"Yes, ma'am?"
Cyrene immediately responded.
"Let me tell you a story," Madam Herta said, her tone sounding very ordinary.
"A story?" Cyrene blinked, a little curious. "What kind of story is it?"
Madam Herta didn't answer immediately. Instead, she patted her beautifully shaped legs, clad in gray stockings, and said in an undeniable tone, "It's tiring to stand and listen. Come here, sit down."
"Ah?"
Cyrene's cheeks instantly flushed a light red; this request clearly exceeded her expectations.
She looked at Madam Herta's calm expression, then at her seemingly "safe" legs, and struggled internally.
(This... this isn't good, is it? It's too... too intimate...)
After much hesitation, under Madam Herta's somewhat playful gaze, Cyrene finally blushed, lowered her head, and shuffled over little by little, then very carefully, only sat half on Madam Herta's lap.
Madam Herta watched her shy yet reluctant-to-resist demeanor, and the smile in her heart deepened.
She reached out and naturally wrapped her arm around Cyrene's slender waist, pulling her closer into her embrace to make her sit more steadily.
"!"
Cyrene's body instantly stiffened like wood, she even held her breath, and her cheeks were astonishingly hot.
Madam Herta ignored her stiffness. Her other hand elegantly extended forward, as if turning invisible pages in the void.
As she moved, ripples spread through the space before them, and dynamic scenes began to emerge—cities different from the Star Rail universe, figures battling, shining maidens, and endless disasters... A distant voice gently sounded in Cyrene's ear, a warm breath brushing her earlobe:
"This is a story... about a group of brave people who fought and sacrificed continuously to protect the 'beauty' of the world they loved, and ultimately... left behind countless regrets and hopes."
Cyrene's attention was gradually drawn to the world unfolding before her. The stiffness in her body unknowingly relaxed amidst the softly narrated voice, and she leaned gently into Madam Herta's embrace.
Elysian Realm · Central Hall
The magnificent hall, once holding countless memories and trials, was now filled with a silence that was almost stagnant.
Most of the thirteen Flame-Chasers were gathered here.
There was no usual confrontation, no familiar banter; a shared bewilderment was etched on every face, each with its distinct style.
By all accounts, they should no longer exist at this moment.
Whether their data was completely deleted or their consciousness entirely devoured, the outcome should have been "nothingness."
However, they had "woken up," not in their familiar domains, but gathered intact in this core hall.
The Paradise was still operating slowly.
Kevin stood at the forefront, the chill in his ice-blue eyes undiminished, replaced mostly by vigilance.
His tightly clenched fists had slightly whitened knuckles, as if still feeling the illusory weight of the extinction.
Mobius toyed with a lock of her dark green hair, her snake eyes gleaming with intense displeasure: "What a... fascinating experience. Data completely fragmented and reconstructed, yet retaining complete self-awareness... This Can't be explained by the actions of 'the corruption.' Whose 'collection' have we become, hehe..."
Her laughter had a cold quality.
Kalpas irritably scratched his hair, his voice muffled beneath his mask, but with less ferocity and more confusion than usual: "Endless! We fought, we burned, what was that damn thing at the end?! And what is this now? Detention?!"
Elysia gently touched the seemingly different data stream in the center of the hall, her blue eyes filled with worry, yet still trying to maintain a smile: "At least everyone is still here, aren't we? Although the situation is strange... it's better than saying goodbye completely, right?"
Pardo, clutching her fat cat Can, huddled in a corner, her voice trembling: "W-we think, this place seems unchanged, but also completely changed... Can, don't you think the air feels much heavier? Have we been... 'packaged' by something even more extraordinary?"
Su slowly opened his eyes, his brows furrowed with solemnity: "It's neither an illusion nor data regeneration. A 'rule' entirely different from our understanding envelops this place."
Aponia prayed softly, her eyes filled with compassion and a hint of understanding: "The threads of fate... severed here, yet reconnected here, pointing towards an unknown shore."
Just as they were all discussing, speculating, and utterly clueless, the data light stream in the center of the hall twisted and converged into a petite figure.
Deep purple hair, reddish-purple inverted cross eyes, dark clothing adorned with skull decorations.
Her appearance instantly drew the gaze of all the Flame-Chasers—vigilance, curiosity, hostility... The doll gracefully performed a curtsy, her voice steady, yet strangely imbued with reverence:
"Respected Thirteen Flame-Chasers, good day. My name is'System,' and I represent my master—Madam Herta—to answer your questions and clarify the current situation."
Instantly, all sounds ceased.
Their gazes, like sharp swords, focused on the doll calling herself "System."
Kevin was the first to speak, his voice as cold as ever: "Madam Herta... is that the entity?"
"Precisely." System nodded slightly.
Mobius's snake eyes narrowed slightly: "Who is she? What's her purpose? What does she want by trapping us here?"
System answered unhurriedly: "Madam Herta's identity is complex. She was once one of the Lord Ravagers; she is also a Genius whose wisdom rivals the stars; and now, she is Rupert III, who has reforged her authority."
This string of titles made most of the Flame-Chasers frown.
Kalpas: "Lord Ravager? Genius? Rupert III? What's all this nonsense! Speak plainly!"
Even the well-informed Eden gently swirled the not-quite-full wine glass in her hand, her golden eyes thoughtful: "Lord Ravager... Rupert III... I apologize, Miss System, these titles are too unfamiliar to us."
System looked at their bewildered expressions, seemingly having anticipated it.
It clapped its hands softly.
"Snap!"
With a crisp sound, a simple-looking booklet appeared out of thin air before each Flame-Chaser. Its cover was printed with the words "Universal Knowledge for Dummies" and featured a comical smiling face.
"Whoa!" Pardo was so startled she almost dropped Can, who let out a "Meow-ow!" and bristled.
Griseo curiously reached out to poke the floating book, her fingertip rippling the air around it.
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