"No need, I left Little Star with the class monitor to look after her. A rare vacation like this, let's just keep on… playing!"
Before Kiana's words even fell, she had already finished changing. A purple lace-trimmed swimsuit outlined her graceful curves to perfection.
"How could a seaside vacation be complete without us?" As the words fell, Elysia strolled over arm in arm with Mei☆.
The former wore a short white-and-purple cropped T-shirt that revealed her slender waist and abdomen; a light lavender sheer sarong was loosely tied around her hips, faintly revealing the swimsuit underneath.
The latter wore a black-and-white bandeau swimsuit. Its clean cut accentuated her tall, upright figure, adding a capable, sharp aura, while the tilted straw hat on her head lent that calm presence a touch of lazy elegance.
The commotion quickly drew everyone's attention. Kiana stopped in her tracks.
"Ah, it's another-world me and Mei☆, and Elysia too. They came as well."
Elysia covered her lips and laughed softly, her gaze shifting between the two identical-looking Mei's, Mei and Mei☆.
"Oh my, seeing two adorable Mei's at once is making my eyes spin～ How about a beach volleyball match? Teams divided by 'different worlds', what do you say?"
Fu Shi immediately clapped her hands in agreement, her tone brimming with excitement.
"Oho, nice one! I say this idea totally works!"
"Sure, sure!" Kiana raised her hand at once, then turned to Mei. "Mei, you're with me!"
On the other side, Kiana☆ was not to be outdone. She tugged at Fu Lin's sleeve beside her.
"Fu Lin, let's take them down together!"
Fu Lin gave a slight nod, a rare hint of ease flashing through his eyes as he smiled.
"Of course. If we can't even beat a few girls like them, wouldn't our side lose all face?"
Bronya came out from under the parasol hugging her Homu plush, expressionless as she pushed up her sunglasses.
"Bronya requests to join the referee seat, and incidentally record both sides' 'embarrassing moments', after all, this is precious vacation footage."
Theresa followed along with a lollipop in her mouth, hands on her hips in a huff, "I want in too! Don't you dare leave me out!"
Thus, the clash between the two worlds officially began.
Red Team members: Kiana, Mei, Fu Hua, Theresa, Himeko, the other Seele.
Himeko pointed at herself in confusion, swallowed, and complained, "Wait, why am I included too? I really don't want to play!"
Blue Team members: Kiana☆, Mei☆, Elysia, Fu Shi, Fu Lin.
Fu Lin crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow with a light chuckle.
"Heh, heh. You don't have any hope of winning."
"Don't look down on us!" Kiana bounced angrily, shouting, "Our Red Team will definitely knock you flat!"
Himeko sighed helplessly, but still rolled up her sleeves and walked to the court.
"Fine, fine. Since I've been dragged into this, I can't just let them look down on me."
The other Seele stood off to the side with her arms crossed.
"Annoying." Elysia smiled and waved.
"Then let us decorate this beautiful seaside time with a splendid match～?"
Bronya walked to the net hugging her Homu plush, raised the small flag in her hand, and at the same time used the Herrscher of Reason's authority to construct a volleyball.
"Match rules: best of five, rally scoring, no cheating with powers, violators lose immediately. Now, everyone have fun!"
With Bronya's command, Kiana☆ served first, the volleyball streaking toward the Red Team's court with fierce momentum.
Himeko reacted quickly, lifting her arms to bump the ball up. Fu Hua leapt into the air and firmly spiked it toward the Blue Team's side.
Mei☆ responded just as fast, backhanding the ball back, and the two sides immediately plunged into an intense exchange.
But as the tempo grew faster and faster, the movements on the court gradually began to "break away" from the original rules.
Bronya: ???
"Full Power Neko Charm!"
Kiana kicked off the sand hard, cat-cat paw answering her call as a massive cat paw suddenly appeared, forcibly lifting the volleyball that was about to hit the ground.
She clenched her fists and smashed the ball straight back toward the Red Team.
"Little tricks!" Fu Shi grinned, lightly cushioning the ball with her hands midair before following up with a headbutt. The ball skimmed the net like a fired shell and shot toward a dead corner of the Red Team's court.
Fu Hua's eyes sharpened as she stomped off the sand and soared upward.
"Receive!" Air currents spiraled in her palm as a black-and-white afterimage slowly formed. A gentle yet irresistible pull spread outward.
"Transform!" As if guided by invisible threads, the volleyball spun into her control, rotating leisurely along the flow of energy around her.
"Send!" In the next instant, Fu Hua flicked her wrist and smoothly pushed the ball toward Mei.
Electric light flashed around Mei, her purple hair lifting without wind. Pale violet arcs of lightning clung to the volleyball in her palm as the "Thunder Blade Serve" tore through the air, heading straight for the Blue Team's backcourt!
"Using the Herrscher of Thunder's power in front of me won't get you anywhere!" Mei☆'s gaze hardened as she raised her hand, summoning the two giant hands of the Herrscher of Thunder and forcibly changing the ball's trajectory, sending it hurtling toward Himeko.
"Hey, hey, hey, are we still playing volleyball here?" Though she complained, Himeko's movements were decisive. She raised her hand, gathering a faint glow of flames that wrapped the volleyball in a thin layer of fire.
"Light wings, deploy!" Kiana☆ laughed loudly as the brilliant wings of the Herrscher of the End burst open behind her. She caught the ball steadily, then spiked it back toward the Red Team.
[Volleyball: I think I've hit the limit already...]
Light and shadow crisscrossed across the beach. The aftershocks of Herrscher powers shook sand grains loose as the volleyball flew back and forth over the net, each collision accompanied by a piercing boom.
On the beach, the wind roared, the ball flew, and the rules... had long since been forgotten beyond the clouds.
Bronya's hand holding the camera trembled slightly. Her expressionless face carried a lifeless sense of despair.
"Foul... foul... foul..." She clutched the Homu plush tightly, mechanically repeating the words. "Whole team... disqualified... everyone has to be disqualified..."
But no one on the court had the time to pay her any attention.
Until...
"Bang!"
A deafening explosion rang out, and the volleyball finally, unable to bear any more, shattered with a thunderous crack, breaking into countless shimmering points of light that drifted down.
[Volleyball: Finally, I'm free!]
Everyone stopped, looking at one another, traces of unfinished fighting spirit still lingering on their faces.
Fu Lin raised a hand to wipe the thin sheen of sweat from his temple, a satisfied smile curling at his lips as he spoke between breaths.
"Heh... that really was a thoroughly exhilarating game of beach volleyball."
"The winner isn't decided yet!" Kiana protested, hands on her hips, shouting toward Bronya.
"Bronya! The ball's gone! Hurry up and use your Herrscher of Reason powers to make another one, make it tougher than the last!"
Bronya hugged her Homu plush, turned her head expressionlessly, her eyes utterly calm.
"Bronya refuses. And it's getting late."