"Ahem…"
Lunelle, who had been knocked to the ground by the shockwave from Bronya's head-on clash with the Honkai Beast, slowly opened her sea-blue eyes—eyes so clear and unreal, they seemed as if painted into the world.
As her blurry vision steadied, Lunelle saw Mei—not far from her—already locking onto the Templar-class Honkai Beast again, exactly as the comics once depicted.
The creature raised its lance once more. With a flicker of light, it twisted into the same Honkai greatsword that had earlier cleaved the ground in two.
"Tsk… if this really follows the original story, all I can do now is watch this monster target Mei… and then watch Kiana throw herself in front of her."
"And after that? I just crawl as far as I can, praying my Honkai resistance holds long enough to keep me alive through the Herrscher of Thunder's awakening."
The thought came bitterly. The entire situation was one-sidedly stacked against her. And Lunelle could do nothing about it.
A heavy helplessness began to sink in.
What if the three powerful families hadn't pinpointed her so precisely?
Maybe she could still be hiding in some forgotten corner of Nagazora, quietly gaining strength.
Those days might not have been filled with affection from beautiful wives, nor with daily affection and benefits being showered on her.
They might have been dull—tedious, even.
But at least it wouldn't have come to this.
To just lie there, watching everything unfold, powerless to stop it!!!
'This is exactly why I didn't want to be dragged into the protagonists' story this early!'
By now, Kiana had already dashed forward, shielding the stunned Mei.
If things went as expected, the giant sword would strike Kiana in the back like a whirlwind.
And Mei, watching her fall unconscious and bleeding, would break apart.
Thus, the awakening of the Herrscher of Thunder would begin…
"Sigh… If opening my eyes only meant welcoming this kind of despair, then maybe I should've just kept playing dead… but still…"
Lunelle let out a breath, muttering as if to mock herself. She inhaled deeply, then slowly shut her eyes again.
As if she didn't want to witness the blood-soaked scene that was seconds away.
BOOM!!!
The monstrous sword came crashing down with terrifying force.
KALA!!!
In that moment… the sound of bones splitting apart echoed sharply.
The blade, carrying dense Honkai energy, tore through her thin nightgown and pristine, flawless skin in an instant.
"As expected… I still couldn't do it…
I couldn't just lie there and watch my wife get hurt…"
Even as the sword carved through her, and pain screamed through her body, Lunelle—always the one most afraid of suffering—felt no fear, no panic.
The blood loss was extreme. Death, at this point, felt more like a matter of time.
But in the face of her own end, Lunelle found something.
A single, desperate thread she could still tug on.
Something she had to try—no matter the outcome.
If she died without giving it that one last shot, she knew she'd never forgive herself.
Just before the world faded into total black, Lunelle's mind connected—at last—with the simulation system.
"Systema… is the simulation ready to run again?"
[Simulation cooldown complete. Begin simulation?]
"Start it!"
[Command received. Initiating simulation.]
Right before consciousness slipped away completely, Lunelle's mind was pulled into the familiar simulation space.
This was her final gamble. If this simulation couldn't offer a solution…
The broken body in the real world, drained of blood, would have no chance of recovery once her mind returned.
But here, in this other space—Lunelle didn't feel frantic or afraid.
Perhaps, for her now, whether she lived or died had already become irrelevant.
No—what pushed her to run the simulation wasn't survival.
It was Seele.
She just wanted to see her beloved wife, one last time, without regrets.
The simulation resumed, just as before.
And as the force of "Destruction" from the Cocoon of Finality and the power of "Creation" through the Sea of Quanta bound to her again…
This time, something changed.
The dormant Authority of Creation—quiet through every past run—reacted.
Faintly, but unmistakably, Lunelle felt a connection.
Maybe, just maybe, this ordinary girl, in this extraordinary moment, had reached the threshold that allowed the Authority of Creation to finally respond.
But in truth, that didn't matter anymore.
After the transfer of power completed, Lunelle's simulated self drifted into her inner consciousness.
And she spoke—softly.
"Seele… I know you're still here, somewhere in my mind. If you can hear me, will you come out and talk?"
"Oh? Found me already? You really are the real Seele."
The reply came from the shadows—mocking, amused. It belonged to the "Blood-Eyed Seele," who had been lurking for the right moment.
She appeared again, her ghostly figure identical to Seele's, yet laced with a darker presence.
"So… you know I'm here. The one you hate most. Come to wipe away the ugly memories you'd rather not see?"
But Lunelle didn't falter. She simply smiled—softly, with no malice.
Even in the face of ridicule, her gaze remained clear, her heart still.
'I must have touched something she never wanted to face. Even if Seele gave me all her pain, the girl in front of me—this version—isn't as pure as she looks.'
Lunelle's eyes were calm, untainted.
And that calmness unsettled "Blood-Eyed Seele."
For someone born of resentment and darkness, purity like Lunelle's was the most terrifying thing in the world.
Because the purer it was… the more it could erase her.
She wasn't sure why, but seeing Lunelle's unwavering, gentle expression—looking at her with no fear, no hate—made her want to run.
The lunacy, the arrogance… it all began to waver.
After all, filth may corrupt purity—but purity, when strong enough, can cleanse filth.
The thought sparked a tremor in her.
For the first time ever, "Blood-Eyed Seele" felt afraid of being herself.
And what she feared most wasn't Lunelle attacking.
It was Lunelle accepting her.
The twisted obsession driving her to hate Seele… wouldn't allow her to retreat.
But Lunelle… had no idea that her very presence could unnerve someone like this.
Nor did she care to prove she wasn't Seele anymore.
Because for her, there were far more important things.
As "Blood-Eyed Seele" hesitated, unsure whether to flee or stay, Lunelle quietly stepped forward and reached out—grasping her hand.
"Ah!!! Y-You—what are you doing?! Are you insane?!"
The reaction was immediate—like a startled kitten. She shrieked, her voice cracking with alarm.
The once proud and devilish face turned red in an instant—unmistakably flustered.
'Wh-What?! Am I seriously… blushing!?'
--+--
T/N: This MAY be selfcest boys and girls and others.