A lively dinner washed away the dust and fatigue for the returning trio. Aside from Raiden Mei initially feeling quite awkward, the evening concluded on a mostly satisfying note.
Later at night, in Zeke's study, he held a tangible copy of a literary work from the previous civilization, casually flipping through its pages.
"Bang!"
The door abruptly swung open as Kiana, fresh from an emotional farewell with Raiden Mei, stomped in with determination, looking fiercely upset.
"Crack!"
Her pale fist slammed into the solid wooden desk, leaving an indented mark.
Then, placing hands on her hips, Kiana angrily scolded him:
"Zeke, you need to seriously reflect on your actions!"
Zeke glanced sideways at her, turned another page in his book nonchalantly, and asked dismissively:
"What mischief do you plan now?"
"I'm not planning any mischief! But you've been too harsh on Seele, and even towards Mei!"
"Putting aside Mei for now, didn't I praise her just fine? As for Seele and Wendy... What do you expect me to do—keep letting them fall for me?"
"I... Ugh! This is so annoying! Just don't make them sad, okay?" Kiana scratched her head irritably, making this unreasonable demand.
On one hand, she didn't want more people sharing Zeke; love has always been possessive. Bronya and Sin were exceptions, as things had already progressed too far with them. Kiana couldn't bear breaking their hearts at that point, so she reluctantly accepted it—but adding anyone else was simply unacceptable.
On the other hand, these girls around her had grown up together like sisters, bound by bonds stronger than life itself. Kiana couldn't stand seeing any of them hurt or upset.
By throwing this seemingly unsolvable dilemma at Zeke, she demanded him to find a perfect resolution.
Zeke lifted his gaze, observing Kiana calmly amidst the storm brewing within her.
"..."
"What's with that look? No matter how you stare at me, you still have to handle this situation—it's non-negotiable!" Under Zeke's gaze, Kiana took a step back but quickly squared her shoulders, feigning composure as she insisted.
That's right! It's all this man-whore's fault! Of course, he has to figure out how to fix it himself!
Kiana puffed up her chest again, confidently shifting the blame.
At that moment, she noticed Zeke suddenly furrow his brow.
"Hm?"
Panicking, Kiana thought Zeke was about to lose his temper.
However, moments later, Zeke relaxed his features, looking composed as one of his hands reached under the desk, seemingly caressing something.
"Rustle rustle..."
The sound of clothes brushing against each other emerged from beneath the table.
Shortly after, a light gray head popped out from below the desk, delicate curls elegantly swaying playfully in the air.
"B-Bronya! Y-you... you two?!"
Kiana's eyes widened, her face contorting with disbelief, resembling a Spartan caught off guard by Honkai.
Bronya, clad in a simple strapless nightgown and barefoot, crawled out from under the desk. She hugged Zeke, gently nuzzling him before apologetically saying:
"I'm sorry, Bronya needs to take care of Seele tonight, so I can only do this much. Please leave the rest to Kiana. Goodnight, Zeke."
"Goodnight. And don't stir things up with Seele."
Zeke gently pinched Bronya's cheek, displaying a hint of exasperation.
He knew that unlike Kiana, whose jealousy stemmed from relatively conventional notions, Bronya fervently wished for Zeke to include Seele in his intimate circle.
Having witnessed humanity's ugliest aspects, Bronya believed her fragile yet pure and innocent little sister could only be truly safe under Zeke's care. This arrangement also allowed Bronya to fulfill her promise to Seele—to always stay together and protect her forever.
Privately, Zeke had noticed Bronya subtly maneuvering things to benefit Seele. However, these gestures were driven by love for her sister, making it impossible for him to reprimand her—hence his helplessness.
Bronya smiled sweetly without saying anything further, turned around, brushed past the still-dazed Kiana, and left the study.
The room fell silent.
Amidst this tranquility, Zeke put down his book, and his clear blue eyes shifted towards Kiana.
Her legs trembled, face flushed red as she lowered her head.
"Um... I... uh... well..."
Under Zeke's increasingly predatory gaze, Kiana's face turned redder and redder, stuttering without forming coherent sentences.
After their training sessions, life within the World of Elysium was remarkably leisurely. Bronya, with her refined expertise, and Kiana, fueled by youthful passion, continuously teased Zeke incessantly.
However, flipping certain switches leads to vastly different outcomes before and after activation.
Compared to a Herrscher, Bronya's physical strength and endurance were negligible.
Kiana, on the other hand, being both a Herrscher and a Kaslana known for resilience and stamina—yet even she paled in comparison to Zeke's formidable physique, which even Kevin, the Ancestor, found challenging to overcome.
Thus, the dynamics between them had long since shifted from defense to offense.
"You...you go easy on me today; it's just us two..." Kia's blush spread to her ears as she bashfully lowered her head, her body fidgeting nervously. Her timid plea sounded less like surrender to Zeke and more akin to a subtle invitation.
Zeke lifted her chin, savoring the moment as her eyelashes fluttered with shyness, his lips curling mischievously.
As the night deepened...
In Seele's room, a charming pink haven.
On the light blue bed lay two pillows; Seele used only one, leaving ample space on the other side.
She knew Bronya would come over to keep her company tonight.
Sure enough, soon after, the door opened, and Bronya slipped under the covers.
"Big Sister Bronya, you're here!"
"Mm-hmm, good evening, Seele."
"Good evening..."
"Oh right, let me rinse my mouth first."
Bronya interrupted Seele's greeting, causing confusion on the younger girl's face as she headed to the bathroom for a lengthy rinse before returning to climb back into bed.
Still bewildered, Seele didn't dwell on it or ask further questions.
Unexpectedly, Bronya leaned close to her ear and whispered something softly.
With both hands clutching the blanket, Seele's expression turned blank momentarily, then steam began rising from her head.
"B-B-B-B-Bronya Big Sis, let's get some sleep early. I'm feeling tired!" Stuttering, Seele pulled the blanket up, covering her beet-red cheeks that seemed ready to drip blood.
"Tsk!" Bronya rolled onto Seele, lifting the blanket to expose the flustered girl. She gently pried open Seele's hands, gazing directly into her eyes:
"It's about time you matured a bit. Listen up, Seele: Bronya will definitely support you. Sin and Kiana might be resistant at first, but if Zeke accepts it, they won't cause much trouble in the end. So, your only task is to win over Zeke as quickly as possible!"
"Wah! Big Sister Bronya!" With her cheeks being pulled by Bronya, Seele spoke with muffled words, but her evasive gaze indicated she was indeed affected by what Bronya said.
Bronya continued kneading Seele's soft, delicate cheeks until they turned red before finally letting go. She looked straight at Seele and said,
"Remember, while you're still young, you can leverage your innocence to soften Zeke's heart and get closer to him. Time isn't on our side; if we don't make progress before adulthood, chances may slip away forever."
"..."
"This is Bronya's 'Zeke Conquest Diary,' documenting his habits and traits. Combined with this 'Final Approach Guide,' we'll surely..."
"Big Sister Bronya!" As Bronya kept talking, Seele gently cupped her face, stopping her mid-sentence.
Bronya paused and blinked, unable to discern Seele's thoughts from her eyes but sensing an unwavering determination.
"Seele, you..."
"Big Sister Bronya, we're fine just as we are."
"But..."
"Big Sister Bronya, this is Wendy and my decision. We can't burden Big Bro Zeke any further!" Seele spoke softly yet firmly.
Bronya's lips trembled; she wanted to say something, but Seele's gaze rendered her speechless.
As they continued their eye contact, a hint of sorrow gradually surfaced in Seele's eyes.
"Big Sister Bronya, I've been to many battlefields. With my own eyes, I've witnessed how everyone struggles for survival against Honkai, knowing full well that people die every day because of it. I even asked Mr. Su about how the previous civilization fought Honkai... Big Bro Zeke has a crucial, incredibly important task ahead. I want to help him, not add more burdens. Do you understand, Big Sister Bronya?"
"...Foolish child!"
Bronya set down the notebooks she had meticulously handwritten, took Seele's hand, and sighed with both relief and tenderness.
"Kids should act their age. Leave those matters to your older siblings."
"Well...kids shouldn't fall in love too early either, right?" Seele countered softly, blinking innocently.
Bronya stared at her, speechless.
Seele's lashes fluttered as she felt her gaze start to wander. She rarely ever talked back to Bronya—doing so and rendering her sister momentarily tongue-tied made her feel guilty, yet there was also a hint of excitement.
Then Bronya's lips curved upward, and she patted Seele on the head.
"All right, time for bed. Since you've made up your mind, I won't bring it up again, Seele."
"Mm-hmm, thank you, Big Sister Bronya."
Watching Bronya lie down once more, Seele beamed and hugged her tightly.
With a blank expression, Bronya let Seele cling to her helplessly.
"I absolutely adore Big Sister Bronya!"
"Oh? And what about Zeke?"
"Erm... Adore him just as much..."
"Oh, then how about the other Seele, Mother Cocolia, Rozaliya, Liliya, Kiana, Big Sister Mei..."
"Big Sister Bronya is mean!" Seele puffed out her cheeks, glaring at Bronya with teary eyes.
Having successfully ruffled the little girl's feathers, Bronya's lips curved upwards, revealing a smug expression as if she had won a round.
Later, the sisters shared their experiences and discoveries from their day under the covers until late into the night, eventually drifting off to sleep embraced together.
As for what Kiana was experiencing simultaneously, it bore no responsibility of Bronya's; today was her day off after all!