"Sirin, your recent behavior has been commendable. So, as a reward, I've decided to grant you a few extra days of freedom. Now go out there and enjoy your vacation—you're welcome! Hurry along!"
In the vast temple divided by gold and scarlet hues, Kiana sat on the red side of a circular table, smiling brightly as she pushed a glass of soda towards Sirin. Her eyes, resembling flickering crimson flames, blinked innocently and harmlessly while gazing at Sirin.
"Hmph!" Sirin snorted disdainfully, staring expressionlessly at Kiana. Her hands clenched on the table before she crossed her arms and said coldly, "Do you think I'm a fool?"
Stepping out now would only result in getting pummeled by Zeke—no other outcome was possible. Naturally, Sirin had no intention of taking the blame for Kiana.
Kiana's smile faltered.
In the next instant, she materialized beside Sirin's crystal throne, shamelessly clinging to one of her legs and wailing dramatically, "Pleeeease, dear Sirin, help me! If I go out there now, I'll surely die!"
"What does that have to do with me? Let go of my leg! And stop calling me 'dear'!"
"You know what awaits me outside, right? Zeke will definitely snap my limbs first, then break my spine into eighteen pieces, twist my neck 720 degrees, and finally kick my head like a soccer ball!" Sobbing uncontrollably, Kiana shuddered as she vividly imagined her impending fate.
Sirin's expression darkened considerably when she noticed Kiana wiping her snot on the beautiful hem of her Void dress.
"Get lost!" With a sharp command, Sirin kicked Kiana's consciousness directly out of this realm.
However, after Kiana's departure, Sirin's fury quickly dissipated, replaced by a wave of dread.
"Dammit!" Unconsciously biting her thumb, Sirin's expression shifted rapidly.
From her perspective, ever since their battle on the moon, Kiana's erratic tendencies had only worsened instead of improving.
Just look at what she'd done this time:
Risking a self-inflicted strike with Void Sword Divinity to gamble on becoming the Herrscher of Flame—a possibility based solely on conjecture, without any solid evidence!
Based on the sensations moments ago, it seemed that this paramecium had succeeded.
But Sirin's situation grew increasingly complicated.
On one hand, now that Kiana possessed a Herrscher ability, Sirin's plan to exploit an opportunity and overpower her for freedom became even more hopeless. On the other hand, if Kiana was reckless enough to willingly inflict such harm upon herself, who knew what else she might do in the future?
Suppose one day, Kiana recklessly met her demise—assuming Sirin could somehow avoid being collateral damage and survive, would Zeke, that monstrous creature, spare her?
Biting her finger, Sirin pondered various scenarios, feeling her predicament grow bleaker with each thought. All these musings coalesced into a single word:
"A vegetable!"
"Ahh!"
In reality, Kiana jolted upright on the sofa bed with a startled cry.
Fu Hua's exasperation, Bronya and the Book of Fuxi's pity, along with Zeke's icy gaze—all converged upon Kiana.
Suddenly, a hand clamped down on her head.
Kiana froze, wide-eyed, "╰(°▽°)╯!!!"
The atmosphere grew silent as Zeke looked down at her expressionlessly and said, "Now you understand the situation."
"Um, I... Wahh! No hitting, no hitting! I'm sorry, I messed up! Waaah!"
Before Zeke could make a move, Kiana hastily wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face against his abs, pleading tearfully for mercy.
However, despite wailing for quite some time, she didn't feel Zeke's iron fist coming down.
"Huh?"
Confused, Kiana stopped sobbing, slightly tilting her head to cautiously peek at Zeke's expression.
Then, she realized that they were no longer in the peaceful and relaxed lounge space but had been transported to an open field under clear blue skies. Neither Bronya nor the others were present; only the sofa beneath her seemed to have accompanied them.
Zeke looked down at her with a somber expression.
Wrapping her arms around Zeke's waist, Kiana felt her heart tremble. She sensed his complex emotions—realizing that perhaps anger wasn't predominant; instead, there was more concern, fear, and sorrow.
"Sorry..." Kiana tightened her embrace around Zeke's waist, burying her face against him as she mumbled apologetically.
Having calmed down, Kiana now understood her recklessness. Even if she wanted to take such risks, it should have been after thorough analysis by Zeke and careful simulations with Fu Hua. At the very least, waiting until they left the Elysian Realm would have been wiser, rather than attempting it in this ambiguous space between reality and illusion, introducing unnecessary uncertainties.
"I'm really sorry for being so careless." Kiana apologized again, deeply feeling her guilt.
Her life wasn't just hers—it held immense value for Zeke, and many other loved ones and companions around her. Taking reckless risks undoubtedly hurt their hearts.
"Sigh..."
Zeke let out a long sigh, gently stroking Kiana's hair without speaking for quite some time.
After a long while, when Kiana felt so guilty she was ready to prostrate herself in apology, Zeke finally asked softly:
"How do you feel now?"
"I'm fine, no issues," Kiana replied honestly, lifting her head.
Her body had been healed, the rampant Honkai Energy pacified, and the mental damage from self-inflicted wounds repaired. Apart from some lingering fatigue, she genuinely didn't have any significant problems.
Kiana released Zeke, stood up, and spun around before him, further demonstrating her well-being.
A moment later, she spread her arms wide, standing innocently in front of Zeke with a bright smile.
Zeke reached out, enveloping the girl tightly in his embrace.
"You really scared me."
His voice, forced calm, carried a slight tremble.
Kiana's eyes softened as she gently patted Zeke's back, smiling warmly, "Mm... I'm sorry, it won't happen again."
"Your promises don't reassure me anymore."
"Do I really lack that much trustworthiness?"
"I can stand against war, death, defeat, and even Honkai itself. But Kiana, only you truly terrify me."
Zeke gently held Kiana's head and took a deep breath, inhaling her scent. In a low voice, he slowly replied,
Kiana froze, tears welling up in her eyes.
After a moment, an incredibly tender smile blossomed on her face as she embraced Zeke's sturdy body and said:
"You must believe in me, trust the one you deeply love, and have faith in the person who adores you beyond measure. As long as Zeke is here, not even hell can stop me from returning. I swear it!"
"...That's not scientifically possible," Zeke murmured incredulously after a pause.
But Kiana chuckled softly, with tears glistening at the corners of her eyes yet a gentle warmth in her gaze, she countered matter-of-factly:
"Who cares about science? This is called love, silly!"
"Love...I think I truly understand now. I love you, Kiana, so very much."
Zeke whispered these heartfelt words effortlessly, pouring out his genuine emotions.
Kiana's eyes widened slightly, momentarily stunned, before crystalline tears began to slide down her cheeks.
These were not tears of sorrow but rather, indicative of unparalleled happiness.
After a moment, Kiana spoke with a trembling voice:
"At this kind of...moment, you should kiss me."
Zeke gently released Kiana from his tight embrace and, as she suggested, pressed his lips against her enticingly soft, crystalline pink mouth.
A sweet sensation blended between their lips, almost exchanging breaths seamlessly.
Neither Kiana nor Zeke closed their eyes; instead, they gazed deeply into each other's emotions, seemingly forgetting about time itself.