Honkai: Strijder (Honkai Impact 3 Male MC)

The gray-toned steel beasts, clad in heavy armor, armed to the teeth, charged down the hill aggressively, like a tiger descending the mountain.

Finally, they came to a steady stop in front of the orphanage's gate.

Cocolia hopped out of the car, opened the passenger door herself, extended her hand, and wore a warm smile.

"Please, this way, Lord Sigurd, we've arrived."

Cocolia rubbed her hands together and said with a cheerful smile.

Although it did somewhat undermine the dignity of an Executor, there were no outsiders around anyway. After all, money was the priority!

Sigurd glanced at the pair of large headlights close by, and whether Cocolia did it intentionally or not, he didn't bother. He simply gave a faint "Hmm" and exited the car.

At the orphanage's gate, a group of girls had already dressed up adorably and welcomed Sigurd as they got out of the car, each showing a different yet lovely smile.

Ahead of them all was the gracefully smiling Welt.

"Sigurd!"

"Sigurd!!"

Sin Mal and Kiana were the first to sprint over, bumping into each other along the way, using their shoulders to jostle one another, trying to push each other aside to be the first one to hug Sigurd.

Looking at the familiar faces before him and the two little bundles of joy rushing towards him, Sigurd suddenly felt the world brighten up. His lips curled into a faint smile.

He slowly extended his two hands.

"One at a time."

With a tone full of disdain, Sigurd held each of the two girls' faces, pushing them back mercilessly.

Caught off guard, the two of them stumbled and fell to the ground.

Kiana: "(╯°A°)╯??"

Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?

Kiana is full of question marks.

Sin Mal: "(?o.o?)…(?o?o?)!"

The treatment is the same as Kiana's, which means her progress in pursuing Sigurd has caught up with Kiana's.

It means...

(I'm about to become Sigurd's favorite girl!) Sin Mal thought with satisfaction.

Sigurd took a step forward, passed by the two girls on the ground, and came to the surprised Welt. He walked around him and then nodded thoughtfully.

Soulium, the materials of the Herrscher, Welt – these terms appeared one by one in Sigurd's mind. Then he smiled politely and said:

"Lord Welt, um... do you mind if I cut a piece of flesh from you?"

A worker bee appeared on Sigurd's hand, extending a laser knife only a few inches long, with a very friendly smile.

Welt silently took a step back.

Isn't it just a few days ago that you were always thinking about my core, and now you want a piece of my flesh? Am I Welt or a Cake?

Welt tried to maintain his kind and polite smile, but it inevitably became stiff.

"I refuse."

"The price is negotiable."

"It's not about money."

"Huh? Did Dr. Einstein find a new way to make money?"

Sigurd looked surprised.

And Welt's smile finally disappeared completely.

"Why do you all think that Anti-Entropy is so poor?"

"Isn't that true?"

"...Is it really necessary for me to sell my flesh for money?"

"What do you want then? Let's negotiate."

Sigurd blinked, and the laser knife in his hand extended a bit more, showing a tendency to negotiate directly.

Welt couldn't help but smirk at Sigurd's inexplicable persistence and began to wonder if it was appropriate to escort such an important person here out of a sense of responsibility.

Then, a slender hand extended from the side, forming a makeshift knife shape and gently tapping Sigurd's head.

"Reel it in a bit. Can't you see that Uncle Welt is troubled?"

"Hello to you too, Bronya, long time no see."

Sigurd dropped the worker bee and looked at the girl who appeared by his side. Red little hat, the usual spiral curls, an exquisitely cute face, and those clear, delightful eyes – he revealed a genuinely warm, faint smile.

"The hat is very cute."

"Well, thank you."

They locked eyes but said no more. An unspoken connection flowed in the silence.

Then, Bronya pointed to the three excited girls standing nearby.

Sigurd's lips curved slightly, and he walked over, extending his hand to gently pat each of their little heads.

"I'm back, Seele."

"Yes, Sigurd, welcome home."

Seele's sweet and shy smile always brought a smile to anyone's face.

"Long time no see, Rozaliya."

"Hehe, listen, Sigurd! I've written a few new songs, believe me, they're going to be a hit. I'm about to become a big star!"

The girl with pink hair, wearing a cheerful smile, confidently patted her chest – a bit silly, but undeniably cute.

Sigurd went over to Liliya, touching his chin and comparing her height to her head, saying, "Liliya seems to have grown a little taller, on this side, higher by a centimeter than Rozaliya."

The girl tilted her head, attempting to display a cold, mature sense of indifference, but the slightly upturned corner of her mouth betrayed her triumphant mood.

Then the three girls surrounded Sigurd, chatting away on various topics.

Sigurd responded calmly, occasionally offering a reply that fueled their enthusiasm. Bronya simply stood by, watching the scene with a faint smile.

"Sigurd!!"

At this moment, a white, fluffy little creature that had been ignored for a while finally hopped onto Sigurd's back.

Sin Mal, a step behind, was about to pounce on Kiana, who had landed on Sigurd's back, but Kiana unceremoniously kicked her away and fell to the side, where Bronya reached out to catch her.

Then Kiana turned her head and made a funny face:

"First come, first served, hehe~"

"You wicked little devil!!"

Sin Mal was extremely frustrated and was about to rush over to pull her away when she was soothed by Bronya's embrace and gentle head patting. Well, Bronya's embrace was acceptable for now; she'd get her revenge on this little grasshopper another time.

Sigurd patted the soft, fair arms clinging to his body and revealed a long-lost deadpan expression.

"Get down already, you are not a kid, how old are you? Don't you know what shyness is?"

"No! We haven't been apart for twenty-nine days and eight hours! You've never left me for this long!"

Kiana pouted, her chin resting on Sigurd's shoulder. She turned her head, using a pitiful tone to complain and, as a result, pressed herself even closer to him.

Sigurd had initially thought about performing a shoulder throw, but he halted it amid her pitiful complaint.

Twenty-nine days, eight hours, and seventeen minutes to be exact.

It did feel a bit long.

Though he wouldn't admit it, carrying Kiana's soft and warm little body on his back made him feel remarkably calm. The inexplicable restlessness that had lingered for so long seemed to vanish completely at this moment.

Kiana took a deep breath, the familiar scent, the familiar body warmth, and the familiar heartbeat she could feel when pressed against him made her close her eyes, revealing a contented, cat-like smile.

"Welcome back, Sigurd."

"Yes. Have you been well-behaved during this time?"

"Yes, yes! I've been going to bed and waking up early, studying well, and making progress every day. I've been really good! Right, Bronya?"

Kiana looked at Bronya, with Sigurd on her back, desperately sending her signals with her eyes.

—Please, don't expose me at this moment!---

Bronya shook her head.

It wasn't a refusal but a clear message that no help was needed.

"That's good, then you'll get an extra meal tonight."

Sigurd said and raised his hand to pat Kiana's soft hair, showing no intention of probing deeper.

Actually, whether it was true or not didn't matter. Just seeing her as lively and healthy as ever made Sigurd content. As for other matters, they could be discussed later.

"Kiana is so sly! Rozaliya wants a turn too!"

Then, Rozaliya pounced on him.

Next was Sin Mal, who had been holding back.

Then Liliya too, while holding Seele's hand and helping her gain some courage to do what the others did.

Sigurd: "(ー_ー)..."

A group of girls jumped onto him, his arms, neck, and waist - every available spot was hugged, and it felt like he was carrying a pile of packages. If it weren't for his physical strength, he'd have been flattened to the ground.

Bronya lightly tapped her foot, then looked left and right but eventually left it where it was. Uncle Welt and Matushka were still around, so it would be too embarrassing for her to behave like them!

However, this scene didn't escape Cocolia's sharp eyes.

"Ah!"

She covered her forehead, filled with worry about her children's future.

One child, she would genuinely wish them well; two, she could reluctantly accept. But all of them together... Dear heavens, she couldn't bear to see a scenario where these girls are fighting neck to neck with each other for his attention. As their mother, she dared not to imagine what kind of scene that would look like!

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