A strange feeling?
Right!
Kiana suddenly thought of the increasingly silent System and quickly opened her status panel to take a look.
And what she saw made her freeze.
She had gained a new skill.
A "Teleportation" skill!
It had appeared out of nowhere—completely unexpected. She was still in the process of developing that ability.
Why?
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"What did you find?" Ruan Mei asked, concern soft in her tone.
"Teleportation... it's complete?"
Kiana's voice was soft, filled with astonishment and doubt.
What was going on?
She carefully reread the skill description, focusing her senses on the newly emerged ability.
Sure enough—
She had no idea how it worked.
But it was real. She could use it.
By using those intertwined with her fate as anchor points, she could instantly teleport to their location at any time.
"Complete?"
Ruan Mei's eyes showed rare surprise. Based on their progress, Kiana's teleportation ability shouldn't have been finished for at least several months.
And yet—
It was done overnight?
Why?
Could it be connected to that strange dream Kiana had?
Ruan Mei stood up and pulled Kiana to her feet. "Come, I'll run a scan."
If they couldn't figure it out, then they would at least check physically. Though it was unlikely they'd find anything unusual, it was still better than nothing.
Kiana wanted to know too, so she obediently followed Ruan Mei and underwent the examination.
The report showed nothing out of the ordinary.
Exactly the same as the one from a few days ago.
After reviewing it, Ruan Mei closed her eyes in thought. She found herself wondering—should she set aside her research on Propagation and focus entirely on unraveling the mysteries surrounding Kiana instead?
"Ruan?"
"I'm fine."
Ruan Mei shook her head lightly, closing the holographic report. Turning to face Kiana—whose eyes carried a trace of worry—she affectionately reached out and brushed aside the loose strands of her hair.
"It's a good thing overall."
Kiana quickly accepted it. She hadn't understood much about the System from the start—one more mystery wasn't such a big deal.
Her main goal now was still to become the Herrscher of Finality. Only after achieving that would she know what to do next.
"Yes."
Ruan Mei's fingers lingered against her cheek as her heart stirred, gazing into those blue eyes that shimmered like gemstones.
Kiana was hers.
No matter what, she would always stand beside her. Ruan Mei had all the time in the world to study the Honkai and the enigma that was Kiana.
She wasn't in any rush.
"Since that ability's finished, you'll be leaving soon, won't you?" she asked.
Kiana nodded. "This teleportation power works by setting people as anchors—I can teleport to them anytime I want."
"I'm planning to visit Jarilo-VI first to see Jyahnar, calm her down a bit, and then return to the Xianzhou to meet Mei."
Once she had both Jyahnar and Acheron set as anchors, she wouldn't need to waste any more time on interstellar travel. She could appear by their side whenever they needed her.
"That's quite the ability."
This way, even if Kiana traveled somewhere distant or remote, it wouldn't matter. Ruan Mei could leave without worrying.
Whenever she needed Kiana, she could simply have her teleport over.
It was convenient.
Withdrawing her hand from Kiana's cheek, Ruan Mei said, "I'll be leaving the Space Station for a while as well."
"Huh?" Kiana was startled. Following her closely, she asked, "Why? Where are you going? Do you need my help?"
"No need."
Ruan Mei didn't tell Kiana what she was going to do, nor did she intend to have her follow.
She didn't mind her company—but with Kiana's new teleportation ability, she would surely want to see Acheron and set her as another anchor.
"I see... alright then."
Kiana felt a little disappointed when Ruan Mei said she didn't need her help, but she understood that Ruan Mei was saying it for her sake.
It wasn't because she wanted to hide anything.
...At least, it shouldn't be.
She trusted Ruan!
As that thought settled, Kiana suddenly threw her arms around Ruan Mei, snuggling up to her without hesitation. "Ruan, you're the best."
Her train of thought was completely derailed, but Ruan Mei didn't mind. She only asked softly, "Do you want to rest?"
"You should rest, Ruan."
Kiana refused to let go, rubbing her cheek against Ruan Mei's shoulder like a spoiled child. "You haven't properly rested in days. The experiments will still be there later—take a break, then continue."
Rest, huh?
Ruan Mei could have kept going.
But she had to admit—it had been quite some time since she truly rested. And now, Kiana was right beside her.
Thinking back to last time, Ruan Mei nodded. "Alright. I'll rest with you for a while."
"I knew you wouldn't say no!"
Kiana excitedly pulled her toward the rest area.
She'd been here for so long, yet hadn't really had the chance to simply relax with Ruan Mei—she'd been too busy trying to figure out a workable method to develop her skill.
And now that the process had barely begun—it had already finished.
"Do you want to kiss?"
Just as Kiana tugged her along, planning to lie down and maybe nap together, she froze.
K-Kiss?
"Yes. Do you want to kiss me?"
Ruan Mei looked at her calmly as she asked.
To her, it was simply a way to unwind—and between lovers, it was perfectly normal.
Kiana had been right earlier.
They hadn't really been close in quite some time. Now that there was an opportunity, she didn't mind relaxing a little.
"Of course not a problem!"
Kiana would never refuse Ruan Mei—but the request caught her off guard. Usually, things like kissing just... happened naturally.
Ruan Mei was the only one who would ask so formally.
Wait—wasn't this her chance to redeem herself after her loss to Mei?
She wasn't Mei's match back then—but surely she couldn't lose to Ruan Mei, who wasn't nearly as aggressive… right?
As those thoughts raced through her head, Ruan Mei had already closed the distance between them. Their breaths mingled, warm and intimate.
Kiana instinctively wrapped her arms around Ruan Mei's waist, her gaze softening as warmth spread to her cheeks.
Revenge... accomplished?
Ruan Mei rather enjoyed the closeness. Her movements were slow and deliberate—her mind perfectly clear, especially as she sensed Kiana's sudden thoughts.
She bit Kiana's lip lightly, not too hard, just enough to make her flinch. Then, as Kiana gasped, Ruan Mei ended the brief exchange.
"Mm~ Ruan?"
Kiana whimpered softly. It didn't actually hurt—she was just confused. Why had Ruan Mei suddenly bitten her?
Playing idly with Kiana's silken white hair, Ruan Mei spoke quietly.
"You and Raiden Mei—you've done that kind of thing before, haven't you?"
Kiana's expression froze mid-confusion.
In an instant, embarrassment swallowed every other emotion. She wanted to avert her gaze, but Ruan Mei had already anticipated that.
"Uh… yeah… yes."
Her face was so red it could drip blood. She nodded stiffly—there was no way to lie when Ruan Mei had asked directly.
There was no other choice but to tell the truth.
"Why?"
Ruan Mei's voice grew heavier, and Kiana's heart dropped with it. She didn't even dare to breathe too loudly.
Ruan Mei wasn't angry—not exactly. No matter the situation, she always appeared calm and rational.
But there was something different in her eyes—confusion.
"Last time, you clearly refused me."
Her voice was steady but low. "I asked you several times."
There was no visible anger on her face, but the tension in the air was unmistakable. Anyone could feel it.
If Kiana didn't give her a convincing explanation, Ruan Mei clearly wasn't going to let this go easily.
So… she can, but I can't?
That wasn't something Ruan Mei could accept.
"Last time, on Jarilo-VI."
She even reminded Kiana which time she meant, as if she might forget. Only the exact date was missing.
She wanted an answer.
"You said you didn't want to continue."
"But she can, and I can't? Is that it?"
Ruan Mei's words became sharper—pressing closer and closer—and Kiana could almost feel invisible hands tightening around her throat.
Her expression didn't change much, but the pressure she exuded made it almost impossible to meet her eyes.
It was as if she'd become someone else entirely.
"It's not like that!"
Kiana panicked, afraid that if she didn't stop her, Ruan Mei's tone would only grow colder. She hurried to interrupt her.
"I just—it's just…"
It was embarrassing to say, but at this point, there was no choice but to explain. "At the time, it just felt awkward, and… we were still in the lab. Mei could've come back any moment…"
"So it was just bad timing?"
Ruan Mei frowned, reluctantly accepting that explanation. Thinking about it, that actually did make sense. It hadn't been a good time for that kind of thing.
Perhaps she should have made the offer before Kiana left that time.
"Yes, it really wasn't the right time."
Kiana muttered softly. More importantly, Acheron could've walked in at any moment.
Even though she'd said boldly that she wanted them both, she honestly hadn't known how to balance that kind of relationship.
Fortunately, they hadn't stayed together long. Both had managed to restrain themselves. And now that she could teleport at will, they'd likely have even fewer chances to meet.
"Then what about now? Is the timing right?"
"It's right—of course it's right!"
"Then let's begin."
...
After leaving the Space Station, Kiana made a short trip to Jarilo-VI. In what felt like a blink, more than half a year had passed.
Nothing major had happened during that time. A few months ago, Kiana had safely returned to the Xianzhou.
During that period, Project Ark had reached a collaboration agreement with the Luofu, obtaining some of their retired technologies.
They were now enthusiastically refitting the Ark.
Kiana spent most of her time with Acheron, sometimes visiting Jarilo-VI, and occasionally dropping by the Space Station to see Ruan Mei when she had free time.
Life had been peaceful—steady and fulfilling.
But that peace didn't even last six months before a message shattered it completely.
It was a transmission from the Astral Express.
A message of distress.
The moment Kiana read it, she couldn't stay calm. "Welt actually went? The Nameless really voted yes?!"
She winced, regretting her words from back at the Space Station when she'd met the Astral Express team during a supply stop.
She hadn't thought Welt would actually go to Euphorion—and that he would really find Izumo.
Jyahnar wasn't even there anymore.
Kiana had no plans to return to Izumo anytime soon, but fate clearly had other ideas.
Especially since, this time, she was somehow the one who'd have to take the blame.
If she hadn't said those things to Welt, this mess wouldn't have happened. Now there was no choice—she had to go herself and pull that guy out of Izumo.
"I'll go with you."
When Acheron heard about her plan, she didn't hesitate. "I know that place better than you do."
Kiana had no reason to refuse.
The Ark's reconstruction would still take a long time, and staying here any longer would only make Acheron restless—she had unfinished business waiting for her.
This was the perfect chance for her to go. The Ark was currently docked at the Luofu and would be safe for now.
"Then we shouldn't waste time. Let's set out as soon as possible."
Kiana didn't argue or try to talk her out of it. Knowing Acheron's personality, she wouldn't respond to such persuasion anyway.
Besides, this wasn't really dangerous.
After all, Izumo…
That was Acheron's homeland—the place she had guarded for so long, the land she had always longed to return to.
Ten days after receiving the Astral Express' message, Kiana and Acheron once again arrived at the place where they had first met… Izumo.
As they approached the planet, half-shrouded in shadow, Kiana felt a strange mix of emotions.
And from orbit, they could also see the Astral Express.
It hadn't landed on Izumo but remained safely outside the planet's gravitational pull.
"Let's not rush down yet. We should head to the Express first and ask about the situation," Kiana suggested.
Together, she and Acheron boarded the Astral Express once more. But this time, the atmosphere aboard was far from relaxed.
"You're finally here!"
Inside the train car, March 7th immediately recognized them. Her previously worried face brightened with relief the moment she saw them.
"Mr. Yang's been down there for almost half a month now—no word at all. We didn't dare make any reckless moves."
This place was far too close to Nihility. Especially that planet below—it should have been completely consumed by the Shadow of IX long ago, yet according to Mr. Yang, because of the Honkai, it was still somehow intact.
No—visibly intact, at least.
"Kiana, please—you're the only one who can save Mr. Yang now! You have to bring him back!" March 7th pleaded anxiously.
"Here's what happened," Himeko began. Though she was worried too, she stayed composed and explained what had transpired half a month earlier.
Ever since that day, Welt had been fixated on Izumo. As a former warrior who fought against the Honkai and the former leader of Anti-Entropy, even hearing the word "Honkai" stirred something deep in him.
He couldn't rest easy without investigating it himself. So, after careful preparation and convincing the others, he went down to the planet.
The Astral Express had since traveled here—to the edge of the Shadow of Nihility.