Chat Group : Another Fate From Honkai

Chapter 101: [BONUS CHAPTER] Chapter 101 — Counterparts



"Parallel world?!" ×3

The three Kiana variants tilted their heads in perfect unison, identical looks of utter confusion frozen on their faces.

"That's right. Come, come! Everyone have a seat—Nagami's Little Lecture is about to begin~"

Nagami herded the bewildered trio into chairs along one side of the dining table, then strolled to the opposite side, dragging out a small whiteboard from who-knows-where.

With a flourish, he put on the same black-rimmed glasses as Sirin and grabbed a marker, scribbling enthusiastically across the board.

"So, let's talk about parallel worlds and world bubbles—or, to be more precise, the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta. Bronya, you should be familiar with the latter."

Adjusting his glasses, Nagami turned his gaze toward Bronya.

The moment that particular term left Nagami's lips, a faint ripple passed through Bronya's pale gray eyes—like the surface of still water disturbed by a gentle breeze.

'Seele...'

"The higher-ups in both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy probably have at least heard of the Sea of Quanta," Nagami continued, scribbling the names of the two factions onto the whiteboard.

"But few understand its true nature. As for the Imaginary Tree... even fewer know of its existence. It's something far beyond." Nagami paused, glancing again at Bronya.

He could trust Bronya now.

After all, the remote control program hidden in Bronya's bio-chip had been destroyed by Nagami himself—there was no way Cocolia could interfere anymore.

And besides... Bronya's feelings toward Cocolia had become complicated.

She had never expected her "mother" to plant such a thing inside her mind.

On top of that, Bronya had witnessed too many inexplicable things around Nagami.

Like now—three Kianas standing in the same room, side by side.

And then there was the mention of the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta, terms not even found in the deepest Anti-Entropy databases.

All of it convinced her that Nagami truly might possess the ability to save Seele from the Sea of Quanta.

Plus... after all their long nights gaming together, a bond of camaraderie had naturally formed between them.

Right now, Bronya stood firmly on Nagami's side, even if it meant defying Cocolia.

Meanwhile, in the center of the spacious living room...

C.C. stood quietly, golden eyes now replaced by pure violet hexagrams as she observed the two Kianas facing each other.

Two identical, beautiful faces—perfectly sculpted and flawless, like porcelain dolls come to life. The only difference lay in their hairstyles:

Sirin's long, snowy-white hair fell like a waterfall down her back, sleek and straight.

The "heiress" Sirin wore soft Roman curls that added a hint of playful charm to her refined grace.

Their eyes were the same piercing blue—yet subtly different.

The heiress's eyes sparkled like the finest sapphires—clear and pure.

Sirin's, on the other hand, were deeper... like the boundless sea, concealing unknown depths.

They stared at each other in complete silence.

But within their hearts, waves surged and clashed—violent, chaotic—like two storms colliding.

Their heartbeats gradually fell into rhythm, as if some hidden connection as counterparts was awakening between them.

C.C. remained silent, seeing far more than anyone else.

This... this wasn't merely parallel worlds.

No. This was something deeper.

Without doubt, the second world wasn't part of the Imaginary Tree anymore.

Even if it once was... it had long since broken free.

If these two were merely counterparts on different branches of the Tree—or bubbles within the same Sea—such perfect synchronicity would be impossible.

"You…" ×2

The two spoke at the exact same moment—the same pitch, the same voice, not a hint of difference.

They both paused in confusion.

"So you're… the me from another world?" ×2

Again, their voices overlapped perfectly—causing both of them to stiffen slightly and fall silent once more.

They could sense the other's intention to let the other speak first.

So naturally, they both stopped at the same time.

"This... is what happens when two counterparts from different worlds meet? Fascinating."

C.C. tapped a slender finger thoughtfully against her chin, eyes gleaming as her Alpha Stigma eye swept across both of them.

After a few seconds of contemplation, she gave a soft chuckle, her expression turning subtly amused.

"It makes sense... Your thoughts are synchronized because you share the same origin in higher dimensions.

Even without words—even a glance, a breath—you know what the other wants to say.

If you clear your mind completely... you can probably even sense each other's thoughts."

"This is really..." ×2

"Maybe you two need a private space to talk freely."

Smiling playfully, C.C. gently took both their small, pale hands and led them toward the staircase.

After all, with Kiana (the tuna) still here, some things were better left unsaid.

"Okay!" ×2 Their voices overlapped again—as if one person had spoken.

The two turned to glance sharply at each other, narrowing their icy-blue eyes.

Their gazes clashed in midair like blades drawn in the cold—the crackle of friction between steel and stone.

'This girl... she wants to steal Nagami from me!' ×2

The exact same thought struck them both at once.

The scene was strangely familiar to the heiress—reminding her of her very first encounter with the tuna Kiana.

Tch. Now she had not one, but two rivals who looked exactly like herself! What the hell?!

And Sirin... Sirin knew what the other was thinking, too.

She glanced sideways—at Kiana, sitting dumbly on the chair, her eyes spiraling like mosquito coils.

Sirin "The True Kiana" curled her lips into an eerie smile, lightly adjusting the glasses Nagami had gifted her.

She still held the quiet, bookish aura of a literary girl.

But that smile froze in the next instant.

Across from her, the heiress had suddenly turned her head with a look of pure shock—just as a dark thought flickered through Sirin's mind.

'Crap! I forgot about this!'

The moment she entertained the idea of getting back at K423... the young lady had sensed it. Sirin's gentle smile faltered.

'This world's version of me is so... cunning?!'

That exact thought traveled from the other girl's mind to hers, making the corner of Sirin's mouth twitch ever so slightly.

The three of them casually stepped into a nearby room. C.C. locked the door behind them with a quiet click and crossed her arms.

"Well then, you two go on—don't mind me. Have your little heart-to-heart~"

She gracefully extended one long leg, pinching the tip of her black stocking and sliding it off before tossing it aside.

Then she flopped onto the bed, chewing a piece of gum she'd fished out from the nightstand.

"Uh..." 

Meeting an alternate version of yourself... anyone would have countless things they'd want to ask.

How have you lived? How's your family? That sort of thing.

But when you're actually standing face to face... the words get stuck in your throat.

After all, the heiress had grown up surrounded by her father and mother. But the girl standing across from her...

The moment that thought crossed her mind, Sirin stiffened completely.

Without warning, she rushed forward and grabbed the heiress's soft, rounded shoulders, her voice trembling.

"Please... can you remember your childhood? I beg you, my other self!"

"...Alright..."

A flood of complicated, indescribable feelings surged from Sirin.

The young lady gave a soft, hesitant reply and slowly closed her eyes.

Sirin followed suit, shutting her eyes as well.

Then—memories not her own began to rise, filling her mind. It was as if their pasts were overlapping, twisting, blending into one, replaying countless warm, forgotten moments in vivid color.

A pristine house.

Soft, golden light spilled from the ceiling lamps inside.

A warmth she'd never known embraced her. Sirin tilted her head up to see a gentle, unfamiliar man smiling kindly down at her.

She was nestled in his arms.

A pair of small and large white-haired figures sat together, cheerfully playing video games. Beside them, a serene, graceful woman watched with a tender smile, her eyes filled with quiet love.

Father and daughter's reflections glimmered on the screen of the console. In the mother's eyes, their faces were lovingly engraved.

Time flowed gently, almost frozen in that perfect scene, until late into the night—when the parents gently laid the small white-haired child between them and watched her drift peacefully to sleep.

The emotion hit like a tidal wave, flooding every corner of Sirin's heart.

Her large, ocean-blue eyes shimmered, tears welling up.

And then, like a dam breaking wide open, the tears came, unstoppable, streaming down her cheeks.

A quiet sob escaped her trembling lips as she instinctively hugged her own shoulders—only to find herself gently pulled into someone's warm embrace.

There was a brief, almost imperceptible pause.

Then, carefully, Sirin wrapped her arms around C.C., clinging tightly as her sobs grew louder, more frantic—pouring out every feeling she had kept bottled up for so long.

Across from her, the heiress's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her heart aching with a sudden, painful longing for her own parents.

C.C. let out a silent sigh, holding the girl's delicate, trembling body close, her hand gently stroking the silky strands of Sirin's hair.

This wasn't what she'd planned for them to share...

But maybe this was good.

If Sirin didn't let these feelings out now, they would have eaten away at her eventually.

This... might be the first time she had ever truly felt the warmth of family.

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