"With me here, you won't lay a finger on Queen!"
A blizzard of ice particles descended with the storm. Benares transformed into her human form, as her dragon form was too cumbersome to unleash her full strength.
"Step aside, or you might lose your life."
Benares' eyes were filled with determination. She fearlessly gazed at Cecilia before her. The Queen behind her was her everything; if the Queen couldn't survive, then her own life would be meaningless.
"I will not step aside. Let me witness your strength!"
Seeing her plea fall on deaf ears, Cecilia tightened her grip on the Black Abyss White Flower. She had to do something before the Herrscher of the Void healed her wounds, after all… she was still a child.
The few individuals below also took flight. Even with her Judgment-level strength, Benares stood no chance against several opponents.
She stomped her right foot down, covering everything in ice and snow. An icy blue tornado converged, its immense power making Siegfried, who had already sustained some injuries, sway precariously.
"I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry and can't play with you any longer. I am the Blackness that journeys to hell; I am the Whiteness that hails from heaven; God Key – Black Abyss White Flower, Second Rated Power – Holy Lance Counter Current!"
The originally massive spear split into two. The white one resembled an angel from the heavens, the black one the darkness of hell. With a flash, Cecilia appeared behind Benares.
The white holy lance gathered power, channeling her Honkai energy into her right arm. Then, the black holy lance pierced through. Benares was sent flying dozens of meters, crashing into a forest.
"I told you, I'm in a hurry!"
Despite her unwillingness, Benares was immediately bound by countless golden chains. The Honkai energy within her could not be mobilized. She was powerless now, forced to watch as Cecilia walked step by step towards the Herrscher of the Void.
Her fair hands slowly rested on the golden barrier. She looked at Sirin within, who was healing her wounds with each passing moment. As a mother, she couldn't help but pity this child. Why… why did Honkai choose a child like this?
A wave of dizziness washed over Cecilia. The next moment, she found herself not in Babylon, but in a shopping street, holding a little girl's hand. Upon closer inspection, it was Sirin.
"Mom! What's wrong, Mom? Are you feeling unwell? You suddenly froze."
The word "Mom" touched Cecilia's heart. After an unknown inner struggle, she let out a quiet laugh and said, "Mom is fine. Today, Mom promised little Sirin she'd spend quality time with you. How could anything be wrong? Let's go eat your favorite food."
Hearing about food, little Sirin immediately began to clap her hands in delight, even running ahead happily. At this moment, she was like an innocent child, completely different from the Herrscher of the Void outside.
Outside, Cecilia floated silently in the air, her eyes closed, a smile on her face, as if she were experiencing something enjoyable.
"What's wrong with my wife? Why is she still smiling like that?"
Siegfried was very concerned about Cecilia, fearing she might have overexerted herself. He looked nervously at Welt beside him, hoping to glean some information.
"I don't know either, but it seems she's entered some kind of illusion. She'll naturally return to her original state when the illusion breaks."
Welt panted heavily, looking anxiously at the core within his chest. He could feel the erosion worsening; the piercing pain was something ordinary people couldn't endure.
"Is that so? Are you alright? Perhaps you should sit down and rest for a while. This war is nearing its end. Thank you both. I'll definitely bring my daughter to visit when I have the chance."
With a hearty laugh, Siegfried glanced towards the Schicksal headquarters, far away. His daughter was there. He wondered how she was doing now. Would she cry without her parents by her side?
"We'd be most welcome, of course. But you just want to show off your daughter, don't you? Don't think I don't see through your little intentions."
The conversation between the two grown men was simple, instantly easing the tension of the battlefield. Within the illusion, Sirin was happily eating pizza.
Showing a bit of maturity, she quietly cut a piece with her fork and knife. Then, with small steps, she came before her mother, holding up the pizza high.
"Mom, don't just watch me eat, you eat too! It's delicious. Sirin thinks pizza is the most delicious thing ever! Mom, you should eat too."
Looking at Sirin's adorable actions, Cecilia's maternal heart nearly melted. If only her daughter were truly this adorable. For a fleeting moment, she wished the little girl before her was her own daughter.
"Alright, since Sirin wants Mom to eat, Mom will naturally respond to Sirin."
Her slender fingers took the fork. Just as she was about to blow on the pizza on the fork, the fork suddenly transformed into the Black Abyss White Flower, and her casual clothes changed into combat attire.
The surrounding space began to shatter. The Black Abyss White Flower that suddenly appeared sent the little Sirin before her flying.
"Why? Why did Mom hit me? Why did you hit me?! Did Sirin not do well enough? Why are you abandoning me… why are you leaving me behind! You're not my mom, you're not!"
Tears streamed from little Sirin's eyes. Unbearable memories flashed through her mind. She had never seen her parents since birth and grew up in an orphanage. Parents were… such a noble concept to her.
They were ordinary people in everyday life, yet they were what she had wished for her entire life. But… she probably wouldn't have this chance anymore. Sirin… was no longer that Sirin.
"I didn't, Sirin! I truly want to be your mother. You need to calm down. I'm not deceiving you, and I don't want to abandon you! Let me… be your mother, okay?"
As if developing an emotional connection, Cecilia desperately wished the girl before her was truly her daughter. Thinking of her every action in the illusion, she was filled with regret… why couldn't she have stopped all this sooner?
If only this experiment hadn't happened, if only Sirin had felt the warmth of a home, if only she… no longer lost faith in humanity, this Honkai… wouldn't have occurred.