To this day, Brian still had no idea that he had almost become the doorman for the St. Freya High School Valkyrie dormitory.
St. Freya High School was huge, but it couldn't withstand the persistent exploration of the Inner World Protagonist.
Despite being abandoned by the bad woman Murata Himeko, Brian still found his way back to the Valkyrie dormitory with ease.
By this time, the three girls, having dealt with all their miscellaneous tasks, had returned, pulling the daily life of this place back onto a normal track.
There was no Honkai, no Cocolia, and no scheming plots—only warm, everyday moments.
The Russian loli, the duck, who had connected a game console to the living room TV, sat on the fluffy carpet. Seeing him arrive, she merely spared him a glance before turning her attention back to the game.
Men would only slow down her speed in saving Seele; they required no attention.
The snow-haired girl also turned her head. A quiet Kiana indeed possessed a refined and beautiful quality, like a moon goddess.
Except for that mouth of hers…
"What are you doing here?"
She bared her teeth, like a little calf protecting its food.
The moment she opened her mouth, the goddess transformed into a blockhead.
From the kitchen, Raiden Mei's voice called out: "Brian, come and help me, I'm swamped here."
Today, Raiden Mei was still the family's cook, responsible for the meals of four people.
"Alright, what do you need me to do?"
Like the male master of the household, the newly returned Brian entered the kitchen with practiced ease to assist Raiden Mei.
The two worked together in the kitchen with perfect coordination, preparing one dish after another.
However…
"You have… another woman's perfume on you."
The whirring of the range hood failed to drown out Raiden Mei's voice.
Her expression was a little cold; she was jealous.
Although she had long seen that he was a philandering man, when the day finally came, Raiden Mei still felt a pang of discomfort.
"It was Himeko. She had a private chat with me earlier."
Brian hugged Raiden Mei from behind. The girl did not resist.
"Just a chat, and she leaves a lipstick mark on you?"
Never underestimate a woman's ability to catch a cheater. The slightest clue is all they need to deduce the truth of the matter.
Brian knew this and had no intention of hiding it, not even bothering to take a shower after coming back.
As a scumbag, he was still somewhat unqualified.
"She was drunk."
"You mean you had a drunken fling, right?"
Her expression grew colder.
"Whether we had a fling or not, I think you can verify that for yourself."
"…"
The girl's face flushed crimson, and she cursed, "Pah! Pervert!"
Only Brian said with a serious face, "This isn't perversion, this is my unwavering love for you!"
…
Originally… she should have been the one in that position!
Kiana nearly ground her teeth to dust.
The aroma of the food made Kiana's mouth water, and it also made the white-haired furball extremely jealous.
If it weren't for a moment of carelessness back in Nagazora City, allowing that bastard Blondie next door to seize upon a moment of vulnerability in Raiden Mei's heart, things wouldn't have developed to this point.
Not only was her own status in the family declining by the day, but even her spot in Raiden Mei's bed was under threat.
She truly regretted it now.
Crucially, it seemed as if everyone was conspiring against her, making it impossible for her to drive away this damned Blondie.
"Sigh, this is so hard."
The snow-haired girl sighed in frustration.
The path to true love was truly difficult.
Suddenly.
"Kiana, just accept reality. There's no place for you in this family."
The Russian loli was multitasking. Her slender fingers manipulated the game controller, but her little mouth was merciless.
Those involved are confused, but the onlooker sees clearly.
As a newcomer to this family, Bronya had always remained on the sidelines, allowing her to see the emotional relationships between the three with the clearest perspective.
Before Brian appeared, Kiana was Raiden Mei's only ray of light in the darkness. If she had remained steadfastly by her side, achieving heretical love would have been just around the corner.
But after this man appeared, Raiden Mei's nearly-warped sexual preferences returned to normal, and she was continually saved by him.
Comparing the two, the fact that Kiana could still maintain her status as the family pet, rather than being kicked out, was already a blessing in Bronya's eyes.
Don't be so ungrateful, Kiana Kaslana!
Hearing this, Kiana flew into a rage. She walked over to Bronya and looked down at her. "Bronya, are you itching for a beating?!"
How dare a little Russian loli who hadn't even finished growing up point fingers at her.
She was truly asking for death, deserving to taste her Auntie's Entanglement!
"Am I not telling the truth? Other than rolling in the sheets with big sister Mei, what other way do you have to ensure you won't be kicked out of the house in the future?"
Bronya posed a soul-searching question.
Kiana: "That… that's…"
She was incoherent. Her mouth, much like her brain, couldn't form a logical thought.
Thus, the utterly confused Kiana failed to see the glint that flashed through Bronya's silver-gray eyes.
This… was Bronya Zaychik's path of revenge!
This foolish girl had dared to threaten her back in Nagazora City, attempting to set her sister up with that damnable Inner World Protagonist.
Bronya, forced by the circumstances at the time, didn't react immediately, but she remembered the grudge.
Now, the petty Silver Wolf of the Urals began to execute her long-prepared evil plan, to let this girl know what cruelty was!
"That's what? You don't really think big sister Mei will support you for the rest of your life, do you?"
The Silver Wolf of the Urals raised the banner of realism.
Material foundation determines the superstructure. The future wouldn't change course just because of a blockhead's ideas.
As Bronya saw it, the possibility of this white-haired furball driving away the Blondie on her own was minuscule. The success rate was probably lower than just killing the guy directly.
Of course, given this girl's personality, the latter option was completely out of the question.
In other words, she could only watch, day after day in her anguish, as Brian and Raiden Mei's relationship grew ever closer.
"Kiana, think about it."
"If things continue to develop as they are, big sister Mei will eventually walk down the aisle with him. They will have children and live happily ever after."
"Do you think that after new members join the family, there will still be a place for you in their world?"
"…"
The snow-haired girl fell silent.
Even if she thought with her jade foot, she knew that once Raiden Mei had a child, there would be no place for her in the house.
By then, she would be old and her beauty faded, unable to hold on to Raiden Mei's heart with her looks. She could only watch as Mei focused all her attention on her child.
There would be five people, but only three in the family, and she would not be one of them!
The thought of such a hopeless future made Kiana instinctively assume the Orz posture, her entire being exuding an air of dejection.
The super-vindictive Bronya pressed on: "It seems you've thought it through. As long as you continue on your current path, there will definitely be no place for you in big sister Mei's home."
A family is the most basic atomic structure of society. At that time, although Kiana could maintain a good relationship with Raiden Mei, she would certainly not occupy an important place in her heart as she did now.
But if she adopted Bronya's plan, things would be different.
"As long as you roll in the sheets with big sister Mei, the relationship between the three of you can go a step further, and you won't have to worry about being kicked out."
Married in a year, two kids in three.
Bronya narrowed her eyes, having already secretly planned out Kiana's future.
Good sisters sharing the same bed, a lifetime under one quilt—for Kiana, this was undoubtedly a future filled with happiness.
A happy family, and she could continue to be Raiden Mei's pet. There simply was no better future than this.
Of course, there was a little bit of selfish intent in this for her as well.
Getting revenge on Kiana was one thing, and doing Brian a favor was another.
After all, she still needed this guy to rescue her sister, so racking up a few favors wouldn't hurt.
As Bronya was calculating the benefits she could gain from this, Kiana, having heard her speech, suddenly shot up from the ground, full of fighting spirit.
"Bronya, you're right!"
Her sapphire-like eyes ignited with a soaring fighting spirit. In an instant, the snow-haired girl transformed into a powerful warrior.
"As long as the rice is cooked, as long as I roll in the sheets with Mei, even Mei won't be able to kick me out!"
Heretical love, begins today!
A Blondie isn't scary; what's scary is a powerful Blondie.
But if she also became a Blondie, then her competition with Brian would start from the same line.
If he could be a Blondie, why couldn't she, a Kaslana!?
If the bandits can go, so can I!
"…"
For some reason, Bronya had an ominous premonition.
She had a feeling that this foolish white-haired furball had misunderstood her words and had set off down another wrong path.
However…
"Who cares? It's not my problem."
On the TV screen, the last sliver of the boss's health bar disappeared, and three letters popped up, signifying victory.
WIN!!!
…
At dinner time.
The atmosphere at the table was somewhat unusual, with Raiden Mei and Brian sitting together.
"Kiana, what's wrong with you?"
Ever since the meal began, Kiana had been giggling foolishly for no reason, her gaze darting here and there.
If Raiden Mei didn't know for a fact that this white-haired furball usually acted without thinking, she would have definitely thought Kiana had knocked her head and damaged her brain.
But with no brain, there's naturally no worry about damaging it.
"It's nothing, Mei. Let's just eat first."
It had come to this. Best to eat first.
Only with a full stomach would she have the strength to expend on Raiden Mei tonight.
As the saying goes.
An older brother with money might not spend it on you, but a younger brother with strength will definitely spend it on you.
Switch the genders, and for Kiana, it was the truth.
As long as she made sure Raiden Mei was well-fed, the situation between her and the Blondie would be completely reversed.
The future is bright!
"…"
Raiden Mei was puzzled, having no idea what was going on.
As usual, the gentle girl placed some food into her boyfriend's bowl and quietly enjoyed the somewhat strange dinner.
After the meal, Brian, for whom it was inconvenient to stay the night, left under Kiana's increasingly excited gaze. Raiden Mei also completed her daily hygiene routine and lay down on the large bed in her room.
And at this very moment, Kiana…
"Mei, I'm going to face my feelings head-on."
Under the moonlight, the snow-haired girl stood silhouetted in the doorway, the bright moonlight revealing every detail on her face.
Kiana's expression was incredibly serious, as if she were facing a major life decision.
Tonight was the crucial moment for her to fight for her future happiness!
Hate the Blondie, reject the Blondie, understand the Blondie, become the Blondie!
She would use the tactics learned from the Blondie to snatch her personal cook back from his side!
As long as I touch Mei, she won't resist, just like when she's with that Blondie!
However, the girl on the bed patted the spot next to her, her expression unmoved. "Kiana, it's time to get in bed and sleep."
What feelings? She would pretend she didn't know anything.
Her old man was still waiting for her to produce an heir to inherit the Raiden family's trillion-dollar fortune. How could she possibly engage in heretical love with this white-haired furball!?
Kiana, having anticipated this, was unfazed. She brought out a line she had learned from who-knows-where: "Mei, it doesn't matter if you don't accept me now. Once you know how good I am, you will definitely change your mind."
Smooth shoulders, skin whiter than snow.
The moonlight was soft, the atmosphere ambiguous.
The determined Kiana Kaslana had already planned the script—Water Dragon's Song: Outsmarting the Personal Cook!
Strong resistance, half-hearted pushing, smooth shoulders, doing as she pleased.
And finally… Judo 10th dan!
Be bold and brave, put Mei on maternity leave!
As long as Raiden Mei knew how good she was, she would return to her side and kick that annoying Blondie to the curb.
Driven by this thought, the self-assured snow-haired girl's attention was divided, and she failed to notice the expression on Raiden Mei's face at that moment.
"Kiana, you're doing something stupid again!"
It was obvious. This girl had another one of her earth-shattering, ghost-wailing ideas, wanting to drag her into some heretical romance.
But it was impossible between two girls. Kiana had improper thoughts about her, but she only saw Kiana as a pet.
Just because you can sleep in the same bed doesn't mean you can push your luck!
"Mei, this isn't something stupid."
Under the moonlight, Kiana's white hair was loose, filled with a serene beauty.
Suddenly, a pair of crimson vertical pupils opened in the darkness. The girl Kiana saw as her prey had, at some unknown point, switched to a more assertive personality.
"Kiana, you want to be with me?"
"Yes, yes!"
Cook the rice!
"Then let's play something a little more interesting."
The next second.
Thunder turned into shackles. A powerful electric charge made Kiana's hair stand on end. As her lips and teeth moved weakly, she coughed out a puff of black smoke.
"You… have no martial virtue!"
The Herrscher of Thunder, having effortlessly subdued Kiana, returned control of the body. The expressionless Raiden Mei pulled up the covers and fell into a deep sleep.
This once, and never again.
If it happens again… this husky can just go sleep on the floor.
…
In the next room.
The sudden spike in Honkai energy concentration startled Theresa, but after figuring out what had happened, she silently took another sip of her beloved bitter melon juice.
"That Kiana child, she doesn't know how to take a more roundabout route."
Just rolling in the sheets with her beloved beautiful girl, what's so hard about that?
Risk it all, and you can even drag an emperor off his horse.
Raiden Mei has made it clear she doesn't want to smell like citrus with you, so you can't force her. Even if you wanted to rape her, you don't have the equipment for it.
In that case, why not just roll in the sheets with her boyfriend and then drag Raiden Mei into it too?
As Theresa saw it, Kiana already had feelings for Brian that went beyond friendship anyway, so they were bound to end up in bed together eventually.
That being the case, what's the difference between sooner and later?
One life, one quilt. And she could even get a happy family out of it. It was like a classic one-bird, two-wet scenario.
If you're brave enough, the Herrscher will take maternity leave!
"What an idiot."
Changing into her pajamas, she draped her nun's habit over Judah. Theresa pulled up the covers and closed her eyes.
"Goodnight, Judah."
—Fin—
Dream Nagazora.
The earth wailed, the sky cracked.
Everything was just like the previous times, the whole world just one step away from destruction.
Ever since being easily defeated by the Herrscher of Corruption the first time, the Herrscher of the Void had persistently appeared in this dreamscape, fighting a life-or-death duel with the Herrscher of Corruption.
The dream world would refresh after being destroyed, and the Herrscher of the Void would always appear on time, to the point that everyone else had become spectators, just waiting to wake up.
But there was one thing Fu Hua was very concerned about.
"This Herrscher of Corruption, where exactly is she hiding?"
There was another half of the question she didn't say: is there also a Herrscher of Corruption in the real world?
A dream is born from the subconscious of life. A shared dream is the interweaving of multiple subconsciouses.
In other words, in Fu Hua's eyes, at least one of them knew something about the Herrscher of Corruption, and this Herrscher could very well exist in the real world.
This reality made Fu Hua feel uneasy.
The ever-resilient Brian chimed in: "Isn't it obvious?"
Fu Hua: "?"
The man pointed at the Herrscher of Corruption, who was SOLOing the Herrscher of the Void in the distance, and said: "The Herrscher of Corruption is currently controlling the body of a shrine maiden. We just need to search in that direction, no need to overthink it."
Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. Thinking too much only troubles oneself.
A single sentence cleared the fog in Fu Hua's mind.
But a second problem immediately followed: "From what I know, the Herrscher of Corruption's life form is different from all other Herrschers. It's very difficult for us to defeat this Herrscher now."
In her fragmented memories, the Previous Era suffered heavy losses under the rampage of the Herrscher of Corruption.
It was those brilliant scientists who used extraordinary technological means to successfully subdue the Herrscher.
Subdue, not eliminate.
In this dream world, Fu Hua didn't have to worry so much.
But if the Herrscher of Corruption truly existed in reality, then they had to consider the possibility of her successfully escaping.
The slightest mistake would lead to an unimaginable disaster.
The Inner World Protagonist Brian thought for a moment, his expression flickering, as if weighing a difficult decision.
Seeing this, Fu Hua knew what it meant.
He might possess some means to affect or even harm the Herrscher, but using it would cause unimaginable damage and backlash to himself.
A dead horse is treated as a living one.
Whether it worked or not, Fu Hua was going to give it a try.
So she said: "Don't worry, no matter what ability you use, I will not reveal it to anyone else."
With that said.
The ever-resilient Brian also laid his cards on the table: "I have an ability that can disable the Pseudo-Herrscher controlled by the Herrscher of Corruption, but I can't find a way to synchronize their senses."
Once the God Hand is out, who can compete!
Fu Hua was thoughtful, looking at the Divine Key she held, feeling as though it had found its perfect match.
This strange dream world had sealed most of Fenghuang Down's abilities, while providing three strange functions.
Could it be…
These three functions were meant for her to use at this very moment, to deal with that Herrscher?
"…"
The Valkyrie looked at the Herrschers fighting furiously in the distance and fell into deep thought.
In this dream world where no fatal harm could be done, where the worst that could happen was waking up, these strange abilities might actually play an unimaginable role.
It might even be worth a try in the real world.
In any case, let's try it first.
"Alright, let's try this plan."
Sympathy + Hand of God…
Brian sincerely hoped that Higokumaru and Yae Sakura would still be able to stand before him.
…
"Jie jie jie~~"
"Give up, foolish kindred! You can't possibly defeat me!"
The dark laughter came from all directions, making the Herrscher of the Void feel utterly humiliated.
The snow-haired, golden-eyed girl had never felt so aggrieved. Even Siegfried, who could fight Sirin for three hundred rounds, had an arm torn off by her.
But in front of this twelfth Herrscher, with only one Herrscher Core, she was as weak and powerless as a child, unable to even damage this being.
"If only I had more power…"
The girl gritted her teeth, but she was helpless against the current situation.
The Herrscher of Corruption's power was too broken. Even the simple act of breathing could subject her to a sneak attack.
She didn't even know if this being had a physical body, making it impossible for her to land an effective attack.
Just as the Herrscher of the Void was feeling troubled and helpless…
"Herrscher of the Void!"
A disgusting voice came from behind.
The moment she heard it, the snow-haired girl's delicate body couldn't help but tremble.
It's that perverted man!
…
In reality…
"Who is it!"
The chilling sensation was even stronger than last time.
Higokumaru, in the form of a giant fox, pinned the persistent shrine maiden under her claws, searching this Stigma space with all her might.
She found nothing, and the chilling sensation never disappeared.
It was as if a more evil existence than herself had its eyes on her, determined to make her suffer.
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