Kiana woke up again, her eyes burning with resolve. Just moments ago, she had sworn an oath to an unnamed ancestor—a vow that would guide her through life.
The young Knight still faced a daunting challenge: a massive pile of history and math homework lay before her. After a quick morning wash, the single ponytail she'd tied up bobbed with her head as she wracked her brains in frustration.
After all... math was math—if you didn't get it, you just didn't get it.
Maybe I should lie back down and ask the Old Ancestor in my dream how to solve this problem? Hmm... that ancestor must have lived centuries ago. Would they even know this kind of math? Wait a minute—why did that ancestor know so much about the Second Eruption...?
A torrent of wild, impractical ideas flooded the girl's mind. Finally, she grabbed her homework and began to consider who in the dorm might be able to help her.
Class Monitor Fu Hua was out for her morning training and wouldn't be back for a while. Mei was downstairs preparing breakfast, so she didn't want to bother her. And Teacher Himeko had been drowning in alcohol all night and was probably passed out right now...
Bronya? Kiana thought, but quickly dismissed the idea, recalling the gray-haired girl's razor-sharp tongue.
"Then there's only Kyuusyou left... She's usually pretty approachable..." With her homework in hand, Kiana knocked on Kyuusyou's door.
-
"So, this is why you came to find me?" Kyuusyou asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced at the math homework before her.
"Please! Kyuusyou-senpai, could you help me?" The Knight girl clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture.
"Alright... Oh, I like the new look. You actually look like a warrior now..."
"Listen carefully," Kyuusyou instructed. "I'll explain each problem once. What you need to remember is the problem-solving approach, not just the answers. Understand?"
"Understood!" Kiana nodded earnestly.
Kyuusyou pulled out a pen and paper, circling and marking the homework as she explained. The white-haired girl listened intently, occasionally asking questions.
Time passed quickly. Having received her explanations, Kiana thanked Kyuusyou and left promptly. Huginn, who had been hiding on the rooftop for a long time, flew in through the window the moment Kyuusyou closed the door.
"I'm starting to wonder what you've been doing to that little brat, Huginn... Her transformation is astonishing. Normally, she'd kick down my door. This time, she actually knocked politely! And... she's asking me for academic help?!"
Kyuusyou tilted her head, watching the Little Raven fly in and land on the table, preening its wing feathers. Her voice was laced with puzzlement.
"Actually, I don't know either..." Huginn's tiny head bobbed as it pecked up a sunflower seed kernel from the table and swallowed it.
"Hmm... I still prefer the cream-flavored sunflower seeds from last time. Ah... The Dreamscape trials were actually orchestrated by Lady Snow herself. I'm just acting as a relay station for her signals."
"...Snow orchestrated it? Fine. Does she plan not to return before the battle at Schicksal Headquarters?" Kyuusyou rolled her eyes.
"According to Lady Snow, her true self will return alongside the World Serpent Sire. Before then, you'll likely encounter several of her avatars."
"So... what exactly are they doing in the sea?" Kyuusyou pursed her lips.
"Uh... do you really want to know?"
Huginn paused, tilting its head and peering at Houraiji Kyuusyou.
"Of course! I haven't even settled the score with her for last year—"
The purple-haired woman seemed to remember something, gritting her teeth as she glared at the golden-haired figure in the photo on the desk.
"Emmm... Well, here goes..." Huginn pecked another sunflower seed kernel from the desk and swallowed it.
"Speak quickly!"
"Uh... the Lady Snow, Lord Kevin, and Lord Su are currently squatting inside that World Bubble... Anti-Entropy's leader, Welt Yang, has already noticed that World Serpent Sire Lord Kevin, who has been observing reality from afar, is there."
"He's constructed massive Maze Seals outside the World Bubble in an attempt to prevent Lord Kevin from leaving..."
"That's exactly what we anticipated," Kyuusyou said, giving Huginn a puzzled look. "So what's the hesitation?"
"Because... Lord Kevin actually has no intention of leaving at the moment. He just went out for a stroll on a whim... Now, Mr. Welt Yang's Maze has become the three Lords' after-dinner walking plaza..."
"Oh, and just a side note—the hissing sound Mr. Yang keeps hearing is actually the three Lords slurping noodles..."
Huginn flapped onto the table, settled into a comfortable position, and curled up.
"Hmph... You wicked things, slurping noodles without inviting me."
Kyuusyou's face screamed: You're plotting something and didn't invite me? I'm pissed!
"These bastards... If it weren't for having to watch Ninti, I'd dive down there myself..." the purple-haired woman muttered.
"Please calm down. Miss Kiana still needs your supervision," Huginn said, eyeing Houraiji Kyuusyou's terrifying aura of resentment and promptly scooting his nest further away.
"Hiss... so she'll continue to... uh... 'train'... spit! I mean, nurture her... no, wait! Hmm... cultivate that little Knight?"
"According to the Lady's wishes, yes. These basic changes are far from sufficient for Miss Kiana."
Huginn nodded, acknowledging Kyuusyou's question.
"I wonder if it's luck or misfortune for her... Being tormented in her dreams by Snow every night... tsk tsk."
Kyuusyou imagined Miss Kiana's future trials and clicked her tongue.
"Of course she's lucky. It's far better than the irreversible fate of having to kill her own teacher with her own hands later..."
The familiar voice, unheard for so long, echoed from behind her. Clad in a black and white combat suit accented with gold, the avatar of Snow Apocalypse materialized beside Kyuusyou.
"Long time no see... Though this is just an avatar, you probably won't be able to pull off anything too strange."
"Who would want to do anything strange with you anyway?!"
Kyuusyou's face flushed crimson as she retorted loudly.
"But a little hug is still doable, right?"
"What's wrong, my little savior? Aren't you going to give it a try~?"
The golden-haired girl pressed herself against Houraiji Kyuusyou once more, stirring memories of the unsettling encounter from a year ago.
"Don't come any closer... Waaah—"
The girl's mouth was suddenly silenced...