"Shido!"

A melodious voice called out from the doorway. Shido looked over and saw a girl with long, night-black hair, sparkling crystal-like eyes, a graceful nose, and lips as delicate as cherry blossom petals. She was waving at him from the classroom entrance.

"Tohka?" Shido muttered in disbelief. Indeed, the girl standing at the door was none other than someone he knew better than anyone else: Tohka Yatogami.

But that wasn't all. Behind Tohka stood two more figures: one wore a black hood that concealed all their hair, a confident smirk playing on their lips. The other had long, braided hair and an absent-minded expression.

"Yatogami-san?" Tama-chan was equally surprised to see her. After all, it had been over a year since Tohka had transferred out of Raizen High School for "special reasons." To see her return now was utterly unexpected.

"Teacher, I've just transferred back today. I'm sorry for being late," Tohka apologized earnestly.

"Yatogami-san? What do you mean, transferred back? And why to the first year? Shouldn't you be in university by now?" Tama asked, confused.

Shido and the others shared her bewilderment. "Kotori, what's going on here? Tohka should be in university, right?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Kotori replied with a sly smile. "Tohka didn't finish high school, so technically, she can't attend university. It's better for her to continue high school. Since starting as a senior would leave her without familiar faces to support her, we decided she'd join our first-year class for convenience."

"Are you serious?" Shido groaned, his head spinning. "This has to be a joke. Tohka would be fine in university, both in age and maturity."

"Brother, why are you so worked up?" Kotori teased, elbowing him. "By real standards, Tohka might not even be fit for high school. Or could it be that you're sad you won't be with Tohka anymore?"

"That's not it!" Shido protested, though a small part of him did feel that way. "It just feels odd for Tohka to restart high school from the first year. Besides, couldn't Ratatoskr arrange for her to go straight to university?"

"Ratatoskr could, but Tohka herself agreed to this arrangement. So we settled on it," Kotori explained.

"No way. I can't accept this," Shido said firmly.

"Alright, alright," Kotori relented with a chuckle. "Think of today as Tohka's trial run at high school life. She'll transfer to university later. It's been a while since she's been in school, so this is a nice warm-up."

"Fine." Shido sighed, nodding. "Wait, what about Kaguya and Yuzuru? Why are they here?"

"That wasn't part of the plan," Kotori admitted.

Tohka stepped forward, addressing the room, "I didn't finish high school properly, so I need to start from the first year again. Isn't that okay? Here's my transfer paperwork." She handed over a stack of documents.

"Alright… if you say so," Tama said hesitantly. "And these two? They look like the Yamai twins from the neighboring class last year."

"Kuku," Kaguya declared grandly. "I am the supreme ruler of the demon realm, Kaguya, and Tohka is my beloved princess, my daughter!"

"Correction," Yuzuru added in her flat tone, "I am Tohka's mother."

"Uh…" Tama's expression was one of utter disbelief.

"Do you doubt my words?" Kaguya asked imperiously.

"Emphasis: this is the truth," Yuzuru stated.

"Alright, fine," Tama relented. "Tohka, please introduce yourself to the class."

Tohka, now dressed in the school uniform, smiled brightly as she stepped into the room, her radiance captivating everyone. Her sheer beauty left the class in awe, stirring whispers among the students.

Tohka took up a piece of chalk and wrote "Tohka Yatogami" in wobbly handwriting on the blackboard. She then turned to the class and said, "Hello, everyone. My name is Tohka Yatogami. It's a precious name given to me by someone very dear. Please take care of me!"

The room erupted into applause.

"Wow, is she a transfer student? She's stunning!"

"She doesn't look like a first-year, though."

"Maybe she got held back for bad grades?"

"Even if her grades are bad, I like her."

"Keep dreaming. She's way out of your league."

The chatter continued until Tama intervened. "Please, all three of you, take your seats."

Tohka, Kaguya, and Yuzuru sat next to Shido.

"Now, let's continue the lesson," Tama said. "As I mentioned earlier, spacequakes have caused countless casualties and immeasurable losses to humanity…"

"Excuse me," Tohka suddenly stood up, her voice trembling. "It's all my fault. I've caused so much harm to everyone."

"Yatogami-san?" Tama was taken aback.

The other students and even Kuriu looked puzzled, not understanding what she meant. But Shido and the others knew exactly what Tohka was about to say and desperately wished she wouldn't continue.

"I don't even know if I've killed many people. Whenever I appear, I destroy this beautiful world. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me and accept me," Tohka said, tears brimming in her eyes.

"What is she talking about?"

"Has she been watching too much anime and started imagining things?"

"This is unbearable."

"Tohka, stop it!" Shido grabbed her arm. "No one blames you. Everyone here accepts you!"

"That's enough," Kuriu interjected. "Stop disrupting the class and sit down."

But he immediately felt the intense gaze of someone else—Kurumi. The killing intent in her eyes sent chills down his spine.

"So no one's willing to forgive me," Tohka sobbed. "I really must have done something terrible…"

"Tohka, calm down!" Shido pleaded.

Before he could finish, the classroom began to shake violently. Cracks formed in the walls and ceiling, and a piercing alarm blared.

"What's happening?!"

The students panicked as the realization dawned on them.

"Spacequake!" they shouted, rushing out of the classroom in chaos.