Chapter 364: The Invisible Power
"Gray Serpent, Jackal—your little pets. Considering you'd return sooner or later, we used them quite sparingly, so I'm returning them to you now. The Herrscher of Corruption just left the stage, and by pattern, the world should enter a relatively calm period of Honkai activity next. As for my coronation, it won't be rushed while so many are still waiting for aid. So, I suggest you two go out, take a walk, and see the world for yourselves. How about it?"
Not long after breakfast, the two long-missing senior members of the former World Serpent were neatly "packaged" and sent back to headquarters. With a casual wave of his hand, Sigurd officially handed over the two meekly silent individuals to Kevin.
Kevin gave them a glance.
At that instant, Gray Serpent and Jackal visibly trembled, unable to hide their excitement—Heaven above, their Lord had returned! Finally, someone could stand up for them again! Only they knew how they'd managed to survive all these years, being alternately experimented on and ordered around by Sigurd and Otto!
Kevin nodded to them, then turned toward Sigurd and said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I've gained quite a lot from them myself."
"Then, I'll take my leave. Su, what about you?"
Kevin, too, believed it necessary to take a look at this long-lost world—especially to observe and communicate with those beings who now wielded immense influence.
At the moment, Su was being bombarded by the endless curiosity of the Vodka Sisters, patiently answering their flood of strange questions. Hearing Kevin's inquiry, he smiled and replied,
"I'll come with you. Otherwise, who knows when you'll end up in another fight."
"…I'm not that violent."
"Yes, yes, of course not. Let's just say I want to see the world too—so take me along."
"Alright."
Kevin nodded and turned to leave.
Su then crouched down, smiling as he gently patted the sisters' heads.
"Well then, Brother Su will be going out with Brother Kevin for a while. I'll answer the rest of your questions next time, okay? As compensation, I'll give you some of Eden's old music scores. I hope they'll be of help to you."
"Wow! Songs from the previous era? That's amazing!"
"Dummy, hurry and say thank you!"
Rozaliya held the translated modern sheet music with delight, hopping in excitement. Liliya immediately gave her a small kick, trying to maintain the image of the polite, well-mannered Vodka Sisters.
Rozaliya stuck out her tongue, then bowed alongside her sister.
"Thank you, Brother Su!" ×2
"You're welcome. If Eden knew that her works could be performed again by such adorable girls, I'm sure she'd be overjoyed. So—do your best, alright?"
Su slowly opened his eyes, a gentle light flickering within them.
Of course, he knew of Eden's regrets. That great artist of the previous civilization, even in an age where art no longer had a place to exist, never gave up her passion for creation and song. She must have dreamed of seeing the flower of art bloom once more—to let humanity feel the beauty of the old world and heal their weary, fearful, and wounded hearts.
Sadly, that dream never came true. Until the very end, humanity had no room left for beauty or peace. And so, Eden perished along with her civilization, carrying her regrets into the void.
Now, in an era where hope still existed—if her songs could cross fifty thousand years and be sung once again…
"She would probably cry tears of joy, wouldn't she?"
Su smiled softly, his heart a blend of grief and relief.
He reached out and gently patted the Vodka Sisters' heads once more, speaking from the depths of his soul:
"I'm counting on you, my two young artists of the new age. Please, sing these songs. They are the final melodies of the previous era—the last glimmers of that distant time. Don't… let them fade away completely."
"Mm! Rozaliya and Liliya promise—we'll sing with all our hearts!"
Rozaliya gave a thumbs-up, her face glowing with confidence.
Liliya didn't say anything, but she nodded—hard and earnestly.
Seeing that, Su gave a relieved smile. He rose to his feet, waved goodbye to Sigurd, and quickly caught up to Kevin.
The four soon departed from the inner city. Sigurd didn't bother to check what kind of transportation they used; after all, those people had more than enough means to travel the world if they wished—there was no need to waste resources on them.
After watching their kind "big brother" disappear from view, Rozaliya and Liliya huddled together, whispering to each other for a while. Then Rozaliya, holding a performance application form, trotted up to Sigurd.
"Brother Sigurd～～"
"If you've got something to say, just say it. No need to sweeten your voice like that."
"Um, it's just… we'd like to go out and perform…"
"Give it here."
Sigurd took the document from her hands, pulled out the carbon copy and a marriage certificate that had been slyly sandwiched between the pages, burned them both to ashes, and then signed his name at the bottom.
Rozaliya puffed out her cheeks unhappily as she took the paper back.
"Come on! Kiana, Bronya, and Sin Mal all got married—why can't we? Aren't we cute enough?"
Smack!
Sigurd's answer came in the form of a crisp flick to her forehead.
Her partner in crime, Liliya, tried to slip away—but Sigurd raised a hand, lifting her by the collar from afar and dragging her back.
Smack! Smack!
"One for joining Rozaliya's nonsense, and one for trying to run from punishment. Got it?"
"Uuuu…"
Both sisters squatted down, holding their reddened foreheads, eyes brimming with tears as they looked up pitifully at Sigurd, who sat comfortably on the sofa.
He crossed one leg over the other, idly swiping through a series of flashing data screens—analyzing the world's recent political and social changes—before finally reaching out to pat the girls' heads.
"Alright, that's enough. Once you're out there, do your best. There are many people out in the world drowning in grief and fear—they need the light you bring."
Rozaliya had once said that she and Liliya were serious about singing—and it wasn't a lie.
Back during the first golden age, their performances had been bright and cheerful. But after witnessing so many wars and tragedies, their songs slowly turned softer and more emotional—melodies that could bring tears, release pain, and offer healing. Now, Rozaliya and Liliya's music had evolved yet again—ethereal, luminous, and filled with hope.
Art, after all, serves life—and evolves alongside it. The Vodka Sisters embodied that truth.
They felt the world's joys and sorrows, and with their uniquely kind hearts, turned those emotions into music. For people who had suffered loss and hardship, their voices were often the most direct and genuine warmth one could feel.
Su's faith in them had been well-placed. If anyone in this new age could carry on Eden's artistry and emotion, it was undoubtedly the Vodka Sisters.
Yet, as Sigurd gave them his approval, Rozaliya and Liliya exchanged a glance. Then Liliya bit her lip, while Rozaliya tugged lightly at Sigurd's sleeve.
"Sigurd…"
"Mm?"
"Our performances… do they really matter? Out there, everyone's constantly facing danger. Kiana, Bronya, Sin Mal—they can all stand up and fight to protect the world. But us? No matter how hard we try, we're just singing a few songs. Does that… really help anyone?"
"It does. It helps a lot."
Sigurd spoke softly, closing all the floating screens before lowering his gaze to the two sisters kneeling before him.
Rozaliya's eyes brightened.
"Really? You're not just saying that to make us feel better?"
"I'm not one to speak empty words," Sigurd replied. "When a person's life loses its joy, what remains is numbness. When a civilization loses art, it teeters constantly on the edge of collapse. The power of culture and art is invisible, yet it binds people together—it gives comfort in dark times, and inspires them to chase hope again. No matter what, I will always leave space for art and entertainment. I refuse to create a civilization that only struggles to exist—because such a twisted civilization would have no creativity, no resilience, and no strength to overcome the darkness."
There was a quiet sigh in his voice as he spoke.
After observing countless world bubbles, Sigurd had come to understand that the death of a civilization was always a process. It began the moment they lost their invisible strengths—art, culture, joy. People became numb, living only to survive. Then, when survival became their only concern, corruption and ugliness flourished unchecked. They lost shared understanding, lost connection, until even the concept of "civilization" vanished altogether.
And in the end—civilization perished. Humanity went extinct.
So no matter what, never discard the invisible things—for they are the soil where hope, light, and other unseen powers take root. When one flourishes, all flourish; when one falters, all falter.
"Go on," Sigurd said, stretching out both hands and gently pinching the girls' cheeks. "With those smiles and voices that can touch people's hearts, bring strength to those who need it. That's something only the two of you can do—something no one else can replace."
Rozaliya and Liliya looked at his smile and nodded in unison.
"Got it, Sigurd! We'll do our best!"
"Yeah! Sis is right—Liliya will work hard too!"
The twins held hands again, their energy and determination rekindled, heads high as they marched out with confident steps.
Watching their backs, Sigurd couldn't help but smile.
"They've really grown up…"
He let out a quiet sigh—proud that they had managed to follow the dream they made in childhood, step by step, to become wonderful singers, dancers, and artists. Idols, even. Perhaps this was the path most suited to them. Compared to their original fate—being forced to merge with Honkai beast genes and fight in such young bodies—this life was surely much happier.
As Sigurd's thoughts drifted, a blur of motion burst into the hall.
"Water! I need water!"
Senti dashed up to him, grabbed the glass of water in front of him, and gulped it all down in one go.
"Hic—ahh, that's better! I was dying of thirst!"
"…Where did you even go?"
"Oh, you know, it's been a while since I gave Wendy, Seele, and Mei some proper training. We had a good fight, but on the way back I realized I was sweating buckets and absolutely parched! Honestly, Sigurd, this base is like a whole miniature city, yet it's just us few people living here—plus a few thousand Cecilia clones. Don't you think it's a bit too empty? You should at least install a few water dispensers or something! I almost couldn't find a drop to drink!"
"Most of the base's facilities are automated. You could've just called Icarus."
Sigurd gave her a confused look.
Of course, he knew the inner city was mostly vacant—it was filled with dangerous things, so only a handful of people could safely live here. Most daily needs were handled by automated systems. If you needed water, all you had to do was call Icarus, and it would appear.
Senti froze.
"…You mean… it works like that?"
"What else did you think?"
Sigurd stared at her with dead-fish eyes. Senti could only poke her fingers together and lower her head in embarrassed silence.
Then Sigurd frowned—something felt off.
"Wait… when did this glass of water appear?"
He tried to recall. It wasn't something Seele, Bronya, or Mei had prepared. Nor was it left by Fu Hua. And definitely not something Icarus automatically delivered. Now that he thought about it—he hadn't even noticed how the glass got there in the first place.
"What's wrong?" Senti leaned closer, puzzled.
Just as Sigurd was about to answer, Senti's expression suddenly changed. With a soft thud, she collapsed weakly onto her knees in front of him.
"That's weird… why is it suddenly so hot… I can't… move…"
Her pale, tense thighs trembled uncontrollably as her hands moved on their own to her lower abdomen, rubbing at it in confusion.
Moments later, she was sprawled across Sigurd's lap, face flushed bright red, eyes hazy.
"Si–Sigurd… something's wrong with me… did the old timer body I'm using get sick…?"
Her trembling voice was full of panic and helplessness, laced with faint, breathy sounds that made Sigurd's scalp tingle.
Sigurd frowned. This reaction felt familiar—it reminded him of Bronya. But Bronya wouldn't pull something like this… would she?
If he ruled out the already suspicious Bronya, then among everyone in the base, only one person had both the motive and the guts to spike his drink—and the space manipulation ability to pull it off.
"Kiana!!!"
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