【As Phainon reached his hand into the spring water, his figure quickly vanished along with the echoes of the Nautilus's divinity.】

【"Lord Phainon... has he left?"】

【"He has already stepped onto the battlefield; that is a campaign that only he can win alone." Aglaea looked toward the white vortex deep within the Vortex Heart. "All we can do is wait... and believe."】

【"What a... mysterious ritual. Is there really nothing else we can do but wait?" Dan Heng said. "I don't like the feeling of sitting around and waiting for fate to pass judgment. I wonder what the others present think."】

【Stelle walked toward Aglaea and asked for her thoughts on Phainon's trial.】

【"Phainon's fate is steered by himself. If he can overcome his own fear and return as a demigod, we will be incredibly close to the miracle promised by the oracle."】

【"And what if he fails?"】

【Aglaea shook her head gently. "...That would mean his time has not yet come, and there are even more arduous missions for him to shoulder." She paused, her gaze instinctively drifting toward Castorice nearby. "You should have noticed by now that every one of the Chrysos Heirs here carries some kind of... flaw. Whether it be the curse of immortality, the constant loss of humanity, or..."】

【"...But Phainon is different. He is a flaw-less Chrysos Heir, a perfect divine vessel. One day... he will lead everyone—those who remain—to knock upon the door of miracles."】

——

The Legend of Hei.

"Vessel..." Nezha repeated the word with interest. "That's a dangerous word. Those who become vessels usually don't end up with good outcomes."

"You can't really put it that way." Elder Jiu stroked the small tuft of beard on his chin. "Looking at it rationally, which of the Chrysos Heirs who have appeared so far isn't a vessel? They're either vessels for existing embers or vessels for future embers. That little girl who's so preoccupied with the whereabouts of the Titan of Death—isn't she also a vessel for the Death Embers?"

Nezha tilted his head and thought for a moment. "...I suppose that's true."

"I suspect Phainon's uniqueness lies in his perfect adaptability. Since he has no flaws, it means he can adapt to all embers and succeed any of the demigods of Amphoreus. If Aglaea hadn't appeared and the Romance Embers were lost elsewhere, Phainon could have taken those embers and become a demigod... In short, whatever demigod Amphoreus lacks, Phainon can become. That is his true talent."

"This is too cruel for them." Wuxian took a quiet sip of tea.

Elder Jiu sighed softly. "Yes, so the best way is to let the genius break through that layer of Chaotic Matter and take the opportunity to resolve the source of the Black Tide... No, we also need to find out who issued that oracle. If an Emanator is manipulating everything behind the scenes, then this oracle instigating the fight between humans and gods must also be that person's work."

——

【Mydei arrived inside the Vortex Heart at this moment. He looked around and found no sign of Phainon. "Am I a step too late after all..."】

【"Phainon even said you wouldn't come."】

【Mydei looked up toward the depths of the Vortex Heart. "The stars of the Spear of Divine Punishment have been lit, which means..."】

【"The return of the embers is complete, but the trial for Lord Phainon is not yet over," Castorice said. "The oracle has sent down its spokesperson. It recognizes Lord Phainon's strength and character, but it still harbors doubts about his will. He must overcome his own fear... and prove himself to the oracle."】

【"...It confirms my worries."】

【"Mydei, the 'worries' you mentioned, you mean..."】

【Mydei looked at Castorice. "They still don't know?"】

【Castorice shook her head quietly.】

【"Hmph, that guy... he's always been tormented by his own past. It might be inappropriate for me to convey it... but if you are to continue fighting alongside Phainon, it's necessary for you to understand his past."】

【Castorice volunteered, "Lord Mydei... let me do it."】

【"...Fine, very well."】

【"Before being chosen by the oracle, Lord Phainon had everything taken from him: his hometown, his family, his best friends... everything he had once sworn to protect. As a youth, he became a hollowed-out shell, with only the flames of revenge in his heart driving him to walk the earth."】

【"The oracle gave him a new mission, allowing him to restart his life as a Chrysos Heir. But between that new mission and the desire for revenge, which weighs more?" Castorice lowered her gaze somewhat despondently. "I'm afraid only he knows the answer... No, perhaps even he himself is wavering."】

【"I recognize his strength, but fear—even the sharpest sword cannot cut through fear. I hope you have firmed your resolve, the Savior..." Mydei looked up at the totem symbolizing Strife, shimmering amidst the galaxy.】

【"...For only a will like solid rock can shatter the deepest nightmares."】

——

Honkai Impact 3rd.

"Is this Boss Phai—no, Phainon's past?" Pardo's ears drooped, her face full of bitterness. "...This is too tragic. Seeing how sunny and cheerful he is, I thought he had a happy and perfect childhood."

A person who was a hollowed-out shell, with nothing but revenge in his chest, actually smiled more warmly than anyone else... For a moment, Pardo found it hard to imagine the mental journey he must have gone through.

She peeked at Boss Kevin.

Kevin was as silent as ever. His gaze seemed to refract into the depths of the Genesis Vortex, into some place further, colder, where even starlight could not reach. He took a long detour through those memories, back to that era where ice and fire coexisted, and then circled back.

...A trace of unspeakable sorrow seeped from Boss Kevin's eyes.

To this day, he still hadn't emerged from that very long, endless winter, yet he had to watch another "self" walk into the winter with his own eyes.

"Boss Kevin..."

"Shh—" Eden placed a finger gently to her lips. "Pardo, let's head out first and let him watch quietly by himself for a while."

——

【Golden wheat fields stretched to the very end of Phainon's vision.】

【The wind came from afar, passing through the wheat fields. The ears of grain bowed in turn and then stood back up... It was the gentlest breath of Aedes Elysiae.】

【A pink-haired girl sat under a tree, holding a deck of cards in her hands. A young Phainon pulled one from her hand and gave it to her to interpret.】

【The girl scrutinized the card's face. "Hmm..."】

【The young Phainon was puzzled. "What's wrong?"】

【"Hmm...?"】

【"...Sigh, stop keeping me in suspense. Tell me quickly, what did you see?"】

【"Haha, I just wanted to see your reaction. Here, I'll tell you—" The girl flipped over the card he had drawn, showing a figure holding a sharp sword. "—This card? Its name is 'the Savior'."】