The Final Banquet

In the depths of her consciousness, Mei once again met Elysia. Seeing that she still had the same familiar face as before, Mei felt a surge of emotion, along with an overwhelming sense of joy.

Elysia felt the same way.

"I wasn't around for a while, and now you've become quite proactive, Mei?"

At a glance, what was meant to be a simple welcome back ended up dealing a critical emotional hit to Elysia, an example of high attack power but low defense.

"Well, someone just disappeared after muttering something."

Mei still had the mood to tease her.

After bringing Elysia back, the tension in her heart lessened significantly.

"Hmph~"

The girl let out a soft chuckle, scratching her head with a hint of guilt.

"Elysia."

Mei spoke seriously,

"I've finished reading the story called Elysia... Now, there's only one last page left."

"The conclusion of that banquet..."

"And at the same time, my own conclusion."

Elysia emphasized her words as she looked at Mei, her heart filled with a gentle warmth.

Here, their consciousnesses were deeply intertwined, inseparable. More than that... she and Mei both understood. They knew exactly what kind of request she was about to make.

And so, she felt even happier.

"So this time, I don't have to be just a reader, just an observer who can't reach out... Instead, I can be a part of the story, someone who personally experiences the ending of Elysia?"

Mei met her gaze directly. Then, she saw the violet eyes shimmer, waves of emotion surging within them, accompanied by a bright smile.

"Of course you can~"

Elysia smiled.

"Then, allow me to lead you, Mei... to turn the last page of this story."

She took a few steps forward, resting her hand lightly on Mei's shoulder. But in the next instant, she twirled away like a fleeting spirit, leaving behind only a lingering warmth and a faint fragrance.

Where she once stood, cherry blossom petals scattered in the air like a whirlwind of colors, only to reappear not far away.

One hand tucked behind her back, she extended the other toward Mei as she bowed slightly, making a graceful gesture, an invitation to a dance, her feet poised as if ready to move with the next beat.

"I wonder... would you be willing to join this grand banquet?"

She smiled at Mei, waiting for her hand to take hers. Dressed in elegant attire, adorned in celebration, all for the sake of sharing a dance with Mei.

The clear, melodic chime of bells resonated through the space, painting the entire world in pure white.

Petals danced and fell, pages turned, returning to the very beginning.

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The Golden Courtyard

"So it's called... The Story of Elysia, huh?"

"But I believe that her ending... surely won't be too tragic."

It was Kiana who spoke, her eyes lingering on the script as she momentarily lost herself in thought.

It wasn't that she had figured everything out, rather, Elysia's story was about to reach its final scene. She had helped the Herrschers of later generations so much...

Yet, at that last moment, at the final banquet, she had no choice but to face the conclusion under the guise of a crusade.

Her comrades' trust had supported her greatly, but the future Herrschers' arrival had also validated her dream... Everything she had fought for had not been in vain.

For those who battle for beauty, the ending should not be tragic.

"Yes, it won't be."

Mei repeated Kiana's words, smiling.

She believed the same.

"So in the end, she danced with Mei? That's kind of exciting~"

Elysia's cheerful voice rang out, filled with anticipation for the story's conclusion.

"What... What is this?!" Kiana exclaimed in shock, staring at the unexpected turn of events in the mini-game.

Inside... inside there was a claw machine for Elysia!

How could she possibly have the strength for this?!

"Before entering the banquet, there should be some warm-up entertainment. And besides... it's thanks to a certain inventor's special equipment, right, Vill-V?"

Luo Mo chuckled knowingly, pouring himself a cup of tea and taking a sip.

The earlier conversation about scarves had already run its course, so he decided to change the topic.

His grand plan to recruit new members for the Aymona cause had gone up in smoke, somewhat regrettably.

"Bingo! That's right, but... but it shouldn't be this bad, should it?"

Vill-V clapped her hands together, her voice crisp and bright, lazily half-lying on the sofa.

"A claw machine... should not be able to grab Elysia, right? The settings I put in that night made sure it was a perfectly fair claw machine."

Vill-V emphasized repeatedly, insisting it was completely fair.

"Ah, ah, I get it, I get it."

But clearly, Kiana wasn't listening at all. She was fully focused on using Mei to relentlessly grab at Elysia in the game.

After all, Luo Mo hadn't made the mechanics too difficult, once she got the hang of a few tricks and missed a few times, Kiana was basically catching one Elysia after another with each attempt.

Soon enough, the score had reached a solid 10-0, making Luo Mo suspect that Kiana was doing this out of pure spite.

Maybe seeing Elysia and Mei dance together had made her a little mad.

But that had nothing to do with him, Luo Mo thought.

Very soon...

The pink fairy lady had suffered a grand defeat!

Elysia let out a soft groan of frustration, looking pitifully at the scoreboard showing the overwhelming difference in points.

If it had been her playing instead... Absolutely, absolutely, she would never have ended up like this!

If Kiana had been treating the Mei in the game as herself, then Elysia couldn't help but place herself in the role of her in-game counterpart.

She, who always spoke as if everything was easy, how could she possibly accept such humiliation?

Elysia was unwilling to accept it.

In a flash, she rushed behind Kiana. Before the next round began, when the roles were reversed and it was Elysia's turn to grab Mei, she started shaking Kiana from behind, interfering with her controls.

(TL/C: 🤣)

"How could you do this... Kiana, this is clearly Luo Mo's design flaw! You don't have to keep grabbing me!"

"M-Me? How could I be like that?! I'm just treating this as a game, Elysia, you have to believe me!"

Kiana flailed in panic, trying her best to dodge Elysia's interference while still playing the game.

She struggled to maintain her lead in the score.

If she had felt childish a moment ago while playing the claw machine, then now, being scolded by Elysia while trying to win, somehow felt a little meaningful.

Making Elysia mad... wasn't that kind of important, too?

"...Really?" Elysia paused, looking at her sincerely.

"Fake."

Kiana didn't hesitate for a second, dodging Elysia's grab once again.

Focusing intensely to close the gap.

"Aah—, no, don't! At least let me catch Mei once too!"

Elysia complained unhappily.

Mei had already been caught around ten times, while she hadn't even managed once?

If it were just a claw machine grabbing a plush toy, she could still accept it... But since both sides were real people, it gave her an inexplicably unique feeling.

So, she waited for the right moment and, at the most crucial instant, disrupted Kiana, successfully preventing her from dodging in time and catching her directly.

Kiana wriggled in dissatisfaction, trying to shake off the arms wrapped around her shoulders.

Mei simply watched the two making a scene, smiling helplessly.

Next up... was the water balloon battle.

With Elysia playing tricks, Kiana controlled Mei in a completely chaotic but ultimately victorious battle. In the game, Mei won, which at least served as some satisfying payback for herself.

Thus, Kiana was smug, while Elysia was utterly dejected.

"Hmph, don't underestimate me!"

"Even though I can't beat Bronya, I still have plenty of experience. It's just a small game—defeating Elysia is no problem!"

Kiana boasted proudly, beaming as she spoke to Mei.

After all, she had full control of the game from start to finish, and it was just an offline game, not an actual competition.

"Ooh..."

Elysia, being as playful as ever, naturally played along with Kiana's little game.

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

After two short intermissions, the prelude to the grand banquet was over.

Elysia and Mei stepped onto a roller coaster. The car soared along the tracks in the sky before bringing them to the final venue.

Midway, countless fireworks erupted in the sky, brilliant yet fleeting.

Next was the final dance.

The roller coaster stopped beside a vast plaza, the ultimate destination.

At the venue's borders, pink flowers flourished amidst lush greenery. Towering marble pillars stood proudly, and in the distance, a beautiful concert hall was faintly visible. The sky was a radiant pink, entirely different from the corrupting darkness of the Herrscher.

"Mei... May I invite you for one last dance?"

The girl in front of her paused, then turned around, slightly bowing in an elegant gesture, just like before.

Still graceful and beautiful, her hand extended toward Mei, waiting.

A sincere invitation.

But this was not just an ordinary dance floor, it was the final banquet and the ultimate stage.

And on this stage, they were the final dancers.

She lifted her bow, her pure white gown fluttering in the air, her smile tinged with mischief as she stirred the spring breeze.

"You can't just ignore me, Mei."

"It's not that... It's just that they're all here, aren't they?"

Mei replied as she drew her blade, dodging the opponent's arrows and engaging in a dance of battle.

"That's right... Look."

"The first guest is about to begin their performance."

Elysia smiled and pulled out a familiar top hat.

The moment it left her palm, it suddenly transformed into three enormous hats, rapidly shifting around the stage. At the same time, Elysia's figure vanished.

This was Vill-V's power.

Mei had to guess which of the three hats concealed Elysia's true location.

Meanwhile, other heroic spirits' abilities also began to manifest, raising the climax of the banquet's performance.

After all, how could a banquet consist of only two people?

----------

"Aah, is this a fight?"

"Watch how I use Mei to crush the opponent! But... putting that aside, this outfit looks really good!"

Kiana exclaimed in surprise, stretching out her arms as if ready to jump into battle.

Finally, she had an opportunity like this.

A duel... Of course, it was a competition.

What else could it be?

"Right? I also think it looks great. This is my grand appearance outfit!"

Elysia, always good at picking up key points, smiled.

She only responded to the latter half of Kiana's sentence, completely ignoring the first half.

"Mei, don't you think the bow and I are a perfect match?"

She placed her hands on her hips, tilting her head slightly, and asked Mei.

Speaking of which... among the three of them, Mei was still the tallest, even without wearing heels.

"Mm, not bad at all."

Mei nodded slightly, not denying it.

"But... the Herrscher of Origin isn't supposed to use a bow, is she? You'll see soon enough, so go ahead and take a guess, I don't mind~"

Elysia smirked, trying to pique Mei's curiosity.

"What is it?"

As expected, Mei asked curiously but glanced toward Luo Mo.

She knew, the boss would definitely know.

"Well... The magic phase is over. Next is the physical combat phase."

Luo Mo spoke with a slightly uncertain tone.

"..."

Elysia suddenly felt a headache coming.

On the other side, Kiana demonstrated her usual "Golden Luck." Without even searching, she randomly picked a hat and immediately found the one hiding Elysia.

Then, with a single hit, she disrupted the newly activated skill.

But soon, a fortune cat-shaped slot machine descended from above, revealing three pink crystal flower patterns inside.

"Haha, not bad luck!"

Elysia chuckled before dropping down like a small meteor, heading straight for Mei's position.

This was another heroic spirit's ability.

-----------

This time, even Mei struggled to keep up... Dealing with Elysia's true strength was already challenging enough, let alone the additional power of other heroic spirits.

However, at the last moment, she wanted to answer Elysia's expectations.

Then, a soft floral chime echoed in her mind, and she suddenly noticed the twelve stone pillars in the distance, each engraved with a heroic spirit's sigil, glowing brilliantly.

"Hehe, Mei, the ethereal dream of the void. Let me share some of my good fortune with you!"

A new surge of power welled up within her, supporting her to complete this final dance together.

So, she stood up and continued the battle—continued the dance.

And then, even more heroic sigils shone, as if watching over this crucial moment, lending their power to the grand finale.

The stage grew more dazzling and magnificent.

Green liquid surged like Mobius, the stars resonated in creation, a thousand flames burned high, and blades of heroes shone bright...

Countless techniques converged, dazzling and multicolored.

The two figures danced across the battlefield, as if this battle had been a grand performance from beginning to end.

The thirteen imprints across the square shone brightly, coming together as one. They bore witness to this moment.

Only… the thirteen heroic inheritors and the original leader of the thirteen heroes could recognize it.

This was the final farewell banquet, as well as the most glorious conclusion.

-----------

And so, as Kiana fought, she found herself somewhat dazed. Her emotions stirred as each imprint lit up, her blood boiling with excitement.

Amidst the peaceful realm, each glowing imprint brought back memories of the past.

They reminded her of Mei's experiences and the moments she had shared with each Flame-Chasers. She recalled how she had earned their recognition, or rather, how she had overcome each challenge.

But then… why was Elysia's health bar nearly empty? What was happening?

A chill ran through Kiana's heart. The thought of delivering a final blow to Elysia suddenly felt like an illusion, vanishing into thin air, leaving her with an inexplicable sorrow.

Even though this was just a game… No, she thought, it was because it was only a game that she still wanted to fight against Elysia at least once.

Yet, she never expected…

"All of the Flame-Chasers' abilities, were they merely fireworks, shining brightly for a moment before vanishing? Was it all just… to make this ending even grander?"

Kiana found it hard to believe, but at the same time, she deeply felt the trust, favoritism, and even indulgence that all the heroes had for Elysia.

The same event, when it involved Elysia, unfolded completely differently than it would have for anyone else.

The power of the signets supported Mei, because they didn't want this dance to end in sorrow.

Elysia would give it her all, but that didn't mean she was destined to lose.

"Hmm… I'm surprised too. So, everyone likes me this much? But I like all of you just the same."

"Elysia's finale must be grand and magnificent."

"This is my wish, and… it's what all of you wanted too, isn't it?"

Elysia said with a gentle smile.

"Of course, this is our ending as well,"

Vill-V said with a grin.

"More or less,"

Mobius muttered, unwilling to admit it outright.

Kiana felt a sense of awe—at first, she was amazed by the individual strength of each Flame-Chasers, but now, in this moment, she was even more astonished by Elysia's ability to bring them all together.

She truly was the core of the entire team.

Kiana acknowledged this fact, and an unsettling thought crept into her mind, if another hero had died instead, would they still have been this united?

But the answer came to her almost immediately—by then, Elysia would have already been there.

Then, in the game's display, Elysia ascended into the sky. With a graceful motion, she lifted her hands, and the bow in her grip vanished, replaced by an unbelievably magnificent magic staff.

At the same time, her attire transformed into something even more elaborate. The hem of her dress revealed a celestial backdrop, shimmering like the night sky. Every step she took radiated divine brilliance.

Now, she had become a Goddess.

And, in doing so, she had also revealed the answer to the question surrounding her.

"This is… that kind of weapon?"

Kiana gasped in shock.

Based on the information she had gathered, if Black Abyss White Flower had been criticized for its lack of visual appeal, then Kiana had to admit—Elysia was absolutely right.

This luxurious, star-studded magic staff was far more dazzling than the monochrome Black Abyss White Flower.

(TL/C: sorry Teri)

-----------

This was the climax of the dance.

As Elysia lightly tapped the ground with her staff, the two of them were transported into an even more fantastical realm.

Beneath their feet, it was as if they were treading on a vast lake. Ripples spread with each step, reflecting a dreamy starry sky above. The hues of violet and pink intertwined, filling the scene with mesmerizing colors.

In the distance, a few shooting stars streaked across the sky, their glowing tails tracing arcs of light. Within this celestial expanse, only the two of them remained, leaving behind their fleeting images in the starlit void.

This was a landscape that could only exist within a dream.

"So, Mei, how is it? My other elegant form… The Herrscher of Origin… is also my name."

With a flick of her magic staff, countless stardust lights surged forth, radiating with energy as they shot toward Mei.

She had said it before, she would show Mei everything she had.

She never went back on her word.

"The Herrscher of Origin… is still just an ordinary human girl."

Mei swung her blade, blocking the incoming attack. The power of the Flame-Chasers signets still coursed through her.

Her words brought a smile to Elysia's face.

No matter what title she bore, she had always longed to become a Herrscher who embraced humanity.

That had never changed.

More and more ice crystals descended, as Elysia unleashed her full power, and Mei responded in kind.

They fought amidst this dreamlike starry realm, clashing, attacking, and dancing…

Their silhouettes flickered in the fragmented space, each piece infused with the colors of the two combatants.

At times, in close combat, the gleam of Mei's blade clashed against Elysia's magic staff, sending sparks flying.

Their final dance… was breathtaking.

And then, the grandest moment arrived.

Elysia soared through the air, laughing joyfully, freely stretching her body. With a wave of her hand, her magic staff traced a mysterious arc through the sky.

From the surface of the lake, a colossal pink-hued whale erupted into the air, shimmering with radiant light, steadily carrying Mei upward.

"Mei, look! I'm flying so high!"

At the same time, Mei summoned her dragon. The crimson-purple beast ascended into the sky, lifting Mei into the air as well.

Then, the two of them, without any prior agreement—unleashed their final attacks.

The whale's pillar of light clashed against Kurikara's breath of flames, exploding into a spectacle even more magnificent than fireworks.

There was no victor, because this was never a battle.

Under the starlit sky, the two stood side by side, their backs leaning against each other.

The young girl lifted the corners of her lips into a gentle smile, her expression content.