---o---
By the time everything was over, some time had already passed.
After tucking the girl in, who had just finished washing up and was now resting, Li Zihan gazed out the window at the sky and fell into deep thought.
It seemed they had skipped right past lunchtime.
Kiana was probably hungry by now.
The young man, who had come to this world primarily to woo Kiana and complete the system's "Human Order Sustainer" mission, couldn't help but sigh.
He was spending far too much time being intimate with girls, and it seemed to be affecting his mission progress.
So, in the future, before rolling in the sheets with a girl, should he activate his time magecraft to stretch out the available time?
The young man, whose development of time magecraft was heading in an increasingly bizarre direction, pushed open the door.
And then—
He was met by a pretty, expressionless face.
"You really are a scumbag."
Kiana Schariac, who, like Sirin, had abandoned the Kaslana name, looked at the man who had claimed he would pursue her this morning, only to spend the entire time rolling in the bedsheets with Bronya. Her voice was cold.
"When did I ever say I wasn't a scumbag?"
The young man, who held a rather high reputation in the Clock Tower—Type-Moon's largest assembly line for producing scumbags—stretched lazily.
His tone was so utterly sincere that Kiana, who had been about to say something, froze. The criticisms she had prepared for him got stuck in her throat.
It seems Kiana really does care about me.
Looking at the girl who had apparently come here specifically to berate him for his reputation, the young man thought to himself.
When faced with a strange man with a terrible reputation, a normal girl's reaction would be disgust, followed by avoidance, wouldn't it?
To actually approach and scold him...
Li Zihan recalled the impression he had left on Kiana and her current reaction, and he couldn't help but sigh internally.
Even if the person showing her kindness is a scumbag who's just after her looks, she still becomes concerned with his actions and wants to interact with him?
It seems she cares about the kindness I've shown her even more than I imagined.
Her lack of affection... it's a bit extreme.
Is she the type who can be moved by the smallest gesture of goodwill, and once her heart is opened, she'll show her entire self to the person who moved her?
The young man, who was inexplicably reminded of Bronya and Sirin, found his mood souring.
Although this situation was beneficial for his goal of conquering her, he...
He wasn't happy about it.
When I get back, I'll just launch Siegfried to the moon to watch over the ruins and monitor the enemy that will probably only appear around the time of A Post-Honkai Odyssey—the Heavenly People.
Li Zihan mused.
"My father had to be permanently stationed on the moon for a special mission to watch over all of humanity, leaving him powerless to save me." This was obviously a much easier pill to swallow than "My father abandoned me."
As for Sirin...
He could just use the all-purpose tool, Welt, to fill the gap.
Welt, the Herrscher of Reason, accepted a request from his good friend Siegfried to help find his daughter, and while he was at it, to raise K423—Sirin.
But due to some turmoil, his combat power was greatly diminished, leaving him unable to confront Schicksal and fulfill his promise to his friend. He could only manage to raise K423.
His sudden departure from K423's life could be explained away by saying that Anti-Entropy had a major crisis to resolve.
So, once he got back, he would coordinate his story with Otto and Welt, and then launch Siegfried.
Li Zihan thought idly.
Let Siegfried live on as a hero in the memories of Kiana and Sirin.
"Acting like this, no one will ever like you."
The girl, who had considered keeping her distance from Li Zihan but in the end couldn't resist interacting with the person who cared about her, finally managed to squeeze out these words after a long pause.
Even as she said it, she didn't quite believe it herself.
Li Zihan was the type who was very popular with girls; many of them already liked him.
"I believe you will come to like me."
The young man, who planned to maintain his fervent attitude from now on, walked to the girl's side and spoke with sincerity.
Looking at the debauched youth before her, the image of another man couldn't help but surface in the girl's eyes...
"I could never possibly fall for a scumbag."
The words were spoken with iron-clad finality, her delicate features set with an unyielding resolve.
That's right. She absolutely cannot fall for a scumbag.
Falling for an irresponsible scumbag would only bring disaster upon herself and her future children.
"Even if you say that, I will continue to pursue you."
The young man, who was now planning to whip up an elaborate lunch for Kiana and Bronya and then fob Ishtar off with the leftovers, just smiled and said.
"Of course, as a simp, I am self-aware."
"If you really don't want to see me, then from now on, I'll have Ishtar deliver your meals to your room."
"And if you suddenly need me for something, just call my name. As long as the wind blows where you are, I will appear before you and fulfill my duties as a simp."
The young man, who had obtained the Authority of the ten avatars, The Persian Warlord, from Kusanagi Godou, was stating a fact.
The first incarnation—[The Wind].
In any place where the wind blows for both parties, if an acquaintance calls your name, you can use "the wind" to instantly teleport to their location.
As long as you are in the same world, you can arrive instantly, no matter the distance.
Verethragna had even received a summons from Mitra from another world, manifesting as an avatar and even crossing multiple parallel worlds to arrive before the King of the End.
"What do you mean by that?"
The girl, having no idea what Li Zihan was talking about, questioned the young man who had just said something rather fantastical.
"The war god Verethragna possesses an Authority called the 'Ten Incarnations,' allowing him to fight his enemies by changing into ten different forms. The first of these is 'The Wind.'"
The young man, who could indeed activate the Ten Incarnations, chuckled lightly.
"The conditions to activate that Authority are a blowing wind and someone calling my name. The effect is instant teleportation to the person who called me."
The young man smiled, his voice cheerful.
"I'm a simp who's on call, you know."
"As long as my dear little princess is willing to call my name, I will be more than happy to serve Her Highness."
On call... is he?
The girl, who had called out for her father countless times, had a distant look in her eyes.
"Yes, on call, anytime."
As if sensing the girl's thoughts, the young man added with a smile.