(A/N: This is side story. The choice presented is only about narrative order; both branches "worlds" are continued in the main story, so don't worry—none will be left unwritten.)
(T/N: this side story is not connected to Little Senti side story "back to her OG world". You can think of it as another what IF)
---
On a certain morning following their victory over the Honkai, the system underwent yet another unexpected update.
If nothing unusual happened, then something unexpected was definitely about to occur.
After all, stirring up some chaos was part of the system's very duty.
A mysterious interaction began to take place between two separate worlds, linking them together.
Rather than a shift in the flow of time, it felt more like a delicate brush between the branches of the Imaginary Tree—a tiny miracle happening in the blink of an eye, too subtle for most to notice.
A swirling black portal manifested before them, its destination unknown.
Although a few people could see it, their numbers were small—only those who stood atop the very peak of their respective worlds.
After countless trials and agreements, the members of St. Freya and others, now living peacefully in a town reminiscent of classical Kalastu, were enjoying a relaxing afternoon tea.
Sunlight streamed gently through the windows.
Just as they were gathered in the conference room discussing future plans and their responsibilities under the new Schicksal, they all turned their heads at once—toward the original entrance to the room.
That doorway had been replaced by a swirling black vortex, adorned with radiant starlight.
No matter how you looked at it, this was definitely not normal.
"Huh? Is that… Am I seeing things?"
Theresa rubbed her eyes and looked again—the strange sight hadn't changed.
(Note: this is the OG side)
Puzzled, she glanced toward the others.
Could it be that she was hallucinating due to working too much overtime lately?
No…
This situation didn't feel normal no matter how you looked at it.
"If we're not all experiencing some shared illusion," Einstein said calmly, adjusting her glasses, "then something unexpected has definitely occurred in the world without our awareness."
Could it be… that man who always caused trouble?
Even though Kiana and Durandal had already confirmed the outcome of that battle, the appearance of something this unimaginable prompted them to instinctively prepare for the worst.
After all, not much time had passed since they defeated him, and strange things were still happening.
"There's no way this is the doing of the Herrscher of Sentience… She can create illusions, yes, but not on this scale—at least, not affecting this many people at once," Fu Hua said, frowning.
Her gaze remained sharp and full of suspicion.
It was clear she was also considering the same possibility…
After all, that man had always been capable of executing shocking, reality-defying moves after long silences.
This wouldn't be out of character for him.
"Master Overseer, do you wish to report—"
A Valkyrie pushed the door open and entered.
She didn't seem to notice anything unusual, as though she had passed through another dimension unharmed.
Then she left just as quickly, never once acknowledging the anomaly.
"So it's fake, just an illusion! I knew it…"
Theresa laughed awkwardly and reached out toward the portal —
But in that moment, everything changed.
"Ahhh—!"
She was sucked in.
And just like that, the newly appointed Overseer of Schicksal vanished once again.
---
The flow of time in the two worlds clearly moved at different speeds.
In the original world, events were still unfolding shortly after Otto's death—time passed slowly there.
Meanwhile, in this world, peace had long since returned.
Theresa felt a little dizzy.
Where had she ended up?
It wasn't unfamiliar—in fact, it was a place that had appeared in her dreams far too often.
This path, woven with soft and warm memories, was the very foundation of her strength.
She had often heard echoes from this place deep within her memory.
And now… she was truly back.
The familiar sound of the school bell rang out, followed by a tide of students moving like waves through the academy's walkways.
Her adorable students, full of youthful energy, held textbooks in their arms and chatted as they passed by, their laughter echoing behind them.
It all felt like a dream.
"Headmistress, why do you look shorter lately?"
(T/C: pfft! I forgot MC's Terri is now tall🤭)
Groups of students came up, greeting her warmly.
Theresa stood there, at a complete loss for how to respond.
A faintly embarrassed smile spread across her face as she nodded repeatedly, just trying to muddle through.
She couldn't understand what was happening—but the feelings were real.
This definitely wasn't an illusion…
She was back at the Academy.
Theresa didn't quite understand what was happening.
She saw her old home, not far from where she stood.
She glanced once more at the swirling "Black Hole" behind her, hesitated briefly, and then—her feet moved of their own accord, stepping toward her original house to take a look.
She didn't feel any danger.
So instead, she was simply curious about what she was seeing.
Just before she pushed open the door, she turned her head—and saw a familiar figure watering the plants nearby.
The woman was softly humming a lullaby-like tune as she worked.
Theresa's entire body trembled.
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Cecilia… Is that you?
"Cecilia!!"
At first, she could only whisper it to herself.
Then she couldn't hold herself back anymore—she rushed forward, eyes quickly welling with tears, looking up at Cecilia's face.
It was exactly the same as in her memories.
No difference at all.
And this wasn't a dream—
She pinched herself, and a tear dropped to the ground.
"This is amazing… truly amazing… Could this be… the afterlife? Cecilia!"
"Huh? Theresa!? Why do you have that expression on your face?
Honestly, those dark circles under your eyes… What happened to you? It's only been a day, and you've ended up like this."
Cecilia looked at Theresa, who had her arms stretched out, clearly begging for a hug.
She set her watering can down and pulled her into a warm embrace.
"Goodness… Even with Kallen teaching you how to take over the Overseer role, you still need to take care of yourself, okay?" she said gently.
Her familiar scent, her familiar warmth—Theresa clung to her tightly, not wanting this dream to end.
She didn't know how much time had passed before she finally calmed down.
Ever since surpassing her grandfather and donning the Overseer's mantle, Theresa had been shouldering an enormous responsibility.
She hadn't rested properly for days, yet she still pushed herself to do more, hoping to accomplish as much as she could.
But even with so many worries in her heart, she hadn't had anyone to truly confide in.
And now, Cecilia had become her emotional release.
Theresa sniffled, her eyes still misty.
The tears blurred her vision, making it hard to see the familiar face she'd stored deep in her memories.
"Headmistress, what happened to you? As soon as you walked in, you just— Whoa!"
"This is… St. Freya?! And you are…"
A voice cried out behind her.
It was Kiana, now dressed in her mature battle uniform, who had rushed through the portal.
"M-Mom?!"
After Theresa suddenly vanished in front of everyone, they'd held a quick discussion and sent Kiana—the one who held the Herrscher of the Void's power over space—to investigate.
No matter what, they needed to ensure Theresa's safety.
But she hadn't expected…
The first thing she would see was Cecilia!
The same Cecilia who was a heroic figure in Valkyrie textbooks.
Someone Kiana had never met—her mother.
The smaller figure, who had been searching for Theresa, was momentarily forgotten.
Kiana dashed forward, bypassed Theresa entirely, and threw herself into Cecilia's arms, gripping her hands tightly, tears flowing down her cheeks.
Her emotions were too much to contain.
Even Cecilia, who had been confused a moment earlier, now realized something wasn't right.
They were… way too emotional.
One person like this was fine.
But two at the same time?
Even more importantly, Kiana—she almost never behaved this way.
"Ugh… It's too early in the morning for this nonsense. What's going on with you two?
And you—little sister—there's no need to make such a fuss! If you're acting like that, then I want to hug Mom too!"
A new voice interrupted from the door as Sirin stepped in, slamming it behind her.
Her hair was a bit messy, and she wore a frustrated look on her face as she complained.
"Sirin? Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
Kiana, now the Herrscher of Flamescion, furrowed her brow at the violet-haired girl in front of her.
She'd seen this girl countless times in her memories.
But…
Why had she appeared again—after passing through the portal?
Could this really be… the world after death?
Well, if it meant seeing her mother again… then maybe that wasn't so bad.
Sirin: "??"
She stopped, looking stunned.
"Pfft—"
She spat out the mouthwash in one big puff and shouted angrily,
"You're the one who's dying! I'm perfectly fine—how could you curse me like that? Mom, look at her!"
She tugged on Cecilia's arm, trying to gain sympathy.
This little sister of hers really spouted nonsense—she cursed her!
Cecilia felt a bit of a headache coming on.
Next to her, Theresa had raised her hand slightly, looking a bit uneasy.
Meanwhile, Kiana and Sirin's voices were shrill as they argued.
Suddenly, she thought of something.
She turned and looked back toward the place where Kiana first appeared, walked a few quick steps—and sure enough, she saw a pitch-black cave entrance, quietly proclaiming… something ominous.
"Maybe… there's been some kind of misunderstanding between us…" she hesitantly said, turning to look at the two others, this time with a probing gaze.
---
Inside Theresa's mansion.
When everyone had once again gathered together in one place and began to understand what had happened in this world, they finally realized that something was very off.
Luo Mo glanced around awkwardly.
He did know the system had updated today, but what exactly it had updated… he truly had no idea.
He hadn't expected that aspect to change.
And so, the system had just thrown this huge event at him without warning.
All he could do was roll with it—a solid 6.
But…
As he tried to understand where all this was going, he couldn't help but sigh.
Indeed, maybe this wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
He might not be able to change the fixed truths, but if he could let these Valkyries feel that loss and regret again…
Then maybe, in their hearts, it could bring a little comfort.
---
"The Captain? You're saying he is the captain? The Hyperion's Captain... wasn't that only Himeko?"
The original Theresa asked suspiciously.
How did she suddenly become a character in the game just like that?
Did she confirm her identity that easily?
If her world was really just a game, then what kind of powerful, god-tier game was this supposed to be!?
"No no no, I never said he was the captain. Look more carefully—I'm the one who corresponds to you. That one over there doesn't even look like you at all!"
Theresa shook her head and, being a little taller than the other, responded while standing confidently.
Of course, she was more than happy to offer her bitter gourd juice in welcome.
Even if she hadn't made a friend with the same interests, having another "self" wasn't so bad.
"Ah... so this is what Otto's 'created world' looks like? The world he's been aiming for all along—did he really succeed?"
Kiana hesitated for a moment, looking at the four headmistresses in front of her, completely stunned.
One had red eyes, another wore ancient-style Chinese clothing, and the other two had familiar auras of headmistresses.
Could it be… this world had already undergone three rounds of merging?
So cursed!
Why are there so many headmistresses!?
"Himeko is here… Cecilia is here…
Mei and I… were never separated…"
"This really is a future that would make anyone jealous…"
Kiana said with some pain in her voice.
She bit her lower lip, her eyes showing a trace of longing...
This time—
Would she be able to properly say goodbye?
Compared to bidding farewell to a mirror or the distant stars, saying goodbye to someone from a parallel world like this...
Might actually be easier.
The stars were too far.
She couldn't hear what Teacher Himeko had to say anymore.
(T/C: ...I'm crying again)
"Um… Bronya probably understands, so the one in front of us now isn't the Bronya from this world, right? It's clear that she's… kind of..."
OG Bronya muttered to herself, looking at the gamer Bronie, feeling a bit annoyed.
"Aha, so you finally noticed the gap between you two,"
Bronie rolled her eyes at her, paused at a certain point in front of her, and curled her lips into a cold smile,
"Very soon, you'll see just how big the gap is between the two of you.
Yep, a difference that's nearly impossible to cross."
"…Ah?"
Bronya didn't understand why she was being spoken to so confidently.