Give up?
Kiana instinctively looked toward Robin, who returned an equally awkward glance.
It was clear they both recalled what had happened on Kasbelina-VIII—and how words like "safety" were often just a comforting lie to keep others from worrying too much.
The things Robin wanted to do…
Those worlds might not be as dangerous as Kasbelina-VIII, but the possibility of danger was far from zero.
Internal conflicts on a planet were one thing.
But Robin was not someone easily deterred by hardship, and the worlds she sought to aid would hardly all be peaceful ones.
Aside from the well-known Three Disasters, there were other causes of planetary doom—Stellaron crises among them. And her homeland, her mother…
"Ahem, 'to strengthen the weak' means exactly what it sounds like," Kiana explained quickly. "I have power, and that power can be used to help those who are weak and in need of it."
Sirin looked at Kiana in silence.
Did Kiana really think she could still fool her as easily as back in Izumo?
Having visited Penacony herself, Sirin had done her homework on both the Family and Harmony. How could she not know that saying—"To strengthen the weak, to guard life with death"?
What puzzled her was how Robin, who had just been discouraging Kiana's risky ideas, was now saying the exact opposite.
Wait a minute—weren't they talking about singing just a moment ago? How did it turn into some 'strengthen the weak' crusade all of a sudden?
"But aren't we supposed to be looking for Raiden Mei?"
Sirin bit back her words for a moment, then finally said in a cool tone, "So... you're not looking for Raiden Mei anymore?"
"Of course I am!"
At the mention of Raiden Mei, Kiana immediately perked up, her voice full of energy again. "Of course I'm still looking for her! Everything I'm doing now is to build up my reputation so I can find Mei more easily!"
Sirin hesitated, then sighed softly. "As long as you've thought it through."
Fine. As long as she didn't go out of her way to provoke the Denizens of Abundance or the Antimatter Legion, Sirin didn't mind what Kiana chose to do.
Other dangers would have a hard time truly harming her.
...Probably.
Sirin felt that she couldn't really control Kiana at all. Though she didn't want her to find Raiden Mei too quickly, seeing Kiana's expression suddenly made her miss her a little.
If it were Raiden Mei...
Kiana would definitely take her words to heart.
Sirin thought helplessly.
While Kiana's enemies were a distant concern, what truly occupied her mind now was learning to sing with Robin.
After all, she was starting entirely from zero.
She couldn't help but wonder if Robin would find her hopelessly tone-deaf later.
Each of them cared about different things, so even though all three were technically discussing the same topic, they were on completely different wavelengths.
Robin spent the next two days showing them around Penacony. Both days were peaceful and uneventful—simple, ordinary days.
Kiana didn't even hear a whisper of the rumored 'death'—and without deliberately seeking it out, not a single story event seemed to trigger within the Land of the Dreams.
After two calm days, something unexpected happened—not to Kiana or Robin, but to Sirin. Or rather, to the Ark.
It wasn't anything serious, but it required Sirin's personal attention, forcing her to part ways with Kiana reluctantly.
Before leaving, she reminded Kiana again and again to check her messages, to stay in touch—and not vanish for ten or fifteen days at a time like before.
Once Sirin was gone, only Kiana and Robin remained. Robin busied herself preparing for her concert, and Kiana joined in to help.
She actually had a little interest in music—or rather, in game character songs.
Her memory was excellent now, and with Robin's musical expertise to guide her, recreating those songs from memory wouldn't be too difficult.
Whether they'd turn out well... that was another story.
But that could wait. She planned to tell Robin about her little idea after the concert ended.
And as they prepared for what was to come, time passed swiftly.
In the blink of an eye, more than half a year had gone by.
In the months that followed, many things happened—and yet, nothing particularly remarkable did.
Everything proceeded as usual.
The only regret was that Kiana still hadn't found any trace of Raiden Mei. Not a single clue. It was as if Mei never set foot in any of the bustling planetary systems—never even came close.
Otherwise, it made no sense. Half a year had passed, yet no matter how many bounties the IPC posted, nor through any other channels, there was still no news of Raiden Mei.
But today...
In a remote border planetary system engulfed by war, something happened—something that, for Kiana, would be of great importance.
A transport ship bearing the IPC insignia had stalled somewhere in the system.
Those who had intercepted it—parasites clinging to life like maggots on bone—were erased in a single scarlet slash, reduced to ash.
It had taken only one strike. The enemies vanished completely, but that same strike also left a massive, jagged wound through what had once been only a slightly damaged ship.
The surviving few, trembling from fear and adrenaline, exchanged uncertain glances, none daring to look directly at the woman who had just saved them.
They didn't know whether to thank her for rescuing them—or to accuse her of slicing a priceless transport ship nearly in half.
After all, they were just employees!
The ship and its cargo were worth far more than they could ever repay, even if they sold themselves.
Now, everything was gone.
"Th-thank you for saving us, my friend. I'm Dekker, the IPC officer responsible for this shipment."
Complaining was out of the question. They'd barely escaped with their lives. Being sold off by the company was far better than ending up in the hands of those Denizens of Abundance who descended like locusts.
And if this woman could slice a ship in half with one stroke, she could just as easily reduce them to dust.
Just like the monsters from before—erased without leaving a trace.
The sword had already been sheathed.
The woman's eyes lingered on the intact half of the ship, an emotion flickering faintly within them.
"That... person—who is it?"
Her voice carried a strange tone, as if she hadn't spoken in some time—or perhaps for another reason entirely.
Dekker, eager to show his gratitude and ensure she understood just how thankful he was, followed her gaze toward a large poster plastered across half the hull.
Instantly, his spirits lifted.
"Oh, you mean the person on the poster? That's Miss Robin!"
Dekker was a devoted fan of Robin. The IPC had apparently entered some kind of partnership with her, allowing employees to display her posters freely.
He had personally chosen and placed this one—his favorite image of her.
"...Robin?"
The woman stared at the poster, repeating the name under her breath, a flicker of curiosity in her otherwise emotionless eyes.
"Yes! Miss Robin—her songs are incredible! Truly divine, they touch the soul!"
Assuming his savior was interested in Robin, Dekker's enthusiasm spiked.
"My friend, if you haven't heard her music before, I strongly recommend you do! You won't regret it!"
Acheron turned her gaze from the poster, fixing him with a cold look.
Under that chilling stare, Dekker's fanlike fervor evaporated instantly.
His voice trembled as he spoke again, carefully. "You saved our lives... might we have the honor of knowing your name?"
It seemed he'd guessed wrong—she wasn't asking out of interest in Robin at all.
Her name...?
The woman stayed silent for a moment before replying in a calm, measured tone. "Galaxy Ranger—Acheron."
Leaving that name behind, she turned to go—but her gaze suddenly caught on something else at the edge of the poster.
Her steps faltered.
"And the other one?"
Only now did she notice that the oversized poster featured another figure beside Robin.
"The other? Oh, that's Miss Robin's partner! I heard they're incredibly close!"
Dekker's tone brightened as gossip crept into his voice. "Rumor has it that before debuting, she was personally trained by Miss Robin—they're often seen together, and some even say they live together."
"Her musical talent might not match Robin's, but she's beautiful! And their duet performances are amazing—every song they release together is wonderful!"
But Acheron wasn't interested in the music.
Nor in their performances—or in how beautiful anyone was.
"Her name."
Dekker froze, instantly realizing his mistake. He mentally slapped himself—why was he rambling about celebrity gossip at a time like this?!
If this woman got angry, she could slice them all in half with a single stroke!
"H-her name is Kiana! She's the latest rising star!"
Clack—
Her grip on the sword tightened sharply.
The once-cold and expressionless Acheron seemed to change completely in that instant.
It was as if a colorless figure had suddenly been painted in vivid hues—brought to life.
Though the life she exuded...
In her once calm eyes, a trace of murderous intent stirred. The surviving employees, who moments ago had thought themselves safe, felt terror seize their hearts.
Their savior, it seemed, was no less frightening than the Denizens of Abundance themselves.
An unexplainable dread crept into their souls; some of the weaker ones even felt their knees buckle.
"M-Miss Acheron..."
"Say it again."
Her voice now carried a sharp edge that hadn't been there before.
"K-Kiana... her name is Kiana. She's... she's the newest rising star, and she—she..."
Kiana... Kiana...
Maybe it was just another person who happened to share her face and her name—just like those she had met in other worlds after leaving Euphorion.
People who looked familiar, but in the end, were only strangers.
Even if they had the same appearance, similar experiences... those people were not them.
Acheron tried to steady her heart.
But the mere sound of that name had shattered her composure. Even if... even if it turned out exactly as she feared—that this was merely another stranger who resembled her—she still...
She still couldn't stop her thoughts from spiraling.
The surge of emotion that had been stirred within her refused to settle. She wanted to know more.
Everything.
Suppressing the killing intent that had inadvertently leaked out, Acheron fixed her gaze on the IPC officer. "Tell me everything you know about her—every detail."
"N-no problem!"
Only then did the man realize he might have completely misunderstood her intentions from the start.
The person she had asked about...
Wasn't Robin at all—it was Kiana!
"I-I heard Miss Kiana came from a remote planetary system called Euphorion—"
"What did you just say?"
Acheron's pupils constricted sharply at that single word.
Kiana... Euphorion?
A name alone could prove nothing—but Euphorion...
"Y-yes, Euphorion! That's what Miss Kiana herself said. She wanted to spread the news so that her lost friend could see it—so they'd know she's still alive."
Euphorion. Kiana. Searching for a lost friend, trying to let them know she was still alive.
Each piece pointed toward one impossible conclusion—one that Acheron could no longer deny.
Kiana...
She was the Kiana she knew.
And more than that—the friend Kiana was searching for... was most likely her.
"Miss Acheron, do you... know her?"
Dekker studied Acheron carefully. The more he looked, the more familiar she seemed, though he couldn't recall from where.
"Can you tell me how to contact her?"
Acheron didn't answer his question. For now, she decided to set aside her search for the Galaxy Rangers.
She had to find Kiana.
She had thought Kiana's situation must have been dire—that it was why Izumo had fallen the way it did.
She never expected that Kiana had not only survived, but had left Euphorion—very likely around the same time Acheron herself had departed.
A strange, indescribable emotion welled within her.
All those years of waiting, all the fruitless attempts and failed searches...
And yet, during the brief time she had turned away—
She had been there all along.
"I'm not sure of the details, but... wait! I just remembered—Miss Kiana posted a bounty through the IPC looking for someone!"
Along with her rising fame, Kiana's missing-person notice had also spread. Remembering that, Dekker quickly opened his terminal. "Please, take a look at this!"
As the holographic projection loaded, Dekker froze in shock.
That photo...
That was...
The bounty notice appeared, displaying the image Kiana had provided.
Acheron's eyes locked instantly onto the photograph.
It was a solo picture—taken back when she and Kiana had gone out together in Izumo.
She stared at it in silence, and any last trace of doubt vanished. Because there was only one person who could have had that photo.
Kiana.
Her gaze drifted past the others, settling once more on the poster plastered across the transport ship's hull.
There they were—the two figures she could never forget.
A complex mix of emotions swirled within her chest.
"Can you help me get in touch with her?"
Dekker's voice trembled, hardly able to believe his luck. "You... you know her?"
Acheron's expression was calm now—or at least, it appeared so.
"I'm the one she's been looking for."
"Y-you?! I-I understand! I'll contact her right away!"
It was like a blessing from the stars—an unexpected windfall that left Dekker nearly ecstatic. The grief of losing the transport ship was instantly swept away.
"Please, this way! Leave everything about contacting Miss Kiana to me. I'll make sure it's arranged perfectly!"
...
Elsewhere.
More than half a year had passed.
And yet, the thing Kiana most longed for still hadn't happened. She had spent all these months together with Robin.
For Kiana, these six months had probably been the happiest period since arriving in this world.
She had lived the dream of being a star—performing on countless worlds alongside Robin, helping many in need, spreading the name of Harmony to faraway places.
Robin understood her better than anyone.
She was the perfect friend—perhaps too perfect. No matter what Kiana wanted to do, Robin would always take her there to experience it.
Eating, shopping, playing...
Every moment was fulfilling.
They had created countless joyful memories together. Sometimes, Kiana even found herself wondering if only...
But there were no ifs in life.
[Finality Progress: 50%]
Inside her hotel room, Kiana sat by the floor-to-ceiling window. Sunlight streamed through the glass, draping her in a golden glow.
The weather was perfect.
Perfect for going out, for clearing her mind.
But even the warmth of the sun couldn't lift her mood. The fine day did nothing to ease the weight pressing on her chest.
Her gaze lingered on the line of text glowing before her—those words that had occupied her thoughts for days. Her feelings no longer showed on the surface.
"My reputation should be enough now."
Her thoughts drifted back to the incident she and Robin had encountered days ago on that border planet.
Her heart grew resolute.
"It's time to end this."
For months, she had worked tirelessly to raise her fame—but after all this time, she still hadn't found a single clue about Mei.
Was her fame still not enough?
Kiana thought it should be—though perhaps it could still grow higher.
But how long would that take?
A year? Two? Three?
Or even longer?
If she waited that long, the story might have already begun—she might not even need fame to find Mei in Penacony.
But after everything that had happened lately, a sense of urgency she hadn't felt in a long time welled up once more.
She decided she couldn't keep devoting all her time and energy to this single pursuit.
And besides—those songs she had recalled, she and Robin had already finished recreating them.
There were no more regrets to hold her back.
Her eyes focused on the world beyond the glass as she murmured, "It's time to find a way to complete the progress."
These six months had brought her joy—she wished it could last forever.
But there were people she couldn't let go of.
Things she hadn't yet finished.
It was time to face what she had once run away from.
Before Ruan's project reached completion, she would finish the progress—and give her a surprise.