The sun had slipped under the horizon, leaving streaks of dark orange. As the sky dimmed, the moon grew clearer as the sky darkened, until its soft radiance was the only light remaining in Nagazora's sky.
The streetlights slowly turned on one by one, causing benches and nearby statues in Nagazora park to cast their shadow.
Soft crunches broke the silence, footsteps pressing into the slightly dewy grass.
Those were my footsteps.
I let out a soft breath from between my lips, my eyes locking onto the direction that Yuna had escaped to.
A playground.
It seemed like the park had been quite empty recently. Perhaps the aftermath of the battle between Mei and I made it on the news, thus causing people to stay at home more to remain safe.
Honestly?
Their homes wouldn't protect them.
But still, I suppose that normal people would see their home as some kind of sanctuary.
I know I would.
I glanced around.
Was Yuna trying to get to people?
She had said previously that the 'other her' would eat people to grow stronger. Thus, a park would normally be a great place for that.
But due to the reasons I said before, she should know…
Plus, wouldn't it have been easier and safer to go to a neighbourhood instead?
So right now, I'm a bit curious at what she was trying to do.
Welp. No point in thinking too much about it. After all…
She was right in front now.
Her soft purple hair reflected the shine of the moonlight, casting a shadow onto her face. If one were to see her normally, she would honestly be considered relatively attractive right now.
If one didn't know, they would just think that she was a quiet girl that you'd meet in a library.
Unfortunately, the gigantic bruise on her bare stomach and the paleness of her face painted a different story.
"Yo!"
My call immediately caused a slight jerk from Yuna's prone figure. Her eyes looked at me through her long hair, a multitude of emotions flying through them again. However this time, they were different.
Surprise
Exhaustion
Then acceptance.
"You found me…"
Her voice was lethargic, as if she had just been in a battle for her life…
Well to be fair, I guess she had.
I answered casually.
"Yup."
Then, I went over and sat on the bench that was on, drawing a look of curiosity from her.
I gave her a side eye back in response.
"What?"
"Ah…" She flinched. "Nothing."
Then we went back into silence once more.
As the cicadas did their annoying little whirr whirr sound, preventing any silence from forming, I soon got kinda bored and a bit annoyed too.
"So…. why'd you come here?"
"Pardon?"
"Why'd you come here?" I repeated. "If you wanted to survive, you could have tried using the school as a hostage y'know?"
That sent her into a silence once more, this time, one of contemplation.
While I didn't really need to do so, just call it my own curiosity. After all, that semblance of humanity that returned to her previously…
I found it a bit interesting at least.
After all, from what people have told me about being taken over by Honkai, getting back control was kinda a no-go.
Even Mei could only do so because the other Mei was friendly to her.
And on the other hand, if she wanted to attack me, what could she really do?
Just another adaptation for me then.
"I…"
She suddenly spoke, drawing my attention.
"I just didn't feel like doing it…"
"You… didn't feel like doing it?"
"Yeah…" She sighed. Her green eyes looked up at the moon while she leaned backwards. "I'm just kinda tired."
"Doesn't your other side want you to do it though?" I asked. "I thought you didn't have much control over her."
"... I don't know."
I raised an eyebrow. That prompted her to continue.
"I… don't really hear the other me as much anymore…"
What?
"When did that happen?"
I will admit that there was a hint of strangeness in my voice.
"I can't tell exactly when…" Yuna admitted. "But I felt a bit better after the little girl fell down?"
When Theresa fell down…
Is there something about Theresa?
Or maybe it was the power of her cross?
But that doesn't make sense right? If she had that sort of power, then the general consensus about Herrschers and pseudo Herrschers wouldn't be that they were mindless destroyers.
In that case, let's go back a bit.
What happened before that?
Mei and I attacked her?
That isn't enough info-
Wait.
Mei and I…
"Did it happen immediately after I punched you?"
I suddenly asked slightly louder than I intended.
Yuna seemed surprised by that, but after a brief furrow of her eyebrows, she gave a nod. "Yeah… it was around after that."
That…
Is it me?
Did I have the ability to do that?
If I remember correctly, didn't I feel Honkai energy that time when I touched Mei? Soon after, there was a Honkai pulse, then the other Mei awoke to confront me.
I thought that it was the Honkai pulse that awakened her, but if I think about it more…
Couldn't it be both?
And to add on to that… the first time I met Kiana, I obtained Infinity. I thought that was my own adaptation to her physical prowess but now that I think about it, a normal adaptation would be to just get better at dodging or something no?
A full spatial power was wayy to out of there to be a first adaptation.
But Kiana's passing out that time and causing space to be weird…
It all links up no?
In that case… did that mean that my ability to adapt to any and all phenomena…
It could in some way awaken the human nature of Herrschers?
…
…
No. That was a bit too much right now.
In some way, I definitely have some sort of connection with Herrschers. However, regaining their human nature might not be because of me.
There was something that went against this for now, and it was the leader of Anti-Entropy.
A Herrscher that fought for mankind.
And that puts a dent in my theory.
And another hole would be that Herrscher Mei was still very anti humanity after I hit her…
"I need more info." I muttered. However, I wasn't discouraged.
This… this was still a MASSIVE gamechanger.
If this was the case, then I really can't let people see me do something like this.
I'm strong, but who knew what they would want to do to me after finding out I had something like this in hand…
My gaze softened slightly towards Yuna at this moment.
"Thanks, Yuna."
"Uh ah?"
"You've really helped me a lot." I said, ignoring her constantly shifting expression. "Do you have anything you want? I'll try to help you if I can."
If her human side really came back, then I suppose that I didn't need to do anything to her anymore.
She needs to be kept under surveillance, but outright taking her now is kinda unnecessary in my opinion.
A melancholic smile formed on her face when she heard it.
"Really?"
"Really."
A brief pause.
Then, she said brightly.
"In that case, could you please kill me?"
(A/N: Got a new keyboard. It's gonna get some getting used to, but I like it a lot more than the old one haha.
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