In the vast sky, beneath the stars.
Even at night, the city shone like daylight.
Brilliant neon lights adorned the streets, stretching like rivers down long avenues.
Towering buildings lit up the horizon, and the central lake reflected the dazzling glow of the urban jungle.
The world sparkled in every direction.
It was nearly nighttime, and the streets were filling up again—rush hour for office workers finally clocking out.
Inside Mei's kitchen, Nagami was busy preparing dinner.
Sure, it was a bit impolite to use someone else's kitchen without asking, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
Like a stealthy little cat, a white-haired girl with braided pigtails tiptoed into the kitchen.
Moving lightly and carefully, she sneaked over to the table, placed her small hands on the edge, and peeked just enough for a strand of white hair to rise into view.
Stretching her neck, she stared at Nagami as he cooked.
One of those delicate hands silently reached for a freshly plated drumstick and slowly withdrew, like a thief in the night.
Still crouched, Kiana took a big bite out of the steaming chicken leg.
"So? How does it compare to CC's cooking?"
"Of course CC's is better~"
She answered instinctively, but just as she was about to take another bite, Kiana froze, robotically turning to face the boy behind her, who was smiling ever so pleasantly.
"I-I mean, yours is better, obviously! It smells so good I just couldn't help myself!"
Even someone like Kiana knew she had to play it safe when Nagami smiled like a devil in disguise.
"Heh…"
Nagami gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes, looking utterly unimpressed.
Seriously? The same person made both, and they taste different?
Must be some kind of 'pretty girl' flavor buff.
Want some CC-flavored instant noodles next?
"Anyway, how's Mei doing?" he asked, choosing to ignore the snack theft as he continued prepping.
"She hasn't woken up yet," Kiana replied between bites, her voice gentle and concerned.
"Let's wake her up when dinner's ready. Even if she wants to sleep, she should eat something first."
"I'll go get her." Nagami plated the last dish, removed his apron, and headed to the living room.
"Raiden, Raiden-san, time to wake up! Come on, wake up!"
He couldn't help but grimace slightly at the name.
It always reminded him of that old side-scrolling shooter game he used to play as a kid.
Still, according to Eastern custom, first names were usually reserved for close friends.
And while Nagami had some lingering fondness for Mei from his memories of Honkai Impact 3rd, this wasn't a game.
This was real life.
He wouldn't overstep.
"Ugh…"
Like someone waking from a long dream, Raiden Mei slowly opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling, her expression dazed and confused.
She just lay there for a while, unmoving.
Eventually, she blinked a few times, her gaze gradually focusing—until it landed on Nagami's face, just inches away.
Even though she'd only seen him briefly before passing out, Mei clearly hadn't forgotten the boy who had answered her desperate hopes.
"Ka…"
"Just call me Nagami," he said with a soft smile, his voice gentle and reassuring.
"Can you sit up? Sorry for using your kitchen without asking, but I figured you could use a good meal right now."
Mei's face, which had been pale just moments ago, was starting to regain some color.
Her slender frame was still shaky, but she no longer looked like she might collapse at any second.
Pushing through her weakness, Mei stood from the sofa and gave a polite bow.
"Thank you, Nagami-kun. I'm sorry for the trouble."
Kind, gentle, and polite—just the kind of girl anyone would find likable.
Nagami shook his head, watching her sincerely apologize.
"There's no need to thank me. I didn't do anything special."
"Mei! Mei, you're finally awake! How do you feel? Are you okay?!"
Kiana's voice rang from the kitchen, full of excitement and relief.
She was already clean-handed and ready to give Mei a big bear hug.
With her arms spread wide, Kiana charged across the room—but before she could land the embrace, Nagami lunged and yanked her back by the collar of her shirt.
"Please be mindful of Raiden-san condition, Miss Tuna."
Nagami gave it everything he had, barely managing to restrain Kiana's love-powered tackle.
Note to self: even as a mage, gotta start working out.
If I'm getting overpowered by a sea slug, that's just embarrassing.
"Oh… right," Kiana blinked, realizing her mistake. Then she smiled sheepishly. "Heh heh… oops~"
Is the Barbatos virus contagious across worlds now?
"Thank you, Kiana," Mei said with a warm, graceful smile.
In that moment, she truly felt grateful to have such a vibrant girl as her friend.
After a cruel revelation. Crushing despair.
Just when it felt like her entire world was falling apart, Raiden Mei found Kiana and Nagami standing by her side.
It felt like grasping at the only lifeline just before drowning.
If only she knew—Mei couldn't have imagined in her wildest dreams that Kiana's original motivation for approaching her… was a thirst for her body.
Well, to be fair, she still is.
"Alright, let's eat first. If we keep talking, dinner's going to get cold," Nagami said, his polite smile tinged with the awkwardness of saying such words in someone else's home.
"Mm-hmm!" Kiana, always the most enthusiastic when food is involved, nodded quickly.
At least this time she didn't forget to help the still-weak Mei to her feet.
Nagami made full use of the age-old custom of "talking business at the dinner table."
While Raiden Mei hesitated with a look that seemed like she wanted to ask something but kept stopping herself, Nagami explained the suspicious behavior of ME Corp's stock market in between bites of food.
As expected of ME Corp's heiress, Mei wasn't anything like Kiana when it came to business.
She'd received elite training in politics and commerce since childhood, learning to navigate both social and official circles.
Though she'd drifted away from that world in recent years due to personal preference, Nagami's clear and thorough breakdown helped her see that there was definitely a hidden hand behind her father's imprisonment.
To Kiana, however, Nagami's explanation might as well have been written in Martian.
She recognized every word he said but put them together and it became complete gibberish.
"By the way, Raiden—"
"Just call me Mei."
Her voice was soft, her cheeks slightly pink.
This was the first time she had ever asked a boy her age to call her by her first name.
After all Nagami had done—comforting her, looking after her, and even cooking her dinner—Mei felt that "Miss Raiden" sounded too distant, too formal.
Anyone approaching her now surely wasn't doing so for her "ME Corp heiress" status… but simply for who she was: Raiden Mei.
And besides, if Nagami was a friend of Kiana's, he had to be someone worth trusting.
"Alright then… Mei," Nagami replied, immediately dropping the awkward surname like a heavy weight.
He'd honestly been trying not to cringe every time he said "Raiden."
"Do you know about Honkai?"
"Honkai?"
"Honkai!"
Mei's confused expression was everything he expected.
Kiana, on the other hand, froze mid-bite.
Her bright, ocean-blue eyes widened in disbelief, staring at Nagami like he'd just grown another head.
She couldn't hide her shock—Nagami actually knew about Honkai?
"Yes, Honkai," he said calmly, beating Kiana to the next question.
"Long ago, monstrous beasts roamed the land. Thankfully, there were warriors who protected the people and kept the beasts at bay."
"My ancestors were fortunate enough to encounter one of those Immortals. According to them, those beasts were born of Honkai."
Nagami wore an expression of deep sincerity.
After all, Fu Hua didn't have memories of this time period, so he could improvise all he wanted.
"Because of their service to the warriors, my family was granted a few minor techniques."
"When Kiana and I first found you, the strange phenomenon around you… it very likely came from Honkai energy. Did you feel anything unusual?"
Nagami wasn't making this up just to trick Mei or Kiana—he was laying the groundwork for the future.
Sooner or later, he'd have to face Otto.
It was better to be prepared now than sorry later.
What it all came down to was simple:
He had no power.
If he did have power, he'd have already smashed Otto's "Sirin Project" to pieces, and wiped the floor with Cocolia and all her schemes.