"Still haven't recovered?"
Waking up at sunrise, as was his habit, Kars immediately felt that his body was still stuck in the form of a child. He sighed deeply, then struggled to free himself from the embrace of Remilia and Flandre.
He was currently serving as their cuddle toy while they slept. Without waking them, Kars quietly slipped out, opened the window as usual, and flew to the top of the newly rebuilt clock tower of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. As the morning sunlight hit him, Kars found the sensation even more exquisite than before. Perhaps the smaller body contributed to the heightened pleasure.
He also noticed that while sunbathing, Sun-attribute energy spontaneously generated within his body. This helped him understand why he had sensed such a massive amount of energy before—it must have all been generated through sunbathing. Kars also theorized that his sudden reduction in size was most likely due to extreme energy depletion during his last power surge.
The reason his body grew faster than all other vampires was probably this intense sun exposure. If he continued his sunbathing regime, he should be able to revert to his adult form. To speed up his recovery, Kars planned to dedicate much more time to the process.
However, in his current small form, his body couldn't endure prolonged sun exposure before overheating. In the past, Kars might have stopped, but now things were different. He had a fairy who could help him with this problem.
"Cirno!"
Kars flew straight to the Misty Lake and shouted Cirno's name by the shore. Before long, Cirno's figure appeared before him.
"Who dares to call the strongest, the great Cirno?" Looking proud, Cirno stood with her hands on her hips before the small boy. She felt Kars looked vaguely familiar but couldn't quite place him. Still, she felt a comfortable closeness, so she flew up to him.
"You must have heard of the great Cirno and come to pledge your loyalty, right? Very well, I accept! From now on, you are the great Cirno's number one follower!"
"Who would ever follow you! It's me! I'm Kars!" Kars rolled his eyes and revealed his identity. Cirno's expression immediately became complex. She circled Kars a few times, finally confirming he was the one she had declared her rival. She couldn't help but be curious about his transformation.
The child-like appearance, however, gave Cirno a much better impression. She found the small Kars far more endearing and approachable than the giant adult version.
"So what do you want? If you came to find me to deal with the enemy who made you look like this, then, as your fierce rival, I might mercifully help you."
"It's not that. I just sunbathed for too long and need your help to cool down. If possible, I'd be even happier if you just stayed near me." Kars explained his purpose. Hearing this, Cirno immediately looked disappointed. She had hoped for something exciting, but he only wanted to use the great Cirno's power for something so mundane.
"If you're too hot, why don't you just jump into the water? Do you really need to come all the way here for something so boring?" Cirno pointed at the lake nearby. The water was right there, yet he wanted her to cool him down.
"That's too much trouble. If it was for a short time, fine, but I need to sunbathe for a long time. If I take off my clothes and jump in, I have to dry off and dress again. If I jump in with my clothes on, being soaked is miserable. So, only you, Cirno, can cool me down directly with your chilling aura. That's the best way." Kars explained the practicality, which helped Cirno understand.
"I see! I really am the strongest!" The compliment at the end was the most effective part.
"So, Cirno, will you sunbathe with me?"
"Absolutely not! Why would I sunbathe with you!" Asking an Ice Fairy to sunbathe was something only someone with a severe lack of sense would say!
"Then… then just sit nearby. I'll ask Sakuya to prepare cake and juice for you. When I need you, I'll come over. Is that okay?" Kars wanted company while sunbathing, but Cirno's reaction was so intense that he had to give up. The activity was truly unsuitable for her.
"Cake and juice…?" Cirno looked tempted. These items held great allure for her.
"If that's the case, I suppose it's not entirely out of the question. You asked so nicely, so I agree! You should be very grateful!" Cirno returned to her proud posture.
"Yes, thank you!" Kars offered sincere thanks, which only made Cirno feel more smug and satisfied.
"Then let's take the Great Fairy with us!" Cirno always took the Great Fairy everywhere, and this trip was no exception.
Kars had no objection to her decision; it was just one more person. The Scarlet Devil Mansion had plenty of resources; there was no fear of one extra mouth to feed.
After Cirno called the Great Fairy over, the Great Fairy's gaze lingered on Kars for a moment during their meeting. Realizing her lack of manners, she immediately blushed and lowered her head.
"Um… I'm the Great Fairy! I'm Cirno-chan's friend." The Great Fairy clearly didn't recognize the child Kars and politely introduced herself.
"I'm Kars, Great Fairy."
"Ehhhh?!!" The Great Fairy cried out in surprise, but quickly accepted the reality. After all, turning into a child was not a difficult feat for a yokai. She was just curious why Kars would do it.
"In short, Kars is treating us to cake and juice! Let's hurry!" Cirno briefly explained the situation and led the way toward the Scarlet Devil Mansion. She was highly curious about everything inside the mansion. If she hadn't been blocked before, she would have rushed in long ago, and now she finally had the chance.