Mei once again recalled a recent memory — indeed, Aponia had once revealed this very prophecy to her. And now, in a different world, it was being presented in the form of a game.
It gave her a rather wondrous feeling.
Fate had intersected in this moment, creating a small, complete cycle.
And if this was the result of the prophecy, then it also meant she had exceeded the "ten-day deadline" the other party once mentioned...
But — could such a thing truly be accomplished?
That was the question Mei briefly considered in her heart.
Everyone within the Elysian Realm seemed to acknowledge that Aponia was no ordinary person. Her presence alone seemed to carry a weight that made others wary. But when it came to her prophecies — all of them, to varying degrees, had shown trust in them…
"Mei, Mei, what are you thinking about?"
Kiana tugged on her sleeve, her large blue eyes blinking inquisitively at her. Compared to her usual fierce and unyielding demeanor in battle, she now seemed a little fragile — like a small animal desperately seeking comfort and protection.
Right now, she was especially worried that Mei would be taken away from her — who would've thought that within World Serpent, there'd be such a group of people with eyes on Mei? And thirteen of them at that! Had Mei walked straight into a den of wolves?
"I was just thinking..." Mei hesitated, her violet eyes flickering.
This expression from Kiana — it had been a long time since she'd seen it. Or maybe, she'd never seen it before. That slightly nervous and fearful look in Kiana's eyes reminded her of a little animal scared of being abandoned. There was a timidness to her that didn't quite match the Kiana in her memories.
Was she... afraid that Mei would leave her again?
But why would she?
Kiana had always been the most important person to her.
Mei didn't say a word. She simply tightened her grip on Kiana's hand, trying to channel her strength to her — just like before, offering her full strength with everything she had. She closed the distance between them, as she always had.
"You're thinking about the Elysian Realm, aren't you? Mei? Come on, remember — back in that other world, the first thing we said when we met was—wasn't it: 'Hey, long time no see~'? ♪~"
"And don't tell me you really didn't remember who I was back then, and just asked me about that weird nickname... Hmph, though I don't dislike it now, being called 'Pink Goblin Lady' still doesn't really sound like something you'd name a normal person ♪~"
Elysia slipped in behind her, slowly approaching from behind Mei with a charming little smile on her lips.
"Hey, if you've got something to say, say it — but keep your distance from Mei," Kiana spread her arms protectively, shielding Mei behind her.
She and Mei had been apart for so long, and now that she was finally reunited with her, she couldn't bear the thought of Mei constantly thinking about another girl — and one who looked this good, no less! How could she just accept that?
Now that everything was settling down, would Mei just drift away from her again?
No way — that's not the future she wanted!
Kiana's gaze became extraordinarily resolute, locking directly onto the softly smiling Elysia in front of her. She was determined to unmask this woman for who she really was — a dangerous seductress who was absolutely up to no good with Mei.
She only needed a single glance to know: this woman definitely had ulterior motives when it came to Mei!
Ding dong —
Just then, the doorbell rang.
A familiar and unusually lively voice came from the other side of the door:
"Hello~ Is anyone home? Just dropping by for a quick visit ♪~"
If one listened carefully, they could also hear her muttering to herself:
"The Golden Courtyard... so this isn't the Eden from this world, huh. How interesting."
Inside the room, everyone's expressions shifted slightly — each displaying a different emotion.
Luo Mo couldn't help but frown as his gaze briefly settled on Elysia. Then he gave a soft chuckle.
"Looks like the visitor isn't just someone from our group here. Mei — the Elysia from your world has shown up too."
As he said this, he walked forward a few steps, resting his hand on the doorknob and turning it slightly.
Outside — just as expected — was a very familiar face, her expression full of curiosity as she stood on tiptoes trying to peek inside. When she saw Luo Mo's face, she blinked in surprise — but what surprised her even more was...
...another version of herself.
"Hmm... Should I say 'long time no see'? Or is it more like... 'Nice to meet you, other me'? ♪~"
Inside the room, the original Elysia's lips parted slightly in surprise — but only slightly, as though she'd already predicted this. And so, her smile deepened just a bit as she looked at the combat-suit-wearing version of herself standing outside and gave a greeting:
"Well, this is... quite the unexpected turn of events, isn't it ♪~"
(T/C: Two Elilie, double beauty and cuteness. Ugh, my heart!)
Luo Mo glanced between the two Elysias, his eyes now sparkling with curiosity.
What would happen, he wondered, when two Elysias came face to face? What kind of sparks would fly?
...
Not long ago, back in another segment of this unstable connection, that whole group clinging to Mei suddenly vanished within an ethereal swirl of seven colors—and just like that, they were gone. For them, it was inexplicable. To be holding onto someone one moment, and the next, to have evaporated into nothingness… they couldn't even begin to make sense of it. Hidden somewhere between reality and illusion, that door stood—barely reachable. Compared to waiting aimlessly here, whatever lay beyond seemed far better.
Then, after an indeterminate amount of time, that door swung open to reveal a pink-haired figure. In a brief flash of light, Elysia appeared here. She stepped forward curiously from the grand hall, her expression appearing both intrigued and bewildered as she entered this marked place. Muttering to herself, she said:
"Huh, I'm not sure where Mei went… Klein says the last time she appeared was here, but there's no trace of her presence at all… Seems impossible she just vanished like that~"
"And the Elysian Realm shouldn't be a dangerous place… A…?"
She paused, looked up—and suddenly froze at the sight before her.
Small doubt flickered in her eyes as she tried to make sense of the door, but everything inside crumbled into a single thought:
"A!?"
There stood something odd. What made it odder was there was absolutely no sign of an Abyss or any trace of a Valkyrie's power—nothing to trigger her prior instincts or awareness. It felt like a portal from a completely separate dimension had just opened, which piqued Elysia's curiosity.
She wondered… could there be more gateways like this in the Elysian Realm? But she had no clue! She had been here for 50,000 years! If Mei had done something like this, Elysia knew Mei could be a Lightning Herrscher—but even non-Herrschers shouldn't be opening portals and vanishing from the Elysian Realm! After a moment's doubt, she dismissed the thought. Since it related to Aponia's prophecy, it must be that Mei left for a reason—even if it wasn't the method she expected.
Still, she wanted to know,
"So, what's actually going on here?"
She moved forward and lightly touched the door—only to have her hand pass straight through. Startled, she withdrew her finger.
Staring at the empty doorway in front of her, she stared blankly for a while, her eyebrows furrowing in thought. Finally, she said,
"Hmm… keeps this signal active… Let's alert the big shots, and then… cautiously step inside."
"This kind of baiting's for curious little girls, isn't it? ♪~"
Her tone shifted as she considered it for a moment, then she softly stepped through.
"Let me see what's inside, what kind of things are here… Is there another exit with unusual aura… Books? Maybe something interesting will happen, even if this realm's default beauty has lasted so long…"
Her voice faded away as she drifted into another space—without resistance, without hesitation—leaving the doorway behind for whoever might come next.
-----
Meanwhile, the girls were chatting away. Elysia walked back to catch up with the others and casually recounted everything she'd just seen—grabbing everyone's attention and putting them at ease.
Elysia teased innocently:
"So, Mei's been head-over-heels for Kiana all along? And a non-Herrscher's heart—Mei's close friend—is ALSO a Herrscher? ♪~"
Her cheerful tone melted away any residual tension. After all, being in another version of themselves was bound to stir up mixed emotions—excitement, confusion, curiosity.
Through light conversation, Elysia realized that the other version of herself shared similar mannerisms: even her choice of calling Mei "little Goblin Fairy ." Yet beneath that playful nickname were nuanced, added quirks.
Seele (the dark one) chimed in dryly:
"Yes, we're all Herrschers. In this Herrscher academy, everyone here is being trained."
Said, she seemed to glance at her dark red fingernails, remaining tweaked in tone—but even Luo Mo offered her praise, subtly impressed by the setting.
The largest crowd, Theresa, took it upon herself to set the tone.
"Hey, another me… you don't have to talk like that, or our headmistress here will get annoyed…"
She tugged at Seele's cloak, trying to smooth things over. The two of them, though visually identical in their uniforms (black and white), had developed their own dynamic — always together. Their matching outfits underscored their unity and mirrored roles in this shared narrative.
Then OG Elysia brightened,
"Another me, right? This is fun—you're not twins, are you?"
She looked over the two new Seeles, truly delighted—a thrill that even she admitted likely stemmed from having something relatable to call her own. After all, being able to wear a different outfit each day – imagine that!
Bronya, quiet but curious, spoke up,
"Seele, are two of you really appearing separately here in one world?"
She was obviously astonished that two copies of Seele could exist in parallel, evidently beyond explanation. Instantly, her gaze shot toward Luo Mo as if seeking confirmation.
At that moment, OG Mei coughed—more than once—which caught everyone's attention.
"…Actually, I'm also very curious how Seele became part of this Herrscher academy. What does St. Freya look like in this world?"
Mei looked flustered as she asked. The academy looked wonderful and was clearly a positive place… but there was something off—The headmistress didn't seem joyful. Her face was even darkened just moments ago.
OG Elysia quickly jumped in,
"We're all still curious — you newcomers shouldn't give us such minimal info! Like, at least show us the handbook we use here ♪"
She hopped forward, flustered to share every detail about Mei's Elysian Realm with their new friends — especially fitting since Mei now belonged to it. After all, meeting another version of yourself can't be the end — some curiosity has to follow, right? ♪