"A newcomer's orientation handbook? Well, you're not entirely wrong. If more people really do start coming over here in the future, maybe it's something worth considering."
Surprisingly, Luo Mo actually agreed with the idea. Instead of having to explain everything again and again to every newcomer, it made more sense to just hand them a handbook — ideally one that clearly outlined the status of Herrschers in this world: beings that absolutely ranked above national-level protected species.
After all, no matter how you put it, there were only thirteen of them — a far rarer group compared to the kinds of creatures that could just multiply naturally. That alone made them enviable.
...Even if it did sound a little weird.
As for actually making the handbook? That was just a passing comment for now. The dimensional pathway between the worlds hadn't been officially established yet, nor had the two worlds formed any kind of diplomatic relationship. Realistically, he could calculate with ease that there wouldn't be too many arrivals anyway.
He squinted over at Elysia. Regarding this other-world Elysia, he was definitely entitled to a bit of curiosity — but she wasn't some evil threat that would corrupt everything and vanish, right?
Hearing this, Elysia's face twisted slightly in dismay, as though recalling some unpleasant memory. She quickly waved it off and pleaded,
"...Okay, but just to be clear, don't hand the handbook-making to me! Even the things you love doing can get exhausting eventually, you know ♪~"
Let someone like Griseo handle that kind of work instead~ Just like the time she put together the St. Freya teaching materials — Elysia had been very proud of that effort. But that didn't mean every single task should be shoved onto her. After all, she wasn't some corporate office worker...
Suddenly, she understood why Griseo had been so stressed over it. Client-side demands were often ridiculous — completely unreasonable! The chaos that followed them around could turn even someone as cheerful as Miss Pink Elf into a bundle of headaches.
"Things you love doing, huh... I'm suddenly curious. Elysia, what do you love so much that you're willing to do it over and over?"
Original Mei asked, thoughtfully resting her chin on her hand while looking at Elysia, who was wearing pale-colored loungewear. Her eyes sparkled with subtle curiosity.
In this peaceful place, Elysia had been her most frequent companion. Mei had learned a lot about her personality — though there were still deep secrets she hadn't yet explored. Those unknown parts might be revealed in future stories, but for now, living harmoniously with them here had made her wonder if she'd been wrong to be so wary.
Maybe she didn't need to stay guarded. Maybe… Elysia truly meant well.
"Like… compiling teaching materials? Or doing voice acting for characters?"
Luo Mo raised an eyebrow and added with a sly smile.
Let's set aside the voice acting for now. But teaching materials… As soon as Mei heard that, memories of her time in the Elysium realm with Pardo began to surface. She had absorbed a ton of information there and had even enjoyed sharing what she'd learned — about Kosma, about Kalpas, and so on. Elysia had even written an entire book on the topic!
Whether it was explaining the taboo of Kalpas's mask, or offering commentary on the quiet and reserved Kosma, Elysia's passion for documenting interesting facts was crystal clear.
"Teaching materials, huh... That did come up from Pardo's side. Elysia really has written quite a few... um... 'lightly embellished' works."
Her tone was difficult to pin down — a mix of admiration and quiet pain — but she still managed to answer. As her lips twitched and she let out a subtle sigh, she added,
"What about voice acting? Don't tell me... was that Elysia voicing Elysia? I mean, that game's casting choice really gave me a weird feeling — like, having Valkyries and figures from ancient civilization doing their own voices..."
"Guess Schicksal really took that game seriously."
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked toward Luo Mo, and at the same time, the others from her world shared the same reaction — eyebrows furrowed, all eyes on him.
"..."
Bronya silently thought to herself — those were words she felt like she should've been the one to say. She wanted to say that Bronya was the real Herrscher of Reason… but she held back.
"Mei... has changed a lot," she thought privately, casting a sideways glance toward her.
"Taken seriously by Schicksal, huh...? A... I'll need to look more into its influence and support. But if that's the case... maybe it's not so strange after all ♪~"
OG Elysia smiled gently in reply. Her voice carried a trace of nostalgia and emotion — but she quickly returned to her usual light-hearted self.
Luo Mo picked up the thread of the conversation, coughed awkwardly twice, and said,
"Ahem ahem — this game really is saving the world, after all. So, when you think about it, every single person doing voice work for it is, in a way, making a noble contribution to that cause."
"Yeah... everyone's fighting for a more beautiful world," he added, with a note of sentiment.
"..."
OG Kiana gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing.
Those familiar lines being used here felt oddly... off somehow.
But—
Well, it wasn't entirely wrong either.
"So, next... shall we look at things from Mei's perspective? Over in that place called... the Elysian Realm?"
She tilted her head, her blue eyes watching Mei's expression closely. The warmth she once saw there seemed a little colder now.
Mei had suffered a lot, Kiana thought silently with a tinge of sadness.
"..."
Elysia lowered her eyes beneath her pink bangs, then asked curiously,
"So now, can we watch the rest of the story in the Elysian Realm? If any of those heroes act too differently from us... I will be upset, you know~?"
"If you mean the '13th Herrscher' or the true self of the Flame-Chasers," Luo Mo said frankly, "then you might be disappointed. They're exactly like you... in every way."
To be honest, the tragic ending of the heroes still weighed on him. He was genuinely curious about how Elysia would react upon seeing that.
Was it weird that he felt a little excited about it?
It had been a long time since he felt this mix of anticipation and fascination.
"The 13th... Herrscher?"
OG Mei furrowed her brows, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Elysia.
She needed an explanation for that term.
OG Theresa and the others, meanwhile, stared wide-eyed at the long-haired pink girl in front of them, instinctively putting a little distance between them. The sudden mention of "Herrscher" made them tense.
"Even if I am a Herrscher, I'm one from the previous civilization, okay?"
Elysia frowned slightly, confused.
"And besides... didn't I already explain everything to you at the end, Mei?
Wasn't you the one I was waiting for all this time?"
She was so sure—so certain—that Mei was the one she had been waiting for.
And Mei... surely wouldn't disappoint her, right~?
"Previous civilization's Herrscher... huh.
So, you really are a Herrscher? Then... me joining World Serpent— Wasn't there anything shady behind that?"
Mei asked, suddenly sharp and clear-headed.
If both of them were Herrschers, there might be more to this connection than she realized.
"To meet a future Herrscher like you really was my wish," Elysia replied with a gentle smile.
"Kevin made it come true for me~"
"But just to be clear—" she added, "I'm not the 13th Herrscher. You guessed wrong~"
Luo Mo didn't say anything more. He just shrugged and stepped forward to adjust the screen display.
It was time to give the newcomers a little "welcome gift."
The scene began with Elysia's death—
And fittingly, ended with her as well.
-----
From that first meeting—
The first time encountering the pink-haired girl—
Compared to what happened afterward in the story,
That first meeting had seemed almost too beautiful, like it was wrapped in a rosy veil.
"How does it feel... hmm~?"
A candle flickered in the darkness, casting a charming smile.
Her fingertip gently touched the curve of her lips.
Then came the journey:
Fighting Mobius, Kalpas, Aponia—
And ultimately breaking the prophecy of death set ten days ahead.
"That day, she stood in front of me and told me about her fate— that in ten days, she would disappear.
And on the fourteenth day..."
Aponia's gentle voice echoed like a chant,
Proclaiming the feelings that girl held at the time.
There was fear... but also peace, and acceptance.
It made Aponia notice her, and look forward to her.
That long journey through the Elysian Realm,
Protecting all its secrets—
And at the very heart of it, lay one final hidden space:
The Eternal Elysium.
That was where all of Elysia's secrets and feelings were stored.
In the grand hall of the golden court,
The light-blue dressed Elysia stood beside Luo Mo, both watching the scene unfold.
For newcomers to the story, observing their reactions was almost entertainment in itself.
Especially when the timing was off, like now.
At this moment, OG Elysia was clearly a little embarrassed—
Because none of the other Flame-Chasers were here to share the heat of the St. Freya group's intense gazes.
"Aha... so there was an extra Elysium hidden behind the Elysian Realm,"
OG Mei said calmly, glancing at Elysia.
That look in her eyes...
It carried strength, as if she were stating something completely ordinary.
"... Well, you can't really blame me for that.
Aponia wanted to make it the final test, and you know...
I've never been good at rejecting someone's kindness,"
Elysia scratched her cheek and tried to explain.
She didn't want to leave Mei with any kind of bad impression.
"Mei~ Even the Elysian Realm is testing you like this, hiding so many secrets... how could you not come back~?"
Kiana pulled out her rarely-used Acting Cute Technique, something she seldom used now that she'd become the Herrscher of Flamescion
---
And then, even Elysia herself, supposedly one of the masters of the so-called Elysium realm, was left stunned by what came next in the story.
As script pages scattered like snowflakes from the Elysian Realm's terminal, they were all filled with the words "Elysia dies" — over and over again, in everyone's eyes.
She stared in disbelief, pointing a trembling finger at herself,
"Huh? How did I just... suddenly die like that~♪"
"Hey? Mind explaining this a bit?"
She poked another "version" of herself, pursing her lips in confusion.
"Don't be hasty, don't be hasty. Maybe this... is just the beginning?"
Elysia-in-casual-clothes blinked playfully, clearly not holding back any sarcasm toward her alternate self. The tone was mischievous, even teasing.
Without a beginning like this, how could it truly live up to the name Elysian Realm: Fractured Ice?
Kiana watched in silence.
She wouldn't say it aloud, but inside... maybe she was feeling just a little bit satisfied.
As the symbolic "heroic life cards" within the Elysian Realm began shattering one after another, Elysia's pupils also visibly contracted, and she instinctively took a sharp breath.
Mei furrowed her brows tightly. She glanced down at herself, then closed her eyes to concentrate, trying to sense any abnormalities.
Only when she confirmed there were none did she let out a soft sigh of relief.
In the process, as she saw the little ribbon on her chest gradually fade into an icy illusion, she finally understood what Pardo had meant.
Even Mei couldn't help but take in a deep breath at that realization.
The others present, once whispering and commenting, had now all gone silent—quietly absorbing the heroes' final battle.
This was their last act.
To the one who was the most mad, who cast away the meaning of survival—He fought on to the very end.
To the one who took the most joy in pain and truth—she endured tribulations again and again as a mere mortal.
Each blink-of-an-eye decision came with a lifetime of torment.
She always bore the pride of an elder sister.
The spiral of karma, shedding her innate arrogance—
She finally gave everything for the original Herrscher.
The greatest performance wasn't something she had to complete—
But it had to go through her hands.
The dawn's light was just the stars coming first.
Infinity existed for the sake of another's eternity.
Each heroic light flickered like that—
And when crisis descended, they each shone in their own way.
Until the golden truth became real,
Until self-sacrifice brought victory from an impossible miracle,
Until the erosion was completely swept away.
Mei was both the catalyst and the observer—
Witnessing the tales of heroes, inheriting the legacy of the [Flame Chaser].
And that was all.
Just a simple story—
A brief echo of the past—
Yet, even now, it made everyone present calm their hearts, listening with silent reverence.
---
"...If... if I hadn't come here...
This would've been the entire story."
Mei took a deep breath and swallowed back her intense, mixed emotions.
She looked at Elysia—
In her eyes, a light that flickered with uncertainty.
Elysia...
The original Herrscher—
From beginning to end, she faced the world with her true self.
Never before had Mei believed in the person before her so deeply.
And how could anyone not trust her?
After all... Elysia herself, was the very embodiment of a garden, a paradise.
"..."
OG Elysia stared at the screen, dazed.
Those familiar and unfamiliar lights of her companions...
That future playing out like a theater piece...
Without realizing it, tears slipped from the corners of her smiling eyes.
So she could cry...
She blinked, trying to wipe them away,
But even so, the dam had already broken.
"Geez... seriously...
Those little rascals—how could they just all go off fighting on their own like that?
You're supposed to work together, you know... seriously..."
She laughed while crying, her throat choked with fierce emotion.
"It makes me feel at peace... seeing this.
And you—
You think I could ever be a traitor?
Between us... betrayal was never even a possibility.
Just trust me..."
Her voice trembled, her thoughts trailing off.
As she watched her teammates each win battles on their own, yet also act with such mutual doubt,
She truly regretted not being there with them—right on the battlefield.
(T/C:... Ellie, give OG Ellie and hug)
"...The truth is," Mei said solemnly, her heart a mess of emotions,
"Without you, the cohesion among the heroes... did seem a little fragile.
But still—
They all followed your intentions,
And because they trusted you, Elysia,
They chose to believe in one another...
And together, they managed to take down that corrupted Herrscher."
Mei had once been upset about how harsh the trial was.
But seeing how each hero had sacrificed themselves, like moths to a flame,
Just to resurrect Elysia...
Her heart had grown solemn and still.
She once again deeply understood how important Elysia was to all of them.
The one who determined the life and death of the Elysian Realm, the key to its fate, was not the collective, nor the majority—it was Elysia. And that point was displayed and emphasized with remarkable subtlety. Without Elysia, there would be no Thirteen Flame-Chasers.
"...Also, I'm very sorry. It really was me who caused the collapse of the Elysian Realm. Perhaps Aponia's prediction wasn't wrong—maybe she truly did see something..."
With that, Mei bowed her head and sincerely apologized to Elysia.
"Mei... I don't blame you, and no one else does either. We were always going to fade away sooner or later. Everyone knew this—after the Stigmata project began, it was only a matter of time... But, speaking of the erosion, it's not necessarily a bad thing."
OG Elysia gently squeezed Mei's hand, giving her warmth.
"She allowed those unfulfilled promises to be realized in a different way. She helped us make up for the regrets that lingered in our hearts. And those incomplete wishes? They were fulfilled from a completely unexpected angle... I don't think that's a bad thing at all ♪~"
"To die with regrets in our hearts, or to go out in the most radiant way possible—you see, isn't that what all of them did? They each met their ends in the way they hoped for, and in a way… isn't that rather romantic too? ♪"
She looked at Mei, her eyes glistening with tears but filled with light.
She had never let a single hardship keep her down for long. She always encouraged the people around her, no matter how dire the situation.
Because she was that kind of person—always optimistic, never letting sorrow hold her back, never regretting missing her time among the stars.
Luo Mo didn't comment on this, but he did glance at Elysia's tear-streaked face from the corner of his eye. To be honest, after the Elysian Realm scenario ended, seeing this beautiful girl silently crying again was extremely rare—and he still regretted not being able to preserve a keepsake of the moment.
Kiana, on the other hand, had been so swept up in the sorrowful scenario earlier that she hadn't even noticed Mei being "taken away." From her perspective, Elysia's current state was a perfectly understandable emotional response—especially considering how she had been the one holding the enemy at bay.
These Flame-Chasers... was their legacy, their fire, now passed down to Mei through civilization? That light, that warmth, could be seen in their resistance against the Herrscher of Corruption in the video.
"Elysian Realm... past civilizations... so many things were happening in corners of the world we never even saw," Theresa said with grief and regret, wiping away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
It had truly been a beautiful story—but not one with a happy, united ending.
"If the MANTIS of that realm can really help fight against the Honkai... then, could you all possibly...?" she tentatively asked Elysia, full of hope.
As the Overseer of Schicksal, she had already quickly adapted to this entirely new situation.
"Ah... that..." OG Elysia hesitated, not immediately refusing but clearly uncertain. She glanced at her "other self," visibly curious.
Why was another version of her here, getting along so well with St. Freya Academy? There were clearly many key events missing between the two versions.
Moreover... why did this "other her" still retain some of her powers in the real world?! Why didn't she have that herself?
For the first time, the pink-haired fairy lady found herself distracted by the question of whether she was truly the "real" Elysia.
"How did you even think of trying to leave? Among all the Flame-Chasers, only Mobius really had the desire to escape. But you... you actually brought all of them out too! Teach me how you did it~"
She turned to her "other self," sincerely and earnestly asking. She believed that if it were truly possible... then surely...
"Aiya~, it was just a lot of coincidences. But, but... it was all Luo Mo's doing! Later, even Kevin almost challenged him to a duel over it ♪~"
Elysia giggled, covering her mouth and glancing playfully at Luo Mo. Then, like flowing ink, she slipped to the side, waiting to see what would happen next.
"If Kevin really did challenge me to a duel, do you think I'd still be standing here?" Luo Mo replied helplessly. "Even if I'm a Herrscher... there's no way I'd survive that."
"Ai... Ah, so it really was you? That's... really impressive," Elysia said, still being herself—able to catch the heart of the matter, even while smiling.