The Past.
World Serpent.
"Is this where class monitor stores her memories…?" Following behind Fu Hua, Kiana looked around the interior of World Serpent in amazement.
"The Elysian Realm is a training ground that helps future generations grow quickly. What's stored inside are all our memory constructs. They'll help you become stronger fast."
"You've started showing signs of reconciling with the Herrscher of the Void. That's a good thing. If you take advantage of this momentum, you might be able to turn your potential into real power."
Fu Hua subconsciously tried to push up her glasses, only to suddenly remember she was currently in a conceptual form… and didn't have glasses.
"Old Antique, what do you think Kevin's doing holed up in here all day?" Book of Fuxi curled her lip, criticizing Kevin's aesthetics with deep disdain.
Not to brag, but even the designs she drew blindfolded looked ten times better than this place.
"World Serpent isn't designed by Kevin… right?" Fu Hua thought for a moment and decided to defend him.
Book of Fuxi scratched her head, recalling: "Seems like you're right. That ice-block brain of his couldn't do this kind of work anyway."
"…"
Book of Fuxi suspiciously lifted her head and glanced sideways.
"Old Antique, what's wrong? Say something."
"Hua." Someone spoke, just not Fu Hua.
"!!!" Book of Fuxi shuddered instinctively, whipping around.
Kevin still wore the same expression he had carried for countless years. Su stood a short distance beside him, smiling gently, keeping just the right amount of space.
Kiana's face stiffened. Even though the misunderstanding had been resolved, the impression Kevin left on her back then still remained.
Crushing the world with his strength alone. That demonic scene was impossible to forget.
Watching Book of Fuxi cutely hide behind her, Fu Hua looked toward Kevin and Su and sighed lightly.
"Sorry, Kevin, Su. In my current state, I can't go."
Plans never keep up with changes. Fu Hua had already been mentally prepared to pull someone out.
But now like this, forget saving anyone, just maintaining her current condition was already a stroke of luck.
Kevin shook his head slightly. "It's fine. How's the separation condition?"
Fu Hua smiled faintly. "Not bad. Honestly, much easier than before."
Her original body was indeed the most compatible with her, but… for various reasons, it was also the most uncomfortable.
Now, in this conceptual form, things weren't as convenient as before, but the lingering discomfort that always clung with her physical body had disappeared.
Overall, aside from worrying about her body being carried around by the Herrscher to who-knows-where and possibly causing trouble, there wasn't much downside.
Seeing Fu Hua's complexion unchanged and her energy more vibrant than when they first saw her, Kevin silently felt reassured.
Although her body was gone, judging from the Herrscher's condition at that time, she wouldn't act recklessly.
The result: Fu Hua temporarily lost her body and was residing within Fenghuang Down, but in exchange, both her mind and spirit felt unburdened.
In his view, that was a good outcome.
Once they confirmed Fu Hua was really fine, Kevin and Su turned their attention to the silently standing Kiana.
"Hope everything goes smoothly for you in the Elysian Realm." That was the best words Kevin could offer.
But Kiana seemed to misunderstand.
"Uh, okay, thank you…" she nodded stiffly.
Elysian Realm… what a beautiful name. The class monitor even said it's a great place to grow stronger, filled with seniors of the Previous Era.
It… should be fine, right? Kiana deeply doubted that.
Seeing her nervousness, Fu Hua smiled softly, then her expression turned serious.
"Kiana, your identity and situation are special. To protect yourself, you need power that can protect you. The Elysian Realm can help greatly in that regard. Don't rush. Take it slow."
With Fu Hua's reassurance, Kiana's stiff expression eased.
Her little head bobbed up and down. By now, she fully understood her own circumstances.
Schicksal's Cecilia Shariac was her mother. Siegfried, who didn't match his impression of a knight at all, was her father. And she carried the Herrscher of the Void within her.
No matter how you looked at it, she was special.
Gaining strength to protect herself was necessary.
And another thing, it was something both Aunt Himeko and Mei were pushing for.
...
St. Freya Academy, kitchen.
While tidying dishes, Mei suddenly paused, a strange feeling washing over her.
She lifted her head as if guided by instinct. Sunlight struck the clear window, scattering bright reflections across the kitchen.
"I wonder how Kiana is doing…" Mei murmured softly.
....
"HAHAHAHA! Come on, Herrscher! Hit me with your best move!!!"
Boom!
Scorching flames raged across the place, devouring everything in sight, only to be smashed apart before they could even finish burning.
Kiana's eye twitched as she dodged desperately.
The result? The building behind her was inevitably obliterated and swallowed by roaring fire.
Panting lightly as she hid to the side, Kiana wiped her forehead and couldn't help complaining: "Is this guy even human? What's his problem?"
In the distance, within the flames, a man radiating murderous aura every moment stood tall.
Black clothes, an armguard protecting his left arm, a dark mask hiding his face.
His exposed muscles were sharply defined, emanating a fiery, powerful presence.
Flame-Chaser, Kalpas.
"Hey! You're so strong, don't you have experience fighting guys like this?!" Forced into a corner, Kiana shouted at the Herrscher.
"…Solve the mess you caused yourself."
After only a moment of silence, the Herrscher of the Void coldly hurled Kiana forward.
What a joke. If she had ever encountered that obviously inhuman thing, she would've been defeated instantly.
Neither of them knew much about the Flame-Chasers. They only knew they were the combat elites of the Previous Era.
And because Fu Hua wanted to avoid overwhelming Kiana's mind, she hadn't explained too much, only gave a few warnings.
Unfortunately… the one standing before them was one of the warnings.
Kalpas, before becoming a fusion warrior, he tore apart the Previous Era's Herrscher of Ice with his bare hands. His power was simply monstrous.
Most importantly, he was a pure combat-type Flame-Chaser.
And the memory constructs in the Elysian Realm all retained their fully-developed strength.
Especially someone like Kalpas, who was already absurd before fusion, and after becoming a fusion warrior, could reduce everything to ashes.
Starting off with a boss this strong, was that really okay!? Kiana screamed inwardly.
Even Bronya let me win the first round! Why does he get to beat me up right away!?
"Herrscher, do you only know how to dodge?!!" Kalpas roared, stomping the ground so hard cracks spidered out beneath him.
With a swing of his fist, his figure vanished.
But both of them felt the overwhelming sense of danger closing in,
At the critical moment,
"Kalpas~~!!"
...
"Is it really okay to let Miss Kiana enter the Elysian Realm alone?" Su asked worriedly.
If she were merely going alone, it would still be fine, and strictly speaking, Kiana wasn't really entering alone.
But there was a certain special existence inside the Elysian Realm.
There was no guarantee that Kiana's own "special nature" wouldn't draw his hostility.
"Don't worry, I already spoke with them beforehand," Kevin said.
The three of them all knew exactly who Su was worried about.
When Kalpas went mad, he really did charge forward like he was trying to die.
Fu Hua glanced at the two and asked, "Where did Mobius go?"
Using Su's abilities, Fu Hua had temporarily transferred the Fenghuang Down's feather elsewhere, with the intention of training Kiana.
Kiana didn't need attention for the moment, and Fu Hua's emptied mind was quickly occupied by this new thought.
Ever since her last appearance, Mobius had vanished without a trace.
Not that she was worried for Mobius's safety.
This was someone who had survived in any kind of brutal environment.
Her vitality was almost unheard-of. Fu Hua had never fully understood these scholars to begin with, and her impression of Mobius only deepened.
"Mobius… it's true we haven't heard from her for a while. But she's probably just holed up somewhere doing experiments."
After a moment of thought, Su said this and looked toward Kevin.
Kevin shook his head slightly.
He didn't know where Mobius had gone either. It was as if she had evaporated into thin air.
But he was certain: the moment anything happened, she would definitely show up.
······
Penacony.
Black Swan stepped gracefully out from a side alley, at ease and unhurried.
"So? How do you find Penacony's night scenery?"
Stopping elegantly beside Mobius, who was lazily leaning against a stone pillar, Black Swan let out a soft laugh.
"It's indeed beautiful. In my era, this kind of scenery was extremely rare." Mobius smiled slightly.
Her era certainly had night scenes like this, but very few people ever saw them.
Most people would rather hand their precious time over to an illusory future than spare even a second to look at a world on the verge of collapse.
A faint sigh rose in her heart.
It wasn't only the world that was unfair, its foundations bore down harshly and mercilessly.
Mobius had never believed in fairness.
If fairness truly existed, she would not be who she was now: Mobius, the scholar; Mobius, who single-handedly armed the previous civilization.
Talent was never fair. The world was no different.
"I'm a little curious about something," Mobius suddenly said. "Why was it that, the moment we met, you wanted to persuade me to come out with you?"
After their first meeting, Black Swan had tried very hard to coax her out, to come to this universe.
What was her motive? Mobius truly wanted to know.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm a Memokeeper," Black Swan chuckled, her eyes bright with curiosity.
"The moment I saw you, I knew, you're someone with a very long story. And you must know: for the Garden of Recollection, every piece of valuable memory is a priceless treasure. No one can resist such temptation."
The long years had given Mobius a wealth of experiences, and the trials she overcame were overflowing.
Even if the people of the previous era feared her, they had to admit it, Mobius did possess her own kind of charisma.
It was just that her charisma was usually overshadowed, at first meeting, by the image of a mad scientist.
Which meant few ever wanted to enter her inner world.
Well, there was a certain pink-haired fairy who always wanted to. Too bad Mobius never allowed it.
And the Garden of Recollection… their Memokeepers sought memories that could explain, illuminate, or reveal truth.
The Cremators devoted themselves to eliminating meaningless memories.
Yet to both sides, Mobius's memories were a treasure trove.
"A Memokeeper…" Mobius savored the word, then let out a soft laugh. "Don't you want to force open my brain? I don't have any resistance against you in my current state, you know."
Black Swan covered her mouth and laughed lightly, her waist bending slightly with the motion.
She believed Mobius's words, at least regarding consciousness.
Every Memokeeper, no every Pathstrider, was capable of shaking an entire world.
Even the followers of the Path of Elation.
When it came to causing trouble, that bunch of fun-seekers left everyone else in the dust.
Mobius… Black Swan admitted that this genius born from another world was indeed strong, but her strength lay in intellect, and maybe survivability.
In terms of pure, overwhelming force, Mobius didn't rank very high, at least not among beings that could rival an Aeon.
After laughing, Black Swan slowly straightened, a trace of lingering amusement still on her face.
"Memokeepers like interesting memories. We revere meaningful memories. We do crave people who carry such memories… but we never force anything."
"You should have met Rick."
Rick? Mobius thought for a moment, then recalled, yes, she had.
That madman obsessed with films. His crazed appearance even resembled Kalpas a little.
But the two were fundamentally different. Kalpas's madness came from distortion and loneliness; with Elysia's care, he was still explosive, but at least he could understand human language now.
Rick's madness came from obsession and idealistic pursuit.
A completely different root.
"Memokeepers are just like him, unceasingly devoted to the direction they pursue. Honestly, I didn't expect him to be that insane… or that capable." A glimmer of amazement flashed in Black Swan's eyes.
"He investigated Dr. Primitive all on his own. What a pity, if only a Galaxy Ranger or an Emanator from the Garden had been with him at the time."
Thinking of the possible scene, Black Swan's lips curved upward.
That would have been very entertaining indeed.
"A river of blood…" Continuing Black Swan's words, Mobius could perfectly picture it.
It would be… delightful.
Thinking of that, Mobius's hands slowly reached up to her cheeks, restraining herself, trying not to smile too broadly.
Not yet… it wasn't time yet~~
Seeing Mobius smile, Black Swan's own lips curled in delight.
Ah, she truly was lucky. She hadn't expected to find such premium memories on that trip.
Now she was eagerly anticipating the moment Mobius would draw the gaze of an Aeon.
If her guess was right, the Aeon most likely to take notice of Mobius would be the one who loved marking dangerous individuals across the universe: Nous, the Erudition.
Or perhaps another one, the Balance. or the Void or the Enigma. There were a variety of them who suited Mobius.