The Past Reappears Like a Song

Under the dazzling lights of the bar, two newcomers—a man and a woman—curiously glanced around. Elysia, dressed in a maid uniform, carried a tray of drinks in her right hand.

She paused for a moment in thought, then greeted them with a cheerful smile.

"Oh! You two must be the newcomers I've heard about... Dystopia and Kosma?"

"Hah! Then you must be the one he mentioned... the ever-meddling Elysia!"

Dystopia eyed her outfit in surprise.

"Meddling is an unnecessary word! I just happen to enjoy taking care of others,"

Elysia pouted before shifting her gaze toward the quiet, reserved boy beside Dystopia.

"Even though you're acting all serious and silent, I already know..."

"You're the boy who got scolded to tears four times in a single day by Kevin, aren't you, Kosma?"

She beamed at him with delight.

"..."

Kosma remained silent but turned his gaze toward his companion.

He had reason to doubt her words.

"It was Kevin who ratted me out, wasn't it? That was his first time guiding a newcomer too. Sure, I was the one crying on the outside, but inside? He was way more flustered than I was."

Elysia explained, but Kosma still found himself at a loss for words.

"Wow, impressive! You're already one of the elite soldiers! For someone from the same batch as me, I can't help but feel a little jealous,"

Dystopia clapped her hands in exaggerated excitement.

"Let's use this speaker to announce Kosma's great achievements to everyone!"

"Dystopia, that's your first mission from me. You must deliver the message truthfully to every person in the base!"

Elysia said playfully, and Dystopia bravely accepted the challenge.

"... Hey."

Kosma watched the two troublemakers before him.

Dealing with either of them was beyond his skill set.

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

The Golden Courtyard

"Hmm... Familiar faces keep appearing. Though, Kosma, you're still the same as ever~"

"Ah, I suppose the same could be said about Vill-V. But, Dr. Mobius, look—I finally managed to move him! He won't regret it."

Elysia chuckled softly, glancing at her companions.

"It's too late for regrets now."

"Vill-V... Honestly, I didn't expect that so-called trickster to help you hide such an enormous secret in the end."

"At least she had some use."

Mobius spoke with a cold, critical tone.

In her eyes, Vill-V's actions were far too dangerous, but she wasn't exactly wrong either.

"Hey, hey, what do you mean 'some use'? I'm incredibly useful, okay?"

"And of course I've changed! I even want to join Ely's club now! Will you welcome me, Elysia?"

Vill-V pouted in dissatisfaction, then flashed Elysia a bright smile. Elysia's face darkened slightly.

She had long been aware that Mobius harbored a certain opinion about her.

Was it just because she had demonstrated a bit of her ability in front of her?

Back on that deserted island, during the experiment on human nature, she had only participated out of curiosity.

In the end... none of it could stop the Herrscher's corruption.

Weapons in the wrong hands, what kind of consequences would that bring?

That very question applied to herself as well.

Power in the hands of the unworthy... What kind of destruction would that cause?

She knew the answer all too well.

Was she truly meant to wield such power?

But perspective was subjective, some saw her as a hero, others as a villain.

She admitted it: she wasn't a good person.

In fact, if anyone were to ask Mobius, she'd probably say Elysia was even worse than her.

"Haha, from the Divine Keys you designed to those dazzling memory devices... I can't make heads or tails of any of it."

"If you're so smart, why not enlighten us, oh great inventor?"

Mobius mocked.

"Heh—Not the right time yet. You'll see for yourself later."

Vill-V smirked mysteriously, deliberately leaving the topic open-ended.

A true magician never reveals all their tricks.

"And You, Kosma?"

Elysia blinked, turning to the silent boy.

When he was younger, he would at least say a few short sentences, even if just to brush her off.

But now, the older he got, the more withdrawn he became, he barely spoke at all.

He always claimed he no longer aspired to be like Kevin.

Yet, in this one regard, the ever-glamorous pink elf couldn't help but hold onto a bit of hope.

"..." Kosma met her gaze.

What was he supposed to say?

Should he bring up the time the entire base gossiped about him?

Or... should he talk about those fallen comrades?

"I've changed... haven't I?"

He spoke, unsure of himself.

"I don't dream of being like Kevin anymore. The time for heroes is over..."

He murmured.

It was the most he had spoken in a long time.

"And, and—he has a particular fondness for barefoot little girls under twelve running around indoors."

Luo Mo helpfully added.

Immediately, Kosma shot him a glare of pure death.

He clutched his head in frustration, groaning,

"I've told you a million times, that's not— it's just—"

"Just what?" Elysia pressed.

"I just don't want Griseo to get paint all over the bed and the floor..."

"Kosma did mention that before. But... hmm... Luo Mo's words do sound kinda weird when put together like that."

Little Griseo tilted her head in confusion.

"Pfft—Haha!"

Adult Griseo covered her mouth, chuckling softly.

It seemed the future held many amusing moments ahead.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Memorizing every line of dialogue from my own game isn't that unusual, is it?"

Luo Mo raised an eyebrow at Elysia's astonished look.

"Hmm... I was just wondering—since you like watching people under the moonlight, do you also enjoy this kind of... preference?"

Elysia pondered for a moment before whispering her suspicion.

She strongly suspected he did.

"You really..."

Luo Mo thought for a while, then nodded in acknowledgment.

"You have quite the eye for people."

Wait.

Did that mean he was the same type as Kosma?!

How had he never realized that before?

But...

None of them quite fit the 'under twelve' part.

So, his conclusion—

He wasn't like Kosma.

However...

Lolis were still great.

Older lolis were even better.

(TL/C: LoliPerv~)

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

The memories continued, interwoven with the crystalline fragments of the past, covering every inch of the garden's ground. Every place was a reminder of the memories and past Mei could never abandon.

Even in silence, they influenced her.

In the laboratory at the base, Elysia crouched down and pinched the chubby cheeks of a little girl, her eyes flashing with surprise.

"How can you be this adorable? You look nothing like your father—this is great!"

"Little Griseo, you don't want to stay in this dull place forever, right? Why don't we go and do something only girls can do? Doesn't that sound fun?"

"…Okay!"

The blue-haired little girl blinked and gently nodded in agreement.

----

In a quiet room.

"Miss Elysia… Are you not afraid of me?"

Aponia clasped her hands before her chest, then slowly stood up. Her prayer had ended, yet her heart remained shrouded in dust. The uncertainty of the future left her unwilling to accept it, yet she was powerless to change it.

"Do you think I'd be afraid that your beauty might overshadow my reputation and that I'd avoid you out of jealousy?"

Elysia placed her hands on her hips and looked at her mischievously, smugly dismissing the notion.

Yet the trust in her words was undeniable. Aponia gazed at her, pressed her lips together, and, for the first time, felt genuine curiosity about another person.

----

In the medical room.

"Miss Elysia… may I ask you something, even if it's a bit presumptuous?"

Su looked straight at her, letting out a heavy sigh. He still couldn't understand her thought process or the reasoning behind her words.

"Just call me Ellie!"

"I don't understand… What does Kevin's weakness have to do with your condition?"

"Hmm… Doctor, you just don't get it…"

"This is what they call… a maiden's heartache!"

Elysia gazed up at the sky, speaking with a hint of sorrow.

Su couldn't help but close his eyes in exasperation.

----

Deep within the heavily guarded Fire Moth facility, a man was imprisoned. Even for Elysia, reaching this place required considerable effort.

"You're called Kalpas, aren't you?"

"Your face resembles someone I know, but you have a wilder look—less… restrained."

"Would you mind removing your mask so I can see your face?"

She greeted him warmly, but the masked man sitting there remained motionless, simply staring at her coldly, offering no response.

----

She had once treated dressing up for banquets as a mission, a KPI assessment to be met.

She had once hastily plucked a crystal flower pin from a hurriedly arranged bouquet.

She had once stood in the grand hall of the newly constructed Elysian Realm, speaking directly to Kevin about the reasons behind the Thirteen Flamechasers' formation and the small wish she held in her heart.

She had once sat beneath a sky full of radiant starlight, leaning against Eden, sharing her worries, her sorrows, and bidding a bittersweet farewell.

Memories surged like waves, then receded once more.

A person's entire existence is made up of such fragments, scattered, yet intertwined.

Every encounter became a marker in her life, segmenting her journey into countless chapters. To her, everyone looked different, yet somehow, they all seemed the same.

And that was what made Elysia one of a kind.

These experiences never diminished her brilliance, on the contrary, they made her radiance even more breathtaking because she remained untainted.

Through the long stretch of time, one could see the once naïve girl slowly maturing into someone more composed.

This was her past, woven together with the bonds she shared with her friends.

----------

In the Golden Courtyard

Scenes from the past reappeared, moments that were an essential part of Elysia's life, intersecting with the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.

They had once lived together through an era—an era that belonged to them.

"So many, so many interesting things… Without realizing it, we've spent so much time together, haven't we?"

Elysia gazed at these memories with nostalgia.

A hint of melancholy.

Yet also a trace of joy.

She would create new memories with them, fresh, equally joyful memories.

The past was something she cherished, but moving forward, she would create even more, and she would continue to treasure them.

"Elysia… truly intertwined deeply with everyone. If it were any of us, it would be difficult to connect with others as much as she has."

Aponia whispered softly,

"This is precisely why, back then, when I departed peacefully, I said that only Elysia could accomplish such a thing."

"Look, only she has interacted with so many people on such a deep level. Within the network of the Flame-Chasers, she reaches out to everyone—and they all love her."

"Among the Thirteen, the leader was Kevin, but the true center was always Elysia."

Luo Mo had no hesitation in praising his Saint, especially after all the times he had used her as the butt of his jokes before.

A little flattery now could help him get away with teasing her later.

"Indeed. Back then… who would have thought that your plan from the very beginning was to pull me out in one clean sweep?"

Elysia raised an eyebrow. At that time, he had still looked like an innocent little boy, yet within a year, he had turned into this.

Time was truly terrifying.

"If you have no proof, don't spout nonsense. I simply wanted to take you away."

"You…"

Elysia furrowed her eyebrows. How did she end up seeming like someone who could be so easily tricked out of hiding?

"The fact that this courtyard was built long ago is proof enough," she huffed.

"....."

Luo Mo rubbed his nose. It wasn't that he thought she had a point, it was just that his attempt to earn her favor… seemed to have failed.

Why did he always end up bickering with her?

"Are you two done talking? Regardless of whether it was a 'clean sweep' or not, in the end, World Serpent lost a training ground, and Kevin lost something important. Weren't both sides equally willing to accept the outcome?"

The Herrscher of Sentience interrupted them, then looked at Elysia with interest.

"More than that, I'm really curious—did you actually pass that old timer's KPI assessment or not? My memory is too hazy; I don't recall anything about it."

At the banquet, how had that old timer dressed herself up?

She was quite excited to know.

"If you're talking about the flowers… of course, I passed with max points! How could I ever let Hua down? After taking off that usual, plain outfit, she could be beautiful… Uh… though still not as stunning as the Crimson Knight."

Elysia had been speaking confidently, but upon recalling a particular moment with Hua, she awkwardly laughed.

The Heart Sutra and the Crimson Knight—both perfectly matched Hua's demeanor and attire. At the banquet… even the most elegant outfits couldn't compare to those.

It was like how she had once worn a maid's uniform, yet no matter what, she could never completely overshadow the Herrscher's striking presence.

She would never get to see what a Herrscher-version of Hua would look like.

Fu Hua could never become a Herrscher, yet a Herrscher had become Fu Hua.

"Ah, I see. Well, forget it then… Lately, that old timer has been asking me to help her choose clothes, and it's been so troublesome."

The Herrscher of Sentience complained, but the smirk on her face stretched so high it nearly reached the sky, pride written all over her expression.

No one had even asked her, yet she still made sure to mention it.

"Oh? Really? Can I help?"

Elysia excitedly grabbed the Herrscher of Sentience's hands, looking at her with pleading eyes. In her eagerness, she even repeated a line she had once said in the game.

"Please, this… This is a maiden's heart at stake!"

"... Ah, well, this…"

The Herrscher of Sentience's eyes darted around anxiously. She felt like she had shared this information with the wrong person, this was an opportunity she had wanted to monopolize! But after obediently behaving for a few days, she had finally earned this reward.

Even if she didn't understand why the original reward had been "a wardrobe update" in the first place.

Still, she had worked hard to negotiate, using both logic and emotional persuasion, until the old timer finally agreed to let her have the new outfit instead.

"This… might not be a good idea."

She rubbed her nose and threw a desperate glance at Luo Mo for help.

Surely he could understand her intentions here.

"Indeed, not the best idea, Elysia. After all, Fu Hua specifically entrusted the Herrscher of Sentience with this task."

Luo Mo emphasized certain words. Elysia suspiciously glanced between the two of them, seemed to consider something, then finally backed down, though reluctantly.

"Well… okay, I'll listen to you this time."

Since her student was about to graduate, she decided to let this one slide.