She's Already Dead

Caught red-handed, Pardofelis stiffened, instantly yanking her hood over her head, clearly intending to make a run for it. However, Mei, full of questions, wasn't about to let her get away so easily. Reaching out, she grabbed the back of Pardofelis's collar.

"Let me down!"

Lifted off her feet, Pardofelis struggled, but like a kitten held by the scruff of its neck, her flailing limbs couldn't reach the ground. After thrashing about, not only did she fail to escape, but she also ran out of energy.

"Don't grab me, I don't taste good!" Seeing escape was impossible, Pardofelis resorted to pleading loudly, but her acting was so poor Mei found it rather amusing.

"Pardofelis, stop pretending. You clearly started running because you saw me."

"Uh, oh, it's you, Sis Mei."

Exposed, Pardofelis froze again, forcing an awkward, sheepish smile. Her eyes darted sideways, not daring to meet Mei's gaze directly.

This reaction only solidified Mei's suspicion: something must have happened while she was asleep. She cleared her throat and asked in a tone that brooked no argument, "Answer my question, Pardofelis. Why were you pretending not to know me? And where is everyone else?"

"Ahaha, I..." Pardofelis tried to stall, but when her gaze accidentally met those deep violet eyes, her voice trailed off.

"Sorry, Sis Mei. I don't really know what's going on either. Everyone suddenly told me not to get close to you anymore. They said... being near you might be dangerous."

"Dangerous? Don't tell me the enemy has already targeted me?"

"No... they said you are the source of the danger."

Pardofelis's words confused Mei even further. Just as she was about to press for more details, a bone-chilling coldness suddenly spread from the distance.

Before she could react, sharp ice crystals zipped past her hair and embedded themselves in the wall. If such a swift sneak attack had been aimed at her, she likely wouldn't have been able to dodge. Clearly, the attacker merely wanted to interrupt her questioning.

"Let her go, Raiden Mei." Just then, a cold, male voice followed.

The familiar voice startled Mei, almost making her think she was back in reality. She turned her head and, sure enough, saw the white-haired man.

"Kevin Kaslana." She let out a breath, gently setting Pardofelis back on the ground. Now that the man himself was here, there was no need to press the kitten for answers.

"..." Kevin was as aloof as ever. Seeing Mei release Pardofelis, he stated coldly, "I am Kevin. I do not have the Kaslana surname."

"Aren't you the ancestor of the Kaslana family?"

"I am not the Kevin you know, nor do I know what my descendants might inherit. Please refrain from conflating me with him."

Mei studied the man's icy face, trying to spot any difference from the Kevin outside, but no matter how she looked, the two seemed identical. If there was any difference, perhaps this Kevin was slightly more talkative?

Not wasting time on comparisons, Mei returned to the main point. "So, you're the reason Pardofelis was avoiding me?"

"We are merely trying to avoid unnecessary trouble. Besides, you should be aware of your own identity, Herrscher of Thunder." Kevin specifically emphasized the word "Herrscher."

But to Mei, this reasoning felt strangely ridiculous. "Heh, isn't it common knowledge that I entered the Elysian Realm as a Herrscher? Besides, I've never shown any hostility towards the Flame-Chasers. If anything, you people are the ones constantly causing trouble for me."

She scoffed, a hint of mockery creeping into her tone. "Or perhaps your attitude towards Herrschers has never changed, and inviting me here was just a ploy to lure me into a trap?"

However, Mei's mockery didn't cause the slightest change in Kevin's expression. He simply lowered his gaze to Mei's arm. "Then can you explain the mark on your hand?"

"Mark..." Mei paused, glancing down at her forearm. Only then did she notice that the black and white mark of The Obsidian Concord hadn't disappeared; instead, it was emitting a faint glow.

"While investigating Mobius's disappearance, Su detected a unique aura in her lab. It didn't belong to the Elysian Realm, and even Klein couldn't trace its source."

"But what does that have to do with me?"

Kevin looked at Mei pointedly and continued, "Originally, we thought it was just a coincidence. But a short while ago, when the mark on your arm became visible, we finally confirmed that the aura originated from this very mark."

"...I fought her. Is it strange that her aura would linger on me?"

"Indeed, it isn't strange. However, similar auras were subsequently found in The Deep, and they appeared alongside the Corruption." Kevin showed no hostility, but his wariness and suspicion were palpable. "Out of trust for Elysia, we didn't track your movements. Yet, whenever a Flame-Chaser encounters danger, this aura seems to be present."

"If you know that more than one Flame-Chaser has been attacked, how could it possibly be related to me? Unless I have some kind of cloning technique?"

Kevin shook his head. "Of course, you don't. But that doesn't mean the organization behind you doesn't."

"..."

"Furthermore, Kosma has woken up. According to him, the only person he fought was you." The implication was clear: Mei's previous account had inconsistencies.

"We don't mind a Herrscher entering the Elysian Realm, but that doesn't mean we can allow a Herrscher with ulterior motives inside. If possible, could you explain why you hid the mark?"

As Kevin finished speaking, his hand rested on the hilt of the Judgment of Shamash, ready to strike if Mei made any sudden moves.

Mei stood rooted to the spot, speechless for a long moment. Kevin's reasoning felt a bit far-fetched, but he was right about one thing: she couldn't explain the origin of The Obsidian Concord's mark.

What puzzled her more was why he linked the Corruption to the mark as well. Could The Obsidian Concord truly be the masterminds behind the attacks on the Elysian Realm?

Thinking carefully, it seemed possible, but Mei's intuition told her it wasn't that simple. There was another point: Kevin had explained why the Flame-Chasers were distant, but he hadn't clarified why suspicion fell on her so quickly.

After all, many Flame-Chasers in the Elysian Realm were rational, and she'd had decent relationships with some of them not long ago. Treating her as an enemy based solely on suspicion about the mark seemed unreasonable.

There had to be some reason for such a drastic shift in their attitude.

"All I can tell you is that the attacks on the Elysian Realm have nothing to do with me. If you suspect me, feel free to kick me out." Honestly, her experience in the Elysian Realm so far felt like dealing with one big mess. While her strength had increased considerably, the troubles just kept piling up, one after another.

"Besides, Elysia was the one who brought me in. If you want me gone, have her tell me herself."

With that, Mei turned to leave. It wasn't like she owed them anything, helping out only to be suspected? Let someone else handle this mess.

She walked briskly towards the exit, almost petulantly. But just as she reached the entrance hall, Kevin's voice finally came.

"Elysia... she's already dead."