Through the thick porthole, Bronya beheld the full sweep of Jarilo-VI—vast beyond anything she'd ever been able to imagine.
Seven centuries of frozen history collided violently with the scene before her eyes.
White had once been the planet's only color—an emblem of despair and deathly silence.
Now, the Genesis Titan's might had rewritten everything.
A vivid blue-green burst across the planet's surface like paint thrown with abandon—spreading, interweaving, overflowing.
Deep ocean blue. Emerald forests. The brown-gold of continents. A dense atmosphere fading in soft gradients. Clouds like drifting silk, slowly streaming and reshaping over the world.
Jarilo-VI looked like a living creature breathing in the boundless sea of space.
Bronya's gaze locked in place.
A tremor—something primal—rammed into her chest.
Awe. Gratitude. Reverence for the sheer majesty of it. And an ache at how small she was inside such a grand canvas.
Her eyes reddened before she could stop it. Her throat tightened. For a moment, she forgot to breathe—simply stared, dazed, at the homeland that had birthed every suffering and every hope Belobog had ever carried.
March 7th was pressed against another porthole, pink hair nearly flattening to the glass, her eyes sparkling.
When she turned and saw Bronya's reddened eyes and stunned expression, her voice softened without even meaning to.
"From up here… it's insanely beautiful, right?!"
"…Mm." Bronya's voice came out hoarse. She didn't try to hide it.
"Yes, March. It's… unimaginably magnificent."
"But…" March's tone shifted, an edge of regret creeping in. "Seele really isn't coming up with us? I feel like she actually… really wants to see the planet and space and stuff."
"You're right," Bronya said warmly, turning from the window to March. "Seele does want to see the stars with her own eyes. But…"
She smiled, gentle and calm.
"You know the Underworld only just migrated to the surface after living underground without sunlight for so long. Everything is starting from nothing. Chaos, friction, a new order to build, rationing, reconstruction… every problem needs reliable hands to hold it up. Seele believes protecting the ground everyone depends on now matters more than satisfying curiosity for a moment."
March's liveliness faded. She nodded seriously.
"I… get it. Yeah."
But then her bright eyes flickered again, curiosity reasserting itself. She leaned forward a little.
"So, Bronya! Seele went poof and disappeared earlier! What was that?! Since when can she just vanish on the spot?!"
This was what she'd been holding back all the way here.
Bronya couldn't help the small curve of her lips.
"Thanks to the Path of the Human Heart, I can now maintain a stable link with Dr. Natasha in the Underworld. Seele's quantum displacement—through reflection and stacking via the Mirror—has been amplified drastically. She can jump across a very long distance instantly, teleporting directly to Natasha's side."
Dan Heng, who'd been listening quietly, nodded with a thoughtful look.
"I see. Efficient, convenient—strategically powerful."
His calm expression suggested this didn't surprise him much.
After being forcibly fused into the Genesis Titan, countless individual powers mixed with the Path of the Human Heart—warped, recomposed, magnified.
Some were distorted so wildly that even their original owners would struggle to recognize them.
Like the power Firefly contributed—stemming from the Path of Propagation—being modified and enlarged in the Titan's hands into a conceptual mirror that could cover the surface of Jarilo-VI, even block and replicate the gaze of an Aeon.
Or else, hidden power could be dragged out—something the owner never even knew they had.
March 7th was the perfect example. She still had no idea the memory-erasing force she'd displayed came from the mysterious Emanator sleeping within her—Lady of the Long Night.
Dan Heng himself felt this most clearly.
When the Titan handled the antimatter legion about to awaken from beneath the ice, it used a power that turned meltwater into countless roaring, sky-spanning azure dragons—undeniably a reflection of his sealed Imbibitor Lunae authority.
And he'd felt, vividly, that inside the Mirror's ocean within the Titan, that strength had been copied, layered, boosted—until it erupted into a level of power far beyond what he'd thought possible.
So when Bronya explained that the Path of the Human Heart used mirror reflection to amplify Seele's ability, Dan Heng wasn't shocked.
But there was another question in his heart—heavier, bound up with life itself.
He looked at Bronya, gaze sharpening.
"Bronya. You said earlier that when Belobog's people are united in purpose, with the Path of the Human Heart and the Stellaron within Star as the core, you could become the Genesis Titan again. But…"
He deliberately paused, voice grave.
"The last fusion depended on your mother, Lady Cocolia, paying with her life to fuse completely with part of the Mirror's remains. That was the foundation of it. So… if you summon the Titan again… would it require you to make the same sacrifice?"
The instant he finished, Star—who'd been leaning close to Firefly, sharing snacks—snapped her head up.
Her relaxed expression shattered into shock and refusal.
She stared at Bronya, voice rising, absolute and fierce.
"Seriously?! If that's true… Bronya, I will never—never—let you sacrifice yourself just to become the Titan!"
The cabin fell silent. Only the low hum of the engines remained.
Every gaze fixed on the young Supreme Guardian. Even March tensed.
Facing the sudden pressure—and the worry in Star's eyes that practically burned—Bronya's expression stayed unusually calm.
She slowly shook her head and spoke softly, soothing them.
"No, Dan Heng. I understand the concern. My mother sacrificed herself, using the Stellaron's Harmony-like power to forcibly fuse with the Mirror's remains. That was indeed an unavoidable cost."
She took a breath and gently drew the black crystal cross necklace from her chest.
"Now…" Her fingertips brushed the cold cross.
"My mother's final will—the determination and power to protect Belobog—are carried within this fragment of the Mirror's broken body. It is both the Titan's anchor… and her relic."
She looked up, meeting them all with steady eyes.
"In the future, if we must fuse into the Genesis Titan again, this will serve as the core—directly awakening and driving Cocolia · Genesis Titan. There will be no need for another living sacrifice to fuse with the remains, and certainly no need for me to die to create some new 'Bronya · Genesis Titan.'"
The expressions that spread across the group were complicated beyond words.
They had witnessed the Genesis Titan's overwhelming might.
Even the molten titan Star forged—gathering the awakened will of those who longed for freedom—hadn't truly matched it.
Only because the Titan itself chose death, pouring its power into protecting the fragile earth beneath the battle, had things ended as they did.
They'd assumed that once it dispersed, every trace of Cocolia vanished with it.
They'd never imagined that the mother who burned her life into an idea could remain—impossibly—beside her daughter, guarding the land she gave everything to save.
Star let out a long breath. Her shoulders finally eased, as if a mountain had been lifted.
She wiped at sweat that didn't exist, forcing a lightness back into her face—though the aftershock still lingered in her eyes.
"You scared me to death… Thank goodness you won't have to die. If we went through all that, won with a super-fusion, and then I heard you were gone afterward…"
Star shuddered hard, refusing to imagine that future.
As their quiet talk and lingering emotion settled, the craft docked smoothly with the Astral Express.
Under Dan Heng's guidance, they passed through corridors that blended steampunk warmth with star-tech sleekness, until they reached the grand observation car.
The car was comfortable, filled with odd plants and soft chairs.
But a lively female voice immediately drew everyone's attention.
"So you must be Belobog's new Supreme Guardian! What a pleasure—truly!"
The voice was bright, confident, infectious.
They turned.
A tall woman with a striking figure strode toward them.
Her short silver hair was cut clean and sharp, with vivid crimson highlights at the front and along the inner layers at the nape, like flickering flame.
She wore a deep violet one-piece short suit, meticulously designed—smooth fabric hugging a body built with elastic strength.
Her smile was professional and radiant, her eyes bright and keen, as she extended a hand toward Bronya without hesitation.
Bronya's easy warmth vanished at once, replaced by a leader's composure. Her posture straightened; the air around her seemed to condense with quiet authority.
She stepped forward, adopting a flawless diplomatic smile, and clasped the offered hand.
"Hello. I am Belobog's Supreme Guardian, Bronya Rand. May I ask who you are?"
"Topaz."
The silver-haired woman's smile widened. Her handshake was brisk and powerful.
"Senior Manager, Interastral Peace Corporation, Department of Market Expansion. I'm currently responsible for Jarilo-VI's business. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rand."
Her gaze swept quickly over Bronya—measuring, assessing, as if calculating the value of an asset.
"Ms. Topaz, likewise." Bronya drew her hand back smoothly. "My mother—Supreme Guardian Cocolia—spoke of the IPC. In Belobog's hardest days, at the beginning of the war against the Antimatter Legion, your company provided aid in the form of a substantial credit loan. I assume your visit is to address… that debt, carried across seven hundred years?"
Her tone stayed gentle, but the phrase seven hundred years carried deliberate weight.
Topaz's smile remained pristine.
"The IPC has always honored contracts and handled historical debts under the same principle. That is beyond doubt. However—"
Her expression shifted instantly into concern. Her voice lowered, sincere and heavy, like a confidante.
"What I care about more is the safety of Belobog's people. Just moments ago, Jarilo-VI underwent an event that shook the cosmos. An entire planet's population was forced to fuse with the Mirror's remains. That is extremely dangerous."
She leaned forward slightly, crafting the feeling of urgent sincerity.
"The IPC possesses the finest containment technology and the strongest security forces. We are fully capable of assisting Belobog in safely taking custody of those dangerous remains and eliminating any future threat to your citizens. This is purely out of deep concern for the safety of a cooperative partner."
Her eyes shone with honesty—as if the IPC were a beacon of interstellar humanitarianism.
Bronya listened quietly, the official smile never changing.
When Topaz's "concern" reached its conclusion, Bronya shook her head—elegant and firm.
Then, under Topaz's faintly surprised gaze, she drew out the black crystal cross again.
"Under my mother's sacrifice, I can now guide and control the Mirror fragment to a preliminary extent."
She raised her eyes to meet Topaz's sharp, calculating stare, a meaning-laden curve at her lips.
"More importantly—so long as Belobog can maintain a unified objective and will, we can safely and harmlessly become the Genesis Titan again, turning that power into a shield for our home. You could say… we have been granted a blessing through calamity."
Her gaze was clear and open—yet the message was unmistakable:
Belobog could control this gift. Belobog would keep it. Others did not get to decide.
Topaz's smile brightened instantly.
"Is that so?! That's wonderful news! Congratulations, Belobog—this is truly destiny's favor!"
Her voice overflowed with celebration, as if she were genuinely delighted.
Deep inside, however, her mouth twitched violently.
"Blessing through calamity" and "unified will"—how could she not hear it?
The young Guardian was saying, plainly: Belobog now holds power that can flip the table. If the IPC pushes too hard, Belobog will unify its will and 'discuss' matters with your fleet.
"Damn it…"
Topaz cursed silently, but her smile only grew warmer.
"Seven hundred years of debt in front of true Emanator-level force is just paper. This isn't debt collection—this is walking into someone else's leverage. Belobog… is actually qualified to sit at the table now. And they're sitting at the head."
A bitter frustration seeped in. Her mission had slammed into steel from the very first step.
"Since Belobog is now safe, and possesses such… extraordinary potential," Topaz pivoted smoothly, tone turning pragmatic.
"As for the concrete repayment plan, what does the Guardian currently have in mind? The IPC sincerely hopes to reach a sustainable agreement satisfactory to both sides."
She emphasized sustainable carefully.
Bronya tucked the cross away again, her expression serious.
"Ms. Topaz, I will speak frankly. Belobog has just emerged from seven centuries of frost blockade. We lack resources. Everything must be rebuilt. Direct economic repayment in the short term is extremely difficult."
"However, the Mirror's challenge spaces can produce valuable Path materials. Our preliminary proposal is to organize personnel to clear these challenges and collect the materials as our primary means of repayment."
"Please believe me—Belobog has both the determination and the ability to repay."
At this point, Himeko stepped forward gracefully, standing beside Bronya, her voice warm and gentle—yet impossible to ignore.
"The Astral Express is willing to act as guarantor for Belobog's repayment capability."
Topaz's smile softened into genuine respect.
"With the Astral Express as guarantor, no one in the cosmos would question the weight of that promise."
This part, she truly meant.
Maybe the Nameless didn't openly field an Emanator right now—but who dared underestimate a train that could ram through stellar boundaries? And the web of connections the Express carried across the starsea?
Picking a fight with the Express was the kind of suicidal stupidity that ended with your head embedded in a rail.
If you want to die, don't splash your blood on me.
Topaz offered Himeko a proper acknowledgement, then turned back to Bronya, smoothly shifting again:
"Regarding Belobog's plan to repay through Path materials, the IPC has already conducted an initial evaluation and considers it feasible. But—"
Her eyes sharpened with businesslike precision.
"Forgive my bluntness: in the current climate, where the entire universe is in a Path-material mining frenzy, supply is surging and prices fluctuate violently. Belobog's population base means its material output is… relatively limited. For a debt of this magnitude, it's difficult to claim this is the optimal long-term solution."
She was subtly undermining the profitability of the plan.
Bronya's eyes narrowed slightly. She caught the turn hidden behind the words.
"Ms. Topaz seems to have a more mature proposal?" Bronya asked, curiosity measured and controlled. "I would like to hear it."
That was the line Topaz had been waiting for.
"Of course! The IPC has a plan with far greater potential—and far more sustainable growth!"
She paced lightly, as if unveiling a grand vision.
"Guardian Rand, you may not know this. Seven hundred years ago—before the Eternal Freeze, before the Antimatter Legion discovered Jarilo-VI—this planet was a famous travel and vacation destination!"
She spread her hands toward the living world turning beyond the glass.
"And now, thanks to the Genesis Titan's restructuring of the environment, the endless blizzards that tormented this planet for seven centuries are gone. Ice has melted, spring has returned, life has awakened!"
Her voice rose, full of persuasive energy.
"Today's Jarilo-VI is even more spectacular and unique than it was seven hundred years ago. Across the vast cosmos, it is easily first-tier—an irreplaceable jewel."
"If Jarilo-VI is professionally planned and developed as a premier interstellar tourism destination, the economic value and long-term revenue will dwarf the unstable returns of Path-material extraction."
"This," she declared, eyes bright with conviction, "is the real gold mine."
"Huh?" March couldn't help blurting out, baffled. She scratched at her hair, frowning.
"But… didn't that Titan use the Creation Engine's authority to remake the planet? That… counts as a natural environment?"
Topaz's expression turned instantly solemn, like she was about to declare cosmic law. She faced March with righteous certainty.
"Dear adorable miss, that is incorrect!"
"Aeons are the endpoints of Paths. They are part of the laws of the universe. Therefore, a Genesis Titan with power comparable to an Aeon—why would it not be considered nature itself?"
Her posture and tone were utterly unshakable.
"Thus, a planet personally shaped by such a magnificent natural sovereign—its landscapes being described as natural wonders of divine craftsmanship—is not only normal, but entirely reasonable."
March got tangled in the chain of "Aeons, natural law, divine craftsmanship," growing dizzy.
She scratched her head harder and mumbled, "I… I guess that sounds kinda right…? But it still feels weird…"
Welt, who'd been quiet, calmly adjusted his glasses. The lens flashed with a faint, meaningful glint.
He looked at March's confused profile and stated flatly:
"March. That is capital's rhetoric. Black becomes white. Artificial becomes 'perfectly natural.' That is simply the IPC's standard trick."
Topaz acted as though she hadn't heard him at all. She ignored March's lingering confusion and enthusiastically elaborated on the IPC's development plan: artificial wonders, natural spectacles, esports events, festival commerce, and more.
Bronya listened seriously, eyes shining with thought, nodding now and then.
Honestly, the vision was compelling. The wealth generated by interstellar tourism sounded far more efficient—and far more dignified—than grinding challenge spaces for resources. It also fit the long-term needs of a new government rebuilding from ruin.
Topaz's rhetoric was corporate, but the core feasibility was real.
The two quickly exchanged views on the broad development direction, Belobog's leadership role, and basic principles for profit-sharing, reaching preliminary consensus.
Of course, detailed clauses, legal documents, environmental assessments, investment scales—none of that could be finalized on the Express.
Topaz said the IPC would soon submit a formal commercial visit proposal, with a professional team negotiating specific terms with Belobog's officials.
The atmosphere eased as the talk approached its end, carried along by Topaz's bright projection of the future.
"Then, Guardian Rand, and esteemed Nameless," Topaz said, offering an elegant interstellar salute, her smile now noticeably more sincere.
"I won't take more of your time. I look forward to our formal meeting."
Bronya returned the gesture.
"Thank you, Ms. Topaz. Take care."
Topaz turned sharply, heels clicking crisply across the Express's polished floor, the sound fading as she disappeared down the boarding passage toward her shuttle.
Once she left the observation car's warmth and stepped into the IPC craft's cold emptiness, Topaz's perfect professional smile drained away like water.
The shuttle engines hummed low as it headed toward the IPC fleet anchored in low orbit.
Outside the window, Jarilo-VI's reborn land slowly turned—magnificent, alive.
Topaz sank into a luxurious seat that felt, somehow, colder than steel. Fatigue surged up at once. She pinched her aching temples.
"…Sigh."
The soft exhale dissolved into the quiet cabin.
"When I get back… a demotion is probably unavoidable."
She stared at her own blurred reflection in the glass, eyes complicated.
"I didn't secure the Mirror's remains, and I couldn't bring Jarilo-VI—along with its strategic value—fully under the IPC's control for maximum margin. In the end I could only settle for a cooperative development framework…"
Frustration spread through her chest. Compared to her plan before departure, the outcome wasn't merely worse—it was worlds apart.
The shuttle docked smoothly into the flagship.
Topaz moved through bright corridors and headed straight for the highest-grade communications room behind the bridge.
The heavy door slid open soundlessly, then sealed behind her, shutting out all noise.
She took a deep breath, forced down the weight in her chest, and initiated the top-level encrypted communications protocol.
A large holographic screen lit up, rapidly forming the silhouette of a figure reclining lazily in a luxurious chair—
One of the Ten Stonehearts: Jade.
Topaz reported cleanly and clearly: the entire meeting with Bronya.
From the debt negotiation opening, to Bronya's display of the Genesis Titan's deterrence, to the Express acting as guarantor, to the final forced compromise of cooperative tourism development.
Her report was structured, unembellished, laying bare both her loss and the other side's leverage.
"…That is the full result of this contact. We ultimately failed to achieve the objectives of acquiring the Mirror's remains and recovering Belobog's debt. Jade—my apologies. I did not complete the strategic task assigned by the company."
Jade was silent for a long time before speaking.
"Jarilo-VI… which planet is that?"
Join here to read ahead.
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