Black Swan was actually deleted within the Garden of Recollection?!
The Garden of Recollection is also joining this crusade?!
This is major intel!
March 7th immediately wanted to inform the Express crew as soon as possible!
However!
This forum post wasn't over yet!
Other factions had also used this post to make their stance known in advance!
Next to speak was a strangely worded Galaxy Ranger.
[What in the blazes! I've had it up to here with this Acheron!]
[I'm the real deal when it comes to Galaxy Rangers!]
[Dare to impersonate a Galaxy Ranger? Doesn't matter if you're some damn Emanator! You're
gonna face our reckoning!]
[I'm already on my way!]
[I'm gonna shoot 'em dead!]
[Reply: Galaxy Ranger?]
[Nice, nice! With The Hunt's help, this is in the bag!]
[Why is this brother's phrasing so… elegant? Do Galaxy Rangers always fight with such refined language?]
[Reply: Blast it all, I'll shoot you first!]
The further she read, the more serious the situation seemed!
Aside from various factions across the cosmos, even internal members of The Family chimed in:
[Everyone, Acheron's existence poses a severe threat to Penacony's safety. The Family has already initiated a crusade against her.]
[The higher-ups are wary of spooking her and are secretly tracking Acheron's movements.]
[But according to the head of The Family, they've already uncovered some clues and are making arrangements to minimize collateral damage.]
[Now, we just have to wait for all participants of the crusade to assemble.]
March 7th felt a deep sense of foreboding!
They had already decided to join forces against Acheron.
A massive battle was inevitable!
March immediately rushed toward Himeko and Mr. Yang.
"Bad news! Himeko! Mr. Yang!"
At the same time, Stelle also stood up from her seat.
Holding her phone, she said, "Something's happened! Himeko! Mr. Yang!"
March and Stelle exchanged glances.
March declared, "I think my news is more urgent!"
Stelle retorted, "Mine's important too!"
"Then let's do it the usual way."
"Mm…"
"Rock-paper-scissors!"
"I win!"
Himeko and Mr. Yang approached together.
"What's the matter?"
March immediately relayed all the intel she had gathered from the forum post.
After hearing it, Himeko and Mr. Yang didn't seem particularly surprised—instead, they wore thoughtful expressions.
Himeko spoke first.
"Just now, Welt and I were discussing something related to this."
"The Family sent us a message—essentially requesting the Express crew's assistance and support."
"Given the story's context, we couldn't be sure if The Family had ulterior motives. But now, it seems they intend to launch a crusade against Acheron and want the Astral Express to contribute."
Welt adjusted his glasses and sighed.
"Honestly, I still find it hard to believe Acheron would do such things…"
"But given the circumstances, the Express crew does need to take a stance."
Then, he turned to Stelle.
"What were you going to say earlier?"
Stelle pulled out her phone and pointed to the messages.
"Dan Heng sent a message earlier saying he's coming to Penacony to back us up."
"I'm not sure what's happening on his end, but there seems to be a delay in the signal…"
"I tried contacting him just now, but… I couldn't get through!"
Himeko pondered for a moment.
"Hmm… So Dan Heng has decided to head to Penacony. But this shouldn't be related to the Penacony incident, right?"
Stelle asked, "Under what circumstances would the signal be lost?"
Himeko replied,
"First: Special hazardous zones, like areas near a Stellaron."
"Second: Certain powerful factions can actively block signals, such as… the Xianzhou."
---
Xianzhou – Fleet
On the deck of the flagship, Jing Yuan stood with his hands behind his back.
Beside him, Yanqing kept a hand on his sword, glaring at the man behind them—ready for battle at any moment.
Seeing how tense he was, Jing Yuan chuckled.
"Heh… Yanqing, didn't you pull a maxed-out Blade in Honkai: Star Rail?"
"Why are you still so wary of him?"
Yanqing immediately defended himself.
"General!"
"I need to know my enemy to ensure victory!"
"Even if he didn't cause major trouble in the game, this is a critical moment for our expedition—I have to keep an eye on him!"
Jing Yuan shook his head helplessly.
"You kid… Do as you please."
Just then, a Cloud Knight approached and saluted.
"General, all forces are prepared. We can initiate the warp at any time!"
Jing Yuan nodded solemnly.
"Set off!"
The starship began to move.
Jing Yuan glanced back at the two figures standing further away—both wearing cold, impassive expressions.
Blade and Dan Heng.
A once-wanted criminal now aboard an official Xianzhou expeditionary vessel… as an ally, no less.
It was almost unbelievable!
But then again, this wasn't the first time the Stellaron Hunters and the Astral Express found themselves on the same side…
Noticing Jing Yuan's gaze, Dan Heng stepped forward.
"I've already sent a message to the Express crew, informing them that we're on our way."
"But they haven't responded yet…"
Jing Yuan acknowledged.
"As long as they've been notified in advance, that's enough."
"This expedition is meant to be a surprise attack—we shouldn't draw too much attention."
"I've activated stealth protocols. Our fleet won't be detected until we reach Penacony."
"Ah, right—your Interastral Peace Communication signals will also be temporarily disrupted. You won't receive any messages from the Express crew for now."
Dan Heng shook his head.
He wasn't worried about that.
"I was just thinking… is Acheron really the mastermind behind Penacony?"
"In gaming terms—what if she isn't the final boss?"
"After all, in the vision Yu Ling showed you, we only saw you, me, and the Xianzhou fleet fighting side by side—no sign of the enemy."
Jing Yuan, however, simply smiled.
"If it's not Acheron, then the enemy is someone of comparable strength."
"Our forces will still be useful!"
"Frankly, I hope this is all just a prank by Yu Ling."
"A false alarm would be ideal—we can treat this as a Xianzhou military parade."
As he spoke, the scenery outside the ship began to warp.
The vast expanse of the cosmos stretched before them—a sign that the fleet was about to warp.
"Ready, Imbibitor Lunae?"
Dan Heng took a deep breath, his gaze firm.
No matter who the enemy was, at least he could trust the general beside him.
"Mm."
The moment he answered, the starship successfully initiated warp—vanishing into the void.
Behind it, the rest of the Xianzhou fleet followed suit, one after another, all warping toward Penacony for a grand expedition!
---
Penacony – Reverie Hotel
Inside Acheron's room, Black Swan suddenly looked startled.
Beside her, Acheron continued watching the livestream as if nothing was happening.
Black Swan couldn't help but warn her.
"Miss Acheron… it seems the outside world is already in turmoil."
"I'm afraid I can no longer stay here."
Acheron turned her head and sighed.
"Miss Black Swan… you still don't trust me?"
"In the game's story, you also chose to side with Aventurine over walking the path with me."
Black Swan narrowed her eyes slightly.
While keeping a close watch on Acheron's movements, she subtly gestured with one hand behind her back.
"Miss Acheron, Penacony is far more complicated than we imagined."
"As an Emanator… if you were an ally, you'd be an incredibly reliable partner."
"But if you're an enemy… then precautions must be taken."
With that, she materialized a card in her hand—its patterns already fully formed.
She planned to force her way out, even if it meant exposing this area.
Acheron had become the target of a multi-faction crusade.
The game had also provided multiple pieces of evidence pointing to her…
As a Memokeeper, self-preservation was the wisest choice now!
Yet, just as Black Swan thought she could escape using the power of memories…
She suddenly realized—This space wasn't blocked…
Rather, all surrounding memory traces had been erased!
In other words…While this still appeared to be a room in the Reverie Hotel, the surroundings were now pure nothingness!
And this revelation made Black Swan understand—Acheron's true source of power!
Acheron stood up from her seat, looking both exasperated and resigned.
"You really… never learn, do you?"
Black Swan's voice trembled.
"You're… an Emanator of Nihility?!"
She had considered this possibility before but quickly dismissed it.
After all, the most obvious contradiction was—Why would IX, the Aeon of Nihility, ever acknowledge the existence of mortals?!
Yet the truth was undeniable.
Then, Black Swan remembered something.
If Acheron had used the power of Nihility to isolate this space…Then within the Garden of Recollection, she might already be marked as deceased.
Other Memokeepers in Penacony might have already confirmed it!
Acheron sat back down.
That single glance from her just now had instantly brought back Black Swan's fear from The Eternal Wheel of Samsara!
But… Acheron still hadn't killed her?
She still hadn't made a move?
Why?!
What does an Emanator of Nihility even want?
Is she really not the mastermind?
Is she really just being framed?
Black Swan, who was used to having everything under control, now felt an overwhelming sense of unease.
Her only hope now was the game's storyline.
It was the only thing that could reveal the truth…
To be continued…