As the stone gate swung open, a hazy white light emerged, yet the interior remained indistinct, shrouded in a milky whiteness.
Zeke led the way.
Following him, Kiana and the others entered one by one.
Outside the door, Senti stood with her chin resting on her hand, wearing a smug smile.
"Me from fifty thousand years ago, that old relic—hmmph, I'm definitely going to give her a surprise this time!"
Behind Senti, Fu Hua and the Book of Fuxi sitting on her shoulder both sighed simultaneously.
The World of Elysium was a unique facility housing Memory Fragments of the Thirteen Heroes from the previous civilization era. Among them resided a backup memory of Fu Hua's self from fifty thousand years ago. However, she had no interest in it; even her past self likely wouldn't anticipate such a reunion.
Her memories were frozen in time from half a century ago, needing no connection with the future. The reality of the present should be shaped by Fu Hua herself alone.
Yet, how could conventional logic ever contain Senti's wild imagination? In any case, she was determined to play a prank on Fu Hua from fifty thousand years ago.
When this child's curiosity flared up, there was no stopping her. Neither Fu Hua nor the Book of Fuxi could dissuade her, so they reluctantly accompanied her to prevent any potential mishaps later.
"Whee! This immortal arrives!" Senti bounced excitedly as she plunged into the white light.
Fu Hua exchanged glances with the Book of Fuxi, sighing once more before following suit.
Entering the Elysian Realm required transitioning between phases of reality.
Zeke had experienced this before, but the peculiar sensation overwhelmed the others, except for Fu Hua with her unshakable composure. They briefly found themselves disoriented.
Upon regaining their senses, they were not greeted by the expected futuristic laboratory setting. Instead, countless waves of surging black tide filled their vision—viscous, damp, ominous, carrying a bone-chilling aura of death as if it possessed a life of its own, spreading relentlessly from afar towards their location.
"Ha ha ha..."
Silver-bell laughter echoed from the depths of darkness, crisp and melodic, somewhere between that of a young girl and a child. Normally such a voice would be enchanting, yet now—it carried an eerie terror, gripping straight at one's heart.
Zeke glanced down at the approaching black tide near his feet, then looked up at the crimson sky, sighing deeply.
"Don't use serious facilities just to tint the sky; I've already scolded you about this last time."
"You shut up!!!"
The undulating tide paused momentarily due to Zeke's remark, followed by an abrupt halt to the sinister laughter, replaced by an irate roar.
In the next moment, countless tendrils surged forth like the ground had transformed into a bottomless abyss of ink-black darkness.
A figure emerged amidst this eerie scene, floating on a flying device with metallic tentacles extending from it. A glimpse of her delicate white feet peeked out beneath her dress, captivating despite their brevity.
Clad in a gray top and black skirt adorned with gold and green metal ornaments, she wore a three-pronged black crown, creating an ensemble reminiscent of a coiling venomous snake. Despite appearing as a charming and petite young girl, the aura emanating from her long green hair was not one of vitality but rather sinister toxicity. Her vertically elongated eyes, transitioning from jade-green to pink, lacked any expected cuteness; instead, they exuded a chilling dread characteristic of cold-blooded, highly poisonous creatures.
In essence, she posed immense danger—something evident to anyone with eyes and wits about them.
Yet, paradoxically, the fusion of lethal threat and fragile appearance generated an irresistible allure that held observers captive.
Bizarre yet adorable, these contrasting traits embodied a single individual, prompting Fu Hua to quietly utter her name:
"Doctor Mobius..."
"Oh? Who could this be? Why, it's my adorable little lab rat, Hua! Long time no see. Interested in visiting my laboratory again? I've got some new toys that'll keep you coming back for more, ohhh~"
Mobius gazed at Fu Hua with a gleeful smile, like an innocent young girl seeing her favorite toy.
Fu Hua opened her mouth, a complex emotion flickering through her eyes before she replied calmly,
"No thank you. I have my own path to follow. Besides, if there is any need, Zeke can assist me just as well."
"It's not the same! How could this guy compare to me? Only I can grant you greater power and deeper levels of evolution!" Mobius's innocent grin vanished instantly, her voice taking on a shrill tone. She then turned towards Zeke, radiating chilling murderous intent.
"You finally show your face again, stubborn old fossil!"
"I'm neither stubborn nor outdated, but stability truly matters. Evolution presupposes existence, yet your experiments barely consider survivability, making them impractical for widespread application."
"Here we go again! What do you even know? The goal of evolution is Infinite potential, and within Infinity lies the path to eternal continuation! Clinging to existing stable structures serves no purpose; they've already proven susceptible to being devoured by Honkai!"
"What does 'within Infinity lies the path to eternal continuation' mean? Are you trying to persuade me with unproven conjectures? Do I have a third-rate amateur scientist before me?"
Zeke's questions were calm, devoid of any sharpness, merely stating his viewpoint straightforwardly.
However, this very calmness underscored his unwavering conviction in his correctness and rejection of Mobius's radical beliefs.
As a result, Mobius's murderous intent dissipated, replaced by an utter serenity on her face and in her eyes.
After a moment, the corners of her lips curved into a captivating smile—strangely, despite her youthful appearance, charm and allure seemed perfectly natural on her.
"Oh, how much I adore your stubborn refusal to admit error."
"Your condition has indeed worsened. Perhaps seeking treatment from Su inside here would help... Hmm, then again, maybe not; if it could be cured so easily, he would have done so long ago."
Still smiling, Mobius's delicate eyebrows subtly began to tremble.
"...Behold—the moment of ascension!"
Mobius uttered these words like casting a spell without further explanation.
In the next instant, she raised her black scepter high, and countless dark green substances surged forth from all directions, connecting with the Black Tide material on the ground. With her at its center, they coalesced into a terrifying spectacle of swirling darkness.
A chilling aura, penetrating deep into one's very bones, spread across the land.
Simultaneously, Kiana, Raiden Mei, Wendy, and Seele donned their Herrscher Dresses, their symbolic weapons, energies, and abilities manifesting one by one. Bronya clasped her hands together, summoning a colossal robot slowly behind her. Sin held a golden spear in each hand, her gaze fixed menacingly on the enemy before them.
Though uncertain about the situation or Mobius's background, anyone attempting harm against Zeke would first have to contend with their blades.
However, Zeke raised a hand, signaling for restraint.
The girls exchanged glances and halted their attacks.
Zeke stepped forward, casually entering the domain engulfed by the Black Tide.
"This is an improved version of the Artificial Collapse? Seems like you've increased your bestial transformation even further... Did you raise your synchronization rate? Too reckless! Becoming non-human isn't meant to be taken this far. If not for relying on your ability to shed and regenerate, who else could play with such risks? As I said before, it truly lacks broader applicability."
"Ahhhhh!"
Just as Zeke finished speaking, a massive black creature burst forth from its cocoon of dark matter.
Enormous in size, it had a serpent-like tail and humanoid upper body, wielding a long, ebony spear aloft. Its matte, shell-like exterior exuded an aura of immense resilience. Beneath layers of black skeletal structure, Mobius's sleeping figure faintly shimmered within the humanoid torso.
An overwhelmingly terrifying scent of death permeated the air, affecting even the Herrscher bodies due to primal instincts.
"Roar—"
Following a chilling beastly cry, the colossal monster raised its spear high. Surrounded by swirling darkness, it instantly pierced through Zeke's chest.
"Zeke!"
"Zike-san!"
"Big Bro Zeke!"
Blood seeped from the wound on Zeke's chest, staining his white attire crimson. The horrified screams echoed, reflecting the bystanders' terror and helplessness.
Rubbing his chin, Zeke nonchalantly raised one hand to signal restraint as before, while with his other hand, he gingerly touched the massive spear impaling him.
"Clang! Clang!"
A crisp metallic sound resonated from the gunblade.
Immediately after, the blood oozing from Zeke's wound flowed back along the fabric seams and onto his skin, swiftly reversing its course. Within moments, aside from still being pierced, it seemed as if he had suffered no injury at all.
Simultaneously, the colossal humanoid-snake creature vanished amidst the surging Black Tide, revealing Mobius holding her transformed spike-like arm that had penetrated Zeke's chest.
"You, just like last time, dare utter those insulting words again?" Mobius smiled, her narrowed eyes radiating boundless malice.
Zeke lifted his gaze, looking at Mobius with unwavering calmness.
"I merely stated there was no merit for widespread adoption; I never denied your expertise. This time isn't 'utter nonsense'; extreme approaches can indeed be powerful. You've done quite well."
"Hmph! Still with that superior tone—do you think you're someone special? Even Dr. Mei wouldn't dare speak to me like this!"
"And that's precisely why she worked herself to death. If stronger measures had been taken to utilize your abilities, perhaps the outcome might have been different."
"Oh? Can I take that as a compliment?"
Mobius raised her eyebrow, the malice in her eyes diminishing slightly. After all, she had already shot him once; much of his defiance and discontent should have been vented.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed larger in Mobius's vision.
"Yikes!" Her sweet yet sinister smile froze, as Zeke's hand firmly grasped her head.
"You...you...did you think my attack was just simple physical damage? Let me warn you—I won't let you toss me around and slam me onto the floor again, like last time!"
As Mobius spoke, sounding somewhat panicked, dark green veins began spreading across Zeke's face, following the intricate network of blood vessels upwards.
With his grip still on Mobius's head, one of the golden spheres at his waist suddenly jolted violently.
In the next moment, the emerald-green patterns on Zeke's face faded away, replaced by identical markings spreading across Mobius's visage.
Zeke's expression remained unchanged as he stared mercilessly into Mobius's eyes.
"The poison is quite effective; if I hadn't obtained the core of the Herrscher of Corruption, even I would have had to rely solely on my resilience to withstand it. However, compared to the Erosion Authority's viral infection, you still fall short. Strengthening this aspect could significantly enhance your combat capabilities," Zeke remarked.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Mobius's forehead, partly due to her own toxin infecting her and causing intense pain, and partly because... Zeke began exerting more force with his hand on her head.
"Aughh!"