MGSFV?! Chapter 351. Everyone, Smile, Okay?
"…I see."
Even Hokuto found his feelings hard to describe at this point.
When did Elysia learn to counter-reflect like this?
He didn't say anything more.
And neither did Elysia.
The story continued.
"…Goodbye, Eden."
Mei looked at the table in front of her.
A wine glass still sat atop it, with a trace of fine liquor remaining— as though still waiting for someone to finish a song left incomplete.
"..."
But Mei knew—this wasn't the time to mourn.
The situation was critical.
To not let the Flame-Chasers' sacrifices be in vain, she had to bring her back as soon as possible.
She raised her head and looked ahead.
The door stood there.
A door forged by countless sacrifices.
A door condensed from memories and longing.
It held the final wishes of all, gathered just before the end—
And now, at last, it opened.
"I'm ready now. Come, Elysia, show me everything about that banquet."
"And… everything about you."
This time—surely, there wouldn't be any more twists, right?
Most players didn't think so.
But… after all the twists and turns of the Elysian Realm storyline, they found themselves unsure again.
Still…
With resolute expressions, they controlled the character and slowly pushed open the door.
Even if there was one more twist—
They'd face it head-on.
The Flame-Chasers' sacrifices could not be wasted!
In-game, Mei finally stepped through the door.
After a brief pause—
Fragments of memory from that banquet began to seep into her mind.
It was as if she were witnessing distant images from long ago.
In the game engine—
A series of visuals played across the screen. They weren't flashbacks from a previous life, nor were they animations—just scattered CGs.
For effect, the visuals were purposefully blurred.
And notably, Elysia herself did not appear in any of them.
Her voice echoed instead: "Alright, from now on, let them be Elysia and stay by your side."
"Even if I leave, these four Crystal Flowers will never wither, so…"
"Everyone, smile, okay?"
Players: "..."
Yep. That was the Miss Fairy they all knew.
So, fine. If that's what the Fairy asked—
Smile, they would.
The CG showed the four guests who attended Elysia's banquet—Vill-V, Aponia, Eden, and Kevin.
Each of them slowly, very slowly, showed faint smiles—smiles too complex to be defined by a single emotion.
"Come, Vill-V."
"I'm sorry. I told a really big lie… I hope this 'Thirteenth Herrscher' thing didn't cause you too much trouble."
"After all, I'm just such a special existence… If I told the truth, it might've only caused greater chaos."
Vill-V could see that Elysia didn't want her secret to be widely known.
She responded with gentle sincerity:
"Don't worry, Elysia. I'll bury it under layers of lies… to protect your secret."
Vill-V meant every word she said—and she followed through.
She made Mei…
And most players genuinely believe that Elysia was the Thirteenth Herrscher.
She performed what might be the most romantic fraud of her life.
She lied to the world, lied to history…
All just to give Elysia a little more peace of mind in this moment, to make her smile a little brighter.
After making that vow, Vill-V continued:
"As for the Flame-Chasers who didn't show up today…"
She knew Elysia would be thinking of the others.
"I think their absence is the greatest proof."
"Those who left did so because they believed in you and refused to strike you down; those who remained, did so because they believed in you and chose to attend the banquet."
"See… The ones you trusted, always trusted you. And the ones you loved, always loved you."
After speaking, Vill-V looked at Elysia, her smile still holding that indescribable emotion.
Elysia…
She who trusted everyone, was finally trusted by all.
She who loved everyone, was finally beloved by all.
This—this was the ending she had always longed for…
[…Vill-V, you're too good with words. I'm broken again.]
[I cried, and cried again, I can't even stop.]
[There are no more tears left.]
"…Thank you. I didn't expect…"
Elysia's voice faltered slightly, choked with emotion.
"…I'm really happy."
But soon, her tone turned cheerful again.
"Too bad dear Mobius isn't here. I wanted to give her a green Crystal Flower."
Even at such a sorrowful moment—
Elysia and Vill-V both worked hard to keep the mood light, to make things feel like the old days.
So Vill-V answered with a smile:
"After receiving Fire Moth's report about the Thirteenth Herrscher, she threw it into the shredder without even looking at it."
"Well, it's Mobius we're talking about. Maybe she saw through everything long ago and refused to attend because she didn't want to give you the satisfaction of saying goodbye."
"Or… maybe she just didn't want anyone to see her cry?"
Someone was still being stubborn. No one said it aloud, but everyone knew who.
"Pfft~~"
Even Elysia couldn't help but giggle. "Yeah, Mobius really does have that girlish side to her, doesn't she?"
After laughing, she turned toward another guest.
"Then, Aponia…"
Going one by one, were we?
Of course. When saying farewell, everyone deserved their moment.
After Vill-V came Aponia.
"The threads of fate can no longer bind your steps. So… sometimes, step out of the depths and see the world."
She was still thinking of others.
"That no longer matters… I've already stepped into the sunlight."
"Because… you're here."
"So, I don't want your story to become a forgotten past."
Aponia chose to preserve all memories of Elysia in Elysian Realm.
And wait, with quiet hope, for the day this page of the story would be reopened by future generations.
Before me, nothing was created that was not eternal.
If anything eternal exists, it now sinks into my being.
It… is this story.
A story that lives on because of you.
"…I'm looking forward to it too."
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