Jarilo-VI nowadays isn't the frozen wasteland it was in the game, stripped of its harsh climate and brutal living conditions.
While the overall temperature still leans a bit chilly, the ecological environment is actually quite lovely.
Add to that the support from their allies in the Land of Light, and things have truly turned around.
Even the debt owed to the IPC was settled long ago.
When Kiana and her friends visited, they could practically feel the place buzzing with the presence of beings steeped in the "Breath of Light."
These were humans who had integrated the genetic markers of the lifeforms of Light; they couldn't exactly grow to giant proportions, but they were significantly stronger and lived much longer than the average person.
They had come from various worlds, as well as the Land of Light itself, to lend a hand.
As for the original Giant of Light born on Jarilo-VI back in the day, they had long since departed for the Land of Light and now served as a cosmic vigilante, patrolling the stars.
That's the terrifying thing about the Land of Light.
A savior born of one world won't stay trapped within their own borders.
Instead, they resolutely set out to give a voice to the injustices of the universe.
Yet, at the same time, the Land of Light—along with other worlds that have produced their own saviors—doesn't just sit idly by.
They pool their talent, resources, and power to support the homelands of these cosmic peacekeepers.
Many who came from other worlds to help ended up working here for the better part of their lives, eventually putting down roots and raising families.
Worlds in a situation like Jarilo-VI are hardly a rarity. This deep, cross-civilization exchange has allowed the Land of Light to facilitate a staggering flow of resources in ways one could hardly imagine.
In fact, some worlds became so deeply integrated that the Land of Light eventually had to intervene—not to suppress them, but to preserve the local cultural heritage and ensure development remained gradual and organic.
This mutual aid system, built entirely on a foundation of shared morality, left Kiana in awe.
She used to think the Land of Light and those Giants were "special effects drama" enough on their own.
She never expected these seemingly out-of-place giants could actually spread their radiance across so many worlds. It felt borderline absurd.
The most "unfair" part of it all?
While the Land of Light's official slogan is "Non-interference in Civilizational Internal Affairs," the Path of Hope has a habit of randomly "spawning" new Giants of Light across different worlds.
These newly awakened giants immediately receive every form of support from the Land of Light imaginable—excluding direct military force.
This includes, but is not limited to, education, combat training, strategic resources, and more...
We aren't interfering in your politics, the Land of Light might say, but that doesn't stop us from giving our fellow kin a "Lost Giant's Starter Pack," does it?
As for what these new giants choose to do, the Land of Light naturally sets no restrictions.
After all, before they were a Giant of Light, they were a citizen of their own world; it is only right that they should fight for their homeland.
Realizing this, Kiana couldn't help but cry out that this was pure cheating.
"With such an overpowered race around, how do the Swarm, the Antimatter Legion, and the Abominations of Abundance ever manage to cause any trouble?" Kiana asked, feeling genuinely perplexed.
But when she learned that only a millennium had passed since 'Finality Kiana' created the race of the Giants of Light, she was silenced.
When factions that have existed for tens of thousands of years are being pushed around by a group this young... well, the track record speaks for itself.
The deeds of her "other self" were truly beyond belief.
Kiana even wondered if she and the other Kiana had swapped places back in the day, she might have just achieved a "speedrun" perfect ending to the Honkai disaster.
The things that woman had pulled off were just too ridiculous. And the way she casually let slip her past legendary feats?
In Kiana's eyes, it was the ultimate "accidental flex," leaving her green with envy.
--+--
Meanwhile, back in the Solar System on Earth.
Mei and Bronya had carved out some time to take a shuttle to the Moon to meet with Kiana. The moment they saw her, Bronya couldn't wait to speak up.
"Did you really find Welt? You even saw Himeko-sensei's broken sword?"
"I already materialized the audio-visual records and sent them to you! You still don't believe me?!"
"I am merely performing a final confirmation," Bronya replied. "After all, one can never be too sure if this is just another one of Kiana's dreams."
"Hey—!" Kiana complained loudly.
Mei laughed and played the peacemaker, taking Kiana's hand to soothe her until the three finally sat down.
"Dr. Tesla has already seen the video logs you sent back. She didn't say much, but she looked happy. Though, she seems more curious about that other world itself."
Since it wasn't convenient for Kiana to visit Earth, the task of delivering news fell to Mei. Welt's disappearance was no small matter; confirming his safety allowed many to breathe a sigh of relief.
Naturally, it also sparked an infinite curiosity regarding that peculiar universe.
Unfortunately, Kiana shook her head helplessly. "I get it, but my other self said it's best if we don't get too involved with that side."
"Why?"
"I don't quite understand, but that's what she said..."
Kiana relayed the explanation she had heard, practically word-for-word. As they processed it, Bronya realized something even more startling.
"So that world is even further away than the reaches beyond the Solar System? Just how large of a boundary did the Cocoon set?"
This wasn't Earth's first contact with something outside the Solar System, but they had never heard of a system involving Paths and Aeons. Heaven only knew how far that world was from their sun.
Kiana threw her hands up, shaking her head. "I don't know. The other side seems to have the tech to study it, but they're afraid of how it might affect us, so they don't dare investigate."
After saying that, Kiana couldn't help but vent.
"Anyway, you guys didn't come here today just to discuss science, did you? Aren't you curious about the other Raiden Mei? Or the two other Bronyas? What about the other Himeko-sensei, or Seele and the rest?!"
Bronya and Mei shared a look and smiled.
Curious? Of course they were.
Bronya was curious about the "Aether Editing" used by the younger Bronya, as well as the Originium platform and Celestial Sparrow Entertainment that had taken the universe by storm.
Mei was curious about the woman who called herself Acheron—the Raiden Mei who supposedly watched over IX the Nihility—and what kind of past she had endured.
They also wanted to be like Kiana—to give that Himeko-sensei a hug, to see the somewhat brash Seele, and to meet a Cocolia who had actually become a hero.
But beyond all that, they were mostly worried about Kiana's safety.
After all, she had suddenly sent word saying she found Welt's whereabouts, followed by a deluge of nonsensical terms like the Astral Express, Aeons, Emanators, and Paths.
They were terrified Kiana had fallen into another strange dream or encountered something dangerous.
Yet, if it were just a dream, it was hard to explain how Kiana—bless her heart—could dream up such a complete and sophisticated technological world.
It wasn't meant to be an insult, but Kiana's "lovable idiot" traits hadn't exactly vanished when she became the Herrscher of Finality.
If she were to hallucinate sci-fi settings, they'd likely just be generic, half-baked tropes.
More importantly, given Kiana's status, her dreams usually had a very real catalyst.
"Oh, right! The other Bronya is a total brat. She's just like you used to be, Bronya—always looking for a fight with me!"
"That just shows that although my other self is far away, we have reached a consensus," Bronya said with a small smile, pouring herself a cup of tea.
Though Kiana had clearly edited out some of the more colorful scenes, Bronya could easily picture the two of them bickering.
The adult Bronya wouldn't act like that anymore, so seeing it happen through a double was actually quite entertaining. She wished Kiana hadn't cut those parts out; she would have loved to see the full version.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kiana blinked, then realized Bronya was taking a dig at her.
Thankfully, Mei stepped in before the bickering could truly start. "Alright, alright. Kiana, why don't you tell us more about what you saw?"
"Hmph!" Kiana huffed in Bronya's direction.
"The part of my consciousness I sent out hasn't come back yet. The other me is pretty enthusiastic; she's been dragging me all over the place. I'll just broadcast the feed for you."
"It's still going?" Mei and Bronya were stunned. They thought it was over, but it turned out Kiana was currently running on two threads at once.
Once Kiana adjusted to the dual perspective, she began a "live stream" for Mei and Bronya. 'Finality Kiana' didn't seem to mind; she even gave a little wave to Mei and Bronya through Kiana's eyes.
Then, she took Kiana to see even more: Inferno, Glamoth, and various other cosmic wonders.
The Death Dragon, Typhon, was the same as it was years ago—it couldn't help but cling to 'Finality Kiana' the moment it saw her, which gave Silver Wolf quite a fright.
As for Glamoth, it was now largely united under the rule of the Empire's Empress.
The Republic side had little resistance to offer; had it not been for the Swarm, they would have vanished centuries ago.
The Swarm led by Reveria had expanded to a staggering scale.
While the tug-of-war with the Antimatter Legion continued, the front lines had been pushed far beyond Glamoth's borders.
With the help of the Land of Light, every Iron Cavalry knight of the Empire had received medical aid. It wasn't a total cure, but it eased their symptoms.
Reveria had intended to share her method of solving Entropy Loss Syndrome with her former comrades, but walking a Path isn't something one can do just because they know how.
A few knights managed to set foot on the Path, gaining the ability to come and go as they pleased. But for most, their only choice was to remain together as a legion.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL