The next morning.
After a deep sleep, Kiana awoke right on time, guided by her internal clock.
The first thing she felt upon waking was the soft, warm, comforting embrace of Acheron.
As the memories of the previous night drifted back, Kiana, still half-asleep, burrowed closer into her arms, rubbing against her like a spoiled cat.
Yesterday…
"Awake?"
Acheron's soft voice came from above, and the hand she had resting at Kiana's waist pressed gently, easing the soreness from her lower back.
"Mm…"
Kiana made a faint sound, her face brushing against Acheron's neck. "Just five more minutes, Mei~"
She was awake, but she had absolutely no desire to get up.
"Alright. Sleep a little longer, then."
There wasn't anything urgent to deal with today, so it didn't matter how long they stayed in bed. Acheron thought that taking a rare moment to relax wasn't a bad thing.
Kiana murmured in acknowledgment. Even though she'd woken up, her fatigue hadn't fully faded; she still felt hazy and half-dreaming.
Acheron, however, couldn't bring herself to rest again.
The events of yesterday were still fresh in her mind—far more vivid than even her oldest memories.
And perhaps because they were so deeply etched into her, she felt as though she had regained something she'd long lost. Her emotions, her senses—all seemed a little warmer now.
Maybe, in the future…
Her thoughts began to drift elsewhere, free from the shadows of Nihility, her mind light and calm—as though soaking in gentle warmth.
Her fingertips brushed across Kiana's cheek. After watching her for a while, Acheron finally closed her eyes as well.
To savor this fleeting peace.
Then she remembered—the Stigmata.
After just a moment of rest, Acheron's thoughts returned to what Jyahnar had mentioned yesterday about the Stigmata Worlds.
Were Stigmata born with their own internal spaces? Or did those spaces only form after the host's death, when the Stigmata reacted to the will of the Honkai?
Her curiosity stemmed from Kiana's sometimes unpredictable behavior. Though Acheron knew Kiana's feelings for her were genuine, she couldn't help wanting to understand more.
If a Stigmata space already existed from the beginning…
Then what was its state before the host died and it became a Stigmata World?
With that question in mind, Acheron calmed herself.
She had to thank both Yae Sakura, who had once drawn her into a Stigmata World, and Jyahnar from yesterday—for now she knew exactly how to sense a Stigmata and enter one.
Focusing inward, Acheron 'saw'—in another form—the Stigmata that Kiana had given her long ago.
The Thunder Soul Engraving.
Through her delicate perception, the nodes of that Stigmata became clearer and clearer, multiplying in number. Those countless points together formed the Stigmata's intricate structure and the abilities bound to it.
The more attention she poured into it, the clearer it became.
Within her perception, those tiny nodes began to move in a strange rhythm—forming what looked like a vortex of consciousness.
Something really was different.
Acheron hesitated.
What was this? The Stigmata space inside her own Stigmata—the one Kiana had given her—what did it look like?
The Stigmata had preserved much of her memory from Izumo, even keeping the memories of Kiana vivid and full of color.
Deep within that Stigmata…
What could be there?
Acheron didn't act rashly. She gazed at the slowly fading vortex until it disappeared completely, leaving her perception calm again—as if nothing had ever happened.
She decided it would be best to discuss it with Kiana first.
That was what she would do.
"Ahh, that was such a good nap!"
After some time, Kiana stretched lazily, rubbing her eyes as she half-sat up in bed.
"Awake now?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Kiana nodded enthusiastically, then hugged Acheron with a playful pout. "I'm hungry~"
Acheron sighed softly, brushing Kiana's hair. "Then let's go eat."
She could cook—but that was something from long ago.
After walking the Path of Nihility for so long, its influence had seeped deep into her being.
She avoided the kitchen unless absolutely necessary.
"The food here's all the same few dishes," Kiana complained. "I'm so tired of them already."
Kiana wanted to eat—but not that much. Belobog was too heavily affected by the cold surge, its supplies scarce, and there wasn't much edible food left.
Acheron thought for a moment before saying, "There's no point in staying here any longer. Why don't we go somewhere else for a while, and come back later? I remember Sirin invited you to visit the Ark."
As she said, there really wasn't much meaning in lingering here. The situation was nothing like Izumo's, and the amplification of Honkai energy was slow at best.
Though some strange creatures had begun to appear—beings that seemed to be fused with both Honkai energy and Fragmentum matter—the energy concentration wasn't high enough to cause serious mutation. Since Kiana hadn't fought much on this planet, most of those monsters showed little structural or ability change.
She had already collected nearly all the synchronization she could from this world.
Jarilo-VI no longer held much importance for her—it had become something of a tasteless dish, not quite worth keeping, but not worth abandoning either.
Still, leaving it behind after using it up would feel too callous.
"Those Antimatter Legion soldiers are like ticking bombs."
Just thinking about it made Kiana frown. She scratched her hair and sighed. "We've been watching them for so long, and they still haven't reawakened. Seriously…"
Even Ruan Mei had told her that she'd collected all the data she needed. There wasn't much more value left here, and it was unlikely Kiana would make a return trip to this planet in the future.
But since she had already changed this world—bringing it under the influence of Honkai—she couldn't simply walk away.
The Honkai threshold of this planet was limited. Even if she filled it to the brim with her own power, it would never reach a catastrophic, world-ending level like the Second or Third Honkai Eruption. At most, it would resemble one of the "active worlds."
The Antimatter Legion soldiers, however, were different. They were the greatest potential threat Belobog faced after the Stellaron.
Those soldiers had always been enemies of humanity, and with the Honkai's extreme corrosive nature, their eventual revival could easily lead to Honkai contamination.
If that happened… even Kiana couldn't predict what might become of them.
After all, Honkai had corrupted entities related to other Aeons before—like the Kami of Izumo—but Nihility was something entirely different.
"You're right," Acheron said, falling silent for a moment as she thought it through.
The Antimatter Legion truly was a problem. Once those beings awoke, there would be no force left on this planet strong enough to stop them.
Staying here didn't bother her—so long as Kiana was by her side, any place was the same.
But Kiana seemed restless. And since their relationship had just deepened, a bit of traveling together didn't sound bad at all.
"How about this," Acheron suggested suddenly. "Let your companion Honkai Beast—Jyahnar—stay here and keep watch for you?"
The suggestion stunned Kiana, who had been wondering just how much longer she'd have to wait around on Jarilo-VI.
Have Jyahnar stay and guard here?
Kiana had to admit—shamefully—that the idea tempted her.
"Wouldn't that be a bit wrong?"
What little conscience she had left made her mutter guiltily, "Jyahnar just came all this way to find me. If I leave her here alone, she'll be sad, right?"
"Sad? Why would she be sad?"
Acheron replied calmly, "Isn't she the one who dreams of helping you—solving your problems and easing your burdens?"
Though most of that was based on misunderstandings, Acheron still held some resentment toward Jyahnar, and it wasn't something she could let go of easily.
Kiana fell silent for a moment.
Well… she wasn't entirely wrong.
Jyahnar did want to help her—and this was something Kiana genuinely needed help with.
If Jyahnar stayed behind to guard those dormant Antimatter Legion soldiers, she'd get to fulfill her wish to be useful, while Kiana could leave for a bit—visit the Ark as Sirin had invited her to do, and take Mei's advice to relax for a while. Everyone would benefit.
A perfect win-win-win.
"Then… maybe I should go talk to her about it?"
Kiana was tempted.
Still, she felt a bit guilty. It didn't seem very nice—Jyahnar had crossed worlds, traveling all the way from Euphorion to Jarilo-VI just to find her, and now, right after reuniting, Kiana would be leaving again—and even assigning her a job.
Jyahnar might not take that too well.
"Don't worry, she won't refuse you," Acheron said.
Complaints or not, even she had to admit—Jyahnar, for all her strength, was surprisingly easy to handle.
"Besides, we're only going to the Ark to visit Sirin. Half a month at most—that's plenty of time."
"That's true!"
Hearing that, Kiana perked up, sitting up with a bright, excited look.
"I'll go talk to Jyahnar right now!"
"Wait!"
Acheron's eye twitched. Acting on instinct, she grabbed Kiana—who hadn't even put her clothes on yet—and pulled her back with an exasperated sigh.
"Don't rush off. I'm not done talking yet."
"Huh? There's more?"
Acheron had to tear her gaze away from the sight in front of her, suppressing the warmth threatening to rise.
"Yes. I want to talk to you about the Stigmata."
"The Stigmata?"
Kiana frowned, her mind immediately jumping to unpleasant possibilities. "What about them? Are you talking about the Stigmata Worlds carried by Jyahnar?"
Acheron shook her head. "No. This isn't about her."
She deliberately left it hanging there, and under Kiana's curious gaze, she didn't answer right away—instead, she shifted the topic.
"Since Belobog regained contact with the rest of the galaxy, Sirin's been messaging you constantly, hasn't she? Inviting you to visit the Ark?"
"Huh?"
Kiana blinked. "What does that have to do with what we were just talking about?"
But Acheron wasn't wrong.
With the Stellaron gone, Belobog's signal interference had lifted, allowing communication to resume with other worlds.
Sirin, though busy, had been enthusiastically inviting her to the Ark—promising relaxation, trade exhibitions, and the joy of meeting new worlds.
Kiana had turned her down every time.
After all, she still had responsibilities here. The Antimatter Legion's threat remained unsolved—and since she was the one who had changed Belobog, she couldn't just walk away.
She had to take responsibility.
"Yes and no," Acheron replied cryptically.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kiana frowned, confused. She couldn't make the connection no matter how much she thought about it.
And since thinking clearly wasn't her strong suit, she quickly gave up and leaned closer to Acheron with a pout. "Don't tease me, Mei~ just tell me already!"
"When a Stigmata's host dies, it leaves behind a Honkai Crystal—inside it, a tiny Stigmata World forms," Acheron said slowly. "But if the host is still alive… would the Stigmata still contain its own inner space?"
A Stigmata space?
"In theory, it should," Kiana answered uncertainly. But as she spoke, her face suddenly shifted.
"Wait—you didn't see something, did you?"
She sat up instantly, frowning as she studied Acheron's expression. After all, that Stigmata had been one she purchased from the System itself.
A Stigmata bought directly from the System—Kiana honestly had no idea what might be inside it. If it somehow contained traces of Honkai data… that would be quite the problem.
"Should I have seen something?"
Kiana didn't seem surprised. So, Stigmata really could contain internal spaces after all?
Acheron narrowed her eyes slightly.
That made sense. Yae Sakura's Stigmata had once become her own will—the Stigmata's consciousness—yet it could still be used by others.
"Mei, you didn't actually see anything, did you?"
Kiana sighed in relief, saying, "It's nothing important. If you saw anything strange, it's unrelated to us—probably just fragments from another universe."
"Why would I see something from another universe?"
Acheron frowned deeply.
She understood what Kiana meant, but she couldn't grasp why. Why would Kiana's Stigmata show visions of other people's pasts?
"All those Stigmata—I got them from the Honkai itself. Honestly, I have no idea how it makes them," Kiana admitted, scratching her head with a troubled look.
They were probably blank—created from nothing.
But if, by chance, something was buried within them—something like remnants of Project STIGMA or traces of Flame-Chasers—then that would be… complicated.
"So, the Stigmata were given to you by the Honkai… just like those weapons," Acheron mused aloud. Then she added plainly, "The Stigmata does contain a Stigmata space. But I didn't take the risk of entering it."
"So there really is one… No wonder you mentioned Sirin…"
Sirin's Stigmata had also been something Kiana had exchanged for—a unique, exclusive one. It would almost certainly have its own Stigmata space as well.
Wait—exclusive Stigmata?
Remembering the Honkai's earlier description, Kiana's expression shifted. With the word exclusive attached to it, it was hard not to think of something more.
Exclusive Stigmata required compatibility—they couldn't simply be transferred to others. That likely meant their functions went far beyond what appeared on the surface.
What if… there really was something like Project STIGMA inside?
Kiana's face darkened at the thought.
Or worse—what if it contained a trial related to Raiden Mei herself?
"Kiana?"
"...Maybe it's better if you don't look into it," Kiana said hesitantly. "It probably doesn't contain your memories."
"If it doesn't contain my memories, then shouldn't I look even more closely?" Acheron raised a brow. "If I know nothing about it, and it ends up affecting me…"
"Then it's not something that can be ignored," she finished firmly.
Kiana groaned, tugging at her hair in frustration. "It might be hiding something dangerous… maybe you should just remove it."
But Acheron was no longer who she once was. The Stigmata's amplification was nothing more than a minor enhancement to her now. Losing it wouldn't make much difference.
"I can't," she said, shaking her head. "It helps me resist some of Nihility's erosion—and lets me keep more of my memories and senses intact."