"Please don't misunderstand, I do not suspect you. However, as the maintenance personnel for the Elysian Realm, it is my duty to investigate all possibilities." Klein gently shook her head, explaining. She held up her screen, which clearly displayed data on the Third Divine Key. After all, the Seven Thunders of Retribution was created from the core of the Herrscher of Thunder. It's possible it might resonate with Mei.
Klein's explanation slightly eased Mei's expression. She looked into the girl's eyes, which were similar to Mobius's, but detected none of the same chilling aura. Klein's tone was calm, seemingly devoid of personal emotion.
Even so, Mei couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. Since entering the Elysian Realm, she had faced malfunctioning trials and attacks from Flame-Chasers. Now, having barely survived a trap, she was being subjected to suspicion.
"So, what do you want me to do?" she asked, suppressing her dissatisfaction as patiently as possible.
"There's no need to be tense. I won't do anything to you directly. However, to ensure the investigation proceeds smoothly and to protect your safety, the Elysian Realm's systems will continuously track your movements."
"Track my movements? Hasn't that been happening since I entered the Elysian Realm?" Mei was confused.
Klein shook her head, pulling up a real-time monitoring feed. "You might misunderstand. To protect the privacy of trial-takers, under normal circumstances, the Elysian Realm only records data left within the training grounds. That's precisely why we couldn't promptly detect your entry into the Doctor's laboratory."
"From now on, I may record all your movement data, including your interactions with the Flame-Chasers, the areas you visit, and your real-time physiological data. This is both to investigate the disappearance of the memory simulations and to protect you from encountering similar dangers."
"Sort of like putting a tracking device on me?"
"Yes. This will inevitably infringe upon some of your privacy."
After hearing Klein's explanation, Mei fell silent. Her personality wasn't inherently opposed to being monitored; after all, Schicksal had once implanted a bomb in her heart to prevent the Herrscher of Thunder's power from going berserk.
But she wasn't naive. If this were purely for investigation, Klein wouldn't have emphasized 'for safety' twice. The more likely scenario was that they intended to use her as bait. Klein clearly suspected a connection between her and Sakura. If Sakura truly was searching for the Seven Thunders as hypothesized, she might indeed seek Mei out later.
But is that really all there is to it? Mei felt a flicker of doubt. She glanced at Klein again, noticing her engrossed in the control panel once more. Despite looking like she hadn't rested in ages, her expression remained focused, almost stern.
Just as Mei hesitated, Elysia approached her.
"Klein, would you mind if I spoke with Mei alone for a moment?"
"Please, go ahead." Klein glanced briefly at Elysia, then left impassively. Pardofelis, standing nearby, let out a sigh of relief and quickly followed Klein out.
Why talk to me alone now? Mei was curious.
"Elysia, is there something you wanted to say?"
"Sorry, Mei. Klein doesn't mean any harm; it's just that this situation is truly serious." For once, even Elysia looked grave. "The erasure of Flame-Chaser data is unprecedented. Given the Elysian Realm's defense mechanisms, ordinary intrusive programs simply couldn't get in. So, for this to happen, besides the possibility of a powerful external enemy, there's another potential explanation."
Elysia paused, revealing the reason for their earlier argument. "It's also possible there's a traitor among the Flame-Chasers."
"A traitor? Wait, are you serious?" Mei was genuinely surprised. Over the past few days, she had witnessed Elysia's interactions with the other Flame-Chasers and could see her trust in all of them. Even someone as hot-tempered as Kalpas tolerated Elysia's playful antics. It was hard to imagine the word 'traitor' coming from Elysia's lips.
"It's not what you think. I believe that despite our conflicts, none of us would actually commit betrayal. What I mean is... it's possible someone has infiltrated the memory data of a Flame-Chaser and replaced their identity."
"You mean... one of the current Flame-Chasers might be an imposter?"
"An imposter, or perhaps some other reason. Regardless, suspicion has been sown. From now on, any Flame-Chaser you interact with might not be who they seem—including myself." Elysia pointed at herself. "After all, even I can't be certain if I've been influenced by something else. So, under these circumstances, you must rely on your own judgment."
"The reason Klein wants to record your data is precisely to identify the enemy hidden within the Elysian Realm. She is the administrator, and only she remains unaffected by the Realm itself."
Elysia's words made Mei's heart sink, the sense of crisis deepening. She remembered the person from The Obsidian Concord telling her before she passed out that her time was running out. If the intruder mentioned wasn't related to The Obsidian Concord, then an unknown enemy must have emerged.
Thinking this, she nodded solemnly. "I understand."
...
The healing process went smoothly. Within half a day, Mei had fully recovered.
"Since you've recovered, please proceed. I must inform you that in just the past half-day, the next area you intend to visit has lost contact." Klein's real-time communication sounded in her ear. Mei's gaze fell upon the spatial passageway.
"You want me to go there even though contact has been lost?"
"The area you are heading to is called the Deep End. Three Flame-Chasers reside there; we cannot simply ignore it. Rest assured, my communication link with you is independent of the Elysian Realm's systems and won't be affected by spatial interference."
"This feels a bit like those Valkyrie missions investigating Honkai-affected zones," Mei noted with a strange sense of familiarity.
"You could understand it that way, only this time it's significantly more dangerous. Furthermore, the Deep End is the only path to the central area. If you wish to find what you seek, you cannot avoid it."
"Understood."
Mei ended the communication, her gaze shifting back to her side. Elysia stood nearby, smiling and waving goodbye.
"Good luck, Mei! Even if I'm not by your side, I'll be cheering for you. If you encounter danger, just call out my name loudly. As I've said, anytime, anywhere, Elysia will answer your expectations."
Gazing at the girl's smile, radiant as a peach blossom, Mei felt a momentary daze, the unease in her heart magically swept away.
"Okay."
With a slight nod, Mei walked towards the portal with determination in her eyes. She tightened her grip on her weapon, the faint fragrance of the ornament Sakura left for her lingering on her wrist.
Looking back one last time, Elysia still stood there. Mei took a deep breath, and then the white light of teleportation enveloped her.