Battle Against Myself · Part Nine

Just like playing a visual novel (is that what it's called?), different choices lead to different endings.

A strong will to survive might avert a disastrous outcome that could have led to a brutal and disastrous result, while an absurd move could turn an easy question into a death trap.

I'd like to specifically criticize a certain blockhead here. If Xiao Shi had even half of Seele's emotional intelligence, Xiao Shi wouldn't have broken up with you so quickly.

How did you manage to turn a simple, slightly difficult dungeon into a hellish difficulty level?!

When Luming Lady had run away from home, pondered this question, she silently labeled her Fu Hua's Father small breasts and no brains.

—Ahem, at the end of this Movie Version, these two will reconcile, in every sense of the word—

Oh, and let's have a surprise question session.

It is known that Xing's mother is Theresa and her father is Fu Zhuangshi.

Luming's father is Brother Jie, but who is her mother?

(Ah, no other meaning, Luming and Xing are the same person, just a character bound by form.)

Oh, right, some inhuman reader asked me in a private post if I would have a pregnant belly in my Luming. What's even more outrageous is that he said he'd rather see a pregnant belly in my dreams?!

This Silly Loli is heartbroken. Are the readers of this book even more perverted than me?

And how did you know that?!

Ahem, every time Xing finishes a meal, she looks pregnant. Is there anything wrong with me saying that?

—Let's have some fun! As long as we live, the fun and mischief will never stop!!! —

Timing: Both sides' pre-battle preparations

"How about it, want to lend me a hand?"

When the woman Thousand Worlds her resting after her fun, Herrscher of Consciousness initially didn't want to pay attention to her, but the next sentence made her open her eyes.

"Fu Hua from that world is still alive."

That alone wouldn't be enough to impress the great Herrscher of Consciousness; the key point is what follows.

"Moreover, she seems to have a child. When I was investigating St. Freya Academy in that world, I found a large number of parenting-related books and textbooks in her room, and judging from the way the pages were turned upside down, she read them very frequently."

The Herrscher of Consciousness frowned slightly, slowly got out of bed, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

"Interesting, take me to play."

—Fu Hua: ...My son's rebellion has broken my heart.—

Timeframe: Before the start of the war

(A cute little boy suddenly smashes Crimson Kite Bird into her face. Are you sure it's not your fault?)

The seawater surged onto the beach, submerging her ankles.

Fu Hua strolled quietly through the crowd, seemingly oblivious to the winter chill.

Let her be quiet, and don't ask her who Jingjing is.

I had planned to use Christmas to mend the rift with my child and strengthen our bond, but...

"Why is it that the words are on the tip of my tongue but I just can't say them..."

The 50,000-year-old giant flatbed kicked a pebble on the beach, revealing an unusually sorrowful expression.

"How can I get closer to that child? Even though we're only mother and child genetically, and what we call each other doesn't matter, but... but why is Theresa like this..."

The thought of her son calling Theresa "Mom," "Stupid Mom," "Silly Mom," "Dumb Mom," "Dumb Mom," "Clumsy Mom," etc., Fu Hua with a pang of jealousy. "I wish I could be called that too..."

Even though she was called an immortal, she was still just an ordinary girl, and human emotions and desires were inevitable.

"Even if he calls me 'Dad,' I want to hear him acknowledge that I am what his parents call me..."

Mom Hua, or rather, Fu Hua's Father, thought to himself, almost giving up on himself.

"Get out of here, you Shenzhou tablet, don't disturb my sleep."

One morning during the Christmas celebrations at the St. Freya Academy, Fu was thinking of taking her son for a long-awaited morning run when she knocked on the door and was hit in the face with a pillow. As expected, she was then almost violently kicked out by Fu.

Is Shenzhou... tablet the brand name of a new tablet computer?

A curious old man looked it up online and eventually, through the playful banter of his female classmates, he grasped the true meaning of the term.

Bang!!!

Thinking of this, Fu Hua's face fell with a few black lines. She threw a punch forward and forcibly combed Da Hai's hair into a middle part.

"Phew~ Impatience and restlessness make it difficult to achieve great things."

The immortal exhaled and withdrew his fist. After calming down, he re-examined the sea area.

She came here for a reason: five thousand years ago, this place was a piece of land.

Even though her memory is hazy, she still wants to come here to pay her respects to her old friend.

"Rest in peace, Cang Xuan, Dan Zhu, Jilin... I will Little Xing you."

Fu Hua poured a cup of sake, sprinkled it into the seawater, and said softly.

"Achoo!" Jilin, who was sleeping in the Stigmata Space, suddenly sneezed.

"Achoo!" The twins, who were planning the merchandise project for Luming Lady, also sneezed in unison.

After the ceremony, Fu Hua continued her stroll along the beach, hoping to calm her agitated emotions through the tranquility of nature.

"Speaking of which, even though that child's body was in such a bad state, he could still unleash tremendous power from time to time, which is much stronger than mine."

Fu Hua sighed when she thought of his last transformation into the alienated Yun Mo (a voluptuous version of Xiao Shi). She was truly gone without power; she needed to burn some of her memories to unleash a powerful attack. But this kid's power surge was as easy as eating and drinking. Could this be the legendary "the new wave of the Yangtze River pushes the old wave forward, and the old wave dies on the beach"?

Thankfully, this kid doesn't hold grudges and has excellent control over his power, otherwise I probably would have been thrown off Earth last time...

PS: Powerful strength needs to be controlled, otherwise it can easily cause destruction. Therefore, when teaching Xing Wuyi, Fu Hua specifically trained him in the control of force.

As she walked, Fu Hua stopped, and a familiar figure came into view.

A gray-haired girl lay lazily on a rock by the sea, wearing short sleeves and shorts, as if sunbathing.

However, wearing a summer swimsuit to sunbathe in winter seems inappropriate, doesn't it?

Seeing this, Fu Hua took a deep breath, exerted a little force with her feet, created a few ripples on the water, and jumped onto the reef where she was.

Light-footed water-skimming skill!

"It's so cold, why are you only wearing these few clothes?" Mom Hua squatted down and scolded, pulling out a blanket from somewhere and covering the girl's bare abdomen.

???

IF Xiao Shi blankly took off his sunglasses and looked at Fu Hua in front of him incredulously. What's going on? Is this ancient being enlightened?

No, no, she must have mistaken me for her child, right? This... should I say you're a caring and loving mother, or a careless and stupid mother who didn't even realize she mistook her child for someone else's?

Interesting. Let's see if this old-fashioned dog can produce anything of value before we start playing with it.

IF Xiao Shi thought so.

(Hereinafter referred to as Xiao Shi. Ahem, please note that the Herrscher of Consciousness who officially appears in this book is named "Fu Shi," not this person.)

(Ah, this person is really unlucky, running into Black Xing.)

(Let me explain what Black Xing's strength is: the extent to which he possesses and can maximize all of Yuki's destructive abilities.)

(Simply put, below Flame-Chasers, I am invincible; above Flame-Chasers, if you all come at me, I'll trade one for thirteen.)

P. S.: I'm not kidding. You'll see later whether there's any power level collapse here.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Fu Hua sighed softly, sat down next to her, and said gently, "Are you still angry with me?"

"No, not at all, really."

Xiao Shi pursed his lips, tilted his head, and said casually.

"Sigh, she's still angry."

Fu Hua took her hand, startled. "It's so cold! I've told you so many times to take care of yourself. What if you catch a cold?"

Without saying another word, he picked up Xiao Shi and jumped to the shore, where he quickly lit a bonfire with a series of dazzling movements. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Hmm, not bad." Xiao Shi rubbed his hands together, his voice revealing no emotion.

"What happened before...it was indeed my fault. You have your own thoughts and your own understanding. I shouldn't have imposed my ideas on you. You are an independent individual, not a substitute for me. I shouldn't have just dumped what I thought was good on you without asking your opinion."

Fu Hua spoke, she came to face Xiao Shi, took her hand, and asked sincerely, "Please tell your mother the truth, do you think I'm a terrible parent?"

Xiao Shi shuddered, jerked her hand away as if electrocuted, and jumped several meters away, yelling, "Don't get so close to me! And don't say such mushy things, it's disgusting!"

Fu Hua stood frozen in place, a hint of desolation flashing in her eyes.

PS: If it were the biological son here, he would have the same reaction; he's still angry from before.

"And look at you! You're more like a father than a mother!"

Puff!

Fu Hua was struck in the back by an arrow, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "My son," she cried, "I know you're very unhappy with me, but you can't attack me personally because of my physical defect, can you? I'm a woman, after all..."

"Flat chest! And such an honest-looking face! Clumsy with words! There's not a single part of you that's feminine. I really don't understand, what man could possibly be interested in someone like you!"

Puff!!!

With his back riddled with arrows Fu Hua's Father collapsed to the ground, bleeding profusely, and silently weeping.

(Imagine Fu Hua with arrows stuck in her back bearing words like "Shenzhou Tablet," "Old-fashioned," "Dumb Tongue," and "Tomboy." Ah, the art style is definitely Martian!)

Xiao Shi huffed and puffed as she Fu Hua a lecture, wondering which unlucky person in this world had taken a liking to this old relic. Judging from her reaction, this kid was probably quite old, maybe even several hundred years old...

Wait, they're still looking at a parenting manual, they must have just been born...

Wait a minute. Knowing this old-fashioned guy's nature, maybe he gave the child to another family to raise when he was born, and then when the child grew up and went out to experience life, he would have an unexpected encounter with her, recognize the child, and realize that he wanted to acknowledge her, but the child held a grudge against her and refused to acknowledge her... Hmm, that must be it, just like me!

With a quick dart of activity and a rapid brainstorming session, Xiao Shi, unaware that he had actually guessed part of the truth, was Xiao Shi pleased with himself. Meanwhile, Fu Hua, feeling the heartache of parents everywhere, nearly became depressed.

"I'm sorry..." Fu Hua said weakly.

"What's the use of saying sorry?!" Xiao Shi yelled at her. "Do you think a simple 'sorry' can erase everything you've done to me?!"

"At least I should fold my clothes and kneel down to apologize, right?" the Silly Loli who was typing thought to herself, but after a moment's thought, she felt bored and continued to concentrate on typing.

"I..." Fu Hua paused, about to say something, when she suddenly saw that Xiao Shi's eyes were full of tears.

She saw a deep sense of grievance, confusion, anger... and a sliver of expectation.

Fu Hua took a deep breath and mustered her courage to make a decision that went against her usual persona. To Xiao Shi's astonishment, she quickly stepped forward and hugged Xiao Shi.

The familiar, warm embrace made her stiffen. Just as she was about to break free, she heard Fu Hua say in her ear, "I know that no matter what I say, you won't forgive me, but can you please give me another chance? Just one chance, give me another chance to be a parent, okay?"

"This time, I will not force you to do anything. You have your own judgment and your own understanding. My experience will not be of any help to you. But, but, from now on, I will always stand by your side and give you any help I can. I swear, I swear to you in the name of Elysia."

Xiao Shi trembled all over, never expecting to feel the warmth she once felt from Fu Hua in her own world again. Memories that she thought she had abandoned resurfaced in her mind.

Hey, you're... another me? I like you!

What? Not another me, but... Hey, so that's how it is according to you?

Why do you look so surprised? Are you wondering why I accepted the fact that I'm not "Fu Hua" so easily?

Ha, why would I want to possess something so old and outdated? I was just born, with plenty of time to develop my own future, why should I be bound by your memories?

Oh, right. Since I was born from your body... then, can we be considered as one and the other...?

Oh, you're blushing? Hehe, speaking of which, you've been a virgin for tens of thousands of years, haven't you ever thought about finding someone to marry and having a child? Pity, how pathetic~

Oh, you're asking if I can give your body back? No problem, no problem. I'll just go to the hospital and find someone who's about to die to possess. It'll even help extend their life. Consider it doing a good deed.

You're saying I should transfer all my consciousness into a feather of Feather Crossing Dust, and then clone a body for me and put it inside? Okay, okay, thank you for your trouble!

The immortal hesitated for a moment, then resolutely crushed the red feather in his hand.

I'm sorry, but all of this is for the sake of all living beings.

Old relic... what did you just do?

What happened?!

I... originally intended to play a prank on you, so I only left a sliver of my consciousness inside to fool you, while my true form remained on the other feathers, but you...

You lied to me, Mom!!!

"No way, no way, there really can't be any readers who can break down after reading this lousy book of mine, right?"

(So, these are some examples of how to turn an easy question into a death trap. Please take heed of these examples.)

Feeling her warm touch, Xiao Shi unconsciously relaxed, lying on her knees, letting Fu Hua gently pat her back and listen to her tell the words that had been buried in her heart for a long time.

"I'm a pretty inflexible person and don't know how to adapt. Luckily, I met my first friend when I was in school. She took me to many places and introduced me to many new friends. I'm very grateful to her. Without her, I'm afraid my personality would be even more taciturn than it is now."

"Was I a bit too harsh on you before? I heard you complaining of pain every day, but then you stopped making a sound during training. I thought you were sulking, but you said you got used to the pain..."

A few tears fell on Xiao Shi's face. She shrank back, a hint of jealousy rising in her eyes for the immortal's son she had never met.

"You child, you always like to take everything on your own and don't like to talk to me. Yes, I'm an old-fashioned person who doesn't understand anything and can't fit into your young people's circle or bridge that generation gap, but it's always better to say it than to keep it to yourself, right?"

"By the way, Mom has something to ask you."

"What?"

Fu Hua patted Xiao Shi's chest and asked in a depressed tone, "You looked pretty big last time, didn't you? How come you've shrunk back? Could it be that my genes have reverted?"

Xiao Shi's lips twitched a few times; he almost couldn't resist the urge to punch this old relic to death.

Wait, according to her, she must have given birth to a daughter who looks a lot like me, and that daughter is... quite big?

Xiao Shi looked down at her flat airport and felt a pang of sadness.

What kind of genes does her dad have that can surpass this 50,000-year-old Shenzhou flat plate? Amazing!

Hey, I've got it! What if I took over her daughter's body... Pshaw, what do you mean by taking over someone else's body? Seele 'll just be like Seele and become a second personality. Otherwise, it'll be bad if they notice something's wrong. It's not good to always be altering other people's consciousness. After all, a gentleman does things, not just talks.

(The Herrscher of Consciousness has altered your consciousness, and you now believe everything she says is true.)

Xiao Shi was just planning to settle down in this world and be a good person, when Fu Hua continued:

"Sometimes don't blame Mom for being strict. You know, I've carried a lot of things that I shouldn't have had to carry. Fifty thousand years ago, I couldn't have imagined that one person could Shenzhou for a thousand years. That person should have been Kevin, not me... But I did it."

Fu Hua gave a bitter smile. "But I also sacrificed a lot."

Xiao Shi's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but Fu Hua gently covered his mouth.

"I'm so glad I met you, kid. It's really the happiest thing that has ever happened to me."

"Children are the embodiment of their parents' will. They hope that their children can fulfill the regrets they were unable to achieve and live the life they want."

"Me too, child. I really thought about you taking over my responsibility and continuing to Shenzhou... but you are not me, so why should you bear all that I have to do?"

"You are an independent individual and should not be bound by the concept of 'Fu Hua'. You are not some Crimson Kite Immortal; you are just an ordinary person with your own thoughts."

"But the Honkai is rampant, and the world is not yet at peace. Forgive me, my child. If I could, I would have loved to have you born in an era without the Honkai, so that you could go to school, graduate, work, fall in love, get married, and have children like a normal child, instead of stepping onto the battlefield too early. For this reason, I must make sure you have the ability to cope with crises."

"You are outstanding, far more outstanding than me, which makes me both happy and worried. I don't want you to follow in my footsteps, even though our personalities are different, but..."

Fu Hua gently stroked Xiao Shi's head, tears welling in her eyes. "In this Honkai world, some things are destined. Please forgive me, this incompetent parent... No, I shouldn't ask for forgiveness. I just ask that you don't resent me too much."

Xiao Shi trembled violently, tears streaming unconsciously from her tightly closed eyes. All the resentment in her heart seemed to melt away at that moment. Just as she truly wanted to settle down in this world, she heard Fu Hua say:

"Sometimes don't blame me for being so strict; it's all for the sake of all living beings."

The air froze.

The cold air was completely still, and even the seabirds that occasionally flew overhead did not cry out. Fu Hua's keen intuition sensed the impending danger, but she was still caught off guard and was blasted away by the sudden blast of air below.

The remaining tears on her face evaporated in the dense Honkai Energy. Xiao Shi slowly got up from the ground, her familiar Herrscher armor replacing her swimsuit. She shouldered the heavy sword case, her expression almost distorted:

"Ha, ha, the common people? The common people, the common people, the common people! After putting on this soap opera for so long, you finally couldn't help but stop? Sure enough, I knew you, you cunning old fogey, were just fooling me again. As noble as you are, your heart is naturally filled with saving countless people, how could it possibly have room for a little me?!"

"No, listen to me..." Fu Hua hurriedly explained, but before she could finish speaking, an extremely strong sword wind rushed straight towards her face. Her battle-hardened body reacted before her brain could react, and she instinctively dodged to the side. The heavy but sharp sword sheath cut off several strands of her hair.

Bloodstains spread across her face, and a slight yet distinct pain was sending a frantic response through her brain; the other party was truly intent on killing her.

What's going on? Her power?!

Fu Hua's expression changed drastically. Given this sudden burst of power, her current poor physical condition should not have lasted long; she would have reached her limit in less than half a minute. So what was going on?

Xiao Shi launched a ferocious attack on her with a ferocious expression. The heavy sword box swung in her hands, creating gusts of wind. Fu Hua dared not be careless and used the maximum strength that this body could use to dodge with all her might.

"(His moves were chaotic and utterly disorganized. Little Xing shouldn't make such a mistake. Could it be that he really harbored a lot of resentment towards me, and it just erupted at this moment?)"

The immortal's hair tie had broken at some point, and his long gray hair cascaded down like a waterfall, faintly shimmering as it turned into white hair with red highlights.

How could she possibly fight against the Herrscher of Consciousness possessed the full power of the Flame-Chasers in her prime, with her bare hands? She was quickly defeated.

She barely dodged the sword box's strike, but was accidentally punched in the abdomen by Xiao Shi in anger. The heavy pressure burst out from her back, sweeping a large hole in the beach behind Fu Hua.

Fu Hua felt a sweet taste in her throat, but couldn't feel any pain in the area where she was hit. Her body flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing onto the beach and sliding a long way. She tried to stand up, but her limbs wouldn't move, her vision went black, and her mind went blank, making even thinking slow.

With a gloomy Herrscher of Consciousness slowly walked towards her, dragging her weapon. She stood in front of Fu Hua and raised her weapon against her, who was now powerless to resist.

The sword case grew larger and larger in Fu Hua's eyes until it filled her entire field of vision.

Goodbye, Fu Hua!

Xiao Shi roared and poured all his strength into a heavy strike. This sword strike was earth-shattering and almost split the land in two. Even the seawater next to him was moved and retreated dozens of miles, stirring up a huge wave.

However, Xiao Shi's expression turned strange because the sword strike had missed its mark.

Just moments before her weapon was about to fall, a meteor streaked from afar and struck her sword sheath, causing a slight deviation in direction. This allowed Fu Hua to survive the attack.

With a single sword stroke, Xiao Shi swept away the dust and focused his gaze on the true form of the shooting star.

The white-haired, red-eyed boy held a golden, ancient heavy sword in one hand and wrapped his other arm around the pale-faced Fu Hua at her waist, facing her directly.

The boy in front of me was about fifteen or sixteen years old, but he had an extraordinary air about him. It was clear at a glance that he came from a wealthy family and must have gone through some trials. His future achievements were immeasurable.

"Who are you..."

Before she could finish speaking, the crimson Xuanyuan Sword slashed at her, each move filled with murderous intent.

The boy's red pupils gleamed with a fierce light; the sword arrived first, followed by his voice.

"My name is Fu Xing."

"It's Fu Hua's child."

His words were flat, almost devoid of any emotion.

—It's like talking to a dying person.