"You know, when I first discovered my identity, I was shocked too. But I quickly understood. The Honkai beast that appeared that day might have been my companion beast.
And, Yuan, you must, must live on. In the future, we might reunite somewhere. Love can transcend time, transcend everything. I'll be waiting for you at the end.
Oh, and you and Vill-V can stop the plan to clone me. Every Elysia is special. There can't be a second one exactly like me."
As she said this, Elysia leaned down and kissed Chang Yuan's forehead.
This left Chang Yuan in disbelief.
That plan had been kept secret. Only a few people knew about it, and none of them would have told Elysia. How?
"Curious how I know? Because they are all me, yet not me. I can feel what they feel, experience everything they do.
5,210 in total. A romantic number, isn't it? I share their feelings. They hold no resentment toward you for ultimately choosing to kill them.
Their only regret is not being able to stay with you, not becoming the one you needed. All of them, and I, have always loved you."
Suddenly, Chang Yuan felt something wet on his face.
It was the tears flowing from Elysia's eyes.
And his own tears.
"Now, the time for farewell has come. Now, the time to return has come. For a stable future, for your happiness in the future, goodbye, the only one I selfishly wanted to love."
Slowly, she placed Chang Yuan's head on the floor.
Elysia stood up and walked step by step toward the center of the grand stage. With each step, her Herrscher armor manifested on her body.
A pure white wedding dress, symbolizing her willingness to become humanity's companion.
"Mei, I'll leave it to you. My Stigmata... give it to him."
"...I understand."
At this moment, a crystal-clear tear slid down Mei's cheek.
Elysia had been close to everyone, friends with all. But her love was divided into two.
One part selfishly loved Chang Yuan, the other loved all of humanity.
"One day, she fell from the sky. People looked up and saw the stars.
The moon and stars sent the daughter of God, willing to become the companion of man.
The wind became her chariot, the seas her garden. Birds brought seeds of kindness, flowers wove songs of love.
Thus she was born into the world, walking the earth, growing with humanity, sprouting with the world.
Now, the time of the end has come.
Now, the time to return has come.
Farewell, beautiful world.
Henceforth, the stars will shine, for I have been here.
Henceforth, flowers will bloom, for I have never left.
Take my arrow, my flower, and my love, weave them into seeds of new life, and bring them to the withered earth.
Then, let it bloom into an eternal and flawless... flower of humanity."
As she spoke, Elysia's body began to disintegrate.
"My name is Elysia, the first Herrscher, the Herrscher of Humanity, and a Herrscher who loves humanity."
With her final words, Elysia completely vanished from the world.
But no one noticed that part of the light from her disintegration returned to the world, while another part drifted toward a certain person.
After witnessing Elysia's disappearance, Chang Yuan, overwhelmed with emotion, fell into a deep unconsciousness.
But he didn't notice that the pink crystal flower he had always protected in his arms flickered for a moment before dimming again.
Seeing Chang Yuan unconscious, Mei called for a few people to carry him to the operating room.
She personally engraved Elysia's recently completed Stigmata onto his back.
It resembled a flawless flower, just like her.
Unnoticed by Mei, particles from the pink crystal flower flowed into the Stigmata as it was being engraved.
When Chang Yuan woke up a few hours later, most of humanity had already entered the hibernation pods. Only those who chose to remain with the civilization were still in the world.
But the Chang Yuan who woke up was utterly broken.
"...Enter the hibernation pod. She... wouldn't want you to give up like this."
"...Haha, yeah, she wouldn't want that. But why does she assume that without her, I'd still have the will to live?"
Seeing Chang Yuan in this state of despair, the "Expert" Vill-V knew she had to show him the letter Elysia had left behind.
"Read this. If you still feel the same afterward, there's nothing more we can do."
"...Alright."
Trembling, Chang Yuan took the letter, Elysia's final words, and opened it.
『Yuan, when you read this letter, I'm sure you're in despair. Don't give up because of my departure.
You are the only thing I've left in this world, the only proof that I ever existed. Do you know how happy I was when I learned that because of me, there would be many Herrschers in the future who possess humanity and help humanity?
It's a pity I won't get to see it. So, can you grant me one last wish? One last insignificant wish. Witness it for me. See humanity overcome the Finality. See the visitors of the future. See the Herrschers who possess humanity, other than me.
Your beloved, Elysia.』
"..."
After reading the letter, Chang Yuan didn't know what to think. His mind was in complete chaos.
The "Expert" Vill-V didn't disturb him, simply standing quietly by his side.
After a long while, Chang Yuan stood up.
"Let's go. Into the hibernation pod. I am her only remnant in this world. If I die, then no one will be able to prove that someone once loved her."
In the end, Chang Yuan chose to live. Because he had to witness, on her behalf, the future of Herrschers with humanity.
The future where humanity overcomes the Honkai.
Entering the underground hibernation facility, Chang Yuan randomly chose a pod and lay down inside.
The management of this place would be handled by the 12 artificial Herrschers.
They had re-equipped their Herrscher Cores to ensure no issues would arise with the hibernating personnel.
Of course, the 4th Divine Key was not among them, as its primary role was to restore the surface of the Earth after the destruction caused by the Finality.
Only then could humanity re-emerge, rebuild civilization, and reach the point of resurgence.