When Kiana and Bronya awoke, their faces were haunted.
They'd witnessed Fu Hua's Previous Era self—
Lost. Fearful. Nothing like the steadfast mentor they knew.
"The Class Monitor was… so different back then."
"What happened to make her like she is now?"
Lin Zhaoyu explained softly.
Kiana's chest ached. How much pain did she endure to become who she is?
Meanwhile, Mei remained at World Serpent—
Alternating between cooking and Elysian Realm trials.
"Enough gloom. Did you find what you sought?"
"…No."
"Unsurprising. Shifu left many feathers. Keep searching—I'll unlock them for you."
"Why help us?"
Kiana eyed her warily.
Lin Zhaoyu chuckled. "How amusing—to distrust kindness."
"Call it… my duty as a Taixuan disciple."
As the girls hunted more feathers, they uncovered more of Fu Hua's past—
Including the white-haired man who'd beaten them both.
"He's not even the strongest of his era? Then what are we up against?!"
(Little did they know—current-era Kevin, with full Stigmata, surpassed even Finality.)
But the most shocking revelation?
The woman who'd changed Fu Hua forever.
"Himeko… She looks just like Miss Himeko."
Tears welled in Kiana's eyes.
That crimson silhouette was unforgettable.