Boom!
The explosion engulfed the entire platform, a colossal cloud of dust and fiery mist blooming and spreading from its center.
"How'd it go? Did we get it?" March 7th lowered her bow.
Himeko's orbital cannon originated from a companion satellite linked to the Astral Express—rumor had it that the ever-resourceful Himeko had even modified it herself.
Being able to call down an orbital strike from beyond visual range meant the Astral Express was nearby. In other words, Uncle Yang would arrive soon.
If things went smoothly, the crisis would be resolved shortly!
However, as fate would often have it, when you least expect trouble, trouble finds you.
A blinding pillar of golden light erupted from the heart of the explosion, lancing straight towards one of the sources of the previous attacks—March 7th.
Caught completely off guard, only Stelle—closest to March 7th and subconsciously familiar with the trope that heavy smoke often meant the enemy was unharmed—reacted in time.
She shoved March 7th clear, but in doing so, was herself engulfed by the terrifying beam of light.
Her vision plunged into a darkness akin to death, but soon, an intense, piercing sensation forced Stelle's eyes back open.
She saw it—brilliant, searing golden blood trickling from a massive wound.
The moment Stelle looked up, the white-haired, dark-skinned god opened its own radiant golden eyes, fixing its gaze upon her.
Stare~~~
Meeting that gaze, Stelle frowned. She didn't know who this arrogant figure was, but she intensely disliked the feeling projected by those eyes.
And so…
A rather audacious smile spread across her pretty face, carrying a hint of mischief. Like a street brawler spoiling for a fight, Stelle pointed at the dark-skinned, white-haired figure and yelled:
"What're you lookin' at?"
Stelle raised her left middle finger. "Left hand!"
Then her right shot up beside it. "Right hand!"
"Slow motion!"
"Get lost!"
Perhaps Stelle's provocation worked. Nanook's gaze, which had been about to withdraw, solidified once more, peering into Stelle's soul.
Or rather, looking through her soul at something existing behind her.
Boom!
A violent roar detonated in her mind. Before Stelle could even finish her taunt, she snapped back to reality.
Iridescent gold flowed from the fullness of her chest, forming an energy shield before her that blocked the Doomsday Beast's ray.
Huh?
Since when could I do that?
Stelle barely had a moment to feel smug before agony consumed her.
Her chest was heating up, transforming from the mild warmth of a hot water bottle into the unbearable searing heat of a branding iron.
The dazzling golden light even forced the Doomsday Beast's ray back, slamming heavily into the anti-matter engine.
Having first endured the orbital bombardment and then taken the brunt of the Star Core's instinctual counterattack fueled by the will of Destruction, the Doomsday Beast instantly went silent, collapsing to the ground.
A frenzied will rampaged through her mind. Stelle felt like her head would split open, unable to suppress a pained cry:
"Nnngh, AAAAAAAAGH!"
"Damn it!"
Caelus had already been running towards March 7th's position, but Stelle had beaten him to it.
It seemed the Doomsday Beast had been dealt with by the Star Core's reflexive strike, but now… the Star Core itself seemed to be going berserk?
Without hesitation, Caelus charged towards Stelle, pushing through the waves of energy radiating from the Star Core – waves that forced March 7th back.
The Star Core didn't impede Caelus's approach; instead, it surged into his body.
Caelus reached out, grabbing towards Stelle's chest.
Previously, the Imaginary energy within Caelus felt like a pipe connected to the vast ocean that was the Star Core. Now, however, it was a raging tempest, a monstrous tsunami.
Driven by instinct, Stelle desperately needed to vent the searing heat within her. She clung tightly to Caelus, wanting to merge her entire being into his.
Under Stelle's immense strength, their positions shifted from Caelus appearing to take advantage, to a full frontal embrace.
Caelus could clearly feel two distinct types of heat against his chest: one scalding and intense, the other soft, supple, and warm.
But Stelle wasn't satisfied with this rate of release.
The next instant, Caelus's struggling noises were muffled in his throat.
Soft lips pressed hard against his own. Caelus's eyes flew wide open, meeting a pair identical to his own, yet brimming with chaotic golden light.
Her thick lashes brushed against his skin as she blinked, sending a tingling sensation through him.
Stelle had initially been biting down forcefully, but realizing it hurt her too, she loosened her grip.
Completely stunned, Caelus momentarily forgot how to react, simply standing there, passively receiving Stelle's actions.
His first kiss.
Although, being a guy, he didn't particularly care about such things, this was undeniably the first time Caelus had kissed a girl in either of his two lives.
With looks highly similar to Caelus, his past self, Qi Qiong, hadn't lacked admirers during university – upperclassmen, underclassmen, even the young waitress at his part-time job.
But due to the impact of his original family life on his childhood, Qi Qiong severely lacked trust in marriage and relationships, thus rejecting all potential suitors.
He had never even considered falling in love.
And now, in his second life after transmigration, he'd unexpectedly tasted a kiss so soon.
And from another version of himself, no less.
Caelus felt a complex mix of emotions, thoughts racing. In some corner of his heart, it felt as if a seed was taking root and sprouting.
As the will of Madness and Destruction flowed into Caelus along with the Star Core's energy, a measure of clarity finally returned to Stelle's beautiful golden eyes.
Then she registered their current situation and paled dramatically.
She felt like an older sister who, drunk, had pushed her younger brother onto the sofa, grabbed the 'joystick', and was halfway seated, her eyes filled with the panic of being caught and having her legs broken by Kafka.
This feeling intensified as Stelle noticed four other pairs of eyes watching them, filled with emotions too complex for her to decipher.
March 7th gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
Dan Heng remained silent, his face expressionless.
Even the Black Seele currently in control of her body wore a surprised expression.
Himeko, who had genuinely believed Stelle and Caelus were twins all along, was utterly shaken. She stared at the embracing, kissing pair, her gaze filled with shock and a hint of bewilderment.
What in the world is happening?
"Take it out," Caelus mumbled indistinctly.
"Oh."
Stelle pulled her hand out from inside Caelus's clothes.
She licked her lips, seeming to savor the taste. A subconscious sense of reassurance mixed with a strange new feeling made her instinctively crave more.
"Ugh! Full! I'm completely full!"
In less than a minute, Caelus's body was filled to the brim by Stelle. Violent Imaginary energy overflowed from both of them.
Damn it, why isn't Welt here yet?
Can't just wait around like this!
Need to find an outlet for all this energy.
[Other me, give me your body, I'll help!]
Thoughts racing, the Seele connected to Caelus switched off auto-battle, rushing into the Imaginary energy amidst the startled cries of both Seeles.
Due to Caelus and Seele sharing one soul across two bodies, Seele possessed a faint degree of control over this Imaginary energy.
The Quantum power within her body practically boiled upon sensing the influx of Imaginary energy, the two forces clashing violently.
[Other Seele, what are you doing?]
Black Seele's voice echoed in her mind, tinged with anxiety and irritation.
Whether out of concern for this Seele herself, or for the opportunity that allowed the 'White Seele' consciousness to leave the Quantum Sea's void and exist in this world, she didn't want anything bad to happen to this Seele.
[Showing our honored guest the way.]
[Huh?]
Black Seele was taken aback by this Seele's cryptic answer.
This Seele didn't elaborate further, instead focusing all her willpower on manipulating the energy raging within her, volatile as mixing reactive chemicals.
She couldn't control it, but guiding it in a certain direction? That was manageable.
This way please, Mr. Star Core. This humble servant will guide you; the Stigma Space is right over there!
If I can't open the treasure chest from the outside, I can certainly blast it open, right?
As Seele hoped, the mixture of Imaginary energy and Quantum power shattered the barrier between her and the Stigma. She began to grasp the Stigma power within.
Honkai energy surged, growing rapidly!
It started pushing back against the external Imaginary energy.
When the Honkai energy reached a critical level, everyone present heard a tremendous roar.
Various objects on the platform began to float, lifted by distorted gravity. A massive black hole, dozens of meters wide, materialized in the space beyond the platform. Its gravity, like an invisible hand, seized the enormous dragon-like beast and dragged it inside.
The space station's defense turrets continued firing relentlessly at the draconic monster.
"That's Welt," Himeko instantly recognized the master of this power.
"There was another Doomsday Beast?" Dan Heng's brow twitched.
"No wonder Uncle Yang was so late," March 7th breathed a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile...
Welt, having arrived near the platform, learned from communications with the space station what had transpired: a Legion invasion, featuring not one, but two Doomsday Beasts.
Considering Himeko was dealing with the situation on the other side, Welt decided to first cooperate with the station's defenses to eliminate this beast before going to assist.
But then, he sensed a familiar energy erupting explosively.
He immediately lost his composure.
He unleashed his ultimate ability to immobilize the Doomsday Beast, handing the half-dead creature over to the station's defenses, and instantly rushed towards the source of the familiar energy.
The moment he rounded the corner out of the corridor, the figure that met his eyes made Welt's pupils contract. He couldn't help but exclaim aloud:
"Seele!?"
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