Tuna's Redemption Part 4 (Patreon)

‘You have been oddly quiet since I returned to the past.’ Kiana spoke to herself while looking through the window. She can see Mei-senpai walking away with Raynor.

The classes for the day are done, and they are free to do their things.

‘There is nothing for me to say. No matter what I do, I will die.’ The ‘evil side’ or, more like the Void Queen, spoke resignedly. She sounded like a person who was resigned to her fate.

‘...’

‘Yet, you are resisting. Aren’t you? You believe he won’t realise the darker scheme you are creating.’

‘I am not! What are you saying.’

‘Please, Mei at least is trying; she was raised to be a high-class lady who would have been destined to marry someone she just met.

So she knew the moment she decided she would have to give her all. Unlike you, what was you told you that man?’

Ah, yes, ‘THAT point’. You think when he realises that you are using him and that your relationship has not reached ‘THAT point’ he will care?’ 

‘...I know! Damn it, I know! But all this stuff is so embarrassing!’

‘I don’t care. So you either kill me here or do something about it. I Don’t want to see the moon fall on me!’ 

After ranting, the evil side just retreated and stopped responding.

‘To think that the memories alone can traumatise to this extent.’ Kiana was baffled, but then again, she never had time to think how terrifying his strength was.

‘Listen, you either give your all, as you always did before. Like that fight against Herrscher of Domination, or you become a meat paste the moment he realises that he has powers and that you have been grooming him for that.

Believe me, he won’t like that. So be ready to be a good kitten or kill him now and hope for the best, whoever takes his place.’

Kiana never expected to hear a good suggestion from her evil self, but then again, it was a life-or-death situation.

“...I get it, but it’s not easy! Switch from one to another like that!” 

Hell, Kiana is even surprised at how quickly Mei changed, or maybe she never was that far into this.

One thing is for sure. The time is ticking for Kiana, as the moment Raynor accepts her again and realises that they are training him to become a Herrscher of Stars on their side, the game will change.

It will be a gambit with the whole planet’s life at stake. At this moment, they are increasing the percentage of their success. 

But it all can crumble to nothing very easily.

‘Then don’t. Leave this to Mei and go that St Freya.’

Kiana gnashed her teeth when she heard that. The whole thing is her mission! Her duty! It started with her, and she will succeed.

‘Then stop procrastinating. Such a thing will only lead to doubt, or we can return to the game who controls the body.’

The moment Kiana started seeing things, Evil Sirin used her memories to show her things.

What she saw made her blush like crazy; she saw herself pinning Raynor next to a wall and start kissing him. It started to escalate to the point that they started to lose clothes. 

‘Gah!!!’ She forcefully shattered the illusion.

‘What? This is what it will take for him to forgive you.’ 

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’

‘Please, start using logic and not your emotions. Do you think you can be with him and Mei? That’s hilarious!’ 

The evil side started to laugh.

‘If this is what you think, then just give this body to me, and I shall make him my King and myself as his Queen! Together, we shall rule this worm-infested world.’ 

Kiana gnashed her teeth as she huffed and suppressed the evil side.

Before long, the presence of her evil self was suppressed. Since she had done this before, she could do it again.

‘Fine. I do wonder if we will have another chance. I do wonder if Raynor placed us in a loop after what you did to him.’

‘What?’ 

‘How naive you can be? Who do you think sent us here? Some sort of god? It’s the Herrscher of Stars. ‘ 

‘...Impossible, you saying he has time travel powers!?’ Kiana had a chill going down her body.

‘He wields fundamental force. If we consider how quickly he progressed from your memories, I can guess he eventually grasped waves and selectively sent those waves in reverse.

Or he killed another Herrscher and took his powers. Otherwise, why would he bother with sending you, Mei and the rest back?’ 

Kiana frowned before becoming angry and brushing the presence of the evil self. She knew what was going on!

The evil self is constantly giving her doubts and confusing her.

So, just like that, she put her other self to sleep.

However, before the other self went to sleep, she was assaulted by more lewd images.

That made Kiana shatter the whole thing even faster.

‘Damn it all! I forgot how annoying and dangerous she can be.’

The white-haired girl sighed in relief. But the evil self gave her some good ideas and frightening theories.

What if Raynor sends himself back? And Mei and her are just extras?

What if those future memories will start to wake up? 

That would be bad! 

~~~

Before Mei could get into her grocery-buying mode, Raynor stopped her.

“Come with me. Buying everything in a single store is a sure way of losing money.” 

He grabbed her hand and started to follow him. 

“First, we will go to a place where I buy chicken. It's a small shop run by a family of farmers.”

Mei’s eyes widen for a second.

‘Right! This was before the third eruption! People still live in smaller towns or farmsteads!’ 

As Mei and Raynor arrived at the store, they were greeted by a middle-aged man who had young adults working with him. These adults looked similar to the middle-aged man.

‘Wow. I completely forgot that such shops used to exist.’ Mei realised how much she missed thanks to the eruptions and Honkai Beasts. 

“Hello, sir! Do you have any meat for burgers?” Raynor swiftly went to business. 

As he was doing that, Mei started to look around, and the gears in her head began to spin. She started to count and see how much money she would save.

‘Oh, wow, so many three for a price deals!’ Her eyes wandered to a side where she saw something amazing! ‘Is that a whole bucket of chicken for that little!?’ 

As a girl who had everything and lost everything, she knows the value of food and how to count her money. After all, she was the one who took care of Kiana and herself and managed their funds!

“We do, youngster, you are early. You usually come here friday.” 

The man then noticed who he was. It was a gorgeous, purple-haired beauty dressed in the same school clothes as him.

“Oh, ho ho, I see. We do have burger patties here. Check it out.” The shopowner pointed at the freezer.

Raynor walked over and proceeded to collect beef, pork and chicken.

With an array of those in his hands, he brough them over to the counter. 

“Mei, you can check things another day; it's not like the shop is going anywhere.”

“Right!” 

The beauty snapped out from the treasured place he had just shown her.

She walked over to him and checked out how much he paid. 

‘This so little! Amazing! I should start shopping here!’

After the meat shop, they went to a local marketplace where people were selling other stuff.

Mei was surprised to learn how much she had missed out in Nagazora! She was certain that she saw quite a bit after moving into dormitories with Kiana. But Raynor just showed her a local market, where he bought some buns for burgers, and then they walked to buy some sauces and veggies.

The guy was a minimalist regarding shopping and only bought things he needed! After finding that they existed, she wanted to explore the stalls.

But with him like that, it was impossible.

‘If you want to explore those, you should ask him for a proper date~’ Like a devil, her evil side spoke to her.

‘True, but first, I need to make those burgers! He prepared the materials so that I will ace the taste!’ Mei clenched her fist. She will make sure he stuffs himself with food before she asks for a proper date!

‘One step at a time!’

~~~

Mei looked around Raynor’s flat and realised that he lived in a place where wealthier people lived. She recalled Kiana saying that this place even had a pool and a gym.

The purple-haired girl wonders where his parents are.

She can ask him later, after the food.

“Here is the kitchen.” 

He showed her around. The girl noticed something peculiar: it was extremely tidy here. 

The only proof that this place is in use is that plates are left for drying next to the sink.

She then realised that it was quite empty!

“...Umm, you live alone?” She asked in a confused tone; the girl couldn’t take it anymore.

“Yep, I am from Europe, if you haven’t realised. I moved here to work in a big electronics company.” He explained with a small smile.

“...I see, so your parents got you the flat?” She replied with a realising look.

“Nope. They got me a small one-room apartment a year ago, but I moved here several months ago.”

Her brain screeched to a halt.

“Then…”

“What? I've been making money for a long time. When I arrived here, my original plan was to graduate, get a great house, and lastly, get a beauty for a girlfriend.” He said the last part with a complex look.

“Turns out making a lot of money is easier for me than finding a girlfriend.” He recalled certain someone at that time.

‘Oh, is it just me, or am I feeling your heart trembling?’ 

Mei didn’t respond to her evil self's words; she was wondering just how much she had missed in her past life.

This guy was in her school the whole time, but she ignored him.

‘As if you had time to think about romance. It's either issues with your family’s business or Kiana, oh… and Honkai.’

“You still thinking about what Kiana-chan did?” Mei commented with a strained smile.

“Of course I do. I spent months working on her. Turns out it was useless.”

“It is not useless; she saw you as a friend then. She only needed an obvious pointing out.” The purple-haired girl tried to mend the relationship.

“Huh, I see. So you girls can be sharper than a knife or duller than a rusted blunt dagger, depending on circumstances and bias.” 

Mei’s smile strained even more. This is ruthless, and he doesn’t give a damn if he ends up making her angry. 

“Anyway, I have a few things to do. I will be in the room to the right. If you want to use the restroom, it's on the far left.” 

After explaining, he left her in the kitchen. He did his part. Now it's up to Mei.

The girl swiftly started to work, preparing the seasoning and vegetables, sauteing the buns, and placing the patties in the oven.

With everything prepared, she had a few moments to explore.

She already saw the living room, which has a big TV and couches; it also has a dining table, but then she saw more rooms.

The beauty saw a completely empty room and a big bedroom with a large bed.

Mei blushes, realising that the guy had everything set up to have a family. It's mindboggling to think that he had all this before he was even twenty.

‘What does he even do?’

She then poked her head into the room, which he said he would be.

What she saw were computer screens, six in total, with five of them showing statistics.

‘Stock market? Oh… I think those are investment portfolios.’

She then realised why he was in Coral back then. The guy most likely moved to a finance hub, and Coral was very big before getting destroyed. Having a space elevator helps with stuff like that.

‘Hahaha, someone is falling in love. I am pretty certain that you have to do it in reverse.’

‘S-Shut up! How one wouldn’t love this! The guy got everything ready before he even graduated!’