After accepting Seele's offer, Kagura and Himeko stopped aimlessly wandering through the Sea of Quanta.
Under Seele's guidance, they began their journey toward what she called "the gate connecting to the real world."
However, while Kagura walked with calm composure, Himeko's expression was noticeably uneasy.
As expected of a mature woman, Himeko clearly didn't trust Seele.
Despite her timid and delicate appearance, there was something about the girl—an inexplicable sense of danger—that kept Himeko on edge.
"Kagura," she whispered, glancing around the floating cube path that stretched through the quantum void, "don't you find Seele a little… suspicious?"
"You're putting a lot of trust in her without question. Are you sure that's okay? I've got a bad feeling about this."
"Don't worry, Miss Himeko. I don't believe Seele would hurt us," Kagura replied calmly.
"Based on what you said earlier, Seele's been trapped in the Sea of Quanta for a long time. That means she knows this place far better than we do."
"If she truly wants to escape, then the exit she's leading us to must be real. As for whether she's hiding something… I don't think it's worth worrying about just yet.
If there's something she can't say, we'll figure it out when the time comes. And when we do, we'll deal with it."
Kagura had a firm understanding of her own strength in this Honkai-infested world.
At this point, she possessed all six Infinity Stones from the Marvel Universe.
That kind of universe-tier power—so long as it still functioned here—meant she could handle Honkai Beasts, or even Herrschers, without breaking a sweat.
So whether Seele was being sincere or concealing a deeper truth, Kagura had full confidence in her ability to keep the situation under control.
And most importantly—
Seele is just so cute!
How could anyone leave such a pitiful, sweet girl behind?
Absolutely not!
Right?
Right? RIGHT?!
Girls burdened with tragedy deserve to dream of happiness.
That's why—whether it's Himeko or Seele—I'll save them both.
Everyone deserves a beautiful ending.
That has always been the silver-haired girl's wish. And even in this broken, chaotic world, it remains unchanged.
In the Sea of Quanta, distance has no real meaning.
As long as one follows the correct path—walking across the floating cubes scattered throughout the void—they will eventually reach an entirely different area.
It was mysterious… almost like navigating a maze.
Kagura had already sensed this oddity, but as for how to escape the quantum maze and return to the real world?
Honestly, she had no idea.
Following Seele's lead, the three of them leapt across countless cube platforms, traversing the Sea of Quanta until they reached a place unlike anything they'd seen before.
Ahead of them stood a massive barrier, towering like a fortress wall and stretching across their entire field of vision.
It glowed with a slow, pulsing orange light. Energy surged across its surface in a web of hexagonal patterns.
The barrier split the quantum realm in two, an impassable wall that loomed over them, as if dividing the very fabric of the Sea of Quanta.
"What is this place…?" Himeko frowned as she studied the massive structure. "That barrier… it looks like a Herrscher's power."
Seele raised her hand and pointed toward the sky.
"That's the entrance to the real world," she said softly, "the place I've never been able to reach…"
Kagura followed the direction of her finger. On the far side of the barrier, faintly visible, was a silver-white ring-like structure—glowing and ethereal.
It looked like a colossal eye… or perhaps a circular gateway.
"Seele, are you saying that's the entrance to the real world?" Himeko squinted at the shining structure. "Then how do we get past this barrier?"
"I… I don't know…" Seele lowered her head, as if burdened by something she couldn't say. "That's why I've been trapped here all this time…
I think… maybe if someone had enough power… they could break through the barrier. If we could just destroy it, then I could finally go home…"
"I see… so you're saying that if we hit that enormous wall with enough force to shatter it, we might be able to return to reality?"
Kagura rested her chin in her hand, eyes fixed on the wall. "It's not impossible. But before I go around destroying public property, I'd rather understand what this barrier is, who put it here, and why."
She glanced over at Seele, who still hadn't lifted her gaze—her body trembling slightly, as if afraid.
"Seele… do you really not know what this barrier is?"
"I don't… I just want to go home…"
"She's… definitely suspicious." Himeko leaned in and whispered to Kagura again. "This girl's not acting normal, no matter how you look at it."
"Yeah," Kagura nodded slowly, her tone thoughtful, "I think so too."
Kagura gave a slight nod.
"It's clear Seele is hiding something from us. So blindly destroying the barrier without understanding the consequences would be far too reckless."
"Then what do we do?" Himeko asked, her voice low. "Seele doesn't seem willing to tell us the truth. Should we try brute force? Or... is there a way to make her talk?"
"Tch... How long are we going to drag this out!?"
Seele's timid demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced by a chilling aura unlike anything they'd felt before.
"You're hesitating over something as simple as breaking a cage?!"
'Whoosh!'
A wave of crimson energy burst forth.
Darkness surged in all directions, thick and suffocating like the depths of an endless abyss.
"Seele…?" Himeko turned sharply, her golden eyes widening in alarm. "What's happening to you?!"
The girl before them was no longer the same timid Seele.
Her once gentle blue eyes had turned blood-red, and she radiated a potent, unmistakable Honkai energy.
Her entire presence had changed—it was as though she had become an entirely different person.
"We were just one step away… Just one step from escaping this place!"
"So why all the hesitation? Why all the doubt?"
"Why do you have to force me to do something Seele would hate?!"
'Clang—!'
With a sweeping motion, the "new" Seele summoned a massive, inky-black scythe.
A violent gust of wind, sharp as razors, exploded out from the blade—like countless crimson blades slicing the air.
Himeko staggered back, unable to lift her head. Even Kagura had to call upon the Infinity Stones' power to form a protective barrier.
'Vwoom—!'
The next moment, "Seele" appeared before them in a blur, faster than the eye could follow—her presence as overwhelming as a Herrscher's.
'Clang!'
Before Himeko could react, the razor-sharp edge of the scythe was already pressed against her neck.
"Sorry, Sister Kagura," the girl said, voice laced with mockery. "I didn't want it to come to this. Seele's going to hate me for this, isn't she?"
Gone was the innocent girl. In her place stood someone dangerous, wild, and terrifyingly beautiful—smirking like a witch drunk on her own power.
"But I have no choice! If you two keep stalling, we'll miss our only chance to break through the barrier and return to the real world. So don't blame me for being heartless!"
"…Ve—Seele."
Kagura's expression remained calm, unfazed. She wasn't surprised.
She knew that Seele had a second personality—a darker, more violent side known as Reverse Seele or Veliona, but at this time she haven't receive her name yet.
Beneath the surface of the shy and timid Seele was a fierce, impulsive spirit. Dangerous, yes—but also protective.
"Seele, if it's really you... can you at least tell me the truth before you do anything?" Kagura asked, her voice steady. "Then I'll decide whether to take your advice and break the barrier. Is that fair?"
"How composed of you, Sister Kagura." "Seele" pressed the scythe tighter against Himeko's neck.
Blood began to bead on her skin, the sharp edge slicing just enough to show she was serious.
"You're not worried about your friend here getting her throat slit?"
"So you won't tell me the truth?" Kagura's eyes narrowed, but her tone didn't change. "In that case, I'm afraid I can't help you."
"Don't give me that!" "Seele's" voice rose in frustration. "We don't have time for this! The master of the barrier is going to notice us!"
She trembled slightly, her grip on the scythe tightening.
"Rip the barrier open now! If we delay even a second longer, none of us are getting out of here alive!"
"What happens after we destroy the barrier isn't my concern! If Seele can go back—if she can smile again—then I'm willing to do anything!"
"I know you care about Seele," Kagura replied gently. "You want to protect her, make her happy. But I can't let her happiness be built on a risk we don't understand. If we rush in blindly, she might regret it. She might even hate herself for it."
"Damn it! Are you going to do it or not?! If the barrier's master catches us, it's over!"
"Seele's" voice cracked with desperation. Her scythe trembled in her hands.
"If you destroy the barrier, I'll tell you everything—whatever you want to know! I'll do anything you ask! But please—please—just get us out of here!"
"She's waited so long… for a chance at freedom… for a real smile. Please… don't let her stay trapped in this silent, dark Sea of Quanta…"
"…Tch." Kagura hesitated. There was sorrow in "Seele's" voice—raw and real. Even someone like her couldn't ignore that pain.
But before she could respond—
"You're just in time. I'm glad you didn't tear the barrier apart." A calm male voice cut through the tension behind them.
All three turned in unison.
Floating in midair was a young man with chestnut-brown hair and black-rimmed glasses.
He wore a grey long coat and a blue-gray scarf, his presence commanding, almost regal.
"If you had destroyed that barrier, our world would have faced an unimaginable catastrophe," he said calmly, gazing at them with measured intensity.
"My name is Welt Yang. I'm the one who created the barrier that separates the real world from the Sea of Quanta."
He descended slowly, hands in his coat pockets, landing softly in front of Kagura.
"The Sea of Quanta is a cage—but not one meant to imprison you. It exists to stop something far more dangerous from reaching the real world.
That's why this barrier was created."