Izaya should have died in the Ascension ritual—yet now he was appearing at the Clock Tower like a ghost that had crossed a century.
And…
He was already engaged?
Recalling the Lords' earlier conversation, the image of that man and girl walking through the rain—like a couple—rose again.
Koyanskaya narrowed her eyes.
"Miss Koyanskaya?"
A Lord's voice sounded, pulling Koyanskaya back from her long chain of thoughts.
She withdrew her gaze and offered Kayneth a smile with her golden eyes.
"To be honest, I'm a bit interested in the relics Lord El-Melloi has collected. If possible, could you show them to me later?"
Kayneth looked slightly surprised—as if he hadn't expected the primary partner to be him.
And all of this… just for "holy relics"?
Even as he thought, he gestured elegantly.
"Of course. If you don't mind, I'll show you my collection."
Kayneth's collection room was less a "room" and more like a large magical workshop.
Countless defensive runes were carved into the space. He prided himself on its ability to withstand major magecraft.
Rare holy relics were perfectly sealed inside transparent crystals, preserved in their most primal state like creatures trapped in amber.
After a brief glance, Koyanskaya remarked:
"This truly is worthy of Lord El-Melloi's collection. Each one could be called a work of art."
Kayneth smiled—restrained, yet arrogant.
"I'm honored by your praise, Miss Koyanskaya."
Perhaps…
This time could bring a massive turning point for the El-Melloi family's future.
…As long as he could secure cooperation with the woman before him.
Thinking that, the smile on Kayneth's face grew deeper.
But then he suddenly heard her ask, almost casually:
"By the way… the student Lord El-Melloi mentioned today—your attitude toward him seems rather harsh."
"Do you hate him?"
The unusual angle of the question startled Kayneth.
For some reason, he suddenly felt a faint expectation—and unease—in the woman's eyes.
Silence fell over the workshop.
Unwilling to bring up this topic in front of a guest, Kayneth finally spoke under Koyanskaya's curious gaze.
"It's not that I'm noisy. He's just a bad student—someone not worth teaching."
Whether it was her identity or her business empire of enormous wealth, this was still an opportunity that couldn't be missed…
Ruining the mood over such a trivial matter was clearly unwise.
"Sajyou Izaya is from the Sajyou family. Through an old friend's connections, he was sent to me."
He casually pulled a leather file from a drawer.
"If you're interested, you can take a look at this document."
…
London's sky was dark, rain falling.
Izaya sat in the dorm, moving the mouse as the glow of the laptop reflected in his eyes.
He looked calm on the surface, but inside, his thoughts were already storming.
The Clock Tower had recently received a guest…
It was Koyanskaya.
Since the end of the simulation, nearly a hundred years had passed for Koyanskaya…
How had she spent that century?
And also…
What was her purpose in coming to the Clock Tower?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. In the end, he made up his mind.
No matter what, he had to find a chance to meet her…
As he thought that, Izaya lifted his head—only to find the blonde girl had been staring at him ever since she returned.
At first he could pretend not to notice, but under her burning gaze, after enduring about thirty seconds, he spoke first to break the silence.
"What is it, Manaka? What have you been staring at since you got back…?"
"That woman who visited the Clock Tower earlier—" Manaka said softly. "She's very dangerous."
Even without intentionally "reading" Koyanskaya's aura, the instant Manaka saw her, the Root Princess's body had already sounded an alarm.
Izaya pretended to be surprised.
"Even you say that…? Is she stronger than multiple Lords?"
"She's not even the same kind of being," Manaka lowered her eyes. Beneath the hem of her skirt, a pair of small, beautiful feet floated and swayed lightly in the air.
"Brother… before we figure out why that woman came to the Clock Tower, you shouldn't go out during this time."
She didn't use the words "omniscient and omnipotent," but her insistence made her intuition obvious…
Izaya took Manaka's small hand at just the right moment and said quietly:
"Don't worry. If she were truly plotting something, the Lords wouldn't have let her in."
"You seem tired today. Go rest. I'll go ask the professor an academic question and come right back."
Manaka looked at him, confused, but obediently nodded.
"Okay, Brother."
Seeing that, Izaya immediately stood and left the dorm.
When the door closed, he let out a breath of relief.
Keep Manaka in the dorm first, and during this period, meet Koyanskaya first…
That way, he could stabilize both at the same time.
Tch… a bit thrilling, but still under control…
That said, at this hour she should be talking to the Clock Tower's upper ranks…
Where should he wait?
Izaya thought as he walked through the luxurious, classical corridor toward the dorm building.
But when he reached the corner, he heard footsteps from nearby.
The sound of high heels tapping the floor—strangely pleasing.
Izaya's steps unconsciously stopped.
When he looked up, he sucked in a breath at the woman who entered his view.
Even in the dim corridor, the visitor from NFF Services stood out.
Her cherry-pink hair was as striking as ever, the tips swaying slightly with each step.
A well-tailored long white dress wrapped perfectly around her elegant, taut figure.
From curved shoulders, to the full chest supported by fabric, to the slender, lifted waist…
Every curve looked precisely calculated, displaying the mature, voluptuous sensuality of a grown woman.
Koyanskaya also lifted her gaze in a daze.
In that trance-like stare, the painfully familiar face of a young man—etched deep into memory—was clearly reflected in her eyes.
In that instant, it was as if every nerve in her body erupted in cheers.
With her heart accelerating, she slowly stepped forward.
Her pale, slender fingers gently touched the man's face.
That warmth proved the person before her wasn't an illusion…
The ghost who should have died a hundred years ago was truly alive!
Countless scenes flashed through her mind. Over the past century, she had imagined countless times how she would react if she ever met him again.
But she never thought she would be left speechless.
She didn't know how much time passed before all her thoughts converged into one—and a bright smile bloomed on her beautiful, moving face.
Not the calculating, seductive business smile she wore on ordinary days—
But something purer, filled with astonishment and nostalgia for what she had lost.
Koyanskaya gently embraced the young man and spoke in a lover's soft, dreamlike voice:
"Finally…"
"Finally I've found you…"
"Izaya..."
…
Back in the dorm, Manaka sat elegantly at the computer desk, revising the content of Izaya's graduation thesis.
It wasn't a dramatic change. To the Root Princess, complex theoretical systems could be understood at a glance—connecting several seemingly unrelated nodes into a coherent chain.
"So amazing…"
As she edited, the girl whispered softly in a gentle tone.
"This causal argument here is wrong again. Brother is always so careless…"
Her face was pure and flawless, as though she were savoring the smile of a "game."
But in the next moment—
Manaka's fingertips, tapping the keyboard, suddenly stopped.
The angelic smile slowly faded, replaced by genuine confusion.
She felt it.
Not through hearing or sight.
Rather, from deep within her "Root," a harsh, discordant whisper resounded.
"This feeling…"
"Is it the 'Beast' that visited the Clock Tower earlier…"
Manaka's delicate brows knit slightly as she subconsciously looked outside.
Why…?
Why did she come?