Goodbye

In the game, under the evening lights at sunset, two young girls looked at each other. The cold atmosphere between them settled into silence.

And so, the sorrow of parting became even harder to suppress.

"Mei... Why are you crying? Do you want me to give you a big hug?"

Elysia smiled, her voice gentle.

But Mei could only feel the tears sliding down her face. Those clear drops fell uncontrollably as she looked at the girl who was smiling at her.

She reached out and wiped the corners of her eyes. Perhaps influenced by Mobius's habits, she stubbornly said,

"I'm not crying."

"Really?" Elysia leaned in closer, teasing her as she examined her face.

The air between them grew warmer.

"I'm not."

"Are you sure... you're really not crying?" Elysia continued to ask, a playful smile on her lips.

"..."

"I'm really not crying now."

Mei's face was filled with helplessness as she looked at the person who kept questioning her.

At this moment, she finally managed to suppress her sorrow. The corners of her lips lifted slightly in resignation, forming a faint smile.

"Just like I said, Mei looks even more beautiful when she smiles."

Elysia placed her hands on her hips, looking at Mei with satisfaction. She smiled and nodded.

"It's all because of what you said earlier that I couldn't help but tease you. In situations like this, I can't let Mei have the upper hand."

After all, this was her final moment.

No matter what, she had to have the last word.

"Fine, you win. Happy now?"

Mei spoke as if she was coaxing a child, indulging Elysia's whims.

"Haha."

Laughter, light and cheerful like silver bells, echoed inside the cable car, warm and joyful.

The Ferris wheel this time seemed to be moving much slower than usual. Even at its highest point, it descended gently, unhurried.

To use an unusual comparison... It was like a Ferris wheel with an open window.

For now, they simply sat quietly, gazing at the distant scenery. The night was falling, the sunset blending perfectly with the current moment, melancholic, yet unable to witness the sunrise together.

"Mei... Do you feel disappointed?"

"After putting in so much effort, in the end, all we can do is say goodbye."

The silhouette of the Ferris wheel cast shadows over Elysia's face, making it difficult for Mei to see her expression clearly. But she could still make out the side profile of the girl beside her.

Her response echoed in Mei's mind. But as her thoughts stirred, she could only whisper in reply,

"At least we can say goodbye properly, right?"

"I always feel like... I'm constantly saying 'goodbye' to people. I think... this won't be the last time either."

Mei let out a helpless smile.

She had said farewell so many times before.

In the peaceful Realm, she had bid farewell to many—Kalpas, Kevin, Vill-V...

She had met so many people, and many of them she might never see again.

But...

"But... A tragedy is not the end. It's the beginning of hope... Isn't that right?"

That was what Elysia had taught her, to not be saddened by farewells.

And she had also taught her that every ending should be grand and magnificent.

Looking back now, throughout their time together, as both a mentor and a friend, Elysia had taught her so much.

Mei watched the distant horizon as the last rays of sunlight slowly faded. In reality, the sun was forever fixed in the sky.

But the unchanging sky did not mean time would stand still as well. They would have to leave eventually. She had to return to reality.

"Even if the future cannot be changed, I want to choose how I walk this path."

"What matters is what I choose to believe in along the way."

"And when I reach the final destination, I will see what I have gained."

"That outcome... will hold a completely different meaning because of the journey itself."

"Just like this very moment..."

Mei paused, taking a deep breath. Countless memories surged in her mind, their trials, their companionship, every moment they had shared.

When did this place come to occupy such a large part of her heart?

Perhaps it was when she saw those ordinary people accomplish extraordinary things.

Or when they accepted her as one of their own.

She smiled faintly.

"I met all of you in this Paradise. I touched your lives, learned your will, and witnessed the complete stories of the Thirteen Flamechasers..."

"The memories we created will never disappear."

"The bonds we formed will never fade."

"They will become an indelible mark upon me, something I will carry into the future—forever, always continuing..."

Just like... the flame of humanity.

Mei reminisced about all the beautiful moments. That was the reason she had come to the Elysian Realm in the first place. She bit her lower lip, her resolve growing even stronger.

Even if they had walked down the wrong path, in the end, they would all arrive at the same conclusion.

With unwavering determination, she repeated those familiar words,

"I will become proof that you once existed."

"I will become... the eternal proof of your existence."

She looked directly at Elysia, making a solemn promise.

In those amethyst eyes, there was nothing but sincerity.

"As long as someone remembers, this story will continue to exist... And maybe, even more people will come to know of it."

Hearing Mei's vow, Elysia suddenly smiled. She noticed that their ride was nearing the ground. The Ferris wheel had gone full circle, bringing them back to where they had started.

The starting point, was also the end.

She was about to face her own ending, yet she simply smiled warmly. Looking at this Herrscher who had graduated from the Elysian Realm, she saw a glimpse of the future.

Softly, she said,

"Then, we must leave behind an ending even stronger than history itself."

She nodded, as if making a promise, not only to Mei but to all the others. In her eyes, the figures of her companions appeared once more.

"An ending without regrets, the grandest conclusion."

She looked at Mei seriously.

Without any hesitation.

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

In the Golden Courtyard

"Already nearing the end? The part before this wasn't? It was quite long..."

Elysia softly asked, but despite the mischievous tone in her words, she didn't feel any joy.

At the moment of parting, it was also the time she was closest to Mei.

But, how she wished that the emotional distance between them could have drawn a little closer before this.

Perhaps the most intimate moment Mei ever had with the handkerchief flower was when she called out, Mei-nee, I don't want to die, that one time.

"Since it's the final farewell anyway, talking a bit more back then wasn't exactly unreasonable, right?"

Kiana was the one who responded to her. She unconsciously cracked her knuckles while staring intently at the dialogue inside.

"What do you mean by talking a bit more... In the end, there should still be a short, heartfelt passage, to record all the times I met with Mei."

"...Ah."

Kiana nodded in agreement, frowning as she studied the script.

If it were her... after wandering through the peaceful realm, could she bid farewell as calmly as Mei did?

She simply felt that the relationship between Elysia and Mei was somewhat similar to hers with Teacher Himeko.

They both taught her many things.

And they both left during a certain moment in time.

In a way, inheritance, witnessing beauty, they were all very much alike.

She inherited Teacher Himeko's will, just as Mei did. The ones who left would forever remain in their memories.

"Hmm... it's really strange."

Luo Mo looked at Kiana a few times, somewhat confused.

She wasn't jumping up to challenge Elysia, nor even arguing with her?

Or perhaps... she simply felt that, since this was the final time, it would pass quickly?

"Farewells are always different, aren't they? Look, even I, even Mobius, at the end of civilization, weren't quite the same as usual."

"Even as mere spectators, it's hard not to be moved."

Vill-V said with a smile, sitting up and then shifting her legs into a new cross-legged position, her previous one had gone a little numb.

As for Elysia and Mei's conversation, she found nothing strange about it.

After all, death signified eternal separation.

What people usually thought but never said aloud would inevitably be spoken.

Otherwise, regret would be unavoidable.

"The ancient sayings of the Divine 亄 state that a dying person's words are kind?"

The Herrscher of Sentience eagerly provided an interpretation, always able to rationalize even the most irrational words.

That habit of hers was quite the headache.

"...Even weirder."

Luo Mo cursed under his breath, truly, as expected of the Herrscher of Sentience.

"Don't curse me, little Sentience," Elysia said, dissatisfied.

"In the game, aren't you already something like that? Why bother about such trivial matters?"

The Herrscher of Sentience replied casually.

Meanwhile, Kiana continued to scroll through the script, silently reading and reflecting on Teacher Himeko's image.

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

In the game , Elysia had decided to go meet the Herrscher of Corruption.

The grand finale, if it were just her alone, no matter how you put it, it wouldn't feel grand at all.

"At that time... it was quite dangerous."

Mei hesitated slightly, her worry evident. If the K666 Method was available, it could have resolved everything in a single move.

"Knowing the danger yet still choosing to face it, aren't those exactly the kind of things humans do?"

"Besides, I have to go and bring everyone back."

Elysia spoke gently.

Mei gazed at her profile, unable to decipher the thoughts hidden beneath.

Was she mourning for her departed comrades?

But Mei didn't ask.

She already understood the other's determination and was willing to trust in her choice.

The roller coaster had come to a halt, standing once more at the original starting point.

And the starting point was also the final, ultimate end.

"Everyone..."

Elysia's eyes shone slightly as she happily spoke.

It was as if she had already thought about the next step, a step she was destined to take.

"I live in their memories, and in the same way, they live in mine."

"Our lives—thirteen of us—have long since intertwined, inseparable from one another."

"So if they can do it, then so can I. This time... it's my turn to go to them."

Mei was surprised.

But she only gave a small, helpless smile and did not stop her.

She simply let out a soft sigh.

"I suppose that's true. You've always been like this..."

Hadn't she said something similar to someone else before?

That time, things did not end well either.

Her lips curled slightly, yet she still smiled.

For the beautiful girl standing before her, she gave her blessing—

"And besides, Elysia has never let anyone down."

"That's right. After all, it's me going~"

Elysia agreed without hesitation, her entire being radiating light.

She clasped her hands behind her back, leaning slightly forward, her gaze locked onto Mei's face.

In Elysia's eyes, Mei saw her own reflection, and her neatly arranged hair.

Not the disheveled mess at the end.

But it also reminded her of the past, when she once used another's eyes as a mirror.

So, it really was possible after all.

"Even if it's the end, I hope the story of the heroes can shine brightly until the very last moment."

She sincerely promised, the corners of her lips curving into a smile.

"We existed, we resisted, we struggled to live. And now, we entrust all our hopes, the future, and the right to choose their path, to all of you."

The wheels continued moving forward, like the turning of fate, carrying the two of them into the distance.

Mei looked at the Everlasting Elysium, then watched as it gradually faded away.

She had never felt the sunset over the garden carry a hint of mourning before.

But now, it truly did.

At this point, it was the end.

Her gentle voice slowly spoke, not filled with regret, but savoring the final moments.

She let out a quiet sigh, soft as the clouds in the sky, smooth as the waves lapping at the shore.

"So now, our story... is truly coming to an end."

"Mei, this is the last time. Just like before, let's meet with everyone one more time, and then... properly say goodbye, alright?"

She looked at Mei one last time, smiling.

"...Mm."