『 [ No matter what, I do not wish to live in a dream. ]
Stelle answered Acheron's second question firmly.
[ If this beautiful dream is destined to shatter, everything will depart: friends, family, strangers; then the light breeze, the flying birds, the stars… and finally, yourself. ]
[ Everyone, every person in their memories, those smiles and tears, the promises made and unfulfilled… eventually, they will all March toward the predetermined end. ]
[ If, at the very beginning of your journey, you already knew the destination of this trip… ]
[ Tell me, would you still embark on this journey? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Miss Acheron saying this, does it mean she knew the ending of the Penacony dream from the very beginning?"
Stelle: "I feel like this isn't just referring to the dream of Penacony."
Stelle: "Perhaps… these words also point to something else?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Blind guess, this has to do with Miss Acheron's past experiences."
Hu Tao: "When Miss Acheron said this, she looked at the giant black hole in the distance many times."
Hu Tao: "That black hole seems to be constantly absorbing things inside…"
Hu Tao: "As if it's going to swallow everything up sooner or later!"
Hu Tao: "So… could the words Miss Acheron said be interpreted as…"
Hu Tao: "The final, destined end of the universe is to head towards Nihility?!"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "…Although I am unwilling to admit it."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "But Nihility is like the flip side of the universe."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Though one cannot peek at THEM normally, THEIR shadow has always been silently shrouding the entire universe."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "And when the entire universe is shrouded under the shadow of Nihility, the meaning of the universe will cease to exist."
Qingque: "Doesn't this indirectly mean that everything we are doing now is meaningless?"
Qingque: "After all, the universe will enter Nihility sooner or later…"
Stelle: "No, compared to the explanation that the universe will eventually enter Nihility."
Stelle: "I feel more like Miss Acheron's words are saying that people are destined to die."
Stelle: "Sooner or later, the people we meet on our journey, our close friends, and even our family… will all leave us."
Stelle: "And we ourselves will have such a day."
Stelle: "If we knew this seemingly meaningless, predetermined ending before stepping onto the journey, or rather, our own lives…"
Stelle: "Would you feel fear?"
March 7th: "I think this question is easy to answer."
March 7th: "Would you give up on living just because you are destined to die of old age?"
Lumine: "Survival is a human instinct."
Lumine: "Even if one knows that their lifespan has an end."
Lumine: "But before the time actually runs out, almost no one would voluntarily give up on living, right?"
Paimon: "Yeah, as long as it's not someone who's been hit hard and lost the will to live."
Paimon: "Then they certainly wouldn't seek death on purpose!"
Himeko: "From the perspective of Nihility, everything that happens in this universe, and even the universe itself, has no meaning to exist."
Himeko: "But for us sentient beings, even if it is just a short life, it can be called meaningful."
Stelle: "Meaning is something that you give to yourself."
Stelle: "As long as I feel that my life has meaning, then even Nihility cannot deny it!"
Guinaifen: "I get it!"
Guinaifen: "This is the 'I reckon' method!"
Guinaifen: "I reckon life has meaning, so it has meaning!"
Hotaru: "No one can negate the meaning of our existence, even if we might be very ordinary and insignificant on the scale of the universe, as small as dust."
Hotaru: "But Nihility cannot negate our existence, and Order cannot deprive us of our right to live in reality!"
Li Sushang: "Miss Hotaru is so right!"
Li Sushang: "Although I don't have much culture, I know that my life should be decided by myself!"
Li Sushang: "Instead of handing it over to the so-called beautiful dream of Order!"
....
『 [ I would blaze a trail without hesitation. ]
Stelle's answer was as firm as ever.
[ I am glad. ]
[ The answer is not important; what matters is that you have already made your decision. ]
[ Listen, touch, think; from this, you will gain feelings. Cherish it, because that's what makes us exist. ]
[ This is also the only answer humanity can give in the face of Nihility. ]
[ If the Nihility represents the primal fear of life, rendering any lofty convictions insignificant under THEIR imposing shadow... ]
[ Then, behind this shadow, there must also exist the most intense light source in the world. ]
[ Just as every life marching toward death is growing passionately, toward the end of Nihility… ]
[ We must pursue that primordial light. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Nahida: "Every life marching toward death is growing passionately toward the end of Nihility…"
Nahida: "Yes, sentient beings are born to move irreversibly toward the end of death."
Nahida: "But we are still full of hope for life."
Zhongli: "Not fearing the abyss of Nihility ahead, still looking forward positively, and creating more memories within a limited life…"
Zhongli: "How is this not a kind of meaning for human existence?"
Fu Xuan: "When things reach an extreme, they reverse; when Yang reaches its peak, it declines."
Fu Xuan: "The world contains the ultimate truth of Yin and Yang; everything has its two sides."
Fu Xuan: "And behind the ultimate Nihility, what is hidden is the ultimate existence!"
Acheron: "Therefore, I am convinced that behind this deep, endless, dark sun, there must be the most brilliant light in the world!"
Acheron: "That is the light called existence, the light of meaning; it is the meaning of the universe's initial birth!"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Regarding whether there is a diametrically opposite side behind Nihility."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "This is truly a profound subject."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "If one were to study this, the papers could probably cover hundreds of galaxies."
Stelle: "I suddenly have a question."
Stelle: "If Nihility denies the meaning of all things' existence."
Stelle: "Then for what reason does Nihility itself exist?"
Stelle: "What meaning does THEM have for existing?"
March 7th: "Ah, this…"
March 7th: "Oh no… these few short sentences of yours are making my brain crash!"
March 7th: "Yeah, what meaning does Nihility have for existing??"
Madam Herta: "The meaning of Nihility's existence?"
Madam Herta: "Good question!"
Madam Herta: "Well asked, don't ask again next time."
Aventurine: "Hehe, delving into such brain-burning questions, aside from wasting our precious time, is simply meaningless."
Black Swan: "Being too obsessed with this question will make you fall into the abyss of Nihility, oh~"
Black Swan: "For the sake of everyone's mental health, I advise you all not to think too much about this question."
Silver Wolf: "Stelle, to be able to raise this question, you really are a little clever ghost…"
....
『 Acheron's words fell, and the scene continued to turn to her memories.
[ Now come to think that you exist in the Nihility, and you watch over others to depart it... ]
[ Such a task is absurd and meaningless. ]
Tiernan's phantom looked at Acheron, unable to help but sigh.
[ But it must be completed by someone. ]
[ As for the meaning you speak of… ]
[ Even if it's a meaningless task, I've come this far, haven't I? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "It skipped to this scene again."
Stelle: "So, the farewell between Tiernan-senpai and Miss Acheron isn't over yet?"
Qingque: "Miss Acheron's words have enlightened me!"
Qingque: "Right, must one find some meaning to live?"
Qingque: "Without this thing, can't one still live?"
Sunday: "Based on human nature, some people feel like walking corpses after losing their self-worth."
Sunday: "This part of people is still alive from a physiological perspective, but they believe they are already dead."
Ruan Mei: "From a biological perspective, alive is alive, and dead is dead."
Ruan Mei: "As long as biological cell activity remains, even if they think they are dead, it's just self-deception."
Paimon: "I feel like this also depends on the person."
Paimon: "Some people don't care much about finding the meaning of living."
Paimon: "Or rather… is living itself the meaning?"
Lumine: "Paimon, I think you're getting smarter and smarter."
Lumine: "Did this brain-burning video open up your mind a second time?"
Nahida: "This video leaves an incredibly deep impression."
Nahida: "Even I have learned a lot from it."
Paimon: "Hehe, it's probably because what everyone is discussing and some of the words in the video are too profound."
Paimon: "Paimon always involuntarily thinks about the meaning of these words."
Paimon: "Slowly, I felt like my brain was working better."
Paimon: "I thought it was my illusion!"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "I have said that thinking makes people progress."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Those who know how to use their brains have already surpassed most mediocre people in the universe."
....
『 [ Even if the future you open up might not belong to you? ]
Tiernan asked back.
[ It might not belong to me, but it will definitely belong to someone. ]
Facing this question, Acheron's answer was very calm.
[ Your past must have been so hard… ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Damn, my Miss Acheron's experience made Tiernan-senpai feel heartache!"
Furina de Fontaine: "It's indeed hard to imagine what Miss Acheron has encountered in her past…"
Furina de Fontaine: "For her to be able to say these words in such a calm tone now?"
Neuvillette: "Sacrificing oneself… to open up a future for others."
Neuvillette: "Amazing… truly a lofty belief!"
March 7th: "I have to say, Miss Acheron is truly too great."
Boothill: "Ha, son of a gun, I admit it, I'm captivated by this woman now."
Boothill: "Daring to fight against Nihility, and fighting to this extent, she is indeed a tough one!"
Boothill: "…And watching the boundary of Nihility, leading people back to a clear world…"
Boothill: "Just for this action, I respect her as a hero!"
Boothill: "I'm even thinking now, if someone like you were really a Galaxy Ranger, it would actually be a great thing!"
Hu Tao: "A real Galaxy Ranger has actually recognized Miss Acheron's fake Galaxy Ranger identity."
Hu Tao: "Is this the effect of personality charm?"
Navia Caspar: "For someone like Miss Acheron, after learning about her deeds, it's hard not to feel admiration, right?"
Topaz: "Don't you guys think that Miss Acheron's behavior also fits some of the philosophies of Preservation on some level?"
Li Sushang: "Eh, it really seems so?"
Li Sushang: "After all, Miss Acheron's action is also indirectly protecting others."
Li Sushang: "It does fit some of the main points of Preservation."
Himeko: "In fact, most righteous acts across the universe, to a greater or lesser extent, can be associated with Preservation."
Welt Yang: "The concept of Preservation is very broad."
Welt Yang: "This also makes the Amber Lord, one of the ancient Aeons, extremely powerful!"
Stelle: "Can't mess with the bricklayer."
Stelle: "Let me reveal a secret to everyone."
Stelle: "The Amber Lord once smashed the Propagation's Imperator Insectorum to death with one hammer in a state of extreme rage!"
Stelle: "So, don't think that just because THEY spends THEIR days burying THEIR head in casting walls in the universe and ignoring world affairs, that THEY is easy to bully."
Guinaifen: "Huh?"
Guinaifen: "In this universe, nobody would think the Amber Lord is easy to bully, right?"
Paimon: "Shocking, the Aeon of Preservation is actually this powerful!"
Paimon: "It actually only takes one hammer to kill the Aeon of Propagation?"
Madam Herta: "It's not that exaggerated; the Aeon of Propagation was beaten to death by a group that shouldn't be fake."
Madam Herta: "But Preservation indeed contributed the most."
Madam Herta: "In short, the strength of the Aeon of Preservation is indeed one of the strongest among the Aeons in this universe."
( Stelle knows about this because of the SU Swarm Disaster)
....
『 [ Since that's the case, let me do one meaningless thing as well… ]
[ Finally, please tell me your name. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Miss Acheron's name?!"
March 7th: "Are we going to know this shocking secret?"
March 7th: "So looking forward to it!"
Li Sushang: "Um… isn't Miss Acheron's name Acheron?"
Guinaifen: "My good Sushang, why are you being silly again?"
Guinaifen: "This name is definitely not her real name!"
Stelle: "What is my Miss Acheron's real name?"
Welt Yang: "Actually… I am also a bit curious."
Himeko: "Are you wondering if her name is related to an old friend you know?"
Welt Yang: "Exactly."
Welt Yang: "I have a slight premonition that I might be very familiar with her real name…"
Furina de Fontaine: "Will it really be that magical?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Then I must listen carefully to Miss Acheron's big name!"
....
『 [ … ]
Tiernan's words made Acheron a little silent.
[ Perhaps in the next moment, my existence will disappear… ]
[ No one will remember this conversation, and your answer… ]
[ But I still believe… your name should be remembered… ]
[ And this universe… will also remember it. ]
Tiernan's tone was very sincere.
[ … ]
[ There are some things I find hard to recall, but there are also some things… I find it hard to forget. ]
[ This is memory; it is created by the past, but it is something that can bloom with meaning in the distant future. ]
[ I still remember that was the starting point of my journey, the red source of my life, the most intense and passionate thing in every storm… ]
[ That is my name… ]
[ Raiden Bosenmori Mei! ] 』
『 ....』