Aquarium

Benelong Point, New South Wales.

Sydney Opera House.

This iconic Australian building stands tall on a reinforced concrete base. Three sets of huge, shell-shaped white panels interweave to form the dome of the opera house. These shell-like sculptures are magnificent in appearance, resembling scattered petals, or white sailboats when viewed from a distance.

Its interior mainly consists of two main halls, some small theaters, performance halls, and other ancillary facilities.

Both halls are located within a large sail-shaped structure, while the smaller performance hall is situated within a base at the bottom. The shell-shaped building is surrounded by terrace areas, serving as gathering places for pedestrians.

This place has a history of hundreds of years, but in the early stages of the Great Honkai, the opera house was destroyed by Emperor-class Honkai Beast and Temple-class Honkai Beast, which destroyed most of the area.

I've heard that the opera house once housed what was said to be the world's largest mechanical wooden organ, but it was destroyed in the catastrophe that followed the Honkai Vortex.

That day, the shell-shaped dome, like a white wing broken by a great force, sank into the sea at the edge of Benelong Point, just like a ship caught in a deep-sea whirlpool, never to be heard from again.

This caused significant hardship for local residents at the time.

The Sydney Opera House is not only a temple of art and culture here, but also the soul of this city.

In the early stages of construction, the Australian government raised funds and even issued lottery tickets for the Sydney Opera House in order to raise money. It took more than a hundred years to complete the building, which shows how significant it is.

And those that have survived to this day, having withstood the test of time, are even more so.

Therefore, considering the importance of this place to the local area and even the country, the government still chose to spend a certain amount of manpower and resources to restore it to its original state. With today's technology, restoring these things is not a difficult task.

From a practical perspective, this measure has indeed helped to stabilize public sentiment; at least for now, people in this opera house seem to still be able to experience the peaceful life before the Great Honkai.

The opera house still maintains the rule of dressing formally as much as possible, and the etiquette of waiting for all the actors to take their bows before leaving the audience remains unchanged.

Under the azure sky, the seagulls that like to snatch food from passersby are occasionally chased away by patrolmen with dogs, and sometimes they ignore the deterrent effect of man-made barbed wire fences, robotic eagles, and artificial sound waves, causing a commotion among the diners.

Even within Australia as a whole, this is a rare place where people can still enjoy a peaceful and tranquil life.

The young man, dressed in a casual light gray suit, sat at an outdoor table on the coastline, gazing at the Harbour Bridge not far away on the sea.

The shimmering sea displays a magnificent sapphire blue, and the budding signs of Honkai were nipped in the bud, allowing this peaceful scene to remain intact.

Before the opera house was built, this place had been a sacred site for gatherings and activities of Australian Aboriginal for thousands of years. Because it is a place where freshwater and Seawater meet, it is also known as the "Water of Wisdom".

Su Qing'an thought that if Chi You had not appeared in Watson Bay last time, but had been born in this port, the tectonic plates here would probably have sunk to the bottom of the sea by now, and it would be impossible to restore them to their original state.

If I hadn't existed in this era, how much calamity would this Judgment-class Honkai Beast have unleashed?

It wouldn't be surprising if the opera house, or even the entire city of Sydney, were swallowed up.

For this era, the boy's existence never reversed the predetermined course of events. Looking at the world as a whole, he may have indirectly changed the fate of millions of people, but it was still meaningless in the face of the dark ending he ultimately reached.

He believed that only Mei could change the future single-handedly, and that his own abilities, both now and in the future, would be limited by a constraint.

Sitting to the side, Seele wore a white dress that was perfect for the season. The dress had a cutout design on the front, giving it a cool feel in the summer. She covered her head with a sun hat, and her bangs and hair swayed in the breeze.

After the wind subsided, the girl awkwardly rubbed her legs together, tugged at the single leg band, and asked:

"It's great to see such a beautiful place, but why does this dress have leg rings?"

Su Qing'an pushed the watermelon juice that the waiter had brought towards her and explained:

"Didn't Hua help you choose the clothes?"

"She meant that the weather has been very hot lately, and my thighs tend to sweat a lot, which makes walking uncomfortable due to friction. The purpose of this ring is probably to make my legs feel less uncomfortable."

Seele whispered:

"That explanation doesn't seem wrong, but I still feel like I've been tricked by Sister Hua."

"And, is it really safe to go inside dressed like that?"

Su Qing'an watched the seagulls that were eagerly eyeing the roast chicken on the table. Only after the seagulls chickened out and flew away did Su Qing'an turn her gaze away. Little Feather, on the other hand, hopped around triumphantly, looking quite proud of herself for having chased them away.

The boy was already used to Little Feather's manners. He used a knife and fork to cut the roast chicken into bite-sized portions, separating the meat from the bone completely. After throwing the bones into the trash can and placing the chicken on a plate next to the watermelon juice, he explained:

"It says formal attire, but it's actually more like casual business attire. As long as you don't wear sweatshirts and trousers, slippers, or sneakers, there shouldn't be any problem."

"Besides, we can choose not to be seen by others."

Seeing that the other person was practically feeding her, Seele stopped sipping her watermelon juice and protested:

"I can do this myself, brother, don't treat me like a child."

Su Qing'an parted his lips, gazing at the girl's expression, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, and replied:

"Since you've finally managed to get out of the house, let's not worry about these things."

"Speaking of which, the fact that Mei agreed to let you go out means that the aftereffects of your recent loss of control over your powers have healed, right?"

Seele lowered her eyes naturally, tugged at her leg ring, and said with a smile:

"Yes, Sister Mei said everything is alright now."

"I just need to be more careful."

The young man, burdened with complex emotions, no longer possessed the keen insight he once had. He divided the prepared salad into portions, handed them to the other person, and softly replied:

"If anything feels wrong with your body, you should tell someone right away, okay?"

The little girl took a sip of watermelon juice, indicating that she understood.

Just as Su Qing'an's thoughts cannot be revealed at this moment, Seele's current actions and choices are also absolutely taboo and cannot be shown to others.

As long as the secret between the two remains unrevealed, their false and deceitful daily life can continue for just one more day.

At least for now, happiness, which hides icy resolve and sharp edges, can still show a sliver of tenderness.

The little girl swallowed a piece of roasted chicken, gazed at the seagulls circling above the sea, and muttered:

"The seagulls around here are so naughty. They almost snatched Seele's hat up ahead, even though it's not meant to be eaten."

Su Qing'an glanced at the Little Feather, who was tucked into Seele's sun hat and seemed to be playing some kind of puppet game. He thought that the seagull wasn't actually that naughty. He said softly:

"That just means they prefer Seele, right?"

"But next time you see it, try staring at it for a while, and maybe it will obediently run away."

Seele took a sip of watermelon juice, enjoying the coolness of the seaside and the warmth of the sunshine. Her gaze towards the seagulls suddenly turned somewhat wistful.

Logically speaking, no species is born with a talent for crime, but seagulls may be an exception.

They are true coastal bandits, especially skilled at interception, targeting everything from their own kind to humans, without exception adhering to the principle of intercepting whenever possible.

This lawlessness is evident in almost every aspect of their behavior. For example, seagulls often provoke and swoop down on unarmed, innocent humans, and even snatching lollipops from human babies is a common occurrence for them.

This peculiar species is a nightmare for every coastal city; they may not know what a live fish looks like, but they certainly know when McDonald's opens.

From threatening human infants to the point of forcing primary schools to close, to kidnapping poor, innocent Chihuahuas, they commit almost every kind of evil.

These creatures are also highly regional. For example, the seagulls that inhabit United Kingdom have learned to drink from the alcoholic United Kingdom, to the point that people witness drunken seagulls staggering in the streets every day, a scene that is quite comical.

Unfortunately, humans have yet to find a proper way to deal with seagulls.

The girl rejected the other person's suggestion:

"I don't want to keep staring into those eyes that show no emotion other than contempt; it just feels weird."

Do you despise me?

The boy recalled the seagull that had wisely chosen to leave earlier. He always felt that when the seagull looked at him, its eyes didn't quite convey contempt; rather, it seemed more like cowardice. These animals possessed a subtle, almost spiritual quality in various ways...

He smiled and said:

"After I show you around inside, I'll take you to the aquarium. There will probably be some small animals there that are more interesting than seagulls."

Seele thought for a moment, then asked expectantly:

Are there also dolphins and seals that are always being bullied by seagulls?

Su Qing'an thought for a moment and replied:

"They have all of these, and I remember there were also penguins, platypuses, and sharks."

"To be honest, I've never seen any of these before; this is my first time seeing them."

The little girl nodded heavily, her deep blue eyes sparkling. Clearly, the aquarium was more appealing to her than the kind of entertainment that required artistic immersion and cultural accumulation to truly enjoy in an opera house.

If you think about it carefully, Seele is indeed a little illiterate. Even though she was taught some basic common sense and knowledge in Canghai City and has been studying hard for the past six months, she has not received a good education. Her normal knowledge is barely up to the level of a junior high school student.

Su Qing'an once thought that if there were a real chance to achieve true peace in such a world, perhaps it would be a very happy and interesting thing to slowly educate the little girl until she could get into university.

The boy's eyes dimmed as he watched Seele clumsily holding the knife and fork, a deep flame burning silently within his chest.

But...

Perhaps there won't be another chance.

Just steps from the City Hall station in the city center, this is home to the world's most diverse aquatic aquarium.

What sets the Sydney Aquarium apart from other aquariums is that it is built by the sea, and the water used for aquaculture is directly imported from the port, making it a truly underwater world.

The route covers everything from freshwater rivers to tropical waters, and then to the world's largest Great Barrier Reef exhibit, seemingly circling the entire Australian coastline.

Its main structure stands beneath the waters of Darling Harbour, with a 146-meter-long underwater tunnel and all-rounded glass viewing windows, allowing the underwater ecosystem to be displayed almost without any blind spots in front of the two people.

The little girl gazed at the mesmerizing world in the deep blue sea, her slightly round eyes reflecting the swaying sharks and rays; her attention was clearly completely captivated by the scenery.

Her beautiful face appeared even more dreamlike under the glow of the Seawater; her skin, which had become increasingly fair recently, even seemed somewhat translucent; and her pale pink lips curved upwards, revealing a joyful smile.

Seele Fulei's life, which was full of warmth, was so short it felt like a dream.

Because she possessed so little, Su Qing'an always felt that what he gave her was ultimately very little.

The idea of taking her and Hua to travel to interesting and fun corners of the world was a future I had longed for before.

The boy always tries to make up for something; he always feels that he hasn't worked hard enough, hasn't been serious enough, and hasn't been careful enough.

Su Qing'an is neither strong nor perfect, and in fact, he always loses the things he cherishes. Just like the first watch he swore he would never lose as a child, which eventually disappeared without a trace.

Vows and promises can be ridiculous sometimes; you might only realize in a fleeting moment that... some things were never really necessary to keep.

But you still remember, cling to it, and refuse to forget it even if it kills you, as if it's still very important.

This action inevitably carries a hint of absurdity, because the reality of loss will never change because of it.

But that's how many things are; even if it's too late to change anything, there are always people who like to dwell on it, believing that something will eventually come back to them.

How could Su Qing'an not know the truth?

He knew from the very beginning that people with strong willpower find even self-deception ridiculously difficult, and that trying to immerse themselves in a dream is nothing but wishful thinking.

The real Seele Fulei dead.

How much sadness must his actions have caused that little girl who had long since died?

No, it's precisely because she's so gentle and doesn't care much about herself that it's normal to feel gratified and happy about it.

But it was precisely because of this that Su Qing'an found it even more difficult to bear the intense sorrow emanating from her heart.

But the Herrscher of Death before them was, in a sense, Seele Fulei.

The same memories, the same personality, the same emotions, the same habits and every detail.

Aside from the ethereal yet undeniably real soul, everything before us is as if Seele Fulei is still perfectly intact, living in this world as Herrscher, without a doubt or question.

Perhaps it would be fortunate if we could notice a significant difference.

However, Su Qing'an had deliberately talked to Fu Hua about her current situation before, and as the two people who knew Seele best, this was the only answer they could come to.

Based on basic logic, the culprit is the Honkai Consciousness.

The current Seele is Herrscher consciousness unilaterally shaped; she is so innocent and pure, naturally and earnestly defining her self-awareness based on all the meanings contained in the name Seele Fulei.

Born into a world where he lived as someone else, experiencing life and everything else, completely unaware of his true self, the Herrscher of Death, even after indirectly usurping Seele Fulei's place, could not choose to seek revenge against her.

Su Qing'an felt her own powerlessness from the bottom of her heart, and was forced to constantly comprehend this anxious despair and regret.

Every second of contact with the other person felt like a profound repetition of the reality that Seele Fulei was dead, yet that completely identical personality gave him the occasional illusion that the other person was still alive in this world.

Heaven and hell thus intertwine, creating a chaotic boundary that twists all choices into inescapable gray taboos.

Revealing the truth will bring no benefit; remaining silent would only confirm that the real Seele Fulei been completely replaced by this strange soul.

Killing the other party wouldn't avenge the real Seele, and besides, Su Qing'an simply couldn't bring herself to do it.

What should we do? What can we do?

I can neither accept it calmly nor escape from it.

They fear revealing the truth to the public, yet grieve that the truth remains unknown.

Doing nothing is a disservice, but doing more is a mistake.

They couldn't treat her the way they would treat Seele, yet they had no choice but to live with her as if Seele.

[A dragon that breathes cold fire, invisible, intangible, undetectable, and causes no consequences—its existence or non-existence makes no difference.]

As the only being able to feel the pain from this cold flame, Su Qing'an could only bear this pain and regret alone, doing half-hearted things and pretending that everything was still fine.

"Brother, what's that?"

The boy looked in the direction the little girl was pointing and responded softly:

"... That's a dugong, one of the oldest marine creatures. I've heard that because it needs to surface periodically to breathe, it's often mistaken for a mermaid."

Looking at the spindle-shaped sea creature, Seele compared it to the mermaid of her imagination and felt a huge difference. She complained:

"Huh? It doesn't look like it at all."

Su Qing'an responded with a faint smile:

"Yes, mermaids should be even prettier."

"However, I've heard that there are only a handful of dugongs on public display worldwide, so they must be considered quite rare, right?"

Upon hearing this, the little girl gazed intently at the sea creature and seemed to find it much more pleasing to the eye.

The boy lowered his eyes, gazing silently at the fish swimming in the ocean.

At least... the false dream can still provide a sliver of warmth, sustaining the few remaining sparks in my hand.