"Mobi..."
Mei's eyes widened, but as blood continued to drain away, her body grew colder. Gazing at Mobius, who was right before her, her eyes filled with disbelief.
The premeditated spike hadn't just pierced her body; it was continuously siphoning her Honkai energy. This was, without a doubt, a planned betrayal.
"Sorry, Big Sister~ When I was treating you earlier, I quietly recorded some data. With this strike, even as a Herrscher, you won't be getting back up~"
Amidst the sinister laughter, Mei's strength gave out, and her body slumped to the floor. Warm blood flowed past her cheek, staining everything crimson.
"Why?" Her pupils gradually dilated, her vision blurring. Yet, she strained to keep her eyes open, focusing on the girl who seemed like a demon. She didn't understand. Weren't the Thirteen Flame-Chasers supposed to be heroes? Why resort to this?
"Why? I just want to get out. Snakes are cold-blooded creatures, after all. What's wrong with using any means necessary to achieve my goal?" Mobius felt no remorse. She released Mei's hand and staggered to her feet. Standing in the pool of Mei's blood, she looked down coldly at the girl who had offered her help just moments before.
"As a Herrscher, you are indeed strong. But retaining your humanity means you retain weakness, and weakness cannot fight the Honkai. Don't worry. Once I get out, I'll use this body to take a good look at this world."
She spoke as if delivering a victor's declaration, completely oblivious to the sudden flicker of surprise in Mei's eyes. By the time Mobius sensed something was wrong, a sharp pain erupted in her own chest.
"Ugh!"
The clear agony jolted her nerves; her punctured body couldn't draw breath. Already exhausted, Mobius violently coughed up a mouthful of blood.
What's happening?
The sudden attack filled her mind with confusion. Lowering her head, she saw only the blood-soaked tip of a blade protruding from her chest.
But Mei was still lying on the ground; it couldn't possibly be her sneak attack.
Bewildered, Mobius slowly turned her head. What met her eyes was a cascade of cherry-pink hair.
"Why?" she subconsciously asked, echoing Mei's earlier question. The response she received, however, was even colder.
"Just a transaction."
Mobius didn't understand what transaction. But when she saw the young man stepping out from the darkness, comprehension seemed to dawn.
"Traitor!" she spat at Sakura, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.
Sakura's expression remained utterly unchanged. "That word sounds rather ironic coming from you," she replied calmly.
Thud.
Mobius's body collapsed into the pool of blood she had been standing in.
However, Mei was already on the brink of death and didn't witness Mobius's demise. Her vision was completely blurred; she could only faintly discern shifts in light. Dimly, she sensed a figure crouching beside her.
"Sakura?" she managed to force the name from her throat.
"..."
No answer came. She only felt someone grasp her forearm. The massive blood loss had left Mei freezing, but as the hand held her, a warm current flowed up her arm and spread rapidly throughout her body. This warmth was just enough to keep her clinging to her last breath.
Before she could feel relief, intense pain surged again. Even with her eyes closed, she could almost visualize the crystal embedded in her body being slowly extracted. This meant her body was gradually regaining sensation.
After an unknown amount of time, the pain finally subsided, replaced by waves of overwhelming fatigue. Mei knew this wasn't the final burst of energy before death [Original idiom: 'last radiance of the setting sun'], but the undeniable proof that she was still alive.
"Remember, the Obsidian Concord Signet only has one use left."
Just as she tried to open her eyes, a voice spoke near her ear. Surprisingly, it seemed it wasn't Sakura who had saved her. She wanted to see who it was, but the exhaustion from the healing was too profound. She could only make out the blurry figure of someone with short, gray hair.
"Obsid..." She tried to say "Obsidian Concord," but the sound was barely a whisper.
"No need to speak. Remember to take what I gave you. A new Herrscher has entered the Elysian Realm. Be extremely careful. Also, you only have fifteen days left. You must reach the end as soon as possible..."
As the fatigue deepened, she could no longer clearly hear the rest of the words. She only vaguely felt something being pressed into her hand.
"Sakura, is there anything else you wish to say?"
Mei sensed Sakura step closer.
"Apologies, Raiden Mei. I may not be able to wait for you in the main hall. I will give you my Signet now. Please be careful on the path ahead."
Sakura's tone was gentle, conveying a rare sense of warmth. Yet, the calmer she sounded, the more uneasy Mei felt. She realized she might not see Sakura again for a very long time.
After their farewell, Sakura didn't linger. The last image Mei saw before succumbing to unconsciousness was two figures walking away, fading into the darkness.
"Wait..."
In the silent, deserted battlefield, Mei drifted into a deep sleep.
...
"You seem remarkably calm about killing your own colleague."
"Since you sought me out, you should already know—I was an assassin long before joining Fire Moth." Sakura's tone was flat, as if discussing a stranger.
"But the Thirteen Flame-Chasers... surely that's different?" Ren turned back, his gaze falling on Mobius's body slung over Sakura's shoulder.
"No different. They kept the truth about Rin from me. We were never truly on the same path."
"Oh?" Ren looked into Sakura's cold eyes, a playful expression on his face. "Or is it because you know she won't simply die like this?"
Sakura faltered almost imperceptibly, then immediately regained her composure. "You're overthinking it. Even Flame-Chasers die when they are killed."
"Is that so." He didn't press further.
As they spoke, they passed through Mobius's domain and arrived at a hidden portal. The portal wasn't active, seemingly sealed. However, faint cat paw prints were visible above it, suggesting someone else frequented this place.
"We're here. This is the transit point to the central area of the Elysian Realm," Sakura stated.
Ren reached out, his fingertips lightly touching the portal's edge. The next second, golden threads extended from his hand, tightly wrapping around the frame. The previously dormant portal began to glow white, clearly reactivated.
"Let's go." With that, he stepped directly through.
Passing through the portal, their vision plunged into darkness. Looking around, there was nothing but emptiness, save for a single, straight corridor. The golden threads retracted, and the portal vanished behind them.
Seeing Ren's practiced movements, Sakura's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm curious. With abilities like yours, why did you need my help?"
"Perhaps because... I don't know the way?"
"If you don't wish to say, then don't. Why resort to teasing?"
"I wasn't lying. As an outsider, the Elysian Realm's defense mechanisms naturally target me for elimination. If I wandered aimlessly, I could easily get lost." Ren smiled, gesturing towards the corridor. "Take this place, for example. If it weren't for you, I estimate it would have taken me a very long time to find."
"However," Ren continued, his playful smile sharpening, "I suspect this isn't the 'center of the Elysian Realm' you mentioned, but rather an area known as the Deep End... isn't that right, Miss Sakura?"
Without a doubt, this was Sakura's trap.