Clenching his fist and feeling the surging power coursing through his body, Kakine Teitoku couldn't help but feel slightly intoxicated.
"How does it feel?" Shuji Matsuzaki asked at the right moment.
"Excellent. As expected, this really can unlock the potential of the brain!"
For Kakine Teitoku, the physical enhancements and rapid healing that came with body augmentation were merely side effects.
What he truly valued was the improvement in cognitive processing power—in other words, the potential of the brain.
What is brain potential?
In theory, the human brain can remember everything it has ever seen, heard, or experienced.
But in reality, human memory is one of the most unreliable things in existence. For example, during exams, the knowledge and problems are all things one has learned or practiced before, yet due to the limitations of memory and brain function, they just can't recall them no matter how hard they try.
Now, however, Kakine Teitoku could easily recall the computational formulas required for using his esper ability, and his calculation speed was significantly faster.
What did this mean? It meant that the scope of Kakine's ability application had widened dramatically, and his biggest weakness—his brain's computational capacity—would be greatly improved!
Afterward, Kakine Teitoku stood up and put on his clothes, then turned to Shuji Matsuzaki with a solemn expression.
"Please tell Selene this—from now on, the 'School' organization will be under her command. I, Kakine Teitoku, keep my word. She can command us as she pleases!"
Not long after, a rumor—its authenticity uncertain—spread throughout the upper echelons and the Dark Side of Academy City.
The third had joined forces with the first!
When Kakine Teitoku personally announced that the Dark Side organization 'School' would merge under Selene's command, the entire underground world of Academy City was shaken to its core once the news was confirmed.
Two Level 5s under the same organization—with a superior and subordinate relationship.
This was unprecedented in Academy City's history. As a result, Schicksal rose in prominence overnight, its influence now ranking among the strongest in the city.
Researchers across Academy City were ecstatic—the research value of both "Dark Matter" and Honkai Energy was beyond measure. The HR department at the Schicksal Research Institute was now busier than ever.
At that moment, the Chairman of the Board, Aleister, once again sought Selene's audience.
After negotiating a series of agreements concerning her future development and the limits of her organization's power, Aleister granted her even greater authority. In return, Selene was required to assist Aleister in resolving certain issues whenever necessary, while restraining her faction's expansion.
Selene clearly understood this was Aleister's way of drawing her to his side. Since he himself could not act openly, he intended to use her as a deterrent force.
She had no objections. It was, after all, the basic principle of equivalent exchange. No one gives without return—free favors are the most expensive kind.
Moreover, since Kakine Teitoku was now under her command, why should the boss handle all the dirty work herself? When he couldn't resolve a problem, then Selene would personally intervene.
After all, aside from Selene and Accelerator, Kakine was practically the strongest individual in all of Academy City.
Once she had finished dealing with matters concerning 'School,' Selene departed for Europe. Katy had tearfully begged her over the phone to come home for Christmas.
...
Vienna International Airport.
This time, the people welcoming Selene included not only Brauchitsch and Katy but also the embodiment of their love—Ferdinand.
After hugging Brauchitsch and Katy, Selene's gaze naturally fell upon the small figure standing behind them.
Upon meeting her eyes, little Ferdinand showed no sign of shyness. He ran forward and hugged her leg tightly.
In a childish voice, he called out, "Sister!"
That caught Selene a bit off guard. Although she had taken care of Ferdinand for a while before, when she left Austria, he had still been a tiny baby who could only crawl.
Afterward, Brauchitsch instructed their attendant to open the trunk to place Selene's luggage inside, but suddenly clapped his hands together in realization. "Oh! I almost forgot—you've got spatial powers, Selene!" he said, laughing heartily before heading toward the driver's seat.
They had two cars—Brauchitsch and Ferdinand rode in one, while Katy and Selene took the other.
Seeing this setup, Selene immediately had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, the moment they got into the car, Katy's cheerful smile vanished. She turned serious, grabbed the restless Selene by the cheeks, and scolded fiercely, "Oh, so you do remember how to come home, huh?"
"How did you promise me before?" Katy began, her tone filled with both anger and disappointment. "You said you'd come home often to visit, but the entire year has gone by, and you didn't even bother to call me first! If I hadn't insisted, you probably wouldn't have come back for Christmas at all..."
It was obvious—
Katy was still upset that Selene had ignored her for almost an entire year.
"Uh..."
Hearing that, Selene made a pitiful expression, looking as though she was about to cry. She glanced at Katy and tried to defend herself, "I've been studying really hard, you know? I just wanted to earn some money to repay you, Mom..."
After Selene used nearly every flattering word and excuse in her mental library, Katy finally revealed a faint smile of satisfaction. She lightly patted Selene on the head and sighed, "Good grief. It's not like our family needs you to earn money for us. I'm not saying you can't go out and experience the world—but this is your home. You have to come back and visit us often, understand?"
"...And you didn't go all the way to the Far East just to avoid me, did you?" Katy suddenly realized something as she spoke.
"This..." Selene quickly turned her head to the side. "Of course not."
Ah, even though she denied it aloud, deep down Selene knew—it was one of the reasons. Back then, under Katy's watchful care, Selene had been forced to attend all sorts of balls and etiquette lessons, to the point she had almost thrown up.
"Oh really~?" Katy drew out her words deliberately, seeing Selene's guilty reaction.
"Uh..."
...
Habsburg Estate, Suburbs of Vienna.
"Phew..." On the balcony, Selene sat on a lounge chair, holding a cup of red tea as she gazed at the falling snow.
Exhaling a soft white mist, she took another sip of the tea. Warmth spread through her body, and a sense of comfort enveloped her completely. This simple, peaceful enjoyment made her narrow her eyes in contentment.
"This... this is what a holiday should feel like."
A proper holiday needed the proper atmosphere. It was Christmas, after all—a time to relax. Even without Santa Claus, if one spent the day fretting and talking about unpleasant matters, what would be the point?
"Fufu..."
Just then, the sound of a soft breath reached her ears. Looking up, Selene saw Brauchitsch approaching with a cup of coffee in hand.
"Hey," he greeted casually.
Pulling up another lounge chair beside her, Brauchitsch sat down and began to enjoy the tranquil holiday atmosphere together with Selene.
In front of the balcony, little Ferdinand played joyfully in the snow. The two adults couldn't help but exchange a smile at the sight.
...
Before long, Christmas came to an end. Under Katy's relentless pressure, Selene practically fled back to Academy City.
And just like that, time flew by—
Half a year later.