"Looks like you decided to follow me after all."
With the corners of her lips slightly upturned, Nagami turned to glance at Bronya, who was quickly approaching.
"Hey, Nagami, why did this little shorty come along too?"
Resting her elbow on Nagami's shoulder, Kiana (the mischievous tuna) watched Bronya, who had until just recently been an enemy, and asked curiously.
Seeing Mei pulling the tuna Kiana aside from Nagami to explain the situation.
The heiress Kiana didn't even need to hear it to know that Nagami had somehow roped Bronya into joining them.
If Nagami went out of her way to bring her along, he clearly had a plan.
That wasn't something she needed to think about.
Right now, the real question was…
The heiress Kiana slowly lifted her gaze to the massive warship hovering in the sky, her icy blue eyes fixed on it.
How exactly was she supposed to deal with this world's "aunt"?
"Honestly, I think you're overthinking this. Relationships between counterparts in parallel worlds, or the same soul across different realities, really just depend on the individuals. Just go with your feelings~"
C.C. offered her laid-back advice while playing with the young lady's delicate hand.
After all, from a higher-dimensional perspective, counterparts were all just projections of the same soul in different worlds.
But for human consciousness, the biggest influences were environment and personal experiences.
For Nagami, encountering a counterpart would always depend on how well they clicked—how their personalities and values aligned.
A counterpart who didn't resonate could be treated like a stranger.
But one with deep resonance… they might be as close as C.C. and himself.
"Mmm… I suppose you're right."
The heiress Kiana's porcelain face turned slightly red as she glanced at the green-haired girl who was gently kneading her hand.
A glimmer of shyness and delight sparkled in her eyes.
"And besides…" With a teasing glint in her eyes, C.C. lightly scratched her palm and whispered, "They're already here~"
Several figures leaped down from the floating battleship, tracing perfect arcs in the air before landing in a suave, confident manner.
Standing at the front of the triangle formation was none other than the leader of the Far East Branch, Theresa.
"Good day, my lovely Valkyries~"
Her melodious voice floated through the air as C.C. offered them an elegant, courteous smile and a graceful welcoming pose.
"Lovely? I didn't expect anyone to use that word for me… I guess that means I'm still young, huh?"
The red-haired, voluptuous woman first looked surprised, then chuckled warmly.
"Good day to you too, Lady C.C."
Theresa responded with equal elegance, though her choice of address carried a subtle undertone of testing the waters.
That was as far as she could go, though—Schicksal's intel on C.C. was scarce, with little beyond her name.
"So, what brings you Valkyries to us today?"
Nagami looked over the three familiar figures, feigning polite curiosity even though he knew exactly why they'd come.
"I'm Theresa Apocalypse, leader of Schicksal's Far East Branch," Theresa said, doing her best to project an air of authority that didn't quite match her childlike appearance.
She smiled at everyone politely.
"First, let me thank you both for stopping the disaster from breaking out. And then…"
She blinked her bright blue eyes—so characteristic of the Kaslana family—as she scanned the unfamiliar faces.
Finally, her gaze landed on the heiress Kiana and the tuna Kiana.
Theresa froze for a moment, her entire demeanor slipping into a state of utter confusion.
Under the intense, direct gaze of this world's "aunt," the heiress couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.
Theresa from this world looked almost identical to the one she knew—even her hairstyle was exactly the same.
Yet facing this familiar figure, she hesitated.
Turning her head, she noticed the tuna Kiana half-hiding behind Mei.
Theresa's gaze naturally followed suit.
With most eyes now focused on her, Kiana pressed her lips together and hesitated for a moment before testing the word.
"...A-Aunt?"
Like trying to reconnect with a long-lost relative?
After all, she'd never even heard of having an aunt like this—no memories, no impressions at all.
If it weren't for her obsession with her father, Kiana probably wouldn't have believed this so-called family connection.
But since Nagami said it was true, she trusted that.
He would never lie to her.
Still… it was a bit weird, wasn't it?
An aunt who looked younger than her and wasn't even as tall?
"Yikes!"
A sudden whoosh of white in front of her eyes—no time to react.
The tuna Kiana felt like she'd just been hit by a speeding car, tumbling backward onto the ground with a squirming white ball in her arms.
"Kiana, I finally found you!" Theresa knew that this was just a clone—this wasn't the real Kiana.
But seeing that face stirred something deep inside her, something she couldn't hold back.
"Wait, let go of me! That hurts!" Kiana struggled, but Theresa's grip was unyielding.
She turned her head to Nagami, eyes begging him to step in.
But how could Nagami interrupt such a touching reunion?
Emotions swirling inside Theresa, and she finally remembered herself.
She pulled back, tilting her head to look at the young lady with curiosity.
"And… who is this?"
Having already let go of her earlier hesitation and following Nagami's guidance to trust her feelings.
The heiress blinked her bright eyes cutely and then let a mischievous smile curl across her lips.
"Hello, my name is Sirin~"
Her soft voice was calm and smooth, and she even performed an elegant curtsy befitting a lady of her status.
But to the three Valkyries, this self-introduction exploded in their ears like a bolt of thunder.
"Sirin!!!"
"S-Sirin?!"
The cries of shock rang out in unison—the first was from the single, older woman, and the second was from Theresa, of course.
The flawless, poised maid still held her graceful posture, but the sudden tightening of her gaze betrayed the fact that she was anything but calm inside.
Highly likely—no, Rita was almost certain—that this was a false name!
Still, seeing someone with Kiana's exact face yet calling herself "Sirin" instantly triggered one singular, chilling thought:
'The Sirin Project!'
So whether or not this was her real name.
There was no doubt in Rita's mind that this girl, identical to Kiana, was tied to forces or plans far beyond their current understanding.
All she could do was wait for the Overseer's instructions…
For a moment, the entire scene fell into a strange, frozen silence.
It felt as if the whole world itself had stopped moving.
"Sirin… is there something wrong with that name?"
Unaware of what this name signified, Mei timidly raised her hand and asked in a small voice.
"Querying the system database… search result found."
"Answer: Caused the Second Eruption, summoned the meteor shower that turned half of Siberia into a wasteland, resulting in thirty million casualties."
"The prime culprit behind the Second Eruption—the Second Herrscher."
With her expression still as calm and emotionless as ever, the little bronya with pale grey eyes recited the data in her mind.
She turned to the heiress, her gaze now filled with a hint of surprise.
"Her name… is Sirin!"
"What?!" ×2
Kiana and Mei both gasped, their eyes darting to their new friend they'd been living with these past few days.
It was clear they were both deeply shaken.
"Same name, same name, that's all~" Completely unconcerned, the heiress sheepishly waved her small hand.
"Come on, do I really look like the Second Herrscher to you?"
'Not just "look like"—she looked exactly the same as Kiana!'
Nagami mentally sighed at the absurdity of it all.
Sure, the Second Herrscher was supposed to be someone inside Kiana, but now she have Kiana body, who could deny that the heiress looked almost exactly like Kiana?
Besides, in another sense, the Herrscher of Finality was a thousand times scarier than the Herrscher of the Void!
"Hah! Quite the coincidence, huh?"
With a bright smile that had long since replaced her earlier shock, Himeko looked back at the 'Sirin' after taking a moment to think.
If this name turned out to be real, she'd bet her entire life she'd never have a man!
But seriously—who in their right mind would use "Sirin" as a fake name in an organization dedicated to fighting the Honkai?
That'd be like tattooing "I'm suspicious—come investigate me!" on your forehead.
So… maybe it really was her name?
Could there be such a crazy coincidence in this world?
…Better keep those thoughts to herself for now.
"Hmph~ Sharing a name is perfectly normal, isn't it?"
With a soft hum of agreement, her brilliant golden eyes sparkled, lending her a distinctly witch-like air.
"If there's another Honkai disaster, I'll stop it if I can. No need for thanks."
"Anyway—was there anything else you wanted to discuss?"
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