In this place that once bore witness to a civilization's glory, a few figures walked slowly, as though retracing the memories of a lost era.
"The Elysian Realm — a high-grade data world constructed from the memories of thirteen individuals, anchored by an Ether tether."
Lumine raised her golden eyes toward the familiar sky, her expression calm and emotionless.
"For people like you, is this realm a beautiful remnant of the past… a continuation of your war… or simply the byproduct of another grand plan?"
In that moment, there was a faint chill in her gaze — cold and distant, much like this silent, desolate world itself.
Her golden hair swayed gently in the wind, her fringe falling over her eyes, hiding whatever emotion might have lingered there.
At that instant, Lumine wasn't merely a traveler crossing endless stars — she was something beyond, something timeless.
"You…"
Elysia's eyes flickered with uncertainty.
She knew Mei had once led a project called the Ark Plan, but the actual execution was handled by Kevin, and she herself had little involvement.
She tilted her head slightly, glancing toward Kevin — who stood with his eyes closed in silent contemplation and her expression turned subtly awkward.
"Of course, it holds a far greater meaning than that."
The one who answered Lumine wasn't Elysia, but Nagami.
He couldn't hide a faint trace of melancholy, the quiet frustration of being unable to connect with another soul that shared his essence on a higher dimensional level.
"In a sense, you could call them avatars a memory constructs that carry fragments of the original, and Elysia-san wasn't lying. But sometimes, an incomplete truth can be far more deceptive than a carefully crafted lie."
His tone was gentle yet precise.
The violet six-pointed stars in his eyes reflected both the Elysian Realm and Elysia herself, and the curve of his smile was impossibly flawless.
"Elysia-san's wisdom is perfectly matched by her world-shattering beauty."
His voice was calm, but carried a weight that couldn't be ignored.
"Still, I imagine Doctor Mei had a hand in creating the Elysian Realm, didn't she?"
It wasn't that Nagami underestimated the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.
Each one was a living legend — a relic of a civilization that had endured the end of the world.
But when it came to science and research?
Aside from Dr. Mobius, none of the others could even compare to Mei.
Only someone like Nagami a walking cheat code could keep up with minds like theirs.
"Even for the last civilization, creating a stable world bubble anchored by a miniature Ether tether couldn't have been easy. And the fact that World Serpent spent enormous resources to maintain its database of these recorded realms…"
His lips curved slightly.
"There must be secrets hidden within — things that were never meant to be known. So tell me, Elysia-san… will you explain it to Lumine, or should I?"
"…Is that the power of your strange eyes?"
Elysia's voice softened as she looked straight into those six-pointed pupils.
"Just one glance, and you saw through the layers of illusion surrounding the Elysian Realm — even now, you're seeing its hidden truth. That's not just keen perception… it's unbelievable."
Nagami smiled faintly. "You could say that, yes. These eyes are… convenient tools. They can analyze everything they see even the powers of the Herrschers, embodiments of the world's fundamental laws."
He looked toward the empty air.
"Dr. Mobius, if you're interested in our discussion, you're welcome to join us. I've been wanting to exchange thoughts with one of the previous era's brightest minds — perhaps on biology, genetics, virology…"
His tone remained perfectly composed — his "calm" mode completely unshaken.
Otherwise, knowing Nagami, the "discussion" would have quickly drifted toward topics like snake physiology or whether fusion warriors experience reproductive isolation.
'Which, technically speaking… still falls under biology!'
A soft, seductive chuckle filled the air.
"My, my~ what a fascinating guest we have here."
Her voice was languid and sultry, carrying the kind of dangerous allure that could send chills down one's spine.
A massive shadow suddenly appeared above them, blotting out the sky.
A cascade of emerald-green hair spilled through the void like a flowing river, shifting to pink at the ends — and then, the eyes appeared.
Serpentine pupils glowed in the air, locking directly onto Nagami — beautiful, yet cold and predatory.
"So you're Nagami, hmm? Hehe~ then let's do something… fun, shall we?"
When Mobius's full form materialized, the sight was overwhelming.
She was enormous — a colossal serpent goddess seated within the void, holding pieces of pre-civilization architecture like toys.
And Nagami and the others? Merely tiny figures standing on those "toys," like lab mice on a scientist's table.
"Waaah! W-what is that!? It's huge!" (꒪Д꒪)ノ
"Lumine! LUMINE!!"
Paimon zipped behind Lumine at lightning speed, clutching the tips of her long golden braids and trembling all over.
S-so big!
She couldn't even fill a single tooth gap on that thing!
Lumine shot her emergency ration a deadpan look, hands on hips.
If Paimon tugged her hair one more time, she was going to test how long her food supply could last.
Kevin remained still, his eyes deep and unreadable.
Elysia sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead — but then a mischievous smile crept across her face as she turned her gaze to Nagami.
"Now, now, don't be so tense, little one~ I'm not going to eat you."
As a biologist, there was no way Mobius could ignore a creature like Paimon, she was practically a living fairytale!
Of course, she would never dissect something so precious.
'This was a one-of-a-kind specimen, after all!'
Still, her true focus was on Nagami.
"My, my, big brother~ why so quiet? Or…" her voice dripped with mock sweetness, "…are you perhaps thinking about how you're going to eat me?"
Her words were velvet and venom — soft, dangerous, and cold.
Nagami slowly raised his right hand.
The dimensions within the world bubble twisted and warped.
In the void, an enormous hand materialized — gently pinching a closed "flower" of space, then shrinking it down before pulling it back.
Sunlight poured through the sky dome once more, warm and serene.
Kevin and Elysia stared in stunned silence at the tiny figure resting in Nagami's palm — Mobius, now reduced to a miniature doll.
Her confident smile froze, disbelief flashing in her eyes.
Like a machine rusting mid-motion, she tilted her head upward — and met the soft, warm smile of a giant.
"Dr. Mobius," Nagami said gently, "were you perhaps interested in testing the theory of whether being eaten by a Herrscher leads to resurrection? If so… I can help."
His tone was pure sincerity — the kind that made it hard to tell whether he was being polite… or terrifyingly serious.
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