Audience Stands, First-Year Section
Even after Vice President Jane officially declared the duel over, most of the first-year students remained seated. Lorain, Serene, Group 7, Group 8, and many others continued staring at the arena, their minds still processing everything they had just witnessed.
"Crazy! This is absolutely crazy!" Rick exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement. "This might go down as one of the biggest events in Kizen's history! A first-year! A first-year actually defeated a second-year in such a one-sided duel!"
"Idiot, keep your voice down!" Meilyn immediately hissed, elbowing him in the side. "Do you want every second-year senior here to start glaring at us?"
Rick instantly shut his mouth.
"Heh." Lorain simply crossed her arms. "Let them stare if they want."
"Still..." Claudia quietly spoke as her eyes remained fixed on the arena. "I already knew Knox was strong. Really strong. But after watching today's duel... it completely changed my perspective."
"I agree!" Cindy nodded enthusiastically. "Looks like our team leader has brought great honor to Group 8!"
"Stupid Cindy." Merida let out a helpless sigh. "Not just honor. He also brought us an unbelievable amount of attention."
"Ah..."
Cindy scratched her cheek awkwardly. "...That's true too."
Not far away, Simon remained unusually quiet.
His eyes never left the arena as the scenes from the duel replayed over and over inside his mind. Every movement, every exchange, and especially the overwhelming pressure Knox had released were deeply engraved into his memory.
"Pier..."
"Can I really become that strong one day...?"
For a brief moment, Pier remained silent.
"...First of all", Pier finally replied through their telepathic connection, "that guy, Knox... is a monster."
"I'm quite certain that even your father, Richard, despite being hailed as a genius during his years at Kizen, wouldn't have come close to someone like Knox."
Simon's expression stiffened slightly.
"So don't compare yourself to him", Pier continued. "Frankly speaking, I don't think someone like Knox can even be classified as normal."
There was another brief pause.
Then Pier suddenly laughed.
"But!"
"Believe in yourself, boy!"
"I guarantee that one day, you can become that kind of monster as well!"
"Well, after you become much stronger first, of course."
Simon's eyes gradually regained their determination.
The hesitation that had briefly surfaced inside his heart quietly disappeared, replaced by a renewed sense of conviction.
"You're right, Pier."
"I have to become stronger!"
***
Back on Knox's side.
While the arena was still buzzing with heated discussions, the very person at the center of all those conversations was calmly enjoying a cup of tea, surrounded by three beautiful older-sister figures.
"Hahaha! Well done, Knox!"
Jean laughed heartily as she repeatedly patted Knox on the shoulder, showing no intention of stopping anytime soon.
"Mmm~ Little Knox was really cool back there~" Tenerife chimed in with an amused smile.
While Jane let out a quiet sigh before gently rubbing her temple.
"The two of you... could you please restrain yourselves a little?"
"Alright, alright." Knox raised both hands in surrender before laughing helplessly. "Sister Jean, Sister Tene, if you keep praising me like this, I'm going to ascend to heaven."
"Pfft!"
Jean burst into laughter.
Even Tenerife couldn't help covering her mouth as she giggled, while Jane simply shook her head with a faint smile on her face.
The four of them continued chatting as though they hadn't seen each other in years. After all, several months had already passed since they last had the chance to sit down together like this, leaving plenty for them to catch up on.
Naturally, most of the conversation revolved around Knox's life at Kizen.
How were his classes?
Had he adapted to academy life?
How much had he improved?
Was he enjoying his time at Kizen?
Then, somewhere along the way, the questions gradually became stranger.
"So, Little Knox~" Tenerife leaned forward with a mischievous smile. "Do you have a girlfriend yet?"
"Or maybe..." Jean grinned as she joined in, "...girlfriends?"
Knox hadn't even gotten the chance to answer before Tenerife's eyes lit up with interest.
"Ohh~," she continued without the slightest shame, "you're aiming for a harem~?"
The conversation had somehow gone from asking about his love life to accusing him of building a harem in less than a minute.
Sitting beside them, Jane quietly sipped her tea, seemingly having no intention of saving him from the two Legion Commanders.
Knox looked at Tenerife, then at Jean, before finally glancing toward Jane.
Unfortunately, no help came from that direction either.
After a brief silence, he slowly lowered his teacup.
"Somehow..."
A helpless sigh escaped his lips.
"I had a feeling this conversation was going to end up here."
Jean and Tenerife immediately burst into laughter again, while Jane merely covered her face for a brief moment, looking as though she had already given up trying to stop the two troublemakers.
"Ahem."
Tenerife suddenly cleared her throat, her expression becoming unusually serious.
"By the way, Knox... there's something I want to ask you."
"Hm?" Knox tilted his head. "What's wrong, Sister Tene?"
"...It's about your novel."
The moment those words left her mouth, Tenerife took a deep breath. Then, she unleashed a barrage of questions.
When is the next volume of Honkai Impact coming out?! Why does everyone keep dying?! Is Elysia still alive?! Are you mentally okay?! Just what kind of mindset do you have to write a story like that?!"
She paused for less than a second before adding one final question.
"...Do you want me to send you some cutters and knives?!"
Knox froze, his expression going completely blank.
For several seconds, he simply stared at her, unable to believe that the barrage of questions had somehow ended with a genuine concern for his mental health.
...I thought something serious had happened.
Turns out it's just a perfectly normal outburst from a Honkai Impact reader.
Hehe~, can Sister Tene be considered a 'Captain' now?
"Ahem..." Knox gave an awkward cough. "Sister Tene... could you slow down a little? You fired off so many questions that I can't even answer the first one."
Only then did Tenerife realize what she had just done. Her cheeks gradually flushed as she quietly sat back down in embarrassment.
Jean immediately burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! That's exactly how I felt after finishing the latest volume!"
Jane could only smile helplessly before taking another sip of her tea, clearly having grown accustomed to scenes like this.
Amid laughter and lighthearted conversation, the four of them continued chatting until the sun gradually dipped below the horizon, marking the end of a long and eventful day.
After spending the rest of the afternoon together, the four of them eventually managed to schedule another tea party sometime in the future.
To them, that alone was practically a miracle. After all, every one of them lived an incredibly busy life.
Jean was not only a Legion Commander but also the Grand Duke of the North who governed the northern region of the Empire.
Tenerife's schedule was no less demanding. Besides serving as a Legion Commander, she spent much of her time within the Ghost Castle, and the body sitting with them now wasn't even her real one.
Jane had to juggle her responsibilities as both Kizen's Vice President and one of the academy's professors, while Knox himself was balancing life as a Kizen student alongside his duties as a Legion Commander.
Simply finding a day when all four of them were free at the same time was already difficult enough.
Actually arranging another tea party?
That was nothing short of a miracle.
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Character Voicelines · Tenerife: About Honkai Impact
Tenerife: "I quite remember Knox mentioning that this novel was supposed to be a 'healthy, sunny, and positive story.'"
Tenerife: "So... is this what you meant by a 'healthy, sunny, and positive story,'?!"
Tenerife: "What? You said Honkai Impact: Fire Moth will have a sequel?! And it's going to be about beautiful girls?! Then I can't wait~!"
Jean and Jane: (－‸ლ)