Acheron nodded.
Deep down, she knew 'Robin's' approach was better.
Her earlier remark had mostly been an excuse to voice her own thoughts; she wasn't just here to pass the time with 'Robin'.
If the need arose, she was ready to become the sharpest of blades, cutting through any obstacle in their path.
Faced with such raw sentiment, 'Robin' felt a bit caught off guard.
It was... too blunt, too intense.
Ever since Acheron had seen her "true self" back in that dream, the other woman's feelings seemed to have surged to an entirely new level.
If 'Robin' hadn't known exactly what Acheron meant to convey, she might have mistaken it for a romantic confession. It was enough to make her heart skip a beat.
Fortunately, a messenger from the Family arrived at the door right then. The knock broke the heavy, one-sided tension lingering in the room.
'Robin' gave Acheron a small nod before rising to answer the door.
Standing there was a sophisticated woman with silky long hair and a gentle smile. At first glance, she fit perfectly with the harmonious atmosphere of the Penacony Family.
In the messenger's eyes, 'Robin''s appearance was equally striking.
There was a resemblance so uncanny it felt as if one were looking at an older version of the real 'Robin'.
Could she be a Masked Fool from the Tavern? the messenger wondered.
It certainly seemed like the kind of thankless, elaborate stunt a Fool would pull, and they certainly had the means to do it.
"Greetings, esteemed lady," the woman began.
"I heard from Mr. Gopher Wood that you follow the Harmony and walk its path just as we do. I was wondering if I might have the honor of discussing our insights into Harmony together?"
It was a bold move, to say the least.
While she couched it in the language of "exchanging insights," she was essentially looking for a duel—a clash of Wills.
It was just a more polite way of putting it; unlike the Galaxy Rangers, who were more likely to tell you to catch a bullet with your teeth.
But anyone who knew the Family understood that their "all for one" friendliness only applied if you were part of the "one."
If you refused to join, things could get ugly fast.
You only had to look at the Galaxy Rangers to see that; the Family was practically salivating at the chance to deal with such a massive rogue power.
This messenger had clearly come because she suspected something was wrong.
Still, to be this reckless right out of the gate... she was clearly underestimating her opponent.
'Robin' smiled and stepped aside, inviting the woman in. The moment she spoke, however, the Tuning began.
"Why ever not, beautiful lady? Especially since the Harmony hasn't been very peaceful lately. Order is surging in the shadows, and even the Harmony is feeling the ripples."
The power of the Harmony surged toward the messenger like a rolling tide.
The woman quickly braced her defenses, using her own Tuning to neutralize 'Robin''s aggression. With a smile still fixed on her face, she stepped into the room.
"I can feel it—your path is unsteady, straying from its true course. As a worshiper of the Triple-Faced Soul, I shall bestow THEIR mercy upon you and lead you back to the right track."
"The Family's messengers certainly are overbearing," 'Robin' countered. "How can you be so sure your way is the right one? If the path of the past was correct, then why has it shifted now?"
It had to be said, 'Robin's' talent and command over the Harmony were truly extraordinary.
The power she was wielding now held its ground perfectly against the messenger's assault—and she hadn't even dipped into her own personal reserves yet.
"The world knows well the failure of Ena the Order's resurrection and the aftermath of those actions. Since you are lost, I shall part the mists before your eyes so you may look directly upon the mercy of the Triple-Faced Soul."
The collective Will of the Family bore down on 'Robin', intent on completely assimilating her and erasing her sense of self.
'Robin' couldn't fathom what kind of confidence allowed this woman to barge in here alone.
One person's strength wasn't nearly enough to defeat her. Perhaps if she summoned a Harmonic String of Xipe, 'Robin' might actually have to take it seriously.
As for Acheron, she could sense the clash of the Harmony occurring between them.
The overflowing energy of the Tuning didn't bother her. In truth, if she wanted to, a single strike from her blade would end this for 'Robin' instantly.
Unfortunately, 'Robin' had asked her not to interfere, wanting to test the messenger's capabilities herself. So, Acheron simply stood back, keeping watch.
The messenger, meanwhile, seemed to finally realize that the person standing before her was no ordinary Pathstrider.
She had come alone because she had her own trump cards.
In her mind, as long as she wasn't facing Gopher Wood directly or a united front of Family members, she wouldn't lose a one-on-one fight—not even against the heads of the other Families.
She certainly didn't care about a few Nameless or Galaxy Rangers; unless those factions had some very specific tricks up their sleeves, they were defenseless against mental assaults.
But this person? Where did this wild Pathstrider of Harmony come from? How was she this strong?
"Who... Who are you?!" the messenger demanded, her voice sharp with rising panic. "How can a Harmony Pathstrider this powerful just appear out of nowhere? You aren't even from Penacony!"
That was the most absurd part. If this woman belonged to Penacony, the messenger could rationalize it as Gopher Wood secretly grooming a master.
But she had been on the planet for days, and with her methods, she knew Gopher Wood kept almost nothing from the Family, save for his desire to protect the Lampmoth Family.
This woman was a complete outsider.
Someone of this caliber shouldn't be an unknown in the cosmos.
By the very nature of the Harmony, even a loner should belong to some group.
When Gopher Wood first came to Penacony, he belonged to the main branch; even after establishing a local branch, he was part of a collective.
A Harmony Pathstrider this strong should have made waves. They don't just pop out of thin air.
That left only one possibility for a group capable of hiding from the main Family's intelligence network while reaching this level of power.
"You're a Harmony Pathstrider from the Galaxy Rangers, aren't you?! I knew it! Gopher Wood has been in league with the Rangers all along, planning to break Penacony away from the main Family!"
"...What makes you think I'm a Galaxy Ranger?" 'Robin' asked, momentarily stunned by the leap in logic.
"Deny it all you want. It doesn't matter," the messenger snapped.
"I didn't think Gopher Wood would go this far. If that's how it is, I will use my own 'sin' to return Penacony's Harmony to the right path."
The messenger didn't seem to care about 'Robin's' rebuttal.
In her eyes, Gopher Wood's attitude toward this woman confirmed everything. She decided then and there to utilize the Stellaron that had always remained in Penacony.
She knew it was the Cancer of Harmony, and that using it was a sin, but she felt forced to "drink poison to quench her thirst" for the sake of the Family.
If she didn't act, Penacony would surely become a great enemy of the Family.
With the power of the Stellaron, she could unify the consciousnesses within the Synesthesia Dreamscape.
Such a concentrated mass of Will might even summon an avatar of Xipe to pass judgment.
Even if it didn't, the sheer force of the collective Will would be enough to rewrite this woman's identity and force her into the Family's fold.
The moment 'Robin' heard those words, she went on high alert.
Gopher Wood had shared some secrets with her; he'd claimed that within the main Family, even knowing about the Stellaron was considered a sin.
Gopher Wood himself was guilty of using its power to maintain Penacony.
Hearing this woman from the main branch talk about "sin" and appearing ready to risk everything, 'Robin' immediately assumed she was going to use the Stellaron to expand her Harmony power and forcibly brainwash the planet.
And as for how the Stellaron would actually grant that wish... that was a complete gamble.
The Stellaron on Jarilo-VI "granted" a wish by freezing the entire world.
The one on the Xianzhou Luofu was a bit more direct, reviving the Ambrosial Arbor without much fuss for the wisher.
The one on Penacony hadn't done much yet, and the one on Amphoreus had been blown up by Zandar.
'Robin' wasn't about to bet on whether this woman's "wish" would be specific enough.
If a twisted Dominicus-like horror sprouted from the ground and started fusing everyone in Penacony together, things would get messy fast.
So, 'Robin' struck.
The Memoria scattered throughout the room suddenly began to flow and converge in an unnatural pattern. Carrying a specific essence, it invaded the messenger's mind.
"Wait—the power of Remembrance?! That's impossible!"
The messenger's eyes widened. She felt a profound, unfathomable power of Remembrance instantly smother her intent to make a wish.
It was bizarre; she wanted to call upon the Stellaron, but every time she tried, she immediately forgot what her wish was supposed to be.
Even worse, her opponent was strong enough to have done this invisibly, yet she had intentionally left traces so the messenger would know her mind was being toyed with.
'Robin' looked at the woman's terrified expression and smiled. To the messenger, that gentle look now seemed like the face of a demon.
"Nothing is impossible," 'Robin' said softly. "You had the confidence to come here and find trouble, so naturally, I have the confidence to handle a messenger of the Family, don't I?"
"A Pathstrider of both Remembrance and Harmony... just who are you?"
"Oh? So you don't think I'm a Galaxy Ranger anymore?"
"..."
The messenger fell silent, her mind in total disarray.
Where did this person come from? This level of mastery over Remembrance wasn't something a common Memokeeper could achieve.
And to have such overwhelming Harmony power on top of it? Could someone like this really be a Ranger?
Remembrance could certainly explain why she was a ghost in their records, but why would such a person get involved in Penacony's affairs?
'Robin' didn't waste any more time. The power of Remembrance flooded toward the despairing woman.
"I won't kill you. That would only draw more eyes from the Family. So, sleep. When you wake up, you'll have forgotten all of this."
"...The Family will notice the anomalies in my memory," the woman hissed. "You can't hide forever!"
With the Stellaron card off the table, the messenger knew she had lost.
She never could have guessed her opponent held such powerful Remembrance abilities. Even against a typical Memokeeper, she shouldn't have been this defenseless.
If she could have resisted for even a second, she could have triggered the Stellaron and won. This total collapse only proved one thing: the woman before her was far beyond her league.
"It doesn't matter," 'Robin' replied calmly. "I'll burn away the excess memories. Even if the Family finds something is off, they'll never be able to dig up the truth."
A flicker of fire, carrying a faint scent of Destruction, flashed by.
The messenger felt numb.
A Pathstrider from the Path of Destruction too?
Her mind couldn't grasp how a follower of Destruction could ever walk the path of Harmony. She could only pray, hoping the Triple-Faced Soul would look down, see the crisis unfolding, and nip it in the bud.
To her despair, as her memories faded and her impressions of "'Robin'" were erased piece by piece, her Aeon did not answer. Finally, her consciousness slipped into darkness, and she slumped onto the rug.
But 'Robin' wasn't finished. She had erased the memories of herself, but now she had to forge a believable false memory to fill the gap.
A sudden "blackout" in one's mind was a dead giveaway that someone had tampered with it. It wasn't a hard task for someone with her skills, but it required precision to make it look natural.
Acheron, who had watched the whole thing, crouched down curiously to look at the fallen messenger.
"Your strength... it's become quite impressive."
"Well, after everything that's happened, I had to grow a bit, didn't I?" 'Robin' said, finishing the memory graft and smoothing out the edges. "There. When she wakes up, everything will be fine."
"Shouldn't we call someone to take her away?"
"No need. It's better if she heads back on her own. Don't worry, she won't notice us."
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL