[Kosma had already lowered his guard when he saw that the newcomer was Mei, but when Vill-V made her appearance, his heart leaped right back into his throat.
Mei explained her purpose for coming to Griseo, who immediately denied it:
"No, Sister Mei. Although they have the scent of paint on them, that color is strange... It wasn't drawn by me."
Mei fell into deep thought—things had just become even more complicated. At that moment, Griseo's small, pale finger pointed in another direction. "Sister Mei... are you looking for [strange colors]? If so, there are more over there."
"Griseo, can you track the aura of those monsters?"
The little painter nodded. "Mmm... but... only a little bit remains."
"Let's go take a look," Mei decided. "Two more assistants have joined us! It reminds me of the times when Kosma and I performed together."
Vill-V said excitedly: "Body cutting, sword in the barrel, water tank escape... so many wonderful performances!"
Compared to normal magic tricks, the biggest feature of these tricks was that they had absolutely no mechanisms! Vill-V vividly described the 'atrocities' she had once committed against Kosma. Mei thought about Kosma's expression toward Vill-V and suddenly felt a bit sympathetic. "This... isn't magic anymore, is it?"
"...Let's just go."
Kosma clearly didn't want to discuss this abstract topic that brought up his unbearable past.]
[Sushang]:"What do you think of this kind of magic trick?"
[Guinaifen]:'Bestie, are you trying to get me killed? I think Mei is right—this definitely isn't magic anymore!'
[Theresa]:"I have to say Kosma being wary of Vill-V is justified. No matter who went through those things, they wouldn't be able to look at her favorably, right?"
[Stelle]:"Faded monsters run into little painter, give their all only to be seen through, following the color to catch the Corruption is just around the corner!"
[Silver Wolf]:"I doubt it. The Corruption shouldn't be this weak."
[Griseo obediently led the way and quickly found the faded monster. Under the combined efforts of three MANTISes and one Herrscher, the monster was quickly eliminated. "Strange, how could this be..."
Griseo, who had always been calm, now covered her small mouth in surprise. "...Griseo?"
"The strange color... there are two types..."
"Those faded monsters have my paint on them..."
"But the other type has no paint... only... only a..."
"A...[familiar feeling]?"
After this, Mei and Vill-V didn't obtain any useful clues for their current situation and moved elsewhere, leaving only Griseo and Kosma together. The little painter had long since noticed that Kosma actually didn't want to wait, just like how before the Final Battle, Griseo took Kosma's place to carry out the Ark Project. She could see it now too—Kosma also wanted to fight alongside his comrades! "So, after that... Kosma, did you fulfill your wish?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe I just threw my life away for nothing, couldn't accomplish anything, and couldn't become a hero."
Kosma paused. "I... never asked others about my end. I didn't have the courage to ask. I was afraid of hearing an answer I didn't want to face."
"Then... why do you want to be a hero?"
Quite abruptly, she placed the [question] the boy had asked himself countless times in his heart right before him. "Is it because heroes are amazing?"
"That's just one aspect."
Kosma thought for a moment before describing to Greesho the hero in his mind: "...A hero is someone who can help everyone and lead everyone to victory."]
[Raiden Mei]:"Little Griseo sensed a familiar aura from the faded monsters?"
[Kiana]:"Could the Corruption really be on one of the MANTISes?"
[Silver Wolf]:"Pretty simple actually, could be anything. The Corruption is a data virus with Authority after all. Thinking like a hacker, might she have preserved Kevin and Elysia's data, or absorbed them?"
[Stelle]:"Does that mean Kevin and Elysia might be revived?"
[Sparkle]:"Little gray-haired one, don't get too happy too soon. Think about the Elysian Realm's final outcome. Even if they could be revived, wouldn't the ending just be them dying again~~"
[Stelle]:"Damn you, femcel Sparkle!!"
[Theresa]:"And also... Griseo and Kosma's discussion about heroes. In our hearts, Kosma is already a hero."
[Honkai: Star Rail - Welt]:"Although the MANTISes call themselves those who failed to become heroes, to us, every single one of you MANTISes is a hero worthy of the name!"
["Does that person have to know how to fight?"
Kosma nodded. "Oh..."
Griseo seemed somewhat disappointed. "Then I can't be a hero."
"No... that's not it, Griseo. Sometimes, the fighting we talk about isn't just one way."
"Then do heroes..."
"...have to die?"
Griseo asked such a serious question with her childish voice. Kosma fell silent. Kosma wanted to say no, but he knew that for the girl before him, there was no need to voice an answer he himself couldn't believe. Griseo's eyes, which seemed capable of seeing through people's hearts, stared at Kosma, and then Griseo also understood what Kosma hadn't said aloud; "Then I don't want Kosma to become a [hero]."
The girl's tone was so firm—it was clearly not his [color]. This seemed to be the first time he had heard such distinctly [self]-colored words from the girl. "Mommy and daddy disappeared. I heard the adults say they were [heroes]."
"Sister Dystopia disappeared. You all said she was a [hero] too."
"Finally, Kosma was going to leave me too, to become everyone's [hero]."
"Everyone became [heroes], then... what about me?" "This time... will Kosma still want to be a [hero]?"
The girl's starry eyes looked at him, and gazing into those eyes, he couldn't bring himself to speak for a long time. Looking into those eyes, Kosma answered silently in his heart, hoping she could understand his silence. But in the end, he chose another way—a promise. "This time, I might... still want to become a hero, Griseo."
"But it definitely won't be to seek death, but to ignite the hope of [life]."
"We step into the night... precisely for that [dawn light]."]
[Stelle]: "Griseo cares about Kosma, Kosma good!! Kosma wants to be a hero, Kosma good! Corruption you *really deserve to die!"
[Silver Wolf]:"This segment—Griseo and Kosma are planting flags everywhere."
[Acheron]:"We step into the night... precisely for that [dawn light]... heroes ah..."
[Boothill]: "Well I'll be darned, Kosma, you're already a ***ing hero!"
[Theresa]:"Little Griseo... she's carrying far too much for someone so young."
[Tesla]:"It's all because of that damned **** Honkai!!"