Brother, Use the Dream Spike on Me. 8K

Murder is a sin that cannot be concealed.

Sensing that a life that could have been saved was about to be lost, Su Qing'an could no longer wallow in her own melancholy thoughts.

[Udu-dust • Critical Point] unfolds here. He ignores the wailing of flesh and organs within his body, disregards the agonizing entanglement of his Mind Lake and soul, and slowly brings his palms together towards the ocean formed by the Jacaranda, clenching them into fists.

A storm that tore through the sea of clouds descended upon the street as the fingertips drooped slightly. Purple mist and azure petals mingled with the white wisps of clouds, blending into a single color in the loosely held hand.

[Stigmata] Overdraft activation: After fully absorbing the power and Honkai Energy of the Herrscher of Death, it was released again, successfully replacing control.

Just as he had used the power of the Third Herrscher and the countless corpses to create a weapon, Su Qing'an repeated his previous actions, condensing the opponent's power and Honkai Energy into a dark blue blade made of transparent crystals.

The wind that swept across the land swept in and then subsided. The young man held his magnificent and clear longsword aloft, gazing silently at the distant sky and those blood-red, vivid eyes through the blade.

What should I say?

So, even though you know you're no longer Seele Fulei, you're still family, so should I take you back?

However, the reality before our eyes proves that this statement has lost its meaning.

The link to the Honkai Consciousness was perfectly rebuilt, but the fluctuation of that soul was not like the twisted, mournful, sorrowful, and desperate appearance of the Herrscher's original soul in the past; it was only a profound tranquility.

This means that even if the link is re-established, the Herrscher of Death retains its autonomy due to its unique creation method.

This means that everything she does now is out of her own will, because whenever she is unwilling, the emotion of being forced to commit a crime will be revealed on the surface of her soul, allowing Su Qing'an to observe it clearly.

All signs indicate that even severing the link in the first place cannot change the Herrscher of Death's decision to reclaim herself.

When she no longer considers herself Seele Fulei, no longer identifies with this identity and the emotions it embodies, then she is merely a pure Herrscher, a weapon of war created by the Honkai Consciousness to destroy civilization.

What is the only choice Su Qing'an can make when faced with a Herrscher has killed hundreds of people right before his eyes?

The girl gazed at the azure sky, where the last wisps of clouds seemed to have vanished in the storm. A cold smile played on her lips as she looked up at the corners of her eyes.

"The sun is so bright today, brother."

The Herrscher of Death spoke in a calm tone:

"This is probably one of the few places where you can still see such good weather."

She stretched out her palm, gazing at the translucent purple butterfly hovering above her, and whispered:

Aren't you curious about what it's like in other places?

Su Qing'an remained silent. He could sense that the other party was releasing the power of creation almost continuously in all directions. Whether it was when they were soaring in the sky or now, standing beside the tall tree in the swaying shade of its canopy, they had not stopped this action when they spoke to him.

The boy's arm hung down, the blade embedded in the asphalt, standing upright, and he said:

"Remove your powers and come back with me."

The girl caught a Jacaranda that fluttered down and responded slowly:

Are you an idiot?

"Brother, you shouldn't talk to me like an adult talking to a child."

The Herrscher of Death's tone suddenly turned deep and somber. She glanced at the boy's face and said:

"Seele Fulei has been dead for a long time, you're not a new acquaintance of that, are you?"

She tilted her head, the ends of her black hair mixed with dark red swaying slightly, and said with a smile:

"I understand. You want me to go back and play house with you, where everyone is happy and nothing tragic happens, right?"

"And then I'm still Seele Fulei, still that Herrscher of Death doesn't know she's actually nothing, while my brother is still pretending to be an idiot who hasn't noticed anything. Is that fun?"

The girl didn't seem angry at all. Even the tone of her voice didn't sound like an angry interrogation, but rather like pure doubt and curiosity. Her slightly narrowed eyes reflected the butterfly fluttering its wings and flying into the distance, revealing a nonchalant and casual demeanor.

Seele felt the gentle breeze and sunshine on her face, not even glancing at the clueless boy, and simply sang a Christmas carol about Jacaranda to herself.

After a long while, the girl gazed at the new butterfly that had once again hovered on her fingertip, and came to a conclusion about her previous words:

"This isn't fun at all, brother."

She watched the butterfly disappear from sight again and said with a smile:

"Killing is more fun."

The power displayed its unrestrained and wild nature, with mountains and seas of Honkai Energy constantly emerging from the passages connecting the Imaginary Space. Purple mist spread across the land in the blink of an eye, and was endlessly generated.

The Herrscher of Death gazed at Su Qing'an, who had begun absorbing the surrounding Honkai Energy at almost the same moment. She made no attempt to stop him or launch an attack, but simply stated:

"He has told me about my brother's abilities in detail. Although I don't understand the true nature of them, it is roughly that he can absorb Honkai Energy phenomena, store it, and even make good use of it."

"With His help, you have inherited all the experience from the previous battles between the apostles and you, so I understand that even this seemingly perfect ability has its limits."

"Otherwise, you wouldn't have needed to dodge so much in the previous battles; you only needed to focus on the physical attacks that were indirectly generated by Honkai Energy."

Su Qing'an did not respond; it was not surprising that the Honkai Consciousness knew these things.

Even before killing the Fifth Herrscher, he wondered why the other party didn't grant him the basic intellect and experience to try and target him, so he wasn't surprised that a similar event had occurred.

The boy silently absorbed the endless mist. The [Stigmata] converted the power of the Herrscher of Death into Honkai Energy, and then injected it into the [Thousand Stars] wrapped around his body for a large-scale release on the outside.

Thus, the raging storm and the misty fog began to cancel each other out, with the former continuously using the enemy's strength against them, while the latter obtained endless Honkai Energy from the Imaginary Space.

Su Qing'an couldn't personally experience the true nature of this power, he naturally couldn't realize that it was a complete lie and a performance.

Therefore, to prevent the other party from bearing more sins, and to avoid harming the innocent, he would never choose to give up using [Stigmata].

However, once a stalemate occurs, the time-limited [Udu-dust • Critical] will inflict a tremendous price on the body, or even death, in the future or even shortly thereafter.

But these concerns have gradually faded from my hazy and confused mind, and the mental torment I have been suffering from seems to be increasingly affecting my reason and sound judgment at this moment.

The conversation with Seele was the main cause of this situation.

Assuming the Herrscher of Death reacts to his words with anger, doubt, sorrow, or any other emotion, the boy has a way of convincing himself to resolve to bring it back.

Seele Fulei knew Su Qing'an too well, so she knew how to make him truly feel hopeless.

Her expressions, dialogue, tone, and behavior were all perfect acting, performed by the girl using the negative influence of the Honkai Consciousness. The emotions she conveyed were genuine emotions given by the Honkai Consciousness, and with the added aid of controlling her micro-expressions with her powers, she was even less likely to reveal any flaws.

Seele Fulei's performance wasn't entirely aimed at Su Qing'an; rather, it was largely directed at the satellites above that she hadn't deliberately shielded, and the humans observing them from behind.

The girl was well aware of the long-term consequences of her leaving Soul Steel Prison. Simply doing what she wanted and ending it all, ignoring the negative repercussions of her willfulness, was not the choice she wanted.

Therefore, creating an image of complete loss of control and forcing the teenager to take action against him is one of the necessary approaches.

She slowly sat down in the treetop, counting on her fingers as if pointing at something, and said:

"The Third Herrscher can reach your limit in just three seconds, and the Fifth Herrscher can reach it in just two seconds. Even if you can use the Herrscher's own Honkai Energy to defend and indirectly delay reaching your limit, you can still die if you're not careful."

"Of course, at least from what we've seen so far, this ability itself is too overpowered. It's almost as if it's targeting the very meaning of authority, which is surprisingly infuriating."

Seele Fulei looked at the boy's expression and said with a smile:

"But they're all too stupid. What's the point of killing them all? Aside from giving you the freedom to act without any scruples, there's not much benefit."

"It's still as fun as it is now, you can't ignore it, right? I know, because that's what her memories tell me, she tells me how stupid, clumsy, and inflexible you are."

The Herrscher of Death knew Su Qing'an very well, so she understood perfectly that the only way to truly make him lose his mind was to manipulate the key elements that held a certain weight in his heart.

Using Sister Hua might easily achieve that result, but Seele was a little afraid that she might lose control of her emotions. It wouldn't be surprising if her brother, who could observe souls, could sense other people's intense emotions.

Therefore, in order not to reveal any flaws, the only thing they can rely on is themselves.

Only... Seele Fulei.

She swung her legs and stated softly:

"Seele Fulei's memories will become one of the weapons to kill the person most important to her. There's nothing more interesting or ironic than that, isn't there?"

Su Qing'an stared intently at the girl's expression, trying his best to find the answer beyond that, but apart from the innocent yet ironic smile and the earnest yet indifferent expression, he could find no other trace.

As the heart is squeezed, a sinister flame burns fiercely with the constant addition of fuel from the outside world. Long-accumulated despair and sorrow turn into endless fuel, and anger continues to build up. It's as if a demon is whispering in your ear, trying to tell you the choice you should make now.

The boy's pupils were lifeless. He gripped the sword blade even tighter, no longer knowing what he was fighting against with his emotions and reason.

Su Qing'an's lips moved slightly, and he whispered:

"Stop talking, Seele."

The girl smiled brightly at his words, her eyes lowered as she carefully surveyed her slender body, and she whispered softly:

"Elder brother?"

Su Qing'an was stunned. The storm caused by [Thousand Stars] slowed down for a moment, but the persistent purple mist showed no signs of stopping, which made him immediately come back to his senses and continue to maintain this situation that was destined to be turbulent.

The Herrscher of Death watched the boy's momentary daze, then bent over, unable to contain herself, and laughed wildly. But through the gaps hidden by her falling hair, her slightly pursed lips and melancholy expression seemed to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, an unrevealed truth.

The girl said sarcastically in a cold tone:

"She'll definitely cry if she sees your half-baked, disgusting appearance in the afterlife, won't she?"

"I am not the kind of worthless person whose soul was crushed by the gods and who died a complete and utter death."

How many times do I have to tell you before you understand? That useless, boring wretch is long dead.

Seele glanced at her slender arms and said calmly:

"I understand. Even though she's dead, you still care about this body, right? Because it's as if she's still alive."

The smile on the girl's lips grew increasingly cold.

"Humans are such fragile and foolish creatures, constantly falling into a state of pointless self-deception, and what can they ultimately gain?"

She looked at Su Qing'an, who had remained unresponsive until now, tilted her head, and asked softly:

"Brother, can you see the abyss?"

A beautiful line of blood was slowly drawn along the soft skin with the fingertip. The Honkai Energy thread cut through the flesh and broke the bones. The beautiful right arm was separated from the main body and fell to the ground with a thud, accompanied by a spray of blood.

"Can you see it?" she asked.

The sound of blood gushing through the ears seemed to swallow the crimson in the boy's eyes with an even deeper color. The world was gradually pulled away and then pulled in again, and the double images and the broken, pitch-black vision switched to create a bizarre and surreal picture. The nerves, squeezed to the limit, gradually moved towards collapse.

The mist obliterated the arm, and the girl gazed at her newly transformed limbs, her lips moving slightly:

"That's true, it can't be that easy to see, can it?"

She continued humming the Jacaranda Christmas carol and casually said:

"After all, that idiot is long dead, and this body is mine now."

The Herrscher of Death paused, a hint of pleasure in her dark red eyes, and said, word by word:

"So you don't care how I treat this body, right?"

The clamor of the storm and the [Thousand Stars] could not drown out the tsunami stirred up by each word and phrase. The sound of something breaking kept crashing down in my ears, making the space for thought increasingly narrow.

The flames of hatred and anger, intertwined, supported a vast emptiness within this small space, urging consciousness and body to perform what they ought to do.

The girl lowered her eyes and smiled as she uttered a lie that was undeniably true:

"I wouldn't feel pain even if I were cut off, crushed, reshaped, or cleaved in two."

"After all, I am Herrscher. The power of the Herrscher of Death is such a convenient thing. Treating the body like a toy is a unique privilege."

"It's so great to be able to take over someone else's body. If it were my own body, I'd definitely feel a bit reluctant, and then I'd lose a lot of the fun, right?"

She suppressed a myriad of emotions, completely restraining her sorrow and pain, and softly uttered words that overwhelmed everything:

"Seele Fulei is quite suitable as a prop."

Thus, the thread of reason was extinguished.

The Herrscher of Death... has successfully proven that she is indeed a pure Herrscher of Death.

What stands before us now is merely an enemy who has taken over Seele Fulei's body, whose hands are stained with the blood of the innocent, and who is destined to unleash a chain of more sorrow.

The power of the [Stigmata] reached its absolute limit, and thousands of crimson light feathers wove together to form a picture, completely enveloping the entire area and locking away all the purple mist and fluttering butterflies.

The boy's clothes fluttered in the wind, and his eyes no longer held the gentleness they once had for him; only sorrow and grief remained... and a dark emotion that defied description.

So it's true, you really can get angry and sad like that.

She knew she had done something very wrong, but she still couldn't help feeling happy about it.

The girl continued to connect with the Honkai energy within the Imaginary Space Honkai Energy a purple sea of mist to envelop and permeate everything. She understood that the stage play had officially entered the right track.

This cunning prank and game of hide-and-seek should come to an end.

Game time is always so short, like a journey that never leads to happiness; those who bought the wrong ticket from the start are destined for that ending.

No one has the right to get off the train and change stations midway.

The concentrated mist and massive amount of Honkai Energy he absorbed all at once converged on the sword in his hand. In his silence, his body's functions completely entered State of Still Water. Endless inspiration arranged and kneaded the Honkai Energy into an indescribably intricate structure, and he slowly applied pressure with his fingertips on the hilt.

In the next instant, [Time Cutter] severed the re-emerging Sea of Mist.

Su Qing'an extended his left hand, and the scattered ink at his fingertips split into thousands of Honkai Energy particles that converged into fixed orbits, as visible to the naked eye.

The internal and external Honkai Energy structure of [Thousand Stars] was thus transferred from all sides of its body to a single point, and the originally extremely noisy storm was annihilated.

Honkai Energy chain reaction, and...

[Immortal Technique: The Unity of All Things]

She had taught him long ago, and he had already learned it.

However, due to various factors and reasons, this was the first time the boy had used this technique, which originated from the Immortal Chi Yuan.

Su Qing'an coughed up blood, gazing at the world before him that had become clear amidst the confusion of black and white. His body was rapidly decaying after using this technique, constantly approaching the Netherworld.

With the last ounce of strength remaining in his battered body, he slashed out with his sword...

There were no obstacles.

It's as if [Time Cutter] has truly transcended time, ignored everything, and directly arrived at the desired result.

In a moment of hazy consciousness, clouded reason, and utter exhaustion.

The blood dripped down, the clear, muffled sounds reaching my ears, seeping into my soul drop by drop.

The sword blade was pressed against her neck, its edge slicing through the skin on the side. Bright red blood oozed from the skin, slowly spreading out in a beautiful pattern across her snow-white complexion.

If the blade continues to fall, the power within will be reversed and released, and everything will come to an end.

But the moment any force was applied, all the dark emotions vanished, and the extremely fragile limbs, like an insurmountable chasm, swallowed up all the flames that had accumulated in the heart.

The boy's fingers gripped the sword hilt tightly and then loosened, until the dripping sound of blood echoed again, before he truly came to his senses.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

Su Qing'an was stunned for a moment, but he still... couldn't bring himself to do it.

Why?

That was clearly no longer Seele; it was another person completely occupying Seele's body, Herrscher destined to destroy civilization, an Apostle of Honkai Consciousness, a villain with countless lives on his hands, an existence that should be killed without hesitation.

Reason had clearly vanished; hatred and anger had taken over everything, but in the end...

But he still couldn't do it.

Perhaps the memory of the girl clinging to him and acting coquettishly was too vivid; perhaps the time they spent living together had made him fatally vulnerable; or maybe he simply couldn't bring himself to hurt someone important to him.

Even if... it's just her remaining physical body.

[Udu-dust •Limit] was forced to withdraw. The boy's hair and eye color faded to a dull, lifeless black. He silently gazed at the girl's face, his expression complex.

[Stigmata] has begun to disconnect.

Even so, the mist, when it brushed against one's body, did nothing more than provide a slight coolness, as if from the very beginning these seemingly extremely dangerous things were merely fun decorations.

Su Qing'an sensed the Honkai Energy barrier that had never surrounded her body and understood the truth. He suddenly understood why the little girl had asked to eat green peppers yesterday, why she had been so frank in her affection for him, and why she had repeated the agreement.

Because she wanted to die today, to die on this street lined with Jacaranda.

If the Herrscher of Death knows she is not Seele Fulei, but still identifies with that identity, then her current actions seem to be explainable.

An overwhelming sorrow welled up inside him; his fingertips trembled, and the sword fell to the ground, stained with blood.

Looking into those bright red eyes, Su Qing'an was at a loss for what to do.

The complex facts and tangled emotions intertwined into an unsolvable mystery, making it difficult for the boy to find a clear thread to unravel the situation.

Seele glanced at the clear, flawless sky. She didn't care if Su Qing'an found out the truth. The fact that she hadn't actually killed anyone and the subsequent consequences would inevitably lead to the other party knowing everything.

The satellite signal has been successfully blocked, and all the elements for the stage play to reach its conclusion have been achieved.

Now, only the ending remains.

The Herrscher of Death, the ending of being successfully killed.

She took a few steps closer, then embraced the boy before her, savoring his warmth, and whispered:

"I just can't do anything with you, brother. You're so gentle, it's really hard to handle you."

"Even after being treated like this, even after knowing everything, you still can't even kill me... Doesn't that seem to be saying, 'I'm important too'?"

Seele's lips parted, and she complained:

"I'll miss it."

Su Qing'an shook his head, an inexplicable unease and sorrow surging in his chest. He suppressed the emptiness of his gradually declining bodily functions and said:

"Come back with me, Seele."

The girl sensed his life signs steadily approaching death, and the curve of her lips rose even higher.

She deliberately created this situation where self-sacrifice was the only option for her, and to ensure she could completely suppress the backlash from the Honkai Consciousness.

Given that the other party would inevitably die if he didn't do this, and fearing the loss of Su Qing'an, he had the confidence that he would not fail.

Because whether it's Seele Fulei or the Herrscher of Death... it's only him left.

She said softly:

"Brother, use the Dream Spike on me."

"The Dream Spike can return one to one's original state, transform into pure white, and attain happiness."

Su Qing'an understood what she meant, but how could that be?

He was so cowardly that he couldn't bring himself to do it even in that situation just now, and now that he knows the truth, it's even more impossible for him to do so.

Moreover, why?

The boy could not understand why she had to die, nor could he allow her to face death, let alone agree to such an absurd and ridiculous request.

But why am I so terrified, so afraid? It's like the despair that comes with losing something important before, a self-imposed prison that torments my soul.

From that moment on, there was no escape, no forgetting.

Seele smiled gently, hearing the boy's increasingly faint breathing and his gradually stopping heartbeat, and the all-too-familiar warmth within it, and whispered:

"You need a special item to get the third ending, right?"

"Just like this, I have a way to get my brother to use the Dream Spike."

While the [Stigmata] was in a semi-functional state, switching back and forth between disconnection and normal operation, the Stigmata substance that was perfectly integrated with Su Qing'an's body became the best medium for manipulating power.

From the very beginning, Seele understood that the Herrscher of Death's power was most accurate and had the strongest control over itself.

The boy, whose body contained his own flesh and blood, had lost the power and qualification to resist in this dire situation.

The reason I deliberately confirmed this matter that day was quite simple.

Because my brother said he'd rather the world end than face a third ending.

There's nothing we can do about that then.

This is the largest power output and force ever exerted by the Herrscher of Death.

Even though [Stigmata] has a more difficult time distinguishing between its own flesh and blood, this conceptual ability still cannot be completely nullified. The real flaws that can be created are actually the gaps in the process of distinguishing between the two, and the occasional breaks in the connection.

But that's enough.

The boy's frail body was powerless to resist the interference of the powers. Like a puppet on strings, he picked up the weapons on the ground. His extremely weak will and physical abilities could hardly serve as a barrier in his way.

Su Qing'an watched helplessly as he used the sword, crafted from such beautiful materials as Jacaranda, Sea of Mist, and clouds, to pierce through Seele's petite body.

It was as if the martial arts, honed through countless trials, had become second nature; the speed at which the sword fell was so smooth and natural.

It was clean, crisp, and flawless, with no unnecessary flaws.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

Blood trickled down the blade and onto the hand gripping the hilt, the sticky sensation numbing the nerves. The boy's dark pupils reflected a poignant crimson, like the blood of old age, gradually becoming hollow.

The girl reversed the Honkai Energy cycle within her body, completely sealing off the passage connecting to the gate of the Imaginary Space, and thus her power, which had been deprived of the reactor, dried up.

The sword that shattered the heart, now free from their control, reversed and scattered back into its original form.

Endless Jacaranda intertwine with the clouds and mist to form a sea, enveloping the entire street in a dreamlike and enchanting scene.

With her last bit of strength, Seele hugged him, smiled, and felt the whole world slowly turning pure white.

The nun was right.

The Dream Spike is something that can offer redemption and beauty.

The girl thought for a moment, wondering what she should say. This was probably the last thing she should say.

Even after trying for a while, she couldn't find much that truly belonged to her.

In the end, the Herrscher of Death only said in a low voice:

"Green peppers are still really hard to eat."

The tone, which sounded like a complaint yet also like boasting about how obedient she was, was too light, like soft, fluffy clouds settling on the heart, making one unable to help but feel tenderness.

But Su Qing'an couldn't even respond. Even though this was probably the first time he had ever been so sad, the reality that his bodily functions had completely stopped blocked any extra thoughts and extinguished his right to think.

The girl's ability to speak seemed to be a sliver of life, barely held on by the existence of her powers. However, after her soul unilaterally severed the link to the Honkai Consciousness and desperately sealed off all the functions of the Herrscher Core, this life force would soon be extinguished.

The Herrscher of Death's vision is actually quite simple.

She was selfish, so she didn't want to be forgotten no matter what.

Giving everything in this way was the girl's final act of willfulness.

The boy could no longer hear. The Honkai Infection gradually burned his organs to [Ashes]. In the instant that Seele's heart was pierced, he too had to meet his end under the shackles of this innate limitation.

But on this street lined with Jacaranda, something even purer and more pristine emerges only after true death.

The final missing element for Stigmata is the so-called licensing right.

This right of permission naturally belongs only to the Herrscher of Death himself.

Soon after learning her true identity, Seele arrived at the real answers to these questions.

The answer... is the soul.

The so-called perfect Stigmata of the Herrscher of Death is the unique fusion of Seele Fulei's flesh and blood and the soul of the Herrscher of Death.

Apart from that, it is absolutely unique.

Completely engulfed in darkness, the final murmur was successfully transmitted.

"Brother, you can get the Fourth Ending because... it's the penalty for breaking the contract."

The soul dissipated, leaving no trace.

Only the Jacaranda's Christmas carols echoed softly in the bright, melodious sunlight...

That day, Su Qing'an overcame her innate limitations.

They have truly and completely escaped the despair of being Honkai by the Honkai.