Chapter 77: Exploded!
Tap, tap, tap.
The crisp sound of high heels echoed on the stone-paved roads of Ragunna.
Completely different from the clamor of the city center, the atmosphere here was exceptionally desolate. Along the way, Phrolova hadn't encountered a single soul—not even a musician from Fractsidus.
Tranquil and towering, the building seamlessly blended into the cityscape of Ragunna while offering a panoramic view of the entire city-state.
Following the guidance of the tuning, Phrolova had traced her way here. The priest who had once confronted her at the auction was now hiding within this very structure.
Since the auction, Phrolova had not seen this person again, yet information about him had continuously flowed to her from other sources.
From Cristoforo, she learned that Aeron had disrupted the original script, prematurely setting parts of the plot into motion.
Phrolova could easily picture the scene: that unorthodox priest, in his reckless manner, had shattered the playwright's carefully laid plans, forcing him to hastily revise the subsequent developments and remain out of sight for a long time.
Later, from the High Seat of the Order of the Deep, she discovered that Aeron had been sent to Penitent's End on a "pilgrimage." Now, rumors were spreading throughout the city that he had returned to Ragunna as a "malevolent spirit."
At this thought, a trace of what could be called pity flickered at the corner of Phrolova's lips.
A High Seat, blinded by Threnodian's lies, would rather believe in tales of malevolent spirits than consider the possibility that Aeron had escaped through some means or that his own subordinates had made an error.
But none of that mattered. What she had to do had always been one and the same from the very beginning.
Initially, she had regarded Aeron merely as an intriguing dissonance—an anomaly worth studying.
Yet at the auction, he had displayed an uncanny understanding of everything, even using that person as a means to restrain her...
She would capture Aeron.
She wanted to see what power allowed him to defy reason time and again, resurrecting against all odds.
She needed to know how he had come to learn things that should have remained unknown.
Phrolova admitted that the man possessed some skill, managing to escape both the playwright's stagecraft and the Order's punishment through baffling tenacity and a bit of cleverness.
But in this Carnevale, where she would take the lead, no matter what tricks he might pull, she would not let him slip away easily!
Stopping before the unremarkable building, the tuning's perception sharpened once more. The source of that man's dissonance lay right behind this door.
The interference Cristoforo had failed to eliminate, the cleanup Fenrico had been unable to execute—she would bring it all to an end.
Channeling the Resonance Power within her, a baton shaped like a Lycoris materialized in Phrolova's hand. With a light tap of a note, the entire structure of the building unfolded before her eyes.
Just as expected, the man was standing by the window directly opposite the entrance, overlooking all of Ragunna... No, it seemed he was using a terminal to send a message, but that was irrelevant.
Now that his location was locked, the next steps were simple.
Phrolova knew about Aeron's ability to grow stronger through combat, and with Carnevale matters still awaiting her attention, her priority was to swiftly capture and subdue him.
Standing before the door, Phrolova traced an arc in the air with her baton. Dozens of crimson threads immediately drifted down from beneath her skirt.
"Entwine, between life and death."
As the words fell, the door before the conductor disintegrated into dust under resonant vibrations, while the threads beneath her shot toward the figure standing with his back to her by the window.
Yet those threads—capable of immobilizing any Resonator—were deflected when the figure turned and blocked them with his left hand. They dissipated into nothingness as if colliding with an indifferent wall.
"...Though I might be stating the obvious, could I ask why you're here?"
Aeron withdrew his hand and turned to face Phrolova as she entered the room, posing the simplest and most direct question.
Admittedly, he was somewhat surprised by her presence here. Logically, shouldn't she be preparing to appear at Carnevale and manipulating Echoes to incite chaos? Why seek him out instead?
Phrolova offered no reply. Her baton sliced through the air once more, and crimson sonic blades hurtled toward Aeron.
"Arsène!"
At Aeron's low shout, the shadow beneath him solidified instantly. That grotesque, grinning face materialized before Phrolova once again.
The sonic blades vanished the moment they made contact with Arsène.
"...Det!"
Seeing Arsène, the familiar discomfort and irritation from the auction resurfaced in Phrolova. Both this aberrant entity and its master exuded an eerie dissonance with the world's fundamental logic.
Aeron flexed the arm that had blocked the threads—not only numb but already bleeding. Relying solely on Imagine Breaker at his current level was indeed premature for confronting a Resonator of Phrolova's caliber.
But this would suffice. Since she had appeared here, Aeron might as well make use of the situation. At the very least, he needed to ensure she remained unaware of what he had preemptively arranged in this place.
"What, didn't learn your lesson from the auction? You'll gain nothing by neglecting your duties to seek me out."
"Your prattling remains equally insufferable."
Phrolova's voice remained steady, betraying no emotion, yet the pressure in the air subtly intensified.
"Last time's incident... was you exploiting circumstances through luck. This time... there will be no opportunities."
"Rather than granting yourself chances, why not spare one for the absent party? Worried they're too busy saving the world to entertain you?"
Before Aeron could finish, a crimson sound-string from Phrolova slashed a diagonal gash across his face.
The aura around Phrolova turned frigid. She remained silent, but the crimson light gathering at the tip of her baton flickered dangerously.
Perfect—this was precisely the reaction Aeron wanted.
"...You talk too much."
"Already rattled?" Aeron wiped his cheek, the stinging pain widening his grin.
Phrolova's reaction was faster than he anticipated—seems Rover really was completely off-limits.
He retreated half a step imperceptibly, Arsène's dark silhouette floating faintly before him, that grotesquely long smiling face directed at Phrolova.
"Save your energy. What's the point of struggling with me here? If you've got the nerve, go play your tune in front of her and see if she'll—"
Before he finished speaking, Phrolova abruptly vanished from her spot.
The next second, she appeared almost touching Aeron's nose, her pale face terrifyingly close, crimson pupils churning with a nearly violent intensity Aeron had never seen before.
"..."
Phrolova's baton was pressed against Aeron's chest. Even if Aeron used Imagine Breaker now, it would probably be too late to block it.
But fortunately, Aeron never intended to block it from the start.
"Yeah," Aeron grinned at Phrolova before him.
"Together then?"
The moment the words fell, Aeron gave Phrolova no time to react—or rather, he never expected her response at all.
At the exact instant the tip of the baton against his chest erupted in crimson light, Aeron's right hand—which had been hanging at his side—lightly snapped its thumb and middle finger. The thing Aeron had prepared in advance was already primed.
[Target activated, execute]
The next second, Phrolova's pupils slightly widened. Before she could channel her Resonance Power, the Aeron before her was already swallowed by blinding white light.
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Then, following a deafening explosion, thick smoke slowly rose from somewhere far from the center of Carnevale.
[Cause of Death: Exploded]
[Evaluation: A, Art is Patrick Star!]
[Reward Acquired: As you requested, a disguise impressive enough for grand occasions]
[Status Refreshing]
By the time Aeron resurrected far from the billowing smoke of the building, he found himself inexplicably wearing a... uh, phantom thief outfit?
Moreover, several items appeared consecutively before Aeron: a short sword, a handgun, and a grappling hook.
"...What the hell is this? Did you really turn me into Ren Amamiya?!"
[Don't you think phantom thieves and Carnevale go well together?]
"Not at all! Can't I get a different set? After finally getting an A-rank evaluation, couldn't you give me something more practical?"
[All sales are final, dear customer.]
"You...!"
[Alright, isn't this to help you create a sufficiently grand spectacle later? We'll make up the difference next time.]
"You better!"
But Aeron had no time to dwell on this now. The earlier explosion must have attracted significant attention. Having just regained his freedom, he needed to act while he could.
[Instant Mastery, activate]
Using the grappling hook to climb to a high point, Aeron saw that the distant Carnevale had officially entered its peak frenzy—the main event was about to begin.
Thinking this, Aeron turned his gaze toward the collapsed ruins. The earlier explosives had been more than sufficient—that musician down there should be sleeping a while longer.
Often, risk and reward go hand in hand, and this time, Aeron had to maximize the gains—as for the risks... he certainly wouldn't let them happen.
So, Aeron slowly raised his hand.
After all, what he was about to do was similar to what Phrolova was doing. He might as well borrow a little something from her.
[Resonance Power Source: Phrolova]
[—Projection, Begin]
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