The journey into the Sea of Quanta had, for now, come to an end. Elysia invited Mobius to stay by the seaside and relax for a while, but Mobius turned her down.
After that, Elysia took Vya out to play in the ocean. While she was at it, she somehow dragged back a massive whale too.
A few days later, back at the base.
During the time Vya and Elysia were away, Himeko continued to wander the base.
She was like a ghost, which was not far from the truth.
Still, she had confirmed one thing. Vya could definitely see her.
And the reason she had ended up like this might even be connected to Vya.
It was because not long ago, she had overheard Mei and Mobius talking about Vya. She had not meant to eavesdrop, but she did catch bits and pieces.
In her current state, she could not do much of anything, but listening in on conversations was certainly convenient. Passing the information along, though, was another matter.
These days, she was living a life of unprecedented leisure.
No combat briefings. No training sessions. No leading squads on missions.
At first, the emptiness nearly drove her mad, but little by little, a strange calm settled over her.
All those old obsessions, worry for her teammates, the pressure of fighting the Honkai, even her fear of her own death, faded away like a receding tide.
'Himeko sis~ ˶╹ꇴ╹˶~'
Hearing that familiar call, Himeko smiled.
Little Vya always seemed to be like this, waking up early every morning.
So when most of the base was still asleep, one big and one small figure would meet in the hallway, sharing a stretch of time undisturbed by anyone else.
Himeko was glad for it. Having someone this lively to talk to every day probably saved her from completely falling apart.
'Good morning, Vya.'
Himeko waved cheerfully.
'Hehe ◍•ᴗ•◍'
Vya skidded to a stop in front of her, tilting her small face upward.
'Sis is up really early~'
'So are you,' Himeko replied with a smile.
'Let's go!'
Vya said brightly.
And so the two of them walked and chatted in easy rhythm.
These days, Himeko had been watching everything in the base.
What certain people were up to, she had more or less known already.
What worried her most, though, was Hua, Carol, and the rest of the team.
'Mobius sis went to see Sakura sis recently. I don't know what they talked about, but it seemed like it was about surgery or something…'
The little girl tilted her head as she recalled it, her white hair swaying gently with the motion.
She did not mention how, not long ago, Elysia and Mobius had stayed alone in the lab for a long time.
But she had sneaked a look. Light had bloomed inside the operating room.
And after sis came out, the light around her seemed even brighter.
Maybe that was all there was to it.
'I see…'
Himeko thought it over. She more or less understood the matter of the fusion warriors by now.
Kevin, the one who had nearly killed her, was the first successful subject.
The second was Elysia. She seemed to have gained the ability to control crystals.
But she used it with such ease, as if she had possessed that power for a very long time.
…
For Elysia, it was certainly something worth being happy about. She no longer needed to hide when using her abilities.
And even the other powers she had.
They could all be said to be bonuses that came with becoming a fusion warrior.
There was, however, one thing that seemed odd. Mobius no longer appeared to be in any hurry to become a fusion warrior herself.
Elysia remembered that Mobius used to be quite eager about it.
Especially when she was the one performing Elysia's surgery.
Maybe something had changed her mind.
…
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