In front of the vanity mirror, the pink-haired girl in the reflection wore a smile, yet it gave off a unique sense of melancholy.
"A crystal flower, once shattered, can never be restored."
"A person's true heart is the same, isn't it?"
"The beauty of humanity is precisely such a radiant yet fragile thing!"
"But precisely because it is fragile, it must be protected with care, right?"
"…"
On the television.
Listening to Elysia's monologue that sounded like both self-narration and self-questioning, many viewers nodded frantically.
Yes, you're right about everything!
As long as the dog director gives you a good ending, anything goes!
Even inside the Fire Moth Interstellar Entertainment Company.
Many people were also glaring vigilantly at Hessian, afraid of being fed yet another super big knife.
"Oh dear, don't worry, my husband treats me so well, he definitely won't casually arrange any knives."
"Rather, the plot coming up in a little while will have a surprise, you know?"
Leaning in Hessian's arms, Elysia proactively defended him.
After hearing Elysia's words, everyone was somewhat skeptical, but they still turned their gazes back to the television.
What followed was the final banquet that Elysia had prepared for herself.
It would conclude with humanity's victorious crusade against the Herrschers, become known to the world, and remain forever in history.
And Elysia would, from behind the scenes where no one knew, present the true ending for this performance.
"If a Herrscher no longer means eternal parting, if every Herrscher has the possibility of regaining their humanity."
"Then people would no longer have to face such a painful choice, and humanity… would have the chance to find hope."
"To us, that is far more precious than victory."
"So, if humanity is my authority, if the beautiful things of humanity constitute all of Elysia."
"Then at the end of the story, let me carry them back to the place where I was born."
"Then, scatter flower seeds on the dry ground…"
"I believe, since human civilization nurtured me, I will surely be able to let it once again…"
"—bloom with flawless and eternal flowers."
After watching this segment, viewers across the country finally understood what the Herrscher of Humanity was.
They also understood why, in the history of the Current Era civilization, the first Herrscher had stood on humanity's side from the very beginning.
It was precisely the miracle bestowed by that beautiful and flawless girl named Elysia!
"Wuuu, after understanding this I really cried my eyes out—why is there such a beautiful girl as Elysia in the world!"
"If it weren't for Elysia, the Herrschers of the Current Era civilization would never have had the possibility of regaining their humanity."
"Sacrificing herself to exchange for a possible miracle for future generations—why does Elysia feel more and more pink the more I watch her!"
"Dog director, stop cutting already, I believe Elysia isn't pink-to-black!"
"…"
The viewers now finally realized how deep their earlier misunderstanding of Elysia "pink-to-black" had been.
On the television.
The perspective had already returned to Mei's side.
"The invitation that was never sent out—it wasn't a banquet at all, was it?"
"From the very beginning, it was a mission, a crusade against the Thirteenth Herrscher…"
Recalling the memories she had just seen, Mei said somewhat gloomily.
The fairy Elysia, however, said, "But Elysia arranged it into a banquet."
"Because she wanted her own ending to be beautiful and radiant."
Mei continued, "But in the end she still didn't send out those invitations."
"She was afraid her truth wouldn't be accepted, afraid that her one and only lie would hurt the people she cherished."
"She was willing to leave this world carrying the name of the Thirteenth Herrscher, simply because she didn't want to see everything she loved… turn to nothing."
The fairy Elysia asked uneasily, "Will you… feel disappointed in her?"
"…"
Mei shook her head and said, "How could I?"
With that, she raised the invitation in her hand; it shimmered with light, like a poem, like a confession.
"Even if she is a Herrscher, so what?"
"Am I not a Herrscher as well?"
But she did not do that.
The fairy Elysia was startled. "Eh? W-what are you doing?"
A wind blew in from the sea, gently carrying Mei's invitation away.
She simply stood there quietly, letting it be taken by the wind and disappear into the distance.
"Lovely human… why?"
The fairy Elysia asked in confusion.
Mei placed one hand on her hip and said, "There is no such thing as the Thirteenth Herrscher at all, right?"
"Since the sender never existed from the very beginning, what meaning does this invitation even have?"
"Even if they didn't receive the invitation, didn't the Flame-Chasers in reality still make the same decision as me?"
Three consecutive questions made the fairy Elysia breathe a huge sigh of relief.
"Oh, so that's what you meant! You really scared me!"
"Yeah, in the end no one was willing to become her enemy—how wonderful."
"But did you really have to go that far?"
"This is just a memory, after all…"
Mei nodded and said, "Yes, this is just a memory that belongs to her."
"So everything in the memory is exactly the same as the history that once happened; nothing will change."
"Naturally, it will only head toward the destined ending."
"In reality, only four Flame-Chasers ultimately attended that banquet."
"I'm afraid those four who showed up also had their own hidden reasons, right?"
"Elysia never expected that most people would be absent because they refused the crusade."
"So the ones who personally witnessed her ending were only those four."
The fairy Elysia asked, somewhat puzzled, "Only? What do you mean?"
Mei smiled and said, "For Elysia, this should count as a small regret, right?"
"After all… walking toward the end surrounded by everyone—that kind of ending would suit her aesthetic much better."
"Wouldn't it?"
Hearing this, the fairy Elysia said in surprise, "Lovely human, are you planning to use your own memories to weave an event that never happened in history for her?"
"To weave—a perfect banquet?"
"Can something like that… really be done?"
Not only was the fairy Elysia shocked; even the viewers in front of the television were stunned.
Previously, viewers nationwide had all agreed that Eden was the biggest Elysia fan.
But now, the position of head Elysia fan seemed to be in jeopardy!
Mei, as one of the three main heroines, already had quite high popularity.
Now, with the wave Elysia had stirred up, her fan count was probably about to surge even more.
On the television.
Mei shook her head and said, "I don't know, but I have to try."
"I promised Vill-V that I would work hard to achieve the best possible ending for everyone."
"This is the wish of the Flame-Chasers, and… my wish as well."
The fairy Elysia hurriedly said, "But the Flame-Chasers' memory bodies no longer exist."
"Are you really planning to resurrect all twelve of them by yourself?"
Mei did not deny it; she said slowly, "That is indeed something impossible to achieve."
"So now, I can only invite the last person remaining in the Elysian Realm to attend this banquet."
"That is… myself."
Before the fairy Elysia could ask, Mei proactively explained,
"Since this is inside my own mind, it shouldn't be a problem for me to add a bit of my own memory as decoration, right?"
"If the traces left by the past can turn into hope in the distant future."
"Then the future she created can, of course, in turn become… hope offered to the past."
"Don't you think?"
At this point, Mei paused and turned her gaze toward the fairy Elysia.
"—Elysia?"
The moment these words were spoken, many viewers in front of the screen were instantly shocked.
What the heck? Elysia?
Isn't it fairy Elysia?
"Shit shit shit, the dog director won't even spare the doll!!"
"I don't know when the fairy Elysia got secretly knifed—truly worthy of you, dog director!"
"I'm happy Elysia came back, but I'm really upset that fairy Elysia got knifed!"
"I knew the dog director's nature would never change!"
"…"
Inside the Fire Moth Interstellar Entertainment Company.
"As expected, I felt something was off earlier—it really was Elysia, not fairy Elysia."
Eden chuckled lightly and said.
"Anyone could have noticed that; I just didn't expect a certain dog director to have absolutely no bottom line."
Mobius crossed her arms, curled her lips, and glanced sideways at Hessian.
Even she hadn't expected Hessian to suddenly knife even a doll like fairy Elysia!
"No matter what, Mei's performance was really amazing!"
Kiana took the chance to hug Mei, initiating a beautiful-girl cuddle session.
She had secretly checked the fan group earlier, and everyone inside was spamming one sentence.
Kiana got NTR'd.
The sentence had even been deliberately colored green by many people, nearly giving Kiana hypertension from anger.
Still, most people's attention remained fixed on the television.
They could complain all they wanted, but they couldn't miss a single episode of the weekly drama.
"…"
The fairy Elysia—no, Elysia—scratched her cheek and said,
"Mei, when did you find out?"
Mei replied as if it were obvious, "From the moment you called yourself Elysia instead of 'mature me.'"
Hearing this, Elysia couldn't help laughing. "Wasn't that from the very beginning?"
Mei said, "The real fairy Elysia has probably already disappeared together with Eden…"
"Becoming part of the many memories here, right?"
"After all, those experiences from your childhood don't sound like anyone else's retelling no matter how you look at them."
"Moreover… they even carry a strong fairy-tale color."
Elysia blinked and said, "I just used a bit of rhetoric!"
"The content is all true, I promise you!"
Mei smiled lightly and said, "Of course, I won't doubt you anymore."
"What I saw was your true self."
"All the words you said along the way were also the outpouring of your heart, right?"
"Just like those twelve unsent invitations, you were afraid… that I wouldn't accept your truth."
"Even though you were very afraid, you still showed me your past without holding anything back."
"Borrowing the appearance of fairy Elysia like this, following me with unease, observing my reaction…"
"Where does that look like any Herrscher? She's clearly just an ordinary girl."
Elysia couldn't help sighing. "Ahhh, really, my heart has been completely seen through by Mei!"
"But I'm only a small part of Elysia—the corner that was awakened by you first."
"So now, I can finally disappear with peace of mind and become part of Mei."
"Let's have a brief farewell here, and then… I'll go awaken all of Elysia!"
"Okay? Mei?"
At the very end, the Elysia in the form of fairy Elysia couldn't help looking at Mei with worry once more.
Mei did not let her down; she said earnestly, "Mm, I will."
"Thank you for opening your heart to me, and thank you… for accompanying me this far."
Elysia smiled and said, "Clearly I should be the one thanking you."
"Thank you for being willing to understand everything about me, Mei."
"But if we're saying goodbye, isn't there more appropriate wording?"
"For example, the fairy administrator's shutdown phrase that corresponds to the awakening phrase?"
"Mei is so smart, you can definitely guess it, right?"
Mei nodded and said, "Mm, goodbye, my dear Elysia."
"Heehee, goodbye~"
Elysia laughed lightly. "Wrong, it should be 'see you later,' right?"
"Mm, see you later."
With that, the figure of fairy Elysia slowly faded away, and Mei stepped onto the final staircase.
"Once I pass through this door, I will no longer be merely an observer."
"I will step into her story as a participant."
"Of course, I've been ready for a long time."
"Come, Elysia—show me everything about that banquet!"
Her inner voice appeared in the form of narration, while Mei raised her fist in an encouraging, cheering pose.
For some unknown reason, at this moment, audiences in various major fan groups began spamming the same sentence in unison.
Kiana got NTR'd.
This nearly made the Kiana inside the Fire Moth Interstellar Entertainment Company explode with anger again; she once more cuddled up to Mei seeking comfort.
Before she had cuddled enough, Elysia squeezed in, turning it into a 3.8—three girls cuddling together.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Kiana always felt that her head was turning a little green.
Back to the television.
In the memory that surfaced once more, it was a conversation between Dr. MEI and Elysia.
Seeing that even Elysia, the Herrscher of Humanity, had no confidence in her own actions.
Dr. MEI couldn't help sighing, "If even you need to speculate, then we truly know nothing about the Honkai…"
Through this conversation, a fact was also revealed.
That was, in the Previous Era civilization, the god who commanded the Herrschers—the Will of Honkai—did not exist.
As the first Herrscher born from nothing, the only thing Elysia could sense was a vast chaos.
Like a cocoon quietly waiting for new life.
As if telling them that everything the Previous Era had experienced was neither a judgment nor a trial.
It was merely an embrace.
When Elysia reached this point, she couldn't help sighing as well. "For humanity, this kind of embrace seems a bit too painful."
Clearly, this plot segment felt more like foreshadowing, and it drew complaints from most viewers.
What an embrace!
The Previous Era was completely embraced out of existence!
Dr. MEI also sighed at this moment, "Perhaps this is the price civilization must pay to bid farewell to its childhood."
"Being a child is of course happy, but it also means handing your fate over to others to control."
"In the end we will not be trapped by this planet; we will break out of the cocoon and eclose, flying toward the vast starry universe."
"That is the mission of Fire Moth, the future that belongs to humanity and Earth's civilization."
Listening to Dr. MEI's words, Elysia stared blankly for a moment, then smiled softly.
"Eclosion… what a beautiful word."
"In that case, a Herrscher like me could also be called an Eclosion, right?"