Although her intuition told her the likelihood of Kevin being the traitor was low, she still needed to be prepared for betrayal at any moment.
After all, the Elysian Realm outside had already collapsed, and she couldn't contact World Serpent in reality. To return safely, the only one she could truly rely on was herself.
"In that case, you should rest and recover here first. It seems we'll only understand what happened once the Expert personality awakens." Mei sighed helplessly, preparing to bid farewell to Vill-V and continue her search for clues.
However, before she left, Vill-V looked at the long blade in Mei's hand and remarked, seemingly casually, "The Seven Thunders of Retribution can record the memories of enemies it has slain. Sakura searched for it for tens of thousands of years, yet it's only fully repaired now. It's a pity her current whereabouts are unknown, otherwise, she could have personally witnessed her own past."
Memories of slain enemies?
A thought struck Mei. As far as she knew, the Previous Era's Seven Thunders had always been Sakura's personal blade. Sakura's recent disappearance was also linked to finding clues about her sister.
From information provided by Elysia earlier, Mei already knew that Rin had indeed died by Sakura's own hand. If she could access the memories from that time, perhaps she could deduce Sakura's movements.
With this in mind, she discreetly took her leave from Vill-V and found a deserted corner to begin accessing Sakura's memories through the blade.
Lost in thought as she departed, she didn't notice the intriguing expression in Conductor Vill-V's eyes behind her.
...
Zzzzt~
A bright arc of electricity flashed. The Seven Thunders of Retribution slipped from Mei's grasp and stabbed straight into the earth.
Pale-faced, Mei clutched her forehead with one hand, her eyes filled with pain. It took a long while before she recovered, letting out a long, shaky breath.
"Herrscher of Sentience, Herrscher of Corruption, Sakura, Rin..." Mei hadn't expected so many lives to have ended by this blade. The sheer volume of memories almost overwhelmed her consciousness.
Fortunately, the protection of her Herrscher authority prevented anything catastrophic.
Even so, these fragmented memories offered a terrifying glimpse into the horrors of the Previous Era's Honkai. The memories concerning Sakura and Rin, in particular, were steeped in despair.
"Such painful memories... no wonder the Flame-Chasers imposed a Discipline on her. If Sakura learned the truth, she might completely break down." The Sakura within the Elysian Realm hadn't experienced the Herrscher of Corruption incident, so she didn't know the true fate of herself and her sister in reality. Elysia likely knew this, which is why she hid the final fragment.
From these memories, Mei also gleaned some crucial information, specifically about the [Herrscher of Corruption].
"A Herrscher in the form of a digital virus, capable of self-replication and division, adept at infiltrating data networks..." Mei murmured to herself, her eyes growing clearer. "This seems to perfectly match the current state of the Elysian Realm."
"So, the anomaly in the Elysian Realm wasn't caused by a specific Flame-Chaser, but by the birth of a new Herrscher?" The more she thought, the clearer her reasoning became. "Before entering the Elysian Realm, both World Serpent and The Obsidian Concord mentioned time was running out. It's likely they predicted the birth of the Herrscher of Finality. Following the sequence of Herrscher appearances, the timing for the Herrscher of Corruption's birth aligns perfectly with the present."
"Perhaps the disappearances of Elysia, Mobius, and the others were because they encountered the Herrscher of Corruption."
With this key clue, Mei quickly pieced together the events in her mind. "The Herrscher of Corruption infiltrated the Elysian Realm through unknown means and lay dormant. Recently, due to some specific reason, it became active. Mobius was likely the first victim, followed by Sakura.
Then, Elysia must have noticed something was wrong, leading her to mention a traitor among the Flame-Chasers. Perhaps she realized then that the Herrscher of Corruption might replace a Flame-Chaser, or even cooperate with one."
The deeper she thought, the more terrifying the implications became. Mei suddenly realized her every move was likely being watched. That explained why Vill-V was attacked right after forging the Seven Thunders – the goal was probably to eliminate everyone in one fell swoop.
"..."
"Since Liuli arrived in the Eternal Paradise early, it means The Obsidian Concord definitely had contact with Elysia. However, judging by Liuli's reactions, even she doesn't know the full truth. The only way now is to find Elysia."
As expected, all clues still pointed towards Elysia. Both the fairy tale and the title "Herrscher of Human" held many secrets.
As she organized her thoughts, Mei failed to notice the anonymous accounts becoming active again in her Herrscher network.
History:
Her name is Raiden Mei. Who is the person standing beside her?
So warm, so bright.
So her name is Elysia.
Now:
Mommy doesn't want us! I don't want to die!
They will kill us, just like that Mobius and Sakura.
I want to live! I don't want to die!
Only by becoming someone like her will we be welcomed. Only by becoming her will Raiden Mei not hurt us.
We must become her! We must transform into her!
///...: We must become... Elysia!
Then we can stand before Mommy again! Then no one will hurt us!
...
Meanwhile, as Mei gathered clues, the Flame-Chasers weren't idle. They gathered together, discussing their next plan.
"Elysia is dead, Aponia is dead, the Elysian Realm has collapsed. Are we really supposed to pin all our hopes on this one Herrscher?" Kalpas could no longer suppress his fury. If he knew who the enemy was, he probably would have charged into the corrupted area already.
"This was Elysia's plan. I trust her." Eden stood by the flowerbeds, not turning back, her gaze falling gently on the blooming clusters, as if her own life mattered less than this garden flourishing in Elysia's heart.
Kosma stood silently beside Griseo. Only when Kevin glanced his way did he speak: "What I sensed was indeed the aura of the mark. As for Raiden Mei... back then, I just didn't want her near Griseo."
Griseo sat on the grass, engrossed in capturing the breathtaking scenery of the Flawless Realm on her drawing board. Only when she was nearly finished did she share her information: "Pink hair, looks a lot like Sister Elysia. But... has no color. Like... a Faded Fairy Miss."
Pardofelis hid in the bushes, praying no one would notice her, but alas, she was eventually dragged out.
"I really don't know anything! And for fighting stuff, Boss Kevin is the one to ask. I'm no good at brainy things."
Conductor Vill-V leaned against a wall, struggling to support herself, diligently recording all the information.
"By the way, where's Kevin?"
"..." Su, usually calm, looked troubled. "He's disappeared."