Bronya's pupils trembled. Mei-neesama… has she noticed something?
Her heart hammered in her chest, but her expression remained as calm as ever.
"Why do you say that, Mei-neesama?"
Mei blinked and said, "Because you only make that kind of expression when you're designing Bronya's husband."
That kind of expression… what kind? Is it that obvious?
Bronya stood up from the bed. Wearing only a small tank top, she turned her back to Mei and began to put on her jacket as she spoke. "Bronya's husband, is it…"
"Yes. If, for some reason, you can't get to that world again…"
"Something like that won't happen again."
"Oh? Is Bronya so sure?"
"Mm…"
"In any case, that's wonderful."
Mei pressed her fingertips together, a gentle smile on her face.
Bronya could feel it. Mei-neesama was genuinely concerned for her, not wanting her to be anxious or sad.
The duckling turned around. Her fair, slender feet padded against the floor. They were delicate, almost too small to grasp, with long, elegant toes. Her rose-red nails reflected a crystalline luster in the morning light.
"Mei-neesama."
"Hm?"
Bronya leaned against a green potted plant, her silver-gray eyes fixed on the pure and gentle girl.
"No matter what happens, Bronya will always be on Mei-neesama's… side."
Mei was taken aback for a moment, then smiled. "What's wrong, Bronya? You really do have something on your mind, don't you?"
Bronya simply returned her gaze with a gentle look.
Mei looked at the girl before her, who was a head shorter than herself, and couldn't help but ruffle her hair. "Mm, me too. I'll always be on Bronya's side."
The two looked at each other as gentle rays of morning sunlight streamed in, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere.
"—Wait a minute!"
The Little Bug abruptly cut in.
It was a classic case of guarding day and night against outside threats, only to find the thief was inside your own house.
She puffed out her cheeks. "I've always been on Mei's side too! Compared to a little squirt like Bronya, I'm obviously better, right, Mei!"
Mei and Bronya exchanged a look, then smiled.
Kiana: "…?"
What's going on? What the heck is up with this vibe I'm not getting!
"What's with you two! Seriously! Bronya, you should at least argue back!"
She felt like she was being belittled. Their expressions were just like parents looking at a child.
And Bronya was still so short!
She already seemed petite when she was floating, but now that she was standing on the ground, she looked even more miniature.
"You little squirt! You're not allowed to laugh at me."
"Bronya wants to drink some milk. Mei-neesama, is there any left in the fridge?"
"It's not good to drink it cold in the morning. I'll warm it up for you."
"Thank you, Mei-neesama."
Caught in the middle, Kiana glanced to her left, then to her right.
"Hey, are you two even listening to me?!"
---o---
Elysia was always full of vitality, giving off an energetic impression.
Today was no different. She skipped cheerfully around the academy, like a carefree pink elf.
She had been here for less than three days, but she had already gotten to know almost everyone in her grade.
In truth, St. Freya Academy, like the schools in the Far East, was currently on vacation.
Elysia would officially enroll in the spring of the coming year.
However, to better prepare for the upcoming annual Valkyrie assessment, almost all the students chose to stay at the academy to train.
In the training grounds' break room.
"Hi, Hua!"
Elysia walked over with her hands behind her back. The Shenzhou flatboard, drenched in sweat, was sitting on a bench just as flat as she was, a towel soaked with white perspiration draped over her chest.
Unlike the joyful sweat of others, this was sweat born from sheer effort.
Among the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, perhaps only Fu Hua could be called a "mortal."
From the very beginning, Elysia had been deeply interested in the clumsy and stoic Fu Hua.
Just as she was now.
"Hello, Elysia."
Even while resting, Fu Hua sat bolt upright, giving off an air as steady… as an unsheathed sword.
Elysia produced a bottle of water from behind her back and handed it to her.
"Here."
"Thank you."
Elysia took the opportunity to sit down beside Fu Hua and asked, "Hua, have you run into any strange people lately?"
To be honest, Elysia was genuinely worried.
From long ago, Hua had been Mobius's designated guinea pig, used for research into the core of the Honkai.
Now that Mobius was lying in wait within the academy like a coiled serpent, she might just use Fu Hua for a "dissection" if she ran into a problem she couldn't solve.
Fu Hua, however, simply returned an earnest gaze, staring fixedly at Elysia.
Her expression clearly said, "Is there anyone stranger than you?"
Although Fu Hua had lost her memories, her instincts as a [Warrior] were still sharp.
Fu Hua could sense that the person before her, though she appeared gentle and beautiful, possessed a power more terrifying than ten thousand Honkai Beasts.
Even if Fu Hua were to unleash her full strength right now, she might not be a match for her.
And yet, this woman of terrifying power and unknown origins claimed she was here to experience campus life… It was utterly unconvincing.
Why does someone like her always seek me out?
…Or could it be that she has also noticed that I am different?
Fu Hua pushed up her glasses, the lenses of the red frames reflecting a stark white light.
"Hey now, no need to make the atmosphere so tense, okay? You're making me nervous too."
"Sorry… I don't know what to say."
"Heehee, Hua is still the same as ever."
Elysia smiled.
Her happiness was genuine.
To be able to see a living comrade in this era.
"…The same as ever?"
"That's right. You've lost your memories, haven't you, Fu Hua? A long, long time ago, we were very good friends."
"Eh? Friends?"
"Hmm… that's not quite right."
Elysia pursed her lips, then smiled. "It would be more accurate to say we were 'comrades who could entrust their lives to one another.' Yes, that's the feeling."
"…"
"See? The way you go silent when I get to the important part is also the same as before."
"Sorry…" Fu Hua studied Elysia carefully, but she couldn't find any related memories in her mind. "I… have no recollection."
"Hua, your words really hurt my feelings.
I thought that even if you lost your memory, you'd see me and go, 'Hmm? Have we met somewhere before?' or maybe even 'Ah! I remember now!'—one of those romantic developments.
Sigh, so this is how little I mean to you, Hua."
Faced with Elysia's dramatic display, Fu Hua was a little at a loss. She could only say, "…Sorry."
"Heehee, just kidding."
Elysia suddenly leaned closer. "Hua, you shouldn't always apologize. While that earnest personality of yours is very endearing, you'll easily be taken advantage of. You woke up 5,000 years ago; it must have been a really hard journey for you."
"Ngh—"
Elysia's warm breath was practically on her face. The sturdy Fu Hua jumped in surprise, leaning back slightly.
But regarding what Elysia had said, Fu Hua subconsciously agreed.
The memories in her head were a mess. The timeline for the last fifteen years was clear, but her memories from the year 2000 and before were extremely chaotic.
A piece here, a piece there.
And they were all fragments.
"What kind of person… was I before?" Fu Hua asked in a murmur.
"Hua before?"
Hearing this question, Elysia's eyes lit up. She tapped her chin, seeming to be either reminiscing or thinking.
"Hmm… a big crybaby."
"?"
"Especially on rainy and thunderous nights, you'd get scared and run to my room, hugging a pillow."
"…Huh?"
"And then, you'd cling to my arm and wouldn't let go, insisting I sing you a song before you could sleep."
"Is… is that me?"
Elysia shot her a playful grin. "Of course—not. Relax, it was just a little interlude to liven things up."
As she said this, a bitter taste filled Elysia's own mouth.
Because Ye Feng often performed little inter…ludes on her to "liven things up."
Fu Hua stood up. Although her mind was filled with questions, she really couldn't handle this person.
"I have something to do, please excuse me."
Fu Hua clasped her fist in a gesture of farewell.
Elysia stood up as well. "What are you doing, Hua? I can help."
"…Uh, no need."
"What's the harm? We haven't seen each other in so long, we need to properly reconnect."
"Next time, let's talk next time."
Fu Hua grabbed her jacket and scurried away.
Elysia watched her retreating back and didn't follow, just as Ye Feng had said: "Sometimes, it's not good to push too hard."
"Hmph—how annoying!"
Elysia clenched her fists.
Why do I always think of him?
And about those… unspeakable things, no less.
After all, for the flawless Miss Elf, the impact Ye Feng had delivered was countless times stronger than that of the Herrscher of Finality.
She shook her head forcefully, trying to clear the "impure thoughts" from her mind.
Elysia began to ponder again.
Should I go see Kevin? It's only 2015 right now, so Su should be around too…
But if it's really as Ye Feng said, and Kevin is determined to initiate the [Stigma Project], that would be very troublesome.
After all, back at the Thirteen Flame-Chasers' meeting, Elysia had voted against it.
A future like that for humanity was definitely not the right future.
"I should wait a little longer."
Elysia placed a hand on her lower abdomen, where crimson patterns depicted future possibilities.
Through the [Contract], she could indeed feel her strength growing by the day.
If this path is truly viable…
What other choice was there?
Elysia had already stepped onto this path, and with the back door sealed shut by Ye Feng, there was no possibility of turning back. She could only walk forward.
"If I can really obtain the power to fight against Finality…"
Elysia looked up at the sky, clenching her fist slightly.
---o---
Patter, patter.
The outskirts of Arc City welcomed the first rain of 2015.
Even though it was still winter, thunder rumbled. Bean-sized raindrops fell from the sky, striking buildings and trees, splashing up a white mist. In no time, the entire world was awash in the color of rain.
A driverless bus, its fog lights on, cut through the downpour, slowly approaching from the distant asphalt road.
It looked like a ghost vehicle, but a single person was sitting at the very back of the cabin.
Today, she wasn't Big Duck Duck; she was in her original body.
Only her hairstyle had changed. Instead of her spiral twin-tails, her hair now cascaded down.
This simple change shed her girlish immaturity, adding an alluring and sexy quality to her demeanor.
Did her figure even seem more curvaceous?
Bronya's unfocused gaze was on the window. Rain coated the glass, streaming down like pearls from a broken string.
Her mood right now was like the storm outside.
It wasn't suppression; it was the need for a release.
Bronya couldn't help but think of Mei-neesama's smile from that morning. Did she… realize?
Probably not, right?
The timing was too coincidental, and she had left behind too many clues.
It was impossible for her to control her expression at all times.
Knowing how observant Mei-neesama was, Bronya didn't believe for a second that she wasn't even a little suspicious.
Bronya pressed a hand to her forehead.
She was anxious and restless, yet she also felt a faint sense of… anticipation?
The anticipation that Mei-neesama would take the initiative and bring everything to light.
But…
Thud!
Bronya slammed her head against the glass.
"Bronya… when did you become so cunning!"
The girl was dissatisfied with her own "laziness" and "avoidance," with the mentality of pushing a difficult problem onto her friend.
Just as she was accepting the condemnation of her conscience, the bus slowly came to a stop in front of a bus station amidst the pouring rain.
Ye Feng, Bronya's husband, was sitting there, all alone.
The moment she saw him, her pupils contracted sharply.
The decadent sounds from the other side of the door last night echoed incessantly in her ears.
A fire instantly surged through Bronya.
The girl stepped off the bus. Rain fell from the sky, soaking her body, but it could not extinguish the flames within her heart.
Bronya slowly walked up to Ye Feng, her eyes locked onto him.
"…Bronya?"
"Aren't you supposed to be Big Duck Duck?"
The more Bronya looked at Ye Feng, the drier her mouth and throat felt.
Her body and her reason were being scorched by flames. The core… it was so hot.
"What, you don't like this body?"
Seeing Bronya's state, Ye Feng couldn't help but say softly, "Hmm… did Mobius drug you last night, and it's only taking effect now?"
Drugged?
Comprehension dawned on Bronya.
She had gotten drunk yesterday after only a few glasses of wine.
At the time, a fleeting question had crossed her mind.
So it wasn't the wine, nor was it this body's tolerance. She had been drugged.
Why?
It no longer mattered.
The moment Bronya heard Ye Feng say she had been drugged, the string of her sanity finally snapped.
Soaked clothes, rising steam, and scorching emotions…
Like a silver wolf, Bronya pounced, tackling Ye Feng to the ground.
"Don't move, or rather, please try your best to resist Bronya."
She whispered softly, slowly unbuttoning her shirt cuff. The soft pads of her fingers traced a path down his distinct veins, muscles, and bones, her face a mask of predatory satisfaction, as if she intended to devour him whole.
"Otherwise, Bronya really doesn't know what she might do."
Drip, drip, drip~
The rain grew heavier. The bus stop in the rain-swept curtain now seemed like an isolated island, far out at sea.
Whatever happened inside… would be permitted…