"And you? Are you going to stay here to help?"
Kiana asked curiously.
She had almost lost her life just now.
Was Robin planning to continue staying here, or leave Kasbelina-VIII and return to Penacony?
"Me..."
Robin's reaction was a little unusual. Her smile faded, and a complex emotion flickered in her eyes.
"I don't really know what to do."
Her answer surprised Kiana. That didn't sound like something Robin would say.
Had she been hurt and fallen into a low mood—perhaps even doubting herself—so she didn't know what to do anymore?
Kiana didn't know what to say either.
"Maybe you should leave?"
After thinking about the current state of this world, Kiana said, "Some things can't be solved with good intentions alone..."
Then she suddenly remembered what she had done in Izumo. Her heart sank for a moment, and her words trailed off.
"Right, I told you before that those monsters spread because of war, didn't I?"
She quickly adjusted her tone and asked, "Did you tell anyone else about that?"
"...I did."
Robin looked even more downcast.
She had just started to recover, her face no longer pale—but now she lowered her head again, listless.
"Tch."
Kiana frowned unhappily. "Then you should all the more leave. No one can save a fool determined to die."
Robin hesitated, pursed her lips, and finally said nothing. She forced herself to smile faintly and said, "Sorry for making you worry about me."
"Didn't you worry that I'd face trouble in Bury City too?"
Yes, that's what friends do—they worry about each other.
Robin's expression softened a little.
"Yeah, you stayed in there for so long."
"There was just so much to research. Honestly, the time we spent was short. Anyone else would've needed a year or more to find anything meaningful. Ruan is a real genius. And being in that environment brought back a lot of old memories for me."
"Will the disaster in Bury City keep spreading?" Robin asked.
"It shouldn't."
Kiana paused. She didn't want her own situation to become public knowledge. Ruan's words had made perfect sense, and her time in Izumo had taught her a painful lesson.
She herself was a walking disaster.
No matter her intentions, once things spiraled out of control, she would always become the first to be blamed—the one under suspicion.
"The energy's activity has already peaked. It should gradually decline from now on."
"Really?" Robin's eyes brightened with relief. "That means the civilians won't be caught in the crossfire anymore."
"It's true. The energy levels will drop, but the monsters won't disappear entirely. Someone still needs to wipe them out."
That wasn't bad news.
But Robin's joy lasted only a few seconds before a thought struck her. Her expression clouded again, her face filling with worry.
She frowned slightly and murmured, "In that case... the IPC..."
At the mention of the Interastral Peace Corporation, Kiana perked up her ears and asked curiously, "The IPC? Why bring that up?"
Robin stayed silent for a long while before sighing. "I only found out two days ago. The IPC's planning to take over this planet—not through cooperation... but by buying it."
"Buy it?!"
This wasn't some unclaimed planet—tens of billions of humans lived here.
Wars had broken out over its ownership. Countless lives were lost for the right to decide this world's fate.
"Since you weren't here, let me tell you what's been happening lately. Once you hear it, you'll understand."
"After the disaster in Bury City and the discovery of that new energy source, the IPC reassessed Kasbelina-VIII. They suspect that the energy appearing in Bury City might have come from an Aeon—an unknown Aeon."
Fwip.
"An unknown Aeon?"
Kiana's face shifted slightly.
Robin said seriously, "That's what the IPC believes. It doesn't belong to any known Path."
"Mm. Go on."
"...Remember the day we first arrived here, when we were attacked? The investigation's finished—the ones who attacked us were actually rebels supported by the IPC."
Kiana was slightly surprised, but when she thought about how greed was part of human nature, it no longer seemed that shocking.
Robin's face darkened, filled with disappointment toward humanity. "There are many reasons for it, and... I can't even say they were entirely wrong."
"There's no need to dwell on it. We stand on different sides—there's no reason to view things from their perspective."
Over a year of amnesia had taught Kiana many things. The biggest change was how much she had learned from Ruan Mei—how to think like her.
"You're right. Our positions differ, and there's no point agonizing over this."
"The IPC used this as an excuse to abandon the rebels and strike a deal with the local army. The local forces are preparing to sell Kasbelina-VIII's ownership to the IPC. And the money from selling it..."
Robin stopped mid-sentence.
She didn't have to finish for the rest to be clear. The nobles who took the money would never stay on Kasbelina-VIII.
"The IPC really has guts."
Kiana finally understood what was happening. The IPC appeared to be a benefactor, but in truth, it was the root cause of the chaos engulfing Kasbelina-VIII.
The war itself had been fueled by the IPC from behind the scenes—to seize Kasbelina-VIII with minimal cost and secure the cooperation they desired.
There must be countless worlds like this one.
The IPC wasn't in a hurry. Worlds like this would eventually fall into their trade network sooner or later. They had all the time in the universe to wait.
Originally, that had been the plan.
But the appearance of the Honkai had stirred suspicion. The IPC believed it might be a trace left behind by an unknown Aeon.
That alone was enough to draw their attention.
So they shifted from cooperation... to acquisition.
The war on Kasbelina-VIII was nothing more than one of the IPC's methods—a tool to achieve the partnership it sought.
"So now I don't know what to do."
Robin lowered her head, her voice lost and uncertain. "If all of this was caused by the IPC... if the good deeds are done by the IPC, and the war is also driven by the IPC, then everything I've been doing... does it really mean anything?"
She realized she had been far too naive.
If her brother were here, he would have seen through all of this immediately. Unlike her—who only understood once everything had already surfaced.
Her heart felt heavy.
"It does mean something."
Seeing how dejected she was, Kiana took Robin's hand and looked at her with firm, sincere eyes. "Believe me—what you're doing matters."
"The people you've helped care about you—and you care about them too. The reason I came with you here is because I share your beliefs."
"See? So many people care about the same things as you do. How could it possibly be meaningless?"
"...You agree with my beliefs?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Kiana smiled helplessly. "You don't really think I came here just to watch the show, do you?"
"No, no, I didn't think that!"
"That's good then. I came because I agree with your desire—to do something for those who need help."
Kiana continued, "So don't think that way. The IPC is the IPC. You are you. Their actions are their own—different people will see them differently."
With Kiana's reassurance, Robin's mood finally lifted. "I understand. I won't keep brooding over it. Thank you, Kiana."
"But it looks like I'm no longer needed here. The IPC's already sending a lot of people. This planet will soon be under their control."
She hadn't expected things to end this way—but even so, this trip hadn't been meaningless.
She had witnessed the IPC's true methods.
And she had met a friend like Kiana.
...And gained some unforgettable memories.
"Let them do as they please."
Kiana shook her head. "The energy reactions here will fade over time. The IPC might have geniuses, but there aren't many who can compare to Ruan. They won't figure much out."
Ruan Mei truly was a genius—and with the Herrscher of Finality herself assisting her, no other researcher could hope for such a privilege.
Speaking of which, had Welt boarded the Astral Express by now? She couldn't help but wonder how he'd react to the Honkai appearing again.
"Ruan? Your friend sounds like quite the scientist."
"Mhm, she's incredible. Her name's Ruan Mei—Member #81 of the Genius Society, specializing in life sciences."
Two characters who had never crossed paths in the game now knew each other because of her. The thought made Kiana feel oddly sentimental.
"She's a member of the Genius Society?"
Robin looked at her with surprise. She hadn't expected the 'Ruan' Kiana mentioned to be a Genius Society scholar.
Every member of that organization possessed intellect far beyond human comprehension. Though Robin didn't know much about them, she had naturally heard of their reputation.
She could at least imagine what that meant.
"Well, you're a famous singer in the universe yourself."
Kiana rubbed her chin in mock seriousness. "So even if I'm just a nobody, I sure have great taste in choosing my friends!"
Robin couldn't help but laugh. "You're amazing too, Kiana."
Amazing?
Kiana didn't think so. Aside from being a walking calamity, what else was there to praise about her?
She smiled faintly but said nothing.
It was enough that she knew her own heart.
"I've decided—I'll be leaving Kasbelina in a few days too."
"Good idea. The IPC's done this plenty of times before. They have their own system for resettling the survivors."
Kiana said, "Here, the IPC holds absolute power. Compared to them, we're just small figures—there's nothing we can do."
Robin nodded, then seemed to remember something. She looked at Kiana again. "The place you're heading to... is Euphorion, right?"
"Yeah, that's right. Why?"
Robin hesitated before lowering her voice. "I looked into that region a few days ago. It's quite close to IX."
Nihility...
To most people, it was something to be avoided at all costs.
"You've been researching that place?"
Kiana suddenly felt awkward—guilty, even. Only now did she realize she was still holding Robin's hand. Embarrassed, she let go and stepped back slightly. "Sorry, I haven't been honest with you. My amnesia—it was caused by Nihility's influence. I'm actually a Self-Annihilator."
Robin saw her trying to pull away and quickly grabbed her hand again. "I already suspected as much—and I don't care who you are."
She had always chased her dreams and met many people along the way—but those she could truly call friends...
Were few.
For as long as she could remember, the one always by her side had been her brother. No matter what she wanted to do, he would support her unconditionally.
But a brother was still a brother—a family member.
There were some troubles, some feelings, that couldn't be shared with him.
"...I might be even more dangerous than you think."
Since Robin had brought it up, Kiana couldn't keep hiding it.
She didn't mention anything about being a Herrscher or the Honkai, but she didn't avoid warning Robin, in vague terms, about her own dangerous nature.
Robin didn't let go of her hand. "But we're already friends, aren't we?"
"I'm not just a Self-Annihilator—I'm something even more dangerous. Didn't the IPC say that the energy here might come from some Aeon? If that's true, then... I might count as Their messenger."
Kiana spoke softly, as though confessing a sin. "A messenger who could bring calamity at any moment."
"That doesn't matter."
Robin shook her head. "We're friends now, aren't we? Friends shouldn't care about such things."
Kiana was silent for a moment before sitting back down with a faint smile. "...As long as you don't mind."
"I don't."
Robin added firmly.
Then she continued, "You said you remembered another friend waiting for you there? But that place is near the Aeon of Nihility. Are you sure your friend is still there?"
"She should be... I think."
"Oh, right, Robin—have you ever heard the name Acheron?"
"Acheron?"
Robin thought for a moment, then shook her head just like Ruan Mei had. "Sorry, I haven't heard that name before."
"Then what about Raiden Mei? Or Sirin?"
She suddenly remembered that Sirin had been with Mei. If Mei was still alive, then Sirin and the others might be too.
If Project Ark had succeeded, there should still be quite a few survivors from Izumo, right?
"Sorry, I haven't heard of any of the people you mentioned," Robin said apologetically.
"It's fine. Maybe they never left Euphorion. It's normal you haven't heard of them."
That faint hope vanished—but Kiana knew she still had to go to Euphorion, to retrace her path through Izumo if she wanted to find them.
"Euphorion... what kind of place is it, exactly?"
"I don't really know."
Kiana scratched her head awkwardly. "Honestly, I don't even know where Euphorion is."
"It was Ruan who found me unconscious and amnesiac in Euphorion and brought me back. She was also the one who told me that if I wanted to find my past, I'd have to return there."
"But Kiana, didn't you say you've already remembered everything?"
"I have, but apart from Izumo, the farthest I've ever gone is Takamagahara. I've never traveled between galaxies before. I don't know much about Euphorion—but I can tell you the story of Izumo instead."