Kiana was the first to burst out with a cry of alarm: "What!!! Elysia died? What's going on? Why would this happen?"
Next, Theresa shouted loudly: "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible. They are memory bodies. Who could kill her?"
Rita was also shocked and suspicious: "Elysia died? It must be fake, right?"
Li Sushang anxiously said: "How could this be? Such a cute Elysia—how could anyone kill her?"
Durandal said thoughtfully: "Something's off. This matter is extremely wrong. All Thirteen Flame-Chasers like Elysia a lot. It's impossible for them to lay hands on her. But… that scene with SAKURA earlier."
Hearing this, everyone looked at SAKURA. SAKURA hurriedly said: "I don't know! There's no such thing in my script."
Seele timidly yet urgently said: "Did Elysia really die? Could it be a joke she's playing?"
Kiana shook her head: "Impossible. Ellie might play all kinds of jokes, but this is the one joke she absolutely wouldn't."
Then she glared viciously at Hessian: "Dog director, if you stab Elysia, I'll definitely strangle you to death right now!"
With her words.
The others all stared at him too, looking quite ready to attack at any moment.
Hessian deliberately said: "What are you all getting worked up about? Elysia died long ago. This is just a memory body. Don't take it too seriously."
"Holy shit! I can't take it anymore!"
Kalpas jumped over directly from the back row, ready to stab Hessian.
Hessian immediately shouted: "SAKURA! Don't forget your identity!"
SAKURA was helpless but still went up to stop Kalpas. As a bodyguard, she had the absolute strongest strength among everyone.
"SAKURA! Are you really going to help such a despicable person? Elysia is his wife, and he actually stabs his own wife!" Kalpas roared unwillingly.
Kiana chimed in: "Exactly, exactly. With so many of us, one kick each would stomp him to death."
Theresa seriously said: "Ellie, you should divorce him! He doesn't take you seriously at all."
Himeko also rarely spoke seriously: "Director He, this time you've really gone too far."
Li Sushang directly asked: "Could it be just because we didn't bring you to the gathering that you stabbed Elysia?"
Hessian decisively said: "Who said I stabbed Elysia?"
Everyone was stunned.
Kiana asked: "Isn't that the case?"
Hessian said: "Of course not! Elysia is my wife. How could I possibly stab just her."
Durandal felt something off about this sentence: "What do you mean by 'stab just her'?"
Hessian waved his hand: "That's not important. Just keep watching. She'll definitely appear."
Elysia seemed delighted to see this kind of thing and unusually didn't say a single word.
Eden, who knew Elysia well, also chose silence after noticing her expression.
"Fine! Then let's watch first. If Elysia really died, you can die too!"
After Kiana and the others issued their harsh words, they turned back to the TV.
On the TV.
"If one day, as long as you pull the trigger on me like this, you can save the majority… Kevin, what would you do?" Words that Kevin suddenly recalled without reason.
Faced with this situation, what would a sage who penetrates ancient and modern times say?
—one person's fate is his character.
He looked at the few people and said: "…Mm, I understand."
Aponia asked: "Then, do you need me to give you advice?"
Kevin said: "—Continue waiting."
Aponia was not satisfied with this answer: "…Hesitation is not your style. Kevin… even you don't know what to do, do you?"
Kevin said: "It's not that complicated! Aponia, in this situation, I have only one request—the thing Elysia entrusted to you…"
Mei interrupted them: "Before you continue discussing, I have one more question."
"Elysia died—can you explain what that sentence means to me?"
Aponia said: "You'd better not press him, Mei."
"What he's about to say next is—this has nothing to do with you."
Mei said: "…I can guess that, but that doesn't mean asking has no meaning!"
Aponia said: "However, there's no need to be impatient right now. Su… isn't still verifying the truth of the matter?"
Mei glanced at Su and asked doubtfully: "Aponia, what did you say to him earlier? Ever since then, he's been in that state."
Aponia said: "Ah… Before that, I detected some unusual disturbances in the Elysian Realm."
"It was a kind of… emptiness that I couldn't ignore. So, I asked Su to observe on my behalf."
Mei asked: "Can't you do this kind of thing yourself?"
Aponia replied: "Perception is indeed easy for me, but if it's tracing back, the owner of the Second Divine Key is more suitable."
"If I did it personally, the parts involved would be many magnitudes more. It might even… prevent us from talking like this now."
Mei continued asking: "Then… the result?"
Aponia replied: "Elysia… she has completely disappeared from the Elysian Realm."
Mei pressed: "Disappeared… In the past fifty thousand years, has there never been a case of a memory body disappearing here?"
Aponia nodded: "Mm, this is indeed the first time. It's different from annihilation without a trace, and…"
She sighed and said: "For now… let's wait for Su to give the result first."
A moment later.
Su woke up.
Seeing Mei, he said: "You are… the visitor."
Mei asked: "…Did I disturb you?"
Su said: "No, I just encountered some stagnation. Visitor, earlier at Klein's place, did you encounter discarded data in the Elysian Realm?"
Mei said: "Discarded data… indeed. And at that time, thanks to Klein's assistance, I was able to escape from it."
"No problem. Visitor, though it's a bit abrupt… could you lend a hand?"
Su explained: "I'm trying to trace Elysia's location from the vast information flow in the Elysian Realm… but over fifty thousand years, the meaningless data has become too redundant."
"This stagnation might make me miss the chance to detect clues."
Mei understood: "You want me to… destroy that meaningless data?"
Su nodded: "That's right. Since you've had contact with it before and wield the Herrscher's authority… at this moment, there's no one more suitable than you."
Mei asked: "So… even now, you still haven't found any trace of Elysia?"
"…Mm."
"…" Hearing this answer, Mei fell silent.
Su continued: "But what I've seen so far is less than half of the Elysian Realm's data."
Mei asked: "Then… what should I do?"
Su said: "I will continue tracing in the valid areas of the Elysian Realm. This time, you'll travel through the data flow with me. If any discarded data appears, please destroy it before I specifically sense them."
"The total amount of discarded data is limited after all; it's impossible to clear them all— as long as I'm not overly disturbed, that's enough."
"When it ends, we'll safely return here. Do you need any other preparations?"
"No need. Let's set off." Mei now just wanted to quickly learn Elysia's clues.
He followed Su into the special area.
During Su's search, countless Honkai beasts and other monsters formed from discarded data assaulted him.
Mei instantly entered her Herrscher state to battle the monsters.
But there were really too many of these monsters, and they were too powerful. Killing one would result in two, three, or even more appearing.
This left her somewhat overwhelmed.
At that moment, Kevin's voice appeared: "Stand down, Herrscher of Thunder."
Accompanying the voice was an incomparably cold gale. Everywhere it passed, the monsters were all frozen in ice, then the ice shattered, and the monsters were all annihilated.
"You stand down, Herrscher of Thunder."
It was Kevin.
As he took a few steps forward, an even more terrifying cold wind emanated from his body. All the frozen monsters shattered and annihilated under this cold wind.
"…Is it over?"
Kevin asked Mei.
"It wasn't earlier. Now… it is." She looked around and asked: "Why are you here?"
Kevin replied: "Aponia said help was needed here."
"Kevin?"
Su, seeing him, quickly understood the reason: "I see…"
Kevin asked: "Su. How's the result?"
Su said: "I've searched all the data in the Elysian Realm… not only was there no gain, but there's also an issue with SAKURA's data."
"SAKURA?" Mei was startled.
Su said: "Mm, the data constituting her main body has also vanished without a trace at this moment; but some traces she left behind have coincidentally been preserved."
"In other words, she hasn't disappeared as thoroughly as Elysia, but… she's similarly in a state where she can't be found."
Kevin: "…I understand. Let's leave here first."
Returning to the Elysian Realm.
An hour passed just like that.
Disappeared completely, irretrievable—just like those irretrievable causes and effects.
Mei gazed at the few people, puzzled in her heart. Were they… waiting for something?
At a time like this, not only no action, but all staying here.
Until Aponia spoke: "In other words… this matter can already be confirmed."
"Elysia… has indeed… departed."
Wordless sorrow flowed from her words.
Mobius sneered coldly: "Heh. Superfluous effort. What, accepting reality is so hard for you? Back then… why didn't you show this expression?"
Mei remained silent.
It had already been an hour. Were they going to continue this fruitless argument?
The moment this thought arose, Mei turned her gaze to the one person who still had the qualifications.
Besides Elysia herself, only he could make these Flame-Chasers, each doing their own thing, obey—even if only temporarily.
Kevin said: "Alright. This matter, let it be sealed here for now."
Mobius was unceremonious: "Yo… little lackey, you're finally willing to step up…"
"I thought without anyone to follow, you'd become at a loss, pretending to be dead like a mole."
Kevin continued: "…This is a major matter. I'll say it once."
"Before our investigation makes progress, letting everyone know about this will only do harm and no good."
"So—unless I speak first, no sixth person in the Elysian Realm is to learn this news."
? "If anyone refuses to cooperate… I don't mind making him shut up another way."
Mei asked: "But… since all the data has already been searched once, where can the matter progress from?"
Kevin said: "I'm going to confirm the essence of this matter first."
Mei immediately thought: "That typewriter that absolutely wouldn't leave erroneous messages?"
Kevin nodded: "That's right. But before that—"
"Mobius, do you have anything else to say?"
"…"
Mobius was silent for a moment before saying: "Fine, fine, I get it. I'll cooperate with you for now. But how long I cooperate… depends on my mood."
"After all… I have no interest in staying here mourning a traitor with you. You… humans are just like this, resisting the correct path…"
"Until it's too late to turn back, then feeling regret. That's why it seems… utterly boring!"
Mobius left with her head held high, and until her figure disappeared, she didn't look back.
Su spoke: "Kevin…"
Kevin knew what he wanted to say: "She'll keep her mouth shut. Next—Aponia, what about you?"
Aponia said: "Kevin. Since that time, we've already had completely identical special qualities. If I were someone who couldn't keep a secret…"
"It wouldn't be this situation now."
"Moreover, I also need to leave temporarily for a while."
Su asked: "You… are going to investigate this matter in your own way?"
Aponia nodded: "Mm. But it's not that I don't trust you, Su. I just… want to do my best."
Su said: "Understood. I'll try again too."
"Ah… also… Mei, can I ask you one thing?" She smiled and glanced at Su and Kevin: "Mei, can you come a bit closer? Some words… aren't suitable for boys to hear."
"…?"
Mei came closer.
The audience didn't hear the two's private conversation.
A moment later.
Kevin said: "Let's each set off. Remember, don't be negligent."
Mei immediately chased after: "Wait, Kevin. I'll go with you. I also want to go to the typewriter… to confirm some things."
"Unless I see it with my own eyes, I won't easily believe any conclusion."
Kevin didn't refuse: "Come on. Keep up."
The two had just left.
Mobius returned here.
But found Aponia was also there: "Oh? You knew I'd come back?"
Aponia said: "Yes… that's why I stayed here temporarily."
"However, Mobius… you didn't actually leave at all, did you?"
Mobius said: "Hmph… you're still as annoying as ever."
Aponia said: "Is that so? Actually, I thought the same during 3.7… but currently, I'm not important."
"What do you think of this matter now, Mobius?"
Mobius said: "…You mean Kevin? Hmph, among the people still here, who can truly see through him?"
Aponia said: "See through… mm. Perhaps we've always imagined him too complex."
Mobius said: "Ah… that's true. Maybe it's not that complex."
"After all, anyone with eyes can see…"
"This time… he's really anxious."
The TV screen suddenly switched to the moon, that former battle against the Finality.
Fu Hua urgently said: "Stop, Kevin."
"Doing this… is already meaningless. Let's go—don't miss the opportunity. Now is not the time to sink into this."
Kevin said: "I'm not sinking. And everything hasn't ended."
On the gray-white dust, this man stood in the desolate universe, slowly helping up a friend who had already sacrificed himself, letting the other maintain a standing posture.
—this person was none other than Kalpas!
"But he… should die standing."
Those who had witnessed this scene all guessed at what was in his heart.
But they had all imagined this man too complexly.
In front of the TV.
Kalpas fell silent upon seeing this scene.
Just as said on the TV—if he died in battle, he would rather die standing!
This was his dignity, also the ending he was most willing to accept.
Kevin… truly understood him very well.
And on the TV.
The scene also came to Mei's side.
Following Aponia's words, she brought something to Griseo.
But was stopped by Kosma.
"What exactly did Aponia tell you to give to Griseo?"
"If you can't tell the truth, I won't let you contact her either. I warned you—don't trust anyone."