The air was thick with the unique, sweltering heat of summer, and the distant, droning sound of cicadas drifted in and out of hearing.
Kiana stared blankly at Ye Feng, a single, crystalline bead of sweat trickling down her forehead.
"...K-k-k-k-kissing?"
"Why are you stuttering? This should be easy, right?"
"..."
Kiana's fists clenched loosely, her gaze wandering.
Before, she had always convinced herself by thinking, "This body isn't mine, anyway."
By that logic, what did a little biological mucous membrane contact even matter?
But she couldn't shake the feeling that if she were to kiss him voluntarily, she would truly… cross a point of no return.
Watching the Tuna's conflicted struggle, Ye Feng felt a surge of delight.
"You're allowed to roll around in bed, but not to kiss? Tuna, your hobbies are certainly unique," Ye Feng said cheerfully.
"..."
Kiana opened her mouth but found no way to refute him.
"Speaking of which, haven't these lips of yours already kissed me? Today, we're just changing the location."
"!!"
Kiana's azure pupils shot a glare at Ye Feng.
Her stare was so intense it was as if Ye Feng had committed some heinous, world-shattering crime.
She had never looked at him with such eyes, not even when he had filled her up like a cream puff.
"If you don't come over here, then I'm coming over there."
"You, what are you going to do…"
"Force a kiss on you."
Ye Feng was slowly but surely emphasizing the connection between "Kiana" and the "NPC body."
Seeing the approaching shadow, Kiana's feet instinctively carried her backward.
For every step Kiana took back, Ye Feng took one forward. They moved in almost perfect sync, a testament to just how compatible they were.
Finally, Kiana's back hit the wall. There was nowhere left to run.
Her face was completely enveloped by Ye Feng's shadow.
This lady just got kabedon'd!?
Kiana lifted her head, her eyes meeting Ye Feng's affectionate gaze.
His scorching stare was filled with such fervent energy that it made her body go limp. The Tuna subconsciously wanted to look away, but felt that doing so would be admitting defeat.
So, the stubborn Tuna defiantly held her head high, refusing to flinch, and met Ye Feng's gaze head-on.
"You're not looking away? You're actually moving closer to me?"
"Why should this lady look away?"
"Not afraid I'll force a kiss on you?"
"Not afraid!"
"And why not?"
"I'm just not afraid!"
"I see."
Ye Feng braced one hand on the wall beside Kiana's ear and used the other to pinch her delicate, snow-white chin. He smiled. "You were looking forward to it, weren't you."
"You shameless bastard! Who said I was looking forward to you kissing me!"
"I never said kissing. I just said 'you were looking forward to it.' Tuna, why would your mind jump to that conclusion?"
"I, I~~"
Kiana's face flushed crimson. She craned her long, fair neck, a vein faintly visible on her forehead.
She couldn't get the rest of her words out, because Ye Feng had already blocked them.
Kiana's eyes widened, her mind going completely blank.
She was just about to struggle when Ye Feng's powerful hand seized her wrists, lifted them up, and pinned them against the wall, clamping down like a vise.
Kiana was nearly a full head shorter than him, and with her arms pinned like this, she could only stand helplessly on her tiptoes.
"Mmph… mmph… mmph~~"
Blood rushed to her snow-white neck, turning it a deep red.
The blush spread all the way to her crystalline earlobes, her exquisite ears now flushed with color.
Time seemed to stretch on endlessly. Kiana felt like she was suffocating.
After what felt like an eternity, Kiana was overcome by a wave of dizziness.
Her pupils lost focus and refocused several times as she tried to concentrate.
But when Ye Feng finally released her, she slid down the wall like a pile of soft mud, collapsing onto the floor. Her legs splayed out weakly in front of her.
She wiped her lips furiously.
"...I won't let you get away with this!"
"Not let me get away? Ah, I get it. The Tuna isn't satisfied. You want more."
"??"
Before Kiana could even catch her breath, Ye Feng had pinned her to the floor again.
Kiana thrashed about like a fish out of water, her slender waist writhing madly like a snake that had drunk realgar wine…
---o---
"Dammit!"
Kiana's eyes snapped open. She still felt out of breath.
That long, deep kiss had left her gasping for air.
Recalling what had just happened, Kiana ground her teeth in frustration.
Is that guy nuts? Kissing me for what felt like an eternity?
What was even more infuriating was that she had woken up before he could tell her anything about the Pseudo-Herrschers.
What a huge loss!
The Tuna was furious.
Why couldn't she have held on just a little longer?
The only good news was that the next time she went in, she could get the answer right away.
Kiana still had a great deal of faith in Ye Feng's credibility.
Back on Ye Feng's side, as the Tuna "left," the body of 「NPC Kiana」 sprang up. Shouting, "Why do I need treatment? I want to drink {Bleep}-juice," she ran off gleefully.
Not long after the sun had risen, Yae Sakura arrived once again.
Her entry time was always perfectly staggered with Kiana's.
"Benefactor."
Yae Sakura walked forward, bathed in the凛然 morning glow. Higokumaru didn't walk beside her, but followed a step behind, at her side.
"How did it go?"
"Thanks to Higokumaru intervening at the critical moment, we successfully captured the Pseudo-Herrscher."
"Is that so?"
Ye Feng's gaze fell upon the little fox.
In her human form, Higokumaru was quite petite. Though cute, her face was filled with arrogance and disdain, the very picture of a standard bratty imp.
"Hmph, you can only blame Yae Sakura for being such a small fry. If we had stayed there any longer, we would have been targeted by the battleship. To think that in a mere five hundred years, human technology has advanced to such a degree."
Ye Feng gave her a strange look. "Aren't you the Herrscher of Erosion?"
"So what?"
Ye Feng chuckled. Had she forgotten her own powers? It was true what they say about pregnancy brain.
He shook his head and smiled. "Regardless of your motives, Higokumaru did a good job this time."
Following his words, Higokumaru's stomach visibly shrank by half.
She instantly felt much lighter.
How strange. As a Herrscher, she should feel at ease even if she were carrying a building or holding up the Eiffel Tower.
But the small amount of weight added by her belly had been an unbearable burden.
"Hurry up and say 'Thank you, Brother Ye Feng.'"
"This is merely the duty you are obligated to fulfill!" the little fox declared arrogantly.
Ye Feng didn't bother arguing with her. There would be plenty of opportunities to play with her later.
"Get Yuno settled. See if you can bring her in here as well."
"Yes, Benefactor."
"You two need to be careful out there. This isn't two years from now, in the era where 'most Herrschers fight for a beautiful world for humanity.' Herrschers and Pseudo-Herrschers are still seen as natural enemies. Only a place like St. Freya would attempt to communicate. In a few days, you might be able to enter St. Freya."
Raiden Mei was the best example.
Since they had already taken in a Herrscher of Thunder, taking in two Pseudo-Herrschers shouldn't be a problem.
"I will follow Benefactor's arrangements," Yae Sakura said coolly. Her expression remained as calm as a placid well, as if there was nothing left in the world that could pique her interest.
Watching Yae Sakura's detached, world-weary demeanor, Ye Feng found himself wondering if he should give her something a little more… stimulating.