[No! What does this have to do with me? How did it suddenly turn into this out of nowhere?]
[MiHoYo's scriptwriters, you really are something.]
[I thought there wouldn't be a knife here, but turns out they were just hiding it and waiting for us, huh?]
[There's too much information all at once. What exactly is this little version of Elysia, and what's with this typewriter? But the most important thing is, does the content appearing on that typewriter have to happen?]
[Brothers, with my understanding of MiHoYo's writers, all I can say is, cherish this scene while it lasts.]
———
[Back to the Video]
On the other side, after a round of decoding, Raiden Mei and Pardofelis finally reached the end point of this exploration.
White light poured down from the dome of the chapel, bathing the whole Elysian Realm in a dreamlike glow.
"Marvelous~ Simply marvelous~"
A crisp applause came from above.
Raiden Mei raised her head and saw a figure in a tall top hat sitting on the beam of the church, legs swinging casually.
A deep red coat shimmered with a metallic sheen under the light, and mischievous brilliance danced in her pupils.
"Welcome! Guests from afar, to this grand Magic Show... are you satisfied?"
Vill-V flipped down lightly, spreading her arms in an exaggerated motion, ready to speak, only to notice Pardofelis standing to the side.
"...Pardo? Why are you here too? Didn't I not send you an invitation?"
Pardofelis instinctively touched her cheek at those words, embarrassed.
"Uh... hehe, just here to accompany Vill-V's distinguished guest, you know. Klein's so busy and didn't have time to pass the invitation along to Mei, so I came to help."
Raiden Mei turned her head, staring at Pardofelis.
"Pardo, this is... exactly what?"
"Ah... what a pity!"
Vill-V suddenly spun around, giving Raiden Mei a gentleman's bow.
"The greatest magician of the Dusk Era, creator of every escape act, Vill-V! Welcome, to my grand magic theater!"
———
[Hiss~ This dramatic and exaggerated introduction, why does it suddenly give me the same vibe as the Herrscher of Dominance?]
[Welcome to the Theater of Domination, right?]
[Now that you mention it, yeah...]
[Not gonna lie, even Mei looks speechless right now.]
———
[Back to the Video]
Pardofelis, "Um... Sister V, the imprint..."
Vill-V waved her hand dismissively. "No need to rush. Everything must follow the script, step by step."
"Here, I am the one in charge of the mark of the Spiral, and, of all miracles!"
Raiden Mei clapped with a blank expression, voice flat.
"Mm-hm, very impressive. So, is the performance over now?"
"Ahaha, not quite, there's still a grand finale." Vill-V smiled. "But... it's fine to wait a little longer. That level of excitement would be too much for you just yet."
Mid-sentence, Vill-V's expression shifted. She looked helplessly toward the corner, where Pardofelis was already eyeing the place curiously.
"...Pardo, step away from me. I don't have anything valuable on me."
Vill-V had long given up. No matter where it was, Pardofelis always somehow found a way to 'borrow' something.
"Hehe~" Pardofelis gave an awkward laugh after being exposed.
"Don't worry, Sister V. You know me, I'd never do it right in front of you..."
Meanwhile, Raiden Mei ignored their playful banter.
She didn't know why, but from the very first moment she saw Vill-V, there was this inexplicable sense of dread in her heart.
Gripping her weapon tightly, she braced herself for whatever this so-called 'grand finale' would bring.
Of course, Vill-V didn't miss this subtle gesture.
"Looks like our guest is a little nervous. Don't worry, that's the usual reaction for people meeting me for the first time."
Raiden Mei subtly stepped back half a step.
"I've heard plenty about you. In fact, I've long intended to seek you out."
"Oh my... how delightful, Miss Raiden Mei. I've wanted to meet you as well." Vill-V said with feigned excitement.
"After all, you're the one who defeated two Flame-Chasers... When I heard you'd left, I thought I'd missed the chance to entertain quite the extraordinary guest."
"It's not exactly accurate to say I 'defeated' them..."
"Sister V really has an eye for people!" Pardofelis butted in cheerfully.
"Mei-sister's not just skilled, she's also really easy to trick... basically a prime, grade-A sheep waiting to be fleeced!"
Raiden Mei shot Pardo a silent, speechless look, then cut straight to the point with Vill-V.
Vill-V denied Mei's accusation, but then added a cryptic line, "Ahaha... no, no, no, this has nothing to do with 'me.' Or rather... saying it 'came from my hand' wouldn't be wrong either..."
"Never mind that, those details don't matter. What matters now is the grand finale I've prepared just for you~"
"Sorry, but I don't have much time," Raiden Mei said flatly.
"No, no, no, you'll be 'interested.'" Vill-V smiled.
"Though honestly, this method feels terribly outdated to me. But alas, it's part of my... 'duty,' you could say?"
Raiden Mei's pupils shrank sharply. "?!"
"Well then, ladies... ah, looks like there are no gentlemen here. So, open your eyes wide. The climax of tonight's performance... begins now!"
A blinding flash of light erupted.
Raiden Mei felt a surge of unfamiliar power flooding into her body.
The sound of gears clicking echoed in her ears, and Vill-V's voice drifted toward her as though from a great distance, "Reverse meaning, overturn logic."
"Twist reality into illusion, forge miracles from the unknown."
"The curtain has been raised, listen well, to the cheers of these interlocking gears..."
"And behold, the paradoxical Spiral!"
Feeling the power of the Spiral imprint coursing through her, Raiden Mei was overwhelmed by a wave of dizziness.
Pardo's panicked shouts and Vill-V's soft laughter rang in her ears, but their voices grew faint, slipping away.
Then, as though on cue, Aponia's voice sounded in her mind.
"I saw the coming storm a day before you did. Fate has dragged us into the current. The more we struggle..."
But the voice cut off abruptly.
"...Aponia, you..." Raiden Mei whispered.
Her vision blurred, and her body collapsed, powerless.
In the fleeting haze before losing consciousness, Raiden Mei thought she saw a towering tree stretching endlessly, its branches covering the heavens.
And beneath that colossal tree... stood a man.
Even if it was only his back, Raiden Mei knew, with absolute certainty, it was Van.
As if sensing her yearning, the man slowly turned.
A familiar face, now tinged with a sorrow and reluctance she couldn't quite understand.
At last, the man opened his mouth, "■■■, Mei, ■■■■■■"
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