『 [ I can't believe that Aeon(Xipe, the Harmony) would cast a glance at Penacony at a time like this... ]
[ Is it a resonance born from the legacy of the Trailblaze? ]
[ Or perhaps, could your collective unspoken accord move even an Aeon? ]
The sudden, fleeting gaze of the Harmony left Sunday deeply surprised and unsettled.
[ Well, there might be another possibility. Perhaps THEY want to witness, on behalf of the fallen Aeons(Akivili and Ena), who will hold the future of Penacony. ]
Himeko voiced her own perspective.
[ If that is the case, I, on behalf of the Dreammaster of Penacony and the one hundred and seven thousand, three hundred and thirty-six kin of the Oak Family, formally extend an invitation to you all— ]
[ We cordially invite you to grace the Grand Theater of Penacony with your presence for the upcoming Charmony Festival. ]
[ Of course, you will not be taking your seats in the audience, but rather, center stage. ]
[ The future of the Stellaron, of Penacony, and indeed, of the entire galaxy, hangs in the balance. ]
[ For the sake of fairness, let us settle this there. ]
[ If you truly believe in Akivili's(Aeon of Trailblaze) path, then show me THEIR courage and determination. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Furina de Fontaine: "I mean, the Aeon of Harmony has even taken notice of this place."
Furina de Fontaine: "How is Sunday still acting so unbothered?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Is he not even the slightest bit afraid?"
Hu Tao: "That's true."
Hu Tao: "He's a traitor to the Harmony right now."
Hu Tao: "If he angers the Aeon of Harmony, wouldn't he just be done for?"
Madam Herta: "The Harmony isn't the Hunt; their temper isn't that volatile."
Stelle: "True. If this had been the Aeon of the Hunt watching this scene, I suspect an arrow would have been fired long ago!"
Stelle: "At that point, all of Penacony would have ceased to exist under the light of the Reignbow Arbiter's arrows."
March 7th: "Hey, put like that, we should be grateful it wasn't the Aeon of the Hunt looking our way."
March 7th: "Otherwise, we'd be absolutely finished."
Lumine: "Uh… judging by what you're all saying, the Aeon of the Hunt seems… terrifying?"
Lumine: "Firing off arrows that blow up planets just like that…"
Boothill: "Ahem… the Hunt, well… they have a bit of a direct, straightforward vibe."
Boothill: "So, sometimes, they can be a little extreme."
Hanabi: "Nyah, you guys don't know, do you?"
Hanabi: "The Hunt is the most stubborn of them all!"
Hanabi: "Their way of solving problems is usually quite simple."
Hanabi: "Wherever a problem crops up, just fire an arrow at it."
Hanabi: "If you blow up the planet, then the problem naturally goes away too~"
Paimon: "That sounds a bit like…"
Paimon: "Solving the problem is too much trouble, so just solve the person who raised the problem, and then it's no longer troublesome…"
Venti: "Ah, this… the Aeon of the Hunt really is…"
Venti: "Uh… straightforward!!"
Amber: "Putting it that way, it seems seeking aid from the Aeon of the Hunt isn't necessarily a good thing."
Amber: "Because what might be waiting for you is an indescribable arrow…"
....
『 Sunday walks away on his own, leaving Stelle and the others standing there.
[ Does he mean for us to compete at the Charmony Festival? ]
After a moment of contemplation, March 7th was the first to break the silence.
[ I fear that is exactly what he means. ]
Hotaru nodded.
[ How strange! ]
[ I've been guarding against when the big villain would make his move, and in the end, he's still talking about 'fairness'…? ]
[ Could it be that he hasn't taken us seriously at all? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Damn, my guard was up to the max."
Stelle: "And you're telling me they didn't even take us seriously?"
Stelle: "What is this? Are we the clowns now?"
March 7th: "I don't know."
March 7th: "Anyway, looking at Sunday's nonchalant attitude, it really seems like he doesn't care about us."
Furina de Fontaine: "What exactly is Sunday's ace in the hole?"
Furina de Fontaine: "I get the feeling he's very confident."
Silver Wolf: "He's definitely got something big planned."
Silver Wolf: "As for how big, that's hard to say."
Boothill: "Who cares? Damn it, we're not exactly pushovers either!"
Boothill: "Since he's making a move, we'll just counter it."
Boothill: "Do you really think we're afraid of some wubbaboo?"
Stelle: "That's right, those tiny wubbaboos, I've suppressed a whole pile of them!"
Stelle: "They're no match for me."
Asta: "Ahem, Sunday isn't a wubbaboo, you know."
Stelle: "Close enough, I'll just beat him up like a wubbaboo."
....
『 [ In my view, Sunday is deeply convinced of his own ideals and sincerely wishes to prove the righteousness of Order to us. ]
[ From him, I sense a powerful conviction and a desire for control; if he cannot win fairly and squarely, I doubt he could justify it to himself. ]
[ Precisely because of this, in the coming confrontation, he will undoubtedly give it his all. ]
A grave expression appeared on Himeko's face.
[ I flexed too hard with my swag. Guess I now have to pay my dues, huh... ]
Stelle scratched her head, a sheepish smile on her face.
[ You...! Every time an important moment arrives, you hesitate. ]
[ We've even dealt with a Lord Ravager of the Destruction, so a follower of the Order won't be a big deal! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "That's our Stelle!"
March 7th: "You were full of fighting spirit just a second ago, and the moment you hear Sunday is getting serious, you lose steam, huh?"
Stelle: "Waaah, I only want to act cool, I don't want to get beaten up!!"
March 7th: "You've got to toughen up!"
March 7th: "Bring out that spirit you had when you fought the Lord Ravager!"
Stelle: "Fighting the Lord Ravager?"
Stelle: "You mean when we were all running for our lives, hiding, and just observing from the sidelines?"
March 7th: "Ahem…"
March 7th: "That's called tactical evasion!"
March 7th: "Anyway, as Nameless, we have to show that Trailblazing spirit—braving thorns and facing death without fear!"
Stelle: "Facing death without fear doesn't mean going to die, you know?"
Stelle: "But you're right."
Stelle: "Sunday isn't an Emanator, so what are we afraid of!"
Stelle: "I can definitely take him down in minutes!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Mhm, it seems Miss Stelle is very confident!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Justice will surely triumph over evil, go for it, I'm rooting for you all!"
Himeko: "Heh, I wouldn't call it justice versus evil; it's merely a clash of philosophies…"
Hu Tao: "I just don't know whose philosophy is tougher."
....
『 [ Regardless, the Astral Express cannot sit idly by regarding the Stellaron. ]
[ Paving the way for the future of Penacony is also the long-cherished wish of Mikhail and our predecessors. ]
[ Everyone, now that we've taken up the mantle, we can't afford to fail them. ]
Himeko stated firmly.
[ But this is equally true for Order. Their plan was not conceived overnight; behind it lies a vast consciousness nurtured by the Planet of Festivities for hundreds of years— ]
[ However, the same applies to the Order. Their plan didn't materialize overnight, and they have the profound collective consciousness of the Planet of Festivities behind them... ]
[ A desire to dream, to slumber and escape reality... All those hidden emotions have given birth to the sweet dream of the Order. ]
[ They've harnessed the will of an entire planet to create an Aeon... This confrontation is far more complicated than a simple power struggle. To secure Penacony's future, fighting on the stage alone is not enough. ]
Hotaru's expression suddenly became resolute.
[ What do you mean? Are you not coming with us...? ]
March 7th was surprised to hear Hotaru's words.
[ I believe Miss Hotaru means that she is heading to a different battlefield. ]
Himeko sensed the hidden meaning behind Hotaru's words.
[ Yes. ]
[ …Before setting out, the Slave of Destiny told me that this journey would bring me an unforgettable harvest. ]
[ The script he provided was only a few lines long, yet impossible to ignore. ]
[ Because one of the lines read… I would experience death three times in the Land of Dreams. ]
Hotaru revealed the contents of her own script.
[ Thr-three times?! ]
[ This can't be serious, right...? ]
March 7th couldn't help but cover her mouth in shock.
[ The first time was a painful death when I was stabbed by the blade of "Dormancy," which led to all subsequent events. ]
[ The script will inevitably come to pass, but the form… is only revealed when that page is turned. ]
[ So now, I have understood the meaning of the second death, and I must put it into action. ]
[ If all goes well, this will provide you with crucial support. ]
[ Only by winning this victory can Penacony have a future. ]
[ And only in this way will the third, and final, death—the one yet to come… ]
[ …not manifest in the worst possible way. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Hu Tao: "Three deaths?!"
Hu Tao: "Is this script even reliable?"
Hu Tao: "How can a person experience death three times?!"
Stelle: "Damn, are they trying to break my heart over Hotaru again?"
Stelle: "Where is Elio? I'm going to go ask what kind of garbage script this is!"
Himeko: "Perhaps the death here isn't a true death."
Himeko: "It's just experiencing a pain akin to death…"
Furina de Fontaine: "Then the meaning of this second death… what could it possibly be?"
Furina de Fontaine: "And how painful will it be?"
Paimon: "Ugh… the pain of death, just thinking about it gives Paimon goosebumps."
Paimon: "And Miss Hotaru actually has to experience it twice!"
Paimon: "This is just too heartbreaking…"
Hotaru: "Don't worry, for me, as long as it's not a true death, it's acceptable."
Hotaru: "But… if one does not seek life through death, how can one usher in the true dawn?"
....
『 [ The worst possible way, that would just be… ]
Speaking of the worst possible way, March 7th was suddenly startled.
[ True death… everyone in Penacony would sink forever into the sweet dream of Order. ]
Himeko sighed.
[ That is a future we must avoid at all costs. ]
Hotaru added.
[ Miss Hotaru… have you already made up your mind? ]
Himeko looked at Hotaru with a complex expression.
[ Yes. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have come here. ]
Hotaru nodded.
[ Thank you again for your assistance for the Astral Express. May we meet again in reality. ]
The journey ahead was perilous; Himeko didn't know what to say, only able to offer her blessings.
[ Yeah, farewell, everyone. May your Trailblazing expedition never end. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Furina de Fontaine: "This scene of bidding farewell, I always feel it's a bit ominous."
Guinaifen: "According to some movie tropes, this kind of goodbye usually means a final farewell!"
Qingque: "Then the question arises."
Qingque: "If this really is a movie trope."
Qingque: "In their current situation, who is going to have something happen to them?"
Li Sushang: "Normally, it would definitely be Miss Hotaru, right?"
Li Sushang: "After all, what she said was full of heartbreak."
Furina de Fontaine: "But Miss Stelle and the others are going to fight the super villain, and it's also fraught with danger."
Furina de Fontaine: "So, maybe something will happen to them?"
Hanabi: "Oh my, you guys are all so rigid~"
Hanabi: "Why must you think about who is going to get hurt?"
Hanabi: "Why can't it be that something happens to everyone~"
Hu Tao: "Miss Hanabi, you must be a devil."
Hu Tao: "If you were directing this, I'm afraid it would make people depressed…"
....
『 The scene shifts, and Hotaru has already arrived outside the stage of the Scorchsand Audition Venue.
She gazed for a while at the stage constructed from the massive soda bottle structures of the Scorchsand Venue, silently turned around, took out her transformation device, and began to whisper.
At the same time, on the stage of the Scorchsand Venue, only the three of them—Stelle, March, and Himeko—remained.
The dome above the stage opened, revealing an exit leading upwards.
[ Everyone, are you ready? ]
On the stage, as Hotaru made her move outside, Himeko began to sense the vibration of gas beneath the stage, so she instructed the two of them.
Seeing this, both of them nodded heavily.
[ I dreamed of a scorched earth… ]
[ A new shoot breaking through the soil. ]
[ It bloomed toward the morning sun, whispered to me… ]
Blazing flames gradually enveloped Hotaru's entire body, and beneath the Scorchsand Venue stage, liquid began to erupt as if a volcano were erupting.
The powerful thrust carried the three members of the Express crew toward the dome until they burst through completely, arriving outside. There, the three of them saw the figure of Hotaru, having completed her transformation, watching them silently.
Subsequently, they all gazed in unison at the fire-wreathed SAM, watching her, burning with intense flames, flying toward the distance without a backward glance.
[ Like fireflies to a flame... life begets death.. ]
[ May we meet again in reality. ] 』
『 ....』