"Elysia, you're too strong."
Eden was bumped by Elysia's sudden pounce and hug, her body swaying as she subconsciously took a half-step back to steady herself.
the tips of her hair drew a smooth arc in the air, and her wine-red long hair rose slightly.
Eden gently extended her arms and held Elysia.
"..."
Ryuga swallowed his saliva in envy, his eyes feeling a bit hot.
Slurp~, so envious.
I really want a hug too.
So this is Eden.
Not just a legend in the music world, but a walking piece of art.
With long wine-red hair adorned with dark gold hair accessories, she was elegant, proper, and charming, exuding a restrained luxury and nobility in her low-key manner.
Her face was exquisite, her eyebrows and eyes gentle, and when her lips curled up, they rippled with a deep, dense tenderness.
One look made her unforgettable.
Her golden eyes shone like real gold, just like her 'Gold' signet, glowing with a sun-like halo.
But deep within that light, there was a hint of detachment.
A beauty that makes one look up in awe.
Dressed in a black and red long dress, the waistline was skillfully cinched to fit her slender waist that looked like it could break with one hand.
She swayed with grace, yet without any hint of vulgarity.
The most crucial part was that this dress was designed by her with such ingenuity that the color coordination completely blurred and misled the visual effect of her body curves.
It was only because Ryuga had "fiery eyes" that he could see her great figure; an ordinary person really wouldn't be able to tell.
A red diamond-shaped gemstone on her chest rose and fell gently with every breath Eden took, reflecting jumping sparks of light.
It also always drew Ryuga's gaze to a single point.
"Giggle~, dear Eden, let me introduce my friend to you."
Elysia giggled, grabbing Eden's hand and leading her into the VIP suite.
"This is..."
Just as Elysia started to speak, Ryuga, unable to hold back any longer, stepped forward with open arms and a brilliant smile on his face.
"Miss Eden, I'm your fan!"
Before his voice even faded, he had already approached.
A hug.
Eden's eyes curved, and she raised her hand to cover her lips. Amidst her laughter, her steps were as light as a breeze as she elegantly spun around from behind Elysia.
A casual dance-like turn, yet it perfectly dodged the enthusiastic hug.
Then, Eden extended her slender, fair hand and shook Ryuga's hand.
"It is my honor to meet a listener who supports me."
Eden gave a warm smile.
She appeared very proper and elegant, her actions not causing the slightest discomfort.
"!"
At the door, the female assistant had just leaned half her body in when she froze in place, her pupils contracting sharply.
There was actually a man in the suite, especially seeing such a reckless and impulsive scene.
With a cold face, her high heels stepped heavily on the ground as she prepared to step forward and drive him away.
"Get out!"
Eden gave a low shout, a cold light flashing in her golden eyes.
"Yes..."
The female assistant felt a chill on her neck, quickly took two steps back, and tremblingly closed the door.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Demon God, my little assistant is quite immature."
Eden instantly turned back to a smiling face, covering her lips and chuckling as she apologized.
Ryuga: "..."
Is even an apology this breathtakingly beautiful?
Her shoulders tilted slightly, and the line of her neck was as elegant as a swan's.
"Is that so?"
"Then let me have a hug, and I'll forgive her."
Ryuga pretended to be angry.
As he held her hand, the sensation was that Eden's skin was as delicate as porcelain, smooth as jade, and so moist it felt like water could seep out.
Is this the hand of a superstar?
"Control yourself!"
Elysia finally couldn't take it anymore. She raised her hand and "smacked" down on their joined hands. The force wasn't great, but it was decisive and neat, separating their hands.
She glared at Ryuga, the corners of her eyes twitching slightly.
This was the only bad thing about her boyfriend—he falls for everyone he sees.
Can't you stop your eyes from shining like a wolf's?
"Dammit~, why can Elysia hug you but I can't?"
Ryuga put on a hurt expression, rubbing the back of his hand with a look of grievance.
"Are you and I the same?"
Elysia rolled her eyes.
"Giggle~, thank you for your love, Mr. Demon God. You said just now that you're my fan... then, have you heard my songs?"
Eden covered her lips with her fingertips, her smile bright, but her tone suddenly turned sharp.
"..."
Ryuga was stunned, his mouth hanging open, his throat feeling like it was stuffed with cotton.
How would he know what Eden sang?
He had rushed through the plot too fast.
He only knew that in the final radiation-filled desert, Eden had sung lyrics about golden wheat and a pony's back, but he couldn't remember the specifics at all.
His mind went blank.
He was too busy looking at Eden's world-shaking "big thunder" to remember what songs she had sung.
"Uh... of course I've heard them!"
Ryuga forced himself to maintain appearances, giving a couple of dry laughs.
"Then... can you hum a few lines of the second chorus of 'Twilight Echo'?"
Eden blinked, her long eyelashes trembling slightly like butterfly wings, her smile deepening even further.
The atmosphere froze on the spot.
Ryuga's mouth twitched: "..."
He fell silent; she truly was Eden.
A gentle smile turned defense into offense, and a simple question nailed him to the cross.
"It seems Mr. Demon God was lying. Eden is very sad."
Eden lightly touched her heart, her large eyes instantly clouded with mist, glistening with water as if she would burst into tears in the next second.
"Uh, this..."
Ryuga immediately panicked.
When had he ever seen such a pitiful Eden?
"Giggle~"
Soon, a gentle laughter rippled out, and Eden chuckled while covering her lips.
"I was teasing you. This is a punishment for Mr. Demon God's earlier recklessness. How can you hug a girl upon your first meeting?"
"That's not very gentlemanly."
"So, as punishment, Mr. Demon God must listen carefully and well to Eden's songs tomorrow night."
Eden blinked, her voice as gentle and sweet as honey.
"..."
Ryuga was dazed, looking at those smiling, gentle eyes, feeling quite hurt.
Why does it always feel like everyone around him has been infected by Elysia?
That kind of mischievous playfulness and those sudden, unpredictable reversals were exactly the same.
He let out a helpless sigh and rubbed his brow.
...
"This is Master Yixuan, the Sect Leader of Mt. Yunkuo."
Elysia introduced.
"Hello, Master Yixuan."
Eden gave a slight smile and naturally extended her hand.
However, she felt some doubt in her heart—Mt. Yunkuo?
She had never heard of it.
Is it in Shenzhou?
Just as the thought arose, she saw Yixuan open her arms and hug her.
In that instant, Eden felt a tightness in her chest as a surging sense of pressure enveloped her.
She didn't see that at the moment they separated, Yixuan's eyes flashed with a mischievous glint, and she quickly winked at Ryuga behind her.
It was somewhat provocative.
Ryuga's pupils contracted, and anger rose in his heart.
Damn! This scheming Master!
Provoking me?
After the two separated, Ryuga nimbly took a step forward and unceremoniously opened his arms, pulling Yixuan into a hug.
Then, he raised his palm and forcefully patted Yixuan's back.
"Master Yixuan hugged Eden, and I hugged Master Yixuan, so that equals me hugging Eden."
Ryuga released the hug and stood tall with his head held high.
Inside the suite, the atmosphere instantly froze.
Yixuan's mouth twitched, and she stared at Ryuga with a slightly red face. After a long while, she spat out one word: "Childish."
Eden's cheeks were also slightly red.
Just which teacher taught you this "approximately equals" calculation method?
Only Elysia's smile grew wider and wider.
She quickly glanced back and forth between Ryuga and Yixuan, smiling like a little fox.
It seems Ryuga has won over Master Yixuan.
"This is Furina, the Hydro Archon from Fontaine, and also a superstar loved by everyone in Fontaine."
Elysia said with a bright smile, turning slightly to continue the introductions.
"Hydro Archon!? Hello."
Eden covered her lips with her fingertips, somewhat startled, but she quickly steadied her mind and extended her hand.
By the way, where is Fontaine?
It seems everyone who came today is a big figure.
Furina wasn't as strange as Master Yixuan; she just gave a composed smile and simply shook her hand.
"Being a superstar or whatever is just average."
"I've heard Elysia mention you often, saying there are only two kinds of stars here."
"One is 'other stars,' and the other is the superstar Eden."
As she spoke, Furina curiously looked Eden up and down.
"It's not that exaggerated."
Eden was stunned for a moment, gave a gentle smile, and modestly waved her hand.
As expected of the Hydro Archon, she is so well-bred and polite.
Eden sighed inwardly.
"Mm-hmm." Elysia also nodded vigorously. "I've always wanted to attend Eden's concert, but I can't buy tickets, and the scalper prices are sky-high."
"I'm sorry."
"How about this, I'll have my little assistant send you the 'Eden Support Black Card' later. With this card, you can enter directly."
Eden gave a soft, bitter smile, her shoulders shrugging slightly as she apologized helplessly.
"That's great!"
"Listening to Eden's concert once is never enough."
Elysia hugged Eden, her eyes shining brilliantly.
Then she looked at the last two.
"Eden should be quite familiar with these two, right?"
"Uh..."
These two?
Both had snow-white hair and red pupils, their postures as upright as pines, and their temperaments as cold as frost and ice.
Moreover, their height and build were almost identical.
Glancing over, even their "big thunder" was of the same model.
Eden's gaze slowly moved over, her brow furrowing slightly. Twins?
Upon closer inspection, there were still some differences.
Skirk's brow hid a sharpness like a blade being unsheathed, while Jingliu's gaze was deep, like a cold pool without ripples.
Two different realms?
The unsheathed sword.
The sword hidden in the heart.
"This must be Ms. Skirk, right?"
Eden finally spoke, looking closely at the unique 'stockings' and 'sleeves.'
After all, this outfit was quite special.
The image of Skirk easily slaying the Judgment-class Honkai Beast Shesha with a single strike during the battle against the Herrscher of Thunder was still branded deep in her mind.
A single strike that cut the massive body in two.
With Eden's status, it wasn't strange for her to know some inside information about the Honkai.
There were three turning points in humanity's situation against the Honkai.
The first was during the time of the 3rd Herrscher, the Herrscher of Thunder.
Because it affected the entire East Asian region and the disaster area was very wide, The MOTHs could no longer hide the truth.
Humanity began to have an awareness of the Honkai, no longer living in a false peace.
To fight the Honkai, The MOTHs developed many PRI-ARMs.
Later, the Divine Key project compensated for the MANTIS soldiers' need for weapons.
However, now, the Herrscher Core had been taken by Ryuga and given to Vill-V for research.
The second turning point was during the time of the 7th Herrscher, the Herrscher of Flame.
Australia was turned to scorched earth, and the dream of the mental world was completely shattered. People no longer believed that songs could soothe the pain.
Eden's melodies could no longer calm the gloom in people's hearts.
The MOTHs launched the MANTIS project.
It was at this time that Eden joined The MOTHs.
And the last one was the 9th Herrscher, the Herrscher of Rock.
Humanity's way of life completely changed, waiting every day for food distribution and lingering in the ruins.
The foundation of civilization began to collapse, order dissipated, and despair spread like a plague.
Human civilization entered the final countdown to the apocalypse.
"Yes."
Skirk nodded coolly.
"You guessed right! This is Skirk, and this is Jingliu, the former Sword Champion of the Xianzhou 'Luofu.' Also, they aren't twins."
Elysia explained softly.
Eden understood. Both were very cold and didn't have the habit of shaking hands, so she just nodded politely in greeting.
At the same time, she felt even more puzzled in her heart. First, the Sect Leader of Mt. Yunkuo, then the Hydro Archon of Fontaine, and then the Sword Champion of the Xianzhou 'Luofu'—all were existences she had never heard of.
"..."
After the introductions, Elysia pulled Eden to sit on the sofa, the soft cushions sinking slightly.
"Elysia, are you all... aliens?"
Eden finally couldn't help but voice the suppressed doubt in her heart.
"Pfft~"
Elysia laughed while holding Eden's arm, her laughter crisp and very playful.
"I was wondering how long you would hold back before asking."
"I'm not an alien, uh, at least... not completely? But they all are; they belong to the 'Human Race' in the distant sea of stars."
"We just happened to have a lucky encounter on this blue planet."
Elysia's eyes turned soft.
Strictly speaking, she wasn't an Earthling either, emmmmm... maybe a "Moonling"?
And Furina, Ryuga had secretly told her, was considered a Lochfolk.
Both Jingliu and Skirk belonged to the human race.
Moreover, Skirk's body was filled with the Abyss.
Yixuan should be a pure human.
"I see. Your experiences are very exciting, Elysia."
Eden realized.
Furina's eyes suddenly lit up, a mischievous light flashing in them: "Um, Eden, can I perform on stage with you? I can use water to help you make special effects."
As she spoke, she nimbly snapped her fingers.
In an instant, water vapor condensed in the air, and several 'spirits' formed from flowing water appeared out of thin air.
Seahorses, crabs, jellyfish—they were agile, like dancers in the water, lightly spinning, jumping, and dancing in mid-air.
Between the flowing water, there was even the rhythm of musical notes flowing out from the ripples.
The water waves rippled, reflecting seven-colored light and weaving into a whole flowing curtain of light.
Eden was stunned, as if she had seen a miracle.
"This... is this the Hydro Archon?"
"Coincidentally, I happen to have a song called 'Daughter of Water.' I'll have to trouble the Hydro Archon then."
Eden smiled, her eyes shining.
For the first time, she had a mysterious and strange desire in her heart.
"Leave it to me."
Furina narrowed her eyes, the corners of her eyes tilting slightly as she proudly and playfully patted her small chest.
...
"Alright, Elysia."
"It's time to tell us the reason you called us over, right?"
"Is the 4th Herrscher coming?"
Ryuga suddenly lightly tapped the armrest of the rocking chair, his fingertips tapping a steady beat.
Skirk, Jingliu, Furina, and Yixuan were all stunned and pricked up their ears.
The first two could easily cut down the Herrscher of Wind.
Furina and Yixuan were a bit weaker.
"Eh? You saw through it?"
Elysia was startled, then she curled her lips and blinked playfully.
The 4th Herrscher?
Eden's heart suddenly skipped a beat, shaking her so much she felt cold all over.
She knew the destructive power of the Herrscher of Thunder all too well. Now, another Herrscher was about to be born?
And coincidentally, right where she was touring?
"Heh!"
"When you said 'Listening to Eden's concert once is never enough' just now, there was a hint of hidden worry in your eyes; it wasn't hidden very deep."
"Tell us."
Ryuga said lightly, word by word.
He didn't know where the Herrscher of Wind was born and erupted in the Previous Era.
But if it was consistent with the Current Era's trajectory?
Wendy became the 4th Herrscher in New Zealand, Oceania.
In 2016, when Kiana, Mei, and Bronya went to the Oceania branch in New Zealand to collect the Gem of Desire, the Honkai erupted.
And now, Eden was standing in New Zealand.
Ryuga's thoughts were like a tide.
In the original plot, he couldn't remember if Eden had toured here.
But perhaps, because he had intervened in the flow of the plot's fate, certain disasters that were supposed to happen later had arrived early.
Everything of Eden's—her songs, her glory, her fame—was burned to ashes by the 7th Herrscher, the Herrscher of Flame.
And now the Herrscher of Flame, Himeko, had been carried away by him.
In other words, the content of the Herrscher of Flame had been changed.
Damn!
Ryuga's brow furrowed into a deep trench. Could it be that because of his changes, Eden's era was going to be buried early during the time of the Herrscher of Wind?
To be continued…
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