Inside the tent, the air hung heavy with silence.
Keqing had officially reached her breaking point.
“Keqing, you…”
Ren’s eyes widened in shock, stunned by the sudden turn of events.
This situation was textbook tsundere behavior—straight out of a guidebook, even.
“W-wait, I didn’t mean…”
Realizing what she had just blurted out, Keqing instinctively grabbed the nearest object—a Raiden Shogun doll—and glared at Ren with a fierce, warning look.
No talking. Starting now.
Ren: “…”
He gave a helpless smile, raising his hands in surrender.
An angry, pouting Keqing was undeniably adorable, but now wasn’t the time to tease her further.
“Oh, is that so?”
Sandrone propped her chin on her dainty hand, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
How amusing.
Every little thought of yours is written all over your face, Keqing.
The doll-like girl was thoroughly enjoying the sight of Keqing’s flustered reactions.
“You…”
Keqing grew even more agitated under Sandrone’s scrutinizing gaze. Hugging the doll tightly, she mumbled defensively:
“Ren and I are just ordinary pen pals.”
“Well then, there’s no need for hand-holding, is there?”
Sandrone’s regretful tone cut sharply, hitting its mark with precision.
“!”
Keqing took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as her frustration mounted.
Who is this girl to him, anyway?
She’s barely known him for a day—there’s no way Ren would…
Tightening her hold on the Raiden Shogun doll, Keqing lifted her chin defiantly.
“You keep calling him your ‘partner.’ Do you even have anything to prove it?”
“What?”
For the first time, Sandrone’s smirk faltered slightly.
“Doll. It’s a gift from Ren.”
Keqing raised the plushie triumphantly. Its soft, fuzzy exterior made it irresistibly comforting to hold—and she loved it.
The Shogun doll on her desk: ?
“Well, it’s just a simple, low-tech toy…”
Sandrone chuckled dismissively, as if it were a mere trinket meant to pacify children.
“Do you have one?”
“…”
The tension in the tent grew thicker.
The two women, seemingly oblivious to all else, had shifted their argument to an entirely new battlefield: whether Ren preferred dolls or intricate machines.
Both turned to Ren simultaneously.
“Ren, you like dolls, don’t you?”
Keqing held up the plush Raiden Shogun doll with a determined look.
Ren: “…”
His gaze shifted between the intense expressions of Keqing and the equally stern look of the doll she was holding.
Two Raiden Shoguns—one from Inazuma, one from Liyue. How could he not like them?
Wouldn’t it be great to have both?
Ren was about to nod when—
“My partner’s favorite is machinery,” Sandrone interjected, tilting her head and glancing at him meaningfully.
“Especially machinery that can transform.”
Her bright blue eyes sparkled as if to say, Choose me, and I’ll show you wonders.
Ren: “…”
He understood her subtle hint.
If he nodded in favor of machines, Sandrone might actually bring him a Ruin Serpent or something equally outlandish. He’d heard her mention the Everlasting Dragon Beast before—a Khaenri’ah battle machine shaped like a dragon.
It sounded ridiculously cool.
And yes, he wanted to see it.
“Can I have both?”
“No!”
Both women shot him down in unison.
“…”
Ren sighed, shaking his head.
It was almost time to clock out; he couldn’t let this argument drag on.
Just as he was about to intervene, a voice called out from outside the tent.
“Report, Takahashi-sama!”
A samurai burst into the tent, breathless.
The instant he entered, three pairs of eyes locked onto him.
“Uh…”
Sensing the charged atmosphere, the samurai froze.
It didn’t feel like the right time to be here.
“It’s you.”
Ren recognized the samurai and brightened slightly.
Wasn’t this the same guy who’d interrupted him earlier when he was poking Keqing’s cheeks? Back then, Ren had made him scrub the deck as punishment.
Now, though? His timing couldn’t be better.
“Takahashi-sama…”
The samurai hesitated, glancing at him cautiously. He’d been trying to redeem himself since returning to land and didn’t want to mess up again.
“What is it?”
Keqing, her arms crossed, had already returned to her usual calm.
The samurai straightened under her gaze, knowing this was work-related.
“The Defenders encountered damage during reconnaissance. Sea monsters were sighted!”
The report dropped like a stone into the silent room.
Sandrone’s expression instantly darkened.
The machines she had helped Ren construct had been tampered with? Her mood soured significantly.
“You’re dismissed,” Ren said with a wave, allowing the samurai to retreat.
The samurai exhaled in relief as he left.
Thank the Archons—it wasn’t another deck-scrubbing sentence.
“Sea monsters tainted with Abyssal energy…”
Keqing frowned, marking the affected area on the nautical chart.
The salvage operation had encountered a serious obstacle—the last unexplored region had been overrun by monsters, making it inaccessible.
As Keqing studied the chart intently, Ren approached, leaning in close.
“So it’s just a deserted island,” he murmured.
“You!”
Keqing jumped slightly, clutching her arms instinctively.
Her focus broke entirely as she glared at him.
“Why are you sneaking up on me?”
Her earlier outburst about not liking Ren flashed through her mind, making her even more flustered.
What if she had scared him off?
Instead of retreating, she turned her frustration into a glare that only seemed fiercer.
“?”
Ren blinked, stepping back half a step.
“My partner…”
Sandrone observed the exchange curiously.
“Do you always play like this?”
“What are you even talking about?”
Ren shot her an exasperated look.
She made him sound like some kind of creep!
He wasn’t doing anything wrong—seriously, nothing!
“I just wanted to look at the chart. Is that a problem?”
Under their watchful gazes, Ren picked up the chart and studied it thoughtfully.
“Hmm… this part here…”
Keqing’s eyes lit up.
There was a certain charm to Ren’s focused demeanor—he looked reliable, even… handsome.
“What is it? Did you figure something out?”
Ren placed the chart back down, nodding solemnly.
“Nope.”
“You’re slacking off again!”
Keqing puffed her cheeks, raising her hand to swat at him.
The cat was ready to pounce.
“Relax, I was joking.”
Ren caught her wrist mid-swing with ease.
Their eyes met, and for a moment, the warmth of his touch lingered between them.
Keqing froze, her body stiff.
She wanted to draw her sword—but for some reason, she couldn’t summon the strength.
There was a hint of… expectation buried in her embarrassment.
“Sorry.”
Ren’s voice softened as he released her, noticing the blush spreading across her face.
“Let go!”
Keqing averted her gaze, her cheeks red as she muttered.
She couldn’t meet his eyes; the intensity in them was too overwhelming, throwing her heart into chaos.
Ren blinked.
“What did you say?”
The wind outside the tent was a little loud—he had to lean closer to hear her.
“Let go!”
Keqing exploded, stomping on his foot in a flustered panic.
Her small fists landed on him as she shouted angrily:
“You’re slacking during work hours again!”
“No, I just wanted to pet the cat,” Ren replied with a teasing smile.
Keqing’s flushed face turned an even deeper shade of red.
“You!”
Realizing the implication, she puffed her cheeks indignantly.
Cat? Where’s the cat?
Just as Ren was about to continue teasing her, Sandrone’s voice cut in.
“My partner, you’re being naughty.”
Having finished assembling a mechanical component, she smirked knowingly.
“Hmph.”
Keqing huffed and turned away, shooting Ren one last glare.
“Back to business.”
Reluctantly pulling back, Ren gave a resigned smile.
“Don’t worry about the sea monsters. I can handle it myself.”
“You? Those are groups of hydro monsters,” Keqing said, her tone skeptical.
“My partner is quite capable…”
Sandrone rested her chin on her hand, a faint smile gracing her lips.
“Let’s go take a look at that area,” Ren suggested.
—
Under the bright, silver moonlight, the ocean churned with an ominous undercurrent.
A fleet of warships had gathered, their prows cutting sharply through the waves as they approached the source of the disturbance—an offshore monster nest.
These water-based creatures, tainted with the power of an Abyssal entity, were expected to be incredibly dangerous.
At least, that’s how it should have been.
Yet before the nest lay a solitary small boat.
Standing motionless at the bow was a lone figure.
Under the moon’s glow, Ren slowly lowered his hand.
The chill in his eyes began to melt away, leaving the water eerily still.
Crack—
The surface of the ocean froze over entirely, an expansive sheet of crystalline ice stretching outwards.
The monsters, once lurking beneath the surface, shattered into countless fragments—utterly obliterated.
Nothing remained.
On the deck of one of the warships, Keqing stood stunned. She raised a trembling hand to cover her lips as her golden eyes widened in disbelief.
“This is…”
Behind her, the Millelith soldiers and the Tenryou Commission samurai stood frozen in place, their jaws agape.
The overwhelming display of Cryo energy had transformed the sea itself into a frozen tundra, a feat they could scarcely comprehend.
“Such power…”
“It’s terrifying.”
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Ren’s voice broke the silence, his tone light as he spoke.
He took a step forward, the icy surface beneath him refracting the moonlight like shattered glass.
“[Kamisato Art: Soumetsu].”
A faint smile played across his lips.
Keqing, her gaze transfixed on the otherworldly scene, felt her breath hitch as her eyes sparkled with wonder.
Was this dazzling expanse of ice and snow… Ren’s gift to her?
“Yes,” she whispered softly. “It’s beautiful.”
Ren extended his hand toward her.
“Shall we explore the island ahead together, Miss Keqing?”
“Mm…”
Keqing nodded, her voice barely above a murmur. She placed her hand gently in his, her touch hesitant yet resolute.
From Ren’s shoulder, Sandrone leaned forward, her petite form perfectly balanced. She offered a playful smile as she observed the scene.
“My partner, you were quite impressive tonight.”
Her teasing voice broke the delicate moment, her words laced with amusement.
“?”
—
T/N: i love sandrone she keeps on giving
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