sees herself as the real Mobius.

For example, the real challenges Yang Sheng faced during his ascension to godhood.

For example, what exactly was the correct genome sequence identified using the power of selection at that time?

For example, was the real reason that led to the other party's dimensional advancement the experiment you organized?

For example... why did that person, having attained true immortality, still choose to plunge headlong into the path of shedding everything, as if having no attachment to so-called immortality whatsoever, a resolute and unbelievable decision?

Even if these are futures that this memory entity cannot theoretically know, it is normal for [[Ashes]], as the memory entity of the other party, to undergo mutation since Hua Neng inexplicably lost all his memories about Su Qing'an.

Moreover, regarding the last question, the answer can still be obtained even if the other party has not personally experienced it.

If it were Mobius, it would be clear that the person had no intention of living.

However, the version of myself at that time had no interest in understanding this.

As for why this is happening now...

Even if she didn't want to admit it deep down, she was probably still somewhat influenced by Mobius's strange attitude and feelings, who left behind a video of him before his death.

Raiden Mei took a deep breath, gazing at the nearby facilities with an indescribable expression.

This Herrscher's body was an extremely tempting bargaining chip for Mobius.

Or, based on past understanding, the other party, in order to regain their temper, would inevitably leap out of their own territory and come to stand before them.

At that point, it's okay to be patient and argue with the other party about useless things for a while, because the initiative will completely shift.

Raiden Mei also considered the possibility that the other party might not come.

If Mobius hadn't found himself within three days, it would only mean that continuing communication at that point would have been a waste of time.

Therefore, there is no room for regret and no need for regret.

The girl could also understand that searching for traces of [[Ashes]] was more like a routine task, doing one of the few things she could actually do with effort.

It was as if it were locked in a secret room, in a blank space where nothing else existed but a fragmented puzzle piece.

Even if I don't understand whether bringing things to a perfect state will bring about a turning point, this is my only choice.

She walked to the empty corridor, gazing at the virtual blue sky. Alone, a sense of loneliness welled up deep within her, and she whispered:

"Kiana..."

It turns out that even though it hadn't been a year since they last met, the time had already felt long and unbearable.

Raiden Mei believed that she would definitely overcome the difficulties ahead and still did not fall in the fight against the Honkai. However, she couldn't help but worry about whether the other person would become scarred and continue to bravely shoulder all the burdens.

She took a few breaths to enter a state of tranquil sword mind, casting aside these useless distractions.

I need to conserve my energy and recharge within the three-day timeframe I've set for myself.

Raiden Mei has decided that, regardless of whether she can obtain information about [[Ashes]] from the last Flame-Chasers, she will attempt to enter the memory corridor that the other party has separated three days later using the [[Floating Life]] imprint, to meet that elusive being.

Regardless of the hardships and suffering that person may have endured, the girl who transformed herself into a spirit for her beloved will resolutely forge ahead through all the flames and frost to reach the distant land of the underworld.

With that thought in mind, she walked forward, but before she reached the end, she saw a familiar figure that surprised her.

--Mobius.