Academy City.
Honkai Academy.
Inside the principal's office at the top floor, floating light screens silently streamed energy readings from various subordinate worlds. Warm golden artificial sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting neat patches of light across the polished floor.
Buzz—
The sensor-activated alloy doors slid open without a sound, and a slender figure stepped in against the light.
The girl wore her straight white hair long, framing a pair of cool amber eyes. The fitted academy uniform on her body lent her a solemnity that did not match her age.
"Principal Cecilia."
Her voice was steady and measured, polite to the proper degree, yet devoid of emotion.
Cecilia, who had been handling Honkai Academy documents, looked up at the sound, a gentle smile on her face. "What is it, Kanade?"
Kanade Tachibana, a human girl who had been reincarnated as an angel due to heart problems, and the current student council president of Honkai Academy.
Her primary responsibility was maintaining order in the academy's afterlife world.
That was the information Cecilia had.
Kanade Tachibana stepped up to the desk and stopped, her gaze settling on the flowing data across the light screen. Her tone remained calm. "One of our worlds has developed an anomaly."
"Oh?" Cecilia raised a brow and tapped lightly on the desk, bringing up the corresponding world coordinates. "What kind of anomaly?"
"That world has summoned a special transmigrator," Kanade Tachibana replied without a hint of fluctuation. "The ability: time reversal triggered upon death."
"Time reverses upon death?"
From the sofa by the window, Shigure Kira looked up. "Wouldn't that be equivalent to immortality?"
"Not exactly." Kanade Tachibana shook her head. "That world operates under special rules. All summoned transmigrators awaken their abilities at a price—mental erosion combined with cumulative memory loss. Unrestrained use ultimately results in personality collapse and complete loss of self."
She paused, and her next words seemed to lower the temperature in the office. "The current issue is that if this transmigrator's ability loses control, the threshold of time reversal will expand to encompass the entire world. From our observational dimension, that world would be trapped forever in an infinite temporal loop."
"I see." Cecilia rested her fingertips against her chin, nodding thoughtfully as her gaze darkened. "Then what do we need to do?"
"Two options," Kanade Tachibana responded without hesitation. "First, return the transmigrator to their original world. The native method in that world requires the sacrifice of thirty percent of its population as an offering. If we intervene, that cost can be exempted."
She lifted her eyes, the warning red indicators flickering across the screen reflected in her amber pupils. "Second, to prevent humanity in that world from continuing to summon transmigrators for exploitation and execution, their summoning system must be fully regulated and purged."
Cecilia fell silent for a moment, then nodded decisively. "Very well. Execute according to your plan."
"I'll make preparations."
Having received her answer, Kanade Tachibana said nothing more. She gave a slight nod of acknowledgment and turned to leave.
The alloy doors closed once more without a sound.
Moments later, they slid open again.
Shigure Kira looked up and froze.
Kyuusyou?!
No.
That figure. That aura.
An alternate counterpart?!
The purple-haired girl approached the desk with a languid gait, even the curve of her hair exuding a hint of wicked charm.
She lifted her eyes toward Cecilia, lips curling into a bewitching smile. "Principal Cecilia, I'm here to complete my enrollment procedures."
"I know." Cecilia glanced at the information panel that had just popped up, her gaze pausing briefly on one entry. "Misfortune. A very special name. May I ask why your registered age is listed as zero?"
"That's my secret."
Misfortune narrowed her eyes slightly, crimson pupils gleaming with sly light as she leaned forward, her tone intimate. "If the principal wishes to know, we could have a private discussion sometime."
Cecilia could hardly miss the implication. She chuckled softly and waved a hand dismissively. "I was only asking casually. There's no need to take it to heart."
Misfortune did not press further. Instead, she turned her gaze toward Shigure Kira on the sofa, the smile in her eyes deepening. "Miss Kira, you're truly beautiful."
A faint blush crept across Shigure Kira's cheeks, and she looked away awkwardly. "Th-thank you for the compliment."
"Miss Kira doesn't have a partner right now, does she?"
The purple-haired girl suddenly stepped closer and stopped in front of her, bending slightly. Her crimson eyes stared without blinking, teasing amusement nearly spilling from her voice.
Shigure Kira's heartbeat skipped.
She hurriedly averted her gaze, forcing herself to remain composed. "I-I'm not that kind of girl."
"Really? I don't believe you."
Misfortune suddenly reached out and gently grasped Shigure Kira's slender wrist.
Her fingertips were cool, her touch smooth, sending a shiver through Shigure Kira's entire body.
The girl leaned closer, breath brushing against her ear, her voice soft and light. "Miss Kira, why is your heartbeat getting faster?"
"I-it's not..."
Flustered, Shigure Kira tried to pull her hand back, only to find it lightly but firmly held.
She could clearly hear her own heartbeat, startlingly loud in the quiet office.
"Are you blushing?"
Misfortune's voice carried a seductive resonance as she let out a soft laugh. "Such an adorable reaction... It makes me want to claim you completely. What should I do?"
Shigure Kira's heart raced even faster, her cheeks burning crimson.
"Student Misfortune, your enrollment procedures have been completed."
At that moment, Cecilia's gentle voice rang out, perfectly timed to break Misfortune's advance.
Shigure Kira pulled free of Misfortune's hand and turned her face away, not daring to look at her again.
She had never expected this wicked, alternate version of Kyuusyou to be so bold, daring to say such things to her right in front of Cecilia.
Misfortune withdrew her hand without concern, a faint glint of meaning flashing in her eyes—she did, after all, know Shigure Kira. Those memories simply belonged to another "self."
"Miss Kira, you're always welcome to come play with me."
She winked at Shigure Kira, left behind that suggestive remark, and swayed out of the office.
For a moment, Shigure Kira had no idea how to respond.
"Kira, she might really just be a child."
Cecilia's voice sounded slowly, tinged with restrained amusement.
"...Huh?" Shigure Kira looked up blankly.
"Don't entertain any strange thoughts," Cecilia added meaningfully, barely holding back a smile.
"What?"
Shigure Kira was utterly stunned, her face instantly flushing red.
Strange thoughts?!
What thoughts could I possibly have about her?!
What kind of person do you think I am?!
I'm not even into girls!
And even if I were, the one I'd have thoughts about would be you!