"Sister Bronya!"
Forced to watch as Bronya gave her the only chance at life while she herself was left behind forever in the Sea of Quanta, Seele cried out Bronya's name in agony. But her body was being pulled by an immense force into the tunnel within the pillar of light.
The tunnel was about to close. Seele struggled with all her might. She reached out, desperately grabbing onto the uneven crevice. Even as her fingers were scraped raw and her nails bled, she refused to let go!
How could she watch Bronya be left all alone in that dim, silent Sea of Quanta?
No one knew the loneliness and deathly silence of that place better than she did. If it weren't for her other self to talk to, she would have likely had a complete breakdown long ago in that place where nothing existed.
"Do you want to die?!"
Seeing the gap of the tunnel shrinking, knowing that if Seele didn't get out, she would be crushed to death inside, the other consciousness within her body could finally take it no longer. It forcefully took control of Seele's body, making her release her tight grip on the wall.
The next second, Seele's body fell out of the Sea of Quanta, and the gate connecting reality and the imaginary space slammed shut.
"Sister Bronya..."
Her body battered and bruised, Seele slowly picked herself up from the ground.
Tears of sorrow streamed down her cheeks. She bit her lip, and a mournful cry, like that of a small animal, escaped her throat. Seele clenched her fists and slammed them onto the ground with all her might.
Crimson blood flowed from her knuckles, leaving clear marks on the floor, as if in protest against this unjust world.
"It's over. You can't do anything."
The figure of Dark Seele appeared behind her. She looked at the anguished Seele, a complicated feeling stirring in her own heart.
Seele, however, acted as if she hadn't heard a word, continuing to pound the floor again and again.
"The gate won't open! You can't save her."
"No... It can't be! Sister Bronya!"
"Enough!"
Scarlet chains shot out from all directions, binding Seele's hands.
"That's enough," Dark Seele's head drooped, her voice suddenly becoming very soft.
"We promised... we'd go see the sea together..."
Crystalline tears fell ceaselessly from Seele's eyes. Her voice was choked with grief and despair, yet it also carried a hint of hysterical madness.
Suddenly, on the floor where Seele's tears had fallen, a pure white flower bloomed.
At the same time, the Stigma on Seele's chest began to glow with a dazzling light.
Seele felt a powerful energy surge from within her. She subconsciously flexed, and instantly shattered the restraints Dark Seele had placed on her.
"You... coward!"
Seele let out a low roar. The words seemed to be directed at Dark Seele, but also at herself.
She had always been a coward. It had been that way back in the orphanage. But now, for Bronya's sake, she couldn't be a coward anymore.
And so, a blood-stained fist fell heavily, smashing onto the already cracked floor.
The next second, the floor shattered, and Seele fell back into the Sea of Quanta.
Perhaps because of the Stigma, her clothes instantly transformed into a different outfit.
Then, the Quantum Shadows within the Sea, drawn by the aura emanating from Seele, swarmed toward her and launched their attack.
Seele struggled to defend herself, but she had never been good at fighting. In just a short while, she was completely surrounded by countless Quantum Shadows, unable to even move an inch.
At this critical juncture, Seele, her voice choked with tears, cried out to Dark Seele for help.
"Please, my other self. Help me save... the sister who has always... always been protecting us!"
"...You're impossible."
Dark Seele was one to respond to soft words, not harsh ones. Seeing Seele pleading with her like this, she couldn't maintain her tough facade any longer.
A faint smile touched the corner of her lips. She gently embraced Seele from behind, merging her power with Seele's without reservation.
An immense power instantly erupted from within Seele's body, blasting away all the Quantum Shadows around her!
Scarlet energy surged around Seele, transforming into a sky full of chains that locked down the passages connecting the Sea of Quanta to reality!
In that moment, it was as if time itself had frozen.
"Go, Seele. Together... let's go save our sister!"
Dark Seele's figure transformed into a gigantic, scarlet scythe, which Seele gripped tightly in her hand.
Seele slowly opened her eyes. Her blood-red pupils were filled with a cold and tranquil calm.
Then, she raised the giant scythe and swung it casually at the sealed passage.
The razor-sharp edge of the blade was like the dawn of creation itself, splitting the entire passage in two and tearing open a path.
Bronya, who had been sealed in darkness, suddenly saw a ray of light appear in her pitch-black world. Then, a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Sister Bronya, this time, we'll never be separated again..."
The video ended there, but the shock it left in the hearts of the group lingered for a long, long time, difficult to calm.
"Bronya, your sister is really... er..."
Raiden Mei opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but after thinking for a long time, she didn't know how to describe Seele.
Bronya had said Seele was a sweet, sensible, and well-behaved girl... but forgive them, from the video they just watched, they couldn't see a single trace of a "well-behaved girl."
Of course, that wasn't to say Seele was bad, it was just that the impression she gave in the video was... rather unique.
Or perhaps, stunning.
And from the looks of it, the girl even had a dual personality?
Oh, wait, I have one too. Never mind then.
"Seele... you've grown up."
Bronya's eyes were filled with pride. Once upon a time, Seele was just a timid little girl who would hide in a box whenever something happened. She never expected that after just a few years, she would have grown into such a strong and brave young woman.
Her only regret was that she couldn't have witnessed Seele's growth firsthand.
"Bronya, Seele is so amazing! If I get the chance in the future, could you introduce me to her? I feel like we could become great friends," Kiana said with a cheerful laugh.
Bronya smiled faintly and nodded. "Of course you can. But, we'll have to wait until the Bronya brings Seele back from the Sea of Quanta."
Hearing this, Theresa's eyes lit up. She sidled up to Bronya like a cunning fox and nudged her with an elbow.
"Bronya, seeing as you and your sister Seele are so close, how about you have her come to my St. Freya High School in the future?"
Seeing Seele's divine might in the video, slicing the Sea of Quanta in half with a single swing, Theresa was overcome with the thrill of discovering a new talent.
What was the most valuable resource in the 21st century? Talent, of course!
If Seele could also enroll in her St. Freya, the power she would have gathered under her command would be terrifying.
Three Herrschers plus a girl who can punch her way through the Sea of Quanta with her bare hands. Just tell me, isn't that strong?!
---o---
Author's Note:
(PS: Five days left, if I still can't scrape together 2400 crystals, I'll have to whale again, ugh. My Senti, my dear Senti.)