HSR: A Passing Crimson

Acheron's ship passed all the inspections but had to be docked in another sector due to the poor condition it was in.

Due to the immense pull of the black hole, some parts of the ship were either destroyed or greatly damaged, prompting her to have it fixed.

Of course, as the main culprit for the ship's current condition, Merris could only apologize again and again.

Walking beside her, Merris wore an apologetic look on his face. His outfit, on the other hand, was now different from the usual patient garb he had been wearing aboard Acheron's ship.

He now sported a white tucked shirt, black trousers, white shoes, and his white lab coat draped over him. Needless to say, this contrasted greatly with Acheron who just wore a black bodysuit and black thigh-high boots.

The only thing they both shared similarities in, however, were their white coats.

As such, the two looked like they were co-workers when, in fact, only one of them was working for the other.

As they walked, Merris groaned.

"I'm really sorry, Ms. Acheron..."

"Quit apologizing. What's done is done."

"Still, I should be held accountable..."

"What can you even do? You don't have any money in your name right now anyways."

"Oh... Yeah..."

She had him there. With the new background he made for himself— an amnesiac IPC outsourced researcher that was abandoned and deserted— he currently doesn't have anything on him. Well, other than the mass of grotesque tentacles squirming inside him, he truly did not have anything else.

As such, faced with this problem, he only had one means to not only stay true to his plan but also repay her.

Looking at her with gleaming eyes, he declared wistfully.

"Still, though! I swear to the Aeons, Ms. Acheron, I'll work my butt off to repay you. As your assistant, just tell me anything, and I'll do my best to fulfill it!"

"..."

She halted, shifted her gaze, and looked at his zealous expression. Once again, she found his unrelenting accolade towards her peculiar.

Just like last time, his eyes were gleaming like those of a parched traveler finding an oasis amidst a desert. It wasn't just admiration— no, it was as if he was enthralled with the idea of serving her... as unusual as it was.

She had encountered many companions during her long journey amidst the stars, yet none of them showed as much fervor as the eccentric man in front of her.

Was it truly just him feeling indebted to her? Or did he have other ulterior motives beneath that eccentric façade of his that she can obviously see through.

Regardless, what he was doing so far had not done anything that can potentially harm her, or any around around. As such, until he shows his true colors, she could only patiently wait.

Patience was a virtue she had in abundance, after all.

Shaking her head, she sighed softly. She then looked back at him, her eyes piercing through him, then asked a question.

"Alright then... You're good at acting, right?"

"Yes? Well, I am somewhat... Why do you ask?" He replied meekly, albeit his thoughts wandered in another direction. 'Did she catch on to my lies? It can't be...'

Why did she ask him that? He was worried. Fortunately, though, she didn't ask other questions and instead did another thing.

Hearing him confirm her question, she nodded briefly before opening her right arm, and, before he could even react, she pulled him closer to her.

'?!'

Dumbfounded by this, it took him a second to react, clearly stupefied by what she just did.

"M-Miss Acheron?! What are you—"

"Shh." However, he was quickly hushed by her. Placing her finger on her expressionless face, she signaled him to shut up. "Follow along."

'What is she gonna do...?' Following her signal, he quickly quieted down and did as she told.

Then, following her lead, the two of them walked along. With Acheron's seamless walk and impassiveness, coupled with Merris' acting that quickly adapts to whatever she was doing, the two looked rather inconspicuous to others around them.

In fact, one could even say that they were a bit too close. But with their current attire, the best thing the people around then could assume was that they were co-workers who are out together.

None of them could have ever imagined that one was an Emanator while the other was a voracious entity.

The two continued to walk casually, acting and blending in with the environment around them flawlessly.

Then, turning a corner, Acheron approached a man wearing a uniform belonging to the staff of the station, standing still and not nudging from his position.

"The stars are as distant as always, huh?" Acheron asked, her tone remaining as impassive as ever.

'...huh?' Caught off guard by her sudden talk, Merris assumed she was talking to him and turned his head to her.

He was just about to reply, when suddenly, the staff of the station spoke, remaining still and not making eye contact with them.

"Yet it still shines with their light in the vacant space."

Then, after hearing this, Acheron gently nodded before telling another strange sentence, rendering Merris befogged once more.

"Then let it penetrate the darkness when a star releases its final wail."

Merris turned his head and looked around, his mind dazed for a brief moment figuring out what was happening.

Returning his gaze, however, he soon understood what was happening. 'This is... a secret code, isn't it?'

It took him quite a bit of time to figure it out. Well, you can't blame him when his partner is an emotionless Emanator with little to no freedom of expression who kept him in the dark most of the time.

The staff, meanwhile, finally shifted his gaze and turned to both of them, his voice rigid. "Perhaps we can only observe it and share its pain."

Then, pausing for a bit, he spoke succinctly. "Follow me."

After that, the man started walking away without saying any other words. Acheron also didn't say anything further and followed behind him, dragging Merris along with her hand.

With the man leading the way, the three of them navigated the customs safely. From time to time, however, the man would pay other staff some money for them to go through.

This was a backdoor; in other words, an illegal entry. And Merris understood that instantly. Not only was it surely illegal, but out here in the cosmos, it would surely have greater consequences if caught.

However, with an Emanator just beside him, he felt quite safe. Even so, he still couldn't help but wonder where Acheron was going as well as her purpose in this space station.

'Just where is she going...?'

As they walked, Merris thought for a second about what he knew about Acheron. Yet he couldn't recall anything outside of what she did prior to the Penacony arc.

The only thing he knew was that she visited Breukelen Tiernan during his last days before going to Penacony. Other than that, he was blind with what she had been doing until then.

Soon, the three of them reached a literal backdoor and they walked out; still not caught by anyone.

'This guy must have been doing this for a long time now...' Merris thought, looking over the staff that guided them.

The staff, after finally leading them outside the customs, then took out a briefcase and threw it to Merris. Finally, he spoke, his voice rigid yet again. "Have these, it would help you."

"Wow, a farewell gift? Or a promo deal?" Merris joked, holding on to the suitcase that the man gave.

However, faced with the solemn faces of the two people with him that refused to show any kind of expression, he could only silently sigh. 'Tough crowd...'

Paying no mind to Merris' joke, the staff then turned to Acheron, his eyes narrowing.

"Tell 'that man' to take this off my balance."

Acheron nodded. "I will."

The man silently nodded then turned around and closed the backdoor, having completed his task.

Acheron, on the other hand, lingered for a bit before turning to Merris. "Open the briefcase."

"Yes, ma'am."

He complied and opened it briefly. Then, the two of them took out the items inside.

"This is?" He held the item in his hand. It had a flat surface and a glowing surface, almost as if it was a phone.

"A Cipher ID." Acheron replied as she started tapping on the glowing screen. "It's something that can be used as a fake identification. You can modify whatever kind of information you want inside it and forge a new identity for yourself."

She paused, as if recollecting something, then grabbed her sheathed sword. She then continued. "If I remember correctly... It was invented in Punklorde and has since spread throughout the cosmos..."

'Punklorde...' Hearing this familiar planet, a wry smile formed on his face. 'Of course, it could only be them...'

The inhabitants of the planet Punklore which can edit the very fabric of reality as if they were in the matrix... It was quite logical for an item like this to be made by them.

'How convenient...' He almost couldn't believe the Deux ex Machina that was happening.

He then opened his Cipher ID and saw that there was already a preset inside complete with an identification number; he guessed that it was done by the staff member that guided them. With that done, he just needed to put his other personal info.

He then paused, his eyes narrowing down on the item. 'Wait a minute... Can I use this as my new identification?'

If he could do so, then he can advance his lie to Acheron. By forging a new identity, it would further support his story of deserting the IPC.

However, as if she could read his thoughts, Acheron spoke while modifying her Cipher, her eyes never leaving the screen.

"You can't use these for the long term, by the way. Since it's a heavily restricted item by the IPC, if it were discovered, you'd be sentenced to imprisonment in less than a second."

"Ah..."

There goes his plan. Shattered before even being realized.

It didn't get to him, though. After all, it was just a whimsical thought. Perhaps he could find other ways to forge a new identity for himself.

Then, focusing his attention on his Cipher, he began to fill out the necessary information.

A minute passed, and soon, the two of them finished. They then took out the other items in the suitcase; Acheron kept a piece of information inside and Merris took the two plain white expressionless masks inside that they can use as disguises.

With that done, the two of them looked at each other, their Ciphers hanging on their person.

"What name did you give yourself, Ms. Acheron?" Curious, Merris was the first to ask.

She shrugged lightly. "I didn't change mine."

"Aren't you worried that your name might be caught by the authorities and get put up on a wanted list?"

"And?"

"...good point."

He almost forgot who he was speaking to.

Looking at him, she then crossed her arms and slightly tilted her head, asking him curiously. "What about you?"

"Me?" He lingered for a moment before forming a smile. "Well, you can just call me... Kharon."

He would be a fool to not use this name at his current circumstance. Especially if his boss right now was known as Acheron.

If Acheron is the river of woe where souls must cross, then Kharon is the ferryman that delivers them across.

A perfect analogy for him and his boss.

"Kharon?" Hearing this name, Acheron narrowed her eyes as if finding it somewhat familiar. "Is that your part of your real name?"

"What? No, it's just a cool name I— wait, how'd you know that I haven't told you my full name?"

"Most creatures' cultures have a first name and a surname basis. I just assumed that you did too. Guess I'm right."

'She's sharp...' He was a bit surprised at how she figured out that he didn't tell her his full real name.

Chuckling lightly, he soon changed the subject. "Well, be it as it may, you can just call me Kharon. I don't want my real name to circulate around the galaxy as a criminal, after all. Haha."

Acheron observed him closely for a moment and noticed that there was a change in his demeanor. Although he hid it in a fracture of a second with his comedic attitude, she managed to capture that fleeting moment— he was afraid.

Was he afraid of his name becoming known as a criminal's name? Or was there something else?

She didn't know.

She held her sheathed blade tighter. Was he perhaps someone like her? Then...

Perhaps, like her, he too has reasons.

Regardless of what it was, he was keen on keeping his real name a secret from her.

Turning around, with her Cipher hanging on her person, she gestured to him. "Alright, Mr. Kharon. If there's nothing else, then let's go."

"Yes, ma'am!" Following behind her, he carried the suitcase that was given to them, off to wherever she was headed.

Unbeknownst to Acheron, however, a thin crimson slit briefly appeared beside Merris' lips which spread across his chin, forming what seemed like a sinister smile.

The slit widened to a crevice and his flesh split apart, revealing his teeth inside and, instead of gums usually accompanying them, grotesque masses of small villi squirmed around, showing an eldritch look.

Before anyone could notice it, however, he quickly controlled himself and mended it, quickly fixing his face.

'I really need to control my excitement...'

---

"Huff... Huff... Darn it... Just what do they want from me...?"

Meanwhile, somewhere in a secluded corner, an unknown figure gasped for air as he too tightly held a similarly looking suitcase that Merris and Acheron had.

Holding a communication device in one of his hands, he looked at it for a moment before dropping it to the ground and stomping on it repeatedly.

"I'm not... I'm not safe here... I need to return..."

With those words, the unknown figure walked off into the darkness, determined to hide from whatever was chasing him.

"...those damn Hunters..."