The Birth of the Black Abyss White Flower

Seele Fulei is dead; she was killed by Su Qing'an.

For most people, this is good news to celebrate. The existence of living Herrscher is like a ticking time bomb for the people of Australia, who don't know when it will explode with terrifying destructive power.

Indeed, that was the case. The horrific incident that left 100,000 people unconscious paralyzed many areas of Brisbane. Even though the damage was almost unbelievably low compared to previous Herrscher, the reality of the Herrscher of Death going berserk remained unchanged.

Fortunately, the subsequent handling was swift and decisive, eliminating the source of all the calamities on the same day. For those who had been worried that the Herrscher might go berserk and affect their lives or even their lives, the loss of this hidden threat was naturally a cause for celebration and joy. However, for a very small number of people, it was not the case.

Elizabeth Bay, Sydney.

Located in a waterfront community east of the city center, this place is adjacent to Arthur McElvone Gardens and only a short walk from the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

At this moment, the curtains shut out the hustle and bustle of Sydney Harbour and the sea breeze, blocking out the sunlight.

In the dimly lit room, Shiyu Qiluo sat in the center of the sofa, watching the gray-colored documentary on the screen alone. Her fingertips, which were resting on the phone screen, turned slightly white as they hovered over the name in the email, obscuring the actual handwriting.

The execution of Holy Gate Project and Himeko's recent semi-mandatory leave meant that neither she nor Carole went on the mission.

In this state, they would be unable to complete any task properly. Knowing this, they had no right to refuse. It seems that the captain granted them leave not only out of concern but also out of this same thought.

Unnecessary sacrifices should not exist; efficiency and life should be weighed on the same scale.

With this philosophy in mind, Himeko's actions are not surprising.

After the initial completion of Holy Gate Project, the two were almost completely assigned to stay in Australia. Therefore, the existence of the holiday did not affect the allocation of the rest of the team members. It only involved the procedures of the local defense and hunting missions. Given the extremely peaceful situation in Australia at this stage, the short holiday was not a big deal.

However, it is an undeniable reality that one cannot maintain such a state of mind indefinitely. Even if one understands this fact, it is difficult to immediately pull oneself out of the quagmire in one's heart.

Seele Fulei's emails were sent on a schedule until the day after her death, containing not a single word, only the photo album data that she had previously treasured.

That girl was like a fawn separated from its family in a documentary, heading alone into the depths of the forest, where she would become a skeleton hidden in the shade of the trees, never seeing the sunlight, in a long, lonely, and cruel world.

And it was as if she had known all along that this ending would be so desolate, so she had given the two of them a photo album that symbolized a little bit of glory beforehand.

The reason the Herrscher of Death did this, besides not wanting Seele Fulei to be forgotten, inevitably also contained a sense of concern.

But it seems that neither Shiyu Qiluo nor Carole could find any solace or warmth in it.

Shiyu Qiluo stared blankly at the long and boring documentary, lost in thought.

This is the third day of the holiday, and seeing the sunset from dawn is no exaggeration.

Even during holidays, it's hard to find a normal way to rest. It seems that no matter what you do, you can't help but space out, and absorbing a lot of external information only makes you feel irritable.

Sunshine and scenery, delicious food and decorative items.

The things I once cherished on the battlefield have now faded, and after many twists and turns, they have finally dissolved into the somber documentary before my eyes.

Such an ending made it hard for Shiyu Qiluo not to overthink things, and she tried to blame herself.

If Seele hadn't felt her fear that day, hadn't been made to cry and grieve, would she have avoided her rampage and death?

Shiyu Qiluo wanted her heart to continue to squeeze out even deeper regrets, to imagine many "what ifs," to fantasize about many "what ifs," and to try to hold onto the past that could never be traced back.

I did it instinctively.

This is perhaps the source of regret for most people throughout their lives.

But when an empty life, a dark future, and a beautiful past intertwine, regret can become a good remedy for distraction.

Imagination and assumptions are mental barriers to prevent mistakes, but they are also the best tools to stifle action.

If you think about it a little more, you'll realize that the fact that you received the email at the exact time means that reality is not as simple as it seems on the surface.

The meeting and conversation with Fu Hua a few days ago indirectly proved this point, so both Shiyu Qiluo and Carole understood... even if those assumptions and "what ifs" came true, they still couldn't change the outcome they were facing now.

This is a reality more terrifying than regret itself; it means that this matter was beyond your control.

But if one remains content with mediocrity and becomes numb to loss, then knowing this can be a kind of liberation.

Because you understand that no matter how hard you try, you can't change some outcomes, the efforts you didn't make can't create any regrets, and they're unlikely to stir up much emotion in your heart, so you naturally can't feel sad or sorrowful.

Even after experiencing the pain of losing family members, learning about the cruelty of the world, and witnessing despair that they could never hope to reach in this lifetime, the two still retained love and hope for the future. Yet, the pain and the reality that they had no right to regret arose from this.

The screen's glow stood out starkly in the dimly lit room. Next to the living room was a kitchen partition and a large dining table. Carole sat in a chair, leaning on the table playing a game on her phone—a rough, retro version of Snake. Beside her was a popsicle stick and a glass with ice left in it.

The girl's golden eyes stared blankly at the game screen, remaining silent.

Accompanied by a short sound effect, the snake bit its own tail and died by eating itself.

Actually, being a snake isn't so bad, she thought.

The only goal of the gluttonous snake is to grow into the longest snake. It doesn't need to worry about anything else. It has no companions and doesn't need companions. It has no troubled future and doesn't need to dwell on its weak past. It doesn't need to think about gains and losses and won't have any worries. Until the moment it devours itself arrives, it only needs to follow its desires.

How many times has this game's death sound effect played today? I've lost count.

Carole tossed her phone aside, picked up a glass with her slender, beautiful fingers, and held it up to the few rays of light streaming in through the gap in the curtains, producing a crisp, pleasant sound.

The girl gazed at the gradually melting ice, the light refracting and meandering within it, splashing and spreading along with the dripping water droplets.

After a long while, she listlessly tossed the popsicle stick into the glass.

He immediately went to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator.

Carole looked at the empty screen inside and whispered:

"Everything is gone."

She was silent for a moment, then said to the person on the sofa:

"Qiluo, we're out of ice cream."

Shiyu Qiluo lowered her eyelashes, looked at the photo album on her phone, and replied:

"Then we'll just buy more."

The girl leaned against the refrigerator, scrolled through her phone for a while, then stared blankly for a long time. After thinking for a moment, she casually said:

"Shall we go out? Let's see the sea."

Shiyu Qiluo pursed her lips:

"What does this have to do with ice cream?"

Carole closed her eyes and whispered:

"It's nothing."

"I just suddenly remembered that there are many small art galleries nearby that we haven't seen, cafes that sell ice cream and desserts, restaurants we haven't tried, theaters we haven't been to, and... the sea is just a stone's throw away."

So I want to go see it with you.

Shiyu Qiluo stared at the screen, clutching her phone tightly, without responding.

Carole walked to the windowsill, slowly drew back the curtains, feeling the sea breeze and sunshine on her face. Gazing at the horizon where the azure meets the azure, she glanced at her social media feed on her phone and asked:

"Qiluo, do you still remember that senior who loved stray cats?"

She also created a club at the school to care for the cats.

Shiyu Qiluo responded softly:

"That was one of the clubs you joined, wasn't it? I remember it."

"I remember that senior student has already graduated and even got the opportunity to study in Australia. Have you seen her recently?"

The girl's golden eyes were slightly lowered, her expression complex, and her lips moved slightly.

"She should be dead."

"They may have died before the Honkai erupted."

While Shiyu Qiluo Luo remained silent, Carole, for some reason, began to recount this old story in detail:

"That day, the senior student said she was going back and forth to school to say goodbye to the club members and teachers, and then no one saw her until dusk. At first, no one paid any attention, but when someone tried to call her and found that the call couldn't be connected, and her social media accounts hadn't been updated since, they realized there was a problem."

"It's strange, isn't it? It was the day before she flew to Australia, so why wasn't there any news at all? Everyone who knows her thinks something must have happened, but she has no family, and nobody can find out what really happened."

Carole paused for a moment:

"In the end, although someone called the police, nothing came of it. Not long after that incident, Teacher Su asked me about the senior student's matter."

"So now that I think about it, my senior probably encountered Honkai event. Maybe she met Zombie, or maybe she was even more unlucky and became Zombie, just like me back then. If it weren't for Hua, I wouldn't be alive today."

She turned to look at the stunned girl. Surprisingly, the girl's face, backlit, showed neither sorrow nor pain; instead, it appeared somewhat radiant.

"So I think she could have seen the sea here, the Eeyore's Giant Stone, and even set foot on Ballarat or the Blue Mountains."

"Just like... Yuno were here too, she would definitely love the nearby art gallery."

"I wasn't in the mood to see the sea, nor did I have any desire for ice cream. I had absolutely no interest in galleries or theaters, and I even had some difficulty understanding the locals' language. I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about going out to play either."

"But when I think about how these things, which are beyond the reach of people who are no longer alive, are so close to us, I feel that wasting time is itself a betrayal."

Bathed in the bright sunlight and gentle breeze, Carole gently embraced the girl who couldn't utter a word, and whispered in her ear:

"Isn't Qiluo an idol? Then she has to be able to smile to be considered qualified."

Shiyu Qiluo breathed in the scent of sea breeze and shower gel emanating from her, she suddenly realized that it seemed like a long, long time ago, her weak and clumsy self would always be earnestly comforted by Carole.

She once thought that after experiencing the Great Honkai, she had truly become stronger, that she no longer needed her patient comforting, and that she could withstand all hardships and calamities on her own.

In the end, I was still just as useless.

Even if you don't need her help, you will still find comfort and redemption in her few words.

Shiyu Qiluo released her fingers from the phone screen, hugged Carole back, tears welling in her eyes, but her lips parted in a smile:

"Let's go see the sea."

Australian branch, underground research institute.

On the display stand, a uniquely shaped long-handled sword is made of pure black material, with faint traces of Honkai Energy wavelengths.

Mei looked at it and introduced it softly:

"This is the Black Abyss White Flower."

"Of course, perhaps because half of the power is missing from the Herrscher Core, it is still an incomplete product and cannot be considered a complete Divine Key."

"Let's call it the Black Abyss for now; it's quite fitting to correspond to the power of [Obliteration]."

"You possess the other half of the power that it lacks, namely the [creation] aspect. You were brought here to see if the interaction between these two can produce the theoretically possible response."

Su Qing'an sensed the subtle yet chaotic fluctuations within the Herrscher Core and asked:

Have you had other people tested on it?

Mei stated:

"There's no need for that. It seems that due to the lack of authority, the Divine Key's activity is very low. Judging from the assessment, even someone without Honkai Energy literacy could pick it up without damage, but they wouldn't be able to unleash any of its power."

"Besides you, if there is another suitable candidate who matches the wavelength of the Divine Key and is adaptable, they should also be able to wield its powers."

"But if you want the Herrscher of Death's powers to be fully unleashed, then it can only be done in your hands."

The boy silently placed his hand on the cool hilt of the sword. He gazed at the Abyss Flower within the Soul Hall that were now undergoing violent changes, and in an instant, he established a close connection with the Black Abyss without any hindrance.

The soul, through the shell of the Divine Key, established a connection with the [annihilation] within, and the power of [creation] automatically activated and descended into reality.

A sea of white flowers enveloped the view like a dream, then quickly disappeared.

Su Qing'an was lost in thought, staring at the brand-new Black Abyss White Flower in his hand, and fell silent.

It was a sword with a strange texture, pure white with flowing black patterns, like an artwork displayed in an art exhibition, or a delicate and fragile porcelain object, but it did not look like a weapon about to enter the battlefield.

He muttered to himself:

"Isn't it... a spear?"

Upon hearing this, Mei asked:

Do you want a spear?

"Strange, the Abyss form of the Divine Key is customized based on your previous fighting style, but in essence it is still extremely dense Soul Steel. When it enters its complete form, if you desire a spear, the Divine Key linked to your consciousness should also exhibit the form you desire."

She continued:

"Even if it has already taken shape, it doesn't matter. The Black Abyss White Flower is an extremely special Divine Key. It possesses both a Black Abyss form and a complete form. When it reaches a certain distance from you, it will automatically revert to its Black Abyss form due to the unstable link between its other half of the power."

"Then it can be reshaped."

Su Qing'an shook his head and said:

"It's alright, this is fine. Thank you for your help, Mei."

Mei said softly:

"Yes, the current situation has proven that you, possessing the Black Abyss White Flower, can now completely control all the powers of the original Herrscher of Death."

"But I still have some concerns. Normally, most of the burden of using the Divine Key to control power is borne by the Herrscher Core itself. However, the other half of the Herrscher of Death's power is currently linked to your soul. I'm not sure if obtaining the complete Divine Key in this form will allow the Herrscher Core to bear this heavy burden."

"If not, then the use of the Divine Key will become extremely limited."

Su Qing'an himself could not immediately arrive at an accurate answer, but it was not difficult to draw a conclusion. He only needed to conduct basic practice. He tried to leverage his powers by using the connection he had established with the Divine Key, rather than utilizing the mechanisms within the Soul Hall.

Endless Honkai Energy surged continuously from the core, and a holy white light filled the room. Rule-level authority began to forcibly interfere with Mei's extremely weak body, like a candle flickering in the wind.

The boy sensed that the other person had suddenly become healthy, yet was now inevitably heading towards death under the erosion of Honkai Energy, and his gaze was deep and melancholic.

The Soul Essence had not diminished, nor had he sensed any pressure; everything was handled by the Divine Key, which meant that he was now practically another Herrscher of Death.

But that's not important at this moment; what's important is that this ability can lead to the treatment plan that I've been envisioning for a long time.

The [Stigmata]'s power is theoretically sufficient to eradicate any remaining Honkai Energy in anyone's body, making it no exaggeration to call it the most powerful Anti-Honkai Potion.

Unfortunately, humans infected with Honkai have a deep-rooted connection between their organs and flesh from the very beginning. If you simply try to eliminate all Honkai Energy, you can only kill the people with Honkai Sickness in a roundabout way.

However, based on the power of [Stigmata], and combined with the authority of the Herrscher of Death... true hope can be born.