"Huh? Wasn't I just at Herta Space Station? How did I suddenly end up here? Where is this...?" Asta scratched her head in confusion as she surveyed her surroundings.
She had never been here before, so why did it feel so familiar?
Just as Asta was puzzling over this, the sea of stars around her suddenly began to flicker. The abrupt change startled the young girl, causing her to instinctively take a step back.
Hum—
The stars erupted with dazzling radiance, forcing Asta to shield her eyes with her arm. Only when the light gradually dimmed did she dare to look again.
Lowering her arm, Asta gazed curiously at the spot where the stars had flashed moments ago—
And her eyes widened in disbelief.
Amidst the endless galaxy, a majestic figure had appeared. The silhouette was humanoid—more precisely, that of a black-haired youth.
Rubbing her eyes vigorously, Asta strained to see the youth's face, but from her perspective, she could only make out his back.
Then, as if sensing something, the figure slightly turned his head and cast a fleeting glance in her direction.
Thud!
Asta felt as though her heart had been struck by a massive hammer, producing a dull thud. Immediately afterward, a warm energy coursed through her limbs, sending tingling sensations that tickled her mind with an indescribable itch.
Simultaneously, a stream of information flooded her consciousness.
Path... Causality... Aeon...
Asta suddenly understood. No wonder this starry expanse felt so familiar. When she had first stepped onto the Path of Harmony, she had visited a similar "sea of stars"—the moment when the Aeon of Harmony, Xipe, had gazed upon her. Of course, such an honor wasn't something every Pathstrider experienced.
Just as Asta was lost in thought, the starry sky before her shattered like glass. A dizzying whirl later, her consciousness returned to Herta Space Station.
"Hmm?" The instant Asta came to, Herta stiffened, as if detecting something unusual. She spun around abruptly to face Asta, who was now brimming with excitement.
What's going on? Asta walked the Path of Harmony, didn't she? But now... Narrowing her eyes, Herta focused on the Path energy radiating from Asta. It didn't seem to belong to any known Path.
After a brief contemplation, Herta rose from her seat and approached Asta.
"You seem to have manifested energy from an unknown Path. Interesting."
"Ah?" Herta's voice snapped Asta out of her exhilaration. She chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry, Lady Herta. I got a bit distracted."
"No matter." Herta waved it off. "Care to explain what just happened?"
"Of course, Lady Herta." Asta nodded, then recounted everything—how the Aeon of Causality had glanced at her, how she had consequently stepped onto the Path of Causality—holding nothing back from Herta.
Asta trusted Herta implicitly. Had it not been for her, Asta's fate would have been far bleaker.
In her heart, Asta regarded Herta more as a mentor. She was certain Herta would never harm her.
"So it's the Path of Causality..." Herta's eyes gleamed with interest. Half a month had passed since the Aeon of Causality's ascension, yet until now, she hadn't heard of anyone else walking this Path.
Traditionally, whenever a new Aeon emerged, swarms of people would flock to the newborn Path.
One could interpret it as countless individuals advancing along the nascent Path. The strongest among them would ultimately attain the Aeon's throne, while the rest would be nourished by the Path's emerging laws, stepping onto it as Pathstriders.
But Causality had defied this norm. Before Asta, the only one to walk this Path had been the Aeon of Causality himself.
"Lady Herta, does this mean... I now wield dual Paths?" Asta clenched her delicate fists, her eyes shining with anticipation.
"Hmm... That's for you to determine. After all, you're likely the first Pathstrider on the Path of Causality. Your words carry more authority than anyone's—even mine. Try closing your eyes and attuning to the Path energy within you."
"Like this?" After a moment's thought, Asta complied, shutting her eyes and immersing her consciousness in the flow of Path energy.
A long while later, she reopened them. "How can this be?" Asta's face twisted in bewilderment. "The power of Harmony... It's gone?"
"Just as I suspected." Herta nodded, unsurprised.
"Lady Herta, I don't understand..." Asta was utterly lost.
"It's simple. Broad Paths subsume narrow ones—you know this. In the past, the Aeon of Order, Ena, was assimilated by Xipe of Harmony."
"And what Harmony pursues—'All things share one root, all worlds sing in unison'—isn't that itself a form of causality? Thus, the Harmony energy within you hasn't vanished; it's been assimilated by the broader Path of Causality."
"Assimilation... I see." Asta nodded in comprehension.
"In that case, come with me." Herta grabbed Asta's hand and began dragging her out of the office.
"Eh? Lady Herta, I haven't finished my work yet—"
"Delegate it to your subordinates. Right now, you're coming to the lab to demonstrate the power of the Path of Causality. This time, I'm publishing my thesis on 'The Path of Causality' before Screwllum and Ruan Mei get the chance."
"..."
————————
Some time later...
"'Erasing causes, nullifying effects. Transcending causes, bestowing effects.' The Path of Causality is absurdly overpowered."
In the laboratory, Herta stared at the data sheet documenting Asta's abilities, unable to suppress her amazement.
Based on Asta's current demonstrations, the power granted by the Path of Causality far surpassed what her former Path of Harmony had offered.
Erasing causes, nullifying effects—this could resurrect the dead or restore shattered mirrors to wholeness.
Transcending causes, bestowing effects—this could bring annihilation upon all things without leaving a trace.
Of course, these feats demanded immense amounts of energy. For Asta, who had just stepped onto this Path, they were still beyond reach. Even at her full capacity, she could only manage to revive a single rabbit.
But this was merely temporary. Once Asta truly matured, reviving ordinary humans—or even other Pathstriders—would be well within her grasp.