"To be precise, it's the power of the'Stellaron'." Mash's tone grew slightly more serious. "The King, Senior, and Merlin's judgment is that the Nautiluss' madness is likely related to the 'Voice of the Stellaron'. Since the Stellaron can affect the Nautiluss' sanity, it might also affect the Three Goddesses, or even..."

Mash lowered her head timidly, not daring to continue.

"You mean... affect my sanity, don't you?" Gilgamesh looked down at Mash from his high position. "Raise your head; I will not punish you for your counsel. As for what you said about affecting the Three Goddesses' sanity... Ishtar, we are talking about you right now—don't think I didn't see you stealing the palace wine."

"I wasn't stealing!" Ishtar's voice came from the corner of the terrace. She was indeed holding a wine glass, her face slightly flushed from being caught. "I... I was just... tasting! Yes, tasting! To see if the wine here is worthy of this goddess!"

"Hmph, a goddess who can be swayed by fine wine and gems... indeed looks like the type who would be easily taken by the Black Tide."

—

【A blonde woman drifted down from the sky, gold threads winding and flowing between her fingertips like living things. "【Goldweaver】 Aglaea, you shall caress the silk web of the Holy City and listen to the breath of fate."】

【Red-haired children shuttled through thousands of doorways, giggling as they pushed open one door and peeked out from another, their small figures skipping along as if playing hide-and-seek with the entire world. "There will be Messengers of Three Phases shuttling through thousands of doorways, bringing you news from the Hundred Realms."】

【A scholar wearing a black eye patch sat alone under an ancient tree, a soft glow gently drifting into his palm. "Dull Anaxagoras, his knowledge can refute faith and stir the waves of god-slaying."】

【A pink-haired girl lay on a slanted branch, morning light spilling across her face through the gaps in the leaves. The girl rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up from her slumber. "Go find the Priestess who Divides Dawn and Dusk, let the sky become the bed for her awakening."】

【A bare-chested blonde youth roared in the battle formation, his muscles bulging and his fists shattering enemies wherever they struck. A crimson lion roared behind him, shaking heaven and earth. "Let him roar, the undying Mydeimos, and pierce through the enemy kings with the bloodline of the Suspended Blade."】

【A cat-eared girl in a hood darted through the night, her figure as agile as a swallow. She leaped over alleys across rooftops, the moonlight outlining her slender silhouette. "Let her run, the swift-footed Cephalia, and teach stagnant time to flow for you."】

【The River Styx flowed quietly, shimmering with a faint purple light. Castorice stood on the bank, reaching out to gently stroke the bone dragon that was large enough to blot out the sky. The dragon lowered its massive head, allowing her palm to caress it. "And the Servant of the Ashen Hand, the daughter of the Styx... if you grant her the right to embrace, cold Death... will also find peace at her fingertips."】

【In the depths of the azure ocean, a girl danced gracefully. The tide swirled and surged with her rotations, forming one vortex after another around her; the entire ocean seemed to be echoing her dance steps. "You will hear the Voice of the Deep Sea echoing in the storm; you will see the outlander visiting under the cover of night. Until the end of the journey, when the Nautiluss of old have all fallen... and the Nameless new king is crowned, together with thousands of heroes..."】

【"To initiate the great work of Salvation."】

—

Honkai Impact 3rd.

When the word "Salvation" appeared on the Celestial Screen, the atmosphere inside the Elysian Realm suddenly froze.

No one spoke; even the usually talkative Elysia fell silent. She looked at Kevin standing in the shadows of the hall, his ice-blue eyes gazing at the Celestial Screen, his expression extremely complex.

It was neither sorrow nor regret, but a more complex and heavy expression.

That expression... they had seen it long, long ago, in the meeting rooms of the Fire Moth, after one failed operation after another, after one comrade after another had fallen.

"Salvation... does he know how heavy those words are?"

Seeing the youth on the Celestial Screen, who looked eighty to ninety percent like himself, raising a longsword against a Nautilus, an indescribable sense of powerlessness seized Kevin. Just like when he went to the moon years ago, watching his comrades die one by one, he feared that Phainon would encounter experiences similar to his on the path of "Salvation," witnessing the departure of comrades yet being powerless to change it.

If possible, he only hoped that Phainon would not step onto this cruel and lonely path and instead live a fulfilling life only for himself.

"By the way, I suddenly have a terrifying thought. They kill the Nautiluss... won't they end up merging with them in the end...?" Pardofelis broke the suffocating atmosphere. "I feel like that cat-eared girl's silhouette... might be my counterpart. Combining our past experiences as the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, could the Nautiluss be equivalent to Emperor-class Honkai Beasts?"

If that were the case, wouldn't these Chrysos Heirs replicate their experiences and die? Please, not that!

Pardo hugged herself nervously.

"Oh, Pardo, don't worry. Amphoreus only has twelve Nautiluss, which equals twelve Chrysos Heirs. But we Flame-Chasers have thirteen people, the numbers don't match at all~" Elysia comforted her softly. "Fate is the kind of thing where even a slight deviation can lead to many different endings♪"

Pardo realized: "Eh? That... seems true. And this time Amphoreus has Stelle and Dan Heng, as well as Welt and Himeko. Salvation or whatever will definitely be fine!"

—

【"I look toward the distant future, where the sun will carve the footsteps of the people... the children of man known as Chrysos Heirs shall pluck the sparks of the gods and once again support the heavens and earth."】

【"Chasing fire is a journey of constant loss, and among all that, life is but a trifle."】

【From Aglaea to Phainon, the figures of the Chrysos Heirs appeared one by one on the Celestial Screen.】

【"Indeed, we cast ourselves into the flames, only to..."】

【"Write the opening stroke in the epic of creation."】

...

Herta Space Station.

Herta was standing before the largest magic mirror, quietly observing the brilliant belt of light reflected in it.

"In the universe, the vast majority of 'Hero's Journeys' are but dice rolls cast at random by Them..." The corners of Herta's lips curled up slightly. "Will your answer be any different?"

"...Amphoreus."

...

"Of course."

The golden wheat fields stretched as far as the eye could see, gentle waves rippling in the breeze. The pink-haired girl turned around slowly, her hands behind her back.

Her smile was as it had always been, just like the first time they met.

"This will definitely be a romantic story unlike any before. You think so too, right♪"