Mei took her position on the left side of the training room, ready to engage.
[Three, two, one—start.]
As the mechanical voice fell silent, Chen Tiannuo charged forward, reaching Mei in just a few seconds.
Mei was already prepared. The moment he got close, her blade swept out.
Chen Tiannuo wasn't surprised. She'd seen his style in battle before—reacting to it wasn't hard.
He blocked Mei's slash, pivoted, and swung the back end of his Skana toward her throat.
Mei didn't try to force close-quarters combat. Her sword wasn't designed like his—his weapon's hilt was essentially a blade in itself.
She quickly widened the distance, but didn't wait for him to make the next move. Instead, she went on the offensive.
With a sudden thrust, she surged toward him, slashing repeatedly—but each strike was deflected.
Chen Tiannuo caught a brief moment of stiffness in her movements and struck the back of her wrist with the flat of his blade, disarming her.
"Mei, your technique's not bad. Against Honkai beasts and zombies, it works fine. But against faster enemies, that speed gap leaves too many openings." He offered his feedback.
"You've got two options moving forward. One—refine your technique until your swordplay is flawless. But that's tough—you should already know that by now."
"And the second option?" Mei asked.
"Simple. Speed is everything. If your opponent can't track your movements, they can't guard against your strikes."
"Uh, but speed's not exactly easy to improve."
"There aren't many ways I know of—either enhance your armor, or try electricity."
"Electricity?"
"Yeah. Using the right amount of electrical stimulation can boost your cellular activity."
"Alright, I'll give it a shot." Mei nodded, then said, "Thank you, Tiannuo."
"Don't mention it. And if you really hit a wall, upgrade your weapon. A good blade makes a good warrior. Actually... I'll be crafting more weapons soon. If you see one you like, just take it."
"O-okay..."
From the sidelines, Kiana ran over and called out, "Tiannuo! You promised us food!"
"Agh, yeah yeah—I know! Glutton Kiana, let's go already." Chen Tiannuo sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Yay!"
"Oh right, don't forget Bronya," Chen Tiannuo reminded her.
"Relax! How could I forget Bronya? I'll go get her now!" With that, Kiana dashed off.
"That girl..." Chen Tiannuo sighed.
Mei smiled and asked, "Should we inform the principal?"
"Already did when I got back. Let's go wait for them at the academy gate," he said as he began walking.
"Coming." Mei followed him.
...
Kiana returned with Bronya in tow. Chen Tiannuo and Mei had been waiting at the gate for quite some time.
"Finally! Took you long enough," Chen Tiannuo muttered. They'd waited nearly twenty minutes.
"Come on~ The school's huge!" Kiana said dismissively.
"Let's go—onward to the food street!"
...
"Wow! Mei, this one's delicious—try it!" Kiana said, offering her a fried octopus ball.
Mei took a bite and nodded. "It really is good."
Watching their interaction, Chen Tiannuo raised an eyebrow and glanced at Bronya. "Not eating anything?"
"…" Bronya shook her head, silent.
Seeing her blank expression, Chen Tiannuo skewered an octopus ball and offered it with a grin. "Here~ Say 'ah~'"
Bronya looked up, startled. "O_o" Then, almost automatically, she opened her mouth. "Ahm."
Successful delivery. Chen Tiannuo beamed and prepared another one.
But Bronya quickly said, "N-no need. Bronya can feed herself."
"Alright~" Chen Tiannuo pouted. Seriously, who wouldn't like Duck-Duck? She's way too cute.
He handed the remaining skewer to Bronya and headed off to buy four cups of bubble tea.
Returning, he handed each girl a cup. "Haven't had this in ages. Tastes just like I remembered."
"Then let's come out and play every day!" Kiana said eagerly.
"Dream on, Kiana. I can see right through that scheming little brain of yours." Chen Tiannuo rolled his eyes.
"Tch~!" Kiana pouted, knowing it wasn't going to be that easy.
"Relax! We can go out every week—but..." Chen Tiannuo trailed off, smirking.
"But what?" Kiana perked up immediately.
"Weekly quizzes. Only if you pass can you go out."
"Pfft! That's nothing! Easy-peasy!" Kiana said confidently. "With Bronya and Mei helping me study, I'll definitely pass!"
"Let's hope so." Chen Tiannuo didn't push the topic further. He could leave the school any time, so he wasn't worried.
"Let's go, Mei! That stall over there's got candy art!" Kiana dragged Mei toward the booth.
'This kind of life isn't bad at all... No need to fight (or rob) every day, and I'm surrounded by cute girls. I'm living the dream~ Herrschers? Surely Warframes can take them. If we're talking ancient Warframes, maybe not—but right now, I've only got a basic Excalibur. Guess I'll have to build more frames...'
'Eh, why overthink it? Just enjoy today.'
Chen Tiannuo smiled and followed after them.
"Here you go," he said, handing the vendor some money.
"Thanks! Here's your candy figurine." The vendor smiled as he handed it over.
"Here, Bronya. This one's for you."
Bronya accepted it and walked alongside him.
Suddenly, Kiana came running back. "Bronya! There's a balloon-shooting game over there, and the prize is a huge Homu plush!"
Bronya lit up immediately and followed her without a word.
"She really likes those Homu dolls, huh?" Chen Tiannuo said.
"Yes." Bronya answered without looking away from the prize.
Seeing her win with ease, Chen Tiannuo gave up the idea of trying it himself.
...
"Alright, time to head out, everyone." Chen Tiannuo called out.
"Did you all have fun?"
"Mm-hmm! Today was awesome!" Kiana beamed.
"It really was," Mei nodded in agreement.
"Mm!" Bronya clutched the giant Homu plush—nearly as tall as she was.
...
"See you tomorrow. I'm heading back to the dorm. Later." Chen Tiannuo waved and walked off.
"See you tomorrow."