This wasn't just irresistibly attractive to Zhu Zhuqing; even the Shui sisters would occasionally come to find Keke during their breaks, eager to hear everything she had to say about that mysterious traveler.
Yu Keke noticed how much they all enjoyed her stories about Aether, which she had heard from Paimon, and happily shared every detail with them.
In Keke's mind, her brother was the most unbeatable and incredible person in the world. It was only natural that so many older sisters liked him — if they didn't, that would be the real surprise.
This dynamic had led to an unspoken, delicate balance among them all.
The Shui sisters and Zhu Zhuqing wanted to learn more about Aether, and Yu Keke just happened to know the details and was more than willing to share.
After several days of contact, Yu Keke, the Shui sisters, and Zhu Zhuqing had become close friends who could talk about anything.
During training breaks, Yu Keke and Zhu Zhuqing rested together in a classroom on campus. Fire Meow Meow lay lazily nearby, half-asleep, while the Shui sisters continued training outside on the grounds.
Most of the Shui Academy students specialized in either water or ice elemental soul skills. Perhaps due to the rainy weather, the climate was especially favorable for their cultivation.
"Keke, it's break time now. Why don't you continue telling me the story about Paimon and your brother's adventures in Inazuma?" Zhu Zhuqing asked as they sat side by side on the steps. She propped her chin on her hand, her autumn-like eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Hmm… where did I leave off last time?" Keke thought carefully.
It wasn't that she couldn't remember, but since the three sisters weren't always together, she sometimes lost track of which parts she had already told Zhu Zhuqing.
"You were talking about Paimon and your brother preparing to join the Resistance to fight the Raiden Shogun," Zhu Zhuqing reminded her.
She remembered the story about Aether's journey perfectly.
"Oh right, I got to when they reached the Sangonomiya Shrine on Watatsumi Island," Keke nodded, recalling clearly, then continued:
"After arriving there, my brother and Paimon met up with the Resistance. There was an older brother in the Resistance named Teppei, who…"
Keke carefully organized her words and told the story of Teppei, a soldier from Watatsumi Island's Resistance.
Teppei's dream was to become stronger so he could protect Inazuma.
But he didn't have a Vision — he was just an ordinary person.
No matter how much effort he gave, no matter how hard he tried to protect what he cared about, in the vast battlefield he was still too weak.
"When a person's wish becomes strong enough, the gaze of the gods will fall upon them…"
Teppei had unwavering determination to protect his homeland, yet still received no divine attention.
"If only I could be a little stronger, just a bit more powerful… then I could do so much more."
Desperate for strength, Teppei accepted a Delusion granted by the Fatui.
With the Delusion, he gained the power he longed for.
Thanks to this power, he achieved great accomplishments and even became a squad leader.
He happily invited my brother and Paimon to join his squad, looking forward to their squad uniforms — he even imagined what Paimon's outfit would look like…
But what no one knew was that the Delusion's power came at the cost of steadily draining his life.
Under its backlash, Teppei aged rapidly — from a spirited youth to a white-haired old man within just days.
In the end, he sacrificed himself on the eve of victory, never even getting the chance to wear his squad uniform…
"Can you do me a favor? When our uniforms are ready, please help me get mine back so we can wear them together…"
"I really wasn't being watched by the gods after all…"
When Keke finished the story, she quietly repeated Teppei's words to herself.
Teppei had left a deep impression on her.
Whenever Paimon spoke of him, her mood grew heavy.
Even now, recalling the story, though she hadn't been involved, a strange sadness stirred in her heart.
Like Teppei, Keke was just an ordinary person, maybe even in a worse situation. He never gained the gods' attention.
Yet she had accidentally met her brother and Paimon. Now looking back, she realized how incredibly lucky she was to have met them.
While Keke was lost in thought, Zhu Zhuqing and Fire Meow Meow, who had been lazily resting, suddenly turned solemn. The girl and the beast sat upright, silent, each lost in their own thoughts.
"Grrr~"
Fire Meow Meow gave a low growl, as if voicing a deep feeling.
The gaze of the gods…
It seemed that it had granted Fire Meow Meow the very wish Teppei had dreamed of.
But compared to Keke and Fire Meow Meow, Zhu Zhuqing's feelings ran deeper.
Most of the stories Keke told were about people with powers.
But this one was about an ordinary person with dreams, fighting to protect their homeland.
Putting herself in his shoes… wasn't this just like herself?
Thinking this, Zhu Zhuqing looked at Keke and Fire Meow Meow with envy.
They both seemed to have already received the divine gaze.
How could she gain such attention herself?
She had clearly misunderstood Aether's identity in Keke's stories.
"When a person's wish becomes strong enough, the gaze of the gods will fall upon them…"
She murmured Keke's words, feeling as if she was grasping something intangible, something she couldn't fully understand.
"What kind of wish could be so powerful…?"
"Zhuqing sister, what did you say?"
Keke, snapping out of her thoughts, asked because she hadn't heard clearly.
"Ah, nothing."
Zhu Zhuqing mumbled vaguely, then a sudden inspiration struck her. She quickly asked:
"Keke, when you met your brother, what were you thinking? Did you have any wishes at that time?"
"Huh?"
Keke was startled, then thought for a moment and replied:
"At that time, I was just wondering when dad was coming back…"
"Did you have any wishes?"
"My wish was that dad would come back soon."
"…"
Keke's answer was like something Zhu Zhuqing almost caught — but then it slipped away again quietly and far from reach.
She frowned, pondering, then looked at Fire Meow Meow and asked:
"Lord Fire Meow Meow, when you met His Excellency, did you have any wishes?"
As one of the academy's students present that day, Zhu Zhuqing knew Fire Meow Meow was a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast who could speak human language.
But Fire Meow Meow only glanced at Zhu Zhuqing and curled back up to pretend to nap.
Despite acting like a loyal follower in front of Aether, Paimon, and Keke, Fire Meow Meow was still a proud beast king with its own dignity.
This girl had yet to reach the level worthy of its true respect
_
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