"Waiting for compensation? Compensation for what? If Luo Mo has the guts to borrow, then he better have the guts not to repay it!"
Bronie suddenly reached out and closed the notebook screen, laughing playfully before Luo Mo could even react.
It made the hard-earned downtime of Luo Mo rather frustrating. The other side clearly enjoyed watching drama unfold — usually, it was the two of them sitting side by side watching others' antics, but today, Bronie had caught him off guard and pounced on his weakness.
"Don't go putting words in my mouth, Bronie," Luo Mo said, annoyed. "I never said anything like that. You lost a bet to Bronya and even agreed to be someone's little sister. You can't blame that on me."
"Hah! Shameless, aren't you? Who do you think made me lose that bet, huh? Wasn't it you who gave her the cheat card excuse to begin with?"
Bronie sneered coldly, clearly not amused.
"I just thought, you know, if there's a chance, it'd be nice to let her experience what she might look like in the future. The game featured a power suit version of her — so technically, it's possible. Besides, I honestly had no idea you two had made any kind of deal beforehand!"
Luo Mo raised both hands helplessly, explaining his side of the story.
"My future appearance... featured in the game... So that's why you've always dodged my request for an explanation? Is that it?"
Kongming asked, visibly crestfallen. Her paper fan stopped mid-motion. She had long suspected something was off, but now that it was said out loud, her mood soured.
Why? Why is it that Luna always gets the special treatment, always gets to appear in adult form?
Why can't I grow up too?
She was a bit bitter. No — more like, she had been bitter from the start.
And this moment just revealed a terrifying truth: in the years to come, she still wouldn't grow any taller.
Kongming's eyes dimmed in an instant, filled with disappointment.
At the same time, Fu Hua and Herrscher of Sentience were also stunned. It felt like a mix of uneasy relief, as if some final concern had just been confirmed.
Fu Hua's heart tightened. She was never the type to care about things like that, but since the little one kept bringing it up, a tiny part of her had started to hope, too.
"Sigh... There's just no saving an eternal child, is there?"
Sure enough, Herrscher of Sentience was now dramatically sighing again — lamenting the twilight of a once-great hero, bemoaning the futility of looking back, the hopelessness of the future, and how even divine wisdom couldn't see any brighter outcomes.
"..."
Fu Hua simply glanced at her and chose to ignore the Child.
She always had a weird obsession with psychoanalyzing everything, which only made Fu Hua want to laugh and cry at the same time.
Seeing that Fu Hua wasn't taking the bait, Senti casually changed the topic.
"Heh, you said in the game, only if you have the right outfit can the look show up, right? So… do you have any outfit that suits your eternal-child aesthetic? Sigh... I've been helping Elysia pick things out recently, but honestly, most of it just looked so dull. In the end, she always ends up in these plain gray outfits."
Senti's expression was a mix of regret and exasperation, like a parent complaining about a disobedient child — it oddly mirrored Fu Hua's current expression, but on her, it had a touch of comical flair.
"Fu Hua's outfits, huh..."
Luo Mo thought aloud, glancing at Fu Hua's current outfit — a dark-toned, plain training uniform, the very one Senti had dubbed "gray and dull." It didn't look bad, but... something felt too restrained.
But… could it be that she didn't have any other outfits?
That didn't sound right either.
"No need to mind what she says," Fu Hua replied slowly, calm and unbothered. "It's just something easy to move around in. And I'm more familiar with this style when I'm training at the academy."
If she hadn't said anything, Luo Mo might have assumed she genuinely didn't care about fashion.
Now that she explained it, though, he wasn't so sure anymore — but he still didn't quite know what kind of look he did want to see her in.
He imagined Fu Hua swaying between her "Azure Empyrea" battle armor and "Knight Phantasm" bridal-style outfit.
One was pure white and elegant, the other a fully armored combat suit.
Even though the choice seemed obvious in theory, he couldn't help but feel that if Fu Hua wore that bridal look again, it might be... surprisingly entertaining.
He didn't want to be the kind of person who instigated chaos just for fun — but some mischievous part of him was definitely tempted.
In the end, he went with something from the "Crane of the Void" line — something that looked exactly like it came from Senti's own wardrobe.
A high ponytail, white hair tinged with a circle of gray streaks, her flowing ethereal outfit lined primarily with black feathers—her presence exuded a sense of mystique. Her red eyes glowed within the inky hues, and on her chest, a vivid crimson mark gave the final touch, like a dragon's eye bringing the painting to life—graceful and otherworldly, untouched by the mundane.
In his hands were only a few leftover costume tokens, just two or three. He had already exchanged them for the Luna outfit, but he hadn't dared to bring it out yet. Over where Kongming stood, her face already looked sour enough, not to mention Irene and Theresa. He wasn't stupid enough to ask for trouble.
But with Fu Hua, there was no such problem.
"You really have it, huh?! Old Timer, come on—give it a try! With costume tokens cards, you can move a lot more freely!"
Senti said excitedly, throwing an arm around Luo Mo's shoulders like a good buddy. Her other hand, without saying a word, snatched the token.
Feeling the light, playful aura from Senti beside him, Luo Mo had no choice but to surrender under the pressure of their enthusiastic camaraderie.
Fu Hua quickly changed (Transformed), drawing a round of surprised admiration.
"...My strength doesn't seem to have changed at all."
Fu Hua said, clenching her fists and checking herself over, slightly disappointed.
"Isn't that a good thing?"
Senti said, examining her figure. Her eyes drifted to her chest, furrowing his brows.
"Though, hmm... Compared to before, something seems... different. Or maybe not. I'm not too sure now."
(Image)
...
"But at least this time, the story ended with a truly happy ending. We even got to see the Captain fulfill that long-standing promise."
Kiana said emotionally, as she watched the in-game scene where the Captain and Luna fulfilled their date in the amusement park.
That endlessly postponed promise, carved deep into the hearts of both, had finally come true. They even built an entire amusement park model to capture that moment, all for a single branch ending—to fulfill that faraway vow.
He spent time with her—played every ride, enjoyed delicious ice cream, held her in his arms, and looked forward to the future together. Their voices echoed on the cable car, their silhouettes lingered on the Ferris wheel.
And the Captain's story truly reached a happy ending. Even the ending cutscene with all the side characters showed them smiling warmly together, confirming that he had achieved a perfect conclusion—one that didn't abandon anyone.
Sirin, Himeko, Kallen, Delta, and even Kasumi were all there this time. They had gone through thrilling adventures, gained valuable friendships, and uncovered the Captain's deepest secret.
The road ahead for the Hyperion may still be long, but as long as they kept walking, they'd reach that ending eventually.
There were many people aboard the ship, many problems too—but each one could be understood and resolved. Whether it was stubborn Delta, who wanted to save her sister by sacrificing herself, or Kasumi, the ninja who'd lost her will to live, the Captain managed to reach them all.
He once hesitated—should he tell them the reason why he had left someone behind? But in the end, due to various reasons, he never revealed it.
Did they really not know?
These companions had traveled together for so long. Just like how he always trusted Irene without question—maybe they had already guessed something too.
In the end, when he and that person finally spoke, they tacitly avoided mentioning the subject of her.
One interesting thing to note—the warm and joyful tone of the previous ending scenes didn't quite apply to Luna and Kongming. Despite everything, whenever those two interacted near the Captain, their conversations always carried an edge—sarcasm, jabs, tension.
Like when they were assigning rooms for everyone...
"As for Miss Luna... her room is right next to mine."
The Captain said, lantern in hand, as he approached Kongming in a bamboo forest. It was a scene the two of them once shared alone.
If the amusement park was the place where he and Luna fulfilled their promise, then that little floating lantern... was a symbol of the vow between him and Kongming.
When talking about the others' accommodations, Kongming breezed through quickly and methodically. But when it came to Luna, she paused, her brows furrowing slightly, as if weighing the matter for a long time before giving her answer.
"Next door to your room...?"
The Captain's brow twitched. Those two were now living next to each other… No matter how he thought about it, it just didn't feel like a good idea.
"Anyway, she's not human. Don't forget what she did to Theresa before. Even if it was all for your sake, I still can't fully trust her," Kongming remarked while fanning herself calmly.
"Ten thousand years may have changed her appearance and form… but who's to say her mind has changed too?"
"A dangerous individual like her—I can only feel at ease if I keep her right under my nose. Don't you agree?"
Kongming's words were cool and analytical, but her tone was firm. And yet, the Captain couldn't shake the feeling that only Kongming's final sentence was her real reason.
"Could it be… she's jealous?"
That thought crept through his mind, though his face remained unreadable.
"If she's willing to stay, I don't have any objections," the Captain replied.
"Even if you did, it wouldn't matter," Kongming said flatly. "I already talked to her. She seemed happy about it, actually… which made me feel a little regretful."
Kongming's eyes narrowed slightly as she added, "If my bed weren't so small, I would've let her take my room and moved to yours instead."
"…Wait—so you're saying the room next to hers was mine?" the Captain exclaimed.
"Of course," Kongming replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"...Then where am I staying?" the Captain finally asked after a long silence.
"You're obviously getting stuck in one of the spare utility rooms. With so many strange people suddenly aboard the ship, it's safer for everyone if you stay further away," Kongming said with a sweet smile—but her words chilled the Captain to the bone.
That gentle smile only made the Captain feel colder. The corners of his mouth twitched.
"You don't… think that's a bit much?"
Under Kongming's expectant gaze, he didn't dare say a single word of protest. He just shook his head quickly.
Kongming sighed and offered what sounded like a consolation. "Don't worry. It's only temporary. Once I've confirmed they pose no threat, I'll arrange a proper room for you."
"Oh… I see. Just out of curiosity, how long will that take? When can I return to my warm, spacious room?"
"Hmm… Maybe once I've grown up a little more. When I look like a proper big sister—maybe around Rita's size—then you can have your room back."
"—!!"
The Captain took in a deep breath. The blue eyes in front of him looked beautiful under the moonlight, her white hair flowing gently in the wind. But those eyes… they made it hard for him to meet her gaze.
So… she really was jealous, huh?
The Captain resigned himself to getting used to that cramped little utility room. Who knew when he'd ever get to leave it?
-----
Back in Theresa's villa
"Ugh, it has to be Kongming," Bronie giggled. "She probably tricked Luna into staying beside her, and then told Luna that the Captain's staying next door. That final wish of hers—pfft…"
She burst into laughter, unable to hold it in.
"So Kongming-sama's target… was actually me?" Irene chuckled lightly. Her hands folded gently over her stomach, and she kept her gaze calm and composed, without once looking Kongming's way.
"...!"
Kongming closed her eyes, her cheeks flushing red. She gripped Luo Mo's arm tightly.
She hadn't even voiced that line herself! It was definitely the voice director messing with her. That side story must've used auto-voicing!
Social death. What was she supposed to do now?
Her mind raced wildly. Maybe… maybe she really should just toss that annoying Captain into a dark, cramped cell? That way, no other "dangerous characters" would ever find him!
"Umm… but if you do that, wouldn't Luna also lose her chance to interact with Human?" Luna tilted her head in confusion, not understanding Su's thought process at all.
If they were going to exile someone, she wouldn't agree to go. But why exile the Human?
"Because putting you near Kongming means she can watch over you. And throwing him far away means the two of you won't be in constant contact…"
Bronie explained, barely holding back another laugh.
Kongming trembled slightly. "Bronie…! You're way too perceptive. I never even thought of it like that!"
Even if she had thought it, she definitely wouldn't admit it now!
Didn't that vampire girl still use her childlike form all the time?
She had already proven that body shape didn't matter. That's right—it didn't matter at all!
Not at all!
And if it did matter… then she'd just have to forcibly change his taste!
Kongming clenched her little fists, silently making up her mind.