Anna felt a bit annoyed.
Since leaving that hellhole of a family, this was the first time she had genuinely and intensely disliked a person, especially when that person persistently buzzed around her like a fly. She particularly wanted to swat that fly dead.
"Little Anna, you didn't come on time for dinner again..."
"I've eaten."
"Eh? Where did you eat?"
"In your room."
Anna secretly watched the nun shriek and rush back to her room, only to find that her hidden stash of snacks was completely gone, a moment she enjoyed with a sense of triumph.
Buzzzing around her non-stop would only invite her retaliation, which was also why other children didn't want to get close to her.
"I hate you. I've said this many times."
Anna glared at the nun and said.
The nun asked plaintively: "Why must you hate me?"
"Because I hated you from the first glance. That can't be changed. This is your 'destiny.'"
That was the only thing those two hateful people had ever taught her.
...
It was the winter solstice.
Anna sat on the edge of the orphanage balcony. Everything in her vision seemed so small, as if she could reach out and casually dismantle whatever she saw.
She felt like she would become a misanthropic vandal or a killer in the future. Just looking at this cold world gave her an urge to destroy it.
But even if she did become like that, it would still be destiny. There was nothing to complain about, and no need to think any further.
"Little Anna! That's too dangerous!"
Anna closed her eyes exasperatedly. With a side-step, she dodged the hand reaching for her and retreated from the balcony edge.
"Why do you always follow me?" Anna's patience was exhausted. She questioned her in a sharp tone, "Don't you feel annoying?"
"I know." Hina looked up with a smile. "But this is 'destiny.'"
"..." Anna was stunned.
"Little Anna hates me, but I don't hate Little Anna. This is destiny, right?"
Anna clearly hadn't expected that Hina had understood her way of speaking and was using it to counter her own words.
"You, you are talking nonsense!"
"If I'm talking nonsense, then wasn't Little Anna talking nonsense before?"
"It's not the same!"
"How is it not the same?"
"It's just not the same!"
Hina chuckled, her smile blossoming: "Pfft... Hahaha..."
"What are you laughing at?" Anna felt Hina was mocking her and questioned her even more angrily.
"I just realized... haha..." Hina was slightly breathless from laughter. "I realized Little Anna is actually quite similar to other children. She also throws tantrums. You are so cute."
"..."
"Little Anna?"
"Get lost!"
For the first time, Anna felt that constantly mentioning "destiny" might not be a good thing.
...
"Little guinea pig, why have you come to see me today?" Mobius sprawled on the conference table. Despite having the body of a child, she exuded a seductive beauty. Her eyes, like silken threads, stared at the Herrscher. "Or have you finally seen the light? Have you come to accept my gift?"
"Hmph, accept your gift? Let me guess, is it to implant a Honkai Beast into my body, or to stuff me into a Honkai Beast?"
"Oh my, your thinking is too narrow. Do I look like that kind of crazy scientist?"
"...Don't you?" Mei looked at her shrunken body and retorted.
"That's where you fall short compared to Lin, that pure human. Even he, a human fundamentalist, never called me a crazy scientist." Mobius ran her finger, wearing a fingertip sheath, through her long hair, smiling without warmth. "Besides, whether it's implanting a Honkai Beast or stuffing a person into one, neither seems like a good plan right now."
"But you are one of the people who created the Fusion Warriors." Mei looked at her coldly and proudly.
"Note that I said 'right now.' Haven't you ever looked back and thought your past self was unbelievably stupid?" Mobius's hand slid past her earring. She smiled with cold eyes, like a true snake.
Mei's eyes flickered, but she still said coldly: "Even if I have, it's none of your business."
"Hehe... Herrscher of Thunder, sometimes I truly admire you." Mobius's smile became increasingly cold, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. "Even when asking for a favor, you don't show any attitude of one. Among all the successors, only you dare to speak to me like this."
"Oh? So you're putting on an air of superiority now?"
"How could I~ Big sister~ I just think you're being very rude~" Mobius changed her tone, drawing out her words coquettishly.
"Has no one ever told you that you are sometimes really... disgusting?"
"Yes, but most of them are buried in the ground."
Mei and Mobius were uncompromising. At a time when Mei was gradually lowering her guard against Lin and Elysia, Mobius was the most unfathomable person in the Elysian Realm. After their first meeting, she seemed to be plotting something, but Mei, who was busy with Lin's affairs, had no time to spare for her.
Now, after visiting everyone else in the Elysian Realm and failing to get the information she wanted, Mei had no choice but to target the most dangerous person, Mobius.
Even Pardofelis, who appeared carefree and timid, showed a cold expression when Mei inquired about the information. She looked at Mei with hostile eyes for a second, as if Mei was trying to take away her precious treasure.
However, she quickly reverted to her usual smiling, saleswoman-like appearance. It happened so fast that Mei wondered if she had hallucinated.
Thus, having failed to get information from Pardo, she came here.
"I have a few questions for you. What are your terms." Mei knew it was impossible to simply get what she wanted from Mobius, but compared to the other Flame-Chasers, Mobius was more likely to engage in a transaction with her. "I want to know who knows Lin's age, appearance, and cause of death."
"...Hoh?"
Upon hearing the word "cause of death," Mobius first squinted and scanned Mei several times. Seeing no fear on her face, she quietly sneered.
Kevin and Lin, you two have truly given me a great gift.
"Someone once exchanged some insignificant things from me, and what he gave in return was his everything." Mobius rubbed her fingertip sheath, curling her lips. "So, what do you think you need to pay to exchange his 'everything' from me?"