Chapter 26: High-end hunters often appear in the guise of prey

Her round-toed shoes tapped against the floor as the Honkai energy coiled within her surged, a red glow flickering across her fair skin.

Seele swept her scythe horizontally, the blade extending in a crimson crescent that unfurled with terrifying, tide-like power!

This was the strength of the Stigma she had just mastered with the Stellaron's aid.

Boom—!

Dust filled the air amidst the violent roar. Two Voidranger Reavers were instantly torn asunder within the red moonlight, dissolving into negative particles, leaving only scattered debris clattering to the ground.

"Is everyone alright?"

A voice as gentle as an angel's reached the ears of the Herta Space Station researchers, who had stumbled and fallen in their panicked escape. Slowly, they opened their eyes, feeling as though they truly were gazing upon an angel.

[My parallel self… she's amazing!]

Watching everything unfold from a first-person perspective, feeling 'herself' effortlessly dispatching Voidrangers, then saving and comforting the researchers snatched back from the brink of death, White Seele couldn't help but voice her admiration.

Amazing in every sense of the word!

White Seele was keenly aware of her own timid nature, while her 'other self' was far too sharp and forceful.

She couldn't quite picture that 'other self' comforting anyone besides her… She'd probably brandish her scythe and say something like, 'Stop whining and don't be scared!' right?

This Seele from a parallel world, however, seemed to have struck a perfect balance between White Seele and the other one – gentle, yet undeniably brave and resolute. She was practically Seele's ideal version of herself!

Beyond that, there was much more that left White Seele in awe.

Just moments ago, her movements had been clumsy, like a complete novice. Yet, after only a few battles, she had grown to a level that made even White Seele feel inadequate.

After all, White Seele herself had needed a long time to mentally prepare before daring to even pick up the scythe and face the monstrosities within the Sea of Quanta.

[I never knew Seele had such a narcissistic side.]

A teasing voice, tinged with amusement, made White Seele startle, before she stammered shyly, "[Seele… Seele didn't mean it like that…]"

She wasn't praising herself; she was praising 'herself'.

[It's okay, Seele! There's nothing wrong with liking yourself, you should shout it loud! Take me, for example, I absolutely adore Seele, and 'the other me' too!]

Acting under this guise felt even more thorough than Aha manifesting a false persona as a detachable mask.

[Eh!]

If White Seele were controlling the body right now, her cute little face would likely be as red as an apple.

[You… you idiot! W-What are you saying!?]

Woo woo woo! A freshly flustered Dark Seele was practically steaming! Her reaction was far more intense than White Seele's, resorting to indignant 'scolding' out of sheer embarrassment to hide her feelings.

White Seele could only think that Dark Seele's 'scolding' sounded more like pouting.

While Seele checked on the researchers' conditions, mentally teasing the other two Seeles, a drone deployed.

Himeko's toolkit, extending several monomolecular saws, sliced through the air like deadly flying blades, finishing off the wounded Voidrangers before returning to her hand.

"Seele, there's just one coordinate left. Can I leave it to you? The Master of the Space Station will be back soon, and I need to head to the Master Control Zone first," Himeko said with a smile, holding up her phone which displayed an incoming call.

She had been observing Seele throughout their journey; after all, the girl would soon be joining the Astral Express. Seele's character was unquestionable. Combined with the girl's earlier fragmented behavior and the intelligence from Welt, it seemed Seele possessed multiple personalities… but she was a reliable child.

Handling things alone wouldn't be a problem.

"Of course, Sister Himeko! Please go ahead," Seele replied.

Her endearing appearance seemed to stir Himeko's maternal instincts. A gentle, water-like smile graced her features as she warmly advised, "Be careful on your own, okay?"

"Mhm~!"

After Himeko departed, Seele proceeded alone towards the next location marked for Voidranger clearance.

[Seele, the one following us is getting closer.]

Dark Seele's cautious voice echoed in her mind. If not for the Seeles' sensitivity to Quantum fluctuations, they might never have noticed the persistent tail they had acquired.

[I know… Don't worry, she isn't an enemy.]

Seele's expression became subtly complex.

Silver Wolf had been following her the whole time… What could she possibly want?

Thinking it over, there seemed to be only one logical answer – herself. Or rather, 'Seele'.

Seele sighed inwardly. The renowned galactic hacker, Silver Wolf, resorting to such stalker-like behavior? Was 'Seele's' charm really that potent?

She raised a hand to rub her own cheek – which felt wonderfully soft – and her gaze drifted to a decorative mirror on the corridor wall. Pausing, she stepped before it and flashed a smile.

[So freakin' cute!]

[My heart just exploded!]

White Seele: [...?]

Dark Seele: [???]

Both inner Seeles were completely thrown off by this sudden, manic burst of self-appreciation from the Seele in control.

A thought suddenly struck Dark Seele, and her expression slowly morphed into one of horror.

Could Seele have been infected by those two gray-haired individuals with questionable sanity?

Throughout their journey, she'd noticed Seele staring intently at broken devices and trash cans on several occasions. Even if Seele could fool Himeko, she couldn't hide it from the psychically linked Seeles. Dark Seele could sense the undeniable craving that surged within Seele upon seeing that refuse.

Thankfully, Seele hadn't actually emulated those two by rummaging through the trash. If she had, Dark Seele would have undoubtedly fought for control of the body, attempting to seize it even if she couldn't fully succeed!

Seele, being essentially the Trailblazer (Caelus/Stelle) at her core, could naturally perceive the hidden treasure chests. However, to maintain her 'Seele' persona, she refrained from opening them, silently committing their locations to memory to retrieve later using her own body.

Treasures could wait. Right now, Silver Wolf was the priority.

Since I'm the target, this should be fun~!

Ignoring the other two Seeles' bewildered reactions to her 'narcissistic' outburst, Seele jogged forward and quickly arrived at the marked location. As expected, two squads of Voidrangers were wandering the area.

Her eyes glinted. Hoisting her obsidian scythe, she lowered her stance and dashed forward.

The Voidrangers ceased their destruction of the cabin the instant they spotted her, raising their blades and cannons as they moved to encircle her.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sound of energy beams sliced through the air.

With consecutive Quantum Flashes left and right, Seele evaded the Voidranger: Eliminator's cannon fire and swung her scythe. Although she hadn't mastered any elegant, leg-focused scythe techniques yet, her strikes and swings already carried a hint of Dark Seele's form and spirit.

Clang!

A screeching symphony of colliding metal rang out as her scythe clashed against the Eliminator's twin blades.

Using the reactive force and her own flexibility, Seele executed a backflip, swinging the scythe in a wide arc. The blade carved a dark crescent moon before its tip plunged fiercely into the Eliminator… right between its rear plates.

As low-tier Legion war machines, Voidrangers didn't possess such anatomy. But as the saying goes, weak points don't exist until someone stabs there often enough.

Witnessing such an attack left White Seele speechless, while Dark Seele's brow twitched uncontrollably.

That has to be a coincidence, right? It must be!

Landing smoothly from her spin, Seele pushed off again, charging headlong into the two Voidranger squads. After taking down three of them, she found herself surrounded, struggling to fend off attacks from all sides.

[Seele, what are you doing?] Dark Seele questioned internally.

While it was true that this was a mistake a novice might make, given Seele's talent and rapid improvement, Dark Seele couldn't believe she'd commit such a blunder.

Creating an opportunity for a hero to save the damsel, of course~! Seele thought, careful not to broadcast it through their mental link.

Three Voidrangers charged her simultaneously in a triangular formation. She immediately lashed out with her scythe, sending two flying.

The third, however, deftly dodged the attack's path.

The cold glint of its blade reflected in her sea-blue eyes. Seele's lips parted slightly, a flicker of genuine-looking panic and fear appearing in her gaze.

Just as the whistling blade closed to within ten centimeters of Seele's face, an ethereal light suddenly bloomed.

Upon contact with the light, both the blade and the Voidranger's body instantly dissolved into countless pixel-like particles, vanishing completely.

Seele's small face registered genuine-looking astonishment at the utterly unexpected turn of events.

"Are you okay?"

A voice, both gentle and effortlessly cool, sounded beside her. A silver-gray spiral ponytail swayed as Silver Wolf made her entrance like a hero descending dramatically from the heavens!

[Sister Bronya!]

The moment she heard that unique, slightly sweet and naive-sounding voice, White Seele became excited. Actually seeing the figure through Seele's eyes sent waves of joy and disbelief through her.

[Idiot! This is a parallel world! How could she be here? Even if it looks like Bronya, it's a Bronya from this world!] Dark Seele interjected, remaining level-headed. Compared to White Seele's instant excitement, Dark Seele, though surprised, managed to retain her rationality.

Hearing this, White Seele paused, quickly grasping the reality of the situation, a sense of wistful disappointment washing over her.

"Um… you are…?" Seele asked, standing steady but still seeming a bit dazed, playing her part.

"Hm? You can just call me Silver Wolf," the newcomer replied, giving her single ponytail a cool flick.

(From a certain perspective, one might call the gesture rather flashy.)

"Sister Silver Wolf, thank you for saving Seele," the navy-haired girl said, seemingly having finally processed the situation. Her small face flushed a delicate pink, her aquatic-blue eyes sparkling like a sunlit sea.

Silver Wolf… Sister!

Listen to that~! What a wonderful way to be addressed~!

That soft, warm voice sent pleasant tingles through Silver Wolf's head. As they say, a maiden's blush speaks louder than any sweet nothings. In that instant, Silver Wolf felt her internal 'preference' meter going haywire.

"Ahem, it was nothing," Silver Wolf replied, slightly flustered. This was, after all, her first time attempting to 'charm a girl,' and she found herself momentarily unable to meet the girl's soft, watery gaze.

Are you two just going to ignore us?! The Voidrangers, sensing the ambiguous atmosphere, seemed to grow inexplicably furious and launched another attack.

However, the same bizarre phenomenon occurred. Before they could even get close, their bodies dissolved into pixelated blocks and vanished.

"Wh-what is this?" Seele asked, feigning amazement at the miraculous sight.

"Just modifying reality's data. A little trick, not worth mentioning," Silver Wolf stated casually, her understated tone making the incredible feat seem like an insignificant parlor trick.

As expected, this immediately drew an admiring gaze from the navy-haired girl.

"Sister Silver Wolf, you're amazing!"

Her voice, sweet and fragrant like maltose, felt like honey pouring into Silver Wolf's ears. Though her expression remained impassive, her heart was already soaring.

"Leave these small fry to me," Silver Wolf declared, turning stylishly to stand protectively in front of Seele, shielding her from the Voidrangers.

Her silhouette seemed to overlap with countless scenes from classic movies, where the male lead shields the heroine.

She failed to notice the faint, pleased curve forming on the lips of the cute girl standing behind her.

The young wolf clearly hadn't learned yet: the most skilled hunters often appear disguised as prey~!

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