Lin Luo found Black Rock's expression somewhat captivating. Her deep, faraway gaze seemed fixed on a distant lover, conveying a melancholy tenderness in the young girl that was heart-wrenching... Ah, well, Lin Luo admitted he was momentarily gripped by poetic fancy; the preceding observation was purely fictional. Still, Black Rock’s dazed stare was indeed different from her usual impassivity, making him feel as if she were yearning for something.

It was probably time for a proper talk with her. Lin Luo thought to himself. Since meeting Black Rock, he truly hadn’t exchanged many words with her. While her personality was partly to blame, he admitted he’d been rather passive himself... This was the moment to seize the initiative and attack head-on.

"Lei, Mercury Lamp, you two go play over there for a bit. I have something I need to attend to now." Lifting Mercury Lamp down from his shoulder, Lin Luo gently patted both girls' heads as he spoke softly.

"Mhm."

"Understood, Father."

The two girls glanced toward Black Rock not far away, neither objecting. They nodded lightly before quietly walking off.

...

"What is it? Something on your mind?" A moment later, Lin Luo approached Black Rock from behind, asking quietly toward her back.

"Uh." The girl hadn't seemed to notice anyone approaching. Hearing the voice, she instinctively spun around into a defensive posture. Only when she registered it was Lin Luo did her movements relax slightly, though she remained silent.

Lin Luo didn't mind. Given her nature, forcing a smile out of her was clearly impossible... Come to think of it, it was questionable if Black Rock even knew how to smile.

"Want a drink?" He held his hand out, waving it in front of the girl. As if by magic, two cans of soda suddenly appeared in his hands. Without waiting for her reply, he tossed one toward her.

Thwack. Black Rock caught the can steadily, her gaze sweeping over Lin Luo with a hint of confusion.

"No need to stare, I didn't whip this up on the spot." Lin Luo found her expression amusing at the moment and smiled as he explained, "Well, I can make things like water or sand, but something as sophisticated as canned drinks is beyond my current abilities."

Black Rock tilted her head, looking at Lin Luo, her eyes seeming to ask: Then where did this come from?

Lin Luo spread his hands. "Sleeve Universe. It’s a common parlor trick in my world."

"Magic?"

"Mm, but it’s different from the sort of magic Rin uses. Because the worlds are different, the various systems vary too. In my understanding, the magic in Rin's world is basically equivalent to the sorcery of other worlds, while the 'magic' of my world is just a good trick. Of course, even a trick is hard for the average person to pull off. Blast, I’m getting off topic."

Lin Luo chuckled, opening his can, taking a sip, and then walking up to lean against the railing. "You looked troubled just now. If something is weighing on you, feel free to say it. I might not be able to solve it, but just speaking it out loud, I think, can at least bring some relief."

Black Rock turned around, resting her elbow on the railing, cradling the can of soda as she gently turned it, her eyes fixed on the distance, saying nothing.

Lin Luo was undeterred. "How about this? Pretend I'm not here, and just talk to yourself."

Whether she was truly talking to herself or not, after a moment, Black Rock suddenly spoke. "I am an Eliminator."

"Hm?" Lin Luo paused slightly.

"I know nothing but fighting." Black Rock stared straight ahead. Only after finishing the sentence did she suddenly turn to face Lin Luo, a flicker of unresolvable doubt in her eyes. "Why?"

Lin Luo felt somewhat bewildered and instinctively asked, "Why what?"

"Why did you face the enemy alone back then? Wouldn't strength in numbers have been more assured?"

Lin Luo realized she was referring to the incident seven days prior. Though he didn't know why she brought it up, he voiced his genuine thoughts. "That's not entirely true. Sometimes, having too many people isn't a good thing. Given the opponent's strength, if all of us gathered together, we could easily be picked off one by one, which would have been troublesome."

"A burden," Black Rock uttered softly.

"Uh..." Lin Luo scratched his head, unsure how to reply. In truth, they could indeed have been burdens in that moment, but, "Everyone has different capabilities. Some are good at fighting, some at planning. Failing to defeat an enemy doesn't mean that person is a burden."

Black Rock shook her head. "I only know fighting. The meaning of my existence is to fight—to expel all evil and heresy from this world. So... if I can't even do that, my existence is meaningless." A rare trace of despondency colored her tone.

Where did she draw that conclusion? Why was Black Rock struggling with this? Lin Luo felt quite frustrated. Was being thrown into the game space back then so upsetting?

"No one lives solely for fighting, even if..." Lin Luo thought for a moment before continuing, but before he could finish, Black Rock interrupted, "I am an Eliminator; I exist only for battle."

"Then try to seek out things beyond fighting."

"Things beyond fighting?"

"Even if you truly exist for battle, aren't there things besides fighting that move your heart?"

Black Rock blinked, seeming to contemplate. "Perhaps... there are?"

"Oh?" What did 'perhaps' mean?

"I have a younger sister."

"A sister?" Lin Luo couldn't help but be startled. This was the first he'd heard of it—Black Rock actually had a sister?

"I don't actually know if she exists."

"..." Lin Luo felt like spitting blood. Does she exist or not?

"As an Eliminator of the Phantom Race, I exist only in this inner world. I have no parents, no relatives, no friends. I have been in this form since the beginning. Because time does not flow in the inner world, the Phantoms do not suffer from aging or illness, so no matter how long passes here, I will always look like this." Black Rock spoke as if narrating to herself, showing no sadness or any particular emotion. "If I have anyone I am connected to, it would be the other person opposite me. I suppose she is in the same situation, being Phantom Race as well."

"Is that the sister you mentioned?" Lin Luo couldn't help but wonder. Could she mean Black Rock Shooter? That felt contradictory, as Black Rock Shooter was a true human, and later lore suggested they were the same person... Though lore wasn't always reliable, the idea of them being sisters sounded even more absurd.

Black Rock nodded slightly. "Yes. I am not certain if she truly exists, but the moment I appeared in this world, she should have existed too. She simply appeared in another world."

"You want to find her?" Lin Luo inquired.

Black Rock shook her head. "I don't know. I have no necessity to seek her out, and she doesn't need me either."

"But since you are sisters, whether you need each other or not, meeting once would surely be a wonderful thing, wouldn't it?"

Black Rock shook her head again. "Impossible. My world and hers are parallel lines that will never intersect."

If only you knew, Lin Luo thought. My world and yours were originally parallel lines—no, not even parallel—but didn't they intersect just now?

"The word 'impossible' is spoken too lightly." Seeing Black Rock's perplexed gaze, Lin Luo stretched his arms and said with a smile, "I've encountered many seemingly impossible things before. At first, I thought: Ah, this person cannot be defeated, this task cannot be done. But when I truly summoned the courage to try, I found that many impossible things actually can be achieved."

"Can they really... be achieved?" Black Rock still looked somewhat unconvinced. After all, she had existed in this world for countless days without ever leaving, and even being swept up into this God War felt unreal and hazy.

"If it weren't possible, I wouldn't have the chance to stand here talking to you now." Lin Luo gave an easy smile of encouragement. "So, regardless of success, trying once can never hurt."

"...Perhaps you are right." Black Rock pondered for a moment, nodding as if she understood.

"Yes, that's the right way to think. And you aren't alone now. As long as your sister truly exists in some world, I believe we will find her someday." Though he wasn't sure if her heart's knot had fully untied, her expression was certainly less melancholic than before, and Lin Luo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Right, after all this talking, who exactly is your sister?" Lin Luo was very curious. Based on what Black Rock said, it was highly unlikely to be Black Rock Shooter; she was in a different world, so she couldn't be the woman who had injured Black Rock previously either. Who could it be?

"I don't know." Black Rock still shook her head, her expression perfectly calm. "I only know she resembles me greatly and was born in another world."

This sounded difficult to track down. There were countless people who resembled others in the world. With a different hairstyle, a man could perhaps even pass for a woman. Lin Luo felt a headache coming on and pressed urgently, "What about her name? Surely you know her name, right?"

"I know her name." This time, Black Rock nodded.

"Oh." Lin Luo's eyes widened instantly. Knowing the name made things much easier. At worst, every time he went to a new world, he could post wanted notices everywhere. As long as she existed in that world, there was no reason not to find her.

"Then tell me, what is your sister's name?" Lin Luo asked while taking another gulp of his soda.

"Her name is... Hatsune Miku," Black Rock stated with absolute certainty.

Pfft.

The soda he had just taken in instantly erupted from his mouth, and Lin Luo nearly choked to death.

Hatsune... Miku-chan... Lin Luo was completely singed, inside and out. This time, it really was your sister, V.

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