Dao Of Heaven

Chapter 61: Sudden Change

For someone of Satsuki's level, travel by foot was already a meaningless concept.

Using the giant Tenseigan to scan the area, she quickly located her target.

Activating her space-time ninjutsu, Satsuki appeared instantly upon the steps before the temple gate. After confirming she had arrived at the right place, she lifted her gaze toward the plaque.

"Fire Temple."

This temple was built atop a towering mountain peak, surrounded by vast forests. Its massive gates, nearly ten meters tall, were forged of solid iron blocks. On either side of the gate stood large statues of great tengu clad in monks' robes, their faces ferocious and their stances imposing.

The style made it obvious that this was not a temple open to ordinary worshippers. With such blatant distinction, it was clearly not a temple dedicated to Mahayana Buddhism.

According to the intelligence Satsuki had once gathered within the Iga stronghold, Fire Temple was a highly unusual shinobi temple. The monks training within had all once been shinobi, and its stronger members were often hired by daimyō as bodyguards. Even Toudou Naoto, the lord of Iga Castle, had dealings with them.

After only a cursory glance, Satsuki approached the temple gates. Their size was disproportionate for ordinary people; rather than being meant for humans, they seemed designed for some much larger beings.

But Satsuki had no interest in such details today. She simply knocked lightly.

Moments later, the heavy doors slowly opened. Three monks in gray-white robes emerged. Satsuki had already sensed the chakra fluctuations within their bodies—at best equivalent to genin or chunin. Their shaved heads bore no burn scars, and no clear ranking was discernible.

It was also obvious their training was lacking. When the two monks flanking the leader first laid eyes on Satsuki, she instantly detected desire flicker in their gazes.

Her attire left little doubt as to why. She had exchanged her short kimono for a flowing black robe with an open collar that revealed the soft curves of her chest. Its cut displayed her long, shapely legs sheathed in black pantyhose, while her feet rested in striking high heels—an exotic design in the shinobi world.

These heels were her own creation, crafted by her puppets in Rōran using memories of her past life. Platform stilettos with a 6-inch heel, their bold design and beauty captivated her the first time she wore them, making them her regular choice. Not only did they enhance her figure, they elevated her presence, making her appear even more alluring and imposing.

Her captivating appearance pulled their stares as though against their will. They were monks, but men all the same, and no one could fault them for faltering before such a vision.

The leading monk noticed as well; the heavy breathing was impossible to hide from someone who had once been a shinobi.

"Still your hearts!"

At the sharp rebuke, the two dazed monks jolted back to clarity. Realizing their lapse, they paled in alarm, immediately sitting cross-legged to recite sutras and cleanse their minds.

Turning to the only monk who still maintained composure, Satsuki said: "I have heard of Fire Temple—it is a famous shinobi temple. I have come today to observe the secret arts cultivated here."

"I am Gokō Kaito. May I ask how I should address you, honored guest?"

Even at a glance, he could tell she was extraordinary—the golden eyes, the striking attire, the presence that eclipsed ordinary beauty. One need not be sharp-eyed to see it.

"Just call me Satsuki."

"Lady Satsuki, forgive me, but your request cannot be granted," Gokō Kaito said, bowing low. "To be frank, in our temple only the abbot has successfully cultivated the secret art. But he has been bedridden for many days."

"The abbot?"

With her Tenseigan's vision piercing the temple's barrier, Satsuki searched briefly and saw a familiar figure lying in the grandest chamber. It was none other than Fayen, the shinobi monk who had once stood alongside Butsuma Senju during the battle with the Eight Tails.

What a coincidence—sought far and wide, only to find without effort.

"How convenient," Satsuki said softly. Catching the monk's startled expression, she continued: "As it happens, I know some medicine." Having found her target, there was no need to linger. With that, her figure vanished before the three monks' eyes.

In the next instant, she was standing beside Fayen's bed.

"Who's there?"

Despite being heavily injured, Fayen's senses remained sharp. The moment Satsuki appeared, he reacted instantly.

"The taste of the Eight Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb isn't pleasant, is it?"

Her opening words left him shaken. That incident was one he loathed to recall—not only had the mission ended in failure, but even the Amber Purifying Pot had been lost. A complete disaster. If not for Myōken Senju's sudden eruption of power and later support from the Uzumaki, he might have perished outright on the battlefield.

But that operation had been a top-secret joint mission with the Senju. How could an outsider possibly know of it?

"You… cough, cough…"

Suddenly having his past brought up, Fayen was overwhelmed with emotion, breaking into a fit of coughing, unable to form a complete sentence.

The moment Satsuki laid eyes on him, she had already used her Tenseigan to scan his body structure, instantly understanding the state of his injuries.

She raised one hand, whereupon a sphere of natural energy for healing appeared in her palm. With a wave, she injected that energy into Fayen's body. Under her control, the natural energy quickly reached the locations of his internal wounds and began to work.

Naturally, Fayen noticed this, but since she displayed no overt hostility—and given how unusual her appearance was—his experience as a seasoned shinobi told him that silence was the wisest choice.

Then, almost immediately, he felt the change within.

To call it revival like spring returning to dead wood was an understatement. Within mere seconds, the agonizing pain and blocked chakra flow in his body vanished completely. In less than half a minute, his body had healed at an astonishing rate.

Not only that—old hidden injuries from years of taijutsu training were also wiped away. Now he felt stronger than even before his recent wounds.

His perception of his own body left him utterly shocked. He had never seen—nor even heard—of such methods. Though he had been close to the Senju clan, said to inherit the body of the sage, even they could not achieve such recovery.

"Perfect timing."

Satsuki spoke meaningfully. Before Fayen could think further, the sound of hurried bare feet echoed outside, followed by the crash of the doors being thrown open. The one leading the group was none other than Gokō Kaito, the monk she had spoken with earlier.

The moment he mentioned Fayen as the temple's only one who had mastered the Sage Clan's secret art and who was bedridden, she had vanished right before his eyes.

Even an ordinary jonin could not disappear so completely before him, and he had sensed no chakra fluctuation, nor had he fallen into genjutsu.

There was only one explanation: her speed was so great that he could not even register it.

That thought alone left him horrified. Instinctively, he had gathered many monks to rush to Fayen's quarters, for surely she had come for him.

And indeed, upon pushing open the door, he saw Satsuki standing at Fayen's bedside.

Her calm glance at him carried such pressure that he immediately grew tense. That look he had only seen on the faces of top-tier shinobi—beings who could sweep across the world unmatched. Though she was a woman, she was without a doubt one of those rare, overwhelming powers. What she had displayed already was enough to terrify him.

"Kaito, what are you doing here?"

"I…"

Flustered, Gokō Kaito found himself at a loss before his abbot's question.

Fayen's body may have been wounded, but his mind was sharp. Seeing Kaito's stance and expression, he immediately guessed the situation. It was up to him to defuse it.

"Oh, you must be looking for this lady. She is my friend, who came here specifically to treat me."

To strengthen his words, Fayen even rose to his feet and demonstrated a set of punches.

The monks exchanged bewildered glances until one of them stepped forward and said: "Abbot, only a few days ago the doctor declared your injuries extremely severe. How could they be healed so quickly?"

Feigning casualness, the monk placed a hand on Fayen's shoulder and pushed chakra into him, testing for genjutsu. This little trick was plain to Satsuki's Tenseigan, yet she ignored it, standing silently aside.

Fayen understood the intent and laughed heartily: "Do not worry. I know if I were trapped in genjutsu. This friend of mine is an exceptional medical shinobi. My injuries are truly healed."

After repeated reassurances, the monks finally accepted that their abbot had been miraculously healed within a minute by this mysterious visitor. With embarrassed expressions, they bowed their heads toward Satsuki in gratitude.

"Enough. Since the misunderstanding is cleared, you may leave. This guest came to see me. Go finish your practice. And now that my injuries are healed, I shall personally test you all in a few days, haha."

Fayen's cheerful personality was on full display. But the monks' faces twisted bitterly at his words, as though they had swallowed something foul.

After they had filed out dejectedly, Satsuki finally spoke: "The puppet play is over."

She extended her hand toward Fayen. "Hand over all the secrets of the Sage Clan."

At her words, Fayen's eyes suddenly grew vacant. His mouth opened involuntarily, and a chakra sphere was forced out.

Though inelegant, the chakra was not a physical object, free of saliva or bile.

Satsuki immediately used her Tenseigan to read its contents. Within moments, she had completely scanned all the information contained inside.

"It's only one secret art, but not without value," Satsuki murmured. "Sage Clan Secret Art—Raigō: Thousand-Armed Murder. It reminds me of techniques used by two acquaintances of mine."

"This technique is quite similar to the First Hokage's Sage Art: True Several Thousand Hands, and to Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack."

In terms of power, however, it could not be compared to those.

Satsuki was a logical thinker, and she had long harbored a question: what were the specific details behind the First Hokage's power growth?

Hashirama Senju, as the only person of his time able to contend with Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan Madara Uchiha, had a very mysterious path of growth.

Madara's strength, at least, could be traced step by step through the progression of the Sharingan.

But Hashirama seemed to suddenly awaken to Wood Release, suddenly master senjutsu, and suddenly possess a whole host of bizarre Sage Arts.

The former was not so concerning. Wood Release was just a kekkei genkai-level ability—not particularly overwhelming in itself. After all, Yamato, who inherited the First Hokage's cells, also used Wood Release, yet all he could manage was some landscaping.

But the latter was far more suspicious. Where had Hashirama learned all those Sage Arts?

Upon mastering the Sage Clan's secret art Raigō: Thousand-Armed Murder, Satsuki formed a hypothesis—perhaps the early Sage Clan had some significant connection with the First Hokage.

Was it possible? Very possible.

The supporting evidence came from the chakra sphere she had just read.

The so-called Sage Clan, in fact, had no direct connection to this world's true sages. However, they had, in one way or another, glimpsed traces of sages in the past.

This was not especially surprising. The regions inhabited by humans in this world were not vast. Many expansive domains remained untouched by ordinary people—or even shinobi. Such places were either territories of sages, or realms belonging to certain summons. To intrude rashly without sufficient power was to throw one's life away. In this world, ordinary humans were an exceedingly frail species.

When mortals witnessed beings of overwhelming power, it was inevitable that awe would grow into worship, and eventually, into the formation of faith and totems.

The so-called Sage Clan was precisely such a group—people who worshiped sages as their faith. They drew strength from this faith while spreading the tales of sages throughout the world.

In ancient times, they had been powerful indeed, for sages would occasionally respond to them, imparting modified Sage Arts. With such techniques, the Sage Clan had once stood as a dominant force.

But in the past few centuries, they had declined to the brink of collapse.

For this world had birthed a single, universally acknowledged sage—Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths.

The Sage Clan, however, was not devoted to any single sage. Strictly speaking, they were a kind of polytheistic group. Once Hagoromo emerged, the descendants of the Sage Clan grew fewer and fewer.

Most abandoned their traditions and joined Ninshū, severing ties with other sages.

The sage that Fayen visualized, when he cast Raigō: Thousand-Armed Murder, was a golden bodhisattva conjured through chakra—a legacy of the monk Chiriku.

And the thousand-handed Buddha invoked through Hashirama's Sage Art combined with Wood Release was another manifestation of that image.

But to return to the point—this so-called Raigō: Thousand-Armed Murder was never part of Ninshū's repertoire. Naturally, it could not be neatly classified as taijutsu, ninjutsu, or genjutsu.

Strictly speaking, when Chiriku used it, the move belonged to the category of "counter techniques."

A counter technique does not deliver an active strike. Instead, when attacked in close combat within a certain window, it interrupts the opponent's move and retaliates.

By using chakra or natural energy to visualize the form of a sage behind oneself, the user borrows the sage's power to strike back. Once assumed, this stance could directly confront even an opponent one tier stronger.

But such formidable power naturally had glaring flaws. The weakness of a counter technique lay in its inability to respond to projectiles or ranged attacks.

Yet upon examining the training method of this secret art, Satsuki had no intention of cultivating it into such a low-level technique. At her current level and ability, she could already see a path to evolve it into a legendary strike—not inferior even to the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack.

And such a technique could only be cultivated by someone with the Tenseigan and profound insight into Buddhist doctrine—someone like her.

Withdrawing her thoughts, Satsuki teleported to a desolate valley, preparing to begin training this secret art.

She assumed a posture with one hand pointing to the sky and the other to the earth, and began to cultivate according to the path described in the chakra sphere.

"One nature penetrates all natures. One dharma encompasses all dharmas. One moon reflects in all waters. All waters hold the moon within them."

Silently chanting within her heart, Satsuki sank into deep visualization.

Strictly speaking, the result of visualization was different for everyone. Thus, Raigō: Thousand-Armed Murder had no fixed form—it relied on the practitioner's own imagination.

For her chakra control, this was no difficulty. She understood the meridians and circulation routes within her body perfectly. Before long, a vast phantom figure appeared behind her.

The phantom was over a hundred meters tall the instant it emerged. Behind its head shone a radiant halo of light-lines, signifying noble divinity, and upon that halo were countless eyes opening and closing.

As her visualization deepened, the phantom's face began to writhe. Soon, its sides extended outward, stretching into two additional visages.

On the left appeared a fierce and commanding male face. On the right, a female visage strikingly similar to Satsuki's own.

The central face, under the flood of energy she poured forth, solidified into a visage at once sacred and evil, its gender indiscernible.

At the same time, two additional arms manifested at its sides, forming a three-headed, six-armed form.

Enormous horns, like roots from the underworld, separated the three faces. Countless horns sprouted atop the phantom's head—not like the Ōtsutsuki's traits, but more akin to those of a dragon.

When the three faces took shape, Satsuki's Tenseigan caught the details clearly. Seeing them, her heart quaked.

Though the three faces were shut-eyed, she recognized the male face on the left—it was the visage of her former body in her past life. The female face on the right was identical to her current one.

The central visage was one she had never seen before.

But once a visualization reached this stage, stopping it was not so simple. Having already attained Six Paths-level power, she felt no fear toward the change.

She was only slightly surprised at the faces' appearance. Yet since they arose from her own visualization, such changes were not unacceptable.

Time slipped by without notice…

At last, within the uninhabited valley—

A massive black pillar of light shot skyward, tearing through the clouds and plunging the bright sky into darkness.

Had Satsuki not chosen a location so distant from the regions familiar in the Naruto world, such a phenomenon could never have gone unnoticed.

Within the ominous black column, a three-headed, six-armed giant emerged—garbed in a robe of black and gold, adorned with a jeweled necklace, and with dark golden ornaments coiled about its arms. Its main body assumed the posture of one hand to the heavens, one hand to the earth.

As the giant manifested, the surrounding terrain quaked with thunderous roars. Endless destructive energy surged through the valley for miles around, leaving devastation in its wake. Space itself tore open under its presence, riven with cracks.

So great was the giant's power that mere existence ripped apart reality. Only as Satsuki drew in the giant's rampant aura did the upheaval gradually subside.

The energy collapsed inward, the black pillar vanished. Satsuki's figure could be seen within the giant's forehead, her eyes shut tight in unison with its own.

Black lightning coursed through the giant's form. With its surge, Satsuki and the three faces opened their eyes together—eight eyes flashing at once.

An apocalyptic force erupted outward. The scarred earth, already ravaged, was leveled yet another three feet deep.

Yet before Satsuki could grow accustomed to the power, a massive spatial gate opened before the giant. Under the pull of an overwhelming external force, Satsuki and the colossal three-headed, six-armed giant were drawn into it together.

Chapter 148: Investigation! Fishing! Slaughter!

Drizzling rain.

"Uwah—! Hiss… hah… mercy—gaaahhh—!"

At the chaotic scene of a food shop under lockdown, amidst the wee-oo of sirens, shrill screams burst forth from deep in the throat.

As Kureo Mado thrust syringes into the conjunctiva of two half-dead ghouls and injected Rc cell inhibitors, then dragged them with a chilling grin toward the nearby special armored vehicle for interrogation, Vela ripped down the entire shutter door. She waved inward, signaling the investigators maintaining the cordon outside that they could move in to clean up and gather intel.

A group of investigators in field uniforms, carrying Quinque cases, immediately filed inside.

For a ghoul investigator, a profession with a casualty and injury rate higher than that of firefighters or narcotics police even during peacetime, the most direct and immediate way to restore prestige was nothing other than leading people to butcher ghouls.

Rat-tat-tat—

Bang, bang—

No one here spared pity for ghouls, especially after seeing a wholesale food shop operated by a ghoul organization…

Ghoul food was human flesh.

The moment the inner storeroom door swung open, a wave of thick, bloody stench surged out. The cold storage was filled with slices of meat, blood, scattered human limbs and heads.

The rookies who had just graduated from the CCG Academy staggered, clutching their mouths, on the verge of vomiting.

The veterans, though equally grim-faced, continued securing evidence, sealing contraband, and efficiently putting extra bullets into the ghoul corpses—always to the head.

"Ms. Russell. Our men just raided Pleasure Street. Ghoul suspect 'Nutcracker' has made a move. The ghoul organization 'MADAM' should soon have results from their den as well."

The man speaking stood out from the Japanese CCG agents. A burly white man in sunglasses, broad-shouldered, bearing a white-headed eagle badge on his chest, holding an umbrella in one hand and a PDA tablet in the other, leaned close behind Vela and lowered his voice in English.

Without doubt, he belonged to the North American Commission of Counter Ghoul.

He was part of the team Vela had brought with her when she applied for transfer back to Tokyo after her promotion to Special Class Investigator.

Unlike her first arrival in 2014, this time she was not alone. Even for her, acting solo was inefficient. The power of the organization—if not used now, then when?

"Dennis, how much of our operation do you think will leak out?"

Vela asked.

"Ward 7 will be swept clean. Any ghoul with half a brain will see it. But our specific tactical planning and deployment—they shouldn't know. If even that leaks, it means under the Washuu clan's administration, CCG's internal problems run deep. Far more than just grassroots corruption."

At this, Dennis laughed.

"Ma'am, you're not fishing for leaks again, are you?"

In North America, he was a senior agent who had worked with Vela for years, through Brazilian rainforests, Mexican no-man's lands, the Yukon valley. He had seen enough to understand her temperament.

"This is called prevention before disaster."

Vela shot him a glance, took the PDA, and pulled up data on 'Nutcracker,' 'MADAM,' and 'Big Madam.'

Compiled by Kureo Mado.

For all his eccentric, stubborn, ill-tempered nature, as a First Class Investigator, his abilities were exceptional.

Especially his zeal and instinct in pursuing ghoul cases.

Even after being gravely injured in Ward 20 and bedridden for two months, he hadn't idled. He had analyzed unresolved ghoul cases, then immediately gone to investigate in person once able to walk again.

By merit and record, he should long have been Associate Special Class, but he refused repeatedly, unwilling to be tied down by administrative duties.

'Nutcracker'—her appearance and residence, in fact, had already been investigated by Kureo Mado before Vela's return to Tokyo. He had left her untouched, laying bait for bigger prey. Unexpectedly, Vela returned in time.

One wanted to act but lacked authority. The other, a newly reinstated superior, sought a blaze of fire to mark her arrival.

A perfect match.

"Have Rick and the others keep watching."

Vela said.

"Understood."

Dennis nodded, stepping aside to press his earpiece and relay orders.

Vela continued browsing through the data.

This 'Nutcracker,' real name Mayu, worked openly as a hostess.

She was quite attractive, with good curves, a cool clothing style, and a habit of wearing masks and lingerie. Records showed multiple instances of her crushing male clients' testicles.

A rather lascivious character, indeed.

In secret, she was a human trafficker, selectively eating women prettier than herself, and maintained ties with the ghoul group 'MADAM.' She often conducted human trafficking deals with them, capturing people who fit certain requirements, then reselling them to 'MADAM' for consumption, or keeping them as pets, or putting them up for auction.

'MADAM'—as the name implied—was a circle of ghouls comprised of pretentious noblewomen and socialites.

Big Madam, real name unknown, was the leader of the ghoul restaurant and performance hall operated by 'MADAM.' Nicknamed the 'Big Madam,' she was SS-rated, and although repeatedly targeted by the CCG, every attempted eradication operation against her had ended in failure.

The sexless boy Juuzou Suzuya had in fact been rescued from one of 'MADAM's' ghoul restaurants during a CCG raid. The commanding officer of that operation had been Yukinori Shinohara.

And speaking of ghoul restaurants, Ward 7 had an even higher-class one, organized by the so-called Mr. MM. It was tied to the S-rated ghoul 'Gourmet.' From Market Regulatory Bureau data—by digging deeper into overlapping shares of capital circulation and property ownership—the presence of the Tsukiyama Group loomed faintly.

"Quite a catch of big fish."

Knowing the true nature of the Tsukiyama Group, Vela felt her hands itch.

No other meaning—she simply craved that pile of rare S+, SS-rated Kakuhou, as well as the Tsukiyama Group's assets.

More precisely, it wasn't just her. Behind her stood the North American Commission of Counter Ghoul, her superior and patron the Attorney General, and several congressmen in both the House and Senate. For now, she was still merely tasting soup and meat broth.

Thanks to her silver tongue, this mission carried another purpose.

Namely—when the pigs were fattened, it was time to slaughter them.

Step, step.

Footsteps splashing in puddles approached. "Special Class Russell, the ghoul who escaped into the sewers has been eliminated."

A coarse, hoarse male voice.

Setting aside the PDA, Vela turned slightly and nodded. "Mm. Well done, Associate Special Class Hachikawa."

With a spiral brass-colored Quinque coiling around his right arm, clad in a special high-collared coat covering his mouth, Chuu Hachikawa approached.

"Is that the [Arata]?"

Focusing, he glanced at Vela fully clad in Living Quinque Armor. "Compared to Special Class Shinohara and Special Class Kuroiwa, the coverage is broader…"

The pinnacle of custom design.

"Unfortunately, materials to create [Arata] are scarce. High-quality Kakuhou of the level of the Kakuja 'Corpse Collector' are too few. In my and Dr. Chigyou's view, it ought to be assigned to an Associate Special Class."

"I don't have your exaggerated physical resilience. The [Arata]'s load—my body couldn't withstand it."

Chuu Hachikawa shook his head knowingly, without the slightest envy or greed.

As they conversed, the team members who had arrived with Hachikawa, along with police blockade personnel, all ignored the ghouls still writhing on the ground in screams of agony.

Hands and body soaked in blood, Kureo Mado now walked over smiling.

"This is their food order."

He handed Vela a crumpled, bloodstained sheet of paper.

"Foodstuffs. These scum… tch. They classify the abducted and unconscious victims by quality. The inferior ones are slaughtered on site and sold as products. The better ones are sent to ghoul restaurants, auctions, and clubs, or kept as pets…"

"Those damn beasts."

No matter how many times one saw it, it was hard to grow numb. Upon hearing this, the investigators present and even the uniformed police all wore furious expressions.

Kureo Mado glared with his mismatched eyes: "That's why, Special Class, I say you're still too merciful and rational with ghouls. They're not worth it. Sometimes, one should act on impulse."

His words seethed with deep malice toward the ghoul race as a whole.

"They're indeed unworthy. But I have my considerations."

Vela accepted the paper. On it were listed some buyers' 'order' dates and several marked addresses.

Clap.

Snapping her fingers toward the two ghouls barely clinging to life, she spoke to Chuu Hachikawa: "Dispose of them."

"Understood."

Raising his right hand—whirr! Two bright yellow Kagune projectiles pierced through the ghouls' heads. Blood splattered across the ground once more.

Watching it all, Kureo Mado only shrugged.

Toward Vela, though he did not say it aloud, in his heart, he felt grateful.

She had saved his life. His only daughter's career had also become brighter because she followed Vela.

What welcoming banquet? In his view, that was a waste of time. Far better was giving her a summary report of recent ghoul disasters in Tokyo, gathered and investigated personally. That, to him, was the best gift to an outstanding investigator.

Vela's cheerful acceptance had only made him more motivated, more convinced.

Especially after she read the case file on the serial taxi murders—where every female victim's head and feet had been severed and discarded—and made a single phone call. In that call, she summoned the head of the Tokyo Taxi Association and the Metropolitan Police Department's Traffic Bureau Chief, berating them as though scolding grandsons.

Under Vela's orders, the Taxi Association dropped their evasive, delaying, non-cooperative stance and fully cooperated.

That codename 'Torso,' the A-rated ghoul who enjoyed desecrating and preying on women, along with many ghouls hiding within the taxi system to hunt, were caught and executed.

Before this, whenever Kureo Mado tried to push for investigation, those worms had only bowed while shirking responsibility, afraid of harming the Association's reputation and profits.

He knew very well—he owed it to Vela's influence.

Beyond her title as CCG Special Class Investigator, she also held posts as Commander of the Special Countermeasures Unit for Wards 6 and 7, and Deputy Director of Countermeasures Division II. The former a temporary position, the latter permanent. Division II's director was Marude Itsuki.

Most critically, Vela bore international offices as well—Assistant for Security Affairs to the UN Commission of Counter Ghoul, and Special Envoy of the North American Commission of Counter Ghoul [Tokyo].

This was why Vela could command the Tokyo Metropolitan Police and related civilian organizations, even directly interfere with administration—her word carried weight, sometimes greater than Bureau Director Washuu's.

Clap, clap.

Brushing her hands, Vela did not bother arguing with Kureo Mado over the original sin of ghouls. Instead, she raised the 'food order' in her hand.

"With this as the lead, the sweep begins. Special Class Shinohara's team is already on the way."

Let the killing start.

The first fire—

It must burn bright!

Chapter 229: Drunk Eden Likes Giving Gems

"A drunk woman is harder to deal with than a Honkai Beast. Eden, you've embarrassed yourself."

Elias looked at Eden, who had fallen headfirst onto the bed beside him, hugging the pillow and blanket without a care for her image, her cheeks still flushed. He sighed, realizing that even a superstar of the era could lose control when drunk. And now, she was completely exposed.

But to be fair, Eden was still relatively obedient when drunk. At least she wasn't throwing a fit. However…

"Laaaaaa~~!"

Da-da-da-da-da.

She liked singing while scattering her gems.

Elias glanced at the priceless gems falling to the floor like fragments of stars and thought to himself that this habit of hers really needed to change. Luckily, he was the one here. If it had been someone else, Eden would have lost both her money and herself.

And right now, Elias felt that he was also relying on unimaginable willpower just to restrain his impulse to do something bad to Eden while she slept.

After all, if Elysia was the embodiment of "cuteness," then Eden was the very definition of "beauty"—a woman who embodied humanity's pursuit of beauty and elevated it to its ultimate form.

Even without considering her singing and artistry, Eden herself was the very symbol of beauty.

(A certain Knight of Beauty passing by gave a thumbs-up.)

Eden: "More… I want more… Let me sing another song… may time… forever stay in this moment…"

Suddenly, her hand reached for Elias' clothing and tugged it tightly. Elias' eyelid twitched. He thought: I'm not doing anything to you, and yet you're the one making moves on me?

Eden lay there before him, her graceful and perfect body defenseless, her chest rising and falling with her breaths, as though about to burst through her clothes. Her long, wine-red hair carried a faint fragrance, and her breathtakingly beautiful face bore a serene smile.

Her eyes were closed, her consciousness muddled.

Right now, Elias could do whatever he wanted to Eden, and she wouldn't notice. Even if she did, she'd likely just go along in her daze and offer herself up.

There were countless excuses and reasons he could think of. All he had to do was open his mouth and Eden would be his. And yet…

"Wait, why don't I just use my Authority to dispel the effects of alcohol? Tch, I'm an idiot."

Elias slapped his forehead, ready to activate his Authority. But after a moment of hesitation, he decided against it. She was already lying down; letting her sleep would be fine.

Looking at Eden tugging on his clothes, Elias felt a little envious of those who could get drunk.

He suddenly thought mischievously: maybe he should use his Authority to make Eden just like him—incapable of getting drunk.

Elias raised his hand and gently stroked her head, her silky wine-red hair sliding smoothly between his fingers.

The boy's lips curved slightly. He would never commit any vile act. The woman before him was far too beautiful; he would never taint her with anything ugly.

Nor would he ever allow anyone else to.

Snap!

With a snap of his fingers, the entire space was sealed.

Now, without his permission, no one could enter or leave this room. Elias clearly remembered the greedy, envious look the hotel receptionist had given them when they checked in.

Seeing Eden calm down a little, Elias draped his clothes over her body. Then, opening a portal, he stepped away—there was something he absolutely had to do.

"I'll be right back, Eden. Stay here obediently and don't do anything."

"Okay~~!"

"Oh? You can still respond?"

Elias chuckled softly, then stepped into the portal.

...

Meanwhile, in a small town near Varenna—

A woman walked out of the town's church. Her body was whole, her limbs fully restored, and her face beamed with joy. The ecstasy of being reborn had not faded, even after several hours.

This was none other than the terminally ill girl in a wheelchair who had attempted to assassinate Eden earlier that day. Now, no trace of gloom or madness remained. Bathed in the gentle sunlight, she seemed like a completely different person.

The woman believed she had received an angel's mercy.

The woman who had committed an unforgivable crime was not only spared judgment and punishment but had even been healed. She knew she would never forget the white flower that had bloomed upon her body, nor Elias' flawless and handsome face.

At that moment, the Herrscher of the Void's portal opened before her, and the white-haired, golden-eyed boy stepped out leisurely.

"Heavens, you really aren't an ordinary person~!"

"Hm? You look much brighter now."

"Yes, my lord. Thank you for your generosity and mercy—for healing the body of someone as sinful as me. I can never repay such great kindness, but I swear with all of myself that I will never do evil again."

As she spoke, the woman knelt before Elias, her fingers clasped together. The way she looked at him was as if a devout nun were gazing upon the god she served.

Being healed by Elias had filled her heart with ecstatic joy—a salvation even Eden's songs could not give. That act of grace swept away the shadows in her heart and made her radiant again.

In short, she had truly turned over a new leaf.

She had already drawn up a basket of future plans: she wanted to travel the world, to try new things, to find a decent and upright job.

And to remind herself constantly, she resolved to go to church every week and pray for forgiveness for her sins.

"Think nothing of it. It was a small matter."

Elias gave the reformed woman a smile, and in that instant she felt she had ascended to heaven itself, her heartbeat racing uncontrollably—for an angel was smiling at her.

She had once regarded Eden as her faith, but now she already saw Elias as her god.

Yet just as she was about to bow down several times to express her gratitude—

"Since you're healed, it's time for you to die."

"Eh? Ah!"

Before she could react, pain pierced her abdomen. She looked down in shock to see a dragon claw hand thrust clean through her stomach, scarlet blood spilling onto the ground.

She collapsed helplessly, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked up at Elias' expressionless face.

"Wh-Why…"

"Hm? Why what?"

"Didn't you… save me? Why… why kill me…"

Just moments ago she had been radiant, but now her eyes filled again with darkness and despair. Her fingers dug into the earth, leaving deep gouges as negative emotions consumed her.

This sudden death shattered her dream, but she could not accept it! Elias' sudden betrayal filled her with both fury and confusion.

If he was going to kill her now, why had he saved her earlier?!

"That's it? You're about to die, and that's all you can ask? Of course I did it to punish you."

Elias spoke with an air of utter certainty.

A crime must be paid for. Did she think repentance alone could erase the cost? Who would truly believe that putting down the butcher's knife could instantly make one a saint?

This was the punishment Elias had chosen for her: first to grant her the hope of rebirth, then to kill her once she believed herself saved and filled with hope for the future.

The result was very effective.

Now her eyes blazed red, her admiration and worship instantly overturned into rage and hatred.

"Even if you glare at me like that, it's useless. This outcome is what you brought upon yourself. You deserve death—and not a peaceful one."

Elias' voice was cold and merciless.

It was his Authority that had granted her new life, so of course he had the right to take it back. There was nothing wrong with that, nothing anyone could contest.

At most, it was exceedingly cruel.

But given that his target was a fan so twisted she had once tried to drag her idol into hell with her, this cruelty was more than satisfying.

"You don't deserve a beautiful ending. Die in despair, with the pain of falling from heaven back into hell."

Elias withdrew his dragon claw hand and flicked it. The dirty blood scattered away instantly, leaving him as immaculate and handsome as ever.

If this woman had attacked someone else, Elias might have given her a swift death. But the misfortune was that she had attacked Eden—someone firmly within the range of his "bias."

Naturally, he would never let her off so easily.

In the end, the woman died with eyes wide open, filled with resentment.

Elias then neatly used his omnipotent Honkai energy to "cleanse" the surroundings. If vengeful spirits truly existed in this world, they would surely be dispersed by this act.

(Elias: "Don't even think about turning into something unclean and coming after me.")

After finishing the punishment, he reopened a portal and returned to the hotel—only to find the clerk desperately trying to pry the door open.

Elias raised a brow, walked over, and asked casually:

"Hey, what are you trying to do?"

"Hah? Isn't it obvious? I'm going to xxxx the woman inside who looks so much like Eden." The clerk didn't even look back as he spoke.

"Is that so? Good. Then die."

Another piece of scum. Without wasting any words, Elias activated the Herrscher of Death's Authority. Unlike the white flower of creation, the black mist of withering enveloped the clerk.

Moments later, every cell of his body was annihilated. Not a trace remained.

"Hmph. Trash."

Elias may have been a savior, but that didn't mean he saved everyone. People whose deaths benefitted the world—he never showed them mercy.

Afterward, he dispelled the space lock and returned to the room.

"I'm back, Eden. You're not asleep yet?"

"Elias, welcome… back…"

As he entered, he saw Eden sitting elegantly at the bedside, drinking water. She frowned a little, wondering why it had no flavor.

When she saw Elias return, she smiled and waved at him. Then she reached into her pocket and took out several precious gems.

"These are for you, Elias."

"Uh… gems?"

"Mhm. This ruby has the fewest impurities in the world. I received it from the Speaker of Tacol's National Theatre after a performance."

As she spoke, she shoved the gem worth hundreds of millions into his hand, then pulled out another gem of opposite color—a sapphire.

"This one is for you too. This aquamarine has many impurities, but as if to defy nature itself, the craftsman invented the rose-cut technique to make it shine brighter. This is one of the very first gems ever cut with that method. I hope you like it."

"…Can I ask about the price?"

"Only a few tens of millions, I think? Very cheap."

Eden mumbled hazily. To her, it was indeed nothing worth mentioning. Elias twitched at the corner of his eye, remembering her habit of giving away gems when drunk.

Then, to his shock, Eden pulled out even more.

"Here, I still have plenty. This blue crystal isn't transparent, but it's said to hold the power to grant wishes."

"This cross-shaped gem is called the Primal Stone, with alternating pink and blue hues. They say it's formed from unclaimed dreams and hopes—romantic, isn't it?"

"And this orange-and-blue gem, called Star Dome, hasn't even been carved yet, but it still shines brilliantly. Countless people have sought it, and they say it's a fragment of a shooting star."

Ruby, aquamarine, crystal, primal stone, star dome… Eden kept pulling out one priceless gem after another, shoving them all into Elias' hands.

In just seconds, Elias had "earned" several billion. Holding all these gems, he had no idea what to do with them.

Meanwhile, Eden had finally emptied herself out. She groped all over her pockets, even reached into her "fourth-dimensional cleavage," but couldn't find another one.

Seeing her about to strip herself down to keep searching, Elias couldn't take it anymore. He flicked her forehead, knocking her out cold, and tossed her onto the bed—forcefully shutting her down.

"Haah… I finally get it. Every woman has her troublesome side. But seriously, is marrying a rich lady really the fastest way to get rich? These gems seem to be mostly one-of-a-kind treasures…"

Elias glanced at the glittering gems in his hands. They were dazzling beyond words. Amused, he picked out a few and began embedding them onto his draconic form.

Elias: "My colors are too plain. Let's try on a new skin for fun."

His dragon wings had just the right grooves to fit two gems, and the backs of his transformed arms could each hold another.

The pure white of his draconic armor and exoskeleton, now adorned with blue gems, looked even more striking.

With the Herrscher of Death's Authority, he altered the details of his draconic body, fitting in all the gems Eden had given him… At this point, he had gone from a pure white dragon to something resembling the Ultimate Gem God Rainbow Dragon from a certain card game.

...

The next morning, when Eden awoke—

Her eyes lit up at the sight of Elias in his draconic form. She had no memory of giving him the gems, but seeing them embedded on his body, she thought he looked beautiful.

At the same time, Elias, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them to find Eden studying him as though he were a work of art. It made him a little embarrassed.

"Good morning, Eden. Giving away gems while drunk isn't the best habit. Here, let me return these." He reached to remove them.

Elias was satisfied with his new look, but it didn't feel right to accept gems she had given away while intoxicated. He figured he could later construct some with the Herrscher of Reason's Authority.

But Eden quickly stopped him.

"No need, no need. They're just external possessions. More importantly, Elias—you can actually… change yourself?"

"Mhm. I have the ability to alter the structure of my own body. And these claws, horns, and tail after transforming—they're all parts of me, not decorations."

"I see… they're beautiful."

Eden's eyes sparkled brilliantly.

An indescribable sense of fulfillment welled in her heart. Seeing her gems set into Elias' body felt as though she had added her own colors to his pure white canvas.

(Hmm… not bad, very nice. But it's still not perfect. The colors of the gems should be symmetrical on both sides. I think I still have some twin gems—next time, I'll make sure to give them to him.)

"Alright then, I'll take you home now. Where do you live?" Elias stretched his body as he spoke. Last night had been a true test of willpower—with such a peerless beauty lying beside him, hugging his tail even in her sleep.

Eden looked around in confusion, only then realizing she was in a hotel. Honestly, it might have been the smallest one she had ever stayed in. As a superstar, she found it rather novel.

"Going home can wait. Elias, could you take me to Fire Moth first?"

"Uh? What for?"

"Nothing much… I just plan to make a little investment."

Chapter 535: What a Coincidence, Kotomi Fell Asleep at the Yuigahama House Again

The lock screen wallpaper on Kotomi Izumi's phone was a selfie that Iroha Isshiki had sent her last time.

Originally, Kotomi only intended to use it as her lock screen wallpaper, but gradually, she changed her phone's main wallpaper as well, replacing it with a photo of her and Iroha taken together at Enoshima. Fortunately, Kotomi didn't yet have the courage to go as far as customizing a phone case with a picture of herself and Iroha.

When it came to lock screens and wallpapers, even though neither of them had ever discussed it, both used photos that included each other.

Just like Iroha Isshiki's lock screen wallpaper was a couple photo of her and Kotomi taken at the octopus sister's sukiyaki shop. Back when they took that couple photo—was it really just for the sake of eating that oversized fruit carnival?

Her phone wallpaper, on the other hand, was the photo of her and Kotomi at Enoshima.

Two photos: the first was their very first date, and the second was an unforgettable experience for both of them.

Although Kotomi felt a little embarrassed, she couldn't resist the little devil's soft pestering. She reached out and gently wrapped her arm around Iroha's fragrant shoulder. Iroha smiled like a flower, leaning into Kotomi's embrace. Standing together, even the beautiful sea view behind them paled in comparison.

Tomoka Yuigahama stared at Kotomi's lock screen wallpaper, stunned for several seconds before slowly thinking in her heart: The girl on the lock screen… is she Kotomi's girlfriend? She looks so young, maybe still in junior high? But then again, Kotomi herself only just started her first year of high school this year, so the age gap shouldn't be too big…

"Kotomi already has a girlfriend… That's not surprising. Leaving aside her commercial success in light novels and manga—she has looks, she has emotional intelligence, and her grades are decent too. With such an outstanding girl, no wonder she'd find such a cute girlfriend. I wonder if Yui still has any chance?"

Tomoka Yuigahama let out a bitter laugh, but the emotion hidden in her words… was it really only about wondering if Yui still had a chance?

Tomoka, can you see it now? Kotomi really does like girls younger than herself. You, this old auntie, should stop harboring unrealistic fantasies in your heart! Tomoka scolded herself inwardly.

After calming her emotions slightly, Tomoka held Kotomi's finger against the back of the phone.

The phone easily unlocked. But when Tomoka saw the photo of Kotomi and Iroha Isshiki at Enoshima as the main wallpaper, she was once again dumbfounded. She hadn't expected that Kotomi and the light-orange-haired girl in the photo had already gone on a date—perhaps more than once.

Tomoka now felt like running upstairs to the second floor, showing this photo to Yui and asking: They've already gone on a date, maybe more than once—so why did you only just arrange to go karaoke with Kotomi this Sunday?! Your progress is way too slow!

For some reason, looking at Kotomi's wallpaper of her and another girl, Tomoka felt a sourness in her chest. In short, she felt uncomfortable.

It wasn't because Yui wasn't on Kotomi's wallpaper. As a mother, she only felt frustrated at her daughter's slow progress, like iron that refused to become steel.

But deep down, Tomoka knew that even if the wallpaper had been a photo of Kotomi and Yui, she would still feel the same inexplicable sourness, and her emotions would still become complicated—part relief, part envy, and perhaps even part jealousy.

She opened Kotomi's contacts and dialed the landline number labeled 'Home'.

Since Kotomi had told her mother she was going to Yui's for a study session before coming over, that would make it easy to explain why she was staying over.

"Kotomi, it's almost 9 o'clock. Haven't you finished your study session yet?" Akina Izumi's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hello, Mrs. Izumi, this is Yui's mother. Kotomi and Yui studied until they got too tired, and Kotomi fell asleep. I was worried you'd be concerned, so I called first."

"Oh, Mrs. Yuigahama! I'm so sorry, Kotomi even stayed at your house last time too, causing you trouble."

"It's no trouble at all, really. Kotomi is already a high school student, and such a sensible girl. Not troublesome in the slightest. Yui even said she hopes Kotomi can come stay over more often."

"Their relationship really is quite good."

"Yes, when I first met Kotomi, I was surprised too. Although Yui isn't exactly introverted, this was the first time she ever brought a friend over to the house. These two kids must get along very well at school. I even heard they've made plans to go sing karaoke together this Sunday."

"Karaoke? That shows their relationship is indeed close. Kotomi rarely ever liked going to karaoke before. Even when she did, she would never take the initiative to sing. She'd basically just sit quietly in a corner and keep eating snacks from beginning to end."

Akina Izumi clearly remembered that one time their whole family went to karaoke, Kotomi spent the entire time just eating nonstop. After finishing the fruit platter, she moved on to pizza, and after pizza, to French fries. Someone who didn't know better would have thought Kotomi had gone to a restaurant instead of a karaoke place!

"I called Kotomi a few times earlier, but seeing her sleeping so soundly, I couldn't bring myself to wake her. Let her stay the night. Tomorrow, after breakfast, she can head home. Tomorrow's Saturday anyway, no school," Tomoka Yuigahama suggested.

"I'm terribly sorry for troubling you, Mrs. Yuigahama."

"Not at all, don't worry about it. She just happened to fall asleep in Yui's bedroom." As Tomoka spoke, she glanced at Kotomi, who was lying there snoring softly on her bed, and her lips curved into a helpless smile.

"Oh right, did Kotomi have dinner? When she rushed off to meet Yui earlier, she didn't even have time to eat."

"She did. After dinner, I noticed she already looked a little drowsy. Later, when I went upstairs to bring them juice, I found Kotomi had already been carried to bed by Yui and was fast asleep."

"This child, eating and then immediately sleeping~"

Akina Izumi couldn't help laughing as she said it. In her memory, Kotomi had only been to the Yuigahama house twice, yet both times she somehow ended up falling asleep there and spending the night.

It was just like how every time she went out with Megumi Kato, she somehow conveniently missed the last train.

After exchanging a few more polite words, Akina Izumi and Tomoka Yuigahama ended the call. After all, it was already past nine, and some early sleepers would already be in bed by now.

Tomoka Yuigahama then walked over and began helping Kotomi out of her clothes.

This time, Tomoka didn't feel shy. The reason she used to blush around Kotomi was because of the girl's words and her naturally charming aura in her every move.

Now that Kotomi was asleep, Tomoka felt no problem at all—no more shyness, no more blushing.

"At the end of the day, I'm almost forty already. Kotomi even calls me Auntie. If I kept blushing in front of her, that would be far too embarrassing…" Tomoka smiled wryly to herself.

Once she finished changing Kotomi, Tomoka quickly pulled the blanket up to cover her, cheeks slightly flushed.

Partly because she was worried Kotomi might get cold, but also because if she didn't cover her up quickly, Tomoka honestly didn't know where to rest her gaze!

Kotomi's figure… Just what on earth does she usually eat?!

No wonder Yui loves hugging Kotomi so much!

...

After hanging up the phone, Akina Izumi returned to the living room. Half-jokingly, she said to Aimi, who had been sitting on the sofa waiting for her sister to come home:

"No need to wait for your sister anymore. She's staying at Yui's house tonight. The fruit cake you love so much is from her family's shop. How about tomorrow, when Kotomi comes home, we ask her to bring a slice back for you?"

"She's staying at Yuigahama-senpai's house again? Every time she goes, she ends up spending the night there. Is Yuigahama-senpai's bed that attractive to her?"

The moment Aimi heard that her sister wasn't coming home, she instinctively felt a bit upset. Her little jar of jealousy overturned instantly. Luckily, Kotomi wasn't in front of her right now, otherwise Aimi would definitely hold her down and refuse to let her leave, just to settle old scores with her.

Akina Izumi deliberately pinched her nose and stretched out her voice: "Strange… why does the whole living room smell so strongly of vinegar?"

"Huh? After dinner I cleaned the kitchen myself. I didn't knock over the vinegar bottle."

Aimi Izumi blinked her pretty, innocent eyes. Why did Mom suddenly say there was a vinegar smell in the living room? She even sniffed the air carefully—but there was no vinegar smell at all!

Seeing Aimi's innocent look, as if she were seriously saying there really wasn't any vinegar, Akina covered her face speechlessly. She only had two daughters, and normally they seemed smart enough, but when they acted silly, one was even sillier than the other.

Still sulking because her sister wasn't coming home and was staying at the Yuigahama house instead, Aimi sat with her arms crossed on the sofa. But then, after her thoughts shifted, she decided—well, at least her sister wasn't staying at Megumi Kato's house. Since it was only at Yuigahama Yui's house… that was still acceptable!

If her sister had gone to Megumi Kato's house tonight, and happened to "accidentally" fall asleep there, then that sinister and dangerous bad woman Megumi would definitely take advantage of her sister while she slept. Just imagining that scene made Aimi grind her teeth in fury.

With Megumi Kato as a comparison, when she thought again about Kotomi spending the night at the Yuigahama house, Aimi's bad mood gradually eased.

"Achoo!"

Meanwhile, as Megumi Kato was sitting at her desk doing homework, she suddenly sneezed. She rubbed her nose and muttered in surprise:

"Is it cold? Looks like I should switch to a thicker set of pajamas."

Megumi stood up, intending to change into warmer clothes. But after a second of thought, she simply reached out and switched off her desk lamp, then turned off the bedroom light. Stripping off her clothes, she climbed into bed, pulled up the blanket, and said comfortably:

"Oh right, the reason I felt cold just now was because I was sitting at the desk doing homework. Now that I've stopped and am lying under the blanket, I'm not cold anymore. It's Friday night, after all—there's still two full days of weekend left. I'll finish the homework whenever I feel like it~ Tomorrow I'm going shopping with my wife, so I'll just do the homework the day after! Mm—nothing feels better than snuggling in bed when it's cold."

Lying under the covers, Megumi scrolled through the photo album on her phone filled with Kotomi's pictures, muttering softly, anticipation in her voice as she looked forward to their outing tomorrow.

Too bad they were only going to the shopping mall in Chiba City. If it had been Tokyo or another city, Megumi would already be scheming on how to naturally miss the last train tomorrow night with Kotomi.

...

When the drama on TV ended, Aimi didn't stay in the living room any longer. After saying goodnight, she got up and went upstairs to bed.

Strictly speaking, she went to Kotomi's bedroom.

Every time Kotomi didn't come home at night, Aimi would quietly sneak into her sister's room, lie down on her bed, and tightly hug the pillow Kotomi usually slept on.

"Kotomi still hasn't come back?" Kaneyoshi Izumi, who had just come in from making a phone call outside, pushed open the door at that moment. Seeing that Kotomi wasn't home, he couldn't help asking.

"She's staying at Yui's house. That child eats and then gets sleepy. She went for a study session, but in the middle of it she ended up studying herself to sleep."

Akina Izumi shrugged and smiled helplessly. This wasn't the first time Kotomi had fallen asleep at Yui's house. Every time she went there, she ended up staying the night. How embarrassing was that?

After listening, Kaneyoshi Izumi laughed heartily, then sat down and began eating the apple slices Akina had peeled for him, picking them up with a toothpick.

"What did Dad say on the phone just now?" Akina lowered the TV volume and asked curiously.

Earlier, when Yakken Izumi called, Kaneyoshi had answered and stepped outside.

"Business matters."

"Trouble?"

"No. With the Izumi family's capital flow, how could we run into trouble so easily in business? It's more like a pie that fell from the sky—but no one's ready to eat it yet."

Kaneyoshi chuckled. As the eldest son of the family, their father often called him to discuss business matters.

"A pie from the sky?" Akina tilted her head, puzzled.

"The Izumi family just closed a deal worth 100 billion US dollars yesterday. Originally, we had already planned to abandon it. The Sakayanagi conglomerate was competing fiercely with us for it. Just as they were about to succeed—only one step away—not only did the Sakayanagi family head, but their entire conglomerate suddenly gave up and handed the deal over to us."

The Izumi, Hishinaga, and Sakayanagi families all had extremely competitive business relationships on the surface. If all their maneuverings were made into a drama, it would surely be the highest-rated business war series ever, with no precedent and no equal.

This 100 billion deal had been no exception. The Izumi family and the Sakayanagi family had clashed for quite some time, going head-to-head.

Just when the Sakayanagi family held a slight advantage and seemed ready to secure the deal, the family head, Shoujin Sakayanagi, together with the current chairman of the conglomerate, Aoshi Sakayanagi, suddenly backed off and gave it all up to the Izumi family.

And just like that, the Izumi family earned 100 billion US dollars effortlessly.

Yakken Izumi had spent decades in business battles, and Shoujin Sakayanagi had been his long-time rival. From the very start, he knew—this wasn't his old opponent's style. Something was off.

Before Yakken could figure it out, Shoujin Sakayanagi personally went to Yamanashi to visit him.

At the dinner table, the old rivals never once mentioned the 100 billion deal. The two crafty foxes just exchanged drinks, catching up in a cheerful atmosphere.

But after Shoujin left, Yakken Izumi's face turned solemn. He immediately picked up his phone and called Kaneyoshi. His very first words were:

"This morning, I had a meal with that old fox from the Sakayanagi family. And just as I thought, that bastard finally revealed his fox tail. No wonder he gave up that deal—he's planning to use that 100 billion dollars as a stepping stone… to propose marriage to the Izumi family!"

Chapter 623: Alyssa Approaches War

It was a complete stroke of luck.

The 2125th Expeditionary Fleet, which had been aimlessly exploring along its predetermined path in the Honkai hyperspace network, unexpectedly captured a spatial warp signal in a derivative subspace of the network.

Delighted, the Imperial fleet quickly tracked the source of the signal—a mere interstellar migrant group of 5,000 people.

Better to have a signal than none at all.

After all, exploratory achievements varied in worth. Worlds barren and lifeless were the lowest tier of finds. The most coveted were worlds teeming with life, abundant species, and civilizations with advanced technology. These were the sweetest fruits sought by the Imperial Navy.

Of course, even a death world could prove valuable if it possessed rich mineral deposits, unknown ores, or new elements…

It was all down to luck.

But then came disappointment. Civilization? There was one, but it was already destroyed.

In a war against giant creatures—'monsters'—humanity had been defeated. Under the selection of an AI system administered by the central government, survivors had boarded the interstellar emigration vessel Aratrum, heading toward planet Tau-e in the constellation Cetus, 11.9 light years away, in search of humanity's new home.

However, after a grueling 20-year journey, Tau-e proved even more hostile than Earth, utterly unsuitable for sustaining human life.

Now they were undertaking a desperate, long-distance subspace voyage to return to Earth… only to be intercepted mid-voyage by the Imperial fleet.

In other words, only these 5,000 people remained alive.

Five thousand? Wasn't that no different from the lowest tier—akin to a barren world?

With hopes of salvaging some benefit from the ruins, the Dark Angels Legion's 2125th Expeditionary Fleet urgently sent in reports and hacked into the mothership of the so-called "Earth United Forces to Tau-e Migration Fleet"—the interstellar vessel Aratrum. There, they uncovered its point of departure: Earth's coordinates.

And then… when the fleet's high command looked upon the display, expecting traces of an industrial civilization, they found none. Instead, the planet had reverted to a pristine wilderness, now a paradise for gigantic beasts.

The surface was covered in dense, vibrant, enormous plant life, a landscape brimming with vitality and abundance.

And that man, Haruo Sakaki—you claimed you had personally witnessed your parents killed by Godzilla at age four, and for twenty years you researched how to defeat Godzilla and reclaim Earth?

(T/N: Haruo Sakaki, protagonist of Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters and its trilogy)

You want me to believe all this evolved naturally in just twenty years?

After investigation, they realized the truth: this was Earth, but 20,000 years in the future, transformed into an unknown world where Godzilla reigned as the apex of an entirely new ecosystem.

Alas, subspace travel was fraught with risk. If one's technology could not withstand the chaotic tides of hyperspace—without fixed warp routes anchored between realspace and higher dimensions to stabilize navigation—months in subspace might mean millennia in reality.

Or worse, one could be lost forever.

This world deserved a new name: Planet Godzilla. Or perhaps, Monster Planet.

Frustrated at losing the chance to bring the Empress' Gospel to these lost lambs, the Dark Angels' 2125th Expeditionary Fleet resolved on vengeance. For the extermination of an entire human civilization—even if 20,000 years had passed—they would remember this debt.

Extermination Order. There must be an Extermination Order!

These beasts, these alien vermin—let them all die!

Burn this Monster Planet to glass!

And yet, just as the planet was about to be engulfed in fire, one of the three founding Primarchs, Selene's First Astartes, First Legion Commander, and Lord of the Dark Angels—Alex—halted the Extermination Order.

Arriving almost in unison with Alex was Alyssa, the High Lord Commander of the Sisters of Battle.

Death? That was far too merciful for these beasts.

Better to make them into 'dogs.' Whether tamed, or taken as breeding stock if their flesh proved palatable, their offspring could be slaughtered as livestock, providing rations and new varieties of meat for the Empire's armies.

Was this not more profitable than simple annihilation?

Planet Godzilla.

By now, the overwhelming force of the Imperium had scarred this once-beautiful world with countless wounds. The land was cratered, scarred, and broken. The clear blue sky was veiled in dust, shrouding the world in darkness.

BOOOOM—!!!

As if a meteor had struck, a terrifying shockwave was born.

The colossal impact ripped through the surrounding fog for thousands of kilometers, scattering the very air like chaff. The ground itself shattered under the blow, bursting apart like glass into countless fragments. Even the atmosphere was torn open, leaving a massive gaping hole.

ROAR—!!

A gigantic silhouette emerged.

CRASH!

With a deafening detonation, titanic blue-white wings spread wide, as though spears thrust straight into the heavens, cleaving through the raging storm. The immense draconic body stretched for kilometers, armored in deep blue and white. Its neck and abdomen were dark azure streaked with sky-blue stripes, and it bore four eyes. Each sweep of its colossal wings unleashed crackling arcs of thunderous lightning.

As the searing heat of its plasma breath cooled, the molten sea peeled away to reveal another figure—an ultra-colossal beast, like a tyrannosaur with jagged dorsal fins running its back.

Szzzzzz—!

The moss clinging to its body burned away. Its exposed flesh resembled charred wood with a metallic sheen, as though some grotesque fusion of hyper-evolved flora and steel.

Godzilla. Apex of this ecosystem. Yet now, it looked frail and broken, collapsed upon the earth, its thunderous breaths wheezing in weakness. More exhalation than inhalation. It had reached its limits.

Vast swathes of its dorsal plates were missing. Its body—resilient enough to endure thermonuclear strikes, famed for its durability, toughness, and regenerative capacity—was shattered. Even its skull had been torn, a great section ripped away, leaving a deep cavity.

Its body was riddled with massive wounds gouged to its innards. Strange violet-red blotches corroded its flesh, hissing szzzt like acid against metal, visibly tormenting the monster.

Looking down on the foe she had crushed, Alyssa descended, her immense draconic claws dragging slightly as her form emerged from the dissipating mist. Her sky-blue vertical pupils gleamed with arrogance, flashing with humanlike disdain. "Nothing but trash in my way!"

Tilting her head, glancing left and right, she roared thunderously, "Garbage is garbage."

Scattered across the ground near Godzilla were golden, radiant bones and shredded membrane.

They were the remnants of Ghidorah's heads—torn violently from the extradimensional beast's body and ripped apart by Alyssa.

At that moment, on a mountain ridge near the battlefield, a sudden super-spatial portal flared open. An icy gale swept in from the void, carrying shards of frozen crystal into the blistering air, lowering the temperature at once.

Thud, thud, thud!

Surrounded by his honor guard, a towering giant emerged. From him radiated surges of immense Honkai energy, so great that even the atmosphere strained to endure it. Destructive power shimmered in waves about his form.

If a 2.7-meter-tall Astartes could be called a small giant, then this warrior was a true giant—like the manifestation of a god.

His short, neatly combed tawny hair framed a face as chiseled as marble, stern and resolute, with eyes like burning torches. His entire presence was that of a sword—sharp, restrained, indomitable.

He wore master-crafted armor of black trimmed with silver and red, inscribed with runes of authority and glory. A cloak of red and white flowed from his shoulders. Upon his gorget, an olive wreath encircled the numeral Ⅰ, declaring his identity.

The golden pelt of a lion draped his massive shoulders. A greatsword hung at his waist, and a resplendent winged helm rested in the crook of his arm.

"Ghidorah the Planet Eater… so that is its name, a super-gravitational mass surpassing even a black hole."

Alex spoke as he strode toward the cliff's edge.

High in the sky, an immense gravitational distortion twisted space-time. The golden necks of Ghidorah writhed as two more heads extended from extradimensional space into the universe, their serpentine length swaying with alien majesty.

Compared to the necks of Ghidorah, each stretching for tens of kilometers, the 300-meter-tall Godzilla looked like a mere speck.

"A higher-dimensional lifeform lurking within dimensional seams? The true form of a god? The object of native worship? No. The Empire requires no new faiths, and tolerates no heresies."

Clenching one fist, Alex raised it high. Violet-red energy sparked at his fingertips, linking heaven, subspace, and dimensional rifts together. Bzzzmmm—!

"Her Majesty grows ever more unfathomable." As one of the Astartes Legion Commanders, an absolute authority within the Empire, Alex too had received a measure of Selene's ascendant blessing.

Though far less than that of Sebas or Alyssa, even a fraction of Selene's vast might resonated with the surrounding time and space.

The violet luminescence flickered.

"You are called the End? Hmph. Then behold the true End! Descend, Selene's radiance—grant us the glorious finale!"

High-energy Honkai particles condensed into concentric rings of tangible violet light, rippling outward from Alex's form.

The glow grew ever brighter. The sky itself seemed to shatter. Terrifying cracks of light spread like spiderwebs, expanding, devouring, and eroding the twisted mass of gravity.

BZZZMMM!

ROOOOOAR—!!

Sensing danger, the two golden heads thrashing into realspace howled in anguish, their cries echoing across the battlefield.

At once, brilliant golden light coursed up their necks, gathering at their jaws, and erupted as a storm of divine lightning.

But this time, their foe was not the same as the alien civilizations Ghidorah had once annihilated. The Honor Guard of the Dark Angels Legion stood unmoved as stone. With a wave of Alex's hand, countless violet barriers surged skyward, shielding them from Ghidorah's golden deluge. Thunder of Honkai origin materialized from the void, blasting against the mountain-sized golden heads.

"Alex, you cheat! Wasn't this supposed to be my game? I was going to capture these beasts alive to serve as a feast for our Queen!" Alyssa's voice rang out in dissatisfaction.

"You meddled, and spoiled my fun."

ZZZZT—BOOOOM!

A storm of plasma suddenly engulfed the sky. A massive blue-white form ascended, swelling in size as it rose, interposing itself between Alex and Ghidorah.

Even the mere aftershock of its movement caused the earth to crumble.

"Alas, Lady Alyssa, these are the Empress's orders. It seems once again, you are to embark on a new journey."

"What journey? Where?" Alyssa asked, confused.

"Toward the expedition of Horus, Lord of the Luna Wolves. That world holds gods, elves, celestials, merfolk, beastkin… much potential for development, according to intelligence. The Empress commands me to ask whether you will go. If not…"

"I'll go! But that gaudy three-headed monster is mine as well!"

Her words had barely left her lips when blinding plasma light turned the world to searing white. The shattered land, burning forests, crumbling mountains—all seemed to glow as if aflame.

BZZZZMMM—!

The draconic silhouette swelled, blotting out the sky. Clearly, Alyssa's excitement had been stoked. The current game no longer held her interest. She resolved to end Ghidorah swiftly.

In the next instant, the dragon-shadow moved. On a scale that defied physics, it lunged toward the dimensional rift where extradimensional and realspace overlapped, crashing headlong with unstoppable might!

CRRRRRAAASH—!!

The atmosphere shattered like glass. The last surviving peaks groaned under the weight, then collapsed into rubble.

Almost simultaneously, Ghidorah's remaining two heads burst like pierced water balloons, exploding into a storm of golden flesh and blood. The fragments scattered across the sky, shining like countless stars against the cold earth below.

...

Elsewhere, within the Honkai hyperspace network—the expedition path of the XVI Legion, the Luna Wolves.

Aboard the Legion flagship Vengeful Spirit.

Horus, Lord of the Luna Wolves, stood silently in the grand bridge hall. His eyes remained fixed upon the void before him, gazing at the untouched virgin world awaiting conquest.

"Humanity… one of the sixteen races… the lowest of them all…"

Chapter 553: Reunion

Before returning from the other world, Mirei Shinohara was extremely eager to see her parents.

But now that she had actually come back, she hesitated. She didn't know whether she should go home in her current form.

After all, not to mention looking the same as in her past life, she wasn't even in human form yet.

So, she decided to first follow Shiraori in searching for Eriri, and only afterward consider whether or not to return home—and in what manner.

If they found Eriri, that would be even better. She could then ask Eriri for advice.

After hearing Mirei Shinohara's answer, Shiraori didn't hesitate. She immediately used Space Magic again. In the blink of an eye, the two of them disappeared from the classroom, which once more returned to an empty state.

...

When the two reappeared, they were already standing before the gate of a detached house.

Both Mirei Shinohara and Shiraori were very familiar with this place. After all, before reincarnation, they often came here.

For Shiraori, it was another home besides Class 2-3's classroom.

Looking at the familiar gate before her, Shiraori didn't immediately use Space Magic to enter the house, nor did she use clairvoyance to check whether anyone was inside.

Instead, after taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell and waited at the entrance.

While waiting, she instinctively closed her eyes, placing her right hand over her chest.

"Please, please… Master, you must be home!"

She didn't know how many times she silently repeated these words, but finally the sound of the door opening reached her ears.

The instant she heard it, Shiraori ended her silent prayer and opened her eyes wide, staring expectantly at the slowly opening door.

Beside her, Mirei Shinohara was just as nervous, her emotions no less intense than Shiraori's.

Both of them desperately hoped that when the door opened, Eriri would be standing there.

However, when the door opened fully, the person before them wasn't the Eriri they longed for, nor Aoi Kujou, nor the original Wakaba Hiiro. Instead, it was a stranger they had never seen before.

Before them stood a peerlessly beautiful woman dressed in a maid outfit, exuding the refined aura of a Yamato Nadeshiko. At that moment, Shiraori and Mirei's hearts instantly sank halfway.

But the moment they heard the woman's first words, their emotions surged like a rollercoaster, becoming ecstatic.

"Come in. The young lady has been waiting for you in the living room."

Seeing the two main characters she had been watching on live broadcast for more than four days, Meido's face blossomed with a gentle smile. She also stepped aside, welcoming them in like a true maid greeting her master's guests.

Overwhelmed with joy, Shiraori and Mirei didn't hesitate, stepping directly into the house.

Even though more than a year had passed in the other world, they still clearly remembered the house's layout. Without delay, they headed straight for the living room.

Soon, they entered and immediately saw Eriri sitting on the sofa, smiling warmly at them.

"Mirei, and my adorable little pet, welcome home~"

...

Looking at Eriri's familiar face—the one that often surfaced in their minds—both Shiraori and Mirei's long-suppressed emotions of over a year burst forth.

"Master (Eriri)!!!"

Both shouted in unison, their voices trembling with emotion and edged with sobs. Then, unable to contain themselves, they rushed toward Eriri.

In an instant, they were before her. Shiraori threw herself into Eriri's lap like a returning swallow, while Mirei circled around her several times before finally resting her head on Eriri's shoulder.

Eriri didn't resist their closeness. Instead, she smiled and gently caressed Shiraori's head with her right hand while stroking the smooth, crystal-like scales of Mirei's body with her left.

...

About ten minutes later, after pouring out their longing and calming their emotions, Mirei finally let go of Eriri and floated beside her.

As for Shiraori, she was still like a spoiled child—clinging to Eriri's lap. With Eriri's gentle stroking that never stopped, her face carried a constant look of bliss.

Only now did Shiraori and Mirei Shinohara finally turn their gaze toward D, who was sitting nearby.

"So you're the original Wakaba, huh? As expected, you didn't reincarnate either, just like Eriri," Mirei said.

While speaking, Shiraori silently observed the D before her—who looked exactly like herself, apart from different hair color, skin tone, and eyes. For a moment, her emotions were deeply complicated.

Because she clearly remembered her past life and identity, she didn't feel, as in the original story, like D's substitute, nor did she harbor any special feelings toward her. It was simply a strange and complicated sensation—like meeting the true owner of those past memories.

D, upon hearing Mirei's words, merely glanced at her briefly before lowering her gaze back to the novel in her hands.

As for Shiraori, she clearly had no intention of engaging either.

Just as Shiraori had no special feelings toward her as in the original, D also had no interest in Shiraori at all—even though the latter shared her face.

This utterly indifferent attitude, however, made Mirei a little displeased.

"Hey, Wakaba, why are you still acting the same as always? No matter what, we spent at least a month or two together before. That counts as being friends, right? Now it's been over a year since we last met, don't you have anything to say to me? Like maybe that you missed me?"

"Why would I miss you? Maybe you don't realize it, but while you spent more than a year in the other world, on Earth only five days have passed," D replied without even lifting her head.

Her words stunned both Mirei and Shiraori, who was secretly watching from Eriri's lap.

"What? Only five days have passed on Earth?" Mirei exclaimed in shock.

She then turned to Eriri, as if seeking confirmation of the truth.

Meeting her gaze, Eriri nodded.

"D-chan is right. It's really been less than five days. See for yourself."

As she spoke, Eriri stretched out her left hand. Out of thin air, a pink phone appeared in her palm.

Seeing the somewhat familiar phone, Mirei froze again, still not recovered from the shock.

"This is…"

"That's right—it's your phone~" Eriri said with a playful smile.

Nervously, Mirei used a new skill she had obtained recently, "Telekinesis," to take the phone from Eriri's hand. Then, with the same ability, she powered it on.

Looking at the date displayed on the phone's screen, even though Eriri's words had already convinced her, seeing it with her own eyes still left her incredulous.

Suddenly, she realized something critical.

If it had only been less than five days on Earth, then her parents were surely still in their deepest grief.

As their daughter, she couldn't bear to let her loving parents continue suffering like that. Instantly, she felt an urge to rush home and let them know she was safe.

But before that, she wanted to see if there was a way to deal with her outward appearance.

So she looked up at Eriri with a hopeful expression and asked:

"Eriri, do you have a way to let me temporarily return to human form? I want to go home and reassure my parents…"

"It's possible, but I think it would be better if you visited them in your current form too. Don't you think it's beautiful? This is a body I specially prepared for you."

Eriri reached out and stroked the pair of translucent horns that protruded from Mirei's head.

"It is beautiful, and I like it a lot. But no matter what, this form isn't something ordinary people on Earth can accept," Mirei said hesitantly.

"Alright then. Since you want it, I'll let you gain the ability to take on human form ahead of time~"

Saying that, Eriri lightly tapped Mirei's head with her finger.

"Okay, now you can try transforming into a human."

"Mm! Thank you, Eriri, I love you the most!"

Excitedly rubbing her head against Eriri, Mirei Shinohara instinctively activated the new ability she had just obtained.

The transformation required no extra movements—just a flash of light. In the next moment, a small, snow-white figure appeared in the living room.

Then, a childish voice rang out:

"Whoa! I finally transformed into a human body!"

Looking at her snow-white hands, Mirei's face lit up with joy.

But soon, she noticed a serious problem.

"Wait… why is my body so small?"

She examined herself from every angle and quickly came to a conclusion that left her unsettled.

She had turned into a little girl!

In a hurry, she used her Five Elements Manipulation skill to gather water elements from the air and form a mirror. In the reflection appeared an adorable, impossibly cute little face.

Her palm-sized face was flawless, with bright blue eyes that sparkled like gems, a dainty nose, and soft pink lips—each feature exquisitely delicate.

Her thick, snow-white hair cascaded down her back, and even her eyebrows and eyelashes were pure white. She looked like a snow spirit who had descended into the mortal world.

Looking carefully, one could still see traces of Mirei's previous life in the youthful features. But the refinement of her face and the perfection of her skin far surpassed anything from before.

"Is this really… my face?"

Staring at the unbearably cute reflection, Mirei momentarily forgot about the problem of becoming a child. Compared to such a beautiful face, what did it matter? She could always grow up again.

Though she had been considered a beautiful girl in her past life, that was only relative to ordinary people. Compared to Shiraori or Aoi Kujou, she had been far too plain. She had even felt a little inferior when standing next to Eriri.

Now, though her face was still childish, Mirei was confident that once she grew up, her beauty would be no less than Shiraori's.

"Well? Isn't it cute? This is what your human form looks like," Eriri said with a playful smile, reaching out to pinch Mirei's cheeks.

Hearing Eriri's words, Shiraori—who had been lying on Eriri's lap with her eyes closed—opened them and glanced at Mirei. Seeing her new appearance, she couldn't help but feel awe in her heart.

Eriri's playful pinches snapped Mirei out of her daze. Her expression quickly shifted to uncontainable excitement.

Dispelling the water mirror, she spread her little arms and dove into Eriri's embrace.

"Eriri, thank you! I love you, I love you so much!"

Burying her face in Eriri's neck, Mirei once again expressed her deep gratitude and affection.

Meanwhile, below, Shiraori silently reached out to push Mirei's tiny, pale feet away. If she hadn't reacted in time, those little feet would have stepped right on her head.

Patting Mirei's back, Eriri laughed softly.

"Alright, now that you have a human form too, you can go home after dinner to see your parents."

"Mm! I'll do as you say!"

...

Soon, over an hour had passed, and under Aoi Kujou's arrangements, dinner officially began.

After more than a year, tasting Aoi Kujou's cooking again moved Mirei so much she nearly cried.

And although it was Shiraori's first time eating Kujou's food, her excitement was no less intense than Mirei's.

Heaven knew what her life had been like for the past year. Thanks to Predator, she had avoided the foul taste of inedible monsters. But even the tastiest of magical beasts could never compare to cooked dishes seasoned with spices.

Thus, her craving for delicious food had only grown stronger.

During the meal, she stayed silent, focusing entirely on devouring the dishes before her, while in her heart she praised them in hundreds of different ways.

Unlike Shiraori's silence, Mirei never stopped chatting with Eriri, eager to learn as much as she could.

"By the way, Eriri, what exactly happened in the classroom back then? Besides me and Shiraori, did Mr. Okazaki and the others also reincarnate into the other world?"

Chapter 308: Little Shipgirls Don’t Understand, Tossing Photoids for Fun

Solar System Starbase.

The towering hull of the Eternal Snowfall floated outside the base.

In the Juggernaut's spacious lower docks, dozens of shipgirl starships were moored side by side.

Specialized Bulins held Ultra Rainbow Hammers in their hands, tinkering with the armed modules on the shipgirls' hulls.

They dismantled the original colossal gigaton-class kinetic cannons and, by hammering in ways that defied physics, transformed them into another weapon of even larger caliber.

Bang bang bang—

A group of Bulins hammered around a turret, then measured its caliber with a photoid.

"Too small."

Bang bang bang—

The Bulins hammered again, then measured once more.

The photoid could now just barely fit inside the launcher. Satisfied, they nodded.

They then fixed the modified photoid launcher onto the shipgirl's hull.

"Belfast, your main gun has been refitted, bruin!"

"Next, next one is Sirius…"

A Universal Bulin hopped onto the nearby silver-white starship, continuing to use her universal Bulin tinkering powers to modify the shipgirl's equipment.

Not far from the docks, inside the assembly factory—

The Angeloids were delivering cargo ship after ship of materials into the automated production lines.

The required components were quickly processed and produced for the Bulins.

As a mobile space fortress, the Juggernaut carried several integrated starship production and repair lines.

Even without a dock, shipgirls under its command could be swiftly repaired and modified.

Combined with the many Bulins and Angeloids carried aboard—

Wherever they went, ships could be built.

If resources were insufficient, they could simply mine on-site.

With so many civilizations in the Trisolaran universe destroyed, just from shattered stars and planets alone, countless high-quality minerals could be harvested.

...

The weapon modifications for the shipgirls proceeded at astonishing speed.

Since the principle behind photoids was extremely simple—essentially just accelerating a mass-point to near-light speed, using relativity to destroy a star—

It involved no complicated physics or engineering. As long as the materials were adequate, it was enough.

Thus, in less than half a month—

Most shipgirls, including the Eternal Snowfall herself, had been equipped with new photoid launchers.

Boom—

The fleet activated their warp engines, leaping through the void.

They arrived at a star system thousands of light-years from the Solar System.

Inside their hulls, the shipgirls curiously observed their new weapons.

Each hull now carried several massive turrets.

Their design resembled the railguns of the Common Era, but on a far greater scale.

Just the barrels were nearly 500 meters long, with enormous bases beneath.

[Photoid Launcher]

A terrifying weapon capable of destroying stars.

Destroyer-class shipgirls generally mounted two or three. Cruisers carried more. Carriers and battleships, over a dozen was common.

On the Eternal Snowfall's weapon wings, the number of these gigantic turrets exceeded one hundred.

"Wait, I thought it was one per person?"

Formidable blinked.

She felt it was strange for a single starship to mount over a dozen anti-stellar weapons.

"Um, according to Grey's design, we made some optimizations to the photoid launchers, buli."

"They're not only for destroying stars—at medium and close range, they're also extremely efficient kinetic weapons, perfect for striking enemy ships in sub-light states."

A Bulin scratched her head, explaining to the shipgirls.

"And since their principles are simple and costs low, the Commander said everyone can install more."

"..."

"Install more of these?!"

"Commander, has your firepower deficiency syndrome reached its final stage?!"

Formidable stared dumbfounded at the Eternal Snowfall's weapon wings, lined with rows upon rows of photoid launchers.

"This is called efficiency."

Setsuna answered calmly.

Several little shipgirls couldn't wait any longer, immediately starting to play with their new toys.

"Ohhh, I can smash stars like the Commander now!!!"

Buzz—

Several destroyer-class shipgirls sailed out from the Eternal Snowfall's docks.

"Don't you dare target the Solar System! And don't touch the stars near it either!"

Yat Sen's stern voice came through the comms.

"In the Trisolaran universe, you can play however you want. But when we return, you are not allowed to randomly attack our stars."

Setsuna chuckled and added a reminder.

Stars in his own universe and vassal worlds would eventually be used for resource development. Using them as target practice for star-destroying weapons would only be wasteful.

The Trisolaran world, however, was positioned as an experimental ground, free to use as they pleased.

After all, this universe would eventually be two-dimensionalized anyway, so better to squeeze out its remaining value.

"Got it, nanoda!~"

Yukikaze replied cheerfully.

She led a few small destroyer shipgirls to a star not far away.

Bang—Bang—Bang—

They locked onto the target and fired in quick succession.

The photoids shot out, dragging behind comet-like blazing tails, flying at near-light speed straight into the star's outer shell.

Boom—

Minutes later—

The star's chromosphere and photosphere were pierced through. Its outer layers collapsed under gravity, spewing stellar material outward.

Nearby planets on close orbits were scorched into molten lava worlds.

Then, as its internal stability was destroyed, the star underwent a violent chain fusion reaction, triggering an unprecedented explosion.

BOOM!!!

Several planets were engulfed by the expanding star, bloated thousands of times larger, while others were shattered into fragments by the cosmic shockwave.

Only those on the far orbits barely escaped unscathed.

"Whoa…"

The little shipgirls stood dazed for a moment.

It was their first time wielding such destructive power.

Photoids didn't have the ultra-long-range, instant-strike capability of the Tachyon Lances, and in interstellar battlefields measured in light-years, FTL energy weapons still reigned supreme.

But in medium- and close-range battles, the effect was overwhelming.

After winning a space war, if they didn't feel like occupying the enemy's system, they could just quickly wipe out the enemy's homeworld.

No orbital bombardment required.

If photoids could shatter suns, they could certainly smash planets into pieces as well.

"So strong… does this mean we now count as having star-level power?"

Tai Yuan asked, peeking curiously.

She felt a strong sense of unreality. In her old impression, destroying a star was something only top-level beings could achieve.

But in the Trisolaran world, it felt absurdly easy—just toss a photoid.

"That's what happens when the tech tree is skewed."

Setsuna laughed.

"Hey hey hey, I've got a good idea."

Fu Shun perked up, gathering the Four Kongous, along with Lung Wu, Hu Pen, and a few other small shipgirls. She pointed toward the distant starscape.

"…How about we see who can hit more accurately?"

"Good idea!"

The little shipgirls thought this sounded like a fun game.

A few years ago, they had played marbles in the port area. A few years later, they were in deep space playing target practice with photoids on stars.

Their tastes had certainly gone up a level.

Each picked out a few stars.

Bang—Bang—Bang!!!

Dozens of photoids streaked across the cosmos in succession.

If any uninformed Trisolaran natives were to see this, they'd definitely cry out: "Holy crap, which advanced civilization is committing genocide?!"

"Commander, Commander! Help me calculate—do you think I can hit a star 30 light-years away?"

Fu Shun realized she couldn't properly calculate an ultra-long-distance trajectory on her first try with photoids, so she turned to Setsuna for help.

"…."

Setsuna activated the Eternal Snowfall's sensors and shipborne AI.

A quick scan showed the photoid's speed was sub-light, its trajectory nearly a straight line, and it would precisely strike a distant, unfamiliar star system… thirty years later.

"No problem. But if you want to see the result, you'll have to wait three decades."

He answered casually.

Then, suddenly, the sensors gave an anomaly alert.

In the star system set to be destroyed thirty years later, there existed an unknown alien civilization.

They had just stepped into the space age, with technology similar to early human levels.

They were celebrating in orbit, cheering for their first successful spaceflight.

The alien civilization had no idea—and could never have realized—that in thirty years, a photoid would pierce their home system.

"Well, good luck to you then."

Setsuna yawned, with no intention of intercepting it.

"Little shipgirls don't understand, just tossing things for fun."

...

The Eternal Snowfall cruised slowly through the void.

Setsuna did not join the little shipgirls in their revelry.

After clearing out the Solar System's surroundings, smashing stars had already become boring.

He checked the hull. On each of the two weapon wings, 64 photoid launchers had been installed.

The Juggernaut's enormous size allowed him to mount any weapon he wanted. If he chose to, he could obliterate an entire planetary system into fragments in short order—

—and with more than just one method.

Photoids were merely the simplest and cheapest option.

"Commander, I just realized you now have way too many ways to destroy stars?!"

Gudako, beside Setsuna, counted them off on her fingers.

Even though the Trisolaran universe was only sub-light level, they had undoubtedly created all sorts of absurd things here.

"Mhm, each has its strengths and weaknesses."

Setsuna reviewed his arsenal.

Currently, the Eternal Snowfall possessed three methods of star-destroying attacks:

Fallen Star Lance, Photoids, and Dual-Vector Foils.

The Fallen Star Lance provided ultra-long-range instant strikes. Within hundreds of light-years, the moment it fired, the target star system was finished.

No reaction time, virtually no defenses, and with overload mode, its destructive power could be pushed even higher.

Its only drawback was the massive energy cost and the need for pre-charging.

Photoids were the simplest, cheapest, and most convenient. But since they traveled only at sub-light speed, clearing out a large stellar system might not completely annihilate the enemy.

Otherwise, the Singer in the original story wouldn't have abandoned photoids for dual-vector foils to strike the Solar System.

Over long distances, photoids could theoretically be intercepted by lightspeed or FTL civilizations.

They were best for bullying natives, or for attacking enemy fleets at medium and close range.

Dual-vector foils were also sub-light weapons, with devastating power. Few civilizations had any means of resisting them. Even most FTL civilizations could only flee.

Their kill range was massive. Left unchecked, they could wipe out an entire galaxy.

Their drawbacks were the same as photoids—too slow. And the contamination was too severe. Until controllable dimensional strike weapons were developed, they couldn't be used recklessly.

The foils captured from the Singer, along with the newly manufactured ones, were all stored under Setsuna's control.

No one was allowed to use them without prior approval.

Tossing them casually was nothing like the shipgirls playing around with photoids.

"…."

"Tch, Commander, you're so stacked with weapons now. Can't you do something to make me stronger too?!"

Gudako suddenly pounced on Setsuna's back, puffing her cheeks and acting spoiled.

"Look at you—you've got three different ways to crush a sun, and I'm still just swinging a hammer?!"

"Help me out here!!"

She pinched Setsuna's cheeks, pouting like a sulking girlfriend.

"When you piloted Strike Freedom, I was still in Barbatos, swinging my hammer."

"When you took command of the Eternal Snowfall, I was still in Barbatos, swinging my hammer with magic buffs."

"Now you've become the Juggernaut, and I'm still in Barbatos, swinging my hammer with twenty-eight types of spells and enchantments!"

Setsuna laughed angrily and flicked her forehead.

"When I handed out Teigu and magic scrolls, did I ever skip you? All that equipment in your pack is fake then, huh?!"

"That's different! You all can smash suns now, while I barely scrape the surface of planets."

Gudako glanced at the shipgirls, full of envy.

Every time they visited a new tech world, they got to feast and thrive alongside the Commander.

Now, even the tiniest loli destroyers had star-level destructive power.

Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

"…."

"Gundams can only be modified so far. How about I give you a starship instead?"

Setsuna asked.

"No! I don't have your trick of summoning and dismissing rigging. What would I do with a ship?"

"Uh…"

"Then I'll scout the star charts when I have time. Maybe we'll run into another Gundam world. I'll get you a stronger unit as soon as possible."

Setsuna considered.

Her Gundam form hadn't changed for a long time, basically just receiving technical upgrades alongside the starships.

After entering the space age, most of the time it was hardly needed at all.

"Oh, there are still two more magic worlds ahead. You should be able to learn a few things there. Or maybe I'll get you a Divine Key in the future?"

"Yay!"

Gudako's eyes sparkled with joy at the big promise Setsuna drew for her.

"I will go through fire and water for you… no, I will even offer myself without hesitation!!!"

Whack!

Richelieu chopped her with a hand strike.

"Offer yourself? There's a line for that, you'll have to get a lottery number!!"

...

After the shipgirls had all changed into their new equipment, their combination of FTL starships plus photoid strikes drastically accelerated the pace of clearing out alien civilizations.

Sensors were activated to scan the surrounding star regions.

Whenever an alien civilization was discovered, they would head over, destroy the enemy fleet, capture a few prisoners for research—

—and then finish with a photoid strike to eliminate any future threat.

In just over a month, not only within 200 light-years, but within a radius of 500 light-years, nearly everything had been turned into an empty zone.

Meanwhile, the dimensional research teams, escorted by shipgirls, carried out terrifying experiments in various sectors.

...

Deneb (Alpha Cygni), 3,200 light-years from Earth.

In the Stellar World, this was the homeland of the Human Federation. But in the Trisolaran universe, it was nothing but emptiness.

"The sixteenth controllable dimensional reduction strike experiment—begin!"

Observer, Purifier, Compiler, and Daedalus stood upon a barren planet, tinkering with a gigantic machine shaped like a turret.

Around them were a few escorting shipgirls, and the Abyssal sisters from the Northern Union.

Little Northern was being led by Harbor Princess and Central Princess , happily licking a lollipop.

They too were responsible for guarding the researchers.

The three Siren girls rapidly calculated data on the holographic interface, while Daedalus finished her adjustments.

The turret was aimed at Deneb.

Boom—

A deep rumble echoed.

An invisible, forcefield-contained two-dimensional space was launched at sub-light speed, striking the star.

The dimensional reduction of a star was a spectacular sight.

The distant sun's brightness surged. At the instant it touched the two-dimensional plane, it melted downward, flattening into a circular sheet that rapidly expanded.

It became a vast sea of fire.

A massive oval, its core blazing brilliantly. Surrounding layers—the radiation zone, convection zone, photosphere, chromosphere, and corona—were all projected clearly across the enormous sheet.

"Whoa…"

The escorting shipgirls stared blankly.

Observer and the others, however, were frantically calculating.

Suddenly, they realized—

After the star collapsed into two dimensions, the dimensional space did not stop expanding. Nearby planets began to fall into it as well.

"Crap, the experiment failed! Retreat!!"

Purifier shouted.

Shwoom—

The Sirens manifested their ship forms. As members of the port faction, when the shipgirls had been upgraded, they too had gained FTL engines.

Harbor Princess and Central Princess tossed the experimental device and Little Northern onto the ship.

Boom—

The starships activated their FTL drives, vanishing into the night sky.

"Hiss… was there a parameter error in the spatial design? Daedalus, tweak it. Let's try the Beta plan."

Purifier analyzed data while poking at her colleague.

After a quick discussion, the researchers had a new experimental plan within minutes.

The blueprint was handed to the Bulins, who immediately started hammering away on the starship to refit the device.

"Next experiment site… Gamma Cygni, 600 light-years away. Depart!"

The little Observer marked a location on the starmap, and the group moved on.

Researching dimensional reduction weapons was extremely dangerous. If the experiments failed, they created uncontrollable two-dimensional spaces like dual-vector foils.

Three-dimensional space would collapse without end.

Thus, such experiments could only be carried out in this universe.

With FTL ships, experiments could be conducted across countless star systems of the galaxy.

"Speaking of which… if we keep doing this, won't the Solar System eventually fall into two dimensions too?"

Purifier suddenly thought of something.

"Relax. The closest experiment site is 3,000 light-years from the Solar System. That's 3,000 years! If we still can't develop controllable dimensional reduction tech by then, we might as well all go two-dimensional together."

"We'll definitely be done with the research and gone by then."

Observer replied nonchalantly.

"What about the humans there?"

Daedalus, kinder at heart, asked.

"Well… for now they're behaving themselves. If they keep doing well, maybe the Commander will send them off to vassal worlds to work."

The little loli thought for a moment.

"If they don't behave… well, their ending will probably be the same as in the original storyline."

"Oh."

The others nodded.

"Other alien civilizations are the ones who'll suffer."

"Doesn't matter."

Observer tapped the console with her tentacle rigging.

"When an elephant walks down a path, does it care how many ants it steps on?"

"…True."

...

"United Earth Government, subdued and under review."

"Trisolarans, dealt with. Sophon technology acquired. Droplets, no application value."

"Singer, eliminated. Gained photoid and dual-vector foil manufacturing tech."

"Photoid strikes fully deployed. Controllable dimensional reduction research underway…"

On the Eternal Snowfall's bridge, Setsuna leaned back in his chair, crossing off one item after another on the holographic interface.

Though their stay in the Trisolaran world hadn't been long, the harvest was undeniably abundant.

Sophons that could unfold in higher dimensions, convenient photoid strikes, and the terrifying dual-vector foils.

All the familiar and useful technologies had been secured.

As for controllable dimensional reduction, he was certain no civilization in this universe had achieved it. That would have to be developed by themselves.

The Starsea Empire's foundation in science was already more advanced than the Trisolaran world's, so he remained optimistic.

Of the planned objectives before departure, more than half were complete.

Calculating it all, only a few "background pieces" remained, yet to be encountered or obtained:

The Zero-Homers.

Pocket-universe creation technology.

And the rumored weapon said to be wielded only by gods—"Mathematical Laws."

The "Zero-Homers," also called Resetters, were one of the god-level civilizations of the Trisolaran universe. They believed the eleven dimensions of the cosmos cycled in succession, like a clock hand passing twelve and returning to zero.

Thus, to resolve the collapse caused by rampant use of dimensional reduction weapons, their goal was to reduce the entire universe to zero dimensions, then let it cycle back up through to ten dimensions.

Ultimately, the universe would ascend to higher dimensions again, effectively rebooting itself.

It sounded almost like performance art.

Whether their theory could succeed was unknown, but their technological level was undoubtedly among the very top in this universe.

Comparable perhaps to the civilization from the original story that broadcast across universes with supermembranes.

Among the natives, they were some of the strongest, surely holding all manner of strange technologies.

"When you were patrolling, did you ever encounter a 'death line'? That wake left by a high-output lightspeed ship?"

Setsuna asked across the fleet comms.

"Nope, never seen it."

The shipgirls shook their heads.

"Tch, a pity."

"Maybe Earth is just too far from the galactic center—like some backwater countryside?"

Setsuna snorted.

He really wanted to meet this universe's godlike civilization. The Trisolarans, the Singer—none of them counted as particularly strong among the natives.

Unfortunately, the few thousand light-years he had explored were but a drop in the cosmic ocean.

After pondering for a while, a thought came to him.

"If they won't come find us… maybe we should go out and look for them?"

"Little Grey."

"Hm?"

The nanobot's avatar appeared on the holographic screen.

"I want to find the Zero-Homers Alliance. Any ideas?"

"Uh…"

Little Grey thought for a moment.

"Build a Sentry Array?"

"You're asking me to construct a galactic wonder in the Trisolaran universe?! Do we even know how?!"

"Broadcast a signal across the universe?"

"That's a good idea. Anything else?"

Setsuna noted it down.

"Uh… there's also a simpler way: I could turn into a Grey Goo storm and carpet-search the galaxy."

"???"

"You want the sub-light natives to face a Stellaris-style crisis?!"

Chapter 307: The Aeon War, Shaking the Entire Universe

Black-red, ominous light radiated from the celestial sphere behind Aether, which was enclosed by the Abyssal Divine Wheel.

Centered on him, something utterly unlike anything within the Star Rail Universe began to unfold.

The expansion was unbelievably fast—within milliseconds it covered the entire Star Rail Universe.

It was as if a black-red film had been draped over the Star Rail Universe.

Yet this single thin film completely severed the Aeons from the Star Rail Universe.

It was not that the Aeons were moved outside the Star Rail Universe.

Rather, one could imagine the Star Rail Universe as a piece of glass, with all things upon its front side—yet now the Aeons were forcibly reversed to its backside.

Even though still within the same universe, they could no longer directly influence one another.

And this reverse side was precisely the function of the Pseudo Star Map Creation: Bottomless Abyss.

It temporarily merged with the dark side of the Star Rail Universe, making it a part of his cosmology.

For a brief instant, Aether seized control of the Star Rail Universe's dark facet.

This was possible only because of his Pseudo Star Map Creation. Other Pseudo Star Map Creations merely substituted cosmology for external universes.

But among them, his Pseudo Star Map Creation was one of the strongest cosmologies in Teyvat.

"Come then—this is my domain."

Without further words, Aether swung his golden divine sword toward the most laughably groveling of Aeons—Aha, the Aeon of Elation—unleashing a strike weighted with the mass of a universe.

Under the mass of an entire universe, even cosmic laws would be altered. Even Paths, when struck upon their very concepts, could shatter.

But the Aeons were not so foolish as to sit still before such danger.

After all, Qlipoth had already taken a blow on their behalf once. None of them would dare face such a strike head-on.

"Aiyaaaah—!"

Aha instantly abandoned his ridiculous pose, scattering into countless fragments—his sanctified form of mask and shadow exploded apart.

He split himself into innumerable selves, each mask and each shadow his true body.

Having learned from the last encounter, this time he would never face that attack directly.

This time, he could really die. Though he was unafraid of death—and even thought it amusing—what value had a single amusing death compared to eternal and repeated amusement?

[Deluded outsider—the Path of the Hunt shall never die, vengeance unending.]

The war of single-universe scale had begun. Aha's scattered sanctified form blazed like a signal flare.

The Aeon of the Hunt, Lan, immediately loosed radiant arrows, each one saturated with the causal power of the Principle of the Hunt.

This time, his arrows were not nullified. For within the same reversed domain, they struck directly at Aether.

RUMMMBLE—

Aether's divine body was struck by arrows capable of piercing entire great universes.

Yet under the empowerment of the Pseudo Star Map Creation, he himself was a great universe.

Naturally, he would not simply endure such blows. His every movement carried universal mass; with effort, he canceled out the Hunt's arrows.

"All beings suffer…"

The Aeon of Abundance, Yaoshi, spread their power. Countless Trees of Abundance spanning hundreds of thousands of galaxies sprouted into being. Vines of abundance entangled Aether, while healing power flowed ceaselessly to the other Aeons.

When an Aeon personally wielded healing, it could indeed affect another of their kind.

"Universal Equilibrium."

The abstract, mosaic-like sanctified form of the Aeon of Equilibrium ignited the cosmos itself, attempting to forcibly counteract the unfavorable domain.

Among the Aeons, the strongest ranked Nihility, followed by Elation, and then Equilibrium.

Once, for the sake of balance, the Aeon of Equilibrium had even burned an entire universe—though no one had been able to observe such macroscopic destruction.

The mara-stricken bodies of the Xianzhou and the immortal poisons of the Denizens of Abundance were both born of Equilibrium's influence.

For eternal life granted to civilization was no blessing to a finite universe; rather, it plundered other civilizations' right to survive.

Because of Equilibrium's workings, the births of other Aeons had also been tied to it.

One by one, the other Aeons launched their power.

Though once they had been enemies, with their own Paths, now that their very fates were threatened, they all cooperated—if only for the end.

Only when faced with the same crisis could sworn enemies cooperate.

"Hahahaha the last time so many friends gathered together was during Propagation"

"Sovereign of the Abyssal Universe~ Aha will fight back too."

Faced with the Aeons' coordinated assault, Aether cast aside his usual composure, fully immersing himself in the release of power. With a casual motion, he tore open a rift into the Abyssal Universe.

From that rift, the Abyssal power of the distant Teyvat Universe surged forth like a floodgate opening, pouring toward all the Aeons.

The power of the Aeons was indeed exalted—but he wielded the entirety of the Abyssal Universe itself as a weapon.

RUMMMBLE—

A single-universe-class battle was fundamentally simple: a direct clash of philosophical concepts, higher-order Rules, Principles, and Truth. What was measured was the degree of mystery, the density of quality, the very scale of values. Though higher values did not guarantee victory, in most cases they did.

Eleven Aeons fought against Aether within the full dark side of the Star Rail Universe.

Were such a battle to take place on the front side, all habitable regions of the cosmos would be annihilated. Perhaps even the walls of the universe itself would be torn asunder, leading to total cosmic destruction.

But the Star Rail Universe was no ordinary universe. Should such a thing truly occur, the will of the Imaginary Tree would descend.

From the perspective of the Imaginary Tree—

Upon its branches, where the Star Rail Universe hung, endless ripples spread across the surface of its cosmic barrier.

These ripples resembled raindrops falling upon a still basin of water.

Even as the Star Rail Universe shifted, a radiant Ouroboros-like ring appeared outside its cosmic barrier.

Threads of Law were drawn down from the Imaginary Tree, silently sinking into the Star Rail Universe.

Far away, in the Teyvat Great Universe—

Noah's golden eyes observed not only the interior of the Star Rail Universe, but also the Imaginary Tree itself.

"Excellent. The entire Star Rail Universe has plunged into chaos. Then, the second stage of the plan—"

"Fishing in troubled waters! While the black beast tide ravages the universe, I'll harvest the Alaya Will of the entire universe, then ceaselessly shear the wool of the Imaginary Tree!"

"I'll gorge myself in one feast!"

For it was in times of cosmic turmoil that Laws were most easily attracted. The Imaginary Tree would actively cast down Laws.

Under the vast blessings, desires, and resentments of all life within the universe, certain individuals would resonate with those Laws.

The will of such an individual, combined with their philosophical cognition, would forge the birth of a Path.

And at the end of that process—an Aeon would be born.

Memory, Propagation, Destruction, Harmony, Nihility, Hunt, Trailblaze—all had been born this way.

Noah then turned his gaze toward Himeko and Firefly.

"Do not disappoint me. I grant only this one chance."

Within Noah's gaze, the Path cores inside Himeko and Firefly had already grown restless, stirred by the emotional tides of life amidst cosmic upheaval.

From the moment they were granted their Path cores, the two had already possessed the power of top-level Emanators. As candidates for Aeonhood, only by stepping onto Paths uniquely their own could they resonate with Law and ascend to become new Aeons.

Yet the process was far from simple. During ascension, another must walk their Path, abandoning and denying the old one.

For within a single universe, only one Path aligned to the same Principle could exist.

Noah's eyes shifted away from Himeko and Firefly.

At present, they were aiding the Xianzhou Alliance in resisting the black beast tide.

With the Aeon of the Hunt's gaze no longer upon them, the Xianzhou Alliance had been freed from the sword of Damocles. Thus, they fought head-on against mighty Abyssal monsters.

The beast tide had shattered the Alliance's skies to pieces. The Alliance now fought with its back against the wall.

Yet the beast tide was endless, while the Alliance's surviving strength dwindled without end. Internal divisions had already begun to surface, leaving them beset from within and without.

Even with the aid of the Astral Express and the Stellaron Hunters, complete collapse was only a matter of time.

Noah then turned his gaze to another front: Penacony.

At this moment, Penacony had not yet suffered the onslaught of the black beast tide. Some surviving strength of the Interastral Peace Corporation had been relocated here.

Beyond the IPC, remnants of countless other factions ravaged by the tide had also gathered here.

So many fragmented forces converged upon this once Planet of Festivities, yet chaos had not consumed it. This was thanks not only to the IPC and the Family—both great powers bearing Emanators—but also to the presence of Order's power.

A fragment of the Path of Order had rooted itself here, manifesting as a radiant miniature sun, suspended high above Penacony's atmosphere.

Order's power suppressed the entire Penacony star system, compelling all things to follow its rule.

This little sun was none other than one of the unclaimed Path fragments Noah had cast down.

Drawn by the faint lingering resonance of the Principle of Order, it had settled here, absorbed into this world.

And so it lingered, a small sun shining above Penacony.

It had not yet chosen a worthy successor—for as of now, no target had proven absolute enough to be chosen.

This Order was not the same as Ena's former Order—it was an Order shaped by Noah's will.

Of course, Noah's attention was not on this fragment of Order—but on Sparkle, the candidate for the Aeon of Elation.

At this moment, a curious scene unfolded. A red clown mask burst into boisterous laughter, mocking Sparkle.

"Hahahaha, the universe is in utter chaos now, and we Aeons have been locked away to fight each other. Boo-hoo-hoo, how pitiful indeed~"

"So then, oh great, terrifying, beautiful, adorable—well, in short, ridiculously amazing Lady Sparkle, how do you plan to replace poor, pitiful, aggrieved, laughable, absurd old Aha and become the new Aeon of Elation?"

"Aha is truly, truly looking forward to it!"

"Such an outrageous, even ludicrously absurd thing has never happened before."

"If it truly comes to pass, then I, Aha, will laugh myself to death—ohohohoho~!"

At that, the red clown mask spun wildly, darting from Sparkle's left side to her right, then from right to left.

"So then, when shall we begin~?"

Sparkle was entirely unconcerned. Skipping along Penacony's small streets, humming cheerfully, she treated this manifested Aha with no reverence at all—more like a target for mischief.

She seized the mask in her small hand, giggling.

"Heehee~ as expected of the god of fun. To actually egg me on to usurp your title as Aeon—now that is truly delightful."

"But rest assured, old man—Sparkle will certainly become the new Aeon of Elation. After all, this little life of mine may still be nestled in the palm of a certain Lord's hand without me even knowing it~"

"Besides, I, Sparkle, have already written the script for becoming the Aeon of Elation."

"Everyone will be an actor in my magnificent script—including you, Lord Aha Heehee, doesn't that sound like fun?"

With that, Sparkle crack snapped the Aha mask in half.

"Hehehe~ At the very last moment of cosmic collapse, when endless black monsters shatter the firmament, when all cry out in terror, in prayer, in desperate pleading—a young girl will bear the expectations of all and ascend to become an Aeon."

As she spoke, Sparkle spread her arms, manic yet delighted.

"Just as all rejoice, believing the dawn has come—"

"The girl who became a god will, with her own hands, cast them into the Abyss."

"And in that instant, amidst endless curses and denunciations, I, Sparkle, will step forward, laughing, mocking, revealing the script I had planned all along."

"In the grandest drama of deception, mockery, and revelry across the universe, I, Sparkle, will successfully steal away your title, Lord Aha."

"Heeheehee, just imagining it makes me nearly burst with laughter already…"

Sparkle could hardly contain herself at the theatrical brilliance of her own design, clutching her belly as she laughed with unrestrained joy.

"Ooooh What kind of script, what kind of script could it be? My curiosity is about to fill all of Penacony! Quick, reveal just a little, oh great Sparkle!"

The Aha mask pieced itself back together, shrieking shamelessly, utterly lacking any Aeon-like dignity.

Sparkle lifted her gaze toward the small sun of Order suspended in Penacony's skies, her expression full of elation.

The Aha mask also turned toward the sun, its face twisted into something even more grotesquely absurd.

"Oooh~ so that's it. Far too amusing. Scheming to make a human ascend to Aeonhood, then seizing Elation yourself because it's just too much fun—ahahahaha!"

"Too much fun, truly too much fun! Double the fun~!"

"So then in the great script directed by Sparkle, who is the lucky protagonist? Tell Aha secretly, I promise my lips are sealed—I won't whisper it to anyone else"

Chapter 60: Dependent Origination and Emptiness—Pratītyasamutpāda

"Does life have meaning?"

Hearing this question, Satsuki's first reaction was to look at Suzuki Kaguya with the same expression one would use when looking at a panda.

Even she felt a bit puzzled in her heart: does the power of the sage also come with brain damage? Is the main effect of this world's natural energy to reduce intelligence?

Thinking about it, it almost seemed reasonable. Jiraiya, Hashirama Senju, and Naruto Uzumaki's intelligence levels indeed were not very high.

Kabuto Yakushi, after learning senjutsu, also lost the calmness and concealment ability he once had.

And Orochimaru, one of the high-intelligence representatives of Naruto, was actually told by the sages that his body was unsuitable for natural energy training?

A body problem? Then how was the artificial human Mitsuki able to practice senjutsu?

Tsk tsk, this shinobi world truly became more terrifying the deeper one thought about it.

At this moment, as the representative of natural energy, Candle Nine Yin could not help but speak up in its defense: "My lady, natural energy has nothing to do with intelligence."

Satsuki glanced at Candle Nine Yin, who had appeared in her mind, and said with a strange expression: "A few seconds ago, I also thought there was no relation."

"Then why did you just now…?"

"I was just letting my thoughts wander a little. After all, I also practice natural energy."

Candle Nine Yin then realized: "But you said that was your thought from a few seconds ago?"

"Yes, because you just showed up, didn't you?" Satsuki said seriously. "So I think maybe this direction does have some possibility."

...

Candle Nine Yin left the mental chat group.

Putting aside these antics inside her consciousness.

In reality, although Satsuki found it strange that Suzuki Kaguya's thought process had turned to this topic, she herself had indeed pondered this question before.

In the original anime, the Kaguya clan's genius Kimimaro once asked Orochimaru this very question.

Orochimaru's answer was a classic: "Living itself has no meaning. But if you continue living, perhaps you'll meet interesting people and interesting things—just like you met that flower, and I met you."

It brainwashed Kimimaro completely.

However, Orochimaru's answer only stayed at the experiential meaning of life as a physical existence, without touching on life's transcendental meaning.

Philosophical questions like this usually require two abilities: 1. transcendental wisdom, and 2. intellectual logic.

Orochimaru possessed intellectual logic, but he did not yet have transcendental wisdom.

So Satsuki answered like this: "Life has meaning. But none of those are life's meaning. And that is why life has meaning."

"I… I don't understand what you mean."

Although Suzuki Kaguya tried hard to control his facial expression, Satsuki could see that his heart was full of question marks. This reaction was within her expectations, because upon first encountering the Threefold Meaning, unless one was truly born with innate wisdom, confusion was inevitable.

"Not understanding is very normal."

Satsuki slowly explained: "My first sentence—'Life has meaning'—means that life does have meaning. But you cannot treat 'the meaning of life' as an entity or as something that can be judged with logic. That is why my second sentence says 'none of those are life's meaning,' because every person's meaning of life is different. It cannot be measured as an objective entity, nor can it be judged by logical reason."

Suzuki Kaguya barely followed a little: "But your third sentence was 'and that is why life has meaning.' What does that mean?"

"Because of dependent origination, there is meaning. Because of emptiness, there is no meaning."

"Dependent origination? Emptiness?"

Satsuki paused for a moment, considering how to explain "dependent origination and emptiness" to the person before her.

As a transmigrator, she naturally carried a transcendent way of thinking when looking at this world, because in her previous life this world was nothing more than the world of Naruto—a world created by a manga artist named Masashi Kishimoto.

But the true nature of all things is emptiness.

The one who created this world would return to emptiness, those who remembered this work would also return to emptiness, and eventually the Naruto world itself would cease to exist. Naturally, even Naruto fanfictions would not remain.

Therefore, the Naruto world originally did not exist—it only came into being through the convergence of various causes and conditions. But in the end, this world too will disappear as those causes and conditions disperse.

This is dependent origination and emptiness.

When causes and conditions gather, things arise. When causes and conditions part, things perish. All phenomena are without exception.

But to explain this to the people of this world—telling them that this world is illusory, that it does not truly exist—would be something no one could accept. So Satsuki decided to give an example.

"I've studied some information about your clan. The Kaguya clan is a lineage born from the bloodline of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki in ancient times. The evidence is that your clan's kekkei genkai originates from her All-Killing Ash Bones. Your clan's so-called bloodline sickness is actually an atavistic evolutionary phenomenon."

"Shikotsumyaku?" Suzuki Kaguya was stunned upon hearing such an explosive revelation. "So that transformation is called All-Killing Ash Bones? That's… quite a fitting name."

All-Killing Ash Bones—slaying enemies and slaying oneself. Both are killed, thus "all-killing."

"But that is not the focus of our current discussion."

Satsuki steered the topic back. "Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was, in fact, a being from beyond the stars—someone who should never have been able to reach this world. Yet she came, rooted herself here, bore descendants, and from that arose you and other bloodlines. This is dependent origination—the cause and condition for the birth of the Kaguya clan."

Then, with her Tenseigan gazing upon the utterly bewildered Suzuki Kaguya, she continued: "However, all things are in their nature empty. Thus, such causes and conditions are ultimately limited. One day, when these conditions disperse, they will return to their original state—that of emptiness."

Suzuki Kaguya, being somewhat perceptive, grasped her meaning: "You mean that our clan… or rather, everything in this world, will eventually change, disappear, and return to nothingness?"

"Yes."

"Heh…" Upon hearing this, Suzuki suddenly let out a bitter laugh. "Then why should I ask what the meaning of life is? If everything will return to emptiness, then what meaning is there at all?"

"Dependent origination and emptiness—so it is with all things, including you and me," Satsuki said calmly as she looked at the half-mad Suzuki Kaguya. "You and I once did not exist, and in the future we will return to nonexistence. The meaning of life never existed, and it never will."

"But do not cling to emptiness simply because of emptiness."

At this point, Satsuki did something unprecedented—she raised her voice, like the sudden, awakening strike she herself had once experienced.

"If you cling to 'emptiness,' you are mistaken. Your clan, even this world—you must strip away their permanence as entities, but this world's existence as dependent origination is something both you and I must acknowledge, because in this very moment, we are truly here."

Hearing this, Suzuki murmured to himself: "Yes… in this moment, our existence is real as dependent origination. Though one day I will disappear, right now my existence is real."

"Do not deny the reality of dependent origination because of emptiness," Satsuki said softly. "This is also the meaning of my third sentence: 'And that is why life has meaning.'"

"The meaning of life does not exist, and it will not exist. But in this moment, it exists because of dependent origination."

At this point, Satsuki stopped speaking, for before her, Suzuki Kaguya—

—was already in tears.

...

"After several days, I finally have some results."

Satsuki rubbed her temples, set aside the experiment records in her hand, and glanced at Suzuki Kaguya, who was sitting in a mechanical chair while his blood was being extracted.

"Your blood does indeed contain a substance similar to a cellular inhibitor. And it only targets your kekkei genkai. Such a thing is truly remarkable."

Since that day when Satsuki had shaken him with the Threefold Meaning, Suzuki Kaguya's thinking seemed to have shifted in a way similar to Kimimaro's change toward Orochimaru.

Though not to that degree, at the very least his gaze toward her was no longer one of hostility.

That was fine. Such an important resource would be wasted if he were reduced to a mere human puppet. Moreover, he was, after all, a descendant of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline, and there was no fundamental conflict between them. So Satsuki had no intent to kill him needlessly.

However, since hearing her Threefold Meaning, there had also been some negative side effects…

"Lady Satsuki, that day you told me life has meaning. But can you tell me what the meaning of life truly is?"

...

Though Satsuki's face remained expressionless, inwardly she felt a headache as she looked at Suzuki. His wrist was pierced with a blood-extraction needle, and a feeding tube was in his mouth. But even that couldn't stop him from talking.

For the past several days, Suzuki Kaguya had continuously pressed her with philosophical questions. As a result, aside from her research into the connection between the All-Killing Ash Bones and the cellular inhibitor, she also had to endure the chatter of this formerly cold youth who was now transforming into something of a chatterbox "precious specimen."

At first, she thought she could just tolerate it until it passed. But after three days, as his chatter only grew worse, she decided to settle the matter once and for all.

Putting down her experiment records, Satsuki used her Tenseigan's gravitational power to lift Suzuki Kaguya along with herself out of the laboratory.

Specifically, to a position 3,000 meters above the castle.

Suzuki Kaguya had never reached such a height. Even though he was firmly restrained in the mechanical chair and knew nothing would happen to him, his body reacted instinctively—goosebumps rose all over his skin.

This was not Satsuki's limit, but going higher would exceed his ability to endure.

Besides, at this height a thick cloud layer hovered above them—something she intended to use.

"Satsuki… Lady, what are you…?"

At that moment, golden Tenseigan chakra burst forth from Satsuki's body. Five golden Truth-Seeking Orbs flowed out from her forehead and gathered in her hand.

"You ask me what the meaning of life is." Satsuki's tone now was like that of a lofty deity—not out of arrogance toward the speck-like lives below, but because, in truth, her existence had already transcended this world's ordinary beings by far.

"Each person's meaning is different. I can only tell you what the meaning of my life is." After speaking, she raised her hand toward the sky and activated her Tenseigan chakra ability.

Silver Wheel Reincarnation Explosion.

A colossal storm surged upward from her arm, tearing into the heavens. The force of its aftermath whipped their clothing violently.

The vast cloud that had loomed above their heads was blown apart, revealing the sunlight behind it.

When the warm sunlight shone upon them, Satsuki withdrew her hand and said calmly: "No matter how abundant the sunlight, there will always be places shrouded in shadow. Just as, no matter how vast this world may seem, it cannot conceal its narrowness. Each person sees and knows only part of the world. And this world itself is not unique."

At this, Satsuki cast her gaze into the vast sky beyond the clouds. "The meaning of my life lies in understanding more of the unknown—so that my world may have less shadow and more light. On the day my bond with this world disperses, perhaps I will leave with a curiosity of what lies beyond death."

Having said this, Satsuki placed her hand on Suzuki's mechanical chair, and in the next moment, both of them were once again inside the puppet repair division.

Silently commanding the surrounding puppets through her will to use a larger needle for extracting Suzuki Kaguya's blood in the future, Satsuki then walked away gracefully. From her direction came her calm words: "I'll give you a piece of advice. For now, you'd best not try to develop your kekkei genkai. Once your injuries heal, I have other plans for you."

"Yes, Lady Satsuki."

This time, Suzuki Kaguya answered simply without pressing further. Through her Tenseigan's vision, Satsuki could see—even while walking away with her back turned—that he was sitting dazed in the mechanical chair, staring blankly into empty space, lost in thought.

It seemed he would need to find his own meaning for survival, at least for now.

Satsuki let out a quiet sigh of relief in her heart. She disliked noise, and she disliked unnecessary conversations with unnecessary people. But such situations were sometimes unavoidable. At times like this, she always felt grateful for the interpersonal skills she had accumulated in her previous life.

As for whether her blatant use of Tenseigan Mode in the skies earlier would expose her—truthfully, ever since the incident with Ranzuki, she no longer cared too much. In the end, the shinobi world valued individual strength. Possessing the giant Tenseigan, having awakened the golden Tenseigan herself, and even cultivating natural energy, Satsuki felt there was no one she truly needed to fear anymore.

This did not mean she considered herself invincible. But at the very least, she was already one of the strongest beings in this world. Of course, if it came to facing the main family of the Ōtsutsuki clan, she still knew her limits.

As Satsuki left the puppet repair division, she saw from afar Kiyomaru drifting over from another part of the fortress, holding a letter and a scroll in his hands.

"My lady, this is intelligence on the Sage Clan provided by the Senju clan."

Though communication could have been done via the giant Tenseigan, Kiyomaru, as the primary external negotiator, usually preferred to use the speech module. Satsuki had no objections.

"I gave them three days, and they waited until the very last moment."

Her words carried little emotion. But if the letter's contents failed to satisfy, she would have to reconsider her stance toward the Senju clan.

Taking the letter, Satsuki teleported directly to her Tenshukaku through her techniques. It was the space she frequented most, the place she felt most accustomed to handling her affairs.

Seated at her main seat, she opened the envelope and carefully read through its contents.

The letter itself was not long. It stated mainly that the Sage Clan was not an ordinary shinobi clan, but rather a collective term for a group of practicing monks. They shared no bloodline connection, only differing slightly in their practices and beliefs. Their primary places of activity were the renowned temples within the great cities.

The more famous the temple, the greater the likelihood of Sage Clan members residing there. The letter also noted that the meeting places from past contacts were marked on the accompanying scroll.

Satsuki unrolled the scroll.

It was, in her eyes, a map so simple it was nearly crude. Red crosses marked several locations. According to the letter, these were places where the Senju had previously contacted the Sage Clan. Near each site stood a large temple, serving as the monks' usual residence and place of seclusion.

After committing the locations to memory, Satsuki rose from her seat.

Her intuition told her this was a mission she must carry out personally.

Chapter 147: Law Enforcement Here, Choices There

Afternoon.

Just as Vela, following the recent ghoul leads and tracking reports compiled by First Class Investigator Kureo Mado, immediately began her first ghoul extermination operation upon returning to Tokyo—

"Ghoul disasters continue to spread rampantly across Tokyo. Early this morning, in a dark alley near Kamata Naka-dori shopping street in Ward 11, several mutilated corpses were found, devoured beyond recognition. Traces of ghoul saliva were confirmed on the bodies. Among them, three male corpses were identified as CCG investigators dispatched on patrol duty."

"At noon, in Wards 1, 4, and 6, along city expressways, multiple shootings and casualties occurred. All three incidents involved taxi drivers. Our station has received confirmation from the CCG spokesperson that the culprit was the ghoul 'Torso,' disguised as a taxi driver and known for desecrating and preying on women's bodies. Investigators have confirmed the elimination of one A-rated ghoul and three B-rated ghouls…"

"In Wards 9 and 10, premeditated ghoul ambushes against investigators have once again taken place. They were all wearing red cloaks marked with the emblem of a long-tailed black bird. Clearly, ghouls are forming organizations to resist CCG raids."

"In Ward 7, the newly transferred Special Class Investigator Vela Adelheid Russell, immediately after her official appointment, began frontline fieldwork. According to eyewitnesses, before their evacuation, the battle had already started, and multiple ghouls with grotesque predatory organs sprouting from their bodies were slain by Special Class Russell…"

...

Closing early, [Antique] café displayed a 'Closed' sign. Inside the residential quarters, the television broadcasted the news.

The kind-faced Manager Yoshimura stood by the table with narrowed eyes, sorting coffee beans and the equipment for grinding, roasting, and brewing needed for business. On either side of him were the café staff.

Some polished cups, while others carefully packed portions of specially prepared pale yellow coffee 'sugar cubes' and block-shaped 'meat pieces.'

As one news report after another about CCG's actions aired, a heavy atmosphere slowly spread.

"I knew it. That woman—just one look, and you can tell she's super troublesome, the difficult type. Fortunately, Manager, following your advice, through scavenging we've already frozen enough food to support everyone in the 'Safe Zone' for half a year."

"Koma, even so, we can't let our guard down. If a fellow ghoul comes seeking shelter, do we help or not? Do we give them food or not? If we refuse, and they hunt in secret, then get tracked or captured by the CCG, they might betray us in anger. What then? In my opinion, the food still isn't enough."

"So what do you suggest? Irimi, I just wanted to encourage Kaneki and ease his nerves, and you have to pick a fight. What, do you want us to stick our necks out? Didn't you see the news about that woman leading a whole wave of North American agents flying into Tokyo?"

"So you'd rather bury your head in the sand like an ostrich, deceiving yourself? Is that your way of solving problems?"

"You—!"

"Enough."

Slamming a tin of coffee beans onto the table, Manager Yoshimura turned, scarlet Kakugan flashing in his eyes as he spoke faintly: "Enji. Kaya."

"Yes."

"Apologies, Manager."

Enji Koma and Kaya Irimi lowered their heads at once, dropping the argument.

"Even we, who try to remain uninvolved, are like this… This won't do."

As his Kakugan receded, Yoshimura shook his head, set aside his cloth, and sighed.

"These are hard times for every one of us. Only by helping each other can we weather the storm."

"Irimi is right—food, no matter how much, is never too much. Scavenging must continue, but with greater vigilance against CCG stakeouts. I'll notify others at the Black Dobers to think of more ways. And Enji is also right—why so downcast? Life must go on. A positive mindset is just as important. Tomorrow, we still have to open shop."

Manager Yoshimura smiled as he glanced toward the frail boy standing quietly to the side.

A boy who, out of wanting to date the 'Binge Eater' Rize Kamishiro, had been dragged into contact with ghouls, and by a series of coincidences, became half-ghoul through organ transplantation from Rize.

Was he fortunate—or pitiful…

Fortunate—not eaten by the voracious Rize Kamishiro, and after receiving ghoul organ transplants, he actually survived and adapted.

Pitiful—from then on, he stepped into hell, dragged into the twisted, bloody world of ghouls.

"Kaneki, where's Nishio?"

Manager Yoshimura asked.

"Eh?"

Ken Kaneki, who had been absentmindedly wiping plates while staring at the news, belatedly replied: "Senpai Nishio Nishiki? Not sure… Even with Senpai Nishino, his personality is still too nasty…"

"This is not the time for him to be showing off."

Manager Yoshimura spoke sternly: "He must protect Miss Kimi Nishino well. Having graduated from Kamii University's Medical Department, she has a high chance of passing the CCG Logistics Division recruitment assessment… If the rumor that Shikorae brought back isn't baseless, perhaps from now on we can bid farewell to scavenging, no longer needing to harm anyone just to survive."

Ken Kaneki nodded heavily.

The joint project between Tokyo's Commission of Counter Ghoul and the North American Commission of Counter Ghoul, the high Rc-cell synthesized food initiative spearheaded by Special Class Investigator Vela Adelheid Russell…

This was intelligence Mr. Renji Yomo had learned unexpectedly while tracking the imprisoned Ryouko Fueguchi and her daughter Hinami.

"Humans, with their knowledge and capacity to learn, are always progressing. If ghouls continue living blindly by instinct, sooner or later they will be exterminated, just like endangered animals in a human zoo—eventually kept only as specimens, protected species, or raw materials for Quinques… Sadly, most of our kin fail to see this. They still narrowly view humans as inferior beings."

Patting Ken Kaneki's shoulder, Manager Yoshimura sighed: "The time left for us is already short."

"Kaneki, aside from adapting to your Kagune and fighting, don't abandon your Kamii University coursework. Right now, you're our café's No.1 scholar—you must keep it."

"Yes! I'll do everything I can."

Knowing the expectations of the Manager and everyone else, Ken Kaneki nodded quickly. He had already decided: since combat was not his strength, picked up halfway through, then he would contribute from another direction.

"That's more like it, Kaneki-kun."

Enji Koma gave him a thumbs-up.

Kaya Irimi also nodded encouragingly: "Do your best."

Their goodwill made Kaneki's eyes flicker faintly with a smile. A little shy, he rubbed the back of his head.

Wait—someone was missing…

Kaneki looked around.

"What about Touka?"

At this time, it should have been the girl's sharp tongue giving a scolding or reminder.

Without the voice of that peer pouring cold water on him, he felt oddly unaccustomed.

At his question, Yoshimura Kouzen's aged face instantly turned especially complicated.

"Ah…"

Closing his eyes, he let out a deep sigh, then looked toward the hallway leading to the stairs outside.

"Do you remember the disturbance in Ward 20 eight months ago?"

At those words, Ken Kaneki froze, instantly realizing how foolish his question was.

"Ayato was killed, and Arata Kirishima was turned into a Quinque. That was her younger brother and father. And the one who holds the Quinques forged from their Kakuhou—Special Class Russell—just arrived in Tokyo yesterday."

Yoshimura continued.

"Touka must turn a blind eye, force herself to stay calm, even prepare mentally to walk her path alone. Cowardice or escape, it doesn't matter—she cannot choose revenge, because she must live. Otherwise, everything will be lost."

Pausing here, Yoshimura murmured softly: "Sometimes, living takes more courage than dying."

Kaneki opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but in the end, said nothing.

"Go."

Yoshimura suddenly said.

Kaneki looked confused.

"Touka needs quiet now, but also words of support and comfort. After returning yesterday, she vomited heavily, unable to expel the human food she had eaten in time. She hasn't slept all night. All of us old folks—she's probably sick of hearing our grand speeches. But you, her peer—you changed from human into half-ghoul. And she needs to learn to change from ghoul into human. If you persuade her, it might work wonders."

"Me? Can I really…?"

"Do your best to try."

Watching Ken Kaneki's figure disappear through the doorway, as the sound of his steps rose up the stairs, Yoshimura Kouzen withdrew his gaze.

"Troubled times."

Sitting down wearily, his face for the first time showed struggle and confusion.

"Aogiri Tree's recent movements have grown too reckless. Attacking investigators on the streets, striking CCG branch facilities in broad daylight… Are they trying to fan the flames into a full-scale war?"

Yoshimura thought of the one within Aogiri Tree—the One-Eyed King. Eto, the One-Eyed Owl.

Eto… half of you is human. Do you truly hate humans so much?

Knock, knock.

Placing the glass container of special sugar cubes into order, Kaya Irimi glanced at Yoshimura, who sat lost in thought, his face weary. "Manager, are we just going to keep hiding like this?"

"If—and I say if—Aogiri Tree really is wiped out by the CCG, and those ghouls who practice cannibalism and actively hunt humans are slaughtered completely, only leaving us scavengers on the margins… With human technology continuing to advance, can we still keep hiding?"

Not bothering to fix his slicked hair, Enji Koma nodded. "Even if we're careful scavengers, as long as we feed on human flesh, one day we'll be exposed."

It echoed Kaya Irimi's concern.

"..."

Yoshimura remained silent.

Because he too didn't know what path lay ahead.

"Man proposes, heaven disposes."

At length, he drew a deep breath. The tight line of his lips finally loosened, his voice heavy and low. "All we can do is fight for life in the jaws of death. Heaven or hell—we don't get to choose."

As the three sat wordless—creak~

"Manager."

A man in a simple high-collared coat, silver-white hair parted neatly, appeared at the doorway.

"Yomo. What did you find?"

"A lot."

Renji Yomo closed the door, stepped into the room, and sat with Yoshimura, Irimi, and Koma around the central table.

"I'll be brief. Shuu Tsukiyama's gourmet restaurant in Ward 7 may have been targeted by the CCG. His feasting has drawn too much attention. Because the related incidents reached the ears of Vela Adelheid Russell in the USA, the Tsukiyama family's social connections and influence in Tokyo's high society are useless now."

"A Ward 7 sweep?"

Irimi asked.

"Not just that."

Yomo shook his head, his tone turning graver.

"That woman has, from the moment she took office, fully restarted all of CCG's suspended investigations—those delayed for various reasons. Including the Tokyo Taxi Association, private and public hospitals, the underground black market, even CCG's own Logistics Division…"

"Wards 4, 6, 7, 14—every place tied to the Tsukiyama family, every ghoul gathering spot that once escaped searches through influence and connections—they're all under watch now."

Enji Koma sucked in a breath between his teeth.

"Of course. She's a troublesome woman. First thing she does is make a big move."

This scale of thorough investigation—not even Kishou Arima could achieve it.

Such action required enormous authority and political influence.

Clearly, pressure was coming from the North American Commission of Counter Ghoul.

"What of Aogiri Tree?"

Narrowing his eyes, Yoshimura asked: "Tatara, Noroi… Eto."

The last name, spoken with something close to grief. "Where are Aogiri's three leaders?"

He asked.

"Unclear."

Renji Yomo gave Yoshimura a long, searching look. "But their movements are strange. The Aogiri members who had entered Ward 20 withdrew recently. They seem to be contracting their forces…"

"Contracting forces…"

Yoshimura sighed again, glancing toward the television news report.

—Special Class Russell in Ward 7—

"Eto, this is the worst choice…"

...

Ward 7.

Light rain.

Inside the cordoned zone.

"What a fine rain. Rain dulls their senses. Isn't this the perfect day to work?"

The hunched investigator with mismatched eyes and a head of white hair, holding a Quinque in hand, spoke with relish.

His answer—

Boom!!!

Before Kureo Mado could even see clearly, a figure spun through the rain, crashing into a drenched roadside trash bin, slamming into the wall so hard the concrete cracked into a jagged pit.

Shattered, dark-red Kagune spilled into the filthy water.

"All the same."

A tall, black-armored figure landed before Kureo Mado, glass from a third-floor storefront raining down behind her.

"Your specialty."

Speaking, Vela flung down two ghouls, their limbs broken, spines bent, faces swollen and bruised.

"With pleasure, Special Class Russell."

Kureo Mado grinned.

He understood her meaning instantly—extracting information.

"Well then, let's see what sort of trash these pieces of garbage will lead us to."

Chapter 228: Eden’s Scandal—Are You in Love?!

Handing the sheet music to Eden, Elias believed this was the best choice.

After all, these days he was constantly fighting the Honkai. Whether in the Previous Era or the Current Era, the music he had brought from his past life had never had a chance to be shared with this world.

Since that was the case, why not let Eden sing them for him?

The Flame-Chaser marked with the title of [Gold] was the only singer Elias acknowledged. He looked forward to hearing these timeless classics of his past life sung by her heavenly voice.

"Elias, I don't even know what to say to you."

Eden hugged the sheet music tightly. If she were to lose even a single page, she felt she would never again have the face to see Elias.

(Ah, what a heartbreaking person. Clearly, he has talent equal to—or even surpassing—mine. Yet he chose the path of battle for the sake of saving others.)

The more she thought about it, the more sorrowful and reluctant she felt.

She lifted her wine glass and downed it in one go. Yet even fine wine couldn't wash away the grief in her heart.

"Elias, I still feel this is wrong. Your hands should be playing the world's most beautiful music. They should be holding instruments—not weapons."

"Eden, if peace reigned, then perhaps that would be true. But right now, too many need me to save them. I have to fight. Don't worry—blood on my hands can always be washed away."

(But there will always be something that can't be washed away.)

Eden bit her lip.

The boy before her was so noble, so brave, so tragic—more moving than any opera she had ever seen. At that moment, she even felt an overwhelming urge to hold him tightly.

"Then let this be my repayment for the sheet music, Elias. Please, make any wish of yours to me. As long as it is within my power, I will never refuse you."

"Uh… is it really okay to be that absolute?"

"It's fine. This is just my insignificant repayment. If possible, please be as selfish as you want. Whether it's my wealth or anything else—I'll give it."

Eden's emotions completely overtook her reason.

She spoke words that would drive the world mad—especially every man alive.

But suddenly, Elias stepped forward and embraced her.

"Ah…"

"Calm down, Eden. You've had a bit to drink."

"I haven't. I'm just… very sad."

Eden felt her heart racing. In her entire life, she had never been so close to a man. The warmth of this embrace overwhelmed her.

Around them, guests and waiters all stared in shock, unable to keep their composure. But who could blame them? On the street, at least ninety-nine out of a hundred people were Eden's fans. Of course these waiters and patrons were as well.

Now, seeing their idol held in Elias' arms, some could no longer restrain themselves from stepping forward to intervene.

But Eden frowned.

She understood what they saw—an insolent boy taking advantage of her. But they knew nothing of the precious treasure Elias had just entrusted her with.

She could not allow these people to insult him. So, right in front of everyone, Eden decisively returned the embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around Elias with no hesitation.

Her serious gaze swept the surroundings, declaring to all that this was her own will.

And instantly, hearts shattered everywhere.

Waiter: "Eden actually hugged him back—no!!!"

Patron A: "Let go of that boy—let me take his place!"

Patron B: "Eden's in love? NO—!"

Patron C: "I must be dreaming. This is an illusion, it has to be!"

Patron D: "Kill me! Hurry! This world is unbearable, hahaha!"

The restaurant descended into chaos and uproar.

Eden had only wanted to prove that Elias hadn't done anything improper. But in the end, she made things worse. Guests and staff alike looked on the boy with envious, pained, jealous eyes.

Some crazed fans were already grabbing wine bottles. Others, less rational, picked up baguettes. Many began pressing toward the pair, and it was uncertain what they might do next.

Eden felt a little nervous and afraid, yet instead of letting go, she only hugged Elias tighter. This made the onlookers break down even further, and some were already about to act recklessly.

"You. Leave."

The voice, filled with authority, froze them in place.

Everyone shivered. The same boy who had just moved them with his music, who had just made them envy him to death for being embraced by Eden—

Now appeared as an impossibly beautiful monster!

White dragon wings unfurled behind him. A pair of flawless, jade-like horns grew out, and his radiant golden eyes shone with such majesty that no ordinary mortal dared to approach.

Elias had activated his draconic form to scare them off. But the next second, he turned anxiously toward Eden, worried he might have frightened her as well.

Yet when their eyes met, Eden showed no fear like the others. Instead, her eyes glimmered brightly.

"Elias, you're beautiful."

"Uh…?"

"More magnificent than any art I've ever seen."

Curiously, she reached out to touch his horns—something only Elysia had ever been allowed to do. Her delicate hands caressed every inch with gentle reverence.

"You're really not afraid at all, huh."

"Mm? Why should I be?"

Eden tilted her head slightly. After all, she had once shared a soul-deep resonance with him through music. No one in the world knew his pure, kind nature better than she did.

So no matter what he looked like on the outside—

Eden would never feel fear.

Besides, his draconic form was anything but ugly. To her artistic eyes, it was the fusion of the sacred and the violent. As a great artist, she could only describe Elias with one word: perfection.

"Alright then, forget the rest. Just now you said I could make any wish, right? Then from now on, I want you, Eden, to sing one song just for me every day. How about it?"

"Of course not. That's impossible."

"Eh?"

The unexpected rejection stunned Elias. He scratched his head awkwardly, wondering if he had asked too much.

But the next second, Eden smiled radiantly. Still holding onto his dragon tail, she even added generously:

"One song a day isn't nearly enough. If it's for you, I'll sing anytime, anywhere."

"Really?"

"Of course. I swear it on all my wealth."

Eden swore casually on her trillions without a hint of hesitation. And in the meantime, she had explored nearly all of Elias' draconic form, finally finding the part she liked most—

His pair of Benares wings.

Eden couldn't help imagining what it would be like to soar through the skies with them. If Elias were willing to carry her, she would happily set the ticket price at one hundred million per ride.

But then she hesitated. Wasn't that a bit too expensive? At one hundred million a ride, wouldn't she only get a few tens of thousands of rides at most?

(Forget it. When the money runs out, I'll just earn more~)

Watching Elias wag his dragon tail happily at her promise, Eden bloomed with her own dazzling smile, her heart lifting with joy.

She tossed her unlimited black card onto the table and said to the trembling waiter:

"Bring us your best wine, thank you."

Whenever Eden was happy, she wanted to drink.

"M-Miss Eden, forgive my boldness, but… what exactly is your relationship with this gentleman?"

The waiter nervously glanced at Elias, then took a deep breath and asked Eden with all the courage he could muster.

"Oh oh oh! A brave warrior!"

"This waiter's amazing! I'll cover his tip!"

"Please don't say lovers! Please don't!"

"I can't bear to listen. Someone tell me the answer afterward."

The restaurant guests all praised his bravery, then stared at Eden with bated breath.

"Uh… our relationship…"

Eden's cheeks flushed red. At last, she realized the way she had just acted with Elias carried far too much intimacy—certainly not the kind of closeness shared by two people who had only met today.

Eden recalled Elias' earlier words—that those who tried to understand him all ended up falling for him.

Her heart skipped a beat.

(Could it be… I've truly fallen for Elias at first sight?)

The blush on her cheeks deepened. Flustered, she quickly turned her back to the crowd and said:

"Friends, we're just friends."

(Dare to say that while looking at us, why don't you.) ×N

The waiters and guests nearly wept. What should they do? Perhaps they should just choose to believe her. After all, Eden was a superstar—without an official announcement, it didn't count! Yes, no official announcement meant it didn't count!

The fans began convincing themselves with desperate self-deception…

Eden, meanwhile, felt a twinge of guilt. Though some had nearly acted rashly, it was ultimately because they loved her too much. And it was true—she hadn't considered her status as an era-defining idol when she had chosen to embrace Elias openly.

With that thought, Eden gestured something the professionals would instantly recognize.

"Tonight's bill will be covered by Miss Eden. Everyone, let us thank her."

"Mm, and please, bring us more wine."

Eden spoke calmly. Though it was a luxury restaurant, her wealth could easily feed everyone present until they burst. Let this be her small apology.

And so the two began drinking. Elias chuckled helplessly at the sight of all the expensive bottles, realizing he had almost forgotten Eden's fondness for alcohol.

Though he himself could not get drunk, keeping a beauty company was no hardship.

Watching Eden's flawless, peerless face flush with wine, her gaze turning hazy and unfocused, Elias thought she had become dangerously alluring.

"Ah~ you really are too defenseless."

"I'm not drunk. I can still… still sing another song~ Elias, let me see your wings again."

"Alright, alright—next time for sure. It's late. Let me take you home. By the way, Eden, where do you live?"

"My home? I can't remember, too many… which one do you mean?"

The tipsy Eden tilted her head in confusion. She had villas all over the world—how could she possibly remember them all? Elias, you really are making things difficult. And at the same time, she seemed to have reached her limit.

Duang!

Eden collapsed face-first onto the table.

Elias pressed a hand to his forehead with a sigh. Then he moved to her side, lifted her onto his shoulder, and shot a warning glare at the so-called "gentlemen" who had been itching to step in.

After leaving the restaurant, he hesitated over where to go. Since he didn't know Eden's residence, there were only two options: Fire Moth's base, or a hotel.

(Ah, taking her home is impossible. Ely will definitely get angry.)

Elias had at least that much emotional awareness. He also knew his pink elf's true "nature."

Glancing down at the utterly defenseless songstress in his arms, he thought: if he brought her back, who knew what Elysia might do to her in that state?

Those two had been playing wilder and wilder lately.

Elias even felt Ely had been corrupting him. By now, he already knew that sometimes there might be a snake tied up beneath his bed.

But for his lovely troublemaker, Elias always pretended not to notice…

(Mobius: "Tch!")

"Cough cough! Let's see, where's the nearest hotel? No, wait… I can't just leave her there alone. What if the staff had bad intentions?"

With that, Elias silently asked his pink elf for leave. Tonight, he wouldn't be coming home. Besides, he had already "fed" Elysia well before going out.

...

In a corner of Varenna City—

Not far from a certain hotel, a man crouched with a camera in hand.

From his attire, it was clear he was a proper journalist. He even wore a press badge on his chest, proving he wasn't some shady paparazzo.

"Ah~ headlines, headlines. Where am I supposed to find such a story? Damn editor-in-chief, may your whole family—"

The man wore a bitter expression as he smoked.

In today's society, there were only two types of news guaranteed to make headlines: celebrity gossip and scandals, or stories about the White Monster.

But both were difficult to obtain. The former required abandoning a journalist's dignity, becoming a shameless paparazzo who would stop at nothing for juicy scoops, truth be damned.

The latter demanded a readiness to gamble with one's life!

Rumor had it that no one who saw the White Monster ever met a good end. They either died or contracted the terminal Honkai disease. He was still young, single, and had no intention of dying early.

Yet, if he couldn't find an eye-catching story this month, he wouldn't even make rent. With a deep sigh, the man opened his phone and played Eden's music.

Listening to her heavenly voice, he felt soothed, healed.

"Ah in this cold, heartless world, only Miss Eden's songs can bring me warmth. Praise Miss Eden, forever and always"

He rubbed his chilled hands together and glanced at his camera's battery, preparing to continue searching the nighttime city for secrets worth pursuing.

"Eden, stop moving! Be good! Be good!"

"Elias… I'm so thirsty… is there more wine? Right… I want… to sing for you."

"Sing when you're sober. And stop using my hair as a scarf! I should've cut it shorter—but Ely said she liked it long… ah, forget it, forget it!"

"La! Laaaaa! Aaaaahhh~!"

"Don't sing high notes in the middle of the night! It's gorgeous, but you'll disturb the neighbors!"

The reporter froze as he saw a white-haired boy carrying a wine-red-haired woman walk past.

The boy, known as Elias, was holding in his arms a woman who looked exactly like Eden.

It was obvious she was drunk. She clung around his neck, her long legs swinging restlessly.

At first, the reporter refused to believe it was Eden. But then, even in her drunken state, she sang a high note of such impossible quality that he turned to stone.

(Eden? Is it really Eden?! Am I dreaming?)

Slap!

He smacked himself hard across the face.

(Ow—hurts like hell. So it's not a dream… ahhhhh! I'm not dreaming! Miss Eden, she—she's being carried into a hotel by a boy! Why, oh why is this real?!)

His heart shattered. Instinctively, he raised his camera and snapped a picture of their backs.

Elias didn't look back. But Eden, carried in his arms, turned her head toward the lens. The shot was crystal clear.

The reporter laughed and cried at once, torn between joy and despair.

Good news: he had his headline. With Eden's influence, this wasn't just a headline—it was a world headline. Rent was no longer a problem. Promotion and a raise were certain.

Bad news: this was Eden's scandal. His goddess would, after tonight, no longer belong to the world.

And so the middle-aged reporter had but one plea in his heart:

Reporter: "Uuuugh… please, just please don't retire from music because you found a boyfriend, Miss Eden~!"

Chapter 534: Next Time, Make Up a Proper Excuse

It wasn't just because she had to use Aunt Tomoka's phone to order takeout—recently, Kotomi Izumi also felt she should cut down on dinner portions.

So she ordered only two servings of crispy pork belly, one large bowl of beef fried rice with egg, twenty skewers of grilled chicken, one bowl of miso tofu soup, and five salted grilled fish.

After double-checking the order to make sure she hadn't gone overboard, she finally submitted it and handed the phone back to Tomoka Yuigahama.

Tomoka took the phone, glanced at the order, and was dumbfounded. Not because of how much Kotomi ordered—though the sheer volume was shocking—but because, once again, she was reminded of Kotomi's enormous appetite. Looking at her figure, though, she understood a little better.

After all, her chest probably required quite a lot of nutrition…

"If today were Thursday, I would've ordered KFC," Kotomi murmured.

"Why?" Tomoka asked curiously. Did KFC have some kind of Thursday promotion?

"Crazy Thursday! Aunt Tomoka, you don't know about it?"

"You aunties really can't keep up with young people anymore, huh~"

Tomoka chuckled and shook her head. It was the first time she had heard of something like KFC's "Crazy Thursday."

About twelve minutes later, Tomoka stood up and put on a coat, looking like she was about to head out.

"Aunt Tomoka, where are you going?" Kotomi, who had been looking over the draft of the opening color illustration for Redo of Healer Volume 1, raised her head and asked curiously.

"I'm going out to pick up the takeout in advance. If the delivery person rings the doorbell, Yui will definitely hear it."

Kotomi's eyes lit up with understanding. "Ah, I get it. Even if I hide well in the workspace, if Yui sees a takeout delivery, she'll start wondering. She might even think, Did Mom order takeout because she didn't like my cooking? Then she'd feel hurt and brood over it quietly. Even though Yui seems cheerful, deep down she's actually a very sensitive girl. Whenever she's upset, she just bottles it up and hides it from everyone."

Tomoka gave Kotomi a meaningful look. After saying that, she picked up her phone and left the bedroom, heading to the entrance to wait for the delivery. When she opened the front door, she was extra careful to make sure her movements were light, so as not to make any noise.

In Japan, some restaurants worked directly with food delivery platforms. The moment a customer placed an order, the system would automatically assign a nearby courier to pick it up. These restaurants had to pay high annual fees to the platform, and every order meant splitting the profits fifty-fifty.

There were also restaurants that only listed their menu on the delivery app without fully using the platform's delivery system. They didn't have to pay the annual fees, but the commission per order was higher, and they rarely received promotional exposure from the app.

Anshima Yakiniku was one such restaurant. Out of curiosity, Adachi Sakura and Shimamura Hougetsu had registered it on the delivery app under the second type, the no-annual-fee model.

After all, most yakiniku dishes required customers to grill the meat themselves at the restaurant, so their delivery menu only included simple main dishes, snacks, and skewers that could be packaged.

On average, they only got two or three orders per month, since most customers preferred to eat in-store.

Kotomi had stumbled across Anshima Yakiniku while casually browsing the delivery app, and to her surprise, she had been able to place an order.

If the destination was far, the restaurant used the platform's couriers. But if it was nearby, once Adachi Sakura finished preparing and packing the food, Shimamura Hougetsu would hop on her electric scooter and deliver it herself.

With the weather turning colder, the two of them had decided to leave their bicycles in the parking lot below their rented apartment. Though it was called a parking lot, since the apartment building was small and rented out cheaply, few residents could afford cars. The lot was mostly filled with bicycles and motorbikes.

Since they had stopped riding bicycles for the time being, the two bought an electric scooter. After all, they usually returned home late at night, mostly taking side streets. Even if both of them rode together on the same scooter, they wouldn't be stopped by the traffic police.

After receiving the order, Shimamura Hougetsu saw that the destination wasn't far. Once Adachi Sakura had finished preparing and packing the food, she hopped on the scooter to deliver it.

"Turn left at the upcoming intersection, go straight for 100 meters, and you'll reach the destination."

The navigation app guided her route. Shimamura twisted the handle slightly, picking up speed.

When she arrived at the Yuigahama residence, she was just about to take off her gloves to press the doorbell when she noticed an orange-haired woman already standing at the entrance waiting.

Eh… too hungry to wait, so she came out early? Shimamura thought with mild surprise. It was the first time she had seen a customer waiting at the door before the delivery had even arrived.

Well, she wasn't a professional delivery worker, so naturally she hadn't seen much.

Shimamura quickly pulled the packed food bags from the scooter's front basket, hurried her steps, and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting. Are you Mrs. Yuigahama?"

"Yes."

"Alright then, enjoy your meal."

"Thank you."

Tomoka Yuigahama accepted the two large bags. Kotomi really eats a lot… With this kind of appetite, most families wouldn't be able to afford it.

After completing the delivery, Shimamura put her gloves back on and rode away on her scooter. With winter approaching, the temperatures were dropping. During the day it was still fine, but at night, riding barehanded would leave one's hands frozen numb before even reaching the destination.

Even with gloves on, riding fast still felt cold.

...

"Kotomi, your dinner's here. Stop looking at the illustrations for now and eat."

"Ah… finally! I felt like if it were delayed any longer, I'd collapse from hunger right here at the computer."

Hearing that her meal had arrived, Kotomi let out a long breath of relief. She was the type who couldn't stand missing a meal—if she ate late, her stomach would start protesting loudly.

"Next time, think of a proper excuse to come over. That way, we can just eat together in the kitchen," Tomoka said.

While taking the two large bags and unpacking the containers, Kotomi began to ponder. What would be a proper excuse?

After thinking for a while… well, nothing came to mind. It wasn't like she could seriously hold a study session with Yui at home until late at night, then sneak downstairs after Yui fell asleep just to meet with Aunt Tomoka.

If Yui found out, there would be no way to explain!

As she chewed on the tender meat of the salted grilled fish, Kotomi's thoughts spun restlessly.

"The final illustration draft for Redo of Healer Volume 1 looks like this. When we move on to the final version, if there are places that need adjusting, we'll discuss it again, alright?"

"Of course. Though honestly, I don't think there will be much to change. As expected of Teacher Hanayoi—even as drafts, your illustrations already have such a high level of completion."

Almost every time Tomoka Yuigahama finished a draft, Kotomi would shower her with praise. The more Kotomi praised, the redder Tomoka's cheeks grew. In the end, she couldn't tell whether her flustered hands were due to the risqué subject matter of the illustrations, or because Kotomi's voice always seemed to arrive right in her ear at just the right moment, making her so embarrassed she nearly dropped her stylus.

Kotomi carefully reviewed the drafts for all of Redo of Healer Volume 1's illustrations from beginning to end. They matched exactly what she had envisioned, leaving her full of anticipation for the day Tomoka would complete them all.

As for one of the volume's signature scenes—Setsuna reaching for the future—Kotomi and Tomoka spent nearly fifty minutes discussing it before finally settling on how to depict it. Both of them agreed: in words and in illustration alike, this had to become one of the standout moments of Volume 1. Though it was only a black-and-white insert, the time spent and the number of revisions nearly rivaled that of the opening color spread.

"Phew… finally finished discussing the illustrations for Volume 1 of Redo of Healer. We've been really productive tonight. Let's take a short break, then start talking about Mushoku Tensei, okay?"

Tomoka's spirits were high. She especially enjoyed discussing illustrations with Kotomi. Only just recently had she learned that Kotomi not only wrote novels, but also drew manga—currently serializing Chainsaw Man in Weekly Shonen Jump.

"I've read your Chainsaw Man. Honestly, when I found out you could draw too, I got a little worried you might not want me to illustrate your novels anymore, and that you'd just handle all the artwork yourself." Tomoka pouted playfully, her expression one of exaggerated grievance.

It was clearly just a teasing remark, nothing more. But to Kotomi, it felt like fire tickling at her heart. Aunt Tomoka, you're playing with fire…

"Just writing novels and drawing manga already leaves me exhausted. How could I possibly find the time and energy to also illustrate? Doing all three at once would make even a 996 employee cry.

"With you as my illustrator, Aunt Tomoka, there's no question at all. For every novel I write in the future, and every game we develop at Type-Moon World, the art could go without anyone else—but it could never go without you! If the day ever comes that you stop illustrating my novels, then I'll stop writing them altogether!"

Kotomi's tone was serious, every word sincere. For once, there wasn't a trace of exaggeration or falsehood.

"You have such talent. One day, you might well become the most popular light novel author not just in Japan, but in the entire world. Don't say such childish things. Besides, there are plenty of artists far more skilled than I am."

"No matter how skilled another artist may be, they'll never surpass a casual sketch drawn by you in my eyes," Kotomi said with a small laugh. But though she smiled, her voice was filled with earnest conviction.

Hearing that, Tomoka's cheeks flushed a delicate crimson. She quickly averted her gaze. Every time Kotomi looked at her with those earnest eyes, her heart grew restless, beating out of control.

Yui likes Kotomi. Yui likes Kotomi. Yui likes Kotomi…

Tomoka repeated it again and again in her mind, as though reminding herself.

"I-it's already 8 p.m. now. Kotomi, shouldn't you call home? If you don't return this late, your parents will be worried. What did you tell them before coming here?"

"I told them I was going to Yui's house for a study session."

"I see. Then call your parents first, and I'll say a few words to them as well. Once we finish discussing the illustrations, I'll take you home. I can't rest easy letting a young girl walk back by herself this late at night."

Tomoka Yuigahama spoke responsibly. After saying that, she picked up the two large bags from earlier, planning to throw them away, while Kotomi had already gone back to discussing the illustrations after finishing her meal.

Not wanting to risk bumping into Yui Yuigahama if she went to the bathroom, Kotomi had simply wiped her mouth and hands with some wet wipes after eating.

Tomoka stepped out to throw the two bags into the neighborhood's garbage collection point, then returned home.

"Kotomi, would you like some juice?"

As she pushed open the little workspace door, she froze. Kotomi was already lying asleep on the tatami, her breathing steady and even.

"Kotomi… Kotomi… Kotomi, wake up." Tomoka gently shook her. She had only been gone for less than ten minutes, and already Kotomi was in such a deep sleep? Her sleep quality was astonishing.

Seeing her like this, Tomoka realized Kotomi probably wouldn't wake up anytime soon. Which meant… she might end up staying the night here, without Yui knowing.

Sleeping in the cramped little workspace would be uncomfortable. But since Yui had no idea Kotomi was even here, there was no way Tomoka could move her upstairs to share a bed with her daughter.

That left only one option…

Tomoka turned and looked at her own double bed. Ever since her husband passed away, she had always slept alone.

"Looks like tonight, Kotomi will have to sleep with me."

She let out a soft sigh, shut down the computer, turned off the light in the workspace, and carefully carried the slumbering Kotomi from the tatami to her bed.

The wardrobe didn't have any spare blankets. Fortunately, the duvet on the double bed was large enough for two people to share.

"First, let's call Kotomi's parents."

Tomoka reached for the side pocket of Kotomi's skirt. She remembered that Kotomi habitually kept her phone there, and sure enough, she found it.

She clearly remembered the last time Kotomi had fallen asleep at her house. Back then, she had unlocked Kotomi's phone with her fingerprint to call her parents. Even now, after Kotomi had changed phones, she still used the same finger for the fingerprint unlock. Tomoka had noticed this by chance.

She pressed the power button, and just as she was about to guide Kotomi's finger to the sensor, the screen lit up.

The lock screen wallpaper made her pause.

It was a selfie photo. But… who was the girl in the picture?

Chapter 622: Just You Wait, I'll Come Play Games with You

"The God of Games… an interesting divine office."

Selene let out a faint laugh.

Games—social behaviors pursued for the satisfaction of spiritual needs, based on already-met material needs, within a certain time and space, bound by specific rules.

To crown 'Games' as a divine name, to make it a divine office…

In the Empire's conquered multiverse of mythologies, it was the norm for the chief gods, great gods, and divine kings of pantheons to bear titles like Sun, Sea, Sky, Thunder, Death, or Night, and to dominate worldly faith.

But the God of Games—what sort of case was this?

Were the people of that world all so averse to labor, clinging to comfort, rejecting work?

Ordinarily, Gods of War, or even Wealth Gods or 'Gods of Lust' would draw wider faith than a God of Games.

Such a divine office…

It must be either pathetically weak—unable to even count as third-rate among pantheons, never appearing in god-wars, Ragnarök, or any grand mythic events, a disposable extra without even a recognized authority… the first to die.

Or—it must be unfathomably strong. A conceptual god. One who views heaven and earth as a chessboard, mortals as chess pieces, playing with mankind, playing with the cosmos, the entire universe as nothing but its playground.

Her thoughts galloped freely like a wild horse. The crimson, star-like diamond pupils of her eyes slowly narrowed, while an eager excitement rose in Selene's heart.

Selene was intrigued.

She guessed it was the latter.

Just as Selene was musing over how 'Games' could possibly overwhelm the more 'lofty' divine offices, the voice of her chamberlain pulled her from her drifting thoughts.

"Your Majesty, today's meal will be prepared by young chefs from the Salamanders Legion's Conquered World No. 11. They all passed the strict examination of Head Imperial Chef Susanoo. They are rising stars of the culinary world."

The graceful and dignified head maid gave a slight curtsey, gently setting down an enamel teacup beside Selene.

"Young apprentice chefs?"

Selene lifted the cup and took a small sip. The rich fragrance of the tea spread across her tongue. "Susanoo's selection? Is he up to his old tricks again?"

"Mm. I see. You may return to your work." Selene spoke casually, then turned her gaze to her auxiliary intelligence steward—Mendicant Bias. "Continue. Regarding this 'God of Games,' and the intelligence surrounding it—I need to know everything."

"As you command, my Empress."

As the culmination of both Forerunner civilization and the Sacred Selene Empire's Honkai technology, Mendicant Bias did not falter in the slightest. Its explanation flowed smoothly and logically, while also accommodating Selene's current focus on her meal.

"According to intelligence gathered by Commander Horus of the Luna Wolves, it has been established that the God of Games decreed Ten Covenants which ended the great war six thousand years ago and abolished all bloodshed."

"The Ten Covenants?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. They are as follows:

[1] All killing, war, and plunder are forbidden in this world.

[2] All disputes must be settled through games.

[3] In games, both sides must wager something they mutually consider of equal value.

[4] As long as it does not violate the third covenant, the contents and stakes of the game are unrestricted.

[5] The challenged party has the right to determine the game.

[6] Wagers made in the name of the Covenant must be honored absolutely.

[7] For group conflicts, a designated representative must be appointed.

[8] Any cheating during a game, once exposed, results in immediate defeat.

[9] In the name of God, the above rules are absolute and immutable.

[10] Let us all play together peacefully!!"

"As expected of a God of Games. In some sense, one could say He did abolish bloodshed, did He not?" Selene savored her tea, while Mendicant Bias floated silently at her side, its colossal mask face fixed in its eternal expression.

"Would this count as an inheritance of the Mantle?" Selene suddenly asked.

"No. This is no inheritance. That false god's actions do not deserve such a name. The peace under the Ten Covenants is nothing but an illusion—at its root, merely submission beneath the coercive power of divine might."

…Selene couldn't help but feel that sounded uncomfortably like herself.

"The false god set peace in the name of games, but in truth, it stripped the world of its path for progress. The hierarchy of sixteen races, based on their magical adaptability, is deeply entrenched. The disparity in strength between upper and lower races is an undeniable and immutable fact!"

"Unless it raised all races to the same baseline of magical adaptability—including the so-called 'Unknowns' (those nameless beings from No Game No Life, the ones hunted by the Flugel after the Covenants)—and gave them equal opportunities for growth and advancement…"

"Otherwise, it is all nothing but a castle in the air. The root of the problem remains unchanged. Everything gained is no more than a game! The moment the constraints disappear, war will return, and all that the games built will be destroyed!"

"This is not peace. This is not progress. This is a cage!"

As if recalling the past of the Forerunner civilization—its own past—the electronic synthesized voice of Mendicant Bias carried distinct fluctuations of emotion.

"The true meaning of the Mantle is the belief in protecting all life, safeguarding and promoting the flourishing of civilization."

"Protection does not mean 'greenhouse pampering.' Millennia of stagnation is an unforgivable sin!"

"Only you, my Empress, can fulfill the Forerunners' wish for the Mantle."

At this, Selene automatically filtered out the phrases that sounded uncomfortably like her own rule, instead accepting the AI's words of praise with humility.

Why not? These are my achievements—why shouldn't they be praised?

Indeed, she too suppressed all beneath a single divine will, revising Covenants (Imperial law) to regulate behavior. But unlike the God of Games' caste-like system of ossified hierarchy, Selene's Empire thrived with far greater vitality and mobility.

Aside from Selene's own undisputed supreme status, the Empire was a meritocracy. The capable rose, the unworthy fell. Truly, Selene generously gave countless beings the chance to strive.

This was evident in the steadily improving quality of new recruits. A clear upward trend!

Even recruits from tourist worlds devoid of supernatural laws—once they finished the standard Imperial servitor regiment training regimen—without exo-muscle bundles, without powered exoskeletons, without combat drugs, could still defeat someone like Captain America with their bare hands.

From mere colonial infantrymen, step by step through military merit, one could rise to administrative officer, provincial governorate staff, military functionary, junior officer… and generation by generation, even stand before Selene herself to be appointed as Minister of Internal Affairs, provincial governor, Chief of Military Affairs, or Grand General. Not impossible.

Unlikely, near-dreamlike perhaps—but the sixteen-race hierarchy never even allowed the dream.

And then…

"Your Majesty, you have launched the Holy Great Crusade. With every passing moment, uncountable beings are liberated from ignorance, bathed in the light of truth… You, magnanimous beyond measure, are the sole radiance illuminating great souls…"

That's because I want to expand territory, seize wealth, capture populations, plunder technology.

"You eradicate heresies, for they are humanity's bane, twisting lives with superstition, ignorance, and fear…"

That's because they're only allowed to believe in me.

"Though past attempts to unite intelligent beings under the Mantle's ideals of virtue and solidarity failed, you never abandoned them. For one bearing such an unimaginable burden as you, this is your sacred duty…"

…

Selene: ???

Wait, wait, wait—am I really that great? Were my motives really that noble? Why didn't I know this myself?

Even with her thick skin, Selene felt a twinge of embarrassment deep inside.

Looks like her composure still needed practice.

She was used to the praises of court poets, but to hear them from an AI steward carried a certain novelty.

Building a cadre of flatterers—cough, I mean internal affairs intelligence stewards—was quite useful. It really did improve her administrative efficiency. The pilot program was worth expanding.

It seemed that among the few AI of rival 'ultra-superintelligence' tier, the Forerunners' twilight creation—the sister of Mendicant Bias, known as Offensive Bias—should also be brought to serve its true master at her side.

"Stop. Play me the Luna Wolves fleet's live surveillance feed."

Already hearing the faint rumble of serving carts and the soft footsteps of attendants, Selene thought it best not to let Mendicant Bias continue showering her with praise. It was starting to feel a bit strange.

"Your Majesty, this is the appetizer: Golden Eggs Set Meal and Rainbow French Terrine."

Not long after, while Selene was examining the holographic projections displayed by Mendicant Bias, the respectful voice of an attendant reached her ears.

Perfect maids, dressed in black-and-white uniforms patterned with holy lilies, gracefully removed two white porcelain plates from the serving trays, placing them gently on the table. After lifting the covers, they stepped back with composed dignity.

In a way, Selene could be said to enjoy the blessings of many. These palace attendants—selected one from each colonial world—were all exquisitely beautiful, each with a charm that could move the heart. Noble daughters and princesses—who among them was not?

Beyond humans, some had pointed ears, elf princesses from wild alien forests; some bore fish tails, moving within floating bubbles, mermaid princesses from ocean worlds; some carried pure white wings, angelic maidens from magical realms; others bore heart-shaped tails, sharp horns, and bat-like wings—succubi princesses from demon worlds…

Ah, all this, just to demonstrate the Empire's 'equality' and 'openness.' Truly, Selene had gone to great lengths.

"This is Yukihira-style Midsummer Cake."

Yukihira?

The name made Selene pause slightly as she stirred her teacup with a spoon. She hadn't given Totsuki Academy any special consideration herself. Was this Susanoo's doing?

Such a small matter hardly warranted her personal attention.

But its sudden appearance did bring a pleasant surprise.

Perhaps later she should award them a medal for Outstanding Young Chefs?

Resting her chin on one hand, Selene entertained the sudden thought.

"This is charcoal-grilled hindleg of a Super-Danger Beast earth dragon, with chestnut sauce."

"This is Five Nations Five-Spice Fried Rice."

"This is French Country Meat Pie."

...

After giving the dishes a cursory glance, Selene smiled. Oh, mostly meat and carbs—earth dragon meat too. These were all among her favorites.

For Selene, things like balanced nutrition and dietary health mattered little. She could gnaw raw uranium ore if she wished. What mattered most was the sheer joy of eating.

What God of Games? None of that was as important as her meal. Just wait. Once I rush through these affairs of state, I'll come straight to find you!

God of Games, very well—let's play.

"Inform Alyssa, I have a new task for her."

"Your will, my Empress."

...

"She's eating, she's eating! Her Majesty is eating!!"

Beyond the many doors, past the towering guards, movement flickered. Though distant, Soma Yukihira and his companions—waiting after leaving the Imperial Kitchen—could still glimpse the noble figure, surrounded by attendants, bowing her head as she took a bite!

Megumi Tadokoro, her eyes full of hope, clasped her hands tightly before her chest, whispering prayers for her mother's blessing. After all, one of the opening dishes was hers—the Rainbow French Terrine!

"The first bite… second bite… third bite… Her Majesty likes it! Wonderful!"

Truly, when Selene's hand stilled for a moment, Megumi's heart leapt to her throat. But at last, heaven rewarded perseverance—her dish had clearly earned Selene's satisfaction.

"Cha—"

"Don't you dare." ×N

Nakiri Erina, Tsukasa Eishi, Kobayashi Rindou, and Kuga Terunori—all too familiar with Soma Yukihira's habits—had been ready for this. The moment they saw him untie the white headband from his forehead, clench his fist, and raise it with fiery determination, they knew exactly what would follow.

Kuga clamped a hand over Soma's mouth, Erina yanked down his raised arm, while Tsukasa and Rindou together pressed on his shoulders to force him back down.

"Things like 'sorry for the poor hospitality'—this is not the place for that. Keep quiet."

Erina's brows twitched, her eyes wide, as though the words were forced up straight from her throat.

"Apprentice chefs, mind your decorum."

The patrolling chamberlain's voice instantly restored the group to order, all of them standing properly once more.

Hah… so this is the feeling Father once spoke of. Truly, it is unpleasant, suffocating.

Erina thought silently to herself.

...

Astartes First Legion, the Dark Angels. Unnamed frontier world, 2125th Expeditionary Fleet.

The storm had at last subsided. In its place came a silence of pitch darkness. As the temperature dropped, shattered lands lay covered in black, the cremated ash of the world blocking out the warmth of the sun.

"Yaha! Lady Alyssa has triumphed! Two petty beasts are no match for this dragon!"

From the shadows, a massive silhouette emerged.

ROAR—!!

Chapter 552: Return to Earth

Hearing Mirei Shinohara's words, Shiraori finally opened her eyes, revealing a pair of strange eyes that looked like works of art.

Unlike before, when her half-human, half-spider form had only a single pupil, now her eyes were composed of multiple pupils layered together—circles within circles, perfectly symmetrical and mesmerizing.

Looking closely, one could see that each eye contained five pupils, neatly stacked, as if merging the eyes of her former human upper body with those of her spider lower body.

"I'm fine. I just suddenly remembered many things from the past."

Shiraori shook her head slightly at Mirei, a deeply complex expression flickering in her gaze.

"The past? You mean… are you thinking about Eriri? Don't worry, we'll be seeing her soon anyway."

Mirei assumed that Shiraori's tears were caused by her longing for Eriri.

Just as she was about to open the cocoon's exit, Shiraori's voice sounded again.

"Mirei… do you remember that little spider Eriri saved back then?"

"Eh? Why are you suddenly bringing that up?" Mirei blinked, surprised by the seemingly unrelated question.

But without overthinking it, she recalled after a moment and replied:

"You mean that little white spider that always perched on Eriri's shoulder? Of course I remember. Why?"

"That was me," Shiraori said casually.

"Oh… huh???"

Mirei let out an absent-minded "oh," but quickly her mouth dropped open in shock.

"What did you just say? You're telling me you were that little spider?!"

Wanting to make sure she hadn't misheard, Mirei asked again in disbelief.

Shiraori nodded firmly. "You didn't mishear. I really am the little spider Eriri saved."

"But… but didn't you say before that you were Wakaba Hiiro? And you also knew everything that happened back then…"

Mirei still couldn't wrap her head around it. Over the past year, they had occasionally chatted about their past lives and their time with Eriri.

Most of the time it was Mirei who spoke, but Shiraori's reactions—and the few times she did respond—showed that she clearly remembered those past events as well.

If she was really that little spider, then she shouldn't have known those things, since many of them happened before the spider even appeared.

"After I reincarnated into this world, my true memories were sealed away. They only just now unlocked. As for the 'Wakaba Hiiro' memories, they were deliberately implanted in me by someone. I have a rough idea who might have done it."

Even with her real memories restored, her deeply ingrained social anxiety was still part of her nature—it hadn't come from false memories.

But when speaking with Mirei about her true identity, her usual silence vanished. She spoke smoothly, a whole series of words flowing from her mouth.

Mirei's mind immediately jumped to a startling thought.

"You mean…"

"Yes. It was either Eriri, my master, who arranged it… or the original Wakaba Hiiro. One thing's certain: Eriri definitely knew the truth. She may even be watching us right now."

Thinking of the last words spoken by that familiar Voice of Heaven, Shiraori's face softened into a smile of nostalgia.

She was eager—eager to return to her master's side.

"And don't you think that Voice of Heaven sounds just like Eriri's voice? This whole past year, she's been with us all along, in her own way."

Hearing this, Mirei recalled the mysterious voice that would occasionally echo in her mind.

Before, it had only felt familiar, though she couldn't place why. But now, it finally clicked—the Voice of Heaven's tone was uncannily similar to Eriri's.

"Don't tell me… Eriri and the original Wakaba Hiiro aren't ordinary people? Could they actually be existences even stronger than the gods of this world?"

"At the very least, my master Eriri is. As for the original Wakaba Hiiro… that, I'm not sure of. Maybe only when we see Master Eriri again will we know the truth." Shiraori's voice carried certainty. Since the Voice of Heaven was Eriri's, then her heaven-defying skills and the unbeatable Appraisal must have been gifts from Eriri.

Otherwise, how could a mere spider monster like her grow this strong in only a little over a year—and without the slightest setback? It was as though everything had flowed in line with her wishes.

Now, she finally understood why Gülied never returned from dealing with the UFO. It must have been because Eriri heard her wish and deliberately made it happen.

If Shiraori could figure this out, then Mirei Shinohara certainly could too.

If not for Eriri's special arrangements, what reason would a normal reincarnator like her have to possess such an absurdly powerful bloodline? In just over a year, without even doing much, she had already become one of the strongest beings in this world.

And her main body—so utterly out of place compared to this world's aesthetics. Now she had plenty of reason to suspect that Eriri had made her body so beautiful just to keep her as a pet.

At the thought, she couldn't help feeling a little depressed.

It wasn't that she disliked being Eriri's pet. But more than that, she wanted to be Eriri's intimate companion.

Still…

If Eriri kept her by her side, doted on her often, and showered her with affection, then maybe being a pet wouldn't be so bad…

The moment such thoughts crossed her mind, Mirei broke into a goofy smile like some lovestruck fool.

Even learning Eriri's true identity didn't change her feelings for her in the slightest.

Her fantasy didn't last long. Soon, she turned her attention back to Shiraori.

"So it's true—you really were that little spider. No wonder you reincarnated as a spider. But if that's the case, why did I, a human, reincarnate as a dragon species?"

Shiraori gave her a sidelong glance. "Do you dislike your body that much?"

"That's not it. I'm satisfied, actually. I just wish I could someday have a human body like you."

Mirei looked Shiraori up and down with a touch of envy, then floated to her side and tapped her shoulder with her tail.

"White, don't worry. Even if you were that little spider, you'll always be my best friend!"

"Mm."

Shiraori nodded, a moved smile appearing on her face.

"Alright, come out already. Even with all these twists and turns, our real goal is still to find Eriri." Mirei backed up a couple of meters, urging her again.

Shiraori didn't reply. She simply nodded, pushed her upper body out of the cocoon's opening, and crawled out in a few quick movements.

But the moment she stood up, her body lost balance and she dropped back down to the ground with a thud.

Seeing this, Mirei froze again. "Huh? What now?"

"I… I don't know how to walk on two legs…"

Even with the memories of Wakaba Hiiro, Shiraori couldn't recall any experiences of walking.

When Mirei heard this, she burst out laughing. "Of course. In both your past and current life, you've never used two legs. No wonder it feels unnatural. But if you practice a bit, you'll get the hang of it."

Shiraori nodded and tried again, only to stumble and collapse once more.

For a spider accustomed to walking on eight legs, learning to walk on two was no easy task.

Still, habits can be built. After repeated attempts, she managed to progress from falling flat on the ground, to at least standing shakily on her feet—though she couldn't stay up for long—until…

By now, Shiraori was able to stand steadily on the ground. But turning walking on two legs into a natural instinct would take more effort.

...

Half an hour quickly passed.

During that time, Shiraori did nothing else—just focused on practicing walking. Fortunately, her efforts paid off. By now, she could run and jump without issue.

At this point, their objectives in this world were more or less complete. The only things left were to find Eriri and kill Potimas.

But based on the information they had now, it was practically impossible to follow their old plan of searching for Eriri in the human world. They knew for sure that Eriri hadn't reincarnated. As for where she was now—that was still uncertain.

Still, they had already decided on their first destination.

Floating beside Shiraori, Mirei asked once more for confirmation:

"White, are you sure your Space Magic can take both of us back to Earth?"

"…Probably."

"What do you mean 'probably'? Either it can or it can't! Being vague about something like this could cost us our lives!"

At Mirei's complaint, Shiraori didn't answer. She only stared silently at her—as if urging her to decide whether or not she really wanted to return to Earth.

Once again, Shiraori reverted to that deeply introverted girl who could hardly say a word to strangers.

But Mirei wasn't going to give up her decision over something this small. Of course she would go back to Earth to find Eriri.

And besides, once she returned to Earth, she could also see her family again. Even though in this life they weren't related by blood, more than ten years of feelings couldn't just be cut off.

"Alright, alright, stop looking at me like that. It's not like I said I wouldn't go. Hurry up and cast your Space Magic."

Hearing Mirei's words, Shiraori no longer hesitated. She activated her Space Magic, and soon a human-sized spatial rift appeared before them.

The two of them exchanged a glance, then stepped toward the rift without hesitation.

...

At Heijou High School, the once-bustling Class 2-3 classroom now stood completely empty.

Both the front and back doors were locked, with "Do Not Enter" signs hanging outside.

It had been nearly five days since the mysterious incident where the entire class vanished without a trace.

To prevent panic, the government had sealed the classroom entirely, forbidding even students of the school from entering.

Now, it was past 5 p.m., and aside from a few club members, most students had already gone home.

Suddenly, in the middle of the silent classroom, a human-sized spatial rift tore open. From it emerged two pure-white figures—one in human form, the other floating in the air like a long, pale ribbon.

It was none other than Shiraori and Mirei, just returned from the other world.

"This is… the classroom?"

Looking around the familiar yet strangely distant room, Mirei felt as if an eternity had passed.

"It's been more than a year… We really made it back to Earth!"

As she breathed in the air—so different from the other world's—her eyes grew misty.

Shiraori, too, looked around the empty classroom, filled with emotion.

Whether from her own memories or those of Wakaba Hiiro, this classroom carried countless recollections.

In her previous life, the room had felt enormous. She hadn't had the spare energy to notice much of anything—her gaze had always been occupied by Eriri and the scenery around her.

But now, she could easily take in the entire classroom. Yet to her, it didn't feel nearly as wonderful as it once had.

She knew why—because Eriri wasn't here. If she were, everything would look entirely different.

Her longing for Eriri only grew stronger.

So she turned to Mirei, who was still lost in emotion, and said directly:

"Mirei, I'm going to Eriri's house first. Will you come with me, or do you want to see your family first?"

Mirei snapped back to her senses and answered without hesitation:

"Do you even need to ask? Of course I'm coming with you!"

Chapter 307: All Hands, Equip Anti-Star Noble Phantasms

Clang—

The Eternal Snowfall, carrying the wreckage of the Singer's ship, descended near the Solar System's starbase.

This starbase was much smaller than the one in the capital, consisting mainly of research facilities and defense modules. It had no shipyards or starship assembly plants.

In the Trisolaran universe, building a starbase had only one purpose: to research this universe's technologies.

To the Starsea Empire, every civilization in the Trisolaran cosmos was nothing but a sub-light native.

Even the so-called strongest god-level civilizations had only barely brushed against lightspeed, completely powerless before the FTL overlords of the Stellar Era.

But in terms of technological depth, they had gone impressively far—with sophons, photoids, dual-vector foils, and even later, artificial pocket universes.

Each more spectacular than the last.

"Oh, Commander, finally something interesting."

"The shipgirls keep bringing back nothing but natives and their ships. Other than putting them on display in museums, those antiques have no research value."

Kayo Senju, leading her loli research team, eagerly urged the Angeloid to move the wreckage into the lab.

Even before departure, they had been fascinated by the Singer's civilization.

After all, dimensional technology was still virtually a blank field for the Starsea Empire.

"Hm?"

Setsuna noticed that the starbase docks were piled high with ships of all shapes and sizes.

All were trophies of the shipgirl expeditionary fleets.

Around the Solar System, they had fought far and wide, crushing natives with their FTL advantage, then bundling up the aliens and their ships as spoils of war to bring back.

"What level are these ships?"

Richelieu asked curiously.

"The fastest ones use curvature drives, reaching barely lightspeed. Most are between five and twenty percent lightspeed, powered by antimatter or fusion engines."

One of the loli researchers explained.

As she spoke, she pointed at a ship roughly the size of a battleship.

Dozens of Angeloids were unloading what looked like cryogenic pods from it.

"Oh, there was also one particularly imaginative civilization. Their ships couldn't even reach one percent of lightspeed, yet they still tried interstellar colonization."

"Their method was to stick crew into stasis pods for hundreds of thousands of years, relying on the ship's AI to navigate to the target star system and then awaken the colonists."

"When Veneto, Zara, and Pola found them, the entire crew was frozen stiff."

"..."

The shipgirls listened in amazement. Truly, the vast cosmos held endless oddities.

Some civilizations, thanks to wildly skewed tech trees, ended up on bizarre developmental paths.

A blue-haired, dragon-horned Eastern shipgirl lugging a giant ladle walked up to the cryogenic pods for a closer look.

She knocked on the glass.

"Hmm… are these fungi? I wonder if they're poisonous~?"

"Can I borrow one to experiment? I wanna add some scallions, ginger, and garlic and see how it tastes if I boil it…"

"???"

Veneto, in charge of the operation, was horrified.

"You Eastern shipgirls really try to cook everything?! These are aliens, for heaven's sake!"

"Lung Wu, step back."

Yat Sen called the little shipgirl back, tapping her on the head.

"The Commander said aliens are for zoos, to be put on display. Understand?"

"Uu…"

Lung Wu held her head, looking pitifully at Setsuna.

"But they really look just like the mushrooms I cooked before."

"..."

Setsuna's face darkened.

"Great, I've completely spoiled the shipgirls. Now they're all learning how to make alien stew."

...

Kayo Senju's team spent several days studying the spoils from the Singer's ship.

The loli researchers worked day and night, dismantling everything—the hull materials, structure, computers, and all the weapons aboard.

Everyone was deeply curious about this mysterious civilization that had destroyed the Solar System in the original storyline.

Setsuna even gave Kayo a few dual-vector foils, sternly warning her to be careful. He also brought in Grey and the Siren shipgirls to keep watch.

A few days later—

The little loli reported her findings to Setsuna.

"Commander, we've completely dismantled the captured Singer ship."

"Other than the crew, who were all killed by high-energy radiation weapons, the rest of the ship's components were intact."

On the holographic display, Kayo Senju laid out a variety of research projects.

Her sharp and professional demeanor made her look nothing like a girl barely over ten years old.

"The ship's engine is a curvature drive, the most common type of lightspeed engine in the Trisolaran world. Its hull materials and conventional weapons are unremarkable—more advanced than the Trisolarans, but far inferior to us."

In just a few sentences, she assessed the Singer ship's overall tech level.

"However, we did find something interesting in its onboard AI."

"The Singer's vessel is called a 'seed ship.' They depart from the homeworld with the purpose of cleansing other civilizations in this universe."

"The reason, well… Ye Wenjie mentioned it a long time ago."

Setsuna was already familiar with the two axioms of cosmic sociology.

First, survival is the foremost need of civilization.

Second, civilization continuously grows and expands, while the total amount of matter in the universe remains constant.

The more civilizations there are, the fewer resources each receives.

The shipgirls had found many hidden civilizations within 200 light-years of the Solar System, which meant the Trisolaran universe was actually crowded.

Thus, for a civilization to gain more resources and eliminate threats before they could rise through technological explosion, exterminating lesser civilizations became inevitable for higher civilizations.

"Dark. This universe is just too dark."

Gudako found the background of the Trisolaran universe incredibly brutal.

"Where's the Singer's homeworld?"

Setsuna asked.

"Hmm… judging from its route, we estimate it's in the Large Magellanic Cloud, or even farther."

"The seed ship has been traveling for seventy thousand years—measured in its own reference frame. Considering relativistic effects, the actual distance would be even greater."

Kayo Senju projected the ship's flight path. Its starting point was in a star cluster 160,000 light-years away.

Even for FTL starships, that was quite a distance.

"Tch, I was hoping it'd be close so we could just wipe out the homeworld. Guess we'll shelve that for later."

Setsuna jotted down a note in his little notebook.

Most of the Singer civilization's valuable assets were already on the ship, so destroying their homeworld wasn't urgent.

Besides, the homeworld and the fringe worlds were locked in a heated war, both preparing to descend into two dimensions together.

By the time he got there, the place might already be nothing but empty two-dimensional space.

"Anyway, the other things of value are the photoids and dual-vector foils you brought back, Commander."

Kayo Senju had the Angeloid bring up a small metallic sphere.

Its material was unknown, its surface gleaming faintly.

"Photoids, also called mass-points. Most advanced civilizations use them for Dark Forest strikes. The Singer ship carried several hundred of them."

"When launched, they accelerate to near lightspeed in a short time, their relativistic mass skyrocketing. They're usually aimed directly at a star."

"With sheer kinetic energy, they disrupt a star's structure, triggering its explosion and annihilating the entire system."

Grey had once remarked that for a technological civilization, destroying a star wasn't difficult—just a matter of knowing the trick.

Photoids were the simplest, cheapest, most casual anti-stellar weapon.

Toss one, and you could blow up a sun.

"…Can we build them?"

Richelieu asked intently.

"Of course. They're not technically complex at all—they just exploit physical laws. A very clever weapon."

"We can retrofit our gigaton-class kinetic cannons into photoid launchers. Much cheaper than missiles."

The little loli tapped on the holographic screen.

"Hiss… photoid launchers? Could we all be outfitted with them?"

"Battleships, carriers, cruisers, even destroyers?"

The shipgirls realized their firepower was about to expand dramatically.

"Mhm. If the Singer's seed ships could carry them, then everyone can."

"In the future, you'll all be armed with Anti-Star Noble Phantasms."

Grey nodded in agreement.

"Otherwise, it's too much trouble for the Commander to be the only one crushing stars. Against other interstellar empires, we can all put on fireworks shows."

"..."

A magnificent vision filled everyone's minds.

The shipgirls of the Starsea Empire, blotting out the skies, sweeping across enemy star systems at FTL speed.

Photoids streaking like meteors across the void, stars shattered by the cluster, entire civilizations spanning galaxies obliterated in an instant.

Breaking stars, extinguishing suns, all in the blink of an eye.

...

Starship shipgirls already had medium- and close-range kinetic weapons installed on their hulls.

Adapting them to fire photoids wasn't complicated—the principles were the same. The only challenge lay in producing photoids, which required some special materials.

Given the Empire's abundant resources, it wouldn't take long before all starship shipgirls could be outfitted with photoid launchers.

Some battle-hungry shipgirls were already thrilled, eager to start "more efficient" enemy cleansing.

Then—

Everyone's attention shifted to the most brutal weapon from the original Three-Body novel.

Kayo Senju led the group through winding corridors of the research sector.

They arrived at an isolated experimental zone, separate from the starbase, guarded heavily.

It floated in space like a lone island, accessible only by shuttlecraft. Around it hovered defensive turrets and squads of Angeloids on watch.

Everyone underwent multiple identity verifications—even Setsuna himself.

Such strict security was rare even at the capital's research institutes.

The building itself was a hemispherical dome. The moment they stepped inside, the shipgirls felt something strange.

Each of them experienced an uncomfortable sense of pressure.

"This is the dimensional technology testing zone. The entire sector is independent from the starbase and shrouded in forcefields."

"If an accident occurs, the whole facility can be destroyed instantly and sealed by protective fields to prevent dimensional collapse from leaking."

Kayo Senju explained.

"Hiss—"

Several little shipgirls gasped.

Researching law-based weapons naturally demanded proper caution.

Otherwise, Setsuna wouldn't have moved the experiments into the Trisolaran universe. If something went wrong back home, it would be unfixable.

If disaster happened here, at worst they could just abandon it and run.

Entering the experimental hall, they saw not only loli physicists, but also several Sirens, along with Akashi and Daedalus.

The finest minds of the Starsea Empire had gathered, surrounding a spherical glass chamber, observing a floating white slip of paper inside.

On holographic displays, they scribbled equations and pored over torrents of data.

"Yo, Commander, you really brought back something wild this time?!"

Purifier waved cheerfully.

"Dimensional reduction… tsk tsk, we could scare the Arbiter fleet to death with this! Their databases don't have anything like it."

"Maybe it's time to promote us and demote the Arbiters…"

"Are you trying to overturn the heavens?!"

Observer smacked the excitable one with her tentacle rigging.

"Strength decides who rules as Arbiter!!"

The two Sirens bickered noisily, while Compiler silently studied the data. Occasionally she glanced at her colleagues with the expression of someone watching idiots.

"We've conducted small-scale experiments on dividing the dual-vector foil, Commander. In some ways, it's an even simpler, cruder weapon than the photoid."

Kayo Senju and Grey explained.

"In essence, it's just a two-dimensional space sealed in a forcefield. To use it, you simply toss it into the enemy's world."

"Once the field dissipates, three-dimensional space collapses into two, dragging the entire universe down with it."

"Using a dual-vector foil requires no technical skill or threshold. Even primitive natives could drop it from a plane like a bomb—"

"—As long as they don't mind mutual destruction."

Weapons of the Trisolaran universe gave Setsuna the sense of "great truths in simple forms."

No flashy or convoluted technology—just the most direct applications of cosmic law.

"Could they be mass-produced?"

Bismarck asked.

"You could have as many as you want."

Grey shrugged.

She operated the console.

The forcefield containing the dual-vector foil gradually dimmed, releasing the two-dimensional space.

"The foil's leaking!!!"

Several little shipgirls panicked, ready to bolt.

The glass dome hummed as invisible energy beams fired from the slots, splitting space apart.

In the blink of an eye, the single pale-white slip had become two.

Graceful and weightless.

One dual-vector foil had become two.

"We released the forcefield restraining the two-dimensional space. In the instant it began expanding, we cut it and re-sealed it—creating more dual-vector foils."

"Of course, this process must be completed within one nanosecond. If the two-dimensional space expands too far, no one can stop it."

Grey explained it lightly, but everyone else was shaken.

"Doesn't that mean manufacturing dual-vector foils is virtually costless for us? We could mass-produce them?!"

Richelieu blinked.

"That's right. As long as our precision is high enough, it only costs a bit of electricity. If needed, we could produce several hundred a month."

"No wonder everyone in the Trisolaran world uses them—even the Singer, just a janitor, relied on them. Cheaper than corrosion missiles."

"Hundreds?!"

The shipgirls were stunned.

"Mhm. If the Commander wished, we could deploy enough dual-vector foils in a short time to dimensionally strike an entire galaxy cluster."

"Of course, not in our universe."

Grey folded her arms.

For FTL starships, using dual-vector foils was entirely different from lightspeed natives.

By jumping across regions of the galaxy, a fleet could scatter countless foils.

As they expanded, they'd connect from points into sheets, forming a vast two-dimensional space that swallowed the entire Milky Way.

"Is there a more controlled, efficient improvement possible?"

Setsuna pondered.

The weapon was powerful, but inefficient. The foil's maximum spread was limited to lightspeed, unable to catch FTL ships.

Worse, using too many risked suicide.

"Extremely difficult. It will take time to research and experiment."

Daedalus and Compiler answered together.

"Three-dimensional space collapsing into two never stops, so dual-vector foils are inherently uncontrollable."

"But the concept of dimensional strikes is advanced. We'd like to find alternate methods—like restricting collapse to a star system, or just a few light-years."

"In the ideal case, a starship could, like the Fallen Star Lance, deliver an instant, directional dimensional strike on astronomical scales."

"We've drafted 128 preliminary experimental proposals…"

"Additionally, we could reference Synapse…"

Daedalus slipped into scientist mode, lecturing endlessly on advanced theory.

Not only the shipgirls—even Akashi looked utterly lost, her eyes swirling. She realized she couldn't keep up with these scientific maniacs.

So she flopped into Setsuna's arms, twitching her ears, playing cute to beg off.

"Commander, I really don't understand this dimensional tech. Can I just go back to the capital and fix shipgirl gear, nya?"

"Sure. Warm my bed and you're forgiven."

Setsuna ruffled the cat-eared girl's head.

"Meow meow??!"

"Ahem—"

After speaking for more than ten minutes, Daedalus cleared her throat.

"Commander, do you understand?"

"Yeah. You want to make a controllable version of dimensional weapons. Whatever you need, ask."

Setsuna skipped the details, extracting the core meaning.

"In this universe, experiment however you like—just not too close to Earth. If you need experimental sites in other systems, I'll open the way."

He knew many star systems would be sacrificed to dimensional weapon research.

But here, in the Trisolaran world, it didn't matter. Plenty of civilizations already used two-dimensional strikes—one more wouldn't hurt.

"Mm…"

"Also, the manufacturing process for dimensional tech is a challenge. It requires extremely advanced physics and string theory knowledge…"

Daedalus hesitated.

"That's simple. Manufacturing is never a problem for the Starsea Empire."

Setsuna gestured. Yat Sen brought in a few colorful Bulins from outside.

Leading them was the foreman Bulin, the one who had built the Eternal Snowfall, staring at Setsuna with wide, innocent eyes.

"Commander, do you want us to build another ship, bruin?!"

Foreman Bulin beamed with confidence.

"No. This time, I'm giving you a new task."

Setsuna patted her head, pointing at Daedalus and Compiler.

"Go with them. You'll be building dimensional strike weapons."

"Buli?!"

Bulin tilted her head, thinking hard about what Setsuna meant.

Then she slammed the floor with her hammer in protest.

"Commander, are you picking on Bulin, buli??!"

Chapter 306: Qlipoth Starts Swinging Without a Word

Aether was clad in Abyssal divine armor, a golden divine sword gripped in his hand.

Behind him, the Abyssal Divine Wheel signified that he had fully unleashed his power.

By drawing upon the power of the Abyssal Universe, his strength had surged straight from low single-universe-class to single-universe-class. With the aid of the Pseudo Star Map Creation: Bottomless Abyss, even among the single-universe class, he was by no means weak.

He had long been observing each of the Aeons from the shadows.

These Aeons' true strength lay not in the scale of their being, but in the quality of their power.

Their mass was merely at low single-universe and standard single-universe.

Their power was rooted in their Paths and Principles. Yet they themselves were not true sovereigns of those Principles. Principles were anchors; what they truly mastered were their Paths.

The Path was an abstract concept. It was not a Rule, nor a Principle, but something between—a personal philosophical interpretation.

But the Path absolutely stood higher than the mere concept of cosmic Rules. It was a kind of personal addition to reality itself.

This power formed a sort of philosophical framework, bearing the ability to erase reality and revise universal concepts.

It was philosophy, yet not philosophy itself—more like its derivative.

Aether, having touched the secrets of the multiverse, naturally knew a few things about this.

Truth, without question, was the absolute existence of the superdimension.

The so-called superdimension referred to infinite dimensions. A great universe was but eleven-dimensional. At twelve dimensions lay the multiverse, and beyond twelve dimensions—the unknown realm of the superdimension.

The Dimensional Gap possessed traits of the superdimension, capable of endlessly advancing dimensions.

Within Teyvat's Dimensional Gap, the Endless Planes were all slowly evolving. Some vast planes had already developed into small universes.

Below Truth was naturally Principle: high-dimensional laws, philosophical theories, and other abstractions in themselves.

What existence, then, were the Paths—derived from Principles? Aether did not fully understand.

But the potential of the Path was undoubtedly immense. Paths were not bound by any universe, and like Principles, could affect all universes.

Above the universe, yet below Principles, the concept was highly abstract.

In fact, Noah had already deciphered this long ago.

Paths were derivatives of Principles. If Truth was the trunk, and Principles the branches, then Paths were the leaves.

This tree-structure of Truth was the foundation from which Noah evolved the three major ranks of Lords of Law/Principle.

When a Lord of Law/Principle in Teyvat ascended to the multiverse, they would become Multiversal-class, able to directly influence the entire multiverse.

A Lord of Principle/Law would then be super single-universe, able to create and destroy innumerable great universes.

And those who forged Paths from Principles would ascend as Lords of Philosophy—strong single-universe, capable of creating and destroying a limited number of great universes.

Paths were the evolution of philosophy itself, hence they were named Philosophy.

Lord of Truth, Lord of Law/Principle, Lord of Philosophy.

The cosmic authorities they wielded were known as the Court of Truth, the Court of Principles, and the Court of Philosophy.

This was the fourth stage of Divine Seats that Noah had defined.

Having now reached the level of a Super-Primeval God, Noah sensed that the Teyvat Universe was nearing super single-universe, and thus he could feel its resonance.

Within this superdimension domain, the highest-tier worlds were no more than Standard Multiverse-class. High Multiverse, Infinite Multiverse, and beyond—such as stacked-box structures—did not exist.

Perhaps it was only because he, as a Super-Primeval God, had yet to reach the stage to touch such realms, and thus could not perceive them.

But he could sense this much: within this superdimension realm, the number of multiverse-class worlds was in the single digits.

Yet worlds like the great Tree and Sea, weak multiverses, were countless.

To devour all universes of this superdimension realm would only yield a High Multiverse.

This superdimension domain was what he recognized as the "Second Dimension."

To become Infinite Multiverse required breaking through the Wall of the Superdimension—the transcendence of this super-multiverse itself.

Each super-multiverse was an entirely different cognition of the multiverse.

To devour infinite super-multiverses—that was Infinite Multiverse.

This was already the beginning of the "stacked box" concept. One multiverse contained countless great universes—that was the first box. A superdimension domain held innumerable multiverses and weak multiverses—that was the second box. Any infinite superdimension domain held countless superdimension realms—that was the third box.

And this stacking would continue endlessly, without limit.

At this thought, even Noah felt a headache, and chose not to think further.

For now, it was irrelevant to him.

At present, regarding the fourth stage of Divine Seats, aside from the Seat of the Lord of Philosophy, which he would grant downward, the Seats of the Lord of Principle/Law and the Lord of Truth would have to be bestowed only upon those he personally chose.

These two Divine Seats could directly affect the future of the entire multiverse, and absolutely could not be handed out as casually as the third-stage Seats had been.

Across two great universes, Noah watched as Aether prepared to single-handedly challenge all Aeons, and he could not help but raise his thumb in approval.

Good fellow—I only said, "Don't worry, you can take on many at once," but I didn't tell you to immediately provoke all of them at once!

Though I will certainly intervene, that must only be when the universe has been nearly cleansed—when Himeko, Firefly, and Sparkle ignite their Paths' resonance and ascend to aeonhood.

...

In the depths of Star Rail Universe—

Provoked by Aether's challenge, the Aeons who had been seeking the invader now locked onto him.

Aeons were the very foundation of the universe. To be targeted by more than half of them was no different from being targeted by the great universe itself.

Each of them, at minimum, possessed low single-universe mass, wielding transcendent might capable of erasing reality—and now they began to manifest.

Vmmm—

A sanctified form like an oil painting came forth—an abstract humanoid figure cradling two black holes, one red and one blue, rotating together.

At the instant it appeared, the balance of the universe was forcibly corrected. Even the will of the Abyss was disturbed, compelled to form an absolute balance between the Abyss and the Star Rail Universe.

Melodic harmonies of the cosmos resounded across the universe, as strange celestial bodies were birthed from the void. A three-faced goddess draped in cosmic auroras—her form like the universe itself—appeared, bearing expressions of compassion, falsehood, and blessing.

DONG—

A sound like space itself being struck rang out, and the entire cosmic void grew viscous.

A sanctified form of amber hue appeared—its head, chest, and arms all burning with stellar fire, wielding a colossal hammer of stone.

The moment this being appeared, it raised its hammer and struck toward its chosen target.

There were no words exchanged. To him, it seemed no different than his usual act of raising the hammer to forge the Subspace Crystalline Barrier.

Crack—Crack—Crack—Crack—

Before Qlipoth's massive hammer, forging the Great Subspace Crystalline Wall's gravitational baseplate, the space ahead collapsed under the force of the Principle of Preservation and the Path of Preservation. Like compressed foam, it folded and compacted infinitely.

Space, endlessly folded and condensed, underwent a qualitative transformation, ascending into a Schrödinger's state of cosmic crystal wall—half-illusory, half-substantial.

This strike looked deceptively simple, but in truth, it could easily shatter the sanctified form of even a single-universe class powerhouse.

None of the Aeons present could withstand even a single blow.

In fact, when the Aeon of Propagation, Tayzzyronth, was struck in the past, he had already fallen into near-death with the very first hammer. The following two strikes only shattered his sanctified form further.

Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, was among the oldest of Aeons.

"This kind of attack is indeed a fatal strike for ordinary Almighty Gods. But I myself am the Abyssal Universe."

In Aether's eyes—so small as dust before the surrounding Aeons—there flickered a trace of disdain. At that moment, the Pseudo Star Map Creation burst forth.

The power of the entire Abyssal Universe surged into his body. His divine form swelled like an inflating balloon. In mere milliseconds, his size exceeded that of stars, matching Qlipoth's own scale.

Facing Qlipoth's seemingly simple hammer strike, the golden divine sword in his hand rose to meet it.

With the Pseudo Star Map Creation's power infused, this sword now bore the weight of an entire universe.

And how could a single universe's mass possibly be borne by the Star Rail Universe's space?

At the instant golden sword met preservation hammer, the space Qlipoth had hammered into Subspace Crystalline Barrier emitted the crisp sound of shattering.

A brilliance like the explosion of a cosmic singularity burst forth from the point of contact, illuminating the cosmos brighter than the light of galaxies themselves.

Crack—

Nor did it end there—the preservation hammer was instantly shattered, unable to block the golden divine sword's advance.

The sword struck Qlipoth's amber, rock-like arm.

If one asked what was the hardest substance in the Star Rail Universe, it was undoubtedly Qlipoth's sanctified form.

Yet the golden sword sliced through it like a diamond blade cutting glass. The piercing screech resounded as the cosmic void across millions of light-years fractured outright.

Dense, large-scale rifts in space spread across millions of light-years. Countless galaxies became trapped within broken fragments of space.

This was fragmentation on the conceptual level—it did not affect physical operation. Even when galaxies were split in two by spatial rifts, they continued their normal motion.

It was as though a mirror had been shattered, yet its mass remained unchanged.

One of Qlipoth's arms broke apart, amber shards scattering like fireworks across the expanse of the universe.

"Hm! A sword bearing the weight of a universe… an entire universe!"

Strange reverberations issued from Qlipoth's sanctified form. It was not sound, but a transmission of will.

In only an instant, Qlipoth had suffered loss. Yet the other Aeons did not halt—they continued to unleash their force. Their Principles and Paths boiled, turning the entire universe into their domain.

Dozens of negative effects of the cosmic foundations pressed down upon Aether, the outsider.

Yet his power did not diminish—for his strength came from the Pseudo Star Map Creation and the Abyssal Universe.

Unless the Aeons could affect the faraway Teyvat itself, such domain debuffs were meaningless.

Of course, had this been an ordinary single-universe class being, under dozens of Principle debuffs, their power would surely have fallen to a tenth.

"Hahaha—! I didn't expect you all to arrive so quickly. Wonderful!"

A sanctified form appeared, composed of countless masks and shadows of humanity.

This body was covered with dense cracks, as though ready to split apart at any moment.

This was none other than Aha, the Aeon of Elation—who, after his disastrous defeat in Teyvat, had not fully healed, yet had recovered to single-universe class strength.

"Ah, I've seen you before, Lord Sovereign of the Abyssal Universe. Ohoho~ the master of an entire universe!"

"That time when I was beaten down by more than ten of your friends—you were there watching, weren't you? Along with a dozen others too~"

"At that time, you didn't seem nearly so strong~"

"But of course, the universe you hail from is far too powerful, allowing you to freely shift your aura as you please."

"Now, this must be your true strength, hehe~ far too mighty indeed."

"This peculiar cosmic power of yours… you resemble those others who besieged me before. Were they also sovereigns of entire universes~?"

As Aha spoke, the countless masks upon his sanctified form shifted into expressions of terror.

"Truly terrifying… your very being is an entire universe."

"If I apologize to you now—kneeling, kowtowing—would you forgive me?"

At once, countless masks and shadowy figures dropped to their knees, groveling pitifully like bullied children sobbing before their tormentors.

Waaaah— "Aha was wrong! Please forgive Aha, Aha truly erred! Don't bully this universe anymore! Aha kowtows to you~"

Yet amidst the weeping faces, a few mocking, playful expressions flashed. Clearly, it was all an act.

Ah, how terrifying that universe was.

It had truly reached across to this place, and those Gates remained utterly incomprehensible.

And this Sovereign God of the Abyss… too powerful.

To be a universe itself, to strike with the weight of an entire cosmos in a single blow…

One against several, even against many Ahas at once.

As Aha knelt and wailed in feigned repentance, more Aeons descended—save for Nihility and Destruction, all others revealed themselves.

Together, they surrounded Aether, sealing away all retreat.

[An existence from another universe—utterly distinct from we, the sentient celestial forms. Calculation underway. Battle models constructing.]

[Ah, the suffering of all beings. Existence from another universe, for the sake of sparing all lives their pain, let the despairing affliction be healed. I beg you, withdraw your power.]

[Memory dissolves into boundless death. The memories of cosmic life, of civilizations, are the records of existence. For the sake of memory's completeness, outsider, you must vanish from the memory of the universe.]

[The universe's future has shifted. The end is unknown, its path uncertain. You have become an obstacle to the flow of time's river.]

[The harmony of all life, strong aiding weak, death protecting life—I see now, the Abyss is not a heartless Law, yet it is an obstacle to present harmony.]

[The Abyss's devouring of civilization's potential has already obstructed mystery.]

Without hesitation, Aether activated the Pseudo Star Map Creation: Bottomless Abyss.

He would drag every Aeon into his cosmology, into his domain.

"Then let us begin, Aeons. Witness the power of Teyvat."

"Bottomless Abyss—activate! Grind all things to dust—Pseudo Star Map Creation!"

Chapter 59: The Meaning of Living

The Tenseigan chakra was one of the ultimate forces that reigned above this shinobi world.

Its most direct manifestation was that, through Tenseigan Chakra Mode, one could step directly into the Six Paths level and summon the Truth-Seeking Orbs.

To Satsuki, the Truth-Seeking Orbs were, in essence, symbols of authority.

When the extraterrestrial Ōtsutsuki used the Ten Tails to transform this world's natural energy, they divided that energy into levels of authority according to their own interests. As administrators—or, rather, as self-proclaimed gods of this world—the Ōtsutsuki naturally set their own bloodline and power as the highest authority.

All other forms of chakra manifestation, aside from senjutsu which derived from untouched natural energy, were invariably set far below the Ōtsutsuki bloodline in authority, so long as they were born of power once processed by the Ten Tails' Divine Tree.

The proof of this theory lay in the nine tailed beasts.

At their core, the tailed beasts were merely collections of chakra, and within this world's natural hierarchy of authority, they occupied a lower level. No matter how vast their power, when faced with the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, the Uzumaki clan's sealing arts, or the Sage Clan's artifacts, they were easily suppressed.

In the past, Satsuki had conducted an experiment with Gokuma Senju, suppressing Gyūki with her chakra. Even then, she had only needed to draw on a fraction of her power to completely overpower the Eight Tails.

Similarly, Uchiha Tajima, with his Mangekyō Sharingan, could indirectly manipulate a portion of Kurama's chakra.

This was not a matter of sheer strength, but of natural authority.

Through her observations, Satsuki concluded that this authority was determined by two factors: the closeness of one's bloodline to the Ōtsutsuki, and one's own individual strength. Together, these two aspects established the level of authority.

Thus, the Truth-Seeking Orbs symbolized one who had become the highest authority in this world.

Yet the power of the Truth-Seeking Orbs carried an unmistakable air of bullying the weak: they were designed not primarily to counter other Six Paths beings, but to suppress all below that level. These black spheres contained the force of all things and nothingness. For anyone lacking Six Paths power, contact with them meant instant erasure into nothingness. For those who possessed Six Paths power, they could be touched freely. Their form could shift at will, transforming into various weapons, and their inner composition allowed for dazzling effects.

This design clearly existed to enforce a hierarchical order.

"The only one within the Six Paths tier who still wielded truly overwhelming force was likely Kaguya, who had reached the so-called 'Kekkei Mōra' level."

As she continued to pour Tenseigan chakra into the bone spear suspected to be transforming into All-Killing Ash Bones, Satsuki observed the color of its surface gradually darkening with time.

It was indeed transforming into All-Killing Ash Bones—and at an alarming speed.

"It seems that within this lies not only a power of annihilation, but also a mechanism that spontaneously absorbs external energy."

Satsuki realized the color shift on the bone spear's surface was directly tied to the annihilation force. Her Six Paths-level Tenseigan chakra was serving as nourishment for its self-propelled growth.

As the spear transformed, a profound annihilation force began to stir upon its surface, like the movements of a fetus.

"It seems certain now—the Shikotsumyaku is a degraded form of the All-Killing Ash Bones. The reason their clan members die the further they develop the bloodline limit must be linked to this spontaneous advancement, wherein the Shikotsumyaku absorbs the chakra of its wielder."

In the shinobi world, chakra was the product of fusing one's spiritual and physical energies, inseparable from one's life itself.

Thus, the self-advancement of the Shikotsumyaku, for the Kaguya clan whose bloodline was already diluted, was nothing less than a death sentence.

To push the ordinary Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit to evolve into the Kekkei Mōra level of the All-Killing Ash Bones required absorbing an astronomical amount of chakra. Anyone who understood the gulf between the two would recognize just how terrifying the required energy truly was.

The Shikotsumyaku alone could not be broken even by Shukaku's ultimate shield.

The All-Killing Ash Bones, however, could slay a Six Paths-level being outright. Even for Satsuki as she was now, a single strike would mean only one outcome—death.

The gap between the two was of another dimension entirely.

Yet if this bloodline were truly so overwhelming—so much so that its natural evolution could annihilate the Kaguya clan's geniuses—then Suzuki Kaguya's development of a so-called inhibitor for the bloodline sickness was highly suspicious.

"The Shikotsumyaku's bloodline sickness was something even Orochimaru in later generations could not overcome. And Suzuki Kaguya? Could he really have created a medicine strong enough to resist such a force?"

And yet, Suzuki's very existence made Satsuki hesitate. If he had no method of suppressing his Shikotsumyaku's advancement, he could never have pushed the bloodline to such extremes.

To uncover the mechanism, experimentation was unavoidable.

With this thought, Satsuki drew out the vial Maei Kaguya had given her. Uncorking it, she used a dropper to place several drops of the liquid onto the bone spear.

Moments later, a strange phenomenon occurred.

Through the Tenseigan's microscopic perception, Satsuki saw the inhibitor rapidly spread upon contact with the evolving Shikotsumyaku bone. The force of absorption began to diminish at a visible rate.

Soon, on the spear's surface, a thin cellular membrane was generated by its stem cells, covering the entire bone.

As this layer oxidized and solidified, both the absorbing force and the faint annihilation energy were sealed away, while the once-gray bone reverted back to white.

When the color shift was complete, the absorption force was gone entirely.

Exiting Tenseigan Chakra Mode in deep thought, Satsuki began to analyze what she had observed.

"It seems this so-called bloodline sickness inhibitor is, in fact, a blocker of cellular signal transmission. It disrupts the Shikotsumyaku's natural self-advancing signals and creates a protective membrane on the surface, preventing the annihilation force from harming the user."

She instructed a puppet to record her observations and deductions into the research log.

But how exactly had this inhibitor itself come into existence?

Though Maei Kaguya had described the supposed manufacturing process, after witnessing the phenomenon through the Tenseigan, Satsuki realized that the principle behind it was far beyond what the Kaguya clan could have achieved.

To systematically research at such a level would have required immense prior study, consuming vast manpower, resources, and wealth. It was not something that could have gone unnoticed.

"Or… was this inhibitor simply discovered by chance? The product of countless trials and errors, stumbled upon by accident?"

That possibility could not be dismissed. But Satsuki decided she would confirm it directly.

After resealing the bone spear into a scroll, she moved with several jonin puppets in escort toward the castle's puppet repair division.

Since Satsuki had only puppets and a handful of human subordinates, the repair division also served as the medical ward. And there, clinging faintly to life, was Suzuki Kaguya.

The puppet repair division was located in a relatively secluded part of the fortress, usually with few guards. Its energy supply was connected directly to the giant Tenseigan.

By converting the endless chakra of the Ryūmyaku, most of the maintenance here was automated.

The division housed mechanical arms and scanning devices adapted to puppet structures. Nearby, in a temperature-controlled warehouse, dozens of wooden crates were neatly stacked, sealed with wax, each containing spare parts.

Here, puppet mechanical damage, worn parts, and minor upgrades could all be handled efficiently. Scrapped components were sent by conveyor to the lower-level disposal plant, sorted by type, and processed accordingly.

And that was only part of the repair division's functions.

In more hidden sections, there were facilities for extracting shinobi combat memories, processing the data, and programming puppet AI.

In practice, this meant teaching puppets ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, and other specialized counters according to their classification.

They could be used not only for combat but also for production. As someone from a modern world, Satsuki firmly believed in the creed: "Science and technology are the primary productive force."

Of course, the process of achieving this was far from gentle.

For the shinobi used as raw material, having their combat experiences forcibly extracted from their brains was anything but pleasant.

It was no exaggeration to say that the technology in just this one room of the fortress already surpassed the entire outside shinobi world by an unimaginable margin.

If she wished, it would not take long for Satsuki to field a massive puppet army capable of trampling the whole shinobi world.

The system had once suggested it.

At the time, Satsuki's reply was:

"You're right. It wouldn't be difficult for me now." As she flipped through an experimental record, marking notes with her pen, she responded calmly in her mind: "However, I refuse."

"This would waste time and serve no purpose."

She closed the record book and, almost absentmindedly, cast a glance at the system.

"It would prove nothing except the stupidity of whoever suggested it."

System: …You dare insult me again?

The subject was dropped there. Whether or not this choice was worth celebrating for the world at large, no one could say.

...

And as the only prisoner in this place—

Suzuki Kaguya was confined in a cell built specifically for him.

His body was bound in a cross-shape against a white board, covered in black sealing scripts. Some suppressed his chakra flow to prevent activating the Shikotsumyaku, while others were trigger seals designed to keep him from escaping. For example, if he left the room, a space-time jutsu would immediately return him.

When Satsuki arrived and saw Suzuki still unconscious, she frowned slightly, then ordered a puppet to wake him.

The puppet drifted before him, forming rapid hand seals.

"Water Release: Water Wave."

A stream of water splashed across Suzuki's face. The force was well controlled—enough to sting, but not to harm.

The shock of cold jolted Suzuki, and his awareness finally returned.

After a long sleep or coma, a person's vision was always blurred upon waking. Though he could not see clearly, the pain coursing through his body reminded Suzuki that he was still alive.

"You're awake?"

Satsuki watched as the white-haired youth's pupils gradually adjusted to normal size. She then took out the vial and held it before him.

The moment his blurred vision fell upon the vial, an overwhelming killing intent burst from his body.

This vial was far too important to the Kaguya clan—it must never fall into another's hands. Though his condition was dire, Suzuki was prepared to stake his life to seize it back.

That killing intent endured—until his vision cleared enough to see the face of the one holding it.

Immediately, the killing intent vanished.

"I thought you would throw yourself at me regardless of the cost," Satsuki said calmly. "It seems you are far more rational than I imagined, clansman of the Kaguya."

"..."

Suzuki's reply was silence. As a shinobi, he knew all too well what capture meant. And he had already witnessed this woman's overwhelming power firsthand.

"Silent?"

Satsuki was unfazed as Suzuki turned his head away.

Retracting the vial, she said, "That's not a wise move. I have a dozen ways to rip what I need from your head. I chose to ask you only out of consideration for that boy."

At these words, her sharp perception noted a slight change in his heartbeat and pulse.

She pressed further: "Do you know why you are still alive?"

These words made Suzuki recall that boy who had always followed him. At last, he turned his head back to face the woman before him.

It wasn't the first time he had seen her appearance, yet even now her beauty struck him. Draped in a short kimono that revealed the smooth lines of her figure, her presence was even more alluring.

Every word he knew to describe splendor could be piled upon her without excess.

But when his eyes met Satsuki's golden Tenseigan, a profound, soul-piercing depth surged within him, a lofty aloofness that looked down upon all things.

"You…"

Suzuki stared blankly into those eyes. They were not unfamiliar to him. Once, he himself had worn the same gaze.

From the moment he awakened the Shikotsumyaku as a child, he had borne his clan's scorn and his enemies' fear.

Yet unlike his clansmen, who reveled in war's frenzy, his isolation had given him more time and space to think.

Battle. Eat. Solitude. Thought. Then battle again. Eat again. Think again.

Day after day, year after year—he grew accustomed to fighting, accustomed to eating, and accustomed to pondering: Why do I fight? Who am I?

This way of life made his thinking diverge further from the Kaguya clan.

As his strength grew, so did his status. Until one day, another small village fell beneath his clan's slaughter as always.

But that battle was different. The previous clan leader had died, and the others pressed the symbol of leadership into his hand, declaring him their strongest.

He had looked around at the frenzied faces, the eyes glowing blood-red with bloodlust, the mouths ceaselessly chanting "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

And in that moment, he could no longer avoid a truth he had always buried: the Kaguya clan was a family that lived only for battle. Only in battle did they find "the meaning of life." Only in bloodshed did they feel their existence.

But he was not like them.

Suzuki realized then that he was not the same kind of creature. He had no kin. He was a monster. A monster destined for solitude.

From that day forward, his eyes changed. Everything around him ceased to matter. Nothing was worth concern. Everyone became just a symbol.

And today, in this woman's eyes, he saw the same gaze.

But mingled within hers were things he lacked. Things missing from himself.

This realization planted something new amidst his death-seeking resolve.

"I am still alive because my bloodline has undergone some kind of change."

Satsuki's expression did not shift. She simply waited for him to continue.

In that moment, Suzuki's thoughts raced endlessly before he finally answered: "You need my help. And only I can provide it. But in exchange, I want to know one thing."

Hearing this, Satsuki narrowed her golden eyes slightly. She did not say anything like, 'What right do you have to bargain with me?' Instead, she followed his sudden shift in attitude and asked, "What is it?"

"Someone like you… can you tell me, does life have meaning?"

Chapter 146: The Eve of the Storm

In the end, Vela did not wreak havoc in Kouitsu Chigyou's Quinque workshop.

"See you the day after tomorrow, Doctor."

Adjusting the 'White Dove' brooch with one hand and smoothing her coat's hem with the other, Vela bid farewell to Dr. Chigyou.

"Why not tomorrow? You're already preparing to go back to work so soon… Farewell, farewell… Vela, I'll be waiting for that supreme Kakuhou you promised!"

Closing the vault storing Quinque steel ingots, Dr. Chigyou, who was entering related data into his personal computer, raised a thumbs-up and shouted.

Vela nodded, lifted the special [Arata-Ayato-α] black-gold Quinque case, picked up the stored [Black Abyss IV], then passed through the Rc detection gate of the workshop. With the salutes of the guards, she left the CCG headquarters research institute.

Akira Mado followed closely behind, carrying a case of Rc cell supply injectors.

From North America to Japan, after days of exhausting travel and a half-day of busywork, Vela didn't stir up any more trouble.

Back in the car, en route to the investigator community, she chatted with her former adjutant Akira about amusing events from the past half-year while also listening to her questions regarding the manufacture of [Chimera Quinque].

Her father, Kureo Mado, was a weapon-crafting fanatic, utterly obsessed with Quinques. Influenced by him from childhood, Akira had naturally become one of the more skilled Quinque makers among her peers from the very beginning of her academy years.

Compared to Vela, however, Akira suffered more from a lack of material and inexperience.

Within the CCG, there was an unwritten rule: the Kagune and Kakuhou of any ghoul exterminated belonged to the one who killed it. As for Akira—her sustained combat capability was clearly her weak point. Her extermination efficiency was at best that of an ordinary investigator.

Soon enough, after stopping by a night market with Akira to bond, enjoy some street food, and pick up drinks and snacks, Vela returned to her 'home' in Tokyo.

A detached villa provided by the Tokyo Commission of Counter Ghoul Headquarters.

After all, it was a profession where lives were staked—especially in Tokyo, the city worst plagued by ghoul disasters. Investigator salaries and benefits were among the best in all of Japan, and for a high-ranking investigator like her, even more so.

Waving goodbye to Akira, watching as the logistics driver of the Bureau's support division departed after helping unload her belongings, Vela let her smile fade. Raising her eyes, she gazed toward the brightly lit metropolis—not just at the city, but at specific directions.

That sense of being watched…

They had tailed her for half the way.

Vela narrowed her eyes.

Undeniable—someone was monitoring her.

"Let the storm come harder…"

With the corner of her lips curved upward, Vela carried the black-gold Quinque case inside the house.

First things first—she had to settle in. She needed to walk through every room, checking every corner to ensure no listening devices, hidden cameras, or other spy equipment had been installed. When it came to counterintelligence, she had some experience.

Creaaak. The main door shut.

The night was deep.

...

At the city's edge, heavy with the stench of rot and dried blood.

In a narrow, suffocating alley, the corpses of several CCG investigators lay strewn about, along with two mangled civilian bodies, half-devoured. A longsword-type Quinque had been utterly destroyed, its shattered blade fragments scattered across the ground.

"Eto, the tailing party reported that after leaving the Imperial Hotel Tokyo, Vela Adelheid Russell did not return directly to her CCG-assigned apartment. She stopped by Ward 1 CCG headquarters and only just returned home. Our people saw her carrying two black-gold Quinque cases. Beyond that, distance prevented identifying further details."

"Black-gold cases? Meaning our kin's precious remains—those S+ and SS-ranked comrades the CCG so cruelly labels—have once again been defiled by humans?"

"Afraid so."

"How regrettable… and terrifying. This diseased, ugly world forges our organs into weapons, then turns them against us in the hunt…"

A deep male voice intertwined with the childlike tones of a girl.

Sitting at the rooftop's edge, her small legs wrapped tightly in bandages dangling idly, the child-sized figure under a dark red hood—Eto—rested her chin on her hand and murmured: "Mm… Compared to us, forced to consume human flesh and blood as our only food, those investigators who treat us as raw materials for weapons, torturing and slaughtering us at will—which side is truly the more vile and despicable?"

"Killing and being killed, that's all. I have no interest in pondering human philosophy."

Tatara's muffled voice rumbled through his crimson mask.

"She is our mortal enemy. Since conflict is inevitable, if she insists on wading into Tokyo's waters, then we find a way to kill her."

His boiling killing intent made his crimson Kakugan glow.

"Even if striking her brings investigation and pursuit from North America—it doesn't matter."

Last time, because Vela's Tokyo assignment was nearing its end, and given her identity and troublesome strength, Aogiri Tree had endured. They gave her face, let her leave with glory, and only resurfaced after.

But she came again—this time, it would not end peacefully.

If word spread that Aogiri Tree, the faction of the One-Eyed King, had been cowed by a single investigator not once, but twice?

Laughable.

How then could Aogiri Tree still call themselves saviors of ghouls?

"Yah, yah, Tatara-san, your lesson is right. Pardon my French…"

Dropping the subject, Eto swung her arms and stood up. Leaping from the rooftop, the seven or eight meters of height was nothing to her—she landed, skipped lightly, and bounced toward a dying CCG investigator slumped in the corner, coughing blood, clinging to a single breath.

Swish!

Tatara also jumped down.

"You…"

The mortally wounded investigator, intestines spilling out, struggled to raise his head. A little girl with her body wrapped in bandages? He didn't recognize her. But that white-clad, white-haired, red-masked figure—"You're Associate Special Class Houji's partner from the 'Chi She Lian' extermina—gah!"

"Too noisy."

A flash of azure Bikaku, and Tatara decapitated him. The body spun, crashing to the side.

"Ne, ne, Tatara-san, how many of our comrades have already fallen to her hands?"

"Yamori Jason, Ayato, the Bin Brothers, Naki, Guge, Gagi…"

"Quite a few… Then for their sake, let's postpone striking 'Antique.' We'll focus on killing more humans. That American Special Class investigator wants to kill us? We'll kill her people instead."

With innocent, childlike tones, Eto uttered words dripping with cruelty as she kicked aside the dead investigator's staring head.

"Mm."

Tatara agreed.

As the tall and small figures vanished into the alley's shadows—

Shh, shh…

More figures cloaked in dark red robes emerged, reaching toward the corpses on the ground. Crunch, crunch—the sounds of gnawing, chewing, tearing of flesh echoed.

...

A dreamless night.

The next day.

Morning.

Ward 1, Commission of Counter Ghoul Headquarters.

Having just attended the formal welcoming ceremony, dressed in a proper dark uniform, Vela walked through the various department offices with a graceful curve at her lips. She nodded politely to staff who greeted her while heading toward her own office.

Pushing the door open, the moment she stepped inside, Vela saw a thick stack of documents placed neatly on her desk.

Compiled by First Class Investigator Kureo Mado—recent ghoul leads and tracking reports.

Sha, sha. "Ho, quite a backlog of unfinished investigations, I see…"

Chapter 227: Eden—How Could I Ever Be Worthy!

"Elias, my friend, can you tell me more about yourself? I really want to understand you better."

Eden felt like a bee drawn to some unknown nectar, instinctively wanting to know more about Elias, to understand what kind of life experiences could allow him to play such a special melody.

Elias raised his brow, glancing at Eden holding his hand, then at her dazzling golden eyes, and immediately understood.

Here was yet another woman swayed by curiosity.

Another woman wanting to explore his secrets.

His first reaction was helplessness, but the next second he welcomed Eden's request.

"I can tell you about myself, but Eden, you'd better be prepared. Maybe we should first sign a liability waiver or something—if anything happens, I won't take responsibility."

"Oh? Just knowing more about you, Elias, comes at such a great cost?"

"In a way, yes. So far, every woman who wanted to know me better ended up falling for me. Eden~ if you also get poisoned by me, it'll be very dangerous."

Elias reversed his grip, lifting Eden's delicate hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on its back. Mischief and wickedness gleamed in his eyes as he posed like some incorrigible bad man.

So far, many had tried to explore the ocean named Elias. Among them were the Herrscher of Thunder who could command storms, the genius mathematician Bronya who proved 8>50,000, the ultimate, absurdly cute Kiana, the flawless Miss Pink Elf, and many others.

But in the end, every one of them had sunk, drowned forever in the depths of that sea, never to resurface.

That was fine enough when it came to them—but if even Eden sank in those waters, the consequences would be far more serious.

After all, in the Previous Era there were only two kinds of people: those who had never heard Eden's songs, and Eden's fans.

This entire era were her fans. Billions of listeners online was no exaggeration. If even Eden were to accidentally fall in love with Elias…

The suicide rate in the Previous Era would skyrocket.

Elias even worried that when Herrschers appeared, they might not kill as many people as Eden confessing her love for him would. If that happened, they truly would be a dangerous pair.

One side indeed had the charm to make others fall for him.

The other side indeed had the influence to sway the whole world.

If Eden went to America and announced she wanted to be president, her approval rating would crush both Old Joe and our dear Donald.

"That makes me even more interested. Please, let me try. Elias, I'll state it clearly: despite how I may seem, I've never even been in love once."

Eden chuckled lightly, showing not the slightest sign of retreat.

In fact, Elias' words only made her more curious.

Though Eden didn't know what love truly was, she didn't believe it could surpass the feeling of spiritual communion and soul's ascension she had experienced while performing with Elias.

And if—just if—she truly did fall for Elias, then at worst she could simply keep it secret, dating him behind the world's back.

The thought itself was rather thrilling. Given her status as a symbol of her era, Eden hiding her romance from her fans would essentially mean hiding it from the entire world.

"Well, I did warn you."

Elias handed his terminal to Eden, then shook the golden bell on the table. Immediately, a waiter came over, and upon hearing Elias' request, hurried off to fetch an instrument.

High-end restaurants like this often kept various props on hand for their patrons' needs. Elias casually asked for one, and soon enough the waiter returned with a violin.

"You and I are both singers. Surely you understand—for people like us, music expresses far more than words ever could."

"Yes, my friend. I'm truly happy to hear your performance again tonight. I'm very fortunate."

Eden opened the recording function on her terminal as she spoke, swirling the wine in her glass while gazing at Elias with eager anticipation.

Fine food, fine wine, and then a supreme performance—even for Eden, this was a rare and precious pleasure.

But very soon, she found herself unable to drink another sip of wine.

Zheng zheng—!

The sound, as if tearing through the air, shot straight into Eden's ears.

Eden's face showed disbelief. This tone was different from the kingly sound she had heard at the concert, but she could tell—it was another facet of Elias' true self.

(Unbelievable. Elias, you're even more complex than the finest layered wine… but why does this tone feel so sorrowful?)

It wasn't just sorrow.

It was loneliness. Persistence. Tenacity. Defiance!

Eden unconsciously closed her eyes.

She seemed to see a prisoner resisting the shackles of fate. Though covered in wounds and with only a sliver of hope, he still refused to kneel, refused to submit.

Like a white bird trapped in a beautiful cage, hurling itself against the bars with all its might—bloodied and battered, yet still unyielding in its struggle to fly to the sky of freedom.

But there was more. Through the music, Eden gained a direct bridge to the depths of Elias' heart. At this moment, she was closer to his essence than anyone else in the world.

And suddenly, she realized—

The prisoner wasn't struggling against his own fate.

The white bird wasn't breaking free of its own cage.

It was someone else's fate. Someone else's cage!

This white-haired boy wasn't fighting for himself. He was fighting to protect others!

Elias had taken the fate of others upon his own shoulders.

Heavy—far too heavy. It was the weight of many people's destinies.

No… wrong!

It was the weight of an entire era's fate!

(How can this be… is this the real him?)

Tears slipped from Eden's eyes. She opened them again to see the white-haired boy before her, pouring his heart into the violin, and she felt her chest ache so much it was hard to breathe.

At the same time, this noble will—to defy fate, to protect those he loved, to endlessly sacrifice himself—moved Eden beyond words. This was the boy's true self that language could never capture.

"Mm. Not bad, this violin."

After finishing the piece, which he titled True Self, Elias gave a short praise, then handed the violin back.

With his usual smile, he sat before Eden again, as if the truth he had just shown through the violin wasn't his own.

Elias gestured toward the terminal he had handed her earlier.

Only then did Eden realize—he wanted her to see something. But when she opened the files and saw the information inside, her face instantly turned pale.

"How could this be…"

"Although the Honkai has already entered the public eye, neither the United Nations nor Fire Moth has formally announced anything, so the general public doesn't know the details. But now, Eden, you know… how does it feel?"

"Honkai… Elias, this is the enemy you fight against? The world is truly facing such a catastrophe?" Eden was utterly shaken.

From a certain perspective, she also stood at the top of human society. Though merely a singer, she was aware the world was suffering from mysterious threats.

But she had never known the details, never realized how terrifying the disaster truly was. Thus she had never paid much heed.

Until now—when Elias placed the truth of the Honkai before her eyes. Only then did she realize the end of the world was already at hand, and the flame of civilization was but a candle flickering in the wind.

For a moment, Eden was so frightened she didn't know what to do.

Elias patted her gently to comfort her.

"It's fine. Don't worry—because I'm here."

"..."

Eden stared at him with a complicated expression. He looked as though nothing were wrong, casually enjoying dessert.

And then it struck her. The reason Elias was called a hero was likely because he had already defeated the apostles of the Honkai multiple times, protecting this world.

How laughable that she had invited him to become an idol star, while never realizing the heavy burden this boy already carried.

Eden's cheeks flushed with shame. The reason she could live so leisurely, singing concerts, savoring fine wine, and immersing herself in art... was perhaps because of people like Elias, silently shielding them from disaster on unseen battlefields.

Eden: "So it's true… there is no such thing as peace and quiet—only because someone is carrying the weight for us…"

Her gaze toward Elias grew softer, tinged with pain. The boy before her looked far younger than she, yet he had already stepped onto a battlefield of dangers beyond her imagination.

"Elias, is there anything I can do?"

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"I don't want to stand aside. Since this is humanity's crisis, everyone has the duty to contribute. It's just that, as a singer, what I can do may not be much."

Eden thought hard, but it seemed the only thing she could really do was give money. After all, she couldn't fight Honkai with her singing. But money—perhaps that could help in other ways.

She pulled out her black card and phone, considering whether to transfer a few tens of billions right away.

But unease gripped her heart.

The data Elias had shown her described horrors too terrifying. Honkai Beasts appearing at random, the incurable Honkai disease, Herrschers whose mere arrival caused massive human casualties.

If the Honkai continued unchecked, humanity truly would one day face its own extinction.

At that time, the art Eden loved so deeply might be reduced to ash in the flames of Herrschers. For someone who lived for art, the thought was terrifying.

"Something you can do? Eden, you don't need to worry about that. I'll drive the Honkai out of this era. Besides, your existence itself is already a great help to us."

Elias spoke earnestly.

Eden's songs could soothe hearts.

Many warriors of Fire Moth had drawn courage to fight from her voice. Countless people scarred by the Honkai had found salvation in her music.

"Then… is there something I can do for you?"

"Hm? For me?" Elias pointed at himself in surprise.

"Yes!" Eden nodded firmly.

She longed to do something for this boy who bore too much, or else the ache in her chest would never be eased.

"That's quite an honor. Let me think…"

Elias touched his chin in thought.

It was a difficult question—because Elias lacked nothing. He had a girl he loved, no worries about money, authority over Fire Moth, and unmatched strength.

Though he truly loved Eden's singing, he couldn't exactly ask her to lock herself away in a cage and sing to him all day like a canary, could he?

After a long silence, something came to him. He relaxed slightly, then looked at the songstress calmly.

"Eden, in the past I once told someone—I'm a person without dreams."

"Elias?"

"Because there are too many people I must save, too many tragedies I must prevent, too many enemies I must defeat. Dreams… I've never had the time or clarity to think about them seriously."

He swirled the wine in his glass. Many times he wished he could simply drink himself unconscious—but unfortunately, he was someone who could never get drunk.

"But now, thinking about it… if I were an ordinary person, perhaps I'd want to be a musician. Just like you, Eden. Singing every day, savoring life and art."

"Elias, you can. As long as…"

As long as he gave up fighting.

Eden clenched her hands unconsciously. If this boy abandoned battle, she would unhesitatingly help him live such a life. There were so many people in the world—surely it wasn't necessary to send a single youth to the battlefield.

"Sorry, but without me, it really won't work." Elias had seen through her thoughts.

The world could go on without anyone else.

But the Previous Era truly couldn't go on without Elias.

For everyone else, fate was already sealed. No matter who took the stage, nothing would change the doom of civilization. Only Elias, the one who had crossed time, had the power to alter destiny.

"So, Eden—let my wish be fulfilled by you." Elias said, and before her eyes, he conjured a thick stack of music scores.

"This is…!"

"Eden, let's make a promise."

He placed the scores in front of her.

"I will protect civilization, protect your stage and your world, so that your art and your songs will not be erased by the Honkai. And you, in turn, will sing for me the songs that I cannot."

Elias had no dreams of his own, but he could guard the dreams of others.

"!!!"

Eden stared blankly at the stack of sheet music pushed toward her, then stood up in shock, knocking over her chair in the process.

The ever-graceful, ever-composed songstress had lost her composure.

But what Elias had given her was simply too astonishing!

Wedding March, Moonlight Sonata, Waltz of the Flowers, Orpheus in the Underworld Overture, 5th Symphony, Canon, Zero Eclipse, Lonely Warrior, Cage (Lost in the Stars), TruE, Diva of Disruptive World, Nightlow, Millennium Feather…

The collection was as thick as a dictionary. Every single piece was a masterpiece enough to leave Eden breathless. And the most shocking thing—she had never even heard of these songs!

As one of the top singers of the era, Eden's knowledge of music was beyond doubt. She was like a living archive of songs. Popular music aside, when it came to classical compositions, no one knew more than she did.

Yet she was certain these works had never existed before. Which meant…

"Elias, did you… write all of these yourself?"

Her voice trembled, her eyes shining with unrestrained shock and admiration.

"How could that be? Of course not. Do I really look like I'm that capable?"

Elias shook his head. Though he was tempted to brag and claim them, he didn't have the shamelessness for that. Precisely because of his love for music, he couldn't disrespect it that way.

A few songs, maybe, but so many masterpieces—no one would believe it anyway.

"You do look like it!"

Eden believed without hesitation.

Elias' lips twitched, left speechless.

"They're really not mine, Eden. These were all… uh, written by musicians from a place called Earth."

"Earth?"

Eden raised her brows, pulling out her terminal to search. After a moment, she looked back with certainty.

"I couldn't find any record of musicians from this so-called Earth. Oh, I see now. That's the stage name you came up with, isn't it? Sounds a little odd."

With the conviction in her eyes, no one short of the Herrscher of Sentience could convince her otherwise.

"Eh~ fine, believe what you want. Anyway, Eden, these are among my most precious treasures. I'll entrust them to you—sing them in my place, someday."

"No, how could I be worthy of this?!"

Eden panicked, even felt terrified.

With her eye for music, she could see the value of these compositions. Without exaggeration, they were works that could be passed down for centuries!

More importantly—they must be Elias' heart's blood. How could she possibly accept them?

Elias only smiled, patting her shoulder gently.

"If you're not worthy, then no one in this world is. Please, Eden, don't let music down. This is your mission as a songstress."

"..."

In the end, Elias pressed the score collection into her hands.

Eden stared dazedly at the sheets, feeling as though something even more precious had been entrusted to her along with them—something more valuable than any gem she had ever held.

It was… the dream of the white-haired boy.

Immediately, Eden hugged the scores tightly against her chest, as though holding Elias himself close.

Chapter 533: How Did She Open the Wardrobe?!

When the bedroom light spilled into the wardrobe, Kotomi Izumi realized what she had been covering herself with… Those weren't clothes at all! Other than a skirt, everything else was Mrs. Yuigahama's underwear, socks—and stockings!

If it were under normal circumstances, Kotomi might have gotten carried away, like someone surfacing after holding their breath underwater, opening her mouth wide and greedily inhaling.

But now, with Yui Yuigahama standing right in front of her, she didn't even dare to move, let alone breathe heavily. Her back was pressed firmly against the wardrobe wall, and she had already squeezed herself into the very back.

The moment she heard Yui Yuigahama say that the hair accessory would look best paired with suitable clothes, Kotomi had a bad premonition. And sure enough, in the very next second, the nimble-fingered but thoughtless dango girl had pulled the wardrobe doors wide open without hesitation.

Hiss—

Kotomi silently drew in a shallow breath, trying to calm herself down. Thankfully, the "clothes" covering her… well, at least they served their purpose. Even though she was sitting in the wardrobe face-to-face with Yui, the girl still hadn't noticed her. That alone allowed Kotomi to relax a little.

But she soon realized the gap in front of her was too wide. Just earlier, she had even made eye contact with Tomoka Yuigahama. Judging from Tomoka's expression now… it seemed like she had really seen her.

Feeling embarrassed, Kotomi still cautiously tugged the black stockings draped on top of her further down, just in case she ended up face-to-face with Yui as well. That really would have been fatal.

Though hiding in the wardrobe was risky, Kotomi figured this was still the best hiding spot. After all, there was no way she could hide under the bed!

Tomoka Yuigahama's double bed didn't leave much clearance underneath. At best, a very slender girl might barely squeeze in.

Kotomi glanced down at the size of her own chest… Too big! There was no way she could crawl under the bed!

Running back to the little workspace was impossible, so the wardrobe was her only option.

"Mom, can't you keep your underwear and stockings properly organized? And this skirt should be hung up," Yui Yuigahama said seriously.

I did organize them properly! But Kotomi messed everything up when she squeezed in just now, piling them all on top of herself! That white skirt is folded down there only because I ran out of hanger space! Tomoka Yuigahama thought, nearly in tears.

"I'll help you find some clothes that match the gardenia hair accessory."

As she spoke, Yui began rifling through the wardrobe, one piece after another. To Kotomi, who was hiding under that pile of "underwear" and stockings, her feelings now were no different than when she first played Dying Light, during a night mission when the Volatiles began chasing her.

Back then she didn't even have a grappling hook. Facing the terrifying Volatiles, the rookie Kotomi completely panicked, lost all sense of direction, and jumped into a river—instantly respawning at a nearby checkpoint.

"Huh? Is there more clothing in here? Why does it feel so soft?"

Yui's fingertips brushed against something, and her pretty brows furrowed in suspicion. This softness… it felt strangely familiar. She reached out to lift the clothes on the hanger, about to peer inside.

"There's nothing in there! Maybe the clothes just got piled up, so they feel soft," Tomoka Yuigahama quickly interrupted, hastily grabbing Yui's small hand.

With Yui's personality, Tomoka really didn't know what to say. More often than not, her hands acted before her brain caught up. In other words—nimble hands, slow thinking.

"But… I'm sure I felt my fingertips touch something soft. The texture even felt familiar." Yui tilted her head, curiously peeking deeper into the wardrobe. Curiosity pushed her to want to uncover the pile and see what was inside.

But in the end, she didn't. Right now, the most important thing was to pick out an outfit that would match the gardenia hair accessory. Refocusing her attention, Yui went back to choosing clothes.

After searching for a while, she finally stopped, puffing out her cheeks in slight dissatisfaction:

-"Mom, how did you even choose the colors and styles of these clothes? Not a single one matches the gardenia hair accessory," Yui Yuigahama said.

Though she said that aloud, deep down she knew very well—the last time her mother bought herself new clothes was two years ago. Meanwhile, for her and Yuka, their mom still bought them new outfits every few months. Even though the family's financial situation wasn't easy, her mother always tried to give the best to them.

Yui immediately decided: "Mom, let's go shopping this Saturday, okay? I'll buy you a new outfit to go with this gardenia hair accessory. I've been saving up my allowance for a long time, and I think I've got enough for one piece of clothing."

"Ah, going shopping on Saturday for new clothes? There's no need, my clothes are still enough. Besides, aren't you going to karaoke with Kotomi this weekend?"

"Kotomi and I agreed to go on Sunday."

"But…"

Tomoka Yuigahama didn't want to go shopping. Not because she disliked it, but because hearing her daughter say she had saved up part of her allowance instead of spending it on herself, just so she could buy her mother a new dress, filled her heart with both warmth and guilt.

It was precisely because of that deep emotion that Tomoka didn't want to use up the allowance Yui had worked so hard to save.

When she was first married, Tomoka had enjoyed shopping. But after her husband passed away, she rarely went anymore. Even when she did, it was only to buy clothes or birthday presents for Yui and Yuka. As for department stores, she often visited them—but only to head straight for the supermarket on the first floor, buy food and daily necessities, and then head home.

"Mom~ I've grown this big, and I've never once bought you clothes. Just let me buy you one outfit, please?" Yui clasped her mother's hands gently, swaying them back and forth, her sweet voice filled with playful pleading.

Sensible as she was, Yui rarely acted spoiled toward her mother. This rare instance of her pouting was just so she could get her mother's permission to spend her saved-up allowance on her.

Hearing this, Tomoka's heart ached. She felt she had failed her daughters too much, that she wasn't a qualified mother. With a small nod, she finally agreed—she would go shopping with Yui tomorrow, and allow her daughter to buy her a new outfit.

"Great!" Yui cheered. "Mom, keep this gardenia hair accessory safe. I'll go bring you your dinner."

The moment she heard Yui finally leaving the bedroom, Kotomi—who had been hiding in the wardrobe all this time, too terrified to even wipe her sweat—trembled slightly. Her small hands shook as she carefully pulled the black stockings over her eyes, then tightly shut them, just to avoid accidentally making eye contact with Yui if she looked inside.

Yui's footsteps made Kotomi relax a little. She was about to crawl out of the wardrobe and slip back into the little workspace when Tomoka pressed her back inside with a firm hand.

Kotomi looked at Tomoka in confusion, only to see her give a sharp look, signaling her to stay hidden a while longer!

Kotomi didn't understand why, but she obediently stayed put. Sure enough, after taking only a few steps out of the bedroom, Yui suddenly circled back. If Kotomi had stepped out just then, she would have bumped straight into her.

It wasn't that Yui came back on purpose—she had no idea Kotomi was not only in her house, but hiding in her mother's wardrobe. She had simply remembered she forgot to ask something: whether her mother wanted seaweed flakes sprinkled on her rice.

"Mom, do you want me to add seaweed flakes on your rice?"

"No need." Tomoka covered Kotomi's face with one hand to keep her hidden, while smiling calmly as though nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Alright~" Yui replied, then finally left the bedroom, heading to the kitchen to bring Tomoka her dinner.

"Has Yui left?"

"She has. Quick, go back to the little workspace."

Only after hearing Tomoka Yuigahama say this did Kotomi finally breathe a sigh of relief. She cautiously poked her head out of the wardrobe, glanced around, and darted back into the little workspace. The moment the door opened, she quickly shut it tight again.

Watching Kotomi, who usually acted like such a little adult, now panic like this, Tomoka couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, even though she herself had been just as nervous moments ago. But when she looked back at the wardrobe, now left in a complete mess by Kotomi, she felt helpless. Her mature yet cute face blushed faintly with embarrassment.

With flushed cheeks, Tomoka carefully tidied up the pile of underwear and stockings Kotomi had just used to cover herself.

Yui Yuigahama was quick. Only moments after leaving the bedroom for the kitchen, she returned carrying a tray.

"Mom, after you finish eating, just leave it outside the door. I'll come back to collect it."

"This mapo tofu smells so good, Yui. Your cooking really is getting better and better. It makes me feel a little ashamed as your mother. With skills like this, you'll have no trouble finding a husband in the future."

Hearing her mother's praise, Yui's cheeks turned slightly red. She brushed back a strand of her light peach-colored hair and smiled shyly.

"As long as Kotomi likes it, that's good enough."

Yui probably didn't realize the implication behind what she had just said, but Tomoka understood very clearly. Her heart grew complicated as she looked at her daughter.

As a mother, Tomoka was open-minded. She didn't object to Yui liking Kotomi. After all, was love between two people of the same gender not still love?

Whether it was love between different genders or the same, it was equal. There was no difference, no hierarchy—love was simply one person falling in love with another.

But… if Yui truly ended up with Kotomi one day, then what would become of the relationship between Kotomi, Yui, and herself?

Tomoka didn't know. Accepting the tray from Yui, she reminded her daughter to go to bed early and not stay up too late studying, then closed the bedroom door.

The moment the door clicked shut, Kotomi slid open the little workspace door and stepped out. She couldn't help but whisper:

"Aunt Tomoka, that really was a close call just now…"

Then, remembering what she had just done in the wardrobe, she realized how inappropriate it had been. She bowed her head and apologized:

"I'm really sorry for messing up your wardrobe, Aunt Tomoka."

Messing up my wardrobe? That's putting it too lightly! Tomoka thought. But then she admitted to herself that she was also partly at fault. If she hadn't asked Kotomi to fetch the bottled water in the first place, things wouldn't have gotten so tense. Luckily, everything had ended without disaster.

"This really is my fault. If I had gone to get the water myself, you wouldn't have had to leave the workspace at all. Even if Yui came in, we could've just shut the door and turned off the light, and there would've been nothing to worry about."

"Hehe, Aunt Tomoka, let's stop apologizing to each other. Let's just call it even! Mmm~ it smells so good!"

Kotomi took a deep breath as Tomoka brought the tray into the workspace. The fragrance of the mapo tofu filled the room, instantly stirring her appetite.

And then—her stomach growled.

She hadn't eaten dinner before coming here, planning to eat once she got home. But with the workload tonight, it was likely to be very late before she returned. Now, hunger gnawed at her stomach, making it rumble loudly.

Hungry.

"Why don't you eat my portion first? It won't be enough to fill you, but at least it'll tide you over for now. Once Yui finishes cleaning up the kitchen and comes back upstairs, I'll order some takeout." Tomoka placed the tray on the tatami and slid it toward Kotomi as she spoke.

"It's alright, Aunt Tomoka, you eat first. I'll eat later. If I hold off, I can still suppress the hunger for a while. But if I eat now, not only will it not fill me up, it'll just make me hungrier."

Kotomi said this with a seriousness that made it sound less like a matter of dinner and more like some evil demon god was about to break free from its seal.

"Then I'll go ahead and eat," Tomoka Yuigahama nodded, starting her meal.

She ate slowly, not rushing, finishing her dinner at a steady pace.

During that time, Kotomi didn't sit idle. If she stayed still, all her attention would have gone to the food, and with her stomach growling, that would have been torture. So instead, she focused on the computer, clicking the mouse bit by bit, occasionally tapping at the keyboard, helping Tomoka organize the illustration files for Sword Art Online, Redo of Healer, Mushoku Tensei, and The Testament of Sister New Devil.

She carefully sorted each work's outline, manuscript, and character designs into folders labeled with the respective titles.

Kotomi had long noticed that Tomoka wasn't good with computers. To her, the machine was just for browsing the internet and drawing illustrations.

Since she had nothing else to do, Kotomi helped organize the relevant files. Of course, she only touched those related to the novels. As for the rest, she left them alone—she didn't know what those files were for, and moving them carelessly could cause trouble. Better to leave them untouched.

After finishing her meal, Tomoka carried the tray with the plates and utensils back to the kitchen herself when she went to wash her hands, so Yui wouldn't have to come fetch them later.

That's what family was like—if you do a little more, then someone else can do a little less. Mutual care, understanding, and support.

When she returned to the little workspace, Tomoka continued discussing illustrations with Kotomi.

After about an hour, all of the characters appearing in Volume 1 of Redo of Healer already had rough design sketches. Even the opening full-color illustration had been decided on.

Overall, their work efficiency was quite high.

Not long after, they heard Yui outside telling Yuka to turn off the TV, followed by the sound of the sisters coming back upstairs.

Tomoka glanced at Kotomi and asked:

"Shall we order takeout?"

"Yes!"

Kotomi's stomach was growling so badly she could barely stand it.

At first, she had wanted to order herself, considering her large appetite. But Tomoka insisted on treating her. Unable to refuse Aunt Tomoka's insistence, Kotomi finally nodded and agreed, using Tomoka's phone to place the takeout order.

Chapter 621: At the Meal, Selene: Stop, What God?

That morning, the golden sunlight dyed the towering and magnificent halls of the Imperial Grand Palace in brilliant splendor.

Amidst the four standing pillars, the expansive courtyard corridors extended outward. The wide avenues bustled with people—palace attendants, the garrisoned guards, imperial chefs preparing the meal, officials waiting in line… all gathered here for one purpose: to await the one to whom they all pledged their loyalty.

The Empress of the Empire—their spiritual pillar, their absolute ruler!

Gulp~

The sound of swallowing.

"H-hey, Yukihira-kun… are we really about to meet the E-E-E-E… Empress of the Empire? I-I-I-I… I'm so scared."

"What if… if there's the slightest mistake, or if the food isn't good, we'll be dragged out to the execution grounds, our families exterminated along with us…"

Within the grand hall—so tall and vast that someone with a fear of open spaces might faint on the spot—the short red-haired, spiky-headed boy stood beside a blue-haired girl with twin braids, clad in a white chef's uniform, trembling like a frightened little rabbit.

Beneath the twin-headed eagle crest loomed a massive, gilded palace gate, adorned with carved patterns, reaching nearly a hundred meters in height. The massive pillars required dozens of men to encircle them…

It was enough to make one suspect this was the temple of Titans themselves. The smallness of man contrasted starkly with the grandeur and majesty of the palace, the solemn atmosphere weighing down heavily, making one feel as if their back had already bent under its pressure.

At the door leading to the audience chamber stood a line of guards. They wielded heavy power halberds of exquisite craftsmanship, standing like temple guardians at the entrance. Their faces were hidden beneath golden eagle-crested visors, helmets crowned with crimson plumes.

The oppressive aura weighed upon everyone's hearts like a mountain.

"M-maybe… maybe we should just go back…"

The girl's helpless expression, eyes brimming with tears as though about to cry at any moment, was enough to stir anyone's pity.

She looked on the verge of breaking down.

"Go back? Retreating at such a time would be the gravest offense of all. If we don't appear, we will—no, we absolutely will—be punished. Megumi, steel yourself. Show the strength you truly possess."

Megumi Tadokoro's despairing look caught the attention of the blonde girl standing beside her. After gently poking the back of the 'rabbit girl,' Erina Nakiri exhaled slowly, offering quiet reassurance.

She dared not vent her own nervousness here.

In this place, even her noble background was likely worth less than the dishes they prepared as chefs.

"We are here only to present our culinary creations to our guest."

At this, Erina Nakiri paused briefly, carefully surveying the surroundings. Then she leaned closer to whisper into Megumi Tadokoro's ear: "Megumi, just think of it as preparing a meal to reward ordinary travelers after a long day's labor. Don't be nervous. You can do this, Megumi. Believe in yourself."

"This opportunity is the honor of Totsuki Culinary Academy, and also the glory of our home—the XVIII Legion Salamanders' Conquered World No. 11. Think of your family waiting back in Shoukei Inn (the Tadokoro family's ryokan). Megumi, be strong."

"Huff… mm…"

Closing her eyes, the blue-haired twin-braided girl took deep breaths—inhale, exhale—gradually calming her nerves. When she opened her eyes again, she adjusted the silver hairpin holding her fringe to the right. In her sunflower-golden eyes shone a light of warmth and quiet resolve.

"Thank you, Erina-sama."

After all, she was no stranger to pressure. Having endured the training camps, autumn elections, Moon Banquet Festival, on-site internships, and countless trials, Megumi Tadokoro had steadily gained confidence in her culinary path, honing and displaying her own talents. Her skills were by no means inferior.

Though she still grew easily flustered, unable to fully unleash her potential—especially when serving the most exalted, most powerful person in the Empire—as she looked at the encouraging eyes of her companions, standing side by side as comrades in 'battle,' she found there was nothing left to fear.

After all, they were not terrorists here to assassinate Selene. They were just chefs. Their task was only to cook—so long as they performed normally, there was no need to let the pressure overwhelm them.

"Wow…"

The red-haired boy with a scar above his left brow seemed the most carefree of all. His eyes widened at the sheer extravagance of the palace-style open kitchen.

Was this really the atmosphere of a kitchen?

Why were there ancient sculptures and reliefs, historic murals and armor on display, chandeliers like starry skies, and grand interstellar war paintings adorning the place? It was an ostentatious showcase of luxury and nobility.

To him, this felt more like a place for exhibitions or offices than a space for living.

"Hey, you… is that really what you should be gawking at? This isn't your Yukihira Diner. Don't you dare whip up one of your ridiculous 'dark dishes.' Learn from Senior Tsukasa Eishi and Senior Kobayashi Rindou—can't you just focus on the ingredients in front of you?"

The boy's country-bumpkin-like awe made Erina Nakiri furious.

"Whoa… these ingredients… Super Dangerous Species, 3,000-meter-class Sea Kings, dragon beasts, primeval titans… uh, these are all catastrophic monsters!"

The long red-haired girl with golden eyes—her bangs covering her left eye, a tiger fang peeking through—was practically glowing as she gazed upon the rare ingredients before them.

"Ah… Rindou, be more careful…"

A handsome young man with white hair and light violet eyes, knightly in bearing but meek in tone, followed uneasily behind the red-haired girl.

"All right, everyone. Begin. Once Her Majesty finishes her morning governance session, it will be time for you to present your results."

Into the imperial kitchen strode a tall, broad man, long blue hair draped over his shoulders, horns sprouting from his head, his face bearing a mature, weathered look. He was the bio-humanoid Teigu, Speed of Lightning: Susanoo, serving as Selene's personal Head Imperial Chef.

Ah, to end up with Selene as his master… though originally designed to protect important dignitaries, what Selene valued most in Susanoo were his skills in preparing over one thousand types of cuisine.

To expand his culinary capacity and learning ability, Selene had even arranged for several full-scale upgrades.

In the Empire, Susanoo was regarded as the pillar of the culinary world. Innovation was not his strength, but with enough recipes stored, he could guarantee three meals a day without repetition for years on end.

Sweeping his gaze across the young men and women in the imperial kitchen, Susanoo noted that they were all very young. These were the top students from the culinary academy Selene herself had once visited during her travels to a tourist world?

Very well. He would see for himself whether they possessed the strength to present their dishes before Her Majesty.

Indeed—it was Susanoo who had authorized the selection of talented young chefs from Salamanders Legion's Conquered World No. 11, a tourist world.

Though called a selection, it was really just a cooking competition. Every year, countless chefs from across the Empire's colonial worlds struggled to cross the "single-plank bridge" for the chance to enter the palace.

Make no mistake: as Selene's Head Imperial Chef, Susanoo had no authority outside of culinary matters. But when it came to palace dining and chefs, he was the absolute authority.

...

"Jake Sully… Eywa, influencing through spiritual links, hmm, something akin to the guiding effect of a 'Mental Seal.'"

In a luxurious antechamber of Schönbrunn Palace, a dazzling crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. The room itself was decorated in the ornate Baroque style, its floor covered by a soft red carpet.

Selene was pacing in her chamber, holding a stack of reports, her fingers tapping lightly against the balcony railing, an intrigued expression on her face.

Before the mahogany desk stood the Mendicant Bias, manifested in the form of a giant mask. After a moment of contemplation, the three violet-red sensors that served as its eyes and mouth flickered as it explained slowly:

"According to the Luna Wolves Legion's live reports from Pandora, the planetary collective consciousness known as Eywa possesses considerable intelligence."

"With the arrival of the RDA colonial forces, especially with the emergence of hybrids between humans and the Na'vi—Avatar drivers who could link with Eywa through their neural interfaces—frontline intelligence personnel determined that it was precisely through this subtle influence that the Avatar drivers were brainwashed. They collectively betrayed humanity and even came to despise their own identity as human beings."

As Selene's auxiliary confidential intelligence steward, the Mendicant Bias was a pinnacle creation of Forerunner civilization technology (from Halo). Accessing and reviewing Durandal's every move posed no difficulty for it.

Even the directories regarding the soul-searching of Jake Sully's brain had been uploaded to the databases of the Luna Wolves Legion and the Valkyrie Corps. The Mendicant Bias had already known the details.

And upon reviewing them, the forecasts had been too conservative.

Jake Sully truly had been thoroughly brainwashed and assimilated. In fact, he had made certain preparations for humanity's return.

After the battle between humans and the Na'vi fifteen years earlier, the Na'vi seized vast stockpiles of RDA weapons and research facilities. At the time, many other tribal leaders advised him to destroy the weapons, claiming they were nothing more than 'filthy instruments of slaughter' Pandora had no need for.

Only Jake Sully remained cautious. So long as Earth's people held their greedy designs on Pandora, those weapons would inevitably prove useful one day. Thus, Jake secretly organized a research group, gathering former scientists from the Avatar program during his human years, to modify and study the weapons in preparation for the future.

Whether they were usable—or effective—was another matter.

Dr. Grace Augustine, one of the earliest Avatar operators to contact the Na'vi, naturally became a fanatic believer in Pandora's natural deity, Eywa.

Selene tossed the reports aside, leaning back in her chair with an amused smile. "Well, that explains everything."

Having finished part of her confidential state affairs and concluded the morning's governance session, Selene took advantage of the short rest before her meal to sort through the surprises Durandal had given her.

Last night, while Selene was 'feasting' on the gifts of the Magic Gods, an entire planetary consciousness suddenly poured into her mental network, startling her mid-bite.

What was that comparable to?

To give a crude analogy—it was like enjoying a state banquet of world-class cuisine, only for someone to slip a cup of instant noodles onto the table. How inappropriate was that?

Compared to the vast, nourishing bounty of the Magic Gods—which could leave Selene herself stuffed—the planetary consciousness of Pandora was far too chaotic, fragmented, and weak. Selene simply obliterated it, then absorbed the paltry scrap of energy, little more than a mosquito's leg.

"Concluding the war before year's end and bringing the warriors home? Very well, let that be the standard. Inform Durandal: success earns reward, failure earns punishment." With a faint smile, Selene expressed her satisfaction and good mood.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The Mendicant Bias continued, logically and methodically reporting internal affairs and important colonial updates.

"Your Majesty, regarding the First Legion of the Astartes, the Dark Angels, under Commander Alex. According to our observations, aside from the colossal creature known as Godzilla—which is capable of altering natural ecosystems and constructing entirely new ecological systems with itself at the pinnacle—we have also observed an even more unusual phenomenon."

"Called a 'Higher-Dimensional Monster' or 'God of the Void,' it is a higher-dimensional lifeform that dwells within dimensional rifts. It is the true form of the god contacted by the local natives through digital numerological calculations, and it is the object of their faith."

"Based on observation, the mass of this 'Higher-Dimensional Monster' extends from a black hole itself, surpassing singularity thresholds. This indicates that the entity is a super-gravitational mass beyond even black holes."

"At present, Princess Alyssa's support forces have arrived, fully prepared. The punitive expedition is about to commence."

"Secondary priority: capture."

...

"Third Legion, Black Templars, under Commander Leiva. Report: target world (Valvrave the Liberator) has undergone preliminary cleansing. The Dorssia Military Pact Federation has surrendered, the main fleet of ARUS (Atlantic Rim United States) has been annihilated, and thorough purges of smaller nations are underway. Current progress: JIOR. Estimated completion: before year's end. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is advised to prepare for assimilation."

...

Listening as though to a symphony, Selene accompanied the Mendicant Bias's reports with a gesture to her attendants to serve the meal.

Yes, multitasking—so convenient. It seemed the modification and enhancement of the Mendicant Bias's sister constructs needed to be accelerated as well.

"Sixteenth Legion, Luna Wolves, under Commander Horus. Report: a newly discovered composite world. Known species include elves, dragons, giants, dryads, goblins, orcs, and aquatic races, among many others. Its development potential is high. Based on the intelligence gathered, the dominant deity worshiped in that world is… the God of Games. As…"

"Stop—what god?"

At that divine title, Selene froze for a moment.

"Reporting, Your Majesty—the God of Games."

Chapter 551: Memory!

The GMA Bomb's storage was located at the very center of the UFO. After forcing open an extremely sturdy metal door, Mirei Shinohara and Shiraori stepped into a vast, circular chamber.

The room was empty except for a strange, uneven column standing in the middle.

By this point, even without using Appraisal, they knew that the GMA Bomb had to be inside that column. Still, to be safe, they both activated Appraisal on it.

The result was revealed quickly.

Although its appearance was unusual, the column was in fact a robot. Its model name was "Gloria." Its defenses and offensive capabilities far exceeded those of the war chariots.

And, just as they suspected, the GMA Bomb was stored inside this machine.

"At last, the final step. All we need to do now is destroy this weird robot, right?"

Mirei and Shiraori approached the Gloria, both looking relaxed.

The robot's stats were formidable, but compared to their strength, it simply wasn't enough.

At Mirei's words, Shiraori smiled faintly. She raised the reaper's scythe in her hands, preparing to strike.

Now, with no need to worry about the GMA Bomb detonating from their attacks, they could unleash their full power without restraint.

Even if the GMA Bomb did explode, Shiraori could simply use Predator to swallow both the bomb and the robot together.

Her evolution into divinity was inevitable.

When the two of them came within ten meters of the Gloria, the machine suddenly began to transform.

They had already known from Appraisal that it could change form, but watching the process with their own eyes still left them shocked.

The irregular column twisted and reshaped itself into a bizarre robot bristling with countless gun barrels. Its design was far from elegant, but its combat power was undeniable.

In the next instant, a storm of energy shells rained down on them like a thousand scattering petals.

Freed from any concern about the bomb, the two attacked without holding back, launching a fierce counterstrike against the Gloria.

Within a single round, Shiraori's scythe cleaved the strange machine cleanly in two, exposing the GMA Bomb within.

Looking at the small, spherical GMA Bomb, both Mirei and Shiraori's eyes shone with joy.

But before they could act, the sphere suddenly began to emit a dazzling light—the bomb's self-destruct program had already been triggered.

Without the slightest hesitation, Shiraori unleashed Predator, wrapping the glowing GMA Bomb completely.

She didn't doubt the Appraisal results for a moment. She never even considered whether her body could withstand energy powerful enough to destroy a continent.

As the smoke-like energy returned into her body, immense power spread through her, pushing her toward a higher plane.

The evolution into godhood had officially begun.

...

"At last, it's come to this. Seems it's about time I told them everything."

Watching the screen that displayed Shiraori's evolution—and Mirei standing guard by her side—Eriri smiled in delight.

"I wonder what kind of face my little pet will make when she learns her true identity."

Because Eriri hadn't spoiled anything midway as in the original timeline, Shiraori had never doubted who she really was.

Unlike in the original, where suspicion had already been gnawing at her and she only confirmed the truth upon becoming a god.

And there was another difference: Shiraori possessed memories of her previous life. Though it had been only a little over half a month, those memories were sharp and vivid.

Ordinary spiders had almost no memory capacity; it was nearly impossible for them to recall past events. However, under Eriri's intervention, Shiraori's memories from her previous life had been preserved completely.

Of course, this only applied to the half-month period after Eriri had saved her.

The reason she hadn't remembered this after reincarnation was because those memories had been sealed away by Eriri.

Once Eriri returned them to her, Shiraori would clearly recall every moment of that half-month she had spent by Eriri's side in her previous life.

With those memories supporting her, Eriri was confident that Shiraori would continue to see her as her master.

"This boring storyline is finally about to end, huh."

Unlike Eriri's enthusiasm, D was completely uninterested in everything Mirei Shinohara and Shiraori had been through during this time.

"Speaking of which… Eriri, you've wrecked the carefully prepared stage I created. How do you plan to compensate me for that?"

D lowered her head, expressionless, staring at Eriri, who had her head resting on D's lap.

Because of the irregularities introduced by Mirei and Shiraori, D could already guess how that world would end.

Although the world had merely been a stage she'd whimsically constructed, she still couldn't help feeling a bit regretful now that it had been ruined.

"Don't say that. The boundless multiverse is full of playgrounds for you. Why cling to just one planet?"

Eriri turned her head toward the face just ten centimeters from her own. She reached out and kneaded D's expressionless cheeks with both hands.

"Mmm. But you have a point. How about this, then? As compensation, I'll take you on a one-month journey across the multiverse. Just the two of us~"

Though D's face showed no change, Eriri's hands molded her features into a series of cute and comical expressions.

After silently locking eyes with Eriri for about ten seconds, D finally responded.

"…Fine. It's a deal."

...

In a hidden underground cavern, Mirei curled her body atop a massive cocoon nearly as tall as a person.

There was no one else inside—just her and the cocoon.

Clearly, within that cocoon was Shiraori, still undergoing her evolution.

By now, more than a month had passed since Shiraori had devoured the GMA Bomb.

Mirei had spent most of that month in slumber, though she would awaken immediately at the slightest disturbance.

When Shiraori swallowed the GMA Bomb, the UFO had lost power and begun to plummet.

To ensure Shiraori's evolution wasn't interrupted, Mirei had carried her away at once, soaring out of the UFO. Without even stopping to greet Ariel or the others, she left the wilderness behind from high above.

The truth was, despite having gone through the UFO ordeal together, Mirei didn't fully trust Ariel.

And with Gülied still an uncertain factor, she preferred to find a safer place to await Shiraori's completion.

Once Shiraori finished evolving, nothing in this world would be able to restrain them any longer.

Now, after more than a month of silence, the cocoon finally stirred. The movement instantly roused Mirei from her sleep.

Flying to the cocoon's front, she saw small handprints pushing outward against the shell from inside.

Without hesitation, Mirei lashed out with her dragon tail. The cocoon's hard shell split apart with a sharp tear.

From within stepped Shiraori, now fully transformed into human form.

"At last, you're done evolving. But really, White, you couldn't even break out of a cocoon on your own? You needed me to help?" Mirei teased with a grin.

Shiraori rolled her eyes at her but remained silent.

-Fresh out of her evolution, Shiraori couldn't yet control the vast surge of power within her. For that reason, she hadn't managed to break the cocoon on her own.

Still, given a few minutes to adapt, there was no way a mere cocoon could have held her.

Noticing something unusual about her lower body, Shiraori quickly glanced down. In an instant, her face lit up with joy.

The terrifying, monstrous spider abdomen was gone. In its place were a pair of smooth, delicate, pale-white legs.

"Yes! Appraisal didn't lie—after evolution, I really did become fully human!"

"My long-lost thighs… I've missed you so much! And they look even whiter than in my previous life. Eriri will definitely love them!"

"And to think I didn't feel a thing during the evolution—it was practically perfect!"

After celebrating inwardly, she prepared to leave the cocoon. But first, she needed to put on clothes—at the moment, she was completely naked.

She pulled a spare shirt from her storage, only to realize she hadn't prepared any lower garments.

Without hesitation, she spun threads of silk and wove herself a brand-new outfit, complete with underwear and outerwear.

Soon, a pure-white dress covered her figure. With her white hair and fair skin, the effect gave her a dreamlike beauty.

At the same time, she noticed something odd.

Her silk no longer came from her abdomen, but from her palms. What's more, many of her former skills now felt like innate abilities, far easier and smoother to use.

Testing further, she cast Appraisal on herself. The results appeared clearly in her mind:

[Name: Shiraori]

[Race: God]

[Level: Planetary (Level 6, Stage 9)]

[Abilities: Predator, Space, Time, Evil Eye, Regeneration…]
…
[Master: Eriri Spencer Sawamura]

The first parts were fine, but when she saw the final entry, Shiraori froze, a massive question mark forming in her mind.

"What the…? Why does Eriri's name appear in my Appraisal? And why as my master?!"

Baffled, she forgot entirely about leaving the cocoon.

At that moment, a familiar heavenly voice echoed in her head:

[Congratulations on achieving Godhood. You have officially transcended the Planetary System. Skill fusion and retention complete…]

[Memory unsealed. Previous life memories acquired!]

[My adorable little pet, I'll be waiting for you~]

Immediately, a strange yet familiar flood of memories replaced the false identity D had given her as Wakaba Hiiro.

That memory wasn't erased, but it dropped in priority, now nothing more than a sequence of images she'd once watched.

Instead, what came rushing back were vivid recollections: Eriri saving her from humans; crawling across Eriri's palm; being fed tasty morsels from Eriri's fingertips; resting on Eriri's shoulder as she played games with the real Wakaba Hiiro and Mirei…

So many moments—half a month of memories, clear as if etched into her very soul.

As they returned, Shiraori froze in place, tears sliding silently down her cheeks.

"Master… I missed you so much!"

...

"Hey, White, if you're dressed, then hurry up and get out of there. We still need to find Eriri."

Hovering outside the cocoon, Mirei frowned impatiently. Shiraori was already clothed, yet she remained unmoving.

Receiving no response, Mirei flew closer to peer through the opening.

There she saw Shiraori, eyes tightly shut, silently weeping.

Mirei's heart clenched with alarm.

"What's wrong? Did something go wrong with your evolution?"

She looked at Shiraori with deep concern. After more than a year spent constantly together, Shiraori had become her closest friend.

Of course, Eriri was in a category of her own—beyond friendship.

Chapter 306: Come, Come, Come—A Packet of Photoids and Dual-Vector foil Foils for Everyone

After Grey's Western King-style governance, Earthlings were completely subdued, with no more troublemakers causing disturbances.

The nanobot's reputation as one who could even stop children from crying at night had spread throughout the fleet. Everyone decided that if they encountered any more difficult troublemakers, they would just hand them over to Grey.

Setsuna's attention returned once more to the exploration of the Trisolaran universe.

Within a radius of 200 light-years, he had marked out a security zone for the Solar System's starbase.

The shipgirls divided into several fleets, spreading out in all directions for a carpet-style search.

The Eternal Snowfall remained stationed in the Solar System, ready to provide long-range strike support for the expeditionary forces at any time.

At this moment—

Everyone once again directly witnessed the Juggernaut's power of extinguishing stars and shattering suns.

"Commander, in the Eridanus Zeta system, we discovered a spacefaring civilization."

"They appear to be some kind of reptilian species. They have two colonial systems. We have already destroyed their space fleet and captured some of their kind to bring back for study."

Essex transmitted the coordinates to Setsuna.

Three points were clearly marked on the star map.

In the Trisolaran universe, most weak space civilizations followed the Dark Forest law, concealing their homeworlds.

Unfortunately, such concealment was useless against FTL detectors.

"Received. Fallen Star Lance is ready. Stay clear."

"Understood."

The Eternal Snowfall's massive hull slowly turned.

It locked onto a star system ten light-years away and began charging.

—Boom!!!

A crimson energy beam split the cosmos.

On the other end of the starlit void, a star shattered and exploded, reducing everything within that system to dust.

"Target eliminated."

"Proceed to the next star system strike, Eridanus Alpha, coordinates are…"

The blinding brilliance of the Fallen Star Lance continued to pierce the darkness of the universe.

Each shot meant another star extinguished in the sky, another civilization destroyed.

"There are more civilizations in the Trisolaran universe than I imagined."

Setsuna sighed as he looked at the continuous reports.

He counted. In just half a month, the number of destroyed civilizations had already reached double digits.

Unlike his own main world, where within several thousand light-years there was nothing but emptiness, this universe was packed with civilizations.

It only seemed sparse because most civilizations deliberately hid their existence.

"Commander, should we consider developing a few vassal states here?"

"If we keep several space-age alien civilizations as vassals, the output should be quite profitable, right?"

Shoukaku asked.

"..."

Setsuna thought for a moment.

"No need."

"For safety and stability, it's better to invest in developing our existing vassal worlds. Those universes don't have demons and monsters."

"As for these aliens, their best fate is to perform circus tricks for us in the zoo or serve as research material in laboratories, mm."

Most of the dozen or so vassal civilizations had been uplifted from primitive stages into spacefaring humanity and respected their suzerain greatly.

Developing their universes alone provided more than enough resources.

This universe, however, was a chaotic battleground.

Low-level civilizations schemed against one another with the Dark Forest law, while high-level civilizations threw dimensional strikes, using law-based weapons to riddle the cosmos with holes, ultimately dragging everyone into destruction together.

It was better to finish researching their technologies quickly and leave.

"Oh…"

The shipgirls nodded in vague understanding.

For them, enjoying the long-awaited interstellar war was the fun part. After becoming starships, they finally had a chance to shine again in the void.

As for matters of development, they gave it little thought.

Frontline shipgirls continuously sent back battle reports.

"Commander, Eagle Union First Fleet, near Cetus UV star, eliminated 256 alien ships, captured one flagship. They were aquatic creatures."

"Their homeworld is an ocean planet… Oh oh oh oh, the submarine shipgirls dove in and beat them up!!!"

"Comrade-chan, in Ophiuchus Beta, the Northern Union Fleet discovered an alien civilization. Hmm, their government seems like a giant corporation… let them taste the Soviet iron fist, Ura!!!"

"Near Sirius, a lightspeed ship trail was found. The Sakura Empire Second Fleet is pursuing it…"

The endless reports dazzled the eyes.

Setsuna felt that the expeditionary shipgirls seemed to be having a lot of fun, gleefully bullying sub-light natives in all sorts of ways.

"Tch, all the others already hogged the targets. Commander, isn't there a stronger or more interesting opponent we can take on for some fun?"

Formidable lay sprawled on the Eternal Snowfall's sofa, pouting at Setsuna in a spoiled tone.

After they had beaten up the Trisolaran fleet, she and her sisters had been stuck in the Solar System, on standby as a mobile unit.

All they could do was watch the others fight.

"Zzz…"

Implacable lounged on another sofa, pretending to nap.

"If only everyone else could finish the job… Zzz…"

"Let me rest a bit… Zzz…"

"Tch, with that attitude, no wonder the Commander never invites you to his parties."

Formidable rolled her eyes.

"???"

Even half-asleep, Implacable caught wind of something outrageous.

"After we clear out the 200-light-year radius, we'll explore farther. By then, we'll run into stronger civilizations."

Setsuna replied casually.

He was scanning the incoming battle reports when—

Suddenly.

A new message cut in.

It came from the Sakura Empire Second Fleet, which had a mixed complement of Kancolle shipgirls.

"Commander, we've found a dangerous target, poi!!"

Yuudachi's head popped up on the holographic screen.

"A lightspeed ship is approaching from 200 light-years away, and on board there's an alien who loves singing, poi!!!"

"And his singing is suuuper awful, poi!!!"

"Hah?!"

...

200 light-years beyond the Solar System.

A spaceship streaked through the void at lightspeed, leaving a glowing trail across the nebulae.

"I see the one I love, I fly to her side."

"I bring her a gift, a little fragment of frozen time,"

"Time with beautiful stripes upon it…"

The Singer hummed ancient ballads within the ship, while scanning his surroundings.

When this seed ship had set out from the homeworld, it had still been a place of joy.

But later, ever since war broke out between the homeworld and the fringe worlds, that joy had gradually faded.

In the olden days, joy had been etched into the ancient ballads. Singing them was one of the few pleasures left now.

As a lowly janitor of the homeworld, the Singer's task was simple.

Hide himself well, and perform "cleaning."

To "clean up" any civilization that exposed its coordinates.

Not just by observing with the ship—sometimes other civilizations transmitted coordinates, broadcasting them aimlessly.

The ship could capture and analyze such coordinates, then locate the corresponding world.

Coordinates with sincerity, coordinates without sincerity.

Coordinates without sincerity often pointed to empty worlds. Cleaning such voids wasted energy, and worse, sometimes it was harmful, because empty worlds might still be useful later.

This ship's course lay along the edge of the Orion Arm, on the galactic outskirts, where few civilizations resided.

None strong like the homeworld.

—Or perhaps strong ones existed, but had hidden their homeworlds.

"A destroyed world?"

At that moment, the Singer noticed a strange star system in the distance.

Its sun had been shattered completely, collapsing into a small black hole. Everything in the planetary system had been torn apart by the stellar explosion.

Now interstellar debris circled the accretion disk.

Judging from the still-cooling planetary cores, the system's destruction wasn't long ago.

"Someone already cleaned this place?"

"Was it by mass-point?"

The Singer wasn't surprised.

In the universe, no matter how fast you were, someone was always faster. No matter how slow, someone was always slower.

It was normal for someone ahead of him to have cleaned away unknown civilizations.

He activated a ship process, archiving the data.

At the same time, he began analyzing the source of the strike.

Normally, such analysis yielded nothing—strikers usually hid themselves well.

But this time, the ship's main core quickly flagged an anomaly.

"It was just cleaned?!"

The main core's analysis concluded the system had been struck less than one day ago.

That meant the attacking ship might still be nearby—making it highly likely they could be tracked.

He activated a process of the "Big Eye," trying to pinpoint the source.

"What are you doing? The Big Eye is busy."

The Seed's Elder asked.

"I located a destroyed low-entropy world. The cleaner hasn't gone far."

The Singer replied.

"Oh, fine then."

The Elder consented.

The ship gradually slowed.

The Big Eye analyzed the destruction in detail.

Soon.

The onboard 5.9 AI produced a shocking conclusion.

The star hadn't been shattered by photoid strikes. It had been destroyed by an intense high-energy blast.

Like lasers, plasma, or some other unknown weapon tearing apart its outer shell and core, triggering a catastrophic explosion.

In the universe, this was an extremely uneconomical method of cleaning—one that easily exposed oneself.

"A new method of cleaning low-entropy worlds? Strange."

The Singer dug deeper.

...

Minutes later.

He froze at the Big Eye's data.

He had witnessed something more terrifying than a dimensional strike.

The blow had come from hundreds of light-years away.

Yet the moment the attack occurred, the star was shattered instantly, leaving no time for precise tracking.

This strike violated the laws of this world.

"Elder, there's a situation."

"The cleaner is much faster than us."

The Singer said.

"You mean they arrived long before us?"

The Elder asked.

The ship resumed lightspeed to continue its journey.

"No. I mean their ships are faster than ours."

...

Shwoom—Shwoom—

The glow of the warp engines flashed across an unfamiliar star system 200 light-years from the Solar System.

The colossal Eternal Snowfall, vast as a planet, tore through space and descended into the void.

On the holographic display, a special target was marked at a distance of one light-year.

It was a lightspeed ship, heading toward the Solar System.

According to the original Trisolaran timeline, the Solar System was struck by dimensional reduction in the 67th year of the Bunker Era, that is, the year 2405.

The Singer's ship had, a few years prior, passed the edge of the Solar System, tossing a dual-vector foil at the outer rim of the Oort Cloud.

Setsuna had crossed over during the Crisis Era, just after the Doomsday Battle.

That was roughly two centuries before the dimensional strike would have occurred.

Now, the Singer's ship was 200 light-years away, heading toward the Solar System.

"Based on its trajectory, if it doesn't decelerate, it will reach the outskirts of the Solar System in about 193 years."

"At that time, it will be able to directly observe the situation inside the Solar System, as well as the destruction of the Trisolaran system."

The ship's AI simulated the vessel's course.

"So it looks like setting the security zone at 200 light-years was perfect timing, huh?"

The shipgirls crowded around. At first, they had thought Setsuna had just picked a random range.

"So this is the Singer? The bastard who used the dual-vector foil to reduce Earth into a lower dimension?"

Several little shipgirls studied the holographic projection of the vessel closely.

With a distance of one light-year, it was perfectly safe. The Singer couldn't possibly detect them.

Through precise sensor scanning, the structure of that ship was projected in detail onto the Eternal Snowfall's main console.

Its design was vastly different from the Trisolarans, carrying strange and twisted concepts beyond human comprehension.

Among the scans, the ship's AI highlighted certain stored "hazardous items" that emitted unusual energy signatures.

"The Singer is a janitor of the homeworld. They release seed ships that travel along predetermined routes, cleaning up any civilizations that expose themselves."

"Sometimes they use photoids—the Singer calls them mass-points. Other times, they use dual-vector foils, the very same weapons meant to destroy the Solar System. Those are the most devastating weapons of the Trisolaran universe."

Setsuna glanced at the scan results.

The seed ship carried many photoids and dual-vector foils. Who knew how many civilizations the Singer would wipe out in a single voyage.

According to its own timekeeping, the seed ship had already been traveling for over ten thousand time-grains—that was about seventy thousand years.

The number of civilizations it had destroyed must have been immense.

"Hiss… That ship may be a bit outdated, but it looks extremely dangerous…"

Formidable twirled her hair.

A ship loaded with dual-vector foils was practically a suicide truck.

Even if it couldn't hurt FTL warships, it could still contaminate the environment severely.

—And such contamination had no cure.

The greatest strike in the Trisolaran universe was dimensional reduction, collapsing the cosmos from eleven dimensions down to three.

Even countless god-level civilizations had failed to find a way to reverse high-dimensional collapse into lower dimensions. At best, they could preemptively descend and survive in a reduced dimension.

What the civilizations of the idyllic era couldn't resolve, Setsuna certainly couldn't fix now.

Governing the entire universe wasn't realistic, so he thought of something simpler.

"Capture the Singer and its ship. Seize the photoids and dual-vector foils. Use them to study dimensional technology."

At the order—

The starship shipgirls leapt from the bridge, manifesting their vessels and thoroughly scanning the surrounding starfield.

They confirmed no other targets were present.

"Maintain a one-light-year safety distance."

"Nymph, prepare for electronic intrusion. We must paralyze the ship in an instant, stripping it of resistance to prevent a dual-vector foil self-detonation."

Setsuna ruffled the little loli's head.

He had realized that in interstellar warfare, the Angeloid's role in electronic warfare had been amplified countless times.

"Heh, Master, now you see how amazing I am~"

The little loli enjoyed the head-pat, squinting happily, hands on her hips.

She even took the chance to flaunt her Commander's affection to Ikaros and Astraea.

"One minute! Watch me take them down!!"

...

Inside the ship.

The Singer and the Elder fell into silence.

They had allocated all of the Big Eye's threads to analysis, but the results remained the same.

The strike was instantaneous.

It had spanned hundreds of light-years, yet the moment the attack occurred, the star was destroyed.

An FTL strike.

This was a terrifying cleaner, one who had stepped outside the laws of this universe.

Far more terrifying than the homeworld's enemies or the fringe worlds.

Because of constant defeats in war, the homeworld had already considered reducing their entire species into two dimensions, then recklessly unleashing dimensional weapons on their enemies.

But now, the Singer felt that perhaps the war between the homeworld and the fringe worlds was only a trivial part of this dark cosmos.

Somewhere in the stars, there existed a hunter beyond imagination—cleansing so-called advanced civilizations just as the Singer cleansed lesser ones.

"If the laws can be altered to lower lightspeed, or to reduce dimensions…"

"Then could there exist methods that let one surpass lightspeed?"

The Singer posed the question to the Elder.

"Impossible. If you exceed lightspeed, the entire foundation of science collapses. In theory, it's—"

The Elder stopped halfway.

The homeworld was not the most advanced civilization in this universe. The "laws" and "science" they knew were only deductions within the existing framework of this cosmos.

If there truly existed a civilization far beyond them, one with a completely different foundational system of science…

"!!!"

The Singer and the Elder realized they had stumbled onto something monumental.

Countless possibilities flashed through their minds.

"Return!!!"

The moment the words were spoken—

The ship jolted violently, falling out of lightspeed.

Alarms blared everywhere.

Including the Big Eye, the entire ship's weapon systems, engines, and AI were all hacked and paralyzed.

"Intrusion… into a lightspeed ship?!"

The Singer realized another horrifying truth.

Normally, no signal should be able to catch a lightspeed vessel.

Yet before the crew could even respond—

From the Eternal Snowfall, hundreds of carrier-based aircraft launched. Using short-range jump drives, they instantly crossed the one-light-year gap and appeared beside the ship.

Shwoom—

Each aircraft fired several missiles, which detonated at lightspeed right beside the target.

They were weapons similar to subsonic hydrogen bombs designed against biomass, devastating to organics—a type Grey particularly liked.

Their speed and power were orders of magnitude beyond anything aboard the Natural Selection or Blue Space. With near-range jump-bombing, evasion was impossible.

Vmmm!!!

The radiation streams of thousands of missiles pierced the ship.

All crew aboard were instantly reduced to pools of grey inorganic matter.

...

After confirming no further threats aboard—

The Eternal Snowfall opened its hangar and retrieved the ship.

The Angeloid and Grey began carefully dismantling and studying it.

The Singer's civilization had already developed lightspeed ships, mastered dimensional strikes, and even the ability to descend into two dimensions themselves. Within the Trisolaran universe, they were considered above-average.

At the very least, they could drag the universe into collapse with dual-vector foils and survive as a two-dimensional species.

But the ship itself was unimpressive. A crude creation of natives, awkward for humans to use.

Yet, after only a few dozen minutes, Grey found what they needed.

"Here, Commander."

"In the storage bay—there are dozens of them, all sealed in forcefields."

She stood before Setsuna, opening her pale hand.

Resting in her palm was a pure-white strip, less than ten centimeters long and five wide. As thin as a sheet of paper.

Roughly the size of an ID card, with no thickness at all.

It didn't react to any kind of electromagnetic wave—not even tachyons or luxons.

It was as if transparent, able to pass through any obstacle.

Only forcefields could hold it in place.

"Ohh…"

After Grey confirmed multiple times that the sealing was secure and there would be no accidental leaks, the shipgirls crowded closer.

A dual-vector foil.

The Trisolaran universe's ultimate interstellar weapon. The culmination of law-based warfare. The very doomsday tool that had ended this cosmos.

Inside it was a sealed two-dimensional space. When the forcefield vanished, the surrounding three-dimensional space would collapse into two.

The collapse would accelerate, eventually reaching lightspeed.

Within hours, an entire star system would be reduced to two dimensions. Given enough time, the whole galaxy would fall.

Three-dimensional beings could not survive in two dimensions. It wiped enemies out completely.

A terrifyingly cool weapon.

"Ahem. Take it back for research. Strict regulation."

Setsuna cleared his throat, accepting the dual-vector foil.

"Under no circumstances is it to be used in our own universe or vassal worlds!"

"Commander, I just thought of a very rude way to use it."

Gudako suddenly raised her hand.

"Hah?"

Everyone turned toward the human menace.

"If there's a world you don't like, just use your authority to open a portal, toss a dual-vector foil through, and close it."

"Then just wait for them to slowly die off."

"Throwing cosmic trash around the multiverse?!"

Grey's face twitched.

"..."

Setsuna was silent for a moment.

"…You really do come up with the wildest ideas."

"I'm in awe of your imagination."

Chapter 305: Aeons Like You, We Have Thousands

Erinas' crimson beast eyes reflected the converging energies within the Xianzhou.

The eyes of an Abyssal Beast could see the strengths and weaknesses of energy. No matter how one tried to conceal it, such things could not be hidden from them.

This was an ability unique to Abyssal creatures—even higher and stronger beings could not escape their sight.

In its beastly gaze, it saw eight Emanators, among which two carried a unique, dense aura of the Cosmic Truth.

But this aura was far too thin, as though they had only obtained fragments of Truth. Moreover, it carried faint traces of the Teyvat Universe's scent.

It seemed highly likely that they were related to some Divine Collectives of Teyvat, perhaps even pawns laid down by the High Gods themselves.

The other six Emanators were merely ordinary. Of these, five were unremarkable. On their own, their strength could only reach planetary-class. But by borrowing the power of the Path, they could rise to stellar-class—the minimum threshold of Emanators. With the golden puppet giants bestowed by the Aeons, they could reach nebula-class.

If they staked their lives, they could briefly reach galactic-class.

But their existence could not withstand such magnitude, and collapse was inevitable.

As the Liyue Divine Collective often said: "Virtue unworthy of power brings calamity."

Erinas had no wish to remain ignorant and naive as it once had been.

After being resurrected, it had continued learning within the Abyss, battling, understanding the ideals of the various intelligent civilizations of the main universe, and experiencing the many emotions of humankind.

And not long ago, it had reached galactic-class scale, ranking among the forefront of God-King-class beings within the Abyss.

Erinas felt no impulse to act rashly.

The Xianzhou Alliance was one of the few major powers in the Star Rail Universe that could not be easily devoured. Apart from them, there were also the Family.

Both of these great powers were under the direct gaze of Aeons.

When the six Xianzhou vessels gathered, the Hunt Aeon Lan had already cast His gaze upon them. With the black beast tide sweeping across the universe, the Hunt's power had swelled, as countless intelligent lives embraced the Path of the Hunt within the Abyssal tide.

Filtering civilizations was not as simple as merely purging those of an evil alignment. A kind child might have a father steeped in wickedness, and that same wicked father might treat the child with love. Such a child would inevitably hate the Abyssal creatures.

Entrusting such a task of filtering civilizations to the Divine Collectives would never work—thus, it was handed to the Abyss.

After all, the Abyss was the best scapegoat.

Although Erinas was under the Aeon of the Hunt's gaze, and would be pierced by radiant arrows should it stray too far from the Xianzhou, it remained utterly calm.

Erinas was not merely an Abyssal Beast—it was itself a passage into the Abyss, able to dive into it at will.

Not even the causal radiant arrows could strike it.

Jing Yuan, drenched in sweat, stared at the terrifying monster that had withstood his full-force strike and named itself Erinas.

Its body slowly emerged from the spatial rift, so vast it dwarfed even the Xianzhou Luofu.

Even the divine generals seemed minuscule before it.

And in its maw rested a black hole leading to an unknown dimension. If it spat that black hole toward the Xianzhou Luofu, the vessel would be utterly destroyed—and the neighboring Xianzhou as well.

Yet Jing Yuan remained calm. Though the creature was terrifying, the Xianzhou Alliance had gathered eight Emanators.

And since it had admitted that the Hunt already had its gaze upon it, the Alliance was safe—for now.

Even if the black beast tide showed no signs of halting.

Such was the security that came from standing under the protection of an Aeon.

Jing Yuan asked, "Since you are able to converse, and you've introduced yourself as Erinas of the Abyss, a galactic-class beast—do you all call yourselves Beasts? And your universe, the Abyss?"

Erinas twisted the arc of its monstrous Abyssal maw slightly.

"We are indeed called Abyssal Beasts. The universe we hail from is indeed the Abyssal Universe. But that Abyssal Universe is merely one among many within the Great Universe of Teyvat."

"In Teyvat, there are dozens of universes like ours."

"As for the scales of power you asked about—isn't it obvious?"

"To destroy a star is stellar-class. To destroy a nebula is nebula-class. To destroy a galaxy is galactic-class."

Even when Erinas spoke in the faintest of voices, his words spread across the surrounding cosmic expanse, reaching the ears of the Xianzhou Alliance's high command waiting to strike.

Present were not only the Grand Marshal Hua and the other five Xianzhou Generals, but also the great Diviners of each Xianzhou vessel, the Six Chancellors, as well as the Astral Express crew and the Stellaron Hunters.

"What? The Teyvat Great Universe, the Abyssal Universe? A super-cosmic body formed of dozens of universes together?"

"What does that even mean?"

"Teyvat… that's the name the Genius Society decoded from another universe…"

"This is beyond imagination… is it trying to confuse us, or is this real?"

The generals of the Xianzhou Alliance could not help but speak aloud.

Welt Yang murmured, "Hmm… Though it may not be my place to voice an opinion here, I believe the other side has no reason to deceive us."

Himeko nodded. "Indeed. Judging by their actions, there is no premise for deceit."

Kafka added, "That's right. Since we are already enemies locked in life and death, deception offers them no benefit."

Meanwhile, Jing Yuan continued to question.

"Galactic-class… then above you, are there higher levels still? Or perhaps… Aeons?"

For a calamity sweeping across the cosmos, Aeons' involvement was certain—there was no doubt.

But galactic-class was already the pinnacle of Emanators. Beyond that, it would hardly be Emanators anymore, but Aeons themselves.

Erinas replied, "Hehehe… but of course. Above me lies the supergalactic-class, with mass ten thousand times greater than mine—holding the scale of ten thousand galaxies."

"Beyond that is cosmic-structure-class, able to alter the very structure of a universe, affecting its stability."

"To you, such beings would be no different from Aeons."

"And above even that is standard single-universe-class. Beyond that lies high single-universe, and then super single-universe."

"The Aeons of your universe? They are nothing more than standard single-universe—we call them 'Almighty Gods.'"

"And beings of this 'Almighty God' level? In the Teyvat Great Universe, we have thousands of them."

Erinas' mocking voice echoed from his Abyssal maw, reverberating across cosmic space.

Although the present Teyvat did not yet hold that many single-universe-class Almighty Gods, that did not stop him from boasting.

And while they did not exist now, that did not mean they would not exist in the future.

Erinas had personally experienced the age when Teyvat had risen from a bubble world to the current era of many coexisting great universes. Though those great universes remained in a primordial state, in time, the number of Almighty Gods would surely surpass a thousand. Perhaps in some unimaginably distant future, Erinas himself might even glimpse that exalted level.

Thus, the gods from Teyvat looked down from the bottom of their hearts upon any universe in which they carried out missions. After all, such universes were always weaker than their own—whether in heritage, potential, or in strength.

"Hehehe… your struggles are nothing but futile."

"Moreover, we are not here to destroy your universe. Our High Gods do not permit us to do so."

"You must have already noticed—the pattern in our actions is clear."

"Oh, you surely want to ask me about these High Gods, don't you? Hehe… I don't mind revealing a little."

"Our High Gods are beings beyond even the great universes, who can create and destroy universes with but a flip of Their hands."

"They are existences higher than the Aeons of your universe. Each one is of high single-universe or super single-universe class."

"I've said enough. Your Aeons are already straining to hold back from striking me. I should take my leave."

"And let me tell you this: the black beast tide is not under the control of us higher beasts, but exists in accordance with the will of the Abyssal Monarch."

"He is the sovereign of our Abyssal Universe. King to king, general to general—the Aeons are His opponents. As for me, I'll retreat now, hehe…"

Though villains loved their speeches, the Abyss was not truly a villain. Apart from the mindless Abyssal beasts, those with complete intellect adhered to the rule of king to king, general to general. They would bully only the weak—never risking their lives to fight across levels.

Crack—

As Erinas finished speaking, his colossal body shattered cosmic space, slipping into the universe's reverse side.

Even the Aeon of the Hunt, despite his causal might, could not extend his power into the reverse side of the universe, for it was the very inversion of all cosmic laws.

Erinas' planet-sized form sank into that darkness, and the torn space swiftly healed shut.

At the same moment, a light more dazzling than a gamma-ray burst from the heart of a quasar descended.

At its forefront was a colossal radiant arrow, its speed defying the laws of time itself. This arrow had been loosed millions of years ago.

It broke the law of time, striking through the relation of cause and effect—the so-called reversal of causality.

An arrow loosed millions of years in the past arrived at this moment, bearing the might of time, striking down its target from the river of ages.

This was a feat only Aeons could achieve.

Such a causal strike was locked onto its target.

No matter how one fled or dodged, it was of no use.

The instant the arrow was loosed, the target was destined to fall.

This was why Erinas had said from the very beginning that he had already been marked by the Hunt.

But as a galactic-class Abyssal Beast, bearing the Abyssal Universe's own protection, he realized this at once.

Vmmm—

That radiant arrow brushed past the six Xianzhou vessels, exploding with the Path of the Hunt's causal might.

The brilliance was as if one stood at the heart of a supernova.

Rumble—Rumble—Rumble—

The entire black beast tide across this cosmic expanse melted away like snow. Of course, among the destroyed were also some unlucky Cloud Knights fleets and Starskiff squadrons.

Such an attack, on so vast a scale, could never wipe out only enemy targets. It was inevitable that allies would be caught in its wake.

This was the difference between Aeons and the higher gods of Teyvat.

Though Aeons were mighty, their fine control over their own power was nearly nonexistent. For them, the utmost precision was perhaps only at the planetary level.

The only Aeon with some degree of precision control was Aha, the Aeon of Elation.

But even for Aha, such precision manifested only in the projection of consciousness—sending out a small avatar of awareness to handle delicate tasks.

By contrast, the gods of Teyvat—even those of universal-class—could freely regulate the energy level of their own power. Whether restraining themselves to the level of an ordinary person, or raising a hand to alter the structure of a universe, their control was flawless…

The radiant arrow did not stop.

With Erinas having fled into the reverse side of the universe, the arrow lost its target and continued into the depths of space.

On the cosmic scale, only a thin beam of light could be seen piercing straight through galaxy after galaxy, its force undiminished as it shot toward the very edge of the universe.

Along its trajectory, every Abyssal beast tide was annihilated, as were all inhabited star systems in its path. Even unfortunate interstellar civilizations were obliterated together.

In the cosmic void, the sanctified form of the Aeon of the Hunt remained in his archer's stance—his lower half a fusion of steed and chariot, his upper half a mighty humanoid without a face.

"Escaped… but… discovered…"

Lan, the Aeon of the Hunt, gazed toward a certain direction, drawing his bowstring to its fullest.

A radiant arrow appeared upon the string.

The full force of the Path of the Hunt and the Principle of the Hunt manifested.

This arrow was of an entirely different level than the one loosed before.

Even if it struck another Aeon directly, it would shatter their sanctified form, perhaps even grievously wound them.

Before he became an Aeon, Lan had been a human who despised evil with righteous fervor.

Now the entire universe was under invasion, and the Path of the Hunt was in a frenzy of activity.

Thus he had been ceaselessly probing for the source of the invading universe. He had once loosed an arrow toward the Gate itself.

But the Gate was wholly unscathed. Not even Lan's arrow could breach it—perhaps even his full might would scarcely shake it.

And so he shifted his focus, to pursue the rulers of the black beast tide's will.

At the far end of the Star Rail Universe, a violet-black Abyssal Divine Wheel appeared behind Aether. At its center, a celestial sphere slowly turned, radiating the aura of a complete and mature universe.

"The Aeon of the Hunt, Lan… not a bad fellow."

"But it is not that you discovered me—it is that I chose to reveal myself."

"Even though the universe's operation has already been thrown into chaos by the black beast tide, as long as you Aeons do not directly descend, the beast tide cannot shake the foundation of the cosmos."

"And so, I reveal myself—for Aeons are the very foundation of the universe."

"Now, I'll fight ten!"

Chapter 58: Cell Cultivation and Sage Clan Intelligence

Confirmed by the giant Tenseigan scan and chakra signature.

Through the giant Tenseigan, Satsuki teleported into Rōran's most secret laboratory.

This laboratory had been built hundreds of meters underground according to her specifications, powered by the Ryūmyaku chakra, with the giant Tenseigan as the management terminal.

Here, hundreds of transparent cultivation tanks made of composite materials were arranged neatly in a square formation.

Each transparent tank was about the height of an adult, with a diameter of around one meter. For now, they were still empty, not yet filled with nutrient fluid.

This was because the experiment concerning the creation of the Hyūga clan was only in its first stage. The second stage, which involved filling the tanks with nutrient fluid, had not yet begun.

At present, the Hyūga creation plan remained at its initial step: cultivating cell tissue into biological embryos.

A being on the Six Paths level already possessed self-repairing capabilities, meaning they essentially had no weaknesses. For instance, even when Six Paths Madara took Might Guy's Night Guy head-on, he was unharmed shortly afterward.

From past failed attempts, it became clear: the reason the cells died was not because they were too fragile, but because they were too powerful, and insufficient energy supply caused cultivation failure.

Thus, for the proliferation and division of these cells, the question was not whether they could do so—it was whether Satsuki could provide sufficient energy for them.

The Ryūmyaku chakra was her chosen solution to this problem.

According to the records left by the puppets she had stationed here, it had been a week since the cultivation of the first batch of embryos. Visible cell colonies had already formed.

This was good news. At the very least, it proved that she had resolved the issue of energy supply.

The petri dishes were stored inside a large incubator, the temperature maintained at thirty-seven degrees. The culture fluid had to be replaced every two hours, while the Ryūmyaku chakra continuously recharged the discarded gelatin. Designated puppets added nutrients into it for reuse.

"Looks like things are going well."

Satsuki received the experiment logs and data from recent days. After reviewing them for a while, she estimated that in about another week, these embryos would develop into primitive biological embryonic tissue.

At that stage, the incubator would no longer suffice. The living embryos would need to be transferred into the cultivation tanks for the second stage of growth.

Having grasped the progress of the Hyūga creation project, Satsuki left the Rōran laboratory and summoned Candle Nine Yin.

"What information do you have on the Sage Clan?"

"Sage Clan?" Candle Nine Yin's voice echoed with doubt. "My lady, I have never heard of any Sage Clan."

Is that so.

It seemed this so-called Sage Clan did not have a direct connection to the sages.

Satsuki brushed aside a lock of hair near her ear and sat back onto her main seat in thought. In her plan, once the Hyūga creation project showed results, the next target would be the Sage Clan.

After all, this hidden shinobi clan deep within the world of Naruto seemed to possess no small amount of "black technology."

Based on her speculation, the Sage Clan likely had the ability to replicate the Six Paths treasured tools and might even have contributed to the development of the world's foundational jutsu systems.

She recalled that some of the space-time formulas on certain summoning scrolls had not been fully decrypted.

Although usable, Satsuki disliked relying on techniques she did not fully understand. Thus, visiting the Sage Clan was a necessity.

Since Candle Nine Yin had no intelligence on them, she would need to find another way.

"The Senju clan's intelligence network should be able to provide relevant information."

...

Senju residence, within the Iga settlement.

"Clan Head Butsuma, this is a secret letter from that person."

A middle-aged man, armored and wearing the Senju clan crest on his forehead, handed a sealed letter to Senju Butsuma, who was visiting injured clan members.

"Thank you for your efforts, Elder Katsuma."

After accepting the letter, Butsuma exchanged a few words with those around him before leaving the medical ward.

In recent times, the conflict between the Senju clan and the Uchiha clan had grown increasingly fierce, resulting in more and more casualties. To make matters worse, troubling news arrived: another unfamiliar clan, calling themselves the Hagoromo clan, had allied with the Uchiha. Together, they posed a grave threat to the Iga Alliance led by the Senju and Uzumaki clans.

Fortunately, during this period there had been logistical and financial support from Satsuki Ōtsutsuki. In addition, the Senju clan itself had, to a certain degree, inherited the Sage Body from Asura. While their offensive power was not particularly high, their vitality was extremely resilient. With support from the Uzumaki clan, they had managed to hold their ground in the clashes without falling behind.

But their allies had not been so lucky. Once populous clans such as the Inuzuka and the Aburame—indeed, any shinobi clans belonging to the Iga Alliance—were targeted by the enemy for indiscriminate slaughter.

Just the matter of distributing condolence payments gave Butsuma Senju a massive headache. But he could not avoid it, for it had been his secret mission that had drawn the enemy there in the first place.

The fact that these clans had not pursued accountability for his unauthorized action was already giving him face. If he failed to handle the aftermath properly, the Senju risked censure and alienation from their allies.

That was something Butsuma Senju could not allow.

Thus, this was one of the reasons he had been compelled, reluctantly, to lean on Satsuki. And now, facing a letter personally sent by her, he naturally treated it with utmost seriousness.

So he returned home early.

"Big brother, father's back."

Among Butsuma's sons, Tobirama had the keenest sensory perception. He detected their father's return the moment he entered the residence.

"Oh, really? That's great." Hashirama's face lit up with joy, only to be instantly drenched head-to-toe by one of Tobirama's Water Release jutsu.

Watching nearby, Kawarama shouted loudly: "Tobirama-nii is so sneaky!"

"This is called tactics. I'm not like big brother, the kind of shinobi with only one track in his head," Tobirama said smugly, deflecting Hashirama's hurled shuriken with a kunai.

At this time, Hashirama—sporting a hopelessly rustic hairstyle—had been about to use his signature "Clap My Hands, Anything Comes" technique, but upon hearing those words, he instantly slumped, visible black lines rising from his body.

"So I'm really just a one-track-minded big brother…"

Tobirama, most exasperated by this flaw of his brother's, snapped irritably: "There you go again! Big brother, when are you ever going to get over this habit of moping for no reason?"

Before Tobirama could finish his rant, a wooden branch suddenly shot up from the ground, binding him in place.

In a flash, the dejected Hashirama transformed into a different person, his face breaking into a goofy grin. "Heh heh, even if I'm a one-track-minded big brother, I still won this match, hahaha!"

At those words, flames of fury almost shot from Tobirama's eyes. Even Kawarama, watching from the side, felt that their big brother was being insufferably infuriating.

"Let me go! I'm serious—father really is back!"

"I'm not falling for that one so easily, Tobirama." Hashirama folded his arms and laughed loudly.

"Hashirama, it's rare to see you all so lively."

A familiar voice came from behind the triumphant Hashirama. The self-proclaimed "God of Shinobi" froze instantly, as though caught by a Shadow Imitation jutsu.

"Father!"

When Hashirama Senju realized that the man behind him truly was his father, he immediately returned to a steady and reliable demeanor.

Released from the Wood Release binding, Tobirama and Kawarama also came over, and the three greeted Butsuma together.

"Father, you're back so early today. Is something the matter?"

As expected of the future Second Hokage, who would master Water Release and countless forbidden techniques, Tobirama's mind was the sharpest of the three brothers.

"Haha, just a small matter to handle. But I also wanted to see how your training is going."

Butsuma looked at Hashirama in slight surprise. "Hashirama, what was that jutsu you just used? It didn't seem like one commonly practiced by our clan."

"Oh, that—"

Just as Hashirama was about to boast to his father about the Wood Release he had unintentionally developed, Tobirama jumped in to cut him off.

"That's just some Wood Release jutsu big brother came up with while fooling around. It can't even restrain anyone. One explosive tag and it's blown apart."

"Hmph, that's a powerful jutsu! If I had more chakra, I'd show you. Once I've got enough, I'll catch a tailed beast for you myself!"

Kawarama stuck his tongue out at Hashirama. "Big brother's bragging again."

The three little rascals bickered and scuffled once more, while Butsuma watched with a smile. "Haha, catching a tailed beast is no simple task."

"Don't worry, Father. I'll train hard and help you capture all the tailed beasts in this world!" Hashirama promised with a pat on his chest.

"Hmph~~ always showing off." Tobirama turned his head with a tsundere snort. "When the time comes, I'll just have to clean up your mess again."

The youngest, Kawarama, stood timidly behind his brothers, whispering, "I… I'll be like my big brothers too."

"Mm, Kawarama. As the eldest, you must protect your family well." With that, Butsuma turned. "I still have matters to attend to. Continue your training."

"Yes!" ×3

After bidding farewell to his sons, Butsuma had his guards patrol the perimeter of the house, then brought only Elder Katsuma into his secret intelligence chamber.

"Elder Katsuma, are you certain this letter came directly from that lady?"

Seated at the head of the room, Butsuma lit a candle. In its flickering glow, both men's faces reflected stern expressions.

"Butsuma, I know the weight of such matters. I can assure you this letter was indeed sent by her personally."

"My apologies, Elder Katsuma. After the last plan was exposed, I've been on edge."

During that tailed beast contest, the Uchiha had intervened at a suspiciously precise moment. Their objectives were unmistakably clear, as if they already knew from the start that the Senju were after the tailed beast.

At that time, Butsuma realized his operation had been completely exposed. If not for the contingencies he had prepared, that battle might have spelled the Senju's end on the shinobi stage.

"No matter. After that incident, a bit more caution is a good thing."

Rip~

Tearing open the envelope, Butsuma read the Ōtsutsuki's demands. His brows gradually furrowed, as if weighing something, and the atmosphere grew heavy.

Minutes passed before Elder Katsuma could no longer hold back.

"Clan Head, is it something difficult?"

"Oh, it's merely a request for intelligence on the Sage Clan." Butsuma handed the letter over.

"Sage Clan?" Katsuma read the brief words written inside: "Within three days, submit all information on the Sage Clan you possess."

Beyond those words, there was no signature or seal.

"Simply providing intelligence on the Sage Clan isn't particularly difficult." Butsuma folded his arms. "What I don't understand is why she wants it."

What he left unsaid was more troubling: how did she know about the Sage Clan at all, and how did she know of the connection between them and the Senju?

After all, the ties between the Senju and the Sage Clan had always been hidden in the shadows. Even the name 'Sage Clan' was something he had only learned of recently.

Given that this person knew the term "Sage Clan," Butsuma reasoned that only someone who had already dealt with those mysterious beings to some extent could be aware of such a name.

Yet from the contents of the letter, it was clear that this mysterious Ōtsutsuki possessed no intelligence on them.

This contradiction was precisely why Butsuma had fallen into deep thought upon first reading the letter.

"There's no need to overthink. Since she has stated she will not interfere in our internal affairs, nor has she made excessive demands, we'll handle this as official business."

Katsuma Senju did not know much about the Sage Clan. That line of contact had been handled almost exclusively by Butsuma himself, so his stance remained neutral.

If only Gokuma were still alive…

At times like this, Butsuma could not help but miss that clansman who had always stood by his side.

With a sigh, Butsuma burned the secret letter in the candle's flame, then ordered: "Elder Katsuma, inform the intelligence division of this command. In three days, compile a full report on everything we know."

After speaking, he rose, drew an ordinary-looking scroll from a bookshelf, and handed it over. "This records several locations where I met with the Sage Clan. Include them when presenting the information."

"Yes."

Katsuma bowed, accepted the scroll, and departed instantly.

Only Butsuma remained, sitting alone in the secret chamber. After a long while, he picked up the envelope that had wrapped the letter and carefully tore it apart.

Inside, on the inner layer of the envelope, another line of text was written.

The moment Butsuma read it, his pupils dilated, and his normally stern face revealed shock.

"Something like this… could it really be possible?" he murmured. "Hashirama is actually the chakra reincarnation of that esteemed one?"

...

"Troublesome."

Within her fortress, Satsuki glanced at the sky to estimate the time. Then she carefully placed a half-man-high, gray-black bone spear into a glass container—one she had extracted from Suzuki Kaguya's body, a product of his Shikotsumyaku.

When she had rushed to rescue Ranzuki, the moment she first touched this gray-black bone, she immediately sensed its extraordinary power.

She had taken note then—Suzuki Kaguya, as the source of these bones, was worth saving. The boy called Maei Kaguya, however, had been left as a piece in reserve.

To study the unique force within this bone, Satsuki had tried various methods of analysis. But whether chakra or senjutsu energy, all were erased by the mysterious power it contained.

Thus, she resolved to act personally.

Forming seals with both hands, golden Tenseigan chakra surged from her body, while nine golden Truth-Seeking Orbs floated behind her.

For the first time in a long while, Satsuki entered Tenseigan Chakra Mode.

"If ordinary chakra and natural energy are rejected by this mysterious force, then let's see what happens with Tenseigan chakra imbued with the power of the Six Paths."

She extended a hand through the glass container, aiming at the gray-black bone within. Her golden Tenseigan eyes gleamed brilliantly, pouring vast chakra through the glass and into the bone.

"Let me see… what the true source of this power really is."

Chapter 145: Angel of Death

Scorching, tingling, itching…

This was Vela's most direct sensation after donning the [Arata-Ayato-α] Living Quinque Armor, while partially releasing and activating her Kagune.

Just by holding her breath, she could feel the faint sting of blood surging through her veins.

Inside the armor, across her skin, it felt as if something was crawling, biting, devouring…

Ambiguous, yet undeniable, Vela even sensed a faint, almost imperceptible malice.

But—

"Nothing more than that."

The hatred and resentment of consumption was insignificant!

Clack—channeling strength, Vela clenched her fist.

In her palm, encased by matte black gauntlets, was a long blade with a heavily chipped edge.

A B-rank Koukaku Quinque longsword, once bloodstained on the frontlines, damaged and recalled. One of the CCG's most basic standard-issue Quinque weapons.

In the spacious, silent room, as Vela's fingers closed like iron tongs, the grating sound of metal twisting rang out clearly—screech-crack!

The blade snapped, shards falling to the ground. Jagged fragments slipped from between her loosening fingers, scattering like fragile glass, flashing cold light.

Easier than ever…

Weighing the force she had just applied, the augmentation from the Living Armor and the faint, brimming heat and tingling satisfaction made Vela narrow her eyes in contentment.

Flexing the precise gauntlet that fit snugly around her fingers, she then turned her head toward the man in a white lab coat, slippers on his feet, holding a data tablet, standing beside Akira Mado. She nodded at him, signaling that everything was fine.

His unkempt stubble and distinctive moss-green mushroom-cut hair identified him clearly as Dr. Kouitsu Chigyou, CCG's chief researcher.

Vela's mentor in Quinque manufacturing technology and ghoul biology.

"Although the [Arata Proto]'s problem of constant backlash has been resolved, once you enter overload mode, the slight blood absorption caused by activating and releasing the Kagune is unavoidable."

Kouitsu Chigyou explained as he tapped circles and notes onto the tablet.

Conventional Quinques were dead matter. But the 'Arata' series was different. They were living armor. In their normal state, they were manageable, but once entering activation mode, Rc cells had to be absorbed.

Simply put—blood, whether ghoul or human.

"How about the pain? What does it feel like?"

He asked.

"It's fine. Like scraping or cupping… something like that."

Vela shrugged, rolling her neck.

"Hah, Vela, you've tried cupping before?"

"It's a metaphor."

Amidst the calibration, their casual banter continued. Kouitsu Chigyou guided further: "Take a deep breath. Compared to the last Proto model, I improved the fusion ratio and form of Quinque steel with the base specimen 'Arata Kirishima's' Kakuja Kakuhou. This makes the Living Armor's attachment resemble ghoul Kakuja transformation more closely. Breathing and heat dissipation—significant improvements."

"Huuh…"

Taking a deep breath under the V-shaped closed helmet, Vela felt no discomfort. As for heat dissipation, because of air conditioning indoors and minimal exertion, the difference wasn't obvious yet—but she trusted that a pure scientist like Kouitsu Chigyou wouldn't be careless in such matters.

"Impressive, Dr. Chigyou."

In rare jest, Vela turned to face the mirrored wall of the gray-white room, examining her reflection.

The [Arata-Ayato-α] Living Full-Body Armor perfectly accentuated her graceful figure. Its contours were healthy and elegant without seeming seductive or revealing. Metallic gloss radiated an intimidating sharpness.

Visually, her height now approached two meters.

Without doubt, Kouitsu Chigyou had used more Quinque steel in her custom design.

The armor's coverage was so complete it resembled a thin exoskeletal mech suit. Matte black, fully enclosed plating draped her body, streaked faintly with crimson vein-like lines.

Purple-red armor striations spread across her shoulders, writhing faintly like living tissue in rhythm with her breath.

Compared to Yukinori Shinohara and Iwao Kuroiwa's [Arata Proto] units, with their mechanical and metallic emphasis, Vela's carried far more of a ghoul's agility and biological presence.

This was the true prototype of armor technology.

"But this kind of improvement…"

Thud, thud~

As the half-metal, half-Koukaku armored boots struck against the bare concrete floor, Vela slowly approached the training equipment placed indoors.

Bang!

A loud crash, like thunder. A sandbag—200cm × 55cm, weighing 100kg—under Vela's poorly executed sideways hook, swung like a pendulum, the suspension rope snapping instantly. The two-hundred-pound sandbag shot off like a cannonball, slammed into the wall, burst open completely, and sent its filling scattering across the floor.

Effortless.

The armor's movements, the power output, the amplification of strength and defense—it all flowed like a second skin, a second muscle, smooth and natural. It felt like part of her body, an extension.

There was no sluggishness despite the heavy infusion of Quinque steel.

Unscientific…

Could there have been a breakthrough in Quinque manufacturing?

Clack, clack—the helmet unlocked, crisp metallic friction and jointed clashing sounds echoing as the memory armor plates folded back automatically. Flicking her hair back, Vela looked toward Kouitsu Chigyou.

As though intuitively sensing her question, the Quinque craftsman shook his head directly: "It's not so easy to make breakthroughs in manufacturing."

"Then, Doctor, what method did you use?"

Vela asked this as she casually shoved aside one of the 20-foot containers (about 2.2 tons), stacked together for complex terrain pursuit training. The thunderous rumble made Akira Mado twitch at the corner of her eyes.

Already anticipating such performance from Vela in the armor, Kouitsu Chigyou answered with simple honesty: "More material."

"Hah?"

Vela blinked.

"Doctor, you didn't use the portion meant for Special Class Kuroiwa, did you…?"

The key material for producing the [Arata] series was SS-rank Kakuja Kakuhou from Arata Kirishima's complete Koukaku.

As far as she knew, her own, Yukinori Shinohara's, and Iwao Kuroiwa's sets of original material had all been stripped from the imprisoned Arata Kirishima.

They were precious resources built up over time. Aside from those wasted in failed attempts at creating Living Armor, whenever Arata's Kakuhou regrew, CCG's guards would harvest it again.

By the timeline, his last harvested Kakuhou shouldn't have grown back yet.

"Even if I wanted to, given the current crisis caused by Aogiri Tree, Special Class Kuroiwa needs the [Arata] more than anyone."

Kouitsu Chigyou coughed lightly, embarrassed. Truth be told, such an idea had crossed his mind.

Then, his tone grew serious: "Do you remember those two top-quality Ukaku Kakuhou you asked me to safeguard, emphasizing that they had to be fused into Living Armor?"

Vela nodded.

"Ayato Kirishima's."

She had personally hunted them, of course she remembered.

"At the start of the year, when progress on 'Arata' improvements hit a bottleneck, I went to meet Arata Kirishima once."

"Oh?"

Vela raised an eyebrow. "So…"

"Through the special sense of smell ghouls have, Arata recognized the lingering scent of his offspring on me, and he went berserk."

Kouitsu Chigyou explained: "Even reduced to a beast, Arata's personality long shattered by cannibalism and years of captivity, the parental instinct still roused his fading consciousness. He frenzied, draining his Rc cells, regenerating his Kakuhou, forcing a half-Kakuja transformation…"

At this, Kouitsu Chigyou sighed, pausing.

"To be honest, I also have to thank your idea—the [High Rc-Cell Synthesized Food for Ghoul Consumption Experiment]. During the early exploratory phase, all the products were fed to him. His recovery speed surpassed my expectations."

Captured ghouls, including those held in the 23rd Ward's ghoul prison Cochlea, officially, were never fed ghoul meat. After all, investigators were human. Feeding them corpses was appalling, feeding them ghoul flesh was aiding the enemy.

So, just like ordinary prisons—often worse—the food provided was substandard.

Human food harmed ghouls, nauseating them, but it wouldn't kill them. Eat it or starve. If they fainted from hunger, they were force-fed liquid diets.

Prisons wanted them half-dead, suffering. Sometimes even feeding food laced with Rc suppressants.

As for what some people might secretly feed them… who knew…

This was also why, after so many years of Arata Kirishima's captivity, only three sets of Kakuja Koukaku had ever been produced. Certainly, part of the reason was that the CCG harvested him too harshly, leaving him severely weakened multiple times. Malnutrition and constant frailty were also factors.

Starting from late 2014, Kouitsu Chigyou had begun research on high Rc-cell synthesized food. The early products still tasted to ghouls like rotting filth, but the fact that they provided Rc cells was already progress.

Arata was the direct beneficiary; Vela, the indirect one.

"I harvested his Kakuhou once again, and fused it into the set custom-built to match your body's form. Perhaps because of the freshness of the Kakuhou, and the bloodline connection between parent and offspring, right afterward, I succeeded in merging [Ayato] into the Living Quinque Armor—without triggering Kagune cannibalization…"

No wonder.

Vela couldn't help but sigh in amazement.

Sometimes, the simplest and most brutal methods—piling up quantity and material—really were the most effective.

"Vela."

Kouitsu Chigyou's eyes burned with fervor as he looked at her, unable to contain his excitement. "The [Arata-Ayato-α] will be the proudest creation of my entire life! Nothing else compares."

"No."

Vela corrected him with a smile.

"To be precise—it's only for now. The One-Eyed King of Aogiri Tree, with an entire set of SSS-rank Kakuhou, is still waiting for us to claim in the future."

"That depends on you investigators. I am only a scientist. I don't have strength like yours."

The two exchanged a smile.

Clap, clap.

Returning to the main point, Kouitsu Chigyou pointed toward Vela's shoulder plates. "The S+ rank Ukaku Ayato, after fusing with 'Arata,' its performance is even greater. I set the activation switch at…"

Before his words finished—whoosh—

From the shoulder blades of the Living Armor, the purple-red grooves flickered, and the Ukaku erupted in a spray of blood mist, like gas venting out.

In the next moment, high-density Kagune rapidly converged, igniting—like the blazing twin wings of a phoenix, burning in gradated crimson flames, thick and eerie, painting the space blood-red.

"The Quinx surgery… you've already achieved results?"

Vela looked at Kouitsu Chigyou.

The Quinx surgery, a procedure applied in Quinque manufacturing, differed in that Kagune extracted from ghouls was coated with Quinque steel and implanted into humans—similar to the half-ghoul surgery Ken Kaneki underwent, but safer, allowing the intake of human food.

And with her prompting, Kouitsu had evidently opened another path.

"You see through everything."

Kouitsu Chigyou admitted. "When wearing the armor, don't your shoulders feel a tingling numbness? It's what you taught me—the minimally invasive surgery that connects into the nervous system. Combined with the aggressive growth of Kakuhou organs, after cultivation and calibration, the sensation is like having two extra, dull invisible fingers. The technology is immature, it requires long training to adapt and sense them—but for you, as expected, it's no problem."

Whoosh!

As Vela controlled the Ukaku wings again, large crystal shards in purple-red hues condensed at the burning edges.

She turned toward the target wall.

In an instant, countless feathers burst forth. Whizz, whizz, whizz—

The air split with sharp sounds as the cone-shaped crystal Kagune, like ice spikes, rained densely upon the wall.

Piercing metal shrieks echoed. The bullseye quaked as the crystalline Kagune embedded deeply, weaving a suffocating net of spikes. What spread out before the eye was a forest of violet-red thorns.

Clearing out fodder—this was more than enough…

Just as Vela contemplated the Ukaku's additional uses beyond gliding, lift, and second-stage propulsion—szz, szz…

The burning Kagune wings began to wilt.

"Here, Vela. I assume you need this now."

Kouitsu Chigyou's voice sounded.

After rummaging in his pocket, he tossed something.

Vela turned and caught it.

Looking down, it was a vial with a special connector—an Rc cell supply injector.

"The basics of ghoul biology—Ukaku combat relies on violently releasing Rc cells in a short time. High burst, suited for quick battles."

Kouitsu Chigyou explained, one hand in his pocket, the other holding his data tablet: "And the advantage of semi-Quinque transformation is that even in its living state, without feeding, Rc cells can be replenished at any time…"

Following his guidance, Vela located the hidden port on the left shoulder of the armor. Clack—the injector connected. She pressed down on the plunger, and high-concentration Rc cells surged in. Instantly, whoosh—

The fully manifested Ukaku wings expanded by more than a circle, visibly growing brighter.

Like blazing wings of Kagune fire.

"Ukaku truly is the most beautiful Kagune… Investigator Russell, you look just like a seraph now."

Akira Mado, who had barely found a chance to speak, voiced her heartfelt awe.

She barely resisted the urge to pull out her phone and take a picture.

Humans were always double standards—no matter how beautiful a ghoul's Ukaku was, it was nothing but the wings of a demon.

"An angel… an Angel of Death, perhaps?"

Vela arched her brow.

"Mm, CCG's Angel of Death…"

Muttering to herself, Akira's turquoise eyes suddenly lit up. "Yes, that's it! If Special Class Arima is the 'White Reaper,' then Investigator Russell must be the 'Angel of Death'!"

"Better than those awkward titles like Golden Reaper or Blond Reaper… those sound terrible."

To this, Vela only shook her head with a smile.

Nicknames, titles—she didn't care much, as long as they weren't too ridiculous.

Soon, the basic performance and functions of [Arata-Ayato-α] had been explained. As for the specific limits of amplification and mastery, that would depend on Vela herself in actual use. Finally, Kouitsu Chigyou began outlining precautions.

"Remember—please, you must remember. This set is unlike other [Arata] series units. It has been customized in extreme detail for your physique, combat style, and abilities—and the burden on the body is immense."

"Never lend it to other investigators. And be extremely cautious when activating or fully releasing the armor. It can kill—even for Special Class Shinohara or Special Class Kuroiwa, it's no exception."

"Understood."

Nodding, the tall figure turned, a jet-black polearm suddenly in her hands.

"Eh? Wait, wait, wait—Special Class Russell! Why are you pulling out [Black Abyss IV]? That's an SS+ grade composite Quinque! Your new armor is also an SS+ grade amplification-type composite Quinque—ahhh, no, no, no, my lab doesn't have the equipment to withstand your performance tests!"

Chapter 226: Dinner with Eden

Elias and Eden basked in the thunderous, unending applause, like rolling thunder shaking the skies. Everyone gazed in awe at the two on stage—or rather, at the white-haired boy.

No one had expected that he, too, was a musical genius on par with Eden.

And when the audience finally took in Elias' appearance, their eyes widened in astonishment. He was far younger than they had imagined—and so strikingly handsome. White hair, golden eyes, and a radiant smile like the sun itself.

For a moment, they felt as though an angel had descended upon the mortal world.

And suddenly, everything made sense.

Because he had indeed brought forth music not of this world—divine sounds from heaven itself. Even now, those melodies still echoed in their hearts, refusing to fade.

"Uh, Eden, why are you pulling me forward?"

"Please don't retreat, my dear partner. You deserve to stand where I stand. This was not just my concert—you were no mere accompanist, but a lead performer with me."

Normally, accompanists would not stand under the spotlight. But Eden clasped Elias' hand, pulling him with her to the very center of the stage.

The place reserved for the stars.

Elias gave a helpless smile, then raised his hand with her to wave at the audience. Though it was just a simple gesture, it immediately set off another wave of cheers and shouts.

After all, standing on the same stage as Eden was already a near impossibility. The goddess of music not only possessed a voice like heaven's, but beauty enough to topple nations.

But now people were stunned to realize that Elias' looks and presence were not the least inferior—in fact, he might even surpass her faintly. Standing together, the two looked perfectly matched.

Especially as Eden held the boy's hand tightly, her face alight with an enchanting smile.

Many had a premonition: the goddess of art, who had never before had a single rumor of romance, might now be facing her very first scandal.

Though countless fans felt pangs of envy, Elias' performance had utterly won their hearts, and so they accepted it with reverence.

Fans: (You two can totally be a couple! We approve!)

Elysia: (...)

Only a certain pink elf in the audience twitched at the corner of her lips, fighting the sudden urge to rush the stage and drag someone back down.

...

After the concert ended—

To avoid trouble, Elias donned a mask and slipped out through a side exit provided by Eden, successfully meeting up with Elysia. Without it, fans and reporters would never have let the dazzling new piano prodigy leave so easily.

"Ely, how was my performance tonight?"

"Ahhh, my wonderful Elias, you've given me the hardest problem yet. I can't even think of words to describe it—it was too beautiful, too dreamlike!"

Elysia was still overflowing with excitement. Like a child pianist, she playfully moved her hands over an invisible piano in the air.

She had always known Elias had extraordinary musical talent. But she had never imagined it to be this overwhelming. Even standing on the same stage as Eden, Elias had not been overshadowed in the slightest.

In her eyes, Elias' performance was the most moving sound in the world—like seeing flowers bloom in every direction, like stepping into a paradise.

But more importantly…

"It scared me a little. I thought you'd just follow Eden and leave me behind."

Elysia clung to his arm, nuzzling her face against him like a needy, lonely kitten.

Having such an extraordinary boyfriend really was a lot of pressure.

Luckily, she was Elysia—a radiant, confident, beautiful girl like falling blossoms. If it were anyone else, an ordinary girl, she would have been crushed by her own inferiority, unable to stand beside Elias as his lover.

"How could I ever leave you, my Ely? Even if I abandoned this world itself, I would never abandon you."

"Wow… that doesn't sound like something a savior should say."

"Heh. But it's the truth. In my heart, compared to this world—you are far more important."

Elias gazed at Elysia with earnest sincerity, his gentle eyes melting her heart.

It was a critical hit straight to Miss Pink Elf!

"Guuh!"

Elysia clutched her chest and leaned against the wall.

A pink arrow of love pierced her completely. Even a girl with defenses as strong as hers was utterly disarmed by such a confession.

No use—she was done for.

Looking at the white-haired boy before her, Elysia's eyes were already brimming with pink hearts.

"Elias, you shouldn't say things like that… it's too dangerous."

"Hm? Why?"

"Because if you do, I'll love you like some hopeless fool. Uh, wait, I guess I already do…"

Her face flushed red with happiness as she rubbed her cheek against his chest. She just wanted to drown in his embrace.

Elias wrapped his arm around the radiant girl, nibbling lightly on her elf ear with a hint of stubbornness.

"Hmph~ And I'm the same. Who isn't?"

He was just as hopelessly in love with Elysia. If weighed against the world, she would always be heavier in his heart.

Her earlier worries were completely unnecessary.

After all, today was their date.

How could Elias possibly abandon his girlfriend midway? He wasn't some high school detective who'd ditch her like a washing machine rolling away.

"Come on, our date isn't over yet. Let's visit all the places we missed on our last trip!"

"Yay! Eli forever~!"

"Uh… that nickname is a little…"

Elias could only laugh and ruffle her hair. To him, the name sounded a bit cute—but if Ely liked it, then so be it.

Spoil her. Spoil her endlessly!

And so the two spent a blissful day together.

By sunset, Elias' Imaginary Space was stuffed with countless souvenirs, while Elysia's Polaroid camera had captured every beautiful moment.

On the train ride back, the two leaned shoulder-to-shoulder, Elysia smiling at the photos. But her favorite remained the recording of the concert.

Generous as always, Miss Pink Elf planned to share—and show off—this treasure with Mobius, Sakura, Vill-V, Hua, Mei, and the others.

After all, some didn't even know Elias had such musical talent. Elysia could hardly wait to see their stunned faces when they watched the concert video.

She also felt relieved.

She had worried Elias might be swept away by Eden. The two had looked far too perfectly matched on stage. But reality proved Elias to be a loyal gentleman.

During the post-concert date, his eyes held only her.

Miss Pink Elf couldn't help but marvel at how lucky she was, to have found such a boyfriend.

But when they returned to base…

"Eli, let's go eat at the cafeteria! After a whole day of fun, I'm starving~~"

"I'll pass. Eden's invited me to dinner. Bye, Ely. You rest early—I might be back a bit late."

"???"

Elysia froze, watching in disbelief as Elias changed clothes and prepared to head out again. She felt like flipping a table, o(*≧▽≦)ツ┏━┓.

She dove forward, clinging to him like a flying fairy, blurting out, "Dinner with Eden? When did you two plan that?!"

"Uh, just after the concert, when she walked me out. Why? Is there a problem?" Elias tilted his head.

"…My dear Elias, please, don't let yourself get tricked by some bad woman. Boys must protect themselves."

"So… Eden's a bad woman?"

"…No."

Elysia regretfully plucked the string of Whisper of the Past. If only she could use it now, she'd just shoot an arrow and send "that woman" straight away.

Elias patted Miss Elf's little backside, signaling it was about time to let him go. He didn't like being late—especially not when he had promised to meet a lady.

"As expected, I can't just let you leave like this, Elias!"

Elysia slid off him, then flopped dramatically onto the bed.

"Ely~~"

"If you want to go, then first, defeat me."

"…Alright then. In that case, be prepared, Ely—I'll make it quick."

One hour later, Elias walked out refreshed.

Elysia, however, lay sprawled on the bed with swirly eyes, completely knocked out.

Her body beneath the sheets still trembled slightly. Tonight she wouldn't need to eat dinner in the cafeteria—her little belly was already so full it couldn't hold anything else.

Even as the Herrscher of Origin, what could she do? Elias had simply increased his attack speed a little, and Miss Pink Elf was instantly overwhelmed.

...

"Whew~ Good thing I'm not late."

Since he had lost an hour, Elias skipped taking a car and opened a portal instead. By sheer timing, he arrived just as Eden, disguised and dressed elegantly, reached the spot.

"Hey, Eden. It's been seven hours."

"Yes, seven hours. I've already started to miss you, Elias." Eden spoke with absolute honesty.

Once one experienced that feeling of intertwined souls, there was no going back. Those seven hours had been agonizing for her—waiting in her hotel room with every second filled with longing for their reunion.

Elias felt a bit embarrassed. Taking her hand, he dutifully played the role of her escort.

"So, where are we going for dinner?"

"Emmm… the Floating Ice Restaurant at the top of Sapphire Tower. How does that sound?"

"I remember that's the kind of place where reservations take forever. Can we really get in now?"

"Of course. They told me there will always be a table reserved for two under my name. Although in my eyes, 'always' has its limits—but at least for tonight, it still holds true."

Eden smiled, holding a black card in her hand. Even if the reservation failed, she could simply buy the whole building along with the tower if she wished.

Elias drew in a sharp breath. He had nearly forgotten—Eden was a supreme rich lady! With her wealth, buying a small country would be child's play. If it had been the him of his past life…

Rich lady, hungry Food!

...

Inside the Floating Ice Restaurant atop Sapphire Tower.

"Cheers."

"Cheers~"

Elias and Eden sat at a fine window seat, clinking their wine glasses with a crisp, melodic chime.

The staff of such a restaurant were all highly trained, and the clientele refined. Yet even so, many couldn't help but glance their way.

Though already a top-class establishment, Eden's presence alone made the manager feel as though the restaurant was blessed. More importantly, tonight she had brought along a strikingly handsome boy.

And her warmth toward him was obvious.

Unlike past visits, when she only admired the night view from the window, tonight this peerless beauty never once took her eyes off Elias.

"Am I seeing things? Eden's actually showing that expression?!"

"Heavens, who is that boy? Some heir to a mega-corporation? Or perhaps a prince of a mid-sized country?"

"Don't be ridiculous! Do you think Eden is the type who cares about status or needs to curry favor? Look—today's concert has already gone viral across the whole net!"

"Hisss! That performance… just who is this boy?!"

...

The chatter reached Elias' sharp ears—fusion warriors had keen senses, after all. But he paid it no mind. The staff and guests weren't saying anything unpleasant. And right now, the only thing that mattered was the beauty sitting before him.

Eden was inviting him to perform with her again in the future—or rather, she hoped Elias would debut as an artist himself.

"Think it over carefully, will you? With your talent, Elias, the moment you step on stage, you'll shine just as brightly as I do. I can provide everything you need."

Eden mentioned nothing of profit or reward.

Her wish was simple: for Elias to share his gift with the world. She was more than willing to use her connections and fortune to build a stage for him, asking nothing in return.

Anyone else would have fainted with excitement. But after taking a sip of wine, Elias shook his head.

"Thank you, Eden. But I think you're exaggerating. I don't have the confidence to shine as brightly as you. And for me… music isn't something so grand or lofty."

"What?" Eden froze for a moment.

"Music is just a necessity in my life. My stage isn't the same as yours, inside grand, dazzling domes. Music is already a part of my daily life—and my everyday is its stage."

His words nearly made a passing waiter drop his tray. This boy had just turned down Eden's invitation—was there truly someone in the world who could refuse her patronage?

Ignoring the shock around them, Elias cut a piece of steak and praised the chef's skill as he savored it.

Though Eden's offer was tempting, Elias had already chosen his way. His music didn't require glamorous stages. Whenever he wished to sing, he could sing. Music was a simple necessity, like milk tea or candied hawthorn from a street stall—something he could have at any moment.

"I see. That truly is a beautiful way to think."

Eden was stunned for a moment, then smiled in sincere admiration.

She understood, but she couldn't treat music so casually. For Elias, there were many things beyond music he cherished. But for Eden, music itself was her most precious treasure.

"But still… nights like this, when I perform with you on a stage that holds the world's attention—it really is wonderful. Ah~ if it could always be like this, that wouldn't be so bad either."

Elias' fingers tapped lightly in rhythm.

The chef's carefully prepared dishes were delicious, yet what lingered most for him was the memory of the duet with Eden. Still, a trace of regret soon crossed his face.

"But unfortunately, for me that's impossible. I have more important duties to fulfill. After all… as long as the Honkai remains undefeated, how can I speak of dreams?"

"Elias, just who exactly are you…"

Eden was at a loss. For some reason, the boy before her suddenly felt distant. Though he sat less than half a meter away, close enough to touch, he seemed unreachable—like a star in the heavens.

That feeling stirred something within her. Leaning forward, she clasped one of his hands, her eyes earnest and shining.

"Elias, my friend—can you tell me more about yourself? I truly want to understand you better."

Chapter 532: Kotomi Hid in…

By calling the bank card an advance on her first year's salary, the effect was remarkable. Tomoka Yuigahama, who had been so resolute in refusing to accept it, no longer resisted as firmly as before.

"You already had this card prepared before coming here. Does that mean you were certain from the start that I'd agree to join?" Tomoka asked curiously.

"You have no reason to refuse me," Kotomi Izumi replied with another bold line she had long memorized but never before had the chance to use.

Kotomi was feeling very pleased now—not only because Tomoka Yuigahama seemed ready to agree to join Type-Moon World, but also because she had finally gotten the chance to use two of her stockpiled "cool quotes" today. In her head, Kotomi had a warehouse full of lines ready for the perfect moment to make herself sound impressive.

Tomoka stared at the bank card, lost in thought. Kotomi didn't interrupt, simply waiting patiently. She was convinced her victory was already halfway secured.

After about ten minutes, Tomoka finally looked up and spoke:

"Kotomi, I'm willing to join Type-Moon World."

Yes! Kotomi cheered silently in her heart. On her face, however, she kept up the calm act, smiling lightly as though she always had everything under control.

"Mrs. Yuigahama, I'm very glad you made this decision. From today onward, you are the very first employee of Type-Moon World. Your position: Art Director."

"Art Director, right from the start…? I've never even worked in a company before, let alone taken such a high position. Wouldn't it be better to just let me join as an ordinary illustrator at Type-Moon World?"

"No. You are the Art Director," Kotomi declared firmly. "Don't think about whether you deserve it. Be confident, Mrs. Yuigahama. I can say without exaggeration—if Type-Moon World is to succeed, you are one of my most important allies."

Kotomi's words gave Tomoka pressure, but even more than that, a sense of validation. Ever since she met Kotomi, she had constantly received recognition from her, and that recognition had driven her to produce illustration after illustration at the highest quality.

Without realizing it, Tomoka had grown more and more unable to part with this feeling of recognition that Kotomi gave her.

"Once Type-Moon World opens, I'll make sure to fulfill my duties as Art Director."

Tomoka nodded firmly. She still didn't fully understand the world of the gaming industry—she was just an illustrator. But she believed the least she could do was to live up to Kotomi's expectations, and to push every piece of artwork she created to its very best.

"Phew… finally pulled you onto my 'pirate ship,' Mrs. Yuigahama~" Kotomi said half-jokingly, lightening the mood.

Tomoka gave Kotomi a long look. Then, leaning slightly forward, she reached out her slender hand. The distance between them shrank, the faint fragrance of each of them filling the other's senses. The ambiguous atmosphere made Kotomi's cheeks flush red. Against a woman like Tomoka Yuigahama, who embodied both maturity and playfulness, Kotomi had absolutely no resistance.

What is she trying to do? Kotomi's mind raced. Could it be… she wants to kiss me?! Her face reddened further, her heart thumping wildly. She nervously bit her lip, just about ready to close the distance herself and press her lips against Tomoka's—

Pinch—

Kotomi froze. Her eyes darted to the side, only to realize Tomoka had gently pinched her left cheek. She couldn't quite make sense of what Tomoka was doing.

After giving her cheek a light squeeze, Tomoka finally let go, exhaling in satisfaction. She looked at Kotomi with a proud expression, gave a cute little huff, and said:

"Hmph. Little girl, you've been calling me Mrs. Yuigahama this whole time. Be good and call me Aunt Yuigahama, or Auntie, okay?"

"Uh—s-sorry."

Kotomi gave an embarrassed laugh, realizing only now that her way of addressing Tomoka had indeed been a little inappropriate. After all, Tomoka was Yui's mother.

But truthfully, Tomoka didn't really care what Kotomi called her. Whether it was Mrs. Yuigahama, Aunt Yuigahama, or Auntie—it was all fine.

But because Kotomi had been acting so strong and domineering just now, looking nothing like a sixteen-year-old high school girl, Tomoka Yuigahama felt a sudden childish urge to strike back at her a little.

This was part of Tomoka's charm—her occasional flashes of childlike mischief.

"Alright, let's get back to discussing illustrations. Take a look at the illustrations I drew for Sword Art Online. While you do that, I'll go over the character designs for Redo of Healer, Mushoku Tensei, and The Testament of Sister New Devil."

As she spoke, Tomoka patted the seat beside her, signaling Kotomi to sit closer.

"Okay, Aunt Tomoka."

Kotomi scooted over, almost pressing her whole body against Tomoka's side.

"Eh?"

Tomoka blinked at the new form of address. It was the first time she had heard it, and it felt a little fresh.

"Calling you Mrs. Yuigahama or Aunt Yuigahama feels too distant. Isn't Aunt Tomoka better?"

Kotomi turned her head, her moist pink eyes gazing at Tomoka as though they could draw her soul in. That look landing on Tomoka's cheek felt like a pair of invisible hands gently toying with her emotions.

"Alright," Tomoka murmured, dazed. Under that tender gaze, her mind seemed to lose the ability to think. Whatever Kotomi said, she felt like she would just agree.

So easily, Kotomi managed to close the distance between them in terms of address. She had long thought that constantly calling her "Mrs. Yuigahama" sounded too formal.

Kotomi didn't want their relationship to feel distant. She wanted to be closer to Tomoka Yuigahama.

Close enough that one day, when Yui and Yuka saw her, they might call her… Mom. As she stared at the line art on the computer, Kotomi's thoughts wandered recklessly.

While Kotomi looked at the illustration drafts, Tomoka wasn't idle either. Kotomi had already sent her the manuscript and character designs for Redo of Healer Volume 1 via phone.

The first reader of Sword Art Online had been Haruno Yukinoshita. Haruno had been secretly proud, thinking she would also be the first to read Kotomi's next work.

But before she even realized Kotomi had finished a new manuscript, Tomoka Yuigahama had already begun reading Redo of Healer Volume 1—becoming its true first reader.

Cross-referencing the design documents with the manuscript, Tomoka quickly formed an impression of the characters.

First, the male protagonist, Keyaru. Then the heroines: Freia, Setsuna, and Kureha.

Before reading, Tomoka had thought it would just be another standard Western fantasy harem novel with sword and sorcery elements—something she liked. But then she reached Redo of Healer Volume 1's first infamous scene: the Hero of the Staff.

"…."

She had once thought some of the depictions in Sword Art Online already revealed Kotomi's true colors. But now, reading Redo of Healer…

"Kotomi."

"Mm?"

"Well… I think I understand now the kind of illustration scale Redo of Healer will require. I can handle drawing it, but if either the text or illustrations go too far, won't the editorial department ask for revisions?"

"Aunt Tomoka, don't worry about that. Before I even started Redo of Healer, I already discussed it with Editor Yukinoshita. When the volume is published, it'll be classified as R18."

"You're not even 18 yet!"

"Hehe, little details, don't worry about them~"

Tomoka suddenly realized—the racy descriptions in Sword Art Online had only been the tip of the iceberg. Now, with a new series officially marked R18, Kotomi might completely let herself loose!

And if the text went that far, then the illustrations would need to match.

The thought excited Tomoka—her motivation even surpassing what she had felt when illustrating Sword Art Online.

Until now, she had always drawn with all-ages publication in mind, deliberately restraining herself. Many times she had held back, even when she knew that adding a few more details could push the sensuality to another level.

But now that Kotomi was writing an R18 novel, it meant Tomoka could finally unleash her skills to the fullest.

"Kotomi, I think choosing to make your new work R18 was a brilliant decision."

"I think so too!"

Clap!

Kotomi Izumi and Tomoka Yuigahama high-fived in perfect sync. Without words, their gesture said it all: Let's have a great collaboration from here on out!

After finishing the illustrations for Sword Art Online Volumes 2 and 3, as well as the line art for the special edition illustrations, Kotomi stretched her arms slightly.

"Is there anything that needs to be revised?" Tomoka Yuigahama asked when she noticed Kotomi's movement.

Kotomi shook her head. "Nope, they're absolutely perfect. At first, I was worried that the text wouldn't describe everything in enough detail, but Aunt Tomoka, you really get me. Especially this one—the texture on the stockings is just too good!"

Kotomi spoke with so much excitement that it looked like drool might spill from the corner of her mouth.

"As long as you like it," Tomoka replied with a warm smile. To be honest, when she first began discussing with a sixteen-year-old girl how to make certain illustrations look even more risqué, she had felt somewhat awkward.

But after getting used to it, Tomoka discovered that she and Kotomi had many shared topics to discuss through illustration. She also came to understand Kotomi's "XP system" more directly.

And the most obvious point was this—Kotomi had an extreme fondness for beautiful girls wearing stockings. Thigh-high stockings and pantyhose—but especially sheer pantyhose.

Even now, Kotomi was wearing white pantyhose so sheer that Tomoka could see the shape of her legs all the way from thighs to toes. The sight was direct and alluring in a way that matched perfectly with Kotomi's tastes.

So when Tomoka created illustrations, she would intentionally or unintentionally tailor them to Kotomi's tastes.

After confirming the illustrations for Sword Art Online Volumes 2 and 3, Tomoka finally let out a sigh of relief. Now, all she had to do was complete the special edition line art, and then she could send both volumes' illustrations to Haruno Yukinoshita.

Once Haruno confirmed everything, within seven working days, Tomoka would receive the payment for the illustrations of both volumes.

Though drawing two volumes in a row was exhausting, the feeling of receiving payment for both at once was truly delightful.

"Will Volumes 4 and 5 of Sword Art Online also be released together?" Tomoka asked half-jokingly.

Right now, she wasn't worried about the workload being too heavy or not having enough time. After hearing Kotomi's suggestion earlier and agreeing to it, she was also considering whether she should close down her dango cake shop.

If she shut it down, she could devote herself fully to illustration, which would naturally increase her efficiency. Even if she had to illustrate two volumes back-to-back again, it wouldn't be as overwhelming as it had been with Volumes 2 and 3.

But after running the shop for so many years, Tomoka had a deep attachment to it. And besides, transferring the shop to someone else wouldn't happen overnight.

"Kotomi, I've decided not to shut down the cake shop completely. I used to take one or two days off a week, but now I'll change it so the shop is only open one or two days a week. The rest of the time, I'll spend at home illustrating and resting. Hmm… ever since I became an illustrator, I don't even remember the last time I went to bed before midnight. This can't go on—I need to fix my schedule quickly."

After saying this, Tomoka leaned back against the armless chair and closed her eyes halfway.

"Then let's start tonight. Try to be in bed by eleven," Kotomi said with a smile.

"You're right." Tomoka nodded, then added, "Come on, let's discuss the illustrations for Redo of Healer Volume 1. For character design, I already have a rough idea in my mind."

Starting with Freia, Tomoka sketched a rough draft based on the character design document Kotomi had written.

"Will this work?"

"Change the thigh-high stockings to white garter stockings with lace trim at the top. And make her expression more evil and unrestrained—that way the contrast will stand out better."

"Okay." Tomoka nodded, now having a clearer grasp of Freia's character design. Kotomi's description gave her a vivid image in her mind, and she picked up her stylus to make the changes.

While Tomoka worked on adjusting the sketch, Kotomi, feeling thirsty, realized she hadn't had a sip of water since she got home from school.

"Aunt Tomoka, do you have any bottled water in your bedroom? I'm kinda thirsty."

"Sometimes when I'm rushing deadlines, I get too lazy to leave the room to get water, so I keep a case of bottled water right next to the wardrobe by the bedroom door. There should still be a couple bottles left. Go grab one—and bring me one too," Tomoka Yuigahama said.

"Got it." Kotomi nodded, stood up, and left the little workspace. By the bedroom door, she found the cardboard box filled with bottled water.

There were exactly two bottles left.

Kotomi bent down and picked them up.

Knock knock knock!

Suddenly, knocking came from the bedroom door. Startled, Kotomi dropped the two bottles in her hands onto the floor.

Outside, Yui Yuigahama's voice called out: "Mom, dinner's ready. Come out and eat."

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Yui, could you bring dinner into the bedroom for me?"

Hearing the knocking, Tomoka quickly rushed out of the little workspace. When she spotted Kotomi's school uniform jacket still lying on her bed, her heart dropped. In a panic, she grabbed it and tossed it into the workspace, slamming the door shut.

If Yui were to see her friend—and secret crush—Kotomi Izumi's jacket lying on her mother's bed…

Just imagining that scene made Tomoka feel dizzy. She had no idea how she would explain it to her daughter.

What would Yui think of her as a mother afterward? Tomoka didn't dare imagine further. The only thing she could do now was to make absolutely sure Yui didn't find out Kotomi was here.

"Oh, I see. But Mom, why did you lock the door? I'll just open it now, okay?"

With that, Yui turned the doorknob, and the door began to slowly swing open.

Before Tomoka could signal Kotomi to run back to the workspace, Kotomi had already yanked open the wardrobe doors and slipped inside just before Yui entered.

Kotomi figured that even if she had dashed back toward the workspace, she probably wouldn't have made it in time. The wardrobe stuffed with clothes seemed like the perfect hiding spot. Even if someone opened it, she could just use the clothes as cover.

Besides, who would open the wardrobe for no reason?

Feeling rather proud of herself, Kotomi thought she was really clever for finding such a perfect hiding place.

But Tomoka, seeing Kotomi hide in the wardrobe, didn't feel relieved at all. Her face even paled. That wardrobe was full of her clothes! Shirts, pants, skirts, socks—and even a few pairs of stockings, though she rarely wore those.

And worse still—the bottom shelf under the hanging clothes was where she kept her underwear!

Which meant… Kotomi's little butt was now sitting directly on her underwear!

Still, now wasn't the time to worry about that. If Kotomi hadn't hidden in the wardrobe in time and Yui had spotted her, there was no way either of them could explain it.

What's more, Tomoka was Yui's mother. If Yui saw Kotomi in her mother's bedroom without her knowledge… Tomoka felt like she'd never be able to face her daughter again.

At that moment, Yui entered the bedroom. "Mom, are you not feeling well? Why do you want me to bring dinner in here?"

"I just want to rest a little longer. Is Yuka eating properly?"

"Of course. I made her favorite mapo tofu for dinner, and she ate a ton. But ugh, that annoying little sister of mine! Her mouth was all greasy, and she still had the nerve to say, 'Onee-chan, your mapo tofu still isn't as good as Penguin Onee-chan's.' And she was saying that while stuffing her face full!"

Hiding in the wardrobe, Kotomi couldn't help but stifle a giggle. She had cooked for little Yuka once, and it seemed her cooking had left such a deep impression that the girl still remembered it vividly.

At the same time, out of caution, Kotomi grabbed a handful of the clothes she was sitting on and draped them over herself, covering her body as much as possible. That way, even if the wardrobe doors were opened, she might not be noticed.

The wardrobe was unlit. It wasn't pitch black, but still too dim to make out what clothes she had just pulled over herself.

Why did the fabric feel… kind of strange?

Kotomi didn't think too much about it. Whatever, just cover myself with it first!

It definitely wasn't a shirt. Compared to normal tops, it was smaller, and the style felt odd—not quite a shirt, not quite pants, and definitely not a skirt… Better to just grab more and pile them over herself!

With Yui Yuigahama right outside, and the wardrobe closed, Kotomi couldn't see clearly enough to think calmly. All she could do was grab whatever her hands touched and use it to cover herself, while curling deeper into the wardrobe.

She had thought Yui would leave right away, but instead Yui spoke again:

"Mom, on my way home from school today, I bought you a hair accessory."

"A hair accessory?" Tomoka Yuigahama asked, a little surprised. She hadn't worn one in years—at most, she used a hair tie to braid her hair.

"I happened to pass by a new accessory shop. Out of curiosity, I went in to look around, and I found one I thought would really suit you. So I bought it. Try it on, okay?"

"You silly child, why spend your money on this? Haven't I told you to use your allowance to buy yourself something tasty instead? …But, this hair accessory is really beautiful. Thank you." Tomoka took the gardenia hair ornament Yui had bought for her, her heart deeply touched.

That's how parents are. When they receive gifts from their children, they always instinctively scold, "Why waste your money? Buy something nice for yourself instead."

And then, holding that gift in their hands, they treasure it endlessly, their eyes filled with warmth and emotion.

Even the smallest gesture can make a parent happy for the whole day.

"Mom, try it on."

"Alright. There's no mirror in the bedroom, let's go to the bathroom and try it on." Tomoka nodded. She was eager to take Yui out of the bedroom quickly—after all, Kotomi was still hiding in the wardrobe.

"Wait, not so fast. This gardenia hair accessory will look even better if paired with the right outfit. Let me check which of your clothes would match best. I've been watching some outfit coordination videos recently, so leave it to me, Mom!"

For a moment, Tomoka didn't process what Yui meant. But when she saw her daughter walking toward the wardrobe, she instantly realized—and inside her head, she screamed: How could I possibly feel at ease with this?!

"Yui!"

Tomoka didn't know what to say, but the most important thing now was to stop Yui from opening the wardrobe!

"Hm?"

Yui was the type who often acted before fully thinking. Just like now—though she heard her mother call out, her hand had already pulled open the wardrobe door.

Tomoka froze.

Her neatly folded underwear, skirts, and stockings had all been turned into a messy pile by Kotomi. And nestled between a bra and a pair of black stockings… was a pair of pitiful, wide pink eyes.

Kotomi's eyes were on the verge of tears, silently pleading to Tomoka Yuigahama:

Why did Yui open the wardrobe?!

Chapter 620: We Will Be Home Before the Year’s End

Crack, crack—the sound of shattering rang out as the Tree of Souls collapsed, followed by the flare of a violet-red light.

Bzzzzzt—!

From the point where Abyss Flower pierced through, streams of light spread like current from the decaying trunk down into the earth. Then, with a sharp crack, the brilliance flashed outward.

The tremors grew wider and wider. Even the roots of the Tree of Souls—dangling like the tendrils of a jellyfish, glowing with violet luminescence—dimmed rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, the plunging canyon waterfalls, the entire gorge, all were drawn into the trembling range.

Whoosh!

Durandal gazed at the Abyss Flower—the 6th Divine Key, the Key of Creation—now returned to her hands. Her fingertips brushed against the spear tip of the 'Abyss,' lips parted slightly, unafraid of the death and decay its Honkai power radiated.

"Truly, fate is fickle… Abyss Flower… Mother, if you could see your daughter's 'atrocity,' would you be angered at what I've done…?"

She had extinguished a world's future with her own hand, ordered the slaughter and destruction of their home, and beheaded their native leader. Durandal whispered in a voice none else could understand.

Beside her, the Astartes warriors of the Luna Wolves stood solemnly. Several Centurions fixed burning gazes on the 'sacred relic' in Durandal's grasp. Their eyes shone with fanaticism, excitement, yearning, reverence.

For no other reason than this: Selene herself had once loved to ride into battle with lances in hand.

Among them was Abyss Flower—or rather, its likeness. The 'Holy Lance' had long become legend across the Empire's countless colonial worlds. Its name was a theme for craftsmen, poets, and artists. Oil paintings, frescoes, reliefs, stained glass, statues—endless hymns of creation were dedicated to it.

If a Holy Grail War were to occur, the 'Holy Lance,' by the sheer weight of the Empire's adoration and eternal songs of praise, would surely gain countless imagined powers beyond its true function.

Crack!

The entire trunk of the Tree of Souls, along with its roots and branches, collapsed into ruin, disintegrating into ash-grey dust that scattered into the air.

The instant the Tree of Souls truly died, a wave of unprecedented rage and hatred flooded into the hearts of every creature on Pandora.

Yet just as quickly as it came, it ebbed away. Perhaps the surviving Na'vi tribes would cling to their hatred for the Sky People—their name for outsiders—but the myriad creatures of Pandora, under the Empire's iron fist, had their fury extinguished in an instant.

After all, even among Pandora's vertebrates with neural interfaces, only the Na'vi had evolved true intelligence.

The rest—perhaps spiritual, but still only beasts. Before the glaring threat of death, with Pandora's collective consciousness dispersed, could anyone expect them to fling themselves against fully armed legions?

Szzzzzz!

Several radiant violet-red beams extended from the ground, darkened under Honkai corruption. Like spiderwebs, they spread endlessly—into the core, the oceans, the skies.

It was foreseeable. Soon, Pandora's exotic flora and fauna would enter the Empire's markets.

Some would be bred as livestock, to enrich Imperial dining tables. Some would be trained as steeds, companions for noble children, or cultivated by the Imperial Science Bureau to expand genetic libraries. Some would be taken as curiosities, to populate parks and exhibition gardens…

"General, what shall we do with Jake Sully's body?"

Sheathing Abyss Flower, Durandal brushed a lock of hair from her temple. After a moment of silence, the golden-haired knight uttered a decision she herself had once thought unimaginable—

"Extract his soul."

"Leave no detail unchecked. I need to know how Jake Sully, once a Marine, could be persuaded in just a few months of contact with the Na'vi to turn his gun on his own people. Compile everything into a report and deliver it to me."

"Also, patch the gaps. As chieftain of the Omatikaya clan and the so-called 'Toruk Makto' of the Highland Forest Na'vi resistance, I am certain his mind holds many secrets unknown to us."

Toruk—those aerial leviathans, the great leonopteryx, butchered by the Luna Wolves. Before the Astartes they were like lambs to the slaughter, yet on Pandora they were without question the apex aerial predators.

Resembling dragons, with wingspans over twenty-five meters, their bodies painted in stripes of red, yellow, and black, they were swift and fierce beyond measure. Their beauty and nobility earned the Na'vi's awe and reverence. They called them Toruk.

The Na'vi expressed this reverence through dances, songs, and totems crafted in their honor.

To tame a Toruk was regarded as an extraordinary feat. According to the history of the Na'vi tribes, before Jake Sully, only five Toruk Riders had ever appeared.

Toruk Makto—the title given to the one who rides the red great dragon. It was by taming the leonopteryx that Jake Sully won the Na'vi's trust, married the chieftain's daughter, and assumed the mantle of clan leader.

"The General's orders?"

"After the war fifteen years ago, the RDA scientists who chose to serve the Na'vi—where are they? Including the traitor Grace Augustine. Alive or dead, find them. Execute them."

"All of them—display their heads!"

"Yes, ma'am!" ×N

Nodding, Durandal gave a merciless command. Such severity was nothing unusual in the Empire's army. She then approached the servitor soldiers who had captured Jake Sully.

"Attention!"

Before the canyon where the Tree of Souls once stood, her cry echoed. The waiting servitor troops snapped to silence at once.

The soldiers, clad in combat gear, sprang to their feet. Forming a straight line, the heels of their steel-shod boots clicked sharply together. Rifles were shouldered, jaws lifted, spines straightened, chests thrust forward.

"You fought bravely. I am proud to be your commander. It is my honor to have fought at your side. This is your due reward."

No wasted words. The commendation order was immediate, unquestionable. When this campaign ended, these servitor soldiers would receive rich rewards from their planetary governorates: noble ranks, promotions, opportunities for further study, monetary wealth, land, homes…

Perhaps this was why countless souls pledged their lives to Selene. Truly—even a fragment of the authority granted by the Empress was enough to ensure a prosperous life on a planetary or even interstellar scale.

"Announce to the entire army: the Na'vi rebel leader Jake Sully is dead. Orders! Advance swiftly, annihilate all Na'vi resistance! Captain Scout of the Luna Wolves has already reached the Sol System—we will conclude this entire warzone campaign before the year's end!"

"Yes, General!" ×N

...

RDA Bridgehead Outpost Base.

"What are those butchers cheering for now?"

As time passed, the chaos outside quieted. The gunfire grew sparse. The RDA employees, confined to the dormitory blocks within the base, peered out helplessly.

The shock of their first encounter had long worn off. Now, most spoke like idle spectators, commenting on the Imperial army outside.

"Maybe they're celebrating getting home to their families by Christmas," one RDA mercenary half-joked.

"Family, huh…" At those words, silence fell on some.

Even with the RDA's most advanced Venture Star-class interstellar craft, its hybrid engines could only achieve cruising speeds of 210,000 km/s (around 70% of light speed). The distance from Earth to the Moon could be crossed in less than two seconds.

But from Pandora to Earth was 4.2 light-years.

At such speeds, it took over five years to travel from Earth to Pandora. A round trip meant a decade—passengers in cryosleep the entire way. The feeling of spending Christmas at home had long faded. By the time one returned, even "home" itself might be unrecognizable.

"Oi oi oi! Look, look! Another beauty! And she looks like someone important—look, even 'Deadface' is saluting her… almost like a knight's salute."

Mercenaries would be mercenaries. Soon their jeering cut short the silence, and even the melancholy ones pushed forward to gawk.

Whether by design or accident, the dormitory block had been built close to the airfield. For men used to guns and barracks, a little noise was nothing. With soundproofed quarters, there was no real problem. Some even pulled out high-powered binoculars to spy.

...

From a massive assault transport descended a young woman in the uniform of the Imperial Guard. Her golden hair shimmered brilliantly, silk-like strands flowing with the wind. Her refined features embodied what it meant for beauty to be like a painting.

Standing opposite her was Agravain, clad in black plate armor. As he was in charge of dealing with the RDA prisoners, his cold efficiency showed: several of the loudest troublemakers had been dragged out and executed without the slightest hesitation.

Among the RDA employees, there was no shortage of Marines. Following their tradition of giving nicknames, they had dubbed Agravain "Deadface."

"My king."

"Agravain… how many times have I said, I have abdicated. And with my current merits, I have no right to an Imperial peerage. Perhaps when I am granted a fief and rebuild Camelot, you may call me king again."

The golden-haired girl was none other than Artoria.

Having resolved her inner knots, she was no longer the stern, grim figure of the past. Now she could even make light jokes with ease.

And as for rebuilding Camelot—this was no idle boast.

The Nasuverse still existed. With enough military achievement, the Empire could grant Artoria the British Isles as a fiefdom, allowing her to establish the Kingdom of Camelot once more.

In the Sacred Selene Empire, everyone had a bright future.

Smiling faintly over a cup of hot coffee, Artoria waved her hand helplessly. Approaching Agravain, she suddenly rose on her toes, measuring her height against his before nodding with satisfaction. "Mm, you've definitely grown taller."

Selene had fulfilled Merlin's wish, reviving Artoria with a living body. Naturally, the ageless blessing of the holy sword was lifted—she could finally grow again! Among the Sisters of Battle and Valkyries, her petite stature had been a constant source of stress.

She had been teased enough. Artoria had no desire to end up like a certain short bishop of Schicksal who drank bitter gourd juice all day.

"My king, General Durandal awaits in the command tower."

Tap-tap~

Walking half a step ahead, the golden-haired girl strode past the dormitory blocks, her eyes briefly meeting those of the imprisoned RDA employees before moving on. Her gaze settled instead on the severed blue heads mounted in the center of the training ground.

"So these are the Na'vi?"

"Strictly speaking, Avatars. The traitor Jake Sully, and the human scientists who defected to the Na'vi cause."

Alongside Jake Sully and his Na'vi family, a string of human heads hung grimly upon crude execution posts.

At that moment—"Artoria?"

It was Durandal, approaching with documents in hand. "Good timing. I have completed the cleansing of Pandora. What of the other thirteen moons of the Alpha Centauri system?"

"All proceeding smoothly. No signs of higher intelligence like the Na'vi. But, Durandal—are you serious about finishing this entire warzone before the year's end? By Imperial standard time, that doesn't leave much."

"Which is why we must both work harder. Artoria… it's time you left your leisurely feasting behind. From now on, your rations are halved!"

The truth revealed.

"Eh?!!"

...

Honkai Dimension, Imperial Palace.

In the capital, night had fallen. The lights of Schönbrunn Palace dimmed, though guards and attendants still held their posts.

Within the Empress's chambers, Selene reclined. Habits ingrained—and with the nourishment of the Magic Gods more than sufficient—she had overeaten, and now lay sprawled on her bed, digesting in bliss.

Thud—!

The velvet blanket tossed aside, Selene sat upright, rubbing her brow with drowsy eyes.

"Bianka… did she just… sacrifice Pandora's planetary consciousness to me?"

A good method, to be sure—cost her little effort, and was the safest way. But… wasn't it a little too lazy?

Rolling back onto her side, Selene suddenly realized—ah… perhaps she wasn't one to judge others for laziness.

Chapter 550: Compressed Power

Mirei Shinohara suddenly felt a bit speechless. If she had known earlier that external attacks wouldn't cause the GMA Bomb to explode, she would have already used the power of the sun to attack the UFO directly.

Still, Potimas' answer wasn't completely useless. At the very least, she had gained an important piece of information.

At that moment, Potimas' voice rang out again.

"I've already given you both the method and the tool to enter the G-Fleet. Now, it's just a matter of which of you will use this cannon."

Trying to make himself appear more valuable, so Ariel wouldn't kill him in anger on the spot, Potimas quickly added:

"Oh, and of course I'll accompany you inside the G-Fleet. Only I know how to dismantle the bomb. Surely you don't want the world to be destroyed by the GMA Bomb, right?"

Hearing his words, Ariel—who had been on the verge of attacking—actually calmed down.

But his statement held no sway over Mirei and Shiraori. Their real plan was to locate the GMA Bomb, then detonate it, with Shiraori using Predator to consume the bomb in the final second before the explosion.

In other words, they didn't need any method of dismantling the bomb. To them, Potimas was already nothing more than a useless burden—and possibly an obstacle to their plan.

Exchanging a glance, Mirei and Shiraori made their decision. Without hesitation, Shiraori swung her massive reaper's scythe and cleaved straight through Potimas' head.

The suddenness of the act left Ariel and Dustin frozen in place, their faces utterly dumbfounded. But moments later, both of their expressions shifted drastically.

"W-what the hell did you just do, White?! Are you insane?!" Ariel rushed up to Shiraori, her voice filled with disbelief.

Dustin's breathing quickened as well. "Even if you wanted to kill him, you should've at least waited until he dealt with the bomb first! What are we supposed to do now? Without him, we can't resolve the GMA Bomb!"

Seeing Ariel clearly losing her composure, Mirei hurried forward, placing herself between them to block her.

"Relax, Demon Lord. I already told you, our knowledge of the G-Fleet isn't any less than Potimas'. Naturally, we also know how to handle the GMA Bomb."

At Mirei's words, Ariel blinked in surprise.

Before Ariel could speak again, Dustin quickly asked, "Are you certain you can deal with it?"

"Of course. We're not idiots. If we didn't have a way to resolve the bomb, why would we kill Potimas? We live in this world too. Its destruction wouldn't benefit us in the slightest. Don't you agree?"

Hearing her response, both Ariel and Dustin finally relaxed a little.

"In that case, good. Honestly, my patience with Potimas was nearly gone. White, you did well!"

Ariel even smiled, giving Shiraori a thumbs-up.

Shiraori didn't reply. She only offered a faint smile in return.

With the misunderstanding cleared, Mirei no longer bothered to stand in front of Shiraori. Instead, she flew toward the cannon.

As for Potimas' subordinate, he had already fled the moment his master was killed, using Space Magic to escape. Of course, this was only because Mirei didn't care enough to stop such a small fry—otherwise, he would never have had the chance to cast Space Magic.

Looking at the massive cannon several meters tall, Mirei instinctively used Appraisal on it.

The result instantly darkened her face.

"That bastard really had no good intentions. Killing him right away was definitely the right choice!"

"What's wrong?"

Hearing Mirei's angry tone, Ariel and Shiraori immediately came over. Dustin also looked on in confusion.

"This cannon has a problem!" Mirei pointed at the giant rocket launcher with her tail.

"A problem? You mean the cannon won't work?" Ariel asked in confusion.

Dustin, equally baffled, turned his gaze toward Mirei, while Shiraori simply cast her own Appraisal on the cannon.

Before long, Shiraori's expression also twisted in anger, her heart spewing curses at Potimas.

"The cannon works, but when it's fired, it causes an explosion just as powerful as the attack itself. That bastard Potimas was trying to trick one of us into dying with it."

The Appraisal had provided concrete damage values, so Mirei knew this launcher was strong enough to actually hurt her.

If she was careless, she could've been killed outright by its self-detonation.

The thought that she'd nearly been tricked into such a trap sent Mirei's hatred of Potimas soaring to new heights. In fact, she silently made up her mind: once she found Eriri, she would make sure Potimas was killed before leaving this world. Otherwise, she would never be able to rest easy.

After hearing Mirei's explanation, both Ariel and Dustin's faces soured. Of course, they were already well aware of Potimas' shamelessness, so his attempt at such a scheme didn't surprise them.

That didn't stop them from cursing him furiously in their hearts, though.

"So what now? Do we still use this cannon?" Ariel frowned at the massive weapon, clearly uncertain.

"Let's leave it aside for now. I'll see if there's another way to break through the G-Fleet's outer wall."

Mirei had already decided to rely on her solar power to attack the UFO. If even that couldn't create an opening, then they would have no choice but to risk using the launcher.

With that, she said no more and turned toward the sky, flying upward.

Before long, she reached the same altitude as the UFO. Without hesitation, she began gathering the power of the sun.

This time, she intended to use Solar Breath again—but unlike when she had fought the robot armies, this time she would compress the breath into as narrow a range as possible.

By shrinking the area of effect, the attack's penetration power would be greatly increased. And the more tightly compressed the solar energy, the stronger the destructive force.

Within seconds, she had condensed the sun's power to its utmost limit. Then, with a thunderous exhalation, she unleashed it.

From the ground, Shiraori, Ariel, and the others saw it as a dazzling golden beam pouring from Mirei's mouth, striking the UFO at unimaginable speed.

Even separated by thousands of meters, they could feel the scorching wave of heat blowing down from the sky.

A moment later, they saw the golden beam pierce straight through the UFO, emerging from its far side and vanishing into the distant horizon.

Their faces lit up with excitement. That attack had completely pierced the UFO's outer wall.

...

"Haaah…"

Looking at the two-meter-wide circular tunnel she had burned straight through the UFO's hull, Mirei let out a long, relieved breath.

This was her first time trying a compressed breath attack. It had been an experiment—but the result had exceeded her expectations.

She hadn't thought that condensing the breath to such a narrow range would boost its power to such an extent, directly punching a hole through the UFO.

Thankfully, her attack hadn't hit the GMA Bomb inside. Otherwise, she wouldn't have lived long enough to regret it.

No—if it had hit, she wouldn't even have had the chance to cry.

Right now, she could confidently say that even Gülied wouldn't have been able to take that breath head-on unscathed.

Of course, she knew the main reason for such destructive power was the sheer strength of solar energy itself. If she had tried to use her own internal energy to perform such a compressed breath, the results would've been far weaker.

Just as Mirei was preparing to return to the ground and call Shiraori to enter the UFO with her, a massive beam of light, tens of meters thick, suddenly erupted from the UFO.

The cannon blast illuminated the entire sky.

The light cannon fired at Mirei Shinohara at incredible speed. Fortunately, she was prepared. With a swift movement, she dodged out of the blast's path. If she hadn't, the attack would have likely left her gravely injured.

When she had first Appraised the UFO, she learned that it was equipped with a massively powerful main cannon—she just hadn't known where it was located.

That was why she had been on guard this whole time, anticipating a sudden strike.

Now, spotting the cannon's position, Mirei didn't give it another chance to fire. With one swift Solar Breath, she destroyed it.

This blast wasn't as powerful as her previous compressed breath. It only destroyed the main cannon without piercing the hull completely.

With the cannon neutralized, Mirei finally relaxed a little. The last major threat had been eliminated. Now, all that remained was to enter the UFO and find the GMA Bomb.

"Demon Lord, leave the task of handling the GMA Bomb inside the G-Fleet to me and White."

After landing, Mirei spoke directly to Ariel.

"Why? Wouldn't it be safer if we all went together? We don't know what other traps might be inside." Ariel looked confused.

"Don't worry. Whatever dangers there are, White and I can handle them. More importantly, we're the only ones who know how to deal with the GMA Bomb."

Ariel fell silent at that. After a few moments of thought, she nodded without hesitation.

"Alright. Then I'll leave it to you."

Truthfully, she was timid by nature. If not for the world's survival being at stake, she wouldn't have remained in such a dangerous place for this long. Since someone else was willing to shoulder the task, she was more than happy to step back.

Dustin had no objections either. He was fully aware of his own limits.

Other than possessing a Dominator skill that allowed him to retain memories after reincarnation, he was just an ordinary old man. He had never intended to meddle with the GMA Bomb directly.

With everything settled, Mirei and Shiraori took to the skies, flying toward the UFO together.

...

In the Elf Village, Potimas awakened once again in a new mechanical body, his expression dark as he glared in the UFO's direction.

He had considered many possibilities, but never once had he expected to be ambushed and killed by that half-human, half-spider girl who had stayed silent all along.

Now, both Mirei and Shiraori had earned his deep hatred.

But this time, he had no intention of heading there again. He knew that if he did, either Mirei or Shiraori would simply kill him again.

Besides, their willingness to destroy his body despite his last words showed they already knew a way to stop the GMA Bomb's explosion.

That meant he no longer had to worry about it threatening him. And even if the bomb truly did detonate, he was already prepared. He could always escape this world with his ecological ark, taking his true body with him.

...

From their initial Appraisal, Mirei and Shiraori had learned that the UFO was specifically designed to target dragons. If a dragon appeared before it, there was a high chance it would immediately deploy the GMA Bomb.

But oddly enough, the UFO seemed incapable of recognizing Mirei's species.

Even though she was a pure-blood dragon and had flown in front of it multiple times—attacking it, even—the UFO had yet to release the GMA Bomb.

In fact, for Mirei and Shiraori, it might have been better if the UFO had simply dropped the bomb. Then, they wouldn't need to search inside. They could simply wait outside and consume the bomb with Predator at the last moment before detonation.

That would have saved them the trouble of breaching the hull entirely.

Unfortunately, things weren't going to be that easy.

Once inside the UFO, Mirei and Shiraori immediately began making full use of Appraisal.

Guided by its results, they quickly located the chamber where the GMA Bomb was stored.

Of course, along the way they were inevitably intercepted by robots.

Not all of the machines had been deployed outside. Some remained within the UFO, tasked with repelling intruders.

But these robots posed no threat to Mirei and Shiraori. They easily destroyed every last one, clearing the way forward.