When Raiden Mei asked him to come half an hour later than usual, Hikari Aoi didn't think much of it.
After all, it was a school day—she probably had something to take care of.
And during that extra half hour, Hikari Aoi didn't waste time.
For once, he stepped into a shop in Nagazora City and bought an unsharpened metal blade.
It wasn't meant for fighting the Honkai.
It was purely for training.
Ordinary weapons couldn't serve as vessels for Honkai energy, and their sharpness likely wasn't enough to pierce a Honkai Beast's defenses.
Compared to a bamboo sword, however—
This metal blade was heavier.
Better for training.
Of course—
Also far more exhausting.
He planned to use it for solo training in his dorm.
As for practicing with Mei—
They would still use bamboo swords.
Even an unsharpened metal blade was too dangerous for sparring.
And when Hikari Aoi skillfully slipped into Senba Academy—
"Here, I made this. Please try it and see if it suits your taste."
Raiden Mei took out a box of sweets.
Strawberry daifuku—
A traditional Japanese confection.
A soft mochi exterior wrapped around a strawberry filling.
A light dessert, perfect after a meal.
It seemed—
The reason she had delayed their meeting earlier was to prepare this.
Looking at the small box, slightly larger than an adult's palm, containing four strawberry daifuku—
Hikari Aoi paused.
His gaze met Mei's.
Her eyes were as deep as ever—
Filled with a gentle warmth that put others at ease.
"What's wrong? Have you already had dinner? Are you still full?"
Seeing that Hikari Aoi didn't immediately try the daifuku and was instead just looking at her, Mei asked with a hint of concern.
"No, I haven't eaten yet. I'm actually pretty hungry."
Hikari Aoi shook his head and picked one up.
The moment it entered his mouth—
Soft, smooth, and slightly chewy.
With a refreshing strawberry fragrance.
For someone like Hikari Aoi, who had been suppressing his appetite for so long—
The already excellent taste felt even more elevated.
His movements paused for a brief moment.
…How nice it would be—
If one day, he could eat sweets made by Mei without any worries.
To live a relaxed life.
Carefree.
Watching him finish one daifuku without saying anything, Mei's expression showed a trace of unease.
Although she was fairly confident in her cooking—
She still couldn't help but wonder.
Maybe boys had different tastes from girls?
Perhaps this kind of light, sweet dessert didn't suit him?
"The taste…"
"It's very good. Thank you."
Hikari Aoi's reply came at once.
This box of strawberry daifuku—
And the warmth Mei had poured into it—
Made him let out a quiet breath.
It was precisely because of this—
That he wanted to grow stronger so desperately.
Even in the original timeline, when Mei became a Herrscher, she wouldn't necessarily be treated as an enemy to be eliminated by Schicksal.
But now—
He had already become a variable.
From the moment he interacted with her, the original course of events was no longer absolute.
Hikari Aoi didn't want things to turn out worse.
Nor did he want to simply preserve the original outcome.
He wanted—
A better future.
His gratitude was flawless.
Perfect.
If this version of Hikari Aoi appeared in his class at Tachikawa Academy—
His classmates would probably be overjoyed.
They might even think—
"That guy finally fell for me."
But to Mei—
This thank you wasn't that simple.
Beyond gratitude—
She could still feel the pressure he carried.
And that pressure hadn't lessened.
If anything—
It had grown heavier.
Hikari Aoi hid it well.
From the beginning until now, everything he said and did was natural.
His gentle tone—
That smile that seemed to carry something deeper—
Would easily make a girl think he liked her.
That he was deliberately trying to win her over.
But Mei felt—
That wasn't it.
Because of her past experiences, she had become extremely sensitive to others' emotions.
She could tell—
Hikari Aoi had no ill intent toward her.
On the contrary—
There was kindness.
And goodwill.
But it was as if something was suppressing him.
Making his actions feel… slightly off.
Yesterday, during their sword practice—
She had already sensed it.
That strange pressure.
That desire to grow stronger.
No one—
Would train swordsmanship for two straight hours like that.
To Hikari Aoi, it might not have felt long.
But to Mei—
Only those deeply obsessed with swordsmanship would push themselves that far.
And yet—
Even as his skills improved rapidly—
He showed no joy.
No pride.
Only—
Obsession.
Some things—
Mei already understood.
What she couldn't understand was—
Why Hikari Aoi would go out of his way to come talk to her.
Was it simply to keep her from feeling lonely?
They had no shared past.
No deep connection.
It was strange.
…But it made her happy.
"Shall we go for a walk together?"
Mei spoke softly.
"We can talk while walking."
Right now—
Besides enjoying the warmth Hikari Aoi brought by simply being there—
She also wanted to do something for him.
She had often heard—
That taking a walk could help ease one's mood.
So—
She wanted to try.
Hikari Aoi's gaze flickered slightly.
He could more or less see through her intention.
Perhaps—
He had been a bit careless during their sword practice.
"…A boy and a girl going out together at night?"
"That sounds a bit like a date, doesn't it?"
If Mei didn't intend to dig deeper, then that was for the best.
Hikari Aoi pushed aside unnecessary thoughts and looked at the graceful girl before him with a teasing smile.
Mei, realizing what he meant, blushed slightly.
"It's just friends going out together. Don't overthink it."
"Oh? So that's all…"
Hikari Aoi sighed lightly, feigning disappointment.
"That's a shame."
"Looks like I still have to keep trying."