Unless she completely abandoned her past, this place would forever be something she could neither let go of nor turn a blind eye to.
Acheron took Sirin's words to heart.
As they spoke, Sirin had already led them from the entrance into the Ark.
Once again, they entered the Ark from here.
Kiana couldn't help but recall the last time, back in Izumo, when she and Mei had entered the Ark through this very path.
Then, the Ark had ascended.
She had asked Sirin to help her hide it from Mei, while she secretly returned to Izumo.
"Long time no see."
Seele had been waiting for quite a while. When she saw them arrive, she didn't complain about how long they had spent talking outside. Instead, she curiously examined Acheron and the unchanged Kiana.
"Seele?"
Kiana recognized her at a glance. Among these familiar faces, no matter how deep their past connection or how many years had passed, she could still recognize them immediately.
Because they were simply too familiar.
After all, there was another Seele in Belobog.
"Kiana, you still remember me?"
Seele smiled and led them deeper into the Ark, chatting as they walked. "Bronya's waiting for us in the conference room up ahead. It's about Project Ark."
"Of course I remember."
Kiana nodded, replying, "For me, it wasn't that long ago. I still remember when Sirin and I visited the orphanage and saw you volunteering there."
Mentioning the past made Seele a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, and Sirin even donated a huge sum to the orphanage back then."
Not long after that, the world changed completely, and that orphanage—along with all the ordinary people—remained forever in Izumo.
"How do you still remember such old stories?"
Sirin had almost no memory of those events.
As for Acheron?
She hadn't gone with Kiana and Sirin back then. The first time she met Seele was when she was testing her compatibility with the Edict Edge.
"You know I only woke up recently. For me, those events happened just a few years ago."
Seele only smiled. She remembered clearly because back then, Bronya had just assassinated a scumbag, and they'd strongly suspected that Kiana and Sirin were there investigating the case.
But they weren't. They had even donated money.
The next time they met was when the world changed—how could she not remember it vividly?
"You're here. Sit down."
When they entered the conference room, another familiar face awaited Kiana. It was none other than the person Seele had just mentioned—Bronya.
As for the woman standing beside Bronya—
Kiana found her face somewhat familiar but couldn't recall exactly who she was, so she didn't know her name.
"Kiana, long time no see."
"Uh, yeah, long time no see."
Kiana hadn't expected Bronya to greet her personally and scratched her head awkwardly.
They hadn't had much contact before.
Bronya nodded, greeting her before turning her gaze toward Acheron, whose appearance had changed greatly since the old days.
"Raiden Mei," Bronya said, "Sirin told me you'd be coming. I admit, I was a little surprised. But with you here, Sirin's so-called 'project'—which up to now only existed as a single folder—finally has the foundation to move forward."
Only a single folder?
Well, that was…
Sirin had just spent quite a while explaining everything, leaving Kiana somewhat stunned, internally marveling at her growth.
And now she learned it had only been a folder.
Still, that was impressive in its own way.
Better than doing nothing at all.
"Don't ruin my image right now!"
Sirin's composure broke the instant she heard that. She shot an embarrassed glance at Kiana and muttered unhappily, "I worked hard to build up my reputation!"
Kiana couldn't help but chuckle.
Yes—this was still the same Sirin she knew.
"Well, it's fine. You already have your next steps planned, don't you?" Kiana said with a smile.
"To the Luofu… indeed."
Bronya replied, "If Raiden Mei hadn't come, we would've had to wonder what leverage we'd have to trade with the Xianzhou—or even form an alliance."
"Alliance?"
Kiana raised an eyebrow in surprise, hesitating slightly. "Technical exchanges are one thing, but forming a deeper alliance sounds... unlikely, don't you think?"
Her words were rather blunt.
The Xianzhou's technology stood at the forefront of the cosmos, and as a power, it occupied a uniquely formidable position among all factions.
"You're right," Bronya replied, "but with Raiden Mei, things are different. No matter where we go, the presence of an Emanator-level being can never be ignored—especially one serving the most extraordinary Aeon of all."
"The Xianzhou isn't exactly lacking in Emanators," Kiana pointed out. "Mei's status might only get you an invitation, not an alliance."
"That's enough."
Bronya's tone was calm but firm. "Negotiating with the Xianzhou will be my responsibility. What we need isn't full cooperation—just a ticket through the door."
Kiana wasn't entirely sure what she meant but chose not to press further.
Seeing that, Bronya picked up her freshly written report and began her presentation.
It was clear she had put a great deal of effort into it.
Her explanations were far more detailed than Sirin's.
If Sirin's earlier words had been the framework, then Bronya was now filling it with flesh and form.
Her briefing went on for quite a while.
By the end, Bronya had covered everything she wanted to say, addressing numerous questions in depth. Her dedication was evident.
Everyone had asked a few questions—everyone except Acheron, who remained silent from start to finish, quietly listening.
The influence of Nihility weighed heavily on her.
In this kind of meeting, silence suited her. Saying too much might mean forgetting it all someday.
It was only at the very end, after listening to the entire discussion, that Kiana finally asked a question—one born purely of curiosity.
"So, does that mean the Ark will now act as a faction representing Nihility among the stars?"
She spoke casually.
But her words were followed by a strange silence.
The conference room fell utterly still. Even Kiana, carefree as she was, could feel something off.
"Uh—I mean, like the Masked Fools, right?" she added carefully.
"Nihility... if we had the choice, we'd rather not be associated with that existence at all," Bronya said at last, breaking the silence. She turned off the display and smiled lightly at Kiana. "Rather than Nihility, we'd much rather become your followers."
Kiana's eyes widened in shock. "Me?"
"Of course. Everyone here has fought against the Honkai," Bronya explained. "Without you, we would never have escaped Izumo—let alone dreamed of creating a new one."
"Kiana, if you're willing, just say the word—and we'll immediately acknowledge you as the Ark's true master, and pledge ourselves as your followers!"
Sirin grinned, patting Kiana's shoulder. Whether she was joking or half-serious, even Kiana couldn't quite tell.
Becoming Kiana's followers—
That was something no one aboard the Ark had ever truly considered before. Even Kiana's identity as a "savior" only became deeply ingrained in their hearts long after Izumo's destruction.
They had traveled far.
They had seen much.
Only then did they finally understand what they had faced back then—and what kind of existence the Aeon of Nihility truly was.
In such a situation, the one who created an opportunity, pulled them from the eternal cycle, and even left behind Stigmata that helped them resist Nihility's corrosion—how could Kiana not be their savior?
The broader their horizons became, the more knowledge they gained, the more they realized just how extraordinary Kiana was.
They all understood now—
Aeons were the greatest pillars of the universe. Nearly every major faction bore some form of connection to one.
Even if most were merely one-sided followers, it still spoke volumes of an Aeon's significance.
So what about the Ark?
What about them—those seeking to find their footing among the stars?
Which Aeon were they supposed to follow?
Nihility was out of the question.
But having escaped from its depths, every one of them bore its mark, branded by its influence.
Even if they claimed allegiance to another Aeon, few would believe it.
Unless…
They could be like the Xianzhou.
After all, the Xianzhou Alliance had spent ages hunting down the Abominations of Abundance—so much so that many had begun to forget one simple truth.
If not for the Hunt standing behind them, one would realize the Xianzhou Alliance was, in essence, the greatest force of Abundance in existence.
Yet because of the birth and favor of the Hunt—everyone knew that though the Xianzhou people carried the blessings of Abundance, they were also the sharp blade of the Hunt.
"I'm not an Aeon!"
Kiana jumped to her feet in alarm, unable to tell if Sirin was joking or serious.
Her thoughts were in complete disarray.
"I'm an outsider! The Ark's affairs are yours to handle—I don't understand any of this."
Her words came faster now. She hadn't even resolved the Honkai matters yet, and now the Ark was talking about making her their leader?
W-what kind of joke was that?
She wasn't an Aeon. She had no grand ambitions. What would she even do with followers?
And besides, she hadn't been able to protect Izumo—its destruction in the Honkai Eruption was an undeniable fact.
"I was joking."
Sirin didn't seem surprised by her reaction and said calmly, "But I don't agree with what you just said. To the Ark, you're no outsider."
"As long as you're willing—if you don't mind—this place is your home too."
Her tone was sincere.
Kiana's heart trembled.
She looked dazedly at Sirin, realizing that she wasn't joking—she truly meant it.
Shocked, Kiana glanced around at the others. Sirin's words carried far greater weight than the last ones.
"Sirin's right," Bronya added. "Kiana, you're our benefactor. As long as you wish it, the Ark will always be your home."
Home…
Such a warm word.
"Kiana."
Acheron suddenly reached out, grasping her hand. The warmth from her palm passed through, bringing Kiana back to her senses.
"Thank you."
She neither accepted nor refused.
The Ark continued along its original course. Kiana didn't listen to much of the discussion that followed.
How could she?
After hearing all that, her emotions were a tangled mess. She couldn't even describe how she felt.
"Kiana, if what we said earlier made you uncomfortable, then I owe you an apology."
When the meeting ended, Sirin found a quiet moment with her, pulling her aside near the window.
"No, no—it's not that. I was just surprised."
Kiana shook her head quickly, refusing to admit that Sirin's words had affected her as deeply as they had.
"I'm not an Aeon. I don't even know what I truly want yet, so how could I possibly…"
She trailed off with a wry smile, the rest of her sentence left unsaid—but she knew Sirin would understand the part she couldn't voice aloud.
"Besides, Honkai isn't exactly a good thing—it's not much better than Nihility."
"Uh… Kiana, I think you've got the wrong idea."
Sirin blinked, realizing what Kiana must have been thinking, then chuckled softly. "We don't want to follow the Honkai. What we want to follow is you, Kiana."
"...Me?"
"Of course it's you."
Sirin nodded firmly, continuing, "You've helped us immensely—not just with Izumo. Even now, the help you've given us is something we can't overlook."
"The Stigmata and equipment you left behind have helped us through countless crises. Our ability to trade so smoothly with other civilizations? That's also thanks to what you left us."
"And even our connection with Herta's Space Station—it's all because of you."
"M-me?"
Kiana was stunned. She had nearly forgotten about all the things she had left behind. To her now, those items no longer held much significance.
She was pure power—a walking stat anomaly.
Like in a game, no matter how much you stack the numbers, there's always a ceiling.
"Of course!"
So those seemingly trivial things had actually helped the survivors aboard the Ark after she fell into slumber.
Kiana felt a weight lift from her heart.
"Kiana, don't belittle yourself. You're far more important than you think."
Kiana was so embarrassed by the praise that she couldn't stop smiling, scratching her cheek and averting her eyes. "It's not that big of a deal… It's really all because of your own effort."
"But without a chance to start, effort alone means nothing."
Sirin's words were calm but earnest.
"...Thank you."
"If anyone should be thankful, it's us."
Seeing her spirits lift again, Sirin smiled warmly.
Kiana blushed. No one had ever praised her like this before. Since the day her memories returned, she had always carried a heavy weight on her heart—and now, at last, that stone had finally fallen away.
But just as the air grew lighter, the conversation came to an end.
Raiden Mei wasn't around at the moment, and no one else was nearby. The quiet brought back the one question that had been gnawing at Sirin's curiosity.
She coughed lightly, feigning nonchalance. "Kiana, about that Ms. Ruan Mei… what's the story between you two?"
"Don't misunderstand!"
"I don't mean anything else by it—I'm just a little curious! Really, just a little! After all, Raiden Mei is my comrade!"
Kiana, who had just begun to feel relaxed and content, froze when she heard Sirin's words.
That question made her teeth ache.
Really? For your comrade's sake?
Yeah right.