Of course, she didn't jump to conclusions just yet. Kevin had mentioned that the traces left by the intruder bore the aura of The Obsidian Concord, so the possibility that the intruder was from The Obsidian Concord remained significant.
Alternatively, it could be neither of them; perhaps the intruder was someone else entirely.
Regardless, further investigation required urgency. Thinking this, Mei felt a growing sense of pressure.
She gathered the papers covered in clues and tucked them into her pocket. As she did, she realized her pockets had unknowingly accumulated quite a few items.
Some were things she'd brought with her originally, others were gifts from the other Flame-Chasers. She took them out one by one, checking if she had missed anything.
Pardofelis's silver coin, the signets from the Flame-Chasers, the bracelet Sakura had left her, and the items given to her by The Obsidian Concord before she entered the Elysian Realm.
The crystal flower was a token to contact Elysia, the purpose of the mechanical crystal was unknown, leaving only a sphere of consciousness. Sealed within the sphere was Bella's consciousness.
Seeing this sphere reminded Mei that The Obsidian Concord had asked her to find a little girl with green hair. Looking back now, perhaps they meant Klein.
However, since entering the Elysian Realm, Mei had been forced into one troublesome situation after another, leaving her no time to deal with these matters.
If her guess was correct, The Obsidian Concord's goal was to use the Previous Era's technology to reawaken Bella in the form of an ELF.
But Mei knew Klein's existence was the result of Mobius's relentless research. To create an ELF, Mobius was the key.
Yet, Mobius was now dead. Who could create the ELF now?
Knowing Bella's revival was a distant prospect, Mei felt a pang of disappointment. She sighed, her gaze falling on the last item.
"What's this?"
The final item was a fragment, deep purple throughout, with a faint metallic sheen. But Mei had no memory associated with it.
She reached out and gently pinched the fragment. It seemed like the remnant of some weapon, looking quite sharp. Yet, when she touched it, instead of coldness, she felt a faint sense of familiarity and connection.
A thought sparked. Mei subconsciously activated her Herrscher of Thunder abilities. The next second, the metallic weapon fragment slowly floated into the air, dancing along with the arcs of electricity.
"Is this... a fragment of the Third Divine Key?"
Klein had mentioned that the Seven Thunders of Retribution within the Elysian Realm had shattered long ago due to special circumstances. Sakura, seeking to break Aponia's Discipline and recover her memories, had been secretly searching for its fragments.
After all these years, most fragments of the Seven Thunders had been collected, leaving only the most crucial part. Unexpectedly, that part was now in her hands.
But she had never even seen a shadow of the Divine Key before. How could this appear in her pocket unless someone had secretly slipped it in while she wasn't paying attention?
Thinking back for a moment, Mei quickly identified the likely culprit. The only person who could get close enough to her and place something without her noticing was probably Elysia. After all, during the time Mei was unconscious, only Ely could approach her.
However, although the Seven Thunders of Retribution resonated well with her, what use was a single fragment? Could she control it with electromagnetism and use it as a throwing dart? Besides, she already had her own weapon; it seemed absurd to go to great lengths for such a minor piece.
Feeling puzzled but practical, Mei put the fragment away. Perhaps it would prove useful at some point in the future?
...
After a short rest, Mei returned to the main hall. The Corruption in the Elysian Realm continued to worsen; she had to unravel the mystery before things spiraled out of control.
Furthermore, she hadn't forgotten her other objective for entering the Elysian Realm – finding Liuli.
Elysia had previously mentioned an outsider resembling Liuli sleeping in the area Aponia occupied. Now that Aponia's Discipline was lifted, perhaps she could take Liuli with her on the way out.
Just as this thought crossed her mind, Mei suddenly stopped. Her gaze swept across the hall, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.
Was it her imagination, or had the surroundings undergone some subtle, imperceptible change? Yet, no matter how closely she observed, she couldn't pinpoint anything out of place.
Most people would dismiss it as a trick of the mind, but as a swordswoman, Mei trusted her intuition. She closed her eyes, letting her Herrscher of Thunder's electromagnetic field spread out like radar.
Using the information reflected by the electromagnetic waves, Mei finally locked onto a target. With a flick of her wrist, she drew her sword instantly, slashing towards a gift box on the wine rack.
Amidst flashing arcs of lightning, the wooden wine box splintered into pieces.
However, inside the box wasn't wine, but a peculiar top hat.
The hat had a unique design, fixed with two interlocking gears. As the gears slowly turned, the hat emitted a crisp clicking sound.
Click, clack. Click, clack.
The meshing sound was very faint, but upon reaching Mei's ears, her expression changed drastically. Just as she was about to pull back, the hat exploded as if a timer had run out.
As Mei braced for the impact, the exploding hat burst like a firework, blooming into brilliant sparks.
Suddenly, bright fireworks erupted from various points around the hall, like a stage curtain being drawn.
Now, Mei finally realized what had felt off earlier – these seemingly insignificant props that had appeared out of nowhere.
"Welcome, everyone, to Vill-V's grand magic show!"
Spotlights converged from unknown sources, focusing on the platform on the second floor. As a red curtain dropped, a young woman wearing a mechanical-gear top hat spread her arms wide in a welcoming gesture, signaling the start of the performance.
"Magic?" Mei hadn't heard of any such performances in the Elysian Realm, and she certainly wasn't in the mood for a show right now.
She remained silent, planning to slip away under the cover of darkness. But the moment she turned, a spotlight suddenly shifted, landing right in front of her. Poof! Three enormous hats materialized, blocking her path.
"Now, now, don't be in such a hurry to leave, dear audience member! Vill-V's performance is a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle! How about you be our lucky volunteer?" With a flick of her finger, one of the hats lifted.
Underneath wasn't a rabbit, but a metal fragment. Coincidentally, it looked very similar to the one Mei had just found.
"A fragment of the Seven Thunders?" Her eyes sharpened, surprise evident on her face.
"Audience member, let's play a game! Guess which hat holds this little gift. If you guess correctly, the gift is all yours!"
Mei wanted to refuse, but the performer clearly wouldn't let her leave so easily. Besides, since Ely had likely left the first fragment for her, this might be another related clue. Thinking this, she gave a slight nod.
"Excellent!"
Vill-V on the stage laughed heartily. With a downward flick of her finger, the hat covered the fragment again. Then, the three hats began rapidly swapping positions, moving so fast they left afterimages.
"Come now, make your choice."
"..." The hats moved quickly, but for Mei, who shared the same origin as the Seven Thunders, it was practically a freebie.
She paused for a moment, then gave the correct answer.
"Congratulations!" Vill-V seemed even more excited than Mei. She announced loudly as all three hats burst into burning fireworks.
"..." Mei remained silent, quietly observing the performance. She didn't believe for a second that this woman sought her out just to perform magic.
Soon, as the fireworks faded, the stage curtain fell. The woman on the platform leaped lightly, landing gracefully in front of Mei.
"How was that, Miss Raiden Mei?"
"Who are you?"
"Hmph hmph." Vill-V gave a light hum, declaring with considerable pride, "Before you stands the greatest magician of this century, the genius Great Magician Vill-V!"
"Genius magician? Don't tell me that as one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, your goal is merely to be a performer?" Undoubtedly, the only person who could appear here like this, aside from Hua, was the last remaining member of the Flame-Chasers.
"No, that's just the goal of 'Vill-V the Magician.' As for the other 'mes,' their ideals have nothing to do with mine."
"'Vill-V the Magician's' goal?"
"Correct. They each have their own personalities. It just so happens that you encountered me this time."
Her explanation was a bit strange, but Mei grasped her meaning. "So, you're one aspect of multiple personalities."
"Exactly! You catch on quick. Do you happen to have multiple personalities too?"
Mei shook her head. She certainly didn't have multiple personalities, though as a Herrscher, she had encountered her own Herrscher persona. But now clearly wasn't the time for such discussions. She didn't press further, instead getting straight to the point.