All in all, the dinner atmosphere was warm and cozy.
Everyone's face was filled with smiles and laughter—everyone except Nagami and C.C., who were all smiles on the outside but nervous on the inside.
C.C. had it easier.
With her beautiful appearance, the girls simply couldn't stay mad at her.
At most, they'd shoot her a sultry side-eye before letting it slide.
Nagami, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as lucky.
He could feel sharp, blade-like stares stabbing into him from all directions, as if they could pierce straight through stone and steel.
"Well then, everyone, we'll take our leave."
After dinner, their offer to help with the dishes was politely refused.
Fu Hua lingered for a while longer before finally saying her goodbyes, taking Cheng Lixue with her.
She still had plenty of questions she wanted to ask Nagami, but… tonight simply wasn't the right time.
"Wait a moment."
Nagami's voice stopped Fu Hua in her tracks.
C.C., meanwhile, noticed how Little Herrscher immediately perked up, practically glowing with joy at the thought of the "old timer" leaving.
With no one left to lecture her, she looked absolutely ecstatic.
If Fu Hua really left, Little Herrscher would no doubt cling to him for the rest of the night—possibly even insisting on sharing his bed.
And since her body was an exact copy of Fu Hua's original… well, the heavenly figure of the Scarlet Plume Immortal, those slender snow-white legs and delicate jade-like feet—ahem.
As a certain kelp-head once said: These legs alone are worth a million years of playtime!
And you call this a test of willpower for an LSP
What kind of LSP could possibly endure that?!
He'd be arrested that very night and end up sharing a cell with old man Akizuki Kōzō.
Catching Fu Hua's glance, Nagami flicked his eyes toward Little Herrscher.
[Take this "Fu Hua" with you too. Didn't you want to adjust her thinking?]
Unwilling to openly betray the girl who trusted him so much, Nagami resorted to telepathy through the Herrscher of Sentience's power.
Fu Hua hesitated, then gave Little Herrscher a long look.
Finally, with a sigh, she glanced back at Nagami, already guessing at his intentions.
She never truly believed the whole "Dad" thing anyway.
Knowing Nagami's personality all too well, she figured this SP business had to be some trick he pulled during the Herrscher's birth.
Ironically, Fu Hua was blaming him unjustly—it wasn't his doing at all, but rather the fault of the Honkai Will.
Still, if she ignored this and let the Herrscher stay glued to Nagami, and the girl ever tried something reckless with him… Nagami was 99% likely to "take action" on the spot.
And imagining the Herrscher using her own face to do those sorts of things with Nagami—ugh.
Better she deal with it herself than risk that nightmare.
Grinding her teeth, Fu Hua forcibly stripped away most of the Herrscher's powers, pulling the unsuspecting Little Herrscher's consciousness back into her body.
[Old timer! What do you think you're doing?! OLD TIMER!!]
The indignant, childlike voice echoed in her head.
Fu Hua gave Nagami a curt nod before leaving, now awkwardly trying to soothe the tantrum raging inside her mind.
Back in the living room, Nagami and C.C. found a line of girls sitting on the sofa, eagerly listening to Kurumi explain tales from another world.
After a moment's hesitation, they both wisely retreated to their own rooms.
Outnumbered and outgunned—sometimes the best strategy is simply to run away!
Naturally, since Cecilia and Alexandra were also present, C.C. didn't share a room with Nagami.
Kurumi, catching this out of the corner of her eye, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
But then she remembered Nagami still had spatial powers.
Her momentary relief quickly turned back into unease.
————————————————————————
As time passed.
Under the starry sky, St. Freya Academy slept soundly.
The dorms had long gone dark, shadows covering the earth without a hint of menace.
The crisp chirping of insects and birds filled the silent night like a festival song.
"Sirin, are you really not going to sleep with us?" Cecilia's gentle voice broke the quiet. She looked at the white-haired girl, now with her braids undone. "Mama has so many things she wants to tell you~"
————————————————————————
[Sirin]: Whoa, whoa, whoa! What do you think you're doing?! I am going to sleep with Mama☆!
————————————————————————
"I have plenty I want to tell you too, Mama."
Fresh from her bath, the "paramecium" tuna slipped into a flowing pink nightgown.
Her long, moon-white hair cascaded down her smooth, pale back.
Her bare shoulders glowed with a soft blush, pale skin tinged with rosy warmth—tempting, inviting, and impossible to ignore.
Not paying attention to the loud voice shouting in her mind, the "paramecium" struggled to suppress Sirin, who was desperately trying to seize control of the body.
"But… tonight, you and sister should have more to talk about, right?"
For once, the usually noisy paramecium was quiet, looking every bit the thoughtful little sister who genuinely wanted the best for her elder.
————————————————————————
[Sirin]: What are you trying to pull? Answer me now!
————————————————————————
The paramecium looked at True Kiana, who was holding Cecilia's hand, and showed her a friendly smile.
Waving cheerfully, she said, "Sis, the night is all yours. Spend it with Mom!"
With that, she skipped happily out of the room.
True Kiana watched the white-haired girl's bouncing silhouette fade into the distance.
A faint unease tugged at her heart, but the thought of being able to enjoy her mother's warm embrace overpowered any doubts.
She didn't think too much of it.
"Hehe~!"
Climbing into the soft, spacious bed, True Kiana curled up in Cecilia's arms.
Her slender frame snuggled closer, cheek rubbing against the warmth of Cecilia's chest, like a spoiled little kitten.
It was the first time True Kiana had ever acted in a way that was usually reserved for the paramecium alone.
"Mom, tell me about how Nagami brought you back," she asked after a moment, curiosity sparkling in her voice.
During the day, Cecilia had only given her a vague explanation.
"Of course~" Smiling warmly, Cecilia hugged True Kiana back and gently stroked her silky long hair.
"Nagami…"
…
After leaving True Kiana's room, the paramecium dashed back to her own, closing the door behind her.
She plopped onto the soft edge of her bed, hugged her blanket, and rolled toward the center.
Lowering her head, she collapsed onto the mattress as if all her strength had drained away, closing her eyes slowly.
"Hey! What are you even trying to do, you massive idiot?!"
The very next second, with a loud shout, the girl suddenly sat upright.
Her clear sapphire-blue right eye instantly blazed into molten gold, as if filled with flowing lava.
Her previously calm expression twisted into anger.
With no one else in the room, the sight looked incredibly eerie—though for someone with a split personality, perhaps this was just a daily routine.
"Can you shut up already? I'm still thinking right now!"
Those were words no paramecium would ever say.
Yet the white-haired girl lay back down again, hugging her fluffy blanket and rolling a few times.
"You? Thinking? Hah! What could an idiot like you possibly think about?"
Golden eyes flickered with open disdain.
Although Sirin had only awakened during the Fourth Eruption, she had been observing the outside world long before that.
Naturally, she had witnessed countless brainless stunts from the paramecium.
"Does insulting yourself really make you feel better?" The paramecium muttered lazily, giving a half-lidded side glance.
"Who's the same person as you, you idiot?!" Sirin snapped back automatically, but her struggle for control gradually weakened.
She realized, with some surprise, that the paramecium actually was thinking about something.
Confusion rippled in Sirin's golden eyes.
The white-haired girl's expression shifted abruptly, brows furrowing.
There were only two people who could ever make this little bug stop and think.
No—actually, just one.
"…You're thinking about him, aren't you?"
Kiana didn't answer.
The atmosphere grew heavy, broken only by the sound of wind and cicadas outside the window.
"Hey, Sirin… In the memories Nagami wove for us—during the Second Eruption, didn't the Herrscher of the Void hurl four… meteors at Earth?"
Her voice, usually brimming with energy, now sounded fragile—like porcelain on the verge of shattering.
The girl known as the "paramecium" wasn't stupid. She just didn't like thinking.
Kiana hated facts that required layer after layer of thought to uncover. They were annoying, and they made life feel dull and empty.
But when she and Sirin embraced their mother together, their emotions resonated deeply, blending their memories into one.
That was how Kiana learned the truth of the Second Eruption.
Overwhelmed with emotion and unwilling to dwell on it, she had only skimmed through those memories in a hurry.
But just now—when she saw a shooting star streak across the sky—something in her chest froze.
In less than a fraction of a second, cold sweat broke out across her forehead, as dread and terror surged through her.