"We've reached the mini-boss checkpoint."
In the empty corridor, the girl with a single silver spiral ponytail shifted her gaze from the victory prompt on her gaming device and looked up toward the passage ahead.
"Should I lend a hand?"
The plastic stick of the lollipop bobbed up and down between her lips as Silver Wolf mumbled indistinctly.
"Never mind."
Stretching leisurely, Silver Wolf pushed off the table's edge and hopped down gracefully.
Her short boots landed on the floor without making a sound, as if she were a quantum ghost.
Kafka and Silver Wolf's true bodies had already left after March 7th took Stelle away from the Curio Room.
During their brief observation of the "unexpected incident," Stelle's eccentric performance had successfully piqued Silver Wolf's interest, and Kafka also wanted to see what would happen next.
Thus, Silver Wolf left a quantum projection behind, continuing to observe Stelle covertly from the shadows.
What she witnessed, however, were two gray-haired individuals shouting "The treasure chest is mine!" while fighting over thin air in a dark corner, even treating crumpled paper balls as treasures to be collected.
Silver Wolf was instantly stunned, leaning back in shock with her mouth slightly agape.
She couldn't help but wonder if Kafka had accidentally let the vessel get its head squeezed by a door while preserving it, damaging Stelle's brain in the process.
Is this something a normal person would do?
It had a certain charm of cerebral deficiency!
Could these two really achieve the outcome the Stellaron Hunters were hoping for?
Fortunately, the pink-haired girl recognized the severity of the situation and planned to take them to see a psychiatrist, otherwise Silver Wolf would have been genuinely troubled.
Should she ask Kafka to reset these two back to factory settings?
In Silver Wolf's view, compared to Stelle's mental issues, encountering an elite Voidranger squad wasn't even worth mentioning!
Since Elio hadn't mentioned anything, it meant they wouldn't be in danger—at least not in any way that would affect the future.
That was enough!
Just as Silver Wolf was about to start another game, a figure emerging from the chamber made her pause mid-motion.
"Who is that...!!"
The figure, like a dreamlike butterfly with ethereal blue wings dancing from a phantom sea, captured her silver-gray eyes, leaving the entire wolf stunned.
So... so beautiful!
It wasn't just the appearance—it was that soft, gentle, sisterly aura that truly made Silver Wolf's heart flutter.
Perhaps sensing the intense gaze, the running girl came to a stop.
Did she notice me?
Silver Wolf was startled, never expecting anyone to detect her presence.
She quickly adjusted her quantum projection's concealment to maximum, her originally ghost-like form becoming completely transparent.
This way, she shouldn't be able to...!
Her thoughts halted abruptly because the girl smiled at her.
In Silver Wolf's vision, the girl's sea-blue gradient hair, tinged with black, seemed to grow and stretch toward her.
As it extended, jacaranda blossoms bloomed along the strands, flourishing wildly, while deep blue butterflies, drawn to the flowers, fluttered around them in elegant circles.
The intertwining expanse of ethereal blue and fluttering butterflies created an exquisite painting, ensnaring Silver Wolf within it.
At this moment, it was like the iconic scene from "Hyouka," a perfect recreation of Houtarou Oreki being enveloped by Eru Chitanda's vibrant green flower-adorned hair.
All concern for Stelle's mental state was instantly tossed to the winds by Silver Wolf.
Her eyes held only the jacaranda blossoms and the butterfly, as if they had gathered all the beauty of the world into that girl.
Even long after the girl had turned and left, Silver Wolf remained frozen in place, so dazed that not even the explosion of an Eliminator's cannon nearby could snap her out of it.
"Is this...?"
Finally breaking free from her stupor, Silver Wolf staggered back two steps, raising a hand to clutch at her right chest.
Her heartbeat was accelerating!
Her XP system had been triggered!
"The legendary... love at first sight?"
When alone, people never hide their true feelings for the sake of social etiquette or morality.
So, even though she had never experienced this unfamiliar emotion before, Silver Wolf could vaguely sense what it was.
Her expression shifted instantly as she tucked her gaming console into the small backpack at her hip.
Were Stelle and Caelus getting beaten up by Voidrangers?
As long as they weren't killed, it didn't matter at all!
But that girl from earlier—she absolutely couldn't let the Antimatter Legion's claws harm even a single hair on her head!
For the honor of the Stellaron Hunters!
But... would it be inappropriate to just swagger out like this?
She was still on the wanted list, after all. Better to observe first and only step in for a 'heroic rescue' if the situation became dire.
Then, wouldn't it be natural to ask for her contact info afterward?
Even though, as a hacker, she had more efficient methods, who would pay extra attention to a stranger suddenly appearing in their contacts?
...
Unaware of the impact her smile had caused, Seele had only sensed the quantum fluctuations.
Based on the available intel, it was highly likely that Silver Wolf was observing "herself" and Stelle.
Out of caution, Seele flashed a smile at the "Silver Wolf Duck"
If the battle took an unexpected turn, that smile might just persuade Silver Wolf to lend a hand.
After all, she was Seele!
However, Seele had underestimated the sheer potency of her "Little Seele" form's duck-type specialty attack. That radiant smile had completely captivated Silver Wolf's soul.
"Fade away with the butterfly, illusions of the past!"
A pale blue quantum glow shimmered as the girl with navy-blue hair shifted from solid to ethereal, swinging her giant scythe to cleave the Voidranger in two in an instant.
"My life is over... I'm alive again!"
The gray-haired girl, who had just been reminiscing about her two-hour-long life flashback, sighed in relief as the crisis was averted, instantly switching her expression.
"Hooray, reinforcements are here!"
March 7th, who had been facing off against the Trampler with her bow, cheered but blinked in surprise when she saw Seele materialize from her quantum state.
Her outfit didn't look like the space station's security personnel...
Well, whatever. She was on their side, at least.
Dodging the dual blades of another Marauder, Seele swung her scythe straight at its neck.
No finesse—just pure, brute force!
The sharp scythe sliced through the Marauder's throat in an instant. Pulling the blade free, Seele dropped low and kicked upward at its jaw.
Executing the move, Seele couldn't help but think—the flexibility of a girl's body was truly amazing!
Infused with Honkai energy, the kick landed with a crisp crack of shattering bone, sending the Marauder flying backward into the corridor wall.
"Leave these guys to me. You handle that Trampler."
Swinging her scythe to drive back the Voidrangers charging at March 7th and Stelle, Seele spoke without turning her head.
She was getting accustomed to this body, and to her own astonishment, rapidly adapting to combat.
It wasn't due to muscle memory or anything of the sort—it was Seele… no, it was Caelus's innate talent.
How strange. Even though Honkai energy was a variant of Imaginary energy, for Seele and Caelus, it felt as natural as the difference between using a fork and chopsticks—effortlessly familiar!
"No problem~!"
As the words left her lips, an ice arrow and a bat shimmering with gold and blue light sliced through the air.
The frost-tipped arrow struck the Stomper squarely in the neck, freezing the armor plates attached to it and slowing its movements. Seizing the opportunity, Star swung her bat, hammering relentlessly at its head.
The helmet dented under the blows, and the enraged Stomper roared in fury.
As if responding to a call for backup, several blue lights flickered in the air around it. A full twenty Corruptors materialized out of thin air, hovering menacingly before charging straight at the trio.
"Hey, hey, hey! Ganging up just because you can't win one-on-one? That's just unfair!"
March 7th widened her eyes, stepping back as she shouted.
"So many of them came at once."
Caelus-Seele's expression shifted slightly.
[Other me, let me help you.]
Seele's voice carried a hint of timidity, yet the resolve behind it was unwavering.
She didn't know why her "other self" had grown weaker or why her fighting felt so different—lacking its usual fluidity and precision.
All she knew was that her "other self" needed help.
[I appreciate your kindness, Seele, but still…]
Even though Seele had once trained under Cocolia, her inherently gentle nature meant she might not surpass the novice Caelus-Seele in combat.
Yet, in the next moment, Caelus-Seele paused. Seele's words had sparked a realization.
Lowering her gaze, she caught sight of the vivid crimson stigma stark against her pale chest.
Her brow furrowed slightly in thought, her eyes shimmering with sudden clarity as understanding dawned.
"Leave them to me!"
Under the astonished gazes of March 7th and Stelle, Seele stepped forward, positioning herself in front of them.
What unfolded next made Stelle's eyes widen slightly, a familiar sense of déjà vu stirring from the depths of her subconscious.
Seele spun her scythe and tossed it high into the air, then brought her left arm across her chest in a fist while stretching her right arm high behind her.
"Dark Seele Armor—"
Then, she crossed her arms above her forehead before forcefully sweeping them down and apart.
"Merge!"
The girl's spirited cry echoed through the air.
By channeling the stigma's power through the summoner, the Honkai energy of the Herrscher of Death stigma was unleashed, allowing the fusion with the Dark Seele Armor to complete, transforming her into the armored warrior—Dark Seele Ranger.
"Armor Merge!"
A rhythmic, almost theatrical announcement followed—this time from Caelus, who had just emerged from the cabin.
And then…
[Auto-Battle, activate!]