"All right, all right, enough of these heavy subjects." Firefly changed the subject. "Now then, Ms. Dahlia, please send us back."
"Sure, just a moment~" Dahlia closed her eyes, as if sensing something. Hanxing was about to stop her, but he no longer seemed to remember the coordinates of that location, so he had to let it go. Dahlia then opened her eyes, Memoria flowed around them, and the three appeared in the hotel lobby.
"I won't be getting involved in what comes next. I'll leave it to you." With that, Dahlia vanished from the spot in an instant, leaving no trace.
"That woman... do you know her?" Hanxing asked, a hint of doubt in his voice. "Yes. I don't know why, but it took you much longer to enter the dream than it took me. The dreamscape you saw was actually where I arrived at the very beginning. That's where I met Dahlia. As for the normal dreamscape where you landed, I only got there after asking Silver Wolf to work out its location."
"All right..." Hanxing sounded somewhat puzzled, but he had nothing more to say. It was more important to keep the script going. Suddenly, Hanxing sensed a faint, indescribable presence and warned Firefly, "Activate Sam. We have company."
Hanxing turned around to see some of the Dreamjolt Troupe appear all around them. A wave of heat swept out from behind him, and a commanding male voice rang out. "Then let's take them down."
Before long, the surging heat and cold flashes of a blade had finished off all the monsters around them. Just then, Hanxing sensed the double he had left behind and discovered that Caelus and the other two were already close at hand. Firefly put down the charred Soda Hound in her hand and slowly turned around.
"A Galaxy Ranger, a follower of Harmony, and... a Memokeeper." The so-called follower of Harmony was naturally the double Hanxing had planted at their side. "Leave now, and no one will get hurt. Otherwise, you'll all die." The two spoke the final words in unison. The embroidered spring saber was drawn at once, and the two sides were poised to fight.
"The detective game is over. You shouldn't be here." Sam's commanding voice rang out as his leg thrusters activated. He charged straight at Acheron and knocked her back with a punch, then rushed at Caelus. Hanxing, meanwhile, flashed in front of his double and activated Tuning. "Yan Bai, you'll be all right?"
"Of course. Attack to your heart's content." When Hanxing had flashed away earlier, he had transferred Yan Bai, the saber spirit, into the double. Now the double was Yan Bai himself. In an instant, a sword formed from light energy appeared out of thin air and blocked Hanxing's fierce attack.
Just as Firefly was about to grab Caelus, Acheron flashed in front of her from somewhere and forced her back with a strike from her scabbard. She then sent the scabbard flying through Firefly's guard and flashed toward her again. Caelus tightened his grip on his bat and was about to step forward, but Black Swan flicked out a card.
"Let's leave this stage to them, dear." She then swept the card across Caelus's face, and in an instant, they appeared somewhere new.
With their plan foiled, the two could not help feeling a little disappointed and had to focus on the "enemies" before them. Hanxing's and Yan Bai's blades clashed again. Yan Bai pretended to be outmatched and slid backward, coming to a stop right beside Acheron. Hanxing took the opportunity to switch targets and attack Acheron.
Blade and scabbard collided. A flash of red light swept out, sending a shockwave through the Memory Zone. This hunter is no ordinary fighter... Acheron thought, charging forward again to probe him. Hanxing knocked her scabbard aside with one stroke, then slashed forward again, forcing her back.
"...Hunter, do you still dream? Do you dream of those who died because of you?" Acheron carefully considered the situation before finally lowering the hand that had been about to draw her blade. Her sudden question made Firefly, who was about to step forward and help, pause for a moment. "...I still dream."
Clearly, Acheron's question was aimed at Firefly, not Hanxing. Hanxing waved his hand helplessly, and the blade in his hand vanished into space as he waited for the two to face off.
"Stop. Your time has yet to come." Acheron's words were brief, but baffling. "'My time'...?" Firefly was puzzled as well. "I've seen many clever disguises. They can conceal appearances, but not what lies within. You're no exception." With that, Acheron cast a glance at Yan Bai, whether deliberately or not.
"Caelus-you didn't intend to kill him. You attacked only to drive me and that Memokeeper away... why?" Firefly didn't know how to answer and could only remain silent, considering whether to tell her everything. "Did the 'slave of destiny' tell you to do this?" An eerie silence suddenly fell over them.
"I'll do it." Hanxing's voice came from the side, interrupting their conversation. "In thanks for your trust in me, I'll give you information of equal value: in Penacony, Elio gave us only one instruction: 'Have the Astral Express join the pursuit of the "grand legacy."'"
"The Astral Express isn't your enemy. If your target is the 'Clockmaker's Legacy,' investigate the Family." Firefly added at just the right moment, "They haven't just covered up the existence of 'Death.' They've also buried the past and truth of the sweet dream."
"I'm already doing that." Acheron turned away. "Yan Bai... or should I say, Hanxing. Am I right? I believe you have a way to contact them. There's something I'd like to leave Sam. Please pass it on for me."
"As you wish," Yan Bai replied. He then turned and left without looking back.
"Here it is." As Acheron and Yan Bai gradually disappeared from view, Hanxing looked at Firefly, who had deactivated Sam. "What did she say?" Firefly asked. "It's a little long. Wait a moment." Hanxing paused, then continued.
"No matter what paths you and I walk, death is always the destined end. Even if we say 'farewell forever' in this world, when 'Terminus' ascends to godhood once more, we will still meet one last time-and in Penacony, this too holds true."
"'Terminus'..." Firefly's voice was tinged with complicated feelings. "'Terminus'... is that the Aeon of 'Finality'?" Hanxing asked with a hint of curiosity. "That's right... They travel backward through time, so They haven't ascended to godhood yet. And Elio... is the most special of Their incarnations."
"She left one more message: it is because life dares to sleep that they can wake." Hanxing finished at last. "'Ascends to godhood once more'-even if she's an Emanator, she shouldn't..." Firefly sounded a little down. She paused, then spoke again. "But I still have a chance to wrest the right to 'begin'... from the hands of fate."
In the end, Firefly could only shake her head and look toward an unusual spot. "Come out, Ms. Dahlia."
"Oh, little Firefly, you really do have sharp eyes. You found me at a glance." Dahlia's teasing voice came from the void, and her white-clad figure appeared before them in an instant. Somehow, her voice filled the scene with a hint of jealousy...
"Now, take us back to Dreamflux Reef. By my reckoning, Ms. Robin should be arriving soon." Firefly spoke to herself, then looked at Dahlia. Before long, blue flames swept over them, and the three vanished from the spot, as if they had never been there.
The Memory Zone spun around them in an instant, and the three appeared in a small room. "Come to think of it, did you come here after that monster stabbed you in the back?" Hanxing asked. Firefly nodded. "The truth is that death in the sweet dream means sinking into a deeper dreamscape, one hidden away by the Family: Dreamflux Reef."
"This is a place forgotten by the sweet dream, also called the Land of Exile. And that monster is called Dormancy, the guardian of the Land of Exile. It follows a certain pattern as it abducts people from the sweet dream." Firefly told him all the truth she currently knew. "And right now, we suspect that the person controlling Dormancy is Gallagher."
But Firefly only shook her head and spoke again. "For now, though, none of that matters. We need to find Ms. Robin first and bring her into the game." "If you still want to catch up, save it for later-that lady is here." As candles bearing blue flames lit up, a woman appeared in the three's field of vision. Hanxing was about to speak, but Firefly stopped him. "I'll do it."
"...Miss Robin, can you hear me?" Robin froze for a moment. "That voice..." "Over here-" Firefly spoke again. "Who are you?" Robin sounded somewhat puzzled. "Sorry, it's inconvenient for me to show myself right now. Could I ask you to come somewhere private to talk?" Robin fell silent for a moment, then spoke again. "Honestly, I have no reason to trust you."
"I understand." Firefly paused for a moment. "But I can assure you, this isn't a trap. If you need a reason... there's something wrong with the Reverie, and we have suspicions about the Dream Master's true identity." A trace of surprise crossed Robin's face, and she spoke again.
"Please lead the way. But let me make this clear: agreeing to meet doesn't mean I've taken any position." "Understood. My companion will guide you." Firefly's reply came at once. One blue-flamed candle after another lit the path ahead, showing Robin the way. Soon, she arrived at the place where the three were hiding. From the outside, however, it looked like an entirely ordinary floating television.
"Miss, you can show yourself now." Robin looked at the television in front of her, somewhat puzzled. Inside the room, Firefly looked at Dahlia. "How is it?" "Wait a little longer. It'll be ready soon." Firefly had to reply, "Sorry, just a little longer. My companion will bring you over here shortly."
"Over here?" Robin was even more puzzled, but just then, Dahlia activated her ability. The world spun around her, and in an instant, Robin appeared in the little room with the three of them.
"Welcome, Miss Robin." Hanxing bowed slightly in greeting.