The sky was clear and harmonious, the spring breeze warm and gentle on the face.
Under the boy's gaze, curious and tinged with a little anticipation, Asakura Miyuki's face hidden beneath the bread bag turned crimson in an instant.
Her hand, however, obediently reached out and rested on his injured forehead. A sprout-green light lit up at her fingertips, healing the wound while simultaneously restoring the little Honkai energy remaining in his body.
A few seconds later, Asakura Miyuki withdrew her hand, hesitated for a moment, then tentatively placed her hand fifty centimeters away from Kiana.
This time, the light symbolizing the activation of the Path of Deva did not appear at her fingertips.
"S-S-S-Sorry!!!"
Realizing something, the girl bowed vigorously to the two, then vanished without a trace like a whirlwind.
Removing the bandage, Fuli touched his perfectly healed forehead, his tone a little sour: "St. Freya picked up a treasure."
Even in her base state, she had a healing and recovery rate close to the first rated power of the Abyss Flower. Where did this super potential stock come from?
"Well said. So why didn't she heal me?"
Kitty Kiana stared gloomily at the departing figure. She hadn't suffered any major injuries, but she was pretty banged up too!
"Because beauties are reserved for the strong!"
Fuli shook his head back and forth.
"You could see her face with that bread bag on?"
"Beauty lies in the bones, not the skin. Look at her Mei-level perfect figure, then look at that exposed sakura-colored long straight hair and those watery blue eyes. With those features, if she isn't a blossoming beautiful girl, then God must be blind!"
"Pah! I think you're just lusting after her!"
"If you're really uncomfortable, I still have two healing bullets."
"It's not that bad."
Kiana scratched her head. Her heart felt warm, but her mouth remained unforgiving: "With that terrible reaction during healing, This Miss doesn't want to embarrass herself in front of so many people!"
Meanwhile, Asakura Miyuki, who had returned to the team, was greeted by her master's ambiguous gaze.
"Should I thank Brother Fuli for curing our Little Bocchi's strabismus?"
Damn straight. She was staring right at him.
Susannah even unconsciously added insult to injury from the side: "Didn't they say the ability of the Path of Deva couldn't be used on others? Or is there something special about that boy? Like being able to stimulate Senpai Miyuki's potential or something?"
"It can indeed stimulate potential."
Himeko said gravely, "As long as you stay by his side, your Senpai Miyuki will have the strength of a hundred men."
As she said this, Big Sister Himeko also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
According to records, the ability of the Path of Deva could theoretically be used on others.
However, theory is just theory. As long as Asakura Miyuki didn't demonstrate the ability to heal others, the resources Schicksal invested in her would have to come with a big question mark.
Now it was fine. Even if she only used it on Fuli, it proved that the Path of Deva's inability to heal others was Asakura Miyuki's psychological issue, not an ability issue.
This breakthrough from zero to one was enough to make the people at headquarters decide to cultivate her as a potential seed for this generation.
"I actually think only being able to heal oneself is not bad. After all, there are plenty of self-harm skills in the Schicksal database, which pair quite well with the Path of Deva's super regeneration."
Himeko, who had indeed planned to cultivate her in this direction, rubbed her foolish disciple's head as she spoke, her voice soft: "But, good job."
'Eek! Teacher Himeko is so scary!!!'
Susannah's legs trembled at the nonchalant tone.
Having super regeneration means you make people self-harm? Listen to yourself, is that even human language?
While they chatted about domestic affairs, Theresa and Cocolia were still exchanging verbal blows.
In this tit-for-tat confrontation, the Lord Principal first stated her position:
Although all your actions took place on Nagazora City territory, according to the 1981 "Berlin Cross Convention", Anti-Entropy only retains administrative autonomy and extraterritoriality over the natural resources and secular government affairs of affiliated territories. Matters involving the Honkai side clearly do not fall within this scope. This Principal has the right to come and investigate the truth!
Cocolia, not to be outdone, stated that according to the "Yingtian Treaty" proposed by Shenzhou, no Honkai-side organization has the right to interfere crudely in the internal affairs of other factions without reason, let alone invade the airspace of a sovereign country and cause unnecessary panic among its citizens!
Theresa chuckled and said, Bullshit! When did the Far East become a sovereign country? And causing panic? Why don't you open your dog eyes wide and see who made those unlucky firefighters charge backwards screaming into chain explosions and the ring road viaduct?
Cocolia sneered coldly and said, How is the United States of America not a sovereign country? Don't you know the skies of the Far East are managed by the US? You and your Hyperion are clearly invading the territory of the world's number one power!
The two sides spat countless mouthfuls of saliva back and forth, each citing numerous famous conventions and classics.
The onlookers whispered among themselves, wondering if they should remind the two sides:
Schicksal and Anti-Entropy didn't sign any of the treaties you two are talking about?
After a passionate session of oral gymnastics, both sides were flushed and hot-headed, wishing they could find a secluded place right then and there to fight it out.
And you know what? You really have to admit!
Putting facts aside, this scene was actually quite pleasing to the eye!
However, the reason both sides engaged in a war of words for half the day but refused to strike first was essentially because neither could bear the responsibility of actively provoking a war with another super-large faction.
Yes, even in the eyes of a heinous person like Cocolia, triggering a Great Eruption and killing a few million Far Easterners didn't matter, but starting a local conflict with a faction of the same level required extreme caution.
Just like refusing to sign treaties that forbid violent interference in other countries' affairs, reality is both full and harsh.
Her ample chest heaving violently with her breaths, Cocolia, whose figure and personality could both be called insane, withdrew her peripheral gaze from Asakura Miyuki.
She inwardly lamented how that flat-chested Theresa was so lucky to find another stigmata awakener, but outwardly she fiercely relented: "Name a price, you Schicksal idiot still engaging in feudal superstition in the 21st century. As the daughter of an Anti-Entropy Executor, I must take Raiden Mei no matter what!"
"Oh my, listen to you. That makes this Principal want to take that little girl even more."
Theresa waved her small hand with an air of maturity, revealing a sinister smile as she threatened: "I wonder how many Anti-Entropy secrets we can dig out of her later? Truly looking forward to it~"
Kiana, who had been giggling foolishly, immediately objected. Fortunately, her IQ still held the high ground. Realizing Theresa was just speaking out of turn in the heat of the moment, she didn't jump three feet high shouting 'Mei is a living person! Not a tool for you dirty adults to trade!' and slap her ally in the face.
However, she also realized something. It was fine if only a few people knew privately, but if Mei were to join St. Freya with great fanfare, her identity as Raiden Ryoma's daughter would definitely make her life at the academy difficult.
A good habit developed recently made Kiana look at Fuli. Seeing him watching the shrewish shouting match with a silly grin just like herself a moment ago, she poked him in the waist.
"What?"
The melon-eating spectator reluctantly withdrew his gaze.
"What."
Kiana whispered, "What do we do next?"
"Wait for them to argue out a result?"
"Don't answer a question with a question!"
The girl was so angry she wanted to jump up and bite his head. Can't this person think a little more about their future?
Seeing the girl puffing her cheeks and grinding her teeth again, Fuli took a half-step back with a straight face. "Relax. It's true I called the people from the Far East Branch, but that doesn't mean we have to join them and become Valkyries who 'fight for all that is beautiful in the world'."
The person who called them was the Great Prophet Susannah. What does that have to do with me, Fuli-li, who is weak, pitiful, helpless, eats a lot, and ghosts people?
As a lone wolf with some level of skill, Fuli had received olive branches from countless factions in the previous cycle.
Even Durandal had blushed slightly at the end of a certain mission and invited him, wanting Fuli to join Schicksal and become the other adjutant of the Immortal Blades, acting as her right-hand man entrusted with her back, just like Rita Rossweisse.
The implications of those words were obvious enough. Any normal person could instantly imagine a debauched plot of hugging Durandal on the left and Rita on the right in the Immortal Blades.
Yet, until he was run over by the Herrscher of Domination's thousand people, Fuli remained in his solitary dog state.
Why?
Because he was used to freedom and didn't want a boss bossing him around.
Before becoming a powerhouse, I was a wage slave. After becoming a powerhouse, I'm still a wage slave. Wouldn't all my training be in vain then?
So Fuli spoke up: "Last night, I agreed with Mei that after leaving Nagazora City, we'd find a way to get an aerial battleship and fly around the world randomly. Usually just goofing around, and jumping in whenever we encounter something interesting."
"Okay, okay!"
Kiana clapped her hands in approval. "Then we'll form our own faction! Hmph, to tell you the truth, This Miss doesn't want someone suddenly popping up over her head to manage her either! Besides, if we really stay in St. Freya's little patch of land all day, how can we properly appreciate the great scenery of this world?"
Seeing the white-haired dumpling getting more excited as she spoke, Fuli quickly waved his hand in front of her eyes. "Wait a minute, I said 'the two of us'. I didn't include you."
"?"
The girl tilted her head.
"!!!!!"
Her willow brows stood erect, and she looked ready to spew fragrant words.
Fuli quickly interrupted her casting: "I know you're anxious, but don't be anxious yet!"
Kiana put her hands on her hips and glared at him angrily. If you don't give This Miss an explanation, my Dragon Lord MK2000 might just taste blood!
Yuan Shen, Start!
Fuli patted flat her ahoge that had stood up like an exclamation mark. "Why did you wander for these four years?"
"To find my smelly dad, of course!"
Kiana blurted out, then stiffened.
Fuli added, "Then if Theresa uses Mr. Siegfried's whereabouts to tempt you to stay at St. Freya, what would you choose?"
The girl opened her mouth, eventually lowering her disappointed eyes without continuing.
Don't let her nonchalance when rejecting Cocolia's recruitment fool you. Only she knew how much effort it took to make up her mind.
Four years. How many four years are there in a life? How many youths from twelve to sixteen?
She had suffered so much hardship and exhaustion, all for that one piece of news.
Theresa wasn't a bad person. She was the best friend of both Kiana's parents, Kiana's godmother whom she had never met. Just based on the girl's "Auntie," Theresa had been at loggerheads with an Anti-Entropy Executor until now, refusing to let the other party take away Mei, the daughter of a hostile faction.
What relationship could Theresa have with Mei? Wasn't it all to prevent Kiana from being sad?
If such a person used the news of her smelly dad to "threaten" her to join St. Freya...
The afternoon sky gradually darkened. Clouds gathered on the horizon like a market crowd, and the wind blew away the thick white mist by the lake, like a girl lifting the veil from her face.
"I..."
Kiana gritted her teeth, about to say something.
"Don't rush."
Her lips were gently touched by a slender index finger.
"There are some decisions that don't need to be made so quickly or so absolutely."
Fuli lazily withdrew his hand, his slightly upturned willow-leaf eyebrows carrying a natural smile. "We have plenty of time left, and it's very long. You absolutely don't need to rush to prove your standing and position to me, to Mei, or to anyone else. Such things are irrelevant. We won't think badly of you just because you choose to join St. Freya."
"So the only thing you have to do now is think more, ask your heart more, and then choose a path that the future you will regret as little as possible, so you won't be sighing all day 'if only I had done XXX back then'."
"Ah-Li..."
Above the white clouds, the sunlight was brilliant, as if sprinkling golden light. A strand from the gilded ocean pierced through the clouds and illuminated the boy's face.
For some reason, seeing Fuli like this made Kiana feel inexplicably, groundlessly safe. Her worries about the future vanished cleanly, just like that lake water so blue you couldn't see any sediment.
Until he said the remaining half of the sentence: "That way, even if the future you feels regret, you won't have the chance to push the blame onto someone else."
Because you chose it yourself!
The girl flew into a rage upon hearing this!
Can this person's mouth ever be good! Would it kill you to let This Miss be moved for a while longer?
She howled, "But you told me to think more before choosing! If I regret it then, This Miss will push the blame on you! Make you responsible for my food and drink for a lifetime!"
"You can push that too?!"
Fuli was inexplicably shocked, attempting to reason with the white-haired dumpling who, in his eyes, was being unreasonable.
Her maiden family is here, S-rank, not good to use physics.
"Put the choice aside for now."
Bronya, lying on Fuli's back, popped her cat head out, doing something befitting her identity as a little traitor and starting to sow discord: "Just now, Cheap Brother's hand touched Idiot Kiana's lips."
"Yeah, so what."
Fuli, who had done even more excessive things in the previous cycle, was carefree and unconcerned.
Kiana was a bit shy at first, but seeing his nonchalant look, she snorted angrily, indicating these were small matters and This Miss wasn't that melodramatic!
Then they heard Bronya say: "Earlier, Fuli helped Idiot Kiana take off her shoes and stockings. His hands, which touched her smelly feet, haven't been washed until now."
Kiana: ...
Fuli: ...
Mei inside the car: Hiahiahiahiahiahiahia!
...