The collapse started when Kiana came to the door

[Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier pursed her lips and nodded reluctantly.

Seeing [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier's reaction, the administrator's face instantly became solemn.

As the administrator of the Hyperion, Ai Hyperion∧ is the one who knows the Hyperion members best besides the captain. If we talk about the members' data, the values ​​she has at her fingertips are probably more comprehensive than the captain.

She was well aware of the abilities of the crew members, and also knew how strong a combat sense Xier [Nightmare Star Abyss] in front of her was. In most cases, the captain was a person who paid great attention to objective data, but at the same time, he also attached great importance to some illusory "intuition".

In other words, even this kind of metaphysical "intuition", the captain has always believed that it is part of objective existence.

Under the captain's image, although it was an artificial intelligence life form, when the administrator heard the vague description of [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier, she immediately paid the highest level of attention to [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier's words.

Out of caution, she first took a look at the "Clone Earth" and the data parameters of the members who had arrived at the "Clone Earth" - the time flow rate was about ten times faster, which happened to coincide with the time of the "Clone Earth". The vital signs were intact, and there was nothing wrong for the time being.

After confirming the captain's current condition, the administrator turned her gaze back to [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xi'er and asked seriously: "Do you want the captain to return to Hyperion as soon as possible?"

This time, [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier did not answer her words, but just lowered her head with a gloomy expression.

"I see……"

Seeing [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier's reaction, the administrator nodded in understanding.

Not sure of the reason, not sure of the source, and not even knowing what he wanted, but just instinctively chose to rely on the captain out of trust in him?

If he were the captain, he probably wouldn't be disgusted by Xier's subconscious desire to rely on him, but in her own opinion, this kind of reliance without any reason should be a very embarrassing thing.

Given her personality, if this kind of unreasonable uneasiness was not serious, she might even endure it. But since [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier chose to come to her for help, it meant that the uneasiness was so serious that she could not ignore it.

Based on Xi'er's personality, if there is anything in this world that can make her so uneasy -

"——You sensed the presence of the 'other' Seele, didn't you?"

"what?"

Hearing the confident statement from the administrator, [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier was stunned at first.

What is she talking about?

Another Seele? What do you mean I sense the presence of another Seele? Isn't there a-- on the Hyperion?

and many more.

A flash of inspiration suddenly appeared from deep within my brain.

——Ai Yi is talking about another me?

Until now, [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier still clearly remembers the scene when she met the captain in the Quantum Sea.

In the collapsing world, everything is disappearing, the sky, the earth, matter, spirit... and... even memories.

She stood aimlessly in the collapsing world, trying desperately to find something, but she couldn't find what she was looking for until the earth collapsed completely.

It was at that time that she, tormented by confusion, anxiety, and despair, saw the familiar ship that broke through the world.

Although she had forgotten Hyperion's name, when she saw the figure that still left some impression on her, she still desperately stretched out her hand in its direction.

After the ship broke into the collapsing world bubble, the bubble stopped collapsing, and the originally invincible enemy (who was it?) also disappeared.

She stood on the hull, watching those familiar yet unfamiliar people regain their bodies one by one, but among them, the only person she wanted to find was missing.

As a result, in order to find the unknown person whom she was supposed to know, she joined Hyperion, and also saw another - no, two "selves" on Hyperion.

For the Hyperion, which has the Herrscher of Knowledge and several psychic perception fusion warriors among its members, it is not difficult to retrieve the memory of [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier.

But for Xier [Nightmare Star Abyss], regaining her memory also means deeper pain and self-blame.

The Hyperion searched for a long time in the world bubble that had recovered from the collapse and in the quantum sea surrounding it, but in the end it was unable to find the missing butterfly.

It was not because of his ability, but because of the overlap of time that Hyperion failed to prevent the accident from happening in the first place.

Fortunately, with the comfort and care of [The Twins on the Other Shore] Xier, [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier managed to come out of the great grief and despair.

Having regained some composure, she [Nightmare Star Abyss], with the help of Hyperion and the captain, deduced a fact that could be said to be a life-saving straw.

At least, the other her didn't really disappear.

The reason is very simple -

The moment the Hyperion arrived, the self-proclaimed omnipotent enemy "Vita" completely disappeared, as if she had realized that she had no way of fighting against an enemy.

The world that was supposed to collapse completely, and the people who were about to disappear, all regained their form after Vita escaped.

If that’s the case, then there’s no reason for the other her… the other Xier, to just disappear.

Moreover, Xier is not a weak woman who has no fighting ability at all.

With her ability, even if she fell into the quantum sea again, she would never simply get lost in it.

In order to find "another her", [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier completely joined Hyperion. In the intervals between sailing with Hyperion and the Quantum Sea, she continued to search for "another her".

The continuous pursuit has turned this behavior into an unconscious instinct for [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier, so much so that after feeling uneasy, she did not even connect this abnormality with "another her" at the first time.

From a certain perspective, no matter which "Xier" it is, they value "the Xier who is not their own" more.

However, it is said that those who are involved are often confused, while those who are not involved can see things more clearly. It is precisely because the administrator knows how much Xier, who has a dual will in her body, values ​​her "other self" that she can easily see through why Xier of [Nightmare Star Abyss] is so uneasy.

"I... felt another me?" [Night Star Abyss] Xier lowered her head and stared blankly at her palm, "But, isn't the other me still there... And, if I can really feel another "me", why am I so uneasy?"

"That's probably not your feeling, but the feeling of another person - Xi'er, who originally shared this body with you." The administrator said gently, "You don't know the source of this uneasiness, which means it is not an emotion generated by you. You don't know why you feel uneasy, which means you haven't encountered anything that makes you feel uneasy."

"Objectively speaking, including you, all the Miss Seele we know so far have a spiritual connection with the 'other Miss Seele' who shares the same body with you. Therefore, whether intentionally or unintentionally, you can let your feelings, memories, and even the words you want to say, mix into the other person's consciousness. Therefore, if I am not mistaken, the uneasiness you feel now is actually because the Seele we have been looking for so far has also come to this nearby space-"

"—and encountered some unexpected situation that made her feel uneasy."

The administrator's calm and gentle words were like a powerful hammer that sank deep into [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier's heart.

"The other me is in danger?" [Night Star Abyss] Xier took a step forward and grabbed the administrator's shoulders. Her face was anxious and even a little ferocious. "Please explain it clearly! What do you mean by in danger? Where is she now?!"

"Just be patient... I want to say this, but judging from your appearance, you won't be able to calm down in such a short time." The administrator was not angry at [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier's impulsive behavior.

In other words, before she expressed her conclusion, she had already guessed what kind of reaction [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier would have.

The administrator gently touched the palm of [Night Star Abyss] Xier and said calmly: "Since you are a member of the Hyperion, then the other you is of course also a legal member of the Hyperion. As the administrator of the ship, my first responsibility is to maintain everyone's safety. Please let go of my hand first. I will immediately start to check the nearby space. Miss Xier, if you don't have other work, can you please notify Miss Kiana and Miss Xilin?"

"Oh, that's right! They are the Herrsers of the Void! I'll go call them right away." [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier reacted immediately. She first loosened her hand that was holding that of the administrator, and then ran towards the elevator without looking back.

Suddenly, she paused and turned her head awkwardly: "Yes, I'm sorry, I was a little excited, I hope I didn't scratch you."

"It's okay. I understand how you feel. In fact, after reasoning all this out, I am just as worried as you about the current situation of the other Miss Xi'er." The administrator smiled. "It's just that, as part of my duty, I must maintain the best rational thinking after the captain leaves. I hope you don't blame me for being too direct."

"...Thank you." [Nightmare Star Abyss] Xier said softly.

Chapter 4: The World of Magical Girls (k)

[The gaps between the worlds are unreal illusions, but for the people living in the gaps, these easily broken shelters are their only world.]

The sky was a dark red color, as if it was burning.

As the sun sets, the evening breeze carries a cool coolness that blows directly onto the three people in their swimsuits.

"Hiss..." Kiana shrank back and looked around. "Is this the bubble world you wanted us to see? It looks no different from the normal world."

"..."

no respond.

"Vita?" Kiana turned around, but her pupils shrank slightly.

In their field of vision, a cheerful and straightforward girl gently waved in their direction. Under the blazing sunset, Vita's body quickly became transparent at a speed that could not be stopped at all, and she dissolved into the nearby air with a smile on her face.

The opening and closing of lips and tongue silently told the final instructions——

——This world is left to you.

The farewell was so unexpected that Kiana, Mei Raiden, and Bronya, who were standing in the jungle, were stunned.

They stood there for about a minute, staring at each other.

"What's going on with her?" As if she couldn't accept it, Kiana couldn't help but wave her arms in the direction where the girl disappeared, "Don't be ridiculous, Vita! Where are you?"

Mei Raiden frowned slightly.

After bringing them into this world, they immediately disappeared - although Mei Raiden still did not place all her trust in this double-faced girl, the reality happening before her eyes still made Mei Raiden, who had experienced several separations, feel something unusual.

"Kiana, can you feel any remaining will nearby?" Raiden Mei turned her head and directed her calm gaze in the direction of Kiana.

Kiana shook her head, and a trace of panic flashed across her pale face for the first time in a long time: "No...no...I can't see her..."

Although she actively suppressed the passage to Honkai energy, so that she couldn't use the power of the End in "Clone Earth", first of all, the moment they arrived at the Quantum Sea, Kiana had lost the need to suppress her own power, and secondly, even if she didn't use the power of the End, she should be able to easily detect things like the remnants of will and soul with her perception ability alone.

In this case, there was only one reason why she couldn't see the residues -

——Vita’s disappearance was so complete that after her body was destroyed, not even her soul and will, which should have remained, remained.

"Anyway, let's go around this world and look for what she wants us to see." Bronya gently raised her hand and silently constructed several futuristic drones. "Kiana, Mei, is there any problem with the connection between you and Hyperion?"

"..." Kiana and Raiden Mei looked at each other and shook their heads at the same time.

"The power can be used normally, and even if something unexpected happens, we can always return to the Hyperion... In this case, it is hard to imagine that there will be something in the world bubble that the three of us cannot handle." Bronya said lightly, "Of course, to be on the safe side, we'd better report the abnormal situation we encounter to Hyperion before exploring this world bubble. Kiana, can you find a way to leave a space coordinate here?"

"...Okay, I'll try." With the help of the external brain, Kiana, who didn't need to think deeply, immediately calmed down. She closed her eyes and tried to inject strength into the power to control space -

——The scene that flashed before her eyes made her open her eyes all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" Seeing Kiana's expression of surprise and confusion, Raiden Mei's heart tightened and she asked subconsciously.

Kiana did not respond to Mei Raiden's words, but turned her gaze to the west.

"I think I saw something not so good." Kiana pursed her lips, "Want to go with me, Bronya?"

Bronya was stunned for a moment when her name was called, and then her face darkened: "What did you see?"

"...It's Seele who lost consciousness." Kiana whispered, "And the reason why she lost consciousness... seems a little bad."

Seele? Hearing this extremely familiar name, Bronya's heart suddenly tightened.

But before the thought of rushing over arose, the cold water of rationality extinguished her impulsive thought.

Bronya let out a long breath. She first forced herself to endure the turmoil and anxiety flowing in her heart, and then asked in the calmest tone possible: "Is the Seele you saw the Seele from this world?"

"That's right." Kiana nodded.

Bronya immediately asked, "Then do you know why you can see her?"

"It's probably because all the external forces were completely absorbed by the thing in her hand - remember it's called the ether singularity?" Kiana said, "In fact, at the moment when the power was used, all I could see was that strange core. It's just that the unconscious 'Seele of this World' happened to be near that core."

"Ether singularity..." Raiden Mei pondered for a moment, "If I remember correctly, the captain once told us that the so-called ether singularity is actually a product evolved from the Herrscher core. Inside it, there is usually a lot of energy left when the world bubble was still the 'world'. At the same time, as the core that maintains the world bubble, the ether singularity marked with the imaginary number can actually buy a lot of time for the world bubble immersed in it to resist 'erosion' in the quantum sea."

"As the Herrscher of the End, Kiana can instantly lock the state of the etheric singularity the moment she uses her power... Although it sounds a little difficult to understand, it is indeed a reasonable thing."

After saying that, Mei Raiden turned her gaze towards Bronya and said, "What do you think, Bronya? From a rational point of view, it is the safest choice to let Kiana return to the Hyperion immediately. However, although this is not the same person as the Seele you know, the Seele in this world is still Seele after all. If you are worried, we can also follow the coordinates sensed by Kiana and confirm the condition of this Seele first."

"Wait, Mei." Kiana suddenly interrupted Mei's words, "We can't go back to Hyperion first."

"?" Mei Raiden was stunned, "Why?"

"Because I can't leave space coordinates in this world." Kiana said, "No... If you insist, it's not difficult to leave coordinates in this world, but the problem is, because of the connection between this world's 'Seele' and the ether singularity, if I forcibly use the power of the Herrscher of the Void, I can't guarantee that it will not have any negative impact on this world's 'Seele'."

"And... I don't know if it's my illusion." Kiana hesitated for a moment, "Compared to the 'Seele' in our place, the Seele in this world gives me a very strong feeling of 'Herrser'."

At present, the few Seeles that Kiana knows are all "Sacred Mark Awakeners" who are more similar to Yulandel.

Although they look similar and have certain common abilities, whether they are Stigma Awakeners, Herrschers, or perhaps even the "Ideas" born from the Stigmata, in essence, they are completely different beings.

However, Bronya immediately gave an answer to Kiana's question.

"That's normal." Bronya said calmly, "If Vita didn't lie to us, this bubble of world can be considered a 'clone Earth' to some extent - that is, a projection of the pre-civilization era 50,000 years ago in the quantum sea. In the pre-civilization era 50,000 years ago, there was no such thing as a 'stigma'."

"Since there are no stigmata, then the 'Seele' from the pre-civilization era certainly cannot have a second personality derived from the stigmata like the Seele we know."

"The 'Seele' from the pre-civilization era..." Mei Raiden touched her chin, "If I remember correctly, the 'Seele' from the pre-civilization era was actually the Herrscher of Death. During the sixth Honkai event, she was defeated by Kevin, who was not even a fusion warrior at the time."

"So, this 'Seele' that I saw is actually the projection of the Herrscher of Death from the pre-civilization era projected into the world bubble?" Kiana scratched her silver hair, looking a little confused. "Then, should we still go--"

"Of course I have to go." Bronya rolled her eyes and interrupted Kiana without hesitation, "The Herrscher of Death from the pre-civilized era is just a harmless little girl on today's 'Clone Earth'. And, if Bronya's guess is correct, to some extent, the Herrscher of Death from the pre-civilized era can even be regarded as the origin of 'another Seele'."

"Another Seele...you mean the other personality inside Seele?" said Raiden Mei.

"For Bronya, no matter which Seele it is, she is the most important Seele to Bronya." Bronya pursed her lips.

"Then..." Just as Kiana was about to use the power of space to teleport to the target location, her expression suddenly became serious, "Who!"

As soon as the question was uttered, the blue electric charge jumped out.