The Elysian Realm had changed Kiana's perspective.
When Shu was playing through the story, he hadn't provided any of the text logs related to the Previous Era found in the Elysian Realm. Therefore, Kiana's understanding of the Previous Era was limited to what was explicitly shown in the main storyline.
It was a failed civilization, an era of Flame-Chasers who failed to become heroes.
As for anything beyond that, she only knew general concepts like, "The Previous Era was far more cruel than the Current Era."
Exactly how was it more cruel? Kiana didn't know. She only knew that the Previous Era had failed. They hadn't been able to protect their civilization from the Honkai, just like them...
Just like... them?
Kiana didn't know why this thought suddenly sprouted in her mind while reading the text logs about the Previous Era.
Clearly, the situation at their base was improving. The ranks of the Fire Moth were swelling, ecosystems were being established, cycles were being completed, and everything seemed to be recovering. The shadow of their lost civilization seemed like it was just yesterday...
Divine Keys, MANTISes, and even Shu's own power, the Titan Mecha forces...
Clearly, everything around them was getting better. Kiana didn't know why she was having these thoughts.
Were they going to lose?
Kiana had never thought they would lose... The worst outcome she had ever imagined was simply "I die." And after obtaining the Book of time and seeing Shu's memories through it, she hadn't even had that thought anymore.
But this time... Kiana thought of "failure."
Did the Previous Era not possess the things they had now?
They had more Divine Keys, more MANTISes, more combat-ready forces, and they had far more time than them...
The Previous Era seemed to be superior to them in every single way, yet the Previous Era lost... So, how could they, who were worse off in almost every condition, possibly defeat the Honkai?
By relying on their complete ignorance of the Honkai?
By relying on the fact that they had encountered eight or nine Herrschers in just half a year?
Or...
By relying on the fact that they had Shu?
Kiana looked up at Shu, who was bustling about in the kitchen.
Today's breakfast would definitely be delicious, she firmly believed.
He had said yesterday that he would definitely save the world, and Kiana never doubted that.
But... but...
Was their world... truly still worth Shu "saving"?
—
If the world Shu had isekaied into was the Current Era, he would have been surrounded by people from all over the world, living in the best possible environment, living up to everyone's expectations, and becoming an insurmountable chasm that the Honkai could not cross.
He would easily achieve greatness, save the world, and become a hero, wouldn't he...
And if Shu had gone to the Previous Era, he would have taken up Kevin's responsibility, standing unwaveringly in front of everyone.
Perhaps, the path the Flame-Chasers failed to complete, the civilization they failed to protect—Shu could truly protect it?
After all, that civilization wasn't like theirs, starting with absolutely nothing from the very beginning, right?
The Fire Moth there wouldn't need Shu to build it from scratch, and that organization wouldn't need Shu to single-handedly shoulder the burden until his body and mind started breaking down.
He would have teammates fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with him, and people to help him bear the pressure.
There, Shu could also become a hero.
But Shu had come to their side.
And they had nothing.
Shu had exhausted all his strength just to establish what they had now. He was like a scientist trapped in the Middle Ages—possessing unparalleled astronomical talent, yet tied to the stake simply because he dared to look up at the sky.
He was supposed to become a hero.
But now—
He seemed no different from those Flame-Chasers in the Elysian Realm.
If...
If only she could let Shu...
"Breakfast is ready," Shu's voice came from beside her, giving Kiana a start. Her entire body jolted violently, and she looked at him in sheer panic.
Shu's hand, which was about to pat Kiana's shoulder, froze mid-air.
Hmm?
Am I really that scary?
"What are you thinking about so intently?" Shu pretended nothing had happened, withdrawing his hand and pointing to the dining table.
Today's breakfast was ready, and it was still an extra-large portion suited for Kiana's constitution.
"N-nothing..." Kiana's eyes darted around erratically. "It's nothing..."
Shu: "..."
He didn't believe her.
"Ah! If we don't eat now, the breakfast will get cold!" Kiana yelled urgently, springing up and scurrying past Shu like a wisp of smoke.
Shu watched as the guilty-looking Kiana ran to the table, her movements chaotic as she picked up a pair of chopsticks and attempted to eat a sandwich with them. He took a deep breath and completely abandoned the idea of questioning her further.
Alright, he believed her.
"There are plastic gloves next to the chopsticks." Shu walked over and plucked the chopsticks—which Kiana was failing to use effectively—right out of her hands. Kiana scratched her head in embarrassment, obediently grabbed the plastic gloves, and put them on.
Shu grabbed his own portion of the sandwich, took the heated milk out of the microwave, and sat down opposite Kiana.
Two or three days weren't enough to completely alter Shu's living habits. He quickly finished his small sandwich, while Kiana, seemingly due to her bad mood, was taking much longer to eat.
Watching Kiana sullenly chewing with her head resting on her hand, Shu hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up.
"Um..." With a classic hesitant opening, Shu voiced his thoughts. "About those things I agreed to last night..."
"Huh?" Kiana looked up blankly.
What did Shu agree to?
"You know, going to the amusement park, the aquarium, and all that..." Yes, Shu actually remembered very clearly.
Including the things Kiana had made him agree to while he was delirious.
"Oh!" Kiana was startled. In that moment, she couldn't help but rejoice that she hadn't asked any overly outrageous questions back then.
Shu actually remembered every single word even in that state?!
How terrifying!
"If you really want to go, we can go tomorrow..." / "I was just asking casually! You don't have to keep those promises, Shu..."
"Hmm?"
"Huh?"
The two stared at each other in shock. In the next moment, they simultaneously beat their chests in regret.
I really am the worst!! x 2
I actually took advantage of Shu's state to make those unreasonable demands! Look, Shu is actually going to fulfill them!
Kiana felt she was being a little inhumane.
I actually thought Kiana was taking advantage of my state to make demands?! She wasn't even thinking about that, and I judged a gentleman with the heart of a scoundrel...
Shu felt there was no longer any point in living.
Rice Cake observed everything with cold, detached eyes, then flicked its tail.
If I'm guessing correctly, these two idiots are going out again tomorrow, aren't they?
Facts proved that Lord Rice Cake's brilliance was unmatched.
The misunderstanding between the two didn't devolve into awkwardness. Under Kiana's eager self-justification and the piercing gaze of the slightly slow-to-react Shu, the Kiana-Shu alliance reached a consensus.
Shu wouldn't just write off the promises he made while drunk.
They were going to the amusement park, and they were going to the aquarium.
As for skydiving and racing... well, he didn't have a skydiving license, nor did he have the connections to race cars, so those were off the table.
But renting a track to drive go-karts should be fine, right? Or perhaps some scenic areas had experiences like off-road rafting, they could try that too.
In short, after a heated discussion, the two finally decided: they would rest for today, head to the amusement park tomorrow, and visit the aquarium the day after.
Kiana felt that Shu really needed to take a good look at this world.
She wanted to stop him on his path, make him tilt his head up, let the sunlight fall on his face, let the wind blow through his fingers, and let all the loud, bright, vibrant, and living things flood into his life.
She wanted to drag him out of this quiet, dimly lit room that contained only himself, and then ruthlessly bully this light-fearing mouse with sunshine and beauty.
If she didn't do this, Shu could stay in this room for the rest of his life.
He definitely could!
And after hearing everything Shu had said while drunk last night, Kiana felt a strong sense of mission welling up inside her.
Just think about how Shu lived the days without her.
Sitting alone on the sofa, his phone screen lighting up and going dark, then lighting up again.
Standing alone by the window, watching the streetlights outside turn on one by one.
Eating dinner alone, his chopsticks picking up food, putting it down, picking it up, putting it down.
Those scenes had no sound, no narration, no commentary. He was just spending day after day alone in that manner.
Was that living? That was merely existing, waiting for something to appear.
Kiana knew exactly what Shu was waiting for; after all, he had explained it so clearly yesterday.
But—
Before you reach that sea of flowers, you've been caught by me!
Kiana planted her hands on her hips, feeling incredibly awesome.
I don't care about all your philosophical mumbo-jumbo. Will Shu wait until he finds the sea of flowers? I don't care, because I was here first!
She wanted to take Shu to see the carousel light up at the amusement park, to see the schools of fish swim overhead at the aquarium, to see the morning mist at the foot of the mountain slowly pushed away by the sunlight, to see the long-dead exhibits in the museum quietly glowing.
She wanted to flip through the most beautiful pages of this world for him, one by one.
She wanted to tell him—Look, it's not all gray here.
This thought had started yesterday morning, took root, and sprouted.
Now it had grown into a small tree, sitting quietly in Kiana's heart.
Kiana didn't know when this tree would blossom and bear fruit.
She just felt... it should be a little faster.
Just a little faster.
The daytime hours passed quickly.
Shu tossed the snack wrappers generated by Kiana's consumption over the past few days into the trash, cleaned up the coffee table that Kiana had messed up, and refilled Rice Cake's automatic feeder.
Kiana curled up on the sofa, holding Shu's phone and searching for guides to the nearby amusement park.
"Do you dare ride the roller coaster?"
"Do you dare go into the haunted house?"
"Do you dare go on the Ferris wheel?"
Wow, she's provoking me!
Shu's answers went from "No" to "No" to "Still no," acting like a ruthless answering machine giving the most boring responses possible.
He could tell at a glance what kind of answer Kiana wanted.
She just wanted him to put up a brave front and boast about his courage, so she could meticulously record every word and then use it as a boomerang to ruthlessly elbow him in the ribs when they actually faced those rides.
Did she really think Shu couldn't see through her little scheme?
Not getting the response she wanted, Kiana was furious. In her extreme anger, she decided to hijack both Shu's phone and computer, forcing him to watch her play games all day!
Torture! This was absolute torture!
Not to be outdone, Shu, under Kiana's incredulous gaze, dug out a thick book from his room, sat down on the sofa, and started reading right then and there.
Kiana leaned over to take a look and found that it wasn't a novel, nor was it a manga.
It—was—a—study material!!
This guy is no longer human.
This was the statement Kiana made after watching Shu hold that book and gnaw on it for an entire afternoon.
Dinner was still cooked by Shu, and it was still a super-sized portion suited for Kiana's constitution.
Only this time, there was an extra bowl on the table.
Kiana had earnestly tried to advise Rice Cake that it couldn't eat at the table, that human food wasn't suitable for it, but Rice Cake still hopped onto the table carrying its own food bowl.
After checking various sources online, Shu helplessly prepared a portion of food that Rice Cake could actually eat.
That night, both of them finished showering and getting ready for bed.
Shu finally changed back into his beloved, comfortable pajamas. Under Kiana's twisted, torturous demands, he hadn't worn his carefully selected pajamas in over 48 hours!
Some things you only understand the importance of after losing them.
For instance, Shu finally realized that his number one requirement for clothing wasn't looks, but comfort.
When Kiana came out of the bathroom, Shu was standing by the window, drawing the curtains.
It was pitch black outside. Dark clouds obscured the moon, leaving only the streetlights glowing, spaced far apart, their halos scattering a dim yellow light into the night.
"Yawn~" Having lazed around the house all day, Kiana let out a lazy yawn and flopped directly onto Shu's bed.
Rice Cake curled up into a white furball on Shu's pillow. One human and one cat thus tyrannically occupied Shu's bed.
Shu: "..."
So I'm supposed to sleep in the cat bed, then?
Shu seriously considered this, but Rice Cake seemed to be woken up by Kiana's movement. It stood up, stretched lazily on Shu's pillow, meowed at Kiana in dissatisfaction, and then leaped off the bed.
Before leaving, Rice Cake made sure to shoot Shu a disdainful glance, perfectly embodying the arrogance and delicacy of a cat.
Shu wanted to retract his previous assessment.
It wasn't like Kiana at all. Kiana wasn't this... well, it was hard to say.
But at least now, he could get into bed and sleep.
Moving somewhat stiffly, Shu got into bed, wrapping the blanket tightly around himself to ensure absolutely no one could sneak in tonight, and then turned off the light.
"Goodnight."
Kiana officially bid Shu farewell for the day.
"Yeah... Goodnight."
Shu replied.