"(?`?) Zzz~"
The scene takes place in Kiana's room, with its sole occupant lying face-down on the desk, drool dampening a small patch of the test paper beneath her.
Silently, the electronic door opens, allowing Zeke to enter at his leisurely pace. Upon witnessing this sight, he sighs, placing a hand on his forehead.
"At least pretend you're thinking hard," Zeke says, shaking his head in exasperation.
With a casual wave, a thin blanket descends from mid-air, gently covering Kiana.
He then picks up a completed math-physics sheet nearby, flips through it, and reveals a faint smile.
"95 points. Not meticulous enough in numerical calculations; one answer is incorrect..." Zeke murmurs softly, suddenly pausing as his ears twitch.
"...Kill...kill you... Die... just die..."
The thin blanket, barely laid over her moments ago, flew off to the side under an invisible force and landed, already corroded away by half.
This was unmistakably evidence of Honkai Energy's influence.
Zeke watched with a somber gaze.
It was the third time this month.
The first occurrence—or rather, the first instance Zeke noticed—had been three months ago... Yet Kiana had never mentioned it to him since then.
"Hmm..." Kiana stirred awake, opening her eyes with a hint of confusion on her face.
Before she could react, Zeke had instructed a worker bee to retrieve the blanket for disposal.
Kiana blinked, noticing the tall figure standing beside her bed. With a sudden jolt, she sat up straight.
"Assuming my height is h, there exists an Emperor-class Honkai Beast at distance l with height H, mass M, and Honkai Energy intensity F. The required..."
"All right, enough acting. Your drool is still on the exam paper."
"...I tried really hard."
"It's passable, I suppose."
Zeke put down the test sheet scored 95, his tone indifferent.
Kiana heaved a deep sigh of relief, akin to a student learning they just passed when their teacher announced the grades or a condemned prisoner hearing "stay the execution" from an imperial envoy while kneeling on the chopping block.
"Hehe! I want cake now!"
"Nope. Dinner's almost ready; save some room."
"Then, happy water!"
"Just one sip."
A chilled bottle of happy water materialized in Zeke's hand and was handed over.
"Gulp gulp gulp gulp gulp!"
Hmm, indeed only one sip—though she finished it all, technically, it was still just one sip.
"Pffft!"
"Burrp~"
Kiana let out a long breath, accompanied by a burp, its sweet aroma wafting directly onto Zeke.
Zeke waved his hand dismissively near his nose.
"Aren't you bothered?"
"What do you take me for? Just one bottle of happy water? I've built up quite the tolerance!"
With hands on her hips and chest puffed out, Kiana looked rather pleased with herself.
Expressionless, Zeke raised his hand.
"I said, dinner is coming soon, so only one sip."
"Thud!"
It's unclear how well Kiana has trained her swallowing capacity, but her head-hardening skills are undoubtedly impressive. As demonstrated now, after Zeke's punch sent her face-first into the alloy desk, she extracted her head, casually rubbed the massive lump forming, and pouted, saying:
"You hit me again."
"Dissatisfied?"
"I didn't..."
And dare I even try?!
Rubbing her head, Kia watched as Zeke flexed his fist, seemingly ready for more. She cautiously shrank back, fearing another blow.
Then, noticing her still grimy face and clothes, Zeke commanded, "Go take a bath."
"Want to peek? I'll leave the door slightly open!" Kiana grinned mischievously, tilting her head up.
Zeke leaned down and flicked her forehead gently.
"Get lost."
"You're no fun! It's a perk, a perk, do you understand? Out there, countless people would beg just to glimpse this lady bathing!"
"You want strangers watching?"
Zeke leaned closer, narrowing his eyes, his expression darkening with a deadly threat.
Kiana once again recoiled, meekly saying, "I was just joking around... kidding."
"Not funny. Now get in and wash up."
Zeke grabbed the girl by her shirt collar, dragged her to the bathroom door, tossed her inside, and slammed it shut.
"I didn't bring any clothes!"
"They're outside the door."
"Oh."
"Come out for dinner when you're done."
"Mm-hmm."
With that, Zeke left the room.
Half a minute later, wrapped only in a towel that revealed her flawless, slender legs, Kiana cracked open the bathroom door and cautiously peeked out.
"He actually left? Damn!" Pouting perplexedly, she looked down and loosened the towel around her chest.
Her breasts were round and white, like jade spheres.
Leaning forward slightly, she glimpsed her shapely legs below—smooth as if carved from ivory, merging seamlessly with her tender, fair skin. Her ten toes, delicate and glossy, twitched restlessly, exuding a translucent radiance akin to crystal.
"Aren't they nice? Not attractive enough? Humph!" Unwillingly, Kiana puffed up her cheeks, let out a huff, and slammed the door shut.
"Zeke, you promised to join our live stream! How could you bail on us?!"
"Big Sis Rozaliya's right, Big Bro Zeke bailed."
As dinnertime approached, inside the dining room, the Vodka Sisters clung to either side of Zeke, each shaking one of his arms.
Unfazed, Zeke replied, "I only said I'd consider it based on my mood; I never guaranteed anything."
Over the years, Zeke had made occasional public appearances but not excessively so. These were typically reserved for important events where he expressed his stance or announced decisions.
He didn't need excessive exposure, and no one had the authority to demand it from him.
Just like today, while Rozaliya and Liliya were streaming, Zeke initially focused on handling official documents before moving on to check Kiana's homework—never intending to make an appearance.
However, the Vodka Sisters saw things differently.
"No way, I want compensation!" insisted Rozaliya.
"Yes, compensation," echoed Liliya.
Zeke glanced at the sisters and confidently asked, "What exactly do you want?"
"Well, just sign here."
Rozaliya grinned mischievously and handed him a folded piece of paper with only the signature space visible.
Zeke unfolded it, noticing both sisters' expressions shift simultaneously as he read its contents:
A marriage application form.
The groom was listed as Zeke, while Rozaliya and Liliya were named side by side as brides—already scribbled messily in the bride's signature section.
"Boom!"
With a stoic face, Zeke conjured flames in his hand, instantly reducing the paper to ashes.
Both sisters hung their heads dejectedly.
Liliya scolded, "Stupid Rozaliya, it's all your fault again! Another failed attempt."
Rozaliya reassured her, "No worries, there'll be more chances. We'll succeed eventually. For our debts, for endless beautiful dresses, and delicious food—we absolutely cannot give up."
Liliya agreed, "Rozaliya is right; we must never surrender."
Rozaliya cheered, "Vodka Sisters, let's keep fighting!"
Hand in hand, the sisters ran off as if nothing had happened.
Zeke watched them expressionlessly, shook his head, but then a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.
They're still just kids, yet they keep fighting despite their repeated failures, with absurd marriage proposals left and right—all for debts and creature comforts. Truly, I wouldn't expect anything less from you two.
"Big Bro Zeke, your dinner."
At that moment, Seele brought over a sumptuous meal and placed it before Zeke.
The main dish was authentic Yangzhou fried rice.
Everything Seele prepared looked appetizing, smelled divine, and tasted heavenly. Despite being only fourteen years old, she managed everyone's meals remarkably well, her every move exuding the aura of a caring wife and mother.
"AWSL."
This praise came from Bronya nearby, accompanied by a rare faint smile on her face.
Holding the tray against her lower half, Seele couldn't quite hide the blush spreading to her ears.
"Big Sister Bronya, using those weird internet slang words again," Seele whispered softly, trying to conceal her gentle shyness as she approached Bronya with downcast eyes.
Bronya reached out, gently ruffling Seele's hair, and said earnestly:
"No, Bronya means it."
"Big Sister Bronya..."
"Seele..."
"Big Sister Bronya..."
"Seele..."
Snap!
The ultra-strong alloy chopsticks in Sin's hand broke.
At that moment, Kiana was playfully bantering with Raiden Mei, using her inherited Kaslana charm to fluster the normally well-behaved girl, turning her face beet red.
Suddenly, a broken piece of chopstick spun through the air and struck Kiana on the head.
"Agh! Sin! Is this your way of challenging me?"
"Nope, just bad luck."
"...Fine, not worth arguing over dinner!"
They glared at each other, huffed simultaneously, then turned away, faces averted.
A few years ago, when both girls were still developing, their height difference wasn't as noticeable. Now, Kiana had blossomed like a blooming flower, boasting slender waist, long legs, curves in all the right places. On the other hand, Sin had just entered puberty, appearing even more delicate and slim compared to two years prior.
From afar, it looked exactly like squabbling between an older and younger sister—a scene far more visually appealing than their earlier days of scuffling as little kids.
Zeke quietly observed this exchange. Noticing Sin's clenched jaw while watching Bronya and Seele locked in their heartfelt gaze, he couldn't help but shake his head. Reaching out, he gently patted Sin's small head.
"Zeke?" she murmured softly.
"Hmm, be good now," he replied soothingly.
In a calm tone, Zeke spoke to soothe Sin's emotions.
Then, Kiana nearby, biting her spoon, also began showing signs of unease.
—Why does this have to be so complicated?
"Pfft!"
Wendy, who had been quietly observing the situation, couldn't help but burst out laughing at that moment. Undoubtedly, witnessing the Great Demon King Zeke overwhelmed and exasperated by these girls was Wendy's favorite sight right now.
Serves you right! Who told you to always bully people?! No rescue for you this time; let it annoy you to death!
Zeke shot Wendy a sidelong glance, silently noting her mischief, then sighed. With his usual deadpan expression, he declared:
"(?_?) Let's eat."
Seele and Bronya emerged from their sisterly embrace, allowing Sin to cease her comforting efforts. Finally, Kiana put down her spoon and focused on the food before her.
All's well that ends well, indeed!