"Tsukiyo-nee-chan?"
Purple short hair floated in the air, with blue wing-like hair accessories by her ears, like a purple flower blooming in the void.
A luxurious purple form-fitting dress enveloped the girl's graceful body, outlining her slender figure.
The girl who suddenly appeared before Inaba Tsukiyo was Seele Vollerei, who had disappeared from this world months ago due to a failed experiment.
"You're… Seele? No… impossible, you're already dead. Your body turned into a quantum state and vanished from this world; that's what that witch told me."
Although surprised to see Seele, Inaba Tsukiyo also remembered the fact that Seele had failed in the experiment. Having been Quantization (quantized), she had no ability to reappear in the real world.
"It must… it must be because I'm with Bronya that I'm thinking of Seele. Honestly, I'm not a child anymore; how can I still have such dreams?"
Inaba Tsukiyo shook her head with a wry smile. She did miss Seele, but she didn't expect to see Seele in a dream. It really was… she should be past the age for such dreams.
However, if this was a dream, it was definitely a beautiful one.
After all, she had never seen Seele in the real world, and now she finally had a chance to get a good look at Seele.
With this thought, Inaba Tsukiyo approached Seele, who hadn't yet reacted, and reached out to caress her delicate cheek.
"Tsukiyo-nee-chan…"
Inaba Tsukiyo's somewhat intimate touch made Seele look at her shyly.
Although she and Bronya used to love to fawn over Inaba Tsukiyo, Inaba Tsukiyo had never initiated such contact.
"Indeed… just as I thought, Seele is truly beautiful. Even if this is a dream, I have no regrets."
With a doting smile, Inaba Tsukiyo stroked Seele's hair. She remembered how Seele always liked to sleep with her and Bronya on the grass outside the orphanage, except during summer.
Every time, Inaba Tsukiyo would let Seele and Bronya use her lap as a pillow, claiming it was her older sister's prerogative.
Even though Seele and Bronya were already taller than Inaba Tsukiyo at the time, to spare Inaba Tsukiyo's pride, they didn't object. Instead, they obediently rested their heads on Inaba Tsukiyo's lap, smiling as they enjoyed the brief moments.
"This… this isn't a dream, Tsukiyo-nee-chan. It's really Seele; you've truly met Seele."
The reason Seele came to the academy was because she sensed a powerful presence there, and also to check on Bronya's situation.
She just didn't expect that while observing in this world full of the Sea of Quanta, Inaba Tsukiyo would actually come to this place.
After calming down, Seele noticed Inaba Tsukiyo's internal condition. Inaba Tsukiyo clearly had no Honkai content, but the energy within her body was even higher than that of Raiden Mei, who was the Third Herrscher.
If it were before, Seele wouldn't have been able to discover Inaba Tsukiyo's special nature, but after successfully quantizing, Seele could see many things she couldn't before, just like how she could now clearly see the vast energy within Inaba Tsukiyo's body.
This power was somewhat similar to Honkai Energy, but also different from Honkai Energy. It was a very mysterious energy, and it might also be the reason Inaba Tsukiyo's consciousness could come to the Sea of Quanta.
"This isn't a dream? How is that possible? I didn't undergo any experiment, so how could I meet Seele in a quantum state?"
Inaba Tsukiyo frowned. Seele was in a quantum state; to some extent, Seele was omnipresent. How did she meet Seele?
"No, even in a quantum state, I, Seele, still have a core area. As long as certain conditions are met, you can meet Seele."
"Specific conditions? What conditions? Can these conditions allow you, Seele, to become human again?"
Inaba Tsukiyo and Bronya had promised to work hard to find a way for Seele to return. Since she could enter the Sea of Quanta with her consciousness and meet Seele, if she could seize this opportunity, she might be able to find a clue.
However, Seele also didn't know what these specific conditions were. It had only been a few months since she became like this. Although she really wanted to meet Bronya and Seele again, she couldn't.
As they chatted, just like in the past, the two sat on the ground, with Seele leaning against Inaba Tsukiyo, savoring the long-lost feeling.
Seele told Inaba Tsukiyo about the things she had learned after becoming like this. Her current state could be called a Pseudo-Herrscher; she didn't have a Herrscher core, but she possessed part of a Herrscher's power.
"Actually, when Seele was in the orphanage, she had already discovered her Stigmata. In that experiment, Seele understood that she was the memory carried by the Stigmata. Although her consciousness kept telling her to destroy humanity, Bronya and Tsukiyo are both humans, and there are people among humans that Seele wants to protect. Therefore, Seele chose to stand with humanity."
"...Standing with humanity, does that mean that Herrschers aren't necessarily beings meant to destroy humanity?"
Inaba Tsukiyo recalled the Pseudo-Herrscher she met when she encountered Theresa earlier. Her state should be similar to Seele's, both being Pseudo-Herrschers.
It's just that the other party had very obvious hostility towards humans, spouting very chuunibyou-like words about gaining the power of a god, wanting to purify this world, and eliminating humanity.
But Seele's situation made Inaba Tsukiyo see something different. Besides destroying humanity, Herrschers could also become Guardians of humanity.
"I understand. In your current quantum state, Seele, can you only stay in this world all alone, guarding this place called the Sea of Quanta?"
Seele fell silent, only gripping Inaba Tsukiyo's hand tightly, with increasing force, as if afraid Inaba Tsukiyo would let go.
Staying alone in this Sea of Quanta, without any concept of time, if her own consciousness hadn't been firm, she would probably have been swallowed by that boundless loneliness long ago.
"Is it really okay like this? Bronya wants to find a way to bring Seele back to life. Although I don't know how long it will take, won't you be too lonely like this?"
"It's okay. Even just watching Bronya and Tsukiyo from afar, Seele is already very content. Seele knows that Tsukiyo was very sad because of Seele's matter. Just as Seele loves Bronya and Tsukiyo the most, Tsukiyo also loves Seele very much. So when Seele left, Tsukiyo, you must have been very sad too, right?"
"...Not at all. With one less person to worry about, you have no idea how happy I've been."
Going back to living alone, not needing to worry if Bronya and Seele ate well, not needing to worry if they were bullied by others in the orphanage—these things… these things… they should have been troublesome. But why… why didn't she feel any dislike at all?
Seele gently patted Inaba Tsukiyo's back. Her hand held Inaba Tsukiyo's palm tightly, as if clutching something precious.
'Is there… no way for Seele to leave this Sea of Quanta?'
Although Seele's physical body had been quantumized, her soul was still there. Was there a way for Seele to leave this lonely world and go out to see the outside with her?
With the power she had now, she really couldn't help with this matter, after all, those were all combat abilities, there was no method to solve this kind of problem.
"I… don't want to be separated from you. I don't want to experience being separated from someone important a second time."
Inaba Tsukiyo did not want to feel this heart-rending pain again. Even though she knew Seele was still alive, past memories made Inaba Tsukiyo want to help Seele.
This thought grew stronger and stronger in Inaba Tsukiyo's mind. Along with this thought, Inaba Tsukiyo's aura suddenly changed, and her crimson pupils began to shift continuously.
Blue, crimson, gold—with each change in color, Inaba Tsukiyo's aura grew more intense.
This made Seele, who was beside her, look at Inaba Tsukiyo with some fear, but she was also worried if Inaba Tsukiyo's immense energy was going out of control because she was too sad.
"Come back with me… Seele. Even if you no longer have a body capable of bearing this power, then… let my body be the vessel for your soul, and let us return to our world together."
Finally, Inaba Tsukiyo's pupils turned completely golden. Under those slightly sacred pupils, Inaba Tsukiyo's words were like truth itself. Even though Seele instinctively wanted to refuse, she couldn't utter a word of refusal.
However, through the power of quantum, or her power as a Pseudo-Herrscher, Seele felt an unprecedented intensity in Nangong Lina's aura.
"Could it be… Tsukiyo, are you actually… a divine being?"
Seele looked at Inaba Tsukiyo in shock, completely not expecting that Inaba Tsukiyo, with whom she had such an intimate relationship, actually had such an identity. (Big shot)
Inaba Tsukiyo held Seele's hand, and a surge of power flowed through her wrist into Seele's body.
This power, which did not belong to Honkai Energy, was not repelled by the Honkai Energy within Seele's body; instead, they combined, becoming an even stronger force.
At the same time, Seele's body began to transform into a blue quantum state. These quanta flowed into Inaba Tsukiyo's body, combining with Inaba Tsukiyo's physical form.
This state lasted for a long time. Soon, Inaba Tsukiyo in the real world got up from her bed, wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Opening her eyes, what was different from usual was that her normally crimson pupils now had a sapphire blue left eye, but this was not due to using that power, but rather the influence of another soul within her.
"It worked…"
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