Because of Lucian's unexpected appearance, Serval's mind buzzed like static—for a brief second, her focus slipped, and her hands froze in the middle of the performance.
*THUMP!* *BANG!* *THUMP!*
Aha's drumming, however, didn't stop—in fact, it only grew wilder and more reckless, like a runaway horse pounding forward with chaotic joy, radiating a carefree aura that seemed ready to blow the drum set apart.
THEIR masked head bobbed back and forth like a rattle drum, clearly thrilled by the sudden 'joy' that had broken out on stage.
"HaHaHaHa! Abundance! Now this is better joy!"
Aha's cracked-bell laughter pierced through the rhythm, and THEY even found time to raise one hand and flash Lucian an ambiguous thumbs-up.
Lucian, noticing Aha's gesture and words, immediately knew that THEY had apparently recognized his identity as an Emanator of Abundance.
Still, seeing that THEY were lost in the rhythm instead of causing trouble, he simply shifted his attention back toward Serval.
For him, between watching a clown and watching a beautiful woman, the choice wasn't difficult.
Lucian's smile deepened slightly as he gave the blonde rock queen a small nod—a wordless greeting which, in Serval's eyes, carried the warmth of someone genuinely enjoying her show.
'He's smiling at me... He's cheering me on...'
Serval suddenly felt heat rush straight to her head, her fingertips tingling.
In the next moment, she drew in a deep breath, forcing down her pounding heartbeat, then struck her guitar strings hard.
*TWANG—!*
A sharper, fiercer guitar roar exploded, instantly drowning out Aha's drums.
Serval tossed her radiant, long golden hair, her body swaying wildly with the rhythm as her eyes locked onto Lucian like a predator sighting its prey—raw, direct, and burning.
For her, this was no longer just a performance, but her pouring out ten years' worth of pent-up rock spirit, and something even hotter, for the only audience that mattered.
"We've made a choice. Go fight against your fate!~"
Serval's voice soared higher than before, carrying an almost cathartic force—every word struck like a heartbeat against the crowd.
Her sudden surge of passion set the place ablaze, driving the audience to erupt even more wildly.
Lucian stood at the edge of the crowd, arms folded, watching with calm amusement as the elegant yet wild blonde rock queen sang her heart out for him.
Beside her, Aha was going berserk on the drums, and near THEM, the crowd was already lost in pure frenzy.
A minute later, when the song finally ended, the last note still quivered in the air.
"Haahh... Hahh..."
Serval's chest rose and fell sharply, fine beads of sweat rolling down her temple and tracing the line of her jaw—yet she didn't bother wiping them away, her gaze burning straight at Lucian as she waited for his reaction, making the air itself seem utterly still.
Even Aha stopped drumming, tilting THEIR masked head toward Lucian—eager for what would come next.
Seeing the two performers suddenly fall silent and gaze in a certain direction, the crowd followed suit, tracking their line of sight.
"Hm? Hey, isn't that the Supreme Guardian? No way, he's actually here watching a street performance?"
"Oh, this woman's about to blow up! Even Lord Lucian's here watching her play!"
"Damn, I'm watchin' the same rock show as the Supreme Guardian!"
Under everyone's eyes, Lucian walked slowly through the crowd, which parted on its own, and stopped by the edge of the stage.
He calmly gazed at Serval, whose cheeks flushed and eyes blazed, then curved his lips into a smile that could make anyone's heart skip.
"Serval Landau..."
Lucian's voice wasn't loud, but it cut clearly through the noise.
"Gotta say, the song you performed... You changed it in a pretty powerful way—especially the second half."
As soon as he said this, his eyes dropped to Serval's hands gripping the guitar neck, her knuckles red from pressure.
"You played with a lot of heart. It was good."
Hearing this praise, Serval felt heat surge from her feet to the top of her head—more thrilling than hitting that last high note.
"L-Lord Lucian! You like it?!" Serval, stuttering, exclaimed in excitement—direct and unrestrained, just like a true rocker. "I rewrote it based on something Gepard heard! It's called… called Wildfire!"
"It really is called Wildfire..." Lucian muttered in surprise before chuckling, his gaze brushing over her damp bangs and sparkling eyes. "Well, that song fits you perfectly. I'll send you the original sometime. Not gonna lie, it's a lot more enjoyable than the classical music in Cocolia's office."
Such a teasing comparison was like a spark thrown into dry grass, causing Serval's eyes to blaze even brighter.
In the next moment, she straightened her back like a proud peacock, just about to speak, but—
"Hey, friend~ do you know me~?"
A head wearing a mask with three different expressions suddenly popped out from behind Lucian, so close that it nearly bumped into his shoulder.
At some point, Aha had already snuck up beside Lucian, clapping a hand onto his shoulder with loud, friendly slaps.
"I'm your healer's friend, but I can be your friend too!"
"..."
Serval slowly closed her already open mouth as the bold, fiery opening line she had been preparing was smashed to pieces by this clown.
Staring at Aha's dazzling getup and over-the-top enthusiasm, then at Lucian's slightly jostled shoulder, she felt a mix of embarrassment and irritation boiling up inside her.
Lucian, not noticing her feelings, nearly burst out laughing when he heard the Aeon of Abundance, Yaoshi, being called 'healer.'
Honestly, that nickname fit a little too well—after all, when his HP had almost hit zero, it was Yaoshi who had healed him back up.
"Alright, whatever you wanna ask, come with me." Lucian said calmly, then turned while flashing Serval one last smile. "Anyway, I have some important business with this guy. Let's hang out sometime."
Leaving these words behind, he calmly walked away without looking back.
"Your idol's mine now~ HaHaHaHa~!"
Aha cackled as THEY glanced at the speechless-looking blonde woman, then bolted off, quickly following after Lucian.
Needless to say, THEY had clearly noticed Serval's feelings for Lucian, which was exactly why THEY teased her deliberately, openly relishing her flustered, helpless reaction.
Serval glared at the masked clown's back, itching to kick THEIR ass straight into a ditch, but she couldn't start a fight in front of Lucian.
'Dammit, that was the perfect chance—totally ruined by that bastard!'
Serval complained inwardly, feeling frustrated after going so long without this kind of feeling.
'Whatever, I'll just head back to the research institute. At least that'll give me a legit excuse to see him again.'
No sooner thought than done, Serval packed her instruments, locked up her workshop, and quickly headed straight to the Qlipoth Fort to see her old friend.
===
Qlipoth Fort, Supreme Guardian's Office.
When she was in the middle of signing some documents, Cocolia was truly surprised when the woman she hadn't seen in years suddenly wanted to meet her.
Now, they were looking face-to-face again after all these years.
"Serval, it's been a long time..." Cocolia said with a kind smile, looking somewhat carefree. "I thought you'd never come see me again."
"Yeah, I'm still kinda mad, but it's getting better. No big deal meeting up."
Serval replied smoothly, looking as confident as ever—none of the restraint others showed around the former Supreme Guardian.
"What happened before was my fault... I never had the chance to apologize." Cocolia said with a helpless expression as she descended the steps. "Will you come back—help me make Belobog great again?"
Hearing this, Serval raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Truth be told, she hadn't expected Cocolia to take the initiative, to sound just like the old friend she once shared ideals with, just before she got corrupted by the Stellaron.
Unfortunately, she didn't realize that Cocolia actually had an ulterior motive.
'Perfect. I've just found someone to share the burden with.'
Cocolia was wearing a kind smile on her face, but deep down, she was already formulating a scheme for her old friend.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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