Let's make an exchange, shall we?"
"An exchange of memories."
"Stars dotted the sky, countless brilliant galaxies gently swirling within the deep Milky Way like a delicate blue veil. Starlight flickered, the dazzling silver radiance and fragmented Stardust complementing each other, dreamlike and mysterious."
"I dreamt of a ray of light, a crystal chalice." A gentle and charming female voice was responsible for the narration,
"The light that shone from that crystal spoke to me:"
"Listen to the parable of the Stars." ]
[ ..... ]
~Frieren: Beyond Journey's End World~
"Could it be another trick of the Memory Aeon?"
Frieren frowned slightly, but after seeing the scene in the light curtain, she quickly denied her guess.
A circle of deep blue cards appeared in the light curtain, and a hand was gently stroking the back of the cards. She recalled everyone who had appeared in the light curtain so far, and none of them had such attire.
"Frieren-sama, could it be someone from the Memory Aeon?"
Fern offered her opinion.
Since the 'Antimatter Legion' and the 'Doomsday Beast' belonged to 'Destruction,' Fern had a bold guess in her heart: perhaps the Aeons, like human lords and kings, had their own forces and territories.
"I'm not sure, let's see what she wants to say first?"
—
[ "Nameless one, fated one, coming from the end of the wasteland, adorned with the light of the Stars. Go, just follow the solar winds, you will eventually return to my embrace, just go towards the light."
"Destruction!"
Before the voice faded, the scene in the light curtain suddenly dimmed, this darkness almost obscured the sunlight, returning the whole world to night, but the next second, the light suddenly appeared, but what illuminated the mountains and rivers was no longer the sun, but… Nanook's countless streams of flowing golden blood! ]
[ ..... ]
~Frieren: Beyond Journey's End World~
Stark felt his heart stop beating.
Stark was very grateful that there was still a chair supporting his buttocks, otherwise, he would have collapsed like a boiled noodle, unable to stand.
"Don't be nervous, Stark, don't keep staring at the Destruction Aeon's eyes."
Frieren's calm voice sounded in his ears.
—
[ Unlike the body of the Stellaron that appeared in the memory last time, Nanook's figure became more complete this time.
Behind his broken body was a raging flame, countless rays of light turned into golden dust flowing from his hands, his dark body was covered with flowing lava, the only thing that remained unchanged was his pair of golden eyes! ]
[ ..... ]
『Viewers of Countless World』
As if to penetrate the light curtain, these eyes were about to see through everyone in the heavens and myriad worlds.
—
[ "Towers fall, people flee, because the sun is about to set, encountering fierce destruction."
The picture dimmed again, but suddenly a ray of light, like a shooting star in the sky, illuminated everything——
"The Hunt!" ]
[ ..... ]
~Battle Through The Heaven World~
Again, the daylight suddenly dimmed, again, a rain of shooting stars. The Soul Hall Guardian, seeing this strange celestial phenomenon, was only a little slow and was blocked by a man in a green robe.
The guardian was already terrified, and it was not until he looked up at the Aeon appearing in the light curtain that a grim smile appeared on his blood-stained mouth:
"Heh heh heh… There is always someone stronger, there is always a sky beyond the sky, Xiao Yan, you are strong today, but one day there will be someone stronger to take you in!"
The green-robed man moved his fingers slightly, and a flame ignited out of thin air under the guardian's feet, instantly burning him to ashes.
"That's not your concern."
After saying that, he looked up at the light curtain and extinguished the sparks that emerged from his fingertips.
Since the light curtain appeared out of thin air not long ago, a rumor has spread on the Dou Qi Continent. It is said that the world in the light curtain is a sky beyond the sky, a strange place that even Dou Di powerhouses cannot touch.
Even after the Destruction Aeon appeared, many sects in various places began to worship the Destruction Aeon as their ancestor, and even publicly worshiped him, causing a stir for a while.
It's just that these people… these beasts dare to burn, kill, and loot everywhere in the name of "Destruction," allowing their sect disciples to harm one side… these people all deserve to die.
And now the Aeon in the light curtain is completely different from Nanook.
He is a half-human, half-horse monster, holding a giant bow, the bowstring pulled like a full moon, countless arrows shining like shooting Stars, streaking across the sky, bringing with them the dense whistling sound that was suddenly close to the horizon.
Even separated in different planes, Xiao Yan could feel that those were arrows enough to shoot down countless Stars.
"There is always someone stronger, there is always a sky beyond the sky…"
Xiao Yan found it very interesting to repeat the Soul Hall Guardian's last words.
Will the Aeon who governs the Hunt be the "sky" in his mouth?
[ "You must follow the tracks, worship the direction of the storm——"
"Erudition!"
Countless geniuses who appeared in the Herta Space Station slowly emerged in the black curtain, but as the figures of the geniuses gradually dissipated, a dark shadow suddenly appeared behind them, its outline was vague, the only thing clear was the red light in its eyes.
"Celestial bodies guard secrets, calculations connect the roots of all things. But it is silent, like the mist in the center of the universe; listen to the silence, you will know where the Stars rest." ]
[ ..... ]
~Runeterra World~
"Quick, Viktor! Wake up! The Star God of the Erudition's main body has appeared!"
Jayce slapped his cheeks hard with cold water, and after the cold touch confirmed that he was not dreaming, he began to desperately shake Viktor, who was still experimenting all night yesterday.
The latter rubbed his eyes tiredly, but was instantly shocked by the true body of the Lord of the Erudition and completely woke up.
Mysterious, majestic, cold… these are the words that Jayce could think of in an instant.
The light in its eyes is like a dark and deep, suffocating lake bottom, the depth of Erudition is enough to drown every life that seeks the truth… In an instant, Jayce seemed to have an epiphany, and the fanaticism in his eyes instantly extinguished most of it.
Viktor, on the other hand, admired the cold god in the light curtain with fascination, and his eyes seemed to have a certain determination.
—
[ "In an instant, the scene in the light curtain changed again, this time it was——"
"The Abundance!"
"Let the traveler's staff strike the earth, they say, once, twice. Tiny shoots will grow into towering trees, and nectar will fall from the branches, driving away pain and harm for you." ]
[ ..... ]
~Genshin Impact World~
~Teyvat Continent, Sumeru Akademiya~
Cyno actually briefly forgot the ultra-rare card back of the Genius Invokation TCG in his hand, and was attracted by the wonderful scene in the light curtain.
This was the first time he had this feeling—his heart was beating wildly like a drum, but his thoughts were as calm as the water surface in early spring.
When he looked at that slender, thin, enchanting but strangely divine god, it was as if a gentle aura penetrated from his limbs, comforting and nourishing the disorder in his body.
But when he came back to his senses and carefully experienced it, the aura suddenly disappeared, as if it had never appeared at all.
The exuberant vitality seemed to break through the light curtain, everything seemed to tell Cyno that He was a good god, but His six outstretched arms showed a demonism completely different from divinity.
Perfectly neutralized but contradictory everywhere—this was Cyno's first thought after seeing the Abundance.
—~Genshin Impact World~
"Hello everyone, I am the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, actually, I'm not dead, just forgotten by the world. Now I have joined the [ Abundance ]sect. Whoever sees this message, transfer me 500000 Mora to help my cause, and after I succeed, unify Teyvat, I'll make you the Grand Sage of Sumeru!"
"....."
Cyno tore off the fraudulent advertisement posted on the street, frowning and staring at it for a long time.
He recognized every word on it, but putting them together made it really confusing.
The Aeon of Abundance had only appeared for a short time, and already such absurd messages were popping up, and the worst part was that some people actually believed it and got scammed...
—
[ "Blind your eyes, they say, lest the approaching gloom fill your heart with dread."
"For it shall teach your soul to be as heavy as lead, and your feet to grow numb."
"Nihility!" ]
[ ..... ]
~Zenless Zone Zero World~
As the final words faded, daylight seemed to retreat like a dying breath, plunging the world into abrupt darkness.
The light curtain dissolved into swirling void, becoming an impenetrable abyss that neither admitted nor released even a sliver of illumination.
From her vantage point, Tsukishiro Yanagi found herself hypnotized by the undulating purple miasma - its spiral currents exerting an almost gravitational pull on her consciousness.
She mentally rifled through her extensive vocabulary, yet no words could properly articulate the unsettling sensation creeping through her.
"It's really uncomfortable to look at."
She finally concluded. Closing her eyes with deliberate slowness, Yanagi took measured breaths until the nausea subsided.
While not as immediately overwhelming as the Aeon of Remembrance's manifestation, Nihility's influence proved more insidious, like the proverbial frog gradually boiling in warming waters.
At first glance, harmless. Prolonged exposure: catastrophic.
Turning to voice her concerns, Yanagi was startled to find Section Chief Miyabi maintaining unblinking eye contact with the cosmic entity.
"Miyabi, surely you're not—"
"Training regimen: 'Sustained Observation of Nihility - One Hour Endurance Challenge,'"
Miyabi responded with characteristic stoicism.
"Chief Miyabi! This isn't some... some... ocular endurance test!"
Yanagi fumbled for a steam eye mask in frantic concern.
Their debate was abruptly interrupted as the light curtain shimmered anew, heralding the dramatic arrival of yet another Aeon.
—
[ "Push open the solemn city gates, they say, and pick up the lapis lazuli tablet. Read aloud, and know what the mud bricks are made of."
"Know who laid the foundations!"
"Preservation!" ]
[ ..... ]
~Zenless Zone Zero World~
"Uh... this Aeon of Preservation, it feels a lot like our work."
As the president of Belobog Heavy Industries, Koleda Belobog carefully analyzed the narration.
Building city walls, to put it simply, wasn't it just doing civil engineering?
Except one used reinforced concrete, and the other used lapis lazuli tablets, a new type of building material they had never heard of...
But essentially, they were the same!
Coretta finally understood why she felt so particularly close to Qlipoth when she first saw him in the Simulated Universe.
Thinking that this Aeon, on par with Destruction, Remembrance, The Hunt, and Abundance, was actually engaged in such "simple" and down-to-earth work, Koleda Belobog felt a little more recognition for the Aeon of Preservation.
"Our goal at Belobog Heavy Industries isn't just to build houses, but 'homes'. Perhaps this Aeon's philosophy is similar to ours?"
"Not just simply building walls, but to 'protect' the myriad living beings behind them."
Koleda Belobog turned her head and saw Grace Howard muttering to herself, seemingly pondering something.
"Sis, what are you thinking about?"
Grace Howard rested her chin in her hands:
"Hmm... I was wondering if this Mr. Qlipoth used purely manual labor or already used construction machinery when building the walls."
Mentioning construction machinery, it was as if a switch inside Grace Howard had been suddenly turned on, and she began to talk nonstop:
"You know, efficiency is the lifeblood of construction engineering. If it's the former, maybe one day we can sell Belobog Heavy Industries' construction machinery to Him? Our mechanical parts can operate in the Void, and if we install a 'high-frequency ray particle recovery' device, maybe they can operate in space too!"
As if struck by a flash of inspiration, Grace Howard let out a "Wuhu" cry and jumped off the engineering platform, excitedly tinkering with her new creation.
"Sis really has one idea after another."
Koleda Belobog sighed and then noticed that new changes had occurred in the light curtain.
Then, they say, you who have reached the end, go to the paradise that embraces all!
—
[ "Join this grand hymn and feast, hear the beating of billions upon billions of hearts, and embrace you—"
"Harmony!"
The figure of a blue-skinned woman slowly emerged. Like Nanook, she had a body almost like a human, but her skin was made up of countless puzzle pieces. Beneath her white hair were three incomparably sacred faces. Compared to the mystery of Remembrance, she was much more direct. ]
[ ..... ]
~Frieren: Beyond Journey's End World~
"So beautiful."
Frieren couldn't help but be captivated, sighing softly.
If goddesses really existed in this world, perhaps they would look like her?
However, Frieren vaguely sensed a disharmony from her—whether it was because of her three distinct faces, or her fragmented upper body due to the puzzle pieces.
"Gods are all lovers of mankind."
Beside her, Sein suddenly spoke,
"From the age of mythology, this saying has been passed down to this day."
"But the Aeons of this world are less like gods and more like some kind of more powerful beings. Although they possess divinity, they..."
Sein hesitated, lowering his head to ponder for a long time before slowly saying,
"...I don't feel that they have love for humanity, at least not from this goddess, Xipe."
Frieren nodded, agreeing with Sein's words.
The scene continued to flow, and the next Aeon soon appeared.
—
[ "See the court jester's flowery words, the sailor drunk as mud, hear the baby's laughter and tears in the mirror, the tide enters the dream, the scales collapse, and welcome the invisible heir."
"The Elation!"
The scenes of Elation flashed by quickly, and apart from the various masks that appeared at the beginning, the Aeon of Elation himself did not appear.
On the contrary, the characters of [ The Propagation ], [ The Order ], [The Beauty ], and other Aeons flashed by like flowing water, all of them becoming objects of [ The Elation ]'s amusement and play.
"Elation can also become an Aeon?" ]
[ ..... ]
~Genshin Impact World~
Inside the Palais Mermonia of Teyvat, Neuvillette frowned as he watched the content in the light curtain, sipping spring water from Liyue.
As the representative of order and justice in Fontaine, he found it difficult to imagine what authority the [ Elation ] Aeon possessed.
"The Elation you understand wouldn't just be trying to make others laugh, would it?"
Wriothesley smiled, rarely coming to the Palais Mermonia to retrieve some reports, but seeing Neuvillette organizing documents, he guessed that the Chief Justice was a little distracted.
"Isn't it?"
Neuvillette's voice carried a hint of calm doubt.
"Although you judge criminals, you still don't understand their psychology enough."
Wriothesley spread his hands,
"Do you know? The Fortress of Meropide holds a type of criminal whose purpose in committing crimes is not to maliciously harm certain people. Compared to things like murder and robbery... they prefer to watch the world burn. Not because the world is so cruel or deserves to be burned, but because they think the burning flames look good and are fun—that's all."
"So I guess, Elation is the same concept, as long as they can make themselves feel amused and laugh out loud, playing with all living beings is just like that."
Wriothesley looked up at Neuvillette,
"So, do you understand?"
"Sorry... I still don't understand."
Neuvillette shook his head regretfully, but the next second, he said with certainty,
"But I know that people like the ones you described must all be arrested and judged."
—Uh… so what you made back then was food?!
Chapter Text
[ "Looks like a simpleton. Yes, I'm talking about you." The cute creature raised its round head, looked Star up and down, and said, "I've heard the specifics from Himeko. Listen up, newbie, I'll only say this once."
"Lately, many people must have told you, 'You are special,' but this is the Astral Express, and the passengers on board all have secrets they can't talk about."
"Since you've chosen to board, you have to abide by the rules here. You're not the only one who's special, remember that."
"I'm Pom-Pom, the conductor here. If you encounter any problems on the train, feel free to come to me."
After Pom-Pom finished speaking, it waddled off on its cute little legs to handle its work. ]
[ ..... ]
~Honkai: Impact 3rd World~
"Conductor??!"
Kiana opened her mouth in surprise,
"So it's not Himeko Auntie's pet?!"
"Oh? I don't remember raising that type of pet."
Himeko suddenly appeared in the classroom, taking the initiative to sit next to Kiana. She wore a large trench coat and sunglasses, her heroic appearance completely different from the Himeko in the light screen.
Kiana was pleasantly surprised:
"Himeko Auntie!"
"Is it that surprising? We just went on a mission together not long ago."
Himeko took off her sunglasses and smiled slightly,
"Kiana, which Himeko do you prefer, the one in the train or the one in front of you?"
"Ah, Himeko, why are you asking me this kind of question right away? This is really…"
Kiana's face showed difficulty, and she couldn't help but glance at the white high-slit dress of Himeko in the light screen.
There was no doubt that both Himeko Aunties were super beauties, but one was quiet and the other dynamic, each with different styles, making it difficult for her to choose…
"Alright, alright, silence is the answer."
Himeko spread her hands, pretending to be sad,
"I didn't expect that in the heart of my cute student, the one who spends day and night with me is not as good as… sigh, it's really heartbreaking."
"Himeko Auntie, the Himeko in the light screen… is that really you?"
After carefully examining the picture on the light screen, Kiana took the lead in asking her question.
Although the two Himekos looked almost exactly alike and had the same voice, their language habits and dressing styles were very different.
Moreover, the Himeko in the light screen didn't seem suitable for close combat, while her Himeko teacher… cough, wearing the new era Valkyrie armor, she was simply unbelievably fierce.
"It's me."
Himeko nodded calmly,
"But it's me from another parallel universe."
"Parallel world? Then wouldn't that mean…"
Kiana looked at Bronya beside her with a shocked face, but Bronya seemed to have guessed the result, and her face was not surprised.
—
[ "Don't look at Pom-Pom like that. It's been a long time since there were new passengers on the train, and it's still very interested in you."
Himeko sat on the circular sofa in the train, holding a cup of steaming coffee in her hand, sipping it while comforting herself,
"I won't overstep my bounds. If you have any questions, feel free to bother the conductor."
"Okay, I understand." Stelle was about to leave when Himeko's voice suddenly sounded behind her again.
"—Oh, right, since it's your first time on the train, would you like to try the train's specialty?"
"Specialty? What is it?"
Seeing that Stelle was also interested, Himeko put the coffee in her hand on the table and slowly pushed it towards Stelle,
"It's coffee I brewed myself, and the beans were also hand-ground. You won't be able to drink it if you leave the Astral Express." Himeko's voice rose, seemingly a little proud when she mentioned this topic.
Stelle carefully examined the coffee she pushed over. The dark liquid was like a black hole in the universe, baring its fangs and claws as if it wanted to suck the taster in.
"It should be Himeko's specialty, or…" Stelle was just about to agree, intending to taste this unique train flavor, but suddenly she felt a gaze piercing from behind, which made her break out in a cold sweat.
Looking back slowly, Mr. Welt on the sofa next door was holding a book in his hand, his eyes under his glasses deep and mysterious.
"What's wrong? Stelle?" Seeing Stelle stunned and in a daze, Himeko reminded her.
In an instant, as if enlightened, Stelle shuddered violently and waved her hands repeatedly: "Uh, that… what, no, no, no need to bother, I suddenly feel very sleepy, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep if I drink too much coffee, I'd better drink something else."
"Okay." Himeko seemed a little disappointed, but didn't force it: "There's Little March's favorite juice over there, the cup is next to it, you can pour a glass if you like."
"Thank you." Stelle breathed a sigh of relief. She turned her head to look at Mr. Welt, and the other party's eyes seemed to carry a bit of tacit appreciation. ]
[ ..... ]
~Genshin Impact World~
"Guuji, I always feel like they are all afraid of that Himeko's coffee, is it my illusion?"
Raiden Ei tilted her head, seemingly unable to understand why they were so afraid of an ordinary drink, as if they were facing a great enemy.
She had also drunk coffee, a slightly bitter drink that seemed very popular in faraway Fontaine, especially among office workers who worked from nine to five.
But in her opinion, it was not as good as Dango Milk.
"Perhaps that Himeko's coffee brewing skills are very poor?"
Yae Miko guessed,
"Bad food is more terrifying than your lightning, Ei."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Ei's voice suddenly sounded behind Miko, faintly carrying a bit of resentment, causing the fur on Miko's tail to stand on end.
Miko suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, She suddenly remembered a long, long time ago… when Ei said she was going to cook her a meal.
Ei couldn't cook at all, and even if she tried her best, she still couldn't conquer the kitchen. Finally, after the kitchen of Tenshukaku was struck by lightning three times, Ei brought out a twisted and abstract, completely indescribable, strange object from the smoky kitchen.
Kujou Tengu risked his life to take a sip after praising the Shogun greatly… and then took a month's sick leave without being able to recover.
Faced with this situation, Miko just joked that Ei's dishes were more powerful than her lightning, but she didn't expect Ei to completely misunderstand and think it was recognition of her cooking skills, and she was happy about it for a long time.
But now—
"So what Miko meant back then was that the food I made was unpalatable?"
Ei's face slowly approached from behind her, until it was next to her ear, her breath gently blowing, making Miko feel like feathers were lightly scratching her face.
Uh… so what you made back then was food?!