Chapter 288: A Stirring from Propagation
"One, two, three..."
"Are all of these for Miyabi♪?"
Elysia looked at the pile of melons on the floor—all shapes and sizes. Among the people she knew, Miyabi Hoshimi was the only one this fond of melons.
"Feeding the little fox, Little Ya, is very amusing." Kenji nodded.
"Heeheehee, 'Little Ya'? Darling♪, are you having some bold ideas?"
Elysia giggled at his words, instantly making the connection: his daughter, Anya, was also nicknamed "Little Ya."
"I am not. Don't frame me. I didn't say anything," Kenji said righteously, sending the melons to Miyabi Hoshimi.
Zenless Zone Zero world, New Eridu.
Munch... munch...
In the Hoshimi residence, Miyabi Hoshimi's training for the day was to eat this melon.
The melon Kenji had sent over was one meter in diameter and weighed a full half-ton.
So tasty~
The sweet melon made Miyabi Hoshimi's fox ears twitch with every bite, and her face was a mask of pure bliss.
"Little Ya, eating so much can't be good for you, can it?"
Mrs. Hoshimi dotingly stroked Miyabi Hoshimi's head. By the way, the size of this melon was just ridiculous.
"Mom, could you please not call me Little Ya?"
Miyabi Hoshimi thought of something. Little Ya, Little Ya... it gives me the weird feeling that I'm Kenji's daughter.
"Why?" Mrs. Hoshimi was a bit confused. She had always called her that. Could it be... her daughter's rebellious phase?
"Kenji's daughter is named Anya," Miyabi Hoshimi said helplessly.
"Pfft, so that's why."
Mrs. Hoshimi thought it was something serious. The reason her daughter gave truly amused her, and she burst out laughing, shaking with mirth.
"What's the big deal? There are plenty of people with 'Ya' in their name."
"But still, to think your benefactor already has a child... Oh, Little Ya, didn't you say something before about 'repaying him with your hand in marriage'?" Mrs. Hoshimi teased.
Only she and Souichiro knew about that. It was at dinner right after she returned; Miyabi had blurted out that she would repay him with her hand in marriage. The couple remembered it vividly.
A little fox repaying a debt of gratitude? Just thinking about it made her break into a knowing, aunt-like smile.
"Um..."
The Hollow Special Operations Chief, Miyabi Hoshimi, felt her pointed fox ears droop in embarrassment, a faint, rosy blush appearing on them.
The same hands that could draw a blade and slice open a Hollow were now fidgeting, unsure what to do.
"Hmph... Mom, please teach me... the training for marriage!"
"Of course, no problem! I know all about that."
Mrs. Hoshimi puffed out her chest, turning into "Miss Know-it-all." She had been through it all, after all.
Souichiro Hoshimi, listening through the window, sighed helplessly.
The blond-haired protagonist has ridden his bike right up to my doorstep... I never thought I'd see the day.
[Ruan Mei]: "Dear, are you busy? Something interesting is happening here."
[Star Forger]: "On my way."
Honkai Universe, Solin System.
The Swarm Empress, Suixing, whom the Xianzhou had been searching for all this time without success, was currently lurking in this very system.
This system teemed with countless insects of the Propagation, and the pheromones they released perfectly masked the aura of a top-tier Propagation Emanator.
"Ruan Mei, are you sure?"
"Dear, I have been observing Suixing this entire time."
Ruan Mei smiled faintly. Suixing had left with her tracker. She was the only ordinary human in the universe who could find the Swarm Empress.
"Listen."
Kenji perked up his ears. He seemed to hear an echo of Propagation.
THUMP—THUMP—THUMP—
A steady, powerful, and vigorous heartbeat resounded. The stars themselves trembled. An incredible amount of energy was released, unleashing the total energy of a star's hundreds-of-thousands-of-years-long lifespan in an instant.
The long-dormant Path of Propagation began to stir. Throughout the universe, the insects of Propagation let out excited roars, as if to welcome their new God (Empress) ascending to the divine throne.
Imaginary energy surged within the system. Kenji looked over and saw a giant, purple-pink egg, covered in deep black patterns. A path, invisible to mortals, unfolded, stretching from the giant egg to an unfathomable place.
At the same time, a vast will descended, pressing down directly on the giant egg, as if to crush this usurper who dared to ascend to the throne.
"The will of the Swarm Tyrant, Tayzzyronth?" Kenji raised an eyebrow.
Aeons really don't die that easily. Although Tayzzyronth had been beaten into "hero fragments" by Qlipoth's three hammer strikes, it hadn't been completely destroyed.
As long as the Path of Propagation existed, it would not die. It just couldn't reform an Aeon's body or interfere in the universe's affairs, such as influencing the remaining Propagation insects.
Now that Suixing was ascending, it naturally triggered a counter-attack from the Swarm Tyrant's residual will. Because once the new god took the throne, this remnant of the old era would disappear completely.
"Heeheehee, that's right. As long as it defeats the will of that bug, a new Aeon of Propagation will be born."
Aha appeared. Next to him was the rebellious-looking youth Akivili. Fuli, carrying a camera, stood there quietly.
The Astral Express was parked at a safe distance, observing.
Such a powerful and violent fluctuation of a Path's aura... The Xianzhou, the Corporation, the Garden of Recollection, and other factions had all arrived.
Who would have thought that a single, tiny star system would actually host three and a half Aeons?
"Kenji, this little Propagation fellow... it's yours, right? Remember to keep it in check," Akivili reminded him.
If a Swarm Disaster broke out across the universe, countless worlds would be devastated, turning into living hells. It would be impossible to Trailblaze.
He also didn't want to run into any Propagation bugs (aka cosmic speedbumps). The bug slime was a pain to clean.
"That day will never come."
Kenji said confidently. Even if Suixing ascended, it would still recognize him as its master.
SKREEEE—
A sharp insectile cry echoed through the universe. The giant egg began to crack. A beautiful, radiant light bloomed, and an incredibly rich fragrance (pheromone) filled the entire system, already spreading to others.
Influenced by these Propagation pheromones, countless living beings felt their own desire to reproduce awaken, wanting to... procreate.
Kenji was prepared, blocking the pheromones with an energy field. He'd fallen for that trick last time.
Akivili used the power of Trailblaze to protect the Express, as well as Aha's tavern.
The Aeon of Elation wouldn't lift a finger. He was probably looking forward to the "fun" of seeing the Masked Fools in his tavern start a party.
"Akivili, you're the best! Mwah~"
"Get lost! That's disgusting!"
Fuli protected the people from the Garden of Recollection. Even though they were memetic bodies, Aeon-level power doesn't care about such details.
Only the power of an Aeon could block it. An Emanator's power wasn't enough; it could only hold out for a little longer.
So... the Xianzhou, the Corporation, and other factions without an Aeon present were out of luck. Chaos erupted on their flagships. People were going into heat everywhere.
"Dammit!"
Even Jing Yuan cursed. What the hell? This Propagation is all wrong! Why isn't it about bugs reproducing? Why does it have such a huge effect on other species?!
Even he, an Emanator, could feel a fire burning within him, his rationality rapidly eroding.
At this point, there was only one thing to do...
Jing Yuan (reciting internally): Help me, Mr. Lightning-Lord.
Lightning-Lord (in a super-loud voice): LEAVE JING YUAN!
The divine might of the Hunt's Emanator erupted, instantly knocking out everyone on the Xianzhou ship. If that kind of debauchery were to break out... just thinking about it made his vision go dark and his future seem bleak.
It was the same on the other ships. The Emanators who were still sane unleashed their power to knock everyone out, and then sealed themselves.
Instead of an explosion of bug clones, it was an explosion of... biological reproduction. This was getting way too real.