MGSFV?! Chapter 381. Curtain Call
The perspective shifted back to the livestream.
At some point, Elysia and Hokuto had already taken their seats again in the streaming area.
A flood of barrage comments rushed across the screen.
[It's here, it's here!]
[Tragedy isn't the end—it's the beginning of hope!]
[Elysia must win!]
[Not just win—win with flair!]
Hokuto glanced at the rapidly climbing viewer count. After waiting a bit longer and sensing the timing was right, he turned to Elysia and said,
"Elysia, we're ready."
"Mm."
Elysia nodded, picked up her controller, and efficiently opened a preloaded video.
"The Story That Exists Because of You"
As soon as the title appeared, many viewers visibly tensed up.
Having completed the Elysian Realm storyline, they understood the weight those words carried.
And so...
They paused their typing, sat up straight, took a deep breath, and focused all their attention.
In their hearts, they whispered—
Bring it on. We're ready.
The short film opened on an old television set.
On the screen: a pile of rubble and the insignia of the Flame-Chasers, floating mid-air.
Then came the Herrscher of Corruption's blood-pressure-spiking voice:
"This is a story without meaning."
"People without a future, walking down the wrong path."
"Reaching—a failed ending."
Just three simple sentences.
Yet they were enough to make blood pressures rise. Players even joked that the Herrscher of Corruption must have stolen the Herrscher of Sentience's core between scenes.
Why else would they talk in the same aggravating tone?
A story without meaning?
Sure, perhaps the Previous Era stumbled before reaching salvation. Perhaps no one got a happy ending.
But!
That doesn't make it meaningless.
The "seeds" Elysia planted—have already blossomed into radiant flowers.
The story of Elysian Realm guides every successor who steps into this space.
The Flame-Chasers passed down the honor of being a Flame-Chaser—and the right to choose one's own destiny.
Even if the light of hope left behind for future generations is faint, it's still enough to illuminate those who pursue it.
Like Mei—and many others…
…
Back to the short.
After the Herrscher of Corruption's voice fell silent, the camera zoomed out.
Several massive serpents, shaped like tangled internet cables, slithered through a city built entirely from old appliances.
Very on-brand for the Herrscher of Corruption?
These serpents were chasing a pink-haired girl.
It was none other than the dazzling Elysia~♪
Eventually, the serpents cornered her on a rooftop.
Things looked pretty dicey.
"All right~♪ Calm down, will you?"
Elysia raised her crystal bow gracefully, pulled back the string, and fired an arrow into the sky.
The serpents charging toward her were instantly enveloped in a crystalline domain created by the arrow. Within moments, they were annihilated by ricocheting rays of light.
Elysia then flicked her hair with elegance, lifted her chin, and walked forward with poise.
At just the right moment, a light and cheerful tune began to play in the background.
It felt less like a battle and more like a performance.
[Yup, totally Elysia-style from the start (smile)]
[This woman's battle style is something else.]
[...]
[Elysia-onee-san, elegant as always.]
But before she could bask in her performance for long—suddenly, the ground began to tremble violently.
Caught off guard, Elysia stumbled, losing her balance and falling.
It was only then the viewers realized—
That rooftop? It had been made entirely from stacked-up old TVs.
One of the TVs displayed an unusually stylized eye—staring directly at the falling Elysia.
And when she hit the ground, the eye squinted mockingly.
Don't ask how a single eye can convey mockery—ask the god-tier animators.
Under the Herrscher of Corruption's control, countless compact discs were launched toward Elysia like projectiles.
Seeing this, Elysia remained unflustered.
She even managed a mischievous quip: "By Herrscher standards, you really do look... distinctive, huh!"
[High EQ: "Distinctive"]
As her voice trailed off, the music swelled with intensity.
The real fight began.
Elysia fired arrows while deftly maneuvering around the flying discs, drawing the Herrscher of Corruption into a graceful tug-of-war.
"Come on now, don't get mad~~"
She joked mid-fight, clearly still in control.
It looked like Elysia had the upper hand…
Just as players started thinking that—
Suddenly, the Herrscher of Corruption played dirty.
Despite creating distance between them, Elysia suddenly found herself back at the starting point.
…Was this a rollback?
Sensing what had happened, she quickly turned around—
A compact disc was already flying toward her.
The music abruptly cut off.
Tension spiked.
Then—
Boom!!
A blast of smoke and dust engulfed Elysia.
No damage, no damage—everyone repeated that mantra to themselves, clutching their chairs.
Finally, Elysia leapt from the smoke, covering one eye.
And that's when they saw—
Her right eye had been erased by the Herrscher of Corruption.
In the corner of the screen, a line resembling debug code flashed briefly.
Then the short film's aspect ratio suddenly shifted—from 16.9 to 4.3.
"…Geez… like this, I really will cry…"
Elysia once again drew her bow, preparing to counterattack.
But under the Herrscher of Corruption's relentless use of her admin-tier authority, Elysia was cut off immediately.
Her bow was deleted right out of her hands.
Taking advantage of her stunned reaction, the Herrscher sent several cables snaking toward her, binding her in an elaborate restraining play.
[No!!]
[Is the animator secretly doing... something else on the side??]
[Wait—did Elysia just SMILE just now?]
Some viewers noticed. Despite appearances, everything was still unfolding just as Elysia had planned.
But the Herrscher of Corruption believed she had already won, and began to gloat.
"Elysian Realm… was just your lie."
"Memory constructs—mere shadows of the past, just heaps of redundant data."
As she spoke, more and more cables wrapped tightly around Elysia.
The walls of televisions crumbled around them, revealing the hidden core of the Herrscher of Corruption.
If one looked closely at the tumbling TV screens, they'd notice a wealth of Easter eggs.
One screen bore the character "乆" with an "abyssopen" ad (literally: "the abyss is always open," obviously a jab at Abyss hell.jpg).
Classic MiHoYo, the pioneer of "we-just-can't-help-ourselves" meta jokes.
There were also deeper references—like one screen flashing "spuer13in1", symbolizing the convergence of all 13 Flame-Chasers into one force.
Honestly, you could probably write tens of thousands of words breaking it all down.
But let's move on.
"I want to escape, to survive, to spread and infect, to fill every corner of the world."
The Herrscher grew more ecstatic as she spoke, pulling the bound Elysia toward her.
Preparing to absorb her—completely.
"I won't lose to you. I won't end here!"
The Herrscher dragged Elysia close to her core: "This is my will—I will exist forever."
With that, she devoured Elysia.
Infected her.
Reduced her to scattered data.
Goodbye…
[Elysia]…
delete, completed...
I won.
The momentum had shifted sharply.
Players stared, eyes wide open, tense—but strangely, not truly worried.
None of them believed Elysia would fall here.
Yes.
Elysia won't lose. She absolutely won't lose.
There was no logic, no evidence. But still, they believed it—wholeheartedly.
Whether Mei, the other Flame-Chasers, or the players themselves…
They all trusted her with everything.
Maybe…
That's the true magic of this story.
…
And as always—Elysia, who never let them down, wasn't about to start now.
As expected—
In the very next moment—
The reversal began.
Just as the Herrscher of Corruption was about to erase Elysia completely—
[Sorry…]
[Looks like I'll have to disappoint you~♪]
Within the Herrscher's core, lines of corrupted code began to reverse.
Forming into glowing Signets.
"The final curtain for the Flame-Chasers must be grand and glorious."
"Just the two of us? That's a bit too lonely, don't you think?"
At her words—
The players remembered.
That's right!
Back when she said goodbye to Mei, Elysia had mentioned: because of the Herrscher of Corruption's unique authority, she wanted to use it to find everyone.
So during the earlier fight—was Elysia really smiling?
Had she already understood the Herrscher's power?
Was that why she deliberately lost?
So she could dive deeper into the Herrscher's core—and find everyone again?
Then, then...
Everything before this was just a prelude.
The real story starts now.
It's time—
Their emotions surged, ready to boil over.
Yes. This was how it should be.
This is the final curtain call of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers—only with everyone present, can it be truly perfect.
The animation continued.
The visuals took on the look of a vintage cartoon.
Inside an immense data space, lines of code guided data to recombine, reassemble—and recreate a radiant black-and-white girl.
She reached out her hand, smiling softly.
As though she'd found the perfect dance partner at the grandest ball.
"Wouldn't you agree?"
Who…?
"My dear Eden."
Eden!
It was Eden!?
Even though everyone had already guessed—hearing Elysia say "my dear Eden" still sent a thrill through every heart.
Especially when vibrant Eden descended from above, taking Elysia's hand—
Passing golden light to her.
Wrapping her in a new outfit.
Restoring the beautiful girl to her original form.
"Yes, Elysia. Let's begin—our final ball."
An overwhelming emotion surged in everyone's chest.
They wanted to say something…
But...
"So, in the end... you still wanted to drag everyone into this, didn't you?"
"…That's why I hate you so much, Elysia."
Players froze at the sudden voice.
So did Elysia—snapping her head around in surprise.
It was Mobius!
She spoke of hate, but her face bore a smile she couldn't hide.
[They're back! Everyone's really back!]
[The curtain call of the Flame-Chasers must be grand and glorious—Elysia, all of you must win!]
[This time, there won't be any regrets—this is your final ball, Elysia.]
[Let's gooo!!]
To stoke the emotions even further, MiHoYo perfectly timed the background music cue.
As Mobius transformed into a stream of green light and appeared before Elysia to reforge her weapon—
BGM, rise!
Players: …
You knew exactly what you were doing, MiHoYo. This music hits right in the heart.
"You're clearly enjoying this too."
Elysia laughed, exposing Mobius with a gentle jab. Then, she turned around and flung a single hand forward.
A ribbon of light blossomed into a pink crystal flower.
She stepped upon it and flew ahead.
It's time—
Time for everyone's ball!
Ah…
Elysia blinked as a pixelated retro-style aircraft appeared before her.
But before she could react—
"Shatter all—into pieces!"
Kalpas suddenly charged out from behind Elysia, swinging his devastating fist—the fist that annihilates all evil.
It was his one and only answer—unchanging to the very end.
"This time, you won't be taking it back!"
Piloting the Helical Contraption, Vill-V soared with mechanical wings like a bird.
Her winding spiral carved the path toward hope.
As each Flame-Chaser arrived, the animation quality subtly elevated.
Light was just ahead!
Elysia's face brightened with a smile full of joy.
A golden butterfly fluttered past her cheek.
"Ah…"
Elysia turned.
Aponia was smiling at her from behind.
"With this, Elysian Realm has now reached its destined conclusion."
Fate's end had come at last.
But this time, she could offer her blessings to the world—with a smile.
She would believe, without hesitation, in infinite possibilities.
Thousands of golden butterflies surged forth—
Helping the girl break through the final barrier!
At last!
They returned to the true Elysian Realm.
From the ruins, a radiant arc of rainbow light rose.
Under the unwilling gaze of the Herrscher of Corruption—
All thirteen Flame-Chasers had gathered.
"This is a sight never before seen in history."
Sakura gripped her weapon, smiling.
She froze the Moment.
Radiant Light followed. Empty Dreams arrived on cue.
Stardust offered its innocent reverie. Ephemera stood with the resolve of a warrior.
Heaven's Insight understood both transience and cause, knowing that meaning lies in progress.
"Let the marks we leave behind illuminate the future for those who come after."
Finally…
Kevin stood alone behind Elysia, shielding her.
He turned slightly, looking at the girl.
"Are you ready, Elysia?"
At that moment, he loaded his life into the chamber—
To become hope. To become Salvation.
"Of course!"
Her gaze swept across her companions, lingering briefly on Griseo, who was mimicking Mei.
Elysia gave a radiant, delighted smile in response.
A pink crystal barrier unfolded in the sky.
Arrows rained down in radiant arcs—
Carrying brilliance, carrying the will of the thirteen Flame-Chasers—
Piercing through the distinctive body of the Herrscher of Corruption.
[That arrow just smashed 4.3 back into 16.9!?]
[This is it! This is what a grand and glorious curtain call looks like!!]
With the music, the players' emotions surged to the peak.
The short film had officially reached its climax.
The counterattack began.
Elysia unleashed her full authority.
This was her bloom.
She blossomed from eternal love, from eternal flowers.
A boundless love that embraced all who longed for beauty.
She—so beautiful—seemed embraced by the love of both past and future.
Salvation, Discipline, Gold, Spiral, Annihilation…
The emblems of all the other Flame-Chasers encircled her—
Like a flawless crystal flower in bloom.
As free as birds, as radiant as flying petals.
"They lived with such pride—
held fast to the end,
and used their lives to sing civilization's hymn."
"This is the story of those called the Flame-Chasers."
"The unfinished journey of the thirteen who chased the fire."
That flawless True Self spoke of the past.
And slowly drew her bow.
This strike—it no longer carried her strength alone.
It was the collective weight of all thirteen Flame-Chasers.
The battle had come to its conclusion.
Players watched, witnessing the Flame-Chasers gather behind Elysia,
to behold—her bloom.
A sight never before seen in history.
And to reach this ending, they had endured every hardship.
Perhaps…
Only embers would remain after all of this.
But—
Tragedy is not the end—
It is the beginning of hope.
This wasn't just a pretty phrase.
"The Story That Exists Because of You"
carried that truth within it.
A meaning the Herrscher of Corruption—who knew only mindless spread and multiplication,
and nothing of life—
could never understand.
She could delete data—
but she could never erase the marks left by their hearts and actions upon the world.
But even if you delete everything—
You can never erase the eternal life that resides in everyone's heart: memory.
And so...
This final strike—
Was a weight the Herrscher of Corruption could not bear.
A massive surge of energy gathered in Elysia's hands, forming into a radiant, multicolored beam that shattered the Herrscher's defenses with ease.
Then it dispersed into twelve Signets, encircling the Herrscher's massive eye.
At that moment, Elysia recalled Mei—and the era she had described...
She smiled from the heart, as if seeing the future she longed for, the paradise she had always hoped for.
It would come, eventually.
"Visitors… your journey will still continue, won't it?"
"Then—go forth, wherever your heart leads!"
The journey we left unfinished—now continues with you.
The path once lined with tombstones—will be witnessed by you.
The drifting memories between beginning and end—will be remembered by you.
This is the eternity of 'beauty.' The 'flawless True Self' she believed in.
Players couldn't help but smile, their eyes unconsciously brimming with tears.
Though Elysia never spoke the words aloud, her heart had clearly reached each and every one of them.
...
Naturally, the Herrscher of Corruption had no intention of fading quietly.
Faced with the looming scent of true death, it desperately clawed for survival.
It actually succeeded—in halting the descent of the Signets.
However...
In this frozen space—
Elysia could still move freely.
"I said—it's time to move forward~♪"
Her sweet voice rang out.
Time resumed.
The Signets instantly crushed the last of the Herrscher of Corruption's defenses and locked it in place.
Above—
Elysia raised one hand, and behind her, a colossal figure manifested—
This was the true Armed Kevin-Type 666!
"Follow the footsteps before you, bear witness to the journey of those who chased the flame—and at last, cross the curtain call of the fallen."
The Great Elysia pulled the bowstring to a full moon.
Elysia transformed herself into the arrow.
Carrying the power of the other twelve Flame-Chasers.
Her body became the vessel of all thirteen.
She aimed at the bound Herrscher of Corruption.
"Let us create—the future we were never able to reach!"
The dazzling arrow struck the Herrscher's eye dead center.
A silent explosion rippled outward.
That single shot marked the end.
The curtain fell for the Thirteen Flame-Chasers—grand and glorious.
A truly righteous ending.
It gave the players something they hadn't felt in a long time: fulfillment.
Some were even surprised.
Had MiHoYo finally had a change of heart?
Did they really not plan on making players cry this time?
Instead of last-minute tragedy, they'd given the Flame-Chasers the magnificent ending they deserved—letting players celebrate with the animation in full.
No hidden knives this time.
Or so it seemed...
...
Because after the Herrscher of Corruption's disappearance—
Images of the old Elysian Realm suddenly filled the screen like fractured glass.
Before players could react—
It all began to burn and vanish like pages consumed by fire.
Players: ?
And it didn't stop there.
The screen shifted again.
To a place, a time—unknown.
Pardofelis squatted peacefully, cheeks resting in her palms, watching several cats playing and fighting for food around her.
Players: ??
A long-buried memory came flooding back.
They remembered.
Pardofelis once said, after becoming a MANTIS, her greatest regret was that she could no longer be close to cats.
This...
Excitement and smiles drained from their faces.
They watched Pardofelis feeding cats.
Hua practicing martial arts under her father's guidance.
Griseo painting beside her parents.
Kosma sitting beneath a tree playing harmonica, Dystopia quietly at his side.
Sakura and Rin joyfully playing together in an amusement park...
Each of these memories—spoke silently of the beauty they once had.
And left players overwhelmed with emotion.
MiHoYo! What are you doing!!
Another end-of-film gut punch?!
Does it always have to be this way?!
MiHoYo, MiHoYo... you really...
Their emotions boiled over.
They didn't want to admit they'd been played—again.
They wanted to resist...
...
But by then, the short film had already reached its quiet conclusion.
After all the Flame-Chasers' memories—
That same girl, just as she was when they first met her, stood in a field of pink tulips.
(Tulip flower language: Eternal Love.)
She gently touched the flower of eternal love, softly whispering the language of eternity.
And finally—
She smiled, innocent and flawless.
It was... beautiful.
"Because of you, I exist. Because of you, I am flawless."
To Elysia.
To all who once shone.
Elysian Realm—ends here.
Players stared at those eight words—
And suddenly didn't want to move.
This journey that had twisted and turned through death and rebirth—
This story of Elysian Realm that had brought so much pain and so much joy—
Was now over.
A quiet, indescribable melancholy welled up.
And yet...
There was no regret.
Because what Elysia wanted—
Had already come true, the moment the wind carried her dream across fifty thousand years,
bringing a successor to the first Herrscher's doorstep.
In that moment—
Elysian Realm had already reached its most beautiful, most romantic ending.
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