IBHJ 1344

Shirou gave a quiet nod. “…Sure.”

But deep down, he couldn’t help thinking. ‘If that day ever comes… the first one to try and claim Earth probably won’t be an enemy from beyond the stars. It’ll be you.’

Moon-chan’s voice pulled him back.

“Um… be careful when we get to Venus,” she said. “Venus really, really hates Gaia…”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he replied with a slight nod.

With that, the two of them accelerated forward, breaking through the void of space as Venus loomed into view. The moment they breached the atmosphere, a crushing force slammed into them from all directions.

He could feel it immediately. The pressure was immense—unrelenting.

Not surprising. Venus’s atmosphere was nearly ninety-two times denser than Earth’s. And with its close proximity to the Sun, they were constantly pelted by intense solar winds and vicious hydrogen storms.

But Shirou had prepared. A layer of [Evil] coated his body like a second skin, weaving seamless protection around him. Without it, his human frame would’ve crumpled under the pressure in seconds.

Truth be told, one of the greatest challenges humanity faced in exploring the stars wasn’t just the lack of advanced technology. It was the simple, undeniable fragility of the human body.

And that, more than anything, was why the Origin-Lifeforms had eventually given up their flesh—evolving into data-based beings.

Landing on the scorched, desolate surface, Shirou scanned the surroundings. The ground shimmered from the heat, temperatures hovering near 460 degrees Celsius. The air itself seemed warped, thick with distortion.

Before he could take in more, a sharp pulse of information exploded in their minds.

“Who goes there!?”

Moon-chan flinched. Her eyes blinked rapidly before she blurted out, “V-Venus, i-it’s me…”

“…Moon-chan?”

A moment of silence.

Then starlight raced across the molten ground, converging into the glowing form of a towering figure. A presence both divine and overwhelming.

Venus.

She stared down at Moon-chan with a cold, sharp glare.

“You,” she said flatly. “Gaia’s little lapdog. What are you doing here? Anything tied to Gaia isn’t welcome on my planet.”

“I-I…” Moon-chan shrank under the weight of her gaze but forced herself to speak. “G-Gaia wants to destroy the Golden Universe… She needs your help…”

Venus let out a scoff.

“So that’s the brilliant reason she called for a Star Council meeting?” Her voice was full of contempt. “She actually thinks she can take down the Golden Emperor?”

She stepped forward, her tone turning harsher. “Let me give you some advice. Stay away from Gaia. If there’s a real threat to us all, it’s not the Golden Emperor—it’s her.”

“That’s not true… G-Gaia wouldn’t…” Moon-chan stammered.

“Oh? Wouldn’t she?” Venus shot back. “If the Golden Universe wasn’t still around to keep her in check, she would’ve already started wiping us out. That woman doesn’t want peace. She wants control.”

Her gaze bore into Moon-chan. “If you actually want to survive, you’d better start thinking for yourself. Build your own defense. Because when Gaia makes her move, you’ll be the first one she crushes.”

Moon-chan waved her hands helplessly, completely flustered. She was already bad with words—especially in front of someone this openly hostile toward Gaia.

Seeing her struggle, Shirou finally stepped forward.

“And why do you say that, Venus?” he asked calmly.

Venus blinked, only now noticing him. Her eyes narrowed. “…A material lifeform? Gaia converted all her creations to information ages ago. Outside of what we made ourselves, there shouldn’t be any physical beings left in this system. You’re not from here. Who are you?”

Before he could respond, Moon-chan blurted out, “H-he’s Shirou. A human from future Earth.”

He gave her a sidelong look. ‘Seriously? You’re just going to tell her that?’

“A human from future Earth?” Venus’s expression twisted. The scorching heat of the planet didn’t change, but the air around them suddenly felt colder.

“That’s right,” he replied evenly. “I’m from the future. Fujimaru Shirou.”

Venus narrowed her eyes. “…Your information signature and spiritual particle composition don’t match this timeline at all.”

She paused, then muttered through clenched teeth, “So Gaia wiped us out in the future and rebuilt everything in her own image? Is that it? Damn her…”

Shirou let out a quiet sigh. “Why do you always assume the worst? Actually, you and Gaia are on pretty close terms in the future.”

Venus recoiled like the words had physically struck her. “Me? Close to Gaia? Just saying that makes me sick.”

“If you don’t believe me, scan me,” Shirou said, lifting his arm slightly. “You left a blessing on me. It’s still there.”

Venus stared at him in silence. She clearly didn’t buy it—but curiosity, or maybe pride, got the better of her.

She scanned him.

And then froze.

The scan didn’t just confirm the presence of her Star Blessing. It showed faint but undeniable traces—echoes of past contact. Shared time. Trust. Familiar affection, embedded in the code of the blessing. Gaia was there too.

A memory signature of Venus… not just working with Gaia, but willingly standing at her side.

She staggered half a step back, eyes flickering.

No. That couldn’t be right. That wasn’t her. That wasn’t possible.

But the data didn’t lie.

And just like that, her certainty cracked.

“…What the hell happened in the future?” Venus muttered under her breath. Just the idea—that she would ever become close with Gaia—made her stomach turn.

Even now, with the blessing scan confirming everything, she still looked like she wanted to reject it.

Seeing that, Shirou decided to lay it all out. He explained everything—what he knew about the future, the Lord of Salvation, the disappearances, and the theories behind the Golden Universe’s endgame.

Venus listened in silence. Her expression didn’t soften, but her posture shifted. There was tension—but not denial.

“…If that’s true,” she said slowly, “then yeah. I suppose the Golden Universe really could wipe us out.”

Moon-chan's face brightened. “So… you’ll help Gaia?”

“Help her? Dream on,” Venus snapped, her voice sharp. She shot Shirou a side glance. “You—future boy—I’ll admit, I believe about eighty percent of what you’ve said. But help Gaia? No way. The moment she wins, she’ll come for me next.”

Shirou frowned. He still didn’t understand why Venus was so on edge about Gaia.

“But…” she continued, her tone cooling just slightly, “if this Golden Universe threat is real, then it’s a problem for me, too. So fine. I’ll make you a deal. If you can defeat my Star Armament, I’ll drop the grudge and back her plan.”

“W-wait,” Moon-chan stammered, eyes wide. “Isn’t that a bit much?”

“What would you know?” Venus snapped without hesitation.

Moon-chan flinched, shrinking back in silence.

Venus didn’t stop. “Gaia is dangerous. You may all fall for that fake warmth of hers, but I’m not fooled. The only way to survive under someone like her… is to make sure she knows not to mess with you. That means showing strength. That means striking first—before she gets the chance.”

“…Alright,” Shirou nodded.

He wanted Gaia to win. He needed her to destroy the Golden Universe. In the original timeline, it was the Golden Emperor who unified the stars under one banner—only to shatter the peace and launch a full-scale assault on Gaia’s territory.

That war was what pushed Gaia over the edge. It drove her to manipulate the Akasha Records, to deceive the very fabric of causality. It led to the Vortex. The Arrow of Akasha. And eventually… the Lord of Salvation.

But what if Gaia struck first?

What if, before the Golden Emperor could betray her, while he and the Void Overlord were still locked in their stalemate, she annihilated the Golden Universe herself?

Would that erase the conditions that gave birth to the Lord of Salvation?

He didn’t know. No one did. But if there was even the slightest chance to change that future…

Then it was worth trying.