It was at St. Freya Academy that I finally crossed paths with him once more.
It was a common occurrence for Rita to receive missions directly from Overseer Otto, but call it intuition—that day, something felt different. It was like a spark of recognition had flared deep within me.
Using my authority as a squad leader, I intercepted the mission briefing assigned to Rita. When I read the contents, my eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
The reports concerning the investigation into Subject K-423 were standard enough. I was already well-acquainted with the details of the experimental subjects under Schicksal's purview.
However, it was the information regarding the academy's only male student that left me breathless.
'Kevin Son.'
What did this mean? It certainly wasn't the name I had heard back in the Sea of Quanta. In those depths, he had gone by a different identity entirely.
Just to be certain, I unearthed my old diary—the one I had kept years ago. Even as I flipped through the worn, tattered pages I had reviewed a thousand times before, the name did not match.
Yet, why was my gut screaming at me? Every instinct told me that this boy was the same man I had met back then.
Ignoring the name, the azure eyes, the shock of white hair, and the very structure of his face were unmistakably his. Even through the sterile lens of a photograph, that warm, gentle smile was something only he possessed.
...Of course, now that I've recovered my memories as the true Kiana, I realize his current appearance has shifted to resemble my own traits. But at the time, all I saw was him.
"Rita, I will be joining you on this mission."
"As you wish, Lady Durandal."
Rita accepted my request without a second's hesitation. Her reaction was so immediate, it was as if she had already read my mind. I couldn't help but ask.
"Aren't you going to ask me why?"
"Is it not because you are curious about this Mr. Kevin?"
"...Precisely."
"Then there is no point in trying to stop you."
—After all, no one can stand in the way of Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie when she sets her mind to something.
Leaving me with those words, Rita turned to report the change in plans to the Overseer. I sighed as I watched her walk away; the underlying implication in her tone made me sound like an uncontrollable force of nature.
But the logistics weren't the issue. If 'Kevin' was truly the man I knew, I couldn't fathom why he would ever join Schicksal. When we first emerged from the Sea of Quanta and I tried to introduce him to Overseer Otto, he had been consumed by a blind, berserk rage. He had nearly killed the Overseer then and there.
The incident had been catastrophic. A single individual had brought Schicksal HQ beyond the point of mere structural damage; it was a total collapse. To this day, the senior Valkyries who witnessed it still regard him with a mixture of awe and terror. Even though miraculously no lives were lost, his overwhelming, almost irrational display of violence had shattered any will to resist him.
Rita and I had barely managed to subdue him. After the Overseer used Fenghuang Down to suppress his consciousness, he was taken away for 'persuasion.' I never saw him again after that day.
Later, the Overseer simply told me that the negotiations had failed and that he had left Schicksal. I felt a pang of regret that he had disappeared without a goodbye, but I understood. He had only just returned from a long journey. He used to talk so often, with a face full of sorrow and longing, about how much he missed his friends and family.
I told myself it was fine. I had his number. I could always reach out later.
Contrary to my expectations, he never contacted me once. Nor did he reach out to Rita. Years passed, and though I never changed my phone number just in case he remembered, the silence remained unbroken. When I tried to call, the line would only ring endlessly—until eventually, it became a disconnected number. I had been so frustrated that I contemplated changing my own number multiple times... but I could never bring myself to do it.
Rita eventually changed hers. But I feared that if he suddenly remembered and tried to call, and my number was gone, he would have no way left to reach this side of the world.
And now, after all those years, I had found him again under a different name. The moment I saw him in person, my doubts vanished, replaced by absolute certainty.
I hurried toward him, calling out his name. But for some reason, he ignored me and kept walking. I closed the distance quickly, grabbing his shoulder and forcing him to turn around.
"...Eh?"
"Why are you ignoring me?" I demanded.
"Excuse me?"
He looked at me with total confusion. As my expression soured, he looked genuinely flustered. Looking at me with those transparent eyes, he spoke.
"...Who? I mean... do I know you?"
For a moment, it felt as though a sledgehammer had struck my skull. He didn't remember me? After everything we had been through? After our journey together? After we had finally confessed our feelings... and shared a kiss?
"I think you have the wrong person. My name is Kevin," he said.
Was he really not the man I knew? Was he just a lookalike? No, that was impossible. The moment I saw him, my heart—which had remained cold and still for every other man on the planet—began to pound frantically. The aura he exuded, the very scent that lingered in the air... everything told me this was 'him.'
"...My name is Bianca Ataegina. Does that name ring a bell?" I asked, clinging to a shred of hope.
He used to love teasing me. I hoped this was just one of his jokes. I thought perhaps he found my formal way of speaking amusing, or my stern face too tempting not to prank. I prayed he was just pretending.
"...I'm sorry. I've never heard that name before."
He scratched his cheek apologetically, avoiding my gaze. At that moment, my heart felt like it had plummeted into an abyss. I bit my lip instinctively. My fists were clenched so tight that my nails bit into my palms, and an uncontrollable tremor ran through my body. The desire to abandon the mission, to return to my room and collapse in bed, washed over me in a wave of crushing desolation.
"...My apologies. You resemble someone I know. Please excuse—"
"Ah, wait. By any chance... did you know me four years ago?"
As I turned to leave in silence, his voice stopped me. It was as if he had just remembered a crucial detail.
"...Four years ago?"
"Yes, four years ago."
"Yes... that is exactly when I met you."
At my confirmation, he nodded as if everything made sense. "I see. No wonder you know me. Still, the previous owner of this body must have known some real heavy hitters..." he muttered something incomprehensible under his breath. Then, with a weary sigh and a troubled look, he hesitated before finally speaking.
"If that's the case, then it's only natural that I don't remember you."
"What do you mean, 'natural'?" I asked, a sense of dread pooling in my stomach.
He gave me a bittersweet smile and began to explain. As the words left his mouth, my eyes went wide with shock.
"...What does that mean?" I repeated. My mind understood the words, but my heart refused to accept the impact of what he was saying.
He looked at me with pity, as if delivering a final, decisive blow to my hopes.
"Bianca, I have no memories of anything before four years ago."
—My name, my past... everything is gone.
========================
The website for reading paid chapters is available on my Patreon. The number of chapters on Patreon: 65
Link: patreon.com/UltraMagnus_T