Lunch was filled with cheerful energy, largely because Kiana had once again confirmed—this time from CC herself that there was absolutely nothing romantic going on between Nagami and her.
That revelation alone was enough to make Kiana help herself to another bowl of rice.
After lunch, CC led Kiana to the room prepared for her and even offered to help unpack.
Kiana originally wanted to politely refuse, but quickly realized wasn't this the perfect chance to deepen their bond?
From the moment their conversation at the table began, CC had already sensed that Kiana had started trying to flirt with her—albeit in an adorably awkward way.
If it were Mei—the gentle, ladylike beauty with the air of a Yamato Nadeshiko—she might not have noticed Kiana's clumsy advances, and might've even been swayed by them.
After all, with her Kaslana bloodline, Kiana probably had some hidden charisma that worked like a charm on beautiful girls.
But to CC, whose true identity was a second body of Nagami, Kiana's attempts at "wooing" her were a little too much.
All she could do was maintain a polite (and slightly strained) smile throughout the process.
Meanwhile, Nagami had long since activated his signature dead-fish eyes—a look that had become increasingly common ever since Kiana arrived.
At this point, he didn't even have the energy to throw out a sarcastic remark.
He sighed, rolled his eyes, and turned on the usually-unused TV hanging on the wall.
A drama he didn't recognize was playing, so he flipped through the channels until he landed on the news.
These days, watching the news had become a habit.
Ever since he began to suspect that this world was connected to the Honkai universe, Nagami had started looking out for relevant updates.
Occasionally, there was something useful.
Kicking back on the couch, he pulled out his Switch, crossed his legs, and started a game—only to be interrupted by a notification from the chat group.
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[Akemi Homura]: Nagami-san, there's something I'd like to ask you...
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Nagami wasn't surprised. He glanced at the clock on the white wall, quickly calculating the time.
'She must've finished watching all the anime I uploaded to the group.'
Getting anxious about the future already, huh?
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[Nagami]: Just call me Nagami. You want to know if you managed to save Madoka in the end, right?
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Even though Homura hadn't explicitly said which point in time she was from, Nagami could more or less guess.
Judging by the way she messaged, it was likely the Madoka Magica plot hadn't started yet.
After all, the soft-spoken, braided version of Homura from the beginning of the story and the cold, battle-hardened version from later loops were practically different people.
Anyone paying attention could tell the difference.
Right now, she had probably been through a few loops but hadn't yet reached the events of the anime.
Nagami was fairly confident in his deduction.
And sure enough, just as he expected, Akemi Homura was now standing silently in front of a mirror.
Her violet eyes shimmered with clarity.
Her long, silky black hair flowed like liquid silver down to her waist.
Her bangs were a little messy, but it didn't detract from her beauty.
Her porcelain-white skin contrasted gently with her soft pink lips, and her petite nose sat perfectly on her elegant, youthful face.
It was the first time she'd let her hair down from her usual braids—and even she was momentarily stunned by her reflection.
But once she saw Nagami's reply, she immediately looked away from the mirror, her attention locked fully onto the chat group.
Her slender shoulders trembled slightly, unable to suppress the emotions welling up inside.
For the first time, she was overwhelmed with joy.
'He knows... He actually knows the future of my world!'
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[Akemi Homura]: That's right!
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Nagami looked at the message that popped up almost instantly, a bit of hesitation flickering across his face.
This... was going to be awkward.
Madoka Magica's ending was, to put it mildly, a mess.
Ever since Urobuchi Gen came onto the scene, magical girl stories had gone straight off the deep end.
In Madoka, sure, the protagonist is a magical girl—but that doesn't stop Urobuchi from writing a tragedy where even the main character isn't safe.
Nagami couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen a wholesome magical girl show like Cardcaptor Sakura from his childhood.
From a purely utilitarian standpoint, the world of Madoka Magica was efficient: fast power acquisition, high power ceiling.
But before reaching that point, you had to face the brutal truth of that world.
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[Nagami]: Madoka does survive in the end, but the final outcome... let's just say, it's complicated.
[Group Files]: "Puella Magi Madoka Magica"
[Group Files]: "Puella Magi Madoka Magica: The Movie"
[Nagami]: I've uploaded the anime. You'll see for yourself.
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Thanks to the show's unique visual style and the fact that it wasn't stuffed with gratuitous fan service, Nagami had been able to edit and upload the episodes quickly.
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[Akemi Homura]: Thank you! Really, thank you!
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Her heartfelt gratitude reached him through the chat.
Akemi Homura's gaze dropped to the videos Nagami had uploaded.
Since the show was titled after Madoka, surely she was the main character, right?
Knowing that gave her some peace of mind. Madoka was the protagonist—surely that meant things would turn out okay.
With that hope in mind, Homura clicked on the first episode and began watching.
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[Nagami]: Don't mention it. If fate has brought us all together in this group, then it's only natural to help one another.
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And Nagami genuinely meant it.
When he first watched the final episode of Madoka Magica, he was completely floored.
It started out like a typical Earth-scale magical girl story.
Sure, Walpurgisnacht was powerful, but nothing too outrageous.
Then, out of nowhere—bam! It escalated to a cosmic level?!?
If this wasn't the perfect moment to cling to a powerhouse, then when was?
Who—or what—is Homura Akemi, The Demon?
She's the one who managed to tear off a piece of the Law of Cycles, a fundamental cosmic rule.
A being that, while not a god herself, possesses magical energy on par with one and rewrote part of the universe's laws.
She's continuing the duties of the Law of Cycles in her own way, without becoming divine.
In other words: a total big shot.
And now? Now's the time for Nagami—the rookie—to start hugging those thick, overpowered thighs for dear life!
Once the chat group's cross-world travel function activates, members will be able to break free from the limitations of their original worlds.
If Nagami could somehow pull Homura into the Honkai universe…
Sure, she might not be able to take down the Imaginary Tree or Quantum Sea on her own, but if this "Honkai" trial was just one of the Tree's little tests?
Then someone like the Final Herrscher would probably get curb-stomped by the Demon Homura.
And best of all? There's no need to worry about the cost of "Fate-Linked Summons." They're permanent.
Once someone uses them and gains new power, there's no need to pay again.
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[Wakaba Hiiro (Spider-chan)]: Nagami! Nagami! What about mine?!
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Forcing down her disgust at today's "lunch," Spider-chan, bored out of her mind in the upper levels of the Elroe Great Labyrinth, was of course watching the chat like a hawk.
Seeing a second group member receive their future anime had her itching with curiosity.
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[Nagami]: Looking now, don't worry. I've got everyone covered!
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Of course, Miss White Silk was another serious big-shot.
Maybe not quite on Homura's level, but a god-tier existence nonetheless.
No way Nagami was letting go of this white-haired, red-eyed beauty and her divine-tier potential. Hug all the legs! No exceptions!
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[Group Files: So I'm a Spider, So What? (Anime)]
[Group Files: So I'm a Spider, So What? (Light Novel excerpts)]
[Group Files: Date A Live (Anime)]
[Group Files: Date A Live (Light Novel excerpts - no ending)]
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Nagami wasn't really a fan of first-person narration, so he skimmed through the novels, focusing on the major plot points.
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[Nagami: The Date A Live content is from Kotori's world. I uploaded it all together.]
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Compared to the other two, Itsuka Kotori seemed a bit… underwhelming.
Okay, a lot underwhelming—especially in her early forms.
But hey! Humanity should dream big and focus on the present, right?
Right now, Nagami was still weak—a total chicken. In comparison, a Spirit girl with the codename "Flame Demon" was definitely a useful ally.
A fully awakened Kotori with all her Spirit power unlocked could probably reach Herrscher-level combat ability.
As for Accelerator? Well, he pretty much owed Nagami a favor now.
When the time came, asking him for help shouldn't be a problem.
After all, no one wants to look ungrateful after receiving a gift.
And let's not even talk about Accelerator's future White Wings form—just his current version, using the "Fate-Linked Summon," could already rank at the top of the Honkai world's power tiers.
He could delay the Earth's rotation by five whole minutes!
Though, honestly, Nagami figured that was just a result of the author's poor grasp of physics.
Did they even understand the consequences of messing with Earth's rotation?
Forget five minutes—even five seconds would be a catastrophic event for all life on the planet!