Klee stared at Starfall Lake, where sheets of water were still raining down after the blast. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open, as if she could not believe what she had seen.
She looked from the lake to Kael Arclight, stunned.
"Kael brother, that was Klee's bomb? But… but Klee's bombs never explode that big."
"I made it myself. How could it… how could it be that strong?"
She sounded more bewildered than frightened. While the size of the explosion thrilled her, she clearly did not understand it.
She hurriedly opened her backpack and rummaged through the remaining bombs, checking one after another to see if she had accidentally made a mistake. But they looked exactly the same as usual, no different at all.
Without hesitation, she lit another bomb and tossed it into the lake.
"Boom."
The water splashed up, the sound was loud enough, but compared with Kael's earlier throw, it was insignificant.
Klee stared at the ripples, then looked back at Kael with wide eyes. Her bombs were fine. So why had the one in Kael's hand exploded with such power?
"It wasn't the bomb," Kael said with a small smile. "I just made a small adjustment. You can think of it as a type of elemental usage."
"An adjustment?"
Klee blinked, startled. "Elemental usage? Kael brother, you have a Vision?"
"But Klee didn't feel any elemental energy from you."
"You can use elemental power without a Vision? Really?"
Her eyes grew brighter the more she spoke. "Kael brother, that was amazing. You even made Klee's bomb stronger. Teach Klee how to do it. Klee also wants stronger bombs. Then Klee can blow up even more fish."
Her excitement was almost overflowing.
"No teaching this," Kael said, unable to stop a short laugh. "It's something only I can do."
"Ah, can't teach it."
Klee scratched her head. "Then Kael brother can play with Klee next time? Klee makes the bombs, Kael brother makes them stronger. We can blow up fish together."
She held onto Kael's hand and looked up at him with bright eyes.
"If I'm free, that's fine."
Kael nodded. "For now, let's eat. There are enough fish here."
He looked at the fish that had washed onto the shore.
"Klee will handle this."
Klee rushed forward, picked up the fish, and started preparing them on the spot.
Before long the grilled fish were ready. They ate together, talking casually in between bites. The fish was crisp on the outside, tender inside, with a faint trace of herbs. Kael found himself nodding with approval.
Klee swung her legs while eating, cheerful like a small bird.
After Kael finished the last bite and was about to stand, he felt his sleeve tugged by a small soft hand. Klee was looking at him with her bright eyes filled with expectation.
"Kael brother…"
Her voice softened as if she were pleading. "Klee wants to blow up fish again. Can Kael brother help Klee with the bomb? The very strong one from before. Klee wants to try it again. It was really fun."
"Please?"
Kael rubbed his forehead. He knew this was not simple fun for her. It was her idea of bomb craft. Her version of experimentation.
After thinking for a moment, he sighed quietly.
"Alright. But you must promise to only use it for fish."
"Okay, okay."
Klee nodded repeatedly and patted her chest. "Klee is very good."
Kael shook his head helplessly and accepted another bomb from her. This time he was more cautious. The Destructive Path resonance inside him moved carefully into the bomb as the black-red glow spread over its surface.
The bomb trembled in his hand, reacting to the new power.
"Done."
He handed it to Klee. "Try it."
Klee held it as if it were a treasure, spun in place twice, then ran to the lake. She took careful aim at a cluster of fish.
"Ready."
"Three, two, one."
She threw it.
"Boom."
The lake burst open once more. The water column rose even higher than before. Waves rolled outward with strong force, turning the clear lake into a cloudy mess. Fish were thrown into the air and scattered everywhere.
"Wow…"
Klee jumped with both hands raised. "Amazing. It's much bigger than earlier. Kael brother is incredible."
"With Kael brother around, Klee doesn't need to make stronger bombs anymore."
Kael stood quietly, watching the lake. The scale of the blast made the entire area look damaged. If this continued, Starfall Lake's ecosystem might change entirely. At this rate, it could end up as a crater.
Klee, however, had already taken out several more bombs.
"Kael brother, make them strong again. The blast is too fun. Klee wants to try more. There are so many fish, it's fine to blow up just a few."
"Then enjoy yourself," Kael said.
He imbued several bombs with the Clara-branch skill I Also Want to Help.
"Boom."
"Boom."
"Boom."
The explosions echoed one after another, like a long rumbling storm crashing through the woods. The lake was a mess of waves and smoke. Trees shook from the shockwaves. Fish floated everywhere.
The echoes traveled far into the distant mountains.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Eula walked along a narrow path below Starsnatch Cliff, the wind carrying a cold edge. Her knight uniform drew clean lines against her figure, her blue hair swept lightly by the breeze, her white cape moving with her steps. Her expression was calm.
The calm lasted only moments.
Another deafening explosion rolled from the distant forest, followed by a powerful vibration in the air, as if the land itself had trembled.
Eula stopped abruptly. Her blue eyes flashed with surprise.