Brilliant fireworks blossomed in the distant night sky, illuminating the tranquil shrine on the back mountain.
Mei's hands were pressed hard against the edge of the sacred altar, her knuckles white from the force. Her long purple hair and the flowing sleeves of her kimono swayed violently like waves.
The girl's soft whisper was like a tearful plea as she recounted the hazy memories of her childhood.
She had few memories of her mother, but one thing she remembered clearly: once she found someone she could entrust her life to, she was to go to the shrine and tell her mother.
Originally, this would have been impossible...
When she became a Herrscher in Nagazora, she had personally severed the continental shelf, and seawater had poured into the city's ruins. The shrine her mother took her to every year had been ravaged by Honkai Beasts before sinking to the bottom of the sea.
But in Ye Feng's world, all of Mei's memories could be materialized.
The girl's heart, which shone with the pure light of a firefly, could once again find a place for its sentiments.
"Mmph... then right now I'm..."
Ye Feng hadn't expected that Mei had brought him here to pay respects to his mother-in-law.
But on second thought, he added, "Mother would surely be very happy to see us so loving and affectionate."
Mei turned her head, her cherry lips biting into a strand of hair. Her watery eyes held a mix of shyness and attachment, but remembering his forcefulness, she shot Ye Feng an annoyed glare.
The girl tightly pursed her lips and clenched her toes. Her right foot lost its footing and slipped forward sharply in the geta, and the red cord threaded between the toes of her white tabi sock snapped.
A fair, smooth calf peeked out from under the hem of her kimono, and her elegant, cloud-like foot, wrapped in a pure white tabi sock, stepped onto the muddy ground.
Mei, in the shrine, became all the more charming and moving.
Ye Feng thought to himself, perhaps Mei was better suited to be a shrine maiden than a chuunibyou magical girl?
Elegant, gorgeous, noble, possessing all the qualities of a Yamato Nadeshiko. Now, under Ye Feng's tutelage, she had gained the charm and succulence of a mature woman. If such a girl were to wear the pure shrine maiden's uniform for serving a god, she would surely have a unique allure.
"Speaking of which, who is enshrined here?"
"...Mmph... ungh, I... I don't remember..."
Ye Feng smiled. "Never mind. It doesn't matter who was enshrined here before. From now on, you can enshrine me."
"Eh?"
"I am Mei's god, and Mei is the shrine maiden who serves me. We are a match made in heaven."
"Mmph..."
Mei was stunned. This was truly a path she had never considered.
Her perfectly fine lover had suddenly become the god she served?
"How about it, Mei?"
"...I... I..."
Mei buried her head against the altar, stammering, unable to speak.
But her mind was a storm of associations, and she thought that this kind of play... no, this kind of relationship, seemed pretty good too.
A shrine maiden serving a god, being pressed against the altar by the great god on the night of the crimson moon or something... Uuuu, what am I thinking!
Mei's face grew even redder, frighteningly hot in the winter night.
"What do you think, Mei?"
"...I... I don't know. Don't ask anymore, Feng-kun. It's up to you..."
The corners of Ye Feng's mouth slowly curved upwards into a pleased arc.
If the deity that Mei's mother used to worship at the shrine became Ye Feng, using that as an anchor point, could it perhaps bring Mei's mother back to life?
But first, he had to find the real shrine out in the world.
Of course, he couldn't tell Mei about this just yet. After all, Ye Feng wasn't certain if he could revive her mother.
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
It wouldn't be good if it turned out to be a false hope.
It would be better to work on it quietly first. If it really succeeded, he could give Mei a surprise.
Then let's see who dares to say a Herrscher can't scrape together a living mom!
---o---
In the jungle, a hidden gaze watched the New Year's Eve bang... I mean, the fireworks salute.
The round, large fireworks exploded in the night sky, illuminating the exquisite profile of the silver-haired beauty.
"What is the Bronya doing..." Duckie muttered to herself.
Bothered by what she had overheard in the living room today, Bronya couldn't resist following them.
Bronya knew full well that this is what lovers do when they are together...
The sound of the exploding fireworks grew louder, echoing through the back mountain. Bronya's eyelids drooped slightly as she clenched her fists tightly.
She was beginning to regret it.
Why hadn't she been braver before, instead choosing the most shameful method of escape?
Bronya's eyes reflected the two dark figures under the fireworks.
She thought, if she had been a little faster, a little more honest, and had let go of her pointless reservations...
If she had just explained everything clearly, would all the problems have been solved instantly?
Isn't that what Kiana did?
Although Bronya always called Kiana a fool, at this moment, she really admired her fearless momentum.
But Bronya was unwilling to accept it.
She was Ye Feng's wife, wasn't she?
A loving and supportive husband and wife!
Bronya asked herself, what did she really want?
Uninvited questions flooded her mind, taking her thoughts back to the past. The shame, the regret, all enveloped her in an instant like a cloud of smoke.
For so many years, she had lived in silence and doubt.
Opportunity after opportunity, image after image, unwritten girlish rules, those restraints and admonitions, the unnecessary obstacles and shyness flashed before her eyes.
She had had so many chances to voice the feelings in her heart, yet she had never seized a single one. Just how sensitive must a young girl's heart have been to end up in such a state?
"What... is the Bronya running from?"
Listening to the continuous sound of fireworks and firecrackers in the night sky, Big Duck Duck's blood also began to boil.
As if all her strength had been drained, she leaned her back against the tree trunk, her black-stockinged thighs clamping together desperately as if trying to suppress something.
"Bronya... Bronya..."
Big Duck Duck tilted her long, fair neck back, her breath as fragrant as an orchid, her slender hands trembling in the cold winter night...
The New Year countdown began.
The back mountain was thick with shadows, but it was an excellent place for viewing.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Three fireworks shot up into the sky, simultaneously bursting into the most magnificent display of flames.
---o---
"It seems you had a not-so-wonderful dream, Ms. Bronya."
Duckie opened her eyes to meet a pair of vertical, serpentine pupils in the darkness.
But Bronya was calm, because she had already "seen" Mobius sneak into her room in that world.
Like Ye Feng, Duckie could observe the Original World.
She could even achieve a state where her "consciousness was in Ye Feng's world, while still controlling her body in the Original World."
Mobius flicked out her delicate pink tongue, licking her lips as if staring at prey. "You can freely enter and exit the little rat's world? Heh, it seems he's granted you authority over the world as well."
Like a snake, Mobius slithered dangerously onto Bronya's bed, looking down at her.
Bronya simply returned her gaze with a placid expression, watching her quietly.
Mobius said, "You... you're different from the others before."
In the quiet bedroom, Kiana and Mei were both sound asleep.
On the innermost bed, Bronya and Mobius were so close it looked as if they were about to kiss, their four eyes meeting, each able to feel the other's breath.
But it was anything but ambiguous; on the contrary, the air was filled with a murderous aura.
"I really don't know why Father thinks so highly of you."
Snake-Snake's eyes, staring at Bronya, glinted with a cold light.
"Did you come here just to say this to the Bronya?"
"And what if I did?" Mobius licked her lips. "A snake's jealousy is very strong, you know."
"What are you jealous of? Ye Feng is the Bronya's husband."
"..."
Duckie's cold retort was a critical hit right from the start.
However magnificent she was now was how pathetic she had been earlier.
The smile on Snake-Snake's lips instantly vanished. "A weak woman like you who doesn't even dare to tell others the truth dares to call herself his wife? That's hilarious."
"The Bronya loves him, and he loves the Bronya. We have acknowledged our feelings for each other, and we have a [Vow] that is more powerful than any marriage certificate. Why can't the Bronya call herself Ye Feng's wife?"
Duckie paused, then suddenly curved her lips into a smile. "By that logic, shouldn't you be calling the Bronya 'Mother'?"
"!!"
Mobius's expression froze for a moment, and she spat out a vicious retort that seemed to be squeezed from her very lungs, "You've got a sharp tongue, little one."
However, Snake-Snake, contrary to her usual self, quickly regained her composure. She sat up, perching on the edge of Bronya's bed, her legs crossed under her skirt, as graceful and bewitching as a snake.
"But you are cuter than Elysia."
Bronya also sat up. "So, what business do you have with the Bronya?"
"Of course~~" Mobius looked at Bronya with a seductive smile. "Cooperation."
"Cooperation?" Bronya was puzzled.
"Yes, cooperation."
Mobius tapped a finger on Bronya's chest.
"The Core of Reason is still of some use to me. Don't be so nervous, I won't take it. I'll just need to ask you to help me construct a few things when the time comes."
"Is that all?"
Bronya didn't think much of it.
The Core of Reason could be said to have been a gift from Mobius.
It was perfectly reasonable to use the Core of Reason to help Mobius with a few things.
But there was no way Bronya would give it back to Mobius.
However, Ye Feng had forgotten to explain this to Bronya, so she still thought that she couldn't enter that world without the Core of Reason.
"That's all. The industrial system of the Current Era's technology can't produce many of the instruments I need. It would be a waste of time for me to start from scratch. Besides, although there are ruins left from the Previous Era, most of them have been destroyed. And even if there are surviving underground bases, they most likely don't have what I need."
After a long explanation, Mobius asked lightly, "By the way, what do you think of Elysia?"
Her tone was nonchalant, but Bronya felt that this might be the real point of the cooperation.
Duckie had originally wanted to say "Elysia is a very kind and reliable person," but then she remembered her flushed appearance as she told her the truth that day, a little pink toy clamped between her legs.
"...It's hard to say."
"Oh?"
Bronya's answer made Mobius's eyes light up.
"I see we have a lot of room for cooperation."
Anyone who spent some time with Elysia would come to adore her—except for Mobius, of course—but the girl before her had given a different answer.
This made the corners of Mobius's mouth curl upwards.
"Alright, that's all for today."
"Wait."
"Is there something else?"
"The Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, Welt Yang... there's been no news of him for a long time."
Although Bronya didn't care about him, she was originally from Anti-Entropy and had taken the Sovereign's Core of Reason. At the very least... she hoped he was alright.
"I don't know either."
"You don't know?"
"After taking the Core of Reason, I threw him into the sea and didn't bother with him after that."
To be precise, she had knocked him into the sea.
If Welt Yang had been more cooperative, Mobius wouldn't have had to resort to violence.
But it was obviously impossible for him to just let himself be slaughtered.
Hearing this news, Bronya felt a little relieved.
At least Welt Yang hadn't died. If he was just thrown into the sea, he could easily swim back to shore.
Mobius twisted her waist as she left. "Time for sleep. Winter isn't suitable for a snake's activities. Good night, my little duckie. I hope we can cooperate happily in the future."
A door that seemed to lead to a subspace opened, and Mobius disappeared into it.
Bronya lay with her eyes open, having no idea how she had done that.
But...
"Cooperation?"
Bronya still found it hard to believe that the ever-solitary Mobius would actually approach her to discuss cooperation.
Asking her to create instruments and equipment from the Previous Era?
That was probably just a pretext.
Bronya could sense it keenly, but...
"What is her real intention?"
Bronya lay down, staring at the ceiling.
Forget it.
Bronya couldn't be bothered to think about it.
She was still conflicted enough as it was.
Duckie turned her head and looked at the sweetly sleeping Sister Mei, her gaze gradually losing focus...
Meanwhile, Mobius arrived in Elysia's room. Her serpentine eyes stared at the flawless Miss Elf from the darkness of the shadows.
North America.
Anti-Entropy Headquarters.
Welt Yang sat in an old chair, gazing at the distant sky.
Silent, serious.
His eyes were incredibly deep, as if he were contemplating the future of humanity.
"Thinking about the mysterious person who appeared at St. Freya Academy again?"
A small, fiery red figure appeared behind him. Welt Yang withdrew his gaze from the sky.
"Yes. In that battle, although I was lucky enough to escape with my life, my Core was taken. No... it couldn't even be called a battle, just a one-sided slaughter. If an existence like that is an enemy of humanity, we..."
Welt didn't continue.
The small, fiery red figure could also feel the mountain-like pressure weighing on him.
"As long as you're okay."
The small, fiery red figure said, "As long as you're still here, there will always be a way."