"Another Aeon, yet this one feels entirely different."
"The Destruction Aeon exudes an overwhelming pressure, making it easy to sense the malice within. Strangely, though, none of that is present with this Aeon."
"——Quite the opposite, in fact. There's a warm, weighty sensation instead."
Tsukishiro Yanagi narrated her first impressions of the Preservation Aeon while quickly jotting down notes in her little notebook.
If nothing unexpected happened, the HAND headquarters would soon summon the Director for a debriefing regarding the "Preservation Aeon." These notes might come in handy for her later.
The Destruction Aeon alone had already terrified several of HAND's higher-ups. Now, another Aeon had appeared—fortunately, it showed no hostility and vanished in the blink of an eye.
"It seems different Aeons hold varying stances toward humanity," Asaba Harumasa remarked. "I have a theory: perhaps the Destruction Aeon wields the cosmic authority of [Destruction], while this Preservation Aeon is its complete opposite—like the strongest spear meeting the strongest shield."
Harumasa then adopted a tone of someone eager to stir the pot: "What would happen if these two Aeons actually clashed? The battle would surely shake the heavens and earth, right?"
Tsukishiro Yanagi adjusted her half-rimmed glasses. "But it would also inevitably lead to rivers of blood. Until we understand the connection between the world in the Celestial Screen and our own, it's best they don't fight."
[With a deafening roar, Stelle felt the ground beneath her tremble as if the sky were collapsing. Fortunately, the shaking didn't last long. By the time she regained her bearings, she found herself back on the space station.]
["Our calculations succeeded—the Preservation Aeon, Qliphoth, truly appeared." Herta's voice suddenly rang in her ears, followed by an enigmatic chuckle. "The Aeon of Trailblaze, Akivili, has returned from death, drawing out an old friend."]
[Since awakening, Stelle had never delved deeply into the gossip between Aeons. Judging by Herta's tone, she seemed quite knowledgeable.]
["Tell me more about the relationships between the Aeons?"]
["These are just simulated Aeon avatars meticulously cultivated by Ruan Mei and Screwllum. Real Aeons wouldn't give us the time of day. That's why I set your identity as the Trailblaze Aeon, Akivili—to attract them."]
[Herta paused here, clicking her tongue. "Seems my judgment was correct. From now on, when you encounter simulated Aeons, you'll need to cozy up to them."]
[With a wave of her small hand, Herta enhanced all of Stelle's Preservation blessings, hoping to lure Qliphoth into appearing again. Yet no matter how many monsters Stelle defeated along the way, it was futile.]
["Alright… It probably isn't coming." Herta's voice carried a hint of dejection. "I'll admit I was a bit too impatient… From now on, I won't interfere with your actions. Just do as you please."]
["Qliphoth's appearance was likely just a coincidence… Never mind. Anyway, sorry." With that, Herta's voice faded away.]
[After battling her way through the Simulated Universe and defeating every monster in sight, nothing else happened. Stelle couldn't help but ask Herta about the next objective. After a long silence, a regretful sigh finally reached her ears.]
["I was hoping it would show up. Oh well. I'll shut down the Simulated Universe now—it'll be instant, you won't feel a thing. We'll talk in reality later."]
[The space station's scenery gradually dissolved into darkness. Stelle had grown accustomed to this sensation of floating in nothingness, but after drifting for a while, she realized she was still inside the Simulated Universe.]
["Herta?" Stelle called out into the empty void.]
["It's here!" Herta's incredulous voice suddenly rang in her ears. "No, not it… Another Aeon! It's—"]
[Herta's voice grew distant, as if the entire world was receding from her. Everything around her felt unreal.]
[Suddenly, a dazzling light flickered before Stelle's eyes. When she finally managed to open them, she barely made out the scene before her.]
[It was a blurred humanoid figure, its body seemingly carved from crystal or composed of countless shards of mirrors. Its facial features were refracted into an enigma by prisms, leaving only a glimpse of a six-row pearl crown upon its head. Behind it loomed a crown of ice lotus flowers. The moment Stelle laid eyes on it, countless memories flooded her mind.]
——
Tanjirou stood in the snowstorm-ravaged forest.
His jet-black hair fluttered in the icy wind, the scar on his forehead tinged red from the cold. Clutching the thick scarf around his neck, his clear gaze pierced through the swirling snowflakes, fixating on the faint torchlight in the distance.
In his memories, his father—usually frail and sickly—stood barefoot amidst eight torches, arms outstretched, turning his head, bending at the waist, and stepping forward. His mother, with Nezuko strapped to her back, gently patted his head.
"Hah… This is… Mom?"
"I remember I was—"
Tanjirou felt like he had forgotten something. Just as he rubbed his frostbitten fingers, a frantic voice called out to him.
"Tanjirou! Tanjirou!"
Along with the voice, the scene before him began to blur and distort. Tanjirou's head swayed as if on a swing. When he finally steadied himself, he saw his senior, the Water Hashira Giyuu Tomioka, shaking his shoulders vigorously.
"Tanjirou, wake up!"
Tanjirou patted his head, finally snapping out of the memory completely. He looked around and saw the entire Demon Slayer Corps in chaos.
"What's going on?" Tanjirou was still confused.
Giyuu Tomioka frowned. "A third Aeon has appeared. The moment it did, everyone who saw it was plunged into brief memories—thankfully, it only lasted a short while and wasn't severe. Most people have already recovered."
"I initially thought the appearance of Aeons wouldn't affect us much. Clearly, I underestimated things. Some Aeons inherently carry unique effects, and their mere presence inevitably influences others."
Shinobu Kochou said with lingering fear, "And this is just a simulated Aeon in the Simulated Universe—a man-made creation. If a real Aeon were to appear…"
Hearing this, the Hashira present collectively shuddered.
"Hey, hey, doesn't this count as some kind of 'divine miracle' in a way?" Tengen Uzui forced a bitter laugh. Only now did he realize the vast gap between their world and the one in the Celestial Screen.
"Of course it does," Kagaya Ubuyashiki said with a faint smile. "From the reports from the foothills, many local governments are already planning to build temples for the Destruction Aeon, Nanook. Countless commoners are also switching their faith to worship the Aeons."
"Worship Destruction? That guy doesn't exactly seem like a benevolent god. That's not something to believe in," Sanemi Shinazugawa scowled.
"But it's still better than worshipping some heretical cult," Shinobu Kochou said coolly. "I heard a sect called the Eternal Paradise Cult recently declared a change in faith—over 200 followers began worshipping the Destruction Aeon Nanook. Overnight, the entire sect… was reduced to just its founder."