The stars outside Penacony still shone brilliantly that day.
There were still many things left unresolved, but the Land of Dreams was slowly beginning to resemble its old self again.
And then, at that very moment, the starry sky changed.
First came a violent shock along the Path, and then it was as if something unimaginably terrifying was trying to force its way into this carefully woven dream. The dreamers who had only just awakened all stopped talking and looked at one another, unable to tell whether what they were sensing came from the outside world or from minds that still had not fully cleared.
Then a hazy figure appeared beyond Penacony's borders.
Xingxiao.
A Lord Ravager of Destruction, and one of the most feared beings in the Antimatter Legion.
The members of the Family in the waking world nearly all looked up at the same time. Clearly, they recognized who had arrived.
And it was precisely because these people truly understood Penacony's current condition—because they knew how fragile this world was at this moment—that their fear was greater than that of ordinary tourists by a hundredfold.
Because Penacony, right now, was weaker than it had ever been.
The aftermath of Ena's Dream had not yet fully faded, and the erosion left behind by the Path of Order had marked every corner of the city, some deeply, some only faintly.
At that moment, Robin was standing on the second-floor corridor of the hotel lobby, one hand braced against the railing, the other unconsciously clutching the fabric over her chest.
She had only just finished another round of dream-guidance, helping stabilize the minds of bewildered guests. Fine beads of sweat still clung to her brow.
But none of that mattered now.
"…Xingxiao?" Robin was clearly startled as well.
After all, Penacony was at its weakest now, and this Lord Ravager, in particular, had no small amount of history with the Family.
Still, for all their terror, a Lord Ravager was only one being.
And Penacony currently housed many powerful outsiders. Surely they would not simply stand by and do nothing.
Yet just as Robin was about to seek help, another voice rang out from beyond Penacony.
Herta appeared at Xingxiao's side.
Her arrival was far more casual. She carried none of Xingxiao's suffocating pressure.
But compared to Xingxiao, Herta was even easier to recognize.
"Xingxiao, can't you be a little more restrained?" Herta's voice carried clearly throughout the whole of Penacony.
"You're making it painfully obvious you're here."
Xingxiao did not turn around. Her gaze remained fixed on Penacony, as though the barrier of dreams were transparent to her eyes.
"I'm only here to pick up Miss. I don't care about anything else."
"Picking someone up doesn't require this much spectacle." Herta sounded faintly disgusted.
"Look at yourself. You've practically scared the entire city awake. The people who just crawled out of Ena's Dream are probably about to faint all over again because of you."
"That's their problem."
"…Fine. You're a Lord Ravager, so I suppose you get the final say." Herta gave a shrug.
"But let me remind you—Penacony still has that Preservation Emanator inside it. You've seen what she can do. Keep acting this aggressively and someone's going to assume you're here to pick a fight."
Only then did Xingxiao turn to glance at Herta.
"I'm not here to pick a fight."
"I know." Herta spread her hands.
"But you certainly look like you are."
Xingxiao's lips moved slightly, as though she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing at all.
Seeing that, Herta let out a small sigh and decided not to continue bickering with the Lord Ravager. She turned her gaze through Penacony's barrier instead.
"Is there anyone in there who can actually make decisions? Come out. We're here to find someone."
The hotel lobby fell silent at once. No one dared answer.
And given the current circumstances, there really did not seem to be many people left who could.
In the end, Robin stepped forward.
Although she had no idea why Herta, a genius from the Genius Society, had suddenly come together with Xingxiao, from the look of things, Xingxiao did not seem intent on making a move.
Still, the reason they had given was deeply unsettling.
They said they were here to find someone…
Could it be they had come to settle accounts with her brother?
After all, if Sunday's plan had succeeded, those powerful Emanators living comfortably out in reality would naturally have been the first to object.
Clearing her throat, Robin looked toward Herta and deliberately avoided Xingxiao.
"My name is Robin. For the time being, I'm the one in charge here. May I ask who it is you're looking for, Ms. Herta?"
Herta gave her a brief glance, then answered, "Kiana. We're here for Kiana."
Robin froze.
It wasn't Sunday, which did relieve her somewhat, but the name itself was not unfamiliar to her.
Just a short while ago, Kallen had mentioned that she intended to introduce two Emanator friends of hers to act as guarantors for Penacony. One of those names had been Kiana.
But Robin had never imagined that the ones who would come looking for her would be Herta and Xingxiao.
One was an Emanator of Erudition from the Genius Society. The other was a Lord Ravager of Destruction from the Antimatter Legion.
And both of them had come for the same person?
Robin had not yet sorted out her thoughts when low murmurs rose in the hotel lobby.
Those tourists who had only just awakened from Ena's Dream, still dazed and unsteady, were staring blankly at the two figures outside.
Some recognized Xingxiao, and their faces turned instantly pale.
"Please remain calm." Robin's voice spread throughout the lobby through the hotel's audio system. "Those two outside… are not here to destroy anything."
She said it, though she herself had no real confidence in it.
Still, she took a breath and bowed slightly toward Herta.
"Ms. Herta, please wait a moment. I'll go ask."
Herta waved a hand in acknowledgment.
Robin turned and hurried through the lobby toward the hotel's upper floors.
She remembered Kallen saying earlier that those two Emanator friends were still in Penacony. If Kiana really was here, then she ought to be…
Well, Robin didn't actually know where to find her.
But she could at least ask Miss Kallen.
The elevator doors slid open. The moment Robin stepped into the upper corridor, she saw the very person she had been searching for.
Kallen was leaning casually against the window at the end of the hall, holding a cup of coffee she had apparently gotten from somewhere, looking utterly relaxed, like someone basking in the sun.
"Miss Kallen?" Robin stopped, not having expected things to go this smoothly.
Kallen lazily lifted her eyes. "Robin-senpai, are you here looking for Kiana too?"
"How did you know?"
"Because those two outside made enough noise to wake the dead," Kallen said, taking a sip of coffee. "And I'm guessing you got shoved into the role of messenger."
Robin pressed her lips together and did not deny it. Then she asked, "Miss Kallen… that Ms. Xingxiao outside… she really is here to find Miss Kiana?"
Even though Herta had spoken lightly, given Xingxiao's reputation as a Lord Ravager, Robin was genuinely afraid Xingxiao had come looking for trouble.
"Mhm." Kallen nodded.
"But she's a Lord Ravager." Robin's brows drew tightly together.
With Xingxiao being an Emanator of Destruction, Robin truly could not set her mind at ease.
"I know," Kallen interrupted.
"But actually, Kiana is a Lord Ravager too."
Robin's pupils contracted sharply.
"…What?"
What did Kallen mean, the person being sought was also a Lord Ravager?
Was the person Kallen had found to guarantee Penacony… an Emanator of Destruction?
For a while, Robin could not speak.
She understood full well that anyone willing to help was in no position to be judged too harshly. But hearing something like this was still enough to leave her stunned.
Then Kallen patted Robin lightly on the shoulder.
"Relax. It's fine now. Kiana's already gone out to meet them."
At the same time, outside Penacony, those two figures still hovered in the void.
"…Why hasn't Miss come out yet?"
Xingxiao finally spoke, her tone edged with impatience. Any patience she had possessed had run out long ago on the journey here.
After all, while she had only just arrived at Penacony, she and Herta had actually spent several days searching for the suddenly vanished Kiana.
"Why are you in such a hurry?" Herta asked without even looking up. "Penacony's a mess right now. She just got out of the dream herself. Maybe she hasn't even had time to drink a glass of water."
"But I've already waited an entire system hour."
"You can wait one more."
Only then did Xingxiao turn to look at her. "Herta, did you come here specifically to needle me today?"
"I came to remind you to pay attention to your image." Herta shrugged. "Look at you right now. You're practically a lovestruck teenager waiting outside for a date."
"And besides, this whole mess is your fault too. You let Kiana slip away to this mess of a place by herself. Are you saying I'm not allowed to lecture you over it?"
This time Xingxiao didn't reply.
Because when it came to this matter, she truly did blame herself.
Xingxiao had never expected that not even a month after what happened on the Luofu, history would repeat itself like this.
Seeing Xingxiao fall silent, Herta finally decided she'd teased enough and let it rest.
Then she looked through Penacony's barrier toward a certain point on the upper floors.
"Hm? Looks like she's here."
Before her words had fully faded, a white figure leapt from the top floor of the hotel.
Kiana landed in front of the two of them, one foot braced on a drifting rock she'd apparently used as a stepping stone, perfectly steady.
At last seeing the person they had been searching for, both Herta and Xingxiao visibly relaxed.
"Herta, Xingxiao—what are you two doing here?" Kiana asked.
That question was enough to set Herta off.
Herta's brows pinched together. Arms folded, she examined Kiana from head to toe like a disobedient child who had run away from home.
"And you still have the nerve to ask?" Herta snapped.
"You ran off to Penacony without a word to anyone. If the Astral Express hadn't contacted me, we still wouldn't know you were here."
Tch. Starting with a full-on lecture, huh? Kiana immediately wilted.
She had honestly thought she'd at least get a reunion hug first.
Then she turned to look at Xingxiao, clearly hoping for some support.
Unfortunately, even Xingxiao, who usually indulged her in everything, did not speak up for her this time.
Because under ordinary circumstances, that would have been one thing. But after everything that had happened in Penacony, Xingxiao had heard enough.
She swore that if that Sunday had truly intended to keep her lady asleep in a dream forever, she would have made sure he regretted ever existing.
"…Fine." Seeing Xingxiao refuse to help, Kiana sighed. "I admit it. This time I didn't think things through."
"Didn't think things through?" Herta's voice rose, clearly dissatisfied with how casually Kiana was taking it.
"Do you realize how dangerous things were in Penacony this time? The revival of Order, and all that nonsense Sunday pulled?"
"And even if you didn't tell us, fine—but did you seriously not even tell Cecilia?"
"Or did you tell her, and that woman actually helped you hide it from us too?"
"Wait, wait, wait—" Kiana hurriedly waved her hands, cutting off Herta's tirade.
"I really do know I was wrong. If there's a next time, I'll absolutely report it in advance."
"A next time?" Herta let out a cold laugh. "You think there's going to be a next time?"
Kiana shrank back a little and wisely said nothing.
She knew Herta was worried about her. The method was just a little… distinctive.
But the important thing now was to change the subject. Otherwise this Erudition Emanator from the Genius Society could stand here and lecture her for an entire day and night.
So Kiana decisively turned and pointed at the figure behind her—the one who had been following at a distance, so quiet she had practically faded into the background.
"Actually, the main reason I came to Penacony this time was to meet an online friend!"
She decided to dump the blame onto Acheron.
After all, Acheron clearly wasn't going to expose her now, so there was no reason not to use her as a shield.
Hearing that, Herta's brow tightened. She had never imagined Kiana would give such an answer.
Kiana's expression was perfectly open and sincere. "Miss Acheron."
At that, Acheron, though clearly caught off guard, lowered her eyes slightly in greeting.
Herta's gaze settled on Acheron, sweeping over her in silent appraisal. Her pupils shrank slightly.
"…You're a Self-Annihilator?"
As an Emanator of Erudition, Herta had encountered countless Paths.
So from the very first glance, she recognized exactly what Acheron was.
"Mhm." Kiana nodded brightly, as though introducing a perfectly normal new friend.
"We met online before. We hit it off really well. She happened to be in Penacony too, so I figured I'd come meet her in person and, while I was at it… do a little sightseeing."
Even Kiana herself felt that sounded ridiculous.
But there was no turning back now. If she couldn't bluff her way through even this, then she would have to fall back on tantrums and shamelessness.
To her surprise, Herta's expression shifted in a strange direction.
She looked at Acheron, then at Kiana, and a deeply complicated light flickered in her sharp eyes.
"An online friend?" Herta repeated, sounding genuinely incredulous.
"Right, an online friend."
"And what exactly did you talk about online?"
"Well…" Kiana blinked. "Life. Ideals. The ultimate meaning of the universe."
Acheron's eyelashes trembled, but she did not deny it.
Herta fell silent for a moment, her eyes moving between the two of them.
She felt Kiana was insulting her intelligence.
Chatting about life with a Self-Annihilator, then traveling together…
You might as well tell me she invited you to die together.
Wait.
Die together?
Herta froze on the spot.
Because although the chance was tiny, she suddenly realized that it was not zero.
After all, based on her research, there was indeed a certain type of Self-Annihilator whose Nihility could be contagious.
If this so-called online friend just happened to be one of that type, and Kiana had also just happened to be infected by her…
Herta found herself unwilling to think any further.
"Kiana. Tell me honestly." Herta fixed her with a sharp stare. "Has this person named Acheron said anything strange to you?"
"Strange? Like what?" Kiana tilted her head.
"Like… 'let's go somewhere without pain together,' or something along those lines." Herta chose her words carefully, never taking her eyes off Acheron's impassive face.
Kiana: !!!!
Wait, there's hidden plot here too?
She immediately denied it. "No, no, absolutely not! Herta, don't worry—Acheron's not that kind of person!"
Acheron, after a second, gave a faint nod.
But Herta's gaze remained deeply suspicious, moving back and forth between them. She felt something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on what.
"So…" Herta took a breath. "You ran across half the galaxy just to meet an online friend?"
She still couldn't quite accept the explanation.
If Kiana had simply wanted to come to Penacony, there had been no need to hide it from her.
After all, the Family had sent Herta an invitation too. She simply hadn't come because she lacked both time and interest in their so-called Charmony Festival.
"And I also stopped Sunday from ascending," Kiana added.
Strictly speaking, her main account had been taking it easy and letting things simmer—but one of her other accounts had absolutely been the main force.
So when Kiana said this, she did not feel the slightest bit guilty.
Herta drew in a slow breath, then let it out.
Turning to Xingxiao, she clearly sought some sort of backup.
But Xingxiao merely stood in silence, her eyes resting on Kiana, her expression unreadable.
"You don't have anything to say?" Herta asked.
Xingxiao paused briefly. "It's enough that Miss is safe."
Herta: "..."
Right. Of course it was.
"Well, fine." Herta waved a hand. "Since you're safe, I won't keep lecturing. But now that you've had your fun…"
She was very obviously implying that it was time for Kiana to come back with them.
At that moment, however, Acheron took a step forward.
Then she looked at Herta and said, "Ms. Herta, I have an impertinent request. I hope you'll hear me out."
Herta's brows lifted slightly. She did not interrupt, merely angling her body to allow Acheron space to speak.
Meanwhile, Xingxiao's gaze shifted as well, cool and alert.
Acheron ignored both of them.
She spoke plainly.
"I want to become Kiana's family."
The moment those words fell, even the stars outside Penacony seemed to go still.
Herta froze.
She truly had not expected this self-important little Self-Annihilator to dare say something so outrageous.
But the first to react was Xingxiao.
She moved almost the instant Acheron finished speaking—no hesitation, no warning, just pure killing intent.
"How dare you? How could someone as lowly as a mere Self-Annihilator ever dream of reaching above your station like this?"
Purple light exploded through the void, splitting into countless blades that rained down toward Acheron.
"Xingxiao!" Herta's voice cracked through the sky. "Stop!"
No matter how poor her impression of this overconfident Self-Annihilator, Xingxiao was still an Emanator. She had no business striking at what ought to have been an ordinary person.
But even if Herta wanted to stop her, it was already too late.
Fortunately, Acheron was no ordinary girl.
The sword at her waist slipped half an inch from its sheath.
Instantly, countless slashes burst forth, intercepting Xingxiao's attack in a flash.
And there was no mistaking the force behind them: this, too, was power at the level of an Emanator.
And not a weak one.
"…An Emanator of Nihility?" Herta and Xingxiao both frowned.
Acheron continued, "You two misunderstand. I have no ill intent. I merely wish to become part of Kiana's circle of loved ones, just like you."
"Her circle of loved ones?!" Herta was stunned all over again.
The way Acheron had said it, Herta had assumed she meant something far more suggestive.
So this was it?
"A Nihility Emanator," Herta said, staring at her. "You really did hide yourself well."
Acheron answered calmly, "I don't think I was hiding."
And that was true. Ever since she arrived in Penacony, Acheron had never once concealed the fact that she was an Emanator.
Herta took a breath and turned to Kiana.
"You already knew?"
Kiana blinked. "Knew what?"
"That she's an Emanator."
"Oh, that?" Kiana scratched her head. "Yeah, I knew."
"Then why didn't you say so earlier?"
"I just didn't get around to it yet."
Herta's brow twitched. She was beginning to suspect her blood pressure was rising.
Meanwhile Xingxiao kept her eyes fixed on Acheron.
Her gaze was cold as a blade, measuring this sudden Self-Annihilator inch by inch, as though gauging her true weight.
"Um… how about we all calm down a little?" Kiana interjected just as the atmosphere was turning sharp again.
It seemed that if she wanted to sort out these complicated relationships properly, she was going to need some time.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 155)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter200)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter110)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter230)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 200
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 180
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 230
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 220
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 120
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 135
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 110
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 100
My Harem Is Indescribable 90
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 95
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 80
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 70
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 75
Checking In in Demon Slayer 80
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 85
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 70
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 65
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 70
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 70
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 65
Why did they assign me to Uma 65
MYGO Beauties 65
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 55
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 65
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 45
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 45
The Uma Musume Who Became 40
I'm Definitely Not the King of 45
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
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