The scorching summer heat arrived as suddenly as it always did. Li Xuan had been enjoying a cool breeze and tea the previous day, despite a few unexpected events. The weather had been pleasant. Who knew it would change so drastically overnight?
The blazing summer sun hung high in the sky. Li Xuan and the Honkai Yuri Trio lay sprawled on the ground in various awkward positions. Even Kiana, usually bursting with energy, wore a lifeless expression, sprawled on the slightly cool ground as if she had already become a salted fish. The sunlight outside distorted the light on the street, and only Dead Soldiers and Honkai Beasts continued their dutiful patrols, pacing back and forth as if on duty.
"I really miss chilled seafood sashimi," Raiden Mei, the heiress of the renowned Japanese foreign enterprise ME Corporation, reminisced about summer days spent enjoying seafood.
"Chilled seafood sashimi... haha," Kiana drooled, lost in some strange fantasy.
"Sashimi?! I can't stand that raw stuff. Summer is all about ice cream in every flavor imaginable," Li Xuan declared, fanning himself with a piece of cardboard.
"Fruit ice cream... heh heh," Kiana, still lost in her fantasy, was completely absorbed in it.
"Bronya System detected: Overheating. Entering hibernation mode." Bronya lay motionless on the ground with her eyes closed, muttering to herself.
*Isn't this just sleeping?* Li Xuan thought, wiping the sweat from his forehead with a sigh.
"If you're hot, why don't we go swimming? It's good exercise and a great way to cool off," Li Xuan suggested casually. He reached for the water glass beside him, intending to take a sip, but found it empty.
"Swimming? Swimming!" Kiana, who had been lying lifelessly on the ground, suddenly sprang to life. She stood up and exclaimed, "That's right! Swimming!" She struck a pose with her hands on her hips, her face alight with excitement.
"What's wrong, Kiana?" Mei asked, watching her friend's sudden burst of energy.
"Sister Mei! Have you forgotten?! Nagazora City is right on the coast! We've been there before, haven't we? And..." Kiana suddenly seemed to realize she had said too much and stopped abruptly. She turned apologetically to Bronya, who was still lying quietly on the ground. "Sorry, Bronya. I didn't mean to..."
"It's fine," Bronya replied in a low voice.
"Oh, we could go to the beach and have some fun right now!" Kiana quickly recovered from her momentary gloom and said happily.
"That's right!" Mei exclaimed, clapping her hands in realization. "We can go to the beach, have some fun, and catch some seafood for dinner!"
*So that's how it is with the Japanese and their love for seafood,* Li Xuan thought to himself, silently listening to the three girls' conversation. *Wait, what was Kiana trying to say earlier? Why are they all so reluctant to talk about it?*
"But won't there be Dead Soldiers at the beach?" Li Xuan reminded them. "And we'll need swimsuits."
"Mondai nai (No problem)!" Mei gave him a thumbs-up. "Whenever we scavenge for supplies, we always grab a few pretty swimsuits too." She pulled out a black bikini-style swimsuit from behind her back.
*This is definitely a conspiracy.* So that's why they always took so long to gather supplies—they were busy picking out cute outfits!
"Let's just change into our swimsuits and go swimming at the beach right now!" Kiana said eagerly. "Oh, and we should bring weapons!" With that, two handguns appeared in her hands: Mjolnir and Fairy Bow Sylvan. Kiana casually tucked the guns into her waistband, grabbed Mei by the arm, and grabbed Bronya's foot, ready to drag them off to change.
"Sorry, Li Xuan-kun, do you have a swimsuit?" Mei asked apologetically, noticing that Li Xuan had been somewhat ignored.
"Uh, I think so?" Li Xuan replied with a smile, though his tone was uncertain.
"That's good enough. Let's hurry up," Kiana said impatiently.
As the Honkai Yuri Trio went inside to change, Li Xuan stood up. But instead of changing, he closed his eyes and mentally connected with the Stigmata hidden beneath the bandages on the back of his right hand. The red Stigmata mark glowed faintly, and the Divine Gear - Xuanyuan Ceremonial Suit he was wearing began to transform.
The red-and-gold Xuanyuan Ceremonial Suit slowly shrank and changed in the light, becoming a pair of rather gaudy red-and-gold swim trunks embroidered with patterns.
*Success!* Li Xuan opened his eyes, his excitement evident as he looked at the swim trunks. This was a unique ability of his Stigmata, unlike others. "Divine Armor Domination" allowed him to transform the Divine Gear he was wearing into other forms, but the transformation was temporary and consumed a significant amount of stamina, so he rarely used it.
"Haha, we're ready!" Kiana pushed open the door, followed by the other two girls.
Li Xuan stared at the three girls, his system completely frozen. The sight of the three girls in their swimsuits had dealt him a hundred thousand points of damage.
Kiana wore a blue and white striped swimsuit, revealing large patches of snow-white skin. Her long, slender legs, paired with her silver hair, made her look like a snow elf. Moreover, her chest was at least a B cup, a fact Li Xuan hadn't noticed before, leaving him stunned.
Raiden Mei, on the other hand, wore a mature black bikini, showcasing her equally stunning figure. Her smooth black hair was tied into a bun, adding to her image of a perfect wife and mother, making her incredibly attractive. Didn't you see Kiana already staring at Mei with burning eyes?!
As for Bronya, she wore the world-famous School Swimsuit, her hair still styled in drill-shaped twin tails. Li Xuan was instantly charmed, his right Kirin Arm twitching with the urge to reach out.
"Alright! Let's go!" Kiana said, wiping the drool from her mouth as she stared at the slightly embarrassed Mei. She suddenly noticed Li Xuan's tacky swim trunks. "Haha, what a stupid pair of pants!"
Hey, enough already! Li Xuan sighed, covering his forehead in exasperation.
Under the blue sky of Nagazora City, the girls' silver-bell laughter echoed through the air.