"Announcement: The annual physical evaluations for all schools concluded successfully yesterday. We wish everyone a productive year ahead..."
High above District 7, the oval-shaped broadcast airship continued its daily reports on a massive screen. Below, the streets buzzed with discussion about Tokiwadai's stunning display the day before.
"The Number One is seriously insane. I wish I could be that strong someday."
"Yeah, sure. Keep dreaming, buddy. If wishes were peanuts, you'd be drunk already."
"What, I can't have dreams?"
"Sure you can. Just don't expect to wake up to them."
The crowd's laughter carried through the streets. Selene's "performance" from the day before had been so overwhelming that the other two Level 5s might as well have been background extras.
With the year-end evaluation concluded, Tokiwadai Middle School officially entered its winter break. Next semester, Selene would return as a second-year student. For now, life had slowed down.
After the break began, Selene's days were quite leisurely. The daily management of affairs was handled efficiently by Sebas, Aoki Youichi, and Shuji Matsuzaki.
As for the Dark Side, Selene had little interest. Kihara Amata had been behaving himself lately, so she left the covert matters entirely to Aoki's discretion and rarely interfered.
Things were different on the Schicksal Research Institute side. Production of the Project T-R serums and military robots had already entered full-scale manufacturing. Thanks to Sebas' polished negotiation and PR skills, contracts were pouring in nonstop.
The institute's reputation skyrocketed, propelling the Schicksal Group into the upper echelon of Academy City's research field.
Selene herself now enjoyed plenty of free time outside the occasional strategy meeting. Time to relax a little.
Of course, relaxation didn't mean idleness. Selene had enrolled in several advanced science and engineering courses and even drafted her own customized training plans. Though Academy City's "ability development" programs tended to be exploitative, with proper adjustments they still yielded good results.
As for hobbies, Selene's main indulgence these days was simple—food. Secondary hobby? Possibly racing.
In her previous life, perhaps there had been other diversions, but now... those were irrelevant.
Truth be told, despite having lived in Academy City for quite some time, Selene had rarely walked its streets. She was usually flying—or teleporting. With free time on her hands, she decided to explore the city properly, and for that, she needed a mode of transport.
So, what had Selene been busy with lately? Answer: driving practice.
Though she held a license from her previous world, driving styles here differed drastically. She needed to adapt—after all, the last thing she wanted was to become a "road hazard."
As for the legal restrictions on minors driving motor vehicles, Selene didn't care. As the saying goes, "Money makes even ghosts work for you." In her case, she had not only money—but power and influence.
Her other passion, of course, remained food. Conveniently, District 4 of Academy City was home to the city's largest concentration of restaurants—offering cuisine from over 190 countries.
Though she hadn't personally visited many of them yet, she could simply summon their top chefs to cook for her. Before long, among those in the know, she had earned quite the reputation as a "gourmet connoisseur."
Naturally, rumors and urban legends followed.
And so, days passed in relative peace. Within half a month, winter deepened, and the New Year approached.
Today, Selene was in an especially good mood—after all, thanks to her diligent (money-driven) effort (authority-backed) determination (influence)—she had successfully obtained her driver's license.
Ahem... the details were self-explanatory.
After tidying herself up, Selene prepared to hit the road.
But just as she was heading to the garage, excited to take her beloved supercar out for its first spin, an uninvited guest disrupted her plans.
"Huh? Kakine Teitoku wants to see me? And he's already here?"
"Yes, Miss," Sebas confirmed. "Mr. Kakine said he wished to meet with you in person. He's currently waiting in the parlor."
Receiving Sebas' report, Selene paused for a moment in thought, then decided to meet him. As much as she wanted to enjoy her first drive, her curiosity about Kakine's motives outweighed her impatience.
Turning toward the parlor, Selene walked gracefully, still dressed in her full, striking Herrscher attire. She looked every bit like a goddess descending from the heavens—radiant, majestic, and impossible to ignore.
As for why she still wore the outfit? Beyond the novelty, the answer was simple—it looked damn good.
When the attendant opened the parlor door, Selene immediately spotted Kakine Teitoku seated on the couch, waiting.
The arms she had once severed were now fully restored. His trademark purple jacket remained unchanged, and though his gaze was still shadowed, something vital had shifted. The confident smirk he once wore was gone—replaced by a faint air of defeat, his head slightly bowed, a trace of exhaustion hanging over him.
"...Kakine Teitoku," Selene said coolly, her voice melodic yet distant. "May I ask what brings you here? Or did you come to challenge me again?"
At the sound of her voice, Teitoku slowly lifted his head. Hearing her question, he gave a weary shake of his head. "Fighting you would just be one-sided humiliation. I don't have that kind of masochistic streak."
Indeed, ever since their battle, Kakine's self-confidence had been shattered. Against Accelerator, he still believed victory was possible. But against Selene—he had lost all hope. There wasn't even a glimmer of a chance.
"This time," he continued, his tone calm but heavy, "I came to ask you something. After the battle at the abandoned factory... what exactly did you inject into my body?"
"I'm asking you, please—tell me."
His voice was earnest, his attitude humble, ceding all initiative to Selene. For someone like Kakine, that alone spoke volumes. If not for the unsettling changes in his body, he never would have come to see her.
Selene tilted her head slightly. "Didn't the Board of Directors explain this to you?"
Her expression showed mild surprise. Though his eyes still carried that somber weight, his composure and humility caught her off guard. It was hard to imagine that this was the same man once feared throughout the Dark Side.
"I asked," Kakine replied, his tone level. "But Aleister hasn't given me any response. The researchers all avoid the topic. I had no choice but to come here directly."
He spoke without arrogance, without sarcasm, without any of the insolent bravado that once defined him.
After confirming his sincerity, Selene replied evenly, "Very well. I'll admit it. The energy I injected into you that day was indeed from me."
She paused, letting her words sink in, then said calmly—
"Its name... is Honkai Energy."