A Closer Temporary Partnership (Part 1)

In the early morning, the girl woke up from her sleep, paused for a moment after feeling the doll in her arms, and then gently stroked Little Te's ears.

"Huh, what's this?" After sitting up in bed, Sachi naturally noticed the neatly arranged Fullbottles, drivers, and weapons under the bed, as well as the Pirate Train set and its matching weapon, Pirate Train, on the bedside table.

"Thanks, Little Te. New toy, got it." The girl put down the red-haired doll that was turned off and said softly.

At least, Tesla's original intention in creating the Build System was to improve the ability of ordinary humans to withstand the Honkai.

At least, when I transform into Kamen Rider Build, it's to become a great Kamen Rider like Kiryu Sento.

But can I really keep up with that hero?

Fortunately, she didn't know, but she did know that if she stagnated, she would be unable to move forward.

—My idol is the cutest in the world!—

In the military, which type of soldier has the most say?

The answer is cook.

Why? Come on, if you don't like it, don't eat my cooking!

So, faced with Xing's tantrum last night, Natasha and Kane were prepared to eat steamed buns this morning. However, the girl got up very early as usual, made breakfast, left a note, and went to work at Mihoyo Idol Agency.

Natasha, still half asleep, was completely bewildered as she was carried onto the bed. When did the little guy wake up? How come she didn't know? Could it be that she had been living a peaceful life for too long, causing her vigilance to drop?

Kane looked equally miserable. "Hey, why are there bitter melon pancakes for breakfast today? Who would eat something so weird!"

Crimson Kite's Wings enjoyed the meal, because Sachi had prepared fresh fruits and vegetables for her.

Kane's eyes lit up as he looked at the greens and apples. Seeing this, Crimson Kite's Wings warily protected his breakfast. Come on, if you dare touch me, you're dead when my master comes back!

On her way to work, the girl was eating a bitter melon pancake and idly scrolling through the news on her phone. When she accidentally came across the news about the discovery of two charred corpses in an abandoned factory, her expression froze.

"I didn't do anything wrong," she thought, wiping her hands with a napkin she carried with her before throwing it into the trash can.

On the streets of Changkong City, the purple-haired little girl and her parents brushed past Xing once again.

"Mom, it's been so hot lately, I hope our house doesn't catch fire!"

"What are you saying, Little Kong? Even in the hottest summer, it's impossible for it to get so hot that it'll catch fire, right?"

After navigating through the winding alleys, I arrived at Mihoyo Idol Agency. I mustered my spirits, gave myself a pep talk, and then pushed open the door.

"Good morning, Aji." She greeted the white-haired girl who acted as the signboard girl at the door, who was Miyouhime in this world.

"Good morning, Luming. Didn't you take a few days off? Is it okay for you to come to work so soon?" Aji asked with concern.

"Thanks for your concern, I'm fine. Hey, you're not worried that I'm too hardworking and will prevent you from becoming the agency's top idol, are you?" Sachi said half-jokingly.

"Stop joking with me!" Aji retorted irritably. "I'm socially awkward, and you're definitely better looking. Besides, being an idol is a huge hassle. You're new to this industry, and there's a lot you don't understand. As you get more involved, you'll realize how foolish your impulsive decision was... Cough cough, I don't mean to fire you. The agency can't find any new talent, and you're our only mainstay. If you leave, I'll have to bite the bullet and take over."

When Mihoyo's agency was first established, Aji was supposed to be the agency's initial idol, but she had a conflict with her parents and couldn't arrive immediately. Fortunately, a sucker volunteered to join the fandom.

Aji glanced around a few times, and after confirming that no one was around, she leaned close to her ear mysteriously and whispered, "Hey, did that Silly Pervert cause you any trouble later? It's said that any girl she sets her sights on will mysteriously disappear in the end. How did you escape?"

Seeing Aji's gossip-loving spirit burning brightly, Xing tapped her head speechlessly, "She probably won't come looking for me again. As for what exactly happened, I have no comment!"

"Hey, now that you mention it, I'm even more curious! Don't keep it a secret, if you're a good sister, share it with me~" Aji said, sidling up to her.

"Thank you, I'm not a lesbian." The girl politely distanced herself from her.

"Are you being polite?!" Aji was furious and bared her teeth, ready to pounce on Sachi and teach her how to be an idol.

When Brother Dawei was working part-time as a security guard, returned after fetching water, he was almost scared to death. "Hey, you two little devils, take it easy!"

Thankfully, Aji was subdued by Xing Yizhi as soon as she pounced on him, and she herself didn't even know how she lost.

Her job at the agency was actually quite simple: regular idol training, including vocal intonation when singing, rhythm and steps when dancing, and how to respond to fan questions. It was clear that Brother Dawei had the idea of developing her in all aspects.

"Luming, are you alright? You seem a little tired. Are you okay?"

"It's nothing, I just had a nightmare last night, it'll be fine in a bit."

Yeah, give me some time to get used to this damn guilt. Like pain, you get used to it slowly.

"My Kaslana Family has been knights for generations!"

In the basement, Kane was pleasantly surprised to receive the Grip Driver and Dragon Gel from Little Te. "So fast? Didn't Luming say she wanted to observe it for a while longer?"

"Mater says this is a return gift for your timely rescue of her yesterday, but please note that you cannot use the Grip Driver if you are not emotionally charged enough." Little Te was remotely connected with Tesla to assist in the development of the new enhancement item. "Also, the Grip Driver will amplify your fighting spirit, so please do not use it unless necessary. This is Master's warning."

"Don't worry, I'll use it properly!" Kane happily accepted the transformation suit and the exclusive weapon, the Twin Breaker. Nice! I finally have more than one form! But how am I going to carry all this stuff around? I'll just use a shoulder bag.

"Congratulations! By the way, don't you have any Dodo Bird energy bottles?" Natasha lazily lay on the table, looking at the panda dumpling through the Guotie. Although this little guy has completely turned into a girl, his ability to cause trouble is still as strong as before. Speaking of which, how will I raise it when it grows up? Such a big panda must need a lot of space, right?

"Unfortunately, there aren't any Fullbottles that Master has acquired so far."

Kane took out his Dragon Fullbottle and looked thoughtfully at Natasha, who had her back to him. "Shopkeeper, where were you that night? Luming was injured, and you weren't there. I was so worried."

"It's a private matter, and I can't disclose it," Natasha replied casually.

Kane didn't ask any more questions. He Dragon Fullbottle into his pocket, walked past Natasha, and left the basement.

"Go find Luming, she seemed a bit off last night. Yeah, when it comes to making girls happy, cough, I mean comforting people, I'm a pro! There's no girl I can't handle, except for Julia..."

Thinking of his childhood sweetheart, Kane's eyes suddenly dimmed. "I'm sorry, leaving without saying goodbye must have hurt you deeply. But I had no choice. If I stayed there, I would only become a puppet of the elders. Rather than waiting to become a muddle-headed and incompetent chieftain, it's better to leave and seek a glimmer of hope."

And I found that glimmer of hope.

Julia, the reason I stayed there before was because I was worried about you, but now, I don't have to worry anymore.

Schicksal Headquarters —

A white-haired girl who was going through the formalities suddenly looked up and gazed into the distance. "This feeling... he's missing me, isn't he?"

"Hey, Julia!" The chestnut-haired girl ran up to her breathlessly and said, "Are you really sure? It's not too late to join the Snow Lotus Squad. I've saved you a spot!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Anna, but I've made up my mind. If he's not here, I won't be in the mood to fight the Honkai Beast." Julia Saniat gave her friend an apologetic smile.

"I knew you'd say that!" Anna Saniat pulled a notification from her pocket. "His Lord Bishop just personally issued an order rejecting your resignation application. So there's nothing you can do about it, right?"

"Your Lord Bishop?" Julia paused for a moment, then realized something and couldn't help but smile wryly, "I see..."

"Alright, don't be discouraged. If you come with us, maybe you'll see him next to Honkai Beast again! Hey, you don't know how many times he's talked about that incident in private. We almost know it by heart, even though the higher-ups have always considered that incident as his achievement."

"Young Master Kane ... Kane is still the same as always. Wait a minute, when do you mean 'in private'?" Julia had just sighed when she suddenly realized something.

"Huh? When we were having a party together? You know what? Kane might have been drinking. He often took down a whole bunch of girls by himself. And because he's one of the rare Schicksal Knight, he's really popular. He lost to that little boy from the St. Freya Academy in the most popular Schicksal Knight rankings by only tens of thousands of votes. And when he's drunk, he often grabs other girls and talks a bunch of nonsense, like, 'Oh, I'm sorry,' and..."

Anna was talking non-stop, completely unaware that her friend's face was getting darker and darker. By the time she realized something was wrong, it was too late.

"Screw your Snow Lotus Squad!" Julia gritted her teeth and grabbed Anna's arm with such force that she almost cried. "Anyway, that guy won't die out there easily. Just don't let me find him, or I'll break two of his three legs!"

"What's the point of leaving one out?"

"Marry!"

Childhood sweethearts can't beat childhood sweethearts.

(Please rest assured, it's not what you're thinking. I respect every normal author and reader about remarriage, but I don't like this kind of theme.)

As dusk fell, the young woman walked out of the office carrying her bag, and couldn't help but yawn as she looked at the sunset on the horizon. "Phew, another fulfilling day."

"Ring ring~" Xing took out her incessantly ringing Build Phone. "Hello, Kane?"

"Yes, it's me." The boy's slightly embarrassed voice came from inside. "I'm a little embarrassed to say it, but I'm lost. Luming, could you come and pick me up?"

"Ha?"

Half an hour later, Xing found Kane fighting with stray dogs in a corner of the alley. After taking out some sausages to lure them away, Xing gave him a disdainful look. "You're someone who dares to run away from home, yet you're a hopeless navigator. Aren't you ashamed?"

"I'm not bad at directions, the terrain here is a bit complicated, I really just got lost..." Kane tried to explain himself, but any testimony was so pale and powerless in the face of the facts.

"Never mind, next time I'll have Little Te add satellite navigation to your Build Phone." Xing didn't really care about this. As a laborer, being bad at directions was no big deal, as long as he was smart and had enough combat power to get by.

"Well, it's still early. Come with me for a walk. Let's hurry, or it'll be troublesome if Sister Natasha asks us about it later," the girl instructed.

"Huh, me?" Kane pointed blankly at himself.

"Nonsense." The girl rolled her eyes. Who else but you is the intelligent being in front of me?

(And me!)

(Guards, take away the assassin... Ah? It's not him this time. Never mind, throw that audacious guy out with the assassin.)

(Why? I didn't do anything wrong this time!)

(You stepped into the archives room with your left foot first today, that's a punishment!)

"Why not ask the shop manager?" Kane, a little curious.

At this point, the girl's expression stiffened. "Um, how should I explain this to you? If I go out with friends, I can have a lot of fun, but if I go with my parents or relatives, I feel restricted. Do you understand?"

Kane understood instantly. He understood perfectly. He used to ask Julia to buy him comic books and models. His parents would only laugh at his childishness and never care about his own thoughts.

"So, let's go, partner?" Xing patted his shoulder and said with a smile.

"Okay, let's go, partner. By the way, could I get an advance on my wages? Several of True Self favorite comics have new chapters this month." Kane a little embarrassed.

"Oh, no problem, it'll be covered by company funds. Just remember to let me take a look later. Hmm, let me think, what should I buy?" When it comes to Yugi and entertainment, Xing is willing to spend money.

"No matter what she buys, Luming always ends up buying a bunch of stuff..." Kane muttered to himself.

"What did you say?" The girl smiled and pulled out a baseball bat.

There's nothing there!

Author's Note—

Fortunately, my current favorability rating towards Kane is 75.

Kane's affinity for happiness: 85

Kane's favorability towards Julia: 100

Julia's favorability rating towards Kane: 100