POV: 3rd Person
The grand celebratory feast had finally concluded, leaving behind a profound, comfortable warmth that settled over the massive mansion. The lingering scent of roasted meats, sweet pastries, and premium tea filled the air. As the night deepened, the chaotic energy of the dining hall naturally dispersed, dividing the eccentric, overpowered found-family into different corners of the home.
In the quietest, coziest corner of the grand lounge, right beside the crackling fireplace, the youngest members of the group had finally succumbed to their absolute exhaustion.
Sirin, the once-feared and hateful Herrscher of the Void, was fast asleep on a massive, plush velvet sofa. She was curled into a small ball, her hands tightly gripping the fabric of her mother Serena's spare cardigan, terrified even in her sleep that if she let go, her family would disappear again. Curled up comfortably at her feet was Bella, the fearsome dragon now in her beautiful human form, softly snoring with her head resting on Sirin's ankles. Right beside them, little Yae Rin was hugging a stuffed bunny, her small chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm that she had been denied in her original, tragic life.
While the children slept, the older girls had gathered around the central mahogany table. Mugs of hot cocoa and steaming cups of herbal tea rested in their hands. The atmosphere was light, filled with the soft, comforting hum of girls simply being girls—a luxury none of them had ever truly experienced while fighting the Honkai.
And naturally, when this many women were gathered in one comfortable space, the conversation inevitably drifted toward the most dangerous topic of all.
"So~," Elysia began. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. Her beautiful pink eyes sparkled with a mischievous, radiant light as she locked her gaze onto the two women sitting across from her: the former Schicksal Saint and the Yae Shrine Maiden. "I have been meaning to ask you two something all night. Are you two... a couple? Because Jay went through a *lot* of multiversal trouble to save you both together."
Kallen Kaslana, who was mid-sip of her green tea, violently choked.
"W-What?!" Kallen gasped, pounding her chest as her fair face exploded into a shade of crimson that rivaled a ripe tomato. She waved her hands frantically, her knightly composure completely shattering.
"A-A couple?! No! No, absolutely not! We are just best friends! Comrades in arms! Why does everyone always assume that?!"
Yae Sakura sat perfectly still, though her long, pink fox ears twitched nervously atop her head. She maintained her traditional, elegant posture, but a deep blush was visibly creeping up her neck.
"Indeed," Sakura murmured, looking away shyly as she fidgeted with the sleeve of her kimono.
"We are perfectly normal friends. We care for each other deeply, yes, but not in... *that* particular manner. I believe Jay-san might have severely misunderstood the depth of our bond. Perhaps the literature of this modern era has corrupted his perspective."
Elysia giggled, the melodic sound echoing in the warm room. She hid her smile behind her hand.
"Oh, really? What a shame. It would have been so incredibly romantic! Two star-crossed warriors from five hundred years ago, defying fate and the church for love... Ah, my heart flutters just thinking about it!"
Before Kallen could stutter out another defense, Elysia seamlessly shifted her target. Her predatory, matchmaking gaze landed on the fiery, red-haired scientist sitting on the adjacent couch.
"Speaking of romance..." Elysia hummed, her smile widening.
"Dr. Tesla! Jay told me a wonderful little secret about you."
Tesla froze. Her teacup halted inches from her lips. "W-What did that overpowered idiot tell you?"
"He said that in the future, you and Welt are going to get married!" Elysia announced happily, clapping her hands together.
"And not just that! He said you two are going to raise an adopted child together! A cute little clone of the original Welt Joyce! Oh, you two will make such a wonderful, grumpy little family!"
The silence in the lounge lasted for exactly one second.
Then, Tesla's face went completely, catastrophically red. It was a shade of red so intense it made Kallen's blush look pale. She slammed her teacup onto the saucer with a loud *clatter*, spilling hot tea over the edges.
"T-T-THAT GUY DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT!!" Tesla shrieked at the top of her lungs, her twin-tails practically defying gravity as she stood up, pointing a trembling finger at the ceiling.
"We are NOT married! We are NOT a couple! It is strictly a logistical, co-guardianship arrangement for the sake of Anti-Entropy's legacy! He is a stoic, boring old man, and I am a woman of science! D-Don't get the wrong idea, you pink-haired elf!"
Every single girl in the room—except for Kallen and Sakura, who lacked the cultural context of modern anime tropes—stared at the screaming scientist. The exact same thought echoed perfectly in the minds of Kiana, Mei, Bronya, and Seele:
*'Textbook Tsundere.'*
"If you say so, Doctor~," Elysia sang, entirely unfazed by Tesla's explosive denial.
Elysia then leaned back into the plush cushions of the sofa, letting her gaze sweep over the younger girls. Her playful aura suddenly took on a slightly more intimate, knowing weight.
"But what about the rest of you?" Elysia asked, dropping a massive, unescapable bomb right into the center of the room.
"Is there anyone here who has someone they like? Someone who makes your heart beat just a little bit faster?"
The reaction was immediate, visceral, and beautifully synchronized.
Kiana Kaslana abruptly choked on her own saliva, her face flushing bright red as she violently turned her head to stare at the blank wall, suddenly finding the wallpaper fascinating.
Mei subconsciously gripped the fabric of her skirt, her heart skipping a beat. A deep, undeniable blush spread across her elegant cheeks as an image of a towering young man with white hair and crystal-blue eyes flooded her mind. Next to her, Rei—the physical manifestation of the Herrscher of Thunder—simply scoffed and crossed her arms, looking away with a haughty glare. But the tips of her oni ears were burning a bright, betraying pink.
Wendy coughed nervously, hiding her flushed face behind her aether-infused hands. Bronya, the usually emotionless Herrscher of Truth, is overheated, while Seele simply let out a tiny squeak and hid her completely red face behind Bronya's shoulder.
Every single one of them had immediately, involuntarily thought of the same person. The anomaly who had stepped into their shattered lives, casually flicked away their world-ending despair, cooked them meals that tasted like heaven, and gave them a future where they didn't have to die for the sake of humanity.
The only person in the room entirely unaffected was Dr. Einstein, who took a slow, calm sip of her tea, observing the flustered Herrschers with mild, analytical amusement.
Elysia watched the girls blushing, squirming, and refusing to make eye contact. But instead of feeling a sting of jealousy, a proud, deeply affectionate smile formed on Elysia's lips. She looked toward the hallway leading to the bar.
Hehe, Elysia thought to herself, her heart swelling with love. Jay you're sinful man. It's impossible not to fall in love with a savior like him.
While the girls were drowning in the chaotic waters of romance and gossip, the men had retreated to the mansion's private, dimly lit bar. The atmosphere here was entirely different. It was heavy, steeped in the smell of premium aged whiskey, rich mahogany, and the unspoken weight of years of suffering.
Siegfried Kaslana and Raiden Ryoma, both a few heavy glasses deep into Jay's most expensive liquor collection, had quickly devolved from polite, exhausted fathers into fiercely competitive rivals.
"I'm telling you, Ryoma, my Kiana is the absolute peak of this generation," Siegfried boasted, his words slightly slurring as he slammed his glass onto the counter.
"Did you see her now?! She's the Herrscher of Flamescion! She commands absolute fire and the void! She carries the Kaslana spirit perfectly! She's a queen!"
"With all due respect, Siegfried, your daughter is a bit... barbaric," Ryoma countered, pushing up his glasses. Though he tried to maintain his composed CEO persona, his face was flushed from the alcohol, and a proud, competitive smirk rested on his lips.
"My Mei is elegant. She is highly educated, she can cook, and she commands the absolute, devastating power of Thunder. She is the perfect daughter. A true Raiden."
"Oh yeah?! Wanna step outside and settle this, Raiden?!" Siegfried stood up, rolling up his sleeves.
"Bring it on, Kaslana! I've been waiting to punch a Schicksal dog for years!" Ryoma stood up, matching his energy.
Jay and Welt sat a few seats away, comfortably watching the two middle-aged men argue like teenagers on a playground.
Welt sighed, massaging his temples. He looked over at Jay, swirling the amber liquid in his glass.
"Do you know anything about raising kids, Jay? Because I feel like fighting Cocolia and dealing with Herrschers is infinitely easier than understanding the minds of teenagers."
Jay smirked, leaning casually against the marble counter.
"Why are you asking me? I'm practically a teenager myself. You should just marry Tesla and figure it out together. I know you two secretly adopted that little Joyce clone, joey right?"
The arguing between Siegfried and Ryoma instantly ceased. Both fathers froze, slowly turning their heads to stare at the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy.
"Wait..." Siegfried blinked, the alcohol momentarily leaving his system.
"You and the angry, screaming redhead adopted a kid?!"
"Hahaha! By the heavens! Congratulations, Welt!" Ryoma laughed loudly, walking over and slapping the Sovereign hard on the back.
"I didn't know you had it in you!"
Welt coughed awkwardly into his fist, his stoic, majestic facade cracking as a faint blush appeared on his cheeks.
"I-It is strictly a logistical guardianship... for the child's safety and development... It is not a marriage..."
"Sure it is, Welt. Keep telling yourself that,"
Jay chuckled, taking a sip of his drink.
The laughter slowly died down, leaving a comfortable silence in its wake. But as the adrenaline of the argument faded, the alcohol began to dig up the heavy, deeply buried emotions resting at the bottom of the fathers' hearts.
Siegfried sat back down heavily. He stared down at the half-empty glass in his hands, watching the ice cubes slowly melt. The proud, boastful smile he wore just moments ago melted away, replaced by a suffocating, agonizing sorrow.
"Raising them..." Siegfried muttered softly, his voice cracking. He rubbed his face with his large, scarred hands.
"God... Kiana grew up so fast. She's so strong, so mature now. I just... I just wish Cecilia could have been here to see it. She would have been so, so proud of the woman our daughter has become."
A heavy, mournful silence fell over the bar.
Ryoma looked down at his own hands, his expression mirroring Siegfried's profound grief.
"I understand, Siegfried. My wife... she always wanted to see Mei wear a beautiful kimono on her graduation day. She would have wept tears of joy tonight."
They were two men who had fought the world, sacrificed their reputations, their bodies, and their freedom to protect their daughters. But in the end, they were just two widowers missing the loves of their lives.
Jay watched the two grieving fathers. He slowly set his glass down on the counter. A soft, knowing, and incredibly gentle smile formed on his face.
"You know, you guys are being incredibly depressing for people who just won the multiversal lottery," Jay said casually.
Siegfried and Ryoma looked up at him in confusion.
Jay didn't explain. He simply snapped his finger
*Snap.*
The sound was quiet, but the spatial fabric of reality within the bar violently warped and distorted. Three women walk out from the portal
Behind Siegfried and Ryoma, the void tore open, and two figures gracefully stepped out.
"You haven't changed at all, Husband. Still arguing over trivial things when you've had too much to drink."
The voice was gentle, mature, and filled with an ocean of love.
Ryoma froze. The whiskey glass slipped from his fingers, shattering into dozens of pieces against the hardwood floor. He turned around so fast his neck audibly cracked.
Standing there, wearing an elegant, traditional Japanese dress, and smiling warmly at him with tears already pooling in her eyes, was his late wife, Raiden Sayuri.
"S-Sayuri...?" Ryoma's voice broke into a desperate, pathetic whimper. The stoic, unbreakable CEO of ME Corp completely collapsed. He fell to his knees, rushing forward and burying his face into his wife's stomach, sobbing uncontrollably. Sayuri gently stroked his hair, her own tears falling freely as she held the man she loved.
Siegfried's heart stopped beating in his chest. His breathing hitched. He slowly, agonizingly turned his head, terrified that if he moved too fast, the illusion would shatter.
Standing before him was the legendary S-Rank Valkyrie. The wielder of the Black Orchid and White Lily. The absolute love of his miserable, broken life.
Cecilia Schariac looked exactly as beautiful, as radiant, and as warm as the day he lost her in the freezing Siberian snow fourteen years ago.
"Cecilia..." Siegfried choked out. A raw, guttural sob tore its way out of his throat. Tears cascaded down his scarred face like a broken dam. He stumbled forward, opening his massive arms wide, desperate to pull her into a bone-crushing hug. "You're alive... you're really—"
"Siegfried Kaslana."
Cecilia's voice wasn't warm. It was incredibly calm, but it carried the terrifying, absolute, blood-freezing authority of a Schariac matriarch. She raised a single finger and pointed it directly at the hardwood floor beneath him.
"Seiza. *Right now.*"
Siegfried's survival instincts—honed by years of fighting Honkai beasts and Schicksal assassins—kicked in instantly. He dropped to his knees, his back perfectly straight, sitting in the most rigid, flawless *seiza* position known to mankind.
Cecilia put her hands on her hips, glaring down at her trembling husband. Jay had already briefed her on every single detail of the past fourteen years before pulling her out of his inner dimension. She knew everything.
"You left our daughter alone?!" Cecilia began, her voice rising as her maternal fury was unleashed.
"I know why you did it, Siegfried! I know you were trying to protect her, and I know it broke your heart! But leaving a child to fend for herself in a world full of monsters?! And letting Otto—that despicable, manipulative rat—turn our Bianka into his amnesiac pawn?! You have a lot of explaining to do, Mister!"
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Cecilia!" Siegfried wailed, bowing his forehead until it practically touched the floor.
He wasn't just apologizing for the scolding; he was apologizing for every failure, every moment of weakness, and every tear Kiana and Bianka had shed over the last decade.
"I failed you! I failed them! I'm so sorry!"
Watching the massive, rugged Kaslana man weeping and groveling on the floor, Cecilia's stern expression finally broke. Her bottom lip trembled. She dropped to her knees in front of him, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a desperate, passionate embrace.
"You absolute idiot," Cecilia sobbed into his shoulder, holding him as tightly as humanly possible.
"You survived. You kept them alive. I missed you so much, my love."
Siegfried wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck as he cried like a child.
Jay watched the reunited couples, a profound warmth filling his chest. He stood up, quietly walking past them.
Cecilia looked up, wiping her tears. "Jay-Kun... wait."
Jay paused, looking back.
"Thank you," Cecilia whispered, her blue eyes shining with absolute gratitude. "For bringing us back. And... for saving Sirin. You didn't just defeat her; you gave that poor, broken girl the family and the peace she always deserved. I can never repay you."
"You don't need to, Aunt Cecilia," Jay smiled softly.
"I just fixed what was broken. Now, dry your tears. I believe there is a certain white-haired girl in the lounge who desperately needs a hug from her mother."
The lively chatter among the girls instantly died the second the heavy oak doors of the lounge opened.
Cecilia Schariac, Sayuri Raiden, and a third woman with elegant, spiral twin-drills—Alexandra Zaychik—walked into the room. They were followed closely by Jay, a red-eyed Ryoma, and a heavily weeping Siegfried.
The silence in the lounge was absolute. Time seemed to stand still.
Mei was the first to react. Her violet eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated disbelief.
"M-Mother...?"
"My beautiful Mei," Sayuri whispered, opening her arms.
Mei didn't care about her elegant upbringing. She sprinted across the room, throwing herself into Sayuri's arms and bursting into loud, desperate tears. Sayuri held her tightly, burying her face in her daughter's purple hair, rocking her back and forth just like she did when Mei was a child.
"Look at you... you've grown into such an incredibly beautiful young woman," Sayuri wept.
Rei, the Herrscher of Thunder, stood nearby. She crossed her arms, trying desperately to maintain her cold, arrogant facade.
"Tch. Crybaby. Getting emotional over a fragile human."
Sayuri paused. She pulled back slightly from Mei and looked at Rei. Her sharp, maternal instincts immediately assessed the aggressive, oni-horned girl who shared her daughter's face.
"And who might you be, young lady?" Sayuri asked. Her voice wasn't angry, but it carried an overwhelming, heavy aura of an Asian mother that transcended physical power.
"That attitude is not very lady-like. A Raiden does not act like a delinquent."
Rei—the terrifying entity who had threatened to electrocute Ryoma just an hour ago—visibly flinched. The absolute, undeniable authority of a mother completely bypassed her Herrscher core. Rei looked away, her cheeks burning red as she pouted quietly, her voice dropping to a submissive mumble.
"N-None of your business... don't treat me like a child..."
Across the room, Kiana stood completely frozen.
Her legs felt like they were made of lead. Her whole body was trembling violently. She stared at Cecilia, her eyes wide with terror and longing. She knew this was Cecilia Schariac. But she also knew the agonizing truth: she was K-423. She was just a clone made of Sirin's core and Kaslana DNA. She wasn't the *real* Kiana.
Fear, cold and paralyzing, gripped Kiana's heart.
She's going to look at me and see a fake. She's going to hate me. She's going to ask for her real daughter.
Cecilia took a step forward. Then another. She walked right up to the trembling Herrscher of Flamescion. Her blue eyes were incredibly soft, filled with a boundless, infinite ocean of love.
"I-I'm not..." Kiana stuttered, tears spilling over her cheeks. "I'm just a clone... I'm a fake..."
"Hush," Cecilia whispered. She reached out, her warm, gentle hands softly cupping Kiana's face. She wiped the tears from Kiana's cheeks with her thumbs.
"Jay-kun told me everything, sweetie. It doesn't matter to me how you were born. It doesn't matter what Otto intended for you. You carry my blood. You carry my husband's spirit. And you carry my love."
Cecilia leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Kiana's.
"You are not a fake," Cecilia stated with absolute, unwavering certainty.
"You are my daughter. You are Kiana."
The emotional dam inside Kiana completely shattered. A loud, desperate, agonizing wail of pure relief tore out of her throat. She threw her arms around Cecilia's neck, burying her face into her mother's chest, crying with the raw, unfiltered desperation of a child who had spent her entire life yearning for a mother's warmth.
Cecilia wrapped her arms tightly around Kiana, crying softly into her white hair. A second later, two massive, heavy arms wrapped around both of them. Siegfried had joined the hug, burying his face into Kiana's shoulder.
"I promise..." Siegfried cried, his voice muffled. "I promise on my life, I will never leave you two again. And we will go get Bianka back. We will be a complete family again."
While the Kaslanas wept, a quiet figure approached them.
Serena, the mother of Sirin, walked up to Cecilia. She knelt on the floor, bowing her head deeply as tears streamed down her own face.
"Lady Cecilia..." Serena whispered, her voice trembling with guilt and profound respect.
"I... I am so incredibly sorry for what my daughter did to you in Siberia. And I want to thank you... from the bottom of my soul, thank you for trying to show my little girl love and mercy, even when she was blinded by hate."
Cecilia gently pulled away from Kiana for a moment. She knelt down on the floor and gently took Serena's hands, pulling the weeping woman up.
"There is nothing to forgive, Serena," Cecilia smiled, her tears shining in the light.
"Sirin was just a hurt, terrified child lashing out at a cruel world. I am just so, so glad that she finally has her true mother back to guide her."
In the final, quiet corner of the room, Bronya stood completely still.
She felt a gentle, hesitant tap on her shoulder. Bronya slowly turned around. During the year of training in Jay's time dilation dimension, Bronya had grown significantly. She was no longer the small, physically stunted child from the Urals. She now stood tall and elegant, a breathtakingly beautiful sixteen-year-old young woman really look like the woman infront of her.
She found herself looking almost directly at eye level with Alexandra Zaychik.
Bronya didn't recognize her. She had never seen a single photograph of her mother.
But the second their eyes met, Bronya's soul felt an undeniable, magnetic, biological pull. Thanks to the year of healing, good food, and genuine love she had received, the emotionless facade she used to wear had long since melted away. She was completely in touch with her humanity now. And right now, her heart was screaming the absolute truth.
"Bronya..." Alexandra whispered, her hands trembling as she reached out. Tears streamed down her face as she looked in sheer awe at the stunning, mature young woman her baby had become. She stepped forward, pulling Bronya into a desperate, suffocatingly tight hug.
"My beautiful, beautiful baby... look how much you've grown. I'm so, so sorry I wasn't there to watch it happen. I'm so sorry you had to suffer so much in the snow."
Bronya's breath hitched. Her usually calm and collected demeanor completely gave way to raw, overwhelming affection. She didn't hesitate or freeze.
Her arms immediately wrapped around Alexandra's back, gripping the fabric of her dress desperately as she buried her face into her mother's shoulder.
"Mother..." Bronya sobbed freely, her tears flowing naturally without a single ounce of restraint.
""I... I don't even have a single memory of you... I never knew who you were, or what you looked like... but... I've missed you so much."
For a long time, mother and daughter just held each other, making up for sixteen years of stolen time.
After a deeply emotional minute, Bronya pulled back slightly. She wiped her eyes, a soft, incredibly genuine smile blooming on her elegant face. Her gaze shifted to the side, and she reached out, gently grabbing Seele's hand and pulling the incredibly shy, teary-eyed girl forward.
"Mother," Bronya said, her voice wavering slightly but filled with absolute love. She had completely dropped her old habit of referring to herself in the third person.
"This is Seele. She is my precious little sister. We survived the orphanage together. She is family."
Alexandra didn't even hesitate. She smiled warmly, her heart expanding effortlessly as she reached out and pulled Seele into the embrace as well.
"If she is your sister, then she is my daughter too. Come here, Seele."
Seele let out a soft cry of joy, hugging Alexandra tightly. Even Veliona, floating in her spectral form nearby, felt a strange, unfamiliar warmth in her chest, choosing to stay silent and simply watch the beautiful reunion with a soft smile.
Seele let out a soft cry of joy, hugging Alexandra tightly. Even Veliona, floating in her spectral form nearby, felt a strange, unfamiliar warmth in her chest, choosing to stay silent and simply watch the beautiful reunion.
Jay stood alone on the indoor balcony overlooking the grand lounge, his forearms resting on the wooden railing. He watched the chaotic, heartbreakingly beautiful scenes of reunion playing out below.
Families that had been violently torn apart by destiny, by Otto's manipulations, and by the sheer cruelty of the Honkai, were now crying tears of absolute joy. The agonizing script of the modern era had been completely rewritten.
He felt a soft warmth press against his side. Elysia slipped her arm through his, naturally interlacing her fingers with his. She rested her head against his shoulder, her beautiful pink eyes shining with unshed tears as she watched the families below.
"This is beautiful jay..."
Jay smiled, squeezing her hand gently
A/N: I'll make this quick guys so i can torture Ye Chen More