MGSFV?! Chapter 364. Huuuuge Sugar Drop!

MGSFV?! Chapter 364. Huuuuge Sugar Drop!

The Flame-Chasers truly made the choices everyone had hoped for.

Just as Vill-V had said earlier in the story:

“Those who left their seats did so because they believed in Elysia and refused to join the hunt; those who remained did so because they believed in Elysia and chose to attend the banquet.”

The flawless person gave her heart—and received others’ in return.

Therefore...

Elysia’s ending should never be summarized as a "tragedy."

It wasn’t sorrowful, though the emotions it evoked were certainly hard to describe.

“If being a Herrscher no longer means farewell,

If every Herrscher has the chance to regain their humanity…”

“Then people would no longer face such impossible choices.

Humanity… might finally gain a chance to find hope.”

Even the slower players realized it now—

What Elysia had done with her Authority.

“So, if ‘humanity’ is my Authority,

If the beautiful things of mankind are what make up the entirety of Elysia…

“Then at the end of this story, let me bring them back to where I was born.”

And for the faster crowd—those already ahead of the narrative—they simply grew more solemn.

They listened quietly as Elysia whispered:

“Then, I’ll scatter flower seeds across the withered earth…”

“I believe, if it was human civilization that raised me—

“Then I will surely let it bloom once more...

Flawless, and everlasting.”

That’s what Elysia did.

At the cost of herself...

She sought a spark for humanity—a “negligible” possibility.

She granted every Herrscher the chance to reclaim their humanity.

Even if...

It would still require them to struggle for it on their own. Even if having humanity didn’t guarantee they’d stand on the side of mankind...

Because human nature was too complex—not everyone would be as kind and radiant as Elysia.

Even after understanding the world, she still loved it deeply.

Yet...

Elysia still chose to believe.

This world wasn’t beautiful, but one day—someone, someone would stand up and shape it into something worth living for.

So she wanted to gift humanity this possibility, more precious than victory itself. A gift for the future Herrschers who wished to resist.

That was the one thing people always hoped for in the end-times, yet never dared to reach.

【！！！！！！】

【My scalp is tingling.】

【So that’s it! That’s why current-era Herrschers can retain their humanity?! Elysia rewrote the destined tragedy, making resistance meaningful—not just hollow despair.】

Say what you will…

Many still remembered the Flame-Chaser era storyline of the Herrscher of Corruption.

Right after the Herrscher of Corruption was sealed, she desperately launched every nuclear missile silo.

That was the end of human civilization.

Even if MOTH had won every war against the Herrschers…

【Elysia chose to sacrifice herself to grant humanity to all Herrschers… So couldn’t every current-era Herrscher be called a Herrscher of Human: Ego?】

【All modern Herrschers are Herrschers of Human?! Oh… suddenly I’m a little...】

【Wait, does that include Herrscher of Dominance and Herrscher of Corruption?】

【Of course it does. Humanity isn’t all good—there’s a darker side too. Still doesn’t stop me from wishing the Herrscher of Corruption would just scram already.】

...

Countless thoughts churned in players’ minds.

At this moment, Elysia’s memory came to a pause.

Mei stood before Fairy Elysia, lost in thought.

“The invitation that was never sent… that wasn’t really a banquet at all, was it?”

“From the beginning, it was a mission. A mission to defeat the Thirteenth Herrscher...”

Fairy Elysia replied:

“But Elysia arranged it as a banquet, because she wanted her ending to be beautiful and brilliant.”

“Still, she never sent those invitations.”

Mei’s voice darkened:

“She was afraid her truth wouldn’t be accepted.

Afraid that her only lie would hurt those she cherished.”

Now, the invitation that was never sent was in Mei’s hand.

It sparkled like a poem, a confession, waiting for someone to open it.

Anyone else would’ve eagerly done so by now.

But… what Mei did next shocked everyone.

She let go.

She let the invitation drift away with the wind—vanishing into the distance—without a word.

“Eh?!”

“Wh-What are you doing?!”

Even Fairy Elysia broke character.

“Dearest human, why…?”

Yes, why?

Players wanted to know too.

There’s no way Mei was rejecting Elysia’s banquet… right?

Of course not.

Mei gave her answer:

“There was never a Thirteenth Herrscher... was there?”

“If the sender never existed, then what meaning does the invitation hold?”

“Even if they didn’t receive an invitation—didn’t the real-world Flame-Chasers still make the same choice as I did?”

【Oh? Whew, you scared me, Mei…】

【Mei's emotional intelligence skyrocketed after this Elysian Realm journey.】

【Still, Mei didn’t have to toss the letter like that... I was kind of curious what Elysia wrote in it.】

Of course, Mei had her reasons.

Even though Elysia never sent the letters, most of the Flame-Chasers still refused to fight her.

In the end, only four witnessed her conclusion.

To Elysia, that must’ve been a small regret.

Because...

A finale surrounded by everyone—that would’ve suited her sense of beauty far more.

So Mei decided to use her own memories to weave a story that had never happened before.

To weave… a perfect banquet.

Honestly, when Hokuto wrote this scene, he already pictured the Flame-Chasers applauding around Elysia.

Ah, MiHoYo… this got me in tears.

Of course, that’s Hokuto’s sentiment.

Players in this world could appreciate the moment with pure emotion.

【Is this Mei’s idea of romance?!】

【So sweet, too sweet.】

【Are we about to get a huuuuuuuge sugar drop?!】

【Definitely! No doubt about it!】

“But… is something like this… really possible?”

Players: ???

Who the heck is dampening the mood right now?