"This... this... this is so delicious!"
Her purplish-pink hair was held down by her hood, and the petite girl gazed at the steaming, presumably freshly cooked, dish on the table with admiration.
"There's still plenty in the kitchen, enjoy."
Mei, familiar with her usual short hair and tank top, smiled broadly, her words filled with tenderness.
"...Even with so many peppers, it's not spicy at all. It's actually quite refreshing."
As she devoured the delicacy, the girl known as Sora was enchanted yet also a bit surprised.
"Because they're bell peppers," explained Tesla, who appeared on screen.
Hearing this, Sora sighed, her face filled with resignation and regret. "Ah, if only the teacher could cook like Mei. She's great in every way, except for her cooking, which is just unappealing."
"...Speaking of...I've always been curious about this," Tesla was stunned, then asked curiously, "Your teacher clearly goes out every month, so why hasn't she taken you out in three years?"
"Ah... of course there's a reason."
This wasn't something to hide, Sora admitted frankly.
"Life in the nest was lonely. We kept pestering the teacher to tell us her story, so we learned a lot about her."
"The teacher wasn't born rich or famous. She had a tragic childhood and started her life with nothing."
"But she worked hard to climb the ladder, traveling to various countries, interacting with all kinds of people, and experiencing many things. After more than a decade, she finally accumulated her own assets."
Sora recounted everything about her teacher, slowly recounting it, while Tesla and Mei listened attentively.
"She used most of her savings to buy a private island in a faraway country... I forget the name..."
"She planned to build a large house there and live a free and peaceful life."
"Of course, she'd take us and the people she'd saved elsewhere with her."
"The house is almost finished, and we're all so happy for the teacher. She's worked her whole life, and now she finally has a place where she can enjoy life."
Sora covered her forehead, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes, and her words suddenly changed.
"But no one could have imagined that tragedy would happen..."
"What happened?"
This sudden change naturally caught everyone's attention, and Mei asked curiously.
But even if she hadn't asked, Sora would have revealed everything. She whispered calmly.
"Four months ago, a Honkai Eruption occurred in the world. The teacher was in Nagazora City at the time. Honkai beasts appeared one after another, and she fought them alone, protecting her nest from attack."
"The storm lasted for several hours before it subsided, and everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. But then, tragic news arrived from afar—"
She paused.
"...The teacher's island sank forever in the Eruption..."
"...?"
Hearing this, Mei's eyes twitched.
The Honkai Eruption four months ago—wasn't that exactly...
Unnoticing Mei's thoughts, Sora simply recalled the scene.
"I still remember the teacher's look back then."
"Her face was expressionless, silent, but she kept pacing back and forth in the room, running, rolling... She kept muttering, 'It's okay, it's okay,' but tears streamed down her face."
"Finally, the teacher couldn't help but rush out. She went, wailing toward the end of the ocean, heartbroken like a child..."
"She cried and cried until her tears dried and her voice grew hoarse, then she stood up."
"I'll never forget that moment, the vow she made to the setting sun—"
"No matter the cost, humanity will win against the Honkai...!"
Sora vividly recreated the scene.
"..."
"..."
Tesla and Mei were speechless upon hearing this. After a moment's silence, Mei spoke sympathetically. "...How can I put it? It's such a sad story."
It's more than just sadness.
A worker who toiled their entire life just to live a peaceful life, only to have all their efforts vanish in a single day.
"How tragic!"
Fu Hua, who was watching the film, couldn't help but offer this assessment.
"This is a story of a small town drowned."
"The poor woman on the island... that's Raven in the title, right?"
Himeko felt a little sympathetic towards her.
Adults can collapse in a matter of seconds. Going from nothing to something, and then back to nothing again—what a devastating blow that must be.
"This girl mentioned the Honkai Eruption that sank the island. Since the correct answer is Kiana, it must be..."
Einstein didn't explain the whole story, but anyone with a bit of intelligence would understand she was referring to the footage of the Herrscher of the Void awakening at the Schicksal headquarters.
The Herrscher's awakening triggered a disaster, which then destroyed Raven's island villa.
Although this was essentially the fault of the Herrscher of the Void and Otto, Kiana certainly couldn't be blamed.
The video went black, and as usual, it should have ended. However, after a few seconds of pause, an image flashed.
[Raven/Natasha Sciora]
[Birthplace: Siberia]
[Faction: World Serpent]
[Synopsis 1: As a child, she lived a peaceful life with her brother. Later, she was on the verge of death due to the Eruption caused by the Second Herrscher. She was saved by Cecilia at the time and later taken away by Gray Serpent, a World Serpent officer, to be trained as a mercenary under the World Serpent.]
[Synopsis 2: After becoming a mercenary, inspired by her childhood experiences, she dedicated herself to saving children around the world who were persecuted by the Honkai. She spent a long time using her savings to purchase an island and villa. On the eve of completion, the island sank to the seabed due to the global disaster caused by the Honkai, caused by the awakening of the Herrscher of the Void during the Schicksal War. She cried out in grief, "No matter the cost, humanity will defeat the Honkai!"]
[People she likes: Raiden Mei, Sora, the children she saved]
[People she dislikes: Kiana Kaslana, the Herrscher of the Void]
Regarding the World Serpent officer, Raven's personal profile was exposed to everyone.
Seeing that profile, everyone was speechless.
No wonder the title said Raven and Kiana were lifelong enemies.
Originally, they thought it was just about that villa island.
It turns out they'd been tricked.
Twice by the same Herrscher. Once, her family was destroyed, and once... the island sank and her house collapsed. She was lucky to survive.
In short, the grudge was enormous.
And then, putting aside the profile...
Everyone glanced at Mei, who was listed as "liked" in the "person" section after the profile, their expressions towards Mei suddenly became strange.
One was a World Serpent officer with a deep and irreconcilable relationship with the Herrscher of the Void... and Kiana. The other was a Valkyrie of Schicksal, Kiana's best friend.
...How did they intersect?