Home?

The moonlight was bright, a gentle breeze brushing her face as Sirin stood before a brightly lit villa, staring at the sailor uniform she wore, frozen in confusion.

"Where is this place, and why am I here? Strange... why can't I remember anything..."

With a creak, the door swung open, and a handsome man with white hair and blue eyes stepped out—none other than Schicksal's S-rank male Valkyrie, Siegfried.

"Who are you, and what are you doing at my doorstep!"

Faced with Siegfried's stern interrogation, Sirin lowered her head, stammering for a long while without uttering a single word.

"Hey, dear, what are you doing to your daughter!" Cecilia said, glaring at Siegfried with some irritation.

"Daughter?" Siegfried scratched the back of his head. Both he and Cecilia had white hair and blue eyes, but this girl clearly had purple hair and yellow eyes, so..."

"Have you been drinking too much that you can't even recognize your own only daughter? Didn't we say today that Sirin had a club training session and would be home late, so we shouldn't wait for her to have dinner?" Cecilia raised her voice an octave when she saw the two hadn't changed their stances.

"Seeing my wife this angry, I must have drunk too much and lost my senses. As for her appearance... maybe it's a recessive gene." Siegfried quickly let Sirin inside, wearing an awkward expression.

"They are... my parents? This is... my... home?"

Staring at the unfamiliar surroundings, Sirin remained lost.

"Sirin, come here." Cecilia waved at the still-confused Sirin.

"Today is November 10th, and tomorrow is your birthday—it's written right on the calendar. Your father has just been too busy with work lately and drank too much, so don't be mad at him. Come on, open up."

Looking at the cake right in front of her mouth, Sirin hesitated briefly before opening it. As she chewed, the fluffy texture suddenly brought two streams of tears flowing from her eyes.

"Strange, that taste... I feel like I've had it a long time ago. It's really delicious, but... why am I crying?"

Cecilia gently stroked her head and spoke softly:

"Alright, Sirin, it's getting late. Get some rest early. Tomorrow is the weekend, and our family will go to the mall—pick whatever gift you want."

Still confused, Sirin walked into her room and lay down on the soft bed.

"Is this... what it feels like to be home? Why do I feel like I haven't been home in so long?"

The next morning, Sirin woke up to find she hadn't even changed clothes before falling asleep. She vaguely remembered it had been a long time since she'd slept like that.

Just as she climbed out of bed, Cecilia opened the door.

"Ah, you're up. Since you're awake, hurry and change, then come out for breakfast."

Sirin opened the wardrobe and looked at the dazzling array of dresses inside. Though she found them beautiful, she felt an inexplicable sense of unfamiliarity. After some selection, she changed into a white top with a purple bow tie and a black skirt with several purple stripes.

As soon as she opened the door, a burnt smell wafted from the kitchen, where Siegfried stood holding Divine Fire Judgment, looking utterly disheveled.

"How many times have I said it? A Kaslana shouldn't be in the kitchen. If this were just for me, fine, but preparing this for our daughter... sigh."

Sirin's eyes went wide as she stared at the charcoal-like objects on the plate—it was hard to believe these were meant for human consumption.

Cecilia shook her head, more resigned than reproachful. She took fresh ingredients from the fridge, and in a few dozen minutes, several slices of toast with steaming hot milk appeared on the table.

Siegfried glanced at his "masterpiece" already dumped in the trash and wore an awkward expression:

"Don't be mad, dear. I was just trying to make up for being a fool yesterday and making Sirin angry, so I wanted to show off in front of our daughter. But I didn't adjust Divine Fire Judgment's power output right..."

"From now on, don't even think about using Divine Fire Judgment to bake pizza in this house," Cecilia scolded playfully.

Siegfried knew that expression meant she wasn't truly angry, so he coaxed her a bit, and sure enough, Cecilia smiled again.

Sirin quietly absorbed this atmosphere. Though she said nothing, the corners of her mouth unconsciously lifted.

Cecilia's gaze lingered on her face for a few extra seconds, then quickly looked away before Sirin noticed.

After the meal, the family arrived at a large department store. Outside hung a massive promotional poster for Magical Girl TeriTeri, and Sirin, like everyone else, was drawn to the huge display.

"Magical Girl TeriTeri Grand Meet-and-Greet... Autograph Session, November 12th, held at XX location."

"Sirin, standing around won't pick out a gift. Let's go inside and take a look."

Cecilia's voice interrupted Sirin's thoughts. She nodded and followed Cecilia and Siegfried into the mall.

Once inside the department building, Sirin was captivated by the lavish decorations and the dazzling array of goods. She was certain she had never been to a place like this before.

Cecilia took Sirin to pick out dresses and other girly items, while Siegfried, seeing he wasn't needed for now, headed to the restroom.

The restroom in the massive department store was like a maze, giving Siegfried quite a hunt. Having never been here before either, it took him over ten minutes to find it.

After relieving himself, Siegfried felt much lighter. Just as he stepped out of the restroom, a hole suddenly appeared in the wall beside him like a shattered puzzle, and Walter Yang, his eyes gleaming, stepped out from within. The world seemed to have hit pause—everything except the two of them froze in place.

"Siegfried, your life now is so happy and fulfilling, but is it a beautiful dream or a nightmare? Open your eyes and see—which side is the reality you need to protect!"

Amid Old Yang's resounding words, Siegfried felt a headache coming on. He raised his right hand to his forehead, staring at the man before him. He only felt that this person was familiar, but he couldn't remember who it was.

Seeing that it was having an effect, Walter was about to continue when another hand reached out from the hole and yanked him back inside. The opening closed, and the world returned to normal.

"What do you mean by that!" Old Yang looked at the Herrscher of Corruption before him, somewhat angrily.

"Mr. Walter, don't be impatient. There's still time, and your reminder to Siegfried was enough. If you want the Herrscher of Void to become a normal person, even someone like you who fights for humanity, then this dream needs to continue for Sirin."

"Some wounds people suffer at a certain moment may never heal in a lifetime, let alone over several years. Though the pain Sirin actually endured has nothing to do with Cecilia or Siegfried, since she's willing to do this, let her have her wish. Giving Sirin the love of family is the best atonement Schicksal can make."