Inside Raiden Mei's home—
"Uh, why did Elias come back looking like this? Are you really okay? Feels like you'll collapse any second."
"Kiana, why aren't you helping me up already? I'm exhausted. Just rescued a few people, that's all."
"Rescue? Oh wow, as expected of Elias!"
Kiana nodded in admiration, then helped the drowsy Elias to the living room sofa.
Elias didn't hold back at all—he immediately used Kiana's slender legs as a lap pillow. Those legs were firm and smooth, something he could probably enjoy for a lifetime. Much better than a sofa.
Kiana's cheeks flushed red. Even though they often used Mei's legs as a lap pillow, it was her first time being one herself, and it felt kind of strange.
"Zzzzzzzz~~"
By the time she snapped out of it, Elias was already fast asleep.
The sound of his steady breathing filled the room. Kiana blinked in curiosity, wondering just what this guy had done in the past few hours to be this exhausted. Also...
Maybe it was just her imagination, but Elias seemed different somehow.
He seemed more mature—not as purely youthful and energetic as he was that morning. There was something steadier about him. Just being beside him now gave off a hard-to-describe sense of peace. Almost like... a fatherly presence.
(Ugh, what am I thinking? Just because I called this guy 'Dad' a couple times, I'm really starting to see him like that? But to be fair, Elias is way cooler than my dumb old man. Hehe, and his sleeping face is actually kinda nice to look at too.)
Kiana stared intently at Elias' sleeping face, like a white cat eyeing a plump fish—her instincts telling her it looked very tempting.
The Gem of the Void from the Herrscher of the Void also made her want to get closer to Elias, as if she wanted to merge with him.
"Kiana, what are you doing? You can't play pranks on Elias while he's sleeping."
"Uh, Mei, Mei! I wasn't! I definitely wasn't thinking about drawing on his face with a marker to get back at him for making me call him Dad. Nope. Not at all."
"...Didn't you just confess to everything?"
Raiden Mei looked at the silly girl in front of her, half amused and half speechless. She thought to herself how Kiana's clumsy honesty made her oddly lovable. It made Mei want to protect her and let her stay this carefree and silly forever.
"Whoa, something smells amazing. What did you make this time, Mei?"
Kiana's eyes lit up as the Cooking Lady came over holding a bowl. She sniffed the air eagerly, and a droplet of drool sparkled at the corner of her lips.
"Sorry, Kiana, this isn't for you. It's a late-night snack I made for Elias. Ugh, I should've made something else... Also, if you stay like that, Elias won't sleep comfortably."
"Eh? Why not, Mei?"
"Because, Kiana, your legs are clamping down on his head."
"Huh?"
Kiana blinked dumbly.
She looked down and realized that because she'd shifted her posture earlier, her originally relaxed lap had become a trap—she was now squeezing Elias' head between her thighs.
Her face turning red, Kiana quickly adjusted her position.
Mei sighed helplessly at the side.
If she didn't already know Kiana's naturally clumsy personality, she might've suspected this was some devious girl trying to seduce someone.
(Seriously, Kiana, if you can't hold still, then just let me do it instead. When it comes to lap pillows, I'm the expert—I'll make sure Elias sleeps so well he never wants to get up!)
"Ugh! Kiana, are you trying to kill me?! Huh? What's that amazing smell... Mei, what delicious thing did you make this time?"
At that moment, Elias woke up—his head having been squeezed awake.
"It's just a bowl of ramen I made with the leftovers from the fridge. Nothing fancy... Do you want some?" Mei quickly asked, thinking Elias had already fallen asleep and wouldn't eat.
"Of course! I haven't had Mei's cooking for... a full seven mon—cough, I mean, for more than half a day. Yep. This taste—this is it. So good."
Without hesitation, Elias shoved Kiana aside. Sorry, Paramecium, don't get in the way of eating. Once I'm done, I'll give your head some good pats—go wait over there for now.
To be fair, Mei's cooking never got old. Elias wasn't a picky eater—he'd eat just about anything that looked halfway decent—but Mei's cooking always hit the spot.
Whatever she made suited his taste so well that other people's cooking always felt like something was missing afterward.
Elias wondered—could it really be that "putting love into food" was a real thing?
Sluuuurp~ sluuurp~ sluuurp~ ah, that's the stuff.
"Hehe, as long as you like it, Elias."
Seeing him eat with such enjoyment, Mei couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. Of course she put her heart into it—pure, concentrated first-love levels of devotion at 1000%.
But that wasn't the only reason.
After watching Elias eat up close so many times, Mei had completely mastered his taste preferences.
She knew exactly how sour, how spicy, how sweet to make each dish to suit him best. That's because she was always right there, observing him with care as he ate.
In fact, Mei had two recipe books—one was a normal one, and the other was exclusively for cooking Elias' meals. Fun fact: the second one was three times as thick.
She'd practically written a personal care manual just to make sure Elias ate the best. With that kind of dedication, how could the food not taste amazing?
"Uuu, it looks so tasty... Mei, Mei, I want some too~"
"Uh, sorry Kiana, I used up all the ingredients. I'll make some for you next time, okay?"
"Ehhh~~ Mei, you're always so biased toward Elias. I demand equal treatment as the lady of this house!"
"Ah, well..."
Could she help being biased? Mei was already completely in love with Elias. Kiana also had a special place in her heart, sure—but Elias' share was far greater right now.
"Alright, Kiana, don't make it hard on Mei. I saved a bite for you. Want it? Ah—actually, never mind. It's too delicious to share. Ahem, I mean—it's not proper to give a girl leftovers."
"What's wrong with that? I'll take it!"
Kiana's eyes lit up as she spotted the leftovers. Watching her happily devour them with a blissful expression,
Elias couldn't help but smile too.
He thought about mealtime back at the House of the Hearth, about Bronya, Seele, and the others, all smiling as they enjoyed the food he cooked.
"Thanks, Mei. It was really good. Man... I'm kind of tempted to seriously confess to you right now. Not for any deep reason—just to marry you so you can cook for me for life."
Elias said it half-joking, half-serious.
"!!!"
Those words hit like a bomb.
A direct-hit confession, with zero hesitation or fluff—too powerful for a pure-hearted girl to handle.
Inside, Mei was screaming that she'd love to! She absolutely wanted to cook for Elias for the rest of her life!
In that moment, she was deeply grateful to her mother—for passing down such god-tier cooking talent, which had helped her win Elias' stomach.
(Maybe she should also be glad she wasn't like her two alternate selves—Dr. Mei from the Previous Era, and that Raiden Ei from Teyvat—who could do almost everything... except cook.)
"Hey, Mei, are you nervous or something?"
Elias suddenly changed the topic.
"Eh?"
"You might not have noticed, but your apron is on backwards. Don't worry, I've already thought everything through about your situation. It'll all go smoothly."
He pointed at Mei's apron.
Maybe making a late-night snack so attentively was just a way for her to distract herself. In truth, Mei was feeling extremely tense—like someone waiting for their exam results.
Seeing that Elias had seen through her act, Mei's tense posture relaxed a little. Her expression grew complicated as she gently touched her side—where her Stigmata was located.
"Mm... I trust you, Elias. It's just... my feelings are complicated. I still don't really feel it yet. It's hard to believe there's such a special power inside me. Heh, it's like something out of a manga."
Mei smiled wryly.
The Gem of Conquest. An awakened Stigmata.
While her life had never been entirely normal, things now felt completely different—like a shift into a whole new genre.
And this new power didn't bring her confidence or good fortune—but danger, scrutiny, and targeting from the outside world.
It wasn't at all like what she had once imagined.
The truth was, Mei had a subtle chūnibyō side—just listen to the Raiden Mei in Herrscher mode shouting her ult lines. But sadly, reality wasn't a manga. Power didn't bring the ability to fight evil—it didn't even guarantee self-defense.
"Right now, I still don't know how to use this power. I really want to do something, but I don't know how to begin. And... I often feel like there's another version of me inside."
Mei placed her hand over her chest.
The Herrscher of Thunder's personality—though she had given up becoming a complete Herrscher and returned Mei's body—hadn't vanished.
She still resided within her. Possibly even watching this scene unfold right now.
"Another self, huh. Most people struggle to reconcile with their other side. But I actually know someone who's got experience with that. I'll introduce them to you later."
"Really? Then I'll count on you, Elias."
"Well~ to sum it up, it all comes down to one truth—sincerity is the ultimate finishing move."
Elias recalled how White Seele and Dark Seele got along. Sure, the latter sometimes bullied the former and often threw in sarcastic remarks...
But anyone with eyes could tell—it was pure tsundere.
White Seele's angelic nature and genuine kindness made her easy to get along with, even with her shadowy twin.
Elias reached over and gently pulled Mei to sit on the couch beside him, then let her rest her head on his lap—a small return gift after all the times he'd enjoyed hers.
"Don't worry, Mei. Tomorrow, everything will be resolved. I've already got it all planned out. And you don't need to worry about enemies—no one can hurt you as long as I'm here."
"Mm. I believe you, Elias."
"Ehhh! Elias' lap pillow? I want to try too!"
"...Kiana, read the room, please."
Just as Mei was feeling touched, Kiana—having licked her bowl so clean it didn't even need washing—scooted over and plopped her head down on Elias' other leg.
Elias' lap wasn't as comfortable as Mei's, but it had a unique warmth to it. And with the night falling, both girls were tempted to just fall asleep like this.
Since returning from his space-time journey, Elias had gained a certain fatherly aura.
And for Kiana—who had searched the world for Siegfried, her dad—and Mei—whose father was in prison—that presence hit like an emotional critical hit.
Earlier, when Kiana called Elias "Dad," she was annoyed and uncomfortable—but now, she was surprised to find that it... didn't actually feel that out of place.
"You two should sleep in your rooms."
"Hehe, just a little longer~ just a little."
"I-I'll just lie here for a bit more too."
"Alright, alright... you two really are impossible."
Elias gently reached out to pat both of their heads. It felt like petting a white cat and a purple cat—one lively and playful, the other graceful and gentle.
Though he said he had no choice, the truth was he didn't mind it one bit. Objectively speaking, with two stunningly beautiful girls resting on his lap—what man in the world would complain?
"Hmm? Something feels kind of warm... Elias, do you have something in your pocket?"
"...You two really should head to bed now. And Kiana, don't randomly touch things. There's no food down there."
"I don't believe you. Let me check!"
"You lewd cat—get off me!"
"...Are you two seriously doing this again?"
Mei looked at the two with an exasperated smile. Still, she was a little curious what that warm thing Kiana mentioned might have been. And as a well-read Far Eastern girl, her cheeks quickly turned rosy.
But just as Elias and Kiana were goofing around, and Mei was mentally imagining who knows what—
Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock!
Suddenly, a series of knocks echoed from the door.
The three of them instantly froze and exchanged puzzled looks.
"Who is it? Who knocks this late at night?"
"Could it be... an enemy?"
"Idiot Kiana, enemies don't knock. It's probably a prank or... a ghost."
"Ugh, Elias! Did you just casually say something super scary?!"
Kiana's fur bristled like a startled cat, and Mei shrank back slightly too.
Even though both girls were highly capable fighters, being scared of ghosts was still a pretty common trait among women.
With both of them staring at him like he was their only hope, Elias took the lead without hesitation. Mei picked up a frying pan, Kiana grabbed a baseball bat, and they both followed behind him.
(...I should totally prank them sometime.)
Elias smirked, watching the two timidly trailing him.
Thanks to the X-10 experiment, he now had powers over quantum mechanics. He could literally become a ghostly quantum apparition if he wanted to.
Besides, Elias wasn't scared of ghosts. After all, someone in his previous life once joked: "Don't fear ghosts. Worst-case scenario—you die and become one too, then take revenge."
Knock knock knock! Knock knock knock knock knock!
"Alright, alright, coming. Who's so impatient?"
With the knocking growing more persistent, it was clear the visitor wasn't planning to leave until someone answered. Elias picked up the pace and opened the door—
Only to see a familiar silver-haired, twin-drilled little girl standing there.
"Eh? Bronya, why are you..."
Elias' eyes widened in shock. Just two hours had passed since returning from time travel, and yet—here she was again, from the same timeline?
For Elias, only a few hours had passed.
But for Bronya, it had been nearly a year.
When she heard that familiar "Bronya," tears welled up in the girl's eyes.
"Finally... Bronya finally found you, Papa Elias! I missed you so much!"
Like a swallow returning to the nest, Bronya leapt into Elias' arms. Her tears soaked through his shirt as she clung to him, breathing in his familiar scent.
Elias froze for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her in return, gently stroking her head—just like he used to back at the House of the Hearth.
As the two were overwhelmed by the emotion of their reunion—
Kiana: "???"
Raiden Mei: "???"
The Paramecium and the Cooking Lady behind Elias were completely stunned. What the heck did they just hear?
"Papa? This little girl just called Elias 'Papa'?!"
"Since when did we have a child?!"
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