"O-other me, don't scare me!"
Suddenly learning such terrifying news, Seele was almost scared to tears.
Just when a handsome big brother had come to take her home, just when she was about to be reunited with sister Bronya, the other self inside her body threw out a possibility she didn't want to see, making it somewhat hard for her to accept.
"Heh, whether you admit it or not, this is the most likely possibility."
'Seele Vollerei' sneered, mercilessly striking at her naive other self.
Seele: "..."
The girl's face was a little pale, but her inner strength kept her from falling apart in the face of the blow.
"Other me, tell me about it. No matter what the possibilities are, I will hold on!"
No matter what price sister Bronya had paid, she would bear it with her!
"Really?"
'Seele Vollerei' had a playful expression.
"Really!"
"Alright then."
'Seele's' spirits lifted.
To make this naive fool realize the cruelty of the world was, of course, exactly what she wanted.
'Seele' looked at Raven and the young Brian in the outside world, then began to speak slowly: "Besides that ice block man we met before, this guy is the strongest person we've encountered."
"Just use that little brain of yours to think. Such a powerful man must possess immense power and a very high status on Earth. Ordinary people might not even cross paths with him in their entire lives."
"And your sister Bronya..."
'Seele' wore a disdainful expression. "Although she's considered cute, given her identity and status, under normal circumstances, she would have no way of coming into contact with such an existence."
"To ask him for help, she must have paid an unimaginable price."
Seele's hands clenched tightly, not daring to imagine how many times her sister Bronya had been whipped on a two-meter-wide bed.
*If you want it, come and get it yourself...* In order to let her leave the Sea of Quanta, her sister Bronya must have tasted untold bitterness and hardship.
'Seele' wasn't finished: "And as for this price... just use your little brain and you'll figure it out."
"Besides Project Bunny, which we gave her, the only thing your sister Bronya has is herself."
Project Bunny is just a toy in front of a Herrscher.
So, it's already very obvious what price Bronya paid...
"A life for a life."
"The sister Bronya you've been missing so much might be locked in some basement right now."
"He said he's your sister Bronya's friend, but he never said what kind of friend."
"Seele, let go of your naivety and face this cruel reality!"
A simple growth only requires a single, plain blow.
'Seele' believed that after her speech, this little fool would definitely grow up quickly and no longer be as weak as a crybaby like before.
Her goal was achieved.
After hearing these words, Seele's face was filled with worry, and her watery eyes showed self-blame.
The girl's slender hand unconsciously gripped the collar of her dress, as if feeling the same sense of suffocation as Bronya.
Her sister Bronya had paid herself as the price to rescue her.
She couldn't be so selfish as to let her sister Bronya bear all the costs alone.
"Other me, are you willing to join me?"?
'Seele': "Join you in what?"
This genius isn't thinking of displaying her world-shocking wisdom again, like before the X-10 experiment, is she?
"Hey! You're not taking it seriously, are you? I was just teasing you!"
Seele's expression relaxed slightly, but the determination in her eyes did not change.
"Other me, you reminded me. Sister Bronya must have paid a price to have this big brother come rescue us."
"Whatever price sister Bronya paid, I will bear it with her!"
'Seele': "..."
Who gives a damn if that Bronya dies!
Even if she gives birth to a litter of monkeys, it's none of our business!
The feisty girl cursed in the world of consciousness, but she couldn't change her other self's decision.
The two Seeles had completely opposite personalities and behavioral styles.
Seele was gentle and timid, 'Seele' was feisty and bold; Seele was soft on the outside and tough on the inside, 'Seele' was tough on the outside and soft on the inside.
Often, when Seele made a decision, 'Seele' wouldn't interfere on her own accord.
Unless it would lead to a loss of life.
Seeing that Brian and Raven had finished their conversation, the determined girl walked forward without hesitation.
Seele Vollerei mustered her courage and, in front of Brian, asked the unaskable question: "Big brother, can Seele ask you a question?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, and also very polite, making it impossible for anyone to refuse.
"Go ahead. If I can answer it, I definitely will."
Casually throwing out a cloud of black mist, the young Brian was as sunny and bright as ever.
Seele's expression hesitated for a moment, as if she was organizing her words: "Seele wants to know the relationship between sister Bronya and big brother."
'Seele' also pricked up her ears. It would be for the best if that Bronya had married herself off.
Brian: "If I said we're lovers, you probably wouldn't believe me; but if I say we're more than friends but not quite lovers, there shouldn't be a problem."
"Is that so?"
Seele breathed a sigh of relief.
Bronya wasn't locked in a basement, that's great!
'Seele' pouted.
Boring, she wanted to see rivers of X!
The second question followed immediately.
"Since you and sister Bronya are not in a relationship, then you are..."
Realizing the question was too direct and might damage the fragile relationship they had just established, Seele hesitated again.
The black-haired youth didn't mind, but the expression on his face gradually became playful: "If I said your sister Bronya paid a price, but it's not the price you're imagining, would you be happy or sad?"
"Seele will bravely accept everything!"
The girl's expression was resolute, which made even Raven look at her in a new light.
This little girl looked so soft and weak, but unexpectedly she was quite strong, daring to face the Inner World Protagonist alone.
Strong! Invincible!
Next second.
"Your sister Bronya has agreed to marry you to me."
Seele: Σ（⊙▽⊙"A."
'Seele': Σ（⊙▽⊙"A."
Right now! Immediately!
"Let me out! I'm going to kill these two!"
How dare a mere Bronya sell them out, agreeing to their engagement with a strange man; how dare a mere Bronya make decisions for them, offering them up as a price.
A mere Bronya Zaychik, you've courted death!
⁄（⁄⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄⁄）⁄-）▼＃）
The shy little Seele desperately held down her furious other self, causing blue and red to intertwine in her eyes.
The inner world where the two girls fought was extremely intense, but there was no outward sign of it.
"Is that so... then Seele is relieved."
It wasn't her sister Bronya who was locked in the basement, which was truly wonderful for her.
As for her engagement with this big brother in front of her...
"..."
Her delicate little face was bright red. Seele lowered her head, fiddling with the hem of her skirt, not daring to speak.
This big brother was also very handsome, and he saved them. Agreeing to this engagement didn't seem like a loss.
It just seemed that she couldn't fulfill her promise to be with sister Bronya forever.
'Seele': （╯‵□′）╯︵┻━┻
Oh no, this little fool is playing for real!
'Seele' made a snap decision. She had to snatch control of the body from Seele and dispel this so-called 'big brother's' unrealistic fantasies.
Seele was hers to protect. She absolutely couldn't let her have babies for someone else like Bronya!
Caught off guard, Seele's eyes suddenly turned a striking red, and the highlights on the inner side of her short hair also turned dark red under the influence of the Stigma.
Just as the feisty girl was about to lift her head and curse, she suddenly felt a pulling force from her arm.
"Be careful, our enemy is here."
Pulled behind Brian, 'Seele' opened her mouth, bared her teeth, and almost let out a curse.
Seeing as a great enemy was at hand, she'd put this matter aside for later.
In the nebula-like mist composed of material particles and Honkai energy, a massive object charged recklessly, heading towards the three of them.
A broken platform burst through the mist, revealing its enormous size.
A young boy stood at the edge of the platform and spoke to the three: "Outsiders, since you have found the person you were looking for, why not just leave?"
His opening words were an order to leave.
No matter the age, Welt Yang was just as bad at talking.
"I've only found the person I was looking for, not the thing I was looking for."
The young Brian didn't yield an inch.
Since he had made a deal with World Serpent, he naturally had to complete it.
Otherwise, he wouldn't even know which way the door to the Elysian Realm opened, let alone learn about those sealed secrets to fight against the Honkai and Kevin's Stigma Project.
Saving the world with beautiful energy... that's something you just listen to for fun.
Believing that was less plausible than believing he could fuck the Herrscher of the End until she flew.
"Outsider, the Herrscher of Reason Core cannot be given to you. It has an important mission here, related to the survival and safety of civilization."
When Welt Yang first opened the Eye of the Deep, he learned bits and pieces of the Stigma Project from Kevin, and thus believed that Kevin must absolutely not be allowed to return to Earth.
But this was just the man's wishful thinking.
"Welt, I admire your spirit and selflessness, but you are a bit too self-righteous."
"Whether the world needs that man or not shouldn't be decided by you, nor are you qualified to refuse him on behalf of all humanity."
"You've only learned a little bit of the superficial truth and have arbitrarily made a decision."
"Whether you like it or not, he is destined to return to Earth and complete the mission he carries."
Raven glanced sideways, a flicker of doubt about this man's identity in her eyes.
Neither World Serpent nor Schicksal could find his origins, plus the mystery surrounding him and his knowledge of certain things...
Could this guy be another backup plan left by the Previous Era?
No one cared about her thoughts. Joachim Yang knew that the negotiations had broken down.
"In that case, I'll have to use some violent means to expel you from here."
As his voice fell.
Honkai energy surged, and the power of the Herrscher of Reason revealed its ferocity.
Guns, chariots, tanks, fighter jets, bombers, warships...
The terrifying steel army exuded an unprecedented oppressive force, the smell of gunpowder and iron shaking one to the core.
This is the power of civilization!
"Hey, hey, why did we start fighting without another word."
Raven's muscles tensed all over her body; she was already prepared to flee.
No matter which Herrscher she fought, she was the woman who could always fight to a draw.
Five seconds, and she'd be beaten into five pieces!
And rather than fight this Herrscher of Reason who couldn't communicate, she'd rather fight the guy next to her.
Although both would result in fatalities, at least she wouldn't turn into Raven or Ra-wet.
But what was happening would not change because of her will!
Pistons drove, crosshairs locked, primers ignited.
And then...
Ten thousand cannons roared as one!
Joachim Yang was a man of few words and much action, going all out from the start.
If not for the fact that he wasn't the true Herrscher of Reason and didn't have the ability to use a pseudo-Star of Eden, this guy would have probably started with a pseudo-black hole.
When facing a Herrscher, no amount of caution is too much.
Bullets, rockets, shells, aerial bombs, missiles...
Whether one had seen these terrifying weapons of murder or not, at this moment they all appeared before the three, ready to tear them apart with this terrifying metal storm.
In the face of the overwhelming terror, 'Seele Vollerei' had never considered relying on others.
The girl's slender legs tensed, about to flee from this dangerous place.
She didn't know if this action would be useful, but trying was better than doing nothing at all.
However, a large hand grabbed her tightly, slowing the girl's movements and causing her to lose the most precious opportunity.
"Seele, we're going to die here."
They were so close to returning to Earth, only to taste a different kind of despair because of these two who had brought them hope.
In the face of such a terrifying offensive, even the usually strong-willed 'Seele' had to admit that their chances of survival were extremely low.
Returning to the world of consciousness, the gentle girl shook her head: "Other me, why don't we try to believe in them? Big brother and the others must have a solution!"
This was a faith without reason.
Like her other self, Seele had no idea what abilities Brian possessed.
They only knew that this guy was very strong, capable of destroying a world bubble with ease.
But compared to the creator of this domain, who was stronger and who was weaker was still unknown.
But at this point, even 'Seele' had to admit...
"For now... we can only trust this guy."
"Let's hope we don't really die here, little fool."
"We definitely won't. I believe in this big brother."
...
The metal storm of death approached, ready to tear apart everything in sight.
As an opponent, Joachim Yang was indeed a formidable one. Even a World Serpent executive like Raven couldn't last a single round against this man.
But as a Herrscher...
"You are all too weak."
The black mist of death materialized with the man's will. Everything around them, in the face of the surging black mist, was as if wiped away by an eraser, instantly losing its form.
Brian is the complete Herrscher of Death, but Joachim Yang is not the complete Herrscher of Reason.
An incomplete Herrscher of Reason has no chance of victory against a complete Herrscher of Death!
The terrifying metal storm struck, creating dents in the black mist.
The powers of the two Herrschers clashed, but the imagined stalemate never occurred.
The metal storm tore through the black mist time and again, but even more attacks were assimilated into it the moment they made contact.
As the range and power of the black mist expanded, Welt's defeat drew ever closer.
The feisty girl behind the young Brian watched this scene, her crimson eyes shining with a strange light.
She thought she was about to die because of this guy, but she never expected that the helper Bronya found would be so powerful that even the creator of this domain was no match for him.
Truly, unbelievably powerful.
She, who had always been the one protecting others, actually felt a sense of security from someone else. It was truly incredible.
It's just this power...
Why was it so similar to the Stigma on their bodies? Was there some connection?
'Seele' didn't know, but she didn't ask either. Now was not the time for her to ask such questions.
"Herrscher, you should not cause wanton destruction for your own selfish desires!"
"Who cares about you?"
Welt's actions to stop Kevin seemed useful, but in reality, they were completely useless.
Human civilization needs the Stigma Project; it's not that the Stigma Project is being forcibly imposed on humanity.
Just as a circuit has an overload protection device, the Stigma Project is also a safety net for civilization.
If there is a better future, Kevin Kaslana will not refuse it. But if this era cannot find a more perfect solution, then the Stigma Project is the final destination for everyone.
And the plans of Anti-Entropy...
"..."
Brian had to be blunt; he had no idea what plans Anti-Entropy had prepared.
It seemed that opposing Otto was the thing this organization did the most.
There's no point in talking further if you don't see eye to eye. The emotionally clueless Joachim Yang was impossible to communicate with.
The black mist, like the Grim Reaper's scythe, mercilessly disintegrated every one of the things he constructed.
No matter how this guy resisted, he couldn't mount any effective defense.
"Sigh... I still failed to complete my mission."
With a sigh, the small boy's form disintegrated, revealing his true face.
An irregularly shaped gem filled their vision, making them realize the boy's true nature—the Herrscher Core!
"I didn't expect that guy to be the Herrscher Core itself. I thought he was also a creation of that Anti-Entropy Sovereign."
The Herrscher Core was within reach, but Raven felt no greed.
Although she had a persistent desire for money, it was for her villa and island dream, not a quest for great power.
In short, she was very self-aware and knew that the Herrscher Core was not something she should touch.
This thing was a hot potato, completely useless to her, far less valuable than gold or antiques reeking of copper.
The black mist swept over. The black particles, controlled by the Herrscher, acted like formless tentacles, delivering the Herrscher of Reason Core to Brian.
The young man clenched his hand, bringing the Herrscher Core under his control.
The multi-faceted crystal vanished into his palm as if a clay ox entering the sea, becoming a part of him that he integrated.
But it was not fully integrated.
He could feel the thirty thousand wills hidden within, and he could also feel Welt's consciousness sleeping in this place.
To obtain the true power of the Herrscher of Reason might not be something that could be resolved overnight.
The Herrscher Core had fallen into the hands of the Herrscher of Death. The Herrscher's power that had been influencing the Sea of Quanta became a rootless, sourceless force, dissipating at a visible rate and returning this place to its original state in the Sea of Quanta.
A certain man sitting withered in a world bubble looked in this direction: "Did it succeed?"
The man, whose body was freezing cold, stood up. The Honkai Beasts in the same world bubble were as if being gnawed by something invisible, the Honkai energy within them continuously draining away.
A giant snake shadow appeared along with Kevin Kaslana's movement, slithering towards the Real World.
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