[In short!]
--+--
Miss Yuzu couldn't really say if it was true or not.
After all, she'd openly admitted to everyone on camera that while the incident happened not too long ago, she literally hadn't been born yet, so how could she know the details?
Besides, the Penacony incident was a major scandal for the Harmony faction back then.
Everyone was doing their utmost to cover it up. Heck, most people didn't even know it had happened at all.
It's only recently that they've started to loosen up and let a few details slip. So, under the circumstances… let's just go with that!
Anyway, it's all open to interpretation. Like I said at the start, this is just a casual chat—those who get it, get it~
--+--
[Sometimes I get to see this Mei big sister too.]
[She became the new Aeon of Nihility, but there's nothing nihilistic about her. In fact, she seems even more self-assured now than when she was walking the deepest parts of the Path of Nihility, almost like an Emanator.]
[Everyone who should've come back, has come back.]
[Her memories remain intact, her senses are restored. Towards the world, she seems calm on the surface, yet somehow still full of passion…]
[She's doing pretty well.]
--+--
Hearing this, Miss Sparkle chimed in, pointing out.
--+--
[That's all thanks to my adorable little hubby's help, you know.]
[After all, ever since my little hubby took off, the grip the Paths have over the Aeons across the universe has plummeted. The Aeons have much more freedom now, especially the newer ones in this era.]
[Besides, while a Path might impose some constraints, they aren't absolute.]
[As long as that little purple-haired girl thinks she's being nihilistic, that she's slacking off, then she is walking the Path of Nihility.]
[What's her daily sword practice, if not a form of slacking off?]
[And what's savoring delicious food every day, if not a form of nihilism?]
[If she thinks it is, then it is~]
[Anyway, all the Aeons these days have learned to be naughty~ They're all like this!]
[Before, only the Aeon of Elation would pull this stuff, but now? Everyone's at it.]
--+--
"Sounds… pretty logical, actually!"
"True that!"
Someone caught onto the key point here.
It reminded them of a discussion some scholars had brought up during a symposium before.
After all, the final say on what constitutes Nihility… belongs to Nihility itself.
It's a familiar playbook, isn't it? You know what I mean, right?
--+--
[The former Aeon of Nihility, IX, didn't fall.]
[They were subdued by Big Sister Mei, who keeps them close, almost like a little pet, often using them as a sleeping pillow.]
--+--
Miss Yuzu looked like she had a complaint on the tip of her tongue.
But Miss Sparkle wasn't about to indulge her. She spoke first, basically telling her to save it.
--+--
[After all, it's a big ol' gelatinous egg! Round, soft, not only feels great to hug, but it's also a major flex to take out and about!]
[And the former Aeon of Nihility, IX, had countless manifestations. One of them was a supermassive black hole in the cosmos.]
[As a black hole, it can passively suck in all sorts of junk, like… its owner's troublesome emotions, for instance…]
[Doesn't that sound perfectly reasonable?]
--+--
Little Rin looked up, mumbling, "Suddenly I feel kinda sorry for the Aeon of Nihility…"
"That's just… the victor becomes king, the loser a bandit…" Miss Seele said earnestly.
As she spoke, she even sneaked a glance at Kiana. Of course, Kiana didn't miss it. Several of the other girls noticed it too.
But they didn't pay it much mind.
Lately, Seele had been stealing looks at Kiana like this often. It didn't seem malicious, but she was definitely thinking something.
This time, however, Seele hesitated, seemed to choose her words carefully, then looked at Kiana and asked, a bit shyly,
"Between the God… and Miss Acheron… who is stronger, Big Sister?"
"Ten to one odds, I'd say."
Kiana replied offhandedly, "The current Acheron, as an Aeon? One slash from her, and the Cocoon of Finality would die at least nine times over. Maybe even more, honestly?"
"Though, more likely, one slash would leave the Cocoon so deep in the red it wouldn't even know how much HP it owed, before departing this world with a smile."
"Oh~" Seele nodded, seeming to understand.
Actually, by now, Kiana hadn't been hiding things too strictly. At the very least, all the girls close to her knew that the Honkai, and even the Will of Honkai, ultimately originated from the Cocoon of Finality.
It was a high-dimensional artifact created by a higher existence and it wasn't unique to their world.
Even the Honkai Impact 3rd world they'd had some contact with before, and many other timelines connected to it, all fell under its observation and influence.
Put another way, if Kiana could trace things back to their source, find the Cocoon of Finality, and resolve things at the root, she could probably change the fate of many parallel worlds.
However!
If you're asking whether that would change the nature of the Honkai itself? That's impossible.
Because the Honkai is the screening mechanism of the Imaginary Tree, a fundamental law. The Cocoon of Finality is just like a voltage regulator, a control valve—it consciously limits and adjusts the Honkai, but it isn't the source that produces it.
It's just that, most of the time, you can treat them as equivalent.
Because… as long as you can pass through the Cocoon and transcend the Finality, then you've essentially passed the Honkai trial.
The native world gets to stay.
It won't fall into the Sea of Quanta.
To put it bluntly, if this truth about the Tree and Sea were discovered under normal circumstances, and they even managed to anchor the Cocoon's existence, it would indeed be a good thing for the world.
Unfortunately…with Jyahnar's arrival, in everyone's understanding, the final piece of the puzzle was already in place.
With the Great Lady, the Origin, and Jyahnar all gathered, it was practically a guaranteed victory.
So, under those circumstances, what did it matter what the source of the Honkai was, or how it all worked?
It probably just counted as a tiny bit of marginally useful intel.
Maybe somewhat useful for scientists, scholars, experts, or those who were interested.
For everyone else? It was pretty much whatever.
Knowing or not knowing…What difference did it really make?
Cocoon of Finality: I feel like you all show me a profound lack of respect!
Meanwhile, Miss Seele quietly tilted her head back, watching the sky-screen video where Miss Yuzu continued talking about Acheron's affairs, while Miss Sparkle kept livening up the atmosphere with her breezy, perpetually irreverent tone.
Even Little Rin couldn't help but laugh while watching.
But Seele seemed preoccupied, not laughing, instead turning to look at Kiana and asking expectantly,
"Big Sister…"
"Mhm?" Kiana responded.
"Later, when we become really strong… let's go beat up the Cocoon of Finality together… okay?" Seele's voice was timid, but her words were the fiercest kind.
Instantly, all the girls nearby looked over at her.
Their faces a mix of astonishment and barely suppressed… something.
This couldn't even be described as rebellious anymore! This was… defiance running through her entire bones!
Aren't you a Herrscher? What's going on with you… acting like this?
What did the Cocoon of Finality ever do to you?
It can't be that serious, right?
--+--
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.