"Kiana, you must understand that no one in this world can decide their own birth. The only thing we can decide is what kind of person we will become in the future."
Himeko reached out and gently stroked Kiana's head.
"A name is just a label. Whether you are Kiana or K-423, the one we know isn't the so-called 'real Kiana.' It's you. Do you understand?"
"Aunt Himeko..." Kiana stared blankly at Himeko, her eyes gradually turning red. "But I've hurt so many people. If it were the real Kiana..."
"Idiot, why are you still saying such things?"
Himeko rapped her knuckles on Kiana's head, knocking the defeatist words right back down her throat.
"Remember what I told you? A person's life can only ever move forward. As for the past, you can cherish it, you can remember it, but the one thing you can never do is regret it. Because the moment you regret, you negate your own life."
"Kiana, do you regret coming to St. Freya High School? Do you regret meeting us?"
"N-No! I've never once regretted meeting everyone!" Kiana shook her head forcefully.
"Then isn't that enough?" Himeko said with a gentle smile.
"Kiana, look around you. Mei, Bronya, Theresa—do they care that you're K-423? The time you've spent with us is not a lie. The time and experiences, the friends and enemies, everything you have gone through has forged the one-and-only you. Do you still think you're a fake?"
"Everyone..."
Kiana looked at the others. She could clearly see that whether it was Mei, Bronya, her aunt, or even Fu Hua, their eyes held not a single trace of disgust or contempt, only deep worry and concern.
That's right... I'm not a fake. Even if my identity is fake, and my name is fake, the experiences I've shared with them are completely real.
"Kiana, you said you were going to protect us, and I believe you can do it. Because... you are a student of Murata Himeko," Himeko said, looking at Kiana with warmth.
"Teacher Himeko... Everyone... I understand now..." Kiana bit her lip and rubbed her eyes fiercely, her voice choked with emotion.
"I was just getting stuck in my own head. I shouldn't have just assumed that everyone would hate me."
"You idiot, how could your auntie ever hate you?" Theresa sniffled. Seeing Kiana so heartbroken moments ago, she had almost burst into tears herself but managed to hold back.
"Auntie... C-Can I still call you Auntie?"
"My silly niece, of course you can. Or do you not want to acknowledge me as your aunt anymore?"
Theresa stood on her tiptoes, stretching to pat Kiana's head.
"Mei, Bronya..." Kiana turned to look at them.
"Kiana, don't worry. No matter who you are, you are the Kiana I know. I will always be by your side," Raiden Mei said with solemn sincerity.
"The same goes for Bronya, Kiana," Bronya added softly.
Finally, Kiana's gaze fell upon Fu Hua.
"Class Monitor, thank you for telling me all this."
"Student Kiana, you don't need to thank me. I only told you something you would have learned sooner or later."
"But if you hadn't told me now... if I had only found out later, without everyone here to support me... I think I would have completely broken down."
"Is that so?... Then, now that you know your origin, what do you plan to do next?" Fu Hua asked.
"I... I want to go to Schicksal HQ and rescue the real Kiana," Kiana said without the slightest hesitation.
Now that she knew the real Kiana was still at Schicksal HQ, she couldn't just stand by and do nothing.
"Do you think, with your current strength, you can take her from Schicksal HQ?" Fu Hua immediately threw a bucket of cold water on her plan.
"Even Siegfried and the Principal together couldn't get the real Kiana out of Schicksal HQ back then. In fact, I suspect Otto intentionally let him escape with you."
"Besides, the real Kiana isn't at Schicksal HQ anymore."
"What? Then where is she?" Theresa asked urgently.
"That, I do not know. As for her whereabouts, it's likely that only Otto himself knows," Fu Hua said, shaking her head.
Theresa's expression instantly turned grim. In truth, she knew that with their current power, they didn't even have the right to challenge Otto, let alone rescue the real Kiana from Schicksal HQ.
"However, you are not entirely without a chance."
"What do you mean?"
Fu Hua pointed at the floor beneath them.
"This Q&A space is your greatest trump card and your most valuable asset."
"I have never known of such a miraculous space, one that can predict the future and even expose my own secrets."
"So, if it is truly as miraculous as it seems, you may one day learn of the real Kiana's whereabouts from it."
Hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up.
That's right! Their greatest advantage right now was this very Q&A space!
As long as they continued to answer questions, they would only gather more and more intelligence. Furthermore, the rewards from the space could be quickly converted into strength, allowing them to grow more powerful.
Given enough time, they might just be able to amass enough power to rival Schicksal HQ!
"You're right. This Q&A space is our greatest advantage," Theresa nodded, then turned to Kiana. "Kiana, let's focus on answering the question for now. We can talk about everything else after we get out. Both your matter... and her matter will require time to plan."
"Mm, I understand, Auntie," Kiana nodded. Her voice was a little hoarse, but it carried a newfound sense of stability.
In that short span of time, it was as if she had undergone a metamorphosis. Though the transformation wasn't obvious yet, it was like a seed that had been planted, destined to one day blossom.
"Now then, let's return to the previous question. What was it again? I've almost forgotten."
Theresa rubbed her temples. Because her attention had been so focused on the latter half of the question's reveal, she had already forgotten what the first part was.
"The question was: Why was Fu Hua, known as the Immortal Celestial of Shenzhou, willing to join Otto's ranks as a Valkyrie and obey his orders to go to St. Freya High School to monitor Kiana?"
"Although our attention was drawn to the latter part of the statement, the key to this question lies in the first half."
Bronya said calmly, turning to look at Fu Hua.
"Class Monitor, I believe no one knows the answer to this question better than you, correct?"