"Is this the place? If there's anywhere she could appear, it would only be within this Academy."
Outside St. Freya Academy, a figure with long white hair appeared. She looked at the gates of St. Freya Academy, recalling the scenes she had seen in the video.
Kallen, Sirin, and Cecilia—one shouldn't have appeared due to the timeline, and the other two absolutely couldn't be in the same frame due to their factions.
Their only commonality was that they were all dead, but being dead didn't mean they couldn't reappear.
Otto could create new life forms through cloning technology, but this technology might produce a large number of failures, so there was also a certain danger.
Although Schicksal still hadn't found the video's publisher, she had a premonition that the publisher might be at St. Freya Academy.
To confirm her premonition, the girl didn't tell Otto she was leaving. She piloted an aircraft at top speed to the Far East, landing nearby without St. Freya Academy's detection, and appeared here.
Schicksal had many undercover agents planted in St. Freya Academy, in addition to a certain class monitor, there were also many students and teachers.
Without anyone knowing, they could enter the Academy through a special passage without others being aware, and she happened to know where this special passage was.
"Hmm?"
On the other side, Inaba Tsukiyo, who was preparing to rest in her dorm, seemed to sense something. She stopped undressing and looked out the window.
Just now, she felt something important approaching, and this strong premonition urged her to check the situation.
'This feeling… it should be Kallen or Cecilia. What exactly is going on? Did Otto come without my knowledge? Or Siegfried? Or is it…'
Without overthinking, Inaba Tsukiyo turned to lock her room door, put on her miko outfit, climbed out the window, and quietly left the room.
Just as Inaba Tsukiyo left her room, Raiden Mei, who was reading in Raiden Mei's room next to Inaba Tsukiyo's, happened to spot a figure.
Looking closely, she realized that the quietly moving figure was Inaba Tsukiyo.
What was going on? Why did Inaba Tsukiyo need to leave the dorm without anyone else knowing?
Raiden Mei didn't know what Inaba Tsukiyo wanted to do, but that didn't stop Raiden Mei's actions. Just like Inaba Tsukiyo, she locked her door, climbed out the window, and quietly followed in Inaba Tsukiyo's direction.
As she walked, the inexplicable feeling in Inaba Tsukiyo's heart grew stronger and stronger, and by the end, her body began to transform uncontrollably.
After the white light disappeared, Inaba Tsukiyo had transformed into a different appearance.
This was a woman with beautiful white hair and a tall figure, dressed in white casual clothes, with a faint smile on her face.
'Sure enough, this feeling comes from Cecilia, which means, is the person who entered St. Freya Academy her?'
Inaba Tsukiyo didn't mind transforming into Cecilia's appearance. If this intruder really was that person, Inaba Tsukiyo was willing to make contact with her.
However, Cecilia was already dead, and the person appearing before her was not Cecilia at all. How would she explain this? Reincarnation?
Hmm? When Cecilia died, Kiana was only two years old. Now Kiana is sixteen.
According to simple math, sixteen minus two is fourteen, and Inaba Tsukiyo's age setting in this world is fourteen… it seems this reincarnation setting isn't impossible. Is this fate? Is this what Schicksal calls fate?
Quickening her steps, Inaba Tsukiyo soon found that familiar yet unfamiliar figure in the forest of St. Freya Academy.
"You… are you… really you? Mother?"
The other party looked at Inaba Tsukiyo (Cecilia) who appeared before her, choked with emotion. Although she wore a mask, tears could flow through the gaps.
The girl standing in front of Inaba Tsukiyo had a figure almost identical to Kiana's. Although her eyes were covered, it didn't prevent her from being seen as Kiana.
"I… I don't know how to explain it to you. After all, you know that Cecilia died fourteen years ago."
Inaba Tsukiyo walked up to the girl and reached out to wipe the tears from her face.
Delicate fingers caressed the girl's flawless skin. The warmth from her arm made the girl believe that the person standing before her was not her hallucination.
"I… I certainly know. I've always told myself that. Fourteen years ago, Mother already died. Mother died as a hero. As a daughter, I should be proud. But… but…"
But she truly felt so lonely. She truly missed Cecilia so much. Even though it was only a two-year-old memory, she still clearly remembered Cecilia accompanying her.
This was the most beautiful memory of her life; her father and mother were by her side, and she was cherished like a princess.
However, such a life changed with Cecilia's death. The once happy life instantly transformed, as if the world had abandoned her.
The girl tremblingly removed the eye mask from her face, revealing those familiar sapphire blue pupils.
"This… this is… Kiana! Ho… how is this possible…"
Raiden Mei, who had followed, looked at the scene before her in disbelief. Inaba Tsukiyo suddenly changing her appearance was already astonishing enough. What was going on with this girl who looked exactly like Kiana?
When Raiden Mei first came out, she had gone to Kiana's room to confirm her status; Kiana was still playing games in her room and hadn't left at all.
What on earth was going on? Why were there two Kianas? Why would this Kiana consider the transformed Inaba Tsukiyo as her mother?
Too many questions arose in Raiden Mei's mind. She didn't know what was happening with any of these issues, but her rationality told her not to make a sound and to continue hiding.
Kiana… was not a clone, or rather, she was the real Kiana.
In 2009, when Siegfried was preparing to take Kiana away from Schicksal, he was pursued by forces dispatched by Otto. Siegfried failed to successfully take Kiana, only managing to escape with Kiana's experimental subject K-423.
This was the real Kiana. The one who had been with them all along was merely Kiana's experimental subject K-423.
The moment Kiana revealed her true face, an indescribable feeling surged forth. Inaba Tsukiyo couldn't help but reach out to caress Kiana's cheek, and tears uncontrollably welled up.
At this moment, Kiana finally couldn't hold back and threw herself into Cecilia's arms, crying loudly. She had been enduring constantly, but she couldn't take it anymore.
Kiana's mental defenses were breached, and emotions like grievance and anger continuously poured out. She truly needed someone to confide in.
"Mother! Mother! Why… why didn't Father look for me, even though I am Kiana? Why was I locked up? Why? Why is this happening?"
"Don't cry, Kiana. Don't cry. No one wants to abandon you. You are Cecilia's daughter, always have been. No one can replace that identity."
Inaba Tsukiyo comforted the crying Kiana. The touching scene moved Raiden Mei, who was not far away.
Just then, a quiet sound suddenly gave way to a dazzling light, followed by sounds continuously coming from all directions.
This sound appeared at a very inopportune moment, but both Kiana and Inaba Tsukiyo had come here secretly. Who would appear here?
The answer was obvious: Kiana's secret intrusion must have been discovered, and the security members of St. Freya Academy appeared here.
[Thump! Thump! Thump!]
Blinding lights shone on the two of them. Inaba Tsukiyo stood in front of Kiana, extending both hands. In her left hand was a black sword, and in her right, a white spear.
Black Abyss White Flower, this was Cecilia's weapon. Although it was recovered by Schicksal after her death, Cecilia could summon it through her own abilities.
A large number of security guards surrounded them. Soon, two familiar voices emerged from among the security guards: Himeko, carrying a greatsword, and Theresa, carrying the oath of judah.
When they received the invasion report, they had security personnel track them carefully, while she and Himeko brought their weapons here.
However, after seeing the faces of the invaders, they both found it hard to believe what they were seeing.
"This... Cecilia, is it really Cecilia?"
"But... that's impossible, isn't it? Lady Cecilia already in fourteen years ago..."
How could it be? In the Second Honkai Eruption War of 2000, the only S-Rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, Cecilia Schariac, should have perished with the Second Herrscher on the Siberian ice fields, making a heroic sacrifice.
Theresa, who had thought Anti-Entropy was invading again, saw Cecilia's familiar face and trembled, wanting to confirm, but Himeko beside her stopped her.
To be honest, Himeko was also shocked by Cecilia's appearance. She had seen the videos online, but she wasn't so naive as to believe Cecilia had truly resurrected.
It's just... Cecilia herself was already standing in front of her. No matter how unwilling Himeko was, she could only believe this fact.
Theresa, held back by Himeko, looked at Cecilia. Kiana, who was shielded behind her, was not, in Theresa's naive opinion, the one from the dormitory.
She was well aware of Otto's past plans and understood that Kiana, who had always stayed in the dormitory, was merely an experimental subject.
The Kiana standing beside Cecilia was probably the real Kiana.
"Cecilia..."
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