[Amidst a wave of darkness, Mei witnessed Pardofelis's memories, but they were like an ordinary person's beautiful dream, completely devoid of anything suspicious.
Until the night when Kevin disappeared:
At that time, Pardofelis was holding the treasures she and Mei had found while exploring treasure chests in the Elysian Realm, calculating how to sell them off. There was nothing suspicious at all—until—
Pardofelis's sleep-talking caught Mei's attention. Something about giving it to Kevin first, keeping it secret from Elysia and herself. Returning to reality, Mei questioned Pardofelis about this matter, but Pardofelis outright denied it. However, Mei wasn't someone so easily fooled. Under Mei's repeated questioning, Pardofelis finally revealed her plan:
"It's about... that..."
Pardofelis grew increasingly guilty as she spoke: "That... horn on your head."
Mei unconsciously raised her voice. "I was planning whether I could rent out your horn for others to touch. If Elysia finds out, she'll definitely spread it everywhere, and then you'll surely get angry."
"So... I had to keep it secret from both of you."
Mei didn't respond, but the murderous intent in her eyes was unmistakable. Seeing this, Pardofelis immediately dropped to her knees in a swift motion: "Wah, Sister Mei, I was wrong! I'll never do it again!"
Vill-V burst into laughter: "Hahaha, I never thought Miss Mei's horn would be so popular. Little Pardo, you're truly a genius."
Thus, the possibility of Pardofelis being the mastermind was eliminated!]
[Guinaifen]: "Pardofelis really is a genius!"
[Stelle]: "When are you opening for business? How much per touch? I want to touch it!!"
[Stelle]: "Hehehe, Mei's horn, pointy, hard, hehehe~"
[March 7th]: "You... never mind, this condition of yours hasn't just started recently."
[Qingque]: "Isn't the biggest problem with this plan that Mei would never agree? Last time Mei's horn was touched, it was completely against her will, okay?"
[Honkai: Star Rail·Seele]: "Is Pardofelis really not afraid of being killed by Mei?"
[Pela]: "But why did Pardofelis want Kevin to be her first customer? Is it because Mei and Dr. MEI look alike?"
[Pardofelis]: "Actually, I probably just picked someone randomly!"
[Kevin]: "...Pointless."
[The scene returns to the other team
Through his 'foresight,' Su could tell that the battle with Kalpas was almost inevitable. But Su believed that Kalpas could never be a traitor no matter what.
Restraining Kalpas somewhere in the Elysian Realm was only to leave room for reconciliation. "Indeed."
Hua also agreed: "So you did that... to protect him instead?"
Su shook his head: "I wouldn't call it protection... but Kalpas's words and actions just now, if exploited by those with ulterior motives, would be enough pretext to either [exclude him from the situation] or [eliminate him entirely]."
"But for us, those we can trust... are crucial."
"Then what about me?"
Hua said honestly: "Do you trust me? Although I understand your intention in asking me to accompany you, I don't think I have sufficient reason to be trusted either."
Su explained very sincerely that Hua's habit of regularly deleting memories meant she had hardly changed over fifty thousand years. Then there was the most important point: "If necessary, when I need to rely on my unique position in the Elysian Realm to suppress... or even erase a certain memory, you will be the one who costs me the least."
Su's handsome face was filled with apology. "...I can understand. Thank you for being willing to be honest with me."
As a warrior, Hua had long been prepared to sacrifice!]
[Herrscher of Sentience]: "Even without deleting memories, wouldn't that fossil still be a fossil no matter how she grows?"
[Murata Himeko]: "Hua's personality really hasn't changed at all over fifty thousand years."
[Kiana]: "Why is Class Monitor the one who would cost Su the least?"
[Herrscher of Sentience]: "What else could it be? Because she's weak~"
[Bronya Zaychik]: "Bronya knows—it's because Class Monitor has the smallest data volume. Since Class Monitor frequently deletes memories, her data volume has changed very little over fifty thousand years, while the other Flame-Chasers' memories have continuously increased their data over fifty thousand years."
[Kiana & March 7th]: "So that's how it is."
[But at this moment, despite being in Su's exclusive space, those faded monsters had still managed to infiltrate. Now, Su and Hua also sensed something wrong.
After eliminating the monsters, they immediately rushed to Kalpas's side. But surprisingly, Kalpas was extremely calm now, merely standing there—not angry, nor immediately preparing for battle. "Let me tell you, I have no interest in cooperating with you. One experience like that is enough."
Kalpas sneered as he looked at the two: "One is weak and feeble... the other is at their wit's end..."
Su still wanted to persuade Kalpas, so he asked Kalpas about
Sakura: "Even now, Sakura's data remains undetectable. But you... are no longer abnormal. This is why I asked you earlier—"
"Kalpas, you've seen Sakura, at least... been in the same [space] as her, right?"
"What else do you know?"
Kalpas couldn't hold back. "Let Hua explain. It was only after her reminder that I realized I'd overlooked this possibility."
Hua explained: "I only thought of this after learning about the changes in Sumeru—abilities related to reality and space seem to function differently in the Elysian Realm."
"Sakura masters a sword technique that can freeze space—we all know this, some of us have even witnessed it firsthand."
"Since Sakura's data isn't [missing] but [abnormal]... perhaps her abnormality lies not in herself, but in the [space] after using that sword technique!"
"Exactly. And why she unleashed that strike... is the key to everything."
Kalpas sneered:"It seems you're not completely stupid after all."]
[Herrscher of Sentience]: "Huh? That fossil actually has brains?"
[Xuanyuan Sword]: "Actually, that blockhead is quite smart."
[March 7th]: "Why would space-related skills mutate in the Elysian Realm?"
[Vill-V]: "Because the Elysian Realm is a data space, my dear audience. Su's Key of Domination can observe parallel worlds, but it completely loses that function in the Elysian Realm—just like how the random mood system on Seven Thunders of Retribution disappeared."
[Robin]: "Looking at it this way, Sakura was actually the first Flame-Chaser to discover the Herrscher of Corruption's existence."
[Stelle]: "Could Sakura still be elbow-deep in battle with the Corruption within the space created by her sword technique?"
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