Kevin! We'll always be there.
Kevin had made a generous offer, perhaps out of respect for Elysia.
Luo Mo appreciated it, but he was also concerned about something.
How did Kevin manage to escape? And what happened to welt Yang? Schicksal had all four gems in their possession. He could not have taken Yang's core by force.
He asked directly, "Kevin, how did you get out?"
Kevin looked at them, and saw Elysia's curious expression. He felt a slight pang of regret, and showed them the Herrscher core that he held in his hand.
"What is that?"
"Is that the core of the Herrscher of Reason?" Elysia gasped. She recognized it from Mobius, where she had visited often.
"That son of a bitch!" Tesla exploded with anger. Was that core Yang's?
"What did you do to Yang?" Einstein grabbed Tesla and whispered to him.
"Yang? Are you referring to the Herrscher of Reason who guards the gate of the current civilization?" Kevin said calmly, "He was gravely wounded. As for this core, it was a relic of the former civilization."
Tesla felt a shock in her chest and froze in place. She gasped for air, feeling like her heart had stopped beating. She had never been so scared in her life.
Bronya, who was beside her, asked anxiously, "Seele, what about Seele? Have you seen her?"
Kevin looked at her with an icy expression, and said nothing.
Bronya felt a chill in her spine, and her palms became moist with sweat.
Elysia was about to ask Kevin to be more friendly, when Luo Mo intervened, "She is a stigma awakener."
Kevin finally spoke: "She would not accept my offer, even if I asked her. Besides, she is safer there than here, in the real world."
Bronya let out a sigh of relief and looked at Luo Mo with gratitude.
Elysia felt awkward. Kevin seemed… he still had a good heart, but he was so cold and distant, just like Kosmo.
Elysia frowned unhappily and glared at Kevin, who made her feel uncomfortable.
"Anything else?" Kevin asked, scanning the group.
"I get it; I'm going."
Kevin walked past them and headed to the back, his footsteps fading away.
As Kevin and Elysia crossed paths,
Elysia whispered, "Kevin!"
The noise stopped and the footsteps halted, but Kevin did not look back.
"We're always here for you; you're not alone! We'll wait for you! ♪"
"Haha——" The faint laughter sounded like an illusion, and he resumed walking without turning back.
...
"Elysia?" Luo Mo called out,
"What are you doing here? Miss Pink Elf seems to be in a Bad mood today," Elysia said, gazing at the stunning sea view through the glass dome, feeling restless.
"I have nothing else to do. Now that Kevin has escaped, there is no way to prove if the Quantum Sea will affect the stigmata's existence."
Luo Mo sat beside her and said, "It's just rare to see Elysia, who is always happy, sometimes unhappy."
"Everyone has their bad days, and Kevin… what will become of him? I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen.
Elysia spoke in a low voice, staring at her pale and delicate hands. "I'm powerless to help him! Ever since we met, I knew that his heart was frozen and he had given up on life. He only follows the plan. ♪ "
"…" Luo Mo did not say anything to console her; he was at a loss for words.
Elysia stared at the ocean with a heavy heart. It was vast and dark, reflecting Kevin's mood. She could not believe how much he had changed, how cold and distant he had become.
She shook her head and tried to cheer up. She said, "Let's not dwell on this. let's get Kevin out of Elysian Realm. The Thirteen Heroes are incomplete without him. I miss the old days, when we were all together."
Luo Mo smiled and said, "Ellie, I will make sure you have a happy ending." He was making a bold promise, one that he did not know if he could keep.
He had a plan, a plan that involved saving not only Wendy and Himeko, but also changing the fate of Elysia and Kevin. He wanted to give them a second chance, a chance to be happy.
He thought that a hero deserved better than what Kevin had gone through.
Elysia gave him a weak smile, full of doubt and helplessness. She said, "But what can we do? You know how stubborn he is."
"Even if he defeated Honkai, he would still feel despair. Maybe when Mei died, he was already dead."
"Then what if he can undo all this, save Mei, and give the world a chance to start over?"
Elysia's eyes widened, not understanding what Luo Mo meant.
...
"Are you ready for this?"
"Bronya, you need certain qualifications to enter the Quantum Sea. If you can't do it, don't be brave.." Einstein said calmly.
Bronya nodded firmly and said with determination, "Bronya will not back down!"
She did not admit or deny her ability. She knew she was close to her goal, and she would not give up now.
She finally realized what Luo Mo had told her. She had to rely on herself to rescue her sister.
Seele had so much faith in her, and had turned down everyone else's assistance. How could she disappoint her? Even if it was impossible, she had to try!
Beside her, Luo Mo and Fu Hua were also prepared.
Luo Mo had expected the Quantum Sea to resist him, but he felt nothing at all.
He secretly wished that he could use that as a reason to stay out.
But he saw Fu Hua's serene and confident face, and he felt reassured.
"Well, then, let's go."
Bronya stared at the dark blue curtain of water, feeling anxious. She gathered her courage with the help of her companions, and then jumped.
"Seele, Bronya is here to keep her promise to you!"
She could not see anything in the darkness, nor feel the gravity that normally held her down. The only thing she could sense was the warmth of her hands, clasping the hands of her friends.
She felt like she was surrounded by a real ocean, but the pressure was only momentary.
She did not know how long it lasted, until she finally felt solid ground under her feet. She opened her eyes, and saw that the three of them had entered a bizarre world.
The floors were not flat or aligned. They were broken into fragments that floated in the air at various angles. The colors were also unnatural and distorted.
The sky and the earth were no longer the blue and green that she knew, but a dark and deep shade of blue and black.
She noticed a man lying on the ground, not too far from them. He had blood in his mouth, and his clothes were torn and dirty. He looked like he had been in a fierce battle.
The three of them rushed to him and examined his condition. They found that he was severely wounded, and could not move a muscle. But he was still alive, barely.
He was relying on the Herrscher core to heal himself, slowly but surely.
Fu Hua applied some traditional Chinese medicine techniques to treat his wounds temporarily. Walter Yang coughed twice, his face contorted with pain and his eyes filled with defiance.
He had blood dripping from his mouth, but he managed to say in a raspy voice, "Don't, don't let the snake get away."
After that, he lost consciousness again and fell limp.
Fu Hua sighed, but she had no choice but to let him stay unconscious. If he woke up, he would only strain himself more.
She knew why Kevin was so ruthless. The snake must be a nickname for Kevin. He had no mercy for those who slowed him down.
Luo Mo's mouth twitched, and he kept his thoughts to himself.