Honeysuckle

Prometheus watched the other person's departing figure, then restored the naturally flowing, slightly wavy long hair and elegant dress to their original state.

Seele is not normal.

During these six months of experimental work, even though Dr. Mei's presence ensured everything went smoothly and there wasn't a single unexpected failure.

But Seele Fulei still gained many inhuman experiences in these recurring experiments; the despair of being cut off from the world for so long should not be something a young child should be able to bear.

Watching oneself gradually enter Quantum State, indulging in the feeling of being in the unknown darkness, would cause discomfort and pain when measured by basic human emotions and indicators derived from a large collection of data.

But not even once.

Her deep blue eyes always held an incomprehensible obsession, as if gazing at the open gates of heaven, where every ray of light was enough to justify her continued patience.

This is very unusual.

The process of the experiment was like refusing to breathe, forcing oneself to sink into the deep sea. But the suffocation, despair, and discomfort were only part of the long-term entry into the Quantum State. Normal metaphors are hard to describe the torment involved.

While passively accepting it might be reasonable, enduring this torment through one's own will, and gradually gaining control over a portion of the Quantum State's power, is a completely different matter.

Seele Fulei is not normal.

After reviewing her past life experiences, Prometheus's immature intelligence module was even less able to understand the reasons for doing so.

But perhaps, understanding isn't necessary.

[I don't know what "normal" should be like, but Seele is Seele, no doubt about it.]

That's what she said, so it's okay.

[By analogy, Prometheus also loved Seele.]

These words lingered in the data stream, turning into a soft murmur, which made Prometheus pause for a moment.

After a long while, it silently repeated the sentence.

Immediately.

The humanoid projection dissipated into the surrounding light spots and disappeared.

Su Qing'an stood outside the huge villa, the residence of the three members of the team and Seele.

As official members of the Moth to Fire, the group received relatively good treatment and were provided with high-end dormitories. Seele, being a family member, was also able to move in according to the rules.

Although land untouched by Honkai is becoming increasingly scarce and extremely valuable, the significant reduction in population has actually made land cheaper.

This is especially true in Australia, a country that is already sparsely populated and has not yet suffered much Honkai or erosion. An area here consists of standard-style villas, and several armed helicopters are on standby on a nearby helipad to respond to any missions that may arise.

This area is inhabited by soldiers of the Fifth Squad of the Moth to Fire, but its vastness also makes it feel desolate.

Many villas were left vacant without ever being occupied, and the dormitories here would occasionally become available for the few newcomers who would come one after another.

Fu Hua and the others had met some people in the recruit camp, but now, half a year later, not many of those familiar faces remained.

War is cruel.

Even if these three are among the best, they might still meet their end somewhere unknown.

Fu Hua once wondered, what would happen if the Void Sword Qi reached the third level?

Ultimately, he couldn't be invincible.

Perhaps before truly reaching that ethereal realm of emptiness, all confusion and unease can be temporarily set aside in the face of this uncertain goal.

Master Su, is it the fourth floor yet?

Fu Hua asked this question before, and the answer she received was no.

She wondered if her master could reach the fourth realm, would the so-called Herrscher then be nothing to fear?

She didn't ask that question.

But deep down, I already had a vague answer.

The Realm of Emptiness, [Sword God].

If Su Qing'an could implement all of this and master these previously unexplored areas, perhaps I wouldn't have seen him in such a weak state again.

This might be a weak thought, but Fu Hua felt it was more realistic for the other person to become stronger so they wouldn't get hurt, rather than becoming stronger herself to protect them.

She understood that as long as she didn't grasp the secret to the other party's strength...

Then it will be very difficult for me to surpass it one day.

Even understanding this objective fact, Fu Hua still hoped to break through to the Void and comprehend the [Sword God] realm as soon as possible.

Beneath her calm and aloof exterior, she still harbors a few secret thoughts.

By then, whether or not you become stronger than him, you'll be able to show him a hint of pride.

Fu Hua glanced at Su Qing'an beside her.

Whether it was because of the changes in the other person or because of the scene where she saw him almost die last time, she always felt that the boy's existence was somewhat illusory.

The rainbow, seemingly reflected in the puddles by the roadside, rippled and splashed with water droplets refracting seven-colored arcs as the bicycle passed by and the rain boots fell.

But this light was so faint, like a bubble that could collapse at any moment, and its true source could not be traced.

Su Qing'an hesitated for a moment, then asked:

Is she often home alone?

Although it's supposed to be a shared home, the three of them have been away on missions for almost four out of the last six months, so Seele has been living alone in this huge villa. Just imagining it makes you feel a sense of desolation and loneliness.

Fu Hua felt somewhat guilty, and she said:

"I'm not entirely sure either. The Moth to Fire is severely understaffed, and the constant stream of missions leaves them with almost no time to rest. And expecting to communicate with people during a mission is simply impossible."

Shiyu Qiluo pulled up a form, unfolded it for Su Qing'an to see, and said:

Captain Himeko assigned her some easy tasks, the point being to keep her occupied and prevent her from getting too bored.

Carole reminisced about her time there, saying:

"After all, these are extraordinary times, and almost all other entertainment activities have been shut down."

"When we're home, Seele almost always curls up on the sofa watching TV. She never complains about anything, and sometimes when she comes back, she'll even comfort us, saying that fighting outside is tough and we should be careful."

She hesitated for a moment, then said helplessly:

"It's not that it's bad, but I always feel a little uneasy about how well-behaved she is."

Fu Hua remained silent; she had initially worried about how Seele would react to seeing the boy now.

But as she recalled the little girl's initial reaction, the girl suddenly realized that she didn't need to dwell on it; no change could be worse than that lifeless, corpse-like state.

It's already a miracle that Su Qing'an Awakened unharmed; why ask for more?

She believed that Seele would feel the same way, that she would be sad, but not unable to accept it.

Fu Hua placed her hand on the doorknob, and the lock cylinder turned automatically as her fingerprint was entered.

The door opened, and the group quietly stepped into the living room. They slowed their pace as they looked at each other, wanting to surprise one another, and ascended the spiral staircase.

The usual scene of the little girl curled up on the sofa watching Animal World was not seen during the visit.

When Su Qing'an finally saw Seele, she was standing on tiptoe, cooking in the kitchen.

The little girl seemed to have grown a few centimeters taller, but she was still under 1.5 meters, which wasn't unusual for a 14-year-old.

Seele's delicate face was focused, and her still-childish features made her look very cute. Her dark blue hair was tied into a ponytail, revealing the white skin at the back of her neck.

She wore an apron with pink cat paw prints on it, her petite figure moving gracefully as she stir-fried the dishes with a spatula.

In the six months of self-sufficiency, the little girl's cooking skills had improved from nothing to a normal level.

For some reason, upon seeing this scene, Su Qing'an's mind automatically recalled past memories.

Kiana was grinding coffee beans, while Bronya squatted next to the refrigerator picking out different flavors of ice cream. Mei, wearing a beige apron, was putting cake bases from a plate into the oven. Himeko, dressed in a formal gown, sat on a sofa not far away, looking like she had just come from a party, reeking of alcohol.

Satou Yunona sat cross-legged in front of the television, playing Tetris with the controller. On the table was a vase containing a fresh bouquet of flowers.

That was a day when we were at the St. Freya Academy, spending a quiet and ordinary afternoon together in our own ways.

Standing amidst that painting, I felt an overwhelming sense of tenderness.

Time flies, and all memories are buried in the now-vanished timeline, existing only in the attic of recollection.

Su Qing'an has always been lonely.

The boy was the kind of person who would rather walk alone than be surrounded by crowds.

But at the cost of restarting, perhaps sooner or later, he will no longer be able to obtain even a trace of warmth from his memories.

But now, the overwhelming memories and the chilling loneliness cause my Mind Lake to rise and fall, as if there are some emotional fluctuations.

Su Qing'an grasped her hand loosely, and while Seele was still in a daze, he took control of the spatula. He skillfully flipped the meat slices, controlling the heat with his left hand, and said softly:

"Seele can cook now."

Seele Fulei forgot what she was doing; she only glanced up at the boy's profile in a daze and suddenly realized what was going on.

It turns out that she had already mentally prepared herself for Su Qing'an's imminent return.

But when she actually saw the other person, she still couldn't control her involuntary emotions.

Feeling wronged? Sad?

Why do these emotions arise?

This is clearly a good thing, something that should be responded to with a smile and welcomed back as an opening remark.

But now, facing Su Qing'an, Seele seemed no different from any other child her age. She could be as willful and vulnerable as a 14-year-old, and she also had the right to act spoiled and cry.

Perhaps the boy is still special to the little girl. Even though everyone treats her well, it is only when she is facing this person that certain barriers in her heart suddenly fall down.

Seele looked up, tears welled in her eyes. She pursed her lips and said:

"Yes, I learned it a long time ago. Sister Hua taught me."

"I see."

Su Qing'an was silent for a moment, then turned the heat down to the lowest setting. He knelt down and wiped away the tears from the little girl's eyes with his fingertips, saying:

"Long time no see, Seele."

Seele Fulei gazed into the boy's empty eyes and whispered:

"Welcome back, brother."

Fu Xiuran's funeral followed a simple approach. If it had followed the customs of that small eastern town, the elaborate rules would have contradicted the tradition of "Moth to Fire."

This choice would not only put Himeko in a difficult position, but it also doesn't align with the current state of the world.

The idea of burial for peace has lost its meaning in the face of the ever-present threat of Honkai, so Fu Hua chose cremation, which has become very popular in the past six months.

The ashes were scattered across the sky above that small eastern town, merging into the black dust that rippled across the earth.

The girl remained calm throughout; she neither shed any more tears nor showed any more sadness, but something seemed to be missing silently within her.

After truly erasing all traces of her father from this world, Fu Hua understood that in this vast world, she no longer had any family members connected by blood. This bond was annihilated under the Honkai, like sand slipping through her fingers.

This incident ultimately left some things behind, such as the large hole that appeared in the Mind Lake.

Even though Fu Hua wanted to be the first to enter the Void Realm, Kenshin seemed to mock his own goal, thus falling into a prolonged stagnation.

After hearing of his death, the Sword Heart Technique lost its meaning, and it could no longer hone one's sword heart.

The accumulating progress bar didn't show any specific situation, but the frozen ice in her heart allowed her to understand this deathly silence.

To enter the Realm of the Great Void, both Fu Hua and Su Qing'an need to live again.

In terms of difficulty, the former may be much simpler, but it is still not something that can be done easily.

Fu Hua felt fortunate that her swordsmanship, which had reached its limit, did not affect her combat abilities.

That void did not create any additional constraints; it seemed that its existence was merely a manifestation of mental imagery, rather than a genuine crack in the sword's heart.

This discovery doesn't seem to have affected her way of life much.

On their fifth day of rest at home, the three received a new mission and arrived in Florence by armed helicopter to deal with a series of troublesome Honkai events.

Compared to the Valkyrie of later eras, the current Moth to Fire is the truly high-intensity, high-risk class.

The level of salary and benefits has become meaningless under such a hectic pace of missions, just like the 98% casualty rate of the batch of soldiers from the recruit camp six months ago.

Death can devour all desires, and the unwavering belief, like a moth drawn to a flame, is the core reason why all warriors rush forward one after another.

Without one's own beliefs, even the greatest power in such a world will only lead to a life like a walking corpse.

The three members of the team each have their own beliefs, which is the real reason why they have been able to persevere to this day, even though they are not yet twenty years old.

But just as Murata Himeko once said in her heart.

[That person acted like a fool, willing to go through fire and water for the sake of protecting the world.]

[Until finally, her wings were broken, and she fell onto the battlefield amidst dust and blood, bringing her life to a close.]

[This is always the Valkyrie's fate.]

Such is the fate of the Valkyrie, and so it is for the warriors who Moth to Fire.

Seele could understand what had happened to Su Qing'an, and just as Fu Hua had thought, their choices coincided.

The little girl felt that perhaps the boy's personality hadn't completely Honkai beyond redemption; at least there was still some warmth in his words, which made her feel that he wasn't too bad.

Even though Su Qing'an tried her best not to reveal any flaws, Seele could still clearly sense that he was different from before at times.

For example, he was spacing out much more often than before, and the emptiness and lifelessness in his eyes when he looked into the distance was frightening, but it only made her feel sad.

Su Qing'an became less talkative, he seemed unsure how to communicate, he was no longer as attentive and empathetic as before, and he became somewhat slow to react in some ways.

It's impossible to expect either the older brother or the Sister Hua to press the fast-forward button anymore; the tragedy of Honkai and humanity intertwined has caused some damage to his most important family members.

Physical injuries can be repaired with advanced medical pods, and even severed limbs can be restored to their original state.

But what about mentally?

Su Qing'an's condition frightened Seele. She didn't know that it was Satou Yunona's death that caused the boy, who was connected to the memories of the previous timeline, to suffer an unprecedented blow.

The little girl could only understand that the existence of the Honkai Fission Bomb caused the boy's body to almost die, while also causing him significant psychological trauma.

Seele didn't need to understand the complexities involved; she simply felt that it would be great if her brother could become even stronger.

So strong that I will no longer be hurt by any enemy, so strong that I will no longer be saddened by regrets, so strong that I will no longer become someone I am not.

For this, I'd give anything, no matter the cost.

Seele Fulei must do the same.

She smiled with pursed lips, and in a fleeting moment, one could almost see the withering honeysuckle.

In one's own way.

Himeko contacted him only once in the past few days, conveying the message that Su Qing'an could join the Moth to Fire and apply for some resources to a certain extent, but his position was still pending.

The reason for his pending position is probably due to his actions in Yakarta recently. Even though Mei later helped to prepare a report on the soul to strengthen the credibility of his story, the higher-ups are still uneasy about Su Qing'an's actions.

However, assigning someone a useless position can easily create discord, while a high-ranking and powerful position makes it difficult to reassure them.

Therefore, in the eyes of those in power, leaving someone like Su Qing'an idle without a position is the best option at present.

Su Qing'an himself was not interested in these things; the Fusion Warrior Project that he had agreed to participate in with Mei was what he needed to focus on right now.