Some time after Theresa left, Ryn woke up.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Kiana staring at him. They gazed at each other for a moment before Ryn leaned in and kissed her.
After a long while, Kiana shyly punched Ryn a few times before snuggling back into his embrace.
"Ryn... do you think I'm really weak now?"
Kiana's eyes dimmed. Though she always insisted she was strong, Theresa's words had made her realize that she might have fallen far behind the others in terms of power. Even Bronya, that little brat, had become someone Kiana couldn't claim to defeat completely since regaining her self-identity.
"Has something been bothering you lately?" Ryn cupped Kiana's face in his hands, lifting her chin to meet his gaze. He smiled and said, "Kiana isn't weak at all! You can kiss for ages without running out of breath. A normal person would have suffocated by now!"
"Ugh, stop it! That's not what I meant!"
"Hehe, I know. But in my eyes, Kiana is truly strong. When we first met, you kicked me so far I don't even know how far I flew. And didn't you teach me my fighting techniques?"
"But... you're all stronger than me now..."
"Kiana, your current weakness is only temporary. No one stays weak forever. Think about how we've neglected training these past few years because of our travels and school life, causing our strength to stagnate.
With systematic training to fully unlock your potential, wouldn't it be easy to get stronger? Don't forget you're Kiana Kaslana."
Kiana's eyes lit up. That's right! She was Kiana Kaslana! How could she let a little setback get her down? She was naturally talented, just had wasted a few years. Now it was time to work hard and get stronger!
"I'll become an A-rank... no, an S-rank Valkyrie! I've decided, Ryn, let's join St. Freya Academy."
"Hmm? I was just about to suggest St. Freya Academy myself. So you already know about it?"
"Mhm. Just now, this super strong kid with a huge cross—I think it was called the Oath of Judah—totally wiped me out in one hit. She looked even younger than me, but she was so powerful... She said her name was Theresa, the Principal of St. Freya Academy, and she invited me to join."
The little demon with the cross? Ryn patted his head. The bump had already gone down. So that little demon was Otto's granddaughter... But compared to Theresa, Ryn was more interested in the Oath of Judah.
He had already undergone Herrscher transformation, so he shouldn't have been seriously injured by being struck by several tons of weight. Yet Judah's blow had knocked him unconscious. Such a strange weapon. He'd have to study it someday.
"Then let's join St. Freya Academy. I'll be a student with you. I need to learn some things too. Herrscher transformation makes some things feel instinctive, but understanding them could lead to significant progress in the future.
Oh, and Kiana, I've become a Herrscher myself now~"
"Herrscher... You're a Herrscher too? Like Mei? Don't you dare die!" Kiana clutched Ryn tightly, frantically patting him down, searching for any injuries she might have missed before. If Ryn were to lose himself to Herrscher transformation like Mei had, Kiana felt she would surely go mad first.
"Alright, alright, mine's different from Mei's," Ryn said, taking Kiana's trembling hand and gently wiping away her tears. "Little kitten, if you want to put it that way, I'm more like the Anti-Entropy Leader now—a Herrscher with a distinct personality."
Ryn then explained to Kiana what had happened with his Stigmata and the Sea of Quanta.
After listening, Kiana pinched Ryn's soft waist, huffing angrily. "Damn you, Ryn! It's all your fault for not explaining things clearly! You made me look like an idiot!"
"Yes, yes, it's all the damn Ryn's fault. I'll be sure to explain things properly next time. Let's go see Mei and Sparkle, then we can all go explore St. Freya Academy together."
"Mm, but let's see Bronya first! Didn't you say the girl you met, Seele, knows Bronya? Bronya's been saying she wants to find Seele, so she'll be thrilled to hear you have news of her."
"Bronya! Bronya! Ryn knows something about Seele! He met her, you know~"
Kiana slammed the door to Bronya's medical room open with a kick, dragging Ryn inside.
"Heh heh heh, Bronya~ You wouldn't want Seele to never come back, would you~?" Kiana said with a lecherous grin, using a threat she'd learned from Ryn—supposedly very effective.
Bronya, who had been about to call Kiana an idiot, froze at the mention of Seele. She floated up from her bed and hovered in front of Ryn and Kiana.
Though Bronya's expression remained stoic, Kiana and Ryn could sense her desperation.
"Please... tell Bronya about Seele... I beg you."
On the way here, Kiana had shared numerous plans to tease Bronya, but seeing her so anxious, both Ryn and Kiana felt a pang of guilt.
Bronya sighed at their hesitation. She knew she would have to pay a price for Seele's information.
Ryn had just finished organizing his thoughts when Bronya unbuttoned her shirt, revealing half of her shoulder.
"Just tell me where Seele is... If it means I can save her... Bronya is willing to become your personal property."
"Bronya, you bastard! What are you trying to do? Ryn, don't look!" Kiana quickly covered Ryn's eyes with one hand and pulled Bronya's clothes back into place with the other. "It's not like we won't tell you! You don't have to do this!"
"According to database information, Kiana's next request after that sentence would be for Bronya to offer her body... Pervert." Bronya said expressionlessly, but the way she looked at Kiana filled Ryn with contempt.
"Cough, cough... Bronya, listen to me first. The power of the Sea of Quanta has rebuilt Seele's body, but she still has her own mission to fulfill, so she can't return just yet. However, the Sea will ensure her safety, so you don't need to worry about her well-being."
"Sea of Quanta... Sea? What's that?"
"Ah... It's a bit complicated to explain. We'll talk about it on the way. But you two dared to conduct Quantum experiments without even knowing about the Sea of Quanta? Tsk, tsk, tsk."
"..."
Bronya's resentment toward Cocolia deepened.