HSR: A Passing Crimson

The two of them walked along casually as they navigated through the interior metropolis inside the space station.

Along the way, they saw many people from all walks of life come and go, each with their own purpose and motivations as to why they were there.

Some of them had anthropomorphic appearance, while some had traits unique to their race. They blended together, forming this complex and elaborate system of an interracial hub.

Truly, despite being designated as a space station, Trace seemed more like a world in and of itself. Everything was just so diverse and teeming with life, be it biological or mechanical.

However, to Merris, he was currently facing an unforeseen dilemma.

'So many... to choose from...' Walking just behind Acheron, his eyes subtly looked around them, eyeing the various creatures passing by.

He was once more feeling a great sensation of hunger.

He gritted his teeth. 'No... Don't think that. The moment you give in to that impulsiveness is the moment you die.'

Truly, being a voracious creature comes with many problems. One of them is, unsurprisingly, the unbearable urge to devour.

Merris had already eaten— yes— however, even then, that still wasn't enough. Even though he knew he was full, the urge to fill his stomach with more biomass kept perpetuating his mind. This is beyond just a common need— no— this was an instinctual desire as a creature itself.

In other words, he wanted to eat just for the sake of it. There was no intent behind it nor reason— just pure, unfiltered desire to devour more.

'Seriously... if this continues, I might become an Emanator of Voracity myself.' He thought to himself, suppressing those unwanted thoughts.

Remembering that certain Path and its mysterious Aeon which had disappeared among the stars, Merris decided to ponder over it deeply, distracting his mind from the thought of eating.

'The Voracity... Is that where I came from?' Looking at his hand, this thought popped up. 'I mean... It's natural to assume that considering what I've been doing until now...'

No matter which angle he sees it, he belonged to the Path of Voracity. That Path, which is held by the Drinker of Worlds, the Aeon known as Oroboros, was a Path he knew little to none about.

All he knew was that its Aeon was referred to as the Black Hole With Thought— as the name implies, this Aeon was like a black hole that perpetually swallows countless worlds deep into its stomach where they since lay within.

'From what I recall... Oroboros disappeared during or after the Swarm Disaster...' His eyes narrowed down as this thought passed by. 'Ever since then, this Path has never seen its Aeon... Nor had seen Emanators.'

'In other words...' He then looked up, beyond the barrier of Trace, and deep into the stars. 'This Path's power... is only used by its Pathstriders, untouched by any Emanator nor its very own Aeon...'

His eyes then slowly dilated. 'Does that mean that...'

At the thought of this, Merris unknowingly stopped and stood on his spot, his gaze never leaving that deep boundless cosmos up above. Acheron noticed this and looked behind her, staring at the young man who was silently looking up.

She observed him for a couple of seconds before approaching him and tugging his coat, bringing back his attention to her.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

He stopped staring upwards and looked back at Acheron, his mind still somewhat dazed at the realization he stumbled upon.

Seeing Acheron looking at him with eyes of curiosity, he paused for a moment before shaking his head, a whimsical smile present on his lips as he did so.

"Sorry for spacing out like that. I just had... the most wonderful realization."

"A wonderful realization?" She raised an eyebrow as she probed in, gesturing for him to answer.

However, he only shrugged his shoulders. "It's nothing, really. Let's continue on, shall we?"

"..." Looking at the smiling young man, she turned silent for a few moments, observing any strange change in him. However, after a while, she found nothing noteworthy. "...if there really is nothing, then let's continue."

"Yes, ma'am."

He hummed, his mood now turned better from an unexpected enlightenment. 'If what I thought is true... Then this Path might be one of my best trump cards.'

---

After following Acheron behind for a while, the two of them finally stumbled upon an inconspicuous slim building.

"Is this where you'd meet the person you said you'd meet?" Merris asked, looking at the very typical slim building that looked no different from those around it. However, there was one glowing sign that differentiated it from around it. "It's... just a clinic?"

He then turned to his employer. "Ms. Acheron, was the purpose of your visit here... For a dental check-up?"

'Well... Emanators do have needs too...' He thought to himself, still looking at his employer with curious eyes.

As for Acheron herself, she looked back at him with a blank look, her emotions unable to be discerned underneath. However, Merris was sure she was looking at him with listless eyes, finding his attempt at a joke dry.

Shortly after his question, she answered. "No, that's not it... somewhat. I'm not here for a dental appointment but I am here to meet a doctor."

"A doctor..." At her mention of this, his mind quickly raced, and, immediately, a certain group of people popped up in his mind.

'Doctor... D-Doctors of Chaos!' He immediately thought, finally understanding what Acheron had been finding in Trace.

The Doctors of Chaos, in simple terms, are a group of people following the Path of Nihility similar to Acheron. However, contradictory to the philosophy they follow, they instead search the meaning of life in hopes of proving their Aeon wrong— and that life has more to offer than nihility in it.

In other words, they were literal doctors trying to cure chaotic depression.

An arduously unfeasible effort, but a commendable one nonetheless.

At the realization of who his employer was potentially meeting with this whole time, his mind raced. 'If it's them, that means...'

If Acheron was looking for them, then that means she was currently on her quest to cure herself from her current condition.

Attempting to put up a calm façade, he turned to her and asked placidly, putting on an act. "If you're meeting a doctor... Ms. Acheron, are you sick?"

She didn't answer his question immediately. Instead, she merely crossed her arms as her impassive expression gazed up at the glowing sign in front of them for a few moments. Then, after a while, she shook her head.

Uttering with a mellow voice, she answered his question. "...I am. It's a sickness that has been with me for quite a while now, and it's quite difficult to remove."

"But it doesn't appear to be affecting you that much, though..." He pointed out.

She turned and looked at him, her eyes as languid and clear as ever, highlighting her calm demeanor. Then, she uttered. "Not all diseases are easily perceived. Some lay dormant until you notice them, while some grow alongside you and gradually become a part of you."

Upon hearing this, although he already knew what sickness she was referring to, he still decided to ask, his voice laced with worry. "...is it serious?"

Of course it was. The sickness she was referring to, after all, was none other than Nihility itself. Due to her past, she is now tainted with a lot of Nihility, and is thus on the path of Self-Annihilation. This condition is like an encroaching illness— it slowly erodes and takes away what she was as a person. Be it sensation, memories, or emotion— in the end, they all disappear in Nihility.

"...that's the end of that." However, she decided to stop the conversation there. "Let's discuss this another time."

"Yes... Sorry for asking." Avoiding her gaze, he apologized. "It must be a sensitive topic."

She didn't hold it against him. "Don't worry. It's fine."

After uttering those simple words, she turned her gaze back to the glowing sign of the clinic.

"Stay here for a moment." She told him gently, her eyes still fixated on the clinic.

"Yes? Wait, no, should I not come with you?" Taken aback by her sudden declaration, he immediately inquired.

She sighed softly. Then, she turned her head and looked at him. "It's because the person I'm meeting with wants to remain as anonymous as possible, and as such, would only meet with me when I'm alone. If I bring you with me, there's a chance that he'd just feign ignorance and refuse to talk, continuing his façade."

"What an enigmatic person..." He mumbled. "Well, if that's the case, then I can't do much about it... Alright, I'll just hang around and wait for you then."

"Actually, there is one thing that you can do for me..." Suddenly remembering something, a flash of thought entered her mind. "Could you... do some groceries?"

"...I could most certainly do so. What do you need?" He still had some money on him that was given by the staff they met at the customs earlier, in other words, he had a bit of money on his person.

She hummed briefly before telling him what she wanted. "Look for a sweet fruit for me. If there's nothing, then... Anything sweet is fine."

"Something sweet... Got it." Remembering what she wanted, he nodded. However, he knew what she truly craved. 'She must be wanting a peach fruit... I'd make sure to find one.'

She then leaned closer to him and handed him a card. "Take this, your money might not be enough. There should still be sufficient credits in there."

Taking the card with him, he nodded. "Okay. I'm all set now. I'll meet you later, Ms. Acheron!"

"Alright, be careful." She nodded back.

After that, he bid her farewell and left to get some groceries. Watching Merris walk away, Acheron felt like she just let her puppy go off on his own. However, remembering that he was a human— and those puppy-like qualities were just his demeanor— she shook her head and dismissed those thoughts.

'He should be fine on his own...' She thought to herself. Then, having made sure that he left without any trouble, Acheron walked into the slim building.

...unaware of what would occur to her assistant.

---

After an unknown amount of time, in a certain location cut off from the public, two figures stood.

Acheron, wielding her blade, looked down on the figure at the end of the alleyway, whose figure was covered in blood.

"...what have you done?" She asked, her voice gentle yet cold.

The figure at the end of the alleyway turned and looked at her, revealing his appearance.

"Ah... Ms. Acheron... You're here. This is... An awkward situation, isn't it?"

He had a calm gait yet his dark eyes looked chaotic and frantic. His smile, although gentle, dripped with fresh blood and meat that was not his. In his hand, however, rests the still beating heart of an unknown person.

Everything about him was reminiscent of a monster.

"...Merris." She clenched her blade tightly.

And that monster was none other than her assistant.