Chapter 160: Double Team, Kneeling on Keyboard

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"All right, focus now. Feel the power within the engraving."

Noticing Raiden Mei's slight relaxation, Ana promptly called out. Within the game, absorbing the engravings appeared to be a straightforward process for Raiden Mei.

In reality, it was far from easy. The power within these engravings resembled Divine Sounds, essentially guiding or even commanding the visitor's consciousness. This ability relied on both Aponia's and the Primogenitor's strength.

However, incorporating such external forces inevitably led to mental and physical rejection. Consequently, many World Serpent officers could not withstand the excessive power of multiple engravings.

To date, only Ana herself had truly accepted the thirteen Heroic Spirits' engravings. It is widely known that Ana possesses an extraordinary level of mental fortitude.

"Ephemera's engraving is balanced and harmonious, making it relatively easy for you to accept. However, Shunra's engraving is not as simple; the path of Shunra inherently demands perfection."

"Of course, with your Herrscher-level reflexes, theoretically, this power should not overwhelm you."

"Hmm," Raiden Mei acknowledged, smoothly absorbing the engraving. But when she attempted to utilize its power, there was a momentary chaos, eliciting a stifled groan from her.

"Right, take it easy. No need to worry or rush mastering this power," Ana gently advised from the side, providing careful guidance.

"My apologies, Ana-sensei." Raiden Mei took a deep breath and offered her sincere apology. Honestly, she had indeed grown anxious. With Ana's constant reminders, Kiana was always on her mind.

This situation differed from her time with the World Serpent. Back then, even when not by Kiana's side, Mei could stay informed about her condition through the organization's intelligence network.

But within the Garden of Eden, she felt isolated from the outside world. She knew that Kiana was waiting for her, yet she couldn't help but fret: What if something happened to Kiana while she remained here?

"Stay calm and focused; matters beyond the Garden can wait," Ana reassured her, naturally understanding Raiden Mei's concerns. After all, given the circumstances, they were quite predictable.

"The one you love isn't so fragile as to be unable to wait for you. Trusting her resilience will allow you to concentrate on your present tasks and find the answers you seek. That is the greatest help you can offer both her and yourself."

"Yes, I understand."

Raiden Mei nodded, sat cross-legged, closed her eyes, and entered a meditative state.

Seeing Raiden Mei reach this point reassured Ana. Now, all they needed to do was wait for the Elysian Realm itself to eject her back to reality.

No, let's not leave it to chance; I'll kick her out myself.

Going AFK within the Elysian Realm might be inconsequential in a game, but in real life, better safe than sorry.

This place is far from stable, with various regions constantly at risk of collapse—especially in the Forgotten City, where she had recently clashed with Kalpas.

Although Klein performed his duties diligently, once vulnerabilities emerge, they become difficult to patch entirely. What happens next relies heavily on luck, and bad fortune could lead to unfavorable outcomes for Raiden Mei.

Considering Raiden Mei's mental well-being, Ana decided to transport her back to the Boule Chamber. Since Raiden Mei hadn't reached her limit, it required minimal effort.

However, after sending Raiden Mei away, Ana didn't immediately depart herself. Instead, she chose to sit atop a building in the Forgotten City, quietly taking in the sights of this city preserved only in memories.

"Finished?"

A cool voice suddenly whispered near Ana's ear, causing her to shiver involuntarily.

She noticed Sakura standing beside her, having appeared unnoticed at some point.

"Ah, yes."

Ana placed a hand on her chest and nodded, realizing she had overlooked this possibility. In truth, several individuals within the Elysian Realm could effortlessly approach her unawares.

If there were indeed a hierarchy here, she undoubtedly occupied the lowest rung.

Ana was neither a Heroic Spirit nor a consciousness, although she possessed a single ability capable of overturning everything, which clearly couldn't be used casually.

However, fortunately, she maintained good relationships with the Heroic Spirits. Even Kalpas, known for his fiery temper, occasionally sought her out for conversations, allowing her to discover a completely different side of him.

It's hard to describe, but despite knowing certain aspects from her previous life, witnessing Kalpas clumsily carving wooden dolls firsthand was truly astonishing, evoking a sense of tenderness beneath his tough exterior.

In fact, Kalpas even gifted her one of these carvings—an intricately crafted miniature replica of himself.

Of course, within this Elysian Realm, gift-giving holds little practical significance since items can be effortlessly replicated. Thus, one might argue that Pardo's quest for goods and restocking has no real purpose.

However, it aligns with Pardo's personal lifestyle and interests, giving her actions genuine meaning.

As for Sakura, aside from their initial conversation, Ana had limited interactions with her. Even that first exchange was largely attributed to her True Self; Ana herself merely passively received those memories.

In other words, for Ana, these moments could be considered rare instances of solitude with Sakura.

This made Ana slightly uneasy, as Sakura was her mentor, and... well, coughing awkwardly, she had read numerous romance novels involving master-disciple relationships. To put it mildly, Sakura strikingly resembled the masters depicted in those stories.

Cool yet warm-hearted, seemingly indifferent but with understandable reasons for her vulnerability - decisive and intuitive, she embodied the unattainable highland flower archetype, difficult to win over, but once conquered...

Well, unlike those fictional masters, at her core, Sakura still carried the essence of a traditional island nation miko. In this aspect, Yae Sakura shared many similarities with her.

The difference lay in their eras; Yae Sakura represented the old-time miko, while Sakura had more of a cyberpunk miko vibe, shaped by the times they lived in.

"Speaking of which, how have you improved your fencing skills so much? I recall that during this period, you've only been spending time with Ellie. Her power shouldn't directly influence such development, right?"

"Perhaps it's due to my mindset?" Ana chuckled softly, though it was closer to a wry smile.

She wasn't well-versed in these matters, nor did she have any prior foundation in fencing. However, whenever she thought about using her swordsmanship to protect her loved ones, to safeguard something precious, she felt a surge of motivation and strength within herself.

In reality, outside the Garden of Eden, such abilities would not manifest with such potency. However, this is the Elysian Realm, a realm of memories, leading to unexpected outcomes even for Sakura herself.

"State of mind?" Sakura murmured softly, and Rin's image immediately surfaced in her thoughts. In a momentary daze, she could almost see Rin's radiant smile, causing the corners of her own lips to involuntarily curve upwards, forming a faint grin.

"Sis, if...if someday I'm no longer around, you must take care of yourself."

"Don't say that, Rin! Trust me, Sis will always protect you!"

"I do trust you, Sis. But eventually, you'll have your own life, someone you truly love..."

Sakura's eyes glistened as she reminisced about their shared past with Rin. Despite being young, Rin was wise beyond her years, often considering things further ahead than even her elder sister. Unfortunately...

Yet, recalling what Ana had once told her, Sakura found some solace.

While this outcome may not be entirely satisfying, at least Hiru found an Eldest Sister worth following—a choice driven by her own will.

In the stigma space created by Project Stigma, she...should find happiness, one would hope!

Considering these thoughts, Sakura felt a slight easing of her emotional burden. Over the past fifty thousand years, her unwavering fixation had indeed been excessive. Due to this obsession, even her companions hesitated to discuss Higokumaru's fate with her, despite Sakura already being aware of it.

For Sakura, resolving such deep-seated emotions through brief conversations was challenging. Unless she chose memory deletion like Hua or could continue having open-hearted chats with Ana as now, progress might be slow.

Since Ana wasn't one of the Heroic Spirits—an outsider—Sakura could confide in her freely. There is a distinct difference between family and friends.

Among the Heroic Spirits, they transcended friendship; they were true family. This intense closeness, while heartfelt, can hinder emotional expression effectively.

Moreover, Sakura's life has been incredibly monotonous. Despite being a girl, she never experienced what most girls her age go through. She participated the least in social events organized by Fire Moth.

In fact, it would be more accurate to view her not as a typical young girl but rather as a dedicated warrior, working tirelessly under a 996 schedule—constantly engaged in battles or spending time with Rin at home.

It seems as though she prematurely transitioned beyond her age, becoming Rin's de facto mother.

Now, for Sakura, it might be time to let everything go. However, as a memory fragment within the Elysian Realm, all her actions must align with the original memories' logic unless—

Yes, unless someone comes along to write new memories.

In other words, Ana's arrival introduces fresh possibilities into this Elysian Realm. Her rich and diverse memories do not overlap with those of the Heroic Spirits. When these two sets of experiences collide, they can give birth to entirely new narratives.

As for Ellie being drawn to Ana, in a certain sense, it was almost inevitable.

And everything unfolding now is also an inevitable consequence.

Of course, neither Sakura nor Ana fully comprehends these dynamics. Perhaps only Aponia, capable of glimpsing fate and being an embodiment of the Elysian Realm herself, can discern such intricacies. Yet, she often prefers to let nature take its course—even if it means this fire might eventually consume her too.

"I think I understand now," Sakura said softly as she opened her eyes. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it; I didn't really do much," Ana replied, scratching her head with slight embarrassment. In her view, she hadn't contributed anything significant—she barely even spoke—and yet, Sakura's gratitude made her feel somewhat awkward.

"Would you be willing to help me experience other emotions and perspectives?"

"Hold on, Sakura, don't make it sound so formal. We're friends, and friends should always support each other! Besides, you've been guiding me with fencing techniques."

"Your guidance in fencing would likely benefit my True Self immensely!"

Of course, this was merely Ana's speculation. After all, she was just an ordinary memory fragment; how could she possibly know the true circumstances of her original self?

"Well then, if you insist, I won't hold back."

"Mm-hmm, no need to be formal with me. After all, earlier I..."

Before Ana could finish her light-hearted remark, a sudden force pushed against her unprepared body, causing her to stumble backward onto the flat surface of the skydeck. Thankfully, there was no harm done, but...

"Sakura, what are you...?"

As she gazed at the girl now mere inches away, Ana felt a sense of foreboding rise within her. This situation looked like it might lead to... No! Absolutely not! Her heart belonged to Ellie alone, so...

"I'm sorry; this is my first time as well," Sakura apologized, though her tone sounded more akin to expressing gratitude before a meal—at least, that's how Ana perceived it.

"Hey, hey, hey, Sakura, won't Ellie get upset if you do this?"

"Don't worry, I won't be angry—it was my idea in the first place."

Elysia's voice chimed in at the perfect moment beside Ana. That's right; within the Elysian Realm, whenever Elysia wished, she could instantly appear by her side.

"Wait, you... But seriously, who jumps straight to this kind of mood adjustment?"

For some inexplicable reason, an unprecedented surge of strength suddenly coursed through Ana's body, emboldening her, and then...

***

Back in the Elysian Realm.

Ana found herself once again sitting on the skydeck, gazing at the moonlit night. In one corner, Elysia and Sakura were kneeling, well, more accurately, kneeling on keyboard mats.

"Elysia, dear sweet Elysia, what can I even say?" Ana shook her head, exuding a sense of helplessness.

Elysia hung her head, looking utterly pitiful.

"I'm sorry, darling, please forgive me, okay?"

As for Sakura, her expression was difficult to describe. Well, kneeling on keyboard keys was certainly a novel experience for her; she had never tried it before. The sensation... surprisingly wasn't bad.

Ana let out a long sigh.

What could she do about this situation? She understood Ellie's intentions, but... Why would anyone consider giving away their dear friend? Moreover, Sakura seemed completely oblivious—it was such a misguided idea!