78 The breakthrough is Sakura?

All eyes of the Heroes were now trained on Luo Mo, their gazes filled with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. However, a few among them, such as Mobius and Kevin, remained unfazed. Their heads were bowed, seemingly lost in deep thought, as they pondered over Luo Mo's revelation.

After a brief pause, Luo Mo spoke again, "Not through the Stigma Project," he clarified, adding another layer of intrigue to his earlier statement.

"Now that's interesting," Mobius responded, her smile playful yet curious. She then posed a question, "So, how did you come to know about our plan?"

"Hmm? 'Ordinary' humans?" Kalpas interjected, his tone laced with skepticism.

"Plans? What plan are you talking about? Can you share more about it?" Elysia chimed in, her curiosity piqued.

"Huh," was all Mobius offered in response. It was clear that she believed the plan was not something Elysia needed to be privy to.

"But what relevance does your victory over Honkai have to us, the remnants of a bygone era?" Mobius asked, her question hanging in the air, more rhetorical than inquisitive.

Vill-V, her gears whirring and clicking at her side, wore a rare expression of curiosity. "I must admit, you've piqued my interest. What kind of individual has the power to defeat Honkai?"

"Because, if your involvement can streamline the process and reduce casualties," Luo Mo began, his tone earnest, "As the only remaining heroes of the previous civilization, could you lend us your aid in the forthcoming era?"

"Heh, heroes? I'm not sure that's the right term." Kalpas, hidden behind his mask, let out a slight sneer, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, well, little mouse, or should I say, Junior, I'd be more than happy to step out and lend you a hand!" Mobius declared, a smile playing on her lips and a look of anticipation in her eyes.

Of course she wanted to go out, as long as she went out, no one would care about her anymore. As for what to go out and do, heh, of course she'd do what she liked!

"I… I'd like to help as well, it's just…" Elysia began, her voice trailing off in embarrassment.

Kevin, who had been quietly observing the visitor, finally decided to speak up. "Trialist, if this is the sole purpose of your visit, then I suggest you leave," he stated, his voice icy and devoid of any warmth. "This is the final resting place of the flame-Chaser Heroes, their last sanctuary."

His words hung heavy in the air, leaving no room for negotiation.

"But…" Elysia started to protest, but Kevin cut her off.

"Elysia," he said, his tone a mix of warning and encouragement, "you've already fulfilled your duty. There's no need for you to concern yourself with the humans of the New Century."

"I want to help them, little follower, and I'm willing to go out!" Mobius interjected, her laughter soft yet determined.

While Kevin was the first among them, it didn't necessarily mean that he commanded obedience from everyone. After all, his position was determined solely based on strength.

Kevin merely turned his head and fixed Mobius with a silent stare. It wasn't long before Mobius admitted defeat, grumbling under her breath, "Che, what a killjoy!"

At this point, Luo Mo could clearly see that most of the Heroes lacked the desire to venture outside. There was a crucial element missing for both Elysia and Mobius to make the decision to leave.

More specifically, they were missing a leader, someone to guide them. Luo Mo realized that he himself needed an opportunity to step into this role.

Could Elysia's stigmata be the key? No, he decided, that wasn't something to be revealed at this moment.

Luo Mo fell silent for a moment, his gaze shifting towards a pink-haired girl who was engrossed in polishing her sword. Unlike Elysia's elf-like ears, this girl's ears were more reminiscent of a fox's, albeit significantly longer, standing tall and alert.

The girl, Sakura, was quietly studying the blade in her hand, seemingly uninterested in the ongoing discussion. However, at that moment, her ears twitched and she looked up, only to find that most of the people present were looking at her.

"Are you planning to use Sakura as a breakthrough?" Kalpas asked, his voice laced with incredulity and a hint of anger. "Are you… courting death?"

"Me!?" Sakura exclaimed, her blade-polishing coming to an abrupt halt. She pointed at herself with her index finger, her expression a mix of surprise and confusion.

With a look of confusion etched on her face, Sakura pondered for a moment, but to no avail. "I'd rather not get involved!" she declared, her voice echoing in the room. She didn't feel any particular inclination towards the cause, nor did she harbor any desire to venture outside. She was content with her ordinary life.

However, a sudden realization seemed to dawn upon her. If there was anything that could motivate her to leave her comfort zone, it would have to be something personal, something that resonated with her on a deeper level. Her eyes widened in surprise as she grappled with this newfound insight.

Luo Mo seized the moment to speak up, "Jizo Mitama - a divine key crafted from the core of the Herrscher of Corruption, a relic from a past civilization!" His words hung heavy in the air, their implications clear.

He wasn't sure how much Sakura knew about her sister's past, but he assumed that she would have a fair understanding of it by now. He held her gaze, and Sakura returned his stare, a look of horror creeping onto her face.

The hand that was holding her sword began to tremble slightly, as if she was fearful of what Luo Mo might reveal next.

The Heroes surrounding Luo Mo were visibly agitated, their anger palpable. Flames even began to flicker around Kalpas' body, while Elysia wore a frown of displeasure.

"And RIN, she's in it, and there's still a trace of her sanity!" Luo Mo quickly added, hoping to defuse the tension.

His words seemed to have the desired effect. The atmosphere in the room noticeably relaxed, the tension dissipating. Sakura, who had been standing in the corner, quickly made her way to Luo Mo, her eyes filled with urgency.

"You mentioned RIN? How is she doing?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Is the little white mouse joking?" Mobius chimed in, her tone dismissive. "RIN's consciousness didn't even show signs of manifestation then, how could it now?"

Luo Mo's eyes flickered, uncertainty clouding his features. He couldn't be sure, but he said firmly, "The Key of Corruption has self-awareness, and it's not exactly the consciousness of the Herrscher."

Mobius appeared somewhat perplexed, her gaze shifting towards Vill-V for some form of understanding. However, to her surprise, Vill-V seemed equally baffled.

"Ahem, although I was the one who created that black box, I didn't incorporate such a function," Vill-V admitted, her voice echoing in the room.

"You… Are you deceiving me?" A chilling aura began to emanate from Sakura. Her hand instinctively moved to rest on the hilt of her sword, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Isn't there someone here who can verify whether I'm lying or not? However, let me make it clear, I can't guarantee that I'll be able to rescue RIN's consciousness from God key," Luo Mo responded, his voice steady despite the tension in the room.

As he spoke, Sakura studied his expression, searching for any signs of deceit. Finding none, she turned her gaze towards Aponia, who shook her head, indicating that Luo Mo was telling the truth.

But was such a thing even possible? The room fell silent as everyone pondered this question. The two geniuses, Mobius and Vill-V, exchanged incredulous glances. This revelation had left them bewildered. Could time truly work such miracles?

"…I apologize, Kevin, but I must venture out and see for myself!" Sakura declared resolutely to Kevin after processing the information she had just received.

Kevin found himself in a quandary, torn between his duty and his loyalty to his former comrade. The matter of venturing out to the elysian realm was not to be taken lightly. Unlike Elysia and Mobius, who seemed to oscillate in their decision, Sakura's determination presented a real possibility of conflict if her request was denied.

In a one-on-one confrontation, Kevin was confident of his victory. However, as he surveyed the room, taking in the sight of an eager Vill-V, a restless Mobius, a curious Elysia, and a watchful Kalpas, he realized the situation was more complex. And then there was Sakura, her resolve unwavering.

"I understand, Sakura. I won't stand in your way," he finally conceded, his voice carrying a note of resignation. "But remember, we are mere memories now. We must come to terms with that reality."

With that, Kevin stepped aside, his arms folded across his chest. He turned his attention to Mobius and Vill-V, adding, "And you two, don't push outside technology. Do not interfere with… The plan."

"Finally loosening up, are we?" Mobius chuckled, her laughter echoing in the room. "Well done, little mouse!"

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author note :

An idiot admires complexity, a genius admires simplicity, a physicist tries to make it simple, for an idiot anything the more complicated it is the more he will admire it, if you make something so clusterfucked he can't understand it he's gonna think you're a god cause you made it so complicated nobody can understand it. That's how they write journals in Academics, they try to make it so complicated people think you're a genius

-Terry Davis 

I got enlightenment from this schizo person even though I somewhat disagree with his opinion about journals