"So... have you made your resolution, Phainon of Aedes Elysiae?"

"..."

Phainon took a deep breath: "I'm ready. You two, I will bear the weight of divinity with you... I am willing to make the necessary sacrifices."

Aglaea nodded with satisfaction: "Very well."

"Finally, this day has come, Little Phainon. This has been your wish all along, hasn't it?"

Phainon: "Going back to those years, if the oracle hadn't found me... I would surely still be wandering aimlessly. At this moment, the meaning of my existence is to dedicate everything to the mission of the Chrysos Heirs."

"I have never doubted your determination," Aglaea announced solemnly. "At this time tomorrow, the Chrysos Heirs will gather at the Genesis Vortex to return the Spear of Divine Punishment, the Spark of Nicadori."

"Remember, this is not the priests' unchanging ritual. No one knows how great a price a mortal must pay to take up the divine authority of Strife; your path ahead is still full of variables. Use the remaining time to rest well, Phainon."

"I understand. Then, see you tomorrow."

——

Honkai Impact 3rd.

"From tomorrow on, Phainon will be preparing to make the leap from 'human' to 'demigod'. Not just Phainon, even I can't help but feel excited for him." Mobius's emerald vertical pupils contracted slightly, as if she were examining some novel experimental specimen.

"If we compare Nautiluss to the Emperor-class Honkai Beasts of our era, then this clump of Spark is equivalent to a Meta-Morph Factor. In the early days, the Spark must have also undergone experiments of fusion with mortals, right?"

"But the results were likely not good," Fu Hua said flatly. "A mortal's constitution is still far from that of the Chrysos Heirs. There must have been many failures in the early stages before people finally determined that only those with golden blood could perfectly fuse with it."

Mobius said with great interest, "What I'm most curious about is whether the ritual of fusing the Spark, like the early Hyper-transformation surgeries, is accompanied by some kind of screening? If Phainon fails to fuse with the Spark... will he die?"

"Oh? Why do you sound like you're looking forward to it?" Eden gently swirled the wine glass in her hand. "...Risks certainly exist. The power of a Nautilus is too immense; for a human vessel to carry divinity is no different from dancing on the edge of a cliff. And even with a perfect fusion, it will likely come with some unknown price."

Aglaea was the erosion of humanity, Tribbie was the regression of the body into a childlike form, then what about Phainon?

——

"It's really calm, as if nothing happened."

Looking at the relaxed and leisurely people in the bathhouse, Dan Heng couldn't help but feel some admiration: "To be able to enjoy themselves peacefully in such a chaotic world, the mental state of the people of Amphoreus is truly extraordinary."

Phainon walked up from behind them: "...It's all thanks to Aglaea and Teacher Tribbie. Under their protection, the citizens are able to enjoy peace." Phainon looked around, "Where did Mydei go?"

"He's very tired and went back to rest ahead of us."

"Without the help of you two, the outcome of this battle would have been truly unpredictable. You must be tired of hearing words of thanks, right? But I still have to—" Phainon turned his gaze to the pink unidentified creature floating on Stelle's shoulder, "...Ah, but saying thank you to you, this should be the first time? Thanks for the help, Miss... Mimi?"

"What are the plans for next?"

"At this time tomorrow, Aglaea will summon us to the Genesis Vortex for the ritual to return the Spark. Although her original words only mentioned the Chrysos Heirs... if I invite you to be present, she definitely won't refuse."

"Is there anything we should be careful of regarding this ritual?" Dan Heng asked cautiously.

"According to Aglaea, no one can predict what will happen. Because each Nautilus's divine authority is unique. Therefore, I hope the two of you can be there to give me some confidence."

Stelle patted Phainon on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I'll definitely be there to support you, Old Phainon."

"Hahaha, it's a deal," Phainon said with a smile. "The time before the ritual starts can be spent freely. Get some good rest... I also need to spend some time organizing my thoughts. See you later, friends."

Stelle and Dan Heng watched Phainon leave the bathhouse.

"Can you feel it, Stelle? He seems to have a lot on his mind," Dan Heng said.

"How did you feel it?" Stelle scratched her head.

"Body language, and... micro-expressions." Dan Heng sighed softly. "It's no wonder, what he's about to go through is too unique. Although Nautiluss are only local deities of Amphoreus, to ascend from 'human' to another kind of existence... the process involved is unimaginable."

"We should think about ourselves too," Stelle reminded.

"...Indeed, the series of events that happened before were too compact, leaving us no time to think about our current predicament. The carriage is scrapped, we can't contact the Astral Express Crew, plus the ban on the World Beyond the Sky... Once Phainon's ascension ritual is over, we should carefully plan for these troubles."

——

blue archive.

"I don't get it! Since Dan Heng and Stelle can't contact the Astral Express Crew, hasn't the Crew tried to contact Stelle? If they can't get through, they should just pilot a spaceship and charge in!"

At Master Shiba's stall, at the thought that the Astral Express Crew hadn't let others enter Amphoreus to help Stelle, Rikuhachima Aru got angry. She puffed out her cheeks and poked the ramen in her bowl fiercely with her chopsticks.

"Alright, Ai, even if you're angry, don't take it out on the food." Mutsuki rested her chin on her hand, looking at Aru with a beaming smile. "Master Shiba only charged us for one bowl of ramen but gave us enough for four people. If you waste your portion and get hungry at night... we don't have money for late-night snacks."

"This... I know that, of course." Aru took a deep breath and returned to her usual sitting posture, which she considered dignified. "If I were Himeko, as the Navigator of the Astral Express Crew, I would certainly pilot the Express to Amphoreus without hesitation to rescue my crew members. That's how to be a mature and reliable boss."

Kayoko let out a long sigh: "Then has the President thought about what would happen if the entire Express got trapped in Amphoreus and couldn't communicate with the outside world?"