The atmosphere in Lab One was somewhat quiet. Shiraha thought he'd done something wrong and, for a moment, felt a bit at a loss.
Mobius was silent for a long while, then suddenly let out a light laugh. Her laughter was crisp and clear. "My, my, my~ Shiraha really has grown up."
"The next time you can come to the Realm." She stopped in front of Shiraha, bending slightly at the waist. Her slit pupils reflected Shiraha's somewhat nervous little face. "You absolutely must bring your Teacher Elysia with you."
Mobius's voice was very sweet. She'd pondered for quite a while just now and finally reached a conclusion: someone was overdue for a good electrocution.
Shiraha nodded obediently. "Mm!"
Mobius's laughter gradually subsided, returning to its earlier tone. She pointed to the side. "Go take a look over there. After all, you're not 'little Shiraha' you're a little grown-up."
This was the method she'd finally worked out after researching for so long.
Once Shiraha had gone over, Mobius gently touched the cheek that had just been kissed. The corner of her mouth twitched.
"Elysia... what am I supposed to say about you."
Sigh. She suddenly laughed again despite herself. Still, being clung to like this by the little one, being so looked forward to, wasn't so bad after all.
Shiraha didn't look for long. He hopped off the stool and ran back to Mobius's side, lifting his face. His eyes were sparkling.
Mobius looked down at him and spoke with the tone of someone who'd long anticipated this. "Which part didn't you understand, Sir Shiraha?"
With Shiraha's current level of knowledge, there was no way he could understand all of it. He'd definitely have to come ask her.
Shiraha hesitated for a moment, then chose to turn his back and pull down his clothing just a little.
Mobius instinctively narrowed her eyes. What was this about? What exactly has Elysia turned you into— Wait. Wait!
Her gaze landed on the back of Shiraha's shoulder.
There, at a slightly lower position, a five-pointed star pattern rested quietly, embedded in the fair skin. The lines were crisp and clear, the edges faintly shimmering with light.
"Don't move, Shiraha."
All emotion suddenly drained from Mobius's voice. Her fingertips gently traced the back of Shiraha's shoulder.
"When did this appear?"
Internally, she was screaming. ELYSIA!!!
If you already had a way why did you send this child here to ask me? Why did you make me research that mountain of data?
Elysia, damn you!
Shiraha searched his memory for a moment. "Probably last night. Teacher discovered it."
Mobius's fingers were trembling. Could the timing really be this coincidental?
Then what, exactly, was the point of everything I've been doing all this time?
For a moment, she felt utterly drained. But then she remembered that a certain fairy lady was involved and it all felt perfectly reasonable again. She was used to this by now.
"Shiraha... go out and play with your Eden-nee for a bit, alright? Let your sister have a moment alone." Mobius's voice was no longer anywhere near sweet.
Shiraha hesitated. He rose onto his tiptoes and ruffled Mobius's hair. Then he sat down off to the side, hands placed on his knees, quiet and obedient, choosing to stay.
Mobius still hadn't recovered. This situation, persevering for so long, only to discover it was all meaningless, was still something of a blow to her.
She remained in this daze until a belated realization struck her. "Elysia discovered it last night?"
Shiraha nodded.
Her expression turned complicated. "You two sleep together?"
Shiraha nodded again.
Mobius fell silent. She felt it was necessary to have a chat with Eden. And Aponia too. And then, in the future, give Elysia a nice little surprise.
But there was no need to discuss this with the child. She settled back onto that hovering flier, legs crossed, arms folded over her chest.
"If I recall correctly... what was Shiraha planning to do with a Stigmata again?"
Shiraha answered decisively. "Get stronger!"
Only this answer required no hesitation. In a world that possessed the supernatural, it was impossible for Shiraha not to be stirred.
Mobius was faintly curious. "Then your ability's inclination..."
"Still psychokinesis. Not a single change."
Logically, over such a long process of inheritance, Stigmata would inevitably intermix to some degree. The possibilities were many. But Shiraha's situation was different. His ability was relatively pure.
Mobius continued to muse. "Then is Shiraha prepared to have one more teacher?"
Shiraha paused, then hurriedly refused. "Teacher won't let me meet Aponia-senpai."
Mobius: ....
The corner of her mouth unconsciously curved upward. That made sense. The moment Aponia found out what Elysia was up to outside, she'd probably first try to correct you back to a normal state.
Mobius shook her head. "Not Aponia. Su."
Su was also a psychic-type. Though he didn't belong to the combat sequence but that was only in relation to MANTIS soldiers.
She and Su weren't particularly close. Su hadn't really approved of Mobius's past methods.
Shiraha's little face looked blank. "Isn't Su-senpai someone who can't do anything?"
The Buddha had closed his eyes again. Oh, wait the Buddha's eyes had never been open.
Mobius's laughter was crisp and bright. Was this how Elysia had been framing them on the outside?
"Then who does Sir Shiraha plan to seek out?"
Shiraha answered directly. "Sakura."
He hadn't gone looking for these people before purely because Shiraha himself hadn't been clean.
But now it didn't matter. After that transformation in Siberia, no one cared anymore whether Shiraha was clean or not.
"Mei-nee is a natural Stigmata bearer. Her strength is very great now. Give her a wooden sword, and even an average adult probably couldn't beat her."
"But I'm different. My physique is no different from an ordinary person's. So in the past, I never considered training in physical combat."
Truthfully, to Shiraha, physique wasn't really that important. Honestly, it felt like... it couldn't compare to becoming a Herrscher. Once you'd undergone Herrscher transformation, even getting kicked from the sky down to the ground wouldn't be a big deal.
But Herrscher transformation was simply far too uncontrollable an option. For a very long time, Shiraha had treated Origin as a goal to strive toward. But after the events in Siberia, he'd rejected that option with his own mouth.
Sigh. Better just learn some physical combat and improve my constitution a bit. At the very least, I can't be dead weight in the future story.
These thoughts flickered briefly through his mind. Shiraha lifted his head. "But, Mobius-nee now things are different."
"I have a Stigmata now too. My physique will also gradually strengthen. I'm no longer just a kid who can only use psychokinesis and rely on others for protection."
So go find Sakura.
Truthfully, the best choice would be Kalpas. Kalpas was pure physical combat. But Shiraha didn't plan on training in pure physical combat either. He felt that cutting people down with a blade was far more satisfying and cleaner, and safer.
Mobius mused for a moment, sizing Shiraha up and down.
But you're so small.
"True enough. Martial training really does need to start from a young age."
Shiraha's current age might actually be just right.
After all, having come from the Previous Era, Mobius could understand and accept making a child suffer a little hardship for the sake of growing stronger.
But she wasn't particularly close with Sakura either. Even though they'd been superior and subordinate for a time.
As everyone knew, Mobius had entered the Manticores as a leader for her own purposes and research, not for the Manticores' trivial affairs.
"Tsk." Mobius felt a sudden pang of melancholy. "When it comes to seeking out Sakura... it seems your sister can't really help much."
"It's fine. I'm not just some kid who can only rely on others."
Shiraha hopped off the bench. He rose onto his tiptoes one last time and ruffled Mobius-nee's hair. "Mobius-nee, it looks like your mood's gotten a lot better. Then I'll take my leave now."
Mobius didn't try to stop him.
She simply sat on her flier, watching Shiraha's silhouette vanish through the laboratory doorway. For a long time, she didn't move.
Only after a good while did she speak softly.
"I'm still a little uneasy."
"I'll follow and keep an eye on him."
Even though there was no real danger in the Elysian Realm, even Kalpas was extremely tolerant toward children.