Acheron didn't finish her sentence, but Sylvia understood instantly.
Heliobi were capable of merging with one another.
When they fused, their separate consciousnesses gathered into a single whole.
Ordinary major Heliobi didn't have the ability to completely devour other consciousnesses—once forcibly split apart, the other Heliobi's awareness would regain control and scatter.
But Phantylia was different.
A major Heliobus of her caliber had long since ground away any traces of consciousness from those she'd consumed.
There were simply no leftover minds she could split off into.
For a being like Phantylia, if her form was shattered and she split into two or more Heliobi… what would become of each fragment?
No one could say.
What worried Acheron most was whether, in wielding this power, Sylvia would end up carrying a 'Lord Ravager' around with her.
Next on the list of concerns was the fact that this was a large portion of destructive force originating from a Lord Ravager herself.
If Sylvia recklessly tapped into it, would it draw the gaze of the Aeon of Destruction? Would it invite new Lord Ravagers to target her?
These were the things troubling Acheron.
Just thinking about it made her simmer with frustration.
Sylvia really was outrageously bold.
That was, after all, power bestowed by an Aeon upon their Emanator—and she just went and snatched it for herself, utterly unafraid of catching Destruction's attention.
Not that being glanced at by an Aeon of Destruction meant much in itself; Aeons followed their own logic and rarely meddled in mortal affairs.
But the Lord Ravagers under them were anything but idle. Phantylia clearly wasn't the type skilled in open warfare.
There were others whose fearsome reputations echoed across the cosmos.
"Hehe… it's in my left jacket pocket."
Sylvia chuckled, unable to suppress a grin at the mention of today's spoils.
After absorbing Phantylia's energy into the Fullbottle, she hadn't stashed it back into her Herrscher Core—she'd just tucked it into her pocket.
Mainly because she lacked the strength, and her body couldn't handle more.
Watching Sylvia's carefree, grinning face, Acheron finally let out a long sigh.
It was the kind of exhaustion that came from minding a reckless child.
She reached over and rummaged around Sylvia's clothes for a moment before pulling out the small bottle, no longer than a finger.
Running her fingers over its faintly warm surface, Acheron was surprised to find the seal perfectly intact—not a trace of Destruction energy leaked out.
With the previous Heliobus being much weaker, she hadn't paid it much mind.
Now she realized this unassuming little bottle could preserve even an Emanator-tier power so completely.
That was… beyond her expectations.
Was the bottle really that effective?
Just then, Sylvia nuzzled gently against Acheron's chest, drawing her gaze before speaking.
"Try flipping the switch on the cap, then hold it in your palm and shake it up and down. That's the most direct way to use it."
Hearing this, Acheron didn't act immediately. Instead, she looked down at Sylvia.
Noticing the lack of movement, Sylvia tilted her head back and unexpectedly met Acheron's eyes.
"What? Why are you looking at me?"
"Something this important… you just told me, just like that?"
Acheron felt a touch of helplessness. This little bottle might look plain, but if its effects were known, countless factions would covet it.
And its method of use—revealed so casually. Was Sylvia just lacking in caution, or…?
"Because it's you, Acheron. I trust you. Besides, didn't you want to check it for me? Why so fussy?"
Sylvia shot Acheron a mildly exasperated look.
Why don't you check your own favorability rating? It's almost at ninety. In this whole galaxy, you're the one I trust most.
Besides, it's not like you'd even want Phantylia's partial power—you're plenty strong already.
"…"
Confronted with Sylvia's matter-of-fact tone, Acheron found herself briefly speechless.
She didn't understand why Sylvia would trust her so naturally. Was it just because of their short time traveling together?
It wasn't that Acheron distrusted Sylvia—in fact, she cared deeply about Sylvia's thoughts.
But… Could she herself ever voice trust so effortlessly, treat it as something given?
Acheron wasn't sure. After all, she hadn't even told Sylvia her real name yet.
That true name, long left unused.
At the thought, Acheron's arm around Sylvia's waist tightened slightly.
As for Sylvia, before she could get an answer from Acheron, a system notification popped up—Acheron's favorability had ticked up again:
--+--
[Target: Acheron]
[Favorability: 88 (Trust & Favor)]
[Relationship: Partners in Name Only]
['Keep deceiving her. The higher the favorability climbs, the harder the crash when the truth comes out.']
--+--
It rose two points at once—truly almost at ninety now.
Why did it go up again?
She hadn't said anything particularly charming, had she?
It's not just that I trust Acheron—doesn't she trust me too?
Just look at how she answers every call, crossing the starry seas whenever I need her, drawing her blade for me no matter the situation.
She doesn't even mind revealing her identity as a self-annihilator, even if it affects her own plans.
If Sylvia couldn't return even a little trust after all that, she'd have no sense of grace at all.
To Sylvia, this was just a simple acknowledgement of Acheron's trust—at most, a tacit understanding, a knowing smile between them.
Sylvia was deeply puzzled. Could it really be because she was snuggled so close in Acheron's arms?
Is Acheron actually some kind of weird dom with a fetish for seeing me helpless like this?
The thought made Sylvia's pupils tremble slightly.
Before her surprise could settle, Acheron suddenly lowered her head, resting her cheek gently against Sylvia's hair.
"...You don't even know my real name yet."
Snapped back to attention by the soft murmur, Sylvia wanted to reach up and pat Acheron's head—opportunities like this were rare.
But clearly, for now, she could only lie limply in Acheron's embrace, unable to do much.
"A name is just a label, isn't it? It's not important. The person is what matters."
"…"
Acheron fell silent for a moment, then her hair rapidly paled to white before Sylvia's astonished eyes.
Pale gray locks drifted into Sylvia's view as Acheron's low whisper brushed against her ear:
"Because of Nihility… I can't show you my past. But I want you to remember my name—"
"Raiden Bosenmori Mei."
"Eh… Huh?!"
This time, Sylvia's pupils truly did shake.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.