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"Huh—?!"
That sudden joke caught Yukino completely off guard.
Her deep blue eyes widened instantly, fingers tightening unconsciously around the hem of her skirt.
Teacher Hiratsuka had no idea what she was saying—it was just a casual tease—but to Yukino, it felt like a magnitude-twelve earthquake had just gone off in her head.
Teacher Hiratsuka… was going to pursue Lucian?!
Go after the same man who had already taken her first time… the same man she was now bound to through that long-term "detox" arrangement?!
"T- Teacher! That's your personal matter. There's no need to ask me about it."
Yukino Yukinoshita forced herself to calm down, barely holding her composure. "I'll leave the application form to you! I'll head back to class first!"
With that, the usually proud and composed ice queen turned on her heel and hurried out of the office—almost like she was running away.
Watching her retreating figure, Hiratsuka Shizuka couldn't help but laugh.
"This girl… her skin's thinner than I thought. Though… that Lucian kid really is pretty charming…"
…
At the same time, over at another desk.
Lucian leaned back in his chair, eyes closed, resting—when suddenly, a crisp mechanical notification rang out in his mind.
[Ding! The Multiverse Chat Group has detected fluctuations in a new dimensional coordinate!]
[New member "Student Council President of the Sea of Stars" has joined the chat!]
[New member "The Smiling Flower Pillar" has joined the chat!]
New members?
Lucian's consciousness immediately dropped into the chat group.
The moment the two newcomers appeared, the older members—who had been lurking or tinkering with the lottery system—instantly popped up.
[Elegant Gem Mage]: "Oh? New people? Welcome, welcome! Come on, introductions—photos, measurements, and number of magic circuits!"
[Ice General]: "Newbies, does your world have strong fighters? If so, tell me immediately."
[Half-Elf of the Frozen Forest]: "Um… Miss Rin, General Esdeath, please don't scare them. Hello, I'm Emilia. This is a multiverse chat group connecting different worlds."
Faced with the sudden flood of greetings—and some very questionable remarks—the two newcomers were clearly on high alert… and completely confused.
[Student Council President of the Sea of Stars]: "What is this? Some kind of new psychic ability? Or… are you scientists from those research facilities? Don't waste your time—I'm not letting you capture me!"
[The Smiling Flower Pillar]: "Ara ara, how fascinating. Is this some unknown Blood Demon Art? Or perhaps a mischievous demon creating illusions in my mind?"
[Elegant Gem Mage]: "Yep. First line from every newbie is always like this."
Watching their messages, Lucian raised an eyebrow slightly.
Before he could even start recalling the plot, the chat interface suddenly flickered with a faint golden glow.
[Ding! Detected that member "Part-Time Exorcist Genius Teacher" has permission level: '?']
[Due to your supreme status, you have automatically unlocked the privilege: "Eye of World Observation"!]
[You will now directly receive the current timeline and background status of new members.]
"Huh? There's a VIP perk like that?"
With this mysterious "?" ranking, it was like the system was spoon-feeding him the entire script—omniscience, handed on a silver platter.
In the next instant, two streams of incredibly detailed information flooded into Lucian's mind.
[Group Member: Tomori Nao (from the "Charlotte" world)]
[Current Timeline: Her older brother, Tomori Kazuki, has just been used as a lab rat by scientists and driven insane. He is now confined in a psychiatric hospital. She herself has just been forcibly enrolled into Hoshinoumi Academy, where she has formed a one-person student council and is about to begin the difficult mission of searching for and protecting other ability users. Her mental state: extreme lack of security and strong distrust toward adults.]
[Group Member: Kanae Kocho (from the "Demon Slayer" world)]
[Current Timeline: Critical life-or-death juncture. Kanae Kocho is currently the Flower Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps—gentle and kind, always hoping for peaceful coexistence between humans and demons. However, tonight, she will encounter Upper Rank Two, Doma, who feeds on women—and she will die in that battle.]
After reading the system-provided reports, a sharp glint flashed deep in Lucian's eyes.
Well, damn.
Both of these new members had joined at the darkest—and most fatal—turning points of their lives.
Tomori Nao was at rock bottom, crushed by her brother's madness, filled with distrust and hostility toward the world.
And Kanae Kocho had it even worse—tonight was literally her death date.
If things followed the original storyline, she would die without a doubt… and her death would push her younger sister, Shinobu, completely down a path of vengeance—one soaked in poison and despair.
Leaning back in his chair, Lucian tapped his fingers rhythmically against the desk, staring at the classified information only he could see.
Meanwhile, in the chat, Rin and Emilia were still patiently explaining how everything worked.
But neither Tomori Nao nor Kanae Kocho seemed ready to let their guard down. Their replies remained cautious, probing—testing the waters one step at a time.
"….."