Chapter 12: The Thread That Tugs at Stars

The Sisterhood’s secret hideout, used as Seia’s concealed sanctuary, was surprisingly cozy.

Unlike the gloomy atmosphere of the rest of the old building, this space was bathed in warm lighting, furnished with neatly arranged furniture and pristine bedding.

Aside from the lack of windows, it felt like a luxurious hospital ward.

As I sat on a chair by the bed, taking in the surroundings and quietly marveling, a now-familiar figure approached and handed me something.

“…Here.”

Still bearing the traces of our earlier scuffle—disheveled uniform and ruffled wings—Mine brusquely offered me a teacup.

“Fufu, thank you.”

Her attitude was far from hospitable, but I didn’t mind, accepting the steaming cup of tea.

After our recent brawl, awkwardness was only natural.

“…”

Judging by Mine’s frustrated expression and the way she bit her lip, she was clearly stung by her defeat, regardless of how it happened.

I did feel a bit bad for wrecking her weapons, but since she attacked me without listening, we were even, right?

Still, her reputation for being skilled with tea wasn’t exaggerated.

As I sipped the fragrant brew, Mine turned to the girl lying in bed nearby and spoke.

“Seia-sama, are you alright? You should rest more…”

She addressed Seia, who, after faking her death in the first attack, had been unconscious here until moments ago.

“I’m fine, Mine. I have… things I must tell her.”

Shaking her head at Mine’s concern, Seia replied in a frail voice, turning to me with a laborious effort that made her condition questionable.

“Then… allow me to formally introduce myself. I’m Yurizono Seia, representative of the Sanctus faction of Trinity’s Tea Party. I apologize for meeting you in this state due to my illness.”

“…Aomori Mine, leader of Trinity’s Sisterhood.”

Following Seia’s soft introduction, Mine stiffly gave her name as well.

“I’m Itokonoue Kaoru, temporarily with the Supplementary Lessons Department. It seems you already know my name, though? Fufu.”

Adding a hint of curiosity I’d naturally have if unaware of Seia’s abilities, I replied.

The fox girl nodded, as if expecting my question, and explained.

“Yes… it may be hard to believe, but I can glimpse someone’s present and future through prophetic dreams. That’s how I knew you’d come here, Kaoru.”

“Oh my, what a fascinating ability. Can you tell me about the world I came from, then? My memories are a bit fuzzy.”

Though I already knew Seia’s power—nicknamed the “Spoiler Fox” by players—I feigned surprise to probe the extent of her ability, genuinely curious.

“Yes, I saw it.”

Seia answered calmly, describing what she’d seen.

“Kapila, the academic city… a place similar to Kivotos yet entirely different. It holds a mysterious quality, both familiar and utterly alien.”

Her description matched the sparse details I knew about Kaoru’s original world from Project KV.

It seemed Seia’s prophetic dreams were limited to perceiving that world’s scope.

…Guess I should be relieved she can’t see my real origin as a Blue Archive player.

“But… there’s something else I must tell you.”

Hm? There’s more…?

“Fufu, what’s that?”

Tensing slightly at the unexpected continuation, I asked.

Seia’s expression darkened further as she spoke slowly.

“The world I just described… I can no longer see it. Like a fleeting dream, after a certain point, only pitch-black darkness remains.”

Pausing, she looked at me with sad eyes and concluded solemnly.

“…It means the world you came from, Kaoru, has already been destroyed… no, erased.”

“…”

As Seia fell silent with a somber expression, I too was at a loss for words.

Not because her revelation shocked me, as she likely assumed…

But because it was something I already knew all too well.

…Obviously. I’m from a game that never even launched, canceled before development began.

“…”

“I’m sorry for delivering such heavy news, Kaoru. But… this is a truth you must face, for Kivotos’s sake as well.”

Seeing Kaoru speechless, seemingly in shock, Seia suppressed a pang of guilt.

“You…”

Even Mine, who still harbored no fondness for Kaoru, looked at her with a hint of pity, understanding the situation.

“…I see.”

The otherworldly girl, with her striking beauty and subtly melancholic aura, finally spoke after a brief silence.

“So, what should I do now?”

Remarkably, her tone held no regret or lament, only a question about her next steps.

“…!”

Mine, stunned by Kaoru’s unshaken faint smile despite the devastating news, gaped at her.

“Truly… you are a strong person.”

Equally impressed, Seia offered a faint smile for the first time today and asked softly.

“This may be sudden, but… since arriving in Kivotos, have you ever felt unusually lucky?”

“Hmm… well, I haven’t been here long enough to say.”

Kaoru replied with a curious expression to Seia’s odd question.

“You may not have noticed yet.”

Nodding understandingly, Seia continued.

“Though different from the mysteries of Kivotos’s residents… you, Kaoru, possess a mystery of your own. It’s hard to explain, but simply put, you turn ‘chance’ into ‘destiny.’ That’s the mystery I saw in you.”

“Like weaving fate from scattered stars… fufu, that’s quite poetic. So, why tell me this now?”

Kaoru, using her own cryptic metaphor, asked. Seia finally revealed a long-held secret.

“Because Kivotos, too, is no longer visible in my dreams, just like your world.”

“What…?”

“Hmm…”

Mine reacted with shock, while Kaoru tilted her head with an unreadable expression.

“But with your mystery, if you lend your strength… being detached from Kivotos’s causality… there may yet be hope. So… I dare to ask.”

Despite her frail condition, Seia’s face contorted slightly as she made her true request with earnest eyes.

“Kaoru, when Kivotos faces a crisis, will you act with the will to save this world?”

It sounded abstract and simple, yet carried profound implications.

But Kaoru deepened her usual faint smile and nodded readily.

“…Fufufu, gladly.”

As if relieved that Seia’s request was exactly that.

“…Thank you.”

Genuinely grateful, Seia bowed her head, then raised her flushed face to continue.

“I’ve kept you too long. Mine, please guide Kaoru out. And, as I foresaw, Schale’s Sensei is likely looking for her, so explain things to avoid any harsh reprimands.”

“…Yes.”

“Thank you.”

Unlike Mine, who looked slightly exasperated, Kaoru’s expression was plainly joyful as she stood and bid farewell.

“Fufu, thanks for the ‘invitation,’ Seia.”

“Take care… but, invitation?”

Puzzled by Kaoru’s choice of words, Seia asked.

The enigmatic girl, slinging her sword back onto her back, replied with a casual smile.

“Well, didn’t you call me here with that voice in my head? Though the lack of explanation led to a bit of trouble with this one, fufu.”

“…Enough chatter, let’s go.”

“Oh my, in a hurry?”

Kaoru’s playful remark made Mine’s face flush as she half-pushed her out of the room.

Click.

“…”

Even after Mine and Kaoru left, Seia stared at the door for a long while.

‘I only foresaw your arrival and waited… I never called you, nor could I…’

Kaoru’s offhand final remark contained a contradiction even Seia, who saw the future, hadn’t anticipated.

‘Then whose voice did you hear, Kaoru…?’