After Tribbie left the dreamscape, her unease about Trianne's condition only grew.
Even after following Aglaea's suggestion and having Trianne temporarily step down from her Gatekeeper duties, Tribbie believed it wouldn't change anything.
She knew all too well that as Gatekeepers, no matter what they did, Trianne would eventually have to take up those responsibilities again.
"I believe there is still room to maneuver," Aglaea continued to persuade her.
"The soul wears down until it returns to dust. That is our destiny. Once, we possessed a single, fully connected body. If we compare that body to a great tree, then the trunk and branches would wither at the same rate because of fate."
Tribbie's gaze was resolute.
"Now, we have split into many selves… Although we have lost the trunk, we have gained another choice… We can decide in what form the branches wither in the way that benefits the Flame-Chasing Journey the most."
"Saying goodbye to one person is painful… but watching so many vanish before our eyes, one after another, is even more heartbreaking."
"Still… 'advancing' is the inevitable outcome of the Titan trial on Janus's Secret Path. We have never had any path of retreat.
So don't grieve over bidding us farewell—we made that promise long ago, didn't we?"
Aglaea gave a bitter smile.
"It won't be long before I may no longer even be able to taste sorrow."
Her words left Tribbie silent.
[Still building up to it? Still laying the groundwork for the knife?]
[If it were up to me, just make it quick and knife everyone at once.]
[Yeah, yeah, just like Elysian Realm—knife them all, leave no one behind.]
[You guys said that, remember.]
[???]
[Where are these weird comments coming from again?]
——
Afterward, Tribbie used breakfast as an excuse to send Aglaea away.
She was very clear about the situation.
"That's what I said, but a nightmare is a bad omen. My memories are growing blurrier… I can't even picture Mom's face anymore.
Sure enough… I still need to go to the Abyss of Fate. I hope Oronyx, the Titan of Time, will be willing to help us."
At the same time, somewhere in Okhema.
After exchanging a few words with Anaxa, Phainon immediately got to the point.
He wanted to know everything about the black-robed swordsman who had attacked the Grove of Epiphany.
Anaxa spoke without hesitation.
"Unfortunately, I know almost nothing about it either. All I can tell you is that it wore a black robe and wielded a heavy sword—probably a heavy sword—shaped like a half-twisted sun… and carried a strange dagger resembling a crescent moon."
Hearing the description, Phainon's face darkened at once.
"Oh, right—take this." Anaxa pulled out a piece of black cloth he had obtained during the ambush. "A trophy from when I exchanged words with it. It's yours."
Phainon took the cloth and fell into a long silence.
"No mistake… it's the one. The monster that burned down the secret chamber of mourning and murdered everyone."
Anaxa noticed the veins bulging on Phainon's forehead.
"I advise you not to play hero. Right now in Okhema, I doubt anyone can stand against it."
Phainon frowned. "Did the Titan Cerces say the same thing?"
"Hmph. Not at first, but after tasting its power, even it had to admit defeat. Even if I invited a god to possess me, I could barely withstand its blade…" Anaxa spread his hands.
"That unimaginable power doesn't resemble any Titan's blessing."
Phainon's frown deepened.
"Are you suggesting… it comes from outside Amphoreus?"
"It's possible. Just like the Black Tide, right?"
"Either way, it is an enemy we must defeat."
"We?" Anaxa met his gaze. "Don't delude yourself, Phainon. No one wants to see you die by its sword."
"As long as that thing exists, it threatens the Holy City and the entire Flame-Chasing Journey."
"You know I don't believe in—"
Before Anaxa could finish, Phainon cut him off.
"You don't believe in the so-called oracle. I know. But I didn't come seeking your help on Aglaea or Tribbie's orders…
I simply want to eliminate a threat to the city-state I swore to protect. That's all. The tragedy of the Grove must never be repeated."
Anaxa sighed softly and gestured to the table and chairs nearby.
"Sit. Since you've come in good faith… I'll tell you one more thing."
——
Not long after, in the Abyss of Fate—the same place where Caelus had obtained Mem.
Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon walked forward slowly.
"Ugh…" Trianne clutched her forehead.
Tribbie asked gently, "What's wrong, Trianne?"
"It's nothing! Just… remembering the Grove again. That black-cloaked monster was terrifying. Everyone… when danger comes… the nightmares won't go away." Trianne replied weakly.
[First they set up that even Titan power can't win, and now the three little ones are casually walking through an empty area.]
[This is the first time I've felt the Trailblazer is actually reliable. If it were any other Star Rail member…]
[Even so, wouldn't Firefly still get knifed?]
[Didn't Firefly survive?]
[Look at Trianne's voice—she's starting to sound like Trinnon, and even finishing one sentence is a struggle.]
[I really can't take this anymore!]
——
"Good girl… There are no bad people here." Tribbie stroked Trianne's head.
"Trianne, didn't you protect everyone with the Hundred Realms Gate?"
Trianne nodded vigorously. "Trianne threw it really far away… so far it can never come back."
[Stop planting more flags.]
[I feel like the field is already full of them.]
To restore their memories and fulfill their promise to Krateros, the three decided to find the Crimson Stamen before paying their respects to Oronyx.
They searched thoroughly inside the temple.
However, a warning from Oronyx appeared before Tribbie.
After discussing it with Trinnon, she concluded that Oronyx did not welcome them.
But at that moment, Trianne, standing behind them, asked with a bright smile, "Tribbie, Trinnon, what secret are you two whispering about?"
Tribbie's pupils shrank.
She realized Trianne could no longer even sense their most basic mental connection.
All she could do was sigh helplessly.
The three continued searching for the Crimson Stamen, but Oronyx's warnings kept appearing.
In the end, with no other choice, they tried to directly persuade the Titan.
After all, It had not driven them away outright.
[I feel like something's wrong here. When it made things difficult for Caelus before, it wasn't like this.]
[Is it possible Oronyx is actually warning Tribbie and the others not to go any further?]
[Yeah, they've been building up the black-robed swordsman the whole time. I bet it's already waiting for the three of them.]
——
Suddenly, the scene shifted.
Back to the conversation between Phainon and Anaxa.
"You mean… this black-robed swordsman is not only connected to the Black Tide, but is also hunting Coreflames everywhere?"
Phainon stared at Anaxa in shock.
Anaxa nodded and laid out his reasoning. "This guess has the highest probability. First, it possesses a container for Coreflames. Second, I am one of its targets.
The first point: its strangely shaped ritual sword can interact with Coreflames—the gravitational pull when it pierced my chest proves it. I suspect the sword can sense, absorb… and even contain them.
The second point is even clearer: during the earlier chaotic battle, despite being distracted, it kept its focus on me—or rather, on Cerces inside me the entire time."
"Hah!" Phainon slammed the table. "So it's a Flame Reaver… But if what you say is true, wouldn't it head straight for Okhema soon? The Vortex of Creation is full of the Titans' Coreflames."
"Not necessarily." Anaxa continued his inference.
"Let's call this person the Flame Reaver for now. Assuming the theory holds, their targets are three: myself, Oronyx who has not yet fallen, and Okhema and the Vortex of Creation where the gods' Coreflames are kept.
However, I doubt Okhema will be first. Kephale's Coreflame is controlled by the Senate's secret arts, and Phagousa's water curtain should block external sensing."
Phainon asked, "What about Thanatos and Aquila? Their Coreflames haven't returned yet…"
Anaxa shook his head casually. "Thanatos's whereabouts are unknown. As for Aquila… can you fly?"
[Bet there's a comment here: Why can birds fly?]
[Why can birds fly?]
[Wait, the Astral Express can fly! Could it be… riding the train?]
[Who's going to repair the carriage? Call Himeko?]
[Never mind. Calling her over definitely won't end well!]
——
"No. Why do you ask?" Phainon denied it immediately.
Anaxa countered, "Can that swordsman fly?"
"Ah, good point. But what if it sprouts wings…"
"If it had wings, I couldn't have returned alive from the Grove."
"Then we should count ourselves lucky. Since the Flame Reaver has two likely targets, we need to move even faster…"
Anaxa stroked his chin.
"Considering the distances between Okhema, the Grove, and these locations, the most important place to fortify should be…"
Just then, Dan Heng rushed over to Phainon.
"Bad news, Phainon—Tribbie has disappeared! The last time they were seen was… in the Abyss of Fate!"
——
At the same time, in the Abyss of Fate.
Trianne stood with her hands on her hips and shouted into the air, "Oronyx—are you here—?"
Trinnon lowered her head. "No response…"
"Did it sense we were coming and hide in the mist? Or…"
Suddenly Trinnon startled.
"Tribbie… we should leave. There are… other people in this temple."
"What?!"
Tribbie was shocked, but Trianne showed no reaction and kept searching for Oronyx.
"Listen—footsteps, hurried, three or four people heading this way. Hide first. No matter who they are, we cannot be seen."
"Tribbie, Trinnon… come look at this." Trianne picked up a tattered piece of black cloth.
"What is this? Trianne feels like… she's seen it somewhere before?"
Without warning, the black-robed swordsman descended from above, blasting the three of them away.
In that instant, it summoned four avatars and charged toward them.
Trianne watched Trinnon supporting the unconscious Tribbie.
Facing the approaching black-robed swordsman, she exhausted the last of her divine power to forcibly open another Hundred Realms Gate, restricting its movements.
"Fly away…"
"Trianne?!"
She then opened a second gate behind Tribbie and Trinnon.
Tribbie slowly turned her head and gave a gentle smile. "Tribbie… see you tomorrow."
[Aaaaaah!]
[Noooo!!!]
[You have no heart, miHoYo, no heart at all!]
[How can you bring yourself to do this to such a little loli? You're really not human!]
[I told you Trianne could only open it twice—now she's completely done for!]
[Actually the first gate wasn't strong enough to send the black-robed swordsman away. It relied on Castorice's power back then.]
[Then why didn't Trianne just teleport herself?]
[One: opening speed versus the swordsman's speed. Two: Trianne forgot.]
[Trianne, see you tomorrow!]
[Just you wait, black-robed swordsman! I won't feel an ounce of sympathy for a villain like you.]
[The black-robed swordsman isn't that simple—don't speak too soon.]
[Whatever, why bother? Just curse miHoYo. It's all the writers' fault anyway!]
[Exactly!]
[Not necessarily. What if Trianne survives?]
[Honestly, if she does survive after all this buildup, I'd lose even more respect for miHoYo. They owe us a knife after all that foreshadowing.]
——
Some time later, in the Abyss of Fate.
"Mmm…"
Tribbie slowly opened her eyes. "Where…"
Before her were Dan Heng, Caelus, Phainon, Hyacine, and Trinnon.
All of them wore furrowed brows and sorrowful expressions.
"Little Gray, Snowy? And…"
"Wait… where's Trianne? Has she come back?"
Phainon let out a heavy sigh. "When we arrived, we only found the two of you lying by the roadside…"
Hyacine added, "Dan Heng and I searched the area… but we couldn't find any trace of Lady Trianne."
Trinnon asked, "What about the black-robed swordsman?"
At the name, Phainon clenched his teeth. "Damn it! It really was that one. We were still too late… Oronyx's Coreflame has likely already fallen into its hands."
"Then… Lady Trianne…"
Tribbie gave a bitter smile. "Her divine power is nearly gone. Right now… the connection is extremely faint."
Caelus ground his teeth. "We must pursue that black-robed swordsman."
Phainon nodded. "It's already a blessing that the two teachers are safe. Everyone, we should split into two teams immediately. One team stays in the Abyss to meet Aglaea's reinforcements and search for Teacher Trianne.
The other team will go with me to hunt down the black-robed swordsman and retrieve the Coreflame."