Seele • Fulei and the Herrscher of Death

Christianne and Flora's plan was thus completed.

The real and complete memories obtained from the Honkai Consciousness played a huge role in this theater.

The Soul Hall slowly collapsed, and the Abyss Flower Domain teetered on the brink of collapse.

The power of [bewitchment] and [consciousness] began to erode Su Qing'an's personality and self the moment the final curtain fell.

The boy sat upright amidst the withered flower field, gently stroking the dry, cracked petals, his heart as calm as a still pond.

Even now, such a pressing crisis cannot affect my state of mind.

As Su Qing'an watched the Soul Hall slowly collapse, sensing that elements and things that seemed to belong to him were gradually being drawn away and dissipated, he suddenly realized that the essence of this palace did not signify the existence or non-existence of the soul itself, but rather the Imaginary World forged by the elements that constituted all the concepts of the human being named Su Qing'an.

That's why the Soul Hall appears at the moment of the first burning of one's own memories and concepts.

This means that when the scales are truly tipped, the temple itself is the most fundamental bargaining chip.

The withering of the Abyss Flower domain does not signify the dissipation of its essential power; it merely proves that one's control over it is waning.

If this situation continues, it will gradually deviate from the self's illusion of the essential nature of power, presenting a chaotic and disordered state, while adhering to the originally established foundation and guarding the soul.

Su Qing'an did not regret it.

Even if the outcome might be more tragic than death.

Even if it brings sorrow and pain, these are the burdens and things that I should have to bear.

Seele Fulei and Mei see this as a kind of tenderness.

Su Qing'an doesn't deny that not knowing these things might make him happier, but he still believes that... everything Seele Fulei has done for him should not be silently concealed.

People who are too gentle will lose themselves.

Even though the Herrscher of Death desperately didn't want Su Qing'an to forget her, she still never intended to let him know about those cruel experimental processes and experiences. Between wishing and refusing to cause Su Qing'an pain, she chose the latter without hesitation.

Whether or not these experiences needed to be spoken of was not even within the scope of her consideration.

No regrets, I'm willing to succumb.

It's so foolish that one can't feel at ease without doing so; it's so foolish that it's truly unforgettable.

Therefore, even if she had to choose again, Su Qing'an would not give up this only opportunity to hold onto those moments and history.

Even though Su Qing'an didn't care much about his own safety or the price he would pay, he still had to consider the consequences of his body and soul becoming tools for Honkai and aiding and abetting evil.

Therefore, Soul Scale would be the best option.

Since the Soul Hall, which can serve as a bargaining chip, is already on the verge of destruction and about to fall into the hands of Thousand Herrscher, it is better to consider it the price for Soul Scale and perish together with the enemy.

This is his last resort, and it is precisely because he has this trump card that he has the right and the qualification to indulge himself.

Otherwise, given Su Qing'an's personality, he would be more inclined to take responsibility for those who are still alive than for his own desires, and would certainly not take such a risk to step into the enemy's conspiracy and allow them to make demands.

As the puppets on the stage sneered, the boy walked from the Abyss Flower Realm to the Soul Scale. Orange-blue light spots slowly overflowed from the Stigmata within his body, gathering into a fluttering butterfly that landed in the Soul Hall, stopping at the fingertips that were about to touch the scales.

Su Qing'an sensed that familiar soul aura. Before he could speak, two butterflies hovering on either side of the scale in front of him emitted light spots of orange-blue and black-red respectively. The former gathered into a butterfly of the same color at his fingertips, while the latter condensed into a black-red translucent butterfly, which slowly danced around him.

His eyes widened in surprise, and he murmured to himself:

"Seele and... another Seele?"

The Soul Hall is the world of mental images.

As the music of impending collapse slowly began, the remnants of the souls of the Herrscher of Death and Seele within the Stigmata and the base, obeying this crisis and his inner desires, descended upon this place in a form that was somewhere between illusion and reality.

The azure butterfly disintegrated from the fingertips, coalescing into the form of Seele Fulei.

Her tangerine-blue hair cascaded down her shoulders, her eyes were slightly upturned, and she smiled radiantly. Her pure white dress swayed in the wind, as if embraced by the scent of ocean waves and blooming flowers.

On the other side, the black and red butterfly wings withered and disappeared, revealing the image of that person still alive.

The Herrscher of Death lowered her eyes, her indifferent expression turning cold and desolate. The faint smile on her lips, like the melancholy and beauty of a blooming spider lily, blossomed on the hem of her skirt, identical to that of that day, stretching into the depths of one's heart, captivating the soul.

But all of this returns to a gentle innocence when the gaze lingers on youth.

The appearance of these two together should have been a miraculous encounter.

Su Qing'an merely held the two girls in a loose embrace, remaining silent.

The soul observation has been flawless from the beginning until now; only the [Ashes] and remains of Seele and the Herrscher of Death's souls remain within the base.

However, the Stigmata substance formed from the afterglow of Seele Fulei's soul was a treasure he failed to discover, which indirectly led to the current situation.

Although Seele Fulei's soul poured out completely from the Stigmata matter, reviving the scattered spirituality of the Herrscher of Death's remains, creating the scene before her, she could see the blurry figures of the two.

But the boy had no chance to speak to him.

He understood that this was merely a dream recreated through the special properties of the Soul Hall.

Loneliness, desolation, and sorrow, yet it evokes longing, but that's all it is.

That's how it should be.

But the girl's black and red hair brushed against her cheek, her ethereal yet soft body pressed against his chest, her warm breath brushing against his ear as her lips parted, and her playful voice drifted down:

"Has my brother forgotten the punishment for breaking the contract?"

Seele hugged the boy's back, inhaling the faint scent of citrus and lemon on his shirt, her lips curving upwards even further.

"Long time no see, brother."

"Remember to keep your promise to the other Seele."

They reached out and gently stroked the boy's eyes and cheeks, their eyes lowered, and whispered in unison:

"We'll be waiting for you in the Fourth Ending."

"Until then, you're not allowed to be willful about this kind of thing anymore, you idiot."

The words had barely left his mouth.

Before Su Qing'an could even agree, this dreamlike scene crumbled.

The light spots that intertwined to form the figures of the two scattered throughout the Soul Hall, and the Abyss Flower Domain returned to its original state in an instant.

The purest obsession remaining from the two remnants of souls, being merely residual obsessions, lacking consciousness and self, became an object that neither [bewitchment] nor [consciousness] could control.

Their existence was the best boost to Su Qing'an's self-awareness. Moreover, as part of the foundation, they forcibly broke through the seal of [Domination] in an extremely short time, based on the Soul Hall, and pried open the essence of power, freeing it from its original deep-rooted shackles.

Su Qing'an's consciousness returned to reality. The constraints imposed by the three powers shattered in an instant. Once the essence of the powers, as the most unbreakable shield, returned briefly, it was enough to drive away all the demons and monsters.

However, the [control] still exists in every corner of the body as a physical constraint.

But... in the distance, the Black Abyss White Flower reconnected with itself as the Abyss Flower Domain was liberated.

Su Qing'an lowered her eyes, and a spark ignited in her dark pupils.

He didn't want to consider for the moment whether their words and warmth were merely illusions created by the enemy's power.

Or rather, whether all of that was real or an illusion is no longer important.

Because if I am to keep my promise and reach the Fourth Ending, I cannot afford to be defeated by an enemy of this caliber.

[Chiyou Gene (10.05%)]

Just as initially thought, as the rate of genetic fusion and transformation slows down to a state close to human metabolism, he will be able to regain his freedom of movement and unleash his full power.

The boy silently pried open the Herrscher Core within the Black Abyss White Flower. A continuous Honkai Energy surged from the Imaginary Space. [Annihilation] and [Creation] complemented each other, like a primordial Tai Chi, and in the blink of an eye, the entire body underwent a cycle of annihilation and repair.

The constraints of [domination] are thus completely eliminated.

At that moment, Christianne was still savoring the joy of her success.

Neither [Consciousness] nor [Bewitchment] came under the control of the dominant power, because this would prevent her from exerting its full power and reduce the success rate of the plan. Therefore, she had to choose a mode of mutual cooperation, which also meant that she could not know the failure of these two powers immediately.

[Christianne, your powers have been stripped.]

Flora's whispers echoed in her ears, but the Thousand Herrscher of the Storm also realized the collapse of the self-imposed constraints. She watched as the previously perfect situation utterly Honkai in an instant, and her sneer abruptly ceased, replaced by intense anger.

A torrent of malevolent thoughts swept in along with the Honkai Energy, and countless broken dolls falling from the void were manipulated by threads into bizarre poses. Their mechanical lips and teeth clenched together in anger, creating countless overlapping, ear-piercing roars.

"It was your negligence that led to Seele Fulei's death."

"It was your incompetence that led to the destruction of the Herrscher of Death."

"It is because of your stupidity that you are completely unaware of everything they did for you while they were alive."

The puppets danced together, making cracking and breaking sounds as their joints and limbs crashed to the center of the stage, yet the sharp and vicious noises continued unabated.

Christianne allowed countless personalities to utter vile and clamorous accusations:

"Su Qing'an, you are a sinner, an unforgivable sinner."

"You are the culprit behind all the tragedies, you are the honey that brings them happiness, the despicable person who makes them sacrifice themselves for you one after another."

"Hahaha, right, right?"

"You actually knew all along, didn't you? Be nice to a poor, helpless girl, deceive her into believing you're her only and kindest relative, then completely fool that idiot, letting a Herrscher tear your heart and bones apart, causing rivers of blood to flow and piling up gruesome corpses, which is how you ended up standing before me now."

They laughed loudly:

"How is it? The perfect Stigmata created from that person's flesh and soul works very well, doesn't it?"

"You're really lucky, Su Qing'an. There will never be another Herrscher as foolish and fearless as you in this world."

The puppets on the stage were forcibly fused together in a chaotic manner, and Honkai Energy covered them like a thick slurry, seemingly trying to forge a colossal entity.

On the other side, the twisted, tangled threads, resembling the cascading Milky Way, lunged at the figure seated in the seat like mad snakes, only to be crushed into nothingness by the rising storm.

After the location of the Black Abyss White Flower changed in the [theater], its whereabouts are unknown.

However, the link to the power remained, and the boy was able to summon it through that connection. After experiencing the process of the Abyss Flower Domain being unsealed, he clearly understood the limits that the other party's power could reach.

Even if the other party's power truly is the power to dominate the other Herrscher, it must still have its own limitations.

Otherwise, theoretically, unless the Finality in person, the other Herrscher would have no meaning in the face of the enemy before them and would not be a match for the opponent.

Su Qing'an believed that Christianne's abilities were limited. At least a complete Herrscher would not so easily plunder one's own powers. This could also be seen from the scene just now. Even the sealing of the Abyss Flower Domain did not have an absolutely long-lasting seal due to the special nature of its foundation and the soul it carried.

Previously, the reason Christianne was able to seal the Black Abyss White Flower in an instant was...

The fundamental reason is due to the division of powers. The Abyss Flower Domain cannot remain within the Divine Key for long. Furthermore, holding it in one's hand makes no difference to the overall application of the Herrscher of Death's powers. Therefore, Su Qing'an has always been accustomed to using the two separately.

This means that, without him deliberately placing the Black Abyss White Flower Abyss Flower Domain inside the Divine Key, the two powers have always operated in a separate yet coordinated manner.

Before the appearance of the Thousand Herrscher, this operation would have been perfectly fine.

But once she appeared, this operating model became a fatal flaw.

Even complete power is at risk of being plundered, let alone power that is divided into two halves, one in the Divine Key and the other in the soul?

This led to the unfavorable situation where power was immediately suppressed and control was eliminated from the outset.

However, the unique nature of Su Qing'an and the Abyss Flower Domain makes him different from normal Herrscher and even those who wield the Divine Key. His connection with authority is more intimate and powerful than that of any other Herrscher.

Christianne was unable to seize the Abyss Flower Domain itself; she could only use the power of [Annihilation] as a medium to seal it off with the power of domination.

However, this approach has a drawback: once the Abyss Flower Domain recovers, Su Qing'an can use [Creation] to instantly reclaim all the [Annihilation] that was taken from him.

The power that would normally be like "throwing a meat bun to a dog and never returning" has a solid foundation in the hands of teenagers that allows them to repeatedly engage in debate.

In fact, if Su Qing'an's connection with [Creation] had not been so strong, the Honkai Consciousness would have recalled him long ago.

Now, Christianne has perfectly grasped this tricky aspect.

As Herrscher of Domination with a naturally rebellious nature, how could she tolerate having her toy snatched away before she could even warm it up?

This is an utter disgrace.

Ultimately, Christianne's willingness to participate in the plan, without listening to Flora's initial analysis of the stakes, stemmed from her interest in seizing power.

However, when it came to actually implementing it, the core of the Black Abyss White Flower Herrscher Core was not obtained due to the entanglement of the Abyss Flower Domain.

In contrast, Su Qing'an now possessed the sword that had come to her of its own accord. She even threw the Blank Core that had condensed within her body into the groove that had suddenly appeared under her control. Her expression was calm, and her movements were swift, as if she were silently proclaiming the fragility of her dominance.

Christianne, who had previously remained calm, is now furious.

Domination is her innate desire, her unchangeable reason for survival, the source of all her emotions and self, and the very meaning of her existence.

The failure involving these two words was enough to enrage the Herrscher, who had only recently gathered thousands of personalities, into an uncontrollable rage.

A colossal, iron-gray monster slowly wriggled, twisted, and grew from the mountain of mannequin remains, finally emerging from the pile. Its new body, like a molted shell, gradually rose in the vast theater, making the hundred-square-meter stage seem cramped and small.

[Theater] As she wished, an endless realm expanded, and the magnificent dome vanished in an instant, replaced by an endless, pitch-black sky.

The monster, hundreds of times larger than the boy, opened its scarlet eyes. It stretched out its palm, drawing upon the Gene Ability of nearly a hundred Fusion Warrior. Now, with the permission of the Imaginary Space of Sequence Number 10, it stirred up waves of Honkai Energy.

The withering power that exhausts all things, the life force that brings the world back to life, the flame that represents humanity's escape from beasts and its journey towards civilization, the cold current that froze the world in the Cambrian period, the thunder that roars and arrives with the dark clouds, the earth vein power that turns the earth upside down and causes devastation in an instant.

Countless Gene Ability thus unleashed terrifying power in the endless ocean of Honkai Energy, power that even their original hosts could not comprehend.

The entire theater became a living hell.

The boy witnessed almost instantly the magnificent spectacle of God creating the world.

The whispers, a mixture of thousands of voices, echoed throughout the world:

"Su Qing'an, it was you who killed that girl, it was you who killed that Herrscher."

"You deserved this fate."

So, die.

The words had faded.

Amidst the surging and flowing forces of that chaotic chaos, the monster, using a composite power of inlaid metals to imbue it with strength and attributes, created countless projectiles from the theater's materials, which crashed down upon the tiny human figure with overwhelming force!