Mei continued hugging Oberon when a large white moth—about two meters in size—fluttered down and landed on his shoulder. As it shrank in size to perch gently on him, Mei quickly stepped back with a squeal.
"Eek!!" she cried, backing away. "Oberon, what is that?!"
"Oh, this?" Oberon held the moth proudly. "This is my friend, Blanca~ Isn't she cute~?" he said with a playful smile, lifting Blanca gently off his shoulder and petting her.
Mei stared at him in disbelief, her eyes locked on the massive insect.
"Oberon! Don't scare Mei-senpai!" Kiana suddenly wrapped her arms around Mei protectively, glaring at him.
"K-Kiana-chan?!" Mei yelped in surprise.
"Subject Oberon," Bronya spoke up flatly, massaging her temple, "women tend to fear bugs. Please refrain from showing them."
"Eh~? Blanca isn't a bug, she's my dear companion," Oberon said cheerfully, still patting the moth.
"Subject Oberon," Bronya replied, her gaze on Blanca, "even so, Bronya finds bugs frightening. And what you're holding is big."
"Blanca, my poor Blanca~ look how they treat you~" Oberon sighed dramatically, then turned to Bronya with a grin. "And who might you be, little missy?"
"Da Bronya is Bronya. Subject Oberon," she answered with her usual blank expression.
"Eh~ Nice to meet you, Bronya~ You should smile more!" he said playfully.
"Da Bronya's emotional circuits are damaged. Therefore, Bronya cannot express emotions."
"Oh. I see. Such a shame~" Oberon said softly, then glanced back at the group. His light-hearted tone vanished, replaced with seriousness.
"So… do any of you know what happened here? The streets are crawling with zombies and monsters."
Mei fell silent, equally unsure. But Kiana and Bronya answered in unison:
"Honkai."
"Honkai energy."
Oberon tilted his head. "Honkai energy? What's that?"
Kiana fell quiet, trying to put her thoughts together. Bronya stepped forward.
"Honkai energy is similar to nuclear energy—only deadlier. As far as Bronya knows, Honkai energy has existed since before the medieval era, and continues to this day."
Oberon stared at her, impressed. "You sure know a lot, huh~?"
"Da."
"Hehh~ Anyway," he said, spinning around with flair, "what do you say to surviving together? After all, the glorious Fairy King Oberon is here with you~!"
"Da Bronya has no objections," Bronya replied calmly.
"I don't mind either," Mei said softly.
But a certain silver-haired girl wasn't having it.
"No! I absolutely refuse!" Kiana shouted, glaring at Oberon.
"Why?" Oberon blinked in confusion.
"Because you're going to take Mei-senpai away from me!" she pouted, hugging Mei tightly.
"I'm not going to take Mei from you~" Oberon chuckled, amused by her jealousy.
"Eh? Really?"
"Really."
"Absolutely sure?"
"Absolutely sure."
"Okay! Then you're coming with us! Don't worry, this mighty young lady will protect you all!" Kiana beamed proudly, lifting her chin.
"Da. Idiotka is weaker than Bronya, so you shouldn't indulge in such outrageous claims," Bronya said, immediately starting a fire.
"You! Bratnya! Don't forget I saved you back there!" Kiana snapped.
"Da Bronya was indeed saved by you. However, Bronya is aware that you're still weaker than her," Bronya replied with her usual flat tone—though her eyes betrayed a spark of teasing.
"You—!!"
Kiana lunged at Bronya, but Mei quickly held her back by the shoulders.
"Kiana-chan, calm down. We still need to find food… and a place to rest," Mei smiled gently.
"Mei-senpai… I love you~!" Kiana cried out, hugging her tightly.
"H-Hyaah!! Kiana-chan, Oberon is watching!" Mei flushed red with embarrassment.
"Let's go, Mei-senpai!" Kiana scooped her up bridal-style and bolted off.
"Kiana-chan! Slow down! And—wait, you're running the wrong way!" Mei's face turned even redder.
Bronya and Oberon stared as Kiana dashed off in the wrong direction with Mei in her arms.
"What an energetic young lady~" Oberon mused.
"Da. Bronya thinks Idiotka is being… Idiotka," Bronya deadpanned.
Oberon turned to her. "Well then, little missy, shall we follow before they get into trouble?"
"Subject Oberon is correct. Before Idiotka does something stupid," Bronya agreed, and the two began to follow.
As they jogged after the duo, Bronya gave Oberon a side glance.
"Subject Oberon, Bronya wants to ask something."
"Oh~ What is it?" he replied curiously.
"Why do you call yourself 'Fairy King' Oberon?" Bronya asked, still running.
"Eh~ You really want to know?"
"Da."
"That's because I am that Oberon—from A Midsummer Night's Dream~" he said in a sing-song tone.
"Eh?! Are you saying you're the same Oberon from William Shakespeare's play?" Bronya looked at him in disbelief.
"Hehe~ That's right! I am that Oberon."
Bronya stared, unconvinced. "But… fiction isn't real. How are you here?"
"I don't know," Oberon shrugged. "When I opened my eyes, I was already here—not in the Autumn Forest."
"Autumn Forest?" Bronya asked. "Bronya recalls that Oberon lived in the woods outside of Athens, not in an Autumn Forest."
"Ah, I used to," he said wistfully. "But due to… certain events, I had to leave. It was a fitting end for someone like me, I suppose. A mischievous king who caused too much trouble… especially for Titania."
His voice quieted, and his smile faded into a frown.
Bronya remained silent, watching him closely.
After a few seconds of silence, Bronya glanced at Oberon's head.
"What's that? A crown?" she asked, eyeing the golden, star-shaped ornament glittering above him.
Oberon followed her gaze and tapped it lightly.
"This?" he said with a playful smile. "This is my crown—the symbol of my reign as the Fairy King of the Autumn Forest~"
. . . . . . . . . . . .
[5:20 PM]
After running around the city, the trio and Oberon finally found a building to use as shelter.
They cautiously stepped inside, scanning for any hidden dangers that might be lurking in the shadows. After a few tense minutes of checking each room, they deemed the place safe and finally settled down.
"Iyah~ Seriously, how can something like that even exist?" Oberon groaned as he sank into a sofa, Blanca folded its wings and nestled into Oberon's lap
"About what, Oberon?" Mei asked, sitting beside him.
"The Honkai energy," he muttered, frowning deeply. "If that kind of energy has really been around since ancient times... then humanity is doomed."
Before Mei could respond, a certain white-haired girl dashed over.
"Oberon, move aside! I'm sitting next to Mei~" Kiana announced as she bounded toward the sofa.
"Owah... Alright, alright," Oberon sighed, scooting over. Kiana dove into the cushions and immediately wrapped her arms around Mei.
"Mei-senpai, I'm hungry~" she whined, snuggling up close.
"Kiana-chan, we don't have any ingredients to cook with," Mei replied gently, looking at her with concern.
"Ehh~" Kiana pouted, and right on cue, her stomach growled. Bronya then approached, stepping into the room.
"Mei-nee-sama, Bronya can go search for a convenience store," she offered calmly.
"Absolutely not!" Mei said firmly. "Bronya-chan, it's almost dark outside, and there could be monsters like the one we fought before."
"Sigh... I guess it can't be helped then. I'll go find food for us," Oberon said with a tired sigh as he stood up.
"But it's already dark, Oberon! We should just rest and deal with it in the morning," Mei protested, turning toward him in concern.
"Ahh, it's fine~ If danger comes, I can always run. No one wants to fight on an empty stomach, right Kiana?" Oberon stretched his arms, and Blanca flitted into the air beside him.
"That's right! Oberon really gets this mighty lady!" Kiana replied proudly.
"But..." Mei began again, only for Oberon to wave her off.
"It's fine, it's fine."
Kiana looked up and said, "Oberon, from now on, you're my friend."
"Subject Oberon, Bronya will accompany you," Bronya said as she stepped forward and lightly clutched the hem of Oberon's white moth-like robe.
"Hahaha~ It's really okay. You three should rest. I'll handle this," Oberon chuckled warmly.
"But... Bronya promised she wouldn't be a burden," Bronya said quietly.
"I know. But if I go alone, I can move more freely. And I'm fast enough to escape if anything happens," Oberon smiled apologetically.
"...Understood, Subject Oberon," Bronya nodded, her voice expressionless as she returned to her seat.
"Don't worry—I'll bring back something amazing for everyone~" Oberon said, waving as he turned toward the door.
Mei watched his figure recede into the hallway, her brows furrowing.
"Oberon," she called out softly.
"Yes, Mei?" he paused, glancing back.
"Be careful," she said, her voice filled with concern.
Oberon held her gaze for a moment, then smiled.
"I will~ Thank you, Mei," he said gently before walking off into the dark.