Chapter 408: Reunion
Tap. Tap.
The familiar sound of fingernails knocking against glass echoed through the lavish golden theater.
This was Eden's domain.
And the one tapping on the glass nutrient tank was none other than Eden herself. A trace of curiosity shimmered in her dark-golden, beautiful eyes.
Standing nearby and observing Mobius's embryonic form were Sakura and Hua, fellow members of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.
When Mobius went to check on her "little lab rat," her guard had been relatively low. She hadn't put any defensive measures on herself, and in her infant form her overall capabilities were severely reduced. On top of that, Sin Mal's brute force during her rage had already risen to the level of a high-tier physical-enhancement Fusion Warrior…
Yes—Mobius had died yet again.
And since it happened right in front of Sigurd, she had no opportunity to devour life to repair herself. As a result, she could only revert back to the embryonic stage.
"If you've got something to say… just say it outright!"
The green fluid rippled as Mobius's extremely immature voice rang out, sharp and piercing.
"Pfft!" ×3
Eden, Sakura, and Hua were all calm, reserved personalities. Normally, they wouldn't laugh at a companion—
Unless they really couldn't help it.
The main issue was that this embryo was now being equated with that dangerous, extreme Dr. Mobius—someone who pursued infinity while disregarding human ethics altogether. That contrast alone was enough to completely break one's composure.
For Hua especially, who had once been Mobius's test subject and subordinate, seeing Mobius like this utterly shattered her worldview.
"Hmph! A bunch of idiots!"
Mobius snapped disdainfully. Bubbles gurgled up from the nutrient solution surrounding her, betraying her far-from-calm mood.
"Alright, alright. We don't mean any harm. It's just that we never expected so-called immortality to reach this level. Cheers, my old friend."
Eden raised her golden goblet and gently tapped it against the glass enclosure, her smile warm.
Sakura and Hua also returned to their seats properly, no longer crowding around Mobius.
The seating arrangement itself wasn't particularly elaborate. Several round tables adorned with ornate decorations and delicate pastries were paired with spacious leather chairs, arranged so that every guest could face the grand stage and enjoy a good view. Nothing more than that.
"Wow! This comfortable texture, this deep and pure color—this definitely isn't ordinary cowhide, right, Eden? What kind of leather is it?"
Elysia leaned over the back of her chair with her hands and chin resting on it, eyes sparkling as she looked at Eden.
Eden, having just clinked glasses with Mobius and taken a sip of her drink, smiled and replied:
"I'm not sure. I never looked into it in detail—only that it's a material reserved for a certain western royal family. They were all gifts. If you find it comfortable, you're welcome to take it with you."
"Eden, you really are Elysia's very best friend! I love you to death!"
Elysia hugged Eden tightly, pressing up against her affectionately.
Eden remained standing, letting Elysia rub and cling to her. A smile surfaced in her golden eyes—helpless, yet indulgent.
Meanwhile, Kevin, who was sitting beside Su, had turned back to look at Mobius for who knew how many times. This time, Mobius caught him staring.
"What are you looking at, you muscle gorilla?"
"I'm not a gorilla…"
"No difference. If you want to laugh, just laugh. I don't care."
"I'm not trying to laugh. I just didn't expect you to regress to this kind of form—and still retain clear consciousness."
"Hmph! Who do you think I am? I'm Mobius!"
There was a hint of pride in Mobius's voice. The embryo had no facial expressions, so her emotions could only be inferred from her tone.
Kevin turned back toward the stage, which had yet to open, and fell silent.
At this moment, Sigurd was seated alone in an extra-wide, oversized chair, gently stroking Bronya as she rested on his lap. He cast a sidelong glance at Kevin and said:
"Don't let her fool you. She's just taking advantage of the fact that the Elysian Realm is a place that preserves memories. As a memory construct, of course she can maintain complete recollection no matter what. If she tried pulling this in the real world—even if the body survived, the memories, emotions, and thoughts that make up 'Mobius' would vanish. And when a personality dies, that counts as death too."
"I know. I have a rough idea of where the real Mobius's limits lie," Kevin replied.
With a few exchanges back and forth, the two of them thoroughly exposed Mobius's bluff. She fell silent for a moment, though the bubbles in the nutrient solution continued to gurgle nonstop.
After a short while, her babyish voice rang out again—defiant and unwilling to admit defeat:
"Hmph! I've already found a path to solve it. Just wait—once I'm back in the real world, I'll break through this boring barrier and touch true infinity!"
"That, I believe. After all, the reference value of my genetic material is second to none."
Sigurd calmly pointed out where Mobius's confidence came from.
Mobius said nothing more, tacitly acknowledging Sigurd's assessment.
…
At the same time, Seele and Raiden Mei were quietly whispering with Wendy. Three Fu Huas with identical appearances but different temperaments had somehow been brilliantly arranged to sit at the same table—such a scene would spark anyone's curiosity.
"Wendy, what is the personality of the memory-version Fu Hua-sensei like? Is she the same as our Fu Hua-sensei?"
"Hmm… there are still pretty obvious differences. Our Fu Hua feels more composed, and there's a certain special 'aura' about her—I can't quite explain it. Also, the memory Fu Hua seems not nearly as strong. It feels like, with enough effort, you could reach her level. But that's normal—after all, there's a full fifty thousand years of difference!"
Wendy thought carefully as she shared her impressions with Seele.
Mei listened thoughtfully as well, nodding from time to time.
For them, perhaps even setting aside all the gains from this journey, just being able to see three Fu Huas sitting side by side already made the trip worthwhile.
…
Drip, drip.
Three Fu Huas, three teacups—while only the Book of Fuxi carried a teapot that was quite enormous relative to her size, floating through the air as she poured tea for each of them in turn.
Today's occasion was relatively formal. Quite a few of the former Thirteen Flame-Chasers had come, so at this moment the Book of Fuxi was no longer acting as the household's head caretaker, but rather as Fu Hua's attendant ELF. That meant she ought to perform duties like serving tea and pouring water properly.
She couldn't allow these heroes to question Lady Fuxi's and Lady Nuwa's wisdom, nor could she let them doubt Fu Hua's ability to command her subordinates—that was what the Book of Fuxi was thinking.
"Thank you, Little Xuan!"
Rarely receiving such treatment, Senti held her teacup with trembling hands, eyes shining with excitement and deep gratitude.
"It's only proper. Please enjoy, all three of you."
Book of Fuxi floated in midair and offered a modest, gentle smile. Then, with a graceful sweep of her long sleeves, she descended elegantly beside the teapot on the table and knelt down, her posture impeccable and reserved.
Senti held the teacup in both hands and gulped down a mouthful. She didn't taste anything at all, but she was so moved she almost wanted to wipe away tears.
My life has been worth it, she declared inwardly.
Fu Hua watched the scene and shook her head helplessly at Senti. Then she shifted her gentle gaze to the Book of Fuxi, leaned down, and lightly rubbed the little ELF's head with snow-white fingertips.
"There's no need to go that far. Little Xuan is Little Xuan—you don't have to think about so much."
"What the Immortal says is most true."
Book of Fuxi raised her sleeve to lightly cover her mouth, seemingly smiling in agreement—yet in secret, she shot Fu Hua a sharp look.
Cooperate properly. If you dare expose me, I'll kill you, you blockheaded piece of wood!
Fu Hua's smile stiffened.
A moment later, she withdrew her hand and gave a light cough, covering up her awkwardness.
Fu Hua understood the Book of Fuxi's intentions. It was to preserve Fu Hua's image in front of these companions, and also to put the Flame-Chasers at ease—after all, seeing Fu Hua fifty thousand years later with a well-behaved, considerate caretaker was far better than seeing her acting timidly before an ELF, wasn't it?
Of course, Elysia and Mobius were exceptions. The former was perceptive enough to understand Fu Hua was doing fine even without concealment. As for the latter, she was going to leave together with them anyway—there was no way to hide it for long, and she probably didn't care much about Fu Hua's circumstances in the first place, so there was no need.
"Sigh."
Fu Hua let out a faint sigh, feeling a warmth in her heart at the Book of Fuxi's protective gesture.
Then she shifted her gaze—and at last met Hua's eyes.
A gaze separated by fifty thousand years lasted several seconds. Even Senti unconsciously tightened her grip on the teacup, not daring to interrupt at this moment.
After a moment, Fu Hua and Hua nodded to each other at the same time, revealing identical gentle smiles.
"Hello, Hua."
"Hello, Fu Hua."
The same person, separated by fifty thousand years, exchanged greetings—and then it ended just like that.
They didn't need to say anything more to themselves.
Fu Hua knew that Hua had stood watch in the Elysian Realm for fifty thousand years. Hua's duty was fulfilled; there was no need for her to worry about matters of the real world anymore.
Hua knew that Fu Hua was still walking the path of resisting Honkai. Though she could sense many changes, those were Fu Hua's trials and fated ties—nothing a memory construct needed to analyze or judge.
So, meeting was enough. Beyond that, they each had their own missions and roads to walk. Fu Hua would continue to gamble her life against Honkai; Hua would keep watch until the day the Elysian Realm ceased to function. There was no need for their paths to intersect again.
Sigurd observed this scene while gently stroking Bronya's hair, yet his mind drifted.
As expected of you…
A quiet thought surfaced—admiration, recognition, and a touch of indefinable softness mixed together. And Sigurd himself didn't notice that a faint smile was already forming on his lips.
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