"Ren, looks like I won the wager again this time~" In an unknown space, Elysia, who should have vanished along with the Elysian Realm, sat atop the ray, her eyes curved into crescent moons. It was clear she was in a rather good mood.
The mirror-like sea surface reflected their figures. Ren walked through the seawater tinted by the myriad stars, his expression calm.
"Mm, I lost."
"Eh? That's way too perfunctory!" Elysia pouted, dissatisfied, but couldn't help smiling when she looked at Ren. "Ren, actually, even before things reached their conclusion, you already knew Mei would win, didn't you?"
"There's no inherent strength or weakness among Herrschers. It's not strange that Raiden Mei could achieve this."
"Tsk tsk, I didn't expect that after 50,000 years, you haven't changed much, but your mouth has certainly gotten tougher. You clearly believe in the light blooming within the souls of these lovely girls yourself, so why can't you properly acknowledge the brilliance of humanity?"
Fifty thousand years ago, the boy chasing the Imaginary, lost in darkness, saw the world only as a desolate wasteland. But for the newly born girl, the world was still an unrolled scroll, filled with the unknown and anticipation.
So, the girl made a wager with him. She wanted to prove to him that the scroll contained not only darkness but also bright radiance.
Driven by the wager, she came alone to the apocalyptic era, measured the world with her own feet, and used her own eyes to discover the light hidden within the darkness. Ultimately, with her own sacrifice, she proved Ren wrong.
She won the wager and also planted a seed.
Before leaving, she used her own method to invite the boy to a second wager: whether the people of the next era could break free from darkness and embrace the sun. Whether the newborn Herrscher, in a Herrscher's body, could radiate the brilliance of humanity.
And Mei's choice was the key to deciding the outcome of this wager.
As Ren said, Herrscher authorities indeed have no inherent strength or weakness, but the mutual counters between abilities truly exist.
Within the data world, the Corruption held a comprehensive advantage. Not to mention its abilities being sealed, its power was almost crushing. With only the power of the Herrscher of Thunder, Mei had no chance of victory.
Yet, Mei ultimately triumphed, achieving an extreme comeback through her own conviction. She understood the meaning of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers' existence, and thus, the entire Elysian Realm embraced her.
Clearly, in both strength and conviction, Raiden Mei had completed her metamorphosis, stepping onto her own path of apotheosis. This precisely proved that the seed Elysia planted had long since taken root and sprouted.
"Honestly, stubborn boys aren't liked by girls, you know~ If you didn't believe in Mei, why deliberately send her to the Elysian Realm? If you didn't believe in human conviction, why deliberately give her the chance to change everything?"
"In reality, you believe in the light of humanity more than anyone else. Otherwise, you wouldn't have crossed time and space, chasing her footsteps." Elysia looked up, staring straight into those golden eyes.
"..." Ren fell silent, involuntarily averting his gaze. Seeing his reaction, Elysia laughed even more freely.
She rode the ray, circling joyfully in the sky, then leaped off its back.
Falling from the sky towards the ocean, countless pale pink lights bloomed before her. Within the faint glow, a pair of white wings, symbolizing sanctity, quietly emerged from her waist. Simultaneously, her Fire Moth combat suit transformed into a gorgeous, fairy-like gown.
An ethereal voice drifted away with the space. Falling into the mortal realm was the flawless Herrscher of Origin.
"Ren, this is my true form. I am the first Herrscher, and also the Herrscher of Human. Beginning with me, ending with me – that is the meaning of Origin."
Only now did Ren truly feel the radiance belonging to Elysia. She was no longer the formless, floating soul beneath the Imaginary Tree, nor the MANTIS serving the Fire Moth, but the girl named [Elysia].
"Ren, before the canvas is unrolled, it's actually blank, you know~ Only after you personally leave your footprints will your own drawing take shape. Those with heavy, gloomy steps paint a dark scroll. Those with light, joyful steps paint a bright, sunny one."
"So, why not try letting go of that dark, heavy past? The journey is still long. You have enough time to change."
Elysia's voice was gentle. She knew Ren had once been a cheerful person, but no matter how cheerful, after experiencing a thousand desperate cycles, anyone would become sorrowful.
The world gave him the power to change, yet chose to push him into the abyss. Countless choices only resulted in infinitely叠加 (stacked/accumulated) pain. It was a testament to Ren's mental fortitude that he hadn't broken down completely.
The curse from [Origin] destroyed everything Ren had, yet found new life here with Elysia.
"Try taking that step. Believe in yourself, and also believe in Kiana."
Seeing Ren still unmoved, Elysia felt a little helpless. So, she raised her staff and whacked him squarely on the head. Thwack!
"Looks like words can't sway you. You'll just have to experience the amazing magic from the Land of Paradise."
Magic (Physical).
"Dance with me, just once. As a final farewell~" Elysia raised her hand, inviting Ren.
Ren remained silent for a long moment, but ultimately couldn't resist her smile, nodding slightly in acceptance.
Upon the vast, boundless sea surface, silver-grey moonlight spread. Golden and pink streams of light flew towards the sky, drawing brilliant ribbons among the myriad stars. The legacy between [Origin]s unfolded today, fifty thousand years later, in the form of combat.
...
The winner of the battle remained unknown. All long-cherished wishes ended here.
"Ren, do you know how I learned the name Kiana?"
"No."
"[Grains of Sand Pursuing Time]. Chasing the sands of time, even across space and memory, conviction can be perfectly conveyed. Honestly, when I, within the memory world, realized this thing existed, I knew the girl disguised as Hua was the person you were looking for."
"Fenghuang Down..." The only chance Kiana could have possibly contacted Elysia was indeed that one time.
"The Twin Jade, the power belonging to [Ren], might be far stronger than you imagine. One day in the future, perhaps it can create unimaginable miracles."
Ren (珏) came from Ren's (苏珏) divine power; Ren (苏珏) should know it inside out. But perhaps even Ren himself didn't know why he was chosen.
Savior? Or Destroyer?
He was like an unlucky soul chosen by the world, struggling back and forth on the border of struggle and destruction. Comparatively, he would rather be an ordinary person, blissfully unaware as the world annihilated, instead of watching his parents die one by one due to his uncontrollable power.
He didn't understand the meaning of the world choosing him, nor did he know the source of this power.
Of course, he had considered what Elysia said – further developing the power of Ren (珏). But in truth, these two crystals indeed only possessed the ability to communicate across time and space. No matter how he researched, he couldn't unleash greater power from them himself.
"Let's not talk about this. Since I won, you should fulfill the reward for the wager."
"Mm."
["When the Herrscher of Finality descends, preserve the embers of humanity as much as possible."]
This was the reward Ren promised Elysia. The requirement wasn't high; after all, the Elysia from fifty thousand years ago wasn't confident the next era could escape the Honkai. Even if they failed, Ren could grant her another cycle.
"Then let's end it here. Although I'm reluctant, seeing the hope Mei brought has left me very satisfied. After all, I am ultimately just a memory construct. It's time for me to dissipate."
Elysia raised her hand, catching a drifting petal, holding it in her palm, a faint smile gracing her lips.
"Goodbye, Ren."
"..."
The girl closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly. The power of the Herrscher of Origin reached its limit; the space created by it naturally couldn't be maintained.
"..."
"..."
"Huh?" After waiting a few seconds, Elysia, eyes still closed, made a confused sound. She opened her eyes, looking at Ren still standing before her, a puzzled expression on her face.
"What... are you doing?" Ren's calm voice came.
"Shouldn't my data have been deleted?"
Glancing at her, Ren shook his head helplessly. "After chatting with me for so long, haven't you realized you stopped being a memory construct long ago?"
Elysia froze. She reached out her hand; the clenched petal scattered again. The blooming peach blossoms exuded a rich fragrance, brimming with the breath of life.
"So... this isn't the Elysian Realm, but the real world..."
And she was no longer just a memory construct, but truly, genuinely Elysia.