Star Rail Impostor! - 431 - 440

Star Rail Impostor! - 431

--+--

Kiana didn't mind sharing her past.

Then again, as the Herrscher of Finality, she had become the "God of Earth" in every sense of the word. 

It was a title, certainly, but it was also a heavy burden.

To resolve the Honkai, Kiana had no choice but to keep a lonely vigil on the moon, spending her days and nights accompanied only by that desolate, icy, and barren world.

If she had a choice, who wouldn't want to stay on Earth, spending every day with the people they cared about?

But Kiana couldn't. Even with video calls, they could never compare to the real thing.

Besides, both Mei and Bronya had their own affairs to attend to. How could they ever find enough time for long conversations?

So, at the end of the day, Kiana spent most of her time on the moon in solitude. She never spoke of it to others, though; there was no point.

She couldn't very well ask Mei and Bronya to move to the moon, and she couldn't go down there herself. Speaking up would only make those she loved worry.

But now, things were different.

Coming to this world through her consciousness, she was separated from Earth and the Solar System by an invisible chasm.

Here, Kiana didn't have to worry about a thing. Even if she told her worries and troubles to this "other self" and this Madam Herta it wouldn't matter at all.

Here, she was just an ordinary girl whom nobody knew. Her very body had been handcrafted for her by her other self.

She was no longer the god of a civilization; she could go wherever she pleased without worrying about Honkai energy leaks or infections. The situation was fundamentally different.

Because of this, Kiana felt no psychological burden when it came to storytelling.

However, because the history of the Honkai was so complex and vast—stretching back fifty thousand years to the Previous Civilization—Kiana kept her account relatively brief.

She went into detail regarding her own perspective, but the experiences of Mei, Bronya, and the others were glossed over.

When she heard that the Honkai was a trial directed at civilization, growing in strength alongside its development, and learned of the mechanism of constant cycles and screening, Herta's brow furrowed involuntarily.

This thing called the Cocoon of Finality sounded incredibly powerful based on the description. But the sheer depravity of its actions was directly proportional to its power.

Kiana wasn't exactly a scholar, so she couldn't clearly explain many of the more technical research details. But based on the intelligence gathered from her words alone...

Worlds plagued by this so-called Cocoon couldn't even find the release of death. They were forced into cycle after cycle of living and dying, dying and living.

It felt even more chilling than Nanook's destruction of worlds. No wonder this 'Finality Kiana' fellow was so cautious, terrified of any interaction between the powers of the two sides.

Given the behavior of a Cocoon that wouldn't hesitate to crazily destroy and restart the world over and over just for the sake of some "screening," that thing might truly wipe out this entire world and start from scratch just to eliminate any interference in its testing grounds.

Still...

"To think you actually passed the test of that Cocoon. It seems you have some extraordinary qualities yourself."

Herta's perception of Kiana underwent a complete transformation. From those few fragments of information, Herta could roughly imagine what kind of piece of work that Cocoon was.

To emerge victorious from such a trial, this girl named Kiana definitely had something special about her.

If she were in this world, Herta felt she might be someone like that woman Acheron—someone who could carve her own path to the level of an Emanator through sheer force of will.

"Haha... I guess I did okay. It's mostly because I had everyone supporting me. I never could have done it alone."

Kiana scratched her head and gave a goofy, simple smile.

How should she put it? After learning about Herta's achievements and personality, being acknowledged by such a person actually made her quite happy.

"It's just a shame I can't study that Honkai energy. It sounds like a very interesting power."

A look of genuine regret appeared on Herta's face.

After all, the gateway was held by 'Finality Kiana,' and based on Herta's understanding of her, she certainly wouldn't let Herta study it easily. Thus, she could only shake her head and sigh.

Fortunately, 'Finality Kiana' had promised that when she went over there, she would provide a remote broadcast of her research. That would have to suffice for now.

Furthermore, the world Kiana came from also possessed the theory of Imaginary Numbers and even something called the Sea of Quanta. Was this a result of Zandar putting forward the Imaginary Tree theory here?

Herta shook her head. Such unfalsifiable conjectures were pointless. But she was becoming increasingly curious about that other world.

She currently resented the fact that Kiana wasn't a scholar. If she had been even a common researcher, she could have at least hauled over some academic findings to explain.

Instead, as it stood, Kiana knew nothing beyond a few shallow terms and definitions—ask her anything specific, and she was clueless.

Herta felt a sense of despair regarding Kiana's academic abilities.

Even the dullest person should at least be able to master the basic theory of Imaginary Numbers by this age, right? How could a human be this dim?

Seeing Kiana breaking into a sweat under her questioning, Herta realized she really wasn't going to get anything more out of her. She finally let her off the hook.

Instead, she turned her gaze toward 'Finality Kiana,' who had been watching the drama unfold from the side.

"Speaking of which, the body you're using now belongs to Kiana, right? Which means your current body also contains the exact same power of the Herrscher of Finality as hers?"

"..."

‘Finality Kiana's’ face stiffened. She immediately had a bad feeling. How did the fire end up spreading to her?

At the mention of this topic, Kiana also became interested. She stroked her chin and looked at 'Finality Kiana' with curiosity.

"Now that you mention it, that's true. You clearly have the exact same power as me, but when you appeared in my world back then, the Cocoon didn't react at all. Why was that?"

Logically, the Cocoon kept track of everyone who had overcome the trial.

Those who failed or only made it halfway were also few. For a new Herrscher of Finality to suddenly pop up, the Cocoon shouldn't have been completely unresponsive.

"...I don't know. Maybe because my aura is identical to yours, the Cocoon's scanning mechanism identified me as you."

After all, the character card provided by the system was an exact duplicate. Unless she failed her performance, she looked the same no matter how one sliced it.

Of course, it was also possible that the system had stepped in and blocked the Cocoon's gaze. 'Finality Kiana' felt the latter was more likely.

Her imitation was something even an Aeon would have to look closely at to discern; theoretically, it should have been detectable.

"Never mind whether the Cocoon noticed. I noticed. Let me study it for a bit."

Herta hooked her finger toward 'Finality Kiana,' her eyes practically screaming "I'm very interested."

Kiana opened her mouth to speak but hesitated.

In the grand scheme of things, if a genius from this world could actually help, it would surely be a massive boon for them. But the risks were also worth considering.

'Finality Kiana' reached out and pushed Herta's finger back down.

"Next time, for sure. We've never encountered Honkai energy on this side. My suggestion is to wait until we have enough data from Kiana's side. You can study it then, once you're prepared."

"Tsk... fine."

Herta clicked her tongue. She knew 'Finality Kiana' wouldn't be that easy to talk over.

She thought she could sneak in a quick "ambush," but she wasn't being given an inch. Having to wait until "next time"—how long would that be? It was enough to drive her mad with impatience.

Herta was left wanting more. The main problem, of course, was that Kiana didn't understand the technology. It was quite a headache.

But things being as they were, Herta had no choice. She'd just have to let it go for now and wait until 'Finality Kiana' had time to head over. Herta would keep an eye on her and hurry her along.

The clash between Silver Wolf and the two Hertas lasted for nearly an entire day.

Similar to Cipher, Divine Herta was a Digimon—she didn't get sleepy and didn't need to eat. But Silver Wolf was different. Silver Wolf got sleepy, thirsty, and tired.

Her high level of mental focus and decent physical fitness allowed her to hold out for a few days, but she couldn't maintain her peak state indefinitely.

So, in the end, Silver Wolf had to end the confrontation due to physical exhaustion.

However, Silver Wolf didn't walk away empty-handed.

She truly managed to get her hands on the collection in the space station—the physical body of that Aether Cartridge. But ultimately, seeing as Herta and her sister were on good terms, Silver Wolf merely copied the data from the cartridge. She put the original cartridge back where it belonged.

With the main business concluded, 'Finality Kiana' took Kiana and Silver Wolf and began a full-fledged sightseeing tour.

From The Blue to Penacony, from Amphoreus to Jarilo-VI.

Through ‘Finality Kiana’s’ diligent searching, Kiana actually got to meet the current Supreme Guardian in Belobog, Cocolia, and her adopted daughter, Bronya.

Of course, there were also Seele, Natasha, and the others.

Kiana was delighted to have some friendly conversations with them and took plenty of photos.

The meeting with Cocolia, in particular, left Kiana somewhat unsettled. It got to the point where 'Finality Kiana' worried that if Kiana ever saw Luocha, she might be scared out of her wits.

Silver Wolf was also curious about that Bronya Rand.

Specifically, the other's well-developed figure made Silver Wolf feel the vast disparity of the world. She was very concerned about whether she would continue to grow taller or... bigger.

'Finality Kiana' saw through Silver Wolf's anxiety. But considering Silver Wolf's pride, she thought better of it and kept her mouth shut.

Kiana, however, wasn't nearly as polite. Her sharp intuition picked up on Silver Wolf's moodiness, and she proceeded to mock her mercilessly.

And the result?

Unsurprisingly, the two of them started brawling again.

Watching from the sidelines, Bronya Rand and Seele were left dumbstruck.

Seele, in particular, kept glancing at her childhood friend beside her, as if asking with her eyes if Bronya was suppressing her own nature.

She even looked like she wanted to encourage her childhood friend to let loose and be her true self.

It was enough to leave Miss Rand quite fuming.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 432

--+--

Jarilo-VI nowadays isn't the frozen wasteland it was in the game, stripped of its harsh climate and brutal living conditions.

While the overall temperature still leans a bit chilly, the ecological environment is actually quite lovely. 

Add to that the support from their allies in the Land of Light, and things have truly turned around.

Even the debt owed to the IPC was settled long ago.

When Kiana and her friends visited, they could practically feel the place buzzing with the presence of beings steeped in the "Breath of Light."

These were humans who had integrated the genetic markers of the lifeforms of Light; they couldn't exactly grow to giant proportions, but they were significantly stronger and lived much longer than the average person.

They had come from various worlds, as well as the Land of Light itself, to lend a hand.

As for the original Giant of Light born on Jarilo-VI back in the day, they had long since departed for the Land of Light and now served as a cosmic vigilante, patrolling the stars.

That’s the terrifying thing about the Land of Light.

A savior born of one world won't stay trapped within their own borders.

Instead, they resolutely set out to give a voice to the injustices of the universe.

Yet, at the same time, the Land of Light—along with other worlds that have produced their own saviors—doesn't just sit idly by.

They pool their talent, resources, and power to support the homelands of these cosmic peacekeepers.

Many who came from other worlds to help ended up working here for the better part of their lives, eventually putting down roots and raising families.

Worlds in a situation like Jarilo-VI are hardly a rarity. This deep, cross-civilization exchange has allowed the Land of Light to facilitate a staggering flow of resources in ways one could hardly imagine.

In fact, some worlds became so deeply integrated that the Land of Light eventually had to intervene—not to suppress them, but to preserve the local cultural heritage and ensure development remained gradual and organic.

This mutual aid system, built entirely on a foundation of shared morality, left Kiana in awe.

She used to think the Land of Light and those Giants were "special effects drama" enough on their own. 

She never expected these seemingly out-of-place giants could actually spread their radiance across so many worlds. It felt borderline absurd.

The most "unfair" part of it all?

While the Land of Light’s official slogan is "Non-interference in Civilizational Internal Affairs," the Path of Hope has a habit of randomly "spawning" new Giants of Light across different worlds.

These newly awakened giants immediately receive every form of support from the Land of Light imaginable—excluding direct military force.

This includes, but is not limited to, education, combat training, strategic resources, and more...

We aren't interfering in your politics, the Land of Light might say, but that doesn't stop us from giving our fellow kin a "Lost Giant’s Starter Pack," does it?

As for what these new giants choose to do, the Land of Light naturally sets no restrictions.

After all, before they were a Giant of Light, they were a citizen of their own world; it is only right that they should fight for their homeland.

Realizing this, Kiana couldn't help but cry out that this was pure cheating.

"With such an overpowered race around, how do the Swarm, the Antimatter Legion, and the Abominations of Abundance ever manage to cause any trouble?" Kiana asked, feeling genuinely perplexed.

But when she learned that only a millennium had passed since ‘Finality Kiana’ created the race of the Giants of Light, she was silenced.

When factions that have existed for tens of thousands of years are being pushed around by a group this young... well, the track record speaks for itself.

The deeds of her "other self" were truly beyond belief.

Kiana even wondered if she and the other Kiana had swapped places back in the day, she might have just achieved a "speedrun" perfect ending to the Honkai disaster.

The things that woman had pulled off were just too ridiculous. And the way she casually let slip her past legendary feats?

In Kiana’s eyes, it was the ultimate "accidental flex," leaving her green with envy.

--+--

Meanwhile, back in the Solar System on Earth.

Mei and Bronya had carved out some time to take a shuttle to the Moon to meet with Kiana. The moment they saw her, Bronya couldn't wait to speak up.

"Did you really find Welt? You even saw Himeko-sensei’s broken sword?"

"I already materialized the audio-visual records and sent them to you! You still don't believe me?!"

"I am merely performing a final confirmation," Bronya replied. "After all, one can never be too sure if this is just another one of Kiana’s dreams."

"Hey—!" Kiana complained loudly.

Mei laughed and played the peacemaker, taking Kiana’s hand to soothe her until the three finally sat down.

"Dr. Tesla has already seen the video logs you sent back. She didn't say much, but she looked happy. Though, she seems more curious about that other world itself."

Since it wasn't convenient for Kiana to visit Earth, the task of delivering news fell to Mei. Welt’s disappearance was no small matter; confirming his safety allowed many to breathe a sigh of relief. 

Naturally, it also sparked an infinite curiosity regarding that peculiar universe.

Unfortunately, Kiana shook her head helplessly. "I get it, but my other self said it’s best if we don't get too involved with that side."

"Why?"

"I don't quite understand, but that’s what she said..."

Kiana relayed the explanation she had heard, practically word-for-word. As they processed it, Bronya realized something even more startling.

"So that world is even further away than the reaches beyond the Solar System? Just how large of a boundary did the Cocoon set?"

This wasn't Earth’s first contact with something outside the Solar System, but they had never heard of a system involving Paths and Aeons. Heaven only knew how far that world was from their sun.

Kiana threw her hands up, shaking her head. "I don't know. The other side seems to have the tech to study it, but they’re afraid of how it might affect us, so they don't dare investigate."

After saying that, Kiana couldn't help but vent.

"Anyway, you guys didn't come here today just to discuss science, did you? Aren't you curious about the other Raiden Mei? Or the two other Bronyas? What about the other Himeko-sensei, or Seele and the rest?!"

Bronya and Mei shared a look and smiled.

Curious? Of course they were.

Bronya was curious about the "Aether Editing" used by the younger Bronya, as well as the Originium platform and Celestial Sparrow Entertainment that had taken the universe by storm.

Mei was curious about the woman who called herself Acheron—the Raiden Mei who supposedly watched over IX the Nihility—and what kind of past she had endured.

They also wanted to be like Kiana—to give that Himeko-sensei a hug, to see the somewhat brash Seele, and to meet a Cocolia who had actually become a hero.

But beyond all that, they were mostly worried about Kiana’s safety.

After all, she had suddenly sent word saying she found Welt’s whereabouts, followed by a deluge of nonsensical terms like the Astral Express, Aeons, Emanators, and Paths.

They were terrified Kiana had fallen into another strange dream or encountered something dangerous.

Yet, if it were just a dream, it was hard to explain how Kiana—bless her heart—could dream up such a complete and sophisticated technological world.

It wasn't meant to be an insult, but Kiana’s "lovable idiot" traits hadn't exactly vanished when she became the Herrscher of Finality.

If she were to hallucinate sci-fi settings, they’d likely just be generic, half-baked tropes.

More importantly, given Kiana’s status, her dreams usually had a very real catalyst.

"Oh, right! The other Bronya is a total brat. She’s just like you used to be, Bronya—always looking for a fight with me!"

"That just shows that although my other self is far away, we have reached a consensus," Bronya said with a small smile, pouring herself a cup of tea.

Though Kiana had clearly edited out some of the more colorful scenes, Bronya could easily picture the two of them bickering.

The adult Bronya wouldn't act like that anymore, so seeing it happen through a double was actually quite entertaining. She wished Kiana hadn't cut those parts out; she would have loved to see the full version.

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Kiana blinked, then realized Bronya was taking a dig at her.

Thankfully, Mei stepped in before the bickering could truly start. "Alright, alright. Kiana, why don't you tell us more about what you saw?"

"Hmph!" Kiana huffed in Bronya’s direction.

"The part of my consciousness I sent out hasn't come back yet. The other me is pretty enthusiastic; she’s been dragging me all over the place. I’ll just broadcast the feed for you."

"It’s still going?" Mei and Bronya were stunned. They thought it was over, but it turned out Kiana was currently running on two threads at once.

Once Kiana adjusted to the dual perspective, she began a "live stream" for Mei and Bronya. ‘Finality Kiana’ didn't seem to mind; she even gave a little wave to Mei and Bronya through Kiana’s eyes.

Then, she took Kiana to see even more: Inferno, Glamoth, and various other cosmic wonders.

The Death Dragon, Typhon, was the same as it was years ago—it couldn't help but cling to ‘Finality Kiana’ the moment it saw her, which gave Silver Wolf quite a fright.

As for Glamoth, it was now largely united under the rule of the Empire’s Empress.

The Republic side had little resistance to offer; had it not been for the Swarm, they would have vanished centuries ago.

The Swarm led by Reveria had expanded to a staggering scale.

While the tug-of-war with the Antimatter Legion continued, the front lines had been pushed far beyond Glamoth’s borders.

With the help of the Land of Light, every Iron Cavalry knight of the Empire had received medical aid. It wasn't a total cure, but it eased their symptoms.

Reveria had intended to share her method of solving Entropy Loss Syndrome with her former comrades, but walking a Path isn't something one can do just because they know how.

A few knights managed to set foot on the Path, gaining the ability to come and go as they pleased. But for most, their only choice was to remain together as a legion.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 433

--+--

Because of the circumstances of her own birth, Kiana felt a profound sense of empathy for what the Iron Cavalry of Glamoth had once been.

Had the Republic of Glamoth not already been a nation in name only—merely waiting for time and the Empire to slowly devour it—Kiana likely would have flown over there herself to knock some heads together.

'Finality Kiana' had even secretly tracked down Firefly.

Of course, she wasn't called "Firefly" just yet; after all, she still had a swarm of brothers and sisters, and there was no need for her to be a moth flying into a flame.

Firefly was also one of those who had stepped onto the path of destiny, though her path was not Elation, but Propagation.

She was a rare individual—one who understood Propagation through her own will.

Currently, she was the only one besides the Queen of Glamoth to achieve such a feat. Because of this, she had even caught the attention of both the Queen and the Land of Light.

It could only be said that anyone handpicked by Elio must possess some extraordinary quality.

Out of a personal whim, 'Finality Kiana' quietly gifted Firefly a dream.

Into the consciousness of this girl who was unable to dream, she tucked away a beautiful vision and a mask.

The power within the mask wasn't overwhelming, but the combined traces of Elation and Permanence were enough to help her suppress Entropy Loss Syndrome.

Kiana was curious why her other self had singled out this specific individual.

She desperately wanted to resolve the hidden plight of the entire Iron Cavalry, but she knew that while these were her feelings, she couldn't force them upon her other self.

'Finality Kiana' understood Kiana’s sympathy perfectly.

However, bestowing a large-scale blessing upon an entire group was an act that required extreme caution. If she wished, she could use the power of Permanence to force the entire Iron Cavalry to evolve.

The problem was that the current Iron Cavalry was already unique; since their Queen had become a Giant of Light, the radiance spreading through the swarm was something special.

In terms of raw power, they were likely the strongest swarm in existence, second only to the one led by Reveria.

If she layered the power of Permanence on top of that... a powerful group centered on Propagation gaining the strength of Permanence?

The Equilibrium would almost certainly intervene at that point. They’d probably come knocking on her door specifically to shut her down.

As for Silver Wolf... she had fallen head over heels for the Unicorn Gundam the moment she laid eyes on it. It was cool—just way too cool.

Even if it wasn't exactly her typical style, she was more than willing to acknowledge the machine’s aesthetic perfection.

And so—the little Silver Wolf, who wasn't exactly the type to act spoiled, found herself glancing longingly at ‘Finality Kiana’.

She was too embarrassed to look directly, and she certainly didn't want to act like a clingy child as she might have years ago. Instead, she just snuck little side-eye glances every other moment.

It was honestly adorable. Even Kiana noticed it, though she wasn't quite sure what Silver Wolf was up to.

"What is... Bronya doing? Why does she keep peeking at you every few seconds?"

"She probably thinks the Unicorn Gundam is cool and wants one for herself," 'Finality Kiana' replied.

"?" Kiana frowned, tilting her head in confusion. "Then can't she just make one? With that... Aether Editing stuff she does, can't she make anything?"

'Finality Kiana' just smiled and winked.

Kiana caught on quickly. This wasn't about whether she could make it herself; it was about wanting to be pampered by her "other self."

It was like a child wanting a parent's affection; if another kid shows up and starts hogging the attention, the first child gets grumpy. Silver Wolf was stuck in that exact headspace.

The Unicorn Gundam had been made by 'Finality Kiana' as a gift for that girl, Reveria.

Strictly speaking, Silver Wolf had something similar—her Project Bunny was a gift from 'Finality Kiana' back when she was little.

But for a "younger sister," a "big sister's" affection isn't something you can just rationally divide in half. 

Especially after knowing what Silver Wolf went through as a child.

Compared to the Bronya Kiana knew, this little one, having suddenly found the warmth of a gentle older sister, would naturally become attached for a long time.

Back then, Mei had filled that role. Now, in the heart of this little Bronya, that role belonged to "Finality."

Kiana let out a grin that made Silver Wolf feel incredibly annoyed—the kind of look that said she was being "indulgent" without saying a single word.

Before Silver Wolf could snap, Kiana strolled over and gave her head a playful, chuckling pat.

"I’ve seen you sneaking glances at my other self for a while now. If you want to act like a baby, just say so. If you're shy, I can step out and give you two some 'alone time.'"

"…!!!"

With that one sentence, our Punklorde Wolfie turned beet-red with heat.

"I am NOT acting like a baby!!! You big idiot!! You're infuriating!"

Silver Wolf nearly jumped out of her chair to tackle Kiana, her face glowing crimson—though whether it was from rage or the shame of being overheard by 'Finality Kiana,' it was hard to tell.

'Finality Kiana' was speechless at Kiana's antics.

This girl... she did that on purpose. She knew Silver Wolf was in her teens—an age where "saving face" was everything—and she still chose the bluntest provocation possible.

If the adult Bronya back on Earth heard this, she’d probably want to throw hands too, let alone this teenage version.

When 'Finality Kiana' caught Kiana’s eye, Kiana just gave a cheeky wink and bolted.

As Kiana sped away, Silver Wolf gnashed her teeth, ready to give chase.

'Finality Kiana' let out a helpless sigh and reached out, scooping the slender girl into a hug. She placed a hand on Silver Wolf’s head and gave it a few gentle strokes.

Silver Wolf, who had been about to struggle, turned red and quieted down instantly.

"Does Bronya want a cool mech too?"

Silver Wolf’s face flushed—a mix of the embarrassment of being read like a book and the happiness of being noticed by her sister.

"Building a whole new mech might be a bit redundant, though. How about we add a new form to Project Bunny instead?"

"It doesn't have to be a giant mech... I just want it to look cool!"

"..."

That was very much Silver Wolf’s style.

If we're talking about "cool," maybe a Kamen Rider style would suit her? Hyper Muteki? But maybe that’s a bit too gold and flashy... and the Ex-Aid series has that exaggerated manga aesthetic that might not hit her specific tastes.

But it wasn't a big deal. At the end of the day, it was just a matter of design; the core was just a full-body powered exoskeleton.

She could just input a bunch of different sets and let Silver Wolf pick and choose.

She could even show her those old Unit-01 designs she never ended up using.

Since Project Bunny was an external mechanical assistant, all it needed was a little form-shifting and some specific functional upgrades.

It was just like the armor she’d modified for Reveria—no need to build an entirely new system from scratch.

Once Silver Wolf was properly mollified, 'Finality Kiana' took the two of them to the Xianzhou Alliance. 

Unfortunately, while boarding the ship was easy enough, they only managed to meet a few of the Generals. The Marshal remained as elusive as ever.

It was worth noting that Yueyu already had plans to hand the title of General over to Feixiao.

Apparently, Feixiao was currently undergoing specialized training for the succession. If she could pass the test of the Reignbow Arbiter in a couple of years, Yueyu could finally enjoy a smooth retirement.

Also, perhaps due to Kiana’s constant teasing, the atmosphere between Silver Wolf and Kiana had grown increasingly competitive.

Since Kiana loved gaming herself, the two eventually ended up huddled together, hopelessly addicted to their screens.

Essentially, whoever won a round would mock the other mercilessly, leading the loser to fly into a rage and start a scuffle, with 'Finality Kiana' having to step in and pull them apart.

Then, the cycle would repeat. Aside from the games themselves constantly changing, the routine remained the same: Kiana would finish her sightseeing, and the drama would begin.

At first, 'Finality Kiana' worried their relationship might actually sour. She soon realized she was wrong. 

For Silver Wolf, it was like she’d found a rare gaming buddy.

Kiana loved games, was a bit of an airhead, and despite being older, she acted like a total kid—they were on the exact same wavelength.

For Kiana, teasing this tiny version of Bronya was pure joy.

It felt like she was finally getting revenge for all the times she couldn't win against the Bronya she knew. 

Plus, the bickering and gaming made Kiana feel, for a fleeting moment, as if she were back in her teenage years again.

As a result, through all the fighting and shouting, the two had actually become "frenemies."

'Finality Kiana' would occasionally join in to make up the numbers, though not often.

It wasn't that she didn't like games; it was just that games couldn't keep up with her mind anymore. 

Gaming is usually a test of reaction, hand speed, and prediction. For the current 'Finality Kiana,' even ignoring her absurd physical stats, her brain alone was a cheat code.

She’d play through a prologue, walk around for a few steps, and she’d already deduced the developer's intent, the challenges they planned to set, the rewards, and the ending.

Often, the developer's actual vision wasn't even as interesting as the version she’d mentally reconstructed.

It turned most games into nothing more than immersive storybooks, stripping away half the fun.

So, these days, she preferred watching others play rather than picking up the controller herself. For instance, she quite enjoyed watching Kiana and Silver Wolf’s petty wars over the screen.

And just as Kiana was truly beginning to settle in, the trio finally drifted their way to the Xianzhou Luofu.

The moment they touched down, Kiana and Silver Wolf charged straight for the headquarters of Celestial Sparrow Entertainment.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 434

--+--

Long before she arrived, Kiana had heard that the headquarters of the world-famous Celestial Sparrow Entertainment was located here.

Word on the street was that the Aeon-made relic—the one that allowed high-level players in the Originium system to obtain wish-granting rewards—was kept right inside the Luofu branch.

Kiana knew perfectly well that the thing was just a fabrication by the person standing right next to her, but that didn’t stop her curiosity from bubbling over.

Then there was her other self.

On paper, she was the founder, but she hadn’t laid a finger on the entertainment company’s development in years.

In fact, 'Finality Kiana' only found out some projects even existed because Silver Wolf had happened to mention them.

Facing a founder who was such a complete hands-off boss, the title was really the only thing that held any charm. Aside from that, there was zero appeal.

So, the moment they touched down, Kiana and Silver Wolf dashed toward their destination with unbridled excitement, leaving 'Finality Kiana' trailing in the dust.

'Finality Kiana' could only shake her head.

Just a few days ago, Silver Wolf was a little sweetheart who wouldn't leave her side for a second. Now, after spending a little time together, she’d dumped her just to go on a gaming binge.

Sigh.

Teenage girls really aren't cute at all. If this had been the younger Silver Wolf, she definitely would’ve held her hand and said something sweet before running off.

Watching the two of them bolt toward Celestial Sparrow Entertainment, 'Finality Kiana' sent a quick message to Qingque before taking a detour toward the Divination Commission.

Compared to everyone else, Fu Xuan was the busy one, and they hadn't seen each other once in years. Even online contact had been sparse.

It was mostly because everything Fu Xuan handled involved the Luofu’s classified information.

It wasn't a matter of whether she trusted Bai Ming; those secrets simply weren't meant for public networks. So, one thing led to another, and they had effectively been out of touch for years.

Since she was on the Luofu, she naturally had to visit her Number One Emanator.

As for Jing Yuan... come to think of it, Yanqing should have been taken in as his disciple by now.

Yunli was likely in a similar boat. She might take the chance to look at those two Xianzhou kids if she got the opportunity.

She wondered if Sushang had been transferred to the Luofu yet. And then there was Sushang’s best friend.

Guinevere and the others, whom she had saved on a whim back then, probably wouldn't end up displaced from their homes this time.

They likely wouldn't even come to the Luofu, and even if they did, they probably wouldn't be performing street stunts and live-streaming like they used to.

It was a bit of a pity, but remembering that Guinaifen’s family was likely still intact, that small regret vanished.

She also wondered how Huohuo was doing. She should still be with the Ten-Lords Commission.

Actually, with her strength having been massively boosted by Bai Ming, the Ten-Lords Commission likely wouldn't be willing or comfortable letting her go.

She just didn't know how Huohuo's life had been lately. With Qingque looking out for her, it couldn't be too bad.

Still, given the nature of the Ten-Lords Commission’s work, Huohuo wasn't someone you could just see whenever you wanted.

Although she could force a meeting given her status, she didn't want to make things difficult for the Commission over such a small matter.

'Finality Kiana' mentally ticked through her acquaintances as she strolled along, eventually reaching the Divination Commission.

Even though she’d changed her face, she still possessed the clearance to enter. However, the diviners inside didn't recognize her at first.

Her outfit, which clashed completely with the surrounding staff, drew quite a few stares.

Of course, she also caught the attention of Fu Xuan. If an Emanator couldn't sense their own Aeon arriving at their doorstep, that would be a real problem.

So, while she didn't know the reason for the visit, Fu Xuan dropped her work in a delightful surprise and came running out like a gust of wind.

She led the guest to the Matrix of Prescience. It was quiet here, away from the prying eyes of the diviners.

'Finality Kiana' studied Fu Xuan. The years hadn't left a single mark on her. It made sense; for a long-lived Xianzhou native with a lifespan of several centuries, a few years was nothing.

Fu Xuan looked back at 'Finality Kiana', scanning her from head to toe. "Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions, have you come this time because you require my assistance with something?"

Compared to others, Fu Xuan’s perception of time was a bit more detached, compounded by her heavy workload. She had accepted 'Finality Kiana's’ multi-year disappearance quite easily.

After all, under normal circumstances, what Emanator got to see their Aeon every other day? Being elusive and mysterious was the standard.

Thus, Fu Xuan assumed there was a task at hand.

"Why have you gone back to using that title...?"

"We are still within the Divination Commission; proper decorum must be observed." Fu Xuan blinked, showing no intention of dropping the formal address.

'Finality Kiana' shook her head helplessly and reached out to pat Fu Xuan’s head.

"I don't have anything to trouble you with. I just happened to be on the Luofu and wanted to see how you were doing—and if you’ve been giving yourself enough time to rest."

"Cough..."

Fu Xuan felt a warm flutter in her chest at the sentiment, though she could have done without that last part.

As a textbook workaholic, Fu Xuan had never once considered the concept of a "vacation," let alone "sufficient rest."

Now that the pain from the Third Eye on her forehead had been neutralized, her sleep quality at night had improved exponentially.

Over the past few years, her energy for work had only increased. With Fu Xuan’s personality, that extra energy was destined to be poured entirely into her duties rather than being spent on leisure.

Being called out like this by 'Finality Kiana' put Fu Xuan in a tight spot.

If anyone else had asked, she could have fired back with a dozen logical justifications. But the person speaking was her deity. What was she supposed to say?

She could only shift her gaze guiltily, pretending she hadn't heard a word.

Seeing this reaction, 'Finality Kiana' had her answer immediately. This girl had definitely been working herself into the ground without a single thought for rest. She probably hadn't taken a day off in years.

'Finality Kiana' sighed. While a Long-Life Species' body could handle the physical strain, mental exhaustion wasn't under the jurisdiction of Abundance. If it were, Mara-struck wouldn't exist.

"Well, there's no time like the present. Come out and play with me today."

"Huh?"

Fu Xuan froze, her eyes wide as the sound escaped her.

"Is there some urgent, life-or-death matter that absolutely has to be settled today?"

"Uh... well, no, not really." Fu Xuan opened her mouth to argue but couldn't bring herself to lie.

The Divination Commission was busy, yes, but the urgent tasks for today had already been cleared. What she was working on now was technically work for the next several days.

"Then come with me. If you never learn how to relax your mind, when are you ever going to become General?"

"Guh..."

Fu Xuan made a stifled sound as her sore spot was poked.

She understood the logic, of course. But habits built over centuries weren't easily changed, especially when there was no one around to push her.

Every time she thought about listening and scheduling some downtime, she’d see the mountain of unfinished work and the countless people waiting on a plan. She just couldn't let go.

She’d tell herself she’d rest after this busy stretch, but the next stretch always brought the same worries.

One stretch led into another, and looking back, she’d never actually managed to carve out time for a holiday.

"Anyway, if there’s really work that needs doing, hand it over to Qingque and come play for a few days."

At that exact moment, one of Qingque’s clones, who was currently slacking off under the guise of working, felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She snapped upright, pretending to work with intense focus, while her eyes darted around suspiciously.

"Huh? There’s nobody here... the Master Diviner isn't around either. Why do I suddenly feel a sense of impending doom?"

The feeling was localized only to the clone at the Divination Commission.

That meant the problem was right here. But the Boss was supposed to be looking for the Master Diviner; with the Boss around, what could possibly threaten her in this place?

Qingque scratched her head, utterly baffled.

She didn't have to wait long for the answer. Shortly after, Fu Xuan and 'Finality Kiana' found her.

"Boss! And Master Diviner! What brings you two here? Could it be... you're taking me out for a stroll?" Qingque’s face was plastered with a grin as she winked furiously at her Boss.

That look of pure, sparkling expectation actually managed to trigger a pang of guilt in 'Finality Kiana'.

Fu Xuan, however, merely crossed her arms and let out a smug little huff.

"Qingque, I will be following Bai Ming’s request and taking a few days off. These daily tasks are now your responsibility. As for the other non-essential projects, you don't need to do them yourself, but you must oversee their progress, and..."

Fu Xuan placed a jade abacus in front of Qingque, loaded with all the work she was delegating.

Qingque, however, had stopped listening. She turned her neck mechanically, her eyes turning dull and lifeless as she stared at 'Finality Kiana' with a look that screamed "Betrayal!"

"B-Boss... you... I... you’re taking the Master Diviner out to play and dumping all the work on me?"

Qingque felt like her world was ending.

'Finality Kiana' gave an embarrassed cough. She also felt she was being a bit unfair. But then again, among the diviners, the only one who could actually handle Fu Xuan's workload was Qingque.

"Cough, well, you see, Qingque... there's a reason for this. Fu Xuan hasn't rested in far too long. If I didn't force her, she wouldn't stop, so..."

"Boss, say no more. My hot, passionate heart has been shattered by you. Sigh..." Qingque clutched her chest, looking like she’d suffered a monumental injustice.

She played the part so well that 'Finality Kiana' actually started looking apologetic.

Fu Xuan was unimpressed. She reached out and gave Qingque a sharp flick right on the forehead.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 435

--+--

"Ow!"

Qingque clutched her forehead, instantly dropping the exaggerated act she’d been putting on for show.

Rubbing her brow, she said helplessly, "Lady Fu Xuan, let's talk this out reasonably. I'll do it, I'll do it! You should just go and enjoy your vacation."

Qingque was well aware of Fu Xuan's lifestyle as a total workaholic. Thus, she was actually quite happy to see Fu Xuan finally get some proper rest.

It would just be better if she wasn't the one stuck with the overtime!

Unfortunately, this was all very sudden. Distributing these tasks to others would take far too much time, and judging by the Boss's attitude, she didn't plan on giving Fu Xuan much time to breathe.

Qingque let out a long, heavy sigh. Things had already come to this; she was out of tricks.

Besides, what else could she do? Looking at her big boss’s usual workaholic state made her feel like she was suffocating just by proxy.

Now that Fu Xuan finally had a chance to rest, Qingque couldn't exactly just say she was quitting.

Moreover, the Boss had been very good to her over the past few years. Even though the prospect of overtime was soul-crushing, she could only weep for herself and move on.

With literal tears in her heart, Qingque silently accepted the mountain of work Fu Xuan handed over.

As for whether completing all this work by herself would expose her true professional capabilities...

Ever since the Boss "sold her out" back then, her secret had been laid bare for all to see.

By now, Qingque had long since shifted her original goal: from "slacking off through life" to the wish of "absolutely never becoming a Xianzhou General."

However, Qingque had heard recently that because Fu Xuan had become the Boss’s Emanator, there was some controversy regarding her future succession to the position of General of the Luofu.

Such rumors weren't widespread, circulating mostly among those in the know.

Although it felt a bit wicked to think this way, Qingque figured that if the Master Diviner failed to get the promotion, she herself—as the head of Celestial Sparrow Entertainment—theoretically wouldn't be able to take the post either.

And even if the Master Diviner defied all odds and actually became General, the Reignbow's Seven Arbiter-Generals wouldn't allow two General seats to be held by two followers of another Aeon.

No matter how capable Qingque was, it simply wouldn't make sense.

So, no matter how she looked at it, Qingque felt she was destined for a total win!

In short, Fu Xuan felt relatively at ease leaving the work to Qingque. Once she saw Qingque seriously take up the mantle, she followed ‘Finality Kiana’ and left the Divination Commission.

However, even though she was supposedly out on vacation, Fu Xuan paced around, unsure of what to actually do with herself.

"Um, where are you taking me?"

"Don't you have anywhere you want to go?"

'Finality Kiana' had pulled her out, but she hadn't intended to drag Fu Xuan to Celestial Sparrow Entertainment to play games with Silver Wolf and the others.

With that Third Eye open, what game could possibly challenge her? Even the best cheats couldn't compete with her future sight.

But Fu Xuan’s problem seemed more serious than she’d imagined. The woman didn't even know how to spend her time off.

'Finality Kiana' let out a helpless sigh.

"You really need to figure out how to relax. No wonder Jing Yuan was hesitant to give you his seat. With the way you operate, forget him—even I’m worried that one day the power of Permanence won't be enough to suppress your Mara-struck transformation."

"..."

Fu Xuan pursed her lips, wearing an "I am not amused" expression. She wanted to argue, but unfortunately... she couldn't. At this point, she no longer said things like "rest is useless."

"Speaking of which, have you played on the Originium platform?"

"The one from Celestial Sparrow Entertainment? Every time a new game is launched, I log in to review it. I suppose that counts as playing."

"Review?? Are you working as a part-time reviewer for Celestial Sparrow Entertainment too?"

'Finality Kiana' was stunned by the answer. But Fu Xuan shook her head in denial.

"It’s not a part-time job; I just do it myself. Since Celestial Sparrow Entertainment is your faction, as your Emanator, I have an obligation to help Qingque keep an eye on the content being released."

"..."

'Finality Kiana' was genuinely shocked.

This meant Fu Xuan hadn't just denied herself vacation time; she had burdened herself with an entirely unrelated, extra job—and one as tedious and fussy as content review, of all things.

You really don't know until you ask. Just how much work had Fu Xuan been secretly hoarding for herself? Even with the power granted by an Aeon, this lifestyle was unsustainable.

'Finality Kiana' didn't say anything more. She’d nagged enough already.

"That's not playing; that's working. I want you to kill time with a relaxed mindset, so your brain stops constantly dwelling on work."

"...I'll try."

Fu Xuan opened her mouth to reply but didn't quite know how to commit. 'Finality Kiana' realized she wouldn't be able to fix Fu Xuan in one go, so she planned to just distract her for a few days first.

She brought Fu Xuan to the headquarters of Celestial Sparrow Entertainment.

They saw Qingque there, but Kiana and Silver Wolf were nowhere to be found.

According to Qingque, those two had gone to tour the company to track down the legendary "retirement-tier" game design masters.

The headquarters had expanded several times over the years. Almost all the land surrounding the original building had been deeded to Celestial Sparrow.

The company's scale had grown exponentially; this was just the Luofu headquarters, and there were hundreds of branch offices scattered across various star systems, scouting for all kinds of different game designs.

Because of this massive scale, the Originium platform was no longer the sparse environment of a few years ago.

If Fu Xuan personally checked every single game that went live, it was no wonder she was drained.

'Finality Kiana' didn't rush to find a game for Fu Xuan or give her a task.

Instead, she grabbed some free Immortal's Delight from the company lounge and sat with Fu Xuan in a tastefully decorated courtyard, doing absolutely nothing.

In the center of the courtyard stood a peculiar-looking Originium Tree.

The entire tree was made of Originium, looking like a crystalline sculpture, yet it had been slowly growing over the years. It even sent out offshoots to take root in every branch office.

As a divine miracle of an Aeon, the thing was displayed quite openly for every employee to see. Most new hires would marvel at it on their first day, though they eventually got used to it.

Fu Xuan didn't know why she had been brought here. Was she just supposed to stare blankly into space? 

She found it hard to believe, as she rarely wasted time like this. It actually made her feel quite restless. The shift was too sudden for her to adapt.

'Finality Kiana' saw her struggle and decided to give her something light to do.

"Fu Xuan, come help me look at the wish records from the past few years."

"Huh?"

"The Originium Tree."

'Finality Kiana' pointed to the miracle she had left behind. Originally, it hadn't looked like this, but as the company expanded, it had been designed with botanical features.

In the future, if it grew large enough, it might even replace the spectacle of the Ambrosial Arbor that the Xianzhou had lost centuries ago.

"You know this tree carries the 'Universal Wish Machine' I promised to every player. I have a general idea of how many people have used it, but I haven't looked at the details. Since we have time, look through them with me."

"...Very well."

Fu Xuan hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Many stories of these wishes circulated on the interastral network, but many people kept their wishes secret.

Among them were absurdly funny requests, but surely some were more ominous. If she could grasp this information...

"Fu Xuan, stop instinctively thinking about work. Come on, take my hand. I'll take you inside."

'Finality Kiana' took Fu Xuan’s hand, pulling her back from her thoughts, and led her into the interior of the Originium Tree.

The tree itself was Originium, but logging in from this location was equivalent to gaining Administrator privileges.

One could directly manage all player data, game data, and the power 'Finality Kiana' had left within. Not even Qingque could come here; only 'Finality Kiana' could bring someone in.

Bypassing the technical admin logs, 'Finality Kiana' found the wish list.

As the years passed and the platform expanded, the number of players eligible for a wish had increased annually.

Theoretically, there shouldn't be that many wishes yet—though in a few decades, the directory would surely be massive.

In 'Finality Kiana's’ memory, the tree had responded to exactly 450 wishes.

However...

"Why is the list numbered all the way up to forty thousand?! That's a hundred times more than it should be!!"

'Finality Kiana' was floored. Her Aeon-level system had been exploited by someone. Someone had bypassed her and squeezed out over forty thousand extra wishes?!

Dammit!

Who was that wicked? To break through the firewall she’d left behind, they would theoretically have to be someone nearing the level of an Aeon.

Someone like that would usually want the tree itself; who would care about the power of forty thousand wishes? It wasn't even enough to create a single Emanator.

As 'Finality Kiana' scrolled through the entries, she realized that many of the "wishers" weren't even users of the Originium platform.

Theoretically, the only person capable of pulling this off was an Aeon who was particularly skilled with the power of Elation.

'Finality Kiana' already had a culprit in mind. Especially when she touched the wish list and scanned the entries with her mental strength—the conclusion became undeniable.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 436

--+--

Aside from some four hundred and fifty entries, the other four thousand plus logs were filled with prayers or quiet mutterings directed toward the Aeon of Elation.

It didn't sound like someone’s wish had been granted.

Rather, it felt as if by tapping into the power of these wishes, Aha had become a source of faith and spiritual sustenance for these people.

Who else but Aha could pull off something like this? That fellow might look like a total slacker, but in reality, THEY were a god who loved humanity to an extreme degree.

But the real question was—why on earth did THEY have to hijack her system to do it?!

'Finality Kiana' was nearly fuming at Aha’s antics.

If that prankster really wanted to help someone, why couldn't they just step in themselves? Why did THEY have to come crawling over here to borrow the prayer system left behind in this Originium Tree?

When it came to granting wishes, wouldn't it be easier for Aha to just use the power of Elation directly?

It was utterly nonsensical.

Feeling stifled, 'Finality Kiana' bared her teeth in annoyance and began grumbling about her discovery to Fu Xuan, who was standing right beside her. Only then did Fu Xuan understand the reason behind her sudden outburst.

However, speaking of Aha, Fu Xuan suddenly recalled something.

"Regarding the Aeon of Elation, I’ve heard THEIR voice once before. I didn't think much of it at the time, but later I realized that perhaps I had once brushed shoulders with that Aeon."

"!?"

'Finality Kiana', who had been relatively calm just a moment ago, lost her composure the second she heard those words. She spun around abruptly, placing her hands on Fu Xuan’s shoulders and began checking her over—patting here and there with a worried expression as she interrogated her:

"What did that guy say to you? THEY didn't leave anything behind, did THEY? You didn't actually do anything THEY told you to, right?!"

'Finality Kiana' was genuinely frantic. It was one thing for Aha to mess with this wishing tree—the total power of the tree was only so much, so she could let that slide.

But Aha actually dared to harass her Emanator!!!

That bastard!!

If THEY dared to try and lead her Emanator astray, she’d find an opportunity to smash every single mask on Aha's face into pieces!

Startled by the reaction, Fu Xuan finally couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. This was the first time she had seen her Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions look so flustered.

And this frantic state was actually because of her.

In this world, what reason would an Aeon have to worry so much for a mere mortal?

Fu Xuan reached out and steadied 'Finality Kiana's’ hands, stopping them before they could wander any further in their frantic inspection.

"I’m fine, Bai Ming. Back then, I was trying out a new game. The Aeon of Elation seemed to just drop by to say hello. THEY played a couple of rounds with me and asked a few questions about the game."

At the time, Fu Xuan simply thought she had run into some high-level pro gamer. But the more she chewed on it later, the more she felt that person’s words carried a hidden, profound meaning.

So, she used her Matrix of Prescience to take a look, and that’s when she spotted the discrepancy.

Within her Matrix, there was absolutely no image of that person.

According to the observations of the Matrix, she had essentially been talking to herself and playing those games alone. It was only then that Fu Xuan realized she might have crossed paths with the Aeon of Elation.

"...That guy... do THEY have nothing better to do than wander around aimlessly?"

'Finality Kiana' performed one last thorough check, and after confirming there were no traps or setups left by Aha, she finally let out a sigh of relief. Immediately afterward, she began roasting the Aeon of Elation.

Fu Xuan, however, looked at the records of these wishes and said thoughtfully:

"Perhaps that time happened to be when the Aeon of Elation was utilizing the power of the Originium Tree, and since I happened to log onto the platform, THEY took a curious look at me."

After all, she was the Emanator of the Arbiter of Myriad Distinctions. Fu Xuan was well aware of her unique status.

Furthermore, there was another Emanator who reportedly stepped onto the Path of Elation all on her own—that young girl named Silver Wolf, a pure Pathstrider of Elation.

In comparison, Fu Xuan was an Outworlder who believed in the Hunt. She really was a bit of a mixed bag.

'Finality Kiana' nodded at this theory. It wasn't without merit. After all, this was Aha we were talking about; dropping by for a peek out of pure curiosity was exactly the kind of thing THEY would do.

She refocused her attention on the wish list, reading the content while listening to the echoes of the prayers. As she listened, she sensed something was off.

Within these lists, there was a massive batch of prayers from Planarcadia that had popped up in a very concentrated manner during a specific period.

Moreover, the content of those prayers was... remarkably similar. They were all the type that stemmed from people who had suffered a major trauma—wounded souls desperate for something to lean on.

In contrast, the other prayers were scattered across the universe with almost no connection to one another. They were a bit of everything.

What was Aha actually up to?

The Phantasmoon Games had been around forever, with plenty of good and bad iterations. Even if the last game was particularly cruel, would Aha really break character and shower that planet with so many wishes because of it?

It felt like Aha had another motive.

"...Fu Xuan, do you know much about Planarcadia?"

"Planarcadia? I know a bit, seeing as it’s the site of another Aeon's game."

Fu Xuan blinked, wondering why the topic had shifted there. But as it happened, several years ago, the Xianzhou Alliance had actually sent people to Planarcadia for long-term intelligence gathering.

Fu Xuan hadn't told 'Finality Kiana' about this, yet she hadn't expected it to come up today.

"Planarcadia is currently managed by the IPC, so it's generally alright. But perhaps due to the previous Phantasmoon Games, or maybe because of the IPC’s forced growth, the 'Elation' in Planarcadia today is too hollow, boring, and even repulsive."

Fu Xuan’s brow furrowed at the mention of the place. Although it wasn't her primary power, she did wield some strength from Elation.

After being in contact with the Originium platform for so long and having dealt with Aha, Fu Xuan had her own understanding of Elation.

In her eyes, it wasn't just Planarcadia; even some of the Fools in the Tavern were far too superficial.

The essence of Elation was to combat nihilism and bestow meaning upon all things.

'Joy' was merely a title; even sorrow could be a form of Elation.

However, the current Planarcadia and those young Fools were clearly just chasing the literal definition of 'fun.'

They didn't seek answers from within, but only hunted for external stimulation and fleeting pleasure. They thought that being bold, saying anything, doing anything, and having no bottom line constituted Elation.

The key was that even in the cruelty of taking pleasure in suffering, these people couldn't compare to the pure annihilation sought by the Lord Ravagers.

Walking a Path could be done through the lens of good or evil. But chasing 'fun' in such a shallow way would only lead Elation toward the ultimate end: Nihility.

It was a complete reversal of priorities. Not to mention, it was low-class.

Fu Xuan never considered herself a Pathstrider of Elation. But watching these people walk away from Elation toward Nihility in the name of joy was something she couldn't just ignore.

She specifically remembered a group of producers who used the suffering of survivors from the 'Herald of Death' as a gimmick to drive up ratings without any moral restraint. There was also a nasty Fool who had somehow obtained a Mask of Elation and used it to mock a broken survivor to their face.

The impression they left on Fu Xuan was particularly deep.

Unable to stomach it, Fu Xuan had struck out boldly, using her status as an Emanator of Elation to 'Hunt' down a significant number of them.

She had even kicked the Tavern's bar counter and its front door all the way to the moon.

Unreasonable violence had indeed managed to silence a good number of people.

After all, her deity held the title of the Aeon of Elation. Regardless of whether this was Aha’s turf or not, Fu Xuan couldn't stand to see the purity of her Aeon's name tarnished by such riffraff.

But the human heart is hard to predict. Fu Xuan’s actions served as an excellent deterrent, but they couldn't cure the root cause.

As for the Land of Light... since everyone in Planarcadia believed in Elation rather than Hope, no one had evolved into a Giant of Light.

Therefore, the Land of Light couldn't really interfere in these internal matters. They only had some members imbued with power stationed there long-term to do what little they could.

"Hmm... if even you say so, Fu Xuan, then Planarcadia might really be in a bad state. Is it possible Aha wants to set things right?"

"Trying to guess the thoughts of that whimsical Aeon... I think that's a bit unreliable."

"You could just say it's impossible. I know trying to guess Aha’s mind is a lost cause."

'Finality Kiana' laughed in response and then added:

"That place is Aha’s playground, so it wasn't appropriate for me to interfere too much. But since THEY’RE the one who started this, THEY can't blame me for following suit."

Planarcadia was special for reasons she didn't quite know. But since the Phantasmoon Games existed there, it was clearly a world representative of Elation that Aha cared about.

Perhaps Aha didn't want Planarcadia to spiral into self-destruction amidst this increasingly hollow joy. 

Was that why THEY found a way to borrow the power of her Originium Tree to scatter so many wishes across the planet?

It wasn't entirely far-fetched.

But then again...

'Finality Kiana' listened to those prayers.

Although many were still filled with misery, they weren't quite so hopeless anymore. Aha must have done something. Scars are hard to erase, but time can heal all things.

There is much suffering in this world, but if one can face it calmly, they are a qualified Masked Fool. 

These wishes scattered by Aha could also be seen as seeds of Elation. She hoped these people could find a meaning that belonged solely to them.

'Finality Kiana' transformed her gentle prayer into a light breeze upon the long river of fate, sending it into the hearts of those she perceived.

Simultaneously, it was as if she were delivering her own seeds to these people. In the future, she would be able to receive their prayers without the help of the Originium Tree.

In any case, she hoped her comfort could bring them a moment of peace. She also hoped the seeds she left behind would protect them and lead them toward a stable future.

Of course, if someone were to take root, sprout, and grow strong because of this, she wouldn't mind granting them a reward.

That fellow Aha went out of THEIR way to mess with her creation. THEY couldn't blame her for sticking her hand into the Phantasmoon Games of Planarcadia as well.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 437

--+--

With that finished, 'Finality Kiana' finally pulled her attention back for the moment.

She turned her gaze toward the original four hundred and fifty wishes.

Compared to the wishes "borrowed" by Aha, these genuine requests were much more pleasant to look at.

Some of the entries from the more... abstract contestants were so out there that even 'Finality Kiana' had to admit they were the work of experts.

One could only say that on this grand cosmic stage, there’s a shortage of many things, but a shortage of people with "vibes" certainly isn't one of them.

This was also the first time Fu Xuan had seen such a massive collection of wishes. It was far more comprehensive and specific than any version circulating on the web.

While Fu Xuan was busy enjoying the entertainment, 'Finality Kiana' thought for a moment and spoke up.

"Fu Xuan, you’ve been working unpaid overtime for years doing content moderation for so long. It’s been hard on you. How about I give you a wish as a gift?"

"Oh... wait, what?"

Fu Xuan’s head had been so full of those wishes that she didn't react immediately. But once her little gears finished grinding through the data, she froze for a second before letting out a sound of confused surprise.

What did she mean, a wish as a gift? Besides, Fu Xuan didn’t feel like she had done anything particularly monumental.

She had started doing it on a whim, and it didn't really involve anyone else.

To suddenly receive an opportunity to make a wish to an Aeon felt like picking up a treasure off the street for free. To be honest, she didn't have anything she desperately wanted to manifest right away.

"That’s kind of you, but I don't really have anything I’m longing for. I can’t exactly wish to become the General of the Xianzhou, can I?" Fu Xuan looked at 'Finality Kiana' and cracked a small joke.

But 'Finality Kiana' just blinked and smiled back.

"Actually, that’s not impossible. Didn't you mention that the Alliance lost a few Flagships in the past? I could help you find a crashed one, fix it up, and give it to you. I don't think the Alliance would mind letting you try your hand at being its General."

"Huh?"

Ignoring Fu Xuan’s bewildered expression, 'Finality Kiana' continued, "As for the Trials of the Reignbow to become General, I could also help you pass those with a perfect score. That way, the position is yours."

"...That’s just cheating," Fu Xuan said, looking helplessly at the deity who clearly just wanted to see the world burn for fun. You can't just go around messing with things like that.

"Forget it. I did that work because I felt like it; I wasn't looking for a reward."

"That won't do. You’re my Emanator. If I don't look out for you, who will?"

Fu Xuan felt it was unnecessary, but 'Finality Kiana' insisted.

Fu Xuan was her first Emanator.

Although she wasn't the only one anymore, the title of the "First" carried a special weight. Plus, she hadn't managed to look after her properly over the last few years. She had to give her some kind of token.

Seeing 'Finality Kiana' so persistent, Fu Xuan scratched her head and eventually nodded in agreement. 

However, even if she agreed, she couldn't think of anything she wanted on such short notice.

"Could I save this favor for later? I’ll redeem it when I actually need it."

"Hmm... all right." 'Finality Kiana' rubbed her chin and nodded hesitantly.

She had actually already thought of a way to buff Fu Xuan. Through her Matrix of Prescience, Fu Xuan could calculate many things. But at its core, it relied on information analysis.

Typically, the range of her calculations was limited to the scale of the Luofu, and even then, it wasn't always a hundred percent accurate.

For instance, in a place like the Shackling Prison, the secrecy of the Ten-Lords Commission and the presence of high-profile criminals made it hard for her to divine what was happening inside.

Conveniently, Originium Trees were blooming all across the universe.

'Finality Kiana's' original plan was to use the expansion of the trees to allow Fu Xuan’s Matrix to gather more comprehensive data through them.

This would directly boost her divination abilities. Any world where an Originium Tree was planted would fall under the observation of Fu Xuan’s Third Eye.

While it wouldn't directly increase her combat power, that kind of wide-scale information gathering was the perfect professional upgrade for a Master Diviner.

Seeing the slightly disappointed look on 'Finality Kiana's’ face, Fu Xuan asked curiously, "Why do you look so let down? Did you already have something in mind for me?"

'Finality Kiana' nodded with a smile and explained her proposed reward.

And then... Fu Xuan was absolutely terrified by the sheer audacity of the idea. Did this woman even realize what she was saying?

The Originium Trees weren't just widely distributed; the massive amount of user data within the Originium platforms was all interconnected.

'Finality Kiana's' "reward" was clearly an intent to grant her full access to read that data.

What did that mean? It meant that every single player logged into the platform would have their data laid bare under her gaze.

If that actually happened, even if she didn't reach the level of Nous the Erudition, she would essentially be able to master every major and minor event in the universe in an instant. It was frankly terrifying. 

Furthermore, if such a power were ever exposed, it would be a death sentence. No other major power in the cosmos would tolerate a mortal holding that kind of authority.

It would also indirectly cripple the spread and promotion of the Originium platform.

Since this was the massive project 'Finality Kiana' had built with her own hands, Fu Xuan didn't want to be the reason it fell apart.

"...Please put those dangerous thoughts away. Even if you dared to give me that, I wouldn't dare take it."

This person was truly bold—giving out that kind of authority like it was candy.

The two of them killed some time within the Originium Tree. When they returned, they found Kiana and Silver Wolf had arrived at some point.

They were sitting nearby, clutching Originium shards and squinting as they gamed. Noticing the others return, they put down their shards and looked over.

Perhaps Silver Wolf had already introduced Fu Xuan earlier, because when Kiana saw Fu Xuan open her eyes, she stood up with a smile and extended a hand in greeting.

"Hello! I’m Kiana. It’s nice to meet you."

"Greetings. Fu Xuan of the Divination Commission, and also Bai Ming’s Emanator."

"She really is an Emanator~" Kiana breathed out in awe.

She had heard of the concept of "Emanators" before, but she didn't really understand what level of power that entailed.

Kiana wasn't much of a fighter by nature, though—or rather, she wasn't obsessed with ranking people's strength. So, while she was curious, she just kept it to herself.

It would be nice to see that power in action sometime, but she wasn't about to start a fight the moment she opened her mouth.

On the other hand, Silver Wolf, hearing this exchange, pouted and let out a small huff. "Hmph."

The fact that her sister’s first Emanator wasn't her made her very unhappy. Of course, the other woman had known her sister longer, so she could accept that much.

What Silver Wolf found truly unacceptable was that she hadn't maxed out her own level yet.

Even if she was close, "not maxed" was still "not maxed." And that meant she didn't count as her sister’s Emanator yet. It was incredibly frustrating.

But Silver Wolf had her pride. She knew that if she just asked, her sister would surely pat her head and make her an Emanator on the spot. But Silver Wolf couldn't get over that mental hurdle.

It would make her feel useless.

If others were doing it, she had to do it too—and she had to earn it through her own strength.

Wandering around with 'Finality Kiana' these past few days had finally made up for the years they spent apart. She had passed that stage of needing high-intensity "energy refills."

While she still followed 'Finality Kiana', Silver Wolf was already plotting where she should go to grind some mobs and level up.

She definitely wasn't going to join the Stellaron Hunters; she just wanted to level up, not run off with someone else.

--+--

Meanwhile, on the Moon in the Solar System.

When Bronya heard that Kiana was actually playing on such an interesting gaming platform, she couldn't sit still anymore. Why didn't she get to play?

"That other Kiana over there... didn't you say she’s also an Aeon of that universe? If I wanted to go over there, would it work?"

"Pfft... Bronya?! You’re getting hooked this easily just by a gaming platform?!"

Kiana couldn't keep it together; she looked at Bronya in disbelief.

She had only been trying to tease the gamer girl by using every bit of her vocabulary to describe the wonders of Celestial Sparrow Entertainment and the Originium platform.

And yet, this weak-willed Bronya was ready to "defect" the moment she opened her mouth!

"Kiana, you don't know the struggle of running a household. It’s because I’m a game developer that I know the Celestial Sparrow Entertainment created by Madam Bai Ming is the dream company every developer prays for."

Bronya was practically drooling.

Funding so vast you could afford to waste it, equipment so advanced it was the best in the universe, and a platform backed by an Aeon so no one dared to interfere.

Inside the company, there were no annoying daily, weekly, or monthly reports; no performance reviews; and no meddling bosses or investors!

You could make whatever game you wanted, develop any genre.

You could even play whatever you wanted—heck, even if you didn't make games, as long as you had a track record, you could just live off your past glory and retire at the company and no one would say a word!

The company even covered all living expenses, and the holidays were unbelievably frequent.

Dammit, why did such a perfect place exist in this world? And even in the worst-case scenario, if she couldn't join Celestial Sparrow Entertainment, just being able to get her hands on an Originium shard and play games from all over the universe—different civilizations, different styles—would be a dream come true.

"..."

Kiana stared at Bronya’s drooling face with dead eyes. This girl was a lost cause.

Ultimately, the reason the other "her" had decided not to interact freely was because of Finality’s existence.

People from Earth could certainly go over, and it was actually safer for ordinary people.

For special people like them, if they went over and accidentally got stained by the power of a Path, coming back would be a massive gamble.

Unless Kiana decided to just replace Finality today—but that wasn't realistic.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 438

--+--

For 'Finality Kiana', things were simple.

The days of bringing Kiana along to play in this world were drawing to a temporary close.

It wasn't for any dramatic reason, really. It was mostly just that the duration for this Herrscher of Finality character card was about to expire.

Starting from the Astral Express, they had wandered through many unique sights. In some places, they lingered for a day or two; in others, three or four. Today, here on the Xianzhou Luofu, would be the end of the line.

'Finality Kiana' took a quick glance at her status panel:

--+--

[Roleplay System]

[Name: Bai Ming (Herrscher of Finality)]

[Lifespan: ∞ + 1 day (Roleplaying)]

[Transformable Characters: Big Herta, Celenova, Jingliu, Ruan Mei, Sparkle, Hertatomb, Lord Ravager - Jingliu, Young Herta, 'Robin', Artoria, Cipher, Georios, General of the Yuque: Qingque, Huohuo, Silver Wolf, Hysilens, Cyrene - Fuli (Charge: 47.1%), Acheron (Charge: 71.3%), Calypso (Charge: 54.8%), Herrscher of Finality (Active)]

[Available Pulls: 23 (12.4%)]

--+--

She wasn't sure if it was because Kiana's identity was special, or simply because Kiana was more emotionally expressive than most.

Over the past month of wandering together, the harvest of emotion points had been quite substantial, granting her two full pulls.

Counting the ninety-something percent she'd already accumulated, the progress bar had basically been topped off three times over.

This intake was impressive—far exceeding what she usually gathered while playing as anyone else.

The panel didn't offer a specific explanation, so she could only guess that Kiana was just naturally more vibrant.

After all, this was Kiana's first experience traveling to another world; it likely triggered stronger reactions than it would for someone more jaded.

As for the remaining time, though the panel displayed one day, in reality, there was only about half a day left. Whether she settled the transformation now or later didn't make much difference.

She didn't mind missing out on a few system-hours' worth of emotion points.

So, taking advantage of their rest, 'Finality Kiana' suddenly looked over at Kiana and spoke seriously:

"Kiana."

"Hmm? What is it? Why the sudden serious face?"

Kiana blinked, not understanding why the girl had suddenly switched into such a solemn expression.

"It's almost time."

Kiana froze, her own expression quickly turning grave. She looked at her other self, then at Silver Wolf, and finally at their new friend, Fu Xuan.

Who knows what thoughts were racing through her head, but a lonely, bittersweet smile touched her lips.

"Is that so? I see. It looks like my time being 'Ordinary Girl Kiana' again is coming to an end, too."

With a soft sigh, Kiana set down the piece of Originium she had been holding.

"My other self, I'm so happy I got to meet you. Thank you for letting me experience such a wonderful journey. And the other Bronya—playing with you was a blast. It made me feel like I was back in my school days."

"And Lady Fu Xuan, even though we just met today, I can tell you're a truly good person."

"Ah... well, Kiana, you are quite exceptional yourself." Fu Xuan blinked, nodding with a small smile.

Nearby, Silver Wolf's face flushed. She looked away awkwardly, trying to maintain her cool. "Ugh... so cheesy. What's with the sudden drama?"

"Haha~" Kiana laughed at Silver Wolf's shy, cringing reaction. The little Silver Wolf was definitely cute when she was being stubborn.

Then, Kiana stood up from the bench, brushed off her clothes, and walked over to her other self with her hands in her pockets. Her face held a hint of lingering sadness, but she wore a brilliant smile.

"Alright, my other self, let's leave it at that. I might not have time to see Himeko-sensei again, so please, say hello to her for me. Tell her... we'll see each other next time."

"Um..."

'Finality Kiana' pursed her lips and blinked. It felt like Kiana might have misunderstood something.

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Silver Wolf was completely caught up in the mood, totally falling for Kiana's "farewell".

Fu Xuan, however, seemed to have realized something; her face was strained as if she were trying very hard to stay expressionless, and the look she gave Bai Ming was incredibly strange.

At this point, Bai Ming felt that if she didn't send Kiana back right now, she'd be wasting the atmosphere.

But the problem was... what she had actually meant was that her roleplay time was up, and she was about to cancel the transformation to return to her original form.

The corner of Bai Ming's mouth twitched. She nodded to Kiana and, without a word, deactivated the character card.

In an instant, accompanied by a faint shimmer, the traits of the Herrscher of Finality faded from Bai Ming's body. She returned to her original appearance, dressed in her white gown.

Simultaneously, the panel updated, and a new round of system rewards arrived:

[Settlement Reward: An excellent performance! You caused the subject's emotions to fluctuate wildly—truly a perfect act! Reward: Authority of the Herrscher of Finality!]

The reward was generous, to say the least.

However, Bai Ming wondered—wasn't the system worried that a "wild" Herrscher of Finality appearing would make the Cocoon lose confidence? It just handed it over like that.

She was now a being capable of wielding Imaginary Energy on the level of an Aeon.

The same authority used by a regular Herrscher versus used by an Aeon-level entity meant an output difference of several orders of magnitude. The consequences would be worlds apart.

This system was certainly bold.

Wait, if she recalled correctly, the Authority of Finality was essentially the sum of the other dozen or so Herrscher powers? Does that mean she could manually manifest a Core projection for Welt?

Welt had died several times, and his power had been nerfed again and again. While he'd gained some power here through his "mission," without a Herrscher Core, it always felt like something was missing.

She decided she'd make one for Uncle Yang later. She'd just have to change the energy source from Honkai energy to pure Imaginary energy.

The influx of system rewards surged out of nowhere. The power of Finality merged rapidly into her body. 

Theoretically, at this moment, she should have encountered the Cocoon itself through the power of Finality. Regardless of strength, that was the setting for how a Herrscher of Finality was created—it was the "onboarding process."

But whether it was because of the distance or because the system had intervened again, Bai Ming found no sign of the Cocoon.

So, she really was going to be a total unregistered "outlier," huh?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, a new notification popped up on the panel:

[The Cocoon of Finality's attention has been blocked from this power. You may use it freely.]

"..."

Damn! It even blocked it in real-time. So this reward really was plucked right off the Cocoon? Bai Ming nearly lost it. Still, it was good news.

Bai Ming withdrew her attention from the system rewards and, in her original form, met Kiana's eyes.

Kiana was still staring at her blankly. After waiting for a while without anything happening, she seemed to realize something.

"Wait, wait, wait... If I remember correctly, when you play as someone else, there's a fixed time limit, right?!"

Kiana suddenly pointed a finger at the girl who looked at least sixty percent like her. Her eyes were wide, and she was shaking so much she could barely get the words out.

Being pointed at, Bai Ming nodded with a stifled laugh. "Yeah. Thirty system days. Counting from when I found you, today is the last day. So..."

"So the 'time' being up wasn't my time, it was the time for your transformation into me to end?!!!"

Kiana's voice jumped an octave, and her hair practically stood on end. Not just her face, but her neck and her whole body turned bright red instantly.

One could only say that a young girl's blush speaks louder than words.

Bai Ming held back her laughter and chose to add fuel to the fire: "Yeah. I just wanted to tell you that I was going to show you my real form. As for you, this body was created to stay; it's anchored to you now, so you can come and go whenever you want..."

"AH—STOP! Don't say another word!!! I'm not listening, I'm not listening, I'm not listening!!!!"

Before Bai Ming could finish, Kiana covered her ears and dropped into a crouch, curling into a ball in an attempt to escape reality.

By now, Silver Wolf had processed what happened. She immediately burst into a fit of hysterical laughter!

"Hahahahaha—!!!! I'm dying!!! Kiana, you—hahaha!!!! Oh man, I—hahaha—!!!"

Silver Wolf was laughing so hard she couldn't even speak. She ended up flat on the ground, clutching her stomach and rolling around, pounding the floor while ruthlessly mocking the overheated Kiana.

But Silver Wolf's relentless laughter was the final straw for Kiana's sanity.

"AAAAHHH!!! Bronya!! Stop laughing!!! I'm taking you down with me!!!"

Kiana's last thread of reason snapped. In a fit of humiliated rage, the "red-hot" Kiana lunged at Silver Wolf, attempting to deliver a "Finality Sanction" via brute force!

Silver Wolf was no pushover, though. She fought back even as she laughed, and the two began scuffling on the ground.

Even the usually stern Fu Xuan was now covering her mouth to hide the upward curve of her lips. Her eyes danced with amusement as she watched the chaotic mess of Kiana and Silver Wolf.

--+--

Meanwhile, on the Moon in the Solar System.

Kiana, who had been peacefully drinking tea, was now just as "overheated" as her body on the other side.

With a loud thud, her head hit the table, and she buried her face in her arms, letting out a cute, muffled wail.

"Kiana? What's wrong??"

Kiana's sudden meltdown startled the two people with her. But Bronya was the first to realize something was off.

"Based on observation, there is a 90% probability that Kiana is retreating into self-isolation due to extreme embarrassment. Perhaps Idiot Kiana did something stupid on the other side? Why not tell us so we can share the fun?"

"I am NOT telling you!!"

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 439

--+--

Kiana’s head was practically smoking.

No, scratch that—it was already smoking. And not just here at Celestial Sparrow Entertainment, but all the way back on the Moon, too.

Especially when she thought back to how she’d completely misread the situation and started pouring her heart out in that cringeworthy, overly sentimental display.

Kiana felt like she might as well just drop dead.

She had a feeling that even twenty years from now, she’d still find herself jolting awake in the middle of the night, haunted by the memory of today.

It would remain crystal clear, leaving her no choice but to bury her face in her blankets and writhe in pure, unadulterated shame.

Engaging in another scuffle with Silver Wolf was, in a way, her only means of coping with the overwhelming urge to hit the "reset" button on her life.

--+--

Meanwhile, back on the Moon.

Despite her earlier vows of absolute silence, Kiana had eventually buckled under Mei and Bronya’s relentless tag-team coaxing and confessed the embarrassing blunder she’d just committed.

"Pfft..."

Mei managed to keep some semblance of composure, but Bronya didn't hesitate for a second, letting out an unapologetic laugh right then and there.

It nearly made Kiana’s face twist in indignation. If it weren't for a multitude of reasons, she was ready to roll up her sleeves and take on two Bronyas at once.

Luckily, Mei stepped in to change the subject:

"So, does this mean you can stay over there for long periods now, Kiana? Will it have any effect on your current condition?"

Even though the power of Finality was all-encompassing and Kiana herself was incredibly strong, Mei still viewed the two worlds as entirely separate entities for now.

Until there was concrete evidence otherwise, they had to treat them as independent dimensions. 

Projecting one's consciousness across such a vast distance for an extended time surely had to be a burden.

Kiana bared her teeth at Bronya one last time before turning to answer Mei.

"Don't worry. With Bai Ming there, I can come back whenever I want, or project my mind over there at a moment's notice. I’ve spent the last month getting a general feel for that world with her. I’m planning to join Himeko-sensei and Mr. Yang’s group later."

With her connection to Bai Ming, Kiana could technically go anywhere. But she wanted to keep her consciousness there out of pure curiosity.

She wasn't going over there to retire, after all; following Himeko-sensei on the Trailblaze sounded way more exciting.

"Oh, and there’s something really interesting. Just now, after Bai Ming stopped using my identity, I felt the power of Finality appear in her as well. But this time, it felt different from mine."

Kiana brought it up casually. She didn't think too much of it; while Finality was powerful, it was obvious that Bai Ming was already a being at the very peak of the universe.

To her, the power of Finality was likely just a nice little bonus.

Kiana doubted the other girl cared much about it either. It was just that while Bai Ming was using Kiana’s face, even their auras had been identical. Now that a distinction had surfaced, it caught Kiana’s attention.

"I’m guessing Bai Ming’s ability is something like... mimicking a target and then obtaining their power to strengthen herself?"

"Full skill replication? What kind of broken ability is that? Is there no concept of game balance anymore?!" Bronya cried out in disbelief.

Copying the power of Finality just like that? Where was the justice? Was there no balance in this world? Talk about a total "mechanics monster."

"I wonder, though... will she ever meet the Cocoon?"

Kiana was genuinely curious. Even if the method of obtaining the power wasn't exactly "official," this was still the first time she’d encountered another fully realized Herrscher of Finality.

And if that were the case, maybe Bai Ming could use her Herrscher authority to construct a separate body—one belonging solely to a Herrscher of Finality—and come over to their side to hang out.

That way, they wouldn't have to worry about the powers from both sides contaminating each other.

Speaking of which, Bai Ming had promised her a gift earlier. She wondered what it would be. Probably some technical data or research.

While Kiana didn't understand the nitty-gritty details, she had used her abilities to "copy-paste" a wealth of research on the Imaginary Tree, world bubbles, and the Sea of Quanta from their side.

In return, she had been ferrying some useful technical papers back to Earth. But doing it all herself wasn't practical, so she expected the gift would involve some sort of research exchange.

--+--

On the other side.

Kiana, having finally concluded her "clash of the century" with Silver Wolf, turned around to find Bai Ming watching her with a playful, knowing smile.

Then, it clicked.

Silver Wolf and Fu Xuan might not have known, but there was no way Bai Ming didn't realize. This person must have known the second Kiana opened her mouth that she’d misunderstood the situation.

And yet, she’d stayed quiet, holding it all in just to watch Kiana "perform" the entire embarrassing scene.

She definitely did it on purpose!!

Kiana felt like she was going to faint from sheer frustration at her "other self."

Fortunately, after the "earth-shattering" elementary-school-level spat with Silver Wolf, Kiana’s overheating brain had cooled down a bit. She didn't say anything, but she shot Bai Ming a fierce glare.

Watching Kiana like this, Bai Ming found her so adorable she couldn't help but laugh. She walked over and offered a hand to both Kiana and Silver Wolf, helping them up.

"Alright, alright. If you’re going to glare, let's do it somewhere else. You don't want a crowd watching, do you?"

Bai Ming gestured toward their surroundings. This was a lounge for Celestial Sparrow Entertainment, and two "kids" like Kiana and Silver Wolf getting into a scrap was bound to draw eyes.

If it weren't for Master Diviner Fu Xuan sitting there, plenty of bold employees would have probably come closer to take photos.

Kiana and Silver Wolf fell silent. Bickering was one thing, but continuing the spectacle was legitimately embarrassing. So, the two of them obediently followed Bai Ming and Fu Xuan to a quiet conference room to properly cool off.

Because Kiana had been staring at her the whole way, she finally noticed the details of Bai Ming’s appearance.

This "other self"... she didn't just look like Kiana. There was a trace of Mei in her features, and even a hint of that Madam Herta doll she’d seen...

Of course, the resemblance to Kiana was strongest. It was the kind of similarity that clearly signaled a deep, close connection. But there was also a certain charm reminiscent of Mei.

If her Auntie ever saw this, she’d probably get the wrong idea and think Kiana and Mei had somehow had a child together.

Had Kiana seen her like this at first glance, she probably would have called her "sister" instead of "the other me."

"By the way... your face... why do I feel like you look a bit like Mei?"

"Oh, that. Actually, my original form looked exactly like you," Bai Ming said. She then manifested the form Aha had originally fixed for her to show Kiana.

"This was the shape Aha helped me solidify back then—who knows what that Elation was thinking. Later, when I was forging a body for myself, I tweaked it a bit to get what you see now."

"Tweaked it? Why?"

"Because Aha made that face. I was worried it was a trap."

"..."

Kiana opened her mouth, but couldn't argue with that logic.

She’d heard enough about the Aeon of Elation’s style in this world. If her "other self" was already this much of a handful, she could only imagine how abstract the actual Aeon must be.

Looking at it that way, calling her "the other me" wasn't wrong after all.

"But with this face, if you ever come over to my side to visit, people might actually think you're the daughter of me and Mei," Kiana giggled, rubbing her chin as she imagined Mei's reaction to such a misunderstanding.

Bai Ming rolled her eyes. Daughter? Please. Have you even settled things with your own Mei yet before you start dreaming about that?

Kiana realized she was getting a bit ahead of herself. She cleared her throat awkwardly and switched to a more serious topic.

"Hey, I felt the power of Finality on you, but it’s different from mine. Is that a new power you got? Did you see the Cocoon?"

"You noticed, huh?" Bai Ming shook her head with a smile. "But no, I didn't see the Cocoon. Probably because I got this power through... unofficial channels. Or maybe I'm just 'out of the service area.' Either way, there seems to be a barrier between me and the Cocoon."

Bai Ming obviously couldn't tell Kiana the real reason. Making up a plausible excuse wasn't a problem, though.

Kiana scratched her head. A barrier?

The Herrscher of Finality was born from the Cocoon; the power was granted by the Cocoon.

To become a complete Herrscher of Finality, one even had to pass the Cocoon of Finality’s judgment. How could someone take the power while successfully blocking out the Cocoon itself?

Was that even legal? It felt like bypassing the Cocoon’s entire operating system.

Was her "other self" really that incredible? Kiana felt a surge of awe—if they had found Earth twenty years earlier, would they have just breezed through the whole ordeal without any casualties?

Bai Ming just shrugged, playing the part of a mysterious expert. She had no idea how it worked; she didn't even know where the Cocoon was.

But since the "System's" grand hand had intervened once again, proving it could hide her even from the Cocoon, Bai Ming felt she could finally seriously consider visiting Kiana’s world.

After all, her only concern had been whether her power of Paths would alert the Cocoon. But if the Cocoon’s gaze was being shielded by the System, she had nothing to worry about.

She could take some time to head over and wander around.

Even if there wasn't anything urgent happening in that timeline, meeting the "old cast" sounded fun—like Theresa, or the Herrscher of Sentience.

And Seele! She wondered what the grown-up Seele’s personality was like.

--+--

Star Rail Impostor! - 440

--+--

Bai Ming spared a sliver of attention to sense the abilities she had just gained as the Herrscher of Finality.

The power set was incredibly comprehensive—basically a little bit of everything.

But then again...

Among these authorities, some could be linked to the Paths and Aeons here, while others looked completely unrelated no matter how you viewed them.

Bai Ming's understanding wasn't quite deep enough yet. For now, she chalked it up to the fact that they belonged to two entirely different Imaginary systems.

If she had to put it simply, the Path System was obviously more idealistic, more abstract.

Meanwhile, the rules behind Herrschers and Honkai were more grounded and objective.

As for which was better or worse, that was hard to say. In the end, it still came down to raw output.

Still, with Finality's abilities, handcrafting a projection of a Core of Reason wasn't much of a problem, but if she wanted that core to run on something other than Honkai Energy, that would take quite a bit of work.

She could study it slowly later.

Meanwhile...

Bai Ming sat in her chair and looked at Kiana, who was completely absorbed in her game. After thinking for a moment, she asked,

"Kiana, where are you planning to go next?"

They had already visited so many places. There were still many left unseen, of course, but Kiana surely had a grasp of the general state of things by now.

It wasn't like Bai Ming couldn't keep accompanying her, but Kiana didn't seem like the type who absolutely needed company.

Before, Bai Ming had followed her so enthusiastically because she wanted to farm emotional points and, incidentally, cuddle up with the heroine of Honkai Impact 3rd.

Now that the character card had expired, and after thirty whole days of thoroughly enjoying that privilege...

There was naturally no real need to keep following Kiana around.

Besides, the body she had left Kiana with was extremely powerful.

No need to worry about her running into danger.

Kiana looked up at Bai Ming, thought for a moment, then asked, "Well... if I keep wandering around here long-term like this, are you sure that's okay?"

"No problem."

Bai Ming blinked. What problem could there be?

She had already sealed Kiana's consciousness tight with her own power. Any other Aeon who saw her would know Kiana was under Bai Ming's protection.

Who would randomly come looking to provoke her?

The most suspicious one, Aha, actually knew the truth and wouldn't mess around and even if someone really did act recklessly, she'd already prepared contingencies.

Seeing how certain Bai Ming was, Kiana finally relaxed quite a bit.

"Oh. Then... I want to go to the Astral Express. What do you think?"

"Then go. You already got your ticket, and now you're still asking?"

Right after saying that, Bai Ming suddenly froze, then stared seriously at Kiana.

"Oh right. Go if you want, but don't forget—the Mei on that train is my person. You perverted yuri freak better keep yourself in check."

"Hey! Slander! That's pure slander! Do I look like that kind of person?!"

Kiana instantly exploded.

Say anything else and she'd let it slide, but accusing her of being some degenerate yuri maniac, and suspecting she'd target someone else's partner—

That was an insult to her character!

"'I want to drink Mei's juice'—now, who was it that said that? Hard to say."

"Th-that was when I was young and ignorant! Things from puberty don't count as being perverted! School-age stuff is—"

What followed was a flood of rambling excuses—this wasn't perversion, it was just adolescent curiosity, and so on.

For a moment, the room was overflowing with laughter.

Kiana was so embarrassed she was about to overheat again.

Where the hell had this girl even learned such nonsense?

Actually, she'd been curious about that for a long time.

This was clearly their first meeting, and logically it should've been the first time either of them even knew the other's world existed.

Yet Bai Ming acted like she knew Kiana extremely well.

She even knew about things that happened on Earth, and events at St. Freya.

Sure, Welt came from Earth, but he didn't study at St. Freya. How could he possibly know that many details?

Thankfully, Mei really was gentle.

She could even tolerate Kiana's unbelievably cringe remarks from back then. Some of those old memories—even grown-up Kiana cringed when she recalled them.

Back then, she really had been a wild kid roaming everywhere, saying whatever came to mind.

"Anyway, just know your limits. Otherwise I'll fly to the moon and report you to your Mei, Bronya, Theresa, and your sister all at once!"

"Are you even on my side?! And you'd go that far just to snitch?!"

Kiana stared in shock, but Bai Ming only gave a light snort.

"Business is business."

"Geh—"

Kiana stuck her tongue out hard at Bai Ming.

This girl was the worst!

"Oh right. I promised earlier I'd send some gifts to your side. I'll deliver them directly later, so be ready to receive them."

Kiana snorted, crossed her arms, and glared at Bai Ming.

"Then are you coming to the Solar System?"

"Not this time, probably. But if I have time later, I'll definitely go take a look."

She had told Herta before that once the timing was right, she'd let Herta research Honkai-related things.

Now the system had directly rewarded her with the full power set of Finality.

That meant she wasn't worried about Herta researching it anymore. She'd just need to keep an eye on Herta while she worked. If anything happened, Bai Ming could immediately control the situation.

Perfect timing too—she could let Herta study it while figuring out how to make that Core of Reason.

"Alright then. I'll contact Himeko-sensei. After I spend a few more days playing around on the Luofu, I'll report to the Express."

Though she wasn't the original Himeko...

Kiana still made up her mind.

That teacher who had once protected her with her life—this time, she would be the one to protect her instead.

Trailblazing aboard the Astral Express sounded romantic, but danger always followed close behind.

Sure, everyone on the crew was elite and highly capable, but Kiana felt the train was missing one role: Someone wholly dedicated to protecting Navigator Himeko.

And she, Kiana Kaslana, would become that crucial piece!

--+--

At the same time...

On the Stellaron Hunters' side.

Bai Ming, disguised as Silverwing, had been with the Stellaron Hunters for quite a while now, but during that time, she discovered that while they did carry out missions, none of them were anything major.

And many of their actions were bafflingly meaningless.

For example, one mission required Silverwing to go to some inhabited planet, arrive at a specific place at a specific time, put on a fierce expression to intimidate someone, then leave.

That was it.

A mission with no beginning and no end.

It left her completely confused.

Impossible to understand.

Logically, she knew Elio was stirring fate and adjusting worldlines.

Emotionally, though, it just made her feel like some lunatic sleepwalking from place to place.

But this time...

Elio had finally arranged something a little more serious.

Invade Planet Screwllum.

"This script requires you to use Aether Editing to infiltrate Planet Screwllum, fight Screwllum, and make him remember you as a young hacker."

Kafka smiled as she handed over a thin sheet of paper. The script written on it was rough, but every important point was clearly explained.

Wearing Bronya's face, Bai Ming looked at the black cat who had come with Kafka.

"I understand the logic, but why does this say I need to bring back a max-level Aether Cartridge below the level of an Aeon?"

Elio meowed, then explained:

"Simply put, you're a joker card. I want to hide your strength until the very end. At other times, we need a card with enough weight to serve as a decoy. Originally, I planned for Bronya to retrieve it—but since you've joined us instead, you can make one yourself."

Silverwing frowned.

This didn't sound simple at all.

She understood the reasoning, but a max-level cartridge below an Aeon meant one more step and you'd be entering the domain of gods.

How was Silver Wolf supposed to obtain something like that?

Whether the current Silver Wolf or the original one, it was pure fantasy.

"The cartridge is one thing. First tell me—how were you planning to make Bronya get something like that?"

"Meow~ The power of Finality allows me to turn a possible future into reality and bring it to the present. Among countless worldlines, there is one where Bronya reached LV999, standing at the peak of humanity, only one step below an Aeon."

Elio yawned as he spoke.

"I had already made a deal with her. I'd bring her to the present, transfer her power to Silver Wolf, and in return she would witness the possibility she desired within the cartridge. But..."

Elio didn't finish, but the meaning was obvious.

Because of Bai Ming, Silver Wolf hadn't joined the Stellaron Hunters.

Instead, Bai Ming's disguised secondary Silverwing had taken her place.

Naturally, that agreement had been canceled.

And then...

Elio's cat face got grabbed by Silverwing.

"You bastard... You were planning to make Silver Wolf do something that dangerous? What level is she at right now? Even if she became an Emanator, she couldn't withstand the backlash of LV999!"

Lifted into the air by the face, Elio's whole cat body stretched as he helplessly explained:

"Meow—That's why it's a trump card! Besides, I already talked it over with that Silver Wolf. Her attitude might be bad, but she'd never truly hurt her past self."

"You..."

Silverwing furiously rubbed his cat head again.

She believed Elio. The things this guy did were abstract as hell, but he really didn't lie.

"In that case, don't cancel the deal. Reaching a point where there's nowhere left to go... for Silver Wolf, that probably isn't a happy thing. I can't bear to watch little Silver Wolf suffer."

"..."

Elio gave Silverwing a strange look.

Little Silver Wolf...?

By the time that Silver Wolf reached the summit, she'd probably be thousands—maybe tens of thousands—of years old.

How exactly was that "little"?

But whatever.

The other side had been angry over the canceled deal anyway.

Since Bai Ming was willing to satisfy her, Elio had no objections.

As long as he got this trump card in hand.

"Then get ready, meow. We'll switch to a planet that can survive being torn apart, and I'll bring her over."

If Silver Wolf had been the one to face her, the other party would surely show restraint and wouldn't destroy the Stellaron Hunters' base, but now that it was someone else...

That woman was not known for having a good temper.

A huge battle was practically guaranteed.

And the spaceship beneath their feet definitely wasn't sturdy enough for that.

--+--