Chapter 99 – The True Kiana Begins to Move

After informing everyone in the chat group about the real Kiana's arrival and her plan to stay in the dormitory—along with the matter of her newly agreed-upon name—I sent a private message to the young lady as well.

At first stunned, she quickly shifted to exaggerated disbelief, completely ignoring the teacher's gaze from the podium as she stared wide-eyed at the green-haired girl beside her.

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[Kiana Kaslana]: Wait, wait! What about me?! If she's also going by "Sirin," anyone with half a brain will realize something's off if there are two 'Sirins'!

[Nagami]: I think it's about time to let them in on the existence of your world. Just say you're a Sirin from a parallel universe.

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There was no need to hide this information from the girls.

Otto had probably already figured out that the young lady came from another parallel world.

After all, Otto could observe other parallel universes through the Imaginary Tree, so her origins wouldn't surprise him at all.

In the main storyline, Otto had even detected the "Stormterror" of Teyvat and some mysterious "Lost Mist" from another world.

Even though the Honkai Impact 2 world likely isn't a normal bubble universe and doesn't sit on the Imaginary Tree, that detail wasn't going to change the bigger picture.

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[Kiana Kaslana]: Fine, I guess.

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After receiving her reply, C.C. closed the private chat window and turned her attention back to the group chat, where everyone was casually chatting away.

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[Nagami]: @Kal'tsit, I think I've found a potential way to solve the Originium disease—or rather, the entire Originium problem. And even if it fails, it won't make things any worse than they already are. Want to give it a try?

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Of course, before introducing the Apocalypse Virus into Terra's world, I needed Kal'tsit's approval. If she refused...

Well, I'd probably still do it, but I'd only bring over a small, experimental sample of the virus.

But if Kal'tsit agreed...

I'd bring the entire Origin Stone straight to Terra!

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[Kal'tsit]: !!!

[Kal'tsit]: Nagami, are you serious?!

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A tidal wave of shock surged in her heart, like a calm sea suddenly swept by a thousand violent storms.

Even someone as composed as Kal'tsit nearly crushed the reagent vial in her hand from excitement.

Her turquoise eyes seemed to lose focus as all her attention locked onto the chat window, awaiting Nagami's next message.

Originium, Catastrophes, Oripathy—these were the roots of Terra's suffering.

Sure, Originium had pushed Terra's civilizations into a modern age, but the price had been too steep, so steep that life itself was struggling to bear the weight.

Before discovering the group chat, Kal'tsit would never have dared to dream that these disasters could one day be resolved.

If anyone else from Terra had made such a claim, Kal'tsit wouldn't have spared them a glance.

Madness. Utter nonsense.

But with outside help... things could be very different.

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[Nagami]: Yeah, but until I see Originium with my own eyes, I can't be 100% sure it'll work.

[Itsuka Kotori]: But wait, Originium and Oripathy aren't things you can fix with brute force. What exactly are you planning?

[Akemi Homura]: Don't tell me… Nagami, does your world have the technology to create a vaccine for Oripathy?

[Shiraori]: But even with a vaccine, that wouldn't solve the Originium problem itself, would it?

[Nagami]: Enough guesses, everyone. The key to solving this is in Inori's world.

[Yuzuriha Inori]: M-my world?

[Nagami]: That's right

[Accelerator]: Come to think of it… you never uploaded data on her world to the chat, did you?

[Nagami]: Not important. I'll explain briefly—Inori's world...

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Back then, Inori was as pure and untouched as blank paper, barely aware of the basics of daily life.

C.C. didn't want this innocent Inori exposed to the fate-shifting horrors of her own future world, so she'd deliberately avoided uploading any "Guilty Crown" data to the chat.

As C.C. explained the setting to the group and discussed the Apocalypse Virus and Originium problem with Kal'tsit...

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On the other side of the world—

It was nearing noon under clear, sunny skies.

Since St. Freya was considered both an academy and a city, it naturally offered more than just school facilities. It had the full vibrancy of urban life as well.

On either side of the wide streets stood shops designed in a blend of Baroque and Gothic styles.

The spacious roads stretched far into the distance, while the central median was lined with lush greenery.

Bright, colorful flowers bloomed under the sunlight, creating a truly beautiful sight.

In the heart of the garden sat a large fountain, its waters sparkling and shimmering in the warm daylight.

A gentle breeze occasionally swept by, lifting fallen petals and leaves from the ground and teasing the hems of the skirts worn by passing girls, revealing their smooth, fair legs beneath.

Unfortunately, Nagami had no time to appreciate such sights.

His full attention was fixed on the beautiful silver-haired girl walking beside him, a gentle smile lingering on his face.

Yes—Nagami was currently on what could only be called... a date with Miss Kiana, who had decided to adopt the name "Sirin."

Since she had arrived in such a hurry, she hadn't packed properly and needed to buy some daily necessities.

And because she was still unfamiliar with the surroundings of St. Freya Academy, she hoped Nagami could help guide her around.

If he could also show her the sights on campus, that would be even better.

At least, that was the official reason true Kiana gave.

But Nagami wasn't dense.

He could easily hear the true meaning behind her words.

This was a date, wasn't it?

It was definitely a date!

Nagami had originally intended to give true Kiana some space to quietly sort out her feelings—feelings that, to him, seemed as sudden and bewildering as they were to her.

He wanted her to have the time to decide if she truly accepted these emotions stirring in her heart.

But when a beautiful, silver-haired girl playfully crossed her slender legs, clasped her delicate hands behind her back, and leaned toward him with a teasing smile—

When that adorable, almost fairy-like gesture clashed with her usual quiet, bookish elegance—

Nagami's mental defenses crashed.

His brain short-circuited. And before he knew it, he'd agreed.

And so, here they were, nearly an hour into their stroll through the city's bustling streets, having already picked up a few essentials that any girl might need.

Money wasn't a concern.

As compensation for Kiana's help with Schicksal's experiments, Otto had generously gifted her a Schicksal black card.

Now they wandered the shopping district at a leisurely pace, chatting about all sorts of interesting topics.

And through this casual conversation, Nagami stumbled upon something that truly surprised him—True Kiana's knowledge was absolutely terrifying!

No matter what subject he brought up, Kiana could chime in effortlessly.

It was no small feat, considering that after awakening his Replica Eye, Nagami had made it a point to study tons of obscure knowledge—just in case it ever came in handy.

He wasn't on the level of Blank—who had memorized an entire library of e-books to win games—but compared to the average person, his knowledge base was practically unreachable.

"Kiana, you really do know a lot, huh?"

Nagami praised her sincerely, his gaze lingering on her delicate features.

Bathed in the warm sunlight, her fair, flawless skin seemed to glow with a gentle, translucent beauty.

"It's not that much… I just read a lot of books, that's all..."

Faced with such a direct compliment, Kiana lowered her head shyly.

A soft blush crept onto her cheeks, making her pure white face appear even lovelier.

Her long, immaculate silver hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall shimmering with sunlight—brilliant and impossible to ignore.

"Oh, right. If I'm going to keep my identity hidden from K423, you should just call me 'Sirin.' I'll get used to it in advance."

She gently adjusted the black-rimmed glasses perched on her small, delicate nose, smiling softly—though there was something strangely hard to read in that smile, like ripples beneath still water.

For the record, those glasses were a new gift from Nagami, a present to welcome his new roommate.

True Kiana liked them very much, and she was already thinking of what to give him in return.

"Alright then, Sirin..."

Nagami nodded, though inwardly he was puzzled.

Why was this Kiana so unusually accepting of this name?

Ever since he'd suggested "Sirin" as her alias, her attitude toward him had become much warmer—suspiciously so, even.

Watching the radiant smile blossoming on her face, seeing the carefree bounce in her steps as if she were dancing with every footfall, Nagami couldn't bring himself to think she was pretending.

So why the sudden change of heart?

Nagami raised an eyebrow, doubt flickering in his eyes.

Beside him, the silver-haired girl glanced at him and noticed his thoughtful expression.

Her lips curved into a subtle, knowing smile.

On the cobblestone street, washed in soft crimson tones, the boy and the girl strolled side by side—sharing the warmth of the sun and the quiet wonder of the moment.

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