As the figure in her arms vanished, Mei felt all strength drain from her body. She stood frozen, her pupils trembling uncontrollably.
She seemed to be back on Twilight Street, back on the day the girl also named Pardo died. Yet this time, she hadn't even been able to offer a final embrace.
She had tried so hard to avoid every danger. She saved Pardo from the beast's claws, saved her from the flood of the Elysian Realm's collapse, and twice avoided danger here in this space. Why, then, had she still failed to do anything?
Was it truly destined to be nine lives lost, an empty dream?
As she stood there numbly, Vill-V's mocking voice echoed through the void of the theater.
"Oh my, Miss Mei, your luck is quite something. You managed to avoid every trap I set for you."
Hearing this voice jolted Mei back to reality as if waking from a dream. She drew her sword instinctively, unleashing crackling lightning towards the mirror.
With a crack, the mirror shattered as expected. But amidst the flying shards, countless reflections of Vill-V appeared. Mei slashed again, only managing to reduce the mirror fragments to scattering points of light.
As the light dissipated, ripples spread across the empty mirror frame, coalescing once more into an intact mirror surface.
In the mirror, Vill-V adjusted her top hat, the machine gun turret at her feet slowly spinning down, wisps of smoke rising from its barrel. The moment Mei's gaze fell upon her, Vill-V grinned back, a smile filled with malicious intent.
Only then did Mei understand. This locked mirror wasn't a mirror at all, but a passageway sealing an unknown personality.
"Vill-V, why?" The hand holding her sword trembled slightly, her eyes filled with profound confusion.
She couldn't understand how the Conductor, who just minutes ago was discussing ways to find the mole with her, could suddenly betray her. As fellow Thirteen Flame-Chasers, there should be no reason for betrayal.
"Why? Hehe~" Vill-V licked her lips, seemingly savoring Mei's pain. She spread her arms wide, like a magician's salute before a performance.
"Why, to present this grand performance meticulously prepared just for you, of course!"
The instant her words fell, the crimson theater curtains dropped with a crash. Roaring cannons fired bursts of bullet-like fireworks into the sky, illuminating the magnificent stage meant for Mei.
Mirrors scattered throughout the theater shattered one after another, like lights extinguishing one by one at the start of a show. Heavy mechanical gears turned and meshed, and as the stage rotated, the staircases leading to other areas crumbled into rubble, sinking into the boundless darkness below.
Mei stood her ground, wary, anticipating an attack at any moment. The world within the mirror hadn't vanished; she had simply become trapped within it.
"The Great Magician?" An enthusiastic voice came from ahead. Mei looked towards the sound. Under the spotlight, Vill-V, wearing the mechanical top hat, bowed respectfully.
"The Expert?" The lights went out and quickly relit. At the edge of the stage, Expert Vill-V tossed gears in her hand while lost in thought.
"Or perhaps... the Conductor?" The lights flickered. The Conductor, the personality Mei had spent the most time with, walked to the front of the stage, her fingertips swaying.
Just as Mei thought Vill-V was about to play more tricks, a grim voice whispered from behind her.
"No, no, no. None of them are Vill-V. Only I, only I am the true, the only Vill-V."
The three Vill-Vs vanished one after another, leaving only the final figure, slowly stepping out from the darkness.
"Of course, you can also call me by my personality designation—[Pure Evil]!"
[Pure Evil] lifted her head, the corners of her mouth curling into a bizarre arc.
[Pure Evil]!
The moment the word flooded her mind, Mei's heart jolted. The Typewriter's information had stated the traitor was [Pure Evil]. Unaware, she had assumed it was a codename for one of the Flame-Chasers, never imagining it was a personality hidden within Vill-V.
After all, the Magician's flightiness, the Expert's seriousness, and the Conductor's confidence – each was so distinct, making her subconsciously forget that darkness, pure evil, could hide within anyone's heart.
"So, when you told me to check Vill-V's memories to prove her innocence, that itself was a trap set for me..."
"Correct! To gain your trust, I spent quite some time mentally acting as the Conductor. I thought I might slip up, but unexpectedly, both the Flame-Chasers and you trusted that persona so easily."
"Then the Expert and the Magician..." Gritting her teeth, Mei's face grew even paler.
"Exactly as you think. That period should have been their active time. But who told them to discover my escape and try to reveal my secret?"
The other personalities had previously discovered [Pure Evil]'s betrayal, but caught off guard, they were completely erased.
"Originally, I thought it would take more effort. I never expected that just by doing as she said – slashing myself – I could gain your trust. Clearly a Herrscher, yet so different... should I call you kind, or naive?"
[Pure Evil] laughed mockingly, relishing the feeling of exploiting someone's kindness.
The blade hummed in its sheath, but Mei suppressed the urge to draw it with all her might. Her eyes red, her breathing quickening, she looked at [Pure Evil]. "Then why... why did you attack Pardofelis? She posed no threat at all!"
"Heh, the death of a Flame-Chaser is naturally insignificant to me. But as a favor to my ally, the more Flame-Chasers die, the better.
As for Pardofelis... don't you understand? She died because of you. Of the nine bullets I fired at you, she blocked eight. Only one hit you."
[Pure Evil]'s tone was full of mock regret as she shook her head. "Wasted my carefully prepared trap. But no matter. As long as you're injured, dealing with you will be much easier."
Mei remained silent, looking down at her chest. Her specialized combat suit bore a hole pierced by a bullet, yet her body felt none of the expected excruciating pain.
She reached up, brushing her chest, and a deformed silver coin fell into her hand.
It was the gift Pardofelis had given her earlier, named 'Good Luck'. Mei shouldn't have been able to react to Vill-V's attack, but it was this soft silver coin that provided a crucial instant of cushioning, allowing her electromagnetic field to capture the bullet just in time.
Cats have nine lives. Pardofelis had given her last piece of good luck to Mei.
Her hand clenched tighter and tighter. Mei could feel hot tears streaming down her cheeks. The spotlights on the stage were blindingly bright. Through her blurred vision, the girl felt as though she were truly waking from a long dream.
Perhaps... this is the answer I was searching for...
The price... is so heavy.