A quiet night. St. Freya Academy was immersed in the happiness of dinnertime.
"I'm back."
After finishing a day of training, Kiana returned to the dorm and immediately smelled something tempting.
"…Fried chicken."
She quietly crept toward the kitchen.
Raiden Mei, wearing an apron, was simmering bone broth. On the counter behind her sat freshly fried chicken pieces.
Suddenly, a sinful hand stretched out from beneath the table and grabbed a fragrant piece of fried chicken.
"Ahm."
With one bite, Kiana showed a blissful expression and sighed:
"As expected, Mei's secret-recipe fried chicken is the best."
Then another piece. And another.
Licking her lips, she reached for one more—
when a slender, pale hand touched her shoulder. Kiana's whole body trembled.
She slowly raised her head.
"Kiana… have you seen the chicken I just made?"
Under the backlit shadow, Mei's smile looked terrifying.
"…Where could it be?"
Kiana didn't dare resist. With trembling fingers, she pointed at her stomach.
"…Here."
"Heh heh heh."
Mei raised her fist.
"Ow—Mei, that hurts!"
Clutching the swollen bump on her head, Kiana's eyes watered.
"I can't believe Kiana ate all the chicken," Mei complained, holding up the empty plate and handing it to her. "As punishment, you'll fry the next batch."
"Huh? Fry? Not deep-fry?"
Kiana looked confused.
"You already ate the deep-fried ones. There isn't enough left," Mei said with a helpless hand on her hip—though she still smiled and forgave her.
As oil sizzled, the dorm door opened.
"Mei-sister, Bronya bought the vegetables," Bronya's voice called.
"Ah, welcome back, Bronya. Thank you for your hard work."
Mei accepted the vegetables with praise.
But Bronya's attention shifted to the kitchen.
"…Idiot Kiana is actually helping."
Her gaze slid to the empty plate.
"…There are fried-chicken crumbs here."
"Don't look at me," Kiana said guiltily.
"…And evasive eye movement."
From somewhere, Bronya pulled out a magnifying glass. Her eyes lit up.
The conclusion was obvious.
"Kiana, you stole food again!"
It was true. Kiana couldn't deny it. She puffed her cheeks and huffed.
Just as Mei was about to ease the mood—
A deafening muffled boom exploded in their minds. Their vision went dark for a moment. When they came back to themselves, Kiana and Bronya were also holding their heads.
"What happened? Did the Honkai erupt?!"
Kiana looked around the room on guard, searching for enemies or Honkai beasts.
Nothing.
Just as she thought it was a shared hallucination, a virtual screen appeared before her eyes. A flat mechanical voice sounded in their minds.
[Welcome to the Dimensional Q&A System.]
[Forgotten histories, a future lost within quantum uncertainty—countless joys and sorrows recorded among the branches of the Imaginary Tree upon the Sea of Quanta. All will be displayed to the chosen, allowing the past worth remembering to advance, and regretful fates to be reversed.]
[To all compatriots affected by the Honkai—may your spirit endure.]
[The system will present questions. Correct choices will grant rewards that you desire. Wrong choices will bring punishments you would rather not bear. Please answer carefully.]
"…What is this?"
Kiana looked baffled. Mei and Bronya were just as confused.
"Bronya, you've traveled everywhere—have you seen something like this?"
Mei asked the most reliable person present.
"…Sorry. Bronya has never seen this either."
Maintaining her usual expressionless face, confusion still showed in her eyes.
She'd carried guns, run missions, hacked systems—her short life had been full of experiences. The famous "Silver Wolf of the Urals" had seen almost everything.
But this? She really hadn't.
Just as they were puzzling over it, the mechanical voice sounded again.
[Selected participants, please prepare. In fifteen minutes, the system will officially begin.]
"…Selected participants… We're not being used as test subjects, are we?"
Kiana looked conflicted. The word "experiment" stirred something uncomfortable in her heart.
"No. Current civilization hasn't reached that level. At the very least, Schicksal HQ does not possess such technology," Bronya said firmly.
As someone who often hacked Schicksal's database, she spoke with confidence.
At the same time, not only in the Valkyrie dorm—but in many other places and for many other people—the same phenomenon occurred.
Raven at World Serpent headquarters.
Rita of Schicksal.
Tesla and Einstein of Anti-Entropy.
Raven: "What, I'm the only one in the organization? Damn, does this mean forced overtime?! If I don't get overtime pay, I'm going on strike!"
Tesla: "What principle is this, chicken-hair?! I feel like all the scientific knowledge I've accumulated is collapsing!"
Einstein: "Dr. Tesla, calm down. Science has no end—no one knows where the limits are. For now, we must understand the situation. For example, Ms. Theresa, what do you think?"
Theresa: "Sorry, Dr. Einstein. I'm a victim too. Grandpa might know something. Should I go back to Schicksal HQ to gather intel?"
Rita: "Oh my, Lady Theresa, you're here as well? It's been so long. Rita has missed you dearly. When you return to headquarters, I'll take time to show you around again."
Theresa: "Rita!!!"
In the principal's office, the academy head who had stayed late for overtime froze mid-smile while hugging a Homu doll.
Himeko: "Principal, we'll discuss the manga tomorrow. Theresa, do you remember why you stayed late tonight? Those piled-up documents can't be delayed any longer."
Theresa: "…!!!"
Tesla: "Ahahaha, Theresa, you got caught."
Einstein: "Dr. Tesla, could you describe the explosion in the lab just now? I'm curious."
Tesla: "Wait, it wasn't my fault! That thing suddenly popped in front of my face—otherwise I wouldn't have slipped and added an extra bottle of reagent!"
Kiana: "…Auntie, I've found your kind."
Theresa: "Ki-a-na! Your allowance next month is gone!"
Kiana: "Noooo! Auntie, please! I was saving for a beach trip with Mei!"
Upon hearing the bad news, Kiana turned pale.
Bronya: "Ahem. Everyone, personal matters are not suitable for public discussion. And the countdown on the screen is about to end."
Immediately, whether they were lurking, watching, or chatting—everyone fixed their eyes on the screen.
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TL note: okay let's go, it depends on my mood on what fanfiction I will update by the way