To uncover Elysia's secrets, the most direct method was naturally the Elysian Realm's Typewriter. However, the moment Mei tried using it to find the culprit, she was attacked.
The Herrscher of Corruption had mentioned inheriting Elysia's data, meaning it also knew about the Typewriter. Therefore, the attack was likely orchestrated jointly by [Pure Evil] and the Corruption.
Besides the Typewriter, where else might records of Elysia's past be kept?
Mei lifted her head, looking towards the iconic Ferris wheel in the distance.
The answer was obvious. The Flawless Realm, the Eternal Paradise – naturally, it couldn't be separated from an amusement park.
"Hiding secrets in an amusement park... if it's her, it wouldn't be strange at all." The only issue was avoiding detection by the omnipresent Herrscher of Corruption.
However, having just "killed" Mei, the Corruption would likely let its guard down. Coupled with the delay caused by the Flame-Chasers, it couldn't possibly recover its strength so quickly.
Avoiding the dangerous areas within the town, Mei successfully reached the entrance to the amusement park. Fortunately, her guess was correct. While other areas were patrolled by monsters, the amusement park remained empty.
The streets were lined with dazzling food stalls offering a wide variety of treats. Yet, devoid of people, they looked somewhat melancholic. Stepping inside, Mei felt enveloped by a thick atmosphere of joy.
Floating colorful balloons, stress-relieving shooting targets, comical clown props – each a popular attraction in any amusement park, yet here, they felt utterly deserted.
"Elysia, the Flawless Realm... Did she want to create a perfect paradise for her friends?"
Wandering through, Mei suddenly understood the meaning behind the name Elysia. The Elysian Realm was a reflection of the Flame-Chasers' cognition; this amusement park was undoubtedly Elysia's gift prepared for everyone.
She looked towards a painting stall on the street. On display was a roughly finished painting. In it, a purple-haired girl danced gracefully amidst a downpour, and in the white flash of lightning, the two horns on her forehead were vividly colored.
"This isn't Griseo's work." The painting was crude, clearly the work of a beginner.
"A surprise she prepared for me?" Mei paused, subconsciously walking towards other stalls. Besides the painting, there were numerous other carefully prepared small gifts.
Aside from those for the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, many were specifically for Mei herself.
Reaching the end of the stalls, Mei found a rolled-up paper scroll, seemingly part of a diary.
[Page 1: Today, the girl covered in feathers underwent her trial again. She broke through the 16th floor once more, but ultimately chose to give up at Mobius's stage. Before leaving, she found me, saying Kevin outside wanted me to meet someone.]
[Speaking of which, the last time he sent me a message was many years ago, right? What a heartless guy. But I'm curious, who could it be that would make him personally send someone into the Elysian Realm?]
[Page 2: Raven brought news again. The person Kevin wants me to meet is actually a rather handsome girl! How rare! I can't wait to see what kind of cute girl she is.]
[Page 3: I heard that girl is a Herrscher? A Herrscher!? Did I really succeed? I must be dreaming. If she really is a Herrscher, should I prepare a gift for her?]
[Page 10: Raiden Mei... she truly is a very cute girl. In fact, perhaps excessively cute. Completely different from those dangerous Herrschers of the past, there isn't a trace of malice on her.]
[Wonderful! I succeeded!]
This phrase was repeated for an entire page, showing just how excited Elysia was at that moment. Mei wondered, what exactly had Elysia done to be so thrilled upon seeing her?
[Page 20: Decided! I'm going to host another banquet, inviting Mei and everyone else. Oh my, I need to think carefully about what gifts to prepare for everyone! Right, I also need to prepare something special for Mei...]
Finishing the last page, Mei remained silent for a long while, looking up at this paradise. She could almost see the girl meticulously arranging everything alone.
A smile on her face, her movements light and joyful...
The image faded, leaving only the desolate street. Elysia never got to see the park open, and Mei never got to feel her heartfelt intentions.
Continuing forward, the carousel came into view.
The horses' bells jingled merrily, the sign glowed with neon lights, yet the figures who should have been riding the horses were nowhere to be seen.
Pausing for a moment, Mei stepped onto the platform and rode the carousel alone for one rotation. Amidst the swaying lights, she vaguely saw a pink-haired girl sitting in front of her, smiling and reaching out her hand.
Mei reached out and grasped the girl's hand. But the next second, the carousel slowly decelerated, the music nearing its end.
Looking again, Elysia was long gone.
"Another illusion?" Mei sighed softly, but suddenly noticed a picture book had appeared in her hand at some point.
It was a picture book Mei had seen before in the data room, chronicling the story of people searching for paradise. But as she opened it, she realized it wasn't just a story about searching for the paradise 'Elysia', but about 'Elysia' searching for paradise.
["The girl set foot upon the earth. To find paradise, she traveled the entire world, making many, many friends."]
The protagonist of the picture book was a little girl with pink hair, and the story recorded her encounters with various friends – Mobius, Vill-V, Griseo...
"This is Elysia's past."
At the end of the picture book, a line of text was recorded. The content was familiar to Mei, but this time, it was written in little Ely's own hand.
["The stars and moon sent forth the Daughter of God; she wished to become humanity's companion."]
Daughter of God... what exactly does it mean?
Following the amusement park's guidance, Mei seemed to be walking a path towards finding "Elysia". The girl had never deceived her, merely choosing her own way to express everything about herself.
"But I still doubted her."
Ascending the steps, the Ferris wheel drew closer. However, reaching its area required traversing a meticulously designed roller coaster track.
Arriving at the platform, the roller coaster was already waiting. Mei didn't hesitate and boarded it directly.
The sound of wheels grinding against the track began. A gentle breeze brushed through her hair. She gazed at the distant sunset, faintly catching the scent of blooming peach blossoms on the air.
Anticipating it, Mei turned around, smiling towards her side.
Though she couldn't see her, she knew Ely was there, right beside her, responding to her expectations.