Marry Acheron - 441 - 450 (Patreon)

Marry Acheron - 441

--+--

Besides, if the IPC managed to establish a foothold in Penacony, it certainly wouldn’t stand by while the Antimatter Legion ran wild. Sylvia could join afterward without being branded as part of the Family, which mattered quite a bit.

Penacony offered enormous profits, and she did want a share. Still, she didn’t want to wake up one day and find that the Family had “Harmonized” her into becoming one of them.

Harmony sounded beautiful on the surface, but viewed from a darker angle, it could likely accomplish things such as brainwashing and mind control. Conceptual powers had never cared much for reason.

Still, before she agreed to anything, Sylvia wanted a few matters cleared up.

“Come to think of it, I’ve been in Penacony for quite a while, but there’s something I’ve never understood.”

“Oh? Please, go ahead.”

“I once wandered into the Reverie in the Dreamscape. There were some rather unsettling things inside, and they’ve been bothering me ever since.”

As Sylvia spoke, she watched the reactions of the three Family heads. She truly wanted to know how much the Family understood about the matter. Surely they hadn’t discovered such a threat and then chosen to leave it alone.

“I’m very curious about what happened there. After all, it was once part of the sweet dream, but now…”

The three Family heads exchanged glances. They seemed unsure whether they should tell her, but Sunday eventually spoke.

“The truth is, the Family doesn’t know either. We only know that its source lies within a deeper layer of the Dreamscape.”

“You truly don’t know?”

Sylvia frowned as she questioned him. It seemed Firefly’s guess had been right. There really was something hidden deep within the Dreamscape, though Sylvia couldn’t tell whether it was a nest of Memory Zone Memes or something else.

Sunday’s voice grew grave. “There’s no reason for me to deceive you. Even Memokeepers can’t easily enter the deepest reaches of the Memory Zone. All the Family could do was build a high wall along the border of the sweet dream.”

“I see…”

Sylvia gave a small nod. If Sunday was telling the truth, then based on the information she’d gathered, Penacony’s Stellaron was probably being used as that “high wall.” A Stellaron’s ability to obstruct and seal things away did make it well suited to defending against an intrusion.

When she thought about it that way, the Family was quite impressive. If they could solve the problem of the Stellaron consuming human lives, Sylvia wouldn’t have much left to criticize.

Unfortunately, the Stellaron wasn’t something she could bring up openly. Otherwise, she really would’ve asked whether the Family had an alternative plan, though they probably didn’t.

So far, only the Stellaron Hunters had demonstrated a way to place a Stellaron inside a human body without causing harm.

Considering that their Path was Finality, they’d probably learned the method from a solution found in the future.

It wasn’t as though Sylvia had never asked. Elio simply refused to tell her anything.

--+--

The two important matters had now been settled, and all that remained was casual conversation. They didn’t stay much longer. Lady Maeven and Old Oti left first, while Sylvia chatted with Sunday about Robin for a few minutes before departing as well.

Once the meeting with the Family was over, Sylvia opened the Astral Express group chat and explained the current situation to everyone.

[March 7th: Huh? It’s already gotten that dangerous? Can the Family really be trusted?]

[Himeko: The Family wouldn’t make such a claim without reason. March, you should worry more about your wallet.]

[Dan Heng: Agreed. You sent back far too many things. Pom-Pom’s already angry.]

[March 7th: Hehehe…]

Himeko smiled at her phone. With March 7th aboard the Express, things would never become dull.

A moment later, she tagged Sylvia.

[Himeko: @Sylvia Are you confident?]

[Sylvia: Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. Besides, after this incident, something like our previous conflict with the IPC on Jarilo-VI probably won’t happen again.]

[Mei: …Try to restrain yourself.]

[Sylvia: I was only trying to help everyone relax.]

Sylvia reassured Himeko. To put it bluntly, the Astral Express lacked a little military strength at the moment. That was why Topaz had only needed to file a simple request before receiving permission to take action against the crew.

Many major factions treated the Express politely out of respect for its reputation. Once real interests came into conflict, however, they didn’t truly regard the Astral Express as a serious threat.

True respect always had to be earned with one’s fists.

Besides, she was already a damn Emanator. Wasn’t she allowed to let it go to her head a little? Otherwise, what was the point of becoming one?

Sylvia looked at Mei as she approached, then frowned and pushed out her lips to show her displeasure.

“What’s wrong?”

Mei studied her for a moment before understanding dawned on her face. She smiled.

“You’re sulking over that?”

“What do you mean, sulking? You’re making me sound like some troublesome woman.”

Sylvia slapped away the hand Mei had reached out to pat her head.

“I was complaining, all right? You can’t reveal your identity, but the Astral Express still needs an Emanator who can openly support it. Besides, I was trying to comfort everyone, and you came along to pour cold water on me.”

“All right, all right. I said the wrong thing.”

Mei smiled helplessly. Sylvia claimed she wasn’t troublesome, yet she still had to explain every tiny detail as though she were terrified Mei might misunderstand her.

After everything Himeko and the others had endured, did they really need that sort of reassurance? Sylvia obviously just wanted to show off.

Mei could understand the feeling, though. She also didn’t believe Sylvia would become so arrogant that she’d look down on everyone around her.

Even so, Mei was the only person capable of warning her. She’d have to keep playing the villain when necessary.

“Mm-hm. Come on. Let’s go see that bargain-bin apprentice of mine.”

Sylvia was referring to Bailu. She’d been teaching her Cloudhymn magic for so long, and Jing Yuan had now gone as far as assigning Bailu directly to Sylvia’s train. Calling Bailu half an apprentice was fair enough.

“Oh, right. Bailu’s always been upset that she can’t grow any taller.”

Sylvia had suddenly remembered the matter. The instant Mei heard that, she knew exactly what Sylvia was considering.

“Your new ability might be able to solve it, but you should test it before using it on her.”

Sylvia felt as though she could use the ability immediately. It was a little like a skill that someone learned automatically upon reaching the required level. Using it felt as natural as breathing.

Still, Bailu was someone close to her, so testing it first would be the safer choice.

“That’s true. But who should I experiment on?”

Sylvia carefully considered possible test subjects. She quickly ruled out the large group of Vidyadhara back home. They were all well behaved, and using them as experiments didn’t feel right.

Mei remained silent. She rarely offered an opinion on small matters like this.

“Forget it. I’ll ask what the Xianzhou natives think first.”

Sylvia didn’t dwell on the problem for long. She decided to consult General Huaiyan and ask Jing Yuan while she was at it. Jing Yuan would probably be delighted if Bailu could grow up and become capable of standing on her own.

--+--

At the Xianzhou residence, Sylvia found Bailu practicing spells in the courtyard while Yunli sparred with her.

“Sylvia, look!”

The moment Bailu saw Sylvia enter the courtyard, she pointed at the traces left by her spells, eager to show off the results of her hard work.

Yunli stopped the instant she heard Bailu’s voice. She even released her heavy greatsword and bounded over to Sylvia in a few quick steps. Standing on her toes, she looked up at Sylvia with such expectation that she seemed one breath away from grabbing Sylvia’s arm and swinging it back and forth.

“Big Sis Sylvia! What brings you here today? Can you spar with me again?”

“Uh… What kind of nickname is that?”

Sylvia took half a step back in embarrassment. Yunli had pressed far too close, and her chin was almost resting against Sylvia’s chest.

Yunli was small and looked like a child, which made Mei’s gaze from the side feel a little sharp.

After stepping back, Sylvia tilted her head, waved at Bailu, and gave her a thumbs-up. Bailu’s spells weren’t especially powerful, but her control was at least good enough to pass.

Sylvia’s gaze then fell upon the seal around Bailu’s tail.

‘Let’s remove that lock first.’

Bailu would eventually become skilled enough to undo it herself, but Sylvia was already planning to help her grow taller. Waiting for Bailu to break the seal on her own would take far too long.

She’d remove it later.

Yunli, still standing in front of Sylvia, puffed out her cheeks. She bounced up and down while waving her arms before Sylvia’s face.

“Big Sis Sylvia! Big Siiis! Pay attention to me!”

“All right, all right. I’m paying attention. Stop bouncing.”

Whose child was this? Did the Xianzhou really have children who were this innocent and fond of acting spoiled?

Sylvia placed a hand on Yunli’s head and stopped her from continuing to hop around.

“And who taught you to call me that?”

“Big Sis Tingyun!”

Yunli planted both hands on her hips and answered with complete confidence.

She’d previously wondered whether she should start calling Sylvia her master. It was rare to meet an expert who also wielded a greatsword, and Yunli desperately wanted to cling to Sylvia’s strong, beautiful thighs.

However, when she’d gone to discuss the matter with Lingsha, Tingyun had happened to overhear them. Tingyun had held back her laughter and stopped Yunli from following through with the idea.

She’d suggested that Yunli call Sylvia “Big Sis” and rush over to act spoiled instead. That would probably win Sylvia over.

Now that Yunli had tried it, she had to admit that it worked quite well. The only problem was that Sylvia was treating her entirely like a child.

Yunli wanted to stress that she wasn’t an ordinary child, but when she considered Sylvia’s strength, she realized she probably wasn’t much different from one in Sylvia’s eyes.

“Tingyun…”

Sylvia sighed. She could already imagine Tingyun laughing behind her back.

She took Yunli by the shoulders, turned her around, and gently pushed her back toward the courtyard.

“All right. I need to speak with Elder Huaiyan first. I’ll teach you afterward.”

“Aww… What’s there to talk about with Grandpa?”

Yunli pouted as she complained.

Mei watched Sylvia from the side with a faint smile. Her eyes seemed to be saying, ‘You haven’t even graduated from my lessons, and you’re already taking apprentices of your own?’

Bailu’s Cloudhymn magic was a different matter, but Yunli wanted instruction in greatsword combat. That meant she clearly wished to spar with Sylvia in swordsmanship.

It had been a very long time, but Mei was still the heir to a proper sword tradition. In her eyes, Sylvia’s swordsmanship barely qualified her as a promising beginner.

Her technique still lacked maturity, yet she’d turned around and started teaching others with her half-baked skills. As someone trained in an orthodox tradition, Mei didn’t quite know what to say.

Sylvia blinked at Mei to show her helplessness. She was only humoring a child. She certainly hadn’t been teaching Yunli anything reckless.

“Heh…”

Mei gave a quiet laugh and let the subject drop. She’d spare Sylvia some dignity in front of the children.

Once they returned, however, Sylvia could use some extra sword training.

A chill ran down Sylvia’s spine. She glanced at Mei and saw the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

That expression couldn’t mean anything good.

‘Damn it. She’s probably going to put me through hell when we get back.’

Sylvia’s lips twitched. Mei had the nerve to call her a troublesome woman, but didn’t she realize how troublesome she could be too?

“Big Sis Sylvia, what’s wrong?”

Yunli had been walking ahead, but she noticed Sylvia’s shiver and looked back at her.

“Nothing. Watch where you’re going.”

Sylvia reached out without mercy and pushed Yunli’s head forward again. She told the girl to go entertain herself for a while.

“If you really want to practice, then go ask this big sister. She’s stronger than I am.”

Sylvia grinned at Mei before pointing Yunli toward her.

Mei: “?”

Yunli: “?”

Yunli looked at Mei, and Mei stared back without expression.

Neither of them spoke.

Yunli couldn’t stop herself from shivering.

That big sister seemed rather frightening. Would she cut Yunli down if Yunli tried to speak to her?

Unease churned in Yunli’s stomach, and she quickly shook her head.

“No, no! I’ll just wait until Big Sis Sylvia finishes talking!”

With that, Yunli stopped clinging to Sylvia and ran off to retrieve the greatsword she’d dropped.

Sylvia watched her retreating back and burst out laughing.

“Look at that. You frightened the poor child.”

“…That’s your fault.”

Mei sighed and shifted the blame onto Sylvia. She had always struggled to show emotion around people she didn’t know. She’d spent so long wearing a blank expression that it had become a habit.

Besides, Yunli had been standing so close to Sylvia that Mei had unconsciously examined her with a little more focus. She hadn’t expected the trace of pressure she gave off to frighten the girl away.

Sylvia stared at Mei with wide eyes.

“You scared her away, and now you’re blaming me?”

“She wouldn’t have run away if you hadn’t told her to ask me for guidance.”

“All right, all right. So you’ve gotten this good at twisting logic now?”

“Heh.”

Mei pressed her lips together to hide a smile and ignored Sylvia’s sarcastic tone.

By then, Bailu had already gone back inside. She stood in the doorway and waved toward Sylvia.

“Sylvia, I asked for you. Grandpa Huaiyan’s free right now, so I’ll take you to him.”

“Great, I’m coming.”

Sylvia raised a hand and waved back. She then tilted her head toward Mei.

“I’ll go upstairs and talk to Huaiyan. I want to find out whether the Xianzhou has any other business here. Will you rest on the first floor for a while?”

General Huaiyan had personally come from the Xianzhou to Penacony. Sylvia couldn’t help wondering about the reason.

Surely the Denizens of Abundance weren’t planning to involve themselves too.

Mei nodded. Sylvia’s concern was the same as hers.

The Denizens of Abundance…

If an Emanator of Abundance joined the conflict as well, Penacony’s situation would truly become an all-out mess.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 442

--+--

Sylvia followed Bailu up to the villa’s second floor. Inside the room, the old man had lit some incense and was sitting alone with a cup of tea and a book. He looked every bit like a retired official enjoying a quiet afternoon.

“Old man, I brought Sylvia up for you!”

Bailu’s noisy entrance shattered the room’s calm at once.

“Hehe. Thank you for the trouble, my young friend Bailu.”

“Oh, it wasn’t any trouble. I’ll be taking the snacks you promised me!”

Bailu scampered into the room, picked up an entire plate of tea cakes, and shot Sylvia a meaningful look. Then she scampered right back out, even hooking the door handle with her backside to pull it shut behind her.

So that was what this had all been about. A plate of snacks.

Sylvia smiled helplessly and sat in the chair across from Huaiyan.

“Try this tea. I wonder how it compares to the tea at the Seat of Divine Foresight?”

Huaiyan gave a gentle push with his palm. A steaming cup of tea slid across the table and stopped before Sylvia without spilling a single drop. The pale golden liquid spun in the cup for a moment before settling.

“I don’t know much about tea.”

Sylvia gave a modest smile, lifted the cup, and took a small sip. It was fragrant, with a stronger taste than the tea served at the Seat of Divine Foresight.

“It’s very fragrant. The flavor’s stronger than the tea at the Seat of Divine Foresight.”

“Haha. I’m glad you like it.”

Huaiyan didn’t mind her simple review. Tea was just something people drank to quench their thirst in the end. There was no need to make it so complicated.

He studied Sylvia with a cheerful smile but didn’t say anything. She’d planned to wait for him to speak first, but it seemed she’d have to take the lead.

“General Huaiyan, may I ask why the Xianzhou sent you to Penacony? Is there some problem you need to deal with?”

“Hehe. I’m no general here. Just think of me as an old man accompanying his granddaughter on a trip.”

Huaiyan waved a hand, then continued, “I heard some of the commotion downstairs. My granddaughter didn’t cause you any trouble, did she?”

“Not at all. She’s a very cute girl. I’m just not sure why she likes running around barefoot.”

“Hehe! She’s been mischievous since she was little. She’s sturdy enough, so I’ve always let her do as she pleases.”

Huaiyan happily chatted about his young granddaughter, though he kept himself in check. After only a few remarks, he steered the conversation back to the matter at hand.

“The truth is, I came to Penacony because of you.”

“Me?”

Sylvia looked puzzled, but she soon realized what he meant.

“This is about Phantylia and the Ambrosial Arbor, isn’t it?”

“Indeed. You’re quick, my young friend. You may not realize it, but the Ambrosial Arbor is very important to the Xianzhou Alliance.”

At the mention of the Ambrosial Arbor, Huaiyan’s smiling eyes turned grave.

“Jing Yuan’s report to the Alliance gave a detailed account of what happened. However, he claimed Phantylia had been defeated, yet she remained in your possession. The Ambrosial Arbor revived and was then severed, but it also ended up in your hands. This situation…”

Huaiyan left the rest unsaid.

Sylvia could guess it wasn’t anything flattering.

Still, she could understand their concern. Something this serious had happened, yet Phantylia wasn’t in Jing Yuan’s custody, and the Ambrosial Arbor had vanished as well. Dan Shu of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus had also gone missing.

There were no witnesses and no physical evidence. With the Luofu so far from the rest of the Alliance, it was only natural for someone to wonder whether Jing Yuan was nearing mara-struck and planning to keep the Ambrosial Arbor for himself.

“Whoa. So they sent another general to Jing Yuan as well?”

Sylvia silently offered him a prayer.

He’d better hold up under the pressure. At the very least, she hoped he wouldn’t get suspended.

Huaiyan nodded with a smile.

“Naturally. I was assigned to meet with you here in Penacony, while the renowned Merlin’s Claw was sent to Jing Yuan.”

“That great general, huh…”

Sylvia nodded in thought, then let out a relieved breath.

“Thank goodness. I was worried you were going to tell me an Emanator of Abundance was heading for Penacony.”

“If we truly had news of an Emanator of Abundance, the Xianzhou wouldn’t have sent so few people.”

“That’s true. Guess I scared myself for nothing.”

Sylvia laughed, then took the Fullbottle containing Phantylia from her pocket and handed it to Huaiyan.

“What’s this?”

“A device containing Phantylia. Twist the cap, then shake the bottle. You’ll be able to sense her.”

Following Sylvia’s instructions, Huaiyan shook the Fullbottle. A yellow-green flame soon emerged and spread gently over his arm.

“Hmm… What a remarkable sealing method. I can indeed feel the power of Destruction. I can even faintly sense Phantylia’s suppressed consciousness. Could this bottle perhaps be used against an Emanator of Abundance—”

“I’ve only got one, and it only works on energy-based life-forms like Heliobi.”

Sylvia’s reply stopped Huaiyan’s next words in his throat.

“I see. That’s unfortunate.”

Once he heard it only worked on energy beings, Huaiyan gave up on the idea. The bottle’s true value lay in its ability to contain even an Emanator. If it could work against Emanators of Abundance, its use would’ve been immense. The Cloud Knights could’ve avoided countless deaths.

Unfortunately, it couldn’t be used against beings of flesh and blood.

Huaiyan didn’t press the matter and returned the Fullbottle to Sylvia. Confirming that she’d truly sealed a Lord Ravager was enough. At least it proved Phantylia’s invasion had happened and that Jing Yuan hadn’t fabricated his report.

The Xianzhou had no desire to take such a dangerous burden off her hands.

Phantylia was one thing, but the Ambrosial Arbor mattered far more to the Xianzhou. Huaiyan’s expression grew cautious again.

“And the Ambrosial Arbor? Has it been handled as securely as Phantylia?”

“Of course. I know how troublesome it is. The severed Ambrosial Arbor is stored inside this card.”

Sylvia put away the Fullbottle and placed a Storage Card on the table.

The moment Huaiyan saw it, his eyes went wide.

Hadn’t she just said she could only seal energy-based life-forms?

She was carrying the Ambrosial Arbor around in a card too?

“May this old man examine it more closely?”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

They were inside a dream, so Sylvia didn’t mind. The real object was still tucked away in her pocket, after all. Letting him look at a dream copy wouldn’t hurt anything.

This shared dream truly was remarkable. It could even recreate the aura of an Emanator. No wonder so many people became lost in Penacony and never wished to leave.

Huaiyan carefully ran his fingers across the surface of the card. A faint trace of Abundance lingered around it, yet not the slightest bit escaped.

At that moment, however, Huaiyan became more interested in confirming something else.

“My young friend, could this card also be used against—”

Sylvia’s lips twitched. She’d known it. This general’s first thought would always be whether something could defeat an Emanator of Abundance.

“I’ve only got one of these too, and it can only hold inanimate objects. That said, its definition of ‘inanimate’ seems a little vague. The Ambrosial Arbor was only severed, yet the card still accepted it. I suppose an Emanator might fit as well.”

Huaiyan drew in a sharp breath.

For the first time, he truly lost his calm.

It might actually work?

“I’m not certain. The Ambrosial Arbor probably doesn’t compare to a true Emanator. Probably.”

This time, Sylvia wasn’t sure herself. If the card could accept the severed Ambrosial Arbor as an inanimate object, it wasn’t hard to imagine that it might also accept the torn remains of an Emanator of Abundance.

The Ambrosial Arbor’s roots had been severed for so long and were still tainted by the power of Nihility, yet its aura hadn’t weakened in the slightest. Sylvia even suspected that if she planted it again, it would simply regrow its roots.

Given that display, it was hard for her to call the thing dead.

The same logic should apply to an Emanator of Abundance. Their lives were tenacious, but someone like Shuhu had died and returned more than once. Before he revived, stuffing him into the card would’ve made perfect sense.

Assuming the card could truly contain an Emanator, of course.

It probably could.

It was an item on the same level as the Fullbottle.

Sylvia’s thoughts began to race. Ever since she’d become an Emanator within a matter of days, stuffing a Stellaron into her body to strengthen herself had started to seem almost trivial.

She still had empty cores, though. She might as well put something in them and fill every equipment slot.

She hadn’t considered it before, but now that she thought about it, transplanting the Ambrosial Arbor into a Herrscher Core and using the empty Storage Card to hold a half-dead Emanator seemed quite practical.

“Miss Sylvia, should you encounter another Emanator of Abundance one day, I hope you’ll lend the Xianzhou your aid.”

Huaiyan’s tone changed. It became solemn and carried the authority of a true powerhouse. Put more simply, he was speaking not as an old man, but as General Huaiyan.

“Hehe. You’re making too much of me, General.”

Sylvia swept her hand across her spatial device, and the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath appeared in her palm.

“Look. Jing Yuan gave me this Jade Abacus of Allying Oath. Should the Xianzhou truly face a crisis, I’ll naturally do all I can to help.”

Huaiyan smiled and nodded. He then returned the Storage Card to Sylvia without hesitation, catching her off guard.

“I thought you’d want to take the Ambrosial Arbor back.”

“What would we take it back for? The Xianzhou guards the Ambrosial Arbor to stop the Denizens of Abundance from misusing it. If you can seal it more safely, I’d rather you produce a few more cards and take away every other remnant left by the Plagues Author.”

Sylvia broke into a broad grin. She took back the card, raised her tea, and took a sip.

“If I collected that many relics of Abundance by myself, people might mistake me for an Emanator of Abundance.”

“Hehehe!”

General Huaiyan laughed as well. It was only a joke.

The Xianzhou would never truly allow Sylvia to take away the remnants kept aboard its other ships. The people of the Xianzhou might shun those relics, but they were still witnesses to the history of Xianzhou civilization. In that sense, they carried a certain symbolic weight.

That was why the Xianzhou could be so conflicted. They could treat those relics as historical symbols, but to the people of the Xianzhou, they were also a curse.

Properly disposing of them was difficult because they were nearly impossible to destroy, and the conflict between history and identity made it just as difficult to take action.

Though it had happened by chance, seeing Sylvia’s sealing card helped Huaiyan understand Jing Yuan’s decision. Had he been in Jing Yuan’s place, he would’ve let Sylvia take the Ambrosial Arbor too.

After all, it would sound absurd for a Xianzhou general to replant the Ambrosial Arbor after it had finally been severed.

Huaiyan had once worried that if the secret leaked, Sylvia might draw unwanted trouble. Now he wasn’t concerned in the slightest.

In fact, he almost hoped an Emanator of Abundance would come looking for her. Then they could use the chance to kill one.

Sylvia and General Huaiyan didn’t continue discussing the Xianzhou in depth. It wasn’t a pleasant subject, so they turned instead to Zephyro.

Sylvia told him much the same thing she’d told The Family. Since The Family was already taking responsibility for the battle, there was no need to drag the Xianzhou into it. They were already locked in endless war with the Denizens of Abundance, so giving the Lord Ravagers another reason to target them would serve no purpose.

Besides, Mei would be there as their final safeguard. There truly wasn’t any need for an old man like Huaiyan to fight.

Sylvia wasn’t sure whether Mei or Huaiyan was older, but Huaiyan’s body was at least showing signs of age. It was better not to send an elderly man into a battle between Emanators.

--+--

At the same time, in Dreamflux Reef, Firefly stood at the edge of a spiraling staircase and peered down into its unfathomable depths.

The stairway grew warped as it descended, twisting into something strange and absurd before vanishing into the bottomless abyss. It led toward the deeper layers of the dream.

Dreamflux Reef lived up to its name. Put simply, it was a settlement built atop a reef within the Memory Zone. Countless towers rose from the depths, while the habitable district occupied only the uppermost layer.

To reach the deeper dreamscape, one could first descend through Dreamflux Reef. After reaching the reef’s lowest level, it would be safer to leave the structure entirely. There was also a chance that the source of the problem could be sensed from the bottom.

Firefly took a deep breath. She raised her left hand and gently stroked the soft bracelet around her wrist.

She lowered her head, closed her eyes, and pressed a soft kiss to it.

The device in her palm unfolded four cicada-like wings. Flames sprang to life and wrapped around her body, and the towering form of SAM appeared within Dreamflux Reef.

“It’s time to head down. Let’s get this done and return as soon as possible.”

Firefly hadn’t forgotten that beyond Penacony, another threat was already making its way toward Sylvia.

Some distance away, Topaz had been exploring Dreamflux Reef alone when she noticed the burst of flame from SAM’s transformation. She hurried toward the light, only to catch sight of SAM’s back as the Stellaron Hunter descended into the abyss.

“SAM of the Stellaron Hunters… So they’re here too? But why are they going down there?”

Topaz didn’t follow.

Dreamflux Reef already lay deeper than the sweet dream, and its atmosphere couldn’t compare to Penacony’s pleasant dreamscape. Descending even farther without the right means would be little different from entering a true abyssal hell. The chaotic, lawless depths were enough to kill anyone.

Still, Topaz couldn’t help wondering what lay in those deeper layers.

Was the Stellaron down there?

Discovering the Stellaron Hunters was an unexpected gain, but their actions only tended to lead to a Stellaron in the end. It didn’t mean every single move they made pointed directly toward one.

Topaz wouldn’t act recklessly.

She was also waiting for the right moment: the moment when The Family confronted the Lord Ravager and left itself at its weakest.

She’d almost exhausted her options in Dreamflux Reef. Topaz had considered threatening the settlement’s safety to force cooperation, but she’d abandoned the idea after learning its history.

This was a land of freedom founded by a former Nameless. It was clearly tied closely to the Astral Express.

Unless it became absolutely necessary, Topaz had no intention of making an enemy of Sylvia. She’d rather seize the coming opportunity and search within The Family for the evidence she needed.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 443

--+--

Penacony, Blue Hour.

The luxury cruise ships still drifted beneath the lights, their elegant attendants as polished as ever. Yet the tourists wandering through the dreamscape were no longer as drunk on pleasure as they’d once been.

The flowers spinning at the center of the stage had lost their former splendor, and even the envoys who guarded them wore troubled faces. Hidden behind her mask, Sparkle listened to the frightened whispers around her as she wandered among dancers dressed in extravagant finery.

Of all Penacony’s hours, she liked this one best. Its endless feast of wealth and pleasure suited her perfectly.

The dance never stopped, and everyone who stepped onto the floor became the star of that moment. Guests came and went without end, ensuring the stage would never lack a leading actor.

Unfortunately, the arrival of a Lord Ravager had drained the life from the once-bustling ball. The most timid tourists had fled days ago.

Those who remained were either cowardly yet greedy Dreamchasers or ambitious schemers certain they could seize victory. The dream they pursued was no longer Penacony itself, but the Mask of Elation—and the chance to become an Emanator awaiting their crown.

Those greedy Dreamchasers imagined themselves defeating every rival, donning the mask, and rising above the masses. They dreamed of becoming rulers who held dominion over their own corner of the cosmos.

They laughed, cursed, and reveled as they pleased, hoping their wild performance might win Aha’s favor. Genuine laughter and hollow imitations rose and fell through the false dream.

Who could tell whether a quiet “Aha~” had slipped in among those voices?

Perhaps every laugh in the dream was Aha’s laughter.

“Hehehe~ The climax is almost here.”

Sparkle watched the empty revelry with cold eyes hidden behind her mask, though an alluring smile curved across her lips. No one knew what she’d done after dumping the troublesome work on Sampo.

In corners no one bothered to watch, she’d been observing the newly arrived schemers and the Dreamchasers brimming with confidence. They were moths willing to throw themselves into the flames for the sake of a single joke.

“Hmm. Maybe this farce will make enough noise to satisfy the God of Fun after all.”

Sparkle pouted. She truly wanted to see what would happen if someone used her mask to become an Emanator.

After all, that red-and-white fox mask had been born from her power.

“But what’s so interesting about a hero fighting a dragon? There isn’t even a twist.”

She casually took a glass from a nearby tray and tipped back her head, swallowing the amber liquid. A few petty disturbances weren’t worthy of such a magnificent stage.

“Even NPCs deserve a chance to show their faces~ The spotlight won’t overlook anyone who steps onto the stage.”

Sparkle shook her head in mock distress, her smooth twin tails swaying with the light movement of her body.

“I suppose I’ll have to add a little suspense for you.”

Still holding her glass, Sparkle changed into an unfamiliar form while no one was watching. She then approached a nearby member of the Oak Family.

“Hehehe. Little birdie, I’m here to help you catch the traitor. You’d better remember to thank me~”

--+--

Sylvia went out for a stroll with Bailu and Yunli, while Tingyun accompanied them as the responsible adult.

The plan had already been prepared, and Sylvia had nothing else to do, so she’d decided to spend the day wandering around with her friends. March 7th and Stelle, meanwhile, had run off like horses freed from their reins. No one had any idea where they’d gone.

Yunli still hadn’t dared to strike up a conversation with Mei, who looked far too cold and imposing. Yet once they went out, she boldly grabbed one of Sylvia’s arms while Bailu claimed the other, squeezing Mei into the back of the group.

Even Tingyun couldn’t find an opening.

They’d been sightseeing for half a day when they heard a rumor spreading among Penacony’s proud and ambitious schemers.

“Followers of Order may be colluding with an outside force in Blue Hour.”

Sylvia didn’t pay it much attention at first. There’d been no shortage of strange rumors lately, so none of them took it seriously.

That changed when Robin called in a panic and brought up the same matter. Only then did Sylvia realize the rumor had truly alarmed the Family.

--+--

Sylvia next met Robin inside the newly completed Penacony Grand Theater.

To her surprise, the members of the Five Great Families kept a subtle distance from one another. They seemed to be guarding against their supposed allies.

“What happened?”

Sylvia looked at Robin with curiosity. Everyone around them seemed ready to face a mortal enemy, and the different Families were clearly wary of one another.

“The Family discovered a follower of Order among its ranks. The person was a member of the Oak Family,” Robin said, worry clear in her voice.

“Uh, did they investigate your brother?”

“Not only my brother. The heads of all Five Great Families were recalled. They should be undergoing the Dreammaster’s examination right now.”

Robin nodded, then shook her head.

She’d warned the Family about a traitor long ago, but they hadn’t treated the matter as especially urgent. Even Robin herself had never imagined that the traitor might be a follower of Order.

The Dreammaster...

Could he really be trusted?

Still, that explained why the Family members were so uneasy. All five heads had been summoned for interrogation, and the situation was serious enough to force the Dreammaster to act personally.

Did the Family truly fear the followers of Order that much?

Sylvia frowned in confusion.

“But the Aeon of Order has been gone for ages. How much trouble could THEIR followers really cause?”

She only had to look at the Astral Express and the dragon merchants of Permanence. Pathstriders who’d lost their Aeon tended to be more miserable than the last, while Harmony had outright absorbed Ena the Order.

The two sides didn’t seem to belong on the same level.

Robin shook her head and explained.

“It’s different. Ena the Order was assimilated by Harmony, and Harmony came to encompass Order. That means followers of Order can easily hide within Harmony and act in secret.”

“Because of that, followers of Order often emerge from within the Family’s homeworld. There’s no way to predict when it’ll happen, and if they’re ignored, they can tear the Family apart from the inside.”

The followers of Order and the various Family lineages had all been born from Harmony in the first place. The Five Great Families were, at their core, simply divisions responsible for different duties.

If one cockroach had appeared in the Oak Family, that meant there might already be a whole nest hidden inside the Family. Every lineage was suspect.

It was even possible that mid- and high-ranking members from all five Families were involved and had joined forces to strip their leaders of power.

That was why Robin was so worried. If followers of Order had truly spread through the Family’s lower and middle ranks, their numbers could be enormous.

“Uh...”

After hearing Robin’s explanation, Sylvia finally understood why the Family was taking the matter so seriously.

Put simply, these people could bury themselves deep within the Family, making them almost impossible to root out. Even if the current group was eliminated, new followers could appear at any time.

“How long will the investigation take? When will the five heads return?”

Under normal circumstances, Penacony could continue operating without several Family heads for a while. The problem was that Zephyro was coming.

They needed all five leaders present to conduct the tuning and oppose him.

At that moment, a pleasant female voice came from behind them.

“I’m sorry you had to witness such a shameful sight. I’d like to believe there’s nothing wrong with my own family, but...”

Lady Maeven, head of the Iris Family, entered from outside the Grand Theater. Her voice had lost the calm composure she’d shown before.

That was the nature of the followers of Order. Unless they exposed themselves or were subjected to a thorough examination, their presence was almost impossible to detect.

Even as a Family head, Maeven no longer dared to claim with certainty that none of her people had been compromised.

“Lady Maeven, what happened to my brother?!” Robin asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry. Sunday has already cleared himself of suspicion under the Dreammaster’s interrogation. I was the second to be examined. The Dreammaster sent me here so I could restore order as soon as possible.”

“What about the other Family members?”

“We don’t have enough time.”

Maeven shook her head.

Less than two system days remained before Zephyro’s arrival. The Five Great Families had several hundred thousand official members between them. Even if they worked themselves to death, they couldn’t finish screening everyone in time.

“For now, we can only declare it a false alarm and preserve the Family’s stability. We’ll deal with the matter properly after Zephyro has been stopped.”

Maeven conveyed the decision reached by the Dreammaster and the five Family heads.

Zephyro wasn’t their only concern. The IPC was watching them like a hungry predator.

That woman called Topaz had already caught the scent of trouble and rushed over. Launching a massive internal purge now would be no different from handing the IPC a loaded gun.

Sylvia listened from the side as the two Halovians spoke. Once Maeven paused, she raised a question.

“I understand the logic, but didn’t Robin warn you about a traitor earlier? Isn’t it a little late to start panicking now?”

“That was indeed our arrogance.”

Maeven looked at Robin with an apologetic expression.

They’d assumed the traitor had merely abandoned Harmony. They hadn’t expected them to embrace Order.

The difference in severity was immense.

Followers of Order could join the Family’s chorus and sabotage it from within while everyone sang together. Because of the unusual relationship between the two Aeons, the entanglement between Harmony and Order was far more delicate than it first appeared.

Had the Family known Order was behind the trouble, the Five Great Families would’ve begun screening one another long ago. They wouldn’t have waited until the crisis was already upon them.

Followers of Order did appear on the Family’s homeworld from time to time. Yet across countless Amber Eras, Penacony had never shown any trace of Order.

As a result, the five Family heads—and the Family as a whole—had gradually lowered their guard.

Sylvia glanced at the suspicious looks passing among members of the different Families and frowned.

“In this state, can you still hold off Zephyro?”

The Family’s Emanator-level strength didn’t reside in any one person. It came from the combined will of its members.

Through the tuning performed by the entire Family, their strength could rise to match an Emanator. The more members who joined, the greater that power became.

The reverse was also true. If their trust in one another broke down, their strength would fall sharply.

The Family claimed it would ignore the traitors for now and focus on Zephyro. But would the followers of Order truly refrain from stabbing them in the back at the critical moment?

“We can,” Maeven answered without hesitation.

Whether they truly could was another question.

Sylvia sighed inwardly.

It didn’t matter. Even if the Family failed, there was still a backup plan.

The original goal had only been to leave the Family too overwhelmed to act freely.

Maeven had no intention of speaking with Sylvia for much longer. After giving her firm answer, she nodded and left to organize the Family members inside the Grand Theater and calm the unrest.

Robin didn’t join her. She wasn’t technically a member of the Family, after all. She was only a Pathstrider of Harmony and Sunday’s younger sister.

“Speaking of which, how did the Family discover the traitor?” Sylvia asked.

“I don’t know all the details. Someone caused a disturbance in Blue Hour, which drew the Bloodhounds in to investigate. Then...”

Robin took out her phone and showed Sylvia a photograph.

It depicted a card with a familiar red design and a red-and-white color scheme. Combined with the infuriating tone that made anyone who read it want to punch its author, the culprit was obvious.

The writer had even signed it “Anonymous,” but anyone could tell it was Sparkle’s work at a glance.

The card contained several cryptic clues. They seemed to concern the Family, but Sylvia couldn’t understand them.

“Sparkle again? Where has that woman been hiding lately?”

“Mm.”

Robin’s emotions were complicated.

She leaned sideways against Sylvia’s shoulder and quietly let Sylvia support her weight. Sparkle had known about the traitor, and her actions had undoubtedly pushed the Family into investigating the matter.

Yet choosing this exact moment also made it clear that Sparkle wanted nothing more than to throw the world into chaos.

Seeing Robin finally relax, Sylvia took her hand and led her into an empty room nearby.

“What’s wrong?”

Robin didn’t resist. Only after Sylvia pressed her down onto a sofa did she raise her head and look up with curiosity.

This was the first time Sylvia had seen Robin so weighed down by worry. The troubled look made her seem even more beautiful, and Sylvia couldn’t help feeling a little bewitched by that face.

She reached out, pinched Robin’s cheek, and smiled.

“If you keep frowning like that, you’ll ruin that pretty face.”

Robin didn’t argue. The wings behind her ears stretched forward and rested against the back of Sylvia’s hand.

She tilted her head and pressed her cheek deeper into Sylvia’s palm.

Sylvia blinked.

Was Robin acting spoiled with her?

“Stop worrying. I’m here. To tell you the truth, I left Penacony for a while earlier, and I’m now an Emanator of Permanence.”

“Really?!”

Robin’s eyes lit up, but the brightness soon faded.

“But that’s Zephyro... You’ve only just become an Emanator.”

Zephyro’s reputation as a Lord Ravager was terrifying. He was a monster capable of creating cosmic wonders through his own power.

He wasn’t in the same league as Phantylia.

“Don’t think of it that way. Emanators aren’t ranked by how long they’ve been training.”

Strictly speaking, becoming an Emanator wasn’t something one could achieve through training alone.

How many people in the entire universe could become an Emanator of Nihility through sheer endurance, as Mei had?

“Don’t forget that I also carry Phantylia’s power. If a fight breaks out, it’ll effectively be two against one. And that’s without counting Mei.”

“Really?”

Robin knew about Phantylia, but hadn’t Sylvia only been able to use a small portion of her power before?

Could she now use it freely?

“Of course. I’m already an Emanator, so naturally I can wield Phantylia’s power without restriction. You can relax.”

“You only need to follow the plan. Once the traitors inside the Family reveal themselves, notify Mei.”

If Zephyro truly broke through the Family’s defenses while Sylvia was still busy sealing the Stellaron and couldn’t intervene, Mei would have to hold him back.

She only needed to buy Sylvia a little time.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 444

--+--

Sylvia’s words helped Robin settle down—or rather, Sylvia’s strength did. At the very least, even if the worst happened, things probably wouldn’t spiral completely out of control.

Robin was still worried about the Family. She had no idea what the Charmony Festival would become by the end, but knowing Sylvia was here eased some of that fear.

Sylvia didn’t stay with her for long. After resting in the room for about one system hour, she left to find Sampo.

--+--

Compared to Sparkle, Sampo was much easier to track down. He wasn’t exactly responsible either, but at least he could usually be found somewhere around the Golden Hour.

Sylvia wanted to ask him where Sparkle had gone. That woman had vanished without a word and was clearly plotting something. Who knew what she’d try next?

More importantly, did Sparkle even remember why she’d come to Penacony in the first place? Silver Wolf had hired her to help Firefly.

Sylvia hadn’t read the script, so most of the time, she’d simply respected Firefly’s choices while doing her best to prepare a fallback plan. Yet Sparkle had been missing for ages.

Firefly had already been here for quite some time, but Sparkle hadn’t done a single useful thing. Instead, she’d run off to stir up trouble for the Family.

Did she still remember Silver Wolf’s commission at all?

Sylvia intended to ask her properly, but before she could even find Sampo, a familiar voice rang out.

“Were you looking for me? Hehe, you finally remembered me?”

Sparkle appeared from nowhere as usual. In the blink of an eye, she was sitting on a nearby bench with one leg crossed over the other. One of her sandals dangled from her toes by its strap, swaying lazily in the air.

She rested an arm on the bench and tilted her head back, blinking up at Sylvia with the same mischievous grin as always.

“Yeah, I finally remembered you,” Sylvia said with a smile as she sat beside her. “You’ve been so quiet that I was starting to think someone had captured you.”

“As if! There’s still so much fun I haven’t seen. How could anyone catch me?” Sparkle swayed her head from side to side, then leaned forward until her face was right in front of Sylvia’s.

Her twin tails slipped over her shoulders, leaving her pale back exposed. “Though if it were you, little white-hair, maybe I wouldn’t be able to escape.”

“Is that so? Now that you’ve said it, it’d almost be rude if I didn’t tie you up and carry you away.”

“Oh my, look at you.” Sparkle clicked her tongue and giggled. “I take my eyes off you for a moment, and suddenly you’re out of my league.”

She smacked her lips with an exaggerated sigh.

“No wonder little white-hair didn’t want my mask. You already had something better.”

Sylvia gave her a puzzled look. How had Sparkle noticed the change in her strength?

Even Mei had only known because their minds were linked. A person’s Path couldn’t normally be seen from the outside unless they actively drew on its power.

Sylvia didn’t ask. Sparkle probably wouldn’t give her a straight answer anyway, so she ignored the bait.

“What did you do during the Blue Hour?”

“You’re interrogating me right away? That’s awfully rude.” Sparkle grinned at Sylvia’s helpless expression. “I was helping you, wasn’t I?”

Sparkle had learned about Sylvia’s ascension from the Tavern. Or rather, the Aeon of Elation had deliberately allowed the information to spread there.

The candidate THEY had chosen not only refused the mask THEY’D bestowed upon her, but had somehow become the Emanator of two Aeons who’d died long ago.

How embarrassing!

That was how Sparkle had learned that Sylvia had quietly become a dual Emanator of Permanence and Propagation. Though calling her an Emanator wasn’t entirely accurate. She was more like a dual-Pathstrider whose power surpassed an ordinary Emanator’s.

Sylvia pursed her lips.

“I wouldn’t dare interrogate you. Besides, wasn’t Silver Wolf the one who hired you? Instead of keeping an eye on Firefly, you came here to cause trouble for the Family?”

“What’re you talking about? I’m clearly carrying out little birdie’s request!” Sparkle planted her hands on her hips and puffed out her cheeks. “You’re the one who dragged me into this!”

She made it sound as though everything she’d done had been on Sylvia’s orders.

“Don’t talk like I told you to do any of this.”

Sylvia reached over and pinched Sparkle’s cheek, squeezing the air from her puffed-up mouth.

“So, did you do anything for Firefly? She’s already—”

“Oh dear, now that you’ve found someone new, you don’t care about your old favorite anymore.” Sparkle pulled Sylvia’s hand away from her face, then grabbed it and swung it from side to side. “As for your question, I’m not telling you! Hehehe. Take a guess. There’s a prize if you get it right.”

“No. Keep it to yourself, then.”

Sylvia had only come to see whether she could pry out a little information. She had a way to deal with the enemies above, but she still had no clue who was lurking beneath the surface.

Elio was guarding against her and refused to give her any chance to see the script. Asking Sparkle had only been a gamble, and Sylvia hadn’t expected much from it.

“Huh? You’ve gotten boring, little white-hair.”

“...I’m not eager to become your entertainment.”

Sylvia leaned against the back of the bench and looked up at the starry sky locked forever at midnight. It was fake, but it was still beautiful.

Sparkle didn’t mind Sylvia’s complaint. The sandal hanging from her foot slipped free and landed on the ground with a soft slap.

“Oh, right! Little white-hair, you’re not going to the auction in person, are you?”

“What’re you planning?”

Sylvia’s guard rose at once.

“Don’t be so wary. I just think it’s a shame you won’t get to see it.” Sparkle’s grin widened. “Someone spent their entire fortune buying a treasure, only to discover they don’t know how to use it. Watching them fall apart would be hilarious.”

“You Masked Fools really are all the same...”

Sylvia sighed, then caught the implication in Sparkle’s words.

“Wait. Are you saying the mask doesn’t work?”

“That’s my guess. It’d be more fun that way, wouldn’t it?”

“Then I’ll guess the mask does work. When it does, I’ll make sure I’m there to laugh at you.”

“Hehe.”

Sparkle laughed, then suddenly stood. She stumbled slightly as she stepped back into the sandal she’d dropped.

“Well, since little white-hair is willing to make a bet with me, Lady Sparkle will tell you a tiny secret. Come on, hurry up. Bring your ear closer.”

She stood before Sylvia, bent down, and raised a hand beside her mouth as though preparing to share something truly confidential.

“...I never agreed to bet with you. Fine. What’s the secret?”

Sylvia started to object, but one look at Sparkle’s gleaming eyes told her that a one-sided refusal wouldn’t stop the woman from having her fun. With a sigh, she leaned closer.

“This secret is...”

Sparkle lowered her voice, making it deliberately sweet and teasing. She sounded like such an insufferable little brat that Sylvia’s fist tightened on instinct.

“If you win, I’ll tell you what’s going to happen to your little girlfriend.”

“...”

Sylvia’s fist tightened for real this time.

“I’m kidding! You’re so cute when you’re angry.” Sparkle giggled and drew back. “I’ll stop teasing you. Your little girlfriend will be fine this time, though she’ll go through something dangerous first. It’s all thanks to Lady Sparkle’s hard work.”

“Really?”

“Mhm. Or maybe not. Take a guess.” Sparkle took two taunting steps backward and waved. “I’m leaving, little white-hair. Remember to think of me if you can’t sleep tonight.”

A burst of flame rose around her, and she vanished. Several playing cards fluttered to the ground in her place, making her departure look like a stage magician’s trick.

Sylvia stared at the cards and didn’t get up right away. She remained there for a moment, lost in thought.

--+--

A slender, devilish tail slipped out from behind her and quietly curled around her arm. A moment later, someone leaned against the back of Sylvia’s head, warm and close.

Without turning around, Sylvia spoke.

“If you’d stayed away any longer, I’d have assumed you’d run off, Constance.”

“The Family protects its important records well. I had to move slowly if I didn’t want anyone to notice me.”

Constance gazed at Sylvia with open hunger. She wanted to pry open Sylvia’s mind and memories just as she’d pried open the Family’s secrets.

Sylvia ignored that familiar, burning look.

“Did you find anything?”

“What a cold woman.”

Constance leaned down, her fitted dress tracing the graceful lines of her figure. Sylvia was the only person close enough to see her like this.

“I did find something about the Stellaron. Or rather, I inferred a secret.”

A soft laugh escaped her, thick with mockery.

“What secret?”

“Although the Dreammaster was the one who advocated using Penacony’s Stellaron back then, actual control over it eventually fell into the hands of the Family’s main branch.”

“The main branch?” Sylvia frowned. “That doesn’t make sense. The Dreammaster came from the main branch himself, and the Family in Penacony is almost autonomous. The main branch has never seemed to interfere.”

The Family had helped establish Penacony’s current order, and the Dreammaster served as its representative. Why would control of the Stellaron have been handed over to a distant main branch?

“Exactly. The main branch didn’t stay out of Penacony because it chose not to interfere. The Dreammaster rejected its attempts to dictate his actions. The price of that independence was control of the Stellaron.” Constance laid out her findings one by one. “There’s a good chance none of the five Family Heads know about this.”

Sylvia could hardly believe what she was hearing.

“Is control of the Stellaron really that important? What could anyone even do with it remotely?”

Robin’s information hadn’t mentioned any of this. Otherwise, Sylvia wouldn’t have spent so much time wondering what to do with the Stellaron after pulling it out.

“It’s more important than you imagine. That Stellaron can be activated remotely and made to perform its original function.”

“Its original function? You mean causing a Stellaron disaster?”

Sylvia’s dry remark helped her understand why control of it could’ve served as a bargaining chip.

The Dreammaster had traded that control for autonomy, ensuring the main branch wouldn’t interfere in Penacony’s affairs. In return, the main branch could activate the Stellaron at any time, turning the wall that protected the city into a prison that sealed Penacony shut.

It probably couldn’t kill the Family, but blocking the flow of visitors would be enough to cripple Penacony’s profits.

“But why?” Sylvia asked. “Maintaining contact with the main branch wouldn’t have been that terrible.”

She understood what the Dreammaster had done, but not his motive. Had such an extreme measure really been necessary?

The Family might not have been as devoted to Harmony as it claimed, but Penacony’s branch wasn’t exactly in good shape either. And if the Dreammaster truly distrusted the main branch, why would he place Penacony’s lifeline in its hands?

What had he hoped to gain?

Sylvia fell into thought.

Yes. What exactly had the Dreammaster wanted?

Was allowing Penacony’s Family to develop without outside interference so important that he didn’t care if Penacony itself was destroyed? He didn’t seem like that kind of person.

That reasoning might’ve made sense for the Watchmaker, but not the Dreammaster.

According to Mikhail, the conflict between the Dreammaster and the Watchmaker had centered on freedom. The Watchmaker sought freedom but had little talent for governance, which had given the Dreammaster an opening to seize control.

That meant the Dreammaster must’ve been plotting something—something he could only carry out without the main branch interfering.

“No detailed motive was preserved in any Memory Bubble or written record,” Constance said. “Extracting the Memoria didn’t produce any fragments that could be analyzed either. The Dreammaster must’ve used some method to prevent others from prying into it.”

Constance had no intention of thinking through the matter for Sylvia. She merely reported what she’d found.

Whatever the secret was, it had clearly mattered a great deal to the Dreammaster. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to block the sight of Memokeepers. Plenty of other information had been left with far weaker protection.

“That’s fine...”

Sylvia waved a hand, showing no intention of blaming her.

Then, as she spoke, she suddenly remembered the chaos Sparkle had caused earlier, as well as what Robin had told her about the delicate relationship between Harmony and Order.

What if—

Just possibly—

The Dreammaster had been willing to hand control of the Stellaron to someone else because he needed Penacony to remain autonomous.

Because he was the greatest follower of Order within Penacony’s Family.

Even Maeven had been certain that the traitor belonged to Order. At the very least, that piece of intelligence was probably reliable.

Judging from Sylvia’s earlier experiences, there was also a good chance that the Dreammaster and Sunday were working together.

First, assume the Dreammaster truly worshiped Order.

The exposed follower of Order had also happened to belong to the Oak Family.

That made the situation much more interesting.

What if the followers of Order hadn’t spread evenly throughout the entire Family? What if the Dreammaster had stood at the top and converted the Oak Family from the highest ranks downward?

In their panic, the other four Family Heads had assumed the worst possible scenario. That mistake might’ve allowed Sunday and the Oak Family to slip past suspicion.

It was entirely possible.

Logically, there was a strong chance that the Dreammaster followed Order.

And if Penacony fell completely under his control, then the moment he found an opening, he could replace the Path of Harmony with the Path of Order.

The Family’s main branch wouldn’t have time to send aid. Worse, if no one discovered the plan before it was complete, then activating the Stellaron might actually help him.

The Stellaron’s ability to obstruct the surrounding stars would buy the Dreammaster all the time he needed. With the Family’s vast numbers, once a new Order had been established, they could gather enough power to suppress the Stellaron and the Fragmentum once again.

And now, with Robin and Sylvia interfering, the Stellaron posed even less of a threat to the Dreammaster.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 445

--+--

Seen in that light, the information about the Stellaron that’d been sent to Robin had most likely come from the Dreammaster himself.

The more Sylvia thought about it, the more smoothly everything fell into place. Once the gears meshed, every question that’d puzzled her seemed to solve itself.

The Dreammaster would probably make his move after Zephyro would be driven back, while the entire Family stood united, using some unknown method to replace Harmony with Order.

It was even possible that the replacement would happen without any outsider noticing. Harmony and Order didn’t seem like things an ordinary observer could tell apart at a glance.

Sylvia had no intention of voicing an opinion. She didn’t understand either Path, and she’d never experienced the power of Order herself. What worried her more was Robin.

With Sunday around, Robin probably wouldn’t be in danger. Of course, that assumed the Dreammaster truly saw Sunday as his successor rather than a disposable pawn to be cast aside once he’d served his purpose.

He probably didn’t.

Sylvia thought it over. Even in the worst case, she should be strong enough to rescue Robin herself. The Dreammaster likely wouldn’t go so far as to make an enemy of her over it.

“Have you figured something out?” Constance asked softly beside Sylvia’s ear, drawing her back from her increasingly scattered thoughts.

“I’ve got a few ideas, but... this isn’t a good place to discuss them.”

They were inside the Family’s dreamscape, after all. And given the Dreammaster’s and Sunday’s fondness for surveillance, caution seemed wise.

“Oh? Is your conclusion really that troublesome?” Constance didn’t press when she saw Sylvia’s reluctance. “Then I’ll look forward to hearing it later.”

“All right. Let’s head back.”

The conclusion she’d reached was shocking, but Sylvia had no intention of spreading it around. She rose from the bench and walked away. Constance followed with a smile, the flames at the corners of her eyes swaying as her hips moved beneath her dress.

--+--

While everyone waited for tomorrow to arrive, a man appeared outside The Reverie Hotel. Most of his body seemed to have been replaced with machinery, and he was dressed like a cowboy.

“Fudge me, I finally made it before that fudging Lord Ravager. Now let’s see which adorable little son of a nice lady had the guts to pretend to be a Galaxy Ranger.”

Speaking with a bizarre verbal tic, the man strode toward the front desk with an air that clashed with everything around him.

“Hey, you’re in charge here, right? I was fudging invited to stay.”

“Of course. Please present your invitation and state your affiliation.”

“Fudge me, I don’t have that cute little thing. But you’ve heard of the Galaxy Rangers, haven’t you? Another adorable Galaxy Ranger checked in before me. I was just one step behind her.”

“Ah, understood. Let me check that for you...”

The receptionist had seen all kinds of guests. Someone arriving without an invitation wasn’t much of a problem.

Since none of the Galaxy Rangers had submitted a guest count beforehand, the system had defaulted their invitation to one person. However, she’d heard about their unusual circumstances.

They only needed to contact the previous Galaxy Ranger for confirmation, then submit an additional request to the Oak Family.

And so, Mei, who’d been resting in her room, received a call from the Family.

“Yes?”

“Hello, Miss Acheron. A gentleman claiming to be a Galaxy Ranger would like to register as a guest. We may need you to confirm his identity.”

“Oh? He’s here?”

A hint of relief entered Mei’s voice.

“Understood. I’ll come to the front desk.”

“Huh? That won’t be necessary, Miss Acheron. You only need to confirm over the—”

“It’s fine. I’d rather confirm it in person.”

As Mei finished speaking, the voice on the other end suddenly changed to a man’s.

“Well, fudge me. You’ve got some guts, don’t you? Boothill’s waiting right here for your muddle-fudging face, so don’t you dare run.”

Click.

The call ended with a violent snap.

“...?”

The man named Boothill had spoken in a rough voice while saying some very strange things, leaving an almost visible question mark over Mei’s head. Still, the Galaxy Rangers attracted all sorts of unusual people. A peculiar verbal tic wasn’t impossible to accept.

After sending Sylvia a message, Mei rose and left her room.

--+--

At the same time, Topaz received a report from one of her subordinates.

“A Galaxy Ranger? Wasn’t the Galaxy Ranger already with Sylvia? Why’s another one here?”

When she heard that the newcomer was about to meet Miss Acheron, her interest immediately rose. Perhaps something was going on between the Galaxy Rangers.

“Boothill... Isn’t he a wanted criminal? Hmm. Maybe there’s an opportunity for cooperation here. I should take a look.”

Topaz immediately exited the dreamscape and headed for the lobby without paying the IPC’s wanted notice any mind. Galaxy Rangers pursued justice and revenge according to their own ideals, so many of them naturally ended up high on the IPC’s wanted lists.

To put it more dramatically, Miss Acheron herself was technically wanted. Sylvia probably should’ve been as well, considering she’d helped split Jepella straight down the middle with two slashes.

Topaz had simply used a few methods to keep Sylvia off the list.

At present, Topaz held two valuable cards. One was Chadwick, and the other was the threat of death within The Reverie’s dreamscape. Those two were probably enough to play a strong hand.

Chadwick, though, would work better against people inside the IPC. Diamond needed achievements and support to secure a place on the board, and that card might prove useful at the right moment. Both Topaz and Jade still hoped to obtain another bargaining chip.

Unfortunately, Topaz could only infer that a Stellaron truly existed on Penacony. She couldn’t determine where it was.

With the Charmony Festival so close, she couldn’t think of a better method. Surely she couldn’t follow Aventurine’s suggestion, provoke Sylvia’s group, and have them kill her in the dreamscape.

Although...

Should every other option fail, it might still be worth trying.

For now, she’d see what this Galaxy Ranger had to say.

--+--

Sylvia returned to reality and discovered that Constance had somehow ended up sleeping in the same Dreampool as her. Before she could comment on it, she noticed Mei’s message.

“So someone finally showed up... I was starting to think none of the Galaxy Rangers would come.”

Mei had said she needed to return a relic to them. Yet the Galaxy Rangers had vanished from public view for years, and even with the Charmony Festival close at hand, none had appeared to challenge Acheron for impersonating one of their number.

Sylvia had almost begun to think no one would come at all.

“Constance, I’m heading out. You can... do whatever you like.”

She’d figured out most of what had concerned her, and for now, she had no further use for Constance. Sylvia let her move freely. Mei still held her life in her hands, so Constance couldn’t escape their grasp either way.

As for Sylvia herself, she wanted to see what a real Galaxy Ranger looked like.

She found both their name and their ideals rather cool. Had she been free to choose a faction and Path without considering anything else, the Galaxy Rangers would’ve ranked second only to the Nameless of the Astral Express.

Sylvia hadn’t even reached the lobby when she found Mei near the bar.

She also found what appeared to be a robot pointing a gun at her.

And Topaz was standing nearby, watching.

What kind of bizarre gathering was this?

Still confused, Sylvia raised her hand. The Subspace Lance flattened under an unseen force, becoming like a blade as it thrust between Mei and the metal man, blocking the gun’s muzzle.

“Sir, raising a gun here probably isn’t a wise choice.”

“Sylvia? Why’re you here?”

Mei looked somewhat unaccustomed to seeing Sylvia drift down and place herself protectively in front of her.

Besides, neither the gun nor its bullets could hurt her, and Sylvia should’ve known that. Was there really any need to provoke this Galaxy Ranger?

“Fudge me, so you’re the Nameless traveling with Acheron? And there’s an IPC lapdog here too. Fudge me, I never knew the Galaxy Rangers’ name had become so popular.”

Boothill wasn’t nearly as aggressive as Sylvia had imagined. He even lowered his gun. Still, he remained wary, though his attention had shifted from Mei to Topaz.

Topaz pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. The IPC’s name hadn’t been serving her well lately. Everywhere she went, someone seemed to despise her.

This Galaxy Ranger in particular had looked ready to devour her the moment he spotted the badge on her clothes. What exactly had the IPC done to him?

She’d ask Aventurine to investigate Boothill’s background.

Mei took hold of Sylvia’s wrist and stepped out from behind her.

“Mr. Boothill, I believe you’ve already guessed the truth. I was waiting for you to arrive. That’s why you contacted me so directly.”

“Heh. Strictly speaking, you’re not the one I trust. I trust your companion—the Nameless who hunted a Lord Ravager alongside the Xianzhou.”

Boothill looked toward Sylvia. His gaze, which should’ve been sharp and dangerous, instead filled with approval.

“It’s been years since I heard of an adorable Lord Ravager falling on the Hunt’s territory. That’s worth a proper celebration. Sister, let me buy you a drink later.”

Sylvia raised an eyebrow.

Was this the reward for building up her reputation?

She hadn’t just maxed out her standing with the Xianzhou. Apparently, she’d also filled the Galaxy Rangers’ approval meter.

“If that’s why you trust me, then you can certainly trust her. Strictly speaking, her contribution was greater than mine.”

Sylvia gave Mei’s hand a gentle squeeze, encouraging her to speak. Mei merely looked at Sylvia’s ears and gave her a soft smile.

Boothill’s eyes widened.

According to the information he’d gathered, Acheron wasn’t the kind of person who smiled.

“Well, fudge me. Live long enough and you really do see every wonder under the stars. I can’t believe you’d make that kind of face.”

All right. There clearly wasn’t much left to be suspicious of. Judging by the way these two acted, they’d probably been doing everything together for quite some time.

It was certainly eye-opening.

“Let’s return to the matter at hand, Mr. Boothill,” Mei said, steering the conversation back on course. “Galaxy Rangers wander far and rarely keep in contact with one another. This was the only method I had to reach you.”

“...”

Boothill fell silent.

As he’d said, he’d already suspected that Acheron had some motive for impersonating a Galaxy Ranger. Her actions didn’t make her seem like a reckless criminal, and Sylvia’s reputation had given him a reason to confront her directly rather than investigate from the shadows first.

“Only by doing this could I find a true Galaxy Ranger and fulfill a promise made long ago... by returning a fallen Ranger’s relic to his companions.”

Mei reached into her coat and removed a bullet she’d kept close to her body.

The moment Boothill saw it, his pupils contracted.

“That’s...”

“It belonged to a Galaxy Ranger named Tiernan. It was the final relic he left behind. He told me this bullet held special meaning for the Galaxy Rangers.”

Boothill broke into a laugh.

“Well, well, well. So that’s it. Fudge me, you really set the bait and waited for me to bite. Fine, Emanator. I trust you now. And—”

Boothill extended a hand and accepted the old, ordinary-looking bullet from Mei.

“Thank you for keeping your promise and returning this bullet to the Galaxy Rangers.”

Even Boothill’s flamboyant voice softened when he spoke those words. The relic clearly held profound meaning for the Galaxy Rangers.

Mei was about to tell him the story of Tiernan’s final moments—the tale of how the last traces of his will had remained alone, waiting for his companions—when Sylvia suddenly raised a hand.

“Hold on. Mr. Tiernan was originally one of the Nameless. Let me call Miss Himeko back first. I think the current navigator should be here for this.”

“I’ve got no objections. I’m not especially fond of listening to stories, though.”

Boothill had relaxed considerably. He no longer seemed wary even of Topaz.

“That would be best,” Mei agreed.

Sylvia opened the Astral Express group chat and tagged everyone, hoping at least one of them would notice.

Before anyone arrived, Boothill turned toward Topaz.

“Now then, I’d like to have a nice long chat with this IPC lapdog.”

Topaz, who’d been listening politely until then, sighed.

“How rude. ‘Lapdog’ this and ‘lapdog’ that. I’m a senior executive with a proper contract. I didn’t sell myself into slavery.”

She ignored Boothill’s hostility and quickly skimmed something on her phone. Having support elsewhere certainly made life easier.

Aventurine and Jade worked fast. They’d already uncovered a crucial detail about Boothill.

The person this Galaxy Ranger hated happened to be the Strategic Investment Department’s greatest rival.

The Marketing Development Department.

Now they had something to discuss.

“Fudge me, I’ve got no patience for your yammering—”

“You’re looking for information on Oswaldo Schneider, aren’t you?”

“Oh? You managed to investigate me that quickly?”

Topaz met Boothill’s surprise with a professional smile.

“Of course. And I believe we may have room to cooperate. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I’m Topaz of the Strategic Investment Department. Our leader, Diamond, has recently been at odds with Oswaldo.”

Well, then.

It had nothing to do with the current crisis on Penacony, but the entire reason they were fighting to secure Penacony was to provide Diamond with leverage for his rise to the board.

Now a Galaxy Ranger who held a grudge against Oswaldo had practically delivered himself to their doorstep.

Not trying to learn more would’ve been an insult to such good fortune.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 446

--+--

Boothill let out a cold laugh, paying no mind to Topaz’s words.

“And I’m supposed to believe it just because you said so?”

“Miss Sylvia can vouch for me. You’ll trust her, won’t you?”

Sylvia had been ready to sit back and enjoy the show, only for Topaz to point at her and drag her straight into it. Boothill turned toward her, his gaze unusually serious.

“Is she telling the truth, sister?”

“Uh... I don’t know anything about Diamond and Oswaldo’s personal relationship, but they really are competing for the same promotion. Their two departments have plenty of bad blood too.”

It wasn’t much of a secret. Most senior figures among the major factions knew about it, but ordinary people had no channel through which they could obtain that kind of information.

Someone like Boothill had even less chance of hearing about it, while Sylvia happened to be on good terms with several major powers.

“Oh, for baby’s sake. So you’re trying to use me, huh?”

Boothill wasn’t stupid. Topaz clearly wanted to turn him loose and let him make trouble for Oswaldo.

“I’d rather call it business. You help us cause problems for the Marketing Development Department, and I’ll provide you with intelligence and the IPC’s latest cybernetic modification technology.”

Corporate warfare was simple and direct when stripped down to its essence. Besides, the Marketing Development Department’s methods had always leaned toward the extreme.

Topaz had no issue with leaking low-clearance intelligence to a Galaxy Ranger, whether she considered her career or her own feelings.

“I’ll pass on that last part. I’m not trusting the IPC to rebuild my body. But as for working together... baby, you found out who I am and you’re still willing to make a deal with me?”

Boothill clearly hadn’t expected the IPC’s internal conflicts to run this deep. Cooperating with a wanted criminal like him was absurd even by his standards.

“Why wouldn’t I? Come to think of it, one of my coworkers seems to have a grudge against Oswaldo too. You might have plenty to talk about.”

Topaz was referring to Aventurine. She didn’t know the full details of his past, only that he held deep hostility toward the Marketing Development Department. Perhaps he and Boothill would’ve gotten along surprisingly well.

Even so, she had no intention of telling anyone else about Boothill. That would only create more risk.

“I need your help with something in Penacony. In exchange, I can give you information on Oswaldo.”

As she spoke, Topaz made a deliberate point of looking at Sylvia. She’d come here hoping to form an alliance with her, yet the two of them had barely interacted. Sylvia clearly had no desire to reveal any more information either.

Topaz’s gaze held a trace of grievance, as though she were saying, ‘You tricked me into coming here, and now you’re ignoring me.’

Sylvia pressed her lips together, smiled, and looked away. Robin had approached her first, after all. She couldn’t abandon Robin and help Topaz tear down the Family instead.

Topaz didn’t dwell on it and began explaining Penacony’s situation to Boothill. Before long, Himeko, Welt, and even Dan Heng, who’d been aboard the Express, arrived in person.

The entire Astral Express crew gathered inside one private room, packed together as they prepared to hear Mei and Boothill tell their stories.

--+--

Meanwhile, at Dewlight Pavilion, the other four Families were busy investigating their own trusted subordinates. Sunday alone sat motionless in his conference room, lost in thought.

“What are you thinking about?”

The Dreammaster guided a crow down in front of Sunday. Sunday lowered his eyes toward it.

“I’m rehearsing tomorrow’s plan. The Astral Express can seal a Stellaron, and Sylvia’s rumored to possess enough power to seal an Emanator. Ena’s Dream will cover the entire Asdana system and requires the Stellaron’s power, so I’m concerned something may go wrong.”

Under the Dreammaster’s plan, he’d taught Robin how to draw the Stellaron out, but he hadn’t given her any means of sealing it. Once the Stellaron emerged from the Memory Zone, they could simply push it toward the Lord Ravager.

Sunday would then lead every member of the Family in a collective Harmonization and cast Ena’s Dream, drawing everyone into the dreamscape. It would protect them from Zephyro while also preventing the Astral Express from containing the Stellaron.

The only problem was that Sylvia was largely immune to techniques like Ena’s Dream. She’d failed to recognize similar effects several times before, but once the dream truly unfolded, she’d become the greatest uncertainty in their plan.

They needed some way to make her leave Penacony.

“There won’t be an accident. The Family can’t unite as one, so its strength will inevitably fall short of Zephyro’s. When Penacony faces disaster, Sylvia will intervene.”

The Dreammaster remained utterly confident. The Xianzhou general had arrived in secret. If he openly took action, the Xianzhou would invite retaliation from the Denizens of Abundance.

All they had to do was let Sylvia fight Zephyro. Sunday could seize that moment to complete the dream and exclude Sylvia from it, denying her any chance to awaken the others.

Every problem would resolve itself.

Neither the Dreammaster nor Sunday had considered Acheron, the Galaxy Ranger. Because Sylvia had been with her, Acheron had traveled this entire way without getting a chance to display her power.

Aside from those close to Sylvia, no one knew Mei was an Emanator of Nihility.

Few people even knew she was a Self-Annihilator. Had they known, they wouldn’t have remained so calm. Self-Annihilators were even less susceptible to this kind of mental attack than Sylvia.

“When the time comes, and our god awakens, Sylvia will no longer be able to resist Ena’s Dream.”

The Dreammaster spoke with absolute confidence. Sunday also saw no flaw in the plan.

Everything was for the sake of a more perfect world.

--+--

After filling in the missing parts of Tiernan’s journey, Dan Heng and Himeko returned to the Express and informed the conductor about the three Nameless.

Sylvia and Mei went back to their room to rest while they waited for Zephyro’s arrival the following day. Topaz, meanwhile, took Boothill to Dreamflux Reef. Her purpose was obvious: she wanted to borrow the Galaxy Ranger’s reputation to gather intelligence there.

Boothill grumbled through the entire exchange, filling every other sentence with “baby” and “fudge,” but he still agreed to the deal. As for what they discovered, Topaz came knocking on Sylvia’s door in the middle of the night to complain.

Only now had she realized that, when it came to the Stellaron, she’d apparently been the last person to find out. Even the surviving members of the Ever-Flame Mansion had learned about it before her.

“Hah... but you know now, don’t you?”

Sylvia yawned. She hadn’t even entered the dreamscape that night. The room’s sofa was broad and soft enough to serve as a bed, so she’d slept there without issue until Topaz woke her halfway through the night.

“That’s not the point.”

Topaz pursed her lips. Boothill had uncovered plenty of information at Dreamflux Reef, including the fact that Sylvia and Robin had apparently spent a great deal of time studying certain records there. Barring any surprises, those records had concerned the Stellaron.

Topaz wanted to know whether there was still a chance for her to get involved. Sylvia spread her hands.

“At this stage, I can’t let you join us. Robin’s still a believer in the Harmony.”

Before Topaz could argue, Sylvia continued.

“In your place, I wouldn’t do anything. Just keep a close eye on the Family’s movements and tell your coworkers to prepare themselves.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Topaz narrowed her eyes. Was Sylvia implying what she thought she was? Was the Family plotting something in secret, something so significant that Topaz could reach her goal without taking action herself?

“It means exactly what I said. I can’t tell you anything more.”

Sylvia didn’t know how far the Dreammaster and Sunday intended to go, but she’d already asked about the Order. That Path carried a certain flavor of forced control, while the Harmony came with the risk of assimilation.

Both powers could become horrifying when abused, but the Order was unquestionably the sharper of the two. And Sunday himself had always been a little obsessive.

According to Robin, Sunday hated unexpected events and wanted everything arranged in perfect order. If that was the nature of the Order, then Penacony might become a very ugly place once he put his plan into motion.

Should Topaz recognize that possibility and exploit the opening, the IPC would gain more than enough justification for armed intervention. Sylvia couldn’t tell her that directly, though.

Her goal was only to make the IPC pressure the Family, not to have the corporation remove the Family altogether. If that happened, the Watchmaker’s final wish would’ve been for nothing.

“Anyway, the auction’s tomorrow, and Zephyro will be coming. It’s already too late for you to start digging up the truth now.”

“Mm...”

Topaz fell silent.

‘Did it ever occur to you that I came here because I was trying to save time?’

Without another word, Topaz turned and left.

Sylvia returned to the room and found Silver Wolf sitting on the sofa. For once, she wasn’t playing a game. She stared at Sylvia with a grave expression.

“Hey. Where did Firefly go? Something’s wrong with her.”

Sylvia instinctively pulled out the Fyrefly Type-V and checked SAM, who was registered as an ally.

The pilot’s vital signs were stable. Her mental fluctuations were abnormal, but they hadn’t crossed the warning threshold.

“What’s that?”

Silver Wolf could tell it wasn’t the same model as SAM’s usual device.

“It’s a Glamoth Iron Cavalry model. SAM and I registered each other as allies through it. Firefly may have run into trouble, but her life isn’t in danger.”

Sylvia chose to trust Firefly.

“Does your machine happen to show that Firefly’s fighting inside a dream right now?”

“I... Wait, what?!”

Sylvia had just started to answer when a red warning suddenly lit up across the device. SAM’s mental state had begun fluctuating with violent intensity.

Sylvia’s expression changed.

“I’m bringing her back.”

She walked straight toward the Dreampool. Silver Wolf knew there was nothing she could say to stop her.

“Bring her home.”

“I will.”

Sylvia nodded and sank into the dreamscape, searching for Firefly’s trail within the dream.

It sounded difficult, but Glamoth’s tracking systems worked in strange and remarkable ways. Standing atop a rooftop at Dream’s Edge, Sylvia raised the device and summoned the Imperial Guard armor for the first time.

Then she leaped from the roof and plunged toward the depths of the Memory Zone.

--+--

Deep within the Memory Zone, Firefly had long since lost track of where she’d gone.

The place was chaotic and without order. The mental pressure was immense, and she couldn’t even focus her thoughts.

“Bugs... These memes... No, they aren’t memes. They’re all bugs...”

Firefly clutched her forehead, struggling to clear her mind. She remembered discovering something important, yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t concentrate.

Endless whispers echoed around her, mingling with shrill insect cries. Black shadows swayed beneath an eerie crimson glow, while bizarre Memory Zone Memes circled SAM in the shape of a swarm.

“No... I can’t sleep. If I fall asleep here... I’ll die...”

This wasn’t a sweet dream. She was in the chaotic depths of the Memory Zone.

Even without the creatures around her, losing consciousness here would be fatal. The Memory Zone’s hidden currents would drag her away, and she’d never wake in reality again.

“Think... Come on, think. What am I doing? Firefly, remember!”

Firefly muttered to herself and dug her fingers into her arm, using the pain to stay alert.

“Right, the Swarm. Deep inside Penacony’s Memory Zone, there’s a swarm... They’re memes... They’re... Ngh!”

A needle-like pain stabbed through her skull, cutting off her thoughts. Her instincts as a soldier took over, and she commanded SAM to unleash its flames.

Fire burst outward from SAM in every direction, but it only drove the surrounding monsters back for a moment.

“Hold on... Sylvia... I still have to eliminate the danger for her...”

Firefly fought to preserve her fading consciousness. She looked at the single allied marker on SAM’s system, then stared at the bracelet around her left wrist.

Eradicating swarms was what she did best. She didn’t know what these restless creatures intended, but they were surely responsible for what had happened at The Reverie.

“I can’t... I can’t let them hurt Sylvia...”

Her consciousness teetered on the edge of collapse.

Rustle. Rustle.

The insect cries suddenly swelled to a deafening roar. Firefly’s eyes snapped wide open.

The empty ground beneath her transformed into an endless field of corpses. The flesh of insects lay tangled with the wreckage of armored suits, and the stench of charred remains blended with the faint smell of rust, flooding her senses.

An all-consuming swarm and wave after wave of charging Glamoth Iron Cavalry filled the landscape, creating a hell of endless slaughter.

“This place is...”

Firefly froze.

This horrific scene had been buried deep inside her memories, something she never wished to see again. Wasn’t it supposed to be long over?

Could it be that everything since then had only been a dream?

Firefly lowered her head. The once-bright bracelet on her wrist had turned translucent, as though it might scatter into the wind.

“My bracelet? No!”

The hell before her hadn’t been enough to break her resolve, but the bracelet’s disappearance struck directly at her weakest point. The overwhelming insect cries surged again and tore through her mind.

“Aaagh!”

Firefly screamed as violent pain consumed her. When her vision finally came back into focus, her wrist was bare.

“It’s... gone?”

Her eyes went empty, as though she couldn’t accept the reality before her.

“No. That’s wrong. It has to be an illusion. I still remember. I remember everything!”

She raised her eyes toward the sky, only to see a sea of flames.

Penacony had turned into crystal-clear glass. The Express lay shattered. The hotel had collapsed, and scorched earth stretched toward the horizon.

Silver Wolf, Sunday, Himeko, Acheron—everyone was dead.

Sylvia’s crimson greatsword had been broken into fragments. The pieces lay scattered before Firefly, stained with fresh blood.

Her pupils contracted.

“Impossible... Sylvia? Sylvia, where are you...?”

--+--

Marry Acheron - 447

--+--

Her companions had all fallen. She alone remained.

Flames poured from the heavens. One moment, they became an endless army of the Antimatter Legion. The next, they turned into a swarm of insects that covered the sky.

The scorched earth beneath her feet shifted from Penacony to the Xianzhou, then to Herta Space Station and Glamoth’s imperial capital. Countless scenes flashed before Firefly’s eyes, but every last one was drowning in the flames of Destruction. Nothing remained but shattered ruins.

“No. None of this is right. We’re deep inside the Memory Zone... The bugs. Right, the bugs! You took my bracelet, didn’t you?”

BOOM—!

Raging flames erupted without restraint. The sudden surge in output pushed the armor’s systems straight to their limit, and SAM’s blaring alarms brought a sliver of stability back to Firefly’s mind.

“It has to be some kind of mental attack... I remember. I remember everything... That has to be it. So if I kill all of you, I’ll get it back, right?”

Firefly could barely keep herself conscious. Even simple thought had become a struggle. The light vanished from her eyes, and her mind went still as stagnant water.

SAM moved.

Violent flames hurled the armor forward at blinding speed as firebombs filled the sky. Firefly raised her fist and charged straight into the endless swarm.

“I’ll set the entire Memory Zone ablaze!”

The mechanical roar came with a burst of detonating fire that swallowed countless insects in an instant. Yet even more surged forward at once, eager to devour the intruder who’d entered their territory.

--+--

Sylvia raced deeper into the Memory Zone, her armored form gaining speed with every passing second. Since they were both inside the same Synesthesia Dreamscape, the mech’s position had become clear and stable.

What worried her was Firefly’s depth and the wild fluctuations in her mental state.

‘Why did she go that far down? What’s even there?’

If the only threats were Memory Zone Memes, they shouldn’t have been enough to endanger SAM. Sylvia’s reckless descent sent waves rolling through the Memoria around her and drew plenty of Memes to her path.

Memory Zone Memes looked terrifying, but they weren’t mindless lunatics. After Sylvia shattered several of them through sheer speed, few dared come near her again.

Wild Memes were often less aggressive than the ones Constance or Black Swan made on purpose. Some weren’t even as dangerous as Sleepie. They might’ve posed a threat to an ordinary Pathstrider, but Firefly was a pure fighter.

The real danger was losing consciousness in the depths of the Memory Zone. Once someone became trapped there, they’d have to face an endless stream of Memes without any way to escape. No matter how strong they were, exhaustion would kill them sooner or later.

That was why Sylvia had promised she’d find Firefly and bring her back.

She’d expected getting lost to be the greatest risk. What kind of monster could actually threaten Firefly’s life down here?

“What the hell is hiding in this place?”

Sylvia couldn’t stop herself from cursing. Just how many secrets had Penacony buried under its surface?

She soon found her answer.

“Ugh... That’s disgusting.”

Sylvia saw the swarm.

There were insects everywhere, packed together in dense layers. Somehow, they’d managed to survive inside the Memory Zone. There were creatures with countless legs, creatures with only a few, and creatures with none at all. Some had hard shells, while others were soft and wet.

There were too many to count, and Sylvia couldn’t tell what they were doing in the deepest part of the Memory Zone.

Firefly—or rather, SAM—was attacking them in every direction with no sign of restraint. One glance was enough to tell Sylvia these things weren’t the same as the twisted Memory Zone Memes. At the very least, they hadn’t appeared here by chance.

Hiss—

Flames rolled across Sylvia’s body as her armor withdrew. She assumed the form of the Herrscher of the Void and looked down upon the scene below.

The Fyrefly armor was powerful. Had she obtained it earlier, it would’ve become her main weapon without question. Now, though, it was little more than a pretty toy. Sylvia couldn’t even use her full strength while wearing it.

She lifted her hand and formed the shape of a pistol with her thumb and index finger before her left eye. A Subspace Lance stretched out beside her, twisting with warped space until it became a long, narrow spiral.

Space itself became her bow, and the Subspace Lance became her arrow.

The raging powers of Permanence, Destruction, and Abundance flowed into the spear, dyeing it in brilliant colors.

“Pew.”

Sylvia parted her lips and supplied her own sound effect.

The spear became a streak of light and shot toward the swarm.

At that exact moment—

Screech—!

The endless insects froze. As one, they abandoned Firefly and turned toward Sylvia, releasing a single, perfectly unified shriek.

The tuning power of Harmony surfaced inside the Memory Zone. Countless insects joined their wills together, and the vast, towering shape of a Swarm King emerged from the illusion. An aura as terrifying as an Emanator’s erupted from it.

Its enormous, armored mouth opened. A scorching white beam burst forth and struck Sylvia’s arrow head-on.

BOOOOOOM—!

The explosion churned through the Memory Zone with terrifying force.

Sylvia didn’t have time to wonder why a swarm of insects had just produced power on the level of an Emanator. She crossed the distance to Firefly in an instant, ignored the raging flames, and seized SAM by the arm. Then she dragged her out of the heart of the storm.

The shattered Memoria became a violent vortex beneath the impact. Endless fantasies and garbled whispers burst free, striking the mind like a flash bomb.

Even Sylvia’s powerful mental resistance couldn’t keep her from reeling with dizziness. She didn’t stay to fight and fled from the swarm while calling Firefly’s name again and again.

“Firefly! Firefly, wake up! I’m here!”

“...Who?”

Firefly had no idea what was happening. Something had rushed toward her and subdued her in an instant.

She tried to resist, but the voice echoing in her ears was so familiar and gentle.

‘Who is that?’

‘I think... I really like that voice.’

Firefly forced her eyes open. Through SAM’s cameras, she slowly made out the figure before her.

Her thoughts were still a muddled mess, but the moment she saw Sylvia, warmth spread across her left wrist. The bracelet that should’ve vanished appeared once more.

Firefly felt Sylvia’s heartbeat and the bond between them.

‘It isn’t an illusion...’

The bracelet’s return and the unbreakable connection it carried cleared much of the fog from her mind. Her eyes came back into focus and fixed on Sylvia’s worried face.

SAM dissolved into scattering flames.

With her mind worn to its limit, Firefly threw herself into Sylvia’s arms.

“Thank you... You found me.”

A weary smile appeared on her face.

“Yeah. Don’t be afraid. I’ll take you back.”

Sylvia stroked Firefly’s head. Dragon horns emerged from her forehead, followed by a long tail behind her. A pair of broad, fleshy wings unfolded and wrapped protectively around Firefly.

The combined Swarm King before them carried an imposing presence, so Sylvia didn’t dare hold back. A real fight here would probably turn the entire Dreamscape upside down, but she couldn’t worry about that now.

The idea that a swarm devoted to Harmony had been hiding beneath Penacony’s Dreamscape was absurd.

There were insects in this universe that worshiped someone other than the Propagation?

When had these things hidden themselves here? How long had they stayed? Why had they become restless recently, to the point of ravaging The Reverie inside the dream?

There was no point thinking about it now.

While maintaining her draconic form, Sylvia reached out to the powers of the Ambrosial Arbor and Phantylia. She planned to crush the swarm beneath overwhelming force before dealing with anything else.

Yet the moment Sylvia unleashed her aura without restraint, the presence of an Emanator touched by both Permanence and the Propagation sent the unified swarm into chaos.

“Screech...?”

Even the gathered Swarm King visibly froze.

Sylvia froze as well.

Through the Memory Zone, the swarm had sent her a thought filled with confusion.

She blinked.

‘Wait. Do I look like a Swarm King to them?’

“Ahem. That’s right. I’m the new Swarm King.”

Sylvia shamelessly admitted it and deliberately revealed even more of the Propagation’s power. Her overwhelming aura pushed back against the Swarm King formed by the insects.

Maybe she really could fool them.

Sylvia couldn’t help feeling hopeful.

After receiving her answer, the swarm erupted into a fresh storm of confused whispers.

Their Swarm King had arrived?

But this one looked nothing like the Swarm Kings in their memories. Besides, the Swarm Emperor had been dead for ages. How could a new Swarm King have appeared in this era?

Questions filled their collective consciousness.

Their group had no Swarm King. Long ago, they’d witnessed that divine war for themselves. Their Swarm Emperor and every Swarm King with them had fallen.

To survive—whether from fear of Harmony, the pressure of Xipe, or some joke played by the Elation—a small group of survivors had turned to Xipe and embraced Harmony. That was the only reason they’d survived the end of the divine war.

They’d later been cast into the Asdana star system, a remote and dangerous frontier. They’d hidden there ever since, ignoring the outside world while awaiting the Swarm Emperor’s return.

To protect themselves, they hunted every intruder who tried to enter the depths of the Memory Zone.

They’d never expected a suspicious Swarm King to appear this time.

But she didn’t look right at all.

What kind of Swarm King looked like that?

Where were her limbs? Her shell? Her mandibles?

That aura wasn’t even pure Propagation.

She wasn’t one of their kind at all!

Sylvia hadn’t expected the swarm to answer her. The corners of her mouth rose as she replied with an amused smile.

“How am I not one of you? At least I can walk around without everyone trying to kill me. What meaning is there in hiding here and barely clinging to life?”

“...”

That single sentence struck the swarm where it hurt.

Compared with the other insect descendants scattered across the universe, these creatures really had spent their lives hiding. Even their bodies had rotted away, leaving only their minds behind.

They’d only wanted to confirm her identity. Did she really have to attack them like that?

Roar—!

After a long silence, the swarm pulled itself together and assumed a battle formation.

They admitted Sylvia had a point. Even so, none of it mattered unless she was strong enough.

“So after all that talking, we’re still going to fight. Seriously?”

Sylvia held Firefly against her with her right arm and flashed backward. At the same time, she raised her left hand in a ritual gesture.

A winged Yinglong took shape within the Memory Zone. Flames of Destruction curled around its body, threaded with golden light like the final toll of a bell.

(T/N: A chinese dragon.)

With a thunderous dragon cry, it charged straight at the Swarm King.

Sylvia swept her hand through the air. One enormous dragon after another took shape in every direction.

She already possessed the power to alter matter, and now that she understood the method, creating Memes had become far easier. She didn’t even need to give them minds.

She poured a seemingly endless flood of the Propagation’s power into them. Insect-like shells spread across their bodies, and they launched themselves at the swarm in fearless suicide attacks.

“Screech—!”

Beams of Destruction burst from the swarm. At the same time, countless Memes shook themselves loose from the Swarm King and rushed to meet Sylvia’s dragons.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The clash threw the Memory Zone across the entire star system into chaos. Penacony’s Synesthesia Dreamscape began to tremble on the brink of collapse.

Across the Twelve Hours of the Dreamscape, sudden earthquakes struck as insect shrieks echoed through the streets.

--+--

“What’s happening?!”

March 7th had been shopping with Himeko when the shaking almost threw her from an elevated walkway. The sudden drop nearly scared the life out of her.

“What’s going on?! Did the Antimatter Legion invade? Is the Dreamscape collapsing?”

March 7th panicked, unsure what to do.

“March, stay calm. Let’s regroup with everyone first. I’ll contact the Family.”

Himeko frowned and decided that the Astral Express crew needed to gather at once.

The violent tremors swept across the whole star system without distinction. The sweet dream, the nightmares, and even Dreamflux Reef were all caught in the upheaval.

No one escaped it.

--+--

“Mr. Gopher Wood, can you locate the cause?”

Sunday’s brows drew tight. As the head of the Oak Family, he needed to calm the tourists, but this sudden disaster had left him deeply uneasy.

“I can’t. I can only sense that the power is coming from the deepest part of the Memory Zone.”

“The depths of the Memory Zone...”

Sunday’s expression stiffened.

That place was forbidden territory for Penacony. Dreamchasers who ventured there almost never returned. Even the rare survivors usually came back as broken fools or raving madmen.

“What’s down there?”

“I don’t know.”

The Dreammaster shook his head. He’d needed to oversee the greater situation from the moment he arrived on Penacony, so he’d never had the chance to explore it himself.

Even had he been free to do so, he probably wouldn’t have returned. His only chance would’ve been to summon Dominicus and descend with its protection.

The Family would never agree to such a mad plan. One mistake could bring disastrous casualties across the entire organization.

Then another violent shock rolled in from every direction.

Rumble—!

This one was even worse.

The raging tremors threatened to grind everything within the Dreamscape to pieces.

“We can’t wait any longer. If the force keeps growing, the Dreamscape will collapse. Mr. Gopher Wood, we have to stabilize it first.”

Sunday looked toward the Dreammaster. His meaning was clear.

“The Harmonious Choir, Dominicus.”

By joining the songs of countless members of the Family, they could summon one of Xipe’s many manifestations. Its power would be enough to quell this unknown disaster.

It might even reveal the cause behind it.

“Go. Tell the other family heads to prepare.”

The Dreammaster let out a sigh.

Plans could never keep pace with change. There was no telling what this unknown threat would bring.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 448

--+--

The disturbance on Penacony came fast, but The Family reacted even faster.

The moment the second shock ended, every public display across Penacony was seized. Sunday appeared on each screen at once.

“Everyone, Penacony has suffered an attack of unknown origin. Please remain calm…”

Sunday had stepped forward in person to reassure the public. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned toward the nearest screen.

Then, before the eyes of all Penacony, every member of The Family set aside their work. The power of Harmony spread through them in silence, gentle as rain soaking into the earth, until it covered the entire planet.

A chant rang throughout Penacony.

Harmonious Choir, Dominicus manifested inside the Grand Theater. It raised its conductor’s baton and rose beneath countless watching eyes.

As the baton swept through the air, a beautiful song soared into the heavens. An unseen force spread across the city and settled over everyone within it.

Ordinary people only felt a warm presence wrapping around them, soothing their fear and easing their anxiety. At the same time, a window appeared in the corner of every screen, showing Miss Robin singing from the center of the Grand Theater’s stage for all of Penacony.

“Robin!”

“That’s Robin’s voice!”

“Oh my god, she sounds incredible! This trip was worth every credit!”

The Pathstriders, however, stared at the manifested Dominicus and at Robin as she poured out the full power of Harmony.

“The power of Harmony. The Family’s making its move.”

“Little Jelena, stay safe.”

Topaz opened a channel to Jade. She wasn’t willing to gamble on whether The Family might use the confusion to strike at her.

But should anything happen, Jade would have firsthand evidence. The IPC could then intervene in Penacony under an official pretext.

“Hm… Where’d Little Whitey run off to?”

Sparkle had found Acheron, along with Constance standing beside her. Sylvia, who should’ve been between them, was nowhere to be seen.

Sparkle’s fun-seeking instincts immediately flared to life.

“I’ve got a feeling Little Whitey’s behind this! Damn it, something interesting happens and she leaves me out again.”

--+--

Inside the Grand Theater, Sunday controlled Dominicus while gazing down at the singing Robin.

“Robin, I’m counting on you.”

At last, every camera facing Penacony turned its full attention toward her. The frightened tourists gradually calmed beneath Robin’s song, and The Family’s power of Harmony sheltered them from the lingering shock.

In the blink of an eye, a riot became the feverish celebration of a Robin concert.

Meanwhile, Sunday sent Dominicus flying toward the upper limits of the Dreamscape. It climbed until it tore through the false starry sky, broke free from the dream, and carried him face-to-face with the cold, chaotic depths of the Memory Zone for the first time.

Then—

“ROOOAAAR!”

CLANG—BOOOOM!

A distant beast’s roar and shrill cry cut through a violent explosion. An even stronger wave of force than before surged up from beneath the depths.

Endless Memoria transformed into a tide capable of destroying everything in its path.

Sunday silently thanked his instincts. Had he hesitated for even a moment and allowed the third shock to strike Penacony, the entire Dreamscape would’ve been destroyed at once.

There wouldn’t have been the slightest chance of survival.

“May all beings bask in the light—”

Sunday raised his voice in song. Dominicus struggled to move its baton through the Memoria, and a golden shield formed before it.

Alone, he faced the abyss’s aftershocks and protected the Dreamscape and every living soul behind him.

--+--

At the same time, on the border of the Asdana star system, the interstellar fleet that had assembled there long ago remained on high alert.

Jade frowned as she examined the latest detection report.

“Penacony’s Memoria is becoming active. Something’s stirring the Memoria across the entire star system. Topaz, what’s happening on your end?”

“The Family reacted quickly. The head of the Oak Family probably went out to meet the threat, while our famous singer stayed behind to stabilize the public. Those siblings aren’t simple.”

“Heh. One surprise after another.” Aventurine sat nearby with an air of complete ease, as though he wasn’t worried in the slightest. “I told you before. Had you followed my plan, this would’ve been over already.”

Then again, none of the Ten Stonehearts needed to fear a mere aftershock. Each of them carried power granted by Diamond, more than enough to protect themselves.

“Give me a break. Had we followed your plan, the situation would only be more chaotic,” Topaz shot back without restraint.

Only Aventurine could’ve come up with an idea that terrible.

“Chaos is the best time to snatch treasure from the fire.”

“You want to snatch treasure during a brawl between Emanators? Worry about staying alive first, Mr. Gambler.”

Aventurine smiled and fell silent.

From his point of view, dying wouldn’t be such a bad outcome. But should he survive, he’d certainly walk away with an enormous profit.

Either way, he won.

It was only a shame he hadn’t gone to Penacony himself. Sitting on the sidelines and watching Topaz perform was a little dull.

“That’s enough, both of you. This isn’t the time to argue.” Jade’s expression turned serious. “Topaz, your own safety comes first. Penacony’s situation has gone far beyond our expectations.”

Even Jade felt powerless when faced with Emanators clashing head-on. Worse, the enemy wasn’t the expected Zephyro, but an unknown entity.

Whatever it was, it had thrown an entire star system into turmoil through its own strength. It had even forced The Family to reveal one of its hidden trump cards.

Should the situation become impossible to control, Topaz’s safety mattered more than the deal.

“Understood.”

Topaz nodded with equal seriousness. The disturbance had come so suddenly that it had caught everyone completely off guard.

--+--

At the same time, far beneath the abyss, Sylvia remained in her dragon-girl form as she fought the enormous Swarm to a standstill.

She relied on her speed and agility, bombarding it from a distance and holding a slight advantage. However, aside from keeping Firefly safe, Sylvia no longer had any attention to spare for what might happen to Penacony’s Dreamscape.

The Family would have to find a solution themselves.

More importantly, Sylvia finally had the chance to unleash her power without restraint. After several rounds of probing attacks, she’d gained a clear understanding of both her own strength and the capabilities of the insects before her.

Within their home territory, this Swarm was frighteningly powerful. It was hard to estimate their exact level, but they were certainly much stronger than Phantylia.

Yet because they’d survived in the depths of the Memory Zone for so long, nearly half their strength lay in mental attacks.

Unfortunately for them, Sylvia had extremely high resistance to mental interference.

As the battle dragged on, Sylvia managed to stabilize the situation in her dragon-girl form, but she still couldn’t gain a decisive advantage. She continued creating trains, Doomsday Beasts, and even Xianzhou ships, then hurled them straight into the Swarm.

Her String Manipulation couldn’t keep up with the scale of the battle. At best, she could use it to interfere with the Swarm and disrupt its attacks.

Instead, she poured out the power of Destruction without pause, as though it cost her nothing.

The Swarm King had the entire Memory Zone at its back, so it fought with equal madness. Sylvia held the weakened Firefly close as she dodged attack after attack, with no intention of entering close combat.

(T/N: Last chapter there was no Swarm King, but I think this is referencing the 'leader of that specific swarm,' not the Swarm Kings which are the Emanators/Leaders of Propagation.)

She wasn’t satisfied with the deadlock.

The Swarm’s feelers had already reached the edge of the Dreamscape. The Family had reacted fast enough to stop them from advancing deeper, but who could guarantee they wouldn’t interfere when Sylvia dealt with the Stellaron?

Dreamflux Reef lay an entire layer deeper than the Dreamscape’s Twelve Hours. Why had the Swarm hidden here? What were they planning?

The thought of a Harmony-aligned Swarm, one even more powerful than The Family, lurking beneath Penacony sent a chill down Sylvia’s spine.

Should these creatures emerge while Zephyro attacked and the Dreammaster made his move, Penacony would be finished. Aside from Sylvia and Mei, who could withstand an Emanator-level mental assault?

Even General Huaiyan might become trapped within it.

Sylvia had to beat these insects into submission and force them to reveal what they were planning.

Before that, though, she cared more about Firefly’s condition.

“Firefly, can you still hold on?”

Firefly’s face had gone deathly pale, but her eyes remained fixed on Sylvia’s battle. Experiencing a clash between two Emanators at such close range, deep inside the Memory Zone, was far beyond what her mind could comfortably withstand.

“Sorry. I ended up wasting your time after all.”

Firefly pressed her lips together. She’d only wanted to eliminate a few possible complications for Sylvia, yet she’d drawn out an enemy far stronger than expected.

“Is this really the time to say that?” Sylvia asked with a helpless sigh.

The Swarm King’s next attack came from the distance. Sylvia spread her wings and blocked the beam, which carried endless Memoria and countless stray thoughts.

Her powerful mental resistance neutralized more than ninety percent of the attack. What remained struck Sylvia without moving her in the slightest.

“You can’t use many of your techniques while I’m here, can you?”

Firefly watched Sylvia continue to evade from a distance. She understood perfectly well that she’d become a burden.

“It’s fine. That thing isn’t very strong,” Sylvia replied without hesitation.

Firefly smiled.

“You’re like me. You’re not very good at lying.” She looked toward the Swarm King. “You want to beat the Swarm here and get your answers, but you’re still carrying dead weight like me.”

Firefly wouldn’t have said anything had Sylvia only wanted to take her and leave. She knew the Swarm couldn’t stop Sylvia from escaping.

But Sylvia clearly wanted more than that now. Firefly’s presence would only hold her back.

On a battlefield like this, Firefly couldn’t contribute. Sylvia had to protect her instead.

“I came here for you in the first place. I can’t exactly abandon you now.”

Sylvia tilted her head and gently bumped her forehead against Firefly’s.

“Ow…”

Firefly rubbed her forehead, then made a suggestion.

“We don’t need to make this so complicated. I haven’t become lost here yet, so I can log out of the dream on my own.”

BOOOOM!

The moment she finished speaking, Sylvia sent all her creations charging toward the Swarm King and detonated them together.

“…Unless I’m remembering wrong, your method of logging out involves killing yourself, doesn’t it?”

“It’s not that serious. Between entering the Synesthesia Dreamscape and being taken to Dreamflux Reef by Sleepie, I think I’ve already died twice.”

Firefly wasn’t sure whether those counted as the three deaths in the script, but they’d certainly felt like death.

This would only be one more time. It might hurt, but that was all.

“And even if I don’t leave now, I’ll still have to die once when I exit the Synesthesia Dreamscape.”

“…”

Sylvia fell silent.

Firefly’s argument was annoyingly sound.

“You really are… Ugh.”

Sylvia ruffled Firefly’s hair so hard that she knocked her ribbon askew.

“You don’t need to worry about me.”

Firefly pouted and made a quick attempt to smooth down her hair. Then she slipped free from Sylvia’s arms.

She took her own life.

Firefly’s consciousness sank into darkness once more.

Her mind was already exhausted, strained almost beyond its limits. Her earlier entries into the dream had only brought her close to death, but recklessly waking from this depth carried a real chance of crushing her consciousness beyond repair.

Firefly knew the risk.

Yet she truly was a burden, and her pride as a former member of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry wouldn’t let her remain in the center of a battlefield while holding back an ally.

So Firefly had told a tiny lie.

The pressure of the Memory Zone descended once again.

Its weight was so immense that even the briefest contact made Firefly’s will tremble.

“I might really die…”

She reached the conclusion in an instant. In her current state, she probably couldn’t withstand this pressure.

“Sorry, Sylvia. It looks like I won’t get another chance to see you.”

At least she hadn’t remained a burden in her final moments.

Just as Firefly braced herself to endure the crushing force—

Ding.

A clear note rang through her consciousness.

A faint white glow bloomed from the bracelet around her left wrist, illuminating the darkness within her mind. At the same time, it raised a thin veil of light that held back the terrifying pressure.

“The bracelet’s helping me…?”

Before Firefly could process what was happening, the white light before her suddenly vanished.

Her eyes snapped open.

Beyond the transparent glass cover lay a guest room inside The Reverie.

“...Did I make it back?”

Firefly touched the bracelet on her left wrist and stared at it in a daze.

--+--

Sylvia watched Firefly dissolve before her like a bubble, still feeling somewhat irritated.

Could Firefly’s condition be solved with the power of Permanence?

She’d have to ask Ruan Mei as soon as this was over.

With that thought, Sylvia turned and charged toward the Swarm King.

The limitless power of four Paths erupted without restraint. Together, they formed a towering dragon that plunged toward the Swarm with overwhelming heavenly might.

Without Firefly in her arms, Sylvia truly could use far more of her combat techniques. At the very least, she no longer needed to stay constantly alert for the Swarm King’s mental attacks.

By now, the collective consciousness of the Swarm had begun to feel afraid.

They still weren’t fighting with their lives on the line, but their normally unstoppable techniques, created through the Memory Zone, had no effect on this new insect king.

That alone had crippled half their strength.

Had their inborn gifts not remained useful, and had they completely abandoned every other form of attack, they would’ve already been beaten into the ground.

Even so, they were still the ones being suppressed. Their opponent’s assault was clearly more ferocious.

Now that she’d cast aside her restriction, they were about to suffer.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 449

--+--

The Swarm King watched the person Sylvia had protected fade away.

Sylvia herself charged straight at the swarm without the slightest hesitation, and the Swarm King knew at once that something had gone wrong.

“SKREEEE—!”

It roared, spread the twin wings on its back, and whipped up a vast wave as it rushed Sylvia head-on. This was its domain. It wasn’t about to lose so easily.

Sylvia narrowed her eyes.

With her Riding ability, could she subdue the Swarm King and seize control of the entire swarm in one move? Or would the control vanish once the swarm broke free from Harmony?

She didn’t trust the Swarm. Even if this branch had somehow embraced Harmony and seemed a little different, she still couldn’t bring herself to trust it. After all, she saw herself as a Pathstrider of Permanence. Propagation had only come along for the ride.

The best outcome was to take direct control of the whole thing through her own abilities. Otherwise, she’d never dare return to Penacony.

Who knew how enormous this swarm might grow if it kept hiding for another few dozen or even a hundred Amber Eras?

Sylvia cast off all restraint and unleashed her full power. The colossal Swarm King and the great dragon crashed into each other with everything they had inside the Memory Zone.

For one brief instant, the entire Memory Zone fell silent.

Then—

A terrifying storm vast enough to drown a whole galaxy erupted alongside the surging tides of the Memory Zone and swept across the Asdana star system.

Penacony, of course, took the first hit.

--+--

“Grant light unto the world!”

Sunday sensed that something was wrong at once.

The impact was far too immense to be the work of a single Emanator. Deep below, several Emanators had to be fighting with their full strength.

Then, within the terrifying aftershock, Sunday felt something else. His pupils shrank.

“This is... the power of Harmony?! Impossible. Why’s Harmony involved? Is it the main Family? Or Xipe?”

Sunday raised both hands as though he were a hero holding up all of Penacony. Drawing on Dominicus’s immense power, he forced the shockwave back.

Yet as the attacks grew stronger, he finally became certain. Harmony’s power was woven into the clash.

“Dreammaster—”

“Calm yourself!”

In his panic, Sunday didn’t even call him Gopher Wood. He addressed him directly as the Dreammaster.

“Our priority is stabilizing the Synesthesia Dreamscape.”

The Dreammaster didn’t need to say anything more. Sunday calmed down as well.

Once Ena’s Dream unfolded, they’d have enough freedom to explore the deeper layers.

--+--

The next group struck by the residual force was the IPC fleet stationed near the edge of the star system.

“Report! We’ve been hit by an abnormal Memoria surge! Large numbers of employees have lost consciousness!”

“Report! Heavy damage to multiple suits of powered armor...”

“Report! The warp engines are damaged...”

Report after report reached Jade.

The aftershock alone had nearly crippled more than half the fleet’s combat strength. Her expression darkened.

She and Aventurine had both received a share of Diamond’s power, but it was only a fraction of an Emanator’s strength. It wasn’t enough to protect an entire fleet.

Keeping the flagship beneath their feet intact was already a blessing.

“Just what’s fighting inside Penacony...?”

Even Aventurine had broken into a cold sweat. He’d never witnessed a battle between Emanators firsthand. Now he understood what one felt like.

“Come to think of it, we ought to thank that unknown powerhouse,” Jade said, her face grim. “The Family will have to give the IPC an explanation for this.”

Something this dangerous had happened inside Penacony, yet the Family hadn’t issued so much as a warning beforehand. Jade had more than enough cause to demand answers in the IPC’s name.

--+--

Every faction with a little strength sensed that something had gone wrong.

The enemy hadn’t even shown itself, yet the Family had been forced to mobilize all its members to summon Dominicus in defense. That alone proved this was a conflict between Emanators.

Unfortunately, the only groups present with any hope of investigating were the Xianzhou delegation and the Astral Express crew.

Huaiyan was already advanced in years, and he couldn’t abandon everyone else to explore the deepest parts of the dream alone. At a time like this, they couldn’t entrust their safety to someone else.

Mei, meanwhile, recognized Sylvia’s power within the spreading shockwaves.

“What?! Th-that’s Sylvia fighting someone?”

When March 7th heard the news from Mei, her eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Her whole body trembled with visible excitement.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! She’s about to flip all of Penacony upside down! Sylvia really did this?!”

It wasn’t March 7th’s first time seeing an Emanator, but Phantylia was Phantylia. Sylvia was someone who joked around with them every day and even shared a little flirtation with her.

Those two things weren’t remotely the same.

As March 7th wrestled with her complicated feelings, she quietly began wondering whether this meant she had a powerful backer now. Maybe she could strut around the universe without fearing anyone.

Stelle, as usual, didn’t seem worried in the slightest. She was already planning to ask Sylvia for combat lessons later.

Dan Heng, however, had worn a deep frown ever since leaving the Astral Express to join the others.

He could feel it.

Just as Sunday had sensed Harmony in the shockwaves, Dan Heng sensed the overwhelming, unrestrained power of Permanence. It carried the same presence he’d felt the first time he saw Sylvia assume her dragon form.

That alone wouldn’t have unsettled him so badly.

Yet Sylvia’s power of Permanence felt far greater, more complete, and more profound than the power he wielded.

Even sensing its distant aftereffects filled Dan Heng with an uncontrollable urge to “complete” himself.

His own power was incomplete.

At that moment, Dan Heng couldn’t suppress the thought at all. The urge had nowhere to go, leaving him confused and lost, so he could only force it down through sheer will.

“Dan Heng? Are you all right?” Welt asked from beside him after noticing his condition.

“...I’m fine.”

Dan Heng didn’t know how to explain what was happening, so he only shook his head and tried to keep everyone from worrying.

Mei noticed anyway. She lifted her sheathed blade and lightly tapped it against his forehead.

Clang—

A trace of Nihility flowed through the sheath and entered Dan Heng’s body.

“...Miss Acheron, do you know what’s wrong with me?”

Dan Heng looked at Acheron in surprise.

The power of Nihility felt deeply unpleasant as it entered him. At the same time, it swept away the violent impulse inside him.

“Sylvia’s power is probably placing a burden on you. Bear with it for now. My power can isolate you from the disturbance, while Permanence should let you withstand its side effects.”

“...”

Everyone fell silent.

Acheron hadn’t explained further, but they all understood what kind of power she meant.

Dan Heng nodded. He also understood Nihility’s domineering and exclusionary nature. Then a thought struck him, and he asked, “You said Permanence can resist the side effects. Has Sylvia tried this before?”

“Sylvia wasn’t born a Vidyadhara. Without training herself this way every day, she’d struggle to advance along her Path.”

Welt sucked in a sharp breath and adjusted his glasses.

In truth, everyone had fallen silent the moment Acheron said it.

She trained herself with Nihility? Every day?

Even someone reckless enough to risk their life should’ve had a little common sense.

Stelle looked eager to try, but March 7th reacted fast and covered her mouth.

“No wonder that child’s grown so quickly,” Himeko murmured as she turned to gaze into the distance.

If Sylvia had gained her strength through methods like that, Himeko couldn’t imagine what she’d endured each day.

Even Dan Heng, who usually kept a cool face, had trouble holding his expression together. He’d thought the things he’d done in his previous life were reckless enough, yet Sylvia had somehow gone even further.

They absolutely couldn’t let the Vidyadhara hear about this.

Dan Heng didn’t even want to imagine how many stubborn fools might try copying her. The Vidyadhara already had enough trouble with their declining population. No one needed to imitate such a dangerous method.

March 7th was the first to recover from her shock, mostly because Stelle kept struggling in her grip.

“Wait, Acheron. Aren’t you going to help Sylvia?”

Help her?

Mei blinked. A faint look of confusion crossed her cool expression, as though she were trying to understand why that would be necessary.

Through their mental connection, she could already tell that Sylvia had climbed onto her opponent’s head and was trying to force it over to her side.

Worse, she was giggling while she did it.

Mei didn’t even need to see her in person to imagine the smug grin plastered across Sylvia’s face.

“There’s no need. Sylvia’s nearly won. She just needs time to finish things.”

Judging by Penacony’s condition, the enemy’s resistance had already begun to weaken. It would probably give up soon.

“How do you know that?” March 7th asked. She hadn’t seen Acheron contact anyone.

“Sylvia and I have a special way of sensing each other. I can tell what state she’s in.”

“Wow! I want that too. How do I get it?”

Stelle raised her hand, eyes shining.

With something like that, she could call Sylvia “wife” in her head all day long. It’d solve the problem of her account getting blocked every other day and stopping her from sending the word.

“Hmm... I don’t know.”

Mei gave Stelle a strange look.

She had the face of a mature woman, yet her thoughts jumped all over the place, and her personality resembled a child’s. The contrast was certainly unusual.

--+--

Meanwhile, deep inside the Memory Zone—

“You’re going to behave now, right?!”

“SKREEEE—!”

Sylvia gripped the threads with both hands and pulled with all her strength, binding the Swarm King to herself.

She’d come out ahead in their direct clash. As the Swarm King’s resistance faded, the threads could finally restrain it.

The powers of Propagation and Permanence poured into the swarm as her ability took effect. Had Sylvia not risen to the level of an Emanator, she’d never have been able to control such an enormous swarm.

“You should’ve switched sides sooner. I’m going to bring the Path of Propagation back under control sooner or later. Join now, and you’ll at least count as an old member.”

Sylvia kept suppressing it while muttering without pause.

After fighting for so long, the Swarm King had probably begun to notice what made her different. The combination of Permanence and Propagation lay far beyond the swarm’s understanding.

They knew nothing about the connection between those two Paths.

“SKREE!”

The swarm cried out in misery.

You keep saying that, but why don’t you stop hitting us?!

You’ve nearly taken control of everyone already! When did you ever give us a choice?!

Sylvia couldn’t tell how much time passed. Perception was too distorted here for her to judge it by instinct.

At last, the struggle ended.

Only then did Sylvia release the swarm.

The Swarm King collapsed in an instant. Its immense power faded, but Sylvia’s control spread back through the entire swarm at the same time.

“Whew... good thing that worked.”

Sylvia let out a sigh of relief.

“Chirp, chirp—”

A large, glassy insect resembling a crystal mantis stepped forward. Judging by the way the others treated it, it seemed to hold a leadership role.

“All right. Tell me what’s going on. What exactly are you, and do you have anything to do with what’s happening in Penacony?”

Sylvia discovered, to her surprise, that once freed from their outer shells, the insects’ appearances were highly malleable. After falling under her control, every individual had somehow become more attractive.

The change was dramatic. It was like they’d gone from monster forms to armored hero forms.

The insect chosen as their representative obediently used Memoria as a medium and began explaining.

After Propagation’s fall, they’d converted to Harmony and traveled deep into the Asdana star system. As their physical bodies gradually decayed, they moved deeper and deeper into the Memory Zone, where they developed in secret.

Penacony’s founding hadn’t disturbed them. After all, everyone there worshiped Xipe.

Still, whenever Dreamchasers ventured too deep, the swarm devoured them to avoid discovery.

Things only became complicated when the Stellaron began to stir.

Before, the Stellaron had affected only the upper layers, and its output hadn’t been strong enough to cause much trouble. Recently, however, it had grown more active.

Using the accretion disk’s power, the energy leaking from it continued pouring toward the deeper regions. That disturbance drove part of the swarm into the dreamscape to investigate.

They’d alarmed the Family, which led to a minor clash.

That was how The Reverie had been destroyed.

The Family had discovered that something was wrong, but it hadn’t identified the swarm and hadn’t dared investigate further. The swarm, meanwhile, had noticed a discordant note within Harmony.

Lately, they’d been debating whether to take revenge before Order replaced the Family, then flee at once.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!”

The lead insect waved its limbs and complained.

The Family had not only been causing chaos in the Memory Zone but had also proven weak in its convictions. Worse, if the power of Order truly took over Penacony, the swarm would have no choice but to flee for its survival.

“...Wait. You never considered fighting back? Don’t you worship Xipe too?”

“Chirp, chirp—”

“You’re afraid because the other side has an Emanator? I can’t believe you... Though I guess if you’d been brave enough to fight back, you would’ve died a long time ago.”

They’d watched Propagation fall and the Swarm King perish, then immediately bowed their heads to Xipe. Expecting any ambition from insects like these was probably hopeless.

Still, this meant that even if Sylvia and Firefly ignored them, the swarm likely wouldn’t launch a surprise attack when they dealt with the Stellaron tomorrow.

With courage that weak, no one could expect much from them.

--+--

Marry Acheron - 450

--+--

Come to think of it, Sylvia was now, at least in name, the queen of this swarm. Their power was far too great to leave buried down here.

“You can’t keep hiding forever. I’ll figure out a way to bring you up with me.”

Sylvia studied the swarm’s altered forms as she considered her options. Could she turn them into her representatives on Penacony and establish a sixth Family?

“Screech—!”

The lead insect waved its limbs, making it clear that they wanted to follow her. What kind of insect queen wandered off alone without her swarm? It’d been one thing when they hadn’t had a Swarm King, but now that she’d taken them in, staying behind would make the whole thing pointless.

That wasn’t Propagation at all.

“Wait, you want to come with me? That’s a good question. How am I supposed to take all of you?”

Maybe she could make one enormous Memory Bubble and turn it into a partially sealed Light Cone. It should work in theory, but once the swarm left the environment of the Memory Zone, their unusual powers would weaken.

“Forget it. I’ll still be on Penacony for the next few days, so give me some time to think.”

Sylvia calmed the swarm with a few simple words. Some jobs were best left to a specialist.

It was time for Constance to make herself useful.

--+--

The final day before the Charmony Festival passed in a burst of excitement amid the unexpected crisis. The Family had managed to turn danger into a thrilling celebration.

Miss Robin’s special performance lasted two system hours, followed by a succession of stars from the Iris Family. The festivities swept across Penacony for more than ten system hours and carried on until the Charmony Festival’s opening ceremony.

Two system hours before the auction for the Mask of Elation began, Sylvia met Robin at Dreamflux Reef.

“I can’t believe what happened yesterday…”

Robin had learned the truth from Sylvia, though only she and the Astral Express crew knew what had really taken place.

“Yeah. I don’t think that swarm would’ve harmed Penacony, but we still owe Firefly a lot.”

Sylvia recalled meeting Firefly in reality the day before. She’d looked far more energetic than she had in the dream, and the moment they met, she’d excitedly tackled Sylvia to the floor for no clear reason.

After they’d talked for a while, however, Firefly had fallen into a deep sleep. Her experience in the synesthetic dream had likely drained her more than she’d realized. Sylvia had carried her to the sofa, settled her there, and returned to her own room.

She’d planned to ask Silver Wolf about it, but her message had gone unanswered. Silver Wolf was probably on a mission, so Sylvia had let the matter drop.

She wasn’t sure whether Firefly had entered the dream again today.

“At least that answers my questions,” Robin said with a smile. “I’d like to thank Miss Firefly myself someday.”

Many of the strange events in the Dreamscape, as well as the mysteries surrounding Dreamflux Reef, finally made sense. With Sylvia around, the depths of the Memory Zone were no longer an unknown forbidden region either. One day, Penacony’s Dreamscape might even expand farther into its depths.

“I’ll pass that along for you,” Sylvia said.

“But are you sure you’ll be all right? About Zephyro…”

Robin brought up the Lord Ravager when she saw how unconcerned Sylvia seemed.

“I’ll be fine. If I can’t beat him, I’ve got Mei. And if that’s still not enough, my new underlings can put up a fight too.”

“That’s good.”

Robin let out a quiet breath of relief. As long as Sylvia wasn’t determined to bottle everything up and fight alone, that was enough.

Pathstriders with that kind of stubborn streak were everywhere. Robin could be just as stubborn in certain ways, but thankfully, Sylvia had no problem asking others for help.

“I need to head to the Grand Theater and get ready,” Robin said, drawing a deep breath. “Good luck, Sylvia.”

Now it was her turn to act.

“You too.”

Sylvia gave her an encouraging smile. No one knew when Zephyro would arrive, and Robin would make her move when the auction entered its final stage.

March 7th and Stelle would stay at her side, with young Yunli serving as an additional guard. Himeko would remain at Dreamflux Reef to help Sylvia seal the Stellaron, while Welt and Dan Heng would attend the auction as representatives of the Astral Express.

As for Constance, she wasn’t the sort who protected people. Sylvia didn’t trust her with Robin’s safety anyway.

Mei would remain in reality and stay alert for Zephyro. Should Sylvia fail to arrive in time and the Family prove unable to withstand him, Mei would step in to hold him back.

The plan was in place. All that remained was to see what hand the Family would play.

Sylvia had already told Robin about the Order, though she had no idea how its power would reveal itself. They could only respond as events unfolded.

Considering the strength on their side, however, Sylvia wasn’t too worried.

After watching Robin leave, Sylvia turned to find Himeko sitting nearby, leisurely enjoying a cup of Dreamflux Reef’s local coffee.

“Mmm… Dreamflux Reef’s coffee beans have a flavor all their own. Would you like a cup, Sylvia?”

“Sure.”

Sylvia sat beside her and took the chance to rest.

“By the way, I haven’t seen Misha for the past couple of days. Did you finish investigating him?”

Now that she had a moment to breathe and Himeko happened to be with her, Sylvia finally remembered that the boy had been missing for two days.

“Misha…” Himeko’s gaze drifted toward the tallest building in Dreamflux Reef, which was also the closest point to the Penacony Grand Theater. “He’s already gone to sleep.”

She paused before continuing.

“Misha was the legendary Nameless himself—the Watchmaker, Mikhail.”

Himeko calmly explained everything they’d discovered: Misha’s birth, the Watchmaker’s Legacy, and the hat left behind for the Nameless who’d come after him.

Sylvia stayed quiet until the story was over, then turned toward the enormous memoria accretion disk.

“…Life really is unpredictable. And to think the Watchmaker’s ‘watch’ was actually a compass. That riddle was almost impossible to guess.”

The three Nameless who’d left the Express had devoted their lives to the Trailblaze. The Watchmaker had remained trapped on Penacony, yet he’d never heard the train whistle again. Tiernan had wandered the stars but had never managed to return to his second home or reunite with his old friends. Razalina had fallen even earlier.

“You’re not wrong.” Himeko pressed her lips together before a faint smile crossed her face. “When the conductor learned about those three Nameless, they cried so hard that they forgot to clean the train.”

“No wonder Pom-Pom hasn’t said anything in the group chat for the past two days.”

Sylvia took a sip of coffee.

“I hope we can recover more trains someday.”

Two trains with fewer than ten people between them still made for a rather small group of companions on the Trailblaze, though neither train had all that many cars to begin with.

“So do I.”

As the Navigator of this generation, Himeko allowed herself to imagine such a future. She wondered whether she’d live long enough to see it.

Now that Sylvia had become an Emanator of Permanence, she should be able to live for a very long time. Perhaps, in the distant future, Sylvia could witness that flourishing age in Himeko’s place.

--+--

While Sylvia and Himeko enjoyed their quiet coffee break, the auction finally began.

The event was open to all of Penacony. Distinguished guests could enter the Grand Theater, but ordinary tourists without admission were still allowed to place bids remotely. For most of them, participation mattered more than any real hope of winning.

Despite the disturbance the day before, Penacony remained as lively as ever.

The opening hosts weren’t Robin, but Lady Maeven, head of the Iris Family, and none other than Sampo the Masked Fool.

Old Sampo was almost too responsible. He’d padded the auction with a few random trinkets to fill out the catalog, but at least he’d shown up and done his job as host.

Sparkle, meanwhile, had vanished to parts unknown.

The Family’s members were busy, and all five Families had their hands full. Robin waited alone backstage at the Grand Theater without anyone disturbing her.

“Whew…”

This was the center of everyone’s attention. Once the Stellaron appeared, there was a strong chance she’d come into direct conflict with the Family.

Robin hated the thought, but there was no avoiding it.

March 7th and Stelle arrived late.

“Miss Robin, when are we making our move?”

March looked nervous and eager at the same time. Stelle was even worse—she already had her baseball bat in hand.

She kept glancing around with a suspicious look, ready to charge anyone who came too close and clear a path with her bat. Her behavior drew more attention from the passersby than anything else.

“Please calm down, Miss Stelle, Miss March 7th. It’s still too early.”

Robin had faced every kind of stage imaginable, so Stelle’s behavior didn’t embarrass her. Or perhaps her excellent composure simply kept any unnecessary reaction from showing.

The main event hadn’t begun, and Zephyro still hadn’t appeared. If Robin acted now, the Family’s attention would immediately fall on her.

Sylvia, meanwhile, was at Dreamflux Reef and couldn’t communicate with the outside world. Still, the moment Robin made her move, the consequences would be obvious from there, so Sylvia wouldn’t miss it.

--+--

The auction proceeded without trouble. Before long, it was almost time to present the Mask of the Emanator of Elation.

“And now, we come to the grand finale of today’s auction—”

Sampo slipped into his usual theatrical tone and began praising the mask as though it were the greatest treasure in the universe.

At that same moment, far beyond Penacony, space erupted.

Boom—!

A surging mass of flame streaked through the barren reaches like a speeding star and plunged straight into the Asdana system. Its overwhelming presence carried the force of Destruction, and the impact alone churned the Memory Zone across the entire star system.

“I’m finally here! Let’s give Penacony a warm welcome!”

A wild cheer rang from within the flames.

A blinding white beam flashed across the void, piercing and melting everything in its path as it shot from the edge of the system straight toward Penacony.

Just before the scorching beam struck, a translucent barrier appeared from nowhere. It quietly dissolved the killing blow and shielded even the ships docked along the orbital ring.

Aside from the countless asteroids destroyed along its path, the attack accomplished nothing.

“Oh? You came prepared? Now this is more like it.”

Zephyro seemed entirely unsurprised by the Family’s response.

“Unwelcome guest of Destruction, the Charmony Festival is at hand. Withdraw now, and your life shall be spared today.”

The Dreammaster’s voice spread from Penacony through the power of Harmony, crossing the star system in an instant and reaching the ears of everyone within Penacony.

“Hahahaha! What arrogant fools! I’ll burn every one of you to cinders first, then we’ll see whether Xipe even bothers to look your way!”

Boom—!

The flames thundered. The colossal blaze, vast as a star, transformed into a giant of fire that stretched across heaven and earth.

Countless troops of the Antimatter Legion emerged from within it. Waves of Destruction spread through space, and the mere aftershock shattered numerous lifeless planets into drifting cosmic debris.

Penacony didn’t sit idle.

Another colossal being emerged as if born from the void, accompanied by soaring chants and resonant song. Its face burned with wrath as it stared down Zephyro’s threat.

“Then let blood and fire open this year’s Charmony Festival!”

It was the Harmonious Choir’s counterpart known as the Eternal Centurion—Aelenev.

Like Dominicus, the Harmonious Choir, Aelenev was one of Xipe’s manifestations. Yet where Dominicus embodied collective wishes, Aelenev represented blood and fire. It was the face the Family revealed when foreign enemies threatened its authority.

The day before, when faced with the aftermath of an unknown battle, Sunday had chosen to summon Dominicus. For one thing, the Family hadn’t been defending itself from an attacker at the time, and Aelenev was too violent and aggressive for such a situation.

For another, Sunday had wanted to test the process. The collective wishes that formed Dominicus were easier to use when replacing Harmony with Order.

Now, a battle among the stars was moments from erupting.

Within the protected bounds of Penacony, however, the auction continued. Even so, most of the Family members summoning Aelenev had been forced to devote the greater part of their focus to the battle.

Only a small number remained to preserve order and push the auction toward its conclusion.

“Ladies and gentlemen, your chance to win glory and become famous in a single battle is right before you!” Sampo declared, instantly changing his sales pitch as footage of the Emanators’ battlefield appeared beside him. “All you have to do is buy this mask, and you’ll give the Family a decisive advantage!”

He pointed toward the projected battle and continued with rising passion.

“The Family will treat you as an honored guest! The Antimatter Legion will become the stones beneath your feet! Fame across the stars, wealth and glory—everything you’ve ever wanted is within reach! Place your bids!”

Backstage, March 7th stared at Sampo’s overblown performance with a pained expression.

“Uh… That’s so embarrassing. Is anyone really going to fall for something like that?”

Before she’d even finished speaking, Stelle sent a voice message to the group chat.

“Mr. Yang! I want that! Let me out there—I’ll fight ten of them!”

“…”

March kept her face stiff and pretended she didn’t know her.

Robin covered her mouth and laughed.

“All right, it’s almost time. I need to begin. I probably won’t be able to pay attention to anything else once I start, so I’ll be counting on you.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Robin! I’ll protect you!”

“The Galactic Baseballer shall purge all evil—”

A rapid series of footsteps interrupted Stelle. A small figure rushed barefoot into the room.

“Ah—I’m here, I’m here! Sorry, sorry! I almost got lost! I’m not late, am I?”

“You didn’t miss anything, Miss Yunli. You’re right on time.”

Robin nodded to the breathless girl.

Then the operation to retrieve the Stellaron officially began.

--+--