Honkai: Fire Moth Herrschers-Chapter 289: Interlude - Elysian Realm: A Traitor’s Way of Dying

"Ah—Miss Mei, you look rather tired. Why not come over here and rest for a while?"

Just as Mei stepped out of the stargate, a voice both languid and resonant reached her ears.

She turned her head to see Eden leaning back against an exquisite sofa, raising a ornate wine glass towards her in greeting.

"Ugh!"

Mei pressed her forehead; waves of dizziness struck her intermittently. Her body, drained from excessive fatigue, couldn't muster a shred of strength. Yet, she hesitated. The "Elysian Realm" behind her felt like a vortex brimming with immense temptation. She had willingly thrown herself into this dangerous whirlpool solely to unearth more precious truths from the abyss beneath.

But human strength has its limits. Even a Herrscher, capable of surviving solely on Honkai Energy, still feels physical and psychological exhaustion.

"You really should rest, Miss Mei. You've been exploring the Realm for over two hundred hours without a break."

"Has it been that long..."

Within the Elysian Realm, Mei could sense the passage of time, but she had no clear idea exactly how much had passed.

She thought she had only lasted two or three days; she didn't expect it had already been nearly ten...

Her steps faltered twice. In the end, she slowly walked over to the rest area and sat down beside Eden, leaving a small gap between them.

Simultaneously, however, the hand resting on her lap clenched into a fist—Why couldn't I hold on just a little longer? If I had just persisted a little longer, I could have learned more truths, truths about the so-called traitor!

"Don't blame yourself for this, Miss Mei."

Mei looked up, startled, to see Eden squinting tipsily, offering her a faint smile.

"Eden... how did you..."

"How did I know what you were thinking? Is that what you wanted to ask, Miss Mei?"

"Yes."

"Hehe..."

Eden chuckled softly, gently placing the jewel-encrusted wine glass on the table without making the expected clink of hard objects colliding.

"Firstly, during these fifty thousand years, I naturally couldn't have spent every day in a daze. I also studied a great deal of psychology with Su and Aponia. Secondly..."

"Miss Mei, perhaps this is a bit forward, but the expressions you show at many times are quite similar to Michael's."

"Michael?"

The image of that person surfaced again in Mei's mind, his form constantly shifting. Even now, Mei couldn't determine whether he stood on the side of good or evil.

Or perhaps, finding out Michael's goal—what was that madman truly trying to achieve?—was one of the reasons she entered the Elysian Realm, though not the primary one.

And Michael, despite knowing this, had brought her here without any hesitation...

"Phew..."

Mei quickly took two deep breaths, reminding herself inwardly:

"All these impressions are of the Michael from fifty thousand years later. The one Eden is talking about should still be the him from fifty thousand years ago... But what exactly happened later that turned him into... well, I think I can guess some of it."

Eden didn't seem to notice Mei's contemplation. She produced a glittering gem from somewhere, held it up towards the chandelier overhead, and instantly, the light refracted through the gem's facets into countless rays.

She spoke as if to herself:

"You both are the type who wants to achieve the best results in the shortest amount of time... Hmm, akin to perfectionists. But at the same time, you're both keenly aware that you aren't perfect..."

"Hahaha, I've said too much. However, if Michael saw you in this state, he would definitely comfort you like this—"

"'Wanting to do the best in the shortest time is one of human nature's basic instincts. Impatience might be classified as a human flaw, but ultimately, for you, it stems from an urgent desire to pursue something beautiful, which isn't a bad thing. However, do remember to rest occasionally.'"

"'Or perhaps like this: Don't deliberately chase the so-called final result. The result isn't entirely meaningless, but it's not the entirety of meaning either. Every path you walk, every footprint you leave, determines what you ultimately gain. That's something a solitary result cannot give you.'"

This time, it was Eden's turn to stare at Mei in astonishment, until Mei's cheeks flushed red.

"It seems... your interactions were much more frequent than I imagined."

"Yes..."

Mei let out a long sigh. It was hard not to feel nostalgic for those times.

"Speaking of which, Eden, in the memories from your perspective, why does Michael appear so rarely? It seems like after you formally joined Fire Moth, he seldom contacted you."

"Hmm? Hehe... Hahaha!"

Eden suddenly covered her mouth and chuckled softly, laughing until Mei felt somewhat bewildered.

"Perhaps it's because my relationship with Ely is particularly good."

It was a question delivered with the tone of a statement. Mei even mentally finished the sentence with a period, clearly understanding that Eden was fully aware of this fact. The questioning format felt less like uncertainty and more like good-natured teasing.

But Mei still didn't quite understand the connection between the two.

To this, Eden chuckled twice more and slowly asked:

"Miss Mei, if your friend, Kiana, saw that picture of Ely touching your horn last time, what would she think?"

Mei silently covered her burning cheeks, saying nothing.

"What if we switch it around? If it was Miss Kiana being teased by Ely, what would you think, Miss Mei?"

"That's different..." Mei attempted a final struggle. "Kiana and I have strong trust between us. We wouldn't... get jealous over something like that."

"Oh? And does Michael not have that kind of trust in Ely?"

"..."

"Besides, even if you call it trust, you'd still feel a little uncomfortable deep down, wouldn't you?"

"...But he himself..."

"Pfft... Miss Mei, boys are like that sometimes. Sometimes they're mature to the point of being frightening, but essentially, they seem to never truly grow up."

"Is that so."

Mei fell into contemplation. She felt Eden's words made a lot of sense and were worth pondering.

But the next second, Eden herself burst out laughing again with a "pfft":

"Hehehe, I'm sorry, Miss Mei... Alright, actually, everything I said before was just joking."

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"Hm?"

Seeing Mei still didn't understand, Eden rested her chin on her hand, explaining amidst continuous soft laughter:

"Hehe, Miss Mei, if Kiana's intimate counterpart wasn't Ely, but that Miss Bronya, or Hua—apologies, I'm still used to calling her that—would you still feel uncomfortable?"

"I think... no."

Mei felt she had grasped something in her thoughts, but couldn't articulate it.

"Actually, even now, you can't trust Ely from the bottom of your heart, can you? But you consider Miss Bronya and Hua your most precious companions, even family, so you trust them wholeheartedly, right?"

"That's exactly it—anyone who can appear in the Elysian Realm is, to Michael, at least equivalent to the relationship Miss Bronya and Hua have with you, Miss Mei. So what I said earlier was just meant as a little joke. After all, due to well-known reasons, the atmosphere here can be a bit heavy, and I didn't want you to be affected by it, Miss Mei."

"Ah, this..."

That makes sense. After all, Elysia seemed close to everyone. Besides Eden, Aponia was the same, yet Michael didn't seem to avoid the latter constantly.

"So, what exactly is the relationship that makes Michael rarely appear before you?"

Although she knew this question had nothing to do with what she was seeking, the fire of gossip burned fiercely within her, impossible to extinguish for the moment.

"Logically speaking, Eden, you're one of the most normal... or at least, easiest to get along with, people I've met in the Elysian Realm—the other being Pardofelis."

Actually, Dystopia is also very normal and easygoing, but she's always stuck to Kosma. Sakura... Sakura appears too infrequently, supposedly spending most of her time in the Realm's [Hub], Mei added silently in her mind.

"Hmm? Hahaha, thank you for the compliment, Miss Mei. But regarding that question, I can't give a specific answer myself. If I had to say, perhaps Michael isn't very good at handling women like me?"

"Is that it? I feel like... among all the male warriors in Fire Moth, he's actually quite skilled at communicating with people."

Mei wanted to get to the bottom of it, but judging by Eden's expression, perhaps even she couldn't fully explain it.

However, regarding other "truths," others might hem and haw, but she could likely learn a lot from Eden.

"By the way, Eden, regarding this Elysian Realm, can I ask you some questions directly?"

"Of course." Eden nodded readily. "However, the help I can offer is ultimately limited, Miss Mei. What you truly want to know, you'll still have to obtain yourself in the end."

"I understand."

Mei nodded firmly, while Eden took a light sip of wine, signaling Mei to ask her questions directly:

"Eden, I want to know... about the two Elysian Realm plans. Which one am I seeing right now?"

Actually, she could get the answer to this question if she continued exploring along Sakura's Signet path.

But she asked it in advance anyway, partly because she urgently wanted the answer, and partly because... she felt uncertain.

"Hmm? Hehe... Miss Mei, you actually already have the answer in your heart, don't you?"

"Indeed."

Mei placed her left hand across her chest, rested her right elbow on it, and cupped her chin with her right hand.

"Michael's plan should have succeeded in the end. After all, if it were the [Data World] plan, you all should be data constructs, unable to touch me, right?"

Unexpectedly, Eden laughed again. "So that's the basis of Miss Mei's judgment?"

Eden could imagine the deep psychological scars Elysia must have left on Mei.

"Actually, memory data SIM(ulation) is a very special thing. Its technological threshold is even higher than that of MANTISes themselves. Even if the [Data World] plan had been adopted, within the Elysian Realm, we could still exist in a nearly tangible form."

This meant that Mei, at least in terms of conclusion, had guessed correctly.

"But if that's the case, what was the point of the plan Michael proposed? If the purpose of the Elysian Realm's existence is just like now, 'to leave proof of existence and light the path for successors,' wouldn't the first plan have worked just as well?"

"That's something I don't know. Perhaps you could ask Mei? Though she might not know either."

"Even Mei doesn't know?"

What exactly does Michael want to do?

This question had practically become a nightmare constantly haunting Mei.

Initially, she could make rough guesses based on common sense. But the deeper she delved, the more information she gathered, Mei found herself getting progressively lost—

Too much information acted like a dense fog, blocking her path to answers, constantly trying to lead her astray.

What she found even more unimaginable was that the other "Flame-Chasers" in the Realm didn't have a unified, clear answer regarding what Michael intended to do.

Even Mei couldn't say for sure.

But at the same time, despite not knowing what Michael was doing, they trusted him implicitly.

This was consistent with the "family" attitude they described.

However...

As far as she knew, among the Flame-Chasers still active outside, their attitudes towards Michael were severely polarized.

Especially Kevin, whom she had recently encountered, directly referred to Michael as "traitor." It was said that Fu Hua's memory loss was also related to Michael. What exactly happened with all that?

Her lips moved; she wanted to ask this question directly, but something suddenly flashed brightly in her mind, pushing this query aside.

She couldn't grasp that flash of light immediately. By the time she came back to her senses, another question had already slipped out:

"Eden, if the Elysian Realm was ultimately implemented according to Michael's plan, then Sakura..."

"Hmm?"

Eden must have been drunk. She shook her head, her speech becoming slurred:

"Miss Mei, sorry, did you ask something just now? Oh right, Miss Mei, you must be thirsty after talking so much. Care for a drink?"

"...I..."

Staring at the wine cup offered to her, Mei hesitated—Eden was memory data, so this wine...

But if so, why could she smell the alcohol from so far away?

Mei felt her train of thought take a huge leap forward, just one step away from the inspiration that had flashed in her mind earlier. But Eden's wine cup was already pushed before her, leaving her unsure whether to accept it.

"Oh my, Eden! You're drunk again!"

A streak of pink flew in from the side, perfectly rescuing Mei.

"Eden, you're so biased! What year was this wine from again... Let me think... Aiya! Such fine wine, you share it with Mei, but you actually forgot about me!"

Elysia downed the wine in the cup in one gulp, then continued complaining:

"Besides, Mei isn't old enough to drink yet! Eden, you can't be a bad influence on kids!"

"Hehe..."

To this, Eden just slumped back against the sofa, saying nothing, only chuckling softly.

"Alright, Eden's drunk again, let her rest for a bit... Come on, let's go talk over there."

Elysia took Mei's hand and gently pulled her to the empty intelligence room on the other side.

"Don't mind it, Mei. Eden's like that sometimes, gets drunk while drinking."

Mei frowned inwardly. She felt things weren't that simple—it seemed less like Eden was drunk and more like she was using drunkenness to evade Mei's question.

Why?

Elysia stood aside, quietly observing Mei's expression, then smiled faintly:

"Alright, Mei! Don't frown all day! If you get wrinkles between your eyebrows, that won't look good!"

"So, Elysia, what exactly happened during the Twelfth Honkai Eruption? Why is even Eden so secretive about it with me?"

"Sigh..."

Elysia let out a heavy sigh.

"Prying like this can be quite annoying, you know! Mei, you should really consider yourself lucky you asked Eden, and not the grumpy types like Kalpas or Mobius. Otherwise..."

"So what exactly happened?"

Mei's curiosity about this had initially been limited, but Elysia's teasing stoked it into an uncontrollable fire.

Or perhaps, this was exactly what Elysia wanted to see.

"Anyway, it's best not to mention the Twelfth Honkai Eruption to the other Flame-Chasers. Ahem! But I'm different. If Mei really wants to know, it's not like I can't tell you. You just have to give me a little reward!"

Her gaze drifted upwards, finally settling on the horn on Mei's head.

"Elysia, you clearly already..."

"Aiya! Once is never enough for this kind of thing!"

"..."

Mei quickly glanced around. The entire hall of the Golden Courtyard was quiet. Even the two Kleins weren't around. What were the Flame-Chasers up to? Vill-V's workshop was also silent. This was convenient for Eden resting on the opposite sofa...

But... her drunkenness probably wasn't entirely fake, right? She should be asleep by now, right?

Mei guiltily averted her gaze, simultaneously confirming Elysia hadn't resorted to any improper means this time, finally sighing in resignation:

"Go ahead, touch it."

...

"Actually, there isn't much I can tell you. There isn't much to say about that event itself. But the Twelfth Honkai Eruption was indeed an extremely important event for us, for the entire civilization, and an unbearable tragedy."

"Tragedy?"

Mei wanted to ask, but seeing the usually playful Elysia showing such a sorrowful expression, she wisely chose to keep her lips sealed, making no sound.

"That tragedy, the tragedy of Corruption, both its process and its outcome, showed us one fact—this world could no longer be saved."

"And for the Flame-Chasers, their greatest pain regarding that event wasn't the unbearable sacrifices they witnessed, but that they lost what they were fighting for, and lost the meaning of their fight—yes, it was all of us, not any single individual."

"Or, from another perspective, we were abandoned."

After saying this, Elysia fell uncharacteristically silent.

Mei felt like her horn had been touched for nothing.

Rationally speaking, Elysia had indeed answered her question. But also rationally speaking, she hadn't answered anything at all.

In fact, Mei had only asked one question, and Elysia had indeed answered it, only to leave Mei with vast new mysteries.

No!

I can't keep being led by the nose like this!

I need to take the offensive, seize control of the conversation!

Mei took a deep breath and threw out her "bomb":

"So, is this event related to the 'traitor'?"

"Hm?"

Elysia narrowed her eyes. The moment Mei uttered the word "traitor," Elysia responded almost instantly.

"What is a 'traitor'?"

"...As expected. That term doesn't seem to circulate within the Realm."

"Oh? Then you need to be careful, Mei."

Elysia patted her shoulder, lowered her voice, and said seriously:

"Things from the outside, especially concerning Michael and the Flame-Chasers, definitely shouldn't be mentioned lightly in the Realm! Even if certain Flame-Chasers ask, it's best you pretend you know nothing."

"Why?"

"Lululu—"

Elysia's serious expression suddenly vanished. She playfully stuck out her tongue, then pointed behind Mei:

"Anyway, all your questions, you just need to ask him! Alright, I'll take Eden back first!"

Mei turned her head. Michael stood in the center of the hall, silently gazing at the slowly rotating stargate, like a lamppost watching over an empty, unlit second-floor window.

Elysia walked up to him in a few steps. They spoke softly about something. Michael poked Elysia's cheek with his finger. Everything looked just like what she had seen in the memories.

But from Mei's third-person perspective, something seemed different.

On one hand, she felt Michael, out of love for the original, was almost treating this Elysia as the real one. But simultaneously, she felt this Elysia didn't seem particularly important to Michael either.

These two contradictory attitudes coexisting within him wasn't surprising, really. After all, he seemed to treat everything in this world the same way.

Then, Elysia probably mentioned her. Michael turned his head like a hawk, staring intently at her.

"Thump!"

Despite having met his gaze countless times before, Mei inevitably heard her own heartbeat—strange, just one beat, unusually forceful and loud, like someone hitting a drum right next to her ear.

In the blink of an eye, Michael stood before her.

"Heh, you actually came to the Elysian Realm? I heard from Hua that you rarely came here after it was completed."

"If measured against a fifty-thousand-year timeline, I indeed haven't come often."

Michael's words were calm, but Mei sensed an indescribable emotion within them. She thought it might be sadness or confusion, or perhaps simple determination, or maybe a mixture of all of them.

In fact, she still couldn't figure out any of Michael's thoughts.

But just in that instant when Michael spoke, although Mei couldn't yet articulate his mood, his tone successfully reminded her of something—

Like a devastated beach after a great flood, like a courtyard overgrown with weeds after countless eons of neglect, or like... empty, eternally unchanging silver-white rock—the moon hanging in the night sky, forever gazing at the Earth with detachment and deep affection.

Inexplicably, Mei felt a faint sense of fear.

It likely wasn't a reflection of combat power difference, but... forget it...

Thus, even her words became hesitant:

"Then... the so-called 'traitor'..."

"If you believe I am, then I am."

"..."

Mei was speechless. Michael briefly closed his eyes.

When he opened them again, a sliver of life seemed to have returned to his silver-gray eyes, and even his tone carried a little more emotion:

"Raiden Mei, you should have met all the Flame-Chasers by now, right?"

"Yes."

"Rin once said, 'We can't choose how we're born, but we can choose how we die.' Have you heard this?"

"Yes."

"Want to know the way I once envisioned dying?"

"Yes. Yes???"

Mei completely failed to understand why Michael would randomly bring up such topics.

It felt like he was really just casually chatting with her, except these were the only things he could talk about.

But soon, Mei understood—Michael saying this wasn't random at all, but simply because he needed a recipient for this statement.

He could have chosen other Flame-Chasers; they would naturally understand his language. But perhaps what he wanted was precisely not to be understood.

Regardless of what Mei thought or speculated, Michael continued speaking as if to himself:

"I want my corpse split in two. Half pulverized and scattered across the universe, the other half buried on the Moon, specifically on the surface facing Earth. Like that, forever."

(End of Volume VII: The Year of Flame Chasers)