Three days later.
The breeze was gentle, and the sun was bright.
Perfect for a field trip into the Challenge Space.
"Will the future... truly change for the better?"
Standing at the entrance of the Challenge Space, Bronya let out a long sigh.
She had been pondering this question for days.
Entering the Sea of Quanta early hadn't saved Seele.
Instead, by a twist of fate, it led to several people leaving, causing the Far East Branch to be invaded, and Himeko nearly died prematurely in battle.
Was this outcome even more unfortunate than before?
"It's okay, Big Sister Bronya."
Beside her, Rozaliya, wearing black sunglasses, popped out.
"Anyway, nothing can be worse than now, so don't think too much."
"I really don't know when I'll get to see Big Sister Seele."
"Awoo~ I mean, does that place you mentioned really exist? What do you think, Liliya?"
Hearing Rozaliya's words, Liliya, dressed in a white jacket, yawned and said in a flat, emotionless tone: "Because I heard Big Sister Bronya was going to invite us to play hide-and-seek, Rozaliya was noisy all night yesterday. Liliya just wants to sleep now."
"I mean, there's a really, really big space where we can play hide-and-seek, aren't you excited, Liliya?"
"...Mmm~"
Watching the two little ones bicker, Bronya sighed.
She truly wondered if letting them enter the Challenge Space was the right decision.
However, since it was about the future, knowing in advance couldn't have too many downsides.
This time's group, besides the Rozaliya sisters, also included Yae Sakura and Rin.
They said they also wanted to contribute to St. Freya Academy.
As for Himeko, she hadn't woken up yet after drinking too much last night, so she hadn't come for now.
Theresa, holding a red megaphone and wearing a baseball cap, like a little tour guide at a scenic spot, shouted: "Hey hey~ You two kids over there, hurry up, we're going in!"
The Challenge Space was no longer a secret, so there was no need for futile concealment.
As long as there was enough power to protect it, there would be no fear of it being taken away.
"What kids? Aren't you the same age as us?"
Rozaliya pouted, her eyes flashing with dissatisfaction.
"Perhaps... actually, not in the same age group." Bronya grumbled.
Before she finished speaking, the few people lining up by the wall felt a flash of white light before their eyes.
Rozaliya had initially thought it was a large room, because Bronya had described it to her that way.
They had also promised not to tell Cocolia Mama about going to play.
However, as this instantaneous white light tore through space, the boundaries of dimension were shattered!
Instantly, the concept of time was distorted, and all five senses turned to nothingness!
She could no longer perceive anything!
Rozaliya felt as if she was standing beneath tiny stars, like an ant, filled with dread.
Her eyes widened, her gaze momentarily blank, as if kneeling at the feet of a god.
Space shattered, reassembled, and reappeared!
Several flashing images appeared before Rozaliya's eyes:
First, flames, vast flames tearing apart the darkness.
A warrior in a white cape, holding a flaming sword, stood with her back to her.
Rozaliya could smell the scorching heat; her waist was straight.
Turning around, the warrior's gaze was like a torch, orange-yellow flames flickering and burning in her palm, as she softly murmured: "Those who led me, who guided me, I will follow the footsteps they left behind, to remember that they once existed."
Behind her, the Herrscher of Domination, melted by the firelight, turned to dust.
That gaze, as eternally radiant as a fire god's, made Rozaliya not dare to even tremble, her breathing almost stopping.
But it wasn't over; this was just the first scene.
Next was the second: starlight spreading across the plains, countless stars filling the sky.
Rozaliya stood in the night sky, cold wind rustling her hair.
From the corner of the stars, she saw a figure surging against the current towards the firmament!
Honkai Energy corroded her body, making it entirely purple, as if she had fallen into endless hell.
But those sapphire eyes never retreated, surging towards a place more distant than the universe! Beneath her feet were all living beings, everyone's lives held in the maiden's palm.
Holding a massive energy body in her palm, she never flinched, awakening from her long-cherished dreams!
"I promised you, I would make this imperfect story."
"Into... the way we hoped it would be!"
Reverse meteor, igniting the firmament!
Soon the long night will fall, and the girl will become the final light!
Rozaliya's eyes were vacant; the massive shock left her speechless.
This... what is this?
Before Rozaliya could even swallow her saliva.
The third image following it forced her eyes wide open!
Strong winds howled, dark clouds rolled in, and ink-black clouds surged forward.
Thunder and lightning crashed, bolts of lightning like fire snakes thrashing in the sky, filled with reddish-purple lightning.
On the rooftop, the Thunder Empress was gloomy and violent, her trembling words speaking of memories buried deep in the abyss of her heart.
"I understand the grand principles of saving the world!"
"But, how do you expect me to endure all this—"
The Empress growled, holding the Spear of the Void; the sharp tip of the spear grazed the fair neck of the person opposite her, and blood slowly trickled down.
"I only know that in my heart, compared to this world—"
Thunder broke the dawn, and surging emotions shattered the gloomy night sky.
In an instant, the purple light illuminated the teardrops falling from the corners of the girl's eyes.
Thunder pierced the night sky!
Composing the Sinners Song!
With a bang, the indestructible Spear of the Void was crushed by Mei with her bare hands.
"You are more important!"
Rozaliya was full of shock, terrified by such a violent lightning tyrant.
Everything happened so suddenly and unexpectedly that she felt like a pitiful piece of paper, tossed and ravaged by the storm.
Continue!
The fourth image, holding the Greatsword of Fire, a mortal's eyes were burning hot.
Like a meteor releasing all its light at the last moment of its destruction, she brandished the greatsword that burned everything to ashes!
As the armor's Overdrive was activated, she stood equal to a Herrscher for a moment.
Behind her, wings of fire blazed continuously, incinerating the sky!
At this moment, black clouds obscured the sun; she burned this sky just so the girl could find her way home.
Rozaliya heard the mortal's roar:
"Kiana, look up and keep moving forward!"
"Go and turn this imperfect story into what you want it to be!"
In the fifth image, Rozaliya saw countless crystal-blue phantom butterflies dancing together, as if forming a sea of butterflies.
The Sister Bronya she was familiar with closed her eyes, and the Herrscher of Reason herrscher core in her chest was pushed to its full power!
Golden light enveloped the already menacing Project Bunny, and mechanical gilding flashed across her vision.
A milky voice said from her lips: "Ride on!"
In an instant, countless crystal-blue phantom butterflies danced together, as if forming a sea of butterflies.
In her eyes, the blue light of a hexagram flickered.
Angel Reconstruction!
Thousands of Key of Truth fired simultaneously!
"Seele, Bronya has come to find you."
Scene after scene flashed before Rozaliya's eyes.
Everyone else saw these images too.
These were all their memories, the challenges they had experienced together.
Although they spent most of the time watching, seeing it again now still felt full of memories.
The white light receded, and everyone had arrived inside the Challenge Space.
What was originally just a void space now had a few more things in it.
Two rows of moving images were hung on the wall, like two rows of small TVs that could be seen by looking up.
One row was what they had just seen, the challenges they had experienced before, and the images were also labeled with names.
Everlasting Flames, Skyfire Meteor, Sinners Song, Final Lesson... and another row, with only one flashing image: Sakura Samsara.
Everything behind it was a void.
Bronya suddenly looked at the end of the first row of images.
There were two words there.
"Seele."
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