As expected.
Kiana's expression remained calm—she had already suspected as much, so she wasn't even surprised anymore.
She'd met Yae Sakura just yesterday.
And now, first Sakura… then Sirin.
At this rate, if she ran into any other familiar faces in Izumo, she probably wouldn't even bat an eye.
"Do you know Yae Sakura?"
After confirming that the girl before her really was Sirin, Kiana didn't bother beating around the bush. She wanted to know what had happened with Almighty Thunder.
"You know her?"
Sirin tried to lift her hand but found herself too weak to even clench her fist. A flicker of surprise crossed her face.
So this wasn't a dream after all.
If this were a near-death illusion, it shouldn't have felt so real—nor would she have dreamt up a girl she had never seen before.
"Kind of," Kiana said. "My name's Kiana. I'm currently staying at Narukami Shrine. I just met Yae Sakura yesterday."
Sirin's surprise deepened. She stared at the white-haired girl sitting beside her bed, eyes wide in disbelief.
Kiana?
Wasn't that the name Sakura had mentioned—the one she said she wanted to become friends with if she ever came back alive?
Sakura had even praised her endlessly.
Before entering the Imaginary Space, Sirin had scoffed at Sakura's words, thinking her ridiculous. She'd even thought briefly about this 'Kiana,' wondering what kind of person could make Sakura—normally so composed—trust someone so completely after just one meeting.
Sirin had been curious.
But she hadn't expected to meet that Kiana this soon.
Even without answering, her expression made it obvious.
Kiana tilted her head. "You two are friends?"
It didn't feel right to immediately ask about Almighty Thunder—better to ease into it with small talk.
"No!" Sirin reflexively snapped.
Who would call that jinx their friend?
If not for that woman's talk of 'sacrifice' and 'anyone can die,' she wouldn't have been so unlucky!
"…We just know each other," she corrected quickly, realizing her tone had been too sharp. Like Kiana, she understood that building rapport through their mutual acquaintance would make communication easier.
"I've heard her mention you," Sirin said, forcing her expression back to calm as she studied Kiana's face. "She likes you quite a bit."
Yae Sakura, huh? Guess she's good for something after all, Sirin thought privately. Lucky her.
"...Kiana, is something wrong?"
A knock at the door interrupted them, followed by a familiar, concerned voice—Raiden Mei.
She had been waiting outside for some time, intending to discuss Nagazora's situation with Kiana. But the white-haired girl hadn't come out once.
That was strange. Kiana knew she was waiting—so why stay inside so long?
Worried something might have happened, Mei came straight to the guest room door.
Then she heard a second voice inside—a stranger's voice.
Instantly, her guard went up.
She remembered perfectly well—Kiana didn't have a phone!
She'd tried asking for her contact info before, but Kiana didn't have one. Mei hadn't wanted to push her by offering a phone either.
So then, who was in there with her?
Yae Sakura's name flashed through Mei's mind. That was the woman Kiana had mentioned yesterday—and praised as a good person.
"Mei's here," Kiana said instinctively, standing up in surprise. But her joy lasted only a second before she froze, glancing nervously at the girl on the bed.
…How was she supposed to explain this?
Raiden Mei. Daughter of Raiden Ryoma.
Sirin knew that name.
She didn't know him well—but she knew who he was.
Noticing Kiana's awkward expression, Sirin tilted her head slightly. "Aren't you going to let her in?"
"Ah—r-right, of course."
Might as well tell the truth.
Trying to play it off casually, Kiana hurried to the door. When she opened it and saw Mei standing there, she greeted her with an embarrassed smile.
"Nothing happened—well, something did, but not what you're thinking," Kiana said quickly, grabbing Mei's hand and pulling her gently into the room.
Then Mei saw her.
Lying on the bed was an unfamiliar violet-haired girl, half-sitting up, her golden eyes faintly open.
"…Who is she?"
As expected—someone was in Kiana's room.
And not only that—she was lying on the bed?
Raiden Mei's gaze hardened slightly. She didn't speak at first, but her violet eyes flickered with equal parts confusion and caution.
"She's…"
Before Kiana could speak, the girl on the bed beat her to it, her tone calm but deliberate. "I'm your father, Raiden Ryoma's comrade-in-arms."
"My father's… comrade?"
That caught Mei off guard. She'd assumed the stranger was one of Kiana's friends—but that answer was on an entirely different level.
From peer to elder.
Yet… the girl looked about her age.
Narrowing her eyes slightly, Mei spoke with careful restraint. "A comrade of my father's, who slays Kami…? If that's true, then why are you in Kiana's room?"
And lying in her bed, no less.
Also, with Almighty Thunder on a rampage, shouldn't someone of her supposed rank have been fighting alongside her father?
Why was she here instead?
Sirin's lips curved into a faint smirk. "An excellent question. One I'd like to ask myself as well."
What's that supposed to mean?
Mei followed her gaze toward Kiana, realizing the question was being tossed right back at her.
"Mei, just sit down and let me explain," Kiana said, motioning to a nearby chair. "It's like this. Earlier, when I used my 'Phase Shuttle' ability, I felt something off in the subspace. So when I got back, I decided to check it out."
She paused, making sure Mei was following.
"And then… I found Sirin. She was resonating weakly with the subspace. When I reached her, she was lying in a collapsing Imaginary Space—badly injured and on the verge of death. Since she was still breathing, I brought her back."
Subspace? Imaginary Space?
Mei's brows furrowed. She didn't understand the terminology, but from the context, it was enough to grasp the situation.
A collapsing space. A dying girl. And Kiana—of course—had jumped in to save her.
Meanwhile, Sirin's expression didn't change much outwardly, but inside, her thoughts churned like a storm.
Kiana… the girl who could traverse between spaces without the 'Sky' blade?
Impossible.
Her eyes flicked around the room again. No, this clearly wasn't anywhere near the battlefield.
But she could still hear distant thunder. So this shrine—this Narukami Shrine—was close enough to be within the aftershocks.
Still, how could this girl move between dimensions? Without the blade 'Sky,' even Sirin herself wouldn't dare attempt it.
"I think she just finished fighting Almighty Thunder," Kiana continued, "so I treated her injuries."
"Subspace… Imaginary Space…" Mei repeated quietly, the unfamiliar terms rolling off her tongue. Even without full understanding, it made sense now.
The violet-haired girl had nearly died—but thanks to Kiana's recklessness and compassion, she'd been saved.
"...What's the date today?"
The question came suddenly from the bed. Sirin had been listening silently until now, but at the mention of treatment, her composure faltered. Her tone sharpened with urgency as she finally asked for the current date.