Marshmallows / Dip It-So Good!

The maintainer's pupils trembled.

She watched as the terrifying Outer God was held in the arms of a voluptuous, pink-clad girl like a kitten, her chin being stroked, her eyes half-closed, and she was making soft, satisfied moaning sounds.

The girl in pink seemed to notice Asmodeus's shock, and even while she was holding Anqi, she turned her head and gave Asmodeus a playful wink.

Asmodeus shuddered involuntarily; she couldn't understand it, but she was deeply shocked.

Apponia gazed tenderly at Anqi's blissful expression, her face radiating a doting maternal glow. Then she turned her gaze to Asmodeus, the only stranger present, and said:

"Please, give us some space to be alone."

"Okay... okay."

The request was gentle and kind, with a heartwarming healing quality, yet Asmodeus turned and walked out of the temple without any resistance, even considerately closing the door behind him.

"Hmph! Kid, get to the point, don't give me that nonsense!"

"While that's the general idea, Kalpas, please watch your tone. Griseo is here too."

"You should know that we are merely remnants of the past and have no intention of interfering with reality."

Kalpas, Ying, Kevin, and the others spoke up one after another, their general meaning quite clear. They couldn't have been brought from the Land of the Past to the real world without a reason; they needed one.

There wasn't really any strong opposition; one reason was enough. Even if it was a bit far-fetched, they wouldn't criticize the savior they recognized, the hero of a civilization that had defeated the Finality.

More than anything, there's concern that this unusual behavior might stem from some new crisis.

"Whoosh~~"

Anqi turned her head again and whistled.

However, under the questioning gazes of everyone, especially the gentle looks from Apponia, Eden, Sakura, Fu Hua, and others, she finally sighed helplessly.

"Never mind, Dr. Mobius and Sister Vill-V were involved throughout the whole process, so you'll find out sooner or later. To put it simply, in order to fight against the Finality, I indirectly came into contact with the Imaginary Tree and was thus attracted to it... This process is currently under control, but I can't guarantee when I'll have to use that power again. I also don't know what will happen after using it a few more times."

The Thirteen Flame-Chasers entrusted their imprints to Anqi, signifying their utmost trust. Therefore, Anqi, in addition to revealing her true form, could reciprocate with the same level of trust.

For them, this was not information that needed to be concealed.

Kevin frowned and said:

"You mean, you're not sure if the Theater of Domination will be affected. So, to avoid us being affected, you're sending us into the real world."

"You could say that."

"You shouldn't do that. We are just memories, and our best end is in the Land of the Past. You should leave the Land of the Past in the Theater of Domination, and then use us without hesitation when needed."

"I said I understand you, so you should also be understanding of me."

Anqi sat up straight on Elysia and repeated in a cold tone.

Kevin remained silent, as did the Flame-Chasers.

Yes, this child is cold on the outside but warm on the inside, carrying a heart-wrenchingly painful past, yet she helped humanity overcome a hurdle they couldn't cross 50,000 years ago. How could she bear to sacrifice them? Even if they themselves don't care, she will.

Chapter Two: Cotton Candy

"Oh, right, and this... a remnant captured from a time rift around the moon. She says she's just a phantom of history, and you say you're just a remnant of the past. Since they're both fake, they make a perfect pair."

Anqi reached into the still-open portal and pulled out a plump, bespectacled girl with a long purple ponytail, wearing a white lab coat, and casually tossed her to Kevin.

Kevin's pupils contracted, but he was too overwhelmed by the shock to react and could only let the girl with glasses crash into his arms.

"Hiss... wasn't that a bit too rough? Huh? No frostbite?"

Mei took two steps back, looked at the arm and shoulder that had touched Kevin, and blinked in surprise.

Kevin froze, remaining motionless for several seconds before finally speaking in a dazed tone:

"I have learned to control myself, in the Land of the Past."

"Really? Let me see!"

Mei's eyes lit up, and she immediately grabbed Kevin's hand and examined it from side to side, displaying a fascinated enthusiasm for research.

"They actually managed to control it? Aside from being a little cold, there's no risk of frostbite. Is this some kind of physical evolution? Or is it simply an improvement in their control abilities?"

"I don't know."

"Well... it's all good news. Long time no see, Kevin. I thought we were saying goodbye forever."

"Me too. Long time no see."

Mei looked up and smiled at Kevin. Kevin tried hard too, but finally managed a stiff smile.

Even though Mei temporarily put aside her research, her two hands, one big and one small, remained tightly clasped together.

Putting aside whether it's true or not, the instant their eyes met, they knew that the person before them was the one they had been longing for day and night. That was enough.

"You have a three-month vacation. After three months, come work for me in the Original World. Dr. Mobius, Sister Vill-V, Dr. Einstein, Dr. Tesla, Doctor. Chouko ... These are all monstrous geniuses, but it is precisely because they are so outstanding that I need a genius who can unify them. You are my best choice."

"Uh, do I have the option to refuse?"

"No!"

Anqi crossed her arms, sat on Elysia's lap, and proudly puffed out her chest.

"But I will leave you a gateway so that you can travel freely between the two worlds, provided that—a certain savior Flame-Chasers who speaks of 'phantom' and 'afterimage' is willing to set foot on Earth 50,000 years from now."

Anqi curled her lips into a smug smile as Kevin remained silent.

I told you not to stand in my way during the Finality War! I'm going to force you to do something you don't want to do! This is the villain's revenge!

Hahaha!

Then, Elysia pulled her even closer into her arms, and she lost herself in her expert cat-petting techniques.

"Yoshi yoshi yoshi~~"

"(O'?`o)Hmm~~"

"Anqi actually conquered a new world? Let me see. Teyvat, the system of Heavenly Principles and the Seven Archons, actually has a history of over ten thousand years? That's incredible."

Earth, New Zealand, a sci-fi metropolis shrouded in a giant glass dome, with winding and graceful aerial transportation tunnels outlining a magnificent trajectory.

Wendy, holding a juice and a straw, walked into a luxury apartment building while clicking on the iris projection interface in front of her, looking at the latest intelligence that only senior members of the three major organizations could obtain.

"Pfft! What the heck is this God of Wind? How come his name is so similar to mine, and he even looks the same? Could he be my alternate counterpart from another world?"

"What's going on? Let me see... It's a man."

From the wheelchair beside him came the words of a lazy bum, who was initially enthusiastic but then suddenly lost all interest.

"Gah~~"

Then came the faint fragrance of goji berry water, and the sound of her slowly drinking it.

Wendy rolled her eyes.

"Is the focus on gender? And haven't you already regained your physical mobility?"

"Walking is never as comfortable as lying down. And Wendy, look, this is a custom-made, high-tech wheelchair! It's intelligently controlled by AI, feature-rich, reliable and durable, and comes with a built-in speaker, air conditioning, and a mini-fridge. It's worth spending several months' salary to have Dr. Vill-V make it."

"... So that huge expense on my salary card was used to order a custom wheelchair!?"

A vein bulged on Wendy's forehead.

Now their salaries are deposited into one card, they earn money and spend it together—as for what this relationship really is, Wendy is still being very stubborn about it.

According to her, Delta spent money excessively, so she had to manage Delta's salary for her. However, in reality, Wendy never stopped Delta from making any of Delta spending decisions.

Delta looked up, stuck out her tongue, and tapped her head.

"Hehe~~"

"Hey, what the hell!"

Wendy, her face contorted with anger, snatched Delta's thermos.

Despite being able to walk normally, she still spent so much money to customize a wheelchair. As punishment for her reckless spending, Wendy decided to cut off Delta's supply of goji berry water—at least for two hours.

Too much is not good, because it will make you thirsty.

Delta slumped limply, grinning as she said:

"Would you like to sit in it too? Doctor. Velvet said that this wheelchair is perfect for both of us to sit in together and exercise without any problems."

"No way! I'm not as lazy as you. Besides, what kind of exercise can two people do sitting in wheelchairs... Delta! Get your head clean!"

Wendy's face turned red halfway through.

Clearly, physical purity does not equate to spiritual purity. At least in some areas, Wendy actually knows quite a bit, due to emotional factors she is unwilling to admit verbally.

Delta shrugged innocently.

"They've already tasted my lips and tongue, so why are they making such a fuss? Women are such unreasonable creatures."

"Shut up! If you say another word, I'll make sure you go hungry tonight!"

"Oh. If I get hungry, can I eat Wendy? Don't worry, I'll savor it properly~~"

"Ah!!!"

Wendy blushed and lunged at him menacingly.

As it turns out, Dr. Vill-V's products are indeed trustworthy; even with two people crammed into the wheelchairs and engaging in vigorous activity, the patient remained as stable as a rock.

"Ninti, the Herrscher of Reason; Kiana, the Herrscher of Thunder Herrscher of the Void; Raiden Mei, the Herrscher of Raiden Mei ... Delta, you are the Herrscher of Wind; there's also the Herrscher of Reason from Great Void Mountain; and the Herrscher of Erosion beside Anqi ... When you think about it, compared to the total number of humans, our number of Herrscher isn't that many. This newly developed Herrscher Decree of Power is indeed a good thing. Do you think I should sign up to be one of the first testers? After all, I was a candidate for Artificial Herrscher back then, so I should be quite suitable for the Herrscher Decree of Power of Wind."

Nighttime, bathroom. Wendy, cradling the slippery little salted fish, gazes at the information on her iris scanner, a look of longing and reverie on her face.

Delta is now a global climate regulator. Combined with the Fourth Divine Key from the heavens, she can ensure that Earth's climate fully meets humanity's development needs. She can even easily eliminate the threat of various natural disasters.

The contribution was significant, but the planet is too large, and it was indeed very tiring.

If I could obtain a power of wind, would it help alleviate some of the work pressure on this lazy bum?

"Whatever, or rather, you're definitely going to be chosen as one of the first test subjects. You yourself said you're the experimental subject of Artificial Herrscher, how could we possibly let you go?"

"That's true, but you have to actively register to guarantee you'll win the bid."

Wendy was unaware of Delta's connections within the upper echelons, so she opened the application interface and carefully filled out the volunteer application form.

As Delta watched her hands move through the air, doing unnecessary work, she secretly extended her own nimble fingers underwater.

"Ah! What are you doing!"

"It's nothing, just keep filling it out~~"

"Hey! Where are you touching? Why aren't you this enthusiastic when it's time to move around?!"

Wendy quickly filled out and submitted the form, then her face turned as red as an apple as she glared at Delta coquettishly.

Delta just blinked her innocent big eyes.

"It's the water flowing, not me."

"Where is the water coming from in the bathtub?!"

"Hmm... Anyway, I want to eat cotton candy."

Delta turned around, pressed Wendy's shoulders down, and pinned her beneath her. Since she couldn't fool her, she licked her lips, her eyes gleaming with lust, clearly revealing the burning desire within her fueled by the memories of Teyvat.

Wendy's face flushed even redder, white steam rising from above her head—whether from herself or the bathtub, she couldn't tell. After a long pause, her gaze darted away, and she said weakly:

"Occasionally... once in a while, it's fine, but don't... don't go too far..."

"Hehe, then I won't be polite."

Delta plunged into the water with a "plop".

Wendy tilted her head in confusion, and a moment later, her body trembled along with the pool water.

"Wait! The marshmallow isn't on top... Ah! Not there... No..."

With a splash, the pool water sloshed and overflowed, and the bathroom was enveloped in even thicker steam.

Unable to contain herself, the girl let out a soft moan of extreme shame, which mingled with the sound of the waves to create a beautiful melody.

Chapter Three is so refreshing!