Before the Third Eruption, Raiden Mei likely had no idea what "Honkai" even was.
The confused look in her soft violet eyes now confirmed Nagami's guess—he was right.
Credit where it's due: Raiden Ryoma had done a stellar job.
Overprotective, sure—but what else would you expect from a hardcore daughter-con?
In a world like this, though, excessive protection isn't always a good thing.
Still, from a father's perspective, Nagami could totally understand where Raiden Ryoma was coming from.
And now came the explanation phase.
Nagami deliberately kept his explanation of Honkai vague—partly for mystery, but mostly to give Kiana a chance to shine.
She didn't let him down.
With Mei staring in surprise and Nagami faking surprise himself, Kiana puffed up with pride and began her lecture.
She thumped her chest with confidence and laid out everything she knew about Honkai, like a student finally getting the chance to be the teacher.
This was her first time giving a "lesson," and Kiana was absolutely thrilled about it.
Meanwhile, Nagami cross-checked her information with what he knew from the world of Honkai Impact 3rd, and it matched up nearly perfectly.
For the few inconsistencies, he still leaned toward trusting what he knew from his past life.
After all, who's going to believe a low-scoring Valkyrie dropout on world-ending science without some backup?
If it had been just Nagami talking, Mei might've doubted the whole story.
But with Kiana chiming in—even if her brain wasn't always the sharpest—Mei couldn't help but start to believe, even if only a little.
She trusted Kiana almost completely… she just also trusted Kiana's brainpower slightly less.
Still, after listening to them both, even if she didn't fully understand what was going on, Nagami's earnest expression and serious tone…
Her instincts told her she should believe him.
Even if she didn't feel anything strange in her body.
"To make sure Mei stays safe," Kiana said suddenly, with a rare seriousness in her eyes, "I think she needs a full physical exam. Conducted by yours truly."
Nagami blinked. Was she actually being serious?
"I can sense Honkai energy when I'm close. It's very faint on Mei, so I need to… get closer."
It was obvious what she was really after.
Nagami didn't even have to say it.
"Wipe your mouth. You're drooling," Nagami called out, not even bothering to lower his voice, putting on a look of exaggerated concern.
"Eh?" Kiana quickly wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her soft white hand—nothing there.
Bone dry.
But Mei's awkward expression and annoyed stare made things even worse.
Kiana slowly looked up, feeling the weight of her own embarrassment.
Under the table, she stealthily kicked Nagami in the leg with her dainty foot, shooting him a deadly glare that said, 'I trusted you, traitor.'
Nagami simply gave her an innocent shrug in return. Kiana was fuming.
This guy definitely did that on purpose!
Even without Nagami stirring the pot, Mei wasn't oblivious.
She had long sensed something… off about Kiana's feelings toward her.
It was only now that she fully realized just how bold Kiana's intentions were.
Still, Mei was naturally gentle and composed.
She didn't dislike it too much.
For now, she chalked it up to playful teasing between close girlfriends.
And honestly, thanks to their antics, her mood had noticeably improved.
Of course, just because she tolerated Kiana didn't mean she'd let her get away with everything.
After dinner, Nagami offered to clean up, thinking Mei was still too weak to do housework.
But Mei firmly refused—she wouldn't let a guest handle the dishes.
No one even considered asking Kiana to help.
Nagami had already learned his lesson earlier, when Kiana enthusiastically volunteered to help him cook.
Let's just say it was a near disaster.
Good thing Mei's kitchen had an abundance of spare ingredients.
If not, dinner might've turned into a full-on kitchen fire scenario.
As the night crept closer to midnight, Nagami stood to leave.
"Kiana, you coming with me?" he asked, tugging lightly on one of her long braided pigtails as she clung to Mei's side.
"Aaah~!" That familiar voice line, just like in the game, made Nagami chuckle.
'This guy's the worst!' Kiana thought, puffing her cheeks and glaring at him with a playful pout.
She snuggled closer into Mei's arms and whined,
"Mei-senpai~ Nagami's bullying me~"
She turned on the charm, her voice dripping with exaggerated cuteness.
In this cold, cruel world, only her Mei could bring her warmth and comfort.
"You're too close, Kiana," Mei said with a gentle but firm smile, pressing a finger against Kiana's smooth forehead.
"You go on ahead," Kiana beamed. "Tonight, I'm staying here with my Mei."
That sunny, triumphant smile lit up her whole face.
Even though Mei pushed her away a little, the closeness had already been achieved.
Victory.
Given everything Mei had just gone through—her father's arrest, losing her place at ME Corp—Nagami wasn't surprised at all that Kiana chose to stay by her side.
That's just who she was.
A girl who never left her friends behind.
"Oh, sure," Nagami replied with a calm and casual smile, his tone as relaxed as ever.
"Wait a second—! You two... are living together!?"
Mei suddenly looked up, her soft violet eyes wide in shock as if she'd just uncovered a huge secret.
No way.
Could it be that Kiana and Nagami were actually... dating?
"Mei! Mei, don't misunderstand!" Kiana jumped in before Nagami could respond, clearly worried this would tank her approval rating.
"I'm just temporarily staying at Nagami's place, that's all!"
"I see..." Mei scratched her cheek a little sheepishly, realizing she'd jumped to conclusions.
Thinking about it more carefully, Nagami and Kiana didn't exactly act like a couple.
She wasn't particularly upset either way—just a little surprised.
Honestly, with Kiana's looks, it'd be more surprising if no one tried to date her.
"Well then, see you" Nagami waved with his usual warm smile, turning to leave.
"Goodbye, You're welcome to visit anytime" Mei responded cheerfully, glad to have made another friend worth keeping.
"Bye-bye~" Kiana watched Nagami's figure slowly disappear from view, then turned to Mei with a beaming smile.
Two little dimples appeared on her cheeks as her eyes sparkled like stars.
Taking the elevator downstairs, Nagami turned his attention to the chat group.
By now... they should've finished watching it, right?
He was right.
Akemi Homura had just finished watching the entirety of Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
And now? She was absolutely stunned.
Even after going through countless loops, it still took everything she had to keep her expression from completely crumbling.
The girl just stood there, frozen, staring blankly at the screen as the black-haired girl on it hesitated, then slowly walked to a mirror and looked at her own reflection.
Hisss— It wasn't just a resemblance.
It was exactly the same.
But the vibe? Completely different!
There was no way that person was her!
That version of her was seductive and icy cold—how could she ever be like that!?
No way.
Totally impossible.
Homura's eyes darted back and forth between the image in her head and the mirror in front of her.
No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't accept that the cosmic rule-defying entity in the anime... was actually her.
She got it, logically.
After all, the anime version of her had gone through countless loops, each one filled with failure and despair.
Turning into a "Demon Homura" under those circumstances wasn't that far-fetched.
But knowing it and feeling it?
Two very different things.