Nihility—a force that most beings dared not even approach. Wherever the shadow of Nihility fell, it became a place all life instinctively avoided.
Only a rare few, heedless of the danger to their lives, would come to a star system touched by its influence.
Euphorion.
In the vastness of the universe, it was an unremarkable place.
Remote and bordering the realm of IX, many areas there were tainted by the power of Nihility.
Few ever came.
"We should leave."
A ship had landed in a place far from safe—already within the range of the Faceless' distortion.
A girl stood motionless, staring silently in one direction for a long time.
She had long, waist-length violet hair, a pair of delicate, beautiful features—and golden eyes that held a calm far beyond her youthful appearance.
"Still haven't found her?"
If Kiana were here, she would have recognized her instantly—the violet-haired girl was none other than Sirin, who had carried the last spark of hope away from Izumo during Project Ark.
She was alive.
The woman speaking to her looked to be in her early twenties. She wore the traditional garb of Izumo and a pair of black-rimmed glasses. Her demeanor was serious, almost strict.
"I've led people through every sector we marked. Still no trace of her."
The woman frowned slightly, her tone uncertain. "Maybe... she left this place."
The moment she said it, her heart sank. She knew that woman's personality too well—she would never leave Euphorion.
If someone like her had vanished from here... there was only one explanation.
She must have once again tried to force her way back into Izumo, worsening her condition until even her memories began to fade.
From the woman's perspective, that was the only possibility—she had forgotten the past, forgotten who she was, and left without warning.
After years of wandering the galaxy, they were no longer the naive souls who knew nothing of the Aeons.
They understood now—the existence of those under the Path of Nihility, the beings known as Self-Annihilators.
"Left?"
Sirin frowned. The woman they were discussing was none other than Raiden Mei—the one who had survived that catastrophe alongside her.
Izumo's situation was complicated.
To Sirin, it had already become a forbidden land, a place that must not be touched. Though she still clung to a faint trust in Kiana—believing she might still be alive—deep inside, she had long since accepted the truth...
Izumo could no longer be approached.
Their homeland, that planet, had become something close to a black hole—an ominous abyss, much like IX.
Every time they returned to gaze upon Izumo from afar, a strange, chilling thought would creep into her mind.
That planet was alive.
The world cloaked in shadow, locked in an eternal struggle, seemed to have eyes of its own—terrifying eyes that opened to watch them whenever they came near to mourn.
Sirin had warned Raiden Mei long ago to stop obsessing over it. She had begged her to leave with her—to find another way, to visit Izumo just once a year, from afar, until they discovered a real solution.
But Raiden Mei had refused.
She insisted on staying.
Just like the other Izumo survivors who had chosen to settle on different worlds, they had each chosen their own path.
"I know her. She'd never forget the past."
Sirin shook her head, denying the woman's speculation.
Raiden Mei would never forget any of it. If anything, time would only deepen her memories, not erase them.
Because she was the same.
After leaving Izumo and seeing the vastness of the galaxy, Sirin had never forgotten the days she had spent there.
If anything, witnessing so much more of the universe had only made her memories of the past clearer, her nostalgia stronger, her recollections more beautiful than they ever were.
Thinking of those days again, Sirin recalled a promise Kiana had once made to her during one of their talks.
A dreamlike world—Penacony...
It truly was a wonderful place. To most people, it was a paradise of eternal dreams, where one could forget all sorrow.
But to her, it wasn't like that at all.
Because the person who had once promised to go to Penacony's dream world with her was no longer by her side.
Penacony was beautiful.
But it was not the dream she longed for.
Her dream had been buried long ago—together with fallen Izumo, swallowed by the void.
"Izumo is still the same as before. Don't tell me she..."
The bespectacled woman's face darkened as she thought of a terrible possibility.
"Don't overthink it."
Sirin shot her a look and said calmly, "She's definitely still alive."
Though Raiden Mei had always wanted to return to Izumo, without Sirin's help, she couldn't even get close to that planet.
That was years ago.
And now...
In her attempts to break through that barrier, she had walked further and further down the path of Nihility. Each time they met again, Raiden Mei had changed—her presence becoming more and more distant, more and more powerful.
Sirin didn't know how far she had gone, but she knew one thing for certain—Mei still couldn't ignore the dangerously high concentration of Honkai Energy surrounding Izumo to descend safely to its surface.
Even with her stigmata, the planet's environment had long surpassed what humans could endure.
That was why Sirin called it a forbidden land—a zone of death not just because of Nihility, but also because of the Honkai.
Each time she returned to observe from afar, Sirin could feel it—the Honkai Energy on Izumo was still increasing, day by day.
"I don't want to think that way either... but she's gone too far down the path of Nihility..."
"We're not like others."
That was all Sirin said.
Then, after a few seconds of silence, she turned her gaze away from Izumo completely and looked at the woman beside her.
"Get ready. We're heading back."
"Raiden Mei's situation isn't our concern. Even if she's gone missing, the ones who should be worried are whoever crosses paths with her."
That woman's strength had become terrifying.
It had been a long time since Sirin last saw Raiden Mei draw her blade, but her instincts told her that Mei's power had reached another realm entirely.
All of it was for one purpose—to return to Izumo.
...And perhaps it was just her imagination, but Sirin couldn't shake the feeling that Izumo itself had gained a will of its own. There was something in the air—a powerful, invisible repulsion pushing back against anyone who tried to set foot upon it.
Raiden Mei, who remained near Izumo all this time, must have noticed it too.
A sentient planet...
Trying to land on its surface without harming it would be an exhausting and dangerous task.
"I remember the Herta Space Station sent us a message—they wanted to discuss some sort of cooperation, right?"
"Yes. I looked into it. That lady, Herta, has a fascination with collecting curiosities. She's probably interested in some of the relics we possess. Also, they're quite intrigued by Euphorion's unique resources—claiming they hold significant research value. There's also talk that Herta herself is studying the Aeons. The Space Station might want some of our data on IX."
"Herta... I remember she's a member of the Genius Society, isn't she? Meeting her might not be a bad idea. All right, let's make that our next destination—Herta Space Station."
...
Kiana had no idea that her old friend was planning to leave Euphorion.
Right now, she was still on Kasbelina-VIII—staring in shock and disbelief that morning.
"What? You want to come with me?"
Standing before her, Robin nodded seriously, speaking her decision. "I'm not joking. I want to travel with you for a while."
After learning yesterday that the IPC intended to take full control of the planet, both of them had decided to leave. They returned to the interstellar port city that connected Kasbelina-VIII to the rest of the galaxy—the same city where Robin had held her concert.
They'd spent the night in a hotel. Kiana had enjoyed a comfortable rest, only to be woken early in the morning by a knock at her door—and a request she never expected to hear.
After everything that had happened on Kasbelina-VIII, Robin planned to leave the planet.
That much Kiana could understand.
But to go with her—to Euphorion of all places—that, she couldn't understand at all.
"W–why though?" Kiana looked at Robin in disbelief. She couldn't fathom why Robin would want to go to Euphorion with her.
That place was likely nothing but silence now. There was no one left who needed help.
The place she was heading for was deeply connected to Nihility—and nothing touched by that could ever be harmless.
"Maybe I just want to clear my head a little," Robin said with a helpless smile. She knew it sounded sudden, but her heart hadn't been at ease.
In less than half a month, she had seen and heard far too much—rumors of an unknown Aeon, the IPC's true methods, and everything she herself had gone through.
The brush with death, that moment when her life nearly ended—it wasn't something that could be easily forgotten. Now she felt restless, anxious, and full of questions she couldn't voice.
But she couldn't tell her brother.
She didn't want him to know. If he ever found out she had been shot, he'd be terrified and might even demand that she stop all dangerous activities for a while.
Robin understood her brother well. And precisely because things were peaceful for the moment, she couldn't let him know.
She wanted to travel.
She thought that if she went out and saw more, the unease in her heart would fade.
After hearing Kiana talk yesterday about the world called Izumo, Robin's curiosity had grown—about Euphorion, Izumo, and Takamagahara.
"To clear your head?" Kiana blinked, then tried to dissuade her. "If that's all, there are plenty of better places for that. For example—"
"Please, Kiana." Robin grabbed her hand, her eyes full of pleading. "Just say yes."
"But where I'm going is dangerous." Kiana looked troubled. Anywhere else, she wouldn't have hesitated—but even she didn't know what state Izumo was in now.
Besides, she was going there to find someone.
She didn't know how long she'd have to stay.
Wasn't Robin supposed to be busy? Shouldn't her schedule already be packed?
"Please, please—I'll be careful. I won't hold you back."
"It's not that—it's just that the place itself is truly dangerous. And don't you have your own commitments? I'm going to Euphorion to look for someone—it might take a long time."
"I've already thought it through," Robin said firmly. "I came to find you after I made up my mind."
With things said to that point, Kiana could only look at her for a moment before sighing and nodding.
If she wanted to come along, then so be it.
At least she'd have someone to talk to on the way.
And so, after sending a letter to Sunday, Robin left Kasbelina-VIII with her—traveling together, for the time being.
More than a month later, they finally arrived in the star system known as Euphorion.
"Looks like we're here, but there's no detailed information on this region in the map. You don't remember where Izumo is, so I guess we'll have to search for it the old-fashioned way."
They had bought a ship from the IPC and piloted it all the way to this distant star system.
As it turned out, piloting the ship herself was much more convenient—otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to continue their journey once they arrived.
The scenery of this star system was almost exactly as she had imagined—unlike anything she had ever seen before.
"I know the direction."
The moment they entered the Euphorion system, Kiana faintly sensed something familiar. The only thing that could give her such a feeling from this distance... was the Honkai.
"You know the direction?"
Robin's face lit up with delight. "Then as long as we follow it, we'll reach this 'Izumo' you talked about."
"Yes. Just keep going that way, and we'll find Izumo. It's not very close, though—it might take two or three days of flight."
More importantly, they were drawing ever nearer to Nihility's domain.
But after spending more than a month together, Kiana knew that once Robin set her mind on something, she wouldn't be dissuaded easily. So she didn't mention the danger—it would only sour the mood.
"Two or three days... So that means in just a few days, you'll see your friend again?" Robin asked softly. "Kiana, once you find your friend, what will you do afterward?"
"Afterward?"
Kiana blinked in surprise.
They'd never talked about that before. And before finding anyone, she hadn't given it any thought.
After all, she didn't even know how much time had passed—she couldn't be sure she'd even find the people she was looking for.
Afterward...
Izumo was gone. What would come next?
Kiana rubbed her wrist thoughtfully. First of all, she couldn't go back on her word—she had promised Ruan that she would continue helping with Honkai research.
But if she found Mei... would she bring her along to meet Ruan?
She knew how much Mei cared about her. If Mei saw Ruan conducting experiments on her... would she draw her blade on the spot?
Probably not.
Mei wasn't that reckless.
But if she did find Mei... would she still stay with Ruan afterward?
Just imagining Mei and Ruan in the same place made Kiana uneasy. The thought itself felt absurd—almost like a battlefield of emotions she didn't want to step into.
Even if she knew it was unlikely, the very idea of it made her uncomfortable.
"Don't tell me you haven't thought about it?" Robin asked in surprise.
"O-of course I've thought about it!" Kiana insisted, though her tone wasn't convincing. For some reason, her mind briefly wandered to the Astral Express—but she dismissed the thought instantly.
If she had just arrived in this world, she might have wanted to join the crew—to explore and blaze trails with them.
But her current situation was different.
The Astral Express traveled to worlds plagued by Stellaron crises. If she joined them, the Honkai within her might spread from one world to another.
Besides, interstellar travel didn't require riding the Astral Express.
"Once I find Mei... I'll probably try to restore Izumo's environment," Kiana said at last after thinking it through.