Warm sunlight streamed into the hospital room. Today was likely his discharge day.
The old Kevin, always restless, would have been climbing the walls after being bedridden for so long.
But now… he'd grown strangely fond of this room.
Well—perhaps it wasn't so much the room as the… company.
Dr. Vita is amazing.
Not only was she as kind and caring as Su, but they were completely on the same wavelength—and, most importantly, she made him lunch.
And it was… delicious. Much better than Su's cooking!
Unfortunately, this idyllic existence was coming to an end.
He put on the clothes Vita had prepared for him. Even for the current Kevin, the dress and stockings felt… strange, a novel experience—though, historically, they were originally intended for men.
Vita had mentioned a 'VIP' wanting to meet him.
Strange. Why would an important person want to meet an ordinary citizen like me?
Filled with curiosity and questions, the white-haired girl made her way to the rooftop.
At the entrance stood the fairy-like pink-haired girl he'd encountered at the base, the same one he'd bumped into at the concert. She leaned against the wall, a playful smile on her face, watching him with an amused expression. Beside her stood a girl with cherry-blossom pink hair, two differently colored blades strapped to her waist.
"Hmm~ Go on. She's waiting for you."
Elysia, partially acting as a guard, studied the white-haired girl, a near-perfect 98% match for Kiana—Kevin. She smiled and gestured him forward.
But watching him go, a flicker of annoyance crossed her face.
"Keeping secrets from me, huh? Bad Jiang Qiao!"
Kevin stepped onto the rooftop and saw a familiar figure.
The sight of that back made him tremble slightly.
Though he'd moved on, found a new purpose, seeing his former 'idealized love interest' again brought a surge of emotion.
But along with the excitement, there was a sense of… awkwardness. After all, his current appearance… Ahem… This is a bit embarrassing…
"Hmm… you're here. Honestly, this… transformation… is rather… unexpected," the purple-haired girl in Fire Moth attire, glasses perched on her nose, turned around, studying 'Kiana' with an amused smile.
"You recognize me?" Kevin asked, his voice laced with hope. Even as a girl, MEI recognizes me… does this mean she still cares?!
"You look… familiar. But mostly because—I looked into your family history. Kevin's family doesn't have a cousin who looks exactly like him." MEI was completely unfazed. Since joining Fire Moth, she'd become much more efficient at gathering information about people.
The specifics of her methods… weren't important.
"…"
Kevin's excitement evaporated. …That… that sounded… a bit invasive…
He focused on the woman before him, his 'goddess.' She was still as captivating as ever. But… there was an unsettling distance, a sense of unfamiliarity, that made him uncomfortable.
"I… I don't know how this happened…" He touched his chest, a mixture of confusion and resignation in his voice.
Though becoming a girl wasn't entirely unpleasant—there were… certain advantages—his ingrained habits as a man were causing him quite a bit of trouble.
Like accidentally walking into the men's restroom, or… ahem… forgetting to sit down… Though, he had to admit, dresses were a brilliant invention. No more worrying about accidentally wetting his pants and having nothing to change into.
MEI sighed, looking at Kevin. She suspected this was some sort of bizarre misunderstanding, but without asking [Elysia] it was hard to say for sure.
"Never mind. I heard from Elysia that you were looking for me. So, what did you want to say?"
"…"
Kevin's mind blanked. He hadn't actually thought about it. Or rather—he had thought about what he'd say to MEI if they ever met again, but now that she was actually here, all those carefully rehearsed words had vanished.
His mind a blank canvas, he stammered,
"Uh… how have you been?"
"I've been well."
"But… is that all you wanted to say?" MEI sighed, studying the girl before her. Still as naive as ever. Though she felt a pang of nostalgia for that youthful innocence, it was fleeting.
"My time is valuable. I hope you understand."
MEI wasn't being impatient or annoyed. She was simply stating a fact.
Though she wouldn't have minded idling with Kevin, catching up with old friends, her responsibilities wouldn't allow it.
Besides, this 'wouldn't have minded' was based on [Elysia]s' request—
[MEI, I know you wouldn't normally neglect your duties for something as distant as 'future relationships' or 'future favors.' But for my sake, if you ever meet Kevin again, please treat him as a friend. It would make him very happy.]
"…"
Kevin fell silent. This MEI felt… different, almost like a stranger. There was a chasm between them, a distance he couldn't bridge.
But honestly, there had always been a gap between them.
The original Kevin had only managed to win her over through sheer persistence and unwavering affection.
"Can I join your… organization?" he asked after a long pause.
While partially motivated by his desire to be closer to MEI, it now had a different meaning—protecting those he cared about.
MEI might be there, but more importantly, Su was.
Kevin knew Su was also a member.
His experience in the underground base had shown him the world's hidden dangers.
To protect his best friend, and his best friend's cousin, Kevin decided that even if he couldn't be with MEI, he wouldn't be separated from Su again. He'd already lost MEI. He wouldn't lose his best friend the same way.
MEI didn't answer, simply giving Kevin a long look, then pulling a USB drive from her pocket and placing it on the table.
"This contains some information about Fire Moth. You can review it and make your decision."
Knowing Fire Moth's methods, letting an outsider learn their secrets and then walk away unscathed was impossible.
MEI wouldn't refuse Kevin's request—after all, according to [Elysia]s' vision of the future, Kevin, as the strongest fusion warrior, was an invaluable asset. With enough resources, he could become a powerful force, rivaling Elysia herself.
Whether for combat or experimentation, logically, there was no reason to refuse.
But—
"Due to a certain someone's request, you still have a choice."
Those were her parting words.
…
In the hospital corridor, Elysia, walking beside MEI, looked surprised.
"I thought you'd accept his request outright."
"It was [Elysia]s' request, after all."
Downstairs, escorted by Fire Moth personnel, MEI settled into the back of a specialized armored vehicle.
Elysia puffed out her cheeks.
"…I am Elysia!"
What do you mean, [Elysia]s' request?! I never made such a request!
That jerk, Jiang Qiao, how many times is he going to 'speak for' me?! Damn it!
But…
This time, I'll let it slide.
The pink-haired girl touched her chest, feeling the steady beat of her heart.
She knew.
That… was also Elysia's request.
A melancholic melody filled the vehicle, fading into silence with the toll of a distant bell.
The scenery outside, reflected in her blue-and-pink eyes, shimmered and blurred.
Transforming into flickering flames, consuming the remnants of a bygone era.
…
Big Ben's ancient chimes marked the passage of time, but London was far from peaceful.
Historic buildings crumbled under relentless assault, reduced to rubble.
A monstrous, grotesquely deformed Honkai beast rampaged through the city. Its appearance defied description.
This artificial Honkai beast was based on Vishnu, a unique and powerful Honkai beast. Further modified with the genes of Emperor-class beasts like Benares and Ganesha, even with a subpar host body, this 'Artificial Vishnu' possessed destructive power and energy levels on par with a Judgment-class beast.
And what made it even more dangerous—the faint purple glow emanating from its body—the power of the Gem of Serenity.
The Gem, normally too volatile for ordinary Honkai beasts to handle, even fatal to those who came too close, had been successfully integrated into the 'Artificial Vishnu.'
A black mist enveloped it, withering any life that approached.
Within a three-foot radius, it was a dead zone.
But—
Someone dared to enter that dead zone. A large, sharp scythe clashed against the beast's claws, shielding a mother and her child.
"Run!"
An invisible force held back the black mist, the red marking on the girl's chest glowing brightly—the shared power offering temporary protection.
Her voice, gentle yet firm, reached the mother and daughter, who looked at her with surprise and gratitude. The girl, with her deep blue hair and a scythe disproportionately large for her small frame, held back the monster as they fled.
(Okay, I saved them. Can we go now?)
Dark Seele, exasperated by Seele's impulsive act of heroism, sighed internally.
They were here to find the missing 'High-Quality Imitation Bronya,' not to fight giant monsters… But she couldn't argue with Seele.
However—fighting wasn't a sustainable strategy.
As a Stigmata consciousness, Dark Seele could sense Seele's power rapidly depleting the closer they got to the beast. And… a sense of unease, a premonition of danger, lingered.
"Okay…!" Seele started to agree, but a sudden surge of adrenaline made her dodge a scorching beam of Honkai energy. She stared at the beast warily.
(Not good. It's targeting us.)
Dark Seele cursed internally.
…
"Other me, did you hear something?"
(What sound? Don't be paranoid.)
"There is a sound…"
"…Rin."
"This Honkai beast… it's talking." Seele was certain.
(So what? Are you going to sit down and have a chat with it?)
BOOM!
(See? It doesn't seem very interested in conversation.)
(Let me handle this. You can't beat it!) Seeing Seele struggling to dodge, Dark Seele grew impatient. Though a sense of foreboding lingered, she took control.
Seele, feeling her own power waning, nodded weakly.
"Okay… be careful, other me." As she relinquished control, the blue in her eyes shifted to red, the gentle expression replaced by a manic excitement and ruthlessness.
In her Dark Seele form, her speed, strength, and Stigmata powers were significantly amplified.
She was now on par with a weaker S-rank Valkyrie—Rita.
"Hehe, let's play, shall we?"
The change brought a surge of unrestrained violence, the pent-up frustration unleashed. Dark Seele, momentarily forgetting the nagging sense of danger, attacked with renewed ferocity.
Though significantly weaker in terms of energy and destructive power, the 'Artificial Vishnu' had a major weakness—its lack of agility.
Its defense, however, was incredibly high.
Dark Seele's scythe barely scratched it.
"Die!"
Her voice grew frantic. She could feel her Stigmata's power draining rapidly, the sense of impending doom intensifying. She attacked faster and faster, finally targeting the glowing spot on the beast's chest.
Swish!
Her scythe connected, a burst of deep purple light illuminating her face.
…This must be its weak point… Dark Seele thought, raising her scythe for another strike.
But a sudden, overwhelming sense of danger made her freeze.
She spun around, deflecting a blow—Clang!
…Her power… it was fading.
A wave of exhaustion washed over her. Panic set in.
Her Stigmata's power… it was being disrupted.
"An incomplete Stigmata awakened, how… unexpected." A raspy voice laced with surprise spoke. Seele, collapsing in a similar fashion to Bronya earlier, looked up to see the familiar 'skull-faced figure with an umbrella' looming over her.
—Grey Serpent.
Of course, he hadn't left. World Serpent's primary goal was the Gem of Serenity. Having triggered a major Honkai eruption and awakened the Gem, they'd achieved their objective. Well… the Stigmata experiment hadn't gone as planned. The Honkai energy released by the Gem felt… disrupted, its effects weakened.
But it didn't matter. The Stigmata experiment was just a bonus. As long as they had the Herrscher core, once their Sovereign returned, they could conduct as many experiments as they wanted.
"Too bad it's incomplete." Grey Serpent shook his head. A fully awakened Stigmata, even with World Serpent's specialized anti-Stigmata technology, wouldn't be this easy to subdue.
Dark Seele, the Stigmata consciousness, fell silent, and Seele, the dominant consciousness, resurfaced.
She looked at Grey Serpent weakly. Though she didn't know who he was or what he wanted, she knew he wasn't friendly.
…It hurts…
Without the Stigmata's protection, the withering power emanating from Vishnu was agonizing. Though she wouldn't die as easily as an ordinary person, Seele felt a searing pain, as if her cells were being torn apart.
But she was powerless.
…If only Bronya Onee-chan were here…
Seele, on the verge of despair, pictured 'Bronya Onee-chan' arriving just in time to save her.
If 'Bronya Onee-chan' were here, things wouldn't have turned out this way…
'Bronya Onee-chan' had been so cool…
Just like…
…this…
Through her blurry vision, she saw a familiar face, framed by flowing white hair…
That familiar expression…
Could it be…?