"This…"
Staring blankly at Starfell Lake—its surface erupting in waves and spray even as rain continued to fall—Klee froze in place. Her crimson eyes widened, her little mouth slightly agape, as if unable to believe what she was seeing.
She looked from the lake's surface back to Kairo, astonishment written all over her face.
Brother Kairo, was that Klee's bomb? Klee's bombs have never been that powerful!"
"I made that bomb myself—how could it explode so… so big?"
She was certain her bombs didn't have that kind of destructive power.
Though she had to admit… the sheer force of it thrilled her a little.
Still talking to herself, Klee quickly tugged open her backpack and rummaged through the rest of her bombs, wanting to check if she'd somehow made a mistake.
But they all looked exactly the same as always—familiar shape, familiar glow.
Without a second thought, Klee lit another bomb and tossed it into the lake.
Boom!
A muffled explosion followed. The water splashed, the sound loud enough—but compared to the blast Kairo had caused, it was like a spark against a thunderclap.
"Huh?"
Klee blinked, staring at Kairo again in disbelief.
There was nothing wrong with her bombs.
Then why did they become so much stronger in his hands?
"It's not the bomb," Kairo said with a faint smile as he caught her wide-eyed look. "I just made… a few adjustments. Added something extra. You can think of it as a small application of elemental power."
"Added something extra?"
Klee's eyes went round as coins. "A small application of elemental power? Brother Kairo, you have a Vision too?"
"Eh? But Klee can't feel any elemental energy from you!"
"No Vision and you can still use elemental power—wow!"
Her little face lit up with awe and admiration. "Brother Kairo, you're amazing! You even made Klee's bombs way stronger!"
Her bright eyes shimmered with excitement and curiosity. "Teach Klee how to do that, okay? Klee wants her bombs to be super powerful too! Then I can blow up even more fish!"
The thought made her bounce on her toes, utterly thrilled.
"That's not something I can teach," Kairo said with a helpless chuckle. "It's… a personal ability, you could say."
"Aw, really? You can't teach it?"
Klee scratched her head, then suddenly beamed. "Then can Brother Kairo play with Klee next time? Klee will make the bombs, and you can make them go boom even bigger! We'll blow up fish together!"
Her little hands clutched his eagerly, eyes sparkling with innocent anticipation.
"If I've got the time, sure."
Kairo nodded lightly. "Alright, let's eat first. There's more than enough fish for dinner."
"Leave that to Klee!"
At his words, she ran off excitedly to collect the fish scattered along the shore.
Before long, the smell of roasting fish filled the air. Klee handed Kairo a freshly grilled one, the golden skin crackling.
They ate together by the lake, chatting idly as the night deepened.
Kairo had to admit—Klee's grilled fish was surprisingly good. The skin was crisp, the flesh tender and juicy, with just a hint of spice that made him nod in satisfaction.
Klee, meanwhile, sat swinging her little legs, nibbling happily, as cheerful as a sparrow.
When they finished the last bite, Kairo started to stand—but felt a soft little tug at his sleeve.
Looking down, he found Klee gazing up at him, her big ruby eyes full of expectation.
"Brother Kairo…"
Her voice was sweet and syrupy, almost a whispering plea. "Klee wants to blow up fish again! Can you make another one of those super powerful bombs? Just like before! It was so much fun! Please?"
Kairo's mouth twitched.
He knew perfectly well—this wasn't just about "having fun."
To Klee, this was a pursuit… an art form of explosive mastery.
After a moment of silence, Kairo sighed and nodded. "Alright—but you have to promise me, only for fishing."
"Okay! Promise!"
Klee nodded eagerly, patting her chest as if to make it official. "Klee's a good girl!"
Shaking his head helplessly, Kairo took one of her bombs.
This time, he was even more cautious—channeling the power of Destruction just enough so it wouldn't trigger prematurely.
A familiar crimson-black glow spread from his palm, wrapping around the bomb like a living flame.
The bomb trembled slightly, reacting to the oppressive energy it absorbed, radiating an aura far beyond ordinary.
"All done," Kairo said, handing it back to her. "Give it a try."
Klee accepted it as if he'd just given her a priceless treasure, twirling in delight before scampering to the lakeside.
She carefully aimed at a cluster of fish.
"Ready—three, two, one!"
She hurled it with all her might.
The bomb traced a perfect arc across the sky—
BOOOOM!!!
The lake erupted.
A water column soared to the heavens, waves surging outward with thunderous force. The center of Starfell Lake was ripped apart, the once-clear water now muddy and boiling with motion. Schools of fish were blasted into the air like silver rain.
"Waaah!"
Klee jumped with joy, both hands raised high. "Amazing, amazing! It's even bigger than before! Brother Kairo, you're the best!"
"With Brother Kairo around, Klee doesn't even need to make stronger bombs anymore!"
Kairo stood there, expression complicated, watching the lake that now looked more like a disaster zone.
Sure, the Path of Destruction's power could amplify explosions—but at this rate, the lake's ecosystem might not survive another "fishing session."
If this continued, Starfell Lake might as well be renamed Starfall Crater.
Klee, of course, was far too excited to care.
"Brother Kairo's bombs are too awesome! Let's do a few more, pleeease! There are so many fish—it's fine to blow up just a few more!"
Kairo sighed. "…Alright, let's make it count, then."
He infused several more of her bombs with the Clara's Path Resonance Branch Skill — "I Want to Help Too!"
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
One after another, earth-shaking detonations rolled across the landscape.
The surface of the lake no longer knew peace—waves crashed, water plumed skyward, and even the trees along the shore shuddered from the shockwaves.
The air smelled faintly of scorched ozone, while stunned fish floated belly-up across the water.
The constant booming echoed through the distant mountains, sending flocks of birds fleeing in terror.
Meanwhile…
Eula was walking alone along the path beneath Starsnatch Cliff. The mountain breeze brushed past her, cool and sharp.
Dressed in her elegant yet battle-ready Knight's uniform, her blue hair fluttered in the wind, her white cape swaying with each graceful step. Her icy beauty was as serene as a moonlit night.
That serenity shattered with a sudden roar from afar.
BOOM!
A deep, rolling explosion echoed across the land, the shockwave rumbling like thunder beneath her feet.
Eula stopped abruptly, her sapphire eyes flashing with alarm.