151. [Kevin] Become the Final Examiner
"Wouldn't you call this a different kind of sleep paralysis?"
The morning sunlight streamed into the room through the curtains. Xiling had just opened his eyes when he saw Lemuen lying on top of him, smiling and watching him.
"At least it should be called 'angelic sleep paralysis,' right?" Lemuen said, gently closing her eyes and moving closer to Xiling. Their lips met again, only parting reluctantly when Xiling's breath quickened.
Seeing her slightly panting, Xiling couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"It's like I'm bullying you."
"Then I'll say I'm bullying you instead," Lemuen said with a sly smile.
Xiling thought—it really was. Last night, this "female rogue" had tried all sorts of tricks to seduce him, but unfortunately, nothing happened in the end.
A few minutes later, the two walked out of the room and bumped into Kiana, who was sitting in the dining room, looking resentful. Her gaze swept back and forth between the two, trying to find any "suspicious traces."
She had been crouching in the corner all night and hadn't heard a thing! These two had actually slept all night, making her stay up all night for nothing!
"You didn't... stay up all night, did you?" Xiling looked at her dark circles and couldn't help but make a guess.
"Isn't it your fault!?" Kiana drawled, her resentment almost overflowing.
Xiling reached out and ruffled her hair: "You're just making things difficult for yourself."
"It's clearly your fault, okay?!" Kiana was about to pounce when Lemuen grabbed her and pulled her into her arms.
"Sis...Sister Lemuen..." Kiana froze instantly.
"Sirin, what are you trying to do?" Lemuen's hand slowly slid down Kiana's waist, finally giving her a light pinch on the buttocks—a gesture that immediately reminded Kiana of last night's "punishment."
Ignoring the cries of "No! No!" coming from behind, Xiling calmly walked into the bathroom and began brushing his teeth.
Not long after, there was a knock on the door.
Standing at the door, Raiden Mei struggled to control her breathing, trying to calm her complicated emotions. She had heard Kiana's shouts—"No! No!"—even before the knocking, which froze her in place, her mind blank.
"...It can't be what I think...right?"
She took a deep breath, finally gritted her teeth, and knocked on the door.
Inside the house
Hearing the knock, Lemuen glanced over and guessed who it was. She released the blushing Kiana from her arms and chuckled, "Looks like your friend's here. Go open the door."
"My friend? Who?" Kiana, still reeling from her recent "punishment," swayed as she stood up, staggering towards the door.
The moment the door opened—
Raiden Mei's gentle smile froze instantly.
—Because Kiana was now clutching her bottom, her cheeks flushed, and her eyes even glistening with moisture.
"...What...happened?"
She had practiced her greeting all night, but now she couldn't utter a single word.
Kiana, equally surprised that Raiden Mei was standing in the doorway, froze completely.
"Me...Mei...?" She felt inexplicably guilty, her voice unconsciously lowering.
"Good morning, Kiana." Raiden Mei forced a smile, but the two stood there in an awkward silence.
Inside the house
Xiling, having finished washing up, walked to Lemuen's side, raising an eyebrow:
"What are they doing?"
Lemuen shrugged, indicating she didn't know either.
"Never mind, I'll go out for a bit." Xiling waved his hand, heading straight for the door, giving the two girls, who were locked in a stalemate, a friendly smile:
"Come in and sit down, please; it's not appropriate for you to keep standing at the door."
Kiana suddenly realized what was happening and quickly stepped aside to let her pass:
"Mei... come in first."
After saying that, she took a slightly awkward step, her gait even a little... limping?
Raiden Mei's gaze was fixed on her back, and a faint flash of lightning appeared in her eyes.
"...Damn it! If Kiana were with me, I would never let her be treated like this!"
Thinking this, Raiden Mei cast a hostile glance at certain someone.
Sensing the inexplicable deliberate intent emanating from the other, Xiling blinked in confusion.
"...I didn't do anything, did I?" He turned back and gave Raiden Mei a gentle smile before turning and leaving.
With Xiling gone, only Lemuen, Raiden Mei, and Kiana remained in the house.
Looking at the two sitting opposite each other, Lemuen suddenly clapped her hands and laughed, saying,
"Let's go shopping together today."
In a strange, empty space, the Cocoon of the Finality floated in the void, cleaved in two by a sharp sword wound. Before the broken cocoon stood a white-haired man—Kevin.
The Cocoon had lost its original will.
Anyone who arrived here could easily inherit the power of the Finality.
As the first "person" to arrive, Kevin could have easily seized this power with a simple reach. But he didn't.
He simply waited in silence.
Waiting for the one who could give him the answer.
After an unknown amount of time, the silence was finally broken.
A phantom door quietly opened, and Xiling stepped out.
"Sorry, I'm late." He smiled.
"Didn't wait too long, did you?"
Kevin slowly opened his eyes.
"Compared to the wait of fifty thousand years, this time waiting... is insignificant."
"You saying that makes me even more ashamed." Xiling walked to his side, his gaze falling on the severed cocoon.
Like an AI, the Cocoon of the Finality had lost its administrative authority.
But certain rules still clung to the edge of the imaginary number—for example, the sealed-off solar system.
"Thank you for everything you've done," Kevin said softly.
Xiling shook his head.
"I just did what I had to do."
He suddenly turned to Kevin.
"By the way, aren't you going to inherit the power of the Finality?"
Kevin was silent for a moment.
"...That's not my wish."
"True." Xiling chuckled, suddenly placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Then how about this—as a reward for saving the world, do me a favor?"
"...Say it."
Xiling pointed to the Cocoon of the Finality:
"You will replace it."
"Let this world...re-experience the terror of the Finality."
Kevin didn't answer.
Because he knew the other hadn't finished speaking.
"The universe is vast." Xiling gazed into the empty distance.
"Unimaginably vast."
"Among these vast stars, Earth... no, the entire solar system is as insignificant as dust."
"When we look up at the stars, we see not only beauty in them, but also danger within."
"Those stars, to you... may be enemies."
He released Kevin's shoulder and walked towards the broken cocoon.
"The crisis of Honkai is over."
"But your trial... has not truly begun."
He turned, with the Cocoon of the Finality as a backdrop, and looked directly at Kevin.
"Honkai was your trial, and I shattered it."
"This won't do."
"Someone must pass the trial... someone must shoulder everything."
Xiling reached out his hand to Kevin.
"I want to ask you to be... the final examiner."
"Until this world sees someone who can truly surpass you."
Silence fell.
Kevin's gaze slowly fell on the outstretched hand.
Perhaps... this isn't so bad.
At least… he had a new goal.
When someone comes and takes up this burden…
He can… finally go to see her, right?
Go to see… his long-gone comrades.
Kevin reached out and grasped Xiling's hand.
"They must give it their all," his voice was low and firm, "to cross it without reservation."
Xiling smiled:
"At the appropriate time, we can go easy on them—of course, you, as the examiner, it's your decision."
"However…" a sly glint flashed in his eyes, "I think the trial can be done differently."
"…Tell me."
A snap of the fingers—
A bench appeared out of thin air behind them. Xiling pulled Kevin to sit down and began to enthusiastically explain his plan.
No casualties… but it must be difficult enough.
A trial that requires humanity… to overcome through their concerted effort.
"A World Bubble Mode."
With the power of the Finality, Kevin can create entirely new World Bubbles at will.
The calamity of the "Herrschers" descended there.
And humanity must choose a hero to journey to that world.
Through layers of trials…
Finally…
Standing before the "Finality."
Crossing the final trial…
He can only say that whoever gets it first might taste the benefits, but more often than not, they'll experience the feeling of being bullied.
....
[A/N]:
[You went and bullied him!]
[You're going too!]