She soon located the spaceship in space, her eyes lighting up as she immediately returned aboard.
Good news—Robin was still waiting for her!
Once back inside the clean and comfortable ship, Kiana finally relaxed. She no longer had to worry about being in that high-concentration Honkai environment and losing control to become a Herrscher again.
"Kiana?"
As soon as she returned to the ship, hurried footsteps came from elsewhere, followed quickly by the anxious figure of Robin.
Seeing Kiana return, all the worry that had accumulated over the past days turned into pure relief and joy.
Heaven knew how anxious and regretful she had been—blaming herself for not insisting more strongly that day, for not stopping Kiana from heading to that planet that looked so perilous.
"Sorry for worrying you."
Kiana apologized, guilt in her voice as she faced Robin, whose eyes were rimmed red. She really had gone too far this time—she hadn't come alone, yet she had left Robin behind here all by herself.
She couldn't leave, nor could she go after her.
She must have been worried sick.
Unexpectedly, Robin suddenly threw herself forward, tightly embracing her in an impulsive act of relief.
"It's alright—it's alright. You're back, that's what matters. You must have gone through something dangerous, right?"
Being hugged like that, Kiana's mind went blank for a moment. It had been the same when she parted with Yae Sakura; Jyahnar had only been a projection.
"I'm just glad you came back safe!"
"I-I'm fine. I'm really sorry for making you worry."
It wasn't that they had never shared close contact before, but those were always moments of danger—there had been no time for any stray thoughts.
Robin shook her head, realizing she had acted too impulsively. Her face flushed slightly as she pulled back a little—only to notice the strange, crack-like violet marks still visible on Kiana's exposed skin.
"Your hand!"
Worried, Robin grabbed Kiana's hand. Seeing the abnormal markings, she reached out in distress, wanting to touch them—but Kiana quickly withdrew her hand.
She hurriedly explained, "These are traces left by Honkai energy corrosion. They're dangerous to you."
"But your body... are you—"
"It's nothing like that, don't worry. It's not a big problem for me. They'll disappear after some time."
Kiana looked down at the marks on her hand. She didn't know how long they would take to fade, so before that, she might as well wrap them in bandages to cover them up.
"Right, how long was I gone in system time?"
Kiana suddenly remembered and asked, "It felt like three or four days?"
Robin, still worried and occasionally glancing at her hand, replied, "It's been eighty-two system hours."
So the difference wasn't too great.
When she went to the Stigmata World to find Sakura, she'd have to be more careful about time flow.
"Kiana... did you find what you were looking for?"
Judging from her condition, things hadn't been easy.
Her body looked like that—if she had found nothing, that would've been too cruel.
"I found a lot!"
Kiana smiled. "Thank you for coming with me. I've found many reassuring answers. I confirmed it back in Izumo—my friend, the one I've been searching for, she's still alive. I don't know where she went yet, but just knowing she's safe has finally given me peace."
Robin smiled with genuine relief. "As long as you still think of each other, no matter how vast the sea of stars, there will always come a day when you meet again."
"Yeah. No matter how vast the stars are, we'll meet again someday."
Her voice softened with emotion.
She and Mei would definitely meet again.
If she couldn't find her elsewhere, then she would head to Penacony's Charmony Festival. If fate truly existed, she was sure that there—she would meet Mei once more.
What needed to be done had been done.
Kiana and Robin left the area together. Since it was close to the Nihility's domain, the sooner they left, the better.
Back in her quarters, Kiana washed herself, then took some bandages and, standing before the mirror, wrapped all the areas marked with Honkai traces.
Only after finishing this did she step out of her room.
Robin was in the ship's lounge, sitting on the sofa by the window with a magazine in her hands, but her mind was clearly elsewhere.
"Why the gloomy look?"
Kiana walked up and asked, sitting down a short distance away.
"Did something happen?"
"Kiana? Are you feeling better now?"
Hearing Kiana's voice, Robin snapped out of her thoughts, realizing with a bit of embarrassment that she hadn't noticed Kiana coming out.
Kiana blinked, following Robin's gaze to her own bandaged arms.
"Don't worry, I'm feeling much better. The bandages are just to keep others from accidentally getting corroded by Honkai energy."
"You saw what the Honkai can do back on Kasbelina-VIII. It's incredibly dangerous for anyone without resistance."
"Shouldn't you get checked just in case?"
Robin's worried tone was understandable. She had seen firsthand how destructive that energy could be, so it was natural she'd be anxious about Kiana's condition.
"Checked... hmm, you're right, I probably should."
Kiana didn't think it was necessary, but she didn't want to refuse Robin's concern either. "I'll have Ruan check me when I get back. Don't worry—she's really good at this."
"Ruan Mei, huh."
Robin remembered that the Ruan Kiana mentioned was part of the Genius Society, a prodigy once noticed by the Aeon of Erudition. That thought eased her worries a little.
"Just don't take your health lightly, okay? You don't want to leave any aftereffects."
"Don't worry," Kiana said with a sheepish scratch to her head. "Even if I don't bring it up, Ruan will definitely make me get checked."
Robin nodded, but then her expression turned a little downcast. "I might not be able to see you off. A few days ago, I got a message from my brother—somehow, he found out about what happened to me on Kasbelina-VIII."
"You're going back to Penacony?"
Robin sighed helplessly. "I have to, at least for a while. If we hadn't already left Kasbelina-VIII by the time he found out, he'd probably be on his way to drag me back himself."
"Then let me take you back to Penacony!"
Kiana offered eagerly. Since she had already left Izumo, she wasn't in a rush to meet Ruan Mei yet.
As for Mei and Sirin... the stars were vast—it would be hard to find them by wandering aimlessly.
Maybe she could post a commission with the Interastral Peace Corporation.
That would be much faster than searching blindly without any leads.
"No, no need to trouble yourself."
Robin wanted to stay with Kiana a bit longer, but seeing the bandages wrapped around her arms, she didn't want Kiana wasting time escorting her to Penacony.
Kiana should go find Ruan Mei as soon as possible and make sure there were no lingering risks to her body.
If her brother weren't in such a hurry, Robin would have stayed to accompany Kiana for the check-up before returning.
...Kiana's current condition didn't look fine at all.
...
"It's raining again."
The sky here was as sunless as ever, heavy clouds thick and unbroken, ready to release another downpour at any moment. The woman holding an umbrella stared blankly at the sudden rain.
In this star system, sunlight was a rarity.
Only that eternal black sun remained, ever looming, exerting its unseen influence over all.
Endless rain was the norm.
As she watched the rainfall, she realized her memories of the past had become even hazier without her noticing.
She could only vaguely remember that she had already seen countless rains like this one.
But that was fine.
The things that truly mattered—the things she must never forget—she still remembered. Those were the memories she could not afford to lose.
The only remnants of her and them.
From her coat, she took out a carefully preserved photograph, though time had left it slightly worn.
In the photo, two young girls sat together on a grassy field. The white-haired girl clung to the other's arm, resting her head on her shoulder, asleep with a peaceful expression.
Her fingertip brushed across the white-haired girl's image. In her eyes—eyes as weary as they were beautiful—flitted a trace of tenderness and longing.
"Kiana..."
No matter how many years had passed, or how far she had walked down this road of no return, the memories of Kiana had never faded.
Every time she whispered that name, her heart—long since as still as dead water—still ached faintly.
Kiana... was she really still alive?
After all this time, she no longer dared to ask that question. She only needed the power strong enough to force her way into Izumo without destroying it—to find the answers to everything herself.
Since then, after enduring endless failures, an obsession had taken root deep in her heart.
"I'll be leaving for a while."
In a quiet place, the woman once known as Raiden Mei held that photo in hand and looked up toward the domain of Nihility.
Her eyes, an exquisite shade of violet, resembled bottomless black holes—empty, unfathomable, and lethally beautiful.
And not just her eyes.
Anyone sensitive enough could feel it—the danger buried beneath her elegant surface, like a flower both radiant and deadly.
"But don't worry," she whispered softly to the photograph. "It won't be for long."
...
"The star sea is vast. Just drop me off at a world near Euphorion that has trade relations with the IPC."
"The IPC, huh? Speaking of which, I was just thinking of asking them for a favor."
Kiana wanted to contact the Interastral Peace Corporation?
Robin tilted her head curiously. "You want them to help you find someone? That's actually a good idea."
"Exactly. I want to ask them to keep an eye out for my friend. Searching alone could take forever. The IPC's business spans entire galaxies—if I post a bounty, and she sees it, she'll definitely come looking for me!"
There was no downside to asking the IPC for help.
The only issue was that a long-term commission would probably cost quite a bit. If she wanted people to take notice of Mei, she couldn't offer a small reward.
Still, she had some credits left.
It should be enough.
After all, she wasn't posting a bounty for capture—just a search notice for Mei's whereabouts.
Robin's smile brightened. "Then it looks like we'll be traveling together for a little while longer."
"How about I just take you back to Penacony myself?"
Seeing her so cheerful made Kiana feel even guiltier.
Robin seemed to really see her as a close friend.
And as a friend, Kiana felt she should make sure Robin got home safely. The universe wasn't exactly a safe place, after all.
The Xianzhou natives, the Antimatter Legion, perhaps even the still-lingering Swarm—plus countless other dangerous, unpredictable races.
Compared to those, interstellar pirates were nothing. Most of what she mentioned were Aeon factions.
Robin shook her head, her gaze falling again to Kiana's bandaged hands. Concern filled her voice as she leaned closer, as if to check on her wounds.
"I'm actually more worried about your body."
She had plenty of experience dealing with all kinds of problems, but Kiana was different. It was clear from their time together that she rarely traveled far from home.
"My body's fine."
Not wanting Robin to worry, Kiana tried to pull her hand back—but Robin held it firmly, refusing to let go.
"I'm a Pathstrider too," she said softly, shifting her focus from Kiana's hand to her eyes. "As a child of Harmony, I think I can tell when something's dangerous."
Leaning back against the sofa, Kiana met her gaze for a moment before turning away. "But the Honkai isn't like anything you've known. You must've noticed Izumo's abnormalities after observing it for days, right?"
"You mean how that planet seemed caught between two opposing Paths?" Robin asked.
So she mistook the Honkai for a Path?
Kiana pressed her lips together and replied, "The Honkai isn't a Path. It has incredibly strong assimilation power. You saw it yourself—even the forces of Nihility can't avoid being distorted and consumed by it."
"Oh, right—since you stayed there for a few days, did you feel anything strange? Were you affected by Nihility's power?"
"I'm a Pathstrider too, remember? And the area Izumo occupies isn't exactly the depths of Nihility."
Robin emphasized again that she was a Pathstrider. She might not have offensive strength, but as one who walked the Path of Harmony, she possessed far greater adaptability and resilience than an ordinary person.
That was one of the reasons her brother trusted her to tour the stars on her own.
Kiana hesitated, glancing at the hands still holding her right hand, then sighed. "If you ever feel unwell, you have to tell me, alright? I can handle it—I'm built to adapt."
"Mhm!"
Seeing Kiana no longer resist her touch, Robin's spirits lifted. She eyed the bandages around Kiana's hands—the wrapping was clumsy, uneven.
It made her want to rewrap them properly herself. But before she could say anything, Kiana changed the subject.
"I gained a lot from this trip. Not only did I confirm that the friend I've been searching for is still alive, but I also met another friend on Izumo."
Robin's curiosity was piqued.
That planet hadn't looked remotely livable. For someone to survive there, Kiana's friend must have been truly extraordinary.
"How about I tell you that story?"
Kiana still remembered the reasons Robin had wanted to visit Euphorion in the first place—to clear her mind and seek inspiration for her songwriting.
They hadn't encountered anything particularly inspiring along the way, and once they arrived at Izumo, Robin had stayed behind on the ship, too worried to do any fieldwork.
Now that everything was over, and their parting was near, this might be her last chance to share it—before their conversations were confined to messages across the stars.