Who Stopped the Stigmata Project? / The Stigmata Project

"You seem to have a good relationship. You're often seen together," Mei said.

In her eyes, this was the understanding between a guardian and the one under their care. Griseo was a child who needed protection.

But then Griseo said something astonishing.

"Mm, Cosmo especially likes girls under ten."

Griseo spoke earnestly, without a trace of impurity in her clear eyes.

She was telling the truth!

Mei had almost no doubt about it, because Griseo was not the kind of girl who lied. She then turned her gaze toward Cosmo, her eyes filled with scrutiny.

"Sorry, I said it wrong."

Seeing that the atmosphere was becoming increasingly strange, Griseo hurriedly corrected herself and defended her companion.

"It's girls under twelve."

Kiana: "Open up, Cosmo! St. Freya is here to investigate gambling and drugs!"

Raiden Mei: "That's criminal, Cosmo. You're a real talent too dangerous to imprison. Your days are getting more and more sentence-worthy."

Himeko Murata: "Cosmo, confession earns leniency, resistance brings severity. If you confess honestly now, there's still room to turn back. Otherwise, you'll only be able to explain yourself to the police."

Everyone had thought they had misunderstood Cosmo before, but now it turned out he had been hiding such an unknown secret.

Under twelve? That was way too criminal!

At that age range, he was practically the Dragon King's cellmate of the new era, a professional who refined bronze into pure copper.

Too criminal to imprison!

Who Stopped the Stigmata Project?

Cosmo: "...I think there may be some misunderstanding."

Kiana: "Misunderstanding? Once is a misunderstanding, but can it still be one twice? Take him away and drag him out for a dog execution!"

Himeko Murata: "Girls under twelve... wouldn't that mean someone like Theresa? That sounds a little dangerous."

Theresa: "Y-You're the one under twelve! This principal is clearly a mature adult! It should be someone like Bronya instead."

Bronya: "Sorry, Principal. Bronya is merely developing a little slowly. There is still room for growth in the future, and Bronya's mental age surpassed that long ago. Someone like you fits the setting of under twelve better."

Cosmo: "Pardo... aren't you going to say something for me?"

Pardofelis: "Amo, we want to help you too, but the evidence is conclusive right now. Ahem, I mean, I definitely believe you."

Elysia: "Oh my, no wonder Cosmo used to enjoy playing with children. So there was this kind of reason behind it?"

Eden: "Elysia, don't make it worse."

At this rate, Cosmo would sooner or later have to take a rocket off Earth overnight.

The more he explained now, the more suspicious he looked. They could only hope Griseo would explain things for him in the footage.

In the footage, the atmosphere fell into an abnormal silence after Griseo revealed that Cosmo did not only like ten-year-old girls, but even girls under twelve.

After thinking it over, Cosmo felt that he still needed to explain himself.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not just girls."

"?!!"

Raiden Mei was utterly dumbfounded after hearing that.

Damn, that was even more criminal!

"Ahem, I mean, I just like playing with children," Cosmo explained again.

Raiden Mei waved her hand. "You... should stop explaining. I understand what you mean. But if you keep talking, even I might misunderstand."

Fortunately, only Raiden Mei was here, and not a certain Fire Moth leader currently working as a school security guard.

Otherwise, Cosmo would at least have to go in for a cup of tea.

"Still, I really couldn't tell. With your personality, you actually took the initiative to spend time with children."

"..." Cosmo fell silent for a moment. "Griseo, I want to discuss something with this lady. Can you stay by yourself for a while?"

"Okay."

Griseo left the room. Cosmo turned his gaze back to Mei and slowly said, "Griseo's father was my senior and my comrade. Before he died, his final request was for me to take good care of Griseo."

"So that's how it is. No wonder you indulge her so much."

Mei nodded. In any case, someone who liked children could not be a bad person.

"In the past, he once told me that every child born represented that the world had not completely given up on humanity. I deeply agreed with him."

As long as Cosmo watched children playing from afar and saw their most innocent smiles, he could strengthen his faith in the future within his heart.

That was what dawn meant.

"How rare. You seem to be talking more," Mei remarked.

"It is my duty."

After nodding, Cosmo returned to his silent-boy state and left the room to find Griseo.

Theresa: "So that was the kind of liking he meant. Looks like we misunderstood Cosmo again. But why didn't you explain more just now?"

Cosmo: "...There was no need."

Raiden Mei: "With that way of speaking, it's hard not to misunderstand!"

Pardofelis: "Sister Mei, Amo is just like that. You'll get used to it eventually."

Kiana: "Cosmo and Griseo should be together, right? The two of them are inseparable. Since Cosmo has appeared now, where's Griseo?"

Himeko, whose mind was full of inappropriate thoughts, could no longer contain her excitement. She wanted to hurry up and see that little loli... Ahem, the legendary Flame-Chaser.

Elysia: "You mean little Griseo? She went to carry out the Ark Project. No one knows how she is now."

Pardofelis: "Yeah, little Griseo was the only one carrying out the Ark Project. Without Amo by her side, she must be terribly lonely in that endless starry sky."

Himeko Murata: "The Ark Project? What is that?"

Eden: "If civilization is destroyed, one Flame-Chaser will board the Ark alone and head into the endless starry sky in search of a new home."

Bronya: "It sounds very dangerous."

Elysia: "All right, let's not talk about the Ark Project anymore. Cosmo was originally supposed to carry it out. But he chose to stay and let Griseo carry out the Ark Project instead. He's the one most worried about Griseo."

Cosmo: "...I believe in Griseo."

Pardofelis: "Exactly. Even dead people like us can come back, let alone Griseo. Believe me, Amo. We'll definitely be reunited someday."

The kitty was always more optimistic than anyone else and never fell into sorrow because of the hardships before her.

The quiz began.

After Mei died, Kevin Kaslana, the first of the Flame-Chasers, fell into madness and carried out the Stigmata Project at all costs. Who stopped him?

[A: Su.]

[B: Hua.]

[C: Honkai God.]

[D: Pardofelis.]

Elysia: "Did Kevin start going mad after Mei died? It seems this truly hit him hard."

Eden: "What Kevin carries on his shoulders—the regrets of the Previous Era and his obsession with defeating Honkai—is far heavier than what we bear."

Himeko Murata: "But no matter what, the Stigmata Project is far too inhumane. We would never agree with his ideas."

Kiana: "Absolutely not!"

Hua: "That was precisely why I wanted to stop Kevin. Mei's death hit him hard, and there was also the oath he made upon the Scorched Earth. It isn't difficult to imagine that Kevin had fallen somewhat into madness."

Not to mention Kevin—even she, the Immortal Crimson Bird, had been bound by Divine Tone as she fought against Honkai. Had she not made mistakes as well?

The torment of Fifty Thousand Years, along with the bloody lessons of the Previous Era, had proven the price that had to be paid to fight Honkai.

And when that price, which should have been borne by an entire era of people, became a responsibility pressed entirely onto one person, it would become an unbearable despair.

Bronya: "Class Monitor, do you mean that you were the one who stopped Kevin?"

Hua: "No. I remember that I was still in contact with Kevin and the others many years ago, but one day, he seemed to vanish. He was probably trapped in the Sea of Quanta at that time."

Theresa: "But Kevin is so strong. Who could defeat him and seal him in the Sea of Quanta?"

Among the four answers were Honkai God, Hua, Pardofelis, and Su, a Flame-Chaser Elysia and the others had mentioned.

With the wit of the great principal, Theresa almost wanted to choose Honkai God.

Of the four answers, three were their own people. Honkai God had the strongest motive to kill him.

From Honkai's perspective, a major threat like Kevin had to be eliminated immediately.

The Stigmata Project

Bronya: "Analyzing it from that angle, it really could have been Honkai. Bronya thinks it is the most suspicious."

Hua: "It could also have been Su. He would not have allowed Kevin to carry out the Stigmata Project, so they may have fought."

Elysia: "But the problem is that Su can't beat Kevin. Don't forget, Kevin earned his place as the first Flame-Chaser through sheer strength. Even I'm no match for Kevin."

Hua: "This..."

The other Flame-Chasers all knew exactly how strong Kevin Kaslana was.

So far, aside from Elysia, no one had truly been able to fight Kevin.

Forget Su alone—even with Hua and Pardofelis added in, they might not be able to withstand a single exchange from Kevin.

Pardofelis: "Wait, I understand the logic, but why is my name in there?"

Pardo stared carefully at the four options, her head buzzing.

The others were either Kevin's good brother Su, Hua who had protected Shenzhou for five thousand years, or something even more absurd: the Honkai Will that existed only in theory.

Why was her name mixed in among those three big shots?

She was just a little nobody. She could not participate in such a high-level match at all!

Elysia: "Maybe Pardo is very strong, and the system thinks you're a powerhouse capable of defeating Kevin. Perhaps you were just acting for the other twelve Flame-Chasers all along."

Pardofelis: "Sister Elysia, stop making fun of me."

One minute remained before the answering period ended. After one minute, the lucky audience member would be selected.

Raiden Mei: "Hey, hey, hey! Does anyone know the answer? Hurry up and guess! Get this jinx out of here already."

Bronya: "It seems that after the previous incident of making inedible food, Sister Mei still has some psychological trauma regarding the system's punishments."

Hua: "But even if you say that, we don't have enough clues to determine which one to choose."

Theresa: "How about listening to me and choosing Honkai God?"

Pardofelis: "That doesn't feel very reliable."

If Honkai had done it, if Honkai God could truly act, there should at least have been an earth-shattering battle that left Boss Kevin missing an arm or something.

But apparently, there had not been. When Kevin left the Sea of Quanta, all his parts were still intact, and he even took down the new Herrscher of Reason along the way.

Time was up. Congratulations to Pardofelis for becoming the lucky audience member.

Pardofelis: "Wait, why me? Why me?! Sister Elysia, save me! Sister Elysia, save me! Canned Food, Canned Food, help me!"

Canned Food: "Meow~"

Elysia: "Pardofelis really is a lucky kitty. Even this fell onto your head."

Theresa: "Her luck really isn't very good."

Pardofelis: "Hehe, well... everyone has days when they trip while walking and choke on water. Anyway, Sister Elysia, you have to save me!"

It seemed her luck had run dry lately. Pardo swore that if she escaped this disaster, she would turn over a new leaf tomorrow and wash her hands of it all—then have Canned Food restock the day after tomorrow.

Elysia: "Sure. Pardofelis, try doing a somersault. If your tail points up, choose Su. If your tail points down, choose Honkai God."