But Vill-V, the 'Expert,' didn't feel comforted by Prometheus's words. Instead, she grew even more depressed.
Would the Prometheus afterward still be the one she knew?
She wanted this Prometheus, not just a memory of her.
"Fine, Prometheus. When the time comes, please come back safely if you can."
"...I will, Doctor."
Prometheus didn't know why, but she instinctively touched the corner of her eye.
But there was nothing there.
Skadi remained silent, standing quietly to the side.
...
The plan to destroy the Herrscher of Binding was complete, with a success rate of nearly 100%.
But this also left Chang Yuan feeling uneasy.
The death of the Herrscher of Binding meant that after the Herrscher of Corruption, they would face the final challenge.
But based on everything they knew, there was no way to contend with the Herrscher of the End.
This made Chang Yuan increasingly restless.
At this moment, a pair of warm hands embraced him from behind.
"Yuan, why are you frowning again? Isn't the situation good now?"
"Elysia, sigh, I'm just feeling inexplicably restless."
Knowing it was Elysia who held him didn't calm Chang Yuan down.
The root of his anxiety was Elysia herself.
Why had fate given him this mission, only to take her life away?
He couldn't accept it. He simply couldn't.
"Hmph, then don't say anything. Don't think about anything. Just let me hold you like this."
"...Alright."
Silent, Chang Yuan simply enjoyed Elysia's embrace.
Gradually, his restless heart began to calm.
In the end, it all turned into a sigh.
"Elysia, when the time comes... never mind, we'll talk about it then."
The words on the tip of his tongue remained unspoken.
Even if she blamed him later, it didn't matter.
"Then we'll talk about it then. For now, let's just sit here quietly and watch the sunset."
Letting go of Chang Yuan, Elysia sat beside him, gently resting her head on his shoulder.
...
"Ah, I didn't mean it! I really didn't know anything about being a spy! Please spare me!"
Brought into the interrogation room, a certain cat girl was on the verge of tears.
She had just wanted to steal a few sets of clothes, but who would have thought she'd be caught red-handed as soon as she climbed over the wall?
Her luck had always been good before, so why was it so bad this time?
"Stop shouting. Whether you're guilty or not will be decided soon. Just sit here quietly and don't do anything."
The guard rubbed his ears, feeling a bit helpless.
This girl didn't look like much, but her voice was surprisingly loud.
Before long, Chang Yuan entered the room.
He could have sent someone else for this, but he couldn't resist coming himself after hearing that the person caught was named Pardofelis.
He wanted to see if it was the cat girl he knew.
"Stop shouting. Our commander is here. He'll decide your fate."
After saying this, the guard left.
As for danger?
Are you joking? An ordinary person trying to fight a MANTIS warrior? Hilarious.
"My lord, I really didn't mean to sell any information! I just wanted to steal some clothes! I'm not a spy, I swear!"
Seeing Chang Yuan arrive, Pardofelis began pouring out her grievances.
Hearing this address, Chang Yuan's mouth twitched.
Did this cat girl know a bit too much?
"I know you, Pardofelis. From the Sunset District. You fabricated a big boss behind you, which is how you've escaped so many times. Am I right?"
"!!!"
Hearing Chang Yuan lay out her secrets, Pardofelis felt a chill run down her spine.
Oh no, oh no! Was this someone she had scammed before? This was bad, really bad.
Pardofelis was on the verge of tears.
Getting caught was one thing, but getting caught by someone she had scammed before?
This was adding insult to injury. She'd probably be eating prison food for the rest of her life.
"It's fine. We've met before, though our first encounter wasn't exactly pleasant."
Seeing how nervous Pardofelis was, Chang Yuan couldn't resist teasing her a bit.
There was no helping it—this timid, shrinking cat girl just made people want to mess with her.
Hearing this, Pardofelis confirmed her earlier suspicion.
Oh heavens, she really had run into someone she had wronged.
"Um, I can give you all my savings if you just spare my life."
At this point, Pardofelis was desperate. She just wanted to save her own skin.
As long as she stayed alive, she could figure out how to escape later.
"Hehe, I'm just messing with you. Do you remember scamming a little girl and a boy out of their food when you were younger?"
"Huh? Yeah, I remember. That girl was such a good person. She even gave me extra food in that situation."
Though she didn't know why Chang Yuan was asking, Pardofelis answered honestly.
If she lied, this man might use that as an excuse to execute her. That wouldn't be fun.
"I was that boy, and the girl was Elysia. You probably remember her, but it seems you don't follow the news or read newspapers.
Otherwise, you'd know that Fire Moth is the world's strongest organization, dedicated to protecting humanity. And that Elysia is the most powerful being in the organization."
"Huh?"
Pardofelis's face was full of confusion.
That kind-hearted little girl from back then was now the world's strongest being?
Wait, what did that have to do with her?
"Alright, since we have this connection, why don't you join us and become a glorious warrior?"
Chang Yuan then called someone in and had Pardofelis undergo the MANTIS procedure.
After all, if this cat girl didn't have cat ears and a cat tail, he'd feel something was off.
And with her luck, she'd be fine.
"So, the Thirteen Flame-Chasers are complete? That's something to celebrate. But Mei is still too soft. Even though the success rate is terrifyingly high now, she still refuses to let Kevin undergo the MANTIS procedure. Instead, she's researching a Stigma just for him. I don't get it."