No one knew how much time had passed.
Sakura and Elysia's emotions gradually settled once more.
Elysia spoke again, "I never imagined... you would one day confess your true feelings like this to someone else."
With her mood considerably improved, Sakura smiled faintly.
"Maybe it's because you don't quite count as 'someone else' anymore."
"Or perhaps... you could call it a kind of 'return.'"
A return to Elysia, who had always sincerely loved and treated everyone equally.
As mentioned earlier, due to the fusion factor of Yaksha, Sakura had an extraordinary sensitivity to a person's aura, and in the Elysian Realm, the unique nature of memories further amplified this ability.
Thus, Sakura was able to perceive many things that others tried to hide.
Like with Rin.
And... like with Elysia's fate.
"...It's a beautiful ending, right?" Elysia simply smiled.
Sakura admitted, "After all, I'm not the one who holds the memory. What I can sense from the aura are only the subtle emotions involved."
"So... I believe it must be a beautiful ending."
"That I left this world before you... is truly my one regret."
"...Sorry, that was a bit strange. Forget I said it. I was just wondering—if I had witnessed your conclusion, would I have become someone entirely different?"
"You're being too dramatic. I'm not the kind of person who likes to preach."
Elysia placed her hands on her hips and struck a playful pose. "It's because none of you ever changed... that I love you all so much..."
"That's true," Sakura agreed with a nod.
At this point, with Elysia gently guiding the conversation, the atmosphere began to lighten.
The faint sorrow that had hung over the story was dispelled.
Even the players' emotions began to ease subconsciously.
But Elysia, who was immersed in the story, wasn't relaxed at all.
Because...
She knew this part of Elysia's story was about to end abruptly.
And based on the earlier developments, she could already guess what was coming.
As expected.
Just as Sakura and Elysia's conversation neared its conclusion...
"And although it is a regret... I truly hope that situation never comes to pass. Otherwise, there'd be one more thing I couldn't bear."
"What do you think, Elysia?"
"..."
The expected response never came.
Players' hearts collectively skipped a beat. The emotional relief they had just begun to feel instantly tensed up again.
In that moment, they all knew what had happened.
But...
They couldn't accept it.
Why now?
She disappeared right in front of Sakura? That's too cruel!
Scriptwriter, did the Herrscher of Corruption get to you too? How else could you write something this cold?
[Stop! Scriptwriter! At least not at this moment!!]
[The Corruption Herrscher really knows how to time her strikes (stab) (stab)]
[Dun—Dun—Dong! Cardiac arrest.]
Sakura, recalling her earlier words, quickly turned around, hoping it was all just one of Elysia's usual pranks.
"...Elysia?"
But in this moment, aside from herself—there was no one else.
Impossible.
For someone who was once called an assassin, for the leader of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, it should be impossible for anyone to disappear without her noticing.
"Wait, this is..."
The moment she sensed a certain aura, a chilling terror followed.
It was...
The aura of Corruption—and only Corruption. She couldn't be mistaken.
As a warrior, she instantly knew—within the Elysian Realm, she was no match for the Herrscher of Corruption.
So, in the next instant—when she was about to be taken—
She didn't hesitate to unleash her ultimate technique—Moment Blade.
A slash capable of freezing space itself.
She carved open a space within the data stream that Corruption couldn't reach, then hid inside.
Although it allowed her to survive, Sakura passed out inside that sealed space.
...
At this point in the story, the game screen went completely black, paused for a moment.
Only the barrage of livestream comments continued to pour in:
[Wait... I still can't process this. Big Elysia just disappeared like that?]
[Just—poof—and she's gone? Corruption is that powerful? Elysia couldn't even fight back?]
[Didn't Corruption say it herself earlier? That Elysia didn't resist at the time.]
[...But why didn't Elysia resist?]
[Who knows what that woman was thinking at that moment. Hmph.]
As the players speculated...
After a long while—
"Ugh..."
Subtitles finally reappeared on the pitch-black screen.
"Where... am I?"
It was Sakura, awakening from unconsciousness.
Still dazed, she struggled to regain control over her senses.
"I... escaped, didn't I..."
That incredibly dangerous aura she remembered still clung to her like a parasite.
"And afterward... what happened... Kalpas... did he get my message?"
That man...
He received it. And he delivered.
Just as Sakura was deep in thought—
A voice came from beside her.
"...Don't worry, Sakura."
"It's me."
It was Su's voice.
His calm and steady tone exuded immense reassurance.
At least for the players—and for Sakura—he brought a sense of peace the moment he spoke.
They could once again focus on the situation at hand.
"...Su."
As her senses extended outward again, light began to return to the darkness.
What appeared before her was a narrow, enclosed space.
And atop a blue Crystal Flower lay a single vibrant green leaf.
That composition...
Simple, yet profound. One could say—utterly brilliant.
Just looking at it reminded players that Su and Kevin were totally best bros.
Griseo really had "a bit of something," worthy of being a renowned artist—especially for those "private sketches."
Ahem.
Anyway, back on track.
Thanks to Su's explanation, Sakura quickly understood the situation.
"I slept for so long... What's happening outside?"
"Not good," Su replied. "If my guess is right... the Herrscher of Corruption has already descended upon the Elysian Realm."
Corruption—Su spoke the word without hesitation or doubt.
And with just that statement, Sakura understood everything.
She murmured, "So it really happened... No wonder I didn't notice a thing..."
Then suddenly remembering what had happened earlier, she urgently asked:
"Then... what about Elysia?"
The only answer she received... was a sigh.
"..."
Elysia's fate had been sealed by that single sigh.
That moment. That night...
So sudden. So completely unguarded...
Elysia...
The final thread of hope—extinguished.
"I understand."
The emotion contained in those four words—players felt like they could relate.
Because they too were like that, back then.
From disbelief... to being forced to accept reality.
It was a most painful realization.
To be honest, even now, it was still too painful to revisit.
"Su, how did you find me?"
"Kalpas provided a clue..."
Su explained to Sakura.
Following Kalpas' guidance, he reached the place where Sakura had vanished.
Using the 2nd Divine Key—Key of Revelation, he entered the frozen space and found the sleeping Sakura.
"In addition... Vill-V left behind a message that also pointed me to your location."
"Vill-V?"
That was a name Sakura hadn't expected.
Su mentioning Kalpas made sense. After all, when she had used Moment Blade, she had deliberately left a clue for Kalpas.
She trusted he would understand how to use it.
That was her faith in her comrade.
But Vill-V... she couldn't quite understand.
"Vill-V... she has also fallen. But she left a puzzle behind, asking me where in the Elysian Realm could one be safe."
It was part of Vill-V's triple-layered puzzle.
The first answer Su deciphered: the sealed space carved by Moment Blade.
The Herrscher of Corruption did not possess the powers of the Herrscher of the Void, nor did she have the 2nd Divine Key.
Therefore, she couldn't yet reach the place where Sakura was hiding—making it truly a "safe" place.
[Vill-V, my superhero!]
[Vill-V is still contributing!!]
However...
Things weren't as optimistic as the players had hoped.
Because Sakura had already been corrupted.
The players who noticed this immediately dropped a question mark in the chat.
So today's story... really won't let them breathe for even a moment, huh?
But before they could respond, something changed again.
Sakura suddenly realized the dark green haze that had once clung to her... was dissipating.
"What did you do to me? I should've... already been corrupted..."
"I am a healer, after all. Ignoring those in need goes against my nature."
That was Su's reply.
And what he had done...
Was to swap a portion of his own data with Sakura's—taking on the Corruption himself.
To put it in simpler terms—
He cut his own flesh to feed Sakura.
[I don't know why, but "cutting flesh to feed Sakura" just popped into my mind.]
[What the heck is with this phrase???]
[Weird, too weird.]
[And yet... it fits Su's character perfectly. After all, in the current era, Su was basically seen as a Buddha. His Ego Fall was even a peacock.]
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