In the universe, many things tend to happen simultaneously.
While distant AEONS faced off against each other, feathers fell, sinking gently into planets, turning into lifeforms one after another.
Seven-colored feathers drifted down from the skies, a scene strangely imbued with a sense of holiness.
Of course, some weren't feathers at all. Pure white flames became Hotaru and the Iron Cavalry, while the seven-colored glow transformed into Robin.
They landed softly on Tartaro, taking quite some time before finally breaking free from their state of perfect unity.
The instant Robin awakened, she quickly turned toward Sora, who lay motionless beside her.
Unfortunately, she saw Sora still lying in deep slumber, without even the slightest sign of waking.
"Looks like we'll have to wait until he returns."
But at this moment, there was nothing urgent left for Sora to handle.
The Swarm's threat had faded, and the reborn lives on Tartaro were no longer controlled by external forces.
Now they could finally reclaim their own lives. It really was time for some proper rest.
However, Robin soon noticed something very strange about herself.
"Why did my power of Harmony turn into something like this…?"
As she activated her power, her wings instantly glowed with faint seven-colored lights.
It felt entirely different from before, somehow carrying a completely new sensation.
Yet, that wasn't even the strangest part. As soon as she used her ability, the feathers on her wings began flashing rhythmically.
The speed of their flickering appeared oddly regular, as if they were matching…
The beat of music?!
Robin immediately felt deeply troubled. Quickly, she grabbed a mirror to inspect herself carefully.
As she silently hummed a melody in her mind, her seven-colored wings flickered precisely along with it.
And oddly enough, the timing was flawless…
"What in the world is this?!"
Robin felt this was very, no, extremely bad.
She immediately tried to deactivate her powers, yet even then, her feathers continued flickering for quite a while before fully fading.
Staring at those wings, now strangely exuding a sacred glow, she activated her power again!
Glare—!
Under her intense scrutiny, they rapidly returned to that vibrant seven-colored state.
Deactivate, activate, deactivate, activate…
By the time she completely drained her strength, leaving her body weak and exhausted, she still hadn't figured out why her wings were inexplicably changing colors.
Of course, Robin had her suspicions—it likely had something to do with winning that final battle together with Sora.
But why would it dye my wings like this...?
Robin, feeling defeated, curled up gloomily in a corner, her wings shifting into a sorrowful shade of blue to match her mood.
Seeing that, she sank even deeper into despair.
...
While Robin sulked in self-imposed gloom, the people returning outside erupted into excitement.
Brothers reunited were hugging each other joyfully, while others excitedly recounted their feelings during the fierce battle they'd just survived.
Everyone here was undeniably exhilarated and ecstatic.
Within the bustling crowd, Fenille curiously squeezed her palm.
It wasn't a Memoria entity devoid of physical sensation, only carrying memories, but a real body—with intuition, touch, and the ability to sense temperature.
"Did I... really come back to life?!" Fenille murmured in disbelief.
According to what her father had explained, shouldn't she have required Memoria-to-consciousness conversion to obtain a physical body?
How had she suddenly gained flesh directly?
She wasn't the only one experiencing this phenomenon. Numerous others, formerly Memoria entities, were astonished to discover they'd returned to flesh-and-blood bodies.
These resurrected people marveled at the sensation of being truly alive again.
The breeze brushing their skin, the noisy excitement around them, the warmth of the sun—all felt new and fascinating for these souls who'd tasted death.
And the only one who could achieve something so extraordinary was Sora, the one who'd gathered the wishes of countless hearts.
Fenille smiled softly. She wanted to find Sora, but no matter how she looked, she couldn't catch sight of him.
"Maybe it'll still take some time for him to return from outer space," Hotaru said, recalling where Sora had landed.
"Huh? Why did he choose to land so far away? Couldn't he just return directly?" Unkyō wondered curiously.
Coming straight back and then dispersing afterward seemed easier, after all—why the unnecessary trouble?
"He probably just forgot," Mitsutake replied casually, reflecting on Sora's character.
Yet, his hypothesis was quickly refuted.
"Benefactor is so thoughtful; how could he possibly forget such a simple detail? He must've wanted everyone to fully enjoy the happiness following our victory," Tingyun explained, gently covering half her face with her fan.
"Think about it carefully. If he were here right now, the atmosphere surely wouldn't be as joyful as it is."
From afar came cheerful laughter and playful noise, bustling and lively like a festival.
Indeed, if Sora were present, the atmosphere wouldn't be quite this carefree.
Therefore, Tingyun speculated that Sora deliberately delayed returning by a few days, not wanting to spoil everyone's joy.
Shunji initially agreed with Mitsutake's guess—after all, considering Sora's casual, forgetful personality, forgetting minor details wasn't too surprising.
But after hearing Tingyun's words, he felt she also made sense.
"So let everyone enjoy the excitement of our victory for now. In a few days, we can discuss how to properly welcome Benefactor home."
Tingyun's gentle words resonated deeply with everyone.
"That's true. Let's all savor our victory for now."
Even Hotaru's face showed clear exhaustion.
Since the Swarm Disaster began, almost everyone had worked tirelessly, without rest.
Not to mention the deep spiritual wounds caused by Sora's earlier death.
But now, Sora had successfully revived, leading them to a decisive victory.
With all hardships overcome, it was indeed time for everyone to finally take a proper rest.
...
The joy of victory did not last for very long.
Under Tartaro's comforting aura, after the initial excitement, everyone soon relaxed and fell into deep sleep.
At this moment, whether at the temporary camps or on Tartaro itself, rest was the central theme.
Ironically, those resurrected became the only clear-headed people around. They didn't cause much of a stir, quietly gathering instead to discuss their future.
"Now that the Swarm Disaster has ended, it's indeed time we talked about our next steps."
"Yes... After everything that happened, we've finally seen some things clearly."
Those who gathered spoke with hints of sadness and bitterness.
They had joined the IPC, contributed countless credit points, yet when genuine threats emerged, the company was nowhere to be found.
The IPC was only ever active in endless news reports, claiming they'd dispatched countless advance teams.
Yet now that the crisis was over, they hadn't seen a shadow of the promised supplies.
Hence, they'd come together to consider whether to stay or leave.
After this incident, the company could no longer be relied upon, yet the galaxy remained rife with dangers.
Apart from the Swarm Disaster they'd just endured, there remained threats like the Antimatter Legion, the Denizens of Abundance, and countless galactic pirates lurking everywhere.
With the company unreliable and external threats abundant, how could they hope to survive in this galaxy going forward?
"If only Mr. Sora could protect us," someone sighed emotionally.
His words instantly resonated with everyone around him. At this point, they trusted Sora far more than the company.
But unfortunately, they all knew how difficult such a thing would be.
Sora's strength was exceptional, even unique in the universe. Their small corner of the galaxy had nothing to offer that might make him stay.
Moreover…
"I doubt Mr. Sora would want us to become parasite-like beings dependent on him…" someone expressed another concern.
Previously, when everyone had merged with the wings, they had glimpsed clearly into Sora's thoughts and beliefs.
He would intervene when the weak suffered injustice, yet he wouldn't choose to command the development of any civilization according to his own will.
Civilizations must find their own paths, and lives must choose their own futures.
This was the true wish within his heart.
Precisely because they'd connected with Sora, everyone understood his ideals deeply.
Thus, they knew that although their desires were understandable, they could never realistically be fulfilled.
"What can we do, then?"
The question struck heavily into the hearts of the gathered planetary representatives.
The company's protection was meaningless, yet countless threats still hid among the stars. In this situation, what could they possibly do?
For a while, discussions continued heatedly, yet even after extended debates, no perfect answer emerged.
As enthusiasm gradually faded, the atmosphere turned increasingly quiet, even a bit melancholy.
"Why don't you form a federation? All planets affected by the Swarm Disaster could join together, maintain close contact, and provide assistance whenever trouble arises."
At this moment, someone suddenly voiced a proposal.
Though initially sounding incredible, after reflection, it seemed to be the optimal solution for their current situation.
"That's a good idea!"
"Yes! Forming a Galactic Federation does sound promising."
Previously, if someone suggested forming a federation, few would have listened seriously.
Though they inhabited this cluster within a few hundred light-years, everyone had been too distant, unfamiliar with one another.
But things were different now. After experiencing the spiritual unity, they'd gained a fundamental understanding of their neighbors across the stars.
At this moment, creating a federation truly seemed feasible.
With that thought in mind, everyone's gaze settled upon the individual who had offered the suggestion.
Unexpectedly, almost everyone recognized him immediately.
"Mr. Jobs?!"
Indeed, the one who had proposed the idea was none other than Jobs himself.
Jobs smiled faintly at them. "Since you all intend to establish this federation, perhaps you could consider leaving the position of federation leader open."
"After all, everyone joining the federation is essentially equal. Rather than choosing randomly, why not offer the leadership to the one person universally recognized by everyone?"
After hearing Jobs's words, almost everyone immediately thought of a name.
"Yes, precisely—the one everyone agrees upon…"
"Mr. Sora?!"
"Commander Titania?!"
Two different names burst out from two distinct groups simultaneously, and both groups stared at each other in surprise.
Hey, something's not right here, buddy…
"Don't look at us like that. Commander Titania fought tirelessly, protecting us from the very heart of the swarm. Our vote for her is entirely selfish…"
"Exactly. Although we greatly respect Mr. Sora, honestly, we just want to see Commander Titania acting adorably clueless again."
"What are you saying?! You're seriously voting just for that reason?"
"Ah, yes… When we were completely desperate, it was that silliness that kept us going."
The two sides clearly had entirely different philosophies. Jobs watched them debate endlessly, seeing that no clear outcome would be reached through more discussion.
At times like this, they needed someone decisive enough to finalize things.
"Why not just wait until they both return, and let them choose for themselves?"
After careful consideration, everyone agreed that seemed reasonable enough.
After all, they'd debated for so long—if Sora and Titania both rejected the idea, wouldn't their efforts be meaningless?
The federation leader needed to be someone truly accepted by everyone.
And both candidates certainly fit that description perfectly.
Thus, everyone decided it was best to leave the final decision to those two.
Having settled on that, the people eagerly awaited the return of Sora and Titania.
...
A full day passed, enough for the exhausted people to finally awaken refreshed, only to hear the exciting news of Sora's imminent return.
They promptly boarded their spacecraft, venturing into the galaxy, eagerly awaiting the heroes' approach.
Time passed, second by second, until finally, a tiny speck of light appeared at the distant edge of the galaxy.
Their hearts surged excitedly as they silently awaited their hero's glorious return!
However, when those two finally came within communication range, everyone present froze in shock.
"Haaah? If you hadn't run off randomly and gotten us lost, we would've reached our destination ages ago! And now you're blaming me?!"
"Wasn't I following your directions? Clearly, you don't even remember the way yourself, so you pointed incorrectly. Idiot! Quit dodging responsibility!"
"What I said was completely correct! I told you multiple times, 'east, east!' But you immediately turned west! Are you illiterate or something?"
"East is right-hand side, isn't it?!"
"But you were facing south, you illiterate idiot!"
"Haah?! Who are you calling an idiot?!"
"What? Are you stupid and can't admit it?!"
"You dumb idiot!"
"Illiterate idiot!"
In an instant, the communication channel devolved into nothing but the sound of two people furiously quarreling.
The people waiting to form the federation exchanged awkward glances upon hearing their argument.
"How about adding one more seat for federation leadership?"
"I think that's a very good idea…"
Thus, during the pause between a certain pair's furious quarrel, a new galactic organization quietly came into existence—
Its name:
The Federation of Hope.