On the streets of London, four beautiful figures walked, attracting many gazes along the way.
There was a short-haired, tomboyish girl with golden hair wearing a jacket and shorts, and a petite girl under 1.5 meters tall, with silver hair and red eyes, wearing a cute Lolita-style black dress and a small top hat.
There was a cool and capable elder sister with red hair and red eyes, dressed in what looked like a military uniform, and another elder sister with silver-white hair and blue-violet eyes. Although there was a screw-like object seemingly piercing her chest, which was somewhat strange, she didn't seem to be affected at all; it might just be an unusual ornament.
Even with their somewhat peculiar attire, the pursuit of beauty is human instinct. When four uniquely beautiful girls walked down the street, it was natural that there would be no shortage of people trying to strike up a conversation.
However, those with flirtatious intentions who tried to approach were met with a glare from the red-haired, red-eyed elder sister walking in front. They felt their bodies stiffen, unable to move, as if they would be cut down if they even twitched.
"Natalia, you don't have to be so vigilant. These are just ordinary people, and we're just here for sightseeing."
Misteln said with a smile, looking at Natalia, who had just scared away another suitor.
"Of course I know that, but how many have there been along the way? If I don't scare them away, it'll be endless."
Natalia's tone was somewhat stiff, clearly the journey so far hadn't been a good experience for her.
"In the end, isn't it because you let both of them out? They attract too much attention, and that nail in your chest, can't you put it away?"
Natalia looked at the other two girls following behind them and said to Misteln with some displeasure: "If you need protection, I alone am enough."
"If I put them away, it would be so lonely. Anyway, we're here for sightseeing, so let 28 and Natya walk around with us. Maybe they'll awaken their own consciousness."
Misteln didn't mind Natalia's somewhat unfriendly tone, her voice remaining as gentle as ever.
"It's not that easy. Although I don't know how that person named Takatsuki created us, the materials used to create me are much more advanced than theirs."
"But, Natalia, weren't you also like 28 and Natya at first? I believe they can also awaken their own consciousness. After all, the birth of consciousness is inherently full of chance and coincidence, just like my existence. However, given that it has happened once before, even a miracle is not impossible to replicate."
Hearing Misteln's words, Natalia sighed: "Whatever you say."
Looking at Natalia, who had given up arguing with her, Misteln narrowed her eyes and smiled, then turned to look at the two silent girls following behind her.
She stretched out a hand and gently pinched the silver-haired loli's fair cheek.
A soft sensation passed from her fingertips. Natya also looked over, following Misteln's movement, but her red eyes were hollow and lifeless, showing no sign of self-awareness.
"How did he do it?"
As a consciousness born within a Stigma, Misteln knew she was special.
Gray Serpent once said that there was an existence similar to her.
She had also met that person and had once entertained the thought of 'why him'.
But now, after calmly reflecting, she deeply understood that she and Welt were different. Although the Herrscher of Reason was a fusion of three hundred thousand people's consciousnesses, and she could be considered the condensation of generations of memories within a Stigma, ultimately, Welt Joyce was originally human, a new consciousness formed from the condensation of three hundred thousand human consciousnesses, both the three hundred thousand people themselves and one three hundred thousandth, and also a Herrscher.
And she was not human; she was closer to a vessel for recording others' lives. It was only because she recorded too much, coupled with serendipitous circumstances, that she gained an independent consciousness. Although she possessed the memories of those who had once held the Stigma, and even this body and form originated from the Saintess who gave birth to her, she was not those people, nor was she Cecilia, but an independent, distinctly different existence, an existence named Misteln Schariac.
Compared to Welt Joyce, the existence named Natalia in front of her was more similar to her, giving her a sense of finding a companion.
The three travel companions were given to her by Takatsuki for self-defense after he sent her out of World Serpent. Due to the screw and her own incompleteness, she couldn't fully exert her power, so she was very likely to be captured by Gray Serpent again, and this time she didn't have the strength to resist as before.
So Takatsuki took out the dolls he had made in his spare time. Because of some past experiences, others didn't like Takatsuki making such things, so he had just secretly made some from the blueprints he drew to collect.
These dolls were originally a technology from the Arad Continent. The dolls created had no consciousness of their own, and even the abilities they possessed were only a few that were initially set.
But Misteln perceived the blank souls within them, and then she used her uniqueness to imbue these blank souls with some spirituality and common sense memories. Among them, the strongest, Natalia, awakened.
Rather than awakening, it was more like the birth of her own consciousness.
This consciousness had nothing to do with the memories she imbued; it seemed to have existed within the doll all along.
Misteln learned from Natalia that her current form originally had a main body, and she was created in reference to that body, possessing some of its abilities, but she and the main body were completely different existences.
Because she didn't understand the original Natalia's personality, Misteln wasn't sure if the Natalia she knew in front of her was the same as the main body. However, both borrowed another's form and were existences born from others' memories.
Misteln felt that she might have found her true kind.
However, she tried to activate the consciousnesses of the other two dolls using the same method but failed.
It couldn't really be called a failure; it was more like a stone sinking into the sea, causing no change. But Misteln felt that perhaps it was just a matter of time, just like her. Even after carrying so many years and generations of memories, she only came into existence under such a coincidence when Cecilia unleashed her full-power attack.
So she and Natalia began their journey with the two dolls.
Because of her binding to them, the energy consumption for the three to maintain their bodies was supported by the Honkai Energy within her.
It also added a bit of motivation to her originally somewhat monotonous journey.
"Hmm? Natalia, what's wrong?"
Gathering her wandering thoughts, Misteln turned around and saw Natalia, who had been walking in front, had stopped.
"Be careful, we have uninvited guests."
Natalia extended her hand, and a greatsword appeared in it.
The weapons equipped by the dolls themselves were naturally not real weapons, but rather condensed from energy.
Misteln also became serious and looked around, only to find that at some unknown point, the surrounding people had all disappeared.
She had no combat ability now, so she had to step back two paces. Natya seemed to sense something and took two steps forward in unison, her petite body standing behind Natalia and in front of Misteln, with 28 in front and behind, protecting Misteln in the middle.
"Oh, don't be so wary. I mean no harm."
As a tender voice rang out, a pink-haired girl appeared before them.
"Who are you!"
Natalia showed no emotion towards the suddenly appearing girl, looking at her smiling face, and directly raised the greatsword in her hand, pointing it in the girl's direction.
"Me? Hehe~ My name is Elysia, and as you can see, I'm a beautiful girl true to my name~"
Unlike Natalia's serious vigilance, Elysia spoke very casually, as if greeting a long-lost friend.
"Oh, I've already introduced myself, are you still so wary? I told you I mean no harm."
Elysia put on a distressed expression: "I've already introduced myself, shouldn't you introduce yourself too? Are you Misteln's new friend? You're all such cute girls."
Even Natalia could feel the closeness emanating from Elysia, but she didn't trust this woman who had appeared out of nowhere. A woman who suddenly appeared and then inexplicably expressed closeness, seemed suspicious no matter how you looked at it.
"Are you from World Serpent?"
Misteln took two steps forward, but Natalia cautiously blocked her behind her. She could only ask through Natalia and Misteln.
"To be precise, not exactly, but in this era, you can consider me a member of World Serpent."
Misteln had never seen Elysia. When she entered the Pure Land, she didn't see many people, and since she wasn't the Herrscher of Humanity, Elysia naturally didn't appear.
"Are you here to take me back?"
Since she was from World Serpent, then there could only be one purpose for her visit.
"Although I'd love to take four beautiful girls back~ it's okay if you don't want to go back. After all, being willful is a privilege of beautiful girls—"
Misteln: "..."
Natalia: "..."
"What's wrong? Why did you all suddenly stop talking?"
Elysia blinked.
"I don't know what World Serpent is like, but Misteln doesn't want to go back there, so can you move aside?"
Natalia didn't know how to evaluate the person in front of her.
As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. Faced with Elysia, who kept radiating goodwill, even with Natalia's personality, it was difficult to directly attack her.
"Don't say that. If you don't want to go back, then don't. Are you traveling? Then I'll join you."
Elysia completely ignored Natalia's cold words, instead leaning forward and getting closer.
Natalia instinctively pressed her greatsword against Elysia's delicate neck. Facing the weapon pointed at her vital spot, Elysia showed no fear.
"Like you, this is my first time here. You don't need to be so wary of me. You can trust Elysia completely, and I will respond to you with complete sincerity."