After Vya woke up, still groggy, Elysia whisked her away, leaving Kevin standing there utterly bewildered as the wind tousled his hair.
Seeing Elysia arrive, Mobius quietly slipped away.
While giving his report, Kevin wasn't sure if he should tell the whole truth. Honestly, he'd rather believe he'd fallen into an illusion woven by the Herrscher than accept that Vya wasn't human.
Seeing Kevin's distraught and lost state, Mei knew the matter couldn't be simple. She gave Kevin a look, and he immediately understood.
Attribute all anomalies to a final counterattack by the Herrscher...
Not long after, in Mobius's lab.
Mobius, along with Vya and Elysia, waited for Mei's arrival. As for Klein and the new twins, they'd long since been sent away.
...
"So, Mobius, you really don't plan to explain anything?"
Elysia leaned her hands on the desk in front of Mobius, adopting an interrogative posture.
Beside them, Vya sat in Mobius's chair, unusually restrained and somewhat nervous.
"And so? Does it need explaining? I indirectly saved quite a few people, you know... Who knows how many more would have died from the sixth Herrscher's death throes."
Mobius shot a glance at Elysia.
Elysia frowned, the smile on her face fading slightly.
"Even so..."
"Sis..."
Vya spoke up then.
"Did Vya make sis worry again..."
Elysia immediately turned around, a radiant smile blooming back on her face. "Not at all! Vya was a huge help this time!"
She reached out and ruffled the little girl's hair.
"It's just... next time, could you give me a heads up? So I can be mentally prepared, okay? It's really scary like this."
"Mhm, Vya understands."
The little girl nodded, a trace of a smile finally appearing on her face.
"Hmph..."
Mobius let out a soft snort.
Seeing this, Elysia straightened up, putting her hands behind her back and leaning forward slightly. "Alright, alright, Mobius♪~"
"You're a big hero too. It's just... is Vya really okay after turning into that... form?"
"I've already checked her three times just now. Vya is healthier than you are. Your body fat percentage has even gone up recently..."
Mobius stated the facts leisurely.
"Has it? I didn't know that."
Elysia blinked, feigning innocence.
"You know exactly what I mean."
"Really? Mobius, what are you talking about? I don't understand♪~"
Elysia leaned her face closer to Mobius's with a smiling expression.
"Get away from me."
Mobius pushed Elysia's forehead away with her palm, her face expressionless.
Elysia immediately pouted, sounding wronged. "Mobius, how can you be like this? Aren't we best friends anymore?"
"No."
"Ah... Mobius♪~ How could you? I'll be sad, you know~"
...
Meanwhile, when Kevin and Mei were alone.
"...The Herrscher displayed human-like emotions. What does that even signify?"
"No... Mei, there's one more thing."
Kevin thought about it and decided to speak up.
"Go ahead."
"The moment I see you like this, I know it's serious."
"Mei, have you ever wondered about one thing...?"
"What?"
"Remember when we met Vya after escaping from Senba?"
"Yes, I remember."
But what's the connection? Mei couldn't see it immediately and waited for Kevin to continue.
"Could a child like Vya really come through that situation completely unscathed, and even manage to find us by coincidence..."
Mei pondered briefly. "...I was curious about that back then too, but the situation was urgent, and I didn't dwell on it."
And she had gradually forgotten about it, because Vya's usual behavior was just that of a lively child. There really weren't many suspicious points.
"...Maybe I know the answer now."
"You mean it wasn't a coincidence."
"Right... She might truly not be afraid of Honkai beasts."
Next, Kevin recounted everything that had happened not long ago to Mei.
...
After listening, Mei fell silent for a long time.
This was something Kevin had witnessed firsthand, so its authenticity was guaranteed.
"Vya is a Honkai beast..."
Mei muttered softly.
Kevin didn't know what to say either. "..."
"A Honkai beast that rivals or even surpasses a Herrscher... and it's helping humanity..."
Mei suddenly looked up at Kevin. "If that's the case, then Elysia must have known about this from the very beginning, right?"
Kevin nodded.
"It's no good making empty guesses here. I want to go ask Dr. Mobius. Do you want to go back and rest first?"
Mei asked Kevin with concern.
Kevin was indeed exhausted. The fatigue alone would probably make him fall asleep as soon as he hit the bed.
But it was more the psychological pressure, from both the Herrscher and Vya...
"It's fine. I'll go with you."
"Alright, let's go."
The two walked side-by-side through the base.
Mobius was undoubtedly in the know, that was beyond question.
Perhaps all of this was Mobius's doing!
But it wasn't good to jump to conclusions either.
...
"They're late."
Mobius said, her voice tinged with obvious impatience.
"Don't be so impatient. Mei definitely had to listen to Kevin's little report first." Elysia looked up and smiled at Mobius. "Besides, what's the rush? They'll find out sooner or later."
Before long, the two arrived. They saw only three people in the lab—well, strictly speaking, only two: Elysia, Mobius... and the remaining one was Vya.
(And to be even more precise... only one person.)
"Tsk tsk... Finally here?"
Mobius said.
"Doctor, it seems you've been waiting for us for a while."
"Hmm, one thing's wrong. I was only waiting for you."
Kevin: ...Feel a bit insulted...
"It seems my little follower's information relay speed is still too slow?"
Mobius said with a smile, looking at the two of them.
The 'little follower,' of course, referred to Kevin standing behind.
Vya noticed the way Mei and Kevin were looking at her. It wasn't like their usual gazes... something seemed to have changed.
She felt a bit dejected.
Elysia comfortingly patted her back, then turned to Mei and Kevin. "I suppose you have many questions. How about we take them one by one?"
Mei took a deep breath, folding her hands in front of her—a habitual posture when she was pondering serious matters. "First of all, what exactly is Vya?"
The lab fell into silence for a moment. Mobius and Elysia exchanged a glance, seemingly debating wordlessly who should explain.
Finally, Mobius shrugged. "As you can see, she's not an ordinary human."
"She's a Honkai beast?" Kevin couldn't help but interject.
"Not exactly."
Mobius walked over to Vya and, surprisingly, reached out to ruffle the little girl's hair, her movements uncharacteristically gentle. "She is a... special existence. Capable of controlling Honkai energy, yet possessing consciousness and emotions akin to a human's."
Mei's brows furrowed tightly. "How is that possible?"
"That's why I said she's a 'special existence.'"
Mobius cut in. "When Elysia first brought her back, I was astonished too."
"To put it another way, Vya is a 'Honkai beast born to be human.'"
…
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