Of course, Yevenko was familiar with this planet—it was Acheron's homeland. But in the current timeline, this planet had already turned into dust and vanished long ago.
Could it be that his Astral Express could pioneer through time itself and return to the past?
Now, that's just unscientific!
Yevenko, Tom's master, couldn't help but think incredulously.
Staring at the planet, Yevenko furrowed his brow slightly. As far as he knew, the vast darkness enveloping it represented the power of Nihility, and this was merely the faintest fringe of its influence.
It had already annihilated both Izumo and Takamagahara. Even though he'd partnered with Tom, Yevenko couldn't help but feel a chill when facing an Aeon from Honkai: Star Rail—especially one as unfathomable as the Aeon of Nihility.
It seemed he'd have to pretend he never saw it. What a pity—this was the second area he'd unlocked. Exploring it would surely grant him immense [Exploration Value]. If he could even get a glimpse into the Aeon of Nihility itself, the potential [Exploration Value] would be unimaginable.
"Ah, [Exploration Value]... Ah, Acheron."
"I really do want to check it out, but..."
[Your intent has been detected. Warp Jump initiated.]
Yevenko: "Eh?"
A popup message from the Astral Express suddenly appeared in Yevenko's mind, and as its meaning sank in, he froze in shock.
The next second, a faint, hazy blue glow enveloped the entire Astral Express.
Panicking, Yevenko shouted desperately.
"Express! What are you doing?! Stop! Stop right now!"
"I haven't gotten off yet! I haven't gotten off the train!"
He immediately dashed to the door, pressing his entire face against the window in desperation, trying to force it open and jump off.
[Warp Jump activated. Interrupting midway will cause destination coordinates to fluctuate unpredictably.]
Yevenko instantly understood its implication: the Astral Express could appear dangerously close to the planet Izumo—or worse, directly inside the Aeon of Nihility's area of influence.
This kind of colossal joke would have made even Aha laugh uncontrollably.
People often said those systems in system-novels were suspiciously cunning, yet right now Yevenko found himself envying those talking systems. At least they understood human speech—not like now, when he was utterly stuck riding the tiger, unable to dismount.
No! He had to do something!
"Tom!"
Yevenko sprinted to Tom's side, mustering all his strength, and jumped onto Tom's back, gripping tightly.
"Tom! Quick! Like last time—run me straight off the train!"
[Warp Jump successful.]
Bang—!
Yevenko collapsed lifelessly onto the floor.
After a moment, he stood up again with a blank expression, sat down across from Tom, grabbed a sandwich, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Now that we're here, let's eat first.
---
Izumo
This land was a vision of ruin and desolation.
Crumbling skyscrapers, blood-stained earth, broken and rusted swords scattered everywhere—together they painted a portrait of despair.
The black sun of Nihility hanging in the sky above seemed to have buried all things tangible and intangible, along with any shred of hope remaining in people's hearts.
"Shhh… shhh..."
In a ruined shrine with only half a torii gate left standing, a girl with cascading purple hair and delicate horns atop her head quietly sat, sharpening a sword.
Her features were exquisitely beautiful, adorned lightly with crimson eyeshadow. Her pale violet eyes revealed neither joy nor sorrow, only a profound and unwavering resolve.
Dressed simply in white, the skin exposed by her short sleeves was covered in countless scars—some old, healed into twisted lines, others fresh, dripping thick drops of blood.
The purple-haired girl knew clearly that sharpening this blade, the Negative World Oathblade named "Hajime," was utterly pointless.
What she truly honed was her own heart—strengthening her resolve for the inevitable destiny approaching. She had to win the coming battle and complete the final "Oathblade," becoming the bearer of the last surviving blade.
Only then would there be one final glimmer of hope.
But...
Was it truly the final chance?
A tangled web of doubt sprouted from Nihility, rapidly spreading to every corner of her heart like twisted roots underground.
She tightened her grip on the "Oathblade," sharpening it even harder until the edge drew blood from her own hand.
She had to grind away this creeping doubt, this so-called "truth."
Only by thoroughly eradicating these distractions could she face the battle ahead with unwavering focus.
Whether or not it was truth mattered little—without determination, she couldn't even lift the blade, let alone defeat the Negative World Oathblade known as "Owari."
Without that, she could never grasp the last glimmer of hope.
Just then, a soft, sweet voice called out from behind her.
"Mei-neesan."
Raiden Mei turned slowly, spotting a small silver-haired girl with a single horn stepping out from the shrine. An almost imperceptible tenderness flickered in Mei's eyes, though her expression remained calm.
It was a miracle this child, whom she'd found and protected, had managed to survive until now. Mei had come to realize that beneath the influence of the black sun, only the strongest-willed or the most purely innocent could resist its corruption.
Otherwise, they'd all become walking corpses.
This small child was Mei's only solace in these dark times.
The delicately beautiful little girl approached her slowly. She hesitated for a long time, gently rubbing her flattened belly, accidentally brushing against her protruding ribs. Finally, she whispered in a voice softer than a mosquito's hum.
"Mei-neesan, I'm... a little bit hungry. Just a tiny bit, not too much."
She carefully demonstrated with her thumb and forefinger, pressing them very closely together. Then, licking her cracked, dry lips, she continued earnestly.
"Even if there's no food, I think I can last... one, two, three, four..."
The girl counted her fingers until she reached ten, unable to go any higher, and then confidently announced the largest number she knew.
"I can still hold on for ten more days!"
Raiden Mei gently shook her head.
"Nuan, you should speak honestly."
Gripping her blade, Mei slowly rose.
"I'll go find food. Wait here for me."
Raiden Mei took a step forward, but suddenly Nuan cried out in surprise.
"Wow! Mei-neesan, is that a shooting star like the ones from the books? I want to make a wish! Ten days—no, three days! Just three days of being full!"
The child's innocent words softened Mei slightly. Under the endless shadow of the black sun, everything was stripped of color—how could there possibly be shooting stars?
Yet she instinctively followed Nuan's pointing finger, and her pale violet eyes suddenly widened in shock. Her lips parted, whispering softly in disbelief.
"A shooting star...?"
"No... that's a train."