K424 of the Collapse World

"Hey...what's going on?"

The girl asked herself in the mirror, leaning in front of the dressing mirror in a daze.

I don't know when the voice in my heart disappeared quietly. As for the visual disorder in her childhood, after her silver-gray left eye became completely blind, she could no longer see those indescribable transformed forms, including Shilis's "wings"...

Perhaps it was because of the disappearance of these things that she was able to gradually recover from her distorted consciousness and schizophrenia, thus getting rid of the nightmares of her childhood and beginning to become like a normal girl.

And now, more and more abnormalities break into her life, as if foreshadowing that everything is about to come back again...

(No... My sins are over. I can never go back to being that ugly me! No one would expect that of Xing Maer, and neither would Sister Shiris...)

Staring blankly at the mirror in front of her, Xing was confused, as if she saw her own reflection in the mirror - a terrifying black shadow with a bloody mouth grinning.

Now, this was just a picture in her mind, not even an illusion. However, the fear that had been deeply engraved in her heart had begun to make Xing feel more and more scared...

fear?

I feel fear...ah, it's been a long time. As my twisted mind returns to normal, I become more and more like a normal human being. The weaknesses of ordinary people's minds gradually begin to show up in me...

If it were her old self, she would probably be excited about this strange feeling. But now, it only made her sink deeper into the vortex of self-doubt.

"The law that controls time is merely the power of my stigmata, not a gift from sin. Those things that bewitched me are all fake."

Xing muttered to herself, turned away from the dressing table, and sat back at her desk in silence.

At this time, she should have discussed it with Shilis. That girl who was well-versed in all kinds of Honkai knowledge would definitely be able to help her to some extent.

However......

Thinking of the scene of the silver-haired girl crying, Xing closed her eyes helplessly.

As she had seen in the morning, Shirley's current condition was also very bad, and she was probably not a suitable person to confide in.

So, what should I do? These real and fake déjà vu will definitely not disappear after a good night's sleep. Xing has a premonition that those visions will accompany her for a long time...

As for today, I'll just stay in the room. Xing really doesn't want to endure the fatigue of the body and let the sense of déjà vu brought by the outside world stimulate her nerves.

Apart from the physical examination appointment in the morning, there shouldn't be anything else important...

Just as Xing was thinking this, there was a rough knock on the door.

"Xing~! Are you in there? We agreed to visit the official training ground today! Why haven't you gathered yet?"

This energetic voice was recognizable, and it obviously belonged to Rosalia Arlene. After hearing the other party's shout, Xingye suddenly remembered this.

Visiting the training ground...it feels like a familiar development.

Shaking off the illusion memory that reappeared in her mind, Xing sighed heavily.

Although it is not a big deal, a trip that has been arranged in advance cannot be canceled by saying “I’m tired and don’t want to go”.

What's more, this is Rosalia, who is as sticky as a candy...

"Hey, hey, hey, it's almost one o'clock. Are you still sleeping? Even the nerds in the Far East wouldn't stay in bed for so long..."

"Shut up, Rosalia."

Unable to bear it any longer, she opened the door of her house, walked out with her coat, and stood in front of Rosalia.

"Huh? So you're already prepared..."

"Well, I went out for something this morning, and I was just taking a lunch break."

Xing said calmly, hiding her confused expression not long ago. After returning to the apartment from the physical examination department, she did not immediately change back into her home clothes, so there was no need to spend time dressing up.

Just get going.

The pink-haired girl in front of him had obviously been dressed up carefully. She was wearing the pink dress she wore in the orphanage, a sun hat that was big enough to cover her horns, and a bow tied on her tail.

It seems that the girl is really looking forward to this little party, but Xing still can't help but complain about her gorgeous dress.

"Rosalia, don't you think it's a bit exaggerated? We are just visiting, we don't need you to perform on stage..."

“Idols must shine at all times!”

"But you...never mind, whatever you want."

Xing rubbed her forehead, cheered herself up a little, and gave up talking to this self-satisfied girl.

There is probably no one in the world who can match her in terms of radio waves...

"Ah, Xing...what happened?"

When Xing and Rosalia met up with the other girls downstairs in the apartment building, Xier suddenly blinked, a red light flashed in her eyes, and she asked this question subconsciously.

Hearing this, everyone else looked at Xier in confusion, except Xing, whose heart skipped a beat, but she remained calm on the surface.

"Oh? Why do you ask?"

"Because... the other 'me' just told me that he felt something strange..."

Hearing this, Xing's expression became a little more serious.

"What exactly does it look like?"

"This... Xier doesn't know either, but there is an indescribable feeling..."

Faced with Xing's questioning, Xier quickly showed a confused expression, as if the other her didn't know what that fleeting reaction was.

However, Xing had already vaguely guessed something.

(Have you sensed the changes in my stigmata? How perceptive! Could it be that Seele’s stigmata have something to do with mine?)

At this time, the girls next to them intervened in this inexplicable conversation.

"We just met, what are you talking about? Can't you just say something that everyone can understand?"

Rosalia stamped her feet in dissatisfaction and jumped over to stand between Xing and Xier.

"Bronya, say something! Seele wasn't so weird before. The way they acted just now is just as annoying as those philosophy professors who don't speak human language!"

"Eh? I think it's okay..."

Bronya responded absentmindedly, obviously not taking the pink-haired girl's words seriously. She doted on Seele's head and glanced at Xing across from her.

721 The Second Law >>

"Xi'er's feeling is correct. Xing, your Houkai strength is much stronger than the last time we met. Did something happen?"

"I don't know, maybe it's the result of training..."

Bronya, who possessed the Herrscher core, could naturally sense the changes in herself. However, her perception was not as precise as Seele's, and she only sensed the changes in the capacity of the Honkai, but did not notice the changes in the essence of the stigmata...

Xing thought about it and finally decided to hide the change of her stigma from them and try to avoid involving these friends.

They obviously knew nothing about the evolution of the stigmata, and even if they knew about their own affairs, it would only cause them more trouble...

Xing clapped her hands, returning to her signature grumpy tone.

"Okay! It doesn't matter anyway. It's better to think about this afternoon's schedule than to worry about it! Lilia, remember that you are the initiator of the event. Have you planned the event arrangements?"

"Um... Rosalia, does this need to be arranged in advance?"

"I don't know..."

Seeing the twin girls looking at each other in bewilderment, Bronya and Seele also looked at each other, obviously having expected this.

"Xing, when did Sister Arlene organize any of our activities, was there any pre-arranged plan?"

"Wait! Bronya, even though we didn't plan the content of the event in advance, has our Vodka Girls ever messed up an event?"

"That's true...but every time it's solved by everyone's brainstorming, right?"

"But this is..."

Xing shrugged and successfully changed the subject. She watched the girls begin to discuss the arrangements for the visit, using silence to reduce her presence.

Although she was very reluctant when she came here, and had no interest in the military training ground, now, Xing suddenly felt that occasionally being with these noisy guys was also a pretty good thing.

If only I hadn't had these terrible problems with my body today...

In the few minutes that Xing was distracted, the girls had already discussed the next arrangements.

"......Anyway! Let's go buy some snacks and drinks first, so we can have a sightseeing atmosphere! Okay, Lilia and I will be in charge of shopping, everyone, give me the money quickly.

Let's go~"

As she spoke, Rosalia came over with a smile on her face and extended her hand to Xing who was the first to be affected.

Looking at the pink-haired girl's "well-behaved" smile, Xing, who had been cheated countless times before, could tell at a glance that something was wrong. If she was right, these two guys were probably planning to go to some imported food area and buy a bunch of very exotic things for the three of them...

Well, after all, it is a common method used by them and it is easy to think of.

Xing curled the corners of her mouth slightly, having already thought of a response plan.

"Rosalia, you..."

However, just as Xing opened her mouth, an instinctive sense of crisis suddenly rushed into her mind!

Without any hesitation, Xing subconsciously awakened her stigmata and prepared to activate her time-stopping ability. It seemed that only in this way could she avoid the impending danger...

But in the instant before the time-stop barrier was deployed, the déjà vu scene that appeared in front of her eyes like a mirror made Xing wake up instantly!

(What the hell…?!)

The sense of déjà vu brought by the illusion has never been so clear. She seems to be able to see what will happen after she obeys her instinct and activates her ability.

——Nothing will happen. It's as if her instinct tells her that she can avoid danger by activating her ability...

But what kind of danger is this? If I continue to do this, will I get the same result - nothing will happen?

So what would happen if... I didn't use my ability at this time?

Xing realized that she had an opportunity to find out everything, but if she wanted to get the information, she would have to pay a price for it.

Should we follow our instincts and avoid danger, or try to make changes and discover the essence of things...

Xing's thinking ended in an instant and she made the final decision.

In order to find out the truth about herself, the girl endured the fear that seeped into her bones, suppressed her instinct to activate her abilities, and let the unknown thing come...

Looking at Rosalia's smiling face, Xing's heart was once again shrouded in a cloud of gloom.

(It’s at this time…)

However, she did not change her mind and give up this only opportunity.

She must find the truth. However, no matter what awaits her, she will not let the girls around her get hurt...

Absolutely not.

- hum

The moment Xing suppressed her instinct, she clearly felt that something had quietly arrived...

Xing's eyes widened instantly. She seemed to see that everything around her began to be covered with a layer of golden light, from far to near, turning everything within the reach of the light into dark golden condensed bodies.

(This is... my ability?!)

The object covered with dark golden light completely stagnated as time condensed. This was a scene she had seen countless times in the past when she activated her abilities.

But this time, the energy of the laws that interfered with time did not exclude her, the master of time...

Feeling the energy of the law gradually climbing up her body and bringing her into this solidified world, Xing's eyes widened and became clear at the last moment.

(The second ability to manipulate time...)

The dark golden light completely solidified Xing's thoughts. But the next moment, the light of these laws disappeared from the girl's eyes, as if they had never existed from the beginning.

"Xing~Sister Xing~Hurry up and give me the money..."

Rosalia still smiled evilly and stretched out her hand. Neither she nor Lilia, Bronya or Seele beside her noticed what had just happened.

Xing narrowed her eyes slightly, with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

There was no doubt that it was a force unleashed by another being, a time law ability that was exactly the same as his own, but not his own.

The fear generated when being covered by the law is just the inherent sensitive reaction of the law controller to his own law. In order to prevent his own time from being frozen, he uses the same law power to merge with it to ensure that he has the ability to move in the world where time stops...

Giving up the fusion of instinctive laws means letting oneself be frozen in stopped time like an ordinary person.

If another time-stopper attacked him at this moment, it would indeed match the sense of crisis brought by instinct, but in fact, nothing happened just now...

In other words, the other being that activated time stop didn't activate the ability specifically for himself?

"Xing, what are you daydreaming about again... Really, is it the same as the past few days..."

As if she hadn't heard Rosalia's voice, Xing recalled the direction from which the golden light spread and raised her head slightly. It was precisely because she hadn't used her own law to blend into the time-stopping barrier that she could clearly see the location of the source of the light.