As they journeyed toward Owari, endless Nihility-spawned shadows—humanoid and beast-like—blocked their path.
They had gathered here, sensing the presence of Hajime. It was a clash between two Negative World Oathblades, and simultaneously, a trial for Raiden Mei.
These ordinary manifestations of Nihility posed little threat.
However…
BOOM—!
A shadowy figure wielding a blazing sword swung casually, releasing a fierce wave of fiery sword energy directly toward Yevenko and the others.
"That's Retsu, a former Guardian Blade. Owari has copied some of its power—be careful! If these flames touch you, they're almost impossible to extinguish!" Mei warned swiftly.
The previously shattered Guardian Blades had now become weapons wielded by Owari's shadow puppets.
Fortunately, these shadowy beings possessed no real willpower, so they couldn't fully wield the blades' true strength.
Although Retsu had overwhelming destructive power, its attacks were slow and predictable.
Raiden Mei darted forward like an arrow, effortlessly weaving through each blazing strike. As she closed in, her sword gathered crimson energy, readying a decisive strike. She leaped into the air, preparing to finish her foe in one swift blow.
But suddenly, another sharp wind-blade sliced toward Mei at blistering speed!
Suspended mid-air, Mei had no room to evade. While it wouldn't kill her, sustaining significant injury was unavoidable.
Troublesome.
Mei narrowed her eyes slightly, lifting her blade defensively, prepared to endure the attack head-on.
The wind-blade was swift but comparatively weak. She could easily disperse it with her charged strike—but doing so would leave her open to Retsu's fiery assault.
Taking the hit would at least knock her sideways, out of Retsu's immediate reach.
Between two bad options, choosing the lesser evil was obvious.
But in the next instant—
Tom suddenly flashed before Mei, heroically taking the blow. The wind-blade sliced cleanly through Tom's neck, severing his head completely and sending it comically flying off-screen.
Mei's pupils contracted sharply in shock.
"Tom!"
Yet, a moment later, Tom's head nonchalantly dropped back into view, landing perfectly onto his neck and reconnecting instantly as if nothing had happened.
Mei froze momentarily, stunned—but her instincts quickly snapped her attention back to the incoming fiery strike. She scooped Tom into her arms, swiftly leaping back to evade Retsu's attack.
Upon landing, Mei briefly examined Tom's neck carefully, finding no trace of injury—as though the shocking scene had never occurred.
Suppressing her confusion, Mei turned her attention forward once more, spotting a wolf-shaped shadow gripping a jade-green blade in its jaws. It flashed across the battlefield, quickly joining Retsu.
Then Retsu swiftly mounted the wolf-shadow's back.
Mei's gaze sharpened with caution.
"That's Arashi, blade of wind mastery. With these two working together, things just got difficult."
At the same time, hiding safely in a distant corner, Nuan had also witnessed Tom's apparent beheading. Her blue eyes filled with horror.
"Tom!"
But in the blink of an eye, seeing Tom unhurt, she sighed deeply in relief, patting her small chest.
"Thank goodness Tom's alright! I was so scared."
Suddenly, a voice came from right beside Nuan.
"No worries. My stand, Tom, is invincible—straight A's across the board."
Startled by the sudden voice, Nuan's heart skipped a beat. Initially, she imagined the scenarios she'd read in stories—where weaker teammates hiding at the back were suddenly kidnapped as hostages.
But recognizing the voice, she quickly turned her head to see Yevenko crouching alongside her, curled up just like she was.
"Oniisan…why are you hiding here with me?"
Yevenko pursed his lips awkwardly, responding:
"Because my stand is phenomenon-based…"
Realizing Nuan probably wouldn't understand that explanation, he simplified:
"Think of it like this: just as you're Mei's accessory, I'm Tom's accessory. Two accessories hiding here together—isn't that perfectly natural?"
Nuan nodded slowly, feeling something was off but unable to pinpoint exactly what.
In her eyes, Yevenko belonged alongside Mei, while she belonged with Tom. This arrangement felt oddly reversed.
Watching Nuan fall into deep contemplation, Yevenko chuckled softly, shaking his head.
For as long as he could remember, he'd always been the weakest link among his companions. But now, encountering someone weaker than himself—Nuan—felt surprisingly unfamiliar.
To be safe, he decided he should pay special attention to her.
After his recent pulls, Yevenko had plenty of defensive items, so even though he was somewhat distanced from Tom, there wasn't much to fear.
However, during their journey toward Owari, Yevenko noticed that his [Exploration Value] hadn't reached anywhere near the required 60%. Shockingly, it had barely scraped 10%.
He soon understood the issue. Nearly everything in Izumo had already succumbed to Nihility. Like repeatedly killing True Sting larvae, it barely added to his [Exploration Value].
Moreover, Izumo's current state was merely on the outskirts of Nihility's true influence—barely worth anything to his progress.
Yevenko raised his head to gaze thoughtfully at the dark sun overhead, quietly murmuring:
"If things keep going like this, I might really have to go poke at Nihility itself…"
As he considered this, Nuan suddenly released a pained gasp beside him.
"Ugh—!"
Her already fragile body curled even tighter, trembling uncontrollably. Her bright blue eyes darkened, tainted by faint traces of black. Beads of cold sweat trickled down her forehead as her lips turned pale.
Alarmed, Yevenko immediately crouched closer, asking urgently:
"Nuan, what's wrong?!"
The little girl didn't reply immediately. After several labored breaths, she managed a weak, strained smile:
"It's… nothing, Oniisan."
"Okaasan, Otousan, Oneesan...they all experienced this."
"It's just that now...it's Nuan's turn."
Yevenko gently touched Nuan's shoulder, instantly feeling a chill spread from his fingertips. A brief, unsettling emptiness numbed his emotions. He swiftly activated the Path of Trailblaze, dissipating the sensation and immediately grasped the truth.
Raiden Mei had said it clearly: besides those with unwavering will, only the utterly pure-hearted could temporarily resist Nihility's erosion.
Yet even purity had its limits.
Nuan was approaching her breaking point. Mei, on the other hand, possessed not only unyielding determination but also exceptional strength, allowing her to hold out far longer.
Aeons truly were irrational beings. Even without conscious intent, they inflicted unpredictable, disastrous effects upon worlds and lives throughout the cosmos.
Yevenko once more gazed resolutely at the black sun looming above. Gradually, a determined idea formed in his heart.
Slowly, he raised his right hand, closing it around the dark sun, allowing faint dark rays to spill through his fingers.
"My trailblazing journey won't accept tragedies."
After all, trailblazing means having fun with a smile.
With Tom at his side, his adventures were meant to be joyful and hilarious.