Intertwined Fates

Elysia's footprints stretched across the world. She traveled far and wide, searching for peace within her heart.

In the end, she never truly found it.

However, within her heart, she created everything she believed to be beautiful.

She also built a paradise of her own.

-----

Inside the golden courtyard's main hall

"...So, unknowingly, Ellie had already intertwined her fate with all of ours long ago."

Aponia gazed at the images on the screen, showing the places Elysia had once visited, curiosity flashing in her eyes.

"Wow, sister Ellie! Even when you were so young, you already had connections with us..."

"Though... not in a direct way, ahaha—"

Pardo was surprised to see so many familiar places and people linked to them.

Yet, their connections had begun even earlier than expected.

"Tsk, most of this is just because it contains our memories. That's why it shows events related to us. Otherwise, this wouldn't even be possible."

Mobius scoffed, displeased at how she was portrayed.

Why did she have to be shown together with Blanca?

And why was it exactly at the moment when she was cursing about her lab being a man-eating den?

Still, for Griseo's sake, she let it slide.

"Indeed... Her true experiences cannot be summarized in just a few words."

"In the ocean of memories that make up everyone, including her—this long and eventful journey was never so simple."

Kevin sighed in reflection.

Who would have thought? That long before now, she had already left traces in their lives.

Even if they were only faint marks, people and events that connected them, it was still remarkable in such a vast world.

Perhaps... this was fate.

"I never expected you to have visited an Eastern city, learning martial arts and archery... So, was it because of that experience that you chose archery? I really didn't expect it, you were this close to becoming Elysia's junior disciple!"

The Herrscher of Sentience clicked her tongue in amazement, looking at Hua with a thoughtful eyes

Clearly, she was very invested in this. Becoming Elysia's fellow disciple? That would be a great honor!

"Heh—honestly, I even forgot I'd been there."

Elysia scratched her head. She couldn't even remember all the places she'd been to, let alone whether that dojo was the same one.

"Hmph—so you really visited that village long before? Weren't you afraid of dying?"

Mobius scoffed, though there was a hint of emotion in her voice.

That remote village was so isolated that even Fire Moth only learned about the falling meteorite much later.

She really had a knack for running into danger.

"Performing magic tricks on a sunset-lit street? Hmm... that must have been an impromptu act. I don't really remember."

"What a pity... If only you had stayed a little longer."

Vill-V sighed in regret.

"A masked thief... A robber... Hmm..."

Kosma's eyes darkened slightly. It was after that incident that he truly understood...

Becoming a hero wasn't as easy as he had imagined.

Simply punishing evil and promoting justice wasn't enough.

Even the current Overseer of Schicksal had only realized the truth after experiencing countless hardships.

"I never would have thought that, back then, I had already met so many of you."

Elysia chuckled.

"After all, those were just small, hidden fragments of memory. Without the help of Elysium Realm, even I wouldn't have remembered them."

"But meeting everyone... truly makes me happy!"

She smiled warmly.

---

"...Wait a minute, sister Ellie! If all of these memories are connected to the Flame-Chasers, then what about me?"

Pardo suddenly panicked.

Could that thin girl... be her?

No way, was it referring to the time she tricked sister Elysia into giving her an apple and then boldly declared she'd teach her a lesson?

How reckless!

"So it's not just about offering help, some of these encounters involved deception too, huh? And the trickster was you."

Kevin cold eyes shift to Pardo

While it wasn't explicitly stated, the description matched her too well.

Just look at her guilty expression, it was basically a confession.

"Uh... sister Ellie, I apologize! After taking your apple, I even took your candy too. I'm really sorry!"

"If... If you want, I can give you this tangerine as compensation?"

Pardo hesitantly picked up a tangerine from the table and held it up with both hands.

Now that she thought about it, when Elysia had given her that candy, it had actually made her feel a little guilty...

Even though she later claimed she was just repaying a debt, she absolutely, definitely could not let sister Elysia know that.

She had to insist that Elysia's candy had guided her onto the right path!

Elysia looked at the tangerine, then at the pitiful little Pardo

For a moment, she had the urge to pat her head.

But—oh well.

"I accept this late apology."

She smiled gently, as forgiving as always.

"Ah, thank you, sister Ellie! I promise I won't do it again."

"Back then, sister Ellie was really adorable... not like... me."

Pardo scratched her head, embarrassed.

If that girl really had been her, then "thin" definitely didn't describe her now.

And if it wasn't her, then wouldn't she be apologizing for nothing?

"Haha, but you're adorable too, Pardo. Just... fluffy now"

Elysia patted her head, smiling fondly.

"But still, I never expected someone to mistake me for a killer just because of my pink hair..."

Rin tilted her head, intrigued.

"That must be because I once completed a mission there."

Sakura nodded.

Judging by their fear, those people had clearly done something wrong.

In that case, it was fine—at least she hadn't killed the wrong person.

"Well, pink-haired girls aren't that common. In a panicked state, mistaking me for Sakura wouldn't be impossible~"

That's good, she didn't accidentally kill anyone.

"There's no helping it. A pink-haired girl isn't something you see often, and in such a panic-stricken situation below, mistaking me for you isn't entirely unreasonable, right~?"

"Rather, it's…"

Elysia paused for a moment, then turned to her with a smile in her eyes. "Didn't I mention this before? During one mission, to hide my identity, I had to play the role of a sister once."

"…Back then, you said I had the experience of being an older sister."

Her normally cold and clear voice softened slightly.

"Yes, yes, exactly that time! When you opened your pendant, I accidentally caught a glimpse of it. It had a picture of you and Rin together."

"And… you had such a nice smile in that photo. When will I get to see you smile like that in person?"

"Well, nowadays, I do get to see it quite often~"

She clasped her hands behind her back and tilted her body slightly, memories flashing through her mind.

Now, that smile was a regular sight.

She had already received a satisfying ending.

"…Hm."

Sakura smiled, as if reminiscing about a gentle past. The smile, as fleeting as a morning-blooming flower, appeared for a brief moment before vanishing. "That's good."

"Sister, your smile is really beautiful!"

Rin said sincerely, feeling emotional.

She hadn't paid much attention to her sister's smile before because it wasn't rare for her to see it.

But when she saw her sister's in-game depiction, she realized that the way she interacted with others was noticeably different.

But if she had another sister…

"From now on, can I call Elysia 'big sister' too?"

She asked expectantly.

"Haven't you always called me that before? Or… are you planning to copy Griseo and call me 'little sister Ellie' instead?"

Elysia pouted her cheek, pretending to be mad.

"That's fine too! Even if you call me little sister, I'll accept it!"

Rin's face turned slightly red from the teasing, and she quickly shook her head.

"No, no… that's not necessary. I'll just call you big sister. A new big sister, that's all!"

She said seriously.

-------------

Next, Mei and the Fairy Ellie still had a few memory fragments left to collect.

Among them were memories of Elysia's time spent with her companions.

And it wasn't just her alone in these memories.

In one of the recollections, she walked into the Fire Moth aircraft storage and had a conversation with Ato.

A few years ago, when she arrived at a small town, he had been among the personnel present. Elysia and he had met once back then. Clearly, he was surprised to see the little girl from years ago now all grown up.

Now, as an examiner, he had come to test Elysia's abilities.

Elysia casually brought up Griseo, directly expressing her wish for Griseo to be more like a daughter—she hadn't seen her in a very long time.

After she mentioned this, spotting Mobius from afar, Ato decisively abandoned his mission and went back to spend time with his daughter, taking her for a horseback ride.

He left the responsibility of training the new recruits to Dr. Mobius.

Also, he had to take back what he said before.

Although Mobius didn't seem too concerned about it, her way of speaking was vastly different from the rumored man-eating scientist of legend.

Despite some troubling matters, she would only voice her complaints briefly and frown a little before letting them go.

He, his wife, and Griseo had been through quite a lot together.

Mobius, after muttering a couple of words, unwillingly turned her attention to the new recruit, Elysia.

She had no interest in showing her around, but since she was already here…

With a sigh, she still spoke sternly.

"Listen up, recruit. Here's a piece of advice."

"Don't associate with me. I have no interest in you. And besides, if people see you hanging around me, it will definitely not be good for you. Do you understand?"

She was well aware of her reputation.

Rumors spread freely among the higher-ups of Fire Moth, and she had no intention of addressing them.

But she didn't want to bring trouble to strangers either.

There was no need for words between them.

"Ah… I see! Wow, you're actually a kind person!"

Elysia sighed in admiration.

She hadn't expected the infamous Mobius from the rumors… to actually be so adorable?

And not a bad person at all!

From the first meeting, she had already mentally given Mobius a 'kind person' badge, a judgment that most people would probably disagree with.

"There's something else, you should be careful. Lately, things have been unstable within the organization. It seems like someone suspicious has infiltrated, and even my badge was stolen. I have no idea what they're planning…"

Mobius said irritably, sounding particularly annoyed.

But she still led the way, simply guiding the newcomer.

Because of that, she didn't see the strange look on Elysia's face behind her.

"…Mhm, mhm~!"

Elysia responded twice, following closely behind.

'That infiltration plan… was a complete success~'

---------------

In the Golden Courtyard

"Dad, Mom…"

Adult Griseo took a deep breath.

The painting didn't appear on the screen, but she knew…

That was a real memory.

And it was the real past.

'Horseback riding, huh…?'

A bitter smile appeared on her face.

During the process of galloping on horseback, those warm images had once comforted her for a long time.

And yet, for some reason, seeing how much her parents still cared for her in the eyes of others filled her heart with joy.

"It's… a really nice color, but I don't know how to paint it."

Little Griseo's eyes carried a hint of sadness.

She was supposed to be a blank canvas, yet sorrowful blues and transparent pinks seemed to seep into her heart.

Was it happiness?

She felt proud of her parents.

Griseo thought back to her parents' words, but playing the role of an extra in the game's story wasn't exactly a great experience.

Meanwhile, Mobius clearly remembered that moment.

She had actually warned the very person responsible for stealing her badge to be careful of the thief?!

Just thinking about it made her feel utterly humiliated.

"Elysia… Your act was truly flawless. I didn't recognize you at all."

She muttered darkly.

"Oh, not at all! But Mobius, if this footage had been revealed before the Previous Era ended, maybe your public image would've improved a little~"

"After all… someone who willingly takes on other people's troubles couldn't possibly be the ruthless scientist of legend, right~?"

Elysia chuckled and skillfully shifted the topic back onto Mobius.

Like a perfect counter in a game of Go.

"Huh? Are you saying my reputation is already as bad as Kalpas'?"

Mobius raised an eyebrow.

The provocation immediately struck a nerve.

"Hah, Mobius, who gave you the illusion that your reputation is any better than mine?"

Kalpas scoffed.

The image of a mad scientist was deeply ingrained.

An impulsive warrior could never compare.

Ignoring Kalpas, Mobius gritted her teeth.

"Ugh, whatever. Whether the thief is caught or not, one thing's for sure… You truly live up to your name, Miss Elysia~"

"Hm… I'll just take that as a compliment!"

Elysia giggled in response.

-------------

Taking this battle as the beginning of their acquaintance, those who would leave a significant mark on her life also started to appear one by one…

The next memory.

"Leave. This is not a place where unrelated individuals can enter at will."

Mobius's voice was heard.

The atmosphere in the room was somewhat serious. From the arrangement of the space, it was clear that a great deal of intelligence had been gathered here, especially concerning someone's life history, briefly summarized. It felt like an interrogation room.

All the intelligence pointed toward a single name, including those associated with aliases.

Vill·V.

A person wanted in twelve different regions under various identities, responsible for numerous incidents ranging from minor to major—amounting to hundreds in total.

Although… there weren't too many actions that truly 'crossed the line,' Mobius still sensed a hint of danger from the sheer variety and stark differences in Vill·V's methods.

If… all the actions described in the intelligence reports were committed by the same person—

Then she was dangerous in thought, dangerous in action, and dangerous in ability.

"No, you're wrong! It's actually sixteen places!"

The imprisoned girl "Vill-V" corrected her with a serious expression.

"...And you're proud of that? I really want to see how long you can keep up that attitude."

Mobius narrowed her eyes, her tone laced with threat.

"No need to scare her, Mobius."

"I've read the incident reports. Strictly speaking, she hasn't overstepped too many boundaries. Besides… aren't crossed lines a common sight here?"

"Or are you still holding a grudge because she used your name to gain access to a university library and read a collection of ancient texts? She's just a curious scholar, you know."

Elysia smiled as she spoke, her bias was evident.

But there was only one true crime, challenging Fire Moth.

Alone.

Yet, through this battle, she had proven her potential.

Mobius regarded Vill·V as a threat. Whether it was her sophisticated deceptions, her ability to learn, or the confidential information she now possessed, she was undoubtedly a significant danger.

She turned to Elysia, her gaze steady and serious.

"Let me think about it for once..."

"...You will regret it."

Elysia stared at her in silence. Without another word, Mobius shut the door and left.

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(TL/Note)

Despite I said this is the end for translating, but I can't stop here without finishing Elysia's Arc. Since I know how it feels to wait for the next chapter, only to be stopped when you are close to the final.

So, as a loyal and follower, need to fully show Her story until the end and see the tears

(Of others, not Elysia)

I decided to upload until Elysium Arc is over.

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