Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Hikigaya Hachiman's parents also arrived in Academy City.

After being shown the effects of their son's "evolution" as per procedure, they fainted right alongside Komachi.

At least Hikigaya Hachiman didn't have to see his parents faint this time.

The Hikigaya family, with the exception of their cat Kamakura, who was temporarily staying outside Academy City, had now been completely wiped out within the city's walls.

Leave after seeing all this?

That was definitely not happening. So, Noldrei asked Cocolia to find a relatively suitable job for the parents. Something that wouldn't feel like charity, but also wouldn't be so high-ranking that it would be hard for them to accept.

It was just that Hikigaya Hachiman wouldn't have the chance to see his parents for a while.

Shirogane Miyuki had wanted to visit Hikigaya Hachiman to offer some condolences and show his concern for his first friend in Academy City.

But he couldn't find Hachiman's location.

It didn't sound like he was in the morgue of some hospital, nor was there an urn in his home. And a place like the Security Patrol headquarters wasn't somewhere he could just waltz into.

Shirogane Miyuki sighed and sat down on a bench below Hikigaya Hachiman's dormitory building.

His mood hadn't improved. After all, losing a good friend was hard to accept.

Shirogane decided to leave the bouquet of funeral flowers at his friend's dorm room door as a tribute.

And then...

He saw a middle school-aged girl staring at him in shock.

"Wh-what are you doing?"

The girl had a small snaggletooth and a cuteness similar to his own sister.

Shirogane Miyuki looked at the little girl in shock and said with grief and indignation, "I can't believe Academy City is so heartless! My good friend just passed away, and they've already given his dorm to someone else! No! I have to demand an explanation! Where are my friend's things?!"

'What is going on?!'

Komachi, who had just woken up from her shock-induced faint, never expected to see such a foolish senior in broad daylight. Komachi glanced at the clothes Shirogane Miyuki was wearing and knew where this senior was from.

'A student from the research institute? So impressive! Completely different from my brother, who gets shot just for being a city patrolman!'

Komachi complained about her brother's bad luck. After learning that her brother was currently fine, despite being just a brain, she had relaxed a little.

'No, I can't say he's completely fine. Is he really okay? The brain is where all of a person's memories are, but what about the other parts of his body?'

Komachi's mood turned gloomy again at the thought. She looked at the senior and said, "The person you're talking about should be my brother. Never mind... you should come in. My parents will be here later, but they're staying in a hotel for now. There aren't enough dorm rooms for them here."

Shirogane Miyuki was stunned. "You-you're Hikigaya's sister?" he asked awkwardly.

He quickly gathered the flowers in his hands and handed them to the girl.

Komachi looked at the flowers shoved into her hands with disgust. Ignoring years of hygiene education, she tossed them down the hallway.

"That's so unlucky! Don't give me something like this! My brother isn't dead yet! At least, probably... still alive?"

Komachi wasn't sure if what Academy City said was true. After all, what she had seen was a headless Hikigaya Hachiman. The issues after that were beyond her control.

"Probably?!" Shirogane Miyuki was shocked. He never knew his bro had such vitality.

"Oh, just don't ask so many questions. I have to go check on my brother later. I heard his body was damaged, so they're using Academy City's biotechnology to rebuild it for him. I have to go over there early. You'll be able to see him then. Anyway, you can just wait at the door."

Komachi had to explain a lot. She was quite at ease with her brother's friend. At least being able to make a friend here proved that this senior was a good person.

"Ah, this..."

Shirogane Miyuki had planned to go back to work after leaving the flowers. But now, the sister was saying her brother was still alive.

He now took a good look at Hikigaya Hachiman's sister. He did see a little bit of Hachiman in her.

'What little bit? How could such a cute and sunny sister be the sister of that gloomy and suspicious guy? Did something go wrong somewhere? I heard that genetic information can pass down certain personality traits. Could it be that something unspeakable happened in their ancestry?'

Many thoughts ran through Shirogane Miyuki's mind, but in the end, his concern for his friend won out.

He still decided to go see how Hikigaya Hachiman was doing.

If his friend was really dead, then for the sake of his own life, waiting a day or two wouldn't be a problem. But if his friend was still alive, he definitely needed to check on him right away.

"Okay, I'll go with you!"

---||---

And at this moment...

Ana Schariac encountered another person, someone hidden in Academy City, a doctor who had once belonged to Schicksal.

And she happened to know this person.

"Pro... Professor Magi...? What are you doing here? Didn't you betray us?"

Ana subconsciously shielded Mahiru. She didn't know if this old professor who had betrayed Schicksal was still the same person she once knew.

"Ah, it's you, Ana..."

A hint of nostalgia flickered in Professor Magi's eyes. If his granddaughter were still alive, she would be about Ana's age.

Otto. That man had never truly fought against the Honkai.

Back then, he had been conducting an experiment on his granddaughter's Herrscher Core. During that experiment, Professor Magi had clearly remembered Otto's words.

[As long as I have that power to reverse life and death, I can be reunited with Kallen.]

Those were the words Otto had said to him in person during the experiment.

Magi remembered them very clearly. It was precisely because of this that the old professor had turned traitor and left Schicksal.

No one knew Otto's true face better than he did.

"Professor Magi! You still haven't said why you're here. And... where is the Gem?!"

Ana didn't dare to be careless. She wasn't sure if Professor Magi had any help. Someone who could escape from Schicksal and evade their pursuit must have powerful allies.

No one knew that this old man held one of the Herrscher Gems.

Also known as the [Gem of Serenity].

"The Gem? Oh, you mean the Gem... you're right... where is it?"

Professor Magi was silent for a moment, a sad smile on his face.

"It's right here in Academy City."

Ana was stunned. She had never expected such a huge twist.

"It was Cocolia who brought out that gem here. It was never really in my hands," Professor Magi said bitterly. "Where could it be?"