"...Its name is—Honkai Energy."
Hearing the answer, Kakine Teitoku wasn't surprised. He simply stared intently at Selene's face.
Although he had been unconscious at that time, the result had been obvious enough to guess. His purpose in coming here was twofold: to confirm his suspicions, and once confirmed, to seek more Honkai Energy from Selene in order to strengthen himself. Even if his guess had been wrong, he would have lost nothing.
Indeed, while Honkai Energy didn't directly enhance esper powers, it could elevate a person's overall physical attributes in every aspect.
After all, Academy City's esper development primarily relied on cultivating one's "Personal Reality"—a reality observed through deliberately distorted computational and cognitive abilities, allowing micro-level probabilities to shift unnaturally and thus produce supernatural phenomena.
On the surface, the process seemed to involve mnemonic training or recitation exercises, but in reality, it included administering drugs via injection, applying electrodes to the skin for electrical stimulation, or feeding rhythmic tones through headphones for hypnotic suggestion—methods designed to forcibly awaken esper abilities.
As a result, espers across Academy City developed calculation formulas to help them process computations faster and maximize their power output. The greater one's computational capacity and speed, the higher their Level.
However, no matter how great a person's computational ability, the human body itself had limits. The brain's development had an upper bound, and opening the so-called "forbidden zone of God" was no easy feat. Honkai Energy's ability to strengthen the human body could break those limits—raising that upper threshold.
Enhancing the brain's processing capacity naturally improved computational performance, thereby indirectly boosting esper power.
This was the very reason Aleister valued Honkai Energy so highly, granting Selene special privileges. After all, for most espers in the city, progress depended on their ability to further improve their calculation speed and efficiency.
Gemstone espers were, after all, exceedingly rare.
"Can you give me more Honkai Energy?" Kakine asked. "I know this is a presumptuous request, but... I'm willing to offer the Dark Side organization 'School' in exchange. It could help you handle certain unnecessary troubles."
"Why should I give it to you?" Selene replied indifferently. "And your offer doesn't seem equivalent. It's not as if I lack Dark Side operatives. So, it's far from enough... You understand what I mean, right?"
At Selene's words, Kakine's expression stiffened slightly, but he said nothing.
Selene sat calmly on the sofa, one leg elegantly crossed over the other, her demeanor unbothered, as if his bargaining chip—'School'—barely warranted her attention.
"As expected," Kakine sighed deeply. "That's nowhere near enough to move you."
He leaned back against the sofa, closing his eyes. For him, that concession had already been his limit. The room fell into silence.
"If we can't reach an agreement, then forget it. Sebas, see our guest off."
With that, Selene unfolded her legs and rose to leave.
"Wait!"
Kakine abruptly sat upright, his expression tense. He almost gritted his teeth as he forced out the words. "Then... what if you include me?"
Selene paused, looking back.
"I'm willing to serve under you," he continued. "To follow your command. You must have a research institute, right? My 'Dark Matter' research value isn't insignificant."
Aside from the Dark Side organization, the most valuable thing Kakine could offer was himself.
His esper ability, Dark Matter, allowed him to generate matter that didn't exist in this world. Not undiscovered, not theoretical—truly nonexistent material, unbound by any physical law.
Hearing his final offer, Selene's heart stirred, though her expression remained unchanged. Her eyes fixed seriously on him.
"Have you really thought this through?" she asked softly. "Joining me? You should know—it won't be easy to leave afterward. And..."
In an instant, Selene vanished from her spot and reappeared directly before Kakine.
Pressure activated. Killing intent unleashed. Simulation—Gravity.
"...I'm quite cruel to traitors, you know. You're aware of the consequences, aren't you?"
The suffocating pressure filled the air. The moment Selene teleported before him, Kakine's perception and reflexes couldn't even register the movement.
Under the piercing gaze of Selene's blood-red eyes, his body involuntarily tensed. Muscles bulged, veins throbbed violently across his forehead, and his eyes became bloodshot.
Under the overwhelming pressure, Kakine Teitoku felt as though the blood vessels in his brain were about to burst. Every muscle in his body trembled violently, his hands and feet frozen as if submerged in an icy abyss.
If he could avoid it, he would never willingly lower himself to serve another.
But... it was necessary. There was no such thing as a free lunch, and Kakine knew full well that he himself was the only bargaining chip that could truly interest Selene. The 'School' organization was merely a trivial bonus.
"Even knowing this, you still wish to join?" Selene asked, her tone calm yet carrying a hint of amusement. "Think carefully. Once you board my ship, there's no getting off midway—except through death."
At her words, Kakine couldn't help but sigh inwardly. As expected, this meant selling his life to her completely. But after a brief moment of hesitation, his expression hardened with resolve.
"Yes. I'll join!"
Kakine Teitoku was ambitious—but not a fool. After being utterly crushed by Selene, he had realized the truth: the gap between them was an insurmountable chasm, even greater than the one between him and Mugino Shizuri.
He deeply suspected that even if all the other Level 5s joined forces, they might still be unable to match Selene alone.
Having received a definitive answer, Selene immediately withdrew her oppressive aura. The cold scrutiny in her crimson eyes melted into visible delight, her lips curving into a radiant smile.
The speed at which her expression changed left Kakine completely speechless.
"Then... from this moment on," Selene said softly, extending her right hand, "you are now a member of Schicksal."
As she spoke, faint particles began to gather around her hand, visible to the naked eye. The glow of violet-red energy grew brighter and brighter.
"This is... Honkai Energy?" Kakine murmured, staring fixedly at the light forming in her palm. He could feel the familiar resonance—the same origin as the remnant energy within his body. This was what he had been desperately seeking.
The light gradually condensed into a small crystal, about one centimeter in diameter, floating above Selene's hand. With a flick of her finger, a spatial portal opened out of thin air in the middle of the room.
"What is this? What should I do, Miss Selene...?" Kakine asked uncertainly.
Selene chuckled lightly. "No need for such formality. Just call me by name—or Boss."
Her smile deepened as she handed him the crystalline object, then gestured toward the portal. "Your first assignment. On the other side is the Schicksal Research Institute. Take this Honkai Crystal with you—Shuji Matsuzaki will know what to do."
Then, her tone turned faintly cold. "And don't even think about running off with it. You know what the consequences would be."
Kakine gave a dry chuckle. "Don't worry. I can tell the difference between a full meal and a last supper."
Without hesitation, he took the Honkai Crystal and stepped into the spatial gate. A flash of violet light flared—and he was gone.