"I love you... I love you... I love you..."
"I love you... I love you... I love you..."
"I love you... I love you... I love you..."
Inside the immaculate white hall, Li Mo's numb shouts echoed endlessly, a desolate sound that cut through the already boisterous crowd again and again.
The sprawling grounds of St. Freya High School were packed with people for the grand ceremony, with every guest enjoying the festivities.
"Hey! What's with that look on your face? Put some more passion into it, damn it! You need to be as fiery as I was when I was chasing after Cecilia..."
"Darling... today is our daughter's wedding. What. Exactly. Are. You. Doing?"
Siegfried, who was already peeved about giving his daughter away, slammed his right foot onto the table, only to be forced back down by a lethally sweet gaze.
"Ha, haha... It's nothing! I was just kidding around. I was just worried my son-in-law would feel distant, so I was trying to, you know, close the gap..."
Siegfried sheepishly pulled his foot back and sat down, his body as stiff as a rabbit ensnared by a python, as he waited with his beloved wife and friends for the wedding to proceed.
"It's likely a side effect of consuming the Delusion. Omniscience and omnipotence can't be defined by human concepts, so it's normal for his body to occasionally lose consciousness and be controlled by instinct. Still, that guy never flakes out when it matters most. To think he can still say those words even when his body is running on pure instinct."
MEI took out the notebook she always carried and tapped on it, seeming to jot something down.
"..."
Siegfried and Cecilia exchanged a look. Although Shigure Kira and the time-regressed Theresa could both vouch for it, this whole "bizarre" business was just too bizarre to believe. What was even harder to imagine was that their own daughter—Kiana Kaslana—had also become an bizarre Entity. And a top-tier one at that, the terrifying kind.
Thoughts swirled among the guests in their seats.
Up on the "stage," Kiana noticed Li Mo's strange state. After a moment's silence, she took a step forward and stood on her tiptoes.
With a little makeup assistance from her mother, Cecilia, her soft, vividly colored lips gently touched the dazed Li Mo.
"Isn't the kiss supposed to be later in the ceremony?"
"Who cares! Young people should do whatever they want, haha!"
"That's Kiana-senpai for you! She does something like this so easily, she's so brave! Mmm, from this day on, I've decided to switch my idol from Principal Theresa to Kiana-senpai! After all, Kiana-senpai is Schicksal's officially recognized strongest S-rank Valkyrie."
Li Mo's vacant pupils slowly came into focus, his gaze settling on the blissfully happy girl before him.
A strange yet familiar memory spread through his mind like rootless duckweed.
The bizarre's powerful memory allowed him to recall every single event, large or small, with perfect clarity.
Two months ago, Mei had summoned the Source of the bizarre and, using the rules of Audience, had allowed it to go dormant within his body.
Though he didn't understand why the Source of the bizarre was so compatible with him, the benefits far outweighed the costs.
His hyperthymesia, a condition that deeply troubled humans, had been alleviated. To put it simply, his memory capacity had undergone an anomalous expansion, growing from a small well into an entire sea of stars. No matter how many memories he accumulated, he wouldn't be affected, just like any other bizarre Entity.
His body could now withstand all the consequences of his wishes—be it rewinding time, restarting from death, or awakening all those whose consciousness had been dominated by bizarre Entity.
It seemed the Source of the bizarre had shouldered all the costs for him. And since the Source was an entity beyond description, concepts of cost as understood by humans had no effect on it, much like Irene Adler's most enviable rule—"Tonight or Not at All"—which allowed her to ignore any rules of a lower order than her own at night.
That ability had astounded him for the longest time back on Mount Taixuan.
As for the price he had to pay...
It was moments like the one just now, where his consciousness would occasionally slip into a void. If he had to make a comparison, it was probably like the end of a human life, or the dormancy of an bizarre Entity.
He couldn't feel the passage of time or perceive the existence of anything. When he came to, a mere second might have passed in reality, or it could have been several days.
Thankfully, it wasn't years or decades. Otherwise, he would have woken up to a world that had moved on without him.
"Mo, you spaced out again. That's the third time this month." Kiana squeezed his hands a little tighter, her worry making her forget everything else. She threw her arms around him, skipping several steps of the ceremony to press her cheek against his chest.
"It's okay! I'll always, always be with you. After all... I'm the little stray you took in!" Kiana's sudden, bold declaration was a product of her million-year search. Even after waking, aside from the deep-seated emotions that preserved her humanity, her common sense and habits hadn't fully returned. She was like a blank sheet of paper with only two words written on it: Li Mo.
Her behavior was mostly imitation—mimicking the person she remembered being and adopting the mannerisms of those around her after she awoke.
Kiana didn't have many friends, so on the strong recommendation of her family and Theresa, the wedding was held at St. Freya High School, where everyone was an old acquaintance.
CRACK! Siegfried's chair suddenly split in two.
"Dad, are you okay? Did the Principal cut corners on the chairs? Wait, let me get you another one. You can't look so pathetic at your little sister's wedding." Durandal had just stood up when Siegfried stopped her.
"No need... I'll just sit on the floor and cool down." Siegfried clasped his hands together and fell silent.
He was silent. He was thinking. He was regretful. He felt guilty. He wondered... Is she taking a jab at me for abandoning her all those years ago?
Seeing this, Durandal still felt concerned and went to get Siegfried a sturdier chair.
Hearing the gasps from the crowd, Kiana, who had learned a thing or two from Mei, felt her face flush. She had never, ever shown this side of herself in front of others, especially not her parents.
They must think I've turned into a delinquent!
But... but... at MEI's wedding, the things MEI said were even bolder than this! How did she do it...?
At that thought, Kiana didn't dare sneak another peek at the audience.
She said nothing, content to just hold Li Mo.
He smells so good...
Kiana once again caught a whiff of a delicious scent. It wasn't his natural scent, nor was it a delusion brought on by a young girl's love. It was the aroma of food.
No matter when, Mo always smells this good. I want to eat... No, no, it's all the Bizarre's fault, leaving such a big lingering issue.
But... aren't the rules supposed to be absolute? Why do I still have this lingering rule from the Bizarre?
Kiana didn't understand, nor did she need to. All that mattered was holding on tight to Li Mo.
"I was just a little nervous, don't overthink it," Li Mo said gently.
"Heehee, I'm nervous too. But... I've waited so long for this, so... I'm going to cherish it and remember it forever... Also, um... Mo, you have to remember..." Kiana suddenly started stammering. She poked her head out from his embrace to meet his eyes, but her gaze darted away after a few seconds, and she buried her face in his chest again.
"Remember what?" Li Mo asked, curious and expectant. At the same time, he frantically searched his memories for anything important he should remember.
If Kiana asked and he had forgotten, there was no telling what kind of trouble awaited him back home tonight.
Just please, not a third round of 'Echoes of the Coffin'.
Li Mo's lips twitched involuntarily, his eyes betraying a hint of panic. Kiana, or rather, the Bizarre-Kiana who had recovered her humanity, seemed to have developed a taste for all sorts of weird roleplaying scenarios.
Whether it was the office next to Principal Theresa's, a locker in the academy's training grounds, or even that coffin on the back hill... they'd done it all.
Li Mo still remembered the time in the broadcast room. Kiana had secretly turned on the campus-wide broadcast system without telling him. Although their voices were distorted, the thought of a crowd of gossip-hungry students and teachers piled up against the door made his stomach churn with anxiety.
Thank goodness for his "Wish" ability!
He had acted decisively, wishing for all the students to forget the incident.
The "Wish" ability was the best! All hail!
Little Mei, Bizarre Mei, I love you (and your powers) so much!!
But when he returned to the dorm, he was still met with MEI's disdainful glare.
"A degenerate scumbag with no morals," was MEI's assessment... followed by a few more remarks that made no attempt to hide her disgust and contempt.
"Suddenly, being with you feels a little disgusting. So, uh... sorry, but... could you please stay away from me? Captain Cecilia, please maintain a safe distance from this guy from now on," Shigure Kira said, scooting her chair from 0.11m away from him to 0.12m.
"Big Brother, you should at least remember to turn off the broadcast next time... Everyone heard, you know," the Bizarre Mei had said, being the most respectful of the bunch with her gentle reminder.
"..." Hua hadn't said a word, but according to Elysia, she had apparently fallen off the cliff at the back of the mountain. When they found her, she was muttering things like, "A total breakdown of decorum... so indecent... utterly shameless..."
"How bold, Little Mo. Do you really like to make such an 'impa—'" Before Elysia could finish her wild words, he had blocked the sound, but only her voice. After that, Elysia got even more excited, though no one knew what she said. No one could hear her but herself.
There were many other hassles, and Li Mo really didn't want another lecture.
"Uh, it's just, it's just... I was the first, o-okay?"
Aaaah, am I an idiot?! Why didn't I say what I practiced!
"Of course." Li Mo paused for two seconds, a playful smile spreading across his face. "I thought you were going to bring up what we talked about last month. The thing that really hits all my buttons."
"Completely out of the blue, a silly and adorable girl stumbled into my dull, boring world."
"She could goof around with me like a close friend, without any reservations, and she could be my lover, sharing every part of her heart without hesitation. And sometimes, in moments with a certain ceremonial feel, she'd blush and stammer, becoming someone completely different from her usual self."
"On our wedding day, in the afternoon, she'd change into casual clothes, take my arm, and we'd walk down a path strewn with the golden leaves of autumn. She'd just look at me foolishly, her eyes seemingly sparkling."
Li Mo spoke softly, and as if on cue, the once-wistful autumn breeze gently lifted the strands of Kiana's snow-white hair.
That's it! That's it!
That's what I wanted to say! I held back for so long just for this season, watching Li Mo marry Shigure Kira, MEI, Hua... all those other home-wreckers, just so I could give Mo a truly unique experience today.
As soon as the wedding's over, I'll change into my casual clothes and drag him for a walk down that path of golden leaves... No, I can't wait anymore!
Kiana bit her lip and, in a moment of impulse, shouted, "We can do it now! Mo, let's elope!"
CRACK!
Siegfried once again found himself on the floor, his chair in pieces. He crossed his arms and sank into deep thought.
Beside him, Durandal wore a stunned expression. She had personally checked the chair; it was solid. How did it break again?
Siegfried: "..."
Cecilia: "It seems our daughter hasn't grown up after all. She's still such an innocent child, haha..."
Theresa: "You idiot, Kiana, what are you talking about?! This is your wedding with Li Mo, you idiot!"
Bronya: "The Paramecium's intelligence has dropped to such a worrying level."
Shigure Kira: "MEI, aren't you going to say something?"
MEI: "These are sunflower seeds Hua brought back from Shenzhou. Want some?"
Shigure Kira: "Uh, you mean for Elysia? She looks like she's about to explode with excitement."
Pardofelis: "No way, Ely-Nee! Boss Mo told me a thousand times to stop you from causing trouble! You can't leave your seat!"
Elysia: "Ohoho, let me go, Pardo! A beautiful maiden needs Elysia's help!"
Hua: "......"
Back on the "stage," Kiana snapped back to reality and looked frantically at the murmuring, chaotic crowd, waving her hands in a panic. "It's not what you think, I, I..."
What do I do? What do I do?! I messed it up! That's not what I meant!
Kiana's head was spinning. Everyone said she had matured and become strong, so why did she always screw up things like this?!
No... I looked forward to this for so long... I rehearsed it in my head so many times. At least this time... I absolutely don't want to ruin my one and only wedding...
Right, I can just turn back time...
At that thought, her clear blue eyes turned a dark gold, and an ominous aura began to cloud her dilating pupils.
If I just rewind time a little, I can make this wedding 'perfect'...
I just have to use the Bizarre's power...
Before Kiana could use her power to turn back time, she felt herself being moved.
Li Mo swept her up into his arms in a suggestive pose and brought the microphone to his lips.
"As you can see, Schicksal's Strongest S-Rank Valkyrie, Kiana Kaslana, is an unforgivable runaway bride. As her fiancé and the target of her elopement, I, Li Mo, will be sure to punish her thoroughly tonight!"
"What are you saying?! Are you an idiot?!"
"An idiot's partner is an idiot, of course. For that time in the broadcast room, we're even now," Li Mo suddenly whispered, leaning close to Kiana's ear. "Tonight... we'll use the 'Invisibility' ability to hide under your mother's bed. Kiana, don't make a sound, okay? You wouldn't want your mother to hear your helpless little cries, would you?"
"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! NO WAY NO WAY NO WAY NO WAY!!!! ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!"