"Ahem..."
Durandal let out a pair of slightly unnatural, light coughs.
After all, showing off in front of her own 'ancestor' still came with just a tiny bit of psychological pressure. A teeny, tiny bit.
But, things had already reached this point. She could only brace herself and charge ahead.
"As you can see, myself, Elysia, Miss Connie here, Miss Eden, and that Miss Vill-V, the five of us all belong to an independent organization dedicated to combating the Honkai."
"The organization's provisional name is the Flame-Chasers, with the official name still pending. And I, as the organization's founder, currently hold the position of leader."
"So cool! ( • ̀ω•́ )✧"
Hearing this, Kevyn couldn't help but show a look of yearning.
In her eyes, Durandal was the same age as her, yet the other girl was already the leader of an organization, doing something as cool as saving the world, and most importantly, she had an adorable girlfriend like Elysia!
Looking at herself in comparison... besides sports, she was pretty much useless at everything else. She only made real progress in pursuing girls after seeking advice from Durandal.
Suddenly, Kevyn's eyes lit up, and her expression turned a little shy and awkward.
She asked in a small voice, "Um, so, before the organization's name is officially decided, the Flame-Chasers are still in their startup phase, right? If someone were to join at this time..."
Hearing that word 'join,' Durandal immediately knew what Kevyn was about to ask.
She hadn't expected the other girl to take the initiative and ask to join the Flame-Chasers.
Durandal had originally thought that, perhaps following the original course of history, she'd have to wait until the Third Eruption to have a chance to recruit her. She never imagined it would fall into her lap so easily.
However, before Kevyn could finish, and before Durandal could nod, Mei, who was standing to the side, suddenly interrupted.
Unlike Kevyn, Mei wasn't a 'naive airhead'. She looked at this classmate of hers with a scrutinizing gaze for the first time, her eyes behind her glasses holding a sense of distance and distrust.
"Durandal, classmate? Or should I call you Leader Durandal? While Kevyn and I are just ordinary high school girls, without the power to challenge someone like you, I believe we have the right to know why you chose to enroll at Chiba Academy in the first place."
Pausing for a moment, Mei stated with certainty, "You and Elysia aren't real high school students."
"Eh?!"
Kevyn looked at Mei in a daze, then quickly caught on.
She had never even considered that possibility, simply assuming that Durandal and Elysia just had another, more impressive identity alongside being high school students.
But from Mei's tone, their high school student identities were fake?
So, Durandal and Elysia had disguised themselves as high school students and transferred into Chiba Academy... for what purpose?
Kevyn also fell silent for a moment, her sapphire blue eyes fixed on Durandal, a faint hint of pleading seeming to flicker within them.
Pleading for what?
Pleading that the two of them didn't have ulterior motives?
Or pleading for Durandal to deny that they had ulterior motives?
Durandal naturally received the message conveyed in Kevyn's gaze.
After a moment's contemplation, she still said, "I won't deny that entering Chiba Academy did involve other intentions."
"Mei, I greatly admire the talent you've displayed in the field of scientific theory. The Flame-Chasers precisely need talent like yours. Of course, we never intended to deliberately get close."
"We merely hoped that when we extended an invitation to you at an appropriate time later, you would at least have a basic familiarity with Elysia and myself."
As she spoke, Durandal glanced at Kevyn.
"It's just... an unexpected situation arose later, which led to our connection becoming much closer than I had anticipated, resulting in this trust crisis now."
Hearing this, Kevyn couldn't help but scratch her head and let out a silly laugh.
This so-called 'unexpected situation' naturally referred to her deliberately seeking out Durandal to ask for advice on how to pursue girls.
Of course, this wasn't something Kevyn could openly admit in front of Mei.
So, she could only help Durandal by saying, "Mei, Durandal's right. I was the one who went to find her. She didn't try to get close to you through me. Besides, at that time, our relationship wasn't as good as it is now. Durandal wouldn't have needed to befriend you through me anyway."
"Our relationship isn't that great now either."
Mei corrected the 'mistake' in Kevyn's words with a somewhat unnatural expression.
Still, she essentially accepted Kevyn's reasoning.
It was true. Back when she noticed Kevyn had stopped 'pestering' her and started befriending Durandal and the others instead, her relationship with Kevyn hadn't been good at all.
It was only after that, that things between her and Kevyn began to warm up.
Hm?
Suddenly, Mei seemed to realize something, her expression turning peculiar.
She probably figured out why Kevyn had taken the initiative to befriend Durandal.
Mei lifted her gaze, her eyes discreetly settling on Durandal and Elysia.
It seemed that ever since the two had transferred into their class, they had been inseparable.
Looking at them, Mei felt as if she was seeing a future version of herself and Kevyn. A complex, indescribable feeling stirred in her heart, but she knew she didn't dislike it.
Of course, Mei didn't let these personal feelings derail her thoughts. She remained a rational person at her core.
Thus, she keenly seized upon a particularly unsettling keyword in Durandal's words: "What do you mean... by 'appropriate time'?"
As this question was voiced, Durandal noticed that Mobius and the others, who had been in spectator mode until now, and even the members of her own Flame-Chasers, had all focused their gazes on her, their expressions varied.
Only Elysia, who had likely already guessed something, though also looking at her, merely wore a thoughtful expression.
"Could it be... the Honkai? The Third Eruption?!"
This time, the one who posed the question was Mobius.
As a founding member of Fire Moth who had joined from its inception, Mobius understood better than anyone the immense significance of being able to predict when and where a Honkai eruption would occur.
If Fire Moth possessed such a capability, humanity's losses would undoubtedly be greatly reduced, and their chances of victory would increase accordingly.
As the keyword 'Third Eruption' was uttered by Mobius, Durandal clearly sensed the breaths of several people in the room grow heavier.
"'Appropriate time' does indeed refer to the Third Eruption. However, no one can accurately predict where or when a Honkai eruption will occur. I am no exception."
Durandal silently added in her heart: I truly don't know exactly which area of Nagazora City the Third Eruption will erupt in, nor the precise moment it will happen.
I only know the general scope—this city—and the vague timeframe of half a year after Kevyn and Mei first met.
--+--