Kiana began recounting her experiences in Izumo to Robin, carefully selecting the parts she wanted to share.
She spoke of things she hadn't mentioned before—about Izumo's past, the Godslaying Corps' resistance, and the thousand-year struggle of Izumo's people against the Kami.
She even laughed at her own futile efforts there, treating them as nothing more than a personal joke.
"I never would've imagined that such incredible people once lived in a place like that."
Robin couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
More sensitive and empathetic than most, she easily connected with the emotions in Kiana's tale. Though distant from her own world, she could still picture that storm-torn planet and its tragic history.
But now—
"So you're saying your friend's consciousness is inside something called a Stigmata World? And that Stigmata... is on you?"
As expected, that detail caught her interest the most. The story of Izumo might have felt far away, but Kiana was sitting right before her—real, tangible.
A Stigmata containing someone's consciousness...
Born in Penacony, Robin immediately made the connection. The power of the Path of Remembrance could indeed achieve something like that.
Penacony itself was built upon the abundant Memoria and the work of countless Dreamweavers—their efforts turned it into the splendid world of dreams it was today.
She and her brother had been adopted by the Dreammaster, and she knew a bit about the truth behind it all. Penacony had no shortage of the wealthy and dying who sought to live forever within dreams, entering eternal life through their partnership with the Family.
"Yes, it's right on my back. If you're curious, I can show you," Kiana said half-jokingly.
But Robin didn't seem to realize it was a joke. "I'd like to see it," she said seriously.
She really wanted to see it?
Kiana froze for a second. She hadn't expected her to take that seriously. Still, the Stigmata wasn't in an especially private spot, so she quickly composed herself.
"Are you sure you want to?"
"I know it's a bit forward, but I'd like to see what it looks like."
Robin's tone was firm and earnest.
A world within a Stigmata, a consciousness bound to it... She thought of Memory Bubbles, of Penacony, of countless other related constructs—but never had she imagined something like this could be carried on a person's body.
That worried her.
If this thing could harm Kiana, she needed to know. A living, conscious entity attached to one's body—this was no trivial matter.
"Well..."
Kiana hesitated, psyching herself up. When Robin didn't back down, she sighed and turned around. "Alright."
She brushed her long hair over one shoulder, then loosened her top slightly, baring her back.
The smooth, delicate skin now exposed made Robin's face flush faintly. Though they were both women, the sight still caught her off guard.
Kiana's clothing was usually modest, and with the bandages covering most of her body since the Honkai corrosion, there was rarely much to see.
Everything was—just enough.
From an artistic perspective, even Robin had to admit Kiana's figure was perfectly balanced—neither more nor less than it should be.
On her back, a vivid crimson mark stood out starkly against her pale skin—an intricate design unlike anything Robin had seen before.
So this was the Stigmata Kiana had mentioned.
Such an unassuming pattern... yet it concealed an entire world—and the consciousness of another person?
"Can I touch it?"
"T-Touch it?!"
Having grown used to Ruan Mei's physical examinations, Kiana had managed to steady herself enough to bare her back. But Robin's sudden request completely threw her off.
Did she really want to examine it?
"I meant your Stigmata," Robin clarified quickly.
It was a bold request—but between friends, perhaps it wasn't strange.
It was just a touch on her back.
They were both girls—it was perfectly normal, right?
Normal... right?
As Robin thought about it more, she began to second-guess herself. After all, she didn't have any other friends quite like Kiana.
Of course I know you mean the Stigmata! Kiana's face flushed red, though with her back turned, she couldn't see that Robin's own face had turned just as pink.
When she was with Ruan Mei, undressing for examinations or enduring brief physical contact had never been an issue.
But who would ever have feelings toward their doctor?
A friend though... well...
Between friends, it should be fine.
Still—she wasn't exactly straight!
"Ahem... go ahead, just... be gentle."
It was just a Stigmata touch—nothing indecent. Come on, Kiana, don't make such a big deal out of this! she told herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.
Hearing her consent, Robin steadied her own nerves and raised her right hand toward the glowing crimson mark on Kiana's back.
Her fingertips shimmered faintly with a soft light.
It was the power of Harmony.
She channeled that power to sense whether the Stigmata posed any harm to Kiana—or if the consciousness within it was dangerous.
Her glowing fingertip brushed gently against the Stigmata. Kiana, feeling the motion, tensed slightly, her back stiffening.
At the same time, she could feel the faint pulse of the Path of Harmony.
Harmony? she realized. So she's just trying to check if it's safe.
Relaxing, Kiana let out a small breath.
The power of Harmony made contact with the Stigmata—but only for a heartbeat.
Robin immediately recoiled, pulling her hand away as if burned. The connection between her and the Stigmata was severed in an instant, and she stumbled back, her face pale with shock.
"What's wrong?"
Startled by her reaction, Kiana spun around hastily, fumbling to pull her clothes back on. Seeing the lingering fear in Robin's eyes, she grew worried. "Robin, are you alright?"
Robin, still shaken, grabbed her arm tightly. Her voice was urgent, trembling slightly. "It's too dangerous, Kiana—you can't! How can you keep something so dangerous on your body?"
"What did you see?"
"Blood. Nothing but blood."
Robin's eyes flickered with unease as she tried to describe what she'd felt. "Hatred, despair, and pain... It was like a crimson tide—waves and waves of pure negative emotion."
In Penacony, emotions that intense could easily manifest powerful nightmares.
"You can't keep something like that inside you—it'll consume you!" Robin insisted, clutching at her clothes. "I'm from Penacony—you know how advanced we are in dream research."
"Trust me, Kiana. Keeping something that dangerous inside your body... it's not a wise choice!"
Was she and Robin really talking about the same thing? Could this Stigmata truly be filled with despair and pain? Dangerous?
Kiana looked down at the mark on her skin—it sat there quietly, perfectly ordinary and harmless.
"Calm down, tell me slowly."
"I'm not lying to you," Robin insisted firmly. "If you don't believe me, I can sync our senses."
She could let Kiana feel exactly what she had—those deep, suffocating emotions, that whirlpool of crimson despair.
It had been the first time Robin had ever felt such intense, overwhelming negativity. The memory of it would haunt her for the rest of her life.
"I don't doubt you," Kiana said gently, "but I didn't lie either. The Stigmata is perfectly safe for me. What you felt just now... it's probably Sakura's lingering emotions."
Robin's eyes widened in surprise.
Kiana hadn't told her what Yae Sakura had gone through inside the Stigmata World, but now that Robin had sensed those emotions firsthand, she couldn't rest without an explanation.
"She's my friend," Kiana began, choosing her words carefully. "Her name is Yae Sakura. She was once a shrine maiden devoted to the Frost Kami."
She told Robin fragments of Sakura's story, then went on to describe the nature of the Stigmata World.
"She could never let go of her regrets. So after death, her consciousness returned to that one moment she wished she could change—and there, trapped, she relived that same pain again and again, like falling into an endless hell."
"The emotions you felt—most of them came from the sorrow she carried through countless restarts."
By the time Kiana finished, Robin's expression was full of sympathy.
She had a brother of her own.
So she understood—what it meant for someone who lived for their sibling to lose them, to carry that grief for eternity.
If that was the case, then what she had just felt couldn't be considered a danger.
"I see... I misunderstood."
"You were only worried about me. I'll apologize to Sakura later," Kiana said, smiling faintly.
Robin hesitated, then asked, "Could I... go with you? To meet her?"
"No."
Kiana shook her head almost instantly. She wasn't about to joke with this. Letting a Pathstrider who'd never been exposed to Honkai energy enter a Stigmata World? She had no idea what might happen.
"I see..." Robin murmured, assuming it was because she lacked the means to dreamwalk like Kiana. "Maybe Penacony could help with that."
"Huh?"
"Letting you and her meet again," Robin explained. "You know about Penacony's Memoria concentration, right? There, it's possible for someone from a dream to manifest in reality."
Kiana's eyes flickered with interest.
Memoria...
If it came to that, she could replicate Penacony's structure—turn Izumo into a perfect dream-world simulation. That might actually work.
"When I get the chance, I'll visit!" she said seriously this time. She truly meant it—already thinking of going to see Ruan Mei first, then visiting Penacony afterward.
"When you come, tell me ahead of time," Robin said with a light laugh, though there was a trace of resignation in her voice. "I'll be staying in Penacony for a while."
After what happened on Kasbelina-VIII, her brother would definitely want her close—to remind her of the importance of keeping herself safe.
He had recently become head of the Oak lineage. It was about time she returned and saw how Penacony was faring under his leadership.
"I'll be sure to contact you."
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Interstellar travel always consumed time.
They had already left Euphorion and entered another system, though they had yet to encounter the Interastral Peace Corporation.
It wasn't until another two weeks later that they finally arrived at a planet where the IPC operated heavily.
There, Kiana posted a bounty—one hundred million credits—to search for Mei's whereabouts, spending nearly everything she had.
Satisfied, she parted with Robin for now and set off on the route back to find Ruan Mei—and hopefully enjoy some well-deserved free meals.
What she didn't know, however, was that the route she'd chosen... was far from peaceful.
...
"So this is Herta Space Station? It's quite impressive. That blue planet below—must be The Blue, right?"
After a long voyage, a merchant ship finally docked at Herta Space Station.
Sirin disembarked with her assistant. Yet, rather than being impressed by the grandeur of the station, her gaze lingered longer on the azure planet below.
Once, long ago…
Izumo had been just as beautiful.
As station personnel approached, the nostalgia faded from Sirin's eyes. She composed herself and stepped forward.
The pink-haired girl leading the group was clearly the one in charge. If the collaboration invitation came from Herta Space Station, then she was likely the one to talk to.
That assumption was confirmed when the girl smiled brightly and said, "You must be from the Izumo Trade Association, right? I'm Herta Space Station's manager—you can just call me Asta."
"So you're Manager Asta."
Years of interstellar travel had tempered Sirin's sharpness. She returned the smile with calm politeness. "I'm Sirin, president of the Izumo Trade Association. We received your collaboration proposal a while back, so we came in person to discuss it."
"Yes, that proposal came from us—or rather, from me personally."
Asta's tone was warm and welcoming. "You and your team must be tired after such a long trip. Please, come rest inside the station with me."
"Thank you, Manager Asta."
Herta Space Station—built by the genius herself—was renowned as a sanctuary for collecting rare and mysterious artifacts.
Sirin had a good idea of what this invitation meant. She and her people had already speculated that the station likely wanted to purchase their collection of relics—most of which had once belonged to Kiana.
There were duplicates, pieces of limited use—those she could sell to Herta without regret.
Credits weren't a problem for them.
But Sirin's true goal in coming here was the same as Raiden Mei's: to confirm whether Kiana was still alive.
Izumo's high-density Honkai environment was beyond her reach. She needed to cooperate with someone capable of exploring it safely.
And Herta...
Herta was the perfect candidate—provided she had an interest in Honkai energy.
The space station's purpose might be to acquire the relics they carried, but Sirin's purpose... was Herta herself.
As they toured the station, Asta remained gracious, chatting pleasantly while answering Sirin's questions about Herta.
After a while, Asta led her into a spacious conference room. "My apologies, Miss Sirin," she said politely. "Madam Herta is still busy. We'll need to wait just a little longer."
"Time is precious for geniuses. I completely understand."
Sirin smiled faintly, her expression composed—though beneath that calm exterior, her thoughts were far from still.