["What's this future you're talking about?" Stelle asked, her curiosity piqued.]
[She couldn't fathom what kind of future would require the entire Xianzhou Alliance, or even the power of the Hunt's Aeon.]
["I told you, Elio didn't share the critical details with me. The possibilities of the future are infinite, and learning the right thing at the wrong time could unravel all our long efforts," Kafka replied.]
["About the future, I can only tell you one thing: in the best and worst futures, you will eventually face Nanook of Destruction. You'll need all the help you can get, because that will be a brutal battle on the level of the Aeons."]
["That's a level neither you, I, nor the Astral Express can reach. In most futures, fate ends at that moment. But if we follow Elio's script, there will be a sliver of hope."]
["You know, Stelle, even Aeons can be killed."]
[Kafka's tone was calm as still water, but her words sent a chill through everyone.]
Jujutsu Kaisen world, Tokyo Jujutsu High.
"Killing a god? What a wild idea! But I love it!" Shoko Ieiri slapped her thigh excitedly.
Before Kafka mentioned the Aeon war, she had always thought Aeons were lofty, untouchable beings who wielded supreme control over certain domains. Linking "Aeons" with "death" gave these gods a rare sense of reality.
"So, according to Kafka, can we assume Aeons are just a type of creature? …Just with far greater power?" Atsuya Kusakabe speculated. "If they're classified as creatures, then it's indeed possible to kill them…"
"Would Black Flash work on them?" Yuji Itadori blurted out.
"Uh… probably not?" Momo Nishimiya said, holding her teacup, imagining Yuji Itadori landing a Black Flash elbow strike on Nanook… Yikes, that mental image was a bit unsettling.
"If Elio's words are true, and the battle with Nanook is on the Aeons' level, then even calling in the Express crew wouldn't help, right?"
Yuji Itadori shook his head. "Stelle's strong, but are we supposed to expect her to bash Nanook's head with a baseball bat?"
"Uh…" Atsuya Kusakabe tried to picture it but found the image lacking.
"An Aeon-level battle is beyond human reach. The only Aeon known to have perished is Akivili of the Trailblaze, right? Was They killed by another Aeon?"
["…"]
[Meanwhile, on the other side of the Xianzhou.]
["Hey, Luocha, you only told half the story about Propagation. Keep going, it's super interesting. It's wild that Aeons can die? Aren't they supposed to be invincible?"]
[Luocha smiled faintly. "There's no such thing as absolute invincibility or eternal immortality. That's just an exaggeration from a mortal perspective. However, the fall of Propagation was indeed beyond mortal comprehension, felled by the hands of other Aeons."]
[Sushang tilted her head. "…I don't get it. They're all Aeons, so why fight and kill each other?"]
["You… are you really from the Xianzhou?" Sushang's innocent expression left Luocha momentarily speechless. "Leaving other Aeons aside, you must know the story of Lán of the Hunt and Yaoshi of Abundance, right? Isn't the Alliance's lifelong wish to eliminate the Aeon Yaoshi?"]
["Of course I know!" Sushang's voice faltered as she mentioned the Xianzhou history taught in class, her confidence slipping as fast as her words. "Well, I know a little… My mom always made me practice swordsmanship, so I didn't go to school much…"]
One Punch Man world, Hero Association Headquarters.
"Propagation… an Aeon I've never heard of," Child Emperor murmured. "But it reminds me of those sci-fi movies with bugs or alien monsters that can hatch under any condition."
"Each Aeon's name reflects their role to some extent. This Propagation must be like Abundance, an Aeon that spreads its power recklessly across worlds," Bang said.
"Good thing They died at the hands of other Aeons. Otherwise, I'd worry Their power might one day reach our world."
"Pfft, what's there to worry about?" Atomic Samurai scoffed. "For enemies that multiply endlessly, you just need enough slashes to cut them down. Unless it's an Aeon themselves… there's nothing to fear."
His gaze drifted to the green-haired girl in front of him.
The implication was clear: with Tatsumaki, the esper powerhouse, around, no matter how many enemies there were, they'd be nothing but a side dish to her. The real threats were Emanator-level beings or higher.
["Well… shall we change the topic?" Luocha said helplessly.]
["Alright, new topic: what's in that big box?" Sushang leaned forward curiously, eyeing the coffin behind Luocha.]
["This white box? It's a reliquary, commonly called a coffin, used to hold the remains of the deceased," Luocha explained.]
["The deceased?" Sushang's eyes widened. "Aren't you a merchant?"]
["This is part of my trade," Luocha said unhurriedly. "I was entrusted to deliver this reliquary back to the Xianzhou. Heh, for long-lived species with lifespans stretching thousands of years, death must seem like a distant concept, no?"]
["Not really. Cloud Knights who go into battle see death as commonplace. But we don't have the custom of… uh, using reliquaries to hold remains. The Xianzhou tradition for farewelling comrades is to enshrine their names and jade omens in the Hall of Karma at the Ten-Lords Commission."]
"Hm… that's it? Isn't that too simple?" Hu Tao frowned slightly. In Teyvat, aside from birth and death, nothing was more significant, and funeral rites were of utmost importance.
"No mountain of treasures, no carriages or palanquins, no ceremonial robes or caskets? The Xianzhou seems pretty particular about these things otherwise."
"Hall Master, while the Xianzhou shares some cultural similarities with Liyue, their customs differ greatly overall. Funeral traditions must adapt to local practices," Zhongli said with a chuckle.
"Ugh, what a pity. If I could open a Wangsheng Funeral Parlor branch in the Xianzhou, maybe I could…"
Zhongli's gaze gently swept over the girl's face before he calmly sipped his tea. "Hall Master, are you thinking of making a fortune?"
"Huh? Guest Advisor, that's such a crass way to put it."
Hu Tao gave a sly smile, her twin tails bouncing. "This is about cultural exchange, and… 'sharing' Liyue's traditions of honoring the departed. If we can make Wangsheng's business thrive in the process, all the better~"