Reminiscence: Threnodian - Voidborne Construct
Lampylumen Myriad
Story & Voice
Lore beats, character story moments, and voice lines to learn more about Hiyuki.
Character Story
1Words Left Unsaid
"Hiyuki... My dear Hiyuki..."
"You can't do this. You can't be the damn Miko of Flaming Sakura... Your life was never meant to be like this!"
Hiyuki's eyes narrowed. If the people of
The second hand ticked. The minute hand followed. At last, the hour hand lurched forward. By Ashinohara time, this very moment marked Hiyuki's transition into adulthood. She sighed and downed the drink in one burning gulp.
"You managed. You think I cannot?"
The liquor scorched her throat and settled like lead in her slight frame. So this was what they called the "drink of adulthood." Its taste, she decided, was hardly worth the wait. Hiyuki stood and draped a blanket over Gyokuro's muttering form. She lingered in the corner for a long moment. At last, she stepped forward, tucked the edges tight, and closed the door softly behind her.
The next morning, Gyokuro's fury toward the steward tasked with the Legacy Talisman's succession rang out loud enough to be heard two streets away.
The Suzu's power lay in "drawing upon the future." In simple terms, it meant every use exacted a toll from the bearer's remaining lifespan. In the worst case, it meant a successor who inherited the bell today might vanish into nothingness in their very first battle against a Threnodian. Because the price was so high, successors were usually chosen early. Hiyuki had stayed at Gyokuro's side for more than a decade. Even if Gyokuro refused to name her... who else could possibly be chosen?
The steward, unable to handle Gyokuro's temper, could only offer a strained, placating smile. "Even if not Hiyuki, surely you must name someone, Lady Miko."
Gyokuro fell silent for a few breaths. She sighed, cleared her throat, and prepared to resume her tirade.
It was Hiyuki who finally opened the door, ending the farce.
"For years, I have journeyed with you through Ashinohara. I know what each duty demands."
"I have mastered every art a miko must know. The weaving of charms, the ceremonial dances—all from teachers of your own choosing."
"Only I can ensure the name of the Flaming Sakura remains untarnished, Gyokuro... No. Lady Miko."
Gyokuro's brow furrowed. She waved a hand dismissively.
"You've learned it all, have you? Then don't you realize the Suzu will be the death of you?"
"I was an orphan you took in. My family lies buried beneath the snow from that Threnodian attack. I have no attachments left."
The room fell suffocatingly quiet. The only sound was the raspy, obsessive scrape of Gyokuro's thumb as she rubbed the bell on her wrist. She tried to speak, but in the end, no words came.
2There Will Never Be Another...
Yet a miko was as much a living symbol as a blade. Wherever people would gather, a miko must appear to remind them why they fought. The Miko of Flaming Sakura was no exception. Hiyuki carried both burdens well. Perhaps it was because she had learned each duty at Gyokuro's side since childhood, combat and ceremony alike had long since become second nature. The only thing missing was Gyokuro's specific Flaming Sakura swordsmanship. Gyokuro had stubbornly refused to pass down the forms, even going so far as to distance herself from Hiyuki.
"Fine. If you will not teach me, I will learn in secret. One day, I will master it. One day."
But that day never came.
"The Suzu allows the bearer to draw upon the future, and a successor who inherits the Suzu today might vanish into nothingness during their very first battle with a Threnodian..."
Hiyuki couldn't remember the words the steward whispered when placing the Suzu in her hands. She couldn't remember the clumsy way she tied it to her wrist, mimicking a gesture she had seen so many times. She couldn't recall the weather that day, or the face of the person who handed her the small wooden box containing Gyokuro's legacy.
By the time the world rushed back into focus, she was sitting alone in the hollowed halls of the seat of Flaming Sakura, clutching the wish slip that had been inside the box.
Blood froze in her chest. A creeping frost left her fingertips numb. Inch by inch, Hiyuki dragged herself to that familiar corner of the room and curled up. She had crumpled the wish slip earlier. Now she smoothed it flat.
"...I see."
"...I accept your wish."
"...There will never be another Miko of Flaming Sakura."
3Snowed In
"It is of no consequence."
"Then, as per our previous arrangement... for how many years shall we set the renewal?"
"Fill it as you wish."
"I did not expect you to be quite so like the previous Miko... Ahem. Very well. As you wish, Miko of Eternal Flaming Sakura."
The steward bowed and withdrew, closing the door with practiced reverence. Hiyuki noted that the staff accompanying him had changed three times over the decades. She shook her head, eyes narrowing as they fell upon the envelope on her desk. After a pause, she reached instead for a teacup that had long since gone cold.
"Just like the previous Miko... am I?"
How long had it actually been since she took up the title?
Long enough that "Hiyuki" was now a fixed entry in
Was it a long time?
Not long enough.
True to the fortune lot she had inherited that year, Hiyuki had used her own strength to prove a silent vow: There will never be another Miko of Flaming Sakura. Gradually, the voices urging her to select a successor had faded. The Office of Legacy Talismans now treated its visits to the shrine as a mere formality. Even the steward, she suspected, believed a successor unnecessary. To them, Hiyuki had become the title itself.
Yet Hiyuki often heard a voice. It wasn't the grating, persistent lure of the Fractsidus. It was a peaceful murmur stating facts plainly in her ear.
"Hiyuki, you have held on for so long. But your enemy, the
"Does this path of resistance truly have an end?"
Cold tea is always the most bitter. The over-steeped acridity clung to her tongue, making each breath feel heavy. Hiyuki tapped a finger against the envelope on the desk. Instantly, a layer of frost raced across its surface. With one more light touch, the unopened Fractsidus seal shattered into crystalline dust.
Hiyuki rose and called out to the child who had volunteered to help clean the shrine, reminding her to stay vigilant and watch for intruders while she was away. Her lips curled into a smile as she ruffled the girl's hair and pressed a protective charm into her small palm.
"Lady Miko, where are you going to help this time?"
"Honami. I will be back soon. Keep this charm with you during this time, all right?"
Hiyuki waved goodbye to the little girl. As she turned to leave, the bell on her wrist caught the light, shining as brilliantly as ever.
4Vanished Honami
To Hiyuki, this felt like just another fight among thousands. She cut through the monsters with practiced efficiency, checking the integrity of the barrier as she always did. As the civilians emerged from the shelters, parents pointed her out to their children with reverent relief. "Look, that's Lady Miko of Flaming Sakura."
Hiyuki offered a slight nod in response. She stepped over a fallen "No Entry" sign and turned back toward the barrier to finish her sweep.
Focus. Strike. Sheathe... Hm?
The blade passed through the air as it always did. Yet something was different. Subtle, but unmistakable.
Hiyuki reexamined the entire barrier. Everything appeared intact, yet a lingering, visceral wrongness clung to her fingertips. She released her hilt. Flexed her wrist. Pressed her fingers together—
A single drop of iridescent black mire welled from her skin. It pooled in the creases of her palm before dripping to the ground, spreading silently beneath her feet.
Hiyuki drew her blade. Frost snapped into existence around her. First, contain it. Evacuate the civilians. Then find a way to—
She turned, but the cry died in her throat. There was nothing before her. It was as if the air itself vanished. For one frozen moment, Hiyuki could not breathe.
Honami was gone.
Aside from the shattered sign at her feet and a trace of mud creeping up the hem of her dress, there was nothing left.
Hiyuki reached out, but her hand recoiled on its own. She gasped for breath, but there was no oxygen. It was as if the atmosphere itself had been erased from existence. She raised her blade to strike, but found no enemy to sever. Only a faint, residual frequency remained, proof that the Threnodian had acted, for a fraction of a second, with power never before recorded.
According to Ashinohara's records, Honami had been pulled into another dimension at that moment. Even after a desperate appeal to the
When the others finally led Hiyuki away, she was still mindlessly rubbing the bell on her wrist, her mind trapped in that moment of shock.
Was this silent disaster her fault?
Of course it was her fault. As the Miko of Flaming Sakura, she had failed to protect Honami.
And of course, it was not her fault. Against the power of a Threnodian, a single person didn't matter—even one who could draw a million futures to safeguard the present.
Hiyuki returned to the Flaming Sakura. She took the protective charm from the child at the gate, forcing a ghost of a smile. Then she walked slowly to her room and pushed open the door. There, sitting quietly on her desk, was the envelope she had destroyed.
"Hiyuki, oh Hiyuki... Does this path truly have an end?"
5Even Should the Path Have No End
Instead, she traveled across
The path of resistance against the
It was then that Hiyuki heard word that the
Hiyuki joined the Spacetrek Collective as part of the Special Response Force. The unit had once been large, but casualties mounted as Aleph-1 grew more active. So Hiyuki submitted a request, proposing that henceforth, she alone would handle Threnodian containment and ensure the safety of those conducting surveys.
When she first arrived here, the Collective was little more than a plot of foundation in the dirt. She watched as Lahai-Roi was built, step by step, and began to grasp the true measure of human potential. The facility's construction was a miracle, perhaps the greatest engineering feat in the history of
"Lucilla."
"Hmm?"
Lucilla casually pulled a bottle of fine liquor from beneath the desk, a specialty from Ashinohara. A student hoping to pass their finals had left it at one of Hiyuki's frequent haunts, tucked under a neat note asking for the miko's blessing.
Hiyuki sighed, set out two glasses, and pushed one toward the restless Lucilla.
"The Spacetrek Collective... it was built to explore the stars beyond Solaris, was it not?"
"That's the idea."
"How fares the progress?"
"Ugh..." Lucilla drained her drink in one go. "Still a long way off. Research is hitting walls everywhere, and the higher-ups keep breathing down our necks with impossible demands."
Hiyuki rubbed the bell on her wrist, her eyes downcast.
"Have any of you ever wondered... where the end of this path is?"
Lucilla toyed with her empty glass, then gently clinked it against Hiyuki's.
"There is no end, Hiyuki. Just like what you're trying to do... No end."
"But we have to keep moving forward anyway."
"Not to reach a finish line, but to take one more step alongside the people standing next to us."
Hiyuki remained silent for a long time. Finally, she gave a soft nod and raised her glass, drinking deeply. The liquor scorched her throat and settled like lead in her slight frame.
The bell on her wrist chimed—a solitary sound, but the Miko of Flaming Sakura would take her next step regardless.
Voice Lines
Thoughts: I
Aleph-1 has been driven back, for now. But its shadow lingers. There are still complications in <te href=260004>Lahai-Roi</te>, matters unfit for researchers that require my hand. Once they are settled, I intend to return to <te href=851074>Ashinohara</te> to see it for myself. Though it has already been... Well, perhaps we will meet again there.
Thoughts: II
About the Fractsidus... You remember how I can draw upon my futures with the Suzu's power? Among them was one where I became a <te href=850074>Threnodian</te> Resonator. That possibility proved I could bear its power, and marked me as a threat in the eyes of many. That is why the Fractsidus sought me out, time and again. But you need not worry. I burned that future to ash before your eyes. The line is drawn.
Thoughts: III
Tales of your exploits abound. Folk legends across countless regions, <te href=851071>Spacetrek Collective</te> reports, slander from the lips of your enemies...Yet those remain merely the evaluations of others. It was not until I met you that I understood why they depict you as they do. Had our paths crossed sooner... I wonder, might mine have taken a different turn?
Thoughts: IV
There is something I wish... No, something I must confess to you. Even now, after our time together, a sour sentiment lingers within me. If I were to name it, I would call it "jealousy." I find myself imagining your power as my own, wondering if I, too, could have... Forgive me. I simply needed to exhale this poison. If my words trouble you... then I will bear whatever judgment you deem fitting.
Thoughts: V
I once wielded my blade to see it shatter. Each strike was my prayer for spring, for the snow to thaw, and... for my own release. I believed solitude was a fate I could not escape. But when I looked at you, I realized that perhaps I may yet cling to something in this fate. I am not you, and I will never become you. Our paths may have crossed but briefly, yet knowing you walk the same path as well... I no longer feel alone.
Hiyuki's Hobby
I sculpt figurines in my leisure time. It is an intricate process, demanding one's complete focus. A state I find grounding. And no matter the medium or style, there is always a reference, a clear set of steps to follow. Adhere to them, and a repeatable result is assured. Such certainty is rare to find these days.
Hiyuki's Trouble
<te href=851074>Ashinohara</te> still occupies my thoughts... but I would not call it a burden. The past is settled. What remains is to handle what was left behind. Even if it is nowhere to be found on any map, the land still carries a legacy meant to endure.
Favorite Food
Gyokuro tea. It is <te href=851074>Ashinohara</te>'s specialty. When I was young, I would steal sips from the adults' cups. All I tasted then was bitterness. But by the time I learned to appreciate the sweet aftertaste, I realized I had begun to miss that bitterness instead.
Disliked Food
Confections, I suppose... Not from any preference of palate. It is simply that sweetness, upon tasting, stirs memories of a bitter kind. The sweeter the past I once held, the more bitter the aftertaste that lingers.
Ideals
My wish is... that there will never be another Miko of Flaming Sakura. That no further fate need be bound to the <te href=850074>Threnodians</te>. Perhaps... all we have ever sought is a world where every soul is simply granted the right to live an ordinary life.
Show more voice lines (69 remaining)
Chat: I
The bell I wear on my wrist is what we call a "Legacy Talisman" in <te href=851074>Ashinohara</te>. For us Mikos of Flaming Sakura, it is a sacred relic passed down through generations—a vessel of Ashinohara's wishes. Through it, I gain the power to burn my futures, a power said to originate from Ashinohara's Sentinel. I know you share a close bond with the Sentinels. If you wish to see it, I can show it to you. Oh... the cord tied to the bell? Gyokuro braided it for me when I was a child. That alone is mine. The only thing that is.
Chat: II
If you wish to know more about my past, you will find snippets of it in the records of <te href=851074>Ashinohara</te>. They tell a far more vivid tale than I ever could. After all, my only memory of the past is me striking that blade, again and again and again.
About Lynae
She is a bright spirit. I am aware of certain secrets she carries. In a sense, we are both bound by our pasts. But she has a future she is galloping toward, one filled with light and hope she wholly deserves. That said, I still believe she should refrain from using her Forte to slip into class when she is late.
About Chisa
Chisa is also from <te href=851074>Ashinohara</te>. I have made a point to avoid meeting her. After all, in our homeland, Mikos only appeared in the darkest of times. We were never omens of good fortune—perhaps a parallel can be drawn to those detective comics popular nowadays. Besides, it may be unsettling to see a name from history standing before you in the flesh. Also, please do not speak to her of what transpired in Ashinohara. That burden is not hers to bear.
About Aemeath
A resilient child. She surely endured unimaginable hardship to return here. When she vanished within the simulator cockpit, I was out on a field assignment. The investigation team later briefed me on her case. The detail that made me pause was her writing "saving the world" as her career aspiration... Hm, I find myself wondering... what in her upbringing instilled this level of conviction?
About Sigrika
She bears an awful load for a child of her age. She seeks to shoulder the expectations placed upon a <te href=700025>Solsworn</te> far ahead her own time. I have noticed her watching the Shiratori I send forth. Perhaps I should fold one for her before I depart?
About Denia
I... believe I failed her, in a way. Had I been quicker to see through the Fractsidus's plot, she might not have suffered as she did. I borrowed your strength when I delivered that strike. Only then was I able to restore a whisper of her true self back to her. I pray it caused no lasting harm. I am told that she is recovering. If we meet again, I will offer my apologies in person.
About Lucilla
Though Lucilla insists our partnership is only contractual, I am well aware that without her discreet arrangements, I would have no place in the <te href=851071>Spacetrek Collective</te>, much less have obtained that blade. She carries herself lightly, yet the weight on her shoulders is plain to see. She often visits me, half in jest, declaring that she intends to "call it quits"—it is her way of venting. Before returning to <te href=851074>Ashinohara</te>, I should at least see her through the troubles presently at hand.
Birthday Wishes
A joyous birthday to you. The day of one's birth signifies the commencement of all things. It is a guidepost to your origin and an anchor should you ever drift. I first thought to prepare a traditional gift. Yet upon reflection, there is no offering more fitting than this single, blank paper. Please, write your wish here. Hold nothing back. Whatever it may be, I shall make it come true.
Idle: I
(Effort sound)
Idle: II
(Effort sound)
Idle: III
(Effort sound)
Self-Introduction
I am Hiyuki, the last Miko of Flaming Sakura. Should you seek to slay the Threnodians, my blade and I stand at your service.
Greeting
...Ephemeral are the blooms.
Join Team: I
Entrust your wishes to me.
Join Team: II
Mm, I am here.
Join Team: III
Very well. As you wish.
Ascension: I
Hm, I feel it now. A sharper edge now rests within my grasp.
Ascension: II
To refine one's skill is a lifelong pursuit. Perhaps we may reach greater heights together.
Ascension: III
With this strength, I shall safeguard more wishes.
Ascension: IV
The path I walk stretches into the future. The wishes laid upon me… perhaps one day, I can finally make them...
Ascension: V
You hear the ring of my blade, do you not? It is the sound of my conviction to see through your wishes. Any of them.
Basic Attack: I
Be gone.
Basic Attack: II
Dissipate.
Basic Attack: III
Rest now.
Basic Attack: IV
Time to end this.
Heavy Attack: I
Too late to escape.
Heavy Attack: II
You should have run.
Heavy Attack: III
Wait for the moment.
Heavy Attack: IV
Is that the best you can do?
Heavy Attack: V
Restless already?
Heavy Attack: VI
Nuisance.
Heavy Attack: VII
Follow my moves, if you can.
Heavy Attack: VIII
Evanescent morning dew. Vanish!
Heavy Attack: IX
You've prepared for this, have you not?
Resonance Skill: I
Your days are numbered.
Resonance Skill: II
No chance.
Resonance Skill: III
Drift with snowflakes.
Resonance Skill: IV
Swirl.
Resonance Skill: V
Fall in my wake.
Resonance Skill: VI
Down you go!
Forte Circuit: I
Brittle snow.
Forte Circuit: II
Fading bloom.
Forte Circuit: III
Waning moon.
Resonance Liberation: I
...Let there be snow.
Resonance Liberation: II
A life as fleeting as the first snow.
Resonance Liberation: III
Take your final dive, into Naraka.
Resonance Liberation: IV
May the sakura incinerate. Burn this self away.
Resonance Liberation: V
Roam above the inferno, gazing at the snow.
Resonance Liberation: VI
For all wishes spoken, this vessel I offer.
Intro Skill
You can trust me.
Dodge Counter: I
Futile.
Dodge Counter: II
Too slow.
Hit
Heh, it's been so long...
Injured: I
Worry not for me.
Injured: II
Be cautious. Stand back.
Injured: III
I cannot fall now.
Fallen: I
Destined... to fade...
Fallen: II
I've... seen this coming...
Fallen: III
An ending, as it is...
Echo Summon
Heed the summon.
Echo Transform
Lend me your strength.
Enemies Near
Careful. Get behind me.
Glider
An intriguing device.
Sensor
There it is.
Dash
Let's get moving.
Supply Chest: I
You keep it.
Supply Chest: II
Anything you might need?
Supply Chest: III
Our rightful claim.