The chat room was flooded with dense, characteristic comments from the captains.
Lines of subtitles flashed continuously in the game.
The lights in the empty amusement park remained as they were.
The facilities continued to operate as usual, but only two girls stood facing each other, appearing close.
However, one of them had a look of hostility in her eyes, forming an invisible barrier between them.
"You... Who exactly are you?"
Mei clenched her fist tightly with one hand and coldly asked.
The Herrscher of Corruption, however, started awkwardly imitating Elysia's mannerisms and speech.
"Ah, have you forgotten about me after just a little while? Mei, you're being so heartless, I'm really hurt."
If Elysia said such things, it would be playful and lively.
But when the Herrscher of Corruption said it, it made people feel a chill, causing their blood pressure to rise.
It was like Otto Apocalypse speaking through Void Archives.
They were becoming emotionally uncontrollable!
And Mei's next words expressed what the players were feeling at that moment.
"Stop pretending!"
"We all know you're not her."
Mei was right!
Herrscher of Corruption! You're definitely not Elysia!!
"Hmm... Alright."
The Herrscher of Corruption seemed to give up at Mei's words: "If you're going to be so unappreciative, there's no need for me to continue pretending."
"Ah, I never expected to be outwitted by a 'friend'... I trusted Vill-V so much."
"Trust? I'm afraid that's not the case, right?"
Mei fixed her gaze on the Herrscher of Corruption who had stolen Elysia's appearance.
Hearing her speak in Elysia's voice, her anger surged.
The Herrscher of Corruption continued: "Don't say that, my dear Mei... I saw in their memories that she used to call you that, didn't she?"
"You..."
Mei gripped her weapon, almost unable to stop herself from striking her down immediately.
The players, seeing this, naturally raised both hands and feet in agreement, wishing Mei would split the Herrscher of Corruption into eighteen pieces.
"Hmm, what's with the anger?"
The Herrscher of Corruption put on an innocent expression: "It's so strange, I'm using your most familiar appearance and calling you your favorite name. Why aren't you happy?"
[Because you're not her, and you never will be!]
[Mei, stop wasting time, just attack!]
"It feels like... you really hate me?"
But with the next words of the Herrscher of Corruption, the players felt as though she was responding to them, and their expressions froze.
It was as if the script had predicted their reactions...
Unfathomable.
...
In the story.
The Herrscher of Corruption, seeing Mei's fiery temper, tried to calm her down and told her not to rush.
She said that although she was indeed the Herrscher of Corruption, she had no ill will toward Mei.
Mei naturally wasn't fooled by the Herrscher of Corruption's seemingly sincere words.
She directly asked, "Why did you take Elysia's form?"
"Oh, Mei, is that what you care about?" The Herrscher of Corruption seemed to realize, "The reason is simple, aside from wanting to make you feel more at ease, of course..."
"Don't you think I look extra cute with this face~♬"
She made a deliberately cute expression.
Players: ???
Everyone immediately dropped a question mark.
Isn't there a battle?
Stop talking.
Let's get to the action, show the HP bars!
Can we just beat down the Herrscher of Corruption already?
[Damn!! I'm really disgusted this time! Corruption! Get out of Elysia's body!!]
[Elysia uses eighth notes (♪), so Corruption, you use sixteenth notes (♬), huh?]
[Fake is fake! Even though it's the same Fairy Miss voice, it just sounds fake! I'm seriously annoyed.]
[This tone reminds me of the Herrscher of Domination, my blood pressure is rising. How does Fairy Miss manage to make a voice that sounds like -37°C with a 37°C throat?]
[The voice actress is amazing, but it doesn't change that I really want to beat up the Herrscher of Corruption right now.]
The players were furious because of the Herrscher of Corruption's words.
Their fists were clenched.
The Herrscher of Corruption kept talking:
"Ah... Mei, please don't look at me like that, okay? I'm sincere."
"Just because I'm the Herrscher of Corruption, I don't even have the right to choose my appearance?"
Mei snorted coldly: "You saying that is indeed quite surprising."
"Who made me take over her data?"
Take over?
It's clearly 'steal'!!
The Herrscher of Corruption pointed to her face, looking somewhat smug.
"You should know better than me, no one cherishes this unique beauty more than she—well, me now."
Mei suddenly calmed down.
She realized something was off in the Herrscher of Corruption's words.
Something's not right.
The Herrscher of Corruption said... she took over Elysia's data?
But Vill-V clearly told her that Elysia had been deleted.
Why would the Herrscher of Corruption tell such a meaningless lie?
Mei thought to herself.
And many players came to the same realization.
[Right! Why is the Herrscher of Corruption lying?]
[But does the Herrscher of Corruption even know how to lie? Maybe it doesn't understand, so it can't?]
[Don't underestimate the Herrscher! I think Corruption definitely has something else in mind!]
While Mei was lost in thought, the Herrscher of Corruption continued:
"When I accepted external data, I also kept growing."
"Because I gained life, I learned to fear death. Because I have a body, I understand the pursuit of beauty... Because I had nothing, I learned to cherish everything."
"I, born from nothing, am slowly beginning to understand the meaning of living. If you only think of me as humanity's enemy, you're misunderstanding me."
"Misunderstanding?" Mei never thought the Herrscher of Corruption would say that word.
Misunderstanding?
The heroes have sacrificed nearly half, and now you say it's a misunderstanding?
Do you think she will believe it?
Not just Mei, the players didn't believe it at all.
It was like the scriptwriter telling them the upcoming plot was romantic.
Yeah, right!
But the Herrscher of Corruption nodded without hesitation and seriously said:
"Yeah... I invaded Elysian Realm, that's an indisputable fact. After all, the foundation of my existence is corruption."
"But you must know, Mei, I've never had the thought of harming anyone, even if they're just data-constructed memories."
"And that's the truth. Look, everything in Elysian Realm hasn't disappeared."
Players: ???
You never had the thought of harming anyone?
Everything in Elysian Realm hasn't disappeared?
Then... Herrscher of Corruption, why don't you tell them where all the heroes went?
Where's my Kalpas? Where's my Vill-V? Bring them back!!
And the Herrscher of Corruption actually answered this question.
"Although they don't exist in the form you're familiar with, they're still with us now, right here…"
She pointed to her forehead: "...here."
"After the corruption, they became a part of me, and in return, I became a part of them."
"So... you can completely consider me the continuation of the heroes' lives. Wouldn't this make you a bit more excited?"
Excited?
Sss~~
The players thought their blood pressure was high enough.
But they didn't expect the Herrscher of Corruption to push it even higher.
The Herrscher of Corruption pointed to her head, suggesting they hit her head?
Exactly what they wanted.
They really, really, really wanted to punch through the Herrscher of Corruption's skull right now.
[Finally, someone more punchable than Otto!]
[Same new Herrscher, but why is the Herrscher of Sentience more popular than the Herrscher of Corruption? Corruption really needs to reflect on it.]
[???]
[This is the first time I've seen someone build such a big pedestal.]
[I can't take it anymore, the more I look, the angrier I get. Not saying anything else, I'll see you on the battlefield. By the time I'm done with Corruption, I'll write my name backwards.]
The players flooded the chat room with comments, their anger toward the Herrscher of Corruption evident.
However, for one of their questions...
Why is the Herrscher of Sentience more popular than the Herrscher of Corruption?
The answer was clear.
It was because the Herrscher of Sentience crushed the previous Schicksal Archbishop right when she first appeared.
Ahem.
Anyway, don't compare the Herrscher of Sentience to the Herrscher of Corruption. Does Corruption even compare?
...
And clearly, Mei also thought the Herrscher of Corruption didn't compare at all.
She lowered her eyes, hiding the flames of anger in her pupils.
"You invade here, manipulate everything, trample on the last traces left by these heroes in the world..."
And now you want me to be happy? Smile?
Mei was furious at this sacrilege.
"They died in front of me, and now you claim you're their continuation?"
[Mei is right!]
Mei's words were exactly what the players were feeling at that moment.
They stared more seriously at the story, wanting to see how the Herrscher of Corruption would respond to Mei's words.
The Herrscher of Corruption did not disappoint them.
She sighed, in an exaggeratedly fake way: "Sigh, alright, looks like no matter how I explain, I'm just a bad guy in Mei's heart now."
[...Corruption, why are you playing innocent? Aren't you the bad guy?]
[Heh... in my heart, you're not a bad guy. In fact, you should be dead.]
[Blood pressure rising, blood pressure rising.]
[Are all your skills focused on your mouth, new era Herrschers?]
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