『 [ The second question: Why are you looking to cause trouble for the Astral Express? ]
Boothill's answer barely scraped by, managing to earn Dan Heng's reluctant approval.
Thus, he proceeded to the second inquiry.
[ Like I said, I ain't lookin' for trouble with you folks. ]
[ I got business in Penacony, somethin' I gotta do. But without an invite, The Family won't even let me sniff the hotel lobby. ]
[ So… I figured I'd just borrow the identity of a Nameless for a spell. ]
[ The whole galaxy knows you lot are The Family's guests of honor. ]
Boothill offered another explanation.
[ Aren't the Galaxy Rangers guests too…? ]
Pam couldn't help but ask.
[ Oh! ]
[ Now you've hit the nail on the head… ]
[ That's exactly why I'm here! ]
[ Might as well tell ya. The Rangers are huntin' down a fake. A little cutie wearin' our clothes and stealin' our name. She's right there in Penacony now. ]
[ My informant is a Memokeeper. ]
[ Just like all those memetic critters, she pops up out of nowhere and vanishes just as fast… ]
[ Scary as all fudge. ]
[ But she gave me a crucial lead. ]
Boothill explained the fundamental reason for his arrival.
[ So, the person impersonating a Galaxy Ranger… who is it? ]
Dan Heng pressed on, unable to hold back his curiosity.
[ Does that count as the third question? ]
Boothill retorted.
[ Is it hard to answer? ]
Dan Heng frowned.
[ Not hard. I'm just afraid you won't believe me if I say it. ]
[ That gal calls herself Acheron. According to our intel, she's very likely… an Emanator of Nihility. ]
Boothill dropped a bombshell on Dan Heng.
[ That's impossible! ]
Dan Heng's expression shifted slightly as he immediately denied it.
[ See? Told ya. Don't worry, when I first heard the news, my reaction was exactly the same as yours. ]
Boothill spread his hands, entirely unsurprised by Dan Heng's reaction.
[ IX never glances at anyone. That is the common logic. ]
[ What reason would They have to grant power to a mortal? ]
Dan Heng didn't believe this claim at all, for it defied all established logic.
[ Then you must know that Emanators can hide their identities. For many, it's even the smarter play. ]
[ Otherwise, it means steppin' onto the galactic stage of slaughter, or even… betraying the Path they walk. ]
[ I had the pleasure of meetin' an Emanator of Elation once. Looked no different from those Masked Fools on the surface. ]
[ If I hadn't gotten lucky and drunk the thing under the table, I never would've known I was sittin' across from such a big shot! ]
[ Even the purest Hunt has the Xianzhou Alliance in the light and the Galaxy Rangers in the shadows. ]
[ Paths are concepts created by people, after all. There's gotta be an outside world beyond what you and I know. ]
[ Thinkin' Nihility doesn't have Emanators… maybe that's just 'cause we ain't nihilistic enough yet. ]
[ So, you get it now? ]
[ Your partner is in danger. Serious danger. ]
[ If you still don't believe me, go ahead and message 'em. See for yourself. ]
[ But I'd advise you to make it snappy… ]
[ After all, neither of us knows what's happenin' in the Dreamscape, nor how much truth was in that Memokeeper's words… ]
[ Or what exactly that Acheron… intends to do… ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Hu Tao: "So Mr. Boothill plans to sneak into the hotel using the identity of a Nameless?"
Hu Tao: "But I feel like that's totally unrealistic, right?"
Hu Tao: "Miss Stelle is a genuine Nameless, and even she almost didn't get in."
Hu Tao: "How is he, a fake, supposed to get in?"
Boothill: "How do ya know if you don't try?"
Boothill: "Anyway, relyin' on just myself, I obviously can't get the fudge in…"
Stelle: "You said Acheron is impersonating a Galaxy Ranger."
Stelle: "And now you want to impersonate us Nameless!"
Stelle: "Aren't you two just birds of a feather?"
March 7th: "Eh, that's true!"
March 7th: "Mr. Boothill, impersonating a Galaxy Ranger is bad behavior."
March 7th: "But impersonating us Nameless? We can't agree to that either!"
Boothill: "Cough, cough… there's a big fudging difference, alright?"
Boothill: "I'm discussin' it with you Astral Express folks beforehand!"
Boothill: "But ask Acheron. Did she get permission from us Galaxy Rangers to use our name? Did she fudge!"
Acheron: "No."
Boothill: "See? See!"
Boothill: "Doesn't that show the difference between me and her?"
Boothill: "Besides, if it weren't for that imposter, would I have come all the way to Penacony?"
Boothill: "I wouldn't need to borrow your identity then!"
March 7th: "Ugh… fine, I guess you have a point."
March 7th: "But Dan Heng still hasn't agreed to let you impersonate a Galaxy Ranger yet!"
Boothill: "Just a matter of time. He's worried about you guys; he's bound to get off the train and head to the hotel."
Boothill: "And another person means another pair of hands."
Boothill: "Takin' me along? He won't lose out!"
Dan Heng: "Heh, you are quite shrewd."
Boothill: "Hey, walkin' the Jianghu(rivers and lakes)… if you don't have some brains, you won't even know how you died."
Furina de Fontaine: "By the way, Mr. Boothill, your body feels so strange."
Furina de Fontaine: "Your teeth are sharp, and your body seems to have some steel on it…"
Furina de Fontaine: "Is that armor you're wearing?"
Hu Tao: "Feels like it."
Hu Tao: "Walking the Jianghu(rivers and lakes), you definitely gotta dress thick for protection."
Boothill: "Armor? Hahaha. Sorry to tell ya, but that ain't armor."
Boothill: "This is just my body."
Amber: "It's your body?! Mr. Boothill is… an Iron Man?"
Jean Gunnhildr: "We shouldn't call him Iron Man, perhaps… an Omnic?"
Jean Gunnhildr: "But his head doesn't look like…"
Boothill: "No need to guess blindly. I ain't no Iron Man, and I ain't no Omnic."
Boothill: "As a Galaxy Ranger, runnin' into life-threatenin' situations is my daily bread."
Boothill: "So, in one little accident, I lost my original body forever."
Boothill: "Yup. Luckily, someone with skills saved me and gave me a brand new body."
Boothill: "How about it? Pretty handsome, right?"
Boothill: "The only thing that really fudges me off is that the guy went and modified my Synesthesia Beacon!"
Boothill: "Now I can't even swear properly!"
Paimon: "S-So that's how it is!"
Paimon: "It seems being a Galaxy Ranger is a very dangerous job!!"
Lumine: "Lost his body forever…"
Lumine: "Mr. Boothill speaks of it lightly, but that must have been incredibly painful, right?"
Furina de Fontaine: "I feel like 'painful' doesn't even begin to describe it."
Furina de Fontaine: "To lose even one's body… it's a miracle Mr. Boothill survived at all!"
Boothill: "Ain't nothin' about pain."
Boothill: "Survivin' is all that matters!"
Boothill: "As long as I'm breathin', I can still practice the Hunt!"
Boothill: "Everything else ain't that important."
Yukong: "An admirable conviction."
Yukong: "In a way, the Galaxy Rangers are even purer than the Xianzhou's Hunt."
Fu Xuan: "Indeed. They are heroes worthy of respect."
Fu Xuan: "It is a pity that the Galaxy Rangers vanished from the galaxy before; even the Xianzhou Alliance struggled to find their traces."
Fu Xuan: "Otherwise, as fellow followers of the Hunt, the Xianzhou Alliance would have surely backed them up!"
Jing Yuan: "Haha, with Mr. Boothill here, this is a good opportunity."
Jing Yuan: "Perhaps, with Mr. Boothill's help, we can reestablish contact with the Galaxy Rangers."
Boothill: "Hahaha! Restorin' contact with the Xianzhou Alliance? That'd be a dream come true!"
Boothill: "General, rest assured. Leave this to me. I'll take the lead!"
Jing Yuan: "Haha, excellent. That would be wonderful."
Welt Yang: "If the Galaxy Rangers can gain the support of the Xianzhou Alliance, even if they cannot return to their prime immediately, they will gradually recover their peak strength over time."
Welt Yang: "It seems the Galaxy Rangers, who once made all the dark forces of the universe tremble, are about to return!"
....
『 The scene shifts.
At the Clock Studios Theme Park.
At this moment, Acheron stands there, conversing with a strange entity.
[ …I do not intend to do anything. ]
Acheron's brow furrowed slightly.
[ That is not up to you. ]
[ Do you know? ]
[ Those who arrive in the Land of Dreams for the first time will subconsciously stop to confirm they are still standing on solid ground. ]
[ Then, invariably, they look up at the sky. ]
[ Whether in reality or a dream, looking up at the sky is a human instinct. ]
[ Since the day the Golden Hour was completed, it has always been there, watching over every night of indulgence and debauchery. ]
[ But now, this night sky has been ruthlessly severed, stained with the gloom of Nihility. ]
[ And this process… took only a single blade. ]
The strange entity, controlling a crowd of people, spoke these words with a voice like a chorus.
[ One blade… is inaccurate. ]
[ Actually, it was two. The second slash was just faster. ]
Acheron looked at the crimson scar in the sky and corrected him with utter seriousness.
[ That is not the point. ]
[ This Charmony Festival has gathered too many uninvited guests… ]
[ Though the Harmony embraces all, for the peace of Penacony, I must issue eviction orders to some of them… ]
[ The Star of the Festival cannot accommodate you, puppet of Nihility. ]
[ Those who live in the shadows should not step onto the illuminated stage. ]
This mysterious entity began to issue an eviction order to Acheron.
[ regarding living in the shadows, we should be no different. ]
[ At least when speaking to others, you should reveal your true form… ]
[ Dreammaster of Penacony. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Dreammaster?!"
Stelle: "The big boss of Penacony finally couldn't sit still and showed up?!"
Stelle: "But what kind of method is this?"
Stelle: "Why is he controlling a bunch of people to speak for him?"
March 7th: "Ugh… this method feels a bit shady."
March 7th: "He doesn't… seem like a good guy?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Do you think maybe he's afraid Miss Acheron will cut him down with one slash…"
Furina de Fontaine: "So he deliberately controls so many people to threaten Miss Acheron?"
Furina de Fontaine: "He's betting that Miss Acheron won't kill innocents, so he has nothing to fear?"
Hu Tao: "Makes sense!"
Hu Tao: "Otherwise, why hide his head and tail?"
Hu Tao: "He must be scared stiff by Miss Acheron's blade!"
Welt Yang: "The Dreammaster of Penacony… is certainly mysterious."
Himeko: "Not showing his true face always feels suspicious."
Dan Heng: "Could the secrets behind Penacony… be related to this Dreammaster?"
Zhongli: "That purple bird… it is here as well."
Zhongli: "But as Mr. Sunday's servant, without Mr. Sunday's command, how could it come here privately?"
Zhongli: "Yet Mr. Sunday should be in an unknown state of death at this moment…"
Zhongli: "Could it be… that it is also related to the Dreammaster?"
Welt Yang: "Mr. Zhongli's speculation is exactly what I was thinking."
Welt Yang: "I just wonder what this Dreammaster is plotting."
Stelle: "Who cares what he's plotting?"
Stelle: "All I know is, if he really has ill intentions toward Acheron…"
Stelle: "He's probably gonna get slashed hard…"
Hanabi: "Nice, love to see it. Hope we get to that scene soon~"
....
『 [ Hahahaha… ]
[ Another reason why I cannot let you stay. ]
[ But whether you believe it or not, this is the real me. ]
[ Not only that, but every one of them is me. ]
The Dreammaster began to control the crowd, surrounding Acheron.
[ Is this the 'United as One' The Family speaks of? ]
Acheron looked at the spectacle, revealing a hint of surprise.
[ My mortal shell has long since dissipated. The 107, 336 children of the Oak Family are now my eyes, ears, and mouths. In times of need, I shall spread the Harmony throughout this beautiful dream… ]
[ And when necessary… banish evil from this paradise on my behalf. ]
The Dreammaster spoke through the controlled masses.
[ Sounds like you are asking me to leave Penacony. ]
Acheron crossed her arms, her expression growing increasingly indifferent.
[ I am glad you have self-awareness. Unfortunately, there is no 'asking'. ]
The Dreammaster's words were far from polite.
[ You think you can achieve that. ]
Acheron felt this Dreammaster was being a bit arrogant.
[ Are you threatening me? ]
The Dreammaster's tone hardened slightly.
[ Hmm… I used a period. ]
[ That was… a statement. ]
[ You are not the first person to show such malice after learning my identity, nor will you be the last. ]
[ This scenario has played out too many times. Faced with my inquiry, people mostly ask 'why not'. ]
[ But the result… has always been 'no'. ]
Acheron used the most understated tone to deliver an incredibly domineering declaration.
[ You are confident, but please remember—The Family is humble, but never weak. ]
[ The chords of the Harmony span the universe. If you do not comply, the moment that long blade is unsheathed even an inch, you will never escape the wrath of the Eternal Centurion for the rest of your life. ]
[ And before that… one hundred and thirty-seven people. That is the number of outworlders I have personally banished since becoming the Dreammaster. ]
[ Among them, some have broken my wings, some have burned my body to ash… ]
[ But today, I still stand here, and I do not mind adding another stroke to that number. ] 』
『 ....』