Inside another room.
A petite girl sat obediently in front of the vanity mirror, her small hands resting neatly on her lap.
Under the warm glow of the lamp, her delicate, youthful face carried a smile radiant enough to rival moonlight—yet a subtle hint lingered in her silvery-gray eyes.
Her long gray hair, usually styled into Roman curls, now cascaded freely down her back, giving her a touch of grace and elegance.
With a gentle, serene smile, Alexandra lifted a pale, slender hand to brush the damp ends of her daughter's hair.
Picking up a comb and blow dryer, she carefully tended to Bronya's silky locks.
"Bronya, do you often stay up late battling alongside Nagami?"
"Bronya often fights with her partner until past midnight."
"Doesn't that tire you out?"
"Bronya can still endure it."
"And… does Nagami take your feelings into account?"
"My partner is considerate of Bronya's experience."
Of course, the "battles" they spoke of were video games.
The Ural Silver Wolf that is renowned throughout the underworld—was a true pro behind the wheel.
Bronya was a little surprised her mother loved racing games so much, but oddly enough, it made her seem more approachable.
The only awkward part was that her mother's massive black tire tracks would sometimes crush right over Bronya's baby carriage.
That… could be a little embarrassing.
"Mmhmhm~ If that's the case, then Bronya's got quite the advantage!" Alexandra grinned, the blow dryer in hand.
Warm air swept through Bronya's gray hair like a rippling river.
"Alright, all done!"
Bronya rose from her seat, silver-gray eyes gazing at the reflection of the cute girl in the mirror.
Her long, soft curls framed her swan-like neck, her collarbones as pale and delicate as porcelain beneath her shoulders.
Her doll-like face was flawless, and the light silk pajamas she wore fluttered down to her hips, revealing long, slender legs smooth as jade.
When she lowered her head slightly, her gaze fell on her own pale, bare feet—small, dainty, and oddly enticing.
Her petite toes lined up neatly, soft pink nails gleaming like pearls. Every subtle twitch or curl sent a faint, alluring glow dancing across her skin.
No doubt about it—these legs were perfect.
"Ahh~ my daughter is just too adorable!"
Alexandra pulled Bronya into a tight embrace, rubbing her cheek affectionately against her daughter's innocent face.
"Sniff, sniff rub, rub"
"Mother… Bronya can't breathe…"
Her face was completely buried, Bronya's usual stoic expression finally breaking.
Her flushed cheeks betrayed both shyness and helplessness.
She reached up and pressed her hands against Alexandra' shoulders, trying to push her away.
"Hehe~"
Noticing her daughter's reaction, Alexandra let go at once, scratching her cheek awkwardly.
"If Nagami starts kneading from today onward, give it two years and Bronya will reach the same level as her mother~"
During their little chat, Alexandra had noticed Bronya absentmindedly staring in the direction of Nagami's room.
As an experienced woman, she instantly understood what her daughter was thinking.
Using the chance, she had fussed over Bronya's appearance, grooming her carefully.
It wasn't only out of personality—over time, Alexandra had listened to Bronya's stories about her childhood.
Though Bronya's expression had remained calm and her voice gentle, Alexandra had wept uncontrollably while hearing them.
She knew exactly what that girl named Seele had meant to Bronya, and how meeting Nagami had changed her life.
So at this point, Alexandra wasn't surprised by how things had developed.
In fact, she was more than happy to give her daughter a push in the right direction.
"…"
Bronya lowered her head, her pale cheeks faintly touched with red.
Her emotional circuits had already healed; the stoic "three-no" face was nothing more than habit now.
Though she'd once carried out assassination missions as the Ural Silver Wolf, sneaking into all kinds of dangerous places, it had always been swift, clean work: infiltrate, kill, then vanish.
Back then, her mental state had been completely different.
Now, feeling embarrassed over something like this was only natural.
But Bronya had already made her decision. She would never let Nagami go!
Just as in assassination, efficiency was key.
And with so many predators circling the same prey—no, with everyone in this dorm practically itching to take a bite—there was no room for hesitation.
In this kind of situation, one had to strike quickly.
And most importantly…
Bronya glanced at her mother's full, rounded chest… then looked down at her own Russian "tablet"—flat as a Honkai-issued pad.
A ripple stirred in her silver-gray eyes.
Could it really… get bigger if Nagami touched it?
"Mother, Bronya Prototype Unit requests deployment!"
"Permission granted~"
…
The night sky outside was as black as forged iron, the moonlight spilling like liquid silver into the dorm's living room, painting the darkness in a dreamlike haze.
Within the stillness came the faint rustling of leaves in the night breeze.
But in the next instant, the silence changed—or perhaps it didn't.
The atmosphere remained suffocating, dead still, like a graveyard where even the wind dared not whisper.
And in that breathless quiet spread a far more dreadful presence—awkwardness—punctuated only by the sound of breathing and the thudding of hearts.
At the entrance of Nagami's room on the second floor, three figures froze in place, each standing at the same distance from the door.
Their eyes darted back and forth, avoiding direct contact, then landing on the other two.
Their equally fair, delicate faces went from blank confusion, to stunned surprise, to dawning realization, and finally to something… complicated.
"Mei, Bronya, what are you doing here?"
"Kiana, Mei nee-sama, what are you doing here?"
"Kiana, Bronya, what are you doing here?"
The questions came at the same time, and afterwards the three froze with equally blank expressions.
It was like an invincible stall had forced The World—time itself seemed to freeze, the scene locked in place, silence heavy as quicksand, burying even the sound of wind.
There is no need to ask further.
At this hour, with faint traces of makeup still on their faces, and dressed in sleepwear that just happened to highlight their best features, the truth was obvious.
Take Bronya for example: the usual yellow Homu onesie that she always wear is missing tonight.
Instead she wore a pure white, slightly sheer silk top that only fell just below her waist.
At first glance it looked like she wasn't wearing anything beneath—though of course she was.
That barely-there transparency could short-circuit any pervert's operating system.
Her long, slender legs and dainty bare feet were on full display.
Mei and Kiana's nightwear was no less revealing, each styled to emphasize their own charms.
Anyone with half a brain could see exactly what the three of them were here for.
"Beware of fire, beware of thieves… but most of all, beware of your friends."
That saying had never been truer.
They'd lived together long enough—small quarrels and clashes had happened before, but never had the tension been this sharp, this suffocating, like sitting on needles.
If it were just the three of them, maybe things wouldn't spiral too far.
They might be "surface-level besties," but even surface friendships had some boundaries—they'd leave room for each other.
But… there was a problem.
Three cards on the table could instantly become a full squad once "special effects" activated.
Kiana and Mei might tolerate each other making a move on Bronya.
But Sirin… and the Herrscher inside them? They weren't about to sit quietly.
They could accept themselves being involved with Nagami.
But other women? Never.
"My other half… and you…"
Kiana's pupils shifted, turning into golden cruciform patterns.
Streams of light particles rose from the void, wrapping around her slender figure, reshaping into a black-and-white off-shoulder dress.
Her lower half gleamed with black thigh-high stockings and high heels edged in orange.
"You two… what exactly are you planning?!"
Of course, Sirin wasn't stupid.
She didn't release a massive surge of Honkai energy—waking the others would be a disaster.
Besides, their mother and true Kiana should be asleep by now.
The raging Honkai energy around her suddenly drew inward, condensing around the white-haired girl as she slowly straightened.
An aura like an empress radiated outward, commanding presence from every angle.
Sirin, the Queen of Queens, gazed coldly at the two Herrschers before her, lips curling into a merciless smirk.
"Half-body worm. You're nothing but a pathetic Herrscher of the Void."
The lights, which had been dark, flickered erratically as if short-circuiting.
In the unsteady glow, Mei's amethyst eyes crackled with lightning.
Her soft lavender hair became streaked with violent sparks, the tips dyed a fierce violet.
Her nightwear scorched and tore open under the heat of her own electricity, exposing pale skin—only to be covered the next instant by a Herrscher's battle armor of violet, black, and crimson.
Another queen had entered the stage.
The Third Herrscher—Herrscher of Thunder—was here!