"Heh... I didn't expect it to end up like this..."
Perched atop the massive eagle statue bordering St. Freya Academy, Seele gripped her scythe tightly, her gaze sweeping over the campus below that now looked like a miniature model.
"To think I'd actually become Seele." She looked down, inspecting her own body. Taking in the pale, seemingly fragile frame and her stylishly cool outfit, a hint of deep contemplation flickered in her blue eyes.
"Blue sky... white clouds, and a refreshing breeze..."
Seele murmured softly. Standing high atop the statue, the sea breeze brushing past her, the warm, comforting sunlight, and the pristine blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds all brought her a profound sense of peace.
"This place is actually quite nice... but for now..." Seele hadn't forgotten her mission: she had to act as if she had absolutely no idea where she was.
And so...
"The others must have noticed I'm missing by now. I need to take this chance to snatch up some weakling and interrogate them about where exactly I am."
A flash of annoyance crossed Seele's eyes. Right now, she had zero interest in dealing with this whole mess.
But she had to play the part regardless.
How irritating!
--+--
Down below, in the Valkyrie dorms of St. Freya Academy.
Just as Seele suspected, everyone had realized she was gone.
"Ei was already gone by the time I woke up."
Himeko stood in the middle of the dorm, her sharp expression clouded with confusion.
"Where else could Ei go? She's already started treating this place like home, hasn't she?" Theresa added, her voice tinged with anxiety.
"Besides, there's no way Ei would just up and leave the dorms—leave Mei—without a very good reason!"
"Mei." Hearing Theresa's words, Kiana immediately turned to Mei, asking urgently, "Did Ei say anything to you about going out?"
"No. I haven't seen her since we went to our rooms last night." Raiden Mei shook her head, her expression a mix of worry and bewilderment.
She was certain that Ei wouldn't just wander off for no reason.
"Bronya is accessing the St. Freya security system. Searching through surveillance footage from 8:00 PM last night to the present."
Standing beside them, Bronya had already obtained authorization from Ai-chan and was busy filtering through data.
Suddenly, as the others watched her, her expression froze. Her silver-gray eyes widened in a split second.
"Bronya? Did you find Ei?" Kiana pressed instantly.
After a brief silence, Bronya shook her head, delivering the bad news.
"Bronya has not detected any footage of Sister Ei leaving the dormitory."
"How is that possible..."
Theresa murmured, her voice thick with confusion.
A dark realization began to settle over her—a chilling thought that was beginning to take root in everyone's mind.
"Based on what you told me before, Ei arrived at St. Freya Academy without any of you noticing," Yae Sakura said, her voice calm and analytical. "Could it be... that just like how she arrived, she has simply returned to her original world?"
"..."
The room fell into a heavy silence.
Theresa's eyes were filled with a deep sense of helplessness, loss, and sorrow. Beside her, Kiana silently clenched her fists, the corners of her eyes turning slightly red.
You just promised me... you said you'd come see me whenever I was feeling down...
Yesterday... just yesterday you promised you'd watch me pass my make-up exam... How could you just disappear like that?
The atmosphere was suffocatingly low, everyone feeling the weight of the sudden vacancy.
"Sister Ei might still be on campus. We should search the academy grounds first," Bronya suggested softly, providing a glimmer of hope that made Kiana and Theresa's eyes light up.
"Right! Maybe she just slipped out to get some fresh air while we weren't looking!"
Kiana clenched her fists and nodded vigorously before bolting out the door.
"I—I'll go look too!" Theresa scrambled after her.
Fu Hua and Yae Sakura followed suit immediately.
"Bronya will help as well."
Bronya stood up to follow the group. However, just as she reached the door, Himeko looked at her back and asked seriously:
"Bronya, did you really find nothing just now?"
"...Nothing."
"I see... Well, then I'll head to the Science Department and initiate a wide-range search across the Far East region."
"Understood."
One by one, they emptied the room.
But once alone, Bronya hurried toward the edge of the academy grounds.
Before long, she had flown to the golden beach just outside the school. The shore was a brilliant yellow, the soft sand constantly washed over by waves with frothy white edges. The rhythmic sound of the crashing surf was usually enough to put anyone at ease.
"Seele! Where are you?!"
The usually expressionless look on Bronya's small face had finally shattered, replaced by a look of desperate anxiety. She hovered over the sand, shouting at the top of her lungs.
But the only response was the harsh, raucous cries of seagulls startled into the air.
"I know you're here, Seele! It's me, Bronya!"
She didn't give up, her voice cracking with urgency.
However, the moment the name "Bronya" left her lips...
A blur of deep blue streaked out from the dense coastal thickets, appearing instantly behind her.
Just as Project Bunny was about to manifest, a hand snatched her.
"Bronya? Bronya Rand... you're the daughter of the Supreme Guardian? And you're this small?"
A voice—familiar yet strangely different—rang out behind Bronya. She couldn't turn around; Seele was currently dangling her by the back of her collar.
"You aren't a dwarf, are you?" Seele didn't bother hiding her sharp tongue, mocking Bronya as she held her aloft. "So this is still the Overworld? You damn bureaucrats, sucking the life out of us in the Underworld... just to build yourselves a place like this? A... resort?"
She paused for a few seconds on the last word, deciding it was the most fitting description.
However, Seele suddenly felt Bronya's body trembling in her grip.
"Hey, kid, are you scared?"
Seele felt a flicker of suspicion. With a huff of impatience, she spun Bronya around to face her.
That's when she saw it. Bronya's face was streaked with tears, and her silver-gray eyes were locked onto Seele, overflowing with pure, unadulterated joy.
"Seele... it really is you!"
--+--