To the Future You
Bright yet gloomy. Spacious yet narrow.
That was Raiden Mei's first impression of the virtual space known as the Paradise of the Past. The place was meticulously arranged, neat, orderly, and filled with furnishings so exquisite they seemed unreal. It was completely different from the memory spaces of the fusion warriors she had imagined from what others had described.
Different auras intertwined within the space, forming the strange yet harmonious scene before her eyes.
It was a world of contradictions, yet somehow it all balanced perfectly.
This was the vessel of the Flame Chasers' memories, the archive of the World Serpent, and the source Kevin had given her to find the answers she sought. From the moment she stepped into it, she could sense the mysteries hidden within.
One of those mysteries now stood before her.
A girl with radiant pink hair, as beautiful as a flower, tapped her chin playfully, tilting her head with a teasing smile.
"What's wrong? Mei, if you stare at me like that, I'll start to get shy~"
"…I understand what you're saying, but I'll verify how much of it is true later." Mei frowned slightly, clearly unamused by the girl's lighthearted tone.
The girl giggled sweetly. "Oh dear~ everything I said is true~ How could I ever lie to someone as cute as me~?"
"Is that so?" Mei replied calmly. She turned her horned head toward the door, her pale purple eyes reflecting a silent figure. "Then, who is that person who's been there from the beginning?"
"Oh, you noticed? Most people think he's a statue when they first come in."
The figure by the door didn't move. Clad in sleek, black armor that covered him completely, his stillness made him seem more like a stone sculpture than a person.
He sat upright on the bench, his breathing faint, almost imperceptible.
An indescribable aura, colder and heavier even than Kevin's, surrounded him.
The pink-haired girl approached the "statue" with a troubled look. Under Mei's hesitant gaze, she reached out, gently tapping the top of his helmet as she chuckled.
"Even if you're always eager to guide your juniors, don't you think your silent act might make Mei misunderstand what the Thirteen Flame Chasers are really like?"
"…"
The "statue" still didn't respond, but Mei could feel his cold gaze shift slightly beneath the helmet, his eyes fixed on her horn.
Could he also be one of the Thirteen Flame Chasers? In other words, a Fusion Warrior?
Then it wasn't surprising that he would be wary of her a Herrscher.
"Hey, don't mind this blockhead," the pink-haired girl said with a playful sigh. "He's always been this cold since the day we met. Kevin said he used to be a cheerful guy. Well, Kevin's turned cold too. Maybe the two of them made a pact to act cool together?"
"…"
Even under the girl's teasing, the statue didn't react. But Mei could sense a slight change; his gaze had softened.
At least now, it didn't feel like a bullet piercing through her.
"But I should still introduce him properly. Otherwise, you might get the wrong idea~"
She said this while glancing at the armored man. He seemed to understand what she meant by "misunderstanding," especially from Mei's perspective.
Then, he finally spoke.
A low, suppressed voice echoed from beneath the high-tech helmet, his face hidden behind its dark visor.
"I am neither a Fusion Warrior nor one of the Thirteen Flame Chasers."
"I am just an ordinary soldier of the MOTHs of Fire, nothing more than a phantom of a past long gone."
"You can call me Ren."