Fu Xuan leaned weakly against the stone chair, struggling, but unable to break free from her subordinate's hold.
What kind of technique is this? How has Qingque become so powerful!
She had no time to think further, because at some point, a collar had appeared in Qingque's hand.
It was a black leather collar, containing no special energy, but the sight of it still made Fu Xuan's heart jolt. The Xianzhou Public Security Management Law stipulated that when taking a pet out, it must wear a collar.
This… this… wasn't this the most popular style of pet collar on the Xianzhou market?
"Qingque, what are you doing?"
"Hehehe." Qingque seized both of Fu Xuan's delicate wrists with one hand and lifted them up. With her other hand, she took the black collar and fastened it around the pink-haired loli's neck. Her well-defined, pale hand brushed past Fu Xuan's smooth, pinkish-white shoulders. In her nervousness and excitement, such an act of insubordination inevitably led to skin-on-skin contact.
Hiss~~ Lord Diviner's skin is so smooth. I wonder how she maintains it.
Click—
The buckle snapped shut. The black leather strap wound around her fair neck, creating a striking contrast and exuding a sense of abusive beauty.
Qingque gripped Fu Xuan's shoulders with both hands, her eyes staring blankly. "A Lord Diviner like this… ahem, the way you used to scold me had far more dignity than this~"
"Qingque! You humiliate this seat like this! Do you think you can return to the Xianzhou and remain unscathed?" The Grand Diviner's eyes blazed with fire.
Qingque lifted her superior's chin, a frivolous smile on her face. "Heeyah, a Grand Diviner like this is also very cute."
"!!" Fu Xuan bit her silver teeth hard.
Seeing her superior's delicate yet furious appearance, Qingque felt a pang of guilt. Regret and remorse welled up within her. If only she had explained things clearly to Lord Diviner from the start… After all, Qingque did have a conscience.
No, no, no, there's no going back now. Don't overthink it. Qingque gave herself a pep talk. Since I've already started down this path, I must be even more resolute than a Pathstrider!
A glint shone in Qingque's eyes. "Heehee, I want to see an even cuter side of the Grand Diviner."
Fu Xuan reached for the collar around her neck, but her hand was pushed down by Qingque again. "Although Lord Diviner has a petite figure, your perky, peachy rear, outlined by those white pantyhose, is still exceptionally round. If it were to be nourished by love and passion, it would probably develop birthing hips. Right, Lord Ye Feng?"
Just as Fu Xuan was about to say something, she felt a shadow loom over her.
A powerful shadow covered Fu Xuan's jade-like face, and her noble golden pupils contracted sharply. The Grand Diviner stared blankly, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Pardon the intrusion, Fu Xuan," Ye Feng said with a gentle smile.
---o---
The night was like frost.
The icy sea water ebbed and flowed with the winter night's tide.
The lights in the Valkyrie dormitory were brightly lit tonight. It had been a long time since the three of them had stayed up so late.
Bronya, Kiana, and Mei were in the middle of a secret discussion. There were some things they subconsciously kept from their teacher and the principal. After all, even if Anti-Entropy was still Schicksal's sworn enemy, the Core of Reason was a matter of great importance. The "confidentiality rule" Ye Feng had mentioned was very necessary.
"In the end, I still think we should just go and jump Old Yang," Kiana said, clenching her fist.
"Don't be reckless, Kiana." Mei felt they should plan before acting. Besides, Welt was a good person and didn't deserve to be treated like that.
"It's fine, I'm super strong now! I can do anything! A mere Herrscher of Reason is easy pickings!" Kiana thought Mei was worried about her, afraid she would get hurt. Chong Chong's eyebrows shot up, and she raised her fist confidently, as if she could "bring Old Yang to justice" the moment Mei gave the order.
Bronya hugged her knees, staring at the dark sky.
Seeing the dejected Bronya, Mei sighed inwardly. She could somewhat understand Bronya's current mood. If one day she too could no longer see Feng-kun, Watashi…
"Even if we can defeat the teacher, how do we remove the core?"
"Ugh…" Kiana's shoulders slumped. "It's all Ye Feng's fault!"
They remained hesitant, unable to make a decision. So, last night, they had gone to find Ye Feng again, wanting to ask for specifics on what to do.
But Ye Feng had disappeared again. He was nowhere to be found.
Kiana grumbled, "All he does is fool around outside all day."
Mei, on the other hand, was very understanding, possessing the gentle grace of a Yamato Nadeshiko from the Far East. She placed her hands over her heart and said, "Feng-kun must have his own things to attend to. He can't always revolve around us."
"Huh?" Kiana shot up abruptly. "Mei, you…"
If this keeps up, I'm afraid one day she'll be on her knees offering up her [BEEP] to him. She managed to hold back the last part of that thought. But Chong Chong was quite an expert on the subject, having experienced it firsthand.
"Anyway, Mei, you're just spoiling that dog-bastard too much!"
"Alright~" Mei's face flushed slightly. She glanced shyly at Bronya and quickly stopped Kiana from continuing. "The main topic for today is how to obtain the Core of Reason, right?"
"Right," Kiana said, turning to the girl with the drill-like twin tails beside her. "Bronya, cheer up. It's not like you'll never see him again."
Bronya looked up at her two friends. "This is something the Bronya should be doing, yet I've made you two worry…"
"What are you talking about? Even though the Bronya is petty and likes to throw tantrums, your business is this young lady's business!" Kiana declared, patting her chest.
"The first part of that sentence was a bit unnecessary," Bronya said, her eyes softening.
Beep—Beep—Beep—
Just then, the communicators of all three girls suddenly went off.
A message from Theresa arrived: Welt Yang has been swallowed.
"??"
The three of them looked at each other, completely dumbfounded.
In the principal's office, a [Top Secret] video was playing on the display screen. The video was reasonably clear. It showed a silent corridor, illuminated only by orange safety lights. Suddenly, a spatial rift opened up and sucked in Welt, who had been walking slowly.
"That's about what happened," Theresa said, sitting in her office chair with a solemn expression.
"Where is this corridor? I don't think I've ever seen it in St. Freya Academy. Hmm? Wait, is it the underground Central Church?" The area beneath St. Freya's Grand Cathedral was the Central Dogma, a facility secretly built when the academy was first established. Its true purpose was an entrance to an Imaginary Space connected to the real world.
"Yes, it is. Hmm? Wait, Kiana, how do you know about the underground Central Church?" Theresa was just about to announce the existence of the Central Dogma to them, but to her surprise, Kiana had already said it.