Chapter 523: A Perk? Might as Well Believe I'm the First Emperor; Elysia, Mei, and Kiana
Mei was likely the last to realize it—that she had already become the Herrscher of Origin.
The players, possessing an omniscient perspective, had already begun to piece it together. When Mei faced off against Existentialism without breaking a sweat, the script was practically shouting the truth. After all, she had been the Herrscher of Thunder for a long time; she had already mastered everything that power had to offer.
Could a simple heart-to-heart with her inner persona really grant such a massive leap in enlightenment? Not likely.
Elysia, of course, had seen through Mei's state the moment they reunited. It was wonderful to see Mei accept her legacy, and seeing how far Mei had gone just to find her again... well, Elysia decided she simply had to reward her properly!
That was why she started pulling out all those dazzling little tricks from the very beginning. Or at least, those were Elysia's original thoughts.
She soon realized that Mei seemed completely unaware of her own transformation.
"Hmm... Could it be... Mei still doesn't feel it?" Elysia asked, her curiosity piqued.
Mei remained silent, which was an answer in itself.
Seeing this, a "super" good idea gleamed in Elysia's eyes. "Do you need something a little more ceremonial? Like a beautiful new outfit... or maybe a bit of love-filled guidance from your senior?"
[Love-filled guidance?]
[Details, please. What exactly constitutes 'love-filled guidance'?]
"If Mei really wants it... it's not out of the question~♪" Elysia added playfully.
[She's teasing her. She's definitely teasing her.]
[General Mei never loses to anyone—except Elysia. She's completely helpless and just follows her lead.]
[Truly, the pink one is the most... in all of Honkai.]
Under normal circumstances, Mei would have deadpanned a response like, "Elysia, please speak normally." But this was far from a normal situation.
After a brief moment of reflection, Mei actually nodded seriously.
"...Mm. I'll leave both to you, Elysia."
She was actually entrusting it to her. Even though she had no clue what Elysia would design—or what "payment" might be collected later, like her horns being taken as a souvenir—she gave her full consent.
[Wait—I just realized, could Mei's new battlesuit have been designed by Elysia?!]
The players were already expecting a new suit for Mei's ascension to Origin. It had been years, and General Mei was long overdue for a wardrobe change.
[In-universe, that makes sense. But realistically, it was definitely the art team.]
[True, maybe the lore just says she 'designed it herself.' That would be a nice touch.]
The analysis was logical, following the typical route. But Hokuto was famous for never taking the typical route.
"Hum hum~♪ Let me tell everyone some good news—Mei's new battlesuit was designed by yours truly!"
Watching the livestream, Elysia couldn't resist revealing the truth when she saw the comments.
[???]
[Wait, what? You mean in real life, Miss Fairy actually designed it?]
[No way! Was it her alone?]
"Of course I didn't do it alone; it was a group effort," Elysia beamed. "But I did a large portion of it. Back during the Interlude chapters, 'Otto' contacted me, asking if I'd be interested in designing Mei's new suit. I don't think anyone who loves the story of Honkai as much as I do could ever say no, right?"
She had spent months on it. To find the perfect fit, she had even "ambushed" Mei with multiple fashion tests.
Hokuto: "I heard about this. Apparently, Elysia brought tons of outfits for Mei to try on, and Mei actually went through with all of them."
Elysia: "Can't it just be that Mei appreciated my passion?"
The Final Blessing
Back in the story, after Mei broke character by asking for Elysia's help, the pink-haired girl propped her cheek on her hand.
"My, Mei's gotten greedy~ My sense of aesthetics is bound to leave you amazed."
[This doesn't feel like a script. It feels like Miss Fairy's actual thoughts.]
As the laughter faded, Mei's expression turned solemn. "Elysia... are you really just a reflection in my heart? Is this... really just a dream?"
"Mei, why would you ask that?" Elysia countered.
Mei hesitated, then shook her head gently. "No. I think I already know the answer. Because Elysia is Elysia."
The "fastball" left even Elysia speechless for a moment.
"That's right," Elysia finally replied. "Thank you, Mei. Thank you for finding me. Thank you for bringing me a true miracle, at the very end."
Mei understood the weight of those words. This truly was the final time. She decided that this time, she would let her smile remain until the very end.
"Didn't you tell me this?" Mei asked. "'When you don't want to move forward—just stop for a moment.'"
"My, Mei's become so bad~♪" Elysia teased.
Suddenly, white light bloomed across the screen, filled with dancing pink petals.
"I once said—as long as Mei remembers us, our story won't disappear," Elysia's voice echoed. "But now I realize that was too modest. Because Mei today, and all of you... you are us. So how could we ever disappear?"
The Succession
"Then, let's begin!"
Mei returned to the Origin Ground. Ahead of her, a black silhouette appeared.
Kiana: "Is it Elysia?"
Elysia: "You guess~"
Mei: "Kiana, take a guess."
Kiana realized they were ganging up on her and went quiet, focusing intently on the screen as the new cutscene began.
"Let the unsung ballad begin anew," Elysia recited solemnly.
As Mei walked forward, figures began to dash past her.
[Who was that? It's Pardo!]
[And Su and Hua!]
One by one, the Flame-Chasers appeared to offer their blessings. Kevin, Griseo, Kosma, Vill-V—all thirteen stood as mentors sending off a student who now carried their entire legacy into the future.
A song began to play, soft yet powerful:
Let my song brush your brow, like a kiss of blessing.
When you are alone, it will whisper beside you.
My song will become the wings of your dream...
"It's Mei's turn to shine."
Elysia reached out to touch Mei one last time. As they merged, the battlesuit transformed. White details for purity, strands of pink for Elysia's legacy, and purple—a fusion of Mei's entire journey.
The past was no longer something to reject. It was a foundation.
"Mei, just march forward boldly. I'll always bless you. Because——cute girls can do anything."
Like this story Leave a review ; it would really help me out a lot.
Want to Read Ahead in Advance?
Join my Patreon!
+75 Chapters
Support me in
Patreon.com/BestElysium