The Interastral Peace Corporation?
Is that a faction from the Star Rail universe? We've never heard of it.
Across the countless dimensions, innumerable viewers heard the discussion between Welt and Himeko, their expressions turning intrigued.
Although the Aeons were the most powerful beings in the Star Rail universe, there were only a handful of them. The main melody of their cosmos was still the clash of various factions, a chaotic mix of dragons and fish.
The Corporation, the Xianzhou, the Families, the Garden of Recollection, and so on—they all followed in the footsteps of the Aeons, walking the Paths they had left behind.
And clearly, the most powerful faction in the Star Rail universe, in terms of overall strength, was the Interastral Peace Corporation, which followed Klipoth, the Aeon of Preservation.
Aventurine: "It seems the members of the Astral Express have a rather deep misunderstanding of the Corporation. We're all good people, you know. Even if we aren't as selfless and kind as the Ultra Warriors, we still have our own bottom line."
Dr. Ratio: "Hmph... Good people? If that was a joke, seeing as you did genuinely make me laugh, I can give you five points for it."
If Topaz had said that, Ratio could have understood. After all, she was one of the few genuinely good people in the Corporation. But for these words to come from Aventurine... well, that was just utterly ridiculous.
Aventurine was a pure gambler. Although Ratio didn't think he was crazy enough to betray even the Amber King, there was no doubt that his bottom line was far beyond what an Ultraman could ever tolerate.
Yukino Yukinoshita: "A gambler, a corporation, marketing... heh. You can always find similarities, can't you? Even on a cosmic scale, do factions like this, akin to capitalists, still exist?"
Kaguya Shinomiya: "Where there are people, there will be desires. And desires often give birth to capital."
As the child of a capitalist family, no one understood this better than Kaguya. Even though not a single person from this so-called Interastral Peace Corporation had appeared on screen yet, she could already guess what kind of entity it was.
Ultraman Hikari: "Capitalists? Their philosophy is indeed quite different from that of the Land of Light. While we respect their ideals, that respect is the extent of it."
The Land of Light respects the internal rules of every faction and will not interfere with the internal development of any planet. They know what capital is, having spent time on Earth, after all.
So, in theory, it was possible for the Land of Light and the Corporation to establish friendly relations, even if the Corporation wasn't purely good in nature.
---o---
[On the light curtain, after the scene on the Astral Express passed, the image shifted elsewhere.]
[In the vast sea of stars, a golden figure seemed to support the entire cosmos. The Amber King's great hammer had quietly come to a halt. This proved that Ultraman Noa's methods were formidable, powerful enough to resolve a catastrophe that had left even the Amber King helpless.]
[If one observed closely, they would discover the chest of the Aeon of [Preservation] was faintly rising and falling.]
[His breathing was faint, like an athlete who had just finished a slow jog. Yet this faint, small breath rippled out like a shockwave across the four corners of the cosmos. All Emanators of Preservation, all Pathstriders who had stepped upon the Path of Preservation, heard this gasp, which was like the beating of a heart.]
[Beads of nervous sweat trickled down their foreheads. Aside from a few Emanators, no one knew what had happened to the Amber King, but one thing was certain: the Amber King was very tired right now. So tired that even swinging his giant hammer seemed to be an immense effort.]
"Heeheehee... Hahahahaha, Klipoth, you pitiful fellow. All alone, repairing the cosmos and building your barriers. Only Aha is willing to stay by your side, to listen to the sound of your great hammer falling."
A strange laugh echoed by his ear. The Amber King wanted to get angry. He wanted to string up this Aha, who had done nothing but mess around and fan the flames from start to finish, and give him a good thrashing. But he was too tired now, so tired he could barely lift his hammer.
"Look, Klipoth! That glowing fellow in the distance, you can vaguely make out his features. He's quite handsome, it's just that the chicken wings on his back are a bit ugly."
Aha clearly didn't care what the Amber King was thinking. He was more concerned with that light, which was as strong as [The Nihility].
But obviously, the Amber King did not welcome Noa, even if Noa had helped him repair the cosmos.
The Celestial Comet Wall, the Subspace Crystal Wall... even though the universe was now safe, these barriers were still being used by the Amber King to block off the universe on the other side.
He didn't want to know what Ultramen were, nor did he want to know what was happening in that unknown new universe. He only knew that he had to build a barrier, measured in light-years, a defensive wall sufficient to withstand any and all threats. Only then could he guarantee the safety of his cosmos.
As the Celestial Comet Wall was erected, darkness could no longer invade their universe. But of course... neither could light.
And Stelle, who had been sent to the Ultra universe by the Amber King, had lost her chance to return. The Astral Express was in the same predicament.
"Build the wall... Defend!"
The Amber King spoke only these simple words. After a brief rest, he prepared to continue reinforcing the wall.
Although it was already very sturdy, if the "chicken wings" Aha mentioned were to attack, the current defenses would not be enough to stop them. He needed a thicker, harder wall!
"Oh, my goodness, you don't think this is enough? Klipoth!"
Seeing the Amber King about to continue building, Aha couldn't help but cry out in alarm. The thickness of this wall was already absurdly exaggerated, yet the Amber King actually wanted to reinforce it further. Just how much did he despise those glowing beings?
Ignoring the dramatic Aha, the Amber King once again raised his giant hammer, and countless materials materialized around him.
But this time, the Amber King's hammer failed to fall.
"Aha, you may continue to stand by and watch, but I will not permit you to stop me from building my wall."
The Amber King's heavy voice was like a massive stone, a dignified pressure weighing on the heart of every viewer watching this scene.
The faintly enraged Amber King, the ever-shameless Aha, and the other Aeons who were observing this place at all times.
As Aha made his move, the atmosphere gradually grew tense. Aside from the slumbering Nihility, all the other Aeons had fixed their gazes upon them.
The Aeon of Preservation, the Aeon of Elation—both were ancient Aeons who had existed since distant antiquity. If a divine war were to break out, it was feared that half the universe would be caught in the crossfire.
"Don't be so tense, Klipoth. Relax a little, how about I tell you a joke?"
Seeing the enraged Amber King, Aha prudently chose to back down, yet his expression was still filled with a joyous smile.
He knew what the Amber King was afraid of. To be honest... among all the Aeons, this guy was the one who lacked the most sense of security. Aha even suspected that the Amber King might have some kind of persecution complex, which was why he was building walls everywhere for defensive purposes.
If this were in the past, he'd let the Amber King build his wall. It wasn't like he could be stopped anyway. But today was different.
What was that saying again? Isolation leads to backwardness. Stagnation means standing still. One universe had already brought him so much fun; adding another one, wouldn't that be double the fun?
If this path was sealed off by the Amber King, he, as the Aeon of Elation, would miss out on a great deal of fun.
"Are you trying to learn from Akivili? Aha..."
Seeing Aha's smiling face, the Amber King's anger subsided. He knew Aha's intentions. After all, this wasn't their first interaction; the two knew each other all too well.
"You really do get me, Klipoth. Standing before you now is not the Aeon of Elation, but Aha, Emanator of the Trailblaze..."
Aha said with a grin. He always wore this expression, as if everything in the universe, including the Aeons themselves, was exceptionally amusing.
But clearly, he didn't seem to care in the slightest what kind of massive waves his words would stir.
The Aeon of Elation proclaiming himself an Emanator of the Trailblaze... the shock this caused throughout the cosmos, especially for the Masked Fools and the Trailblazers, was no less than a universal explosion.
However, after a brief moment of shock, the Aeons and their Emanators returned to their calm. It was best not to believe a word that came out of Aha's mouth. If you actually believed him, you would become his plaything.
The Amber King obviously knew this as well and remained unmoved by Aha's words.
[After all, only a fool would believe that Aha was trying to stop him for the sake of Trailblazing. In this guy's eyes, there was only his own fun.]
---o---
[Light Curtain Barrage]
"The Celestial Comet Wall, the Subspace Crystal Wall... this time he's not building them along star systems, but directly along the boundary of the universe. I never expected the Amber King to be so opposed to the interaction between the two universes."
The higher-ups of the Interastral Peace Corporation exchanged glances after seeing the scene on the screen, each harboring their own schemes.
Those with firm beliefs needed no further convincing; they resolutely supported the Amber King's decision.
But for those who weren't so devoted to Preservation, it was a different story. While they wouldn't openly oppose him, they implicitly revealed their dissatisfaction with the Amber King.
The resources of another universe... the value contained within was more than enough for a gambler to risk everything, even their own life.
The good news, however, was that the Aeon of Elation shared their thinking. Normally, once the Amber King voiced his opposition, they, as high-ranking executives of the Corporation, could only comply, despite their dissatisfaction.
But now that another Aeon was involved, and an ancient Aeon from the same era as the Amber King at that, the room they had to maneuver was much greater.
While they wouldn't go so far as to openly plot against an Aeon, they could at least secretly assist Aha... if he would accept it.
Pom-Pom: "Emanator of the Trailblaze, he really has the gall to say that! This Conductor will absolutely not acknowledge him!!"
March 7th: "Uhh... with his power, it seems like he doesn't really need your acknowledgment. But I just thought he was saying it casually."
On the other side, aboard the Express, Pom-Pom was clearly quite displeased with Aha. Everyone else treated Aha's words as a joke, but only Pom-Pom took it seriously and resolutely denied him.
After all, if Aha really became some kind of Emanator, the Nameless would be tormented to death by him. In this regard, Pom-Pom knew this Aeon all too well.
"Ah, the Aeon of Elation proclaiming himself an Emanator of the Trailblaze, this is truly... this is just too much fun!!"
Sparkle gazed at Aha on the screen, her expression one of ecstatic fervor. As expected of the God of Fun, he truly understood what fun was all about.
To say such a thing in front of the Amber King, in front of all the Aeons... this wasn't just lawless, it was simply insane!
Sampo Koski: "My lady... can you please act normal? Don't be so dramatic. You're not really going to be that audacious in front of an Aeon, are you? You'll die!"
Yukino Yukinoshita: "I suppose I'll never understand the minds of fun-seekers. It's clearly a very tense moment, on the verge of a divine war, yet the first thing a fun-seeker thinks of is still fun... And I don't see what's so joyous about this situation."
Herta: "That's just how the followers of Aha, the Elation, are. There are many lunatics among the Masked Fools. But you can rest assured. The Amber King is one of the most admirable Aeons in the cosmos. He is steady and composed, and won't casually start a divine war... probably."
Detective Conan: "Probably?"
Herta: "There's nothing to be done about it. Who can understand the affairs of Aeons? The Amber King's image has largely been crafted by the Corporation's marketing. As long as the Corporation hasn't been deceiving people, it should be fine."
Besides, even if a fight did break out, it had nothing to do with her. She was of the Erudition and would remain neutral.
Still, compared to a divine war, the images on the screen were more captivating. The interactions between Aeons in the Simulated Universe were completely untranslatable; they were all just speaking in riddles. The translations provided by the screen were a timely blessing.
---o---
[On the light curtain, Aha, the Emanator of the Trailblaze, continued his standoff with the Amber King.]
[The atmosphere between the two was incredibly strange. It seemed like a fight could break out at any moment, yet it also seemed like they could call it off at any time.]
"Hey, Klipoth, don't you think you're being a bit of a tyrant? Why don't you ask your Corporation? See if they want to continue trailblazing, or if they want to build high walls?"
Aha was the first to break the silence, attempting to sway the Amber King's mind. The Amber King, however, replied with confusion: "The Corporation?"
He thought for a moment. It seemed there was an organization with that name that had always been following him.
Unlike The Hunt or Elation, Klipoth paid almost zero attention to his followers. He had nearly even forgotten the Corporation's name.
It was a good thing he paid attention to his Emanators; otherwise, the name "Interastral Peace Corporation" might never have been recalled by Klipoth in his entire life.
"Their opinions are not important." Although he had remembered, the Corporation held no position in Klipoth's heart. He couldn't care less about the Corporation's ideas. Or rather... the Corporation was not worthy of having an opinion on this matter.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Hearing the Amber King's words, Aha shook his head, it was unclear if he felt it was a pity for the Corporation or if he found the Amber King's stubbornness troublesome.
"Alright, old friend, since you're so stubborn, I won't stop you. Just don't come looking for me after your wall gets a hole poked in it later."
Aha sighed, not bothering to hide his intentions. Poking a hole in the wall—he had the ability to do that. After all, destruction was much simpler than construction.
Following that... the Amber King fell silent. ]
---o---