At the same time.
Gazing at the projection gradually fading from the sky outside the window, Sakura fell into deep contemplation.
Beside her, also seated on a chair, Rin blinked her dewy eyes and then turned to her older sister, asking with cheerful enthusiasm, "Sis... was that talking about you?"
But then, without even waiting for Sakura to respond, she nodded to herself, brimming with confidence. "Yep! It's definitely you."
"Sakura..." Sakura murmured, snapping out of her thoughts slightly as she collected herself.
Then, giggling, Rin threw herself into her sister's arms. "Even if your name isn't all that unique, I'm sure that even if there are tons of Sakuras out there, the one on that screen is definitely my sister."
"But... you were up there too..." Sakura replied with a hint of uncertainty and worry.
The two sisters both had pink hair and looked quite alike. The older one was already a great beauty, while the younger still had a touch of childishness.
The difference was, Sakura—having trained in martial arts for years and worked as an assassin—naturally carried a certain stern, imposing aura about her, making her seem a bit distant and cold.
But Rin knew she was actually really gentle.
It was just that Rin's own health was weak—she often got sick and took a long time to recover—and that had become a burden on her sister.
Because of this, Rin appeared thin and pale. Even as she snuggled into her sister's embrace, clinging to her affectionately, a closer look would reveal that she seemed to be struggling slightly, and a faint cold sweat had formed on her forehead.
Sakura gently wiped it away for her, offering a soft smile.
Yet the next moment, her expression still carried a trace of melancholy. "I... I'll be fine. But you—"
Before Sakura could finish, Rin looked up with a bright, carefree smile, her innocence seeming to gently brush away Sakura's worries. Did she not understand? No, she understood—more than people thought.
Having suffered so much from illness, she knew better than anyone how hard her sister worked for her.
"Sis, you said the projections are real! Right?" Rin asked. "If they are... then since we've been announced for the next episode, does that mean we'll end up like that Sister Elysia and Dr. Mobius...?"
"In the future, will we become the young lady's wives?"
"..."
Like a little adult, Rin took Sakura's hand, held it in front of herself, and gently pressed her cheek against it.
"Even though girl and girl stuff is... a little weird. But if our 'husband' is that young lady, I think... I wouldn't mind it."
"Even if she wants me too, that's okay."
"Actually! Being able to stay with you forever in the future, even being featured together with you in the same episode... that makes me really happy, sis."
"..."
Their parents had passed away long ago.
After relying on each other for so long, each was the most important person in the other's world.
Sakura cherished Rin deeply—so much that Rin was her greatest weakness.
Rin, in turn, admired her sister immensely—so much that she wished Sakura didn't have to work so hard. If they could really rely on the Herrscher of the End... she understood. At the very least, life would be easier for them, not so full of hardship. Right?
And Sakura knew Rin wasn't an ordinary child.
She was more thoughtful and perceptive than most kids her age.
As her older sister, Sakura didn't have to worry about her much—which only made her love and ache for Rin all the more.
As for pledging themselves to the Herrscher... it wasn't out of the question.
It wasn't that she had any real objections to the young lady, Kiana.
It was just...
Her nature was cool and reserved.
And the idea of her little sister being bundled along with her... it was a lot to take in all at once.
After all, they came from a rather traditional family.
If not for the troubles they'd encountered, perhaps both of them would have taken over the shrine.
Now, with their family gone and the shrine lost, everything from the past was behind them.
But some habits and traits, once formed, weren't easy to change overnight.
Still, she had decided to take the initiative and give it a shot.
Since Fire Moth—her previous assassination target—now wanted to become her employer, and considering she seemed to be the Herrscher's aunt, working for her might actually be for the best.
If nothing else...
At the very least, it was a stable job.
No more running around, taking on odd jobs one at a time.
Even if it meant becoming a blade in someone else's hand...
What she offered was simply too much to refuse. There didn't seem to be any real downside.
"Alright, Rin, it's getting late... time for bed," Sakura said, gently patting Rin's back.
"Okaay," Rin nodded, knowing not to push further. Seeing that Sakura didn't want to dwell on the topic, she obediently headed back to her room.
But today, her heart was racing with excitement.
Next time, it would be her and her sister.
What would the future hold for them? The Aeon of The Moment? Sounded pretty impressive...
What even was an Aeon, anyway?
In truth, she wasn't the only one with that question.
Many people, while reviewing the day's video, had also taken note of it.
Aeons... Aeons... just what were they? Mobius held the title of Aeon of Infinity, and that girl called Sakura was referred to as the Aeon of Moments.
Many sensed keenly that "Aeon" was likely not just some simple honorific.
It probably represented something far greater.
Especially when mentioning Mobius—that content creator, Yuzu, had said that in the eyes of future generations, Mobius had many titles and achievements. Before "Aeon of Infinity," she'd also brought up the term "Path."
What was the relationship between Paths and Aeons?
It really sparked everyone's curiosity. Not having an answer was like an itch you couldn't scratch—genuinely frustrating.
Even Elysia had started pestering Kiana about it.
Asking if she knew anything.
She'd even asked Mobius if she had any clues.
After all... this is your future we're talking about.
"E–ly–si–a! You know this is my future, and you're asking present-day me?" Mobius sneered coldly. She didn't know either—if she did, would she be this tormented right now?
Kiana, meanwhile, just smiled.
But she didn't offer any explanations either.
After all, whether it was Aeons or Paths, they were more like easter egg settings.
Now wasn't the time to reveal them.
Wouldn't it be more fun to unveil things little by little?
Admittedly, she did have some ideas—after clearing the Previous Era, she wanted to find a way to reach the world of Honkai: Star Rail.
She might even merge the entire world with Honkai: Star Rail's universe.
In a way, achieving a kind of leap.
But for now, it was just a thought.
A flash of inspiration, almost whimsical. How to actually arrange it... she hadn't figured that part out yet.
It was just that the system had subtly detected the possibility, and she'd picked and chosen, recording it accordingly.
To that end, she'd even re-edited the video several times, going through multiple versions.
And! She could only say that whether it was the Aeon of Infinity or the Aeon of The Moment, they were serious possibilities—even if they were among the most minuscule of futures, almost as if they didn't exist at all.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
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If you guys wanna check it out.