"It seems I was right... Due to the influence of Corruption, the Elysian Realm is no longer as stable as before."
"What's the point of that?"
With a flick of her hand, the Herrscher of Corruption mended the fracture Mei had created.
Then, after showcasing her overwhelming strength, she winked at Mei—just one eye.
Using Elysia's face to make that expression—it was cute.
But she's the Herrscher of Corruption!
Seeing her use Elysia's face to make that expression only made players' blood boil.
You're not allowed to make that expression with Elysia's face!
"Hmph."
Mei scoffed and continued exposing the truth the Herrscher of Corruption was hiding.
She speculated that the method Kalpas used to force the Herrscher out of hiding was the same as her own now:
By damaging the Elysian Realm directly.
Because for the Herrscher of Corruption, the Realm now served as her medium of existence. Destroying it would be shaking the very foundation of her survival.
So even if she appeared able to repair the fissures with ease…
Given the current situation, Mei had already understood—
Even though the Herrscher of Corruption wielded far greater power within the Realm than in reality, she was ultimately not omniscient or invincible.
And the fact that she had to mimic Elysia's behavior further restricted her actions.
"That's why you showed up to stall me—because I'm a greater threat than Kalpas, and keeping me distracted gives you time to continue with your plan."
"A reasonable hypothesis, but... that's all it is."
The Herrscher of Corruption couldn't refute it, but refused to show weakness: "Even if you've identified all my weaknesses, you still can't stop me from corrupting the Realm."
"The power gap between us... is still something you can't overcome, isn't it?"
However, this kind of forced bravado only made her seem desperate.
And seeing her panic instantly filled everyone with satisfaction.
There's simply nothing more satisfying than watching the Herrscher of Corruption lose composure.
"Maybe so."
Mei remained calm. "But at the very least, I've already achieved my goal."
The Herrscher of Corruption: ???
"You haven't realized it yet? While we were chatting, the aftershock from my last strike has already spread across the entire Realm."
"Those two with special roles within the Realm won't miss this signal."
Mei crossed her arms, channeling her "Mei-1" energy, and declared:
"And now... the response is here."
Just as she spoke, a bright white light shone in the distance.
The blinding light enveloped everything.
"So, let's begin again... Herrscher of Corruption!"
Who could it be?
Su? Aponia?
Players immediately thought of the two remaining administrators in the Realm.
But the voice that followed surprised them.
"Good... I'm not too late."
It was—Sakura!
The one who appeared now was none other than the long-missing Sakura!?
[It's Sakura! She's here!!]
[As expected of Brother Kalpas's most trusted comrade—reliable when it counts!]
[Sakura, my superhero!]
...
Even though the story now hinted at an epic battle between Mei and Sakura against the Herrscher of Corruption, some matters still needed to be clarified before the next confrontation unfolded.
The game camera shifted abruptly.
The timeline rewound to several days earlier.
Elysia and Sakura met in the archive room.
"Sakura, do you still choose to trust me?"
It had been a long time since players heard Elysia's voice in-game.
Especially since they had just been tormented by the Herrscher of Corruption—Elysia's gentle voice felt like a spring breeze.
So pleasant, so beautiful. And the Herrscher of Corruption... not worth mentioning.
Back to the topic.
Elysia asked Sakura whether she still trusted her.
But Sakura didn't seem to understand what Elysia meant.
"What's the matter, Elysia? It looks like you have something to say to me." Her expression remained calm.
This peaceful conversation reminded many players of how serene the Realm once was.
But now…
Such peace was no longer possible.
Some even felt like they'd just been stabbed by a small emotional knife.
"I'm just a little worried... There probably won't be any situation in the Realm that requires you to draw Kurikara again, right?"
Elysia knew very well the original purpose of that blade...
It was meant to purge traitors and eliminate rebels.
Even Aponia had invoked her Edict to limit (or rather, protect) Sakura's use of the weapon. It stored memories when wielded, and upon being unsheathed, it would release them back at Sakura—amplifying psychological trauma.
So Elysia proactively started this conversation, because she didn't want Sakura to draw that blade against anyone in the Realm again.
"There... won't be any traitors here."
Sakura's answer was a long silence.
Then, at last, her voice came from the other side.
"Elysia, I just want to confirm one thing."
"Sure... If it's a secret between girls, I'm all ears. So, what do you want to know?"
"..."
And then, Sakura revealed what she had been keeping secret.
She had known for a long time that Rin had died—at the hands of the Herrscher of Corruption.
Elysia's eyes widened in shock.
[So Sakura... had known all along?]
[The other heroes hid Rin's fate from Sakura to spare her the pain, but Sakura hid her knowledge to spare them from worry?!]
[This is the true bond between heroes—so much more real than the so-called "love" the Herrscher of Corruption preached earlier.]
That's right. To everyone's surprise, Sakura had long known the Herrscher of Corruption was her younger sister.
The Yasha genes gave her an acute sensory perception, which was further amplified within the Realm—allowing her to detect fragments of the truth hidden in others' memories.
Though she had lost the object of her revenge, and seemingly the meaning behind it as well, the fire of vengeance never stopped burning in her chest—just like Kalpas, she was never truly at peace.
"Eden always says, 'May time stand still in this moment,' but I'm the one who most desperately wishes time could stop."
"Some things must end abruptly—for a fleeting moment of beauty to remain eternal."
Some players were surprised to find themselves truly understanding Sakura's complicated emotions.
They genuinely agreed with her words.
They should've stayed in the Elysian Realm back then—savoring that fleeting, eternal peace instead of rushing ahead in the story.
That way...
They would never be stabbed by the plot. Elysia would still be alive, inside the Realm.
Some things are better left unfinished.
Because the moment you march into the future, everything gets swept into chaos and pulled toward... some unpredictable ending.
All thanks to that MiHoYo scriptwriter.
Who never—ever—knows when to stop typing!!
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