The Vixen's Gambit: Tonight We Hunt

Using his loved one's body like this, and he still says thank you… Is this some kind of cuckoldry?

Lee found it amusing, but convenient. At least Otto wouldn't be pestering her with questions.

She had prepared answers if Otto had gotten pushy, like asking why she hadn't helped Lihua back then. The answer? Limited power! Only a handful of Kaslanas with strong enough bloodlines and willpower could summon her!

Simply put, Otto's team lacked the purity and positive energy, so it was all their fault...

"I've… refined this child Lihua's bloodline. She should be considerably stronger now. Consider it a gift for borrowing her body…"

Otto saw Lee's eyes lower, a hint of worry and melancholy in them. Then, without seeing her lips move, he heard her voice.

"It's an imposition, but I must ask… Could you please look after Kevin?"

"His heart is deeply wounded, and he's so alone… I worry about him, but I can't stay with him any longer. I can only ask this of you. If you can help him find warmth again, reconnect with others, perhaps he can abandon that path of suffering…"

Although she lacked a Herrscher core, having been an artificial Herrscher of Sentience for so long, Lee could still communicate using Honkai energy. The reason she didn't speak openly was obvious to Otto.

Lee's concern for Kevin was genuine, but Otto felt no envy, only relief. If she had been unable to let go and chosen to possess Lihua's body, he might have lost everything today.

Kevin simply watched. While he couldn't hear what Lee said to Otto, he could guess from their expressions.

A phantom, yet acting as if she's truly leaving… Kevin turned away, feeling a surge of irritation. He felt more emotional today than he had in the past 50,000 years.

This should wrap things up, right? Kevin can probably guess what I said to Otto. Based on that, he should leave Otto and the others alone for a while, and might even offer some help…

With that done, time to turn off the special effects and make my exit— Lee scanned the surroundings, looking for anything she had missed, when she spotted a familiar figure in a distant corner.

Oh, right, Fu Hua!

Let's remove that memory-wipe master from her brain first. She's grown a lot over the years, her mental fortitude should be stronger now… She's so prone to short-circuiting, she can't even enjoy the show.

"Borrowing this for a sec."

Lee deftly plucked the Herrscher core and the 8th Divine Key from [Lee]'s body and floated over to Fu Hua, tapping her forehead twice.

"Sorry, Hua. This thing must have caused you a lot of trouble…"

"You, Lee—"

The formerly unconscious Fu Hua, seeing Lee approach, tried to stand up, but Lee didn't give her the chance. The instant she removed the 50,000-year-old shackle, Fu Hua fainted again.

Hua, oh Hua, I dub thee the Queen of Fainting.

Lee twirled the new Herrscher of Sentience core, the Herrscher of Origin core, and the Divine Key, wondering what to do with them.

She could return Elysia's things, but returning the other two to [Lee] was too risky, like giving a handgun to a toddler. Giving them to Otto was a recipe for trouble. Giving them to Kevin was just ridiculous…

Lee's gaze fell on the protagonist team, Kiana and the others.

Kiana… That intelligent look in her eyes screams unreliability. Eliminated. Durandal, seems a bit dense, easily fooled. Eliminated. Cecilia gave birth to those two, so she must have some hidden foolishness in her genes. Eliminated.

That leaves Bronya?

Lee glanced at Bronya, still unconscious on the ground… Her strength is also lacking. It's not safe to entrust everything to her.

Oh well, guess I'll have Unit-1 carry them herself. She might get pestered by [Lee] and those Previous Era cyber-ghosts, but she's probably used to it by now. Think of them as personal bodyguards.

With that, Lee stuffed the Herrscher of Sentience gear into Lihua's pockets. She was just here to fight as Kevin, leaving soon anyway. Let Lihua deal with the aftermath.

"I hope I can get some proper rest this time~" Lee stretched lazily, then looked up at the blue planet above.

"The world… is so beautiful."

Special effects off, time to bounce!

"Lee."

Just then, Lee heard Kevin's voice from behind.

Kevin didn't know why he called out to her, or what he wanted to say… Seeing her hair stop swaying and the faint light dimming, he felt a pang of panic.

That panic urged him to do something, but he didn't know what… In the end, he could only call her name, then fall silent.

He calls her name but doesn't say anything. 50,000-year-old virgin who has never held a girl's hand, that's what he is…

"Kevin."

She stood on the lunar surface, turning her head to smile at him.

"Tell me all your stories next time, okay?"

"…Mm."

Kevin didn't know if she heard his reply. He felt as if he had been silent for a long time, and when he finally answered, her figure had vanished, leaving only Lihua lying on the ground.

Next time… Will there be a next time?

If so, when?

Another 50,000 years?

We only agreed on twenty years back then…

In the end, he simply closed his eyes and sighed.

Regardless, his journey would eventually end.

When he lay side-by-side with death, they would meet again.