"Are you an idiot!?"
Felicity completely ignored the energy surging from Stelle's chest and spread her arms wide, pulling the girl into her embrace.
"I am the Emanator of the Path of Abundance. How could I die so easily? Why are you taking the hit for me?"
Felicity's words were sharp, filled with both anger and concern. But in truth, what she said was no exaggeration.
If that attack hit her, the worst case would be she wouldn't die but instead recover quickly. If she were lucky enough to perish, she'd ascend another day. Either way, Stelle should not have shielded her.
She never liked getting involved in others' lives.
With both hands pressed against the Stellaron's chest, the vast power surged. The emerald light enveloped the wild energy pouring from the Stellaron, as Felicity struggled to suppress its fury.
Then, an unsettling thought crossed her mind.
If the core of the Stellaron explodes here… would it kill me?
Even the Doomsday Beast's most deadly strike barely managed to make Felicity feel threatened. But if the Stellaron's chaotic energy exploded, it could very well end her life.
But—
Felicity shook her head, brushing aside the dark thought. Her gaze hardened, and she pushed forward with all her strength, continuing to suppress the Stellaron's core.
After all, she was an Emanator on the Path of Abundance—she couldn't afford to be as self-serving as the Aeon of Abundance, nor could she harm innocents like a villain.
Even if she wanted to die, she would never strike down her own companions. That kind of thought was revolting to her.
The only honorable way to die was to do so without dragging anyone down.
Call it hypocritical or artificial if you want. To her, she had to live without shame. And if she were to die, it would be with a clear conscience.
Felicity bit her lip, pressed her palms down firmly, and managed to push the golden ball of light back onto Stelle's chest.
The vast, imaginary waves of energy ceased, and Felicity finally stabilized herself. With a shaky breath, she handed Stelle over to March 7th and let out a long sigh.
"I'm so tired."
Felicity's face twisted in frustration.
It was her first time fighting using her power, and she hadn't thought about the cost of each attack. Every movement she made was considered inefficient by other Emanators.
After a few more battles, and with Stelle's help sealing the Stellaron, she was left feeling utterly drained.
"Thank you for your hard work, Miss Felicity."
Himeko immediately stepped in, supporting Felicity.
"Himeko, they—"
March 7th's voice cracked slightly as she cradled the unconscious Stelle. Felicity didn't look much better either.
It was because of her that both of them were like this. What if something happened to them?
March 7th couldn't bring herself to think further. The guilt weighed heavily on her, like an insurmountable rock.
"Don't worry."
Felicity, supported by Himeko, raised her head slightly. She gave March 7th a weak smile, raising a hand to flex her muscles, and said with a grin, "Don't underestimate the Emanator of the Path of Abundance~"
"Trust me. Ms. Felicity is just physically drained. The child is well protected. She likely just fainted from the impact."
Welt, leaning on his cane, spoke in a calm tone. After a moment, he turned towards Felicity and gave a respectful bow.
"Please allow me to express my gratitude to you once more, Ms. Felicity."
"Let's talk somewhere else."
Felicity was too tired for idle conversation. She leaned into Himeko's embrace, squinting her eyes in a moment of comfort.
Sister, you smell so good.
...
Felicity had no energy left to handle reports. She left everything to the Astral Express crew and retreated to her room to rest.
Her body may have been drained, but the mental exhaustion was far worse. After all, she'd been controlling the Rich Mysterious Flower and Tree for so long in battle.
"Ah... a white ceiling."
Felicity rolled over, staring up at the pristine white ceiling with a sigh.
"If you'd prefer, you can ask Asta to change the color to something you like."
A cold voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. Felicity blinked, turned over, and looked toward the source of the voice.
As expected, the doll girl appeared at the head of her bed, watching her in silence.
"Hi~ Herta, did you miss me?"
Felicity's eyes lit up as she lifted the blanket and patted the empty space beside her, flashing a playful smile. "If you're lonely, you can always join me in bed~"
"No."
Herta answered flatly, without an ounce of emotion.
She stood beside Felicity's bed, scrutinizing her face for a long moment before sighing and shaking her head in resignation.
"It seems the [Invalid Thought] code machine only works on organic life forms. It's normal, really. After all, it's essentially a virus."
When the host died, the virus vanished. But it hadn't expected its host to have a trick up its sleeve and revive it.
Well, I've given myself life again. What about you?? ('ω')?
"So, this method failed too. When's the next experiment?"
Felicity wasn't discouraged. After all, she'd faced countless failures before.
"...I don't know. I've lost interest in you."
Herta replied, pausing briefly. Maybe it was a network delay? After all, she had 249 other dolls stationed across the space station.
Felicity pursed her lips, wiped the corner of her eye, and immediately pulled on a sorrowful expression.
"Wuwuwu, Herta, please try again. I can't do anything!"
"No."
"qwq"
"Don't even think about it."
Herta rubbed her temples, a rare headache forming. She finally spoke to Felicity, tired.
"The only option left is to drown you with the Stellaron. But that's too dangerous, and the Stellaron is sealed inside the little girl."
"If you truly want to die, you should go with those travelers—there are always hidden dangers on their journey, right?"
She paused for a moment, then added:
"...And, you'd get to see the outside world."
Has Herta really run out of ways to end Felicity's life?
Maybe not. She probably just didn't want to face the emptiness she'd feel if Felicity actually died.
It was like feeding a stray cat, then feeling sad when it gets run over.
She was a stubborn scientist. If she didn't like something, she wouldn't do it. Isn't that normal?
Herta stared at Felicity, waiting for a response.
"Well..."
"Can you give me a Herta Puppet as my dowry?"
"No!"