When Yue Bo first arrived in this world, everything felt hazy and indistinct.
Then he heard it.
"Ich liebe dich."
In an instant, his mind snapped awake.
He quickly looked around.
There was nothing.
An endless, pure white space stretched in all directions, empty except for himself.
"…Was that Sirin's voice?"
That phrase, the so-called "magic spell" from the game, had once shaken his younger self to the core.
A thought surfaced without hesitation.
I want to go out. I want to see Sirin.
He didn't understand what was happening, but the moment the thought formed, a blinding light appeared. Yue Bo had no choice but to shut his eyes.
When he opened them again, the world had changed.
He saw Sirin.
Crying.
But something felt wrong.
The angle.
The perspective.
He tried to reach out to comfort her, but he couldn't.
Instead, what entered his vision was a small paw.
"…A paw?"
Only then did Yue Bo realize the truth.
He had become a cat.
Before he could process it further, neighbors rushed in and took Sirin away.
Yue Bo snapped out of his daze and tried to follow, but his unfamiliar body betrayed him. He stumbled and fell immediately.
Just as he struggled to stand, his strength faded.
His body began to dissolve into tiny motes of light.
The drifting fragments floated toward Sirin.
And then
Everything went dark.
When Yue Bo regained consciousness, he was back in that endless white space.
It was blinding.
"So bright… my eyes are going to go blind at this rate…"
He squinted, feeling overwhelmed by the emptiness.
What is this place?
Still, as someone who had devoured countless novels, anime, and games, a veteran "captain," "traveler," "trailblazer," who had played roles ranging from doctor to executor, from summoner to world-saver…
Faced with this situation, Yue Bo made a bold decision.
He shouted:
"Answer me, Elysia!"
Silence.
The white space did not react in the slightest.
Yue Bo floated there, speechless.
"…Guess that won't work. So miracles only happen once?"
Disappointment crept in.
But then he noticed something different.
Compared to before, this space… had changed.
He couldn't see it clearly, but he could feel it.
Far away, a faint purple mist drifted through the emptiness.
"What happens if that mist condenses?"
The moment the thought formed, the mist seemed to gather.
Yue Bo focused.
"Come here."
A small, purple crystal cube appeared before him.
"So that's how it works."
"I can control this space."
He reached out and grabbed it, examining it closely.
"…This feels like a Honkai energy crystal."
He knew he was still far from understanding the true nature of this place.
But he didn't hesitate.
"I want to see Sirin."
The crystal in his hand vanished instantly.
Light flooded his vision again.
This time, Yue Bo shut his eyes in advance.
"Hah. You think you can get me twice? The same trick doesn't work on a seasoned gamer."
When he felt solid ground beneath him, he opened his eyes immediately.
He expected to see the Herrscher Queen.
Or perhaps the cheerful Sirin from his memories.
Instead
He saw a small, quiet girl sitting alone in the corner of a room.
Fragile.
Lonely.
Her long violet hair shimmered faintly, like a galaxy hidden beneath the night sky.
Her golden eyes…
In his memory, those eyes had once been cold, proud.
Or bright and gentle.
But now
They were filled with tears.
Empty.
Lost.
Her lips moved slightly, as if whispering something over and over again.
Sirin suddenly looked up.
"…Who's there?"
Her hollow golden gaze was sharp with caution.
At that moment, Yue Bo was struggling just to control his body.
A cat's body.
He awkwardly shuffled forward.
"This is awful… I'm still not used to being a cat. And why a cat of all things?"
He saw the wariness in Sirin's eyes.
So he chose the simplest approach.
He looked straight at her.
Then, clumsily, step by step, he moved closer.
He nearly tripped again.
Sirin sighed softly.
She couldn't bear to watch anymore.
She reached out and pulled him closer.
Yue Bo, now a small white cat, sat beside her.
Knowing his limbs weren't exactly reliable, he leaned forward and gently rubbed his head against the back of her hand.
"…Her hands are so small. Has she not been eating properly?"
Once Sirin's attention settled on him, Yue Bo seized the opportunity.
He gathered all his strength.
Jump target: Sirin's lap.
He failed.
Spectacularly.
Unwilling to give up, he tried again.
And again.
Sirin watched the little cat stumble around, nearly hurting itself.
With a helpless expression, she picked him up and placed him in her lap.
Her fingers gently stroked his soft white fur.
Yue Bo couldn't resist even if he tried.
Not that he wanted to.
Because for the first time
He saw her smile.
Then, a voice echoed in his mind.
"Ich liebe dich."
Yue Bo froze.
He had heard it.
Sirin's heart.
He wanted to respond immediately, but all that came out was a soft meow.
Panic set in.
So he focused on his earlier realization.
And answered in his mind:
"Ich liebe dich too."
At that moment, two broken hearts found each other.
And were kept from shattering completely.
The road ahead was long.
But from now on, Yue Bo would walk it with her.
As her witness.
As her companion.
Schicksal Headquarters
"What? Cecilia is pregnant? Tell me where Siegfried is right now!"
A small girl with white hair and blue eyes, barely over a meter tall, shouted in anger while rummaging under a desk.
"Now, now, dear Theresa, calm down."
A handsome blond man stood nearby, trying to soothe her.
Theresa shot him a glare.
"So where is Siegfried?!"
"Ah… one moment. Theresa, Judah is at your feet. Let's not rush. I do have something else to tell you."
"Fine. Say it first. But afterward, you must tell me where he is."
Her grip tightened slightly.
Clearly, she had no intention of letting this go.
"Of course," Otto said with a gentle smile.
"Since Cecilia is pregnant, she can no longer fight on the front lines for the time being. The Snow Wolf Squad will be temporarily disbanded."
"And your vacation will have to be shortened. We are… short on personnel."
Theresa's expression darkened.
Her resentment toward Siegfried deepened instantly.
Her hands clenched around the Oath of Judah.
Otto watched her, amused.
Calmly, he added:
"Siegfried and Cecilia went to the garden about half an hour ago."
That was the last straw.
Theresa dashed out the door.
"Judah! Flight mode!"
Otto listened to the commotion outside and shook his head with a faint smile.
"Let's hope Siegfried doesn't get injured too badly."
"Medical expenses for anti-Honkai soldiers are quite high."
For now, Schicksal could not step fully into the public eye.
No one knew when the next Honkai eruption would occur.
Meanwhile, in the garden
Siegfried was strolling with Cecilia when he heard something strange.
Before he could react
He was sent flying three meters by a sudden kick.
"You again, shorty?!"
Theresa stood there, fuming.
Cecilia sighed, then smiled gently.
"Alright, Theresa. Come here, let me give you a hug."
Back at headquarters, Otto watched the scene through surveillance.
He took a sip of red wine.
A satisfied smile formed on his lips.