The cabin became somewhat silent, with only the restless electric currents from the purple chao sword in Raiden Mei's arms still hissing occasionally.
After listening to Sakura's narration, Shi Hui nodded silently.
"Truth, Space, Thunder, Gale, Frost..."
"If I'm not mistaken, the battleship we're on incorporates the authority of Space."
"The sword in Mei's hand symbolizes Thunder, and the one at your waist is Frost."
"That's right." Sakura nodded slightly.
After glancing at Raiden Mei, who had been silent since entering the ship, Shi Hui looked at Sakura.
"I have a question. Since the war between you and Takama-ga-hara has been going on for so long, why did that Thunder God almost completely destroy that city just now, and you... no, only you arrived?"
"What about Thorn of Fire Moth? Isn't that your official organization? Why did they only send you?"
Sakura raised her hand again, and the display screen's image switched.
In the grey sky, dark clouds like spilled ink stained the horizon, and violent thunder instantly enveloped the entire Izumo.
"Takemikazuchi possesses the authority to control Thunder. When he descends, Izumo's electromagnetic field also becomes chaotic, all communications are cut off, and all electronic equipment crashes."
"As for my appearance, it was actually a coincidence, and a blessing in disguise."
"Today is a day off. Taking advantage of the holiday, I planned to return to Changkong City—the city destroyed by Takemikazuchi—to see the cherry blossoms."
"It's also fortunate that the battleships equipped by the sword-wielders were embedded with the authority of Space by the wielder of the Heavenly chao sword."
"Otherwise, under the influence of Takemikazuchi's thunderous magnetic field, the battleship would not be able to function normally."
"And when I arrived in Changkong City, I saw you piloting a landing pod and crashing into Takemikazuchi."
Sakura's gaze shifted to the battleship's display screen.
There, at the end of the rolling sea of clouds, the outline of a magnificent structure that seemed to pierce the sky was becoming clear from its Vague.
It was a steel fortress composed of cold alloys, a huge energy shield, and countless defensive turrets pointing at the sky, exuding a chilling aura that kept people at bay.
"As for my colleagues, they have already arrived in Changkong City to carry out clean-up work."
Sakura's voice sounded again: "'Gatekeeper of Wangchuan' is an even older and lonelier title."
"In the far west of Izumo, beyond the most treacherous Bone Burial Mountains, and across the Eternal Silence Icefield where even time seems to freeze, the laws of heaven and earth are already different there."
"There is no color, only an eternal black and white. A cold, silent river, seemingly existing since ancient times, flows quietly in the black and white world—Wangchuan River."
The battleship's display screen changed accordingly.
A monotonously desolate grey and white world, endless void, and a dead silent river winding its way.
The river water was so calm that there wasn't a single ripple, yet it exuded a chill that seemed to devour all life.
"Wangchuan River, it is the interstice between existence and nothingness."
"Cold tides eternally wash over its banks..."
"It will carry away everything cast into it, whether it be matter, energy, or... Memory, emotion, and even fragments of souls. All traces of existence will be carried by it to their ultimate destination—nothingness."
In the image, in the grey and white river water, countless distorted, blurred humanoid shadows could vaguely be seen struggling and floating.
They opened their mouths silently, as if calling for help, or perhaps chanting long-forgotten songs.
In the reflection of the river, various bizarre scenes flashed by: joyful feasts, tears of parting, sweet kisses, painful wails... All the joys and sorrows of the world ultimately settled and dissolved in this cold river.
"The drowning here call for help, their laments, joys, sweetness, and pains all reflected within, yet ultimately to be devoured, assimilated, and returned to dead silence."
"And the 'Gatekeeper of Wangchuan' is the guardian of this Wangchuan River—'Yellow Springs'."
Sakura slowly turned around, her ice-blue eyes gazing gently at Raiden Mei.
"Guarding the boundary between life and death, guarding the balance between existence and nothingness..."
"Guarding the path to Wangchuan River, guiding every life unwilling to fall into Yellow Springs back to this world—this is the Gatekeeper of Wangchuan."
"However, ten years ago, the Heavenly Outsider of 'Space' descended upon Wangchuan River, and war ignited."
"That time, Izumo did not have the help of a Heavenly Outsider like you, and suffered heavy losses."
"Even now, the violent spatial power still rages by the Wangchuan River. And that generation of Gatekeeper of Wangchuan, at the brink of death, left the far west and returned to Izumo."
"I see." Shi Hui's reaction was rather calm.
After all, he was quite familiar with the name Yellow Springs.
As for that generation of Gatekeeper of Wangchuan from ten years ago, as mentioned by Sakura, Shi Hui was not aware.
"Can you switch the display back to the star map?"
Although she didn't know what Shi Hui wanted to do, Sakura still complied.
"Mei, Sakura, how much do you know about that black sun, about this starry sky?" Shi Hui asked.
"Me, me? I don't know." Hearing Shi Hui call her name, Mei silently shook her head and replied softly.
Like Mei, Sakura also shook her head.
"I don't know either."
At the same time, a cold, mechanical synthetic voice sounded inside the battleship.
"According to a fragmented, unknown ancient book in the Thorn of Fire Moth library, this starry sky contains powerful creatures called Star Gods."
"However, due to the war with Tumugari God several hundred years ago, most of the records about 'Truth' and history have disappeared."
"Respected Heavenly Outsider, how much do you know about the starry sky above us?"
Just then, a slight vibration came from the battleship. On the front cabin's display interface, that fortress, like steel fangs—the headquarters of Thorn of Fire Moth—was already close at hand.
