Objectively speaking, Durandal felt she really shouldn't be feeling such pointless emotions.
Never mind that she had no right to interfere in whatever happened between Leo Ash and this girl; her relationship with Leo Ash was...
Alright, compared to others, they had known each other for two years in advance, which barely qualified them as childhood friends.
And then? That was about it.
Leo Ash was an outstanding young man; that was a fact acknowledged by all of Schicksal.
And by his side were many young women of his age who were outstanding in looks, figure, and ability, all of whom adored him. Durandal was well aware of this.
To put it more bluntly—Leo Ash already had a daughter.
Under these circumstances, Durandal shouldn't be feeling any of these extra emotions when she saw this scene.
But now...
Ahhhhh, what is this frustrating feeling!
I've been searching for you in the Sea of Quanta for over half a month, and you've been hooking up with this little girl!!!!!!
Though Durandal said nothing, from Seele's perspective...
—Th-this level of pressure is terrifying!
Because of the resentment unconsciously radiating from Durandal, Seele, who was frightened by a single glance, instinctively tightened her grip on Leo Ash.
And Seele's action further provoked Durandal's heart, causing the resentment she emitted to intensify.
[Here it comes, here it comes! While it's not the scene this System was most looking forward to, it's good enough for an appetizer!]
[Look! The childhood friend-type girl-next-door—]
I don't think Bianka is a 'girl' in any sense of the word.
[And the gentle little sister you just met, who can be soft and cute or cool and commanding, and even has a split personality for a two-for-one deal—]
Um, Seele isn't that little either.
[Fine, they're not little. So, for these two not-so-little girls who have feelings for you, your course of action is, of course—]
Of course your big head. Are you telling me to go at it in this bizarre environment?
[Given your and their power levels, it doesn't seem impossible.]
Damn it, you're really something else.
[Shut up, you're in no position to talk when you're the one who thought of that first!]
"Seele, relax."
Noticing the atmosphere growing increasingly tense, Leo Ash spoke softly to the girl in his arms.
"Don't be nervous. Bianka is one of us."
"I, I know."
Despite her words, Seele had no intention of letting go.
Looking at the girl clinging to Leo Ash like a koala, Durandal suppressed the inexplicable anger in her heart and said curtly.
"I was worried about you, thinking you weren't well."
"But now it seems... I was an idiot for worrying about you."
[She's jealous, she's jealous, she's jealous—now, Host, how will you respond?]
Please, just shut up and watch the show—no more talking, watch me work!
[Oh!]
First thing I need to do is...
Sigh, no point in putting Seele down. That won't solve the problem.
I'll just have to use my not-so-brilliant, but at least effective, way with words to handle this.
"Let's not talk about this right now. You can enter the Sea of Quanta, and from the sound of it, you've been searching for me for a long time. You must know how to get out of here."
"Lead the way. We can discuss other things after we leave. It won't be too late."
"...I understand."
Hearing Leo Ash's indifferent tone, Durandal could only force down the unwillingness in her heart.
But before leaving, she still glanced at the girl in Leo Ash's arms and asked, seemingly calmly.
"Aren't you going to introduce this child?"
"Seele Vollerei. The adoptive sister Bronya has been looking for."
"Bronya's sister, doesn't that mean..."
Seeing Leo Ash blinking frantically at her, Durandal immediately shut her mouth.
At the same time, Seele felt that the big sister who had just been radiating resentment toward her was now looking at her with a gaze devoid of ill will, replaced by a hint of pity.
Huh, this big sister... Why is she looking at me like that?
[Who knows. At least for now, we can breathe a little easier.]
Lurking within the Stigmata, Black Seele felt she absolutely couldn't act rashly anymore.
It was bad enough that Leo Ash was so strong, but why was every acquaintance of his who popped up also so powerful?
She could enter and exit the Sea of Quanta, the power of her Stigmata was terrifyingly strong, and her Honkai Energy levels were even higher than that monster from before.
Damn it, are all Schicksal's warriors humanoid monsters?
....
Anti-Entropy, Abyssal City
Inside Abyssal City, Su, who was contemplating his next move, suddenly saw a fluctuation at the entrance of the Eye of the Deep.
As the fluctuations grew more intense, three figures suddenly emerged from the entrance and entered the city's domain.
Seele, clinging tightly to Leo Ash, looked around in disbelief and exclaimed in astonishment.
"W-we're out already?"
"Ahem."
Upon hearing the big sister next to her suddenly clear her throat, the astonished Seele immediately understood her meaning.
Then, Seele, whose personality still leaned toward the timid side, reluctantly released her arms and jumped down from Leo Ash's embrace.
Welt, who had been about to greet Leo Ash, took in the scene with the three young people and the atmosphere between them, then subtly took a step back and wisely chose to keep quiet.
Sigh, young people these days... I really don't know what to say about them.
However, this child...
"You are Cocolia's daughter, Seele Vollerei?"
Recalling the files he had read, Welt adjusted his glasses and quickly stopped himself from saying more.
"Y-you are... Commander Welt?!"
Having seen Welt's photo in Cocolia's database, Seele looked nervously between Leo Ash and Welt.
Oh, this is bad.
Brother Leo and this blond big sister are from Schicksal, while Commander Welt is from Anti-Entropy.
Now that they've run into each other, doesn't that mean—
[Fool. Nothing's going to happen.]
Observing the atmosphere, Black Seele calmly told Seele.
[If you paid even a little attention, you'd notice there's no hostility between them at all.]
[No, it's more than that. The 'Commander' you just mentioned was even about to greet that blond bimbo.]
Blond bimbo... That's very rude, you know.
[Hmph, so what if it's rude? She can't hear me anyway—and right now, don't you feel any hostility toward her?]
Of course not.
Without this big sister guiding us, Brother Leo and I would still be drifting around in the Sea of Quanta.
[You... are you serious?]
Noticing that Seele seemed distracted, Leo Ash immediately started blinking frantically at Su and Welt, who were about to speak.
The two looked at the daydreaming Seele, then at the blinking Leo Ash, and instantly understood his intention.
Cocolia may not have been a good person, but she was still these children's mother.
Mr. Ash, you don't want these children to know about Cocolia's death, which is why you don't want us to bring it up.
"Mr. Ash."
Looking at the young man before him, Welt, having already made his decision, extended his right hand amicably.
"Siegfried has mentioned you many times. He once told me that he owes you a great debt."
"Not at all. Without Mr. Siegfried's help, I probably would have died in Nagazora City."
Leo Ash shook his hand and replied.
"But for today, let's skip the pleasantries."
"We'll have plenty of time to chat after our business is done. Right now, there's one thing I'm very curious about..."
"—Exactly how much time has passed since my battle with Kevin?"
"Twenty days."
Just as I thought, the flow of time in the World Bubble is different from the outside world.
I only spent about a week in the World Bubble, but it's been three weeks outside.
Good thing I hurried out of there, or the consequences would have been unimaginable.
At that moment, seeing Leo Ash and Welt starting to talk business, Seele chose to remain quiet, even though she was desperate to know what had happened to her adoptive mother who might have done bad things.
For Seele, her biggest fear was that Leo Ash, a member of Schicksal, would fight with Welt, a member of Anti-Entropy.
But now, since that was clearly not going to happen, a small wish naturally bloomed in her heart.
If Schicksal and Anti-Entropy can cooperate, then Mother Cocolia shouldn't be Brother Leo's enemy, right?
If that's the case, that would be wonderful.
Meanwhile, Durandal sensed that something was off about the atmosphere.
Leo Ash and Welt, the commander of Anti-Entropy, were clearly meeting for the first time, but not only were they talking amicably, there was at least no hostility between them...
Well, given that Welt had actively assisted Durandal in rescuing Leo Ash, he might truly be a heroic figure.
It was normal for Leo Ash not to feel any aversion toward such a senior.
But—why was the atmosphere between Su and Leo Ash also devoid of any conflict?
As she recalled, twenty days ago, if they weren't sworn enemies, their relationship was at least not good.
I feel like I'm being kept in the dark about a lot of things.
For now, I'll give Leo Ash some face and not interrupt his conversation.
But once we get back to Schicksal, I'm going to make him explain everything clearly!
"Ah, right. Commander Welt, since you have a moment, this is perfect."
Remembering something, Leo Ash suddenly turned to Durandal and spoke with great solemnity.
"Bianka, actually, there's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time."
"Wh-what do you want to say?"
Glancing around, Durandal suddenly asked nervously.
"A-are you sure you want to say it here?"
What does he suddenly want to say?
It couldn't be... no, it definitely couldn't be.
Durandal, who had just dismissed that possibility, shook her head with a wry smile, then quickly composed herself and said to Leo Ash decisively.
"Never mind. If you want to say it, go ahead. I'm listening."
"Alright, then. I need you to calm down and meet someone."
"...You're being so mysterious."
Durandal, already feeling some dissatisfaction, suddenly stepped forward, pressing close to Leo Ash's body, and said unhappily.
"I'm an S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal. It's too much for you to treat me like a fragile little girl."
"...That may be so, but I'm not that old, and you're younger than me. In my eyes and hers, you are undoubtedly a little girl."
"Hers?"
Seeing Durandal's puzzled expression, Leo Ash took two steps back and activated the power of the Stigmata on his right hand.
As the Stigmata transformed into a lance, a figure suddenly appeared before everyone.
"Th-this is?!"
Welt, who had met her several times before, suddenly exclaimed in shock.
"Lady Cecilia?!"
"Y-you're still alive?!"
"...Mr. Welt, it's been a long time."
Cecilia, released from the Stigmata Space by Leo Ash, spoke to Welt with a hint of apology.
"I would love to catch up, but right now... I'm sorry, I don't have the time."
Before Durandal, who was feeling a surge of inexplicable emotions, could speak, the woman called 'Lady Cecilia' rushed forward and threw her arms around her.
"Kiana, I'm sorry. You've suffered all this time."
"Ki... a... na?"
That's not my name.
The girl named Bianka "Durandal" Ataegina wanted to say this to the woman who looked a few years older than her.
But when the woman embraced her, she suddenly felt a warmth she had never experienced before envelop her body and soul.
As this feeling seeped into Durandal, memories flooded back into her mind like a tide.
"You're... Cecilia Schariac..."
Her mind in turmoil from the memories, Durandal looked at the teary-eyed woman before her and, in a hoarse, halting voice, spoke the word.
"Mo... ther..."
With her memories returned, the young woman, combining them with the information she already possessed, instantly understood why Welt had looked so shocked.
Fourteen years ago, the Herrscher of the Void, Sirin, had brought a great disaster upon the world.
And according to the information recorded in Schicksal's database, the S-rank Valkyrie at the time, Cecilia Schariac, had, in her final moments, requested that headquarters launch a Honkai Fission Missile at her location in Siberia.
In the end, to take the Herrscher of the Void down with her, Cecilia chose not to retreat and died on the Siberian battlefield.
In other words, her mother should have died fourteen years ago.
Something's not right...
Something is definitely not right.
Though she felt warmth from her mother's embrace, Durandal, who now possessed both new information and these memories, felt even more confused.
She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was definitely wrong.
"Sigh, I knew you'd get confused, which is why I wanted you to be prepared."
Seeing the usually steadfast knight fall into chaos after regaining her memories, Leo Ash let out a helpless sigh.
"I'll leave the rest to you, Lady Schariac."
"Mr. Ash, thank you. Thank you for letting me hold my child again."
Cecilia, hugging Durandal tightly, felt she had so much she wanted to say to her daughter.
But when the words reached her lips, she stopped herself.
Words could wait. She would have plenty of time for them later.
Right now, the mother who should have been dead but was given a second chance at life just wanted to hold her lonely daughter tightly.
"Mother, I..."
Durandal, at a complete loss, also wanted to say something.
But in the end, the inarticulate Durandal awkwardly chose to bring up an unimportant topic to try and resolve the incredibly complex emotions in her heart.
"Y-you know this man named Welt? But, fourteen years ago, weren't Schicksal and Anti-Entropy..."
"Miss Kiana, Lady Cecilia, I have no intention of interrupting your moving reunion, but please allow me to answer that question."
Hearing Durandal's question, Welt said to her calmly.
"Schicksal's database states that 'Schicksal single-handedly fought against the Second Herrscher,' correct?"
"But unfortunately, the ones who actually fought the Second Herrscher fourteen years ago were not just Schicksal, but a joint force of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy."
"Your mother, Cecilia Schariac, can attest to this."
"Perhaps my saying this will make you think I'm slandering your Schicksal's former Archbishop, but now, I can take this opportunity to tell you one thing..."
"—Otto Apocalypse, that man full of lies, never told the truth about this from the very beginning."
......