The Princess of The Stars (Part 2)

"Uncle Aha, didn't I refuse to become an [Elation] Emanator?" Feeling the power brimming within her body, Griseo tilted her head and asked.

"Ahahahaha, my dear Little Painter, isn't this more fun?"

Aha's mask appeared again, floating before Griseo.

If Griseo agreed to become an [Elation] Emanator, Aha would give her power.

If Griseo refused to become an [Elation] Emanator, Aha would still give her power.

The only difference was—Aha got one more source of amusement.

You didn't want it.

So I'm giving it to you anyway.

"True Elation never shies away from pain." Aha's voice suddenly deepened. The mask slowly rotated, light and shadow flowing across its surface.

"It dances upon the corpses of suffering and makes the most dazzling flowers bloom from scorched earth!"

"Go, my Little Painter—" Aha's voice drifted away, then floated back. "Use the brush in your hand to chisel through every barrier of sorrow."

"Paint your colors with the hues of Elation!"

As the final word fell, the mask shattered into countless motes of light. Then, the motes spun, gathered, and solidified into a door.

A colossal gateway of light, swirling like a river of stars.

Griseo raised her head to look at the door, then lifted her hand and lightly twirled her brush between her fingers.

The brush tip was warm and smooth. The power of [Elation] flowed down its shaft, becoming painting after painting as Griseo waved it—greatswords, crystal flowers, wine cups...

Once, there had been a group of people—

He sought Salvation, yet failed to save even one person.

She loved everyone in the world, yet chose to sacrifice herself for them.

She knew Fate, yet was mocked by Fate.

She shone like gold, and fell like gold.

She was a complex mage, yet ultimately sank into self-doubt.

He was a madman both insane and rational, who forgot why he had wanted to live.

He was brilliant, yet trapped by his own troubles.

She was a shrine maiden with someone dear to her, yet ultimately lost the one person she cherished.

She walked countless roads, but every road ended the same way.

He returned everything through growth within Infinity.

She was the humblest and most diligent, yet lost everything.

She was the most ordinary, yet accomplished the greatest thing.

And now, the wills of those people became twelve streams of light, twelve colors, twelve paintings. The Blessings they formed finally poured into Griseo's body.

Sword of Embers, [Salvation] that bore everything, bestowed ideals upon [The Stars].

Flawless One, [True Self] whose love alone never changed, bestowed dreams upon [The Stars].

Threshold of Deep Sin, [Discipline] that bound destiny, bestowed compassion upon [The Stars].

Song of Radiance, [Golden] amid the glory of the stars, bestowed brilliance upon [The Stars].

Casket of Foolery, [Spiral] of eightfold thought, bestowed miracles upon [The Stars].

Flame of Calamity, [Decimation] of blazing arrogance, bestowed sincerity upon [The Stars].

Eye of Benevolence, [Wisdom] of extraordinary insight, bestowed knowledge upon [The Stars].

Blade of Severance, [Setsuna] of fleeting instants, bestowed resolve upon [The Stars].

Dawn's Whistle, [Daybreak] of heroic ideals, bestowed perseverance upon [The Stars].

World-Eating Serpent, [Infinity] at the boundary between life and death, bestowed longing upon [The Stars].

Feather of Dust-Crossing, [Mortal Life] of ten-thousand-year guardianship, bestowed resilience upon [The Stars].

Beast of Plunder, [Void Dream] of irreversible illusion and ruin, bestowed freedom upon [The Stars].

Griseo lowered her gaze and stared at her palm—there was a tiny ball of light there, colorful and warm, like she was holding a sunset that would never melt.

The gateway of light slowly turned behind her. Light flowed over from its edges like water, little by little drawing her silhouette into its embrace.

"Uncle Aha?" Through that layer of pure white radiance, Griseo's voice carried a hint of confusion.

"Goodbye, Little Painter!" Aha's voice came from the other side of the light. "I'll come find you later—if Aha can still find you, that is!"

After a pause, he added another line, unable to hide the excitement in his voice: "I can't wait to tell Akivili—Aha has a niece now!!"

"Ahahahaha!!"

The laughter echoed outward, gradually diluted by the light.

Griseo did not understand the latter half of what he said, so she could only nod. The next moment, the sea of stars inverted, and all things were reborn.

When the white light faded, the Ark, Griseo, and Aha—had all vanished. Only the vast universe remained, with stars silently blinking from very, very far away.

And so Griseo arrived in the world of Zenless Zone Zero.

And so, another despairing and shattered apocalypse welcomed the girl of [The Stars].

This is the author's aside. Let me tell everyone a little about my thoughts behind writing this novel!

Why did I choose Griseo?

You don't seriously think I'm into little girls, do you?

Griseo was born in the Honkai apocalypse. She represented humanity's courage and boldness in gazing toward the stars from the mud.

In an era like the Previous Era, Griseo was like an unattainable white moonlight—a child who represented tomorrow and could bring hope.

No matter their circumstances, even if humans were merely struggling to survive, they would still yearn for poetry and distant places. Even while standing in the mud, they would still raise their heads to gaze at the stars.

Griseo of [The Stars] seemed to represent humanity's boldness and courage, corresponding to Griseo carrying out the Ark Project and setting off for the stars.

And we also know what the world of Zenless Zone Zero is like—the world is a ruin filled with despair.

In New Eridu, we can see, aside from the major and minor Hollows...

The cold politics controlled jointly by corporate consortiums and political elites; High-Risk Ethereals that Niniwe alone could use to wipe out the Defense Force,

Hollow Raiders, bandits, and gangs roaming everywhere; the gray underworld of organ trafficking and human smuggling,

Ether adaptation experiments, sustained-release drug experiments, synthetic human experiments, heavily armed rebel military units and rebel machines,

"Please, Progenitor... reshape me," and its Sacrificial Ghost creations...