"All right… I promise you, big brother. If he isn't there, then maybe Mom and Dad will be…"
"I'll be very, very happy."
You looked at the girl's radiant smile. Your heart filled with mixed emotions, but you had no intention of telling her the truth.
Just seeing the child grow drowsy again sent a sharp pain through your heart.
You simply did your best to warm her as much as possible, again and again.
You closed your eyes, leaned down gently, and tried to leave one last kiss on the girl's forehead, just like before saying good night.
You felt the person in your arms move, as if she had used all her strength.
What greeted you was not her smooth forehead, but Herta's slightly cold lips.
Your heart trembled.
You opened your eyes and saw the girl's sincere gaze fixed on you.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed, her breathing a little uneven.
A tear slipped uncontrollably from her eye, and she did not close them to stop it.
She simply stared at you in confusion, with that kind of…
…love-filled gaze…
You almost melted.
That kiss.
It was very brief. Very cold.
Very gentle, and very fervent.
After that complete kiss, the girl closed her eyes and fell back into a coma.
You gently laid her on the bed, looking at her tear-streaked face. For a moment, you could not tell whether the tears were hers or yours.
Or both.
You reconnected her to life support and sat back down at the table. The letter you had written last time felt a bit rushed.
You needed to revise it.
"Big brother went out for a small matter. There's no need to worry. He'll be back soon…"
You tore those words to pieces.
And began writing again.
"Little Herta,
By the time you read this letter, big brother will already have gone to a very distant place.
And probably won't return for a long time.
Don't be sad. Don't miss me. There's no need to wait…
Little Herta's life should not be as fleeting as a mayfly. It should surge toward the sea of stars. After all, my little sister is inherently the brightest star among them, and nothing can dim your radiance.
Big brother has left, but you promised me that even in a world without big brother, you would live happily and joyfully…
A genius's promise is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold. You promised me.
Don't worry—your beloved big brother."
After hastily finishing the letter, you placed it beside Herta's pillow once more.
Then you put on your backpack, determined to set out on your journey.
But before leaving, you gave that face one last long look.
Farewell…
Herta.
…
When you returned to the place where you had met Opal before, an interstellar spacecraft of the Peace Corporation was already waiting.
"Sir, this is a letter from Opal for you."
Opal was already gone, leaving only a letter behind.
You opened it. It was brief, and its meaning was clear at a glance.
The Corporation did not know the Silent Lord's true location, but it could send you to a place where Erudition was active.
All you needed to do was call her name there. She would sense it, and then you could meet her.
That was fine.
"Let's go."
You did not feel deceived. Opal had already done more than enough for you.
Besides, didn't this prove how terrifying the existence of Genius Club No. 4 truly was?
Though your heart felt a little heavy, you did not waver.
Aboard the spacecraft, you had some free time before the journey ended.
You considered countermeasures in your mind.
There was little room to maneuver, but you still had to do your utmost.
If you could survive, that would be even better.
But you knew that hope was slim. Against an Emanator capable of tearing everything apart with her own hands, you could not imagine having even the slightest chance.
So the question became: how could you make your death more valuable?
This was very important.
Yet you did not even know what your enemy truly looked like.
All you knew was that she was a terrifying figure who wielded a scalpel. Elegant, yet merciless.
You would have to improvise.
Thinking too much was useless, so you closed your eyes and rested.
…
The spacecraft's journey lasted less than twenty-four system hours.
You arrived at a rather beautiful frontier planet.
Uninhabited.
You disembarked amid the crew's sympathetic and respectful gazes.
"This cemetery isn't bad."
You thought to yourself. Time was short, but you still decided to dig yourself a proper grave.
This was your final act of respect for your short life.
Two meters long. One meter wide. Less than one meter deep.
It took you only half an hour to finish with your physical strength.
Then you took a flute from your backpack and began to play a melody known to all inhabitants of Blue Star.
"Farewell."
The flute's sound was melodious and pleasant, carrying a faintly tragic air.
You silently recited that name in your heart.
Polka Kakamond.
Your thoughts merged with the sound of the flute, and the flute resonated with Harmony.
The resentment bound to that name spread across this small frontier planet. She would hear your call.
Polka Kakamond. Come. Come and face someone you have never met, but who wants to kill you.
The resonance of Harmony grew stronger and stronger. You felt your Path reach a certain extreme. At the far end of the starry sky, an extraordinary existence seemed about to appear.
Trump card number one: A Glimpse of Harmony.
The glimpse of a Star God contained immense energy.
Those who were glimpsed would benefit from it, but the things around them could be eroded, destroyed, or melted by that energy.
"You're looking for me…"
A figure appeared before you at some unknown moment.
No warning. No footsteps.
You silently observed the woman before you. Her appearance seemed quite ordinary.
The kind of person you would never find again if she were lost in a crowd.
You did not respond. You only played the flute with greater focus, faintly watching the woman before you, still unsure whether this was her true body.
The distance you had traveled on the Path was too short. You could only sense a terrifying energy contained within her.
It was very likely her true body.
"It's a lovely melody. But it seems you hate me a little."
"Many people hate me. I'm not lacking someone like you who's skilled with rhythm."
She did not care whether you responded or not, simply idly playing with the scalpel she always carried.
"Let me think. What's the reason? After all, I have no impression of you."
"Of course, I don't bear you any ill will either…"
It did not affect you. To save Herta, you had to kill her, to stop her from manipulating the improbable injuries within little Herta's body.
Whether she knew about this conflict or not did not matter.
What mattered was that she had to die.
Your performance continued. You could feel Harmony drawing ever closer.
The moment had come.
The sound of the flute gradually pierced the starry sky, resonating throughout the cosmos.
The resonance of Harmony reached its peak.
Within the cosmos, a colossal figure slowly emerged, casting its gaze upon this place.
Xipe.
This was the first time you had seen a Star God. It was indescribable. Something that could only be experienced.
Transcendent. Magnificent. Not to be gazed upon directly.
You were bathed in sacred light, and a halo appeared behind your head.
And that figure, which had only just appeared, melted like a snowflake under that sacred light.
Even the scalpel was no exception.
Your plan seemed to be going very well. The Fourth Seat of the Genius Club appeared to have been defeated by your crude plan just like that.
However, your right eyelid twitched violently, and a need to flee this place surged in your heart. A sense of danger you had never felt before.
Only then did you understand…
Your struggle with her had only just begun.