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"Oh, Mei, my Mei, eh heh heh..."
"Slurp!"
Zeke wasn't lying; at an inappropriate moment, he had indeed diverted his gaze without peeking at Raiden Mei's body. However, the person beside him clearly did not refrain from doing so.
In the spacious and comfortable office, Zeke sat in his executive chair, one hand supporting his head while the other embraced Bronya leaning against him. With a weary sigh, he uttered:
"Ahh!"
"Why did you sigh? Never mind, let's not dwell on that now. I must preserve this moment forever—how can my Mei be so amazing?! Ah, it's too much to handle!"
Kiana lounged on the sofa opposite the desk, clad in a breezy tank top and a short skirt revealing ample views towards Zeke. Her slender, white legs kicked joyfully in the air as she giggled foolishly, unconsciously wiping away drool.
Much like otakus who adore 2D characters, their obsession often stops at infatuation, falling short of genuine love.
Kiana was no different; she had always been drawn to attractive appearances, particularly finding cute girls irresistible—though one might question if this trait stemmed from Kaslana genes, considering Kevin seemed quite serious.
So, where exactly does the issue lie?
Zeke once again doubted his educational influence.
"Heh heh heh... Huh?!?"
Still chuckling dreamily, Kiana suddenly noticed the projection image on her hand turning into static snowflakes.
"Ah! My photos and videos!"
"Foolish Kiana, don't cause trouble for Big Sister Mei."
Bronya withdrew her command window and shot Kiana a mildly deadpan stare.
Kiana sat up, puffed out her cheeks, and glared at Bronya. "What's it to you?! Sister Mei won't get mad at me! She treats me so well!"
"Exactly because she treats you too kindly do you keep pushing your luck. That's just how Kiana is—you become reckless whenever someone indulges you."
"Zeke, make her stop—she's bullying me!" Pointing at Bronya, Kiana whined petulantly.
But Zeke ignored her, simply patting Bronya's head as he held her close. "Well done. Keep up the good work."
"Yes! Bronya will help Zeke discipline Kiana together!"
"Mm-hmm, I have faith in you."
"Then... Bronya wants a reward." Looking up, Bronya gazed intently into Zeke's clear eyes.
The corner of Zeke's mouth curved upward, lifting her chin gently before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
With Kiana's fiery temper, witnessing this display right in front of her was more than she could bear.
"You cheating scum! I'm gonna make you pay with your lives!"
Enraged, Kiana sprang up from the couch, stepped onto the wall, and lunged at them with agile grace.
Zeke swiftly stood, still holding Bronya, and effortlessly grabbed Kiana by her face, suspending her mid-air.
He looked up, expressionless, meeting her gaze.
Kiana kicked her legs frantically and weakly slapped Zeke's hand, all to no avail. Struggling, she managed to say:
"Du... I wuz wrong..."
"Calm down and behave yourself."
"Wah!" Kiana whimpered like a small animal caught by a hunter, pitiful and helpless.
So, Zeke released his grip.
Kiana fell back onto the ground while Zeke comfortably resumed his seat, still embracing Bronya's soft and petite frame.
Kiana sat motionless for a moment, assuming the pitiful posture of a heartbroken woman enduring endless torment. She sobbed dramatically without shedding any tears:
"Sob... I'm so miserable! My friend stole my man, and now he's become cruel to me since finding new love. Oh heavens, why must I suffer such agony?"
"A slice of fruit cake."
"...Woe is me!"
"Add a bottle of soda."
Zeke's matter-of-fact tone, coupled with the appearance of the small dessert and soda on the table, abruptly halted Kiana's sobs.
Generally speaking, knowing when to advance or retreat, and exercising restraint, was the key to safely coexisting with Zeke. However, Kiana wasn't like most people; her eyes flickered as greed overtook reason, and she continued whimpering melodramatically:
"Oh heavens..."
Whack!
"Ouch!"
Kiana found herself lying on the floor with a large lump on her head.
Zeke withdrew his hand, picked up a piece of cake with his fork, and brought it gently to Bronya's lips.
Bronya gently opened her mouth, savoring the sweet flavor as it spread across her taste buds. She closed her eyes contentedly.
"Delicious."
"I'm glad you like it."
"Not just because of the cake—Bronya likes that Zeke is feeding me."
"Oh, you little imp." With a soft chuckle filled with tenderness, Zeke playfully pinched her nose. Bronya responded with a sweet smile, creating a momentarily blissful atmosphere.
"I want some too, I want, I want—I wanna eat! That's my cake!" Kiana, still sporting the lump on her head, wrapped her arms around one of Zeke's legs and wailed tearfully.
Zeke looked down at the husky girl clinging to him and sighed wearily once more: "Ah!"
If he had indeed sinned—Zeke glanced at the petite Bronya nestled in his embrace, admitting silently that yes, he probably did deserve punishment. But please let Honkai or something else handle it instead of subjecting him daily to Kiana testing his nerves.
Mourning for his future life, Zeke picked up another piece of cake and fed it to Kiana.
In Sakura's world...
After adjusting for a day, Raiden Mei picked up her unnamed longsword and faced off against Sakura, who also wielded a sword amidst swirling petals.
Both their expressions were serene, gazes calm as if they shared one soul.
As a cherry blossom drifted between their lines of sight, they moved simultaneously.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Blades clashed hundreds, even thousands of times within moments, sparking a cascade of fiery flecks.
The falling petals disintegrated upon entering a certain area around them.
Instantly afterward, both returned to their starting positions, restoring tranquility to the air.
Under their mutual gaze, Sakura suddenly smiled warmly.
"You've come leaps and bounds since your arrival, Mei."
"Too kind, Miss Sakura. I still can't match your fluid grace."
"You don't need fluidity; that's a skill pursued out of necessity due to my limited strength. With Herrscher power supporting you, speed and raw power suffice. Overemphasizing technique could hinder your natural advantages."
"I appreciate your guidance; I'll continue striving in this direction," Raiden Mei calmly replied. She took a step forward, bent her knee, gathering energy, and the longsword in her hands began shimmering with lightning.
Sakura smiled gently, lifting her blade slightly, slicing through a petal before vanishing from view.
"Whoosh!"
"Clang!"
"Boom!"
Two invisible figures circled around the massive sakura tree, their paths constantly intersecting amidst fierce clashes. The swords struck each other with crisp, melodious sounds, forming an urgent zither symphony. Occasionally, sword energies sliced through the sky and ground, revealing that this confrontation was far from the harmless spectacle it appeared to be.
After engaging in combat for some time—primarily with Sakura guiding Raiden Mei's moves and helping her wield her powers more fluidly—the two adversaries faced off once again amid scattered cherry blossoms.
"Crack!"
Raiden Mei's longsword shattered.
She glanced at the broken blade, now reduced to just half its original length, and shook her head helplessly. Even Shadowgrace, meticulously crafted by her father Raiden Ryoma, couldn't withstand the Herrscher's energy. With ordinary refined steel, no matter how carefully she restrained her strength, the weapon would not last long in Raiden Mei's hands.
Sakura's own sword disappeared gently amidst a soft red glow, and then she clapped her hands.
"Pak! Pak!"
The scenery abruptly transformed. Though the sakura tree remained unchanged, the vast arena gave way to a serene garden with a flowing stream and delicate bridges.
Sakura leisurely approached a small tea table within the garden, sat down, brewed some tea, and pushed the cup across to Raiden Mei, who took a seat opposite her.
"You've found your unique fighting style. As you suggested, I believe it is indeed time for us to part ways."
"Miss Sakura, thank you immensely for your guidance; it has been invaluable to me."
"Just call me Sakura."
"Huh?"
The sudden change of topic caught Raiden Mei off guard; her hand paused mid-reach for the tea, and she tilted her head quizzically.
Sakura, still holding the teapot, smiled gently.
"We've shared some time together, and it's been quite pleasant. Since fate brought us to meet, wouldn't it be odd to remain distant? I hope you call me Sakura, as friends parting ways—as long as you don't mind having a Memory Fragment as your friend."
"Of course, Sakura, we're definitely friends!" Raiden Mei responded firmly.
Sakura continued smiling, genuine joy evident in her eyes. For a Memory Fragment isolated within this realm, making new friends was both rare and precious.
Raiden Mei looked at Sakura, returning the smile with one akin to a blooming Snow Lotus—pure and flawless.
After enjoying their tea and engaging in conversation for a while, Raiden Mei finally set down her cup, stood up, and picked up the spiritual blade, Cold Prison: Icebound Sky, from the table.
Sakura silently sighed and asked, "Are you leaving now?"
"Yes, the final battle against Mr. Kalpas will prove my growth."
"Do you think you can win?"
"It's hard to say. I've never truly pushed Mr. Kalpas to his limits before. But at least, I won't lose."
"All right, give it your best shot!"
"I will, absolutely." Raiden Mei nodded resolutely, caressing the icy blade edge with a confident and determined grin.
With that, she took a step forward and vanished from the garden.