Chapter 288: Sour and Irritable Veliona!
Seele curiously asked Kiana why she had never seen her in the cafeteria before.
Kiana avoided her gaze without leaving any trace, and said with a sideways glance,
"Ah... well, I usually come at this time."
"This time?" Seele thought, "Training time? She's even saving time on meals? Wow, she's even more amazing than I thought!" Seele's admiration for Kiana grew even stronger.
After that, Bronya and Kiana started chatting about the whereabouts of the Herrscher of Sentience. Since the battle at Mount Taixu, she hadn't been seen again, but there hadn't been any reports of Honkai Eruption caused by her either.
Regarding their conversation, it was difficult for Seele to get involved in the conversation for a while, so she could only wait eagerly.
"By the way, are you going to investigate the out-of-control mechs in Salt Lake City tomorrow?" Bronya asked casually, as if unintentionally.
"Yes, the doctor is short on hands over there and needs my help... Why? Bronya, is there anything you need me to bring for you?"
Kiana put one hand on her waist and looked at Bronya with a smile. She had already returned to the familiar look she had with her before.
"No... it's just that Seele also needs to go to Salt Lake City tomorrow, so you two can go together."
"...Sure."
Kiana nodded kindly to Seele and went back to prepare.
Watching Kiana's departing figure, Bronya remained silent for a moment. After Kiana was out of sight, she sighed.
Compared to herself, Kiana had changed even more, almost like a different person.
That's why she wanted Seele to accompany Kiana, to help her relax a bit.
"Me? But Bronya, you've spent more time with Kiana and know her better, right?" Seele asked, puzzled.
"Some things are too difficult to say precisely because you know someone so well."
Bronya hesitated for a moment before continuing,
"When we first arrived at the Anti-Entropy base, Kiana wasn't like this... When we ate together, many Anti-Entropy staff members showed... anxiety upon seeing Kiana,"
Bronya carefully chose her words, but she couldn't lie about the situation.
During Kiana's meals, the area around her was always quite empty, even if Dr. Einstein and other high-ranking officials sat nearby, it didn't help.
There wasn't much overt dislike or slander; they simply distanced themselves silently from Kiana.
...just like the cold violence (emotional neglect and isolation) people are most skilled at.
"For ordinary people, fear and concern aren't emotions that can be easily overcome—this kind of situation is bound to be encountered sooner or later."
"She doesn't overly care about others' opinions and clearly understands the thoughts of those who care about her. What she might need... is kindness from others..."
Bronya gazed towards the spot where Kiana's figure had disappeared. Now, Kiana had become mature and calm, no longer bottling everything up inside.
But for her... this world seemed to have changed even more.
"Seele, you are thoughtful and empathetic, always able to notice things that others can't."
She smiled at Seele and praised Seele's strengths.
[Tuna 's voice is really distressing... ]
[Because Tuna lost control once? Ordinary people, but in her heart, she was clearly trying to protect those ordinary people. ]
[How can there be such a person? If I saw this in real life, I would punch them twice! Tuna is so pitiful, doing so much yet still having to live on the fringes of society...
---
"Herrscher... it's so tragic. Should Herrschers really be treated this way?"
Elysia looked at the scenes in the game, feeling a bit sorrowful.
If she had revealed her Herrscher identity from the very beginning, her fate would have been even worse than Kiana's.
This made her feel somewhat sympathetic but also conflicted at the same time.
This should have been something that had been known to happen for a long time. Did he ignore it because he saw how carefree and playful they were in reality?
"They... might just need some time to get used to Herrschers, Ellie. They're afraid of the unknown. Once they get familiar, maybe they will..."
Eden frowned, trying to find the right words to lift Elysia's spirits.
"Even after they get familiar, it won't make any difference. They're afraid of great power. Even if you bind your hands, no one will stop the persecution!"
Kalpas cold voice came from a short distance away, as if flames of nothingness were burning behind him.
It seemed he had been watching from the beginning and knew the whole story.
Humans are always like this—ignorant and foolish, disregarding truth and falsehood, right and wrong, only seeing what they want to see...
"Maybe, but... I believe that in the end, people's views on Kiana will change."
Elysia was depressed for a moment, but quickly cheered up again and said firmly.
She is still willing to believe in the glory of human nature, even if she sees more of the evil in human nature.
"Hmph, she plays the protagonist in there... If she were just an ordinary person, Wendy... what would the outcome be?"
Kalpas said calmly, holding his hands in front of his chest.
...
[Your sister Bronya has good judgment. That's right, my Seele is just that excellent! ] Veliona voice whispered softly, as if she was afraid of being overheard by someone.
"Are Bronya's words... really true?"
Seele looked at Bronya, who was looking sideways and close at hand, with shining eyes. It turns out that her sister... does she think of herself this way?
[...Stop with the constant "sister" this and "sister" that, Seele. You need to have some opinions of your own and not always look to her. ]
Veliona advised earnestly, feeling a bit exasperated. Why was it always about Bronya? Wasn't it annoying?
Couldn't she pay attention to someone closer to her? Had she never thought about who had been helping her all this time? Seriously!
If this keeps up... if this keeps up, I might really consider putting a caterpillar in front of her. Who told her to ignore me so much?
Just like in the game, it must be fun to release one while Seele is dazed.
Will she run into my arms then? After all, it seems I can complete the body creation now.
Soft and cuddly Seele... it's really something to look forward to!
Dark Seele daydreamed about the future, completely unaware of the social embarrassment that lay ahead, stretching endlessly into the distance.
The Herrscher of Sentience kept glancing in Seele's direction, a sly smile playing on her lips, as if she was plotting something.
Who would have thought the other Seele could be so interesting? Teasing her a bit would surely be a lot of fun!
Meanwhile, Bronya gently stroked Seele's hair, looking at her girl with delight.
Seele belongs to Bronya!
"Kiana~" came Mei's soft voice from the other side.
"Oh, Mei Mei, I think there's some truth in what was said in there. Without you, without your meals, I really can't muster any appetite."
As soon as Mei called, Kiana immediately started acting pitiful in front of her.
With teary eyes and nuzzling like a cat, Mei's heart softened instantly. Besides, it seemed like it was her fault...
Kiana admitted her mistake so quickly that Mei forgot about it.
"So, are you saying that next time I go out, I need to leave enough food for you first?"
Mei looked helplessly at the clingy Kiana in front of her, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her from nuzzling any further.
"Then, Mei, why do you need to go out? Can't we go together?"
Kiana slightly raised her head, looking seriously at Mei, who was a bit taller than her.
Could it be... Mei wants to secretly experiment with some delicious food again? In that case, she must take me with her!
"Uh..." Mei was at a loss for words as she looked at Kiana. Upon closer thought, there didn't seem to be anything urgent.
At most, that girl Elysia looked a bit anxious. Inspired by Kiana and Bronya, she wanted to improve her skills too... so she offered to help Mei.
It shouldn't... be a problem, right?
Mei thought about it. After all, the boss said that the other party was very powerful.
---
On their way to Salt Lake City,
Kiana and Seele gradually began to open up to each other. As it turned out, Bronya was right. Both the empathetic Seele and Kiana, who was open to new kindness, quickly became familiar with each other.
While shopping for gifts, Kiana was constantly amazed at Seele's ability to build good relationships with people.
However, while tracking the rogue mechs, things didn't go so smoothly. As they explored step by step, they discovered that the only witness, John Doe, had already disappeared.
The trail went cold, and they had to start over with this person as their focus.
During this journey, Veliona was noticeably more irritable, like a powder keg ready to explode at the slightest provocation.
When Seele tried to help Kiana based on her own experiences,
She said, [Huh? What do you mean by that? Do you think I'm the same as that Sirin? Dangerous, violent, cold—are you comparing me to someone like that?]
After Seele quickly denied and apologized,
She continued, [Then tell me—what am I to you?] Seeing Seele open her mouth but not knowing what to say, she looked even more displeased but still stubbornly added, [Ah, forget it... Anyway, I won't abandon you. What would you do without me?]
When Seele followed the clues to find out the name of the student,
She said, [See, even the teacher doesn't pay attention to him. Sigh, how unfortunate, a pitiful person with no presence.]
When Seele finally, with a troubled expression, asked why she was so irritable today,
She responded, [Huh? Me? Not at all~ Speaking of which, aren't you still going to ask about the location of the mecha accident? the Great Detective – Sher(le)lock Holmes?]
[Sirin: I feel somewhat insulted...]
[Seele: What's going on... Why does it always smell sour whenever the other me speaks? ]
[Dark Seele: Why? Why is it Kiana? Seele has already made new friends... As expected, it's best to kill her and tie up Seele, so she belongs to me alone. ]
[Cute Seele, feeling jealous online.]
[Got it, Sher(le)lock Holmes and FuKi! Completely fitting the detective process and names. By the way, I'm a FuKi shipper. Mei has left, but that's something we can't help, right? ]
(FuKi Fu Hua Kiana)
---
"Huh? The other me... doesn't want me to make other friends?"
Seele touched her cheek with her delicate hand, her big eyes filled with some confusion.
But isn't the other self always saying she's a coward, afraid of everything, always lonely and unable to be apart from her?
She thought... she hoped she would make more friends, become more independent and self-reliant.
[You, I, of course, I hope you become more independent, less of a coward... But sometimes, you can rely on others a bit, like %%]
"The other me, are you talking about Sister Bronya? I will try to rely on her, so don't worry too much about me…"
Seele hadn't heard the last word and could only guess.
So the other me cares about me this much? She must be worried that I'm pushing myself too hard… I must not disappoint her expectations.
[??]
"Hahaha——, it's so interesting, oh, the daily life between the two Seele is so interesting, I almost want to live in the old antique's head, "
The Herrscher of Sentience laughed loudly from the side, and winked at Seele, as if foreshadowing something, but the smile on his face was even more obvious.
Seele felt puzzled by this, finding it somewhat strange.
However, her expression instantly made Dark Seele inside understand who had blocked out the most crucial word earlier.
Damn, she clearly wanted to say it was about herself!
It took a lot of effort to muster up the courage... but she lost so completely, ugh!
But now, she didn't know how to explain it, and the courage she had gathered had already dissipated, making her increasingly displeased with the Herrscher of Sentience.
[Hmph——, do as you like, anyway, it seems you still have to rely on me] An arrogant voice sounded, but she still refused to bow her head.
Meanwhile, Kiana and Mei were whispering to each other.
"Hey, is there something wrong with Seele inside you?"
"Probably... I haven't encountered anything like this before," Mei's voice sounded hesitant, her alter ego inside her having been silent for a while.
"Tsk~. True to form, Seele. Bronya's love rival turns out to be the very object of her affection?" Kiana muttered.
"Little Senti, there's really no need for you to move in..." Fu Hua replied with a forced smile.
The Herrscher of Sentience lives in her head or something, seeing how she likes to make trouble...
She would probably constantly chat with her, never stopping. Fu Hua, being very rational, firmly rejected the Herrscher of Sentience proposal.
"Hey, I can refrain from going, but you can't refuse me. I've decided, there will be opportunities in the future, sooner or later!" the Herrscher of Sentience furrowed her brows.
what happened? That guy can live in Seele's body, why can't she stay in the same body as Old Antique?
Just now, she was mocking the other person, could it be... that in the end, the other person could easily do what she couldn't?
No, no, this is not okay,
If that's the case... won't she become the one being laughed at in the end?
" Alas -" Fu Hua sighed with a headache. For the Herrscher of Sentience who always had innovative ideas, even the immortal who had learned the coaxing manual was a little difficult to deal with.
It would be better to say that in this class, what was rare for her was not an excellent grade, but a passing grade, which made her even more puzzled.
Is there something I am so bad at?
---
In the final witness's apartment, Seele spotted a ticket on the table.
The so-called ticket displayed a name no one had ever heard of, not even for a popular concert, but for a theatre—Dominate Theatre.
"Foolish Jack, foolish Jack, obsessed with pumpkins, foolish Jack. He lifted his beloved pumpkin, the pumpkin bit off his head."
Seele decided not to risk herself further and returned to report to Anti-Entropy for further conclusions.
But at that moment, on the other side, Black Seele seemed to hear something,
"That's right, she doesn't need you anymore."
"Who grows up and still talks to dolls? Dolls, in the end, all end up in the trash."
"We are all people who are not needed. We are all people who should not exist in this world."
"To be hated, to be isolated, to be abandoned, that's the most fitting ending for you, the most fitting ending for us!"
At first, the voices sounded somewhat normal, but as they continued, they became increasingly frenzied, even carrying a nauseating undertone.
It sounded like the turning of mechanical gears, not a tone a normal person could produce, carrying a sense of hatred towards the world, along with a heart-wrenching despair and madness, fervently declaring the desolation of this world that made her feel so melancholic.
"Who, who's there?" Veliona cautious voice scanned the surroundings, but there was no one in sight.
"What... what's happening? Another me?"
This voice could only be heard by Veliona, and Seele seemed completely unaware of it.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone