The concert ended. Robin didn't know how she made it back to her room.
The venue had been boiling with excitement, and so had she.
The entire process was a daze, hazy and sticky.
Higokumaru, who had come on stage, had whispered in her ear, shattering the last shred of self-respect she had desperately tried to maintain.
Her dress, which had only been lightly stained before, was now soaking wet.
Droplets fell with every step, blossoming like tiny splashes on the floor.
It was truly a case of leaving ripples in her wake.
Like a deserter, Robin fled the stage.
That ideal place where she was most skilled, which she loved the most, which she looked forward to the most, where she shone the brightest.
Shhhhhh—
The shower in the bathroom turned on, dense streams of water spraying down, washing away the sweat from her body.
Like an injured fawn, Robin hugged her knees, curled up in a corner of the bathroom, letting the warm water cascade over her skin.
"No, I can't... I can't go on like this..." Robin murmured, as if resisting something.
She slowly stood up and looked down at a certain spot.
The sensation of water trickling down her skin reminded her of the sweat that had run down her body on stage.
Robin turned off the shower and pressed her forehead against the cold wall. Strands of her blue hair, soaked with water, clung messily to her pale cheeks.
At this moment, the flawless cosmic songstress looked like a shattered statue of a goddess, evoking a deep sense of pity.
"Heeey~ You look quite down, don't you?"
A gentle voice, as fresh as a flower blooming in the morning sun, rang out.
Like a startled bird, Robin whipped her head around. A pink silhouette had appeared in the bathroom.
She was so flawless, so pure, so beautiful, that Robin momentarily forgot she was in the middle of a shower.
"Hi, hello there. My name is Elysia, and I'm one of the people in this world actively fighting against the great demon king. As you can see, I'm a beautiful girl as lovely as a flower."
"...?"
Robin stared blankly at the suddenly-appeared Miss Pink Elf, and couldn't help but recall the pink-haired girl who had suddenly run on stage to give her flowers.
"I'm truly sorry for coming to you at a time like this."
Although Elysia said this, her gaze didn't shift from the shower stall in the slightest.
Miss Elf was always open and forthright, her heart pure and untainted by dust.
Only then did Robin snap back to reality. With a yelp, she covered her chest and crouched down.
Instead of explaining her sudden appearance, Elysia moved closer to Robin. The enthusiastic elf held up her index finger俏皮地,
"To make a long story short, this isn't the world you're from, so please don't worry about what happened on stage."
"...Wh-what?"
Hearing this news, it felt as if a ray of sunlight had pierced through the gloom that filled Robin's heart.
Robin lifted her chin, her emerald eyes reflecting a light. And in that light was the flower-like pink-haired girl.
Seeing such a charming and moving idol songstress, Elysia couldn't help but place her hands on her hips and speak with a touch of righteous indignation.
"Hmph, honestly. Mr. Ye Feng has such a wicked sense of humor. How could he do something like this to such a delicate and kind girl?"
Mr.... Ye Feng?
Robin's eyes widened. "You know him?"
"Well, how should I put it... I'm also a victim, I guess?"
"..."
Robin subconsciously glanced at Elysia's lower body. Had she also been stuffed with...?
Robin's gaze was so direct that Elysia understood immediately.
But at this moment, she truly couldn't refute it.
It hadn't been there during the concert, but when she came here, Ye Feng had pulled her aside and said, "People with similar experiences resonate more easily, you know."
And not only that, Mobius had also stuck her hand in.
The current Elysia was possibly "carrying an even heavier burden" than Robin.
Fortunately, the remote control was still in Kiana's hands.
She was a kind, good girl.
Although Robin had "faltered in her steps" on stage because of Kiana, it had been an unintentional act.
Kiana was already repenting and had sincerely wanted to come apologize with Elysia.
But she had been snatched away by Ye Feng.
The two looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them.
Robin's guard finally lowered a little.
Hmph... Mr. Ye Feng's method was actually effective...
Although Elysia didn't want to admit it, she had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Then, Elysia explained the details of this world to her.
At the same time, she brought good news.
"You'll 'wake up' in a little while. Just think of this as a dream. In reality, your body hasn't... um, what I mean is, you're still pure, you know. Little Bird."
Eh? Little Bird?
Robin was taken aback for a moment, but she still maintained a polite smile. "I understand. Thank you, Elysia."
"Just call me Ely. I suppose we're... comrades-in-arms now."
"...Okay, Ely..."
Robin wrapped a bath towel around her body, revealing her smooth, fair arms glistening with water.
After listening to Elysia's explanation, the dark clouds hanging over her heart hadn't completely dissipated, but it was as if the mist had parted to reveal the moon.
"That girl with the fox ears..."
Robin was still concerned about Higokumaru.
"Her? Ahh~"
Elysia sighed.
The incident with the Herrscher of Corruption was an eternal pain for the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.
Of course, Elysia wouldn't treat the current Higokumaru as Rin, but... some things just weren't black and white.
Even Elysia hadn't figured out what kind of attitude to adopt towards Higokumaru.
However, under Mr. Ye Feng's careful "education," could she be considered a Herrscher who stood on the side of humanity now?
A rather unorthodox one, at that.
The arrogant smile of the bratty Higokumaru flashed through Elysia's mind.
"She's... a very mischievous child. I'm sorry she gave you such a bad memory."
A mischievous child?
Robin carefully recalled the girl who called herself Higokumaru. She hadn't caused her any substantial harm.
She had just whispered softly in her ear.
If you had to name the real villain, it was still Mr. Ye Feng!
But, the contract...
Her lower body already belonged to Mr. Ye Feng.
The things he did were also... no, that's not right!
Robin came to her senses.
Even if Mr. Ye Feng said he abided by the rules.
This was still an unequal treaty. Robin had been forced to sign it!
"Hmm..."
As if seeing through Robin's thoughts, Elysia pondered for a moment.
"Although I also think it's unreasonable, I still want to give you a little reminder. If you go back on something that's already been agreed upon, there will be an even harsher punishment. So, if there's something you absolutely don't want to do, you should have shown firm opposition at the time, or perhaps begged him. Mr. Ye Feng might have a soft heart... probably?"
Elysia thought for a moment, then tilted her head slightly, tapping her chin with her index finger.
"Anyway, Mr. Ye Feng isn't entirely a bad guy. Compared to [The Propagation] and [The Destruction], he's a little bit better, right? Besides, Mr. Ye Feng was the one who allowed me to come here and tell you about this world."
"..."
Robin lowered her gaze, offering no comment.
Whether he was good or bad, she would make her own judgment.
On the surface, Robin was a delicate and lovely cosmic songstress, but in reality, she was a high-ranking member of the Iris Family, a faction that controlled a significant amount of power. How could she let her judgment be swayed by the words of someone she had just met?
---o---
December 24th.
St. Freya High School.
Tonight was Christmas Eve, yet the lights in the Valkyrie dorms were extinguished early, and everyone had gone to bed.
This was extremely rare in the Far East.
The young people of the Far East treated this imported festival almost as if it were the New Year.
Even the most socially withdrawn otaku in the Far East would, on this day, spend their long-saved essence... I mean, cash, to enjoy a pleasant night with their virtual friends.
"No way, those little ones are already asleep?"
Principal Theresa, dressed as Santa Claus and carrying a red sack, appeared only to be greeted by a silent living room.
Himeko was off drinking somewhere.
Fu Hua was from Shenzhou and didn't celebrate Christmas. Of course, if someone dragged her along, she wouldn't be a spoilsport.
But now that the main trio was asleep, Fu Hua was naturally meditating, her mind free of worldly distractions... No, there was one thing. Because of the holiday, the construction site was closed for a day, which delayed her brick-moving.
Fu Hua sometimes really couldn't understand why the people of this country placed so much importance on an imported festival. It was delaying her from earning money for gacha pulls.
Sigh, there were a lot of Christmas-limited items today.
But without having earned enough for a hard pity, how could Fu Hua dare to pull on the banner?
At this moment.
Bronya was already deep in a sweet dream.
Her legs had been healed by the power of the Core of Reason, and the cardamom-red blush of her toenails was captivating.
Even though she was just an ordinary, flat-chested duckie, once her socks were off, she shone with a demonic allure.
Those exquisitely perfect toes were like the rarest of delicacies, tempting one to have a taste.
Bronya herself thought they were beautiful.
Because it was her husband who had personally painted them for her.
Kiana had told her that tonight, she would be able to see the husband she had been thinking about day and night.
Alright, to say she thought of him day and night was a bit of an exaggeration, but for the past few days, there had been an emptiness in Bronya's heart that couldn't be filled.
Only there, only her husband... could fill it.
Her consciousness felt as if it were enveloped in a gentle light, drifting far away.
Bronya opened her eyes and found herself at a fork in the road. Standing before her was a person holding a sign.
"Herrscher of the Void?"
Although she had Kiana's appearance, Bronya recognized at a glance that she was not human.
However, because Kiana had told Bronya about the Herrscher of the Void, Bronya wasn't nervous.
She didn't know why she had appeared here, but she would first wait and see.
The Herrscher of the Void wore a blue, high-slit cheongsam, her long, fair legs peeking in and out of view. Her hair was tied up in stereotypical Far East buns, and the Honkai energy wings behind her back drooped, her brilliant golden eyes filled with an exhaustion only an office drone could understand.
At this moment, the cheongsam-clad Herrscher held a sign, looking like an attendant at some high-class establishment.
Something was written on the sign in crooked letters. Before Bronya could make it out, the Herrscher of the Void's eyes suddenly lit up.
Duckie jumped, thinking she was about to attack.
But she didn't.
The wings on the Herrscher of the Void's back spread open, and she seemed to gain some energy. Her unique, electronic female voice sounded out.
"You're finally here."
"Finally? You've been waiting here for the Bronya all this time?"
The wording was peculiar, and Bronya asked with curiosity.
"To be precise, ever since you left, I was... stationed here by that dog bastard."
The Herrscher of the Void couldn't say Ye Feng's name.
"Who is the person you're talking about? And why were you waiting for the Bronya?"
"Cut the crap and make your choice."
"Choice...?"
Bronya tilted her head.
"Here, this—"
The Herrscher of the Void unceremoniously tossed the sign to Bronya. It floated before her eyes.
[When you discover the long-sought truth is wrapped in a layer of gentle distance—
Should you choose 'a gentleness that makes you close your eyes,' or 'the courage to touch the truth'?]
"?"
Bronya vaguely sensed something, but the feeling vanished in an instant.
She looked up in confusion. "What does this mean?"
The Herrscher of the Void crossed her arms, her golden eyes filled with impatience. "You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? Just pick one already."
Only after Bronya made a choice could she leave this place and go to that quiet, snow-covered village.
Bronya looked up, carefully observing the two paths ahead.
"Choose... a route?"
In Bronya's mind, an evening from her time in her husband's world surfaced.
The first time she cleared A-Post-Honkai-Odyssey, out of the eight endings, she had chosen the only bad end.
At the time, her husband had even teased her, asking if she "did it on purpose."
Games like this, which had nothing to do with technical skill, Bronya... didn't really like.
As past memories flashed through her mind, Bronya clenched her fists slightly.
"Are you going to choose or not?"
The Herrscher of the Void urged, "Just pick one. It won't make a difference in the end anyway."
"Hm?"
Bronya looked up at the Herrscher of the Void.
A guess began to form in her mind. She looked straight at the Herrscher of the Void and asked, "Why are you so certain it won't make a difference in the end? And what do you mean by 'difference'? Also... do you know the Bronya's husband?"
The wings on the Herrscher of the Void's back buzzed as she floated in mid-air, her bare, jade-like feet kicking impatiently.
"So much nonsense. Your business has nothing to do with me."
The Herrscher of the Void couldn't talk about Ye Feng. If she did, she'd get punished in front of everyone.
Therefore, the Herrscher of the Void didn't want to talk too much with Bronya at all; the more you say, the more you risk slipping up.
But this little duckie just standing there frozen was also really annoying.
Author's PS: I originally wanted to play around with an "Idol Songstress's Collapse" arc, but after thinking about it, I decided against it.
Although I really do want to dote on Little Bird more and more in various ways. Otherwise, I would have had to write at least ten more chapters before letting Little Bird go, hehehe.
But intense gameplay should probably be reserved for the bad women.
ε=(′ο｀*)