The class schedule at Tachikawa Academy, located in the Far East, wasn't as intense as the high schools Hikari Aoi knew.
As long as students arrived before 7:30 a.m., they were on time.
For most people, that wasn't early at all.
Some efficient "lazy types" could even wake up at 7:00 and still make it.
Hikari Aoi, of course, had no intention of oversleeping.
After washing up, he prepared to head to school.
Although most of the subjects taught at Tachikawa Academy weren't particularly interesting to him—after all, this wasn't his first time in high school—
There were still differences.
Because of the existence of Honkai—
Parts of physics and chemistry had changed.
History, too, had diverged significantly.
So it wasn't entirely a waste of time.
Now that he wasn't pushing himself to extremes like before, Hikari Aoi could actually stay awake in class and learn something.
As he walked downstairs—
He paused in front of Kiana's room.
Through the broken door, he could see inside.
Just as he expected—
Kiana Kaslana was still asleep.
He didn't wake her.
Instead, he took out a note he had prepared earlier—along with some cash—and bent down to place them by the door.
But then—
He noticed something.
A thin string.
And a small bell.
"…Not bad."
So even someone as carefree as Kiana would set up a basic security measure.
Clever.
Though—
He wasn't sure whether that tiny bell would actually wake her.
For a moment, Hikari Aoi considered shaking it out of curiosity—
But then he remembered her exhausted state yesterday.
And gave up the idea.
He stood up.
Turned.
And left.
Time passed.
Three hours later—
10 a.m.
Kiana woke up after more than ten hours of sleep.
She glanced at the time on her phone—
And instead of feeling regret—
She stretched comfortably.
"Ahhh~ That felt amazing."
As she slowly got up and pushed open the broken door—
She noticed the note and money on the ground.
Obviously—
Hikari Aoi had left them.
"When did he come…?"
If his only goal had been to leave these—
Then it definitely wasn't late at night.
Otherwise—
The bell should have alerted her.
So—
It must've been morning.
Kiana paused slightly.
Then picked up the note.
Besides a phone number—
There was a short message:
"I've gone to Tachikawa Academy. I won't be back until evening."
"You can move around freely."
"For meals, handle them yourself."
"The money on the ground is your weekly allowance—don't spend it all at once."
That was it.
Simple.
Brief.
Hikari Aoi only told her where he went.
Left her money.
And nothing else.
He didn't ask for repayment.
Didn't give instructions.
Didn't demand anything.
That level of kindness—
Was almost excessive.
Kiana stood there for a moment—
Then tilted her head.
"…Did I just unlock the life of eating and doing nothing?"
"…Sounds kinda nice."
Meanwhile—
In Europe.
Within an ancient courtyard whose architectural style clearly didn't belong to the modern era—
A blond, blue-eyed man who looked to be in his twenties sat calmly, sipping red wine.
Everything around him—
Was deeply familiar.
Etched into memory.
His name—
Otto Apocalypse.
The Archbishop of Schicksal.
For over five hundred years.
He had once been the youngest son of the Apocalypse family in the 15th century.
Brilliant—
Yet useless in combat.
Thus—
Disdained by his own family.
As the youngest son—
He was never meant to inherit the position of Archbishop.
His childhood—
Was far from happy.
And then—
She appeared.
Kallen Kaslana.
A kind girl.
Who wandered into the only courtyard where Otto could feel at peace.
A ray of light—
In a life filled with shadows.
Though unvalued—
Otto still had access to his father's study.
There—
He learned of Honkai.
And began his research.
During that process—
Whether due to some mysterious influence…
Or his own nature—
He changed.
Became cold.
Detached.
His values—
Drifted far from normal humanity.
But one thing never changed.
His feelings for Kallen.
They only grew stronger.
She—
Remained special.
But Otto loved Kallen—
And Kallen loved the world.
Or rather—
Before her escape—
Only the world.
Because of various events—
Kallen, once Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie—
Betrayed Schicksal.
And fled to the Far East.
Otto seized that time.
Desperately gathering power.
Trying to rise.
To claim the position of Archbishop.
So he could—
Bring her back.
But time—
Was not enough.
He failed to seize full control.
And worse—
Kallen found love.
In a remote place called Yae Village.
When Otto learned of it—
He fell into despair.
But not for long.
Things moved too quickly.
Kallen was captured.
Brought back to Schicksal.
And at the tribunal—
She declared—
That she loved a pseudo-Herrscher.
Yae Sakura.
A Valkyrie—
Falling in love with a being tied to Honkai.
Even if only a pseudo-Herrscher—
It was unacceptable.
The council declared her fallen.
Sentenced her to death by hanging.
Otto tried everything to stop it.
But in the end—
Kallen still died.
Not by execution—
But by Honkai beasts.
Released by Otto himself—
To disrupt the execution.
He knew—
Her death was his fault.
And he accepted that.
He didn't blame Kallen.
He didn't blame himself for trying to save her.
What he blamed—
Was humanity.
If not for human limitations—
He would have seized power sooner.
Become Archbishop earlier.
Disbanded the council.
And Kallen—
Would still be Schicksal's greatest Valkyrie.
Even if she loved a Herrscher.
Otto changed.
Or rather—
He went mad.
He killed his father.
Killed his brothers.
Took the throne.
Ruled Schicksal for over five hundred years.
He orchestrated tragedies.
Countless conspiracies.
Watched innocent people die—
Without emotion.
All for one goal.
Revive Kallen.
He tried many times.
Failed every time.
And now—
It was time—
For another attempt.