"The Emperor Bow does not speak to flesh and blood."
"He declares his divine will only with arrows of light."
From the endless void, the light of The Hunt fell.
With a single arrow, it pierced the ancient beast's body, erasing it completely—shattering the gravitational field that had ensnared the starship.
In an instant, the star system blazed with radiance, brighter than day.
Where that beast perished, the arrow tore reality itself, opening a rift spilling forth torrents of Imaginary energy…
As the light arrow struck, the starship—though hundreds of light-years distant—shook violently.
A curtain of blinding brilliance spread across the starfield, and the suffocating gravity vanished.
Inside, Megumi Rokuro steadied her daughter, who had nearly collapsed. But when her hand brushed Mei's skin, she froze—
Her daughter's body was as cold as snow.
And then, the AI of Hyper-Spatial Remote Sensing in Mei's palm chimed a message:
"Beep. Detected account name Shirakawa Hibiki invaded user-system ten minutes ago. Username has been forcibly changed to 'Hibiki's Bride.' System scan in progress. Restoring default username…"
Her slender fingers trembled, lips pressed tightly together. Her voice cracked, low and hoarse:
"…Deny."
"Warning, this action carries risk. If you—"
"I said—deny!"
Cold tears laced her whisper. Powerless, yet unyielding.
Years of research into "life" had trained her eyes to see only purity: blossoms bud and wither, planets blaze and fall. Joy, malice, shock—none of those emotions remained in her voice.
Attachment. She understood it as brain chemistry—insular cortex, nucleus accumbens, dopamine and pain. Dissected, explained away.
But now—clutching her chest, she couldn't name the sharpness there.
Nor did she want to.
"I promise…"
Her lips moved, answering some half-hidden memory.
[Simulation End]
Achievements Gained:
Died Without a Whole Corpse (The Hunt's arrow reduced you to nothing.) → +500 Points
Preservation's Practitioner (Gained the Path's recognition.) → +500 Points
Most Devoted in the Universe (Despite possessing ★★★★★ "Red-Haired Charmer," you never strayed.) → +500 Points
Fated (No matter how many Amber Eras pass, she will never forget you.) → +500 Points
Favor of the Gods (???) → +500 Points
Simulation Rating: A+ → Total Reward: 2500 Points
Unlocked Talents:
Red-Haired Charmer (★★★★★) → Locked In
Died Young (★★★)
Back to the Wall (★★★)
Simulation Points Balance: 5000
(Points may be exchanged in the system shop.)
Attribute Points: +300
Updated Character Panel
Shirakawa Hibiki
Life Talent: Red-Haired Charmer (★★★★★)
Stats:
Stamina: 70
Endurance: 70
Strength: 70
Agility: 130
Spirit: 300 (+150 from Talent)
Charm: 700 (+500 from Talent)
Note: Average non-Pathstrider human attributes ≈ 100 each.
Hibiki awoke, breath shaky. The unreal weight of twenty-two simulated years still lingered.
"…My head's a mess."
He groped for the mineral water bottle beside the bed, downing half in one go. Cool relief spread through his parched throat.
The clock on the cabinet ticked: just past 4 a.m.
He remembered lying down not long after midnight.
"...Twenty-two years in the simulation. Yet here, only four hours. The time flow difference is massive."
Rising, Hibiki washed his face in the cabin's small bathroom.
But confronting the mirror—he stopped.
His features had not changed, but his temperament had. Charm defined expression more than bone structure, and the Red-Haired Charmer's +500 radiated unmistakably.
For an instant, he wondered if the ethereal man in the glass was someone else entirely.
Exhaling slowly, he returned to his desk, opening the System Panel. Reviewing his stats, he summarized himself with a crooked smile:
"A spirited young man—physically lazy, useless in practical matters, but… at least easy on the eyes."
Though his strength and endurance sat below average, spirit and charm stretched beyond human baseline—exaggerated spikes granted by talent.
"…If not for those +300 spirit points, I'd be drowning under twenty-two years of memory overload."
He shuddered. Without it, perhaps his head really would have burst.
"…Alright. Let's see what 5000 points can buy."
He tapped open the Simulation Shop.
Within were countless listings, gold to nonsense:
Food → Grilled Powdered Worm (Hallucinogenic. Consume carefully.) → 1 Point / 15 pieces
Daily Necessities → Plain White Stockings (Please… do not eat these.) → 10 Points, unlimited
Daily Necessities → Goose-Down Pillow (Excellent for pillow fights.) → 10 Points, unlimited
Weapon → Heavenfire Greatsword [Form unleashed from the Key of Destruction "Heavenfire Judgement." May trigger cataclysmic attack.] → 1000 Points, limit 1