The scorching weather had arrived without warning. Just yesterday, Li Xuan had been enjoying a cool breeze while drinking tea—despite some... incidents. The weather had been pleasant. But who knew it would change so drastically the very next day.
The blazing summer sun hung high in the sky. Li Xuan and the Honkai yuri trio were sprawled out on the floor. Kiana, usually the most energetic and full of life, now had an expression that said, "I'm already a salted fish," lying listlessly on the slightly cool ground. Outside, the streets were so hot that the light seemed to warp. Only the Honkai Zombies and Honkai Beasts were still dutifully patrolling back and forth.
"I miss chilled seafood sashimi so much," said Raiden Mei, the young lady of the famous Japanese foreign enterprise, ME Corp, reminiscing about eating seafood in the summer.
"Chilled seafood sashimi... haha," Kiana drooled beside her, lost in some strange fantasy.
"Sashimi?! I can't get used to that uncooked stuff. Summer is for all kinds of ice cream," Li Xuan chimed in, fanning himself with a piece of cardboard.
"Fruit ice cream... hehe," Kiana continued, lost in her strange fantasy, unable to pull herself out.
"Bronya Zaychik system detection - body temperature too high. Initiating hibernation mode," Bronya Zaychik said, lying on the floor with her eyes closed, as if talking in her sleep.
Isn't that just sleeping? Li Xuan thought with a sigh, wiping the sweat from his forehead. He reached for his cup to take a drink, only to find it empty.
"If you're hot, let's go swimming. It's good exercise and a way to cool off," Li Xuan said casually.
"Swimming? Swimming!" Kiana, who had been lying there like a corpse, suddenly shot up. "That's right! Swimming!" she exclaimed, planting her hands on her hips excitedly.
"What's wrong, Kiana?" Mei asked, looking at the excited girl.
"Mei-senpai! Have you forgotten?! Nagazora City is by the sea! We've been there before, remember? And..." The excited Kiana suddenly stopped, as if she realized she'd said something she shouldn't have. She looked apologetically at Bronya Zaychik, who was lying quietly nearby. "Sorry, Bronya Zaychik, I didn't mean to..."
"It's alright," Bronya Zaychik replied, her voice a little subdued.
"Oh, we can go to the beach and have some fun now, right?!" Kiana quickly bounced back from the gloom, her voice filled with joy again.
"That's right!" Mei said, clapping her hands in realization. "We can go to the beach, and maybe catch some seafood to eat..."
So Japanese people just love to eat seafood, Li Xuan thought, silently listening to the three of them. By the way, what was Kiana about to say? Something they don't want to talk about?
"But there will be Honkai Zombies at the beach, right? And we'll need swimsuits to go," Li Xuan reminded them.
"Mondainai (No problem)!" Mei gave a thumbs-up. "We managed to pick up a few nice swimsuits while we were scavenging for supplies." As she spoke, she pulled out a black bikini-style swimsuit from behind her back.
So it was a conspiracy after all. No wonder you guys always take so long to gather supplies, you were busy picking out pretty clothes!
"Then let's change into our swimsuits and go to the beach!" Kiana urged. "Oh right, we need to bring weapons too!" As she said this, two pistols appeared in her hands—one Mjolnir, the other a Fairy Bow Silven. Kiana brazenly stuck the guns in her waistband, grabbed Mei with one hand and Bronya Zaychik's leg with the other, and started dragging them off to change.
"Sorry, Li Xuan-kun, do you have a swimsuit?" Mei asked apologetically, noticing Li Xuan had been somewhat ignored. "Uh... I think so?!" Li Xuan said with a slightly unsure smile. "As long as you have one, that's fine. Let's hurry," the impatient Kiana said.
Watching the Honkai yuri trio go into the room to change, Li Xuan also stood up. But he didn't go to change. Instead, he closed his eyes and mentally connected with the Stigmata hidden under the bandage on the back of his right hand. The red Stigmata mark began to glow faintly, and the Xuanyuan Festive Garb he was wearing started to change.
The red-and-gold Xuanyuan Festive Garb slowly shrank and transformed in the light, becoming a pair of rather tacky-looking swim trunks with a red base and gold trim. Success! Li Xuan thought excitedly, opening his eyes and looking down at his new swimwear. This was a unique ability of his Stigmata, 'Divine Garb Dominion,' which allowed him to transform the Divine Garb he was wearing into other forms. However, it couldn't be maintained for long, had a time limit, and consumed a lot of stamina, so he usually didn't use it.
"Haha, we're ready!" Kiana announced, pushing the door open. She was flanked by the other two girls.
"..." Li Xuan stood there, his brain completely frozen. The sight of the three girls in their swimsuits dealt 100,000 points of damage to the 17-year-old otaku.
Kiana wore a blue and white striped swimsuit that revealed large expanses of her snow-white skin. Her long, slender, well-rounded legs, paired with her silver hair, made her look as beautiful as a snow fairy. Moreover, her chest was at least a B-cup, a fact that surprised Li Xuan, who hadn't noticed before.
Raiden Mei wore a mature black bikini that showcased her excellent figure. Her smooth black hair was tied up in a bun, giving her the aura of a gentle, wife-like figure, which was very attractive. Kiana was already staring at Mei with a fiery gaze.
As for Bronya Zaychik, she was wearing the world-famous school swimsuit. Her hair was still in its drill-like twin tails. Li Xuan was instantly smitten; his right arm, the Kirin arm, began to stir...
"Alright! Let's go," Kiana said, wiping the corner of her mouth as she stared at the slightly shy Mei. She suddenly noticed Li Xuan's tacky swim trunks. "Haha, what stupid-looking pants."
Hey, hey, that's enough. Li Xuan sighed, covering his face.
Under the blue skies of Nagazora City, the silver-bell-like laughter of a young girl echoed.
(End of Chapter)