Elysia was extremely curious about how much Realm Elysia weighed, but Realm Elysia refused to say.
Even if it was her younger self, that was still the kind of information that, once heard, deserved to be silenced forever.
Still, that only made Elysia even more curious. Since Realm Elysia wouldn't tell her, then she'd just ask this handsome boy instead.
"You're not allowed to say it."
Realm Elysia grabbed Koji's hand at once and dragged him straight out of there, leaving Elysia with a very strange expression on her face.
Could it be that her future self actually had a boyfriend?
Uh… the odds of that felt way too low. After all, she still liked girls more.
But it had nothing to do with her. That was her future self, while she herself was ultimately someone stranded in the past.
…
"You can stop now, right? Where exactly have you dragged us to? Is this still the Flame Chasers?"
Koji said helplessly.
No one should underestimate the authority of the Herrscher of Origin. Using the power of space casually was as easy for her as moving a hand.
"I wanted to go see Kevin while he's still in school. Teasing him a little should be pretty fun." Elysia's eyes darted mischievously.
The Kevin of later years was like a block of ice. No matter how much you teased him, you could never get much expression out of his face.
"Mei should already be Kevin's girlfriend at this point, right? What a pity~"
Koji gave her a strange look when he heard that.
Just what exactly are you disappointed about? You female scammer really do have some thoughts about Mei, don't you?
"Don't overthink it. What I mean is, it's a pity I didn't get to be part of it."
Elysia knew Koji had misunderstood. She liked girls, yes, but she definitely wouldn't do something like break up a young couple.
"I know. One more thing, though. Your hand is very soft, but when exactly are you planning to let go?"
Koji lowered his head and looked at their clasped hands.
Just how badly did she want to prank Kevin that she hadn't even noticed?
"Oh?"
Elysia immediately let go of Koji's hand. Her face looked perfectly normal, but the tips of her pointed ears had already turned a delicate pink.
High attack, low defense, a total glass cannon—that description fit Elysia perfectly.
They entered Chiba Academy, and even the guards at the gate didn't stop them. After all, both of them looked young enough to pass as students.
"So this is what school life feels like?"
Elysia looked around curiously. She had never gone to school before. This was her first time setting foot on a campus.
The atmosphere overflowing with youth and sunshine really was nice… though for some reason it made her feel oddly heated.
"What, Elysia, do you want to try sitting in on a class?" Koji asked.
Koji himself didn't feel much nostalgia.
That was just how student days were. Once people entered society, they would miss their school years, but if they really returned to school, what they felt more than anything was the sense that things had changed and people were gone.
The school was still the same school as before, but wave after wave of students had already come and gone.
"I'll pass. I wouldn't understand any of it anyway."
Elysia shook her head. She had no real interest in attending class. What intrigued her was this atmosphere itself, something she had never experienced before.
If she actually went to class, she probably wouldn't absorb a single thing, so better not.
…
Library.
To be honest, Elysia found it hard to understand how someone as athletically gifted as Kevin would come to a place like this and sit quietly reading.
But the truth was right in front of her. Kevin sat there, though calling it "reading" might have been giving him too much credit.
Mei wore glasses and browsed through her books with full concentration, while Kevin rested one hand against his chin and looked drowsy enough to fall asleep at any second.
It was obvious Kevin didn't really like the library atmosphere. The only reason he was staying there was to accompany his little girlfriend, Mei.
"Oh my, a Kevin like this is really rare."
Elysia spoke with great interest.
There was nothing cold or icy about him at all. He was just a bright, sunny young man.
Even when he had first joined the Flame Chasers as a new recruit, he hadn't given off quite this feeling. Right now, he still knew nothing about Honkai. At this stage, he was the radiant golden boy sitting at the top of Chiba Academy.
"That's because Kevin hasn't gone through all that yet. He hasn't turned into an ice block," Koji said, not finding it strange in the slightest.
Kevin was the source of the Kaslana bloodline. Just look at the personalities of the Kaslanas, and you could tell what kind of person Kevin was.
Saying Kevin was basically Kiana after a gender swap wouldn't really be wrong.
"That's true. What Kevin went through forced him to change."
The crushing urgency brought by Honkai. His moment of softness leading to a Herrscher slaughtering countless innocent civilians. Becoming a fusion warrior. His abnormally low body temperature leaving him unable to embrace the one he loved…
Kevin becoming like ice had been something fate forced upon him.
Hmm?
As if sensing something, Mei suddenly lifted her head and looked out the window. Her violet eyes met Elysia's and Koji's directly.
That look clearly said she recognized them, which made things rather thought-provoking. They were strangers she had never met before, so the most likely explanation was that they came from some kind of highly advanced organization.
"Kevin, wake up. We should go."
Mei touched the sleeping Kevin and said softly, a helpless expression on her face.
This boyfriend of hers, whose relationship with her had only recently been confirmed, really was difficult to describe in a single sentence. He clearly didn't enjoy staying in a place like this, and she wasn't the kind of girl who would selfishly insist on having someone keep her company.
"Oh… okay…"
Kevin opened his eyes, nodded, and glanced at his watch.
Huh. Mei seemed to have spent less time reading than usual today.
Well, if Mei didn't want to keep reading, he certainly had no objections.
The two of them left the library and headed to a pavilion outside.
"Mei, are they friends of yours?" Kevin asked curiously.
He had just followed Mei here without asking where they were going beforehand.
"I don't know them. But I think they know us, don't they?"
Mei shook her head and looked at Koji and Elysia. It was phrased as a question, but her tone was exceptionally certain.
As she observed them, Mei's gaze lingered noticeably longer on Elysia's ears.
Those ears were clearly different from an ordinary human's. If her guess was correct, they were probably the result of some form of biotechnology or a special ability—and one with offensive potential at that.
"Of course we know you. Kevin, the prince of Chiba Academy, and Mei, the genius girl," Koji said teasingly.
"Ahaha, you don't have to call me that."
Kevin looked a little embarrassed.
That title was a bit too chuunibyou. Sure, it sounded cool, but hearing someone bring it up directly to his face still made him feel awkward.
"Did you need something?" Mei asked calmly.
Even as a student, she already displayed that extraordinary bearing of hers, enough to overwhelm three ordinary students at once.
One of the smartest people of the Previous Era, praised by everyone for her gifts and talent, with leadership that later won the deep trust of the Flame Chasers' warriors.
"This time, we just came to take a look. We don't mean anything else by it."
Even if someone were going to recruit the two of them into the Flame Chasers, it wouldn't be these two doing it.
They had simply come to see this still-inexperienced, bright, sunny young man.
(End of Chapter)
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