As the last room that I will visit for the night, I thought a lot about that last girl, Dannae.
Among everyone, she's the one that has the most distinctive difference. However, no matter the color of her skin, the small antenna peeking out from her head or her lineage, the girls fully accepted her for what she is, especially Nysia.
Despite the hardships she faced against the Anzeans, she welcomed the girl in open arms, treated her like her own sister and when she found out the girl's interest in me, she helped her make her thoughts across.
Their race would actually look more human as they age. Compared to the bald nam*kians I encountered during the simulation, most Anzeans at the Settler Faction had distinct human features. Even that Krond would be like a handsome guy just based on his facial features alone.
Dannae, being only half-Anzean, inherited most of her mother's genes who's a beautiful Princess of the Empire. Even when she's young, her human genes were more apparent. It's just because of her skin color, being the first thing one would notice, that she was regarded as a freak or someone different.
Today, seeing her getting along with everyone with a genuine smile on her lips, it made me think that bringing her here instead of leaving her behind in that place where she was a target of discrimination was truly a great decision.
"Daisuke!" With her grin so wide that it might make one wonder if it would get any wider, Dannae opened the door for me.
The disguise she had was already taken off. At this moment, she's in her natural form, the light greenish skin and her little feelers that were swaying cutely.
That's her danger detector but at this moment, it's mimicking her current mood.
"Will you invite or will we stay here staring at each other?"
"I'm waiting for a hug."
"Alright, you win."
I stepped inside and grabbed her by her waist. Although I only planned on embracing her normally, Dannae jumped up and circled both of her legs around my hips while holding tightly to my shoulder. Soon afterward, even her arms circled to the back of my neck while looking up at me.
Because of her sudden movements, I could only follow through with the situation, supporting her with my arms firmly holding onto her back. It's not that she's heavy, but it's my natural reaction to avoid any accident happening.
"You know, although you're shorter, you're older than me. Is this how an older sister should act?"
"I might be older but no one's also younger than you in any of your Companions. Besides, Daisuke… I don't want to be just your sister."
"Tell me, is this your idea or Nysia's?"
"… Do we need to bother about that detail?" Dannae averted her gaze but that alone answered my question.
Nysia gave her a bunch of advice on what to do. Perhaps, this girl approached Nysia by herself. But that wife of mine, how could she give advice if she herself was bad at it? It made Dannae appear to be a lot different than how I remembered her.
"Un. Because I prefer the Dannae I met back at the Scorched Forest."
"Unfair. Well then, I'll behave, you can let me down now." Dannae pouted before tapping my shoulders to let her go.
But instead of putting her down, I tightened my hold on her instead before walking towards her bed. I sat on it which resulted in her sitting on my lap. "Who said something about letting you down? I just want my Dannae not influenced by anything else. In any case, I don't hate that Nysia's giving you advice, it just felt unnatural."
Finally embarrassed at our current position, Dannae's voice lowered as her true thoughts leaked out. "… There will be a lot of us and I'm currently the weakest. I need to be as strong as them to be useful to you."
"There you go again. Who said something about being useful? If it's only up to me, I would prefer for all of you not to fight at the front. I'll take every hit for you."
"Idiot. Then what are we here for? To be your baggage?"
"That's why I said if it's up to me. You all are free to do what you want while I'll give my everything to make sure that all of you will be safe."
In the first place, they're not my Companions because they will be helpful to me. They're my Companions because I came to like and love them. That's how it is. Not being useful or being relevant.
Although the same couldn't be true to Caila, Noelle and Ophelia at the moment, there's a huge possibility that it would end up to that.
"Daisuke, you're really an idiot. If you're giving your everything, why can't we do it as well? Besides, I'm still not your Companion."
"You're also an idiot, Dannae. You already are. Can you feel it?"
As soon as I said that, the powerful surge of energy came and covered the girl in my arms. Since she's this close to me, I influenced it with my Energy Control to not let it create a lot of disturbance in the room.
Under my eyes, Dannae's around 70 UPL rose and touched the threshold of Transcendence.
"This…" Baffled at the occurrence, Dannae blinked her eyes continuously as I felt her hands tighten their grip on me.
The sudden increase in their UPL and their surprised looks were always a wonder. Even Irja who's already a Rank 2 Transcendent couldn't help but be surprised with the additional stats or in her case because she didn't have a system, an increase in her prowess that she couldn't pick up just about anywhere.
"It just got a little delayed because of your acting. Even before coming back here, I'm already determined to take you all in. That's why… I don't even need to ask you."
Before she could ask a question, I already answered it. With Leianne, Lunaria and Elise, it happened like that. I don't need to ask them anymore, it only needed their own answer devoid of their apprehensions to complete the bond or to trigger the convergence of our destiny.
"… I'm happy. I'm truly happy."
"Me too, meeting you there was not a coincidence. We're always bound to meet, Dannae."
"Un... But you look like a pervert back then."
"Am I now? Or is it because you always thought that people will be judging you because of your difference with them?"
She grew up being mocked and ostracized after all. If not for her mother and that ethnic tribal elder preventing anyone from truly casting them off, I wouldn't be able to see her at that moment in time.
"… Maybe but you're still a pervert." Dannae didn't deny it but to hide her embarrassment, she continued on calling me a pervert.
"If that's how you will see me I have to live up with that, right?" I smirked and put my hand to the back of her head. Keeping it steady to not allow her from averting her gaze or escaping my grasp, I gradually lowered my head, giving access for my lips to hers.
"Huh? Wait... I'm not prepared yet." Although she said that, Dannae herself slightly moved her head forward, welcoming me.
As soon as our lips met, Dannae closed her eyes, feeling the sensation of it. To make it a memorable experience for her, I pulled her even closer to the point that she's pressing all of herself to me. From that simple stationary kiss where our lips only pressed against each other, I gradually moved, exploring her soft and sweet lips.
When our lips separated, it was around three minutes later. Not knowing where to look to hide her embarrassment, Dannae shrunk down to my chest and buried her face on it.
"Am I still a pervert?"
"… You are, but I like being with you." Dannae's muffled voice answered.
"You'll be with me from now on, you know? By the way, how's the status of the thing I asked?"
"That, huh? Check for yourself." From the Necklace that I've given her, Dannae pulled out a gun and handed it to me.
It's the same gun that I used for my Transcendence. The same gun that I used the night we eradicated Lucas' influence…
And now, just by picking it up, my Adaptability already told me that the charge in it was even more powerful than before, perhaps it could rival that Yordi's ice-blue rifle or Frost Rifle using one of its special bullets.
During our talk before I left for the World of Elements, I told her to use her ability again to regularly charge the gun whenever she's not doing anything or when she had just finished her Absorption session.
More than a month has already passed since that day. Along with her progress in her Mortal Pathway, her ability was directly influenced by it and grew stronger.
For it to have the strength of a Rank 3 Transcendent's attack, it goes to show the dedication Dannae put in it.
"This is truly terrifying. I'll honestly die if I got hit by this."
"I know. You'll use it on them, right?"
"Un. This way, those bugs on the moon will be decimated in one strike."
Well, that's probably an exaggeration. It's not a true Rank 3 Transcendent's attack and the moon only looked small while we're here at the surface of their world. Nonetheless, the plan that I made included this gun in the equation.
"I also started amplifying the strongest energy-based weapon invented."
"That's great. But Dannae I told you to also keep something that will protect you, right?"
"Un. I took all of your lessons to heart. I have it with me, don't worry." She lifted her head from my chest and another smile bloomed on her lips.
Upon seeing that, my head moved and took her lips into another kiss.
I decided. I'll stay here with her while waiting for the result of the interrogation.
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