Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

The headquarters of the Federal Student Council is an annex to the "Sacred Tower," the tallest building in the Shiratori District.

It was 11:47 p.m.

Shichigami Rin rubbed her sore eyes, looked at the mountain of paper documents in front of her, and sighed silently.

The list of tasks on the electronic screen kept scrolling, and the red "urgent" markers were as glaring as alarm lights.

The Commonwealth Student Council was once the central hub of Kivotos's operations.

The president is stationed at the Sacred Tower, using the access control system to coordinate resource allocation, conflict arbitration, and border control among the various colleges.

Although there was a lot of work back then, it wasn't complicated. Most processes could be automated through permissions, and students' applications could be approved within minutes. There were also standardized mediation procedures for disputes between colleges.

But now the president has disappeared.

The Holy Tower's access control system has lost its highest level of authentication, and all operations that require the guild leader's privileges have come to a standstill.

Those who remained in the Federal Student Union had to revert to the most primitive working methods: manual review, paper filing, and manual coordination.

How big is Kivotos? Thousands of autonomous schools and districts, generating tens of thousands of dispute applications, resource allocation requests, and border incident reports every day.

The Federation Student Association currently has fewer than a thousand members who can still function normally, including Shichigami Rin herself.

The workload has been at 200% for a month.

Shichigami Rin got up and walked towards the tea room, her steps a little unsteady.

She had been working for eighteen hours straight, and occasionally blurry double images would flash before her eyes.

But I have to drink coffee, and I also need to get approval for three arbitration reports on the third school district boundary conflict by 2 a.m.

Just as she tore open the instant coffee packaging, the screen of her personal mobile phone, which was placed next to the kitchen counter, lit up.

Shichigami Rin paused in her movements.

This phone number is only accessible to a very limited number of people: the top officials of each college, core members of the Federal Student Union, and the heads of several special agencies.

A call at this time is usually not good news.

She put down the coffee bag and swiped the answer button with her trembling fingers.

"Which one?"

A strange male voice came from the other end of the phone, his tone steady and without any extra emotional fluctuations.

"Acting President Shichigami Rin, I am the new instructor of Trinity College."

Rin Shichigami's brain was working at a rapid pace despite her exhaustion.

A tutor at Trinity College? Male? Adult males are already rare in Givotos, and those who can enter a top-tier academy like Trinity College to teach are even rarer.

She quickly searched her memory, but found no matching information.

"What is it?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm.

"Trinity is about to take military action against the Arius campus. Support from the Commonwealth Student Union is needed."

Rin Shichigami felt a throbbing sensation in her temples.

The Holy Trinity is going to war against Arius?
She was well aware of the historical feud between the two colleges—Arius was once a branch of Trinity, but later became independent due to doctrinal differences, and the conflict between the two sides lasted for decades, during which there were many armed conflicts.

If a full-scale war were to break out now...

"Sir, do you know what this means?" Shichigami Rin's voice turned somber. "If the conflict between the Holy Trinity and Arius escalates, it will trigger a chain reaction, and the balance of the entire Givotos will be completely broken."

"I know." The answer on the other end of the phone was concise and certain. "That's why the Federal Student Association needs to intervene to minimize the impact."

Shichigami Rin opened her mouth, wanting to say that the Federation Student Council was in dire straits, struggling to maintain even basic daily operations, so how could they possibly have the resources to mediate a war between two top academies?
But when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back.

Because what the other side said was true—if the Commonwealth Student Association cannot play a role in this conflict, then its very existence will be called into question.

What right does a central governing body that cannot even intervene in the Academy Wars have to coordinate Kivotos?
“We…” Shichigami Rin struggled to find the words, “You may not be aware of the current situation of the Federation Student Union. After the Holy Tower’s authority was suspended, we are severely understaffed and have limited resource allocation capabilities…”

“If the Federal Student Union is willing to provide support,” the male voice on the other end of the phone interrupted her, “I can temporarily restore some of the Holy Tower’s permissions.”

Shichigami Rin suddenly stood up straight.

"What did you say?"

"The Holy Tower's underlying permissions are partly based on physical layer security protocols, rather than simple digital authentication." Lin Yi's voice came through the receiver, calm as if stating a technical fact. "I can bypass the authentication system, directly access the physical control layer, and restore some basic functions."

Rin Shichigami gripped her phone tightly with her fingers.

"You... how could you possibly do that? The security system of the Sacred Tower is the highest level in Kiwatos; even the hacker team from the Millennium Science Park couldn't do that—"

“I’m not asking for your opinion,” Lin Yi said, his tone unchanged. “If you agree to provide support, then lead the Federal Student Union’s emergency response team to Trinity.”

The phone hangs up.

The busy signal kept ringing in my ears.

Rin Shichigami stood in the break room, the instant coffee packet in her hand had fallen to the ground at some point, scattering brown powder all over the floor.

Her brain was working at high speed, but prolonged overwork made her thoughts viscous and sluggish.

The permissions of the Holy Tower... If some functions can be restored, even just basic communication and monitoring, the efficiency of the Federal Student Council could be increased several times over.

At least, they no longer need to manually transmit every document or manually check every resource allocation.

But is this possible?
Who exactly is that man?
Why did Trinity attack Arius at this time? Does Saintia of the Lily Garden know about this? What about Nagisa Kirito?
Too many questions, but too little time.

Rin Shichigami glanced at the clock on the wall—11:53.

She took a deep breath, walked back to her desk, and pressed the full-channel call button on her internal communicator.

"All ministers and above, please proceed to the conference room in ten minutes for an emergency meeting. Repeat, all ministers and above, please proceed to the conference room in ten minutes."

At the same time, at the headquarters of the Disciplinary Committee of Gohena Academy.

Hina Sorasaki put down the tactical report in her hand and rubbed her slightly sore right shoulder.

The wounds have completely healed, but the wings still occasionally send faint phantom pains through them—that is the body's memory of the sword energy that almost killed it.

The desk was piled high with files: a security report for the third school district, an analysis of recent unusual activity on the black market, and mediation records of conflicts involving several small helmet gangs…

Just as she was about to take a break, her personal communicator on the table rang.

Hina Sorasaki glanced at the caller ID—an unknown number.

She hesitated for a second before pressing the answer button.

"Hina Sorasaki." A voice she would never forget came from the other end of the phone.

Hina Sorasaki's body tensed instantly, and the phantom pain in her right shoulder seemed to become clearer at that moment.

"What is it?" Her voice remained as calm as ever.

"You owe Shengya of Lily Garden a life," Lin Yi said bluntly. "Now it's time to pay it back."

Hina Sorasaki fell silent.

She couldn't deny it. On the streets of the Third School District, if Saintia hadn't suddenly appeared and paid some price to get Lin Yi to stop, she would already be a corpse.

"The specific details?" she asked.

"Lead the Disciplinary Committee's forces to Trinity. You will receive detailed instructions upon arrival."

"Target?"

"Arius."

The phone hangs up.

Hina Sorasaki put down the communicator and looked out the window at the lights of Gohena at night.

A few minutes later, she pressed the internal communication button on her desk.

"Yako, come to my office."

Trinity College, a private balcony for tea parties.

Tongteng Zhu picked up the bone china teacup and gently blew away the steam from the surface of the black tea.

Moonlight streamed through the glass dome, casting a soft, silvery glow on the pure white tablecloth.

The plan is progressing steadily.

In the "future" foreseen by Saintia of the Lily Garden, the final battle between the Holy Trinity and Arius will break out in two to three months.

By then, the Tea Party should have completed its internal reorganization, and the cooperative relationship between the Sisters and the Knights of Salvation would be more solid.

Through several technology exchanges and resource purchases, we should be able to secure at least a neutral stance from the Millennium Science Park.

Time is tight, but there is still enough.

Just as she took her second sip of black tea, her cell phone vibrated in her pocket.

Kirito Nagisa glanced at the caller ID—Lin Yi.

She frowned slightly.

Why are you contacting me at this time? Is there some problem with the cram school? Has Shirasu Azusa's identity been exposed? Or has Urawa Hanako gotten into some trouble again?
She pressed the answer button, her tone maintaining its usual elegance and composure: "Good evening, teacher. What's up?" "We'll take action tonight."

Kirito Nagisa froze.

It took her a full three seconds to understand the meaning of those four words.

Then, she choked on a mouthful of black tea; the scalding liquid rushed into her trachea, triggering a violent cough.

"Cough, cough... What, what did you say?" She barely suppressed her cough, her voice filled with disbelief. "Teacher, this joke isn't funny."

"I'm not joking." Lin Yi's voice remained calm. "I've already notified the Federal Student Council and Gohena. I'm calling you because I'm not familiar with Millennium, so you're the one to handle it."

"and many more--"

"You're in charge of negotiating their terms. Trinity should be able to afford the money, resources, and technology."

"But the plan—"

"The plan has been changed."

The busy tone of the phone call being disconnected sounded particularly jarring on the balcony at night.

Holding her phone, Kirito Nagisa felt a throbbing in her temples, a mixture of anger, anxiety, and absurdity churning in her chest.

Tonight? To attack Arius? Are you kidding me!
The tea party has not yet completed its internal reorganization, the cooperation with the Sisters' Guild has just begun, the attitude of the Knights of Salvation is still unclear, and only a preliminary agreement has been reached with the Millennium Science Park—what is the difference between starting a war under these circumstances and suicide?
She immediately dialed Lily Garden Saintia's number, ready to call and demand an explanation.

But just a second before she pressed the dial button, Saintia's call came in first.

Before Kirito Nagisa could even speak, she heard Seiya's weak but firm voice come through the receiver:
"Nagisa, do as the teacher says."

“Saintya! You know what this means—”

"I know."

Kirito Nagisa bit her lip.

"But... it's too rushed. We're not ready yet."

“Arios wasn’t prepared either,” Saintia said softly. “And it’s precisely because it was rushed that it was unexpected. The mastermind behind it all didn’t anticipate that we would make our move at this time.”

The call is over.

Kirito Nagisa stood in the center of the balcony, the night breeze ruffling her long flaxen hair.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

Then, she picked up another communicator and dialed the direct line to the Millennium Science Park “Symposium”.

Abydos exchange student dormitory.

Hoshino Takanashi sprawled out on the living room carpet, staring at the ceiling with an expression of utter despair.

She was still wearing pajamas with a cartoon cat pattern, and her long pink hair was scattered messily on the floor.

"How boring..." she complained, drawing out her words. "Trinity doesn't even have a decent training ground. Those young ladies use some kind of 'ceremonial shooting range,' where the targets don't even move, so it's no fun at all."

Izayoi Nomiya put down her book on the sofa and gave her a helpless look: "Hoshino-senpai, this is Trinity, not Gohena. Besides, we are officially 'exchange students,' so we should attend more classes and participate in some cultural activities."

"I don't want to." Hoshino rolled over, burying her face in the carpet, her voice muffled. "Those lessons are slow and tedious, I'd rather just read the manual myself."

Kuromi Serika came out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of freshly baked cookies.

Her ear injury has fully healed, and she is now enthusiastically trying out the kitchen equipment provided in the Trinity dormitory area—although she doesn't understand most of its functions.

"Hoshino-senpai, try this! I made it with that 'multi-functional food processor,' following the recipe in the manual, it should be fine... probably."

Hearing Serika's words, Ayane looked up and adjusted her non-existent glasses: "Serika, I remember there's a warning on page seven of the instruction manual that the food processor's 'automatic baking' mode requires pre-calibration of the temperature sensor, otherwise—"

"boom!"

A muffled thud came from the kitchen, followed by black smoke.

The plate in Celery's hand fell to the ground, scattering cookies all over the floor.

She stared blankly toward the kitchen, her cat ears drooping: "...It's burnt."

Sand Wolf Bai Zi sat quietly in the corner of the living room, holding the handheld game console Lin Yi had given her. The screen showed the final boss battle of a high-difficulty action game.

Her fingers moved rapidly across the keys, completely unaffected by the surrounding chaos.

Just then, there was a knock on the dormitory door.

The five people in the living room stopped what they were doing at the same time.

Hoshino jumped up from the ground, Nomiya closed the book, Ayane saved the document, Shirako paused the game, and Serika... Serika began frantically trying to clean up the cookie crumbs on the ground.

"Who, who is it?" Celery asked as she kicked the burnt biscuit under the sofa.

"It's me." Lin Yi's voice came from outside the door.

Hoshino walked over and opened the door.

Outside the door, Lin Yi was dressed in his unchanging black outfit.

"Teacher?" Hoshino was a little surprised. "Is something the matter so late?"

"We'll make our move tonight," Lin Yi said directly. "Fully armed, meet at Trinity Central Plaza in one hour."

Hoshino was stunned.

She took about five seconds to process what he said, then took a deep breath, asked nothing, and simply nodded: "Understood."

The door closed in front of her.

Hoshino turned to look at her companion in the living room.

Nomiya had already stood up, Ayane closed her laptop, Shirako put away her game console, and Serika... Serika was still trying to hide the last burnt cookie.

"Did you hear everything?" Hoshino asked.

The four nodded.

“Well then,” Hoshino stretched his shoulders, his lazy expression vanishing, replaced by the sharp edge befitting the chairman of the Abydos Countermeasures Committee, “move quickly. Serika, forget about the cookies, go get the equipment. Nomiya, check the ammunition. Ayane, prepare the communications equipment and tactical maps. Shirako…”

She looked at the blue-haired girl in the corner.

Bai Zi had already stood up, and a well-maintained submachine gun had appeared in his hand without him noticing.

She nodded, her tail swaying gently behind her.

Hoshino smiled and went back to her room.

A minute later, she came out, now dressed in combat gear, with her signature shotgun slung over her shoulder.

She tossed her pajamas onto the sofa, the cartoon cat pattern on them looking somewhat comical under the light.

Trinity College, Central Plaza.

12:47 AM.

The piercing alarm blared through the night sky; it wasn't an enemy attack alarm, but the highest-level "emergency assembly of the entire hospital" signal.

All Trinity students, whether in their dormitories, libraries, training grounds, or elsewhere, stopped what they were doing the moment they heard the alarm and quickly moved to the designated assembly point.

Girls in pure white uniforms poured out of various buildings, like countless streams flowing into the ocean of the central square.

Everyone knows their position, and every squad knows their sequence.

This is Trinity College, one of the oldest and most disciplined colleges in Kivotos.

The four people from the cram school were also in the crowd.

Hifumi Ajitani held her doll, her usual smile on her face, but a hint of tension lurked deep in her eyes.

She didn't understand what was happening, but her intuition told her that tonight's events were anything but simple.

Koharu Shimoe stayed close to Hifumi, her hand frequently reaching for the holster at her waist. Her face was pale, and her breathing was more rapid than usual.

Hanako Urawa walked at the edge of the group, her eyes scanning the surroundings.

She observed that an emergency assembly of this scale was rare even in the history of Trinity.

Considering the recent changes in the atmosphere within the college, and the arrival of that new advisor...

She had a vague idea in her mind.

Bai Zhouzi walked at the back of the group, head down, her long hair covering most of her face.

Gohena's Disciplinary Committee.

Valkyrie's special forces.

There are even... people from SRT?

Her hand quietly reached into her pocket and grasped the encrypted communicator.

A signal was sent out instantly. (End of Chapter)