Crescent Island, an uninhabited island approximately fifteen square kilometers in area, was named by Kiana, its self-proclaimed discoverer, for its shape—narrow at the ends and wide in the middle, like a crescent moon.
The island was densely covered with various alkali-tolerant trees and boasted a long, curved golden coast, blanketed with fine sand that shimmered a beautiful gold or light brown under the rising sun.
Considering that startling the small animals on the island might cause them to collectively relieve themselves upon the world, Mei and the others parked the Hyperion a kilometer offshore.
Getting to the island wasn't difficult for this group of superhumans.
Take Bronya, for example.
"Project Bunny, Ride On."
At her command, Project Bunny swiftly transformed into a sleek and stylish heavy-duty jet ski.
The girl had just mounted it, ready to go, when she felt a sudden weight on the seat behind her.
"Hurry up, Bronya!" Kiana-cat, helmet on, cheered with her arms raised. "Fuli, Mei, and Auntie have already gone ahead! We can't be slower than them!"
"Tsk!" Bronya clicked her tongue with obvious annoyance and reluctantly reminded her, "Then hold on to the Bronya's waist. Project Bunny is powerful, and it's easy to throw a passenger off."
"Waist?" Kiana blinked. "Where's your waist?"
"Obviously the narrowest part of my body."
"Oh."
Kiana-cat reached out and, with complete confidence, wrapped her hands around Bronya's neck.
"Gak?"
A while later—
"So you sat there choking her the whole way, and she, in an attempt to shake you off, took the jet ski on a wild ride, throwing you around so much you were barely recognizable?"
Fuli, who was setting up a small broadcast system, accidentally dropped a part as he looked at the two little ones sprawled on top of each other on the beach, barely breathing. "You two are a match made in heaven, a disaster waiting to happen."
"Go get changed," Mei said, emerging from the tent they had set up earlier. She stood gracefully in front of the boy.
Her figure was well-proportioned and captivating, with alluring curves. Her chest was full and firm, her waist slender yet strong, her hips round and tight, and her legs long and straight. The conservative swimsuit she wore exuded the distinct aura of a married woman.
H.P. Lovecraft, the creator of the Cthulhu Mythos, once said that the oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear. But the most loyal and intense emotion of mankind is lust.
Fuli's gaze instantly locked on. Yeah, isn't 'Hero' just 'H' plus 'Ero'?
It wasn't until a teasing cough came from above his head that he snapped back to reality. He lifted the cat-cake, Kallen's consciousness vessel, from his head and handed it to her. "Here, hold this for me."
"Forgetting your big sister the moment you see a pretty girl, huh? This brother is no good!" Kallen-meow protested, then naturally hopped into Mei's arms and nuzzled against her chest, which was the envy of her peers.
What Kaslana could resist a grand MEI face?
It was a law etched into countless Honkai universes!
"Hehe~ Mei~ You look so good~"
Just look at that white-haired furball, drooling so much Bronya wanted to yell at her.
Why yell?
Because the pervert was lying on top of her, drooling all over her chest.
"The Bronya will go get some watermelons to cool off and for the games later. The supplies are in the northwest corner of the beach."
Mei, unlike the doting Fuli, clearly had no intention of letting these two laze around. "Kiana, go help set up the volleyball court and the barbecue grill."
"Roger that! Mission accepted!" Kiana-chan gave a serious salute and charged into the changing tent.
Chaos immediately erupted inside, punctuated by Fuli's exasperated roars.
He had just taken off his shorts, and his junk was still swinging in the breeze.
Bronya, on the other hand, performed a sci-fi move, tapping her watch a couple of times. Her clothes dematerialized and then solidified into a standard one-piece children's swimsuit.
She ran to the supply area, carefully selected two watermelons, and cradled them in her arms.
"Oh my, you must be little Li's adopted sister, right? ♪~"
A fragrant breeze wafted over from behind.
Bronya dodged with precision, evading the Pink Elf's affectionate embrace.
"The Bronya doesn't like hugging strangers," she said calmly.
"Does that mean that once we're familiar, Miss Pink Elf can also hold her little duckling and give her kisses, hugs, and lift her up high, just like little Li does?"
"Not happening." The girl shook her head. "The Bronya dislikes flirts."
"Oh my? Is that your way of complimenting me for being universally charming?" Elysia covered her lips with a delicate hand, her stunningly beautiful eyes curving into crescents. "Such a shy child, having to be so roundabout even with your compliments ♪~"
"...Whatever you say."
Glancing at the two large mounds on the pink-haired girl's chest, Bronya, never forgetting the class struggle of the have-nots, hugged her watermelons and prepared to leave.
Suddenly, Himeko's voice called out from the watchtower, "Hey—! Over there! The waves are about to hit the shore! The one holding two watermelons on her chest, take a few steps back!"
"Hm?"
Elysia looked down at her own chest and subconsciously took two steps back.
Then, realizing Himeko wasn't talking about her, she turned to Bronya, who was holding two watermelons, with her usual bright smile.
"Um, the waves are coming, you know?"
Bronya: Damn it!
Bronya now resented Mei. If she had been the first one to meet Elysia on the deck, she would have taken her down with lightning speed, then returned to Fuli and said:
Bro, there was a pink-haired girl with mismatched eyes outside just now. She kept mumbling about how much she missed you and claimed to be your great-aunt. Who has a great-aunt that young? The Bronya has already driven her away for you. No need to thank me. It's my duty as a member of the Hyperion. Let's all enjoy the birthday party.
"Wahahahaha!!!"
Theresa, standing on Judah, was having the time of her life.
As everyone knew, the Oath of Judah had countless uses:
A height-enhancing mode that could make its user 2.8 meters tall, a gravity attack mode that could smash a Titan Mech in one hit, a hover vehicle mode, a tracking mode for finding enemies, and so on.
And right now, it was in surfing mode.
The bigger the waves, the more thrilling the ride. Riding a nearly twenty-meter-high wave, Theresa, usually swamped with work, was finally getting a taste of what it meant to be a surfing pro.
The only downside was that she was the only one playing.
Everyone else was busy setting up the site. Only the world's cutest principal could be so shameless as to play around like this.
But the Valkyries were incredibly efficient. Soon, another figure appeared beside her on the waves.
"Our destination is the sea of stars!"
It was Fuli.
Standing on a surfboard, he wore only a translucent sun shirt, left open to reveal his exquisitely sculpted, almost lewd, collarbones and muscle lines. His short black hair was soaked by the spray, and in the sunlight filtering through the water droplets, it shimmered like stardust.
He broke through the current and came alongside Theresa, a corner of his mouth lifting in a provocative, high-spirited smile. "What's the fun in flying alone? How about a race, Principal!"
"A race it is!"
The girl, caught up in the fun, flicked her short pigtails and shot off on a wave.
Fuli followed close behind. "If we're racing, there has to be a wager, right?"
"I'm not against it." Theresa turned her head, revealing a pair of cute, snaggle-toothed canines. "Spit it out, kid. What's the bet?"
Being called 'kid' by someone who looks like her is so weird, Fuli thought to himself, his gaze falling on the Spirit-Gathering Ring on the girl's left middle finger.
"If I win," he said, pointing at it, "you have to give that back to me."
In the boy's view, Theresa had only worn the ring to help him fend off pressure from the Senate.
Now that the warrant for his arrest was canceled, there was no need for her to keep something whose symbolic value outweighed its practical use.
Besides, he felt bad enough for making her help him in the first place. And recently, there had been rumors spreading, like "Shocking! Durandal's bedmate is actually Theresa's fiancé?!" and "Schicksal's two S-rank Valkyries battle to the edge of the universe over this man, even the Sea of Quanta was annihilated!"
Fuli didn't want Theresa, who had helped him, to be slandered by these people. It would be a great disservice to the principal's kindness.
A thin cloud covered the sun, and the light filtering through cast a light veil over the sea.
The less glaring light seemed gentle and dreamlike, but it carried the feeling of an impending storm.
"..."
Facing the boy's sincere expression, Theresa, riding the waves, narrowed her eyes, a sudden displeasure welling up inside her.
True, her feelings for Fuli were currently just those of a favorable acquaintance and a junior. And she hadn't taken off the ring for reasons already explained.
But regardless, to deliberately wear this item in such a special place and not take it off was, in a way, an implication of something.
Of the future, of possibilities.
In other words, it was an olive branch extended by the future Overseer of Schicksal, the current director of the Far East Branch and principal of St. Freya.
Even if, at best, he was just in the probation period, it still meant Fuli had earned the right to be her other half.
And now, you want to take it back the moment you open your mouth?
Is he asking for a ring? He's practically slapping Theresa across the face!
Putting aside the fact that, 'LMAO, does Fuli even know he's your fiancé?', if the people at Schicksal found out the ring was returned, especially a certain big-breasted, drama-loving nun named Incrementum, the story of "Schicksal's Future Heir Abandoned by Fiancé" would be on the front page of every organization's news in minutes!
So, Theresa snorted. "Fine by me. But if I win, I'll have Judah tie you up, stuff your mouth with stockings, and then, in front of everyone, I'll take out your phone and read your earliest QQ status and Q-Zone posts, one by one. Everyone will listen, and you're not allowed to resist."
She shot a sideways glance at this ungrateful fellow, a corner of her mouth curling into what she thought was a wicked grin, but would only make people scream, "So cute I'm gonna die!" "How about it?"
"Hiss—!" Fuli sucked in a sharp breath, his pupils trembling violently as if in shock at how someone could be so cruel!
"Or to be more direct, how about I just publish your browser history?" Theresa added, as if that wasn't enough. "I won't be too mean. I'll just read it out loud during the banquet later, so no one else will know."
She winked playfully. "As for whether little Elysia will take a megaphone and go on a world tour, or send the novels you've written to the family group chat for everyone's enjoyment, well, that's beyond this principal's control!"
"You can't! You can't do this!"
As a reincarnator, Fuli could control all information about himself after his reincarnation.
With Prometheus and Dr. MEI constantly monitoring him, he couldn't even look at lewd things.
But just because he could control it after reincarnation didn't mean he could before!
Before the age of sixteen, Fuli was, after all, a hot-blooded young man. It was perfectly normal for him to secretly read or write some... wholesome and healthy little stories and upload them to a certain blue app late at night!
"Alright, I regret it." A wise man knows when to yield. "The Spirit-Gathering Ring should be kept by the beautiful and kind Principal. If one lifetime isn't enough, then three. If three aren't enough, then for all eternity! In short, don't even think about taking it from her!"
He regretted it so much. He shouldn't have poked this hornet's nest.
"Unfortunately, I reject your regret." Now, it was Theresa's turn to be stubborn.
You think you can just spank this principal's butt whenever you feel like it?
Just then, a huge wave surged forward. The girl's eyes lit up. "Let's see who can get back to the beach first! Judah! Let's go!"
Without waiting for Fuli to react, she took the lead, riding the Judah-surfboard on the water.
"Haha! If you don't want your dark history exposed, then come and get me, young man!"
"Dammit! Skills only! No using your powers to cheat!"
With things having come to this, Fuli had no choice but to give chase.
The two of them vied for the lead, sometimes riding the waves forward, sometimes being swept back.
Laughter echoed behind them, leaving long white trails in their wake.
Until... THUMP! THUMP!
Twice, one after the other, they ran over something floating on the water's surface.
"Dammit!"
Bronya, with two large bumps on her head, lay on a swim ring, gritting her teeth. The heartbroken little girl had gone to float alone in the sea after moving the supplies, not wanting to look at the busty cows on the shore.
Who would have thought she'd get into a traffic accident while moping alone on the ocean!
"Project Bunny! Fire!" she slapped the water, furious. "Blast those two lovebirds showing off in public to smithereens for the Bronya!"
Of course, Project Bunny wouldn't actually aim at her comrades, but to let its little master vent, it still fired a cannonball.
BOOM!!!
"Whoa!"
The hundred-meter-high wave created by the massive explosion instantly drew everyone's attention, and also swept up Fuli and Theresa in the middle of their race.
Seeing this, Kiana quickly dropped the half-eaten grilled crab from her mouth, ran to the shore, and cupped her hands around her mouth to shout, "Fuli! Auntie! You two better not be okay!"
"What's that supposed to mean? You Paramecium really need to review your grammar," Fuli's clear voice called out from the monstrous wave. A figure leaped from the churning water, twisting and turning with the agility of a fish.
"Phew, good thing I reacted in time. But that wave was really something. It could have hurt these little guys. Be more careful next time, Bronya."
"Eee, eee, eee~"
As if in response, the small dolphin in his arms made a cute sound.
Kiana, however, was stunned.
It wasn't just her; everyone who saw Fuli's current state was stunned.
"Little Li! Below you! Below you!"
It was Elysia who reacted first, waving her hands and shouting a warning.
"Hm? Below me?"
Fuli looked down.
"Holy crap! How did my surfboard turn into Theresa!"
During the cannon fire, he had accidentally collided with the Oath of Judah. Now, Theresa, her eyes spinning and her body rigid, had completely replaced the surfboard and was being ridden by the boy!
Perhaps hearing the others' calls, she let out a groan, "Urgh..." It seemed she wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.
But that was just the appetizer.
This area of the sea was adjacent to a slice of the Sea of Quanta. The impact of the cannon fire had caused a patch of darkness, clearly distinct from the azure water, to quietly rise to the surface. It quickly locked onto the brother (Fuli) who was riding the wind and waves.
Himeko, sitting on the watchtower, reacted the fastest. She put down her binoculars and roared, "Fuli! Use Theresa to steer right!"
"How am I supposed to steer right with this?! Ah, whatever!"
With the "eee, eee, eee" of the little dolphin in his arms cheering him on, Fuli reached out, grabbed the bra strap on the back of Theresa's swimsuit, and yanked it to the right.
"Ooh! It's turning! It's turning!"
Amidst Kiana's and Elysia's excited cries, Theresa, being ridden by Fuli, actually began to turn to the right!
"Cyka Blyat! What is this?" Bronya felt a retort stuck in her throat. "In ancient times, there was Gintama's prostate brake. Now, my brother is using Theresa's bra as a rudder?"
This sudden evasive maneuver caused the unknown monster underwater to snap its jaws on empty water.
And as the one in control, Fuli looked down and saw the Herrscher of Reason's Stigma on his abdomen glowing with a faint pink light.
He froze for a moment, recalling the Stigma's effect:
Proficiently use all tools manufactured by intelligent life.
"Theresa is an artificial human created by Otto, so she meets the activation criteria for the Herrscher of Reason's Stigma... You've got to be kidding me, an artificial human counts as a tool?!!"
Proficiently using Theresa... what kind of psycho came up with that idea?
This is so ridiculous!
But soon, the intrigued boy was gleefully maneuvering his new "flat as Bronya" surfboard.
"Run it over, Principal!"
He leaned forward, gripping Theresa's slender arms tightly, his body slightly forward, completely focused on the power of the fluid, flexibly adjusting his angle with the rise and fall of the waves.
The "surfboard" shot across the crest of the waves like an arrow loosed from a bow. Water splashed around him, creating white sprays of foam, as if cheering him on.
Fuli weaved left and right on the waves, performing a series of high-difficulty maneuvers to dodge the monster's bites. Every turn was perfectly precise, causing the beautiful Herrscher girls on the shore to gasp in admiration.
Several stylish drifts and sharp brakes provoked the black shadow into a frustrated rage, and it let out a series of roars.
Finally, it could take no more and burst from the water's surface, ready to face off against this little thing that had challenged it.
It was only then that everyone got a clear look at it.
...