"Where did you learn that?"
Kiana was utterly stunned. Had the White-Haired Oni realized the existence of Nihility this early—and understood the gravity of the situation?
But then…
Oh, what difference would that have made?
These were the Aeons—
And Nihility was the most enigmatic among them all.
"Heaven's Winter Cloak?"
"The true answer can only be found in Takamagahara," said the White-Haired Oni. From her reaction, he already knew—his suspicions had been correct all along.
"To seek the truth in Takamagahara?"
Kiana fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Perhaps there, we can find a way to save Izumo."
"The Honkai is a different kind of power," the White-Haired Oni continued. "In your eyes, does the Honkai bring hope?"
Could the Honkai truly bring hope to Izumo?
Kiana shook her head quietly. "I don't know."
"The power of the Aeons is beyond mortal reach—and the one Izumo faces is the most mysterious of them all: Nihility."
"But resistance is better than waiting for death. I don't know how far the Honkai can go—or whether it can sever Nihility's shadow—but it's the only force that might."
They discussed at length—about Nihility, about Izumo, and about the Honkai—until Sirin arrived with Yae Sakura, pulling their conversation to a halt.
"You? You're here too?"
Sirin, who had hurried over, slowed her steps, looking from the White-Haired Oni to Kiana as if wondering why the two were together.
"You two?"
The White-Haired Oni recognized them. He hadn't been back in the present world for long, but he remembered a few faces—Sirin and Yae Sakura among them.
One was the wielder of the Sky Edict Edge.
The other, the wielder of the Frost Edict Edge.
Aside from the unclaimed Mist and the Truth Edict Edge that remained with the command center, all of Izumo's Edict Edges were now gathered here.
"That's enough," the White-Haired Oni said, nodding. With these two joining them, there was no need for any further assistance from Izumo. They already had all they needed to accomplish his goal.
"What do you mean, 'enough'?"
Sirin's eyes narrowed suspiciously. She turned to Kiana. "Kiana, is he coming with us too?"
"Yes. He's incredibly strong, and his battle experience runs deep. With Mr. White-Haired Oni's help, we'll have a much better chance."
Sirin nodded slowly, her mind thoughtful. Though she didn't distrust the White-Haired Oni, she found his words at the meeting earlier somewhat alarming.
"So we're really just going to march out and slay the Kami?"
"While I still have the strength," Kiana said firmly. "We'll strike in one go—slay the remaining Kami before they can set foot on Izumo's land again."
"I agree with your proposal," Yae Sakura added in support.
She hadn't participated in the battle against Everbreath—her Frost Edict Edge had not yet been completed back then. Staying would only have slowed them down.
And Everbreath's devastation had been immense. Had Kiana made this proposal before that storm, Sakura would have hesitated—urging caution instead.
But Everbreath had caught everyone off guard, magnifying the losses beyond expectation.
Fighting on home soil had proven far too costly.
"With our combined strength," Sirin calculated aloud, "we should be more than enough. Slaying them in advance—no matter how you look at it—is a gain."
"Once they're dealt with," the White-Haired Oni said, "I'll take you all to Takamagahara. The truth lies buried there."
Sirin paused. "White-Haired Oni, was what you said in the meeting… true?"
What had he said at that meeting?
Kiana pricked up her ears, curious. Could it have been about Takamagahara?
Had he revealed those secrets publicly?
Wasn't he afraid of causing panic?
"You'll see it for yourselves," the White-Haired Oni said flatly. "Once we reach Takamagahara, the truth will be laid bare."
As he spoke, his expression grew somber. So many years had passed. They had banished the Twelve Kami to buy Izumo time—yet the nation had made so little progress.
Even Takamagahara itself…
They had not dared to take advantage of the time when the Kami were banished and the pressure greatly reduced to investigate the true source.
To seek the origin.
The White-Haired Oni was bitterly disappointed—and fully aware that none of these people could be relied upon.
Fortunately, there were still those who understood the situation.
"Did you bring the incomplete Edict Edges?"
Sirin froze, her expression uncertain.
"No need," Kiana spoke up. "We don't need unfinished blades. I have better materials."
She turned toward Mei, her gaze settling on the Howl Edict Edge in her hands. "By using a Honkai weapon as the vessel, we can draw out far greater power."
The White-Haired Oni didn't bother questioning her claim; he trusted her words without hesitation. "In that case, let's not waste any more time. The sooner we act, the better."
Sirin studied Mei's Howl blade for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Indeed, even without other incomplete Edict Edges, it's enough to forge a perfect blade."
With their goals aligned, Sirin wasted no time. She unleashed the power of Sky and transported everyone.
In an instant, they arrived at the location where the Spurned Sister of Mortality had been banished. From there, they quickly found a way to enter the banishment realm.
"Once we go in, there's no turning back. If we can't kill it inside, you already know what will happen."
"Our combined strength will be enough."
As one who had fought all Twelve Kami before, the White-Haired Oni remembered the Spurned Sister of Mortality vividly and knew well how powerful she was.
He relayed everything he knew about her to the group of four. Once their preparations were complete, Sirin opened the Gate, and together they stepped through—
Facing the Spurned Sister of Mortality ahead of schedule.
Their movements were closely monitored by Izumo's observers, but no matter how those people reacted, their operation had already begun.
Neither Kiana nor the White-Haired Oni cared about the outside world's opinions. Both carried the same resolve—absolute victory.
—The sixth blade: Fate, forged upon slaying the Spurned Sister of Mortality. Its swing can make barren graves bloom with flowers; life and death intertwine endlessly.
—The seventh blade: Flare, forged upon slaying the Flamebringer. Its strike sets the world ablaze, burning heaven and earth in crimson fire.
Their battle lasted three days.
It ended when Kiana struck down the Flamebringer, severing its head with her blade. Its body erupted into fierce flames, reshaping the weapon in her hand into a new form.
In just three days, they had slain two more Kami. Seven of the Twelve were gone—granting them an overwhelming advantage.
"This is far enough."
Holding the newly-forged blade, Kiana stood amidst the scorched earth, her gaze falling upon the injured White-Haired Oni.
"The remaining Kami should be similar in strength to the Flamebringer—not yet fully transformed into Honkai creatures."
Kiana's Power of the Saint held special potency against Honkai beings, but since the Kami had not completely fused with the Honkai, her suppressive ability was limited.
After some thought, she concluded that stopping now was the wisest choice. Preserving part of their strength was crucial—for the unforeseen dangers that could emerge at any moment.
"To Takamagahara."
The White-Haired Oni agreed with her suggestion. During the battle against the Spurned Sister of Mortality, Kiana's ability to suppress her had been noticeably stronger than it was against the Flamebringer.
He had initially wanted to press on and slay all the remaining Kami in one go—but reality did not permit such recklessness.
It was no longer the right time.
Both the Spurned Sister of Mortality and the Flamebringer had grown significantly stronger. Although Kiana could provide powerful support, continuing the fight held little meaning now.
The remaining Kami—Wisdom Supreme, Father of Lands, Omen Ward, Nether Lord, and Woes Eighty—would not descend into the mortal realm anytime soon. At least not within a day or two.
That brief window would be enough for him to make a trip to Takamagahara. It was something the White-Haired Oni had long yearned to do ever since his return.
He would go to that planet, suspended beyond the heavens—the homeland of the Kami—and see it for himself. Only there could he uncover the truth behind everything.
"To Takamagahara? How do we get there?"
"Your Sky Edict Edge," he answered.
Sirin's face fell immediately. "The distance is far too great. I've never attempted a teleportation over such a range."
Using an Edict Edge always demanded a price.
And this distance… was beyond anything she had ever tried. She didn't even know her limits.
"Let me try," Kiana volunteered. "Sirin, give me the Sky Edict Edge—I'll do it."
"…No. I'll handle it."
Sirin couldn't let Kiana bear the cost. Glancing upward at the distant, gleaming planet that hung in the void, she took a deep breath.
"I'll give it a try."
"Don't push yourself. I think I might be able to use that blade too."
"I'm not pushing myself," Sirin replied firmly.
Of course she knew Kiana likely had high compatibility with the Sky Edict Edge as well—after all, this was someone who could enter the Imaginary Space without any Edict Edge and had saved her from within it.
Sirin had never told anyone that Kiana could freely traverse the Imaginary Space.
"I'll provide the coordinates," said the White-Haired Oni. He didn't care who wielded the Sky Edict Edge. If Sirin and Kiana refused, he would simply use it himself.
The cost of wielding an Edict Edge was erosion—assimilation by its power. But he was already standing at the brink of full Oni transformation.
He no longer feared such corruption.
"With coordinates, it becomes simple," Sirin said deliberately, dispelling Kiana's intent to take her place.
"…Alright. But if you feel any strain, tell me immediately."
Kiana stepped back, leaving the task to Sirin and the White-Haired Oni.
Takamagahara… what kind of place would it be?
As they prepared to depart, Kiana couldn't contain her curiosity about the legendary realm spoken of only in fragments and myths.
Through a particular method, the White-Haired Oni helped Sirin sense the spatial coordinates he intended to convey.
Sirin fully released the power of the Sky Edict Edge, using its strength to construct a passage leading toward Takamagahara.
From the other end of the corridor came a force so alien it made one's very soul recoil. Before anyone could react, the White-Haired Oni had already stepped forward into it.
That sensation…
Mei was reminded of the time she and Kiana had fought the transformed whale—the same suffocating feeling of Nihility.
"Kiana, wait—"
Still reeling from the disorienting force that disrupted both mind and body, Mei caught a glimpse of Kiana following immediately after the White-Haired Oni.
Worry flared in her chest. Though she instinctively feared this power that twisted her thoughts and senses, she followed them into the passage without hesitation.
The planet's name was Takamagahara.
The homeland of the Kami.
The origin of Izumo's great catastrophe.
What kind of place would it be?
Before arriving, Mei had imagined what Takamagahara might look like.
In her mind, as the home of the Kami, it must have been a dark, desolate world—wild, broken, filled with savagery and ruin.
Only in such a place would the Kami long to invade Izumo, to root themselves there and reshape it into another living hell.
But the true Takamagahara…
Now she had seen it with her own eyes.
"...This… is Takamagahara?"
Mei took a few hesitant steps forward, staring at the scene before her. Her eyes widened in disbelief, as though doubting what she saw was real.
If not for that suffocating power of Nihility enveloping her—stirring up countless negative emotions within—Mei would never have believed this was Takamagahara.
Because the world before her eyes looked almost identical to Izumo. There was no trace of the harsh, hellish landscape she had imagined—no desolation, no infernal torment.
"Do you all feel it too? That sudden wave of despair?"
The last to arrive in Takamagahara were Sirin and Yae Sakura. The first thing they noticed was the overwhelming discomfort—both physical and mental.
Suppressing the persistent gloom weighing on her mind, Sirin scanned their surroundings. "Something's wrong here."
"We'll split up and investigate," said the White-Haired Oni. He had been crouched, examining the ground, but now that everyone had gathered, he looked up and continued, "The environment here is unnatural. We can't stay long. Let's each survey a section of Takamagahara and regroup here in one hour."
His tone was calm—as if this strange atmosphere didn't affect him at all.
"Wait."
Seeing him pick a direction and prepare to leave, Kiana quickly stopped him. "You said time is limited, and we can barely adapt to this place. So tell me—what exactly are you hoping to find in Takamagahara?"
The White-Haired Oni had come here to verify the truth.
But even Kiana, who had seen Acheron's records, couldn't quite guess what truth he sought to confirm in Takamagahara.
"If we have a clear goal," she added, "we can search more efficiently instead of wasting time. Right?"
"Traces," he replied simply.
"Traces?" Kiana repeated, puzzled.
"Human traces," said the White-Haired Oni, gazing at the world that so closely resembled Izumo.
"Humans?!"
"…Find the traces of humanity first. Once we do, I'll tell you everything I know."
Without further explanation, the White-Haired Oni strode off toward the area he had chosen. He clearly didn't wish to linger—the longer they stayed exposed here, the heavier the despair pressing on their minds became.
"Impossible! How could there be human traces here?"
Sirin's disbelief was palpable. Her expression shifted again and again. This was Takamagahara—the birthplace of the Kami.
"…If he said that, it must be because he has some clue," Kiana said at last. "Let's follow his lead. We'll split up and search for any possible traces."
The White-Haired Oni's words—about searching for signs of humanity—had shocked Kiana to her core. Even now, her thoughts were in turmoil.
There was no doubt the Kami were born in Takamagahara. The traces he sought couldn't be those of a few humans who had stumbled here by accident.
No—what he intended to find was likely evidence of a once-existing human civilization.
But this was Takamagahara!
According to all the records, the Kami here had never appeared to be humans twisted into monsters…