Firefly knew the dream's various facilities well. Since she said it was not dangerous, Caelus could not help wondering if Aventurine was inviting him to watch a movie.
The six of them soon arrived at their destination. Aventurine was nowhere to be seen, but he had dyed the massive screen here in his favorite pattern: Aventurine's signature green and the face of a spade card.
"We have come to honor the appointment, Mr. Aventurine. By etiquette, you should show yourself as well."
Himeko spoke to the large screen. Aventurine was definitely here; there was no way they would have come all this way only for both sides to somehow fail to meet in the same place.
"Of course I will. But before that, I would like to properly introduce tonight's leading man."
Aventurine answered quickly, without the slightest delay. As his voice rang out, a spotlight fell upon Caelus.
"Please welcome Mr. Stellaron!"
"Huh? I'm the star? Seriously?"
Caelus raised a hand and pointed at himself, asking in great surprise as though he had only just learned what he was.
"Don't act like you forgot your own identity, you Stellaron brat."
March 7th snarked from the side. Everyone aboard the Express knew Caelus was a Stellaron brat, though there seemed to be one exception. March 7th glanced at Firefly, wanting to see how she would react, only to find Firefly even calmer than she was, as if she had known all along.
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Calculations from Head to Toe
"What do you want to do to Caelus?"
Firefly stared straight at the screen ahead. She did not care what happened to herself, but she could not bear to see Caelus threatened. She was already a wanted criminal of the company anyway; she would not mind killing a few more company people.
"Ugh."
March 7th wore a pained expression. She had meant to say that first. After going through so much with Caelus, she could at least be considered someone close to him, yet even this was being stolen from her.
"Why would I work so hard to earn your trust, then invite all of you here?"
Aventurine began asking and answering his own question. No one interrupted him now; they simply waited for him to deliver his pre-battle declaration.
"Because he is the only witness to have seen three murder cases—the best person to prove that the claim of no casualties in the dream is nothing but empty words!"
"Three?"
Himeko asked in confusion. So far, she only knew that Robin had been murdered. She could believe that others had died in places unknown to them, but she had not expected Caelus to have seen it three times already.
"Yes, ma'am. The first was Robin, the second was himself, and now, the third murder is about to take place—right here!"
Aventurine spoke politely. Amid everyone's confusion, he pointed the spearhead at Caelus.
"Everyone will die, and it will all be because of you, Stellaron brat!"
Caelus realized he had been singled out. Though he did not mind how men looked at him, he still felt the need to explain himself.
"Old Aventurine, there may be some misunderstanding between us. Didn't I tell you when we first met that I'm Topaz's husband? And our later cooperation went very smoothly. We clearly have such a good relationship, so how can you say that about me?"
Caelus spoke to Aventurine with a heartbroken expression. Aventurine was speechless after hearing that. Though Caelus had never openly scammed him, he had suffered a tremendous emotional blow behind the scenes.
"How is it good?!"
March 7th and Aventurine spoke at the same time. March 7th felt that the other side had practically announced he wanted to kill Caelus, yet Caelus was still going on about their good relationship.
"Ahem. Don't mind those details. In short, the murder I mentioned is blowing up the Stellaron inside you and creating a little accident here."
Aventurine coughed, reclaiming his boss-like bearing. Every spade card on the screen pointed at Caelus. This was no longer as simple as killing him—it was mutual destruction.
"Boom! The entire amusement park will become a shattered dream. Then, before the Family can react, I will become the vanguard of the company fleet."
A trace of excitement entered Aventurine's voice. From the Express crew's perspective, he intended to use the Stellaron's explosion to shatter the sweet dream, then have the fleet launch a full-scale assault and seize Penacony in one stroke.
Welt and Himeko both found it strange. After all, there were distinguished guests in the dream. Would Aventurine not offend countless people by doing this? Unless he intended to pin the Stellaron explosion on the Family and claim they had secretly harbored a Stellaron. That would be feasible.
"You cannot do it."
Acheron spoke. Whatever Aventurine intended to do, Caelus was someone she wanted to protect. As long as she lived, nothing could happen to him.
"Of course I can. It is merely another gamble. Remember, I did not win by chance once. I have never lost."
Aventurine's tone remained confident. He showed no fear even while facing an Envoy. As he spoke, his figure descended from above. Unlike his previous luxurious attire, he now wore a long garment resembling armor. Between his sharpened fingers rested a shattered pale-green Cornerstone.
"Aventurine Stone? Why is it in his hands?"
Welt clearly sensed the immense power radiating from the Cornerstone. That power was no weaker than an Envoy's. Aventurine had undoubtedly gained the power granted by the Sumeru King.
"The first and second were both meant to deceive Sunday. He brought three Cornerstones from the start? The Strategic Investment Department advances and retreats together. Right, Topaz did warn me."
Surprise also appeared on Caelus's face. He had previously discussed the Cornerstones with Topaz. Thinking back now, she must have been giving him a subtle warning, but Caelus could never have imagined this. Nor did he blame Topaz for being vague. Three Cornerstones were absolutely company secrets. Even if the two of them were really married, Topaz could not have told him the truth.
Caelus suddenly felt that his Uncle was rather pitiful. Aventurine had truly calculated him to pieces. Sunday had exposed Aventurine for placing Topaz's Cornerstone inside the Cornerstone box, then exposed him again for putting Aventurine Stone in the suitcase. After seeing through his tricks twice, he must have thought he had won. Only a ghost could have guessed Aventurine had brought three Cornerstones.
If Sunday had been here, he might have complained, "Why not bring all ten Cornerstones just to screw me over?"
"Let me share a proverb with you: sleep is a rehearsal for death. Why does life sleep? Because we are not yet prepared to face death."
Aventurine had now gained the ability to fly. His body floated in midair as he raised a hand and pointed toward the heavens.
The situation was now clear. Aventurine intended to violently detonate the Stellaron inside Caelus. The Express crew had no choice but to take this battle, or Caelus would die. Everyone drew their weapons to meet the challenge, while Caelus also took out the City Builder lance he had acquired.
"City Builder scrap. Not worth mentioning."
Aventurine mocked the lance in Caelus's hand. The reason the tip of the lance could produce flames was because it contained components similar to those of a Cornerstone. Of course, it was only similar; its functions could not compare at all. Caelus wore an unhappy expression. Aventurine was trying to provoke him, and Caelus saw through it, so he did not take it to heart.
"I place the wager, I play the game, I claim the victory—all for... the Sumeru King!"
As Aventurine spoke, he crushed Aventurine Stone in his hand. Topaz had said before that when a Cornerstone was carved open by will, its holder would gain the power of an Envoy. Aventurine was now, without question, an Envoy of Preservation.
After gaining an Envoy's power, the first thing Aventurine did was establish an eggshell-shaped domain around them, covering buildings within a one-kilometer radius. It was meant to prevent Caelus and the others from escaping so that they could fight to the death.
Aventurine threw dice at Caelus and the others. Each die was as large as an adult. After landing, they spun like tops and rushed toward Caelus. Naturally, the others would not allow that to happen, and they all shielded him behind them.
Acheron knocked away a die with the sheath of her blade. The die spun to a stop on the ground, revealing three pips. A spatial rift opened above Acheron's head, and nine golden chips fell from within and struck her. The damage was not significant to Acheron, but her body grew a little heavier.
Shattering an Envoy's Dream with One Slash
Acheron quickly realized that the chips were weighing her down. If she continued to be struck by them, her body would soon become too heavy to control.
The others were in much the same situation. It was their first time witnessing the power of an Envoy of Preservation. It was thoroughly Aventurine's personal style—raising the stakes bit by bit until the prey could no longer move, then harvesting it. And the number of dice was still increasing.
Caelus had already been burdened with thirty-six points. He was so heavy he could not even lift his lance. As more chips fell from above him, March 7th hurriedly reinforced his shield. But it was useless. These things were not physical attacks; even March 7th's shield could have its weight increased. It was simply an unreasonable ability.
Boom!
Crimson flames swept over Caelus's head, melting every golden chip into gas and making them vanish. A silver figure appeared before him. It was tall and mighty, its reactor spread open behind it and spewing flames like a pair of fiery wings.
"Sam, why are you here?"
Caelus asked in surprise. He had never imagined that the one coming to save him would be Sam of the Stellaron Hunters. It felt like his mother had asked someone to look after him. After all, Sam was Kafka's colleague. He understood.
"Slow-playing a strong hand. Putting on airs."
Seeing that Caelus's side had escaped danger, Aventurine spoke in annoyance. He raised a finger toward Acheron, making his meaning perfectly clear. This Envoy, Acheron, had no intention of drawing her blade. She could clearly strike with all her strength, yet for some reason, she hesitated.
"I admit it. You have made me impatient."
Aventurine floated above the city, fully unleashing the power of Preservation within the domain he had constructed. The sky instantly turned golden. Within that golden radiance, countless golden chips descended like a world-ending meteor shower. This was the fully unleashed power of an Envoy. Once those chips fell, every person and building within the domain would be compressed solid.
Caelus looked toward Acheron. He did not know what she was thinking. If she did not want to act, no one would force her. They could simply find a way through the crisis together.
As if sharing an unspoken understanding, Acheron looked back at Caelus, then shifted her gaze away and stepped forward. The ground beneath her feet instantly became rippling black water, and a black-and-white domain emerged around her. It collided with Aventurine's domain, swiftly dyeing the golden domain black and white.
It was Firefly's first time seeing Acheron fight. She stared in shock at the woman whose aura had completely changed. Every strand of Acheron's hair had turned pure white from within, and a bloody tear fell from her right eye, drawing a beautiful mark across her cheek.
"May I weep for the departed, tears falling like rain to fill the river crossing."
"Like the tide, I will guide you home."
Acheron slowly drew her katana from its sheath. The formerly black blade had also turned blood-red. A scarlet blade-light slashed diagonally upward from below, piercing through the black-and-white chips falling from the sky. It brushed past Aventurine's body without obstruction and split the domain behind him in two.
After cutting through the domain, the blade-light did not slow. It also cleaved apart Penacony's sweet-dream sky before finally falling into the pitch-black Void.
"Hah..."
Aventurine took a deep breath. He looked at the enormous black hole and black sea before him. The moment he saw Acheron unleash that slash, he knew he had won his gamble. Yet the sight before him was beyond expectation. He had never seen anything like it.
"Unfortunately, this is not the place you expected."
Acheron's voice came from behind him. Aventurine turned around and saw Acheron and Caelus standing behind him, like guides through the world after death.
"The Void... is it?"
Aventurine now understood what Acheron was. His earlier guess that she was an Envoy had been correct, but he had never considered that she was an Envoy of The Void. It truly was something one rarely saw in a lifetime.
"Perhaps you see me as an Envoy concealing her identity. But the slumbering Formless One never looks upon anyone. It has no face, no form, and no will. The Void equally shrouds everyone. Some simply walk farther beneath Its shadow and become tainted by more nothingness. That is all."
Acheron spoke with a calm expression. Aventurine's expression became strange. His plan had succeeded, and he had at least gained an Envoy's power for a short while, but before he could enjoy it, Acheron had shattered his dream of being an Envoy with a single slash.
"That is all? Friend, I do not even know what to say."
Aventurine spread his hands. The difference between Envoys was simply too vast—so vast that he suspected he was a counterfeit. No wonder the Aeon of The Void was widely recognized as the strongest, while also being the least desirous.
"My Acheron can be a little humble-braggy sometimes. Don't take it too seriously."
Caelus held Acheron's reddened right hand. Aventurine's brow twitched twice. He now understood why Caelus, despite being so infuriating, had not been beaten to death. With an Envoy of The Void as his girlfriend protecting him while traveling the universe, anyone could swagger around.
"So... this is my end? The place after death?"
Aventurine asked with a smile. He believed his physical body had already died, leaving only his soul dragged here by the power of The Void, waiting to dissipate.
"I did not cut your body. The slash brushed past you. This is merely a fleeting dream, one of IX's countless manifestations. Under The Void's witness, we linger here briefly, then proceed in our separate directions."
Acheron explained. Aventurine fell silent for a moment. A slash that had merely brushed past him had nearly killed an Envoy of Preservation, one of the toughest there was. He did not dare imagine what would happen if it had struck him directly.
"Old Aventurine, what is wrong with you? Why did you have to provoke Acheron?"
Caelus asked from the side. Aventurine's actions had seemed strange at every turn. Topaz had warned him to watch out for Aventurine, but who could have expected Aventurine to be this insane?
"I said I was going to blow you up, and you are not angry?" Aventurine asked strangely.
"Come on, what's yours is mine. I'm Topaz's husband. How could I be angry at you? My wife might call me petty later."
Caelus raised a hand and patted Aventurine's shoulder, displaying a man's magnanimity. Aventurine was speechless. His relationship with Topaz was that of comrades, so Caelus saying that always felt strange.
"My purpose was not to blow you up. It was to use my death to get the company to the negotiating table."
Aventurine began revealing his true purpose. Caelus looked at him in surprise. Aventurine spoke calmly of death. It was not an act; he had truly intended to exchange his life for the company's interests.
"You know that no one can die in the dream. The Family promised that. If an envoy representing the company died in the dream, especially one of the Ten Stonehearts, the Family would certainly have to face the company's fury. As for what happens afterward, I do not know. I am only responsible for bringing both sides to the negotiating table. After that, it will be Topaz and Jade's business."
Aventurine explained his method in detail. Helping the Family catch the murderer, being controlled by Sunday—those had all been lies. He did not care about any of that. From beginning to end, Aventurine's sole purpose had been to bring the Family to the negotiating table, even at the cost of his life.
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"You really are a madman."
Caelus gave his assessment. Aventurine did not seem like the sort who would risk his life for a monthly salary of tens of millions of Credits. Having reached his position in the company, he had long since achieved financial freedom. It seemed he was trying to demonstrate his value.
"That is a fair assessment of a gambler."
Aventurine smiled and calmly accepted Caelus's judgment.
"But you did not die. We can be more honest now," Acheron said.
"What do you mean?"
The smile vanished from Aventurine's face. A man unafraid of death inexplicably felt guilty under Acheron's gaze. This woman seemed to possess a god's-eye view, capable of seeing through everything.
"Your performance in the amusement park was splendid. Bluffing... a simple but practical technique. You deceived almost everyone."
Acheron spoke calmly. Caelus was completely confused, but he still nodded along with her, showing that he was among the few people, like Acheron, who had not been fooled.
"No one would have imagined that you went to such lengths, even wagering your life, merely to confirm once again a fact that seemed to have long been denied: there is no true death in Penacony's dream."
Acheron's words were somewhat convoluted, but Caelus understood. She meant that because of Robin and the other earlier victims, many people who knew the secret believed people could die in the dream. But in truth, no one really died there.
"What reason would I have to do that?" Aventurine said noncommittally.
"Because only then could you reach the secret even more unspeakable than the serial murders. Only then could you use death in the dream to reach that place—the promised land that people have constantly sought during this grand celebration... the Clock Keeper's legacy, the true Penacony."
Acheron answered Aventurine's question. Caelus was astonished beside her. After sleeping for so long, Acheron's wisdom had really improved significantly. She could actually think of so many things now.
"How did you discover it?" Aventurine asked.
"I never expected that something I learned by accident would become the key connecting everything."
Acheron looked toward Caelus as she spoke. Caelus proudly placed both hands on his hips. Though he had never told Acheron about Dreamflow Reef, he had been killed and revived before her eyes. Naturally, she had remembered it.
Aventurine nodded and let his gaze fall upon Caelus, beginning to reveal his true thoughts.
"This sweet dream is not an ocean, but an isolated island. The Family built embankments and high walls with Harmony, isolating it from the outside and protecting people from drowning in the ocean. Yet with that barrier that keeps death at bay, they also bury unknown secrets in the deep sea. In a sweet dream without pain or casualties, those secrets will never see the light of day. Unless..."
"Unless someone can go to the other side of the barrier and return alive."
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