Deep within the ceremonial hall, a winding passage covered in ancient scars stretched endlessly into the dark.
This was the World Serpent's greatest secret, the sanctum where every high-ranking officer underwent baptism and transformation.
The slow, deliberate footsteps echoed through the corridor, and even Paimon went silent under the heavy pressure.
She clung tightly to Lumine's white ribbon fluttering behind her.
Beyond an age-worn, massive door lay a world entirely unlike the one outside — vast, magnificent, almost divine in scale.
A gigantic device hovered at the center of the grand chamber, pulsing faintly with overwhelming energy.
"Wow… it's huge! And so gorgeous!" Paimon's eyes sparkled as she looked around the golden, ancient palace that seemed to have existed since the birth of the world itself.
This was Elysian Realm, the memory of a glorious bygone civilization, a monument to an entire era.
"Hehe~ thank you for the compliment." A cheerful, melodious voice echoed the moment they stepped into the golden palace.
A figure appeared before them like a graceful phantom.
Her long, silky pink hair slightly curled and tied into a ponytail — swayed gently with her movements like a flowing river.
The white uniform clinging to her body outlined a perfect, delicate silhouette, the curves beneath pressing enticingly against the fabric.
Her figure was as elegant as her beauty and her flawless face glowed with charm.
Beneath her long, curled lashes shimmered a pair of bewitching, jewel-like eyes, and the pointed ears at her sides made her look just like a fairy out of a storybook.
If she were wearing a maid outfit, the sight alone would probably be a weapon of mass destruction.
"Oh my such adorable visitors! Let's make this a delightful encounter, shall we?" The girl — Elysia waved her slender hand with a bright, teasing smile.
Her gaze first landed curiously on Paimon, who floated in the air in a way that defied all logic.
"Could it be? You're a fairy straight out of a storybook? How cute~"
"W-wait, did she just call Paimon cute?" Paimon turned to Lumine, shaking her arm excitedly. "She did, right? Right!?"
Instantly, Paimon gave this beautiful stranger a perfect score in her mind.
'This person got a good taste!'
"Of course you are" Elysia's smile was radiant, her tone sweet as honey. "You're just like me wise, beautiful, kind, pure, strong, and as shy and lovely as a blooming flower"
To anyone else, it might've sounded hopelessly narcissistic, but not for this girl.
All the word she is saying weight with a heavy truth of who she was.
Lumine simply gave her a polite, soft smile, gazing at the "pink fairy" before her as if trying to recall a faint memory from Nagami mind.
Elysia's eyes eventually turned toward the black-haired boy standing quietly behind them.
Her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Something felt off.
To her senses, he seemed entirely ordinary — but at the same time, utterly not.
There was a strange dissonance about him, something she couldn't define.
Of course, Elysia didn't actually believe Nagami was a normal human.
Kevin would never bring just anyone to Elysium.
But what truly caught her off guard was that this boy's gaze had been fixed on the starry, door-shaped structure since he entered, he hadn't even glanced her way once!
Her cheeks puffed slightly, making her look adorably pouty.
Then, Nagami whispered something barely audible and Elysia's blue eyes widened in surprise.
In an instant, the playful sparkle vanished from her gaze.
"So that's how it is…"
A six-pointed star of pure violet light flashed briefly before fading.
Nagami studied the massive gate before him, his tone calm and analytical.
"As a database, its efficiency is abysmal. As a trial ground for inheritance, the energy cost is absurdly high."
"That inefficiency is intentional," Elysia replied with a knowing smile. "And extravagance comes naturally — because the Elysian Realm isn't a database. It's a world bubble anchored in the Ether."
The massive, door-like construct before them truly was a gateway — one that connected to another reality.
What appeared to be an enormous, inefficient database was actually a disguise, recording data only to conceal the true aetheric anchor hidden within.
In other words, the "Flame-Chasers" within weren't just mere memories there were like a left behind shadow of the real person.
Nagami wasn't talking to himself, he was explaining things for Lumine's sake.
Though they were avoiding any deep mental link to prevent interference, their silent understanding let him know exactly what she wanted to hear.
"This was your idea, Elysia-san? As expected of the Vice Commander of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, founder of the MOTH organization and the one who united them all."
Nagami turned to her with a polite, gentlemanly smile.
"Oh right, allow me to introduce myself. You can call me Nagami, captain of the new generation's Flame-Chasers, and… the Herrscher of Reason in this era."
Elysia's brows lifted slightly.
The lively sparkle in her eyes dimmed for a heartbeat before she let out a dazzling smile that could outshine the stars.
"My, my~ looks like we have quite the remarkable guest today."
With an amused lilt in her voice, Elysia clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward playfully toward Nagami, tilting her head as she looked past him.
Her gaze fell upon the silent, white-haired man standing behind.
"Honestly, Kevin You could've at least told us you were bringing someone this important. No wonder your organization has such a poor reputation! That's not how you treat guests, you know"
Her pink hair rippled like liquid silk as she shook her head.
Then, raising one pale, slender finger, she wagged it teasingly in Kevin's face.
"Nagami… was it?" The way she said his name with such familiar way, sounding both natural and nostalgic.
Then, in one fluid motion, the pink fairy twirled gracefully, stepping lightly toward Nagami.
Her lips curved in a playful smile.
"It seems I've been cooped up in this realm for far too long. Would you mind explaining what all that meant just now?"
Her lively movement made her chest bounce softly beneath her fitted uniform — a detail not lost even on Lumine, whose golden eyes briefly followed the motion.
Nagami, however, didn't flinch or look away.
He nodded calmly.
"Of course. But if you don't mind, Elysia-san, let's continue this conversation inside the Elysian Realm itself."
With a crisp snap of her fingers, the sound echoed through the golden hall — and in an instant, every figure in the palace vanished.
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