"Ah... I see." Sunday sighed softly. "I understand your arguments. These questions are only to clarify one thing: Penacony's predicament cannot be saved by ' Harmony.' The only thing that can truly build a dream paradise is a ' Order ' that uses force against the weak."
"I know how painful it is for people to suffer, how lost they are when they are disoriented, how frustrated they are when things don't go their way... even how desperate they feel. All of this causes me pain, because it cannot be considered 'happiness' at all. We must teach the weak how to live happily. And this 'life' is not the kind of refined pursuits that celebrities and nobles talk about, but the absolute way of life that belongs to human beings."
"In your opinion... what constitutes a happy life?" Firefly suddenly asked. Sunday nodded silently. "Good question. Human consciousness is essentially an illusion, a series of prisons called 'self-worth.' People are led astray by this illusion, commit mistakes, and the consequences are borne by external things."
When countless mistakes fill the masses, becoming impossible to trace... these prisons together form a prison, governed by a natural law called "survival of the fittest." And "nature" is always accompanied by plunder and sacrifice... its opposite is called " Order." What I want to do is precisely this: to place the happiness of all beings under a single " Order." Only when people no longer have to make bitter choices, no longer have to confront the weaknesses of human nature, and abandon their beastly habits, can a paradise belonging to humanity be established.
"Simply describing the idea is too abstract, so let me give a simple example. You may know that in some worlds there exists a social system called 'two-day weekends' or 'three-day weekends.' On these hard-won days of rest, people can escape the pressures of life and return to peace of mind. Only on such days can people avoid facing the law of the jungle and 'live happily' for these few short days. Unfortunately, even two or three days are too short compared to a long life."
"In my view, the ideal social system should be a 'seven-day weekend.' The day after Sunday is the second, third, and even forever more Sunday —this is the face of the new world, a day of eternal peace and idleness. Thus, everyone can return to their original place in paradise. Some gaze at the Milky Way, intently calculating the distance to the isolated world of ' Pegana,' while others embrace each other in a corner, free from unnecessary responsibilities... No longer needing to endure the hardships of reality, only in this way can humanity face its destined end with the highest purity, living a life full of dignity. This is 'living happily.'"
A hush fell over the room, and Hanxing remained silent. In that world, he had witnessed programmers working until the early hours of the morning to support their families, students committing suicide under immense pressure, beggars selling their dignity to survive on the streets, and even further back, families selling their children for a living, and the devastating famine of cannibalism... If the world were truly as Sunday described, would there be fewer regrets? Or would he be able to let go of the destiny he carried for the universe and live a peaceful life with the healthy Firefly? He couldn't provide the answer.
Yan Bai remained silent. He walked the path of " Harmony," Kangbu Revolutionary Army. The so-called land redistribution was all for the sake of enabling the people to live an ideal life. Now, such a simple opportunity could bring about the realization of the ideal they had fought for their entire lives. How could he not want it?
"Miss Firefly —you, who once suffered from Entropy Loss Syndrome, must understand what this means, right?" Firefly remained silent. As an ordinary girl, living a peaceful and stable life had been her long-held fantasy. If she truly had such a time, she should pursue it without hesitation. If Hanxing and everything she carried disappeared, and she were truly just an ordinary student, what would be wrong with that?
"It sounds... like it's flawless..." March 7th scratched her head, and Himeko remained silent. Answering this question was far too difficult. But Firefly was the first to step forward and question Sunday: "Then... what is the price for all of this?"
Sunday paused briefly before slowly speaking, "The price is insignificant, merely a personal... permanent martyrdom. If this paradise is to be maintained for all, someone must fall into solitary lucidity until the end of the universe." "Lucidity... In other words, that paradise is still a dream. Entering paradise means abandoning reality, right?" Firefly countered.
Sunday silently shook her head: "This isn't giving up, it's transcending. Flesh and blood are fragile. If material things are the root of spiritual suffering, then we should overcome them." "But in this kind of 'happiness,' people have never overcome suffering, and have forever lost the opportunity to do so." Firefly couldn't help but step forward. "In other words... this is 'escapism.'"
Sunday opened her eyes and slowly spoke, "You may think that way, but running away is not shameful. On the contrary, everyone has the seed of running away in their heart. Don't you think so, Miss Firefly? Why does life sleep? Because people are afraid to wake up from their dreams. But this does not conflict with great causes. Only by acknowledging this can we understand the weakness of human nature, and then embrace and protect it."
After a brief silence, Firefly spoke again, "I... acknowledge that you are a natural leader. You are filled with pessimism about humanity, yet you still hold a heart of denial, showing equal compassion to all beings. But I am different from you; I live for 'myself.' In my view, it is only natural for people to make choices for themselves, and it is their inherent right. Perhaps escapism is the nature of the weak, but who is weak... should not be defined by others. In your eyes, should I also be categorized as weak?"
"I don't think so." Seeing Sunday's silence, Firefly spoke again. It was these words that made everyone realize what was going on. "If everyone wants to escape, what's the point of reality? We must overcome the trials that reality presents to us!" Hanxing was the first to take Firefly.
"Now that Miss Firefly and Mr. Hanxing have stated their views, the Astral Express will naturally give us our own answer." Himeko looked firmly at Sunday, then turned to Sora: "It's up to you, Sora. Just as Mr. Mikhail instructed, tell him our choice—"
Qiong put on the hat she inherited from Mikhail, and the Clockie appeared from the side. The group followed Qiong and walked slowly forward. "The so-called ' Trailblaze ' is to go further and further along the path that others have not yet completed..." The five people on the field all cast encouraging glances at her.
" The Penacony of Mikhail's dream is not of Order!" From behind the crowd, light descended from the sky, and a warm gaze swept over them. The " Harmony " Aeon appeared once more!