After that disastrous first impression from Reina and Kiana, the class resumed as usual, settling into the rhythm of a typical school day.
But even as the teacher continued with the lesson, the atmosphere hadn't quite returned to normal. Most of the students were still stunned by Kiana's sudden declaration. From time to time, their eyes would wander toward the back of the classroom, where the two transfer students sat.
Kiana had taken the seat by the window-ironically, the main character seat-while Reina sat directly in front of her.
Not much happened during the lessons. Kiana hardly paid attention, often staring out the window or scribbling nonsense in her notebook. Meanwhile, Reina quietly took notes, diligently copying everything from the board.
Eventually, the bell rang, signaling the start of their break. Normally, this would be when curious students approached the newcomers with questions, eager to know more. But thanks to Kiana's bold announcement earlier, no one dared to speak to them just yet.
And before anyone could even think about approaching, Kiana was already dragging Reina out of the classroom. Reina, as calm as ever, simply followed along while carrying a lunchbox meant for two.
Meanwhile, Mei remained at her seat, still in shock from what she'd heard.
"Wife? I didn't mishear that, right? She said... she's her wife? But they're both girls... Can two girls even marry each other? What about having a child? Who would be the father?"
It was one of the rare moments when her brain simply stopped functioning.
Usually, Mei would be the one helping new transfer students-walking them around, introducing the school's facilities, and showing them how to get around the place.
She liked helping others. It wasn't unusual for her to assist classmates with their studies or lend them some stuff when they forgot something.
But while Mei was still stuck in confusion over what she'd heard, Reina and Kiana had already made their way to the back of the school.
Initially, Reina had planned to head to the cafeteria, but Kiana had taken her somewhere else instead-somewhere quiet where they could be alone.
Once they found a nice spot, Kiana sat down on the grass beneath a tree and cheerfully patted the space beside her.
At this point, it had been almost a year since Reina met Kiana. Over the past few months after leaving Canada they hadn't come straight to Japan. Instead, the two of them had spent time traveling the world together.
It almost felt like they'd gone on a honeymoon with how much fun they'd been having since they left.
"You must be hungry. You didn't get to eat this morning," Reina said as she placed the lunchbox on her lap.
"Of course I'm hungry! So hurry and open it!"
"Alright, alright."
As soon as Reina opened the lunchbox, the familiar scent hit Kiana immediately.
Even though the food had been made hours ago and had gone cold, the aroma was still mouthwatering. The scent of eggs, tuna, rice, shrimp, meat-and some vegetables she was definitely going to ignore-made her stomach grumble.
When Reina handed her the food, she smiled softly. "Remember to eat slowly."
Kiana nodded eagerly before digging in. "Mmm~ it's so goooood~~~ I'm glad I almost froze to death."
Seeing that reaction from Kiana, Reina couldn't help but smile. Anyone would be happy when their cooking was praised-especially when the person eating looked so blissfully satisfied.
Reina decided to start eating, but just as she reached for a shrimp, one was suddenly held up to her mouth.
"Here, aaahhh~"
It was Kiana, trying to feed her directly with a playful grin.
Reina blinked in surprise at the shrimp held out in front of her, just inches from her face. Kiana was grinning, her eyes sparkling with playful affection as she held the food up expectantly.
"aaah~"
Reina sighed softly but leaned forward, accepting the bite from Kiana without hesitation. As the shrimp touched her lips, Kiana smiled even wider, clearly pleased.
"Mmm... it's good," Reina murmured after chewing, her voice quieter than usual.
Seeing that, Kiana immediately looked proud, already picking up another piece to offer. Before long, they were exchanging bites, one after another-Reina giving Kiana a piece of meat, and Kiana carefully offering her rice with a bit of egg on top.
It was as if time slowed down just for them. Their laughter was quiet, their expressions soft. The sun filtering through the tree leaves cast a gentle light on them, making the scene feel like something out of a dream.
In that moment, it didn't matter where they were or how curious the rest of the school might be. All that existed was the warmth between them, their lunch shared under the tree, and the small world they created together-just the two of them.
A few peaceful moments passed as the two of them finished their lunch under the soft shade of the tree.
"Thank you for the delicious food as always," Kiana said, placing her palms together with a satisfied sigh.
"You're welcome," Reina replied with a gentle smile, carefully placing the empty lunchbox back into the bag.
After that, they both decided to stay there for a little while longer, enjoying the quiet atmosphere and each other's presence until the bell rang again.
"By the way," Kiana spoke up as she leaned toward her, "why are we here? I thought Italy was a pretty good place to stay, and there's a big school there too."
Reina tilted her head slightly. "Hmm, that's because there's someone I need to find here."
"Someone? Who is that?" Kiana asked, her curiosity piqued.
"You'll know in a few days," Reina replied, her gaze drifting to the sky. "But for now, let's just enjoy ourselves. After school, we can go shopping together."
"Hmm~ well, as long as you don't cheat on me, then I'll just do the usual and follow you~" Kiana said playfully before resting her head on Reina's lap.
She started to idly play with Reina's long, silky black hair, twirling it between her fingers while Reina continued to gaze at the sky, gently patting Kiana's head.
'Nagazora, huh... I don't remember much, but I know this is where everything begins,' Reina thought to herself, her expression subtly shifting.
'I already made sure Kiana and I transferred earlier than in the manga. Normally, Kiana only arrives after Mei's father is arrested for economic fraud. Of course, that's just a setup by Cocolia to trigger the awakening of Mei's Herrscher core.'
Her eyes drifted toward the school building in front of them.
'Once the core is created, Cocolia detonates a bomb filled with Honkai energy to force Mei to absorb it and awaken as the Herrscher of Thunder. But that act kills thousands...'
Reina let out a long sigh, the weight of her memories and knowledge pressing down on her.
She didn't hide her disdain for that woman, Cocolia... she's the "I'm evil because I want to protect what is dear to me" type that murder even children and infants, all for the sake of saving a single girl lost in the Sea of Quanta.
Just as Reina sank deeper into those bitter thoughts, her eyes caught movement at one of the school windows. Her sharp gaze instantly recognized the figure peeking from behind the glass.
A faint smile tugged at her lips as she raised her hand and waved toward the silhouette.
"...!!!"
The person flinched in surprise, clearly not expecting to be noticed, and quickly turned to flee from the window.
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Time passed.
During the day's lessons, Reina quickly came to a realization-there was no mention of Honkai. None at all. The curriculum was filled with the standard basics: math, literature, science, history. But not a single word about the Honkai outbreaks that had devastated cities around the world.
"So that's why... during the Nagazora outbreak, so many people didn't know what to do..." she murmured to herself, eyes flicking down to her notebook.
Her textbook was already filled with everything the teacher had written on the whiteboard. She didn't need any of this herself, of course, but she wasn't doing it for her.
This was for Kiana.
She knew full well that Kiana never paid attention in class. So later tonight, she'd sit her down and personally walk her through everything.
A light snore behind her made her glance over her shoulder.
"Zzzz..."
As expected, Kiana was fast asleep at her desk.
Reina decided to leave her be. Kiana had trained especially hard yesterday, pushing herself past her limits. She probably needed the rest. Besides, Reina had taken the extra step and cloaked her in a light illusion-enough to prevent the teacher or other students from noticing she was dozing off.
Then, the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day.
As students began packing up, the teacher's voice called out above the noise, "Oh, I almost forgot. Kiana Kaslana, Reina Zero, and Raiden Mei-could you three stay for a moment, please?"
Reina blinked in surprised as that was unexpected.
Mei, too, looked surprised as she paused from putting her stuff inside her bag before turning her attention back to the teacher.
Even Kiana groggily stirred from her nap, confused and still half-asleep.
A few moments later, after most of the students had left the classroom, Kiana, Reina, and Mei stood in front of the teacher's desk while she tidied up her table.
"Kiana, Reina, have you two gotten used to the school yet? Umm... No one's tried anything to you two, right?" the teacher asked hesitantly.
The reason behind her question was simple-she knew how the students at this prestigious school behaved. Most of them came from wealthy, influential families, and many were spoiled children who thought too highly of themselves. She feared that someone might bully Kiana and Reina, especially after that shocking announcement earlier.
Not only that, but the school was still dealing with the recent string of missing girls. And with Kiana and Reina appearance, she was worried that they might also vanish without a trace.
"No, we're fine. No one has bullied us or anything," Reina answered calmly. "But... we haven't made any friends yet. It seems like the others are still hesitant around us."
"I see... I expected that," the teacher muttered softly. Then she turned to Mei. "Let me introduce you two to Raiden Mei. Mei is one of my best students-kind and always willing to help others."
"Nice to meet you two," Mei said politely, her demeanor calm and refined like that of a noble lady.
"Hello! My name is Kiana Kaslana!" Kiana immediately responded with her usual bright energy.
"Yeah... I remember you two," Mei said, her expression twitching slightly. "Because of your... unique self-introduction earlier..."
"Nice to meet you too, Mei," Reina added with a gentle smile.
"Now, to the point," the teacher continued. "Mei, can I ask you to help show Kiana and Reina around the school? Introduce them to the facilities, and if possible, show them some of our clubs too."
And so, as a diligent student, Mei naturally accepted the teacher's request without hesitation.
But before they could start, she quickly took out her phone and messaged her friends in the kendo club, letting them know she wouldn't be attending practice today. With that done, the three of them began walking down the school corridor together.
"So, Mei, right?" Kiana turned to her with a smile. "You're really beautiful. Your dark purple hair and those indigo eyes go so well together."
"Eh-? M-Me? Beautiful?" Mei stumbled over her words, clearly flustered. Her cheeks turned pink as she looked away, not used to such straightforward praise.
"Yeah, it's true! I've traveled all over the world for years, and I've never seen anyone like yo-!"
But before Kiana could finish her sentence, she suddenly froze mid-step.
Her eyes caught sight of Reina walking on Mei's right. She wasn't saying anything, but the sharp stare she was giving Kiana was terrifying enough to make her stop breathing for a second. There was something dark and menacing-almost like a cursed aura-radiating behind her.
Kiana felt a chill run down her spine. Her entire body trembled.
"What's wrong, Kiana?" Mei asked, noticing how her expression turned pale and her words abruptly cut off.
"No-Nothing! I didn't say anything!" Kiana blurted out, waving her hands frantically while forcing a smile.
Mei didn't quite believe what Kiana said. Her expression had changed too drastically. Curious, she turned to her right-the direction Kiana had been staring at.
"...?" But all she saw was Reina, smiling at her with the most innocent, gentle expression on her face.
Before Mei could say anything, Kiana suddenly dashed over and tightly hugged Reina's left arm.
"What I meant was... you're the second person I've seen with such a beautiful appearance. Of course, the first is my beautiful wife-Reina," Kiana declared proudly, pressing her cheek against Reina's shoulder.
"You're gonna make me shy if you keep complimenting me like that, you know~" Reina teased softly, reaching over to pat Kiana's head with a smile.
Mei simply watched them, her thoughts drifting. It really did seem like they had a special relationship. At first, she thought maybe Kiana was just exaggerating-saying things to keep others away from Reina out of jealousy as a best friend. But now...
She could feel it from their atmosphere. From the way Reina spoke to Kiana in that sweet tone.
But for Kiana, she knew that tone really well. She had spent almost a year with Reina, and whenever she heard that voice, it only meant one thing.
She was going to pay for it later....