Unable to withstand the blow, Kiana plummeted from the sky.
Seeing Kiana finally exhausted, Mei immediately dove down, reaching out to catch her hand.
Pulling her into an embrace, Raiden Mei descended, landing on the rooftop of Senba Academy.
She gently placed Kiana against the wall once more.
"Mei..."
Now powerless, Kiana could only watch as Mei prepared to leave.
Her trembling hand still reached out, trying to stop her.
"Kiana, if saving you is a sin... then I'll bear that sin. I'll fall into darkness so you can return to the light."
With her back turned, Raiden Mei bid her final farewell in a voice colder than frost.
Then, stepping to the edge of the hole she'd punched through the rooftop earlier, Mei leaped—
Only for a crimson dragon to swoop beneath her, carrying her away into the distance.
Watching Mei disappear, Kiana's last vestige of strength faded. She collapsed, unconscious.
Eventually, Einstein and the others found her and rushed her back for treatment.
When Kiana awoke, she was listless at first—but that haze soon cleared.
Gazing out the window, she clenched her fists.
"All this time... you were the one chasing after me. Now... it's my turn to bring you back."
...
"My, my~ If it isn't our dear Miss Mei? Finally decided to join World Serpent?"
As Kevin led Mei into World Serpent's base, Raven polished a glass, smirking at her.
Mei responded with only a frosty glare.
"So cold~! Alright, alright, head on in. Try not to be too shocked by what you find~."
Unfazed by Mei's attitude, Raven chuckled, already imagining the scene about to unfold.
(Tsk tsk. Raiden Mei, Raiden Mei... let's see if you can stay calm when you meet her.)
"Go. Inside lies the truth—everything about the Previous Era and the Flame-Chasers. You'll find the answers you seek."
Kevin kept his back turned, struggling to suppress his laughter.
"...Understood. I'll uncover the truth myself."
Assuming Kevin's aloofness was just his nature, Mei paid it no mind and stepped through the gates of the Elysian Realm.
"She's here~! The moment we've all been waiting for! Hehe, I wonder if Mei will be surprised~?"
The moment Mei entered, a pink-haired figure dragged Chang Yuan into view.
Chang Yuan had been reluctant at first, but Elysia had given him an offer he couldn't refuse:
"Don't you want to see the real me—the memory I left behind? Even if it's not truly 'me,' can you really bear not to look?"
Those words struck a chord in his heart, leaving him torn.
"Besides, Kiana's growth is what matters most. As long as she's unaffected, it doesn't matter if others know the 'script.' For a brighter future, Mei will surely play along with us~?"
After much persuasion, Chang Yuan relented.
(Absolutely not because he wanted to see Elysia's memorial. Absolutely not.)
The moment Mei stepped into the Elysian Realm, her consciousness was pulled into a strange space.
Surveying the arena-like surroundings, Mei frowned.
"Hi there~! You must be our new visitor! Let this dazzling, flower-like girl be your guide~?"
"Who are you? And... your voice sounds familiar."
This wasn't small talk or a pickup line—Mei genuinely felt she'd heard that voice before, even its playful lilt.
But its owner just giggled.
"Oh my~ Should I take that as flirting? How bold~! Teasing a girl you've never even met~? Though I do adore cute girls like you—but I like Yuan even more~?"
"...What am I supposed to do here? Is there a goal? Conditions to fulfill?"
Overwhelmed by the barrage, Mei chose to ignore the banter.
"No need for anything special~ Just follow the guidance, and everything will fall into place~?"
"Fine. One last question—who are you?"
"Asking again? I already told you~! I'm me—the dazzling, flower-like girl~?"
"..."
Clearly unsatisfied, Mei dropped the subject.
Then, monsters materialized in the arena.
Without hesitation, Mei annihilated them with her Herrscher powers.
As the last one fell, a strange light drifted into her body.
"What was that just now?"
"A reward for the challenger~ A gift from the Flame-Chasers of the Previous Era. Every visitor can grow stronger by clearing trials~?"
"..."
Mei felt like she'd stumbled into some RPG.
Nonetheless, she proceeded through each trial with ease until—
Her consciousness returned to the true Elysian Realm.
Projection screens, cryptic workshops, underground chambers, busy green creatures... and a lounge with a bar.
Then, her gaze landed on the figure seated there—
And Mei froze.
"Hi~ Long time no see. Or should I say... nice to meet you? The Herrscher of Thunder from the outside world—Miss Raiden Mei~?"
Noticing Mei's shock, the Elysian Realm's Elysia (a mere memory) understood immediately.
She also knew the "Elysia" watching nearby—the one pretending to be a replica but was actually the real deal—was here for Chang Yuan's sake.