119. The Sun Also Rises / 120. Someone Who Shouldn't Be Here...

At this moment, the grand theater was terrifyingly quiet. Forget guests—there was not even a single living creature. March 7th looked left and right. The place was filled with red curtains, carpets, and strange-looking puppets.

"March 7th, look behind you."

March 7th was already frightened by the eerie scene when Caelus suddenly spoke beside her ear. She hurriedly turned around, only to find nothing behind her. At the same time, her ear went cold, as though someone were blowing chilly air on it.

"Aaaah!"

March 7th screamed and jumped up. Caelus had been prepared all along; he raised his arms and caught the leaping March 7th, holding her in a princess carry.

"Perfect."

Caelus smiled as he felt March 7th's soft body. She finally realized who had blown on her ear. Caelus had tricked her again.

"You jerk! You scared me again! I'm gonna get you!"

March 7th cried out as she pounded Caelus's body. However, with her making such a fuss, the eerie atmosphere vanished, and the fear was gone as well. After the two had fooled around enough, the four of them continued forward.

They had thought Sunday would station people here to wear them down before the final battle, but apparently he had not. Though they walked different Paths, Sunday truly had the image of a good person. His methods were simply somewhat extreme. If he had allowed people to choose whether to enter his paradise, things might have ended much better.

Following the red carpet into the deepest part of the grand theater, they found a bridge leading straight to the stage. On either side of the bridge lay bottomless darkness. The stage was surrounded by audience seats covered in red curtains, though silhouettes inside could be seen playing instruments.

"Those people... aren't human, are they?"

March 7th grabbed Caelus's arm. The people behind the curtains looked grim and sinister, moving as stiffly as puppets. It reminded her of the puppets they had passed earlier. So all the ones that could move had been brought here.

"Who cares whether they're human? Once we beat them, we're done."

Caelus pulled March 7th toward the center of the stage. After crossing the bridge, they saw Sunday standing with his back to them. He gazed silently at the sky overhead, only withdrawing his gaze after everyone had reached the stage.

The Sun Still Rises

"I have already learned of your resolve."

"Now, I grant you all the right to gaze directly upon the sun."

As Sunday spoke, his body floated into the sky. At the same time, countless threads intertwined and tugged at the puppets behind the curtains. The puppets were pulled by fine threads and drifted into the air, forming a magnificent spectacle.

"Upon these one hundred and seven thousand, three hundred and thirty-six stones, the omnipotent strings of Harmony are mine to command! The tuner of all praise, the Choir of Harmony, Dominicus!"

As Sunday spoke, he transformed the one hundred and seven thousand, three hundred and thirty-six puppets into dream bubbles and absorbed them into his body. His body began to glow, eventually becoming a giant fused with the theater itself. The giant's body was not much different from the previous puppets, except six wings covered its head and obscured its eyes, while it held a conductor's baton in its hand.

What it could command was naturally the Choir of Harmony he had just named. The thing Robin had not wished to see had still arrived. This had originally been the power of Harmony, yet Sunday had summoned it here to spread the song that would put all of Penacony to sleep.

"The incarnation of Harmony... so the true purpose of the Grand Gala... was to seize it?"

Himeko's expression grew somewhat grave as she looked at the Choir of Harmony. These beings were condensed from the power of Harmony itself, things that were practically immortal. No matter how many were defeated, they could be reborn from the music. And as their conductor, Sunday had naturally gained the same power.

"Firefly, are you afraid?"

Caelus spoke. He had to admit, Uncle's current form was truly ugly. He should take a picture and save it. Later, if Sunday refused to marry his sister to him, he could print billions of copies and show them to everyone in Penacony.

"With you by my side, I'm not afraid."

Firefly answered softly. Even before an enemy that seemed impossible to defeat, there was not the slightest fear in their hearts. Caelus's will was enough to draw Xipe's gaze, proving that he had long been prepared to Trailblaze all the way to the end.

"Then come on! This is the final battle!"

Caelus took off his hat and tossed it into the sky. Clock Boy appeared beside him at some unknown moment, and music equal to that of the Choir of Harmony rose around them. Caelus and Clock Boy danced to the accompaniment, using the power of Harmony to force all of Sunday's power of Order back onto him.

"Until everything burns to ashes!"

Firefly cried out, and flames enveloped her body. When the flames faded, she had transformed into Sam. However, Sam was not using flames as a weapon this time. Instead, two green firefly wings grew from her back, while two pale-green one-handed swords appeared in her hands. They were Firefly's favorite color.

Sam's wings stirred scorching gusts as she flew toward the Choir of Harmony. She could feel Caelus's power strengthening her. Firefly thought of her previous battles. She had never felt so warm and relaxed, as though someone else were in the cockpit, embracing her from behind with warm arms.

Sunday's enormous hand slammed down, but Sam turned and evaded it directly. As she turned aside, the firefly wings behind her became sharp wings of light and sliced through Sunday's arm in one stroke.

"Aah!"

Sunday cried out in pain. The Harmony spirits of the Choir of Harmony immediately began attacking Sam. Their attacks pursued Sam as she soared through the sky like artillery fire. The cannon-light filled the heavens, yet it could not keep up with Sam's speed and was left far behind.

"Fireflies fly into flame, born toward death..."

Sam flew to the highest point of the dreamscape. Inside the cockpit, Firefly murmured to herself and no longer held back her strength. The wings behind her spread to their limit, nearly covering the sky of the dreamscape. Then the wings became thrust, sending her plunging like a meteor. Sunday met her with the conductor's baton in his hand, but the instant he swung it, Sam had already unleashed a cross slash. The baton snapped in two, and Sam continued forward. As her body spun, her wings smoothly cut into Sunday's massive body.

The surrounding space seemed to freeze. Then a crack appeared in space, and the upper half of the giant Sunday gradually slid down and crashed onto the stage. The Harmony spirits of the Choir of Harmony slowly disappeared.

"Caelus!"

Firefly released her transformation and ran over from afar before leaping into the air. Caelus had long been ready to receive her. The two embraced affectionately. After looking at each other, they tilted their heads at the same time, their soft lips meeting as they celebrated this victory with a passionate kiss.

With Sunday's defeat, the resurrection of Order became nothing more than nonsense. The Family's conspiracy was exposed, and the people of the Star Rail Express were hailed as heroes by Penacony's citizens. It was a happy ending worth celebrating.

"Haa."

Caelus woke from his beautiful dream. Looking at the unfamiliar ceiling, he discovered that he was lying in a dream pool.

"Caelus, you're awake."

March 7th's voice came from nearby. Caelus saw her standing in his room, smiling as she spoke to him.

"March 7th, what are you doing in Acheron's room?"

Caelus climbed out of the dream pool. He noticed that Acheron was nowhere to be seen inside it. Thinking back, she had indeed woken up earlier, though he had no idea what she had gone off to do.

"We beat Sunday, so of course we had to leave the dreamscape and explain the situation to the people here."

March 7th said with her hands on her hips, a proud little expression on her face.

"The people here?"

Caelus asked in confusion. He did not know who they needed to explain things to after defeating Sunday. A strange feeling spread through his heart.

"Yeah. Everyone was worried about your safety after hearing about Penacony. All your wives came to see you," March 7th explained with a nod.

"All of them means?"

"Bronya, Cocolia, Seele, Serval, Yukong, and Tingyun."

March 7th counted them off on her fingers. Without exception, these women had all shared intimate relationships with Caelus, so they had already been placed in the category of wives rather than girlfriends. Caelus had even more girlfriends.

"Wait, who did you say? Who was the last one?"

Caelus instantly lost all sleepiness. He went over to March 7th, grabbed her shoulders, and asked.

"Tingyun. Isn't she your wife?"

March 7th looked at Caelus strangely. He froze for a moment. What she said was indeed true. He still remembered Tingyun calling him husband every day, yet something felt off.

"She came too?"

"Yeah, she's waiting for you in the hotel lobby. Don't make them wait too long."

March 7th walked behind Caelus and pushed him out of the room. Caelus did not continue thinking about it and followed March 7th into the hotel lobby. Just as she had said, all six of his wives were there. Seeing the worried expressions on their faces, Caelus immediately went over to them.

A Person Who Shouldn't Have Appeared

"Caelus!"

The moment Bronya saw Caelus, tears streamed down her face. She hurried over and tightly hugged his waist. When Caelus felt the warmth of his wife's body, his expression immediately softened.

"Ya-Ya, don't cry. You won't look pretty if you cry."

Caelus said as he wrapped an arm around Bronya's slender waist. She was his first wife, and after being apart for so long, of course he had missed her terribly.

"I missed you so much."

Bronya's voice was soft as she poured all her love and emotions into Caelus's heart. At that moment, he did not want to think about anything else. He only wanted to be with Bronya.

After Bronya had acted spoiled enough, she smiled and stepped out of Caelus's embrace, yielding her place because there were still people waiting behind her.

The person standing behind Bronya was Cocolia. Even now, she was still somewhat embarrassed. After all, Caelus had just embraced her daughter, and now that it was her turn, she wanted to avoid him first.

"Coco, where are you running off to?"

Caelus stepped forward and pulled Cocolia's voluptuous body into his arms. Unlike with Bronya, he did not hold her waist this time. Instead, he placed his palm on her round, lifted buttocks. Merely resting his hand there made Cocolia's cheeks flush crimson.

"So many people are watching."

Cocolia whispered into Caelus's ear. He understood what she meant. This wife was still the same as before. Where no one could see them, she was willing to indulge him however he liked, but in front of others, she always cared about appearances.

Caelus did not make things difficult for Cocolia. He simply gave her a hard kiss on the cheek before letting her go. Cocolia shot him a charming glare, her expression clearly saying that she would make him pay when they were alone.

"Wife Seele."

Caelus looked toward the next person. Purple-haired Seele was as beautiful as ever, her pretty face full of heroic spirit. Hearing Caelus call her, she immediately came over and hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Just as Caelus was about to say something, Seele's body turned transparent and vanished, though the sensation remained. Caelus only felt warmth in his mouth as Seele's warm lips and tongue met his. Caelus had long since led her astray. As long as no one saw what she was doing, it meant she had done nothing wrong. She had mastered the essence of burying one's head in the sand.

Though the others could not see Seele, they could see Caelus opening his mouth. The sight alone made the thinner-skinned women blush. Fortunately, they were all married women already, so they would not retreat over something like this.

"Serval, come give me a hug."

Caelus looked at his wife Serval. He rather liked this form of address. Just as calling Cocolia mother-in-law had a different flavor, changing the title always brought a different feeling.

"Why are you still calling me big sister?"

Serval had quite a few reservations about dating someone younger, but upon seeing her little husband, she could not help stepping forward and embracing him. A happy smile appeared on her face, and their reunion ended with a kiss.

Finally, there were his two wives from the Xianzhou Alliance. Caelus looked at Yukong and Tingyun. This pair of Foxian sisters looked incredibly beautiful standing together, each with her own unique charm, and both wore affectionate smiles for Caelus.

"Husband."

"Dear husband."

Yukong and Tingyun used different forms of address as they leaned against Caelus together, one on each side, hugging his body. Caelus lowered his arms and wrapped them around their shoulders.

"It's good that you're back."

After speaking, Caelus froze. Why had he said back? Something felt wrong. Tingyun seemed to have gone somewhere very far away.

"You're Tingyun?"

Caelus moved slightly away from Tingyun and looked at the black-haired Foxian woman before him.

"It's me, dear husband. Don't you remember me? This little woman offered herself to you because you saved her life."

Tingyun's emerald eyes fell upon Caelus's face, and they quickly filled with mist. Caelus's delayed feelings toward her made her unhappy.

"Of course I remember. But... who is Phantylia?"

Caelus patted Tingyun's soft back to comfort her, then voiced the question in his heart. He did not know why, but he always linked Tingyun with the name Phantylia. He did not feel this way about his other wives.

"I don't know. There's no one here named Phantylia."

Tingyun shook her head. The other women were the same; none of them told Caelus who Phantylia was. So he let the matter go.

"You're right. Maybe I'm overthinking it. I missed you all so much."

Caelus's face regained its happy smile. He hugged Yukong and Tingyun and kissed each of them on the cheek. He was so happy that he could barely tell which way was which.

Just as Caelus was about to lose himself in this tender paradise, someone walked through the hotel lobby. The person wore a pale-green Pharmacist Robe and brushed past Caelus. His nose twitched as he caught a special fragrance coming from her. It was neither perfume nor food, but the scent of medicinal pills.

Caelus's expression instantly cleared. He pushed away the two Foxian women in his arms and turned to search for the source of the fragrance, only to see that person had already entered the hotel elevator and was waiting for its doors to close.

Caelus dashed forward at full speed. Just as the elevator doors were about to shut, he braced them open with both hands and squeezed inside.

"You're my wife."

Caelus looked at the woman with her head lowered. He was absolutely certain. This scent belonged to his wife. He could forget anything, but he would never forget the scent of his wives.

The woman raised her head, her pale gray eyes looking at Caelus as a smile appeared on her face. Her appearance was not outstanding. Compared to Caelus's six wives from earlier, she was an ordinary woman. Yet she was a woman of talent. By herself, she had nearly overturned an entire Xianzhou ship. She was the Xianzhou Alliance's wanted criminal, the leader of The Flame-Spitting Bears, Danshu.

"Caelus, I missed you."

Danshu extended her arms toward Caelus, but he grasped both her hands instead of welcoming her, then shook his head.

"No, that's impossible. This is Penacony. There's absolutely no way Danshu could appear here."

Caelus realized that something absolutely impossible had happened. Bronya and the others might each have possessed their own methods of reaching Penacony, but Danshu definitely did not, because she did not know he was in Penacony. How could she have come looking for him here?

"Only I know that you're my wife. No one else knows about our relationship. And you're now a wanted criminal of the Xianzhou Alliance. There's no reason for you to appear in a Family star system connected to the Xianzhou Alliance."

Caelus spoke with a solemn expression, voicing all the truth he had sensed in his heart. Danshu said nothing and merely smiled at him.

"You're fake. And those women from before... my wives were fake too, weren't they?"

Awakening with the Help of His Wives

"You've already seen through it. I'm merely a person imagined by you, but in order to keep you within this dream, I possess a portion of self-awareness. Still, my only core thought is to keep you here and prevent you from waking."

Danshu admitted her identity. She truly was not a real person, merely an illusion created by the power of the beautiful dream. However, Caelus had now discovered the truth, so he could naturally wake up.

"So I was still hypnotized by Sunday after all. What a terrifying guy."

Caelus rubbed his head. He realized that no matter how he tried to verify it, every one of his senses existed within reality. No wonder he had been unable to discover it.