Faced with Shiraha's visible shock, Elysia lifted her chin with a proud little tilt.
Shiraha stood there stunned for a good while. But after thinking it over… Elysia being able to phase through matter? Honestly, not that hard to accept.
Compared to weaving the blurred threads of fate, quantum intangibility seemed almost quaint by comparison.
"Impressive!"
He meant it.
Genuine admiration.
But Elysia didn't keep her chin up. As they walked deeper into the orphanage grounds, her head dipped lower and lower, especially when Shiraha started eagerly pointing out different people and explaining who they were.
She called out softly, "Shiraha…"
"What is it?"
He'd heard her, even though her voice was barely above a whisper.
Elysia tugged gently at his sleeve. "Maybe… don't tell the director about me after all."
Shiraha: "...."
A brief silence settled between them. Then Shiraha nodded. "I understand. Given who you are, you probably have your own matters to attend to. It wouldn't make sense for you to waste time here."
Still, it was a little disappointing. Following Elysia around… Shiraha felt like his future would've been so much wider, so much freer.
Why? Because Elysia could manipulate Honkai energy. She was strong. In the Honkai hierarchy, barring the absolute, top-tier, reality-breaking exceptions, Elysia was peak combat power.
Elysia's smile turned a bit strained. "That's not… exactly the reason. My current state is a little unusual. Other people might not be able to see me."
Shiraha's expression went blank with confusion.
Just as Elysia was about to explain her ghost-like condition, Shiraha smacked his fist into his palm. He got it!
"You can't control your quantum state yet, can you?"
Made perfect sense. Just like Schrödinger's Seele, Schrödinger's cat, or Schrödinger's… Schrödinger cat-girl.
Quantum states required serious expertise. Sure, from what Shiraha remembered, enough Honkai energy could usually break someone out of that condition, but Elysia was the Herrscher of Origin. Maybe her quantum state was a cut above the rest?
"If I think about it that way, I guess I must be pretty special too. I'm able to observe you even while you're in a quantum superposition."
Shiraha mused over this. Was it because he was a transmigrator? In web novel logic, transmigration itself was practically a byproduct of quantum mechanics…
Not that he actually understood quantum mechanics. But if he just chalked it up to "quantum states," it actually explained the weird looks passersby had been giving him earlier.
Elysia blinked, her starry eyes sparkling.
'Oh, so I'm in a quantum state? And here I thought I was just a lingering wisp of obsession drifting through the human world.'
Yeah, right. Elysia knew perfectly well what a quantum state looked like, and this wasn't it.
"Something like that."
But she swallowed her pride and went along with it anyway.
She didn't want to admit she was basically a wandering ghost right now. "Quantum state" at least… sounded cooler? Had a nice sci-fi ring to it.
"No problem. A quantum state has its perks. Since no one else can observe you, you could try being an intel Elysia for now!"
Shiraha still hadn't grasped the gravity of the situation. Elysia opened her mouth several times to correct him, but each time she held back and just smiled.
Whatever. Quantum state, ghost… not that big a difference.
"Shiraha… don't you think it looks strange? Talking to thin air?"
Elysia watched as he continued introducing the orphanage to her, completely oblivious to how it must appear to others.
Shiraha's eyes flickered with momentary confusion again. Then he reached out, took Elysia's hand once more, and gently pressed it against his own cheek. He applied a little pressure, squishing his face slightly.
So soft. A child's cheeks really are so much more tender than an adult's, Elysia thought absently.
"Warm," Shiraha stated simply. "Nee-chan, to me, you're real. You don't need to treat me like a kid. I can handle other people staring."
"And don't you dare ask if it's hard for me, putting up with those looks because of you. I haven't even thought about that. Like you said, a secret binds people closer together. As the legacy… no, as remnants of the Previous Era, I think the two of us should be able to trust and rely on each other right now."
"Even if no one else cares about you, Nee-chan… at least you still have me."
Elysia blinked, her eyes glistening crystal clear.
Shiraha, understanding and adaptable as ever, blinked back. His gaze was earnest.
Elysia spoke softly. "I feel like you're trying to manipulate me."
She knew the signs. Elysia was pretty good at that sort of thing herself.
"No need to suspect. I am but everything else I said was true."
Shiraha admitted it without a shred of hesitation. Sticking with Elysia did offer a bright future. Honkai manipulation, superhuman abilities.
If this world was the Current Era of Honkai, he'd have the strength to actually participate in the story. If it was a world without Honkai… well, then he'd basically be Homelander.
A small dimple appeared on Elysia's cheek as she smiled crookedly. "Alright then. As long as you're not afraid of people thinking you're crazy, little brother."
The two of them walked fully into the orphanage grounds. There was laughter, a few of the more mobile kids were chasing each other around the yard, their giggles bright and clear. But far more children lay in their beds, faces pale and wan.
"The orphanage isn't doing great," Shiraha said, keeping his voice low. "It's the 21st century. Most kids who end up in places like this have some kind of physical disability."
"A lot of them can't even get out of bed. A few are just… hanging on by a thread every single day. Kids like me, healthy enough to run around, we're maybe half, at best."
Shiraha explained it all matter-of-factly. Elysia's beautiful eyes trembled slightly, but she knew her own condition too well. Aside from Shiraha, she couldn't touch anything.
Couldn't touch anyone.
"Can we… do something for them?"
Elysia leaned against the window frame, gazing inside. Rows of small beds, sick children.
Yet despite everything, the room was still filled with soft chatter and make-believe. Kids always found their own ways to dream and laugh.
"If I hadn't met you, my plan was simple: study hard. Like I said before, until I actually achieved something, I wouldn't have the right to even talk about helping."
"But now…"
Shiraha paused, thinking. Then he said frankly, "I want to learn how to manipulate Honkai energy. That'll give me real power, and fast."
"Once I can do that, we can… I don't know. Fight crime, maybe or cure Honkai-related illnesses for a fee. Early stages, right? Gotta start somewhere."
He added, half-joking, "The ideal scenario would be something like: a Honkai incident breaks out somewhere in the city, some mega-rich tycoon gets caught up in it, and we just happen to show up and save the day perfectly. But yeah, no chance of that."
He laughed at his own words. That kind of plot only happened in light novels.
But Elysia didn't laugh. She nibbled on her slender finger, her expression thoughtful.
"Shiraha…" she drew out his name slowly. "If someone has bodyguards following them around… does that count as a 'mega-rich tycoon'?"
Shiraha tilted his head. "What did you just say?"
"Before I met you," Elysia said, turning around. Her skirt flared gently with the motion. "I saw a little girl. Dark purple hair, pale violet eyes. Really pretty. But the power of her Stigmata… it's starting to slip out of control."
She suddenly leaned in close, her starry eyes sparkling. "Shiraha~ We can trust each other, right?"
Shiraha: "...."
I'm not so sure anymore.
He had a creeping feeling that Elysia was cooking up something dangerous in that pretty head of hers.
But still, he nodded. No hesitation.
If he'd decided to throw his lot in with Elysia, to believe in Elysia, then he had to show some resolve. Hesitating over personal safety while chasing something big was the mark of an amateur.