"Kevin, I never imagined that one day you'd enter here with a Regulator. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed any of it," Kevin's words echoed as he appeared deep within the courtyard of the Land of Bygone Joy. At that very moment, Mebius—her long green hair flowing and her petite figure unmistakable—materialized before him.
"I'm curious. You brought a Regulator into the Land of Bygone Joy and now you've come looking for me. What exactly is your purpose?"
Before Kevin could reply, Mebius pressed on.
"You should know why I'm here—I assume you want to leave the Land of Bygone Joy," Kevin stated bluntly, laying his intentions bare.
"How did you know? It can't be her—she's not capable of knowing. Could it be Aleliyah?" Mebius looked at Kevin in utter disbelief. She never expected that her true purpose would be exposed so soon.
For a moment, Mebius's mind raced, trying to pinpoint how her secret had been revealed. Her first suspect was Raven, but she quickly dismissed that notion—Raven had fled too quickly back then, and as a result, Mebius's plan never had a chance to unfold. One must admit, Raven's uncanny sense of danger was remarkable; had she hesitated even slightly, Mebius might have become nothing more than a forgotten name.
Apart from Raven, only Aleliyah remained—within the Flame Moth, Aleliyah was one of the few people Mebius could never quite see through, and in their confrontations, Mebius had repeatedly found herself at a disadvantage.
"It wasn't Aleliyah. I received the information from elsewhere. Mebius, isn't it true that you want to leave the Land of Bygone Joy?" Kevin's expression remained unchanged.
"And so what? Kevin, are you going to stop me?" Mebius replied with a steely glint in her eyes. Now that her objective was exposed, she would not deny it.
"I could help you."
"Huh? What are you saying? Did I hear you correctly?"
Kevin's words left Mebius momentarily stunned. She never expected that Kevin would not only refrain from stopping her but actually offer his assistance.
"Even if I were to try and stop you, would you give up?" Kevin countered.
"Of course I wouldn't," Mebius declared firmly. Determined to become the one and only Mebius—even if that meant backstabbing her very own self—she refused to be trapped forever in the Land of Bygone Joy.
"Since I can't stop you, I suppose my only option is to let you go. Otherwise, how will anyone else be able to enter the Land of Bygone Joy in the future?"
The Land of Bygone Joy was where World Serpent groomed its cadres, and Mebius's presence was gravely undermining that process. After receiving intel from Daniel, Kevin had thoroughly reviewed the record of cadre development within World Serpent over the years, and he'd discovered that many had gone missing in the Land of Bygone Joy.
Given the long timespan and the inherent dangers in inheriting the legacy of the Land of Bygone Joy, these incidents had gone largely unnoticed within World Serpent—if Kevin hadn't learned of them from Daniel, he might have ignored them. But now that he knew, he could no longer stand by idly.
"I see. So, how do you plan to help me? Are you going to prepare a body for me?" Mebius's eyes lit up as she instantly grasped Kevin's meaning.
As a comrade within the Flame Moth, Kevin would never turn on her. In this situation, the best way for World Serpent to continue using the Land of Bygone Joy was to have Mebius leave it; otherwise, every cadre coming in for their legacy might end up in danger.
"But once you leave, there's one thing I need you to do," Kevin said, not directly answering her earlier question but instead stating his requirement.
"Oh? You're being unexpectedly kind. Since it's your request, of course I have no problem. Tell me—what is it?"
Mebius replied, her tone now softening as she accepted his terms.
"Go and see what lies beyond the Honkai world."
"I don't understand what you mean, Kevin. Are you out of your mind?" Mebius's voice betrayed her confusion. As one of the top scientists, she couldn't fathom what Kevin was getting at.
"It's like this," Kevin explained as he detailed Daniel's situation to her. Kevin was very clear about his own role—he might be powerful, but he wasn't a research genius. When it came to countering the Honkai, sheer strength wasn't enough.
Currently, all of World Serpent's plans were those laid out by Dr. Mei of the former civilization before her death; Kevin merely needed to continue executing them.
By having him and Daniel venture to a world outside the Honkai world—a world without the Honkai—they would gain knowledge of a reality free from Honkai influence. If, in the end, the Endless Sands Project could be carried out, then matters beyond that would be beyond Kevin's expertise.
If Dr. Mei were still alive today, it would have been ideal for her to leave with Daniel. But since she left no memory construct behind, Mebius was now the most suitable candidate.
If Mebius had no desire to leave the Land of Bygone Joy, Kevin wouldn't have approached her with this proposal. But since she was willing, it was a win-win.
"A world beyond the Honkai—a limitless world, huh? Haha, that's incredibly intriguing."
After listening to Kevin's words, Mebius suddenly laughed out loud. "Limitless" was the very essence of her own engraving.
"So, you merely want to witness the Thirteen Heroes of the Flame Moth in action? I must say, it's quite an honor," Kevin continued.
Meanwhile, Daniel was conversing with Aleliyah. Thanks to Aleliyah's naturally charming disposition, their conversation was relaxed and cordial—a pleasant change of pace from the earlier tensions.
Self-love was nothing new to Daniel, but Aleliyah's brand of vanity never failed to intrigue him. Clearly, beauty was a powerful force.
"Seeing a gorgeous maiden like you is truly an honor," Daniel remarked. Just then, Aleliyah's gaze shifted toward the conference room door. Moments later, Kevin and Mebius entered.
"Mebius, it's been so long. Kevin, all is resolved," Aleliyah greeted with a bright smile as she waved to Mebius.
"Aleliyah…" Mebius's response was frosty.
"I'm here precisely to settle this matter," Kevin stated as he sat down opposite Daniel, while Mebius glowered at Daniel with burning eyes.
"After this, I'll arrange for Mebius to leave with you. She'll be far more useful outside than here," Kevin said slowly.
"You mean you're going to let her out?" Kevin's words gave Daniel a momentary pause. Glancing over at Mebius, he quickly grasped the situation.
"Kevin, is something happening out there?" Aleliyah asked, her smile faltering just a bit as she noted a subtle change in the atmosphere.
Normally, Kevin would never permit Mebius to leave the Land of Bygone Joy unless something were amiss.
"This isn't something you need to know, Kevin. Don't tell her," Mebius snapped at Aleliyah with an imperious glare. Yet, Aleliyah's smile remained undimmed.
"There have been some incidents," Kevin began, launching into a full account of the situation without regard for Mebius's earlier outburst.
"Things outside the Honkai world… they're truly astonishing," Aleliyah commented, her gaze shifting to Daniel. In comparison, the so-called Regulators didn't seem as significant.
"If that's the case, then there's truly no one more suited than Mebius to go," Aleliyah said thoughtfully after a moment's pause.
"Really? I thought you'd oppose it," Kevin remarked.
"Dr. Mebius, it seems you misunderstand me," Kevin continued.
"Kevin, if it were you—or if it were Aleliyah—I'd have no objection. But Dr. Mebius... frankly, I know a few things about her. How can we be sure she won't cause further trouble?"
For Daniel, letting Mebius leave wasn't a major issue at all. He didn't fret over something as trivial as a Mebius; his mention of even Blue Dye was nothing compared to this. His words, of course, were partly intended as bargaining.
"Speak then—what conditions do you require?" Aleliyah prompted, clearly reading Daniel's thoughts with a playful smile.
"It's simple. Sign a magic contract with me—a mutual, equal pact," Daniel replied, outlining the contract terms that bore a striking resemblance to those used by Blue Dye.
Mebius had already decided on her course of action: to be thrown into the world of pirates. After all, that world was chaotic enough; she didn't mind one more Mebius in the mix.
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Without hesitation, Mebius agreed to the contract.
After sealing the magic contract with Mebius, Kevin departed the Land of Bygone Joy, while a vast amount of material was sent into the realm—materials meant for constructing Mebius's new body. The primary material, naturally, was Soul Steel.
Though the Land of Bygone Joy had everything one could wish for, its treasures could exist only within its boundaries. Otherwise, Mebius wouldn't need to seize the bodies of World Serpent cadres for inheritance; she could simply manufacture one. Most of the time, things were exchanged out if necessary.
"Miss Aleliyah, there's one thing I'm quite curious about: have you ever thought of leaving the Land of Bygone Joy?"
Daniel asked, genuinely intrigued. In his view, even the Thirteen Heroes of the Land could theoretically leave via mental transference.
"Not at all. I'm very happy living here—though I'd be a bit saddened to lose a companion in the process," Aleliyah replied, her expression tinged with real emotion. Despite differences in ideology, camaraderie among those fighting the Honkai was undeniable.
Even Mebius was like that—for instance, she never revealed the secret of her and her sister's fate to Sakura, despite the unspoken bond among the heroes of the Land of Bygone Joy. Even when Mebius and Sakura argued furiously, they never let it show.
"Then, when the Honkai are nearly vanquished, you won't want to stay here forever, will you?"
"What—are you suggesting you have a thing for me? Too bad, you're not my type."
Aleliyah's comment about having feelings for her made Daniel roll his eyes; he truly harbored no special thoughts about Aleliyah.
"You're overthinking it. I just pity you all a little. You've been fighting the Honkai for so long in the former civilization—don't you deserve to enjoy a peaceful world?"
"We'll see when the time comes."
"Eden Star, one-thousand times gravity!"
In the midst of the Land of Bygone Joy, where ruins evoked a sense of dread, Daniel activated the Eden Star in his right hand. Instantly, four black gravity spheres materialized around Aleliyah, exerting an unseen, immense pressure that squeezed her tightly.
Even though Daniel was using the power of the Reason Regulator to replicate the Eden Star, his skill wasn't yet on par with Walter Young's ability to generate ten-thousand times gravity. One-thousand times gravity was the limit he could manage for now.
"Not bad, Eden Star. Though, compared to Eden's own use, there's still some gap," Aleliyah remarked calmly from within the gravity spheres. With a graceful flourish, her elegant, ornate bow—the renowned Bygone Flower—released four streaks of pink light that shattered the gravity spheres.
Meanwhile, as Mebius was preparing to shift her consciousness, Daniel, curious about both Aleliyah's power and her signature engraving, engaged her in a brief skirmish.
In the Land of Bygone Joy, inheritance required a test. Generally, the heroes did not need to fight; they usually contended only with various Honkai Beasts generated within the realm—after all, the memory constructs there were remnants of their heyday. Even those heroes less skilled in combat, like Su or Mebius, could display formidable power. Need we say, Aleliyah was a bona fide combat hero.
"Since Eden Star isn't working, Miss Aleliyah, brace yourself and witness the might of modern civilization," Daniel declared. With that, he made the Eden Star vanish from his hand. In its place, thirty Titan Mechas materialized around him. They then converged, their ammo bays opening as a barrage of missiles suddenly darkened the sky.
This tactic, which Daniel had learned from Queen's Descent during Anti-Entropy's mech operations, was essentially a suicidal move against a Void Regulator—if Aleliyah were a Void Regulator herself, it would be tantamount to inviting death. But Aleliyah was far from a Void Regulator.
With the power of the Reason Regulator at his command, Daniel effectively became a one-man armored army—if he could sustain it, he commanded an endless supply of ammunition.
"Is there really such power?"
Aleliyah observed as her Bygone Flower once again unfurled, launching a dense volley of pink arrows that intercepted all the incoming missiles. The resulting explosions lit up the sky in a torrent of crimson flames.
"Truly, a bow is just a façade—what you're wielding is pure magic," she remarked.
When it came to channeling Honkai energy, Aleliyah was the strongest among all Fusion Warriors—no one could match her, not even Kevin. If Kevin represented raw power, then Aleliyah embodied unparalleled technique.
Her fighting style, which balanced aesthetics with efficacy, transformed her combat into an almost magical performance. She didn't rely solely on her archery skills; during their previous bout, Daniel had even seen a pink crystal sword materialize in her left hand.
By crystallizing Honkai energy into pink formations, she could manipulate it to attack enemies or even form protective barriers.
"Alright, that's enough for now. If we continue, we'll start sweating," Daniel declared just as he was about to launch another attack. At that moment, Aleliyah suddenly retracted her bow, signaling her unwillingness to continue the fight.
"If you're looking for a sparring partner, you can always go find Qianjie," she teased.
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