Kiana, Li & Mei's Hangout
January 18, 12:21 AM
Kiana: Hey, hey! Is everyone asleep?
Mei: Not yet, Kiana. What's up?
Kiana: Hehe, I'm just too excited to sleep! It's [Elysian Realm]! The hottest singer right now!
Mei: Yes, I've heard her music. How should I put this... in my personal opinion, she is absolutely the number one singer in the world today.
Kiana: Mhm, I think so too! In fact, how many people in the world wouldn't think so?
Kiana: @WantsToRaiseASnake By the way, Fu Li, are you asleep?
Mei: Silly Kiana, it's so late. He's definitely asleep already.
Kiana: Oh, is that so? Then I'll talk to him tomorrow.
Hearing the notification sound from his phone, Fu Li pulled it out of his pocket. After a moment's thought, he picked it up and replied that he was about to sleep, then put it away.
He looked across at Klein's workplace, raised a sniper rifle, and scanned the disaster site within.
As expected, just as he had deduced, the place had indeed been attacked by a number of Honkai Beasts. Judging by the extent of the wreckage, the invading force was at least one Chariot-class Honkai Beast.
"Forget it... Was I really just overthinking things?"
Fu Li shook his head, dismantled the sniper rifle, and placed it back in its case nearby.
He hadn't come here because he suspected Klein, but simply because he felt something was off and wanted to investigate.
When it came down to it, Klein... a World Serpent research institute... it was hard not to connect those two things.
But now, it seemed he had been worrying too much.
He wondered what kind of scene it would be when, someday, Klein managed to rise through the ranks of World Serpent and enter the Elysian Realm, only to come face-to-face with Puppet Klein.
It was an amusing thought, wasn't it?
Another notification from his phone drew Fu Li's attention. He picked it up to see what nonsense that idiot Kiana was tagging him for this time.
Then, he saw that Kiana was spreading some new rumor she'd heard from who-knows-where, saying that another new teacher was coming soon.
After all, it hadn't been long since Sakurajima Rin, who looked so much like Sis Sakura's younger sister, had transferred in as a teacher. Even if they were changing staff, it shouldn't be happening so frequently.
Kiana, Li & Mei's Hangout
Fu Li: A new teacher was just assigned not long ago. How could another one be transferred in so quickly?
Kiana: Fu Li! Are you doubting the authenticity of my information?
Fu Li: That's right!
Kiana: You, you, you! Fine, let's make a bet. I bet a new teacher will definitely arrive within this week.
Fu Li: Oh? Then I'll bet that no new teacher will come. What are the stakes?
Kiana: A week's worth of drinks!
Fu Li: Deal.
Mei: You two... drinking so many soft drinks isn't good for you.
Fu Li replied to the messages as he walked home, a confident smile playing on his lips.
What a joke. If a new teacher really does show up, I'll eat this phone right here and now. Without a shred of hesitation.
By the time Fu Li got home, the messages in the group chat had long since stopped. It seemed they had all gone to sleep.
Seeing his phone's battery at only 3%, Fu Li put it on to charge and then lay back on his bed to rest.
---o---
Schicksal Far East Branch, Ship Docking Bay.
"Alright, colleagues! Starting today, you all have a half-month vacation. Enjoy it to the fullest!"
"Oh! Yeah!"
"Long live the Captain!"
"Ahem, that's enough, that's enough." A woman with long, fiery red hair waved her hand dismissively, looking at the bunch of rookies under her command with an exasperated expression.
"Remember not to cause any trouble. Dismissed, dismissed."
After speaking, the red-haired woman eagerly turned and left, looking as if she had some urgent personal business to attend to.
With her departure, the others also gradually dispersed, some leaving alone, others in groups. For them, a half-month vacation was an invaluable treasure.
They all had their own things to do, and two people who had blended into the crowd were no exception.
The brown-haired girl among them was especially talkative, able to quickly build rapport with anyone thanks to her enthusiastic smile.
The other girl, the one with the split-colored hair, was a bit shy, but her flawless appearance still won her the affection of many of the older women.
"Hehe, Lucy, we'll be going now. Let's keep in touch, okay?"
"Mhm, see you next time, Pardo."
After cheerfully saying goodbye to the personnel on duty, Pardo walked out of the Far East Branch. Looking at the city below, glittering with neon lights, she let out a soft breath.
So this is Nagazora City, where Li is? What a beautiful place.
If I suddenly appeared in front of him, his reaction would be absolutely adorable, wouldn't it?
"By the way..." Pardo pulled her thoughts back and asked curiously, "What happened to the two young girls whose identities we took?"
"Oh, you mean them," Vill-V said, tapping one foot restlessly behind her. She lowered her head a little shyly. "They'll probably be discovered this afternoon."
"But don't worry. They're just new recruits on the ship. All the security footage from the voyage has been destroyed, so there's no way they can trace it back to us."
"Besides, I've provided them with the best food and lodging during this time. And with Aponia's personality, once she knows we did this, she'll help suppress the matter."
"After all, expecting two little rookies who just joined Schicksal to go up against us... that would be a case of absolute force majeure, right?"
"Mhm, that's good, meow." Pardo stretched languidly, asking curiously as they walked.
"Say, Sis Vill-V, out of everyone, you seem to be the only one who isn't in a hurry to compete for Li. You're even helping the others. Why is that?"
"Hm? I'm not in a hurry?" Vill-V's face suddenly turned a little red, and she quickly waved her hands. "You've misunderstood, Little Pardo. It's just... I'm anxious too, but it's not my time to enter the stage yet."
"What's more, helping you all was a decision made by only a part of me. If it were [Arch-Villain], she would probably have started stirring up trouble long ago."
"Is that so?" Pardo nodded in understanding. "That's right. Arguing with yourself is indeed a very frustrating thing."
"Sigh, exactly. Are you and Black Pardo like that too?"
"We are. It's incredibly helpless, isn't it?"
Though she said that, Pardo didn't really believe that the words of the [Original Self] Vill-V could be completely trusted. After all, she had another name: the [Conman].
She refused to believe that any woman would be so nonchalant about sharing the person she liked.
So, why was the [Original Self] Vill-V really helping her? That was a question very much worth pondering.