Honkai: Starting to Wander with Kiana

Seele's face twisted into a grotesque grin as she stared at the terrified Sin Mal across from her.

"Look at that scared face—it's absolutely adorable," she taunted, her tone dripping with malice.

"You're not Seele... Who the hell are you?!" Sin Mal shouted, her voice trembling. There was no way this monstrous figure could be Seele; her expression was nothing like the gentle girl she knew.

Unfortunately, Sin Mal's words only seemed to infuriate the creature further. The smile on her face froze into a hard, menacing line.

"How rude. It seems that disrespectful mouth of yours needs a proper lesson."

With one hand, the creature gripped Sin Mal's face, forcing her mouth open. Then, with a casual wave of her hand, a shadowy force slithered into Sin Mal's mouth, writhing and churning violently inside.

"Aaaaahhhhh—" Sin Mal screamed in agony, tears and snot streaming down her face. Saliva mixed with blood as the shadow ripped through her teeth, pulling them from their sockets.

The creature held up the bloody teeth, waving them mockingly in front of Sin Mal. She seemed to revel in tormenting her; the sight of her pain made her cackle with glee, completely unaware of the saliva dripping from her own chin.

"That racket is... actually soothing right now. Ahahaha!"

Seele turned slightly, her gleaming red eyes locking onto Sin Mal. She seemed to remember something and tempered her grin.

"Oh my, I'm so thrilled to see you, Sin-chan! I almost forgot—I'm here to avenge Hime-sama."

Pressing down on Sin Mal's head, she dragged her further into the room, her eyes gleaming with wicked delight.

"Come on! Let's party together! Let's call it... Titan's Revenge! Ahahaha!"

Seele activated the Stigma on her chest, and amidst her wild laughter, she pulled Sin Mal's consciousness into the Stigma Space. Sin Mal's eyes rolled back, and her body crumpled lifelessly to the floor.

When Sin Mal regained consciousness, she found herself in a bizarre space: a single endless flight of stairs stretched beneath her feet.

"Where am I? What the hell is going on here? Listen up, you bastard—you better not have done anything to Seele!"

"Oh, this is payback, my dear. Payback for what you did to Bronya."

Sin Mal spun toward the voice and saw an enormous figure. It was Seele, her hand propping up her face, a twisted smile curling her lips. Her bright red eyes glowed menacingly in the dim space.

Seele reached out and pushed the stunned Sin Mal down the stairs.

"This is what Bronya went through, and now it's your turn," she said coldly. "But don't worry; kind Seele doesn't want to hurt you too badly. That's why I brought you here to this mental space. Say thank you to Seele~"

Over and over, Sin Mal tumbled down the stairs, which seemed to stretch on forever. She didn't know how long she rolled until she felt like she was about to pass out.

"Heh..."

With a cruel laugh, Seele caused the stairs to end abruptly, leaving only a void below. Sin Mal grabbed the final step, dangling precariously in mid-air.

"Help me..."

"I'm coming~" Seele, now her normal size, approached her slowly, her footsteps deliberate. In her hand was a massive sickle.

"Don't misunderstand," she said sweetly. "I'm not here to save you."

She stepped on Sin Mal's hands, forcing her to hang on by sheer will. Then, she swung the sickle, slicing into her repeatedly.

"If Bronya suffered, you can't be spared, you know~"

Time passed, and Sin Mal's screams grew weaker until they finally ceased.

Back in reality, Seele sat on a sofa formed of linear energy, watching Sin Mal's unconscious body on the floor. Her face was pale, and she had soiled herself.

"Pathetic," Seele muttered. "She was so confident when bullying others."

Her gaze fell on a piece of paper Sin Mal had been holding earlier. Curious, she picked it up. Her red eyes suddenly turned blue.

"...What's this?"

Later, in Cocolia's office, Cocolia was still working when Seele knocked and entered.

"Seele? It's late. Why aren't you asleep?"

"Mother, please tell me: what exactly is the x10 experiment?!"

Cocolia froze for a moment before sighing. "Did Bronya tell you something? Well, you'll find out sooner or later."

Standing up, she walked over to Seele and began to explain.

"You already know this: the Honkai energy corrodes normal human bodies. But you children, with your antibodies, can resist its effects and even control it to some extent.

"But there are limits. In the end, your bodies will be destroyed by the ever-changing Honkai energy. That's why the x10 experiment was conceived. Its goal is to find a way for your bodies to completely adapt to Honkai energy.

"If the experiment succeeds, you children will become new humans capable of surviving in the Honkai."

"And if it fails? What then? Will Bronya... die?"

Cocolia placed a reassuring hand on Seele's shoulder. "Bronya can handle a lot of Honkai energy. Even if the experiment fails, her data will help us understand more about the Honkai. This way, we can save others. Bronya volunteered for this—so you could live."

"...I understand, Mother." Seele looked down at the Stigma on her chest. She unbuttoned her shirt, revealing the mark. Then, Seele began deliberately releasing Honkai energy.

"Alert! Alert!"

As the alarm blared, Seele spoke calmly.

"Mother, if this is how it is, there's someone more suitable for this experiment."

Cocolia watched in astonishment as Seele controlled the powerful Honkai energy with ease.

"Could this be... the legendary Stigma?!"

"Mother... please let me take Bronya's place."

Cocolia was silent for a long time. Finally, she nodded reluctantly.

"Go say goodbye to Bronya," she said. "Don't leave any regrets."

Nodding, Seele left. She stood outside Bronya's room for a long time but couldn't bring herself to knock. Instead, she slipped the experiment notice under the door and walked away.

She wanted Bronya to know, but she feared her sister might try to stop her. She knew if Bronya said anything, she would falter.

By the time dawn broke, the aircraft was ready, and Seele and Cocolia departed for the research center.