Shiraha had grabbed hold of Theresa and absolutely refused to let her leave, affection points no longer mattered.
He firmly believed that when it came to Corruption, it was best to leave nothing to chance. Theresa might be unreliable, but the Oath of Judah was anything but.
Einstein glanced at Shiraha, then paused. "Looks like Little Shiraha has his own secrets now."
As a proper adult, she shouldn't pry into a child's secrets, but Einstein didn't consider herself a proper adult.
"We'll talk later."
She patted Shiraha's shoulder and went to deal with Mei.
Shiraha was about to nod obediently when Sakura cut in. "I'll handle the discussions with you. Adults should leave the kids out of this."
Among the Elysian Realm's Flame-Chasers, Sakura was one of those who liked children the most, and respected their opinions the most.
Probably.
Not that it was anything to be proud of, a lot of people in the Realm liked looking after kids.
Einstein nodded, she had no objection. But she still needed to talk to Shiraha, what if he got tricked?
Once Einstein went upstairs, Sakura turned to Rin, the fox. She still couldn't figure out how her adorable little sister had ended up like this.
"Rin…" Sakura suddenly remembered that Shiraha didn't know the little fox he'd been holding all this time was actually Rin.
She sighed and pulled a doll from her pocket.
It was a doll of Elysia, Origin Elysia, made by Elysia herself… actually, Klein had helped make it. Klein was good with her hands.
"Shiraha, stay here and play with this sister for a while. I need to have a word with this little fox."
Shiraha tilted his head, understanding.
After Sakura went into Shiraha's room to talk with Rin, Theresa showed no sign of acting like an adult, she leaned in. "Can foxes talk?"
Of course, Theresa knew some special Honkai beasts could communicate, like Benares, now used in Valkyrie training simulations.
But did that fox look like a Honkai beast?
"I don't know." Shiraha shook his head, then looked at Theresa, who was now shorter than him. "So, what are you here for, sis?"
Theresa hesitated, how could she say she'd come all the way to California on a tip about the Herrscher of Corruption?
"I…" A stroke of genius. "I wanted to see Kiana."
Shiraha looked at her "I'm so clever" expression and fell silent. Nee-chan, Siegfried still hasn't told you the truth about Kiana?
Still, it was a good excuse. Shiraha pointed upstairs, Kiana's room was next to his. "She's upstairs. By the way, what's your relationship with Uncle Siegfried?"
Theresa casually hefted the Oath of Judah onto her back. "I was very close with Cecilia. My relationship with Siegfried is… decent. In a way, Kiana should even call me 'Mom.'"
Shiraha: ?
Theresa mused, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. "I'm her godmother, after all."
Shiraha was quiet for a moment, then corrected her. "Godmothers are usually called 'auntie' or 'madam.' If there's a blood relation, you use that, not 'Mom.'"
Is that so?
Theresa blinked. Though she came from a theoretically old-fashioned family, she'd never paid much attention to these things.
As Shiraha pushed the door open, Theresa added casually, "It's fine, Kiana can call me 'Dad' if she wants."
Cecilia had been the white moonlight of the older generation, she'd taught Theresa so many things like a big sister.
Theresa looked at the two little ones huddled together, trying to beat monsters on screen, and sighed.
"I did think about taking Kiana away at one point."
Kiana's ears perked up, she turned her head and saw the short nun.
Theresa let her grip loosen, the Oath of Judah hit the floor with a thud. Shiraha could have sworn the whole building shook.
The floor looked a little cracked, but Theresa was too busy looking at Kiana's happy face to notice.
Good thing Dr. Tesla wasn't there, she'd have had plenty to say.
"But Siegfried seems to be doing a good job raising her, so I dropped the idea. Kids being happy is what matters most."
If Theresa had left openly, she might've tried to bring Kiana to St. Freya.
But she'd left in disappointment. St. Freya was supposed to be a cycle where seniors carried the weight and juniors grew into seniors, gentler than Schicksal.
But now… never mind, never mind! Theresa sat down on the floor with a sigh.
The others kept gaming. Shiraha studied the Oath of Judah, a bit conflicted, but he held back from trying to take it.
"What, curious about unconventional weapons?"
Kids were like that. Some liked scythes, apparently, Schicksal had a new girl named Rita who was great with one.
But these odd weapons were really just odd.
When the Oath of Judah was used, it deployed hidden spears, the chains and locks were all autonomous combat support.
Shiraha reached out and touched it. "It looks heavy."
Too bad it would be hard to take. After the Second Eruption, the Oath had started to acknowledge Theresa.
Theresa smirked. "Kid, do you know how many ways there are to use the Oath?"
She used to ask that sincerely, now it was just for show.
She patted the weapon box, it split open to reveal its contents: mostly spears, with a few swords mixed in.
No surprise, the Oath had light strikes, blade beams, and chains. It was a versatile weapon.
Shiraha blinked, before he could answer, Kiana had already drifted over after finishing a round.
"So cool." She reached out to touch it, but flinched back. Her body seemed to instinctively recoil.
Mei asked more directly, "How much does it cost?"
Theresa gave a proud little hum. "It's Schicksal's priceless treasure."
Saint Kallen's weapon, in a way, it was the new Schicksal's symbol of faith.
"Kid, want to see how many ways there are to use the Oath?"
She asked again, her pride written all over her face, her pale cyan eyes sparkling.
No one answered. Mei didn't want to watch her show off. Kiana felt uncomfortable just touching it.
And Shiraha? Please, Theresa might not even know more uses than him.
Shiraha had been taught by the fairy of the Previous Era, he knew the concept behind the Oath.
"Really not interested?"
Theresa looked at Kiana, her good niece.
Kiana instinctively stepped back and tugged at Shiraha's arm.
Shiraha understood immediately. "Theresa, she just said she's your godmother. In theory, your mother's best friend."
Theresa was a little surprised, but kids didn't always remember things.
She didn't remember much either, both the very old and the very young tended to forget. Kiana not remembering her was normal.
Kiana's uneasy expression was quickly replaced by something else.
"Big… little aunt?!"
It had to be "little aunt", she was too short to be a "big aunt."
Mei leaned back strategically too, how was Kiana's background getting more impressive by the minute?
The world's strongest man, Siegfried, was her father. The world's strongest woman, the nun in front of them, was her aunt.
So Kiana was from a warrior family?
"It's 'big aunt.'"
Theresa corrected her.
Theresa had gone on her first mission before Cecilia was even born.
Now Kiana was shocked too, she instinctively gestured with her hands. Theresa wasn't even taller than her, sitting on the floor like an oversized doll.
She swallowed. "B-big aunt?"
Where did this relative come from? No one had ever mentioned her.
"So, want to see how many ways there are to use the Oath, kid?"
Trusting her dad and the Kaslana family, Kiana quickly shook her head.
Mei pulled Shiraha aside and whispered, "Is she really Kiana's aunt?"
"Not like that 'Rin-nee' you made up?"
Shiraha had a history, the computer-illiterate "Rin-nee" had also been labeled a relative of the delinquent senpai.
Though from the adults' conversation earlier, Rin-nee and the delinquent senpai might actually be distantly related.
Shiraha whispered back, "Aren't you mad at me anymore, Mei-nee?"
Mei straightened up. "One thing at a time, we'll be mad when we get home. Things are messy right now, my head's spinning, so I'll hold off."
She had her own logic. Shiraha was her brother, anger was a family matter. With things happening outside, they'd deal with the outside first, then settle things at home.
Shiraha smiled slightly, Mei had her own way of coping.
He briefly explained Theresa's situation.
Mei… wasn't jealous. She rubbed her chin. "So Kiana really is from a fallen noble family."
As a young lady herself, Mei had no reason to be envious, the Raiden family might have risen quickly with less history, but they'd risen high. She didn't care about prestige.
Over there, Theresa and Kiana had started "catching up", Theresa rambling about Cecilia's youth, stories Siegfried refused to talk about.
Kiana was completely absorbed, even her discomfort with the Oath seemed to fade.
Mei grabbed Shiraha's hand and pulled him to the door. "Alright, now tell me why you ran off with Kiana instead of calling me."
"Is Kiana closer to you than I am?"
This wasn't the time to explain why he'd snuck off, it was time to pick a side.
Shiraha held her hand back. "Mei-nee, you have so many friends. If I came along, what if you got alienated?"
Mei made a vague sound, unable to find a better answer.
"Damn it, is there really no way to get you to fit in?"
She didn't even notice Shiraha's little gesture, just leaned against the doorframe, looking troubled.
Mei didn't try to convince him to fit in, she knew his ghost friend would bite back.
With that faint little frown, Mei let out a heavy sigh. Life was so complicated.
"Shiraha, will we always be together?"
Little Mei couldn't help but sigh at life, her purple eyes carrying a hint of melancholy.
Shiraha was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. "I don't know, but I believe true friends will never be separated."
Mei wasn't sure if that inspired her. She was about to say something when Shiraha's door opened beside them.
The tall, cool, beautiful big sister, Sakura, smiled gently and reached out. "Shiraha, could you come here for a moment?"
Mei's melancholy deepened.
Where were all these big sisters even coming from?
Shiraha had no reason to refuse. He went back to his room, the lights were off, but the power was still on.
He figured that even if Rin was useless, her abilities at least covered the surrounding buildings. Pretending otherwise would just hurt their relationship, so he didn't bother.
He said directly, "Sakura-nee, are you going to find Rin-nee?"
His expression turned troubled. "But I'll probably be in North America for a while longer. If I go with you, I won't be able to keep up with everyone."
Sakura was quiet for a long moment, then let out a helpless laugh. She reached out and ruffled his hair. "No rush, you do what you need to do first."
"As for Rin…"
She glanced at the little fox beside her. Rin's current state seemed manageable, sisterly bonds really did matter.
"Rin's situation can wait." Sakura curled her finger slightly, signaling Rin to come over.
"But this little fox's life is almost at its end, Shiraha. You might not be able to see her for much longer…"
It was a cruel thing to tell a child, but Sakura didn't hesitate.
Her little sister couldn't stay a pet forever. Call it a pet, a spirit beast, whatever, it was still just a **.
Shiraha looked a little stunned.
Sakura's expression was helpless. "A fox's lifespan can't compare to a human's. Rin has had this little fox for far too long."
"It's truly reached the end of its life."
As for the rest of the lie, Elysia could fill in the gaps.
She was so good with kids, after all.
Sakura's expression grew a little more serious.
"I also have other tasks this time." She paused, her smile fading. "Where's Elysia?"
Time to get down to business.