"It's all Elias' fault that we have to eat out for dinner. What should we eat? Hehehe~"
"Kiana, you sound way too happy about this."
Earlier that day, Elias had unleashed a Kaslana-level appetite at lunch, completely wiping out the food that was originally meant to last until dinner.
So, the three of them decided to go out for dinner instead.
Unlike the lively Kiana, however, Mei—who followed behind Elias like a classic Yamato Nadeshiko wife—was strangely quiet, lost in thought.
As for what the devoted chef was thinking about…
(At lunch, I heard Elias tell Kiana to call him 'Dad'… W-Was that some kind of special roleplay? I feel like I've heard about this somewhere before… C-Could it be that Elias actually likes that sort of thing? Should I… should I do it too…?)
Growing up in the Far East, even a refined, high-class lady like Mei wasn't completely sheltered from certain topics that occasionally drifted into a young girl's ears.
In fact, when it came to knowledge about such matters, Mei was probably leagues ahead of the clueless Kiana.
Now, her mind was drowning in completely indescribable thoughts, her cheeks flushed red, and steam practically rising from her head.
"Hm? Mei, what's wrong?"
Noticing how Mei had been silent for so long, walking with her head down as if deep in thought, Elias instinctively reached out and grabbed her hand—
Just in time to stop her from walking straight into a streetlight pole.
"Eh? Ah? N-Nothing! There's nothing wrong at all, really…!"
"???" x2
Elias and Kiana both tilted their heads, utterly confused. Realizing that her reaction was way too exaggerated, Mei lowered her head even further, looking like she wanted to crawl into a hole.
She could almost hear the voice of the Queen personality within her Herrscher core, scoffing at her embarrassing display.
After exchanging a glance, Elias and Kiana suddenly seemed to understand something, their expressions turning to realization.
"Oh~ I get it! Mei, you're worried that those guys from yesterday might come back to cause trouble, right? Don't worry! As long as I'm here, no matter how many big metal dummies come, I'll smash them into scrap!"
"Yeah, I also think there's no need to worry too much for now. No matter what, they wouldn't dare act recklessly in public unless they're ready to be exposed to the entire world."
After all, Anti-Entropy was still an organization dedicated to fighting the Honkai. Cocolia was just an exceptionally corrupt and foolish case—her actions did not define the entire group.
While she had considerable authority as an Executor, it wasn't high enough to allow her to launch an all-out assault on Elias in the middle of Nagazora City without consequences.
If she did, the world's governments would certainly pressure Anti-Entropy, and Schicksal wouldn't sit idly by either. At most, she could send assassins in an attempt to eliminate them quietly.
But with Elias and Kiana's current strength, assassins were hardly a concern.
"Trust me, Mei, I already have a plan to deal with this. We'll take action tomorrow, but for today, just relax and rest, okay?"
"Mm… Mm! I trust you, Elias."
Seeing how much Elias was considering her safety, Mei felt deeply moved. At the same time, however, a wave of guilt hit her—
How could she have those kinds of thoughts about Elias, someone who was looking out for her so much?
She had even seriously considered calling him 'Daddy'!
Unacceptable. Shameful.
Raiden Mei, how could you be this indecent?!
Honestly, if Mei confessed her thoughts, Elias would definitely be stunned for a moment. But… he'd also absolutely give her a thumbs-up and say, "Go ahead, call me whatever you want! Call me Father!"
"Hehe, Elias is always so reliable! I still don't fully get it, but whatever you tell me to do, I'll do it!" Kiana grinned foolishly.
"Mm, Kiana, you're actually quite useful."
"Really? Hehehe, as expected of me!"
Hearing Elias praise her, the rice bug immediately puffed out her chest with pride, practically floating with arrogance.
She hadn't even realized that, unconsciously, she had already started treating Elias as her external brain.
But with her brainpower, even if she did realize it, she probably wouldn't care. She'd just think, How convenient! I don't even have to think anymore! I can save my brainpower for playing Plants vs. Zombies!
Seeing how much trust she placed in him, Elias couldn't help but smile. He reached out and ruffled the fluffy white-haired girl's head once again.
If there was any character in Honkai Impact that best embodied the term 'pet girl,' it was undoubtedly early-game Kiana and Pardo from the Elysian Realm.
As for burning the flame and embracing the end?
With Elias around, would he ever let that happen?
Not a chance. His Kiana wasn't going to carry such a heavy burden. Wouldn't it be much better if she just lived a happy, carefree life?
(By now, Schicksal and Anti-Entropy should be making their moves. They're easy to predict—Schicksal will likely send an S-rank Valkyrie or the Judgement-class weapon, while Anti-Entropy… heh, another cliché Titan army? Cocolia, get ready to go bankrupt.)
(But there's still a snake lurking in the shadows… Eh, no need to worry about them for now. World Serpent wouldn't reveal themselves at this stage.)
After confirming his plan once again in his mind, Elias finally felt at ease. At this level, his chances of success were well over 90%.
Besides, his sudden power-up had made him an unpredictable factor. Who would expect a 'normal' teenager to surpass S-rank Valkyries overnight?
Not even Otto could have foreseen it.
...
"Kiana, I'm treating you, but isn't this a bit too much?"
Elias twitched as he stared at the mountain of burgers in front of them. He seriously suspected that this rice bug had ordered every single burger on the menu.
In that moment, he made a firm decision—Kiana was officially demoted from 'most ideal pet girl' status. Sure, she was cute, but her food expenses were astronomical!
Clearly, Pardo was the superior choice. Ah, Pardo, my dear Pardo, you died such a tragic death… When I unlock the Previous Era arc, I swear I'll bring you back!
"Hehe, don't worry about the details! We've got a big fight tomorrow, so I need to eat well today!"
"Ehh~ Fine, fine. Just don't—"
"MMPH! HELP! I'M CHOKING!"
"…I just warned you."
Watching Kiana turn completely purple from choking, Elias sighed while Mei quickly handed her a drink to wash it down.
Personally, Elias preferred fries over burgers. But just as he was about to enjoy his peaceful meal and recharge for tomorrow's battle—
His gaze was suddenly drawn to a pair of familiar turbines just outside the window.
A certain expressionless duck was staring at them from afar.
"Oh? Looks like the last member of the trio has finally arrived."
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