Chat Group : Another Fate From Honkai

As night fell, the last rays of the sun disappeared behind a dark curtain of sky.

A gentle breeze rustled through the woods, sending flower petals fluttering as doves took flight from the rooftops, their coos crisp and clear.

Even though Rita had already been informed that the real Kiana would be arriving—and had mentally prepared for it—the sight before her still felt surreal.

Three white-haired girls sat in a row.

On the right was a calm, graceful girl quietly reading a book.

Her long, snow-white hair draped over her shoulders like freshly fallen snow, pristine and flawless under the warm lamplight.

On the left, a stylish girl sipped tea elegantly.

Her curled Roman-style hair bounced lightly with each movement, lending her an aristocratic air.

And in the middle… was a restless bundle of energy.

Her head darted left and right, braids swishing behind her as she banged on her bowl, clearly hungry and impatient.

The two girls on either end occasionally glanced toward the couch, where two others were playing a video game. A trace of seriousness passed across their otherwise exquisite features.

"…Say, how come Miss Himeko still isn't back?"

The energetic Kiana (a.k.a. the "tuna") turned toward the door in surprise. "It's already so late. Don't tell me she got lost?"

"Please refrain from projecting your own tendencies onto others," Bronya replied coldly from the couch. "Bronya considers that an insult to Miss Himeko."

As blunt as ever, Bronya leaned against Nagami, her face expressionless as she rapidly tapped her controller.

She completely ignored the sharp glances from the two real Kianas. In her mind, she and Nagami were simply battle comrades.

Purely platonic.

After all, anyone who plays co-op games can't be a bad person.

——————————————————

Night after night, whether they were going head-to-head or teaming up in PvP, Bronya had noticed how she and Nagami were becoming frighteningly in sync.

Almost telepathic.

Just a slight step forward from her, just a flicker of intent—and Nagami would immediately pick up on her plan and execute the perfect kill combo.

She couldn't match up to C.C. yet, sure—but one day, she would show this man that the so-called Unstoppable Solo Laner was nothing compared to Silver Wolf.

This wasn't just personal—it was gamer pride.

And for Nagami, well—for any guy, really...

If you've got a soft-spoken, deadpan little girl with maxed-out gaming stats, who plays like a mind-reader and has a voice that could melt steel beams?

Yeah, your affection bar is gonna skyrocket like a rocket booster.

After all, Nagami was just a humble SP.

Just as the words left their lips, the front door creaked open.

There stood Himeko—dressed in a figure-hugging office outfit complete with black stockings and high heels.

Her curves were flawless, every step radiating mature allure.

Then she ruined it by staggering inside with a six-pack of beer and loudly chugging one down, letting out a massive burp.

"I'm back… Huh?!"

Her bleary eyes widened at the sight of three white-haired girls sitting neatly in a row.

She blinked. Rubbed her eyes. Looked again. Then glanced at the beer in her hand.

Nope.

That was definitely beer.

Wait a minute—white beer wouldn't do this to her!

Was she… drugged?

"Ah! Welcome back, Himeko-sensei!"

Just then, Mei emerged from the kitchen with oven mitts on, holding a steaming pot.

Her gentle smile and housewife energy softened the room in an instant.

"Perfect timing. Dinner's ready, everyone. Come eat!"

"I believe it would be best if I explained, Himeko-sama," Rita said, stepping forward with a polite smile.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her refined elegance on full display.

Although she knew full well who the real Kiana was, Rita chose not to question Nagami's "parallel universe" explanation.

It was, in fact, a perfect story—for the girls at least.

What did raise her eyebrows, however, was the other so-called "Sirin" from a parallel world—the heiress Kiana.

Rita, having once ventured into the Sea of Quanta with Durandal on an Otto-assigned mission, was fully aware of the existence of world bubbles—alternate timelines containing identical versions of familiar people.

At first glance, she had suspected that Lady Kiana might be yet another clone created by some shady organization.

——————————————————

But now, Nagami's lie had reminded her—Sirin just might not be from this world after all.

Rita couldn't shake the feeling that Nagami was deliberately trying to mislead her again.

'Let's just watch for a while before jumping to conclusions,' she thought.

"Rita… what the hell is going on here?"

Himeko, having double-checked the number of white-haired puffballs in the room, finally came to a conclusion—

'I'm drunk after all. Damn it!'

"Well, you see… it's like this…"

A soft, composed voice began to explain.

———————————————————

Outside the dormitory.

A green-haired girl pulled down the brim of her black baseball cap, hands tucked into the pockets of her dark jacket.

Her pleated black skirt fluttered lightly with her movements, revealing long, flawless legs that looked like they were carved from porcelain.

With an unhurried gait, C.C. strolled toward the dorm building.

Thanks to her scanning ability, it was child's play for C.C. to locate her target within the dorm complex.

———————————————————

Meanwhile, in a separate location—

"Cocolia is playing with fire. You'd better warn her. If it hadn't been for those two mysterious individuals, the Third Eruption would've turned Nagazora City into a complete ghost town!"

A holographic projection flickered to life, displaying a red-haired woman with twin ponytails speaking from the Anti-Entropy research facility.

In contrast, Welt—currently residing in the faculty dorms of St. Freya Academy—remained silent, calmly listening to Dr. Tesla's furious rant.

"And to make matters worse, it seems Cocolia's made a deal with World Serpent," Tesla continued. "She even used their resources to create your clone."

The sharp-tongued, red-haired scientist crossed her arms with a smirk, her voice dripping with schadenfreude.

"But hey, that clone? Probably toast by now~"

"Not even ashes left~"

"I'll deal with Cocolia later," Welt said flatly.

He read through the dossier on his terminal, one line at a time, his expression growing heavier with each detail.

"I've met that boy—Nagami—before. Never expected he'd be the one to stop the Honkai collapse this time…"

Though Welt hadn't even bothered changing his name when going undercover at St. Freya, he was still mindful enough to limit contact with Anti-Entropy. Once a week, at most.

"You saw him?" Tesla leaned forward, placing both hands on her desk. "What's his deal?"

"I don't know. A completely unfamiliar face—no disguise, either," Welt replied, shaking his head and scrolling through C.C.'s profile again.

"And there's something else…"

He recalled the moment he met Nagami—there was a fleeting sensation, as if someone had seen straight through him.

Welt's brows furrowed at the memory.

After a pause, he exhaled and slowly relaxed, then shut down the terminal and destroyed the data.

Looking back up at Tesla's projected image, he seemed a little more composed.

"Still, if they're actively stopping the collapse, then there's no need for us to treat them as enemies. We should approach with caution, not hostility."

"We don't know which faction they belong to, but as long as they're opposing the collapse, there's room to talk."

They were a mystery, sure—but compared to Otto or the World Serpent, Nagami at least seemed human.

"…Fine."

Tesla didn't exactly disagree with his logic, even if it annoyed her. In the end, she only offered a warning:

"You better—"

"There's someone at the door."

Welt cut the encrypted call short before she could finish, his expression tightening as he turned toward the sound.

'Ding dong.'

As expected, the doorbell rang right on cue.

"This time of night… who could it be?"

Murmuring to himself, Welt approached the door and peered through the peephole. His eyes widened slightly.

A tall, slender silhouette stood outside.

The hallway light cast delicate curves across her figure, flawless and elegant.

Though she wore a baseball cap, two soft strands of light green hair fell over her ears—enough for Welt to instantly recognize her.

The girl outside seemed to notice his gaze. With an effortless motion, she raised her hand in greeting.

Welt turned the handle and opened the door, greeting her with a polite, composed smile—no need to fake surprise.

"And you are…?"

The girl smiled back, her voice crisp and poised.

"Welt—sensei, aren't you going to invite me in?"

Welt's smile froze.

Alright, Tesla was right— 'These two are way too mysterious.'