And so, the trio set off—two following behind, one leading the way. Naturally, March 7th was the one in front.
Star, meanwhile, kept glancing occasionally at the lady beside her, her eyes filled with curiosity. There was something strange about this "pinkish-white" lady...
Exiting the room, they arrived at the area where Herta stored her Curios. Of course, Tian An recognized most of these Curios, including the fragmented piece of that fiery red greatsword currently contained.
If only there was technology capable of repairing it.
"This is where Herta contains her Curios," March explained as they walked. "It's full of strange gizmos, the so-called Curios. Herta collects these things but doesn't use them, just lets them gather dust. No idea what her deal is."
Star moved closer to the Curios, observing them with fascination.
What are you looking at? You're a Curio yourself.
Tian An, however, wasn't particularly interested. She was still preoccupied with her own situation.
Seeing Star lagging behind, March 7th quickly urged her on.
"Stop looking, we need to get going!"
Our dazed Tian An hadn't reacted yet and accidentally bumped right into March 7th's back.
"Yah! Be careful!" March jumped, startled, only turning to see Tian An.
"Ah, sorry," Tian An quickly straightened up.
"Honestly, you... what on earth are you thinking about all day?" March 7th tapped Tian An's forehead lightly with her finger.
"Even though you look like a mature older sister, you really seem to need someone to look after you."
"Need looking after... No, I can't! I'm determined to become someone like Theresia..." Tian An triggered Critical Dialogue.
Tian An Refutes.JPG
"Determined to become...? Aren't you Theresia? Why would you need to be determined to become yourself?"
"N-Nothing. You'll understand later." Tian An mustered her confidence, then reached out and patted March 7th's head again.
"Hey, Theresia! Now's not the time for head pats!" March quickly swatted her hand away and urged them to hurry up and leave.
"I feel like countless eyes are watching me...." Tian An felt a chill but couldn't pinpoint the reason. She quickly fell into step.
Nearby, Star finished examining the last Curio and followed them.
After passing through several cabins and bridges, March 7th finally relaxed slightly. It was the first time she felt so capable in front of others, able to protect two people at once.
(Not really.)
But before anyone could fully enjoy the moment, the first roadblock... ball... appeared.
Tian An focused her gaze. Wow, wasn't this the same "Ball Bro" she had held in her hands earlier?
"Theresia, try not to hold the ball this time, okay?" March 7th nocked an arrow, issuing a reminder.
"Hold the ball?" Star looked at Tian An quizzically, but still adopted a defensive stance.
Watching March conjure her bow and arrow, Tian An pondered. If memory served, characters in gacha games quite enjoyed summoning weapons out of thin air. Was there some way... she could learn an ability too... or at least recover the inherent powers of this body?
By the time the other two were already engaged in combat, Tian An was still standing there, lost in thought. She considered everything from activation commands to summoning gestures, even tried recalling how Teacher Xiao Te usually used her abilities, but came up empty.
Wait... Since this is this world's setting, I remember a certain summon phrase that spread like wildfire.
: Help me! XXXX
Help me! Miss Theresia!
Okay, that feels kinda embarrassing....
Tian An pictured her original body, kneeling on the ground, shouting this famous line at the pink-and-white figure. Honestly, if it were real, she'd be willing to shout it.
So...
Please, help me! Miss Theresia!
Ugh... no change....
Just as Tian An felt a flicker of disappointment, her right hand began to glow. She lifted it, her eyes widening in delight.
Don't tell me it actually worked?
Help me... Help me...
Her body instinctively adopted a prayer-like posture.
Up ahead, the other two had already finished the battle and were now staring at Tian An, who seemed to be inexplicably praying.
Hmm.....
Star scratched her head.
Tian An continued to repeat the phrase silently in her mind like a mantra. The energy in her hand grew larger and brighter, becoming visible even from a distance....
Vzzzzzt!...
A loud noise shattered the silence of the cabin. A thick pillar of crystal erupted from bottom to top, piercing straight through the entire compartment.
"..."
Knocked off her feet by the sudden impact, Tian An landed sitting on the floor.
"Whoa! What's this...?" March 7th approached the crystal pillar, observing it curiously.
Tian An groggily pushed herself up. It seemed she had succeeded. Yet, she felt waves of warmth emanating from her body, like someone had stuffed a boiler inside her.
"Theresia, is this your ability?!" March 7th rushed over, asking excitedly.
"Should be, maybe, possibly," Tian An answered vaguely.
She honestly didn't know if this was her ability.
Unconsciously, March 7th compared the crystal pillar to the crystals adorning Tian An's body...
Meanwhile, Star, standing nearby, watched the Originium crystal slowly begin to disintegrate. Curious, she reached out to catch a falling fragment and examined it closely.
She looked left, looked right, and then..... then prepared to put the crystal in her mouth (not really).
"Star! Please don't touch that!" Tian An was horrified. How could you touch something like that casually? Even if you are a Little Stellaron Spirit, you need to be a good girl! (Not really)
"Ah?" Startled by the shout, the Originium fragment slipped from Star's loosened grip, fell to the floor, and vanished with visible speed.
"Is this crystal harmful?" March 7th asked, puzzled, watching the Originium pillar slowly self-destruct.
"It's a long story... This type of crystal, in a certain sense, is the main culprit behind Oripathy."
"Oripathy?" Star stared intently at her own hand for a long while but noticed nothing unusual, eventually shifting her attention elsewhere.
"Explaining this will take time. Let's talk while we walk," This time, it was Tian An who took the initiative to walk ahead.
It wasn't because she suddenly felt capable, but because she felt if they didn't move soon, the plot would drag too much. This is all for the sake of the audience, dear viewers!
"Mm, okay."