"What is this…?"
Kiana looked up in confusion, her eyes meeting a kaleidoscope of black and white interwoven with vibrant colors, like a world woven from galaxies and starscapes.
It felt like sinking into a gentle yet vast deep sea, soft currents nourishing her soul, granting her heart tranquility and peace.
One moment, she was on the verge of collapse in the imaginary space battlefield; the next, she was in this mysterious space that calmed her nerves.
"Sirin! Is this you? What are you trying to do!?"
Kiana instinctively clenched her fists, raising her guard to the maximum, shouting into the surreal, silent space.
Sirin frowned, surveying her surroundings. When her gaze landed on a pale, graceful figure nearby, a flicker of shock passed through her radiant golden eyes.
Only then did Sirin notice Kiana's completely bare state.
Sirin quickly looked down, seeing her own snow-white northern hemisphere and her southern hemisphere wrapped in the black lace of her Herrscher skirt.
She sighed in relief. "Stop yelling. This isn't my power."
"Sirin!" A layered voice suddenly echoed behind her. Startled, Kiana spun around, only to meet Sirin's gaze, laced with disdain and skepticism.
"I didn't know you had a thing for exhibitionism."
"What are you—!!!" Prompted by Sirin's remark, Kiana finally noticed her own state, letting out a sharp scream. "Eek!"
Instinctively, she covered her chest and lower body, her face flushing crimson with embarrassment.
Kiana bit her lower lip. "Sirin, what exactly are you trying to do!?"
"I told you, this isn't my power. Can't you understand human speech☆~?" Their appearances were identical, save for Sirin's golden eyes.
Sirin rubbed her forehead in exasperation. "I never thought 'I' could be this dumb."
"You!!" Fuming, Kiana clenched her fists, gritting her teeth.
Her feelings toward Sirin were complex. As Shiraki's essence, she couldn't hate another version of herself.
Kiana knew Sirin had tried to avoid harming her during her revival, but she still couldn't condone Sirin's actions!
Biting her lip, Kiana figured the proud, regal Queen of the Void wouldn't stoop to such lowbrow mischief.
"So, what's with this space!? Where are my clothes?" Kiana couldn't help but hunch her shoulders.
"Who knows☆~!" Sirin's melodious voice rang out as she looked down at Kiana with a pleased smile.
"Sirin, get me back there now!" Kiana stepped forward, her face anxious.
She had to save Teacher Himeko!
The situation was a race against time—every second delayed put Himeko in greater danger!
Sirin snorted, unfazed. "I can't."
She appeared calm, but inside, she was reeling. Her spatial authority couldn't even touch this space—it was like an ant trying to shake a tree!
As she spoke, Sirin's attention shifted to the black-haired figure nearby. The other seemed to notice them, hesitating briefly before approaching, perhaps reassured by Kiana's similarly bare state.
Kiana also spotted the figure, her eyes lighting up.
The girl's raven-black hair spilled freely down her back, not wild but docile.
Her violet eyes, clear as lavender, and skin pure as snow exuded elegance and serenity, with a Yamato Nadeshiko-like grace in her every move.
Especially striking was her current unclothed state.
A spark of admiration flashed in Kiana's eyes, but this wasn't the time to ogle a beautiful girl!
"Moshi moshi, hello~!"
Even in such a situation, the girl's voice was gentle, like a warm summer breeze rustling through blooming flower buds, carrying a soothing, magical charm.
"Um, may I ask, where is this place? Why are we…?"
Her gentle aura, reminiscent of Raiden Mei, sent Kiana's favorability skyrocketing!
"…"
Sirin gave the black-haired girl a fleeting glance. She could sense the girl was ordinary, with no trace of Honkai energy.
Clearly clueless about the situation, she was useless!
"Sorry, we don't know what's going on either. We just appeared here inexplicably," Kiana said, her face troubled.
"I see…" The girl's cheeks flushed a delicate rose, embarrassed to be bare before strangers, even if they were women.
She'd been sleeping when her consciousness suddenly awoke in this bizarre place.
If not for the absence of demonic auras and the genuine, natural affinity she felt from the space and the two girls, she'd have thought this was an Upper Rank's Blood Demon Art.
"It seems we've all been pulled in. I don't sense any danger… Shall we work together to figure out what's happening?" the black-haired beauty suggested.
"Sure, of course!" Kiana nodded. In this confusing situation, cooperation was the best option.
She needed to get out of this weird place fast!
"My name is Kiana Kaslana. Just call me Kiana. This one's Sirin."
Worried about Teacher Himeko, Kiana couldn't muster her usual carefree attitude.
"Kiana, Sirin? Those sound like Western names," the black-haired girl murmured softly, then bowed slightly in a standard Far Eastern gesture. "My name is Kochou Kanae."
"Kochou… Kanae."
Kiana blinked. She's from Mei's homeland!
By the way, she blinked because of the gravitational waves amplified by Kanae's bow.
"Wait, why are you the only one with clothes, Sirin?" Kiana belatedly realized, raising her fist at Sirin. "You said this space has nothing to do with you!? Explain yourself!"
Sirin couldn't dodge that accusation—er, explanation.
Looking down at her Herrscher skirt, she felt mostly relieved not to be streaking like Kiana.
"Tch, how should I know!" Sirin glanced at Kiana's chest.
Say what you will, this form was just a
lot more endowed than her original self.
"You…!" Before Kiana could retort, two figures appeared at the edge of her vision, cutting her off.
"More people?"
Wait! No!
Men!?
…
Adorned with black feathers at the collar, sharp angular skirt-like extensions at the waist-hip joints of her armor, exposing fair thighs clad in black thigh-high stockings.
Such a distinctive look instantly confirmed her identity to Shiraki, the aerial splits cleaning expert: the Void Herrscher—Sirin!
The pufferfish is actually me!?
As for the other two figures… sorry, without clothes, Shiraki couldn't tell.
Cough, just kidding~
Snow-white hair, twin blue eyes, identical features—though disheveled, with the Void Herrscher as a reference, Shiraki easily recognized the paramecium!
The paramecium is also me!?
Come to think of it, Sirin and Kiana share the same soul, so where there's Sirin, there's Kiana. That's only natural.
The last figure, Shiraki genuinely couldn't identify.
While 3D and 2D appearances can be highly similar, unique hair and eye colors make characters recognizable even without signature outfits.
But this black-haired, light-purple-eyed beauty? Without clothes, Shiraki drew a blank. She probably wasn't a "story" protagonist.
Protagonist or not, identity aside, what baffled Shiraki most was—why are they all girls!?
Assuming a 50-50 gender probability, including Reverie, that's three halves—1/8 odds!
A coincidence?
Suppressing his doubts, Shiraki's face softened into a rare gentle expression, his gaze openly scanning the three beautiful girls.
His eyes roamed their fair forms unabashedly. They're all "himself"—what's there to hide?
"Are there two newcomers? Or three?"
"Who are you? Did you bring us here?"
Kiana ducked behind Sirin, using her as a shield. "Pervert! Give us our clothes back!"
Kochou Kanae didn't dare use Sirin as cover—her domineering queen aura screamed unapproachable.
She turned away, letting her black butterfly-wing-like hair shield her, avoiding direct exposure to a strange man.
Kiana and Kanae's faces flushed, but their gazes, including Sirin's, were icy daggers.
To the bare trio, the clothed Shiraki was obviously the culprit behind their predicament.
But when they saw Shiraki's face, the chill quickly thawed.
Such a familiar face!
Huh?
What's going on?
Shiraki frowned.
Reverie lacking his memories made sense as a soul fragment, but why didn't these "selves" recognize him?
The car accident didn't disfigure him, and these girls seemed thoroughly feminine.
While matter shapes consciousness, and prolonged time in a female body could feminize a personality, feminizing Shiraki would take at least a century of female life.
Unless… these "Shirakis" had damaged memories!
"Shake my hand, and you'll understand everything."
After a moment's thought, Shiraki extended both hands.
He'd understand everything too!
"As for your clothes, this space only allows souls to enter. Physical objects can't."
"But you can manifest them with your 'cognition.' It takes a bit of skill, but you'll learn after shaking my hand."
Shiraki explained in a relaxed, warm tone.
His friendly demeanor and the natural affinity they felt from him suggested he wasn't an enemy.
Just a handshake wasn't a big deal, but in their current state, how could Kiana or Kanae move freely?
"Hmph, lowly ant, I grant you the privilege of touching this divine body."
The Queen of the Void, seated in the air, uncrossed her long legs and strode toward Shiraki with regal authority.
Sirin wanted answers too.
She sensed no Honkai energy from Shiraki—he couldn't threaten her.
What swayed her was the odd sense of closeness, even stronger than with Kiana.
Her domineering queenly aura and chuunibyou lines made Shiraki's expression shift subtly.
How to put it?
Sirin's behavior reminded him of childhood, wielding a stick as a divine sword, slashing everything in two.
The moment her soft hand grasped Shiraki's, Sirin and Kiana froze, their eyes widening in shock.