"I'm sorry, how did you all end up here?"
"And how did the team suddenly pick up a few random weirdos?"
Mo Wang looked over the extra people in the group—Aventurine, Argenti, and Boothill? What kind of bizarre lineup was this now?
What? He hadn't even gone to look for his teammates yet, and they had already gathered on their own? Was this some kind of cosmic course correction?
Just as Mo Wang was getting a headache over this "self-organized" team in front of him, the two noisy Aeons finally noticed him.
Aha and Xing instantly put away their playful looks and straightened their clothes—though no matter how Aha tidied up that outfit, she still looked irreverent—then walked over with light, brisk steps.
"Yo, you're finally back!" Aha spoke first with a grin, even raising a hand to wave, as if she were just an ordinary friend reunited after a long separation. "We've already solved everything, no need to thank us!"
Xing followed beside her and nodded along a little awkwardly, but her gaze drifted, not quite daring to look Mo Wang in the eye.
"Solved?" Mo Wang's temples throbbed. He stepped forward, accurately grabbed Aha by her already loose collar, and yanked her in front of him, practically forcing the words out through his teeth. "You blew Penacony up like this, and you call that 'solved'? And you actually have the nerve to take credit for it?!"
The more he spoke, the angrier he became, and his voice rose unconsciously. "Did you forget what I told you before I left? 'Before I come back, don't mess around!' Did that go in one ear and out the other?!"
Even while being held up, Aha did not struggle. She only pouted, her face practically spelling out the words "not convinced," and