The researchers stared blankly at the incoming data.
"Even better than the original test subject. The experiment is proceeding smoothly. Her adaptability to Honkai energy is nearly perfect..."
As Cocolia watched the various streams of data continuously upload, her gaze gradually relaxed.
She had also learned about everything Rosia had encountered at St. Freya Academy.
She had instantly killed three Honkai Emperors and sliced Joyce's clone into pieces before delivering it to an Anti-Entropy base.
In terms of strength alone, Rosia had already become terrifyingly powerful.
Fortunately, that power was unstable. That was also why Cocolia had chosen to imprison Bronya at another base.
She was afraid the power within Rosia would erupt out of control and ruin this experiment.
"The target can now manipulate matter at the quantum level. Just as planned, no accidents have occurred. The experiment is highly stable..."
The accident during the X-10 experiment had caught everyone off guard, and this new group of personnel was equally worried that history would repeat itself.
"Inject more Honkai energy..."
Looking at the girl inside the experimental chamber, Cocolia felt as though she had returned to several years ago.
If the experiment succeeded, then barring any surprises, Rosia should be able to see Seele as well. Once the experiment was complete, she should be able to bring Seele back from the Sea of Quanta.
After the final injection of Honkai energy was complete, the girl in the chamber still showed no reaction, but the returned data had already explained everything.
"The experiment... succeeded?"
Everyone present was tense to the extreme.
"Are you... me?"
Halfway through the experiment, Rosia's consciousness had been pulled into a peculiar space. There, she met a girl with black hair and black eyes, equally delicate features, and an exquisite appearance.
But compared to her, the girl's face held far more loneliness and coldness.
"Congratulations. You've arrived here."
The black-haired girl spoke coldly.
"You should know what it means to come here. Do you truly have the ability to accept this power?"
"Sorry, I have no choice."
Rosia gently shook her head, her gaze earnest.
"Lin Li, do you still remember your own name? You are me, not some Rosia..."
The black-haired girl suddenly smiled, her smile strange and unsettling.
"Stop deceiving yourself. How can someone who doesn't even fully understand herself be qualified to accept this power?"
"Resentment, hatred—all malice toward Honkai is contained within the power of the stigmata. Go back, coward. This isn't something you can bear."
The black-haired girl tried to dissuade her.
"Precisely because I lack the strength to resist that malice, I need you, don't I?"
Faced with her warning, Rosia merely smiled faintly.
"..."
The black-haired girl sighed.
"I'm not that person. I won't indulge you."
The black-haired girl was the true guardian of the stigmata's power within Lin Li, as well as the aggregation of all her subconscious thoughts.
"Are you ready? Accept the final trial."
Though she said she would not go easy on her, the black-haired girl did not make things overly difficult for Rosia.
Compared to Seele, Rosia had fused nearly all the strengths of both herself and Bronya. Even her stigmata had been almost completely restored.
"Because of your talent for Quantumization, be careful. This trial does not come solely from the Imaginary..."
After that final reminder, the black-haired girl vanished, leaving behind only an exquisite, pure-white hair ornament.
The moment Rosia picked up the ornament, countless energies surged toward her, surrounding and engulfing her. At the same time, nearly endless resentment and hatred almost tore her consciousness apart.
"What is this little idiot doing?"
After Rosia's consciousness vanished, "Rosia" had been controlling the body the entire time. After a long while, when she still could not sense Rosia's presence, she began to panic.
At the same time, vast amounts of Honkai energy began spreading from her body, while an enormous consciousness woven from fear wrapped itself around "Rosia."
"They... deserve to die... Bastards... Honkai..."
Under the influence of that near-absolute fear, "Rosia," whose thoughts had already been extreme, almost lost the ability to think.
That consciousness did not interfere with "Rosia's" original will. It merely infinitely amplified her fear of losing Rosia.
Elsewhere.
With Otto and Bronya infiltrating with a clear objective, they quickly arrived at Cocolia's underwater experimental base.
The base was not large. Or rather, the entire experiment revolved around the experimental chamber containing Rosia.
"Hehe... You're here? My daughter?"
When the two broke into the final laboratory, Cocolia was standing before the experimental chamber, smiling as she spoke.
She had long anticipated that this might happen, but now everything was already over.
"Bronya, do you see? The experiment was a success. My dear granddaughter has completely mastered the power of the stigmata. She will control the authority of both Quantum and Imaginary. Soon, very soon, we'll be able to bring Seele back from the Sea of Quanta!"
According to the experimental data, there was no doubt that the X-10 experiment had concluded perfectly. Rosia's body had not undergone quantum collapse either. Everything had succeeded almost unbelievably well.
"Cocolia, stop this now!"
Compared to the fanaticism in Cocolia's and the surrounding researchers' eyes, Bronya and Otto could clearly see that something was wrong with the girl in the experimental chamber.
The girl's beautiful, ocean-blue short hair gradually darkened and grew down to her waist. Its bright blue streaks turned crimson, while the power within her increased at an unimaginable rate.
Black-red patterns spread across the girl's dress.
With her eyes closed, the girl still looked as tranquil as a princess. But when she opened them, everyone present shuddered.
The girl gently raised a hand. In the next instant, the specially reinforced glass of the experimental chamber shattered.
The girl lightly stepped onto the floor, her eyes seeming as calm as a pool of stagnant water.
"Run..."
Otto immediately realized there was a problem.
This clearly was not a sign of experimental success. How could a normal person possibly wear that expression?
But Bronya did not care about any of that. She gave everything she had and rushed to the girl's side at top speed.
"Rosia..."
Bronya muttered as she looked at the girl, who had changed beyond recognition.
"Rosia?"
Upon hearing that name, "Rosia's" utterly still eyes flickered slightly.
"Hehe... Hahaha..."
The exquisite black-haired, red-eyed girl began to laugh. Yet there was no emotion in her laughter, and it sent a chill through everyone's hearts.
The girl lifted her head and said softly:
"Rosia is already dead. She's already gone..."
"I can't find her anymore..."
Hearing the remorse filling the girl's words, almost no one besides Bronya understood what she meant.
"Are you satisfied now?"
The girl's icy hand seized Bronya by the throat and lifted her into the air.
Bronya did not struggle. Or rather, even if she had, it would have been useless.
"Bronya Zaychik, you are the person I have hated most all this time. More than once, I told her to leave you sooner..."
"But she told me..."
"She believed in you..."
"How ridiculous!"
At that moment, "Rosia" was incredibly calm, yet also extreme to the utmost degree.
"Ro... sia..."
As "Rosia's" hand continued tightening, Bronya could not breathe at all.
"..."
In the end, "Rosia's" gaze flickered for an instant. She violently flung Bronya away, sending her crashing heavily into the wall and coughing up a great deal of blood.
The peak of fear was calmness. "Rosia" felt fine, yet terribly unwell.
She felt that she had lost far too many things, things that could never be recovered.
She could not feel any emotional fluctuation. All she possessed was hatred carved into her very bones.
"And then, there's you..."
"Rosia" looked toward the blond boy with the complicated expression. With a casual wave of her hand, a crimson giant claw instantly pierced his Soul Steel body and dragged him before her.
At that moment, even Otto was somewhat startled. A body made of Soul Steel could withstand even Destiny's most powerful weapons without suffering much damage.
"Bishop of Destiny, Otto Apocalypse... Why didn't you stop her? You clearly knew what it meant to send her back."
At that moment, "Rosia" was like a merciless puppet, venting hatred that even she could not understand.
"I'm sorry..."
Even with his body pierced through, the blond boy merely lowered his head.
Of course. He had been too late again.
At that moment, Otto truly wanted to ask himself why it had turned out like this again.
When the blond boy admitted his identity, Cocolia froze.
Recalling the scene when the blond boy had first appeared, as well as the things she had once said, Cocolia felt as though Otto had been mocking her from the side while slapping her face again and again.
Unable to get the response she wanted from Otto, "Rosia" could only pin him to the wall.
She was far stronger now than before. She possessed power enough to change everything, but...
Whenever "Rosia" used her power, everyone in the laboratory fell into extreme terror. Only a handful of people could barely remain calm.
And whenever someone tried to leave, "Rosia" would casually wave her hand, and the person trying to flee would be sliced into pieces.
When "Rosia" finally turned her gaze toward Cocolia, her crimson eyes made Cocolia shudder in fear.
"Finally..."
"You."
Sea of Quanta.
The white-haired man, who had been observing the blue-haired girl and attempting to use her to break through the First Herrscher's blockade, frowned.
Before you continue