But Suke knew that her saying all this was actually just... Veliona, whose arm was being dragged, begging for mercy—willing to accept that worldline where she didn't exist.
After all, the original Seele born in the "Phantasmal Secret Room" did not have split personality disorder; she was a complete, unique individual, not a severed separation.
But for you to only decide to beg for mercy when things had reached this point...
Suke could only rate it as somewhat laughable.
The moment the dragged Veliona came into contact with the physical body Seele left beside the toy box, the two were like positive and negative poles of a magnet being drawn together, colliding into each other in the blink of an eye!
The existence named Veliona began to merge with Seele, and the worldlines that had all their possibilities severed were once again liberated.
This didn't mean that the story belonging to Elysia and the others would collapse because of this; it merely exposed them to the crisis of the "Land of Return" once more.
"Is it over?"
The iron box known as the "Phantasmal Secret Room" began to disintegrate, melting away starting from the ceiling hidden in the attic.
Through the dissolving walls of the room, Suke met the gazes of the four phantoms outside the iron box who were intently watching this place, and it could be seen that they all breathed a sigh of relief.
[Congratulations to the Farmer for completing the hidden achievement: Tracing the Source (Understand the origin story of a visitor to the farm)]
[Every visitor who comes to Stardew Valley has a story belonging to them. Learning more about them will become an important aid in improving your farm relationships and welcoming the perfect ending.]
[Achievement Reward: Golden Mystery Box 10, Iridium Mystery Box 1]
[Extra Reward: Essential Storybook "The Binding of Isaac" (Super Rare)!]
[Special Items: Essential Storybook "The Binding of Isaac", Essential Storybook "Azure Waters"]
[Two peculiar books that record the "stages of the story" respectively. Take them to the Library in the Pelican Town Museum, and perhaps you will find out how to use them.]
The long-absent farm system panel popped up with the achievement information.
Setting aside the Golden Mystery Boxes and the Iridium Mystery Box for now, Suke's attention was easily drawn to that extra reward.
How should he put it? Almost the instant he saw this thing rewarding a "storybook," Suke got PTSD.
He subconsciously looked up at the figure outside the iron box who was looking down at the void, meeting her eyes that hid the stars, attempting to see any abnormality in her expression.
[...What is it?]
But unfortunately, this affectionate gaze with the figure not only failed to glean any information from her "?" expression, but it actually drew the complaints of the other three figures:
[Animus, has my care for you lessened? Why aren't you looking at me...]
[Uwaa, losing to that short white-haired woman is one thing, but BB-chan cannot accept losing to this drunkard woman again!]
[Your Holiness, Tripoka has always been worried about you...]
Suke: "..."
Alright, having no choice but to withdraw his "affectionate gaze," Suke hoped this was just his illusion.
She was Mabel-chan, after all. Mabel, the maiden of nothingness, the omniscient and omnipotent Lord of the Door.
How could she possibly emulate that explosively scummy, unidentified green elf and do things full of base tastes?
Besides, she wasn't like certain blonde and blue-white themed female characters who had a hopeless, super cuckold fetish...
Probably?
The void receded from top to bottom, as if a curtain covering the sky had been pulled down. Accompanied by the retreat of the four great figures, what was revealed was the snowfield of Siberia.
"Brother..."
Of course, there was also the Cocolia Orphanage behind Suke, as well as the young girl who hadn't yet recovered from the incident, anxiously and uneasily clutching the hem of her skirt while looking at him—the girl named Sin Mal.
"This time, don't leave Sin behind alone again... okay?"
Realizing she was at the gate of the Cocolia Orphanage, the girl immediately trotted to Suke's side. Ignoring the cold temperature that blew her tender cheeks red, she bit her lip lightly and spoke such words.
Looking at Sin Mal's appearance, Suke knew that if the existence named Veliona hadn't had the loneliness in her heart as an aid, it would have been absolutely impossible to create a mighty power capable of resisting a supreme divine level just by relying on a "storybook" that matched her own essence.
After all, although seeking inward and seeking outward were both infinite, not just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could reach such a level.
"Of course."
Suke smiled and nodded, taking out a Bus Ticket he had opened from the Iridium Mystery Box earlier.
He then looked not far away from them. A bus covered in a yellow paint shell, visible only to the chosen ones, had already been driven over by a figure draped in a Soul Reaper's black robe.
This time, no one would be left behind. For Sin Mal, who was native to the world of "Azure Waters" that had a beginning but no end, leaving with him was far better than continuing to stay here.
Well, "Honkai Impact 3rd" could be directly ruled out. After all, although Sin objectively existed there, she fundamentally didn't exist subjectively.
Of course, she could also freely choose the future she wanted to go to. As for whether she was willing to return to the Cocolia Orphanage behind her, that was her own business.
"Sister Sin, why are you out here? Mother Cocolia said it's time for dinner... Hmm?"
A girl with short dark-blue hair ran out, holding a black cat plushie in her arms.
She had originally wanted to call back Sin, who had run out of the orphanage gate at some unknown time, to have dinner. After all, their Mother Cocolia had just returned from a long business trip and had brought almost all the children in the orphanage the gifts they wanted.
For example, the black cat plushie in Seele's arms was a small gift given to her by Mother Cocolia.
"Sister Sin, this brother is..."
"He is Sin's... older brother."
"Oh, oh, hello! My name is Seele Vollerei, please take care of me!"
Upon seeing the unfamiliar visitor, Seele didn't show any fear or dread. Perhaps because the presence of her trusted Sister Sin made her feel at ease, she bowed obediently towards Suke.
"Seele, what are you doing running outside on such a cold day!"
"Bronya let that old woman Cocolia buy us a lot of fun things. Tonight we can call Sin to join us... Hmm?"
The somewhat tomboyish Bronya also ran out from the orphanage mansion. She was just about to shout a couple of words, but was slightly stunned when she saw Sin and Suke at the orphanage gate.
Suke likewise looked at Bronya, looking at this girl who he had also met before, yet who was destined to be the center of attention no matter which story she was in.
But after a long while, the response he received was...
"Who is this?"
"He is Sister Sin's older brother."
"Oh, oh. Bronya thought it was some weird old man from outside. Then it's fine."
Bronya's vigilant expression relaxed slightly. She looked Suke up and down, as if gazing at a stranger.
...It seemed the reset reincarnation loop that Boss Mabel spoke of was exactly this.
Suke didn't feel particularly sentimental about it. After all, Bronya's story had always been grand and magnificent. To use an actor performing as a metaphor, she had always been that superstar active on the front lines.
And Seele was her important supporting actress counterpart. Basking in her light, Seele equally possessed a pivotal role that extended into a very, very distant future.
As for Sin... not being forgotten was her greatest fortune.
"Sin."
"Have you thought it over? Are you going to continue staying here, or are you leaving with me?"
"Sin wants to leave with Brother."
"Are you sure you won't regret it? You have to know that after leaving, although it's not like you can never come back, you'll probably miss out on knowing a lot of friends in your life."
"It doesn't matter. Sin doesn't care about those things... Sin has already made her decision, Brother."
Sin Mal nodded, then looked at Bronya and Seele beside her:
"Bronya, Seele. It's like this."
"Sister Sin...?"
"You've seen it too. Sin's brother is here, so Sin is no longer an 'orphan'."
The young girl maintained her elegant aristocratic etiquette from beginning to end. She lifted her skirt, smiling faintly.
"So Sin is leaving. She is leaving with Brother, going back to the home Sin belongs to."
"Sin won't be living in the orphanage anymore. Please go tell Mother Cocolia for me, tell her she doesn't need to prepare Sin's dinner."
"? Why... so sudden..."
Hearing Sin's words, both Bronya and Seele were simultaneously stunned.
They wanted to say something. Seele, especially, looked at Sin with eyes full of reluctance and a desire to urge her to stay.
After all, in this story of "Houkai Gakuen 2," she had always liked and been close to this girl.
Even the Sin from the original plot, who would occasionally "bully" her, was like this, let alone this even more perfect Sin Mal?
But ultimately, Seele did not speak the words to urge her to stay, especially after she saw that face of Sin's, which rarely showed a genuine, heartfelt smile.
"...Mhm."
"Then Sister Sin must come back to visit Seele and Sister Bronya when you have time! We can still play together anytime, anywhere..."
"Damn it, Sin! In the past, you only said you had a distant cousin who traveled far away, but you never said this brother of yours was so handsome and looked so rich!"
Before Seele could feel fully sentimental, Bronya's slightly jealous voice appeared, interrupting the sorrowful atmosphere the girl was about to exude.
She looked at Suke's outfit, which was obviously expensive and custom-made by Hikami Meruru at first glance.
Coupled with Suke's inherently handsome character model, the former Siberian mercenary who had braced herself to assassinate Cocolia just for a bite to eat was so jealous she was about to turn into a red-eyed fruit fly!
Bronya also wanted to have a distant relative like this come and take Bronya away. Waaaah!
Alright.
Suke originally thought the farewell scene between Sin and two of the Tri-Stars... oh no, they'd probably have to be renamed "Twin-Stars" or "Two Impermanences" in the future... would be somewhat sad.
But looking at it now, the early-stage Bronya of Houkai Gakuen was still very good at livening up the atmosphere—before experiencing that series of messed-up events, the Mercenary Duckling was indeed much more reliable.
He didn't agree, or rather, following Sin's will, he politely declined Seele's request for Sin to stay in the orphanage for one last night. Under the fading light of the Bus Ticket, Suke took Sin and boarded the bus heading towards the Land of Return.
Sin appeared slightly nervous and expectant. After all, her last trip to Stardew Valley was a long time ago, and she constantly held onto the nostalgia for the prosperous and lush autumn scenery there.
The hidden achievement was unlocked, and the person was taken away. Looking at it this way, had he perfectly resolved Seele's matter?
Sitting on the bus waiting for Tripoka to start the vehicle, Suke looked through the window at the Cocolia Orphanage that constantly stood in the Siberian icefield.
He couldn't help but think that although the difficulty of this so-called "reincarnation loop" was indeed higher than the time with King Solomon, wasn't it just so-so?
And this was supposed to be a Humanity's Trial?
Suke felt that as long as the "black cat" could withstand the oppression of the "Mother" at the start, and figure out a way to induce Sin to defeat Seele without being able to use mighty powers, perhaps the difficulty was just like that. It wasn't to the extent that others definitely couldn't complete it.
After all, there were so many talents across the heavens and myriad worlds, and smart people were everywhere. Even if they didn't have an essence like his, there were definitely people who could pass the trial...
Wait...?
But in the next moment, as his gaze swept across the window of a certain room in the orphanage mansion, Suke froze. He rubbed his eyes, his pupils shrinking slightly.
Underneath the fluttering curtains, a plump female figure whose hairstyle was seventy or eighty percent similar to Seele's, yet who had no face, was standing outside the window, watching him and the bus he was on.
She moved her non-existent lips. In this stage play of a story, she, who played "Seele's Mother"—someone who had never appeared but logically should exist—acted like a true, relieved "Mother" at this very moment.
She softly spoke two syllables that anyone could understand:
[Thank you...]
____
👻🔥Seek: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: Group chat of the Dead
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead of everyone else.
✅ Get cool exclusive stuff and updates!
Let's hit these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = 1 extra chapter for the public!
🚀140 MEMBERS = 5 extra chapters on all stories for supporters!
👻 P - Walnut-chan