Conflicts within humanity were none of Delta's concern.
Shikatawa Ayame desired power, so Delta simply went along with it. It was not because she believed in letting looks decide morality. It was simply that anyone with normal aesthetics would inevitably be a little more tolerant toward someone blessed with beauty.
Besides, granting power to beautiful girls was something quite common among the Will of Ruler.
In Academy City alone, Delta knew quite a few senior sisters who did this sort of thing, giving power to girls they fancied and playing nurturing games.
In truth, they were just lusting after their bodies.
After obtaining power, Shikatawa Ayame immediately led the samurai waiting outside the forest back to Kenkin Station.
Across the world, Delta continuously bestowed this power beyond the era upon girls who caught her eye.
At the same time, she secretly accelerated the iteration of human technology. A level of civilization that should have taken ten to thirty years to reach the heights of the twenty-first century was forcibly compressed into only seven years.
These gifted girls were called Valkyries. They wielded power comparable to nuclear weapons, while also possessing pseudo-immortality and physical strength, defense, and speed far beyond ordinary humans.
Under such deterrence, the world sank into a strange calm. Yet beneath the shadow of civilization's rapid rise, Honkai was also growing and strengthening in step.
Within the real forest, Houraiji Kyuusyou stared fixedly at the glowing screen of the simulation system, her brows knitting tighter and tighter.
The self within the simulation data was clearly still the version from the dream world.
That was wrong.
[You have stepped into the real world. You learned everything from your younger sister.]
[Heh heh, so I am nothing more than Houraiji Kyuusyou's shadow? What an interesting farce.]
What followed made her heart tremble. The simulated self underwent a drastic change in temperament, becoming ruthless and cruel. With one hand she stirred up war, famine, plague, and death, dragging the entire world into purgatory.
But the dream world had long since collapsed. Why did this simulated body still exist, and why had it become so insane?
And what did this so-called shadow mean?
"Enough. It's only a simulation." Houraiji Kyuusyou shook her head and forcibly suppressed her doubts.
Could a simulated version of herself really jump out into reality?
At the same moment, a figure suddenly appeared before Delta out of thin air.
One hundred seventy-two centimeters tall, measurements of 88/53/69. The outline was clearly that of an adult version of her older sister, yet it carried an unfamiliar and wicked charm. There was no physical body, only pure fluctuations of consciousness.
"Who are you?" Delta asked coldly.
"Didn't you already know the answer in your heart, my dear little sister?" The girl's deep violet hair flowed down like spilled ink, the tips stained in dull black. One fingertip rested lightly against her lips, while amusement flickered within her crimson eyes.
"I have guesses, but I'm not certain." A possibility flashed through Delta's mind.
A twin body.
Among Herrschers, there was occasionally a chance of two personalities being born in coexistence. But why was the other party parasitizing her body?
Could it be...
She suddenly recalled that when she and Houraiji Kyuusyou had jointly created the dream world, the two of them had once reached a state of deep spiritual connection. Had she entered at that time?
"Looks like you figured it out." The girl laughed softly. "To distinguish us, you may call me Misfortune." She stepped toward Delta, her pace light yet carrying invisible pressure. "I need a body."
"You want to seize mine?" Delta frowned warily.
"Why would I need to possess you? For beings like us, creating a body suited to our consciousness is hardly difficult." Misfortune raised a brow, sounding slightly disdainful. "But the ones you make won't do. I want Mother's. Grandmother Mobius' would also be acceptable."
Delta rolled her eyes inwardly. Now this one was being picky too. Might as well stuff her back into big sister's body and save the trouble.
"As for big sister..."
"There is no need for her to know of my existence," Misfortune interrupted.
"I've already spoken to Mom. She'll make you a body."
Delta did not ask further. With dual personalities, differing temperaments were normal enough.
What she cared about more was something else.
"Before that, I need to know how you appeared."
"The answer lies within the simulation system." Misfortune's smile deepened. "You were the one who had her activate the 'simulation realization' function, weren't you?"
Delta nodded and instantly understood. So her sister's simulation system truly hid a flaw. Every realization could produce an independent consciousness?
As expected of an experimental product. Completely unreliable.
"Wait. Why do you know about simulation realization?" Delta suddenly reacted. "The sister inside the system doesn't even know that function exists."
"I've seen all your memories." Misfortune blinked with a half-smile. "Relax. I won't tell anyone about your hobbies."
"If you need something, I can do it too."
"Inside the simulation, the way you treated me was nothing like how you are now."
Misfortune leaned close to her ear, her voice overflowing with temptation.
Delta immediately felt her temper flare.
She was merely cold by nature, not devoid of desire.