Raiden Mei walked out of the hall and ran straight into Raven leaning against the wall.
The other woman was playing with a coin in her hand, and when she saw her, she raised an eyebrow.
"Mei, I thought… you were going to sacrifice yourself."
Raiden Mei stopped in her tracks, looking at Raven speechlessly.
"Weren't those your own words?" After flicking the coin into the air, Raven asked, "So, how's the situation?"
"I've crossed hands with Kosma."
With her words, the coin fell with a crisp ding into Raven's palm.
"Really? Don't tell me you… No wonder when he showed up just now, Sakura immediately dragged me into the corner." Raven let out a whistle.
"I always thought he was scary enough on a normal day, but when he's really angry… wow, he's on a whole other level."
"At least for now, I'm not his match." Raiden Mei interrupted. "But…"
"But what?"
"If someone really could beat him," Raiden Mei smiled slightly, "I think you or I would both want to put a fist right on his face, wouldn't we?"
Raven let out a chuckle, "Put… that's a really polite way to say it. So how did the fight go?"
"He's… terrifying when it comes to raw strength. The only reason you're still seeing me here is because someone stepped in to mediate."
At this, Raven immediately showed a sly smile, "Oh? Should I be asking you now who this mediator is? Such a hard guess~"
Then, her tone shifted, "So… how does it feel, meeting the person you've been wanting to see? Did he carry you here in a princess hug this time too?"
Looking at Raven's gossipy expression, Raiden Mei replied stiffly, "…Raven, you're talking a bit too much."
"Alright, alright, I get it. A little girl facing this kind of thing would be shy… fine, fine, I'll shut up."
Seeing Raiden Mei's hand had already rested on the hilt of her sword, Raven quickly changed the subject,
"Anyway, I came to say goodbye. I've been here way too long, and Gray Serpent is about to personally 'invite' me out."
"…Alright, goodbye," Raiden Mei said.
"That's it?" Raven pretended to be heartbroken. "I thought we had a closer relationship than that~"
Raiden Mei, "Then… have a safe trip?"
Raven sighed helplessly, "Don't tell me you're treating this as part of that 'prophecy' too. The 'tenth day' is almost here. How's it going on your end?"
"I've learned some things." Mei looked into the distance. "But when it comes to the 'prophecy' itself, I still don't have any conclusive evidence to deny it. And…"
"And?"
"Even if fate is a lie, with her Discipline and mental perception, she can still make the prophecy come true."
At this, Raiden Mei clenched her fist, her eyes firm, "So, I've decided to 'confront the source.'"
Raven's pupils narrowed slightly, "So… you've found a way to enter the Deepest Depths?"
"That's right. And I'm about to head out."
Raven stared at her for a long while, then finally smiled in relief, "Since you're prepared, I won't say more. Finally, in the words of your homeland… may your battle be victorious."
Raiden took a deep breath and said slowly, "Thank you, Raven."
With that, Raiden Mei turned and walked away.
Watching her figure disappear into the distance, Raven shook her head with a bitter smile, "At least… say a few more words."
———
Inside Vill-V's workshop, the sound of gears interlocking filled the air.
Raiden Mei stood in the center, staring at the woman in the tall top hat in front of her.
"Ready, Miss Mei?" Vill-V spread her arms dramatically. "Because next, we're going to bare our hearts to each other completely~"
Raiden Mei gave her a glance, then said, "Let's do it."
This was the deal they had agreed upon earlier.
Vill-V would take Raiden Mei to the Deepest Depths, and in exchange, Raiden Mei would open her heart completely during the process.
A strange sensation filled Mei's mind as she drifted through the thoughts of others. It was a novel, though not exactly pleasant, experience.
Countless fragmented memories flashed past like a lantern show, some even belonging to people other than Vill-V herself.
What unsettled Mei even more was that, as she was leaving Vill-V's Sea of Thought, she suddenly heard a faint cry for help, "Visitor… save us."
Raiden Mei's eyes snapped open, "Those fleeting images just now… that wasn't the so-called 'whole truth,' Vill-V… you still deceived me."
But now wasn't the time to confront her about it.
If this was truly what it meant to 'pass through thoughts,' then the end point was just ahead.
Seeing the slowly rising gate before her, Raiden Mei stepped forward resolutely.
At that moment, Aponia's voice rang out again.
"Stop here, Raiden Mei. Before guiding you further, you still have the chance to turn back. 'Once you step through here, abandon all hope.'"
However, Aponia's warning only strengthened Mei's resolve. With unwavering determination, she stepped through the final gate.
The pitch-black corridor faded, replaced by an unbearably dazzling light.
In the midst of that holy radiance, Aponia knelt at the center of a grand sanctuary, hands clasped in prayer.
"The warnings end here." She lifted her head. "Ah… Raiden Mei, what is it that makes you determined… to fall so miserably into the End?"
"Aponia. Good. Seeing you here actually… puts me at ease." Mei spoke.
"My last doubt is finally resolved, my 'death,' and my intention to reach the Deepest Depths, are indeed connected. Or perhaps… they are one and the same."
At her reasoning, Aponia sighed softly, "The thirst for knowledge once destroyed an entire era. I don't want you to be dragged into the same abyss."
"Spare me the pretty words." Raiden Mei cut her off. "You can't see my fate at all. Your so-called prophecy is nothing more than an execution order for anyone who crosses the line… like a hunter trying to shoot down a bird soaring in the sky…"
"Shoot down… what an apt description." Aponia slowly rose to her feet. "Since you know what I'll do, why take the risk?"
"Because I've wasted too much time here in Elysia's world… I can't afford to delay."
A fleeting emotion flashed in Aponia's eyes, though her face remained filled with false compassion.
"Such admirable courage… and yet so meaningless. I am the only one who can fight against fate. You… you've disappointed me."
"So what now? Are you going to… kill me here?"
"Not entirely. Either… I erase you, Miss Mei, or… I erase the 'Elysian Realm.'"
"Or maybe, there's another possibility." The sharp ring of a blade leaving its sheath echoed through the sanctuary as thunder crackled around Mei. "Aponia, what if… I erase you?"
"This… is your final mistake." As she spoke, Aponia's figure began to blur. "Before the shadow of death engulfs me, I thought… if I could become heaven and earth, if I could become fate itself…"
The light of the sanctuary twisted violently.
Raiden Mei felt an invisible pressure crash in from all directions, as though the entire world was rejecting her existence.
"Even if the outcome is already decided, I will still pray for you…" Aponia's voice came from everywhere at once. "One last chance… please, turn back."
Her answer was the roar of thunder splitting the air.
[T/N: 🔥A new book is up— "Emiya in Honkai: Star Rail". I am releasing it from my second account(Ambitious_Guy) as I can't publish more books from this account(Max is 20). Make sure to check it out and support. Have a great read~🙇]
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