"Hehehe~ I'm freakin' here!"
"I just wanna know which Aeon was so unlucky to get kicked off their throne."
"Shut it, what do you know?!"
"This just means she was eager to level up, jumping straight from the old era into the new one!"
"So it's a proper changing of the guard, huh? The throne gets inherited, but the person's gone?"
"Laugh!"
Kiana couldn't help but feel that audiences around the world were getting a bit too comfortable.
Some had pulled up little stools to sit on.
Others had outright brought out beers, turning the place lively.
But the leaders and higher-ups from various countries and organizations, they all dutifully turned on their comms, holding meetings together remotely if they had to.
They just couldn't keep up with the youngsters' rhythm.
Can't be helped, really. It's all because the cliffhanger from the last episode had left everyone on tenterhooks, even now.
That's why more and more people were waiting with bated breath. Though it's like this every time…every single time, it feels brand new.
"Seele, want an apple?" Rin smiled sweetly.
"Sure… Mmm, I'll peel it," Seele replied softly.
Miss Jyahnar wasn't in human form today.
Because.
Elysia was stuck to Kiana like glue, and it seemed there was no spot left for her.
So, business as usual, she chose her exclusive seat, transformed into a manta ray shape, and plopped herself on top of Kiana's head.
A tiny little thing, just like a small hat.
Every now and then, her slender tail would go swish swish against Elysia's face. Like she was venting spite.
It didn't hurt, but she was clearly not thrilled.
Elysia just laughed, it was no trouble at all.
She even picked up Jyahnar's tail and started playing with it, fiddling around.
That's right! She wanted Kiana, and she wanted Jyahnar too.
Sticking close to Kiana, she'd open her little mouth, letting Kiana feed her peanuts, feeling simply blissful.
A small satisfaction, a whole lot of sweetness.
Watching from the side, Eden couldn't help but smile faintly, holding her ornate goblet, she took a small sip.
Leaning lightly against the balcony railing.
She could see the sky above, where the sky screen gradually emerged, churned, and then solidified.
Any place, any corner. As long as you could see the sky… you could get the best view of the images on that screen.
About this, everyone was pretty much used to it by now.
Science?
This is science.
Honkai energy? Imaginary energy? Just plain magical, I guess?! No need to dwell on it~
--+--
[Ciallo~]
--+--
"Ciallo~" ×N
--+--
[Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, dear esteemed viewers!]
[I'm your darling little wife, Yuzu. Sorry to keep you waiting~!]
--+--
"Hey there, wifey!"
"Miss Yuzu, I've missed you so much!"
"Shut up, who's your wifey? She's my wifey!"
"My Yuzu is crying in my arms because you're all ruining her reputation."
"Keep that up and you'll be getting a lawyer's letter."
All around the world, even at the same time, there were people chattering noisily, everywhere, all sorts of folks.
Though it was good-natured.
Like a joke.
But let's be real! They might just be speaking their minds.
Doesn't seem fake.
Right then.
On the screen!
The familiar interview livestream room, still sci-fi in style, but somehow, it felt a bit different.
The chibi Miss Yuzu sat on one side of a long sofa, facing a crescent-moon-shaped coffee table.
Most importantly! Opposite her was another chibi character.
Everyone knew what that meant.
"Yay! We've got a guest again!"
"Wonder who it is?"
"Don't think I've seen her before… A new character?"
--+--
[The one sitting across from me… let me proudly introduce her.]
[No need for that~! Self-introductions… should be done by oneself, of course~]
--+--
But before Yuzu could finish.
This guest girl, with a sweet, affected voice, cut her off, acting all familiar, waving her little hand cutely, yet seeming like a little imp, clearly mischievous.
--+--
[I am the greatest jokester in the entire~ universe, the Aeon of Elation's…]
--+--
"Holy crap, an Aeon?"
"The Aeon of Elation?! Is it Aha?"
"Isn't Aha just a pile of masks? How come she's a girl?"
"Can't she turn into a girl if she wants?"
--+--
[…most beloved Emanator, Miss Sparkle~]
[clap clap clap, pleased to meet you~!]
--+--
She started applauding on her own.
The entire world was momentarily stunned, then, catching on, fell into silence.
Didn't know what to say.
"So… she's not the Aeon of Elation."
"Alright, alright, an Emanator of Elation, huh? That tracks!"
You could say, that sudden burst of absurdity caught the whole world off guard.
Nearly knocked the wind out of us.
Almost didn't process it in time.
"This should be quite a show~" Ato chuckled. Don't get him wrong, he was just genuinely looking forward to it, no ill will intended.
Because 'Elation' probably means someone who loves stirring the pot and enjoys chaos. Maybe this episode will be full of laughs?
No, it definitely will.
Because even if there's no fun to be had, she'll probably make some, right?
You could almost feel the air itself turning more cheerful.
All around the world, many found their lips curling into smiles, even if they didn't realize it, sharing a knowing grin.
So this is Elation, huh?
Noted~
--+--
[Ahem, Lady Sparkle~]
--+--
Chibi Yuzu cleared her throat twice.
--+--
[Call me Big Sis Sparkle.]
--+--
Sparkle, still using her affected voice, made the demand.
Chibi Yuzu looked kinda scared of her, nodding hurriedly before continuing.
--+--
[Big Sis Sparkle.]
[Mhm.]
[How about you reveal today's video title?]
[Oh my~ Can I really?]
[Yes, yes!]
[Alright then, today's title is! "Let's all watch the little purple-haired girl together~"]
--+--
Sparkle pressed a button on the remote, aiming at the large screen on the wall.
A title appeared, ["Acheron: The New Nihility Aeon Who's Not Nihilistic At All"],then was immediately crossed out and replaced with the title Sparkle had said.
--+--
[See~ This is the little purple-haired girl~]
--+--
Then, in the blink of an eye, the screen displayed a large illustration, like a poster or a frontispiece, carrying a void-like, empty charm, depicting a woman holding a red paper umbrella.
Long purple hair, eyes calm like stagnant water.
Wearing a single shoulder armor.
The base outfit was a tailored version of something resembling a samurai's attire.
Asymmetrical long boots accentuated her slender, beautiful legs.
An odachi nearly two to three meters long was impossible to miss.
But the strange thing was, with just one glance, the heavens, the earth, all things seemed to lose their color, leaving only that red oil-paper umbrella as the sole remaining light.
Everything was grayscale.
As if a dark, gray vortex was churning, swallowing everything, all phenomena being devoured, gradually eaten away.
"What… What in the world is this?!"
"Is this that woman called Acheron?"
"This isn't even about whether she's beautiful or not anymore…"
"The Aeon of Nihility… feels… more terrifying than the other Aeons!"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.