One of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, Griseo.
Executor of the ARK Project. The hope of civilization's voyage across the stars.
In Miss Memokeeper's impression, Griseo was undoubtedly the Flame-Chasers' beloved mascot, the soft and adorable little girl.
And now, that image also matched how Miss Memokeeper imagined Griseo would look once grown up, just that…
Griseo sat silently, her pure eyes staring at her with quiet exhaustion.
"Let's talk this out."
Miss Memokeeper instinctively raised her hands.
…
"So, it's already been that long?" Griseo murmured.
She could no longer remember how long it had been since she last sent a signal back to Earth.
Most likely, everyone on Earth thought she had failed.
"Um… is everyone still doing well?" Griseo asked softly.
"The previous civilization failed against the Herrscher of the End, but some people survived. Kevin, Su, and the others are still there."
"Sister Hua is still around too?" Griseo's eyes flickered slightly.
She didn't really understand how terrifying the Herrscher of the End was.
When the final battle of the previous civilization broke out, the ARK Project had already been launched, so Griseo never fought in it.
But that didn't stop her from knowing how dire the situation was.
Even Kevin, hailed as humanity's strongest protector, could not defeat the Herrscher of the End head-on.
To be able to see everyone again, it felt so good.
At the thought of familiar faces, the corners of Griseo's lips lifted in a faint smile.
"And not just them." Seeing Griseo return to the appearance of the cute little girl she remembered, Miss Memokeeper continued,
"Miss Sakura and Miss Rin are also here in the current civilization. If you go back, you'll see them too."
"Eh? Sister Sakura too? And Rin?" Griseo blinked, her little mouth slightly open, her eyes filled with confusion.
She didn't know how long it had been since she'd left Earth, but she remembered very clearly that Sister Sakura had gone through some special circumstances.
"It's too complicated to explain in a few words. You'll understand once you return." Miss Memokeeper smiled brightly, then clapped her hands lightly, looking curiously at the ship.
"How strange. According to the Flame-Chasers' plans, this ship should have been heading outward, but why is it flying closer and closer to Earth instead?"
That was the real reason Miss Memokeeper had been able to locate the ship so precisely.
It was headed straight toward Earth!
"Sister Hua, Kevin, Su, Sister Sakura… everyone." Different colors shimmered within Griseo's eyes.
Like mixing paints in a drawing, adding, blending, processing, until finally forming a special color imbued with strong will.
Griseo… felt homesick.
"I have a way to get us back quickly." At this moment, Miss Memokeeper raised her hand, "But before that, you can send everyone a message first, so they can prepare."
"Mm." Griseo nodded obediently, took a few steps forward, and began a long-forgotten set of operations on the console.
The ship's operating system wasn't complicated.
Considering Griseo's unique circumstances, Dr. Mei had deliberately built an auxiliary module for her. With Griseo's far superior mind, she picked it up quickly.
As Griseo's fingers danced over the console, meanwhile, on Earth… Kevin was still thinking of ways to save his other comrades from the past.
In the depths of the Quantum Sea, powerful beings stirred.
They opened their eyes in unison.
"Griseo!"
"Griseo!"
…
"Done." Griseo stopped her actions, turned her head toward Miss Memokeeper, her face lighting up with heartfelt emotion.
"Then, let's go home." Miss Memokeeper's mood was infected by Griseo's, filled with excitement.
The ARK Project had begun long before the battle against the Herrscher of the End.
Now, fifty thousand years had passed.
In those fifty thousand years, Griseo had been alone, drifting across the stars. Even the most resilient warriors of the universe would hesitate to claim they could endure such solitude.
Even with the aid of a stasis pod.
"Let's go, home."
"Mm, home!"
Under Miss Memokeeper's operation, the lonely ship sailing the sea of stars shimmered, and moments later, vanished from its place.
Griseo stood at the ship's front, gazing at the special screen ahead. Her vision flickered, the next second, she saw an enormous Honkai Monster.
This place… felt strange.
"Where is this?" Griseo asked in confusion, looking at Miss Memokeeper.
"Don't look at me like that. I can't directly teleport the ship back to Earth. But luckily, there's a shortcut."
Miss Memokeeper shook her head, shamelessly admitting her limits, yet with perfect confidence.
She wasn't a Emanator not a combat-oriented path walker, after all.
In fact, the whole Memory Garden wasn't combat-oriented.
Their combat abilities existed only as tools to help the Aeon of Remembrance search for memories of interest.
Though their memetic forms were convenient, there were still special methods in the universe that could affect them.
Griseo nodded slightly.
She didn't mind. As long as she could get home faster, that was enough.
She could hardly wait to see Sister Hua and the others.
...
On the Imaginary Tree.
Slowly opening his eyes, Godzilla turned his head slightly, looking toward the ship moving towards him.
The ARK's disturbance wasn't great, but in the empty void it stood out sharply.
…
"The Imaginary Tree… I remember hearing that name before."
Listening to Miss Memokeeper's explanation, curiosity flickered openly in Griseo's eyes as she gazed around at the miraculous world scholars had often spoken of.
The Imaginary Tree, the Quantum Sea, Opposed, unyielding.
Many scholar had put forth theories about them. But Griseo hadn't cared much back then.
School and such… ugh~~~. But fate is unpredictable.
Who could have imagined that fifty thousand years later, that little girl who loved to paint would one day stand upon the very Imaginary Tree that countless scholars had only theorized about?
In that moment, Griseo was the object of countless people's envy.
"Godzilla links his dreams with reality. As long as you can sense his dream, enter it, then in theory you can enter the Imaginary Tree as well."
Miss Memokeeper chuckled softly as she explained.
"But of course, not just anyone can step into the Imaginary Tree."
Godzilla's dream was vast.
Wherever you entered it from, that would be the land beneath your feet in reality.
As for Miss Memokeeper, Stelle, March 7th, and the like, they were special cases.
And in this dreamland, aside from Godzilla, the little gray-haired one declared herself the biggest boss.
"Should we go pay Mr. Godzilla a visit?" Griseo asked. "Aponia-mama always said, before going into someone else's house, you should tell them first, and once inside, you should greet the host."
Griseo always remembered Aponia-mama's teachings.
She was a good child.
"By courtesy, yes." Miss Memokeeper led the way, saying,
"But once inside, whatever happens, Godzilla knows. The courtesies we value aren't as important in his eyes. If he wants to see you, he'll appear before you right away."
The Imaginary Tree Godzilla resided in was literal.
And to avoid disturbing him, Miss Memokeeper usually wouldn't bring strangers to him.
After all, everything happening inside the dream, big or small, Godzilla was aware of.
As for the others… there were hardly any who didn't know him.
And there was even that little gray-haired one who was especially close with him.
Miss Memokeeper thought, even if she wanted to stop that little gray-haired one, hmm, maybe we should just focus on how to become the No. 1 in Fuli's Garden of Recollection instead.
Griseo nodded thoughtfully, sighing with feeling.
"Mr. Godzilla really is a good person." Though they hadn't met, she already had that impression. To lend her such a vast space just so she could return home, surely, Godzilla was a good person!
...
The thick tail swayed lazily.
Godzilla didn't care at all, casually using its tail to crush a random massive slab beneath, covering the ground with its weight.
...
Schicksal Headquarters.
Kevin, Fu Hua, and Sakura gathered together.
And among them, Su, who had long been observing the boundless worlds from within the Quantum Sea, finally stepped out of it at this moment.
"Griseo… she went missing centuries ago. I never thought…" Su's eyes opened slightly, and in that instant, it was as if he could see the innocent child once more, living in everyone's memory.
"The last contact was at the end of the fifth century of this civilization, during the routine report from Shelter No. 907. By then, Griseo had already been missing. At that time, the ARK Project, in my heart, was already equal to failure… I never imagined this."
Kevin felt a wave of relief and joy.
From the very beginning, fate had been reversed, and afterward it was as though the heavens themselves aided them.
Griseo no longer needed to be saved by the ARK Project. She had returned!
"When Griseo comes back, we'll finally be five again." Fu Hua's face bloomed with a genuine smile.
No matter how much hardship and bitterness they had endured across these fifty thousand years, It was all worth it.
Every moment of waiting was because of faith in a better tomorrow.
Clouds drifted slowly, formless and scattered, mirroring everyone's hearts in this moment.
After a while, under the shared tension and patient anticipation of the group,
A familiar figure appeared, carrying with her another presence, both familiar and unfamiliar, slowly approaching.
"Miss Memokeeper, and… Griseo!"
Though her height and appearance had changed somewhat, Fu Hua recognized her at a glance: one of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, known as the Stars, Griseo.
Executor of the ARK Project. The most beloved child of them all.
Her clear eyes swept gently across the faces of her long-familiar companions. Griseo's lips curled into a faint smile, joy radiating outward.
A moment later, she spoke softly, her voice carrying the weight of emotions held deep within for ages:
"Everyone, I'm home."
'Welcome home, Griseo.'
….
But that wasn't the only thing that made Fu Hua happy.
"Well, well, old antique. Didn't expect you to be smiling so brightly."
A teasing voice rang out.
Fu Hua's pupils trembled. She turned sharply, and there, a small figure sat upon a gourd, waving wide sleeves as she floated leisurely toward them.
"Fuxi!?"
The non-combat weaponized Elf.
The Book of Fuxi, online.
"Fuxi, how…"
Fu Hua's heart swelled with joy as she looked at the Book of Fuxi.
"The moment I opened my eyes, some purple-haired shorty was all over me. Fine, I forgave her since she woke up the great Book of Fuxi… but you know what!? She actually had the nerve to call me a shoddy product! A failure of craftsmanship! Wooden-head, you have to help me get revenge!"
Confirmed. This was the original Book of Fuxi.
Hearing her complaint, Fu Hua couldn't help but smile knowingly. Only one person ever called the Book of Fuxi in that way.
That genius.
And from that genius's perspective, judging the Elf's design… well, perhaps she really would think so.
It seemed Herta happened to return at the right time and helped recharge the Book of Fuxi.
Her issue wasn't anything major. In simpler terms, it was just running low on battery.
"Eh? Wait a sec!" In the middle of whining, the Book of Fuxi suddenly froze.
She lifted her head, her small noggin bobbing rhythmically.
"Kevin, Su, Sakura, Griseo… wait, you are Griseo, right?"
Her gaze landed on the grown Griseo, carrying a trace of doubt.
She looked a little different from the Griseo stored in her database.
"That's right." Griseo smiled brightly. "Griseo has grown up."
At that, the Book of Fuxi nodded knowingly.
"I see… well, that explains why you look so strange!!!"
…
After listening to the Elf's noisy outburst, everyone exchanged glances and chuckled.
"Laugh, laugh, laugh, easy for you lot to say! I was nearly scared to death!" The Book of Fuxi huffed, glaring at the group.
"All of you suddenly show up one after another, don't you know how terrifying that is!?"
With a little snort, she folded her arms and puffed her cheeks.
Her database stored countless records of the previous civilization.
During the years spent with Fu Hua, she had often talked with her, occasionally learning more about those times, and she recorded everything.
Now, right before her eyes, things that shattered those records were unfolding.
Flame-Chasers who were supposed to be missing, cut off, or even confirmed dead, they were standing there.
The Book of Fuxi was speechless.
Well then. So you're all this willful.
Just popping back up one by one, huh?
"These matters are… very complicated. I'll explain it to you when I have time." Fu Hua looked at her with gentle affection and spoke softly.
The Book of Fuxi nodded.
She wasn't demanding. Just… deeply curious.
Kevin and Su, that made sense. One wielded overwhelming strength, the other was steeped in uniqueness. Burdened with special missions, their survival wasn't surprising.
Griseo, executor of the ARK Project. Even if she went missing, it was likely due to being in a special location. Her survival and return were understandable.
But Sakura? The Book of Fuxi really wanted to argue about her.
Unless someone had tampered with her records, or they had been flat-out wrong, otherwise, absolutely impossible!
Yet here Sakura was, alive and well, standing before her. Even greeting her kindly.
If it weren't that Danzhu and Cangxuan themselves had grown dull-witted from oversleeping, then clearly something else must have happened while she wasn't aware.
Most likely, the very matter Fu Hua had promised to explain later.
…
Fifty thousand years ago.
The Flame-Chasers had gathered.
Möbius was moving.
And amidst this,
"You seem to need help."
A gentle voice sounded in the laboratory without warning.
Möbius was no longer surprised by such intrusions.
For those truly capable, the defenses of Fire Moth were hardly impenetrable.
Even someone like Vill-V, who didn't fully understand Fire Moth, had once managed to slip through its defenses and barge straight into her lab… tch, best not to bring up that topic.
"Dr. Ruan Mei, barging into a senior researcher's lab is usually seen as a hostile act, you know."
Leaning lazily against her workbench, Möbius's eyes held an indescribable charm as she gazed toward the source of the voice.
There, a genius was approaching with graceful steps.
Ruan Mei paid no mind to her words, instead studying Möbius's work with curiosity.
According to the data, her slumber had been cut short.
"You plan to live into the next era." Though it was phrased as a question, Ruan Mei stated it as fact.
"Of course. Life is so beautiful, whether now or in the future. Shouldn't we take such beautiful time to do something meaningful?"
Lifting her head, Möbius looked at Ruan Mei and laughed softly.
The breath of life. That was what she sensed from Ruan Mei.
From the very first moment she saw her, Möbius had recognized that unique aura.
Geniuses attract geniuses.
She never believed her talent inferior to anyone else's.
Her only restraints were that damned Honkai… and the limits of her current vision.
That woman named Herta wasn't particularly skilled in the life sciences.
But now, at the crucial moment, someone who stood at the pinnacle of that very field appeared here.