Outside of Takumi's mind, a few hours after the project's start...*

The lab alarms blared incessantly as the diagnostic screens flickered to life, activating a basic artificial intelligence programmed to ensure the project's success. A robotic voice, cold and calculated, broke the silence dominating the room.

—*Error detected. Initiating self-diagnosis...* —The voice meticulously began to enumerate the results of each process—. *Consciousness transfer completed 100% without anomalies. Debugging process completed 100% without anomalies. Neural network fabrication process completed 100% without anomalies. Inorganic tissue creation process completed 100% without anomalies. Biological tissue fabrication process... completed 90%. Anomaly detected! Searching for the cause of the anomaly...*

The lab fell into an almost palpable silence, broken only by the hum of machines. The AI, relentless in its task, soon pinpointed the issue.

—*Insufficient organic biomass detected for the creation of biological tissue. Initiating correction...* —The emotionless voice continued with its relentless determination—. *The most optimal process has been determined to reduce body structure to compensate for the lack of biomass. Initiating correction...*

Finally, the AI concluded:

—*All parameters ready. Estimated time to complete: one week.*

The room fell silent once more, though the echo of the robotic voice seemed to linger in the air, like a voice that seemed amused.

Yes, poor Takumi will have a little surprise when he wakes up...*

One week later...*

The incubation week had come to an end. The body was ready, and the mind transfer had been successfully completed. Only a few final adjustments remained. In the lab, several medical drones hovered silently, monitoring every vital sign of Takumi, ready to intervene at the slightest anomaly.

Inside the capsule, a young body lay in a deep sleep. A 16-year-old boy with blue-green hair and pale skin, his physique slender but well-defined, and standing at 1.52 meters tall.

Slowly, the liquid within the capsule began to drain. Minutes later, the liquid had evaporated, leaving the young man sitting, unconscious, with a soft and regular breath. Gradually, he began to wake, opening his eyes to reveal a pair of deep red eyes that gleamed intensely.

A red halo appeared above his head, composed of interlocking concentric circles and precise lines radiating outward.

The young man tried to stand, but his legs, still weak, betrayed him. He fell again and again, the cold lab floor his only witness.

On his seventh attempt, he finally managed to stand, staggering toward the medical robots, his steps unsteady. His mind, still clouded, tried to process the new environment surrounding him. Several minutes passed before he could form coherent thoughts. With a soft and trembling voice, he spoke for the first time in this new world:

—*It worked...* —he whispered, as if he couldn't quite believe it.

But the happiness he expected to feel never came. Instead, a strange pressure gripped his chest.

Instinctively, he brought a hand to where he felt the discomfort but found nothing abnormal. He looked down and saw a few drops of a clear liquid. His mind, still bewildered, tried to find the source of these drops but couldn't comprehend where they were coming from.

Could there be a leak in the airtight seal?*

No, if that were the case, the repair robots would have already acted. So, what was happening? Soon, the drops of liquid began to multiply, and a sensation of moisture on his face caught him by surprise. He brought his trembling hand to his face and felt the wetness on his cheeks. Probing, he discovered that the source of that moisture was *his eyes*.

—*Tears...?* —he asked himself, incredulous—. *I see... I'm crying.* *But why?* He was supposed to be happy, wasn't he? After all, he had just returned to a human body, or at least something close to it. So why did he feel this deep sadness overwhelming him?

Suddenly, like a hammer striking his mind, the answer came: memories of his previous life. Fleeting images of simple moments, like going to the movies with friends, working in his mother's restaurant, which that kind couple had taken care of until he was old enough to manage it, and his friends' insistence that something was wrong with him...

A feeling of apprehension washed over him, and self-criticism began to whisper in his mind: *You've been an idiot all this time.* Despite having kind people around him, people willing to help him, how was it possible that he felt so alone?

The crying continued, his tears silently falling to the floor. They weren't just tears of sadness; they were tears of regret, of longing, of a loneliness that had accompanied him through two lives. He had tried to ignore that emotion even before arriving in this world. Sooner or later, his conflicting emotions would explode, and that moment had come. He did everything possible to try to contain those emotions. For better or worse, it was not the time to break down emotionally. Not when he was literally in a world that could go to hell just because some teenagers didn't like the food.

He walked towards the medical robots to take him to the other medical wing and finish the tests. Others, at this moment, might have taken a moment to cry, but unfortunately, he didn't have time. And worse, he's also an idiot in the strangest moments. Let's hope this decision doesn't betray him later.

A few minutes later, Takumi was in the medical room. He was undergoing several exams; everything seemed to be in order, except for a tiny detail...

—*Are you kidding me, right? Now I'm a damn Minion.*

Yes, he took the fact that he's now a dwarf compared to his previous life very well... so well that he almost destroyed the computer that spat out the data. Okay, let's understand, before, at the same age, he was proud to be 1.75 meters tall.

Now, however, I barely surpass half a meter. On the bright side, at least I retain my manhood. Except for that detail, everything was in order. For now, there's no concern that something might go wrong, causing my brain to explode... again. Yes, I've already learned the lesson that I shouldn't mix energy drinks with my techno-kinesis.

To distract my mind, I decided to study the information my spy drones gathered while I was asleep. After a long read, I began to find several divergences from the game. Among them, I discovered that halo boys' academies do exist; only they seem to have isolated themselves from the other academies due to an event that happened several years ago, but unfortunately, I couldn't find records about it. Unlike some players, this information doesn't seem like bad news to me. After all, I'd rather there be halo boys because, let's be honest... the implications of them not existing would be quite disturbing.

Think about it: What do you prefer? Accepting the idea that there are halo students in Kivotos with similar properties to the girls, or that there are no boys on Earth? The second scenario is quite unsettling. How is the species perpetuated? Or will you tell me you prefer to think that the girls' father is an anthropomorphic animal or a robot? Or even worse... that the girls have a sword... Yeah, let's change the subject.

Another thing the drones discovered is that Kivotos is not the only thing in the world, contrary to what one might think. There's more out there beyond the academic city. Specifically, much of human history did happen with one divergence: humanity, since its beginning, possesses a halo, whether male or female. The other divergence is that World War II was a bit more chaotic... which makes sense if we consider that people here are bulletproof. The chaos was such that entire continents suffered alterations. To the point that, guess where Kivotos is located... Kivotos is in what was once Latin America a few centuries ago. Who would have thought that the Abydos being LATAM meme would become half-canon?

One might think Kivotos would be in Asia or Europe, but it turned out to be built on the ruins of what was once Latin America. In itself, Kivotos emerged as a "city" (though technically, due to its territorial extension, it would be more of a country or even a continent) multicultural, which would be used to promote peace between countries and thus prevent more wars in the future. Or at least, that's how it was on paper. Since, if you know anything about Blue Archive, literally, if you give the Trinity students the chance, they'll destroy all of Gehenna, and vice versa; give Gehenna the chance, and they'll invade Trinity... Yes, a very peaceful city to live in.

As funny as it sounds, I managed to find the original affiliations of several academies before the students got smarter and gave adults the middle finger. Although, it's pretty obvious. For example, Abydos with Egypt; Trinity with several European countries, including England, so yes, there are literally princesses in Trinity; Gehenna with Germany, Hyakkiyako with Japan; and Red White... is it necessary to say? And Shanhaijing, again, is it necessary? There are more cases, like, for example, that Millenium was related to the remnants of the United States, but they quickly cut ties. A lot of useless information, but at least it helps me understand a bit of the crazy world I'm in.

Another rather strange piece of information I discovered is that the ratio of men to women is somewhat ridiculous... for every 10 births, only 4 are men. So yes, things are a bit messed up. It doesn't help that, apparently The man in this world, after the war, is considered the weaker Gender because, well, physically, due to the halo, women are a bit stronger. This world is kind of messed up.

After reading all the information, I turned off the tablet I was holding and lay down on the bed. I was now in what I could assume was my room. I stared at the ceiling, watching the marine life, taking advantage of the fact that my room had an ocean view. I observed everything from small fish to large whales living their peaceful lives. In a way, I started to understand why Hoshino's character liked the sea so much... Why did Hoshino come to my mind first? She wasn't even my favorite girl in the game; that title belongs to one of the Trinity girls... Once again, I stray from what's important. Right now, I need to figure out what I should do. Can I just be an observer and hope everything turns out okay, or can I actively intervene to prevent everything from going to hell?

The first option is tempting, but there are so many variables that make it impossible to just sleep and let everything unfold naturally. On the other hand, the second option is still dangerous. After all, what if I change something and it ends badly, or I unintentionally cause someone's death by trying to help? So few options, so little time, and it doesn't help that I don't know if this is the Shiroko Terror timeline, the failed Eden Treaty line, or the line where everything goes well. Damn, for all I know, it could even be a timeline from the game's doujinshi... You know what, let's ignore that thought; the last thing I want to think about is being inside a hentai doujinshi.

For now, I think the best option is to infiltrate one of the academies and observe how everything develops. According to what I found, none of the academies are strictly for girls. I looked again at the tablet.

The possible academies.*

I ignored all the ones that aren't canon... Wait, there's an aerospace science academy? Forget the impulse of idiocy... For now, I'm ruling out Red White. I don't like Cherino much. Gehenna is also out; I don't want headaches... It pains me to say this, but Trinity is ruled out. Why? Politics. I hate politics. If it weren't for that detail, I'd be running to enroll... well, that and I doubt I'd pass the background check.

Millennium... ruled out, mostly because of Rio. If she nearly had an aneurysm because of Alice, I don't want to imagine what she'd do if she found out about my existence. Not to mention that Veritas, the Seminar, and the engineering department are probably cursing me for hacking their servers... although, well, I'd like to see Veritas' face when they find the Rick Roll of Koyuki among the false leads I left.

I'm ruling out Shanhaijing because I know nothing about that academy. Arius isn't even an option; to begin with, with the information I have, I haven't been able to find its location... Why did I want its location? Let's say I wanted to send Beatriz a "gift" in the form of a ballistic missile strong enough to destroy a city.

This leaves me with Abydos. An academy in ruins, but thanks to its situation, the background check will be minimal or maybe even non-existent. The biggest problem is that I'm sure Hoshino and Serika will be suspicious of me. But I'll just have to live with that.

Before starting the enrollment process, the first thing I need to do is create a profile for myself... Technically, I'm nobody in this world. But hey, if I could hack the academy with the best security systems in the world, how hard could it be to hack Japan's registry and create a fake identity?

Several hours later, it was already two in the morning. I had accessed Japan's registry and forged the documents, from the birth certificate to a student ID from a school that had just closed due to a lack of students in a rural town. Given my current situation, the best option was to forge the documents and make it look like I come from a small town that isn't even on the map (literally, I found it by a miracle).

With that done, all that was left was to print the documents, forge some signatures, and align myself as an orphaned boy, which wasn't that hard. It only took about four hours to finish everything. In front of me were the papers to justify my existence in the legal system. I doubt even the best investigator could find a flaw. Now, the hard part: I have to submit all of this to the student council and pray they don't reject my admission. Fortunately for me, according to what I found, Abydos has open enrollment all year round. What could go wrong?

The next day at Abydos.*

Ayane was surprised. Something had happened that she thought was almost impossible in the short time she's been the secretary of the Foreclosure Task Force. She was doing her daily paperwork (or rather, Hoshino's), and she noticed that there was an admission application on the desk. What made it even more surprising was that it wasn't a girl's application. It was a boy's!

Blue-green hair and red eyes (which she couldn't deny were kind of cute, but she would never say that out loud, especially when her pink-haired *senpai* was in the room "sleeping").

Name* Takumi Shinki

Age* 16 years

Height* 1.52 m

Place of origin* Japan

Reviewing the papers* she saw that he was actually a good student; he had very good grades and even passed the knowledge test given by the GCS. Overall, he would be a good addition to the group, and an extra hand wouldn't hurt, not to mention the considerable enrollment fee... But he was a boy, and all the members of the Foreclosure Task Force were girls. She was about to reject him until she saw something that caught her attention.

Skills*

- Machinery repair

- IT knowledge

- Construction

- Architecture

- Masonry

- Plumbing

- Robotics

Ayane's glasses gleamed. Any previous logical thoughts were overshadowed by the possibility of having someone help her repair all the machinery left behind by the previous student council; he could even help her repair the drones and helicopters that were gathering dust. Not to mention he could also help reduce repair costs...

—Hoshino-*senpai*!* —Ayane approached her *senpai, who was sleeping, and carefully woke her up.

Hoshino woke up with a slight yawn before looking at her *kohai* with her heterochromatic blue and yellow eyes.

—What happened, Ayane-chan? Don't you see this *ojisan* is taking a nap?*

—Hoshino-*senpai, sorry for waking you. It's just that I needed your signature for something official, look* —said Ayane, placing the paper on Hoshino's desk, obviously covering up the fact that it was a boy's enrollment application.

—Is that all?* —asked Hoshino, who was barely staying awake, looking at her *kohai*.

Ayane just nodded.

Hoshino, without much trouble, gave her signature and approval stamp. As soon as she signed, she returned to Morpheus' embrace.

Meanwhile, a cheerful Ayane was already calculating an approximate amount of money they could save on repairs with their new member. She just hoped that this Takumi was a good boy.

And well, that's all for today. I hope you enjoy it. Due to the problems I had writing this chapter, I think I'll opt for shorter but more frequent chapters to avoid complicating things too much.

In case you're wondering where I got the money for the enrollment, let's just say Rio onee-chan paid for it.

It's worth mentioning that she's aware of where the protagonist stole the money from, but she can't do anything about it because it would risk exposing all her embezzlement... Well, that and the protagonist is a brazen idiot and might have even sent her an email.

--

Mini Canon Story*

Meanwhile, at Millennium...*

At that moment, Rio, the big sister of Millennium, was suffering from a slight migraine due to the email she had just received.

"What the hell...?"* she thought as she rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the discomfort. She looked back at her computer screen, unable to believe what she was reading. *"This has to be a joke..."*

Email*

Good morning, Rio onee-chan. This is one of your little brothers. I hope you don't mind that I took a little bit of your personal money to cover the enrollment fee at Abydos Academy. I know you won't be upset because you're the big sister of Millennium, and technically, I was born in that place, which, technically, makes me your little brother.

I just hope you don't mind. Oh, and I almost forgot! Please don't send that maid. I know she's very cute, but she might make my new classmates jealous. Also, don't mention anything to Yuuka-nechan. I doubt she'll be very happy if she sees our account movements, especially the ones involving that giant city you built. The thought alone scares me!

Just wanted to let you know that. Bye! Have a nice day, Rio onee-chan. Oh, and before I forget, please don't harm that girl!

She might be a bit hyperactive and somewhat mischievous, but I assure you her heart is as pure as a hero of light. Just give her some video games and You'll see how she'll love you for the rest of her life."

Sincerely, Rio's little brother*

Rio dropped the hand that was holding her head, feeling a strange mix of exhaustion and resignation. *"That brat…"* she thought, frustrated and confused. *"He has me exactly where he wants… And he's not even a stranger!"* With a quick search, she found his name among the new enrollments at Abydos: *Takumi Shinki.*

Rio felt a chill run down her spine. *"If I make one wrong move, everything will go to hell. All my plans… ruined."* It was a terrifying thought, but she had to admit the boy had played his cards well.

For now, it was best to watch and wait. There was no way to predict what might happen if Takumi decided to open his mouth and expose her to Yuuka. Rio sighed, resting her forehead on the desk. *"On the other hand, why do I like the idea of that cute boy calling me onee-chan so much...?"*

The very idea was absurd, but she couldn't help the slight blush on her face as she recalled the email. *"Damn it… I'm losing my mind."*

Note for the English version: I apologize for any mistakes; English is not my native language, and using translators isn't that easy. If you have any corrections or know of a better translator than ChatGPT for Spanish to English, I would greatly appreciate it.*