『 "Even that Sunday couldn't tell the difference. It seems Jade is not irreplaceable for Aventurine." There was a trace of mockery and disdain in Aventurine's tone.
"Aventurine, Topaz, Jade… three elites, willing to stake everything for the sake of a tiny Penacony. You are even more united than the Family," The phantom remarked with emotion.
"I've said it before, three Chips are enough—all or nothing." Aventurine's gaze was firm and cold, revealing a resolute aura. "Will it be the former or the latter? Ha, we'll see the truth soon enough." 』
『 ....』
〘Hanabi〙: Tsk tsk, there are still factional struggles within the Family~
〘HSR · Welt〙: What's different this time is that Jade was used to replace Aventurine.
〘Asta〙: Aventurine's color is slightly darker than Jade's; you can tell them apart just by their colors.
〘Arlan〙: With all due respect, Miss, to an outsider, the color difference between the two isn't very significant.
〘Sushang〙: True, I can't even tell the colors in Kei-chan's makeup kit apart.
〘Sunday〙: So this is what General Jing Yuan meant by 'crossing the border under the guise of repairing the road'… truly a clever tactic.
〘Aventurine〙: Ha, Feather-head, you still have a lot to learn.
〘Herta〙: Still, to mobilize three Keystones—Diamond actually agreed to this? Hmph, it seems the IPC has truly bet everything on reclaiming Penacony this time.
....
『 "So, where is the real Aventurine Stone? Bring it out and let's see it," the phantom said, the corners of his mouth curling upward, looking at Aventurine with a half-smile.
Hearing this, Aventurine couldn't help but let out a cold snort. "Heh, you don't know where it is again?"
The phantom shook his head, looking at Aventurine teasingly: "I just want you to say it yourself… after all, its current form really suits its master."
Aventurine was silent for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth: "Then I will grant your wish. They have always been in the most suitable place, never having left…"
"…right here in this pile of cheap jewelry."
"Before you set off, you shattered the Aventurine Stone…" The phantom calmly stated something that would have left the audience outside the light curtain wide-eyed. 』
『 ....』
〘Qingque〙: Ah? Can you solve it like that? Shattering a Keystone more important than your own life, just to mix it in with those jewels, and then using the other two Keystones to provide cover for this shattered one… My god, this really is a case of winning it all if you win, and losing everything if you fail.
〘Topaz〙: A crazy plan, right? You have no idea what my expression was when I first heard it.
〘Jade〙: A plan very much in his style, isn't it?
〘Sunday〙: Heh, and to think you called me a bird that went mad after its sister died. I see you're no different, you crazy gambler.
〘Otto Apocalypse〙: Hmm, a decent stratagem.
....
『 "Oh my… look at it, tsk tsk, how much it resembles your fragmented life. No matter how brightly you wrap yourself in a glamorous exterior, inside you're still just a humble little pebble… This thing is far more important than your life." The phantom shook his head and sighed. "You know full well the consequences of doing this. A person who desecrates Qlipoth's body—do you think the IPC will let you go?"
Facing the phantom's inquiry, Aventurine first looked up at the sky, then said: "Diamond has always valued results. As long as the value I can create far exceeds the cost… the process and methods are not an issue."
Having said that, he turned to look at the phantom. "Without paying a price, how could I deceive the Family? It doesn't matter. Even if the Keystone of Preservation is cracked into pieces, it can still function. Though its effectiveness will be greatly diminished, for me… It's enough."
"I'm genuinely curious. Why is every step you take a desperate gamble, and why are the options you prepare for yourself always accompanied by a strong self-destructive impulse?" The phantom's face was filled with confusion.
"Do you really believe that 'the greater the risk, the higher the return'? I can't tell that you're so loyal to the company."
Hearing this, Aventurine snorted coldly, replying with a look of disdain: "Hmph, there are many things you can't tell… which is why you also can't tell how I'm going to win it all."
"That is, assuming you can actually do it," the phantom said softly, the corners of his mouth curling into a half-smile as he looked at Aventurine.
"Heh, we shall see."
With the fall of the last word, the Keystone before his eyes dissipated like smoke, leaving only an expanse of empty red carpet.
Aventurine shook his head to alleviate some of the pain brought on by the Harmony, then looked around, searching for clues. Suddenly, he noticed a familiar little figure not far away.
Hmm? That is…
Thinking this, Aventurine couldn't help but walk in that direction. When he reached the child, the little boy looked up at him, smiling and greeting him.
"Hello, we meet again, Mister with the beautiful eyes."
Aventurine's eyes held tenderness, and his tone was gentle as well. "Yes, we meet again. Have you found your mom and dad?"
"Of course, my sister is here too. The four of us just played hide-and-seek," the little boy nodded and replied joyfully.
"I'm so happy! On our way here, Papa even brought me to see a flim."
Aventurine smiled gently, correcting him: "I think you mean 'film.'"
The little boy showed an excited expression and nodded. "Right, that's it. Putting lots and lots of paper paintings together makes a moving mural."
"They put me, Papa, Mama, and Big Sis together, turning us into one big family."
"You should try it too, Mister! You look so gloomy all the time; you should be happy at the amusement park!"
Hearing this, Aventurine's smile became somewhat complex, but he still nodded slightly in response: "Sure." 』
『 ....』
〘Raiden Mei〙: Even with a smile on his face, he's still seen through by his younger self.
〘Raven〙: After all, children are very sensitive to these things.
....
『 After watching the celluloid film he had directed on the machine nearby with the child, Aventurine left the machine and looked at where the child had been, asking gently: "How was it? Not a bad score, right?"
But there was no child there anymore. Seeing this, Aventurine sighed and murmured in a low voice: "Boring."
Then he heard the child's cheers from outside the room. Aventurine walked in the direction of the sound, stepped out of the room, and arrived on a platform.
The child's figure flashed by in the distance, and he heard his happy voice coming from afar.
"Wow, it's so high here—it's even higher than the tallest sand dunes we saw in the desert!"
Where the child last appeared, there was an entrance to a maze made of bushes and stone bricks.
Aventurine walked toward it. Just as he took a few steps, the phantom appeared behind him again. But this time, it was different; he didn't mock or taunt him. He just stood quietly behind Aventurine, watching him, a faint smile on his face.
"Why aren't you talking?" Aventurine couldn't help but turn his head and ask.
The phantom crossed his arms and replied: "You have indeed piqued my interest… I admit there are still parts of you that I don't fully understand."
"You're quite sincere this time."
"Sincerity is one of my few precious qualities; no need to emphasize it. See that maze? Before you walk out of there, I will be able to understand you completely." The phantom pointed to the maze where the child had disappeared.
"Our journey through the cinema hasn't ended yet, and your lantern slide is still playing… and I don't mind stretching this process out for a very, very long time." 』
『 ....』