Yuki's figure vanished before Lilis's eyes, and an acute sense of loss washed over her.
Though he had bestowed upon her immeasurable power—enough to effortlessly dominate her entire world—the sense of security and warmth Yuki himself had given her was something even the Infinity Gems could not replace.
A layer of melancholy settled deep in her heart.
As she stood, dazed, staring at the spot where he had disappeared, her teammates returned from the Adventurer's Guild.
The Elf Ranger noticed Lilis sitting in a daze. After scanning the area and confirming Yuki was no longer present, she seemed to understand Lilis's state. Without a word, she sat down beside her.
"It's not like you'll never see him again," the Ranger said quietly.
Lilis snapped back to reality at those words. She blinked, then turned to look at the elf beside her.
She let the words sink in.
She's right. It's not like we'll never meet again.
Both she and Yuki were members of the same multiverse chat group. Meeting again would hardly be difficult. Add to that the fact that the complete eradication of goblins had drastically altered the fate of her entire world—granting her an immense reward of over 200,000 points in the process.
Meeting Yuki again was merely a matter of spending some of those points.
With this realization, the weight in her heart began to lift.
"You're right... Thank you."
A faint smile returned to Lilis's face as she offered her gratitude to the Elf Ranger.
The Elf Ranger shook her head silently, indicating it was nothing.
Lilis then turned to her teammates and asked about the mission report.
They recounted the details of their visit to the Adventurer's Guild. From the Guild's perspective, the goblins had been eradicated by that mysterious, divine voice. But since the mission had been officially accepted by adventurers, the reward had to be paid to those who took it.
Thus, Lilis's party received the mission compensation.
Still, holding that payment felt somewhat awkward. None of them had actually contributed to the mission's success. So they brought the reward money to Lilis, asking how she thought it should be handled.
Lilis asked for their opinions.
Her teammates unanimously agreed that the reward should go to Yuki.
Hearing this, Lilis found the reasoning sound. After all, it was Yuki who had eliminated the goblins—it was only right he receive the payment. However, Yuki wasn't from this world. He didn't live here, so the money was ultimately useless to him.
Moreover, Lilis didn't have the authority to make such a decision on his behalf. So she accepted the reward, planning to keep it in trust for Yuki until she could see him again.
With that settled, Lilis asked her teammates about their future plans.
Having witnessed their own shortcomings during the goblin incident, each of them admitted they still had much to learn. They expressed a desire to leave the party, either to rest or to undergo further training.
Lilis respected their decisions. After bidding each of them farewell, they parted ways, each setting off on their own path.
Only the Elf Ranger remained seated.
She asked Lilis about Yuki.
Lilis, careful not to reveal too much, could only say that Yuki's power was immense—far beyond even the gods themselves.
Hearing such words from a priestess—someone whose very role was to revere the divine—the Elf Ranger looked at her with open surprise.
"That's quite a statement, coming from someone whose duty is to honor the gods," the elf remarked, a curious glint in her eyes.
Lilis offered no reply.
And the elf wasn't wrong. In the past, Lilis could never have uttered such words. Back then, the Supreme God she worshipped was absolute, supreme in her heart.
But that faith had gradually faded since she joined the chat group—since she met Yuki. She had come to realize the "Supreme God" was nothing special. At her current level, she could crush such a being with ease.
This stark contrast left a strange emptiness within her.
Just as Lilis sank into thought, the Elf Ranger spoke again.
"But now that I think about it, maybe it's not so strange," the Ranger continued. "Rather than placing faith in some vague, intangible 'Supreme God' dwelling in the void, I think someone like Mr. Yuki is far more worthy of being called a god."
She spoke calmly. "He not only eradicated the evil goblins from this world, but you also saw it yourself—he gave those despairing women a final moment of gentleness before their end. Perhaps... that is what a god should truly be."
Her words struck a deep chord with Lilis.
Knowing what she did about the Dice of the Gods, she understood this better than anyone. A thought suddenly took root in her mind: why not establish a Church in this world dedicated to Yuki? Why not guide people to place their faith in a tangible, visible god like him?
The idea settled into her heart, quietly taking shape.
Of course, such a thing couldn't be rushed. It would have to be done step by step.
Lilis then asked the Elf Ranger about her own plans. The Ranger replied that she intended to return to her elven forest, compile her adventures into books, and share them with her people.
Lilis felt a quiet satisfaction knowing each of her former teammates had found their own paths.
When the Elf Ranger asked Lilis about her own future, Lilis said she planned to travel for a while.
It wasn't aimless wandering. Her journey had a clear purpose: to spread word of a new god—a true god—among the people. To lay the foundation for a faith that would one day grow into something more.
After speaking for several more tens of minutes, the two finally parted ways.
Lilis returned to her Temple lodgings, bid farewell to the sisters there, and set out on her journey.
xXx
Honkai: Star Rail World — Somewhere in the Cosmos
Amid the boundless, star-filled expanse of space, a massive sheet of ice drifted silently. Its surface shimmered with a gradient of pink and blue, flowing like captured auroras. It wandered without aim, its trajectory unpredictable as it drifted deeper into the void.
Occasionally, it collided with space dust or stray meteorites—but each impact only shattered the smaller objects, leaving the strange ice completely unscathed.
Within the ice, the girl slept undisturbed. No amount of external force could rouse her from her slumber. She was like a child lost in a deep, peaceful dream.
Then, a starry gate woven from the light of infinite galaxies quietly opened.
Yuki stepped through, his pace slow and unhurried as he walked across the void itself. He stopped before the great block of ice.
Raising his left hand, he placed his palm gently against its frozen surface. The ice ceased its eternal drift.
The moment his hand touched it, the gradient light surging within the ice flared brilliantly—its glow rivaling that of a blazing star.
"How interesting," Yuki murmured, a faint smile curving his lips. "It's trying to read my memories."
He paused, considering the phenomenon with quiet amusement. Then, with the barest shift of intent, the radiant glow receded as quickly as it had erupted, the ice returning to its previous tranquil state.