In an instant, Lunelle felt as if she'd stumbled upon something truly staggering.
Fine beads of sweat instantly drenched her clothes.
But what really sealed the deal was the simulator interface—usually calm as still water—choosing precisely this moment to pop up with a downright earth-shattering notification.
[You have unexpectedly discovered a special secret hidden within you.]
[Aware that her existence has been exposed, the residual consciousness of the individual named "Seele" gradually manifests within your mind.]
"So the Seele from the Previous Era really is still alive?! And she's been hiding deep inside my consciousness all along?"
As the simulator's major notification faded, Lunelle felt a strange, wrenching pang deep in her mind.
Only then did she realize—a deeply buried, eerie sense of wrongness was rapidly swelling in her heart, like a dagger unveiled from a map.
Within what should have been Lunelle's private mental space, a faint, illusory silhouette had truly appeared.
And its form was all too familiar to Lunelle.
After all, the image of this phantom in her mind was none other than that other "Crimson-Eyed Seele"—the one from the last simulation who had completely stripped her of bodily control and gotten her shot dead by Fire Moth!
But the "Seele" now appearing in Lunelle's consciousness clearly wasn't a solid, fully-formed awareness like last time. More crucially, this "Seele" didn't seem to have completely devolved into a mindless killing machine like she had during their first encounter in the simulation!
"Why are you suppressing the urge to kill? Since you're also Seele, you should understand me, shouldn't you?"
A voice trembling with brutality and madness slowly emanated from the spectral figure before Lunelle.
Hearing this challenge from the other "Crimson-Eyed Seele," Lunelle's heart lurched in alarm, yet she also sensed a glimmer of hope—a possible way out of this deadlock.
After all, while the "Crimson-Eyed Seele" before her showed clear signs of losing all emotion and becoming a puppet of the Honkai—just like in the last simulation—
It seemed that this time, by forcing "Seele" out early without first activating that bloodlust, the key catalyst—that very "urge to kill"—which would have fully triggered the Herrscher of Death, was missing.
So now, the "Crimson-Eyed Seele" before her, perhaps because her Herrscher persona hadn't fully developed, had managed to retain a small fragment of the original Seele's consciousness… from before her gentle life was cut short.
Still, seeing her beloved Seele in this clearly corrupted, frenzied state, Lunelle could guess exactly which part of that consciousness had survived.
"I'm sorry, Seele. If I hadn't done this, I might not have been able to talk to you normally… though I suppose I can't really be considered Seele."
"But I do know a little about what happened to you. The reason I'm here is to help you, if I can."
Holding onto a thread of hope, Lunelle spoke in the softest tone she could muster, testing whether this "Seele" before her was the same person she had imagined.
"Hm? You say you're not Seele?!"
"Heh… If even you don't count as Seele… then what am I?"
Hearing Lunelle outright deny being Seele, "Crimson-Eyed Seele" reacted as if she'd heard the world's greatest joke, emotionally refuting Lunelle's words on the spot.
And as for telling the truth only to have nobody believe her—Lunelle was just about fed up with it.
'But I really am not Seele!'
Though it felt odd to be internally grumbling within her own mind, Lunelle couldn't help but complain.
She was stating plain facts, so why was it that hardly anyone ever believed her?
However, "Crimson-Eyed Seele," noticing the clear, ocean-blue eyes of Lunelle's mental form—eyes so pure they held not a trace of shadow or negativity—seemed to suddenly understand.
"Oh? So that's how it is… You dare to forget everything you once experienced?!"
"Since you remember nothing, what could you possibly understand standing here now?"
"You understand nothing at all! Yet you presume to say you want to help me? How utterly ridiculous!"
"Seele, can't we… just talk this through properly?"
Feeling her beloved Seele's attitude growing increasingly hostile and even disgusted toward her,
Lunelle, utterly at a loss, felt genuinely stumped. She could roughly guess that "Seele" was angry about something she had forgotten.
'But if I don't remember, I just don't remember!'
No matter how much of a 'panicky king' Lunelle might be, she obviously couldn't force into existence all the memories of her beloved Seele out of thin air.
"Hmph! Though your forgetting infuriates me… if you truly wish to help me… then suffer this pain alongside me once more!"
Hearing Lunelle's words, "Crimson-Eyed Seele" let out a cold snort.
Then, as if struck by an amusing idea, a savage, bloodthirsty gleam flashed in her crimson eyes.
In an instant, her ethereal, alluring form appeared right beside Lunelle's consciousness, and she suddenly reached out, wrapping her arms tightly around Lunelle's slender waist—which was now identical to Seele's.
"Huh? Seele? You… what are you…?"
Caught off guard by the sudden, clearly ill-intentioned advance, Lunelle was startled by "Crimson-Eyed Seele's" bold move.
Perhaps because "Crimson-Eyed Seele's" form wasn't fully solidified yet, even though Lunelle was held tightly around the waist, it seemed that if Lunelle really wanted to, she could definitely break free from this not-too-strong hold.
But…
"Oh? Didn't you say you wanted to help me? This unwillingness to cooperate doesn't seem like someone who wants to help at all!"
Sensing Lunelle's instinctive struggle, "Crimson-Eyed Seele" pressed closer to Lunelle's ear, tightening her grip while emphasizing the words Lunelle had spoken earlier about wanting to help.
Clearly, "Crimson-Eyed Seele" was now using Lunelle's expressed desire to help as leverage, coercing her not to resist.
Otherwise, with Lunelle's consciousness holding the absolute advantage, "Crimson-Eyed Seele" had no confidence she could fully corrode and seize control of the body.
Faced with this warning from her beloved Seele, and fearing she might upset Seele further, Lunelle had no choice but to obediently stop struggling.
"Yes… just like that. Be good… don't move~"
"After all… you wouldn't want Seele to be completely disappointed in you, would you?"
Seeing Lunelle actually give up all resistance after just a few harmless threats, the smile on "Crimson-Eyed Seele's" face grew even more enchantingly beautiful.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.