Honkai Impact 3rd: I picked up a Seele at the start of the game.

Chapter 97 Alicia's Invitation

……

Seele was startled and rubbed her eyes dramatically before saying with a hint of helplessness, "Actually, if you think about it carefully, we've seen each other many times in the past two months. None of those times count as a long time apart, right?"

Hearing Seele say that, Alicia shook her head in a huff: "No! They say 'a day apart feels like three autumns'~ I'm deeply in love with Seele, so... it's like we only see each other once every few years!"

Seele felt somewhat helpless. To be honest, whenever she was with Alicia, her natural gentleness always seemed to falter, making her appear more like a cold, aloof goddess. But upon closer reflection, it wasn't that Seele was cold; rather, Alicia was too lively. Under Alicia's enthusiastic onslaught, she either melted from steel to softness, or remained stubbornly unyielding…

At the beginning, Seele, having just emerged from the Honkai, did indeed have a somewhat hardened attitude towards Alicia. But now, she's almost become as gentle as a silkworm.

She asked, "Did you need something from Sister Alicia?"

Alicia immediately corrected her address: "Seele! Call me Sister Alicia, not 'Sister Alicia'! Don't you want to be closer to a beautiful girl like me?"

Seele covered her forehead: "Ellie... Sister, can we talk about serious matters now?"

"OK!"

Alicia nodded happily: "Could Seele come to a party with me? I missed the previous social gathering and couldn't hang out with Seele. It feels like I missed out on the whole world!"

Seele couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you attend the social gathering?"

Someone in her family had been wanting to see Alicia for a long time. Even the time they were tricked by Mebius was actually related to Alicia!

Can't we just get this mess over with already? She's busy dating!

Alicia's smile instantly turned into a bitter expression, and even her ears seemed to droop, making her look incredibly cute. Even Seele, whose defining characteristic was cuteness, was momentarily stunned, and even felt threatened by this girl!

Alicia replied, "I ran into a super troublesome situation! A big boss suddenly barged into the mission, and I went through a lot of trouble to set a trap and take him down! By the time everything was finally over and I could finally breathe a sigh of relief, the social gathering was already over..."

She suddenly leaned closer to Seele, her blue eyes filled with a mocking and accusatory pressure, "Hey~ while I was away, did Seele do anything naughty with anyone?"

The mere mention of "naughty things" made Seele's heart flutter, and she couldn't help but think of those naughty things in her dreams. Her face turned bright red, and she subconsciously avoided Alicia's gaze.

As a result, Seele's evasive gaze betrayed her thoughts.

Alicia pouted, looking unhappy: "So Seele really does have someone she likes..."

Well, then, she can't really steal someone's love; at most, she can only tease them verbally.

Alicia asked again, "Could Seele accompany me to a banquet? It would be to fulfill a small wish of mine, would you please?"

Seele hesitated, "But..."

Alicia offered a tempting offer: "Are you concerned about Yun Fuyu's thoughts? Don't worry about it so much! How about this, if Seele agrees to my request, I can find a way to help you get by so you can stay on Mu Continent with him, how about that?"

This time, Seele was truly tempted. On one hand, she was definitely going to stay on Mu Continent with Yun Fuyu. On the other hand, if she had to rely on him to solve every problem, even if it was required by the script, Seele would feel embarrassed…

Besides, it's just accompanying Alicia to a banquet. Seele's strength and mental fortitude guarantee that there will be no danger. It's a sure win.

Seele hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently: "Okay, I agree. But, let me rest for a bit before we set off?"

Just like when Seele was first resurrected, Yun Fuyu thought to himself, "Seele is very opinionated." Seele is not a delicate heroine who depends on others for survival. She can make her own choices and bear all the consequences.

However, I should still take advantage of the break to inform Yun Fuyu; I believe he won't refuse.

Alicia believed her: "Then go back and rest! I'll be waiting for Seele!"

……

……

When Seele woke up again, she was already in Australia.

The pink convertible sped along the road, the wind whistling against her face, but the comfortable feeling could not dispel the girl's vigilance.

Seele's gentle gaze deepened, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the pink culprit, her voice as soft as water.

"Sister Ellie, could you explain the current situation to Seele?"

The gentler the voice, the more serious the situation!

Alicia was clearly aware of this.

She pushed up her pink-framed sunglasses and smiled at Xier, her eyes sparkling. "Didn't I say I'd bring Xier to Australia? Seeing you sleeping so peacefully in bed like a baby, I couldn't bear to wake you, so I just brought you here..."

Alicia's smile is so radiant; it always feels like the sun is shining on her and the world is filtered through her lens.

This time, Seele remained unmoved, her expression turning serious—Seele is a Herrscher! Although she was off guard during her nap, there was no way she could be taken away silently, right?

According to Yun Fuyu, Alicia is also a Herrscher. If she blocked Seele's senses and took Seele away, what exactly is she trying to do?

Under Seele's serious gaze, Alicia couldn't ignore her either, and while driving with one hand, she explained, "It's like this..."

In short, fearing that Yun Fuyu would stop her and to prevent other unexpected events from happening, she chose to take Seele away without consulting her first!

As for the purpose...

Alicia became unusually serious: "Seele, why do I always feel like you're wary of me? Do you know something?"

Seele wanted to reveal her identity, but hesitated to speak.

It would be best to leave this matter to Yun Fuyu to consider, wouldn't it?

She sat upright (as if she had died), and said seriously, "Alicia, I'm not used to thinking about so many things, because I've always been following in someone's footsteps. So... I don't want to talk about things that are too complicated."

"Now, just tell me honestly where you want to take me and what you want to do. If you try to dodge the question like before, I will call the police."

Although the little girl was especially cute when she said "call the police" in a serious tone, Alicia knew what Seele meant—she could leave directly, or she could contact Yun Fuyu or Mei directly; there was always a way to get rid of Alicia.

So she stopped trying to fool them and said meaningfully, "I'd like to ask Seele to come with me to a banquet. It's a romantic date just for you and me, and I hope that Seele and I can get to know each other a little better."

After a brief pause, she added, "Furthermore, if possible, I would like to see—"

"—!"

The car slammed on the brakes, the sound of tires screeching against the pavement interrupting Alicia's words. The pink-haired girl, who had been confidently driving the Ferrari with one hand, suffered a spectacular failure in her attempt to impress; the car veered straight into the woods outside the highway!

Seele's last thought was: No way? Another wilderness survival scenario is about to unfold?