Zeke enjoys a remarkably undisturbed sleep.
Both he and Sin tend to maintain calm sleeping postures. Upon waking early in the morning, Zeke finds the little girl curled beside him, her soft lilac hair draped around them like a gentle embrace enveloping her petite and adorable body.
The girl's delicate hands curled up as even breaths escaped from her snow-white nose and pink lips.
Perhaps startled by Zeke's movement, Sin's eyelids fluttered, and after a moment, she opened her hazy eyes.
"Mm... Zeke..."
Naturally, Sin wrapped her arms around Zeke's waist, nuzzled against him with her small head, and flashed a sweet, adorable smile.
In that instant, something within Zeke felt touched, prompting him to gently caress the girl's hair with a warm smile.
Sleep was no longer necessary for him, but this rare opportunity to have a deep rest, coupled with seeing Sin so reliant on him, genuinely relaxed his spirit significantly.
On the other side of the room, Wendy jolted awake from a nightmare with a grimace.
The reason? Kiana had entangled herself around Wendy like an octopus—especially her hands, which were wrapped tightly around Wendy's neck as if trying to strangle a Honkai Beast.
"..."
Wendy opened her bleary eyes and weakly patted the hands strangling her, but it proved futile. If not for her Herrscher constitution, she suspected she might have suffocated in her sleep.
Exerting considerable effort, she finally managed to free herself from Kiana's chokehold. Sitting up, Wendy rubbed the sore spots on her neck and sighed helplessly.
"Ah... I'm just glad it's Zeke. Otherwise, even being a Herrscher wouldn't save someone from this treatment every day," Wendy muttered half-dazed, massaging her neck.
Kaslana lineage was known for their extraordinary strength, and Kiana exemplified this trait. From Wendy's experience, only a monster like Zeke could withstand such force combined with Kiana's unpredictable sleeping habits.
Reflecting on this, Wendy felt a wave of relief, followed by weary disbelief—good heavens! She actually found herself grateful that Kiana ended up with Zeke; what kind of surreal reality is this?
"Ssslp!"
"Is it...already morning?"
The drooling white-haired girl, blissfully unaware of her messy sleeping habits, finally emerged from slumber.
Skipping over the various antics of waking up, today's breakfast was much livelier than yesterday's reunion dinner.
The reunion meal had been exclusive to Zeke and the girls who grew up alongside him; it wouldn't have felt right for others to join in.
But for breakfast, guests who didn't participate last night were welcome too.
For instance, there was someone resembling Zeke but actually a living fossil from the Kaslana lineage. There was also another living fossil—the narrow-eyed Big Brother—and an Elder Immortal little sister with inexplicably strong homemaker vibes. And then there was...
"Ha ha ha! This is completely Red Kite, totally Fu Hua, utterly me... Ow!"
"Utterly my foot! Look at this book filled with your mischief—this is how you represent us out here? Don't forget that Zeke is about to become emperor. If he holds a grudge later because of your shenanigans, will you expect Taixuan Mountain to survive on air?!"
"Little Fuxi, let me explain! Aiya, stop hitting me already—I'm sorry, okay? Old Antique, help me!"
In the spacious living room, the diminutive Book of Fuxi chased after the fleeing Senti, leaving a trail of sparks and flashes behind them.
As the Herrscher of Sentience possessing Fu Hua's flawless body, Senti ordinarily wouldn't fear physical attacks from the Book of Fuxi. However, this time, wielding the Xuanyuan Sword with Ji Lin obediently resonating within, each strike genuinely hurt when Senti dared not resist.
After several laps of pursuit, Rozaliya, enjoying the spectacle, saw her chance and tripped Senti by sticking out her foot.
"Rozaliya, you dare to plot against me?!"
"Sshhh... Shhhh..."
"Whistling won't help; this immortal will remember this grudge! Aiya, Little Fuxi, go easy! Ow!"
Senti reluctantly huddled defensively, covering her head as the furious Book of Fuxi hovered nearby, raising the massive Xuanyuan Sword—far larger than her own petite frame—to repeatedly tap her on the head.
Clunk!
"So you want to defy nature?"
Clunk!
"Feeling cheeky, huh?"
Clunk!
"And instigating fights with Zeke, is that it?"
Clunk-clunk-clunk!
Amidst these metallic sounds reminiscent of blacksmithing, Kiana entered the living room.
"Morning, ha~"
Kiana, shoulders slumped, staggered inside with a weary yawn.
The sight of the Book of Fuxi disciplining Senti, the Vodka Sisters watching from afar like spectators, the elderly enjoying their tranquil moment basking in the sun, and responses greeting her from all directions failed to lift Kiana's spirits.
She eventually approached Zeke sitting on the couch, noticing Sin and Bronya already occupying the seats beside him, leaving no room for herself. Instead, she stood behind Zeke, stretched out her arms, leaned back, and draped her full weight onto him, resting her head softly against his shoulder.
"Good morning, Zeke," Kiana said weakly, tilting her head to gently bump foreheads with him.
Zeke glanced at her sidelong without replying, continuing to slowly move the gemstone towards the sword blade with one hand holding the Jizo Mitama and the other clutching the Herrscher of Corruption core obtained yesterday.
"What are you doing, Zeke?"
Zeke didn't respond, but Sin turned her head, glaring at Kiana and shushing, "Hush! Quiet down, paramecium! Zeke is focused on important work!"
"Oh..." Kiana replied lethargically, too tired even to argue with Sin.
Kiana responded weakly, too exhausted to argue with Sin.
Zeke's eyes glowed purple—the telltale sign of using the Key of Judgment to access higher-dimensional perspectives—as he slowly brought the gem closer to the sword blade.
As they neared a specific distance, a fuzzy pink creature suddenly emerged from the black edge, raising its chubby little hands to block the approaching Herrscher Core.
"What do you think you're doing, bastard?!"
"Out of my way."
Zeke gazed at the miniature humanoid figure with multiple pink tails and hair to match, speaking in a cold, unyielding tone.
Higokumaru scowled fiercely, her animal ears and fox tails trembling. After nudging the gemstone slightly away, she leaped up and bit Zeke's finger.
"Grrmph... Grrmph..."
"I don't understand your gibberish. Are you asking for a beating?"
Zeke frowned, his expression growing increasingly menacing as he stared down at the little fox spirit dangling from his hand.
Meanwhile, Yae Sakura materialized from within the sword, standing nearby with a wry smile:
"Higokumaru says that place is her home, and she hopes you'll show mercy... So, what exactly do you plan to do? If possible, please don't harm Higokumaru."
Yae Sakura had no deep attachment to herself; even if it meant never seeing Kallen again, sacrificing for a greater need was something she could accept. However, Higokumaru was different; Yae wanted to protect her, unwilling to see any harm come to this being who called her "Big Sister."
Zeke turned his gaze towards Yae Sakura, the purple glow in his eyes gradually fading.
"The Information Origin Theory provides a more comprehensive explanation of the world's essence, but interfering with information is not the same as interacting with the physical realm. The Erosion Authority directly touches upon the informational level, making it highly significant to me... Nevertheless, there might be alternative solutions. After all, the two of you seem quite capable together, and Otto also wishes for you to remain alive."
Golden threads appeared around the Erosion Orb, forming an intricate sphere, which Zeke then hung at his waist.
Next, Zeke effortlessly grabbed the still-biting Higokumaru with one hand.
"Uh! Let me go! What do you plan to do?"
"Mei and Seele are frying dough sticks; the oil is boiling hot, using rich animal fat for that intense flavor."
"!!!" Higokumaru's eyes widened.
"With some flour coating, it should turn out crispy and delicious, right?" Zeke held Higokumaru with one hand while stroking his chin with the other, eyeing her dispassionately as if inspecting ingredients.
Higokumaru froze, her body rigid in Zeke's grip, pupils trembling. Meanwhile, the sinister smile on Zeke's lips grew deeper, seemingly conjuring an indescribably horrifying shadow behind him.
"Eep!"
A moment later, the little girl tilted her head, fainting from sheer terror.
Zeke moved his thumb gently across Higokumaru's round cheeks, confirming she had truly passed out before the eerie grin vanished from his face.
He then noticed Kiana, Bronya, and Sin huddled together nearby, visibly shaken. At a slight distance, the Vodka Sisters were also clinging to each other, trembling fearfully.
"...It's not like I'm targeting any of you," Zeke said expressionlessly. Simultaneously, he materialized a grill on the table, complete with a simulated flame beneath it—remarkably realistic yet devoid of heat. Zeke placed Higokumaru on the grill rack, sprinkled barbecue seasoning including cumin, and waited for her to regain consciousness.
Zeke then squinted his eyes, looking rather pleased with himself.
At that moment, everyone felt the chillingly mischievous side of Zeke, matching his authoritative demeanor—a truly unsettling combination.