The battle between the Herrscher of Thunder and Heroic Spirit Almacyt concluded with both sides sustaining heavy casualties.
Above the ravaged earth, beneath the crimson sky, lay an enormous crater with an unmeasurable radius—spectacular yet terrifying.
At the bottom of this pit, Raiden Mei leaned heavily on her dual blades, panting for breath. Kalpas crouched nearby, seemingly relaxed but with blood pooling at his feet. Even his black demon mask was half-shattered, revealing one impassive eye.
"Kalpas... Thank you for your guidance. This kindness is beyond my means to repay."
"Hmph! Now get lost."
"Yes, sir! I'll be taking my leave now. Please accept my apologies for any disturbances during my stay."
Despite Kalpas's consistently brusque demeanor, Raiden Mei bowed courteously, showing utmost respect. As a revered senior—a hero who once fought valiantly against Honkai—she held him in high esteem and deeply appreciated all she had learned from him during their time together. Moreover, compared to Zeke, Kalpas's rudeness barely extended beyond occasional profanity, making it relatively harmless.
Indeed, she bore no ill feelings whatsoever.
Narrowing his eyes, Kalpas replied coldly, "Get lost. Next time, I won't guarantee your survival."
"Yes, sir!"
Raiden Mei bowed again, expressing her gratitude sincerely.
This marked the first occasion where she managed to reach a ceasefire with Kalpas, allowing them to converse amicably. Unfortunately, he clearly showed little interest in such dialogue.
Raiden Mei rose with a hint of regret, her figure gradually fading from Kalpas' sight.
I'll save my formal farewell to Miss Sakura for the day I truly depart. For now, let's report to Zike-san... Hm?!
A sharp pain pierced Raiden Mei's shoulder area as a surge of scorching energy resonated with the Honkai Energy within her body. Instinctively, she glanced at her damaged pauldron just before exiting this realm and caught a glimpse of a corner of a red emblem etched upon it.
"Thank you for your acknowledgment, Mr. Kalpas!" Raiden Mei bowed once more, beaming brightly, and then completely vanished without a trace.
"Hmph!"
Within Kalpas' domain, only an enigmatic cold snort echoed amidst the reignited sea of flames.
In the spacious living room, Raiden Mei emerged slowly from the black whirlpool.
To her surprise, two additional dark vortexes similar to the one behind her had opened nearby.
Soon, three captivating figures—one tall and two short—gracefully stepped out, standing before Zeke, who was lounging with his legs crossed.
As they exchanged glances, Wendy and Seele, immaculately clean, wore warm smiles. Only Raiden Mei, with her damaged Phantom Armor, looked awkwardly scratched and dusty, scratching her face self-consciously.
Then, Seele turned towards Zeke, visibly excited as she took a step forward and gleefully exclaimed:
"Big Bro Zeke, I'm back!"
"Hm, well done," Zeke responded calmly, though his lips involuntarily curved slightly upwards, instinctively reaching out to pat Seele's head.
Suddenly, his gaze hardened, and he lowered his hand mid-air.
He had agreed with Kiana to maintain distance, allowing their emotions to cool down gradually; thus, he couldn't act as casually as before. Reflecting on himself, Zeke transformed the smile at the corner of his mouth into indifference.
Watching this unfold, Seele seemed to grasp something momentarily. She bowed her head, twisting her fingers nervously, and her once radiant and flawless smile faded swiftly, like a flower abruptly wilting.
Raiden Mei opened her mouth, wanting to say something but feeling unsure of her place to intervene. In the end, she could only gaze with pity and concern at Seele's retreating back, unable to utter a word.
Wendy took a deep breath and glared fiercely at Zeke—What are you doing, you heartless jerk?! Can't you see how upset Seele is?!
Zeke remained unfazed by Wendy's menacing stare, despite his own discomfort over Seele's distress. He was determined not to give her any more room for misunderstandings or fantasies.
However...
"Psst! Psst-psst!"
Kiana appeared behind Seele, repeatedly pointing at the disheartened girl while making exaggerated gestures towards Zeke, hinting at something.
Simultaneously, Bronya emerged behind Zeke, expressionlessly giving him a firm pinch on the back. Though it couldn't truly harm him, it clearly conveyed Bronya's stance.
Zeke fell silent.
What were these two trying to do? Wasn't it better for everyone if he decisively cut off Seele's hopes?
Zeke slowly furrowed his brow.
At that moment, Seele lifted her head, a smile returning to her face as she nodded courteously to each person present.
"Big Sister Bronya, Big Sister Kiana, and everyone else, Seele is back!"
She tried to put on a normal, cheerful smile, not wanting anyone to worry about her or cause any awkwardness due to her presence—but everyone here knew her well. They could tell she was struggling to mask her sadness.
Wendy's warning gaze intensified with a hint of menace. Kiana's expressions grew more frantic, and Bronya increased the pressure on Zeke's back significantly.
Silently, Zeke tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling.
After a moment, he sighed, raised his hand, and gently placed it atop Seele's head.
"Su thinks highly of you; good job, you didn't embarrass me."
Zeke ruffled her hair, then patted it affectionately. Feeling its smooth texture, he couldn't resist repeating the gesture several times, inadvertently turning Seele's neatly styled bob into a tousled mess.
As Zeke continued, Seele's small head swayed side to side, her expression somewhat dazed.
After a while, blushing and fidgeting with her fingers, she shyly responded,
"Mm... Thank you, Big Bro Zeke." Her voice was exceptionally soft and gentle, like the delicate touch of feathers brushing against skin.
Her voice was exceptionally soft and gentle, akin to the delicate touch of feathers brushing against his hand.
In that moment, Wendy's murderous intent transformed into satisfaction. Kiana sighed with relief, wiping her forehead, while Bronya released her grip on Zeke's back.
Of course, these reactions weren't what prompted Zeke to change his approach. Ultimately, it was simply difficult for him to bear causing Seele any distress.
Zeke then moved his hand away from Seele's head, looked at Wendy, and beckoned her with a crooked finger.
Wendy, who had just been defending Seele fervently, hesitated momentarily before stepping forward, asking grumpily, "What do you want?"
Zeke raised his hand and placed it gently atop Wendy's head.
Wendy froze, utterly bewildered by the situation, her slightly widened eyes conveying sheer adorableness.
"You too, well done. I've seen everything."
"You...you...hmph! No need for your praise, I know it myself!" Wendy tried hard to muster confidence, aiming for a composed demeanor, but couldn't control the tremble in her voice or the sudden blush on her cheeks.
Notably, she made no attempt to resist the head pat, perhaps not fully registering the gesture.
After a while, Zeke removed his hand from Wendy's head, her cheeks flushed red even extending to her ears. He then turned calmly towards Raiden Mei.
Raiden Mei exclaimed, "Hmph (°A°)!"
Wait, does she really need this? She's already grown up!
Just as Raiden Mei was about to express her stance, Zeke calmly instructed:
"Come here."
"Yes, sir!"
"Bow your head."
"Yes, sir!"
By the time Raiden Mei realized it, she was standing before Zeke, bent at the waist with her head lowered, perfectly positioned for him to pat her hair.
Zeke placed his hand on Raiden Mei's head, ignoring her initial stiffness, and gently ruffled her hair a few times.
Hmm, by giving each of them a headpat, I'm showing equal appreciation as a reward, not favoritism. This way, Seele and Wendy won't misinterpret things, right? They should understand my intentions, shouldn't they?
Zeke pondered uncertainly, continuing to tousle Raiden Mei's hair as he said:
"You've done exceptionally well too, making full use of this opportunity for self-improvement. In every aspect, you deserve praise..."
Despite herself, Raiden Mei's face flushed uncontrollably, half out of embarrassment and half due to sheer delight.
Apart from occasional casual praises to the Imperial Guard trio, Zeke rarely complimented others.
Despite her temporary phobia induced by Zeke's twisted humor, Raiden Mei's admiration for him as the leader guiding the world remained unwavering. Therefore, such words of approval from Zeke elicited immense feelings of achievement and surprise for her.
"But you're too dirty; go wash up."
Zeke removed his dusty hand from Raiden Mei's head and added this expressionlessly.
While he didn't explicitly show disgust, immediately wiping his hand with a clean towel after petting her hair utterly shattered Raiden Mei's barrier of shame.
"...Yes, sir!" she managed to respond, her face flushed red, nearly on the verge of emotional breakdown as she rushed towards the door.
"Mei!"
Kiana remained rooted in place, unable to stop her in time, her outstretched arm frozen mid-air like a dramatic gesture.
Her fists clenched tightly, trembling against her chest, Kiana stomped her foot and exclaimed:
"Zeke!"
"What?"
"How could you say that to Mei... To Mei... How dare you?!"
"I was just stating the truth. She really does need some grooming."
"But your tone was so harsh—ah! Never mind. Expecting Zeke to be considerate of girls' feelings is like hoping for Senti to suddenly become as gentle and mature as Fu Hua-sensei tomorrow."
Kiana rested her forehead on her hand, swaying slightly before leaning weakly against Seele beside her, shaking her head with a sigh.
Zeke remained expressionless—as always, dirty was simply dirty; what's wrong with pointing it out? He had told Kiana the same countless times without any issue!
Feeling no remorse, he thought she was being silly again. Best to ignore her.
At the same moment, nearby, Senti paused while munching on watermelon. Lifting her head, juice dribbling from the corner of her mouth along with a stray seed, she looked bewildered yet adorable as she protested:
"Hold up, sure, scold him all you want, but why bring me into this?!"
I'm just minding my own business, enjoying some melon here, not causing any trouble. Why am I getting dragged into another personal attack? What did I do now?
Kiana paused momentarily, belatedly realizing that after being caught in the crossfire due to Senti yesterday, it seemed she had just gotten her revenge today!
Heh, score!
Kiana suddenly started giggling mischievously, further convincing the bewildered Zeke that she must have lost her marbles.