Herrscher of Death's Authority

Trust. Lies. Pretense. Deception.

The more intelligent a person is, the more likely they are to encounter countless possibilities in the middle of a fork in the road. This is especially true for Mei, among whom there are very few choices that do not go against her own emotions.

That was a path where the risks and rewards were disproportionate, and the price to pay for choosing to walk that path was far too heavy. Yet, Mei, who had not yet fully realized her indispensability to humanity, had the idea of taking that risk.

She was going to see Seele Fulei.

To meet a Herrscher alone, whose safety cannot be guaranteed, with only a fragile human body.

Once you choose the path you try to believe in, the risks you face directly are essentially the same as the risks you face later, because if the choice was wrong from the beginning, Mei would surely die.

So now that a decision has been made, let's see it through to the end.

Ultimately, some things require personal experience to truly understand the difference between hypocrisy and truth.

She believed that so-called acting skills and mere pretense could not deceive everyone.

Mei made up her mind and said softly:

"Okay, I understand, Seele."

"Wait here, I will come to see you."

Seele looked at Mei and hesitated for a moment, which was a reasonable reaction. At such a young age, it was impossible for her not to yearn for the salvation that was within reach.

Even though she was determined not to cause trouble for her brother and didn't want him to be hurt in any way, her inevitable naiveté and immaturity still subconsciously made her waver and hesitate.

But the girl glanced at the blood-soaked ground, shook her head, and whispered timidly:

"Don't come any closer, Sister Mei."

"Seele is Herrscher, a monster."

Mei did not directly respond to the other person's questions and answers. She understood that Seele was currently incapable of normal communication.

"You should know that I've always hated inefficient conversations."

She walked to the advancement passage and stepped into the Miniature Battleship, bathed in the clear sunlight.

Seele's tears fell uncontrollably. Perhaps she herself did not know why she was crying, but the tightness in her chest and the sorrow in her heart spread continuously after Mei's words.

She whispered:

"Mei is very important. You can't come to see me. Seele doesn't want everyone to see her like this; they'll hate her."

The girl stared at her blood-soaked arm, her eyes clouded with a gray light, her sobs weak and feeble.

"Why can't I die? Why can't I die? Why can't I die? Why why why..."

Mei gazed at Seele, who sat amidst a pool of blood, her lips moving as she murmured incoherent words, her heart filled with complex and indescribable emotions.

She found it hard to imagine Su Qing'an's reaction to such a scene. Putting aside the pure emotional fluctuations, according to the information she learned after the conversation, the essence of the other party's [Stigmata] ability to prevent Honkai Energy from eroding himself originated from the soul.

If the soul is related to emotions and personality, then Mei can hardly guarantee that the [Stigmata] will not change as a result, thus risking a break in the connection.

The changes that occurred in Seele Fulei had a domino effect, which is one of the reasons why Mei made this choice.

Mei is meticulous as a researcher, but that doesn't mean she won't take risks.

On the contrary, her initial decision to have Seele conduct experiments clearly reveals her deep-seated obsession with high efficiency and her gambler's mentality of seeking high returns.

If you can't do it, you might as well die; to put it extremely, that's Mei's approach.

The more outstanding one's talents, the further one goes into the realm of Honkai, the more Mei understands that a step-by-step pace of progress is insufficient to complete all plans, let alone reverse the twilight that civilization is currently facing.

If taking risks could yield high rewards, then the girl would naturally choose to go all in.

However, how much personal emotion was involved in this process remains unknown.

The girl closed her eyes. She was already used to the procedures of human anatomy and various experiments, but at this moment, the sight of the other person bathed in blood was too much for her to bear.

This is undeniably a strange place.

Emotion...

In such times, it's hard to tell whether it's a burden or a treasure.

Mei was silent for a moment, then opened her eyes and looked at the other person, saying in a serious and firm tone:

"This suffering is proof of your humanity."

"I will help your Seele, just as we made our covenant."

Ten minutes later.

The girl's little leather boots trod on the slippery wooden floor, the vibrant rose color filling every corner of her vision. Ignoring the slipperiness under her feet, she looked at the little girl curled up in the rose-colored hue, bathed in the same hue.

Mei slowly walked to the other person's side. Ignoring the possibility of her white dress being stained by the blood on the ground, she knelt beside them and spoke softly:

"Seele?"

The girl looked up in a daze, and what came into view was a beautiful face that she hadn't seen in a long time.

Her pale purple eyes, framed by glasses, revealed a hint of worry. Her intellectual and calm expression, as always, conveyed a sense of conviction. Her slender frame exuded a scholarly air, and her straightened back, whether intentionally or unintentionally, seemed to conceal her weariness.

"Sister Mei? Aren't you afraid of me...?"

Upon hearing this, the girl smiled, a smile she hadn't shown in a very long time. At least in Seele's eyes, this expression was so rare that it made her momentarily forget the occasion.

Mei's smile is so gentle...

Mei didn't notice Seele's dazed expression. She reached out and cupped the little girl's face in her hands, her slender, pale fingers gently stroking as she tried to wipe away the bloodstains. The smile on her face vanished in an instant, impossible to recall.

She said calmly:

"If I were afraid, I wouldn't have come."

"And... does Seele want to hurt me?"

The little girl shook her head silently and said in a low voice:

"I don't want to, but I can feel something subtly connected to my body, so I can't guarantee that it won't hurt you..."

Mei frowned inwardly. The connection that Seele mentioned could be matched with the Honkai link that Su Qing'an had mentioned before. Or rather, due to limited information, the connection that she immediately realized was the link between the Herrscher and the Honkai itself.

However, this speculation is undoubtedly too unsound and not worthy of reference.

Seele is currently the only true Herrscher can directly communicate and receive the most direct response. However, since there is no precedent, Mei herself cannot confirm whether this so-called vague connection is consistent with this.

Even if this is the link between Honkai and Herrscher, no one has ever stipulated that the connection between the two cannot be subtle or nonexistent. The reason why Seele can maintain her own will, unlike other Herrscher, is still open to discussion.

Even if the link should be intuitive and strong, it is really unreasonable that the Honkai link that Su Qing'an painstakingly severed could disappear so easily on its own.

If you don't understand or comprehend something, excessive entanglement will only lead to defeat by the other party's superficial appearance.

Mei temporarily stopped thinking about this part and was willing to believe that Seele Fulei was the one who made the judgment.

Now that she can still survive standing in front of the other party, there is no need to keep making unnecessary speculations. It is not too late to trace the intentions of the Honkai later.

While the little girl was still in a daze, the girl hugged her, stroking Seele's damp hair and head, and whispered in her ear:

"It's okay if you don't need to think about all that right now."

"Worries, anxieties, anxieties, and sadness—these are things adults should bear. Seele just needs to calm down. I'll help you find a solution, okay?"

Seele buried her face in her soft chest, the cool detergent mingling with a faint fragrance filling her nostrils.

She sensed this warmth that melted away any sharpness, and suddenly realized that even this simple and unadorned aura had the other person's style.

Does Sister Mei never know fear?

In her memory, she, who had always been at the forefront of humanity, never showed any fear of failure, not even now, facing herself who had become Herrscher.

Calm, composed, wise, and unafraid of death.

Seele couldn't quite understand.

She's clearly... she's such a smart person, so why is she acting just as stupid as her brother at this moment?

She glanced at the large patch of blood smeared on the girl's white clothes, hesitated for a moment, and said softly:

"Sister Mei, your clothes are dirty."

Mei stared at the glaring crimson blood; it was all flowing from the bodies of such young children...

The Sixth Herrscher? Truly forbidden power.

If this ability could be applied to others, I wonder if it would bring any unexpected benefits to Mr. Su's health.

But at least for now, Seele cannot be allowed to meet the other party in this state.

Her tone softened unconsciously:

"It's okay, you can just wash it off."

"Let's go take a shower. We'll leave this room to the cleaning robot."

The girl responded silently with a nasal tone:

"... Um."

In the misty room, a bright red stream meandered across the white porcelain floor. White foam slid down slender ankles, breaking into tiny, warm droplets that fell into the stream, creating a pleasant, pattering sound.

Mei glanced at the smooth curve of the girl's back, outlined between her narrow shoulders and slender waist. She rubbed the shower gel evenly onto the bath sponge, then used it to draw circles on the girl's fair skin. With her right hand, she adjusted the water to a suitable temperature and turned on the shower to keep the smell of blood away from the body as much as possible.

In the silence, the little girl asked softly:

Why does Mei have to shower too?

The girl applied the initial shampoo to her orange-blue hair and responded faintly:

"This is more efficient."

Talking in that state wouldn't really help the other person relax. With Seele having just learned that she was Herrscher, staying in that area that proved she was no longer human would only intensify her self-rejection.

Seele Fulei needs to believe that she is still human, at least mentally.

Otherwise, she will break.

Judging from her previous decisive suicide attempt, Seele an incomplete personality, and she has significant flaws in her self-awareness.

But... perhaps this stubbornness is the real reason why girls can retain their own will?

Mei wasn't sure, but she understood that creating a comfortable and relaxing environment for Seele was important.

The girl's fingers dug into the little girl's hair, massaging it and causing white bubbles to gradually form. She glanced at the blood-red nightgown draped in the sink and asked:

"Is this the nightgown Mr. Su bought for you a few days ago?"

Seele nodded her chin obediently and whispered sadly:

"Hmm, I got it dirty."

Mei was silent for a moment, then responded:

"It can be washed clean."

The girl's eyes were vacant, and her lips moved slightly.

"... Even if it's this dirty, is that okay?"

Mei replied softly:

"OK."

The showerhead water washed away the bloody smell from her hair, and soft, fragmented sounds echoed in the bathroom...

Mei was speechless. She thought that she didn't know if she could actually do it. It had nothing to do with the limits of her own abilities or the reaction of the world. As Herrscher, Seele Fulei was destined to bear the opinions and words of the world. It was impossible for her to completely return to her previous life.

The identity of Herrscher is a mountain that constantly weighs on people's hearts. No matter how much Mei is deified, at most she can only announce that she used special means to predict the Herrscher's powers in advance and thus captured him alive. She is currently conducting closed research on him.

This kind of excuse is the limit of what she can do, both in terms of ability and stance.

Even so, when the girl timidly uttered those words...

Mei had no choice but to agree.

But what is the reality?

Of those warriors who were once close to Seele Fulei, how many, now knowing the current situation, are able to regain their former composure and engage in dialogue with her?

Aside from Su Qing'an, Mei had no confidence in even the people who spent every day with Seele.

Fu Hua, Shiyu Qiluo, Carole, Lin Xinchán, and even Himeko.

They are all members of the Moth to Fire, and from this perspective, it would be too much to ask them to normally face the Herrscher who has become the embodiment of natural disasters, even if the other party is a former relative.

Moreover... under the shadow of such a huge shadow, even someone as calm and objective as Mei, who has a good relationship with Seele, would need to observe her carefully before confirming that this was Seele Fulei.

Even when she tried to trust him, she still harbored some doubts.

If even someone like Mei is like this, what about the rest of the people?

Normally, they would probably find it difficult to ignore the fear and hatred that are naturally associated with their status Herrscher.

It is perfectly normal to experience feelings of alienation, distrust, resistance, helplessness, and even sadness and despair.

Judging from the darker side of human nature, these might actually be considered relatively good reactions.

Expecting them to accept this fact immediately is undoubtedly asking the impossible; the most likely, and also the most hurtful, outcome is the inability to communicate.

At least until they receive proper psychological counseling, the individual named Seele Fulei can only meet with Su Qing'an and herself.

For someone unfamiliar to interact with her under these circumstances, it serves no purpose other than reinforcing Seele's awareness of her non-human nature and indirectly reinforcing her self-identity as Herrscher.

Mei gently dried the little girl's hair with a dry towel and asked:

"Does Seele want to see her brother?"

Having already guessed the other person's reaction based on the core reason for their previous suicide attempt, the girl continued:

"You should know his current physical condition. Perhaps we can help him by relying on the power of the Sixth Herrscher."

Seele swallowed back the words she was about to say, a glimmer of light appearing in her eyes as she cautiously asked:

Is it really possible?

Theoretically, the power of the Herrscher of Death is to control the apoptosis and growth of biological cells. The power of the former is currently unproven, but the existence of the latter has been clearly verified in the Herrscher's series of self-harming methods.

Seele's powers may not be able to resolve the severe effects of Honkai Energy erosion, but they can repair the boy's deteriorating physical condition caused by the loss of his Artificial Stigmata.

Of course, a series of power experiments must be conducted before this method can be used on Su Qing'an.

After all, it's difficult to imagine the actual breadth, scope, limits, and costs of this ability based solely on vague terms like manipulating apoptosis and growth in biological cells.

If manipulating the apoptosis and growth of biological cells does not create or replicate new cells, then the Herrscher of Death's power for repair is merely consuming the permanent upper limit of the health bar to make up for the temporary depletion of the health bar.

If that's the case, then even if it were applied to Su Qing'an, it would only accelerate the rate of death and wouldn't have any real significance.

Therefore, basic power experiments are a necessary procedure.

Mei's reason for saying these words at this moment was not whether the power of the Herrscher of Death could really help Su Qing'an.

The possibility that this power could help Su Qing'an is of extraordinary significance to Seele Fulei now.

Referring to the previous experiment where a little girl sacrificed herself for the Sea of Quantum, yet still felt genuine joy in being able to help the other party.

Mei believes the best way to stabilize Seele's mindset is to help her find a path to realize her self-worth.

The fact that the essence of power can be effective on a young boy's body is undoubtedly a powerful stimulant, enough to make Seele temporarily abandon the option of suicide.

To be honest, Mei doesn't think Seele can't find a way to truly kill herself.

If she truly calms down and continues to think about these things, it wouldn't be surprising if she tried to use the power of Honkai Energy to dig out her own Herrscher Core in an attempt to kill herself.

In response, Mei said:

"It's worth trying."