Kenta bade his farewells to Serval and her companions, stepping out from the warmth of the Perpetual Mechanical Workshop into the biting air of the Administrative District.
"Don't be a stranger next time!" Serval called out, her voice bright with mischief as she subtly nudged Lynx with her elbow.
Lynx remained as stoic as a statue, but the edge in her voice had softened significantly. She hovered near the doorway, her gaze fixed on her boots before she finally looked up. "Goodbye. And... um... next time we meet, could you perhaps give me an autograph?"
Her eyes darted away, a flicker of genuine, uncharacteristic shyness coloring her cheeks. It seemed the "Phantom Captain" filter was sturdier than Kenta had thought; even a botched window-landing and a few scams hadn't quite managed to kill her admiration.
Kenta smiled. It was a soft, surprisingly genuine expression. He reached into his pack, pulled out a scrap of white paper and a black pen, and scribbled his name with a flourish.
Lynx's eyes lit up as he held it out. But just as her fingers reached for the paper, Kenta's grin widened into something far more predatory. His eyes curved into crescent moons.
"That'll be ten credits for the signature, kid."
"..."
The silence was absolute. In that single moment, Lynx felt the very last thread of her idol-worship snap. The filter wasn't just shattered; it was pulverized.
An hour later, Kenta stood in the heart of the Underworld.
He patted the Upper District dust from his cloak, his dark red eyes scanning the rusted, derelict landscape of Rivet Town. Despite the encroaching Fragmentum and the oppressive weight of the cavern ceiling, a sense of relief washed over him. The air here tasted of iron and ozone—familiar, honest, and dangerous.
"Underworld! Your king has returned!" Kenta shouted, throwing his arms wide toward the empty streets.
The silence of the ruins mocked him. He immediately felt a wave of crushing embarrassment, lowering his arms and coughing into his hand. Right. Good thing this place has been a ghost town for decades. If anyone saw that, I'd have to jump into a Stellaron out of pure shame.
"Still," he muttered, adjusting his pack. "It's good to be home."
The sentiment lasted all of three seconds before a sharp, predatory whistle sliced through the air. Something was moving fast, aimed squarely at the back of his skull. Kenta tilted his head with practiced ease, the projectile—a jagged crystalline shard—whistling past his ear.
He turned to see an Antimatter creature, a distorted horror of the Legion, skittering toward him with unnatural speed. Kenta rubbed his temples, a headache already blooming behind his eyes.
"Seriously? I cleared this sector three days ago. Do you things just grow back like weeds?"
He raised his palm. A wisp of crimson flame ignited, dancing between his fingers. "I remember a move from an old arcade game... something about a king of fighters? Eh, whatever."
He crouched low, channeling the heat into a concentrated sphere above his head. As the creature lunged, its maw agape, Kenta snapped his hand forward.
"Iya! Iya! Rei!"
The spark erupted into a roaring pillar of white-hot fire. The blaze expanded instantly, a hungry wall of heat that turned the creature into a drifting cloud of ash before it could even let out a death rattle. Kenta shook out his wrist, checking the ruins for more stragglers. Finding none, he gathered his bags of Upper District loot and turned to leave.
"So, the King of the Underworld finally decides to show his face?"
Kenta froze. He turned his head slowly to find a young woman leaning against a rusted railing nearby. She was tall, her figure highlighted by a daring outfit of deep purple and indigo, topped with a black-and-purple scarf that fluttered in the stagnant breeze. Her dark purple hair was tied back in a capable style, though a single, stubborn cowlick stood defiantly upright on her head.
It was Seele. And her eyes were currently sharp enough to shave with.
"Oh, come on, don't look at me like I'm a wanted man," Kenta said, walking toward her. "Look. I brought you something."
He reached into his pack and produced a plush gray rabbit doll, holding it out like an olive branch.
Seele's eyes flashed the moment she saw the toy. A faint, uncontrollable blush crept up her neck, and her hand moved instinctively to twirl a lock of hair near her ear. Her formidable aura softened for a fraction of a second, though her voice remained a defensive rasp.
"Hmph! Who asked for this? What a total waste of credits. You should have brought back extra bread or medicine, not... not useless fluff."
Despite her words, her hands moved with lightning speed to snatch the rabbit. She hugged it to her chest, a small, irrepressible smile tugging at the corners of her mouth—a smile she immediately tried to hide behind her scarf.
"I know, I know," Kenta said, sensing the opening. "I shouldn't have disappeared for five days without a word. I just got caught up in... business."
Seele's expression hardened instantly. "How dare you even bring that up! Do you have any idea how frantic everyone was? Clara and Hook have been scouring the mines looking for you! They were terrified you'd been caught in a cave-in!"
She stepped closer, her voice rising with indignant heat. "You're an idiot, Kenta! A reckless, irresponsible idiot!"
Kenta waited for the echoes to die down. Then, he looked her straight in the eyes, his voice dropping to a quiet, teasing lilt. "What about you?"
Seele blinked, her momentum dying. "What?"
"I mean," Kenta explained, his eyes curving into a smile. "What about you? Were you worried about me?"
The blush didn't just return; it exploded. Seele squeezed the rabbit doll so hard it let out a squeak. "Who would worry about you?! You're a nuisance! It would be better for my blood pressure if you stayed in the Upper District or died in a ditch somewhere!"
"Mhm. There it is," Kenta mused privately. "That's the classic vintage."
He checked his pocket watch, noting the late hour. "Alright, let's get out of this corrupted zone before the Fragmentum decides to try for a round two. Boulder Town is calling."
Seele huffed, the tsundere routine finally settling into a begrudging nod. She tucked the rabbit into her belt and followed him, her steps falling into a familiar rhythm as they hurried back toward the lights of civilization.