As Steven removed his helmet and armor, it marked the official end of this one-sided battle.
At this moment, Skadi truly understood just how terrifying his strength was.
Even with the three of them fighting together, they barely lasted more than a few moves.
This was beyond absurd.
Even the terrifying Seaborn creatures lurking in the depths weren't this ridiculous.
At least those things didn't look remotely human, which meant she could rationalize their overwhelming power as something that simply came with being monsters.
But Steven?
How could this frail land-dweller, with his scrawny arms and legs that looked like they could be blown away by a gust of wind, achieve such overwhelming power?
The only thing Skadi could feel was an endless sense of confusion.
For Specter, however. it was simple.
Compared to her, Specter was much more straightforward. She hummed an unfamiliar tune as she picked up the chainsaw Steven had casually discarded, looking as though she'd just enjoyed a fun game.
Fighting against a powerful opponent gave her a thrill—
It drowned out the painful memories in her mind, if only for a brief moment.
Another surprise.
Another gift that Steven had unknowingly given her.
But if anyone was the most bewildered by the fight, it was undoubtedly Gladiia.
When Steven's fist had been about to hit her head, the sheer pressure and sense of impending doom triggered something deep within her mind.
A memory she didn't recognize.
In it, there was a creature that is something like Steven, yet completely different.
It lurked within the abyss, surrounded by horrors beyond comprehension.
Her companions, those like her, fell one by one.
They all are helpless.
Defenseless.
And all she could do was watch in despair.
Then, everything faded to gray.
The scene froze on the moment she locked eyes with that monstrous being.
Until—
Tap
A light chop on her head.
Steven's fist had transformed into a harmless chop at the last moment.
And just like that, Gladiia was ripped away from her nightmare.
"Hmm?"
Steven watched as confusion and pain flickered across her usually calm face.
This wasn't the usual expression his "daughter" would make.
Clearly, the fight had helped her recover some memories.
But unfortunately, it had also forced him to hold back too much.
How annoying.
Steven was actually impressed by their teamwork.
Their coordination and adaptability in battle were excellent, it's far superior to his own brute-force style of simply overwhelming opponents with raw power and speed.
But, at the end of the day, technique has limits.
And against Steven. it just wasn't enough.
His goal was never to simply defeat them.
He wanted to push them into danger, to awaken their instincts and memories.
So, of course he wasn't going to just throw the fight and let them win.
Still, Gladiia's moment of despair and sorrow had only lasted for a second before vanishing once again, replaced by her usual clear-eyed ignorance.
With a silent shake of her head, she lowered her gaze.
She clearly wasn't in the best mood.
"Hey, don't worry about it."
Steven ruffled her soft, snow-white hair with a grin.
"One day, you'll remember everything."
"And even if you never do—"
"Maybe that isn't such a bad thing either, huh?"
As if remembering something, Steven reached into his backpack and pulled out her old, strange-looking tricorn hat.
Gently, he placed it back on her head.
He never quite understood why these Abyssal Hunters were so obsessed with wearing those strange tricorn hats.
But at the very least, putting it back on her head meant he wouldn't mix them up again.
As he adjusted the hat, Steven felt that just for a split second, Gladiia's gaze changed.
For the briefest moment, her eyes seemed clear, as if her usual blankness had been wiped away.
But in the next instant, she hid it again.
Maybe it was just his imagination.
Or maybe, just maybe—
The hat actually meant something to her.
Either way, Steven meant what he said.
If she couldn't remember, then so be it.
At this point, he was mentally prepared to accept this "adopted daughter" setup.
After all, he brought this upon himself.
Might as well go along with it.
"You're right."
A soft voice interrupted his thoughts.
Specter had quietly stepped between them, holding her chainsaw-like weapon as she spoke in an uncharacteristically cryptic tone:
"Not all memories are worth retrieving."
"Pain, suffering, betrayal... Some things are better left forgotten."
Her words carried an eerie weight, like Kal'tsit's riddles, making them even harder to decipher.
Skadi, however, understood immediately.
This wasn't normal Specter.
She was slipping into one of her episodes.
And sure enough, the next thing Steven saw was her... singing.
A soft, haunting melody echoed in the room—
『When she prays,
The stars cease to shine.
When she weeps,
The night unveils its smile.
When she laments,
Her agony spreads through her madness…』
…What the hell was she singing?
It wasn't in any language he recognized,
Yet, he could understand every word.
Must be the language localization Mod.
Still, the meaning eluded him.
Maybe this was just one of those "crazy person things."
He wasn't mentally ill, after all, so of course he couldn't understand it.
Just like he couldn't understand why some people found joy in throwing rubber bands at windows.
But credit where it was due—
She sang well.
Really well.
Humming that strange tune, Specter pushed open the door and walked out.
Skadi, after a moment of hesitation, did not follow.
Instead, she turned back to Steven.
"So… are you going to keep doing this?"
"If fighting triggers their memories, maybe another round could bring everything back?"
She didn't want to admit it,
But even Skadi could see that both Gladiia and Specter had remembered something today.
Maybe if they kept going, they could fully recover their lost past.
But to her surprise, Steven simply shook his head.
"No. I don't think that's necessary."
"This is fine."
"If they remember, they remember."
"If they don't… then they don't."
As he recalled the fleeting sorrow in Gladiia's expression, Steven suddenly agreed with Specter.
Maybe forgetting wasn't such a bad thing.
And as for this whole "adopted daughter" situation…
He could just leave her at Rhodes Island.
Plenty of Infected did the same thing with their families.
It wasn't like it would bother him much.
Besides, having a cute, clingy daughter wasn't exactly a bad thing, was it?