This was St. Freya High School.
This was the place where all dreams began, the starting point of every story.
But at this very moment, the once-calm surface of the lake was disturbed by a ripple that did not belong to this world.
And so, the gears of fate began to turn, rolling down an unknown path.
---o---
"Ugh... I'm so tired..."
Outside the school building, Kiana, having just finished her liberal arts classes, let out a mournful cry to the heavens, looking like a completely burnt-out salted fish.
"Idiot Kiana, you were sleeping through the entire class. What's there to be tired about?"
Beside Kiana, Bronya—a Valkyrie on the surface, but secretly a Stand user—spoke with a deadpan expression, her tone laced with a hint of disdain.
"The desk is so hard, do you think I slept comfortably?" Kiana puffed up her cheeks, glaring irritably at Bronya.
"Besides, Auntie Himeko keeps throwing chalk at me, so I always get woken up halfway through my nap."
"Then you should just stop sleeping in class, Kiana. The monthly exams are in a few days. If you fail, you'll have to take make-up exams again," Raiden Mei said with a helpless look.
"Sigh, why do we have to take boring classes like liberal arts anyway? We're Valkyries, shouldn't we just have combat training?"
The moment Mei mentioned exams, Kiana's pretty little face immediately twisted into a mask of suffering.
"Idiot Kiana, not everyone wants to become a muscle-brained fool like you."
"What? You stinky Bronya, you're the one with muscles for a brain! I'm not stupid at all! I'm just not good at studying."
Kiana's cheeks swelled like a pufferfish as she pouted at Bronya.
"Anyway, one day, I'll definitely become the strongest Valkyrie!"
"But you can't even beat the class monitor in combat training."
"Ugh... Th-that's just for now! I'll definitely get stronger in the future!"
"Alright, you two, stop arguing. Let's go get something to eat," Raiden Mei said. "Kiana, I'll help you review math tonight if you don't want to take the make-up exam."
"Ugh... what a pain."
Just as Kiana was about to say more, a flash of white light blinded her. When she could see again, she was stunned to find herself in a mysterious, pure white space.
Before she could even figure out what was happening, a mechanical voice echoed in her ears.
[Welcome, everyone, to the Q&A Space. You will now be presented with questions from this system and must make a choice. A correct choice will grant you a corresponding reward, while an incorrect choice will cost you one year of your lifespan. Please answer with caution.]
"Who? Who's talking?!"
Kiana looked around. The surroundings were still a vast expanse of white. Besides herself, Bronya, and Raiden Mei, there seemed to be no one else here.
"Where... is this place? Weren't we just in front of the school building a moment ago?" Mei's face showed a mix of shock and alarm. She observed her surroundings, trying her best to calm down.
"There's no signal here either," Bronya's calm voice sounded. Though her face was expressionless, Project Bunny had already materialized behind her, warily surveying the unfamiliar environment.
[First Question: How did Kiana Kaslana save the people of a city during the Arc City incident?]
[A: By seeking help from Schicksal.]
[B: By seeking help from Anti-Entropy.]
[C: By briefly gaining control of Herrscher powers to push a bomb filled with Honkai energy into the sky.]
[D: By single-handedly storming a World Serpent laboratory and stopping their plan.]
"Mei, Bronya, did you hear that voice too?" Kiana frowned, looking at her friends.
Raiden Mei and Bronya both nodded.
"What in the world is going on... Is this some kind of prank?"
"The Bronya does not think so," Bronya analyzed calmly. "To be able to transport the three of us to this mysterious space in an instant without us being able to resist... this is beyond the scope of a mere prank. This feels more like a mysterious power that surpasses imagination."
As she spoke, Bronya walked to the side. After about fifteen meters, she couldn't go any further, as if an invisible wall was blocking her way. It was the same in every other direction.
"Then why us?" Kiana was confused. As far as she knew, the three of them were just ordinary Valkyries still in school. They hadn't offended anyone with this kind of power, had they?
"More importantly, I want to know how we can get out of here." Raiden Mei stroked her chin. Having gradually calmed down, she put her sharp mind to use. "I remember that voice saying this is the Q&A Space. Does that mean the objective of this 'system' for bringing us here is to make us answer questions?"
"The Bronya believes that is highly likely," Bronya nodded. "Otherwise, with the power it has demonstrated, it could have killed us before we even had a chance to react."
"So, should we try answering the question?" Kiana asked.
"Yes, but before that, let's analyze the question first. Since it didn't specify a time limit, it means we have as much time as we need to answer."
"Wait! Did that question just mention my name?"
Kiana finally realized that the question posed by the voice was about her. But saving the people of a city... when had she ever done something like that?
"Yes," Bronya confirmed. "Although it's hard to believe, that is indeed what the voice said."
"Could the question be wrong? I've never even been to Arc City," Kiana said, utterly bewildered.
[There are absolutely no errors in the questions posed by this system. Please provide an answer.]
The mechanical voice rang out once more.
"No errors?" Raiden Mei frowned, sinking deep into thought. "If it's not lying to us, then it means Kiana really did save the people of a city."
"It's also possible that it's just someone with the same name," Bronya added.
"That's a possibility, but there's no point in dwelling on it now. Let's focus on analyzing the question and the answers."
"The four options are: A, seeking help from Schicksal; B, seeking help from Anti-Entropy; C, briefly gaining control of Herrscher powers to push a bomb filled with Honkai energy into the sky; and D, single-handedly storming a World Serpent lab to stop their plan."
"Hmm... Bronya, what do you think?"