MGSFV?! Chapter 375. From Me It Begins, With Me It Ends
The players' hearts were now overflowing with a thousand unspoken emotions—and then some.
And yet… they couldn't seem to find the right words to express the ever-growing complexity building inside them.
Before they could gather their thoughts, the story in the game changed once more.
Elysia and Mei left the amusement park and walked to the other side of the Elysian Realm.
There, they encountered familiar figures from Elysia's memories:
—The childhood friends from the orphanage.
—The kindly old man who had looked after her in that small town.
—The familiar staff from the Flame-Chasers.
Elysia smiled and spoke warmly with each of them.
This scene felt incredibly familiar—eerily so.
Just like when Mei had first entered the Elysian Realm, led by Elysia.
Or rather… it was almost exactly the same.
Back then, they had walked forward from the starting point toward an unknown ending.
Now, it was the reverse—a journey from the end, retracing their steps back to the beginning.
Step by step, they moved together, quietly passing through the viewing platforms scattered throughout the Elysian Realm.
The very ones Elysia had once praised as "cleverly designed by Mr. Otto" when she first experienced this simulation herself.
Now, those same designs simply delivered yet another emotional blow.
Because...
If the players had known that, after today's story, the Elysian Realm would never be accessible again—
This wouldn't just be Mei's final look at it.
It would be theirs as well.
And if not for Brother Kalpas, the whole of the Elysian Realm might have been erased entirely.
They didn't know how to feel.
Probably something like:
"Thanks... I guess?"
To MiHoYo: "Are you trying to stop us from doing anything rash?"
They passed the platforms. Then the garden blooming with flowers.
No matter how slowly Mei and Elysia walked, they eventually reached the end—
And also, the very beginning.
The plaza where Mei had first entered the Elysian Realm.
"At the end of it all… we still return here, huh?"
Elysia turned around and smiled as brightly as when they first met.
She began to repeat the lines she had once spoken:
"In the Elysian Realm, this is my favorite place."
"As you can see, it's like the essence of all beautiful things—
a peaceful and eternal dreamland, a flawless paradise standing at the end of all ideals."
"A life like Elysia's… of course it had to be like this, right?"
[...]
[...]×n
[Come on, everyone… say something...]
[We've got nothing left to say.]
Elysia gently looked at Mei, who had grown increasingly silent.
"No matter how many times you see it… the Elysian Realm is always this perfect."
"Even now, it's as beautiful as the first time."
"So, here at the place where everything began—shall we write its perfect conclusion?"
Mei turned her face slightly, avoiding Elysia's gaze.
She couldn't speak.
But the sorrow in her eyes was unmistakable.
Then again, that wasn't surprising.
Just like the players at this very moment, everyone likely had the exact same reaction.
Couldn't they just… stay like this forever?
"Aww, I know… Mei must really hate to part with me.
Because I don't want to part with Mei either."
Elysia tried her best to soothe Mei's emotions.
"We only just reunited, and now we already have to say goodbye… it's not fair, is it?"
[That's right! It's not fair!!]
"But goodbyes always come eventually.
Just like every story… it needs an ending."
Mei: "..."
Players: "..."
Everyone was silent.
Only one person, who was likely hurting the most inside, kept smiling—
Trying to comfort everyone else.
You can't cry during farewells.
After all, girls look prettier when they smile.
"So don't make that face… Mei, smile for me, okay?"
"..."
"..."
Everyone tried to lift the corners of their lips.
But they couldn't.
Not now, Elysia.
Not when you're about to leave.
After all these memories, all these encounters with the Flame-Chasers… still so vivid…
"Is it… really ending?"
Reluctance. Grief. Clinging to the moment…
They stood at the end of the path—but couldn't bring themselves to take that final step.
Even wanted to turn back.
And Elysia could feel it too.
Because… she felt the same.
Yet still, she said:
"Yeah. After all, everyone worked so hard for this very moment."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you.
I'll make sure Mei returns to the real world safe and sound."
"Congratulations. From this moment on, you've officially graduated from the Elysian Realm."
Then, Elysia clasped her hands together in that familiar, cute pose of hers.
She always did it to tease Mei.
But this time… the very last time…
It was to encourage her.
"And now… lift your head.
And walk proudly toward your future."
[...]×n
[Smile, okay? Wuwuwu, I'm crying.]
[Don't graduate! Please don't graduate!]
[Lord Overseer, take us into the Imaginary Tree one more time!]
[I want to build a world with Elysia and the Flame-Chasers in it (spiraling into delusion)]
[Wait… are you talking about real life? (dog emoji)]
…
In the story—
Mei: "..."
"I haven't…"
She had so much she wanted to say, but no idea how to say any of it.
Hesitating—her emotions spilled freely to the ground.
Even if Kalpas were here…
Even he would be able to tell what she was feeling.
So…
Elysia gently helped Mei finish her sentence: "You're not ready… to say goodbye?"
Mei: "..."
"Actually… me neither."
Elysia gave Mei a playful wink.
Then made a suggestion that was both inviting and… just a little bit scary.
"Then, for our last moment together… how about one more ride on the roller coaster?"
"This time, let's go slow. Just to enjoy the view, okay?"
"..."
"…Okay."
A single word.
And yet, it carried a thousand.
Soon, the roller coaster that circled the whole Elysian Realm arrived again.
Elysia led Mei aboard, activated it, and the car slowly began to move forward.
"I already knew how you'd react, Mei."
"See? I'm starting to understand you better and better."
Trying to hide her feelings again with jokes.
Mei, now free of her thunderclad shell, replied gently:
"You've always understood everyone around you."
That made Elysia truly happy.
"That's right! Because I watched over everyone."
"Whether it was the Flame-Chasers, the warriors of the Flame-Chasing MOTH,
or the ordinary people I met—every single one of them was special."
"I lived among them, followed their paths, shared their joys and sorrows, their hopes and thoughts,
and bore witness… to their one-of-a-kind souls."
"It was all of those beautiful things that gave birth to Elysia. Don't you think?"
"I just… love people like that. I love the world they make."
Elysia spoke softly.
At the very end, she still wanted Mei to know more of her.
Otherwise…
What if she was forgotten…?
She couldn't help but have such a girlish worry.
"I believe every word you say comes from the bottom of your heart."
"Hmm? Does that mean you didn't believe me before? You'll make me sad, you know?"
[Thinking back to how we used to doubt Elysia… that hurts. It really hurts.]
[I call this a MiHoYo Boomerang.]
[A boomerang that just knocked me out.]
The ride wasn't even halfway done, and most players were already emotionally devastated.
The rest were just barely holding on.
…
And then—
"Elysia… you're making a lot more jokes than usual today."
Mei could hear it in her voice, see it in her smile.
She finally understood.
"You're deflecting your real feelings again with all this teasing, aren't you?"
She paused.
"You really… don't know how to lie."
Just as Elysia had learned to understand Mei.
Mei—who had accepted everything in the Elysian Realm—had learned to understand Elysia too.
And faced with such an unfairly sincere statement, Elysia responded in kind—with even more sincere (and unfair) words:
"Mei…"
"If you keep talking like that, I really will cry, you know?"
"I don't want to cry saying goodbye to Mei… Girls always look better when they smile."
But Elysia…
If you act like this, how are we supposed to keep from crying?
No—no.
If Elysia wanted a smiling farewell, then…
[This time—just this once—we have to smile through it!!!]
A giant flag was raised in the livestream chat.
They braced themselves and continued.
"So, you've memorized my smiling face, right?"
"…Yeah."
Mei said it.
Everyone thought it.
They were all the same now.
"I'll never forget…
I'll hold it in my heart. Always."
Elysia added one more reminder, worried as ever:
"Don't forget, okay? My cute face, my sweet voice, every word I ever told you—remember everything."
But as she said it…
She realized—
Maybe they would forget…
After all, she was just…
Elysia took a deep breath.
Then smiled sweetly once more.
"But… even if you do forget, that's okay."
As her words fell…
Everyone who had vowed to "stay strong" had their emotional defenses completely shattered.
They couldn't hold back.
Because that line—
It wasn't just for Mei.
It was for them, too.
…
Mei: "..."
Elysia: "..."
Mei: "..."
At that moment, Mei could no longer say anything.
Her heart, heavy with sorrow, could no longer suppress it.
Tears formed silently in her eyes, then slipped down her cheeks—
Scattered into the Elysian Realm as the roller coaster passed through.
"Ah!"
Elysia was startled.
"Mei… are you crying?"
But she softened her voice.
"Do you want a big hug?"
"I'm not crying."
It seemed Mei had also learned the Elysian Realm's specialty: stubborn denial.
Elysia stretched the word: "Reaaally~?"
"No."
Mei's voice was defiant, but tinged with sorrow.
So Elysia leaned forward, placed her hands behind her back, and made her most adorable pose.
With her sweetest voice and smile, she asked again:
"Really… nooo~?"
Hearing her voice,
seeing her smile…
Mei in-game—and the players outside—couldn't help but lose themselves.
Yes.
She always used moments like this to comfort others, to care for them.
That's who Elysia was.
The Flame-Chaser who bore the Signet of the True Self.
"Smile, okay?"
Before she even said it,
She'd already done it herself.
Just to leave Mei with the best version of her.
So Mei smiled again.
"Now… I really haven't cried."
"Mm. That's good." Elysia's gaze was warm.
"Like I said, Mei really does look better when she smiles!"
"Since you said something like that first, I couldn't help teasing you.
In moments like these, I can't let Mei have the upper hand."
Mei gave a soft, pampering smile.
"Fine, you win. Happy now?"
"Haha~~!"
Elysia laughed out loud.
Hearing her laughter, the players—despite the ache in their chests—couldn't help but smile as well.
And then…
Some of them reached for the top-left of their screen.
They just wanted to hear Elysia's voice a little more.
But…
Why wasn't the "History" button there?
???
They finally realized—
Ever since Elysia's return, the story had entered a one-way track.
No more replays.
No more looking back.
MiHoYo...
How could you do this to us?
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