『 [ Because only in this way can you touch that secret, far more unspeakable than a serial murder case… ]
[ Only then can you use the death within the dream to go there, to that promised land that people seek at every moment in this grand gathering… ]
[ …The Watchmaker's Legacy, the true Penacony. ]
Acheron stated her reason.
[ … ]
[ …How did you discover it? ]
Acheron had correctly guessed his objective, which made Aventurine very curious, how exactly did she know?
[ I also did not anticipate that a certain matter I learned by accident would become the key to connecting everything. ]
Acheron said faintly.
[ It's that person's identity, right? ]
Aventurine interjected.
[ It seems you are also aware. ]
Acheron nodded.
[ I can't be certain, but I am willing to bet on that possibility. ]
[ …A murder case is a good excuse, but it is far from enough. ]
[ Even if one or two murders really did occur in Penacony, they would only affect a tiny minority of people and wouldn't cause any waves. ]
[ This sweet dream is not a vast ocean, but an isolated island. ]
[ The Family used the Harmony to build high walls and dikes, isolating it from the outside world, protecting people from drowning in the sea… ]
[ …At the same time, they use this barrier that isolates death to bury unknown secrets in the deep sea. ]
[ In a sweet dream without pain or casualties, those secrets would never see the light of day. ]
[ Unless… ]
Aventurine paused here.
[ Unless someone goes to the other side of the barrier… ]
[ …And can come back alive. ]
Acheron finished the sentence.
[ Someone has already done it. ]
[ I received a hint very early on: If 'mute' does not refer to someone who physically cannot make a sound, then it can only be someone who is unable to speak… ]
[ That person who has already survived the deep sea, yet cannot walk to the stage and speak again—I am very glad to know she is still in Penacony, and safe and sound. ]
Aventurine said with a smile.
[ A hint… isn't that evidence? ]
Acheron asked in return.
[ Regrettably, I have no evidence. ]
[ The only thing that can corroborate these conjectures is the Family's honesty when facing death. ]
[ They are too generous to outsiders, which instead makes it seem like they are trying to cover something up. ]
[ But suspecting something doesn't require evidence, only unlocking the truth does—for me, the former is enough. ]
[ I also don't need to find that Memory Zone Meme, I just need someone who can kill me like it did. ]
Aventurine revealed his entire plan.
[ In my view, you actually didn't have absolute certainty. ]
[ Specifically conducting a city-wide broadcast, trying to drag more people into the game… ]
[ It was also because you were betting on the possibility that someone could break the barrier. ]
[ You are indeed very lucky. Fate caused our paths to intersect, and I happened to possess a sharp blade—sharp enough to cut down the curtain of the sweet dream, and at the same time, sever the brand of the Harmony on you with a single slash… ]
[ You are also very cunning, deliberately designing it so we stood on opposite sides, constantly repeating the rhetoric of an Emanator in front of others, leaving me no retreat, with no choice but to draw my blade against you. ]
[ That is why you could win. ]
[ Luck and strategy, neither could be missing. ]
[ And in your layout, the IPC is always the winner, even if you lost the bet in the end… ]
[ For the Family, the life of an ambassador is expensive enough. ]
Acheron somewhat admired Aventurine's scheme.
[ A grand gamble, isn't it? ]
[ But allow me to point out a mistake: The IPC does not hold the winning ticket. On one crucially important matter, I indeed have no backup plan. ]
[ Detonating a Stellaron… I can't do it. ]
[ The Aventurine stone is already too shattered; it cannot even protect me enough to retreat from the stage unscathed. ]
[ If you hadn't drawn that blade in the end… it would have been my total loss. ]
Aventurine corrected a mistake in Acheron's words.
[ Discussing 'if' is meaningless. ]
[ You won. You won yourself the admission ticket to that deep sea. ]
[ And after this, whether you can return from the abyss… is your next grand gamble. ]
[ …Have you never hesitated? ]
Acheron asked curiously.
[ Hesitated… of course. ]
[ But I can only trust my luck. ]
[ Because apart from that, I have nothing. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "What does that mean?"
March 7th: "Aventurine realized the truth of the dream long ago?"
March 7th: "But how did Miss Acheron know?"
Furina de Fontaine: "It seems to be because of that person's identity…"
Furina de Fontaine: "But that person, which person is this talking about?"
Zhongli: "It is likely… Miss Hotaru."
Stelle: "Eh, Hotaru?"
Welt Yang: "That's right, it is Miss Hotaru."
Himeko: "Do you remember?"
Himeko: "From Hanabi's hint, Aventurine learned that there was a mute who could not speak, who was still staying safe and sound in Penacony."
Himeko: "That mute who cannot speak refers to Miss Hotaru, who should have been killed by the Memory Zone Meme."
Himeko: "Combining this with the current situation, Miss Hotaru must have entered the world outside the barrier after being 'killed'."
Himeko: "But unable to walk to the front stage to speak again…"
Himeko: "Does this mean Miss Hotaru is trapped in the world outside the barrier?"
Hu Tao: "It's possible, but how did Miss Acheron know Miss Hotaru was okay?"
Himeko: "I am also puzzled by this question."
Lumine: "Actually, I want to know more about how Miss Hanabi knew so many things."
Lumine: "It feels like for her, Penacony has absolutely no secrets at all!"
Paimon: "Uh… speaking of this, I suddenly have a bold guess!!"
Paimon: "Do you guys think… could Miss Hanabi be the biggest mastermind behind Penacony!!"
Paimon: "Otherwise, why does she know everything?"
Paimon: "And she deliberately contacted so many people!"
Guinaifen: "Ah, that possibility is huge!"
Guinaifen: "As a Masked Fool, Miss Hanabi probably loves doing this kind of thing, right?"
Guinaifen: "Letting Penacony fall into total chaos, while she secretly watches the show from behind the scenes…"
Hanabi: "Na, you guys really guessed it right~"
Hanabi: "That's right, I am the mastermind behind the scenes yo~"
Hanabi: "All these conspiracies were led by me~"
Navia Caspar: "This tone… looks like the mastermind isn't Miss Hanabi."
Paimon: "Then who exactly is the big villain? Watching until now, I haven't seen a single clue."
Qingque: "Personally, I'm leaning towards that Dreammaster of the Family who hasn't shown his face yet."
Qingque: "High position and heavy power, sounds very suitable to be a villain boss."
Li Sushang: "If you put it that way, I think that Watchmaker Mikhail is also very suspicious."
Amber: "Speaking of Mikhail…"
Amber: "Mr. Gallagher's identity also seems unclear, and there's that little Misha."
Amber: "In short, there are still many mysteries unsolved."
Stelle: "It's okay, judging from the video, the truth is about to be revealed!"
Stelle: "By then, these questions of ours will definitely be answered!"
March 7th: "Then let's just watch the video carefully."
....
『 [ …Wake from this dream, and go to the place you should go. ]
[ Your gamble… is not yet over. ]
After Acheron said this, she turned to leave.
[ … ]
[ …Before we part, can you answer one more question for me? ]
[ As someone who walks on that path, can you tell me… ]
[ Why are we born into this world just to die? ]
Aventurine stopped Acheron, and asked this ultimate question.
[ I never thought so. ]
[ Neither do you. ]
Acheron turned back around, looking at Aventurine.
[ But Nihility indeed shrouds you and me… and everyone else. ]
Aventurine's tone was deep.
[ And precisely because of that, it has no meaning. ]
Acheron replied.
[ … ]
[ —But it remains there. ]
Aventurine turned to gaze at the boundless black hole.
[ If the dice of fate have always been loaded, if that is our destined destination, then we… why should we struggle against it? ]
Aventurine's tone was somewhat lost.
[ …My answer may not resolve your confusion, because it has accompanied you all the way here and is already a part of your life. ]
[ But you said, sleep is a rehearsal for death. Why does life slumber? ]
[ Because we are not yet ready to welcome death. ]
[ So you must also understand, why we 'want' to be prepared. ]
[ Even if the ending is already destined, that is fine. There are too many things humans cannot change. ]
[ But before that, on the road to the end, there are just as many things humans can do. ]
[ And the ending… will thus reveal a completely different meaning. ]
[ Check your pocket. Your friend gave you the answer long ago. ]
[ …Good luck. ]
Acheron turned and left.
Aventurine, meanwhile, took out the medical advice note Ratio had left him from his pocket, and opened it.
[ The impossible in the dream is not death, but slumber. ]
[ Live on. Good luck. ]
This was the content of the medical advice.
[ Heh… ]
[ …Then I should get going too. ]
Aventurine finally revealed a smile of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Tsk, what a sharp tongue but soft heart!"
Stelle: "Ratio, hurry up and admit it, you and Aventurine are iron-clad bros!"
March 7th: "So the thing Dr. Ratio left for Aventurine was a sentence of guidance and encouragement?"
March 7th: "That really is unexpected!"
Furina de Fontaine: "I knew Dr. Ratio was someone with a cold face but a warm heart…"
Furina de Fontaine: "Don't look at how he squeezes and mocks Aventurine on the surface, in his heart, he actually cares about him a lot!"
Hu Tao: "Haha, after all, they are good partners who understand each other even when acting!"
Aventurine: "Professor, I have to say, this medical advice of yours really moved me!"
Aventurine: "It's making my heart feel all warm and fuzzy right now."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Heh, gambler, I advise you not to overinterpret."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "As a doctor, issuing medical advice to a patient who is critically ill is merely my duty."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Of course, provided that you really can still be saved!"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Otherwise, no matter how much medical advice I write, it would be of no help, just a waste of time."
Aventurine: "Hehe, no matter what… Professor, thank you!"
Aventurine: "And you, Miss Acheron… I also want to say thank you."
Aventurine: "Thank you for letting go of past grievances and generously answering my questions."
Acheron: "It was a simple effort."
Acheron: "If it could soothe your soul even slightly, then it was what I should have done."
Black Swan: "Sigh, I really didn't expect it…"
Black Swan: "Miss Acheron, an Emanator of Nihility, actually appears to be better at counseling people than I, a Memokeeper…"
Black Swan: "It seems my skills are not yet up to par~"
Acheron: "Is that so?"
Acheron: "Perhaps it is… because I have experienced too much…"
....
『 [ Sir… ]
[ Are you leaving? Did you choose to… leave this dreamscape in the end? ]
Aventurine intended to leave, but encountered the figure of Kakavasha once again.
[ …Yes. ]
[ Because they are not here… Mom, Dad, Big Sister… ]
Aventurine was silent for a moment, and answered with a complex expression.
[ Then where are they? ]
Kakavasha asked.
[ They are in a place everyone will go to, a very, very distant place. ]
Aventurine's eyes drifted, looking once again at the distant black hole. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "What's the situation? Kakavasha came out again?"
Stelle: "Is the power of the Harmony still influencing Aventurine?"
March 7th: "That shouldn't be right. Didn't Miss Acheron just say that slash already severed the brand of the Harmony?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Speaking of which… so Aventurine hadn't shaken off the Harmony's influence before?"
Furina de Fontaine: "When he was finally about to take the stage, seeing that he looked fine, I thought the Harmony's influence had disappeared."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "At that time, it was only temporarily suppressed, not disappeared."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "And if not for that blade severing the brand of the Harmony, I'm afraid his fate would have been grim."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Fortunately, he won the bet. He won everything, and has no more worries."
....
『 [ Are you going there too? ]
Kakavasha also looked towards the black hole.
[ I will walk there one day too. ]
[ But not now. ]
[ There will be such a day, when the rain falls from the sky again, I will hear the Mother Goddess's call, and know that the destined moment has arrived, that I should go and reunite with my family. ]
[ So before that moment arrives… I ought to be prepared. ]
Aventurine finally thought everything through.
[ Prepared for what? ]
Kakavasha asked.
[ Prepared to face them, Kakavasha. To become their pride. ]
Aventurine's answer this time held no confusion.
[ … ]
[ I think you will do it. Good luck. ]
Kakavasha pondered for a moment, and revealed a brilliant smile at Aventurine.
[ Of course. Because I am a child blessed by the Mother Goddess. ]
Aventurine smiled too.
[ Haha, but you look very nervous… ]
Kakavasha said with a laugh.
[ I think so too. Perhaps only you can do me a favor… ]
[ …One last time, let's put our palms together? ]
Aventurine took off his hat, stepped in front of Kakavasha, and crouched down.
[ Are you setting off? ]
Kakavasha understood that Aventurine was about to depart, so he extended his palm, touching it against Aventurine's palm.
[ May the Mother Goddess thrice close her eyes for you… ]
[ Make your blood eternally pulse… ]
[ May your journey be forever peaceful… ]
[ …And your schemes never be exposed. ]
[ Our paths will cross again beneath Kakava's shimmering auroras. ]
[ Farewell, Kakavasha.… ] 』
『 ....』
(Farewell,Kakavasha...)