[Get up! Get up!]
A mechanical voice rang in Aventurine's ears, and he suddenly opened his eyes.
"I'm sorry, this isn't the place you were looking for."
"Where... is this place?" Aventurine stood up, looking around. Seeing the children on the street dressed in what seemed like a classical civilization, could this be the [ Church of Eternity ]?
"An Eternity Paradise, and also... Paradise prepared for a future grand celebration."
Blake appeared before him, holding a cup of amber milk tea.
"Perhaps you think there's a hidden [ Eternity ] Emanator on the Astral Express, but..."
"Why can't you use your clever mind to think of something even more outrageous?" He shook the cup of milk tea and pulled out a brand-new amber crystal from it.
Aventurine didn't speculate too much about why Blake was there, turning instead to ask about his current predicament, "So... this is my end, the afterlife?"
"It was just a fleeting dream. Your acting was quite good, though. Now that you've achieved your goal, you can be more honest."
"That strike was truly terrifying, wasn't it?"
Blake suddenly changed the subject. He hadn't expected Fulisina to dare to clash with that ' Galaxy Ranger '. Although neither of them used their full strength, the act was still too risky.
"It must be admitted that Mr. Aventurine performed brilliantly in the Paradise, his bluffing... simple yet effective techniques fooled almost everyone."
Blake slowly walked up to the Aventurine: "No one would have imagined that you would go to such lengths, even risking your life, just to reaffirm a fact that seemed to have been refuted long ago..."
"[There is no 'real death' in Penacony's dreams], only then can you touch upon that secret, even more unspeakable than the serial murders..."
"Only through [death in a dream] can you reach that promised land, the place people constantly seek in this grand gathering... the Clockmaker's Legacy, the true [ Penacony ]."
"So, Mr. Aventurine, considering all that I, as the Church Chair, have said, are you really not considering joining the Church of Eternity?"
He then extended an invitation to Aventurine, and the result was as expected:
"I regret to decline."
Xing tried to open her eyes, but all she could see was darkness.
Memories gradually surfaced, time rewinding to a few minutes earlier: Aventurine launched its final offensive, Acheron drew his sword immediately afterward, and then, "Bang!"
An inexplicable force severed the [ Preservation ], and the surrounding spacetime instantly froze. Even with the [ Eternity ] artifact protecting him, Xing's thoughts were twisted into a knot in that instant.
Xing felt herself falling into boundless darkness... until a cluster of firelight embraced her.
"... You're awake."
What came into view was a tall, silver mecha, its back to him.
I've been waiting for you here for a long time.
" Sam?!" Xing never expected that it was the Stellaron Hunters who saved him.
"I did nothing, I just waited for you to wake up. You've already seen me, Stellaron Hunters Sam."
"I wanted to appear before you sooner and tell you some facts, but the obstacles I encountered were greater than I expected."
Sam chose a plausible excuse; Silver Wolf and Kafka had repeatedly told her that the [ Script ] gibberish must not be known to anyone.
But there are indeed people secretly obstructing things, such as a certain Masked Fools is looking for fun.
"Eleven times, I tried, but all ended in failure. Unconsciously, my connection with this world became too close, making it difficult to escape the constraints of the [ Script ]."
"... Elio is right. In this Land of the Dreams, we will both gain unforgettable experiences."
The tall, silver mecha slightly raised its head, gazing at the illusory starry sky.
"I don't understand people's hearts like he and Kafka do, nor do I possess the special skills of Silver Wolf and Blade. Most of my expertise is only applicable to villains who deserve no mercy."
"Therefore... I only have one method at my disposal."
That's to show you... everything about me." A flash of fire, and Xing's familiar figure appeared before her.
"Ah? Firefly?"
Meanwhile, Morning Dew Mansion
Gallagher arrived alone. "A labyrinthine corridor and halls, traps and mechanisms everywhere... the owner of this mansion is rather paranoid."
"You have a good sense of humor, Sheriff." Sunday's icy voice echoed in the empty space. "Hopefully, this sense of humor has helped you find the serial killer."
"I was just expressing my personal opinion. What, did I hit a nerve?"
Gallagher's lips curled into a disdainful smirk as he watched Sunday.
"Mr. Gallagher, my patience is running out. Passive resistance will only make me more suspicious that you are connected to the real culprit."
"Heh... sigh~" Upon hearing this, Gallagher let out a long sigh, filled with deep helplessness:
"I've heard far too many of those trash words—scoundrel, hoodlum, drunkard, hooligan... but I never imagined I'd one day be considered an accomplice to a murderer."
"I take back what I said earlier: your problem isn't being overly suspicious. You're a madman, you understand? A madman."
"You— your the Family —broke my spine, pulled out my fangs, and now you're accusing me of murder? You bastards, only a drunken idiot like SoulGlad would go crazy over a stray dog on the street."
"What on earth is making you spout nonsense? You should be more concerned about those foreign guests making a ruckus at the Film and Television Paradise than me."
Sunday slowly shook his head, his halo shimmering in the shadows. "No need for you to remind me. The moment that envoy stepped out of the Tavern, I knew what he was up to. My 'servants' saw it all."
"His little magic trick did fool me, but it doesn't matter; I'm quite happy with the current situation."
If Aventurine himself were here, he probably would have said something like, "Go see a psychologist on Sunday." They're all scheming and have their own agendas; they're all more cunning than anyone else.
"Why do you think I let him go, and why did I specifically leave that Film and Television Paradise stage empty?"
"Because my target has always been you, Hound. The bigger the commotion he causes, the greater my chance of making you and your true master pay for your crimes in blood."
On Sunday, he remained calm under pressure, and even though the " Golden Hour " outside was on the verge of collapse, he still turned his attention to Gallagher.
"If I really were the murderer, why would you be so secretive? Ha, I forgot, you also have a difficult master... They told you to ignore this bullshit murder case and focus on that [ Charmony Festival ]."
Gallagher paused deliberately, then uttered that affectionate term to Sunday: "... Isn't it, 'gentle older brother'?"
"... It seems your disguise has allowed you to fully understand every detail of the Family."
"Disguise? Which eye of yours saw that I'm a mannequin? Open your eyes and take a closer look, you little bird with a halo."
On Sunday, he looked Gallagher up and down, listing out the 'elements' that made him up:
"Indeed, everything about you is real. Brown hair, orange eyes, strange scars... and the gray vest, tie, hound badge, water bottle, beverage mixing skills, and sheriff's identity."
"They are all real... from fifty-two loyal ' The Family members'."
"When they come together, countless tiny truths weave together a lie—you pluck a wisp of knowledge from each person, claim it as your own, and ' Enigmata ' a complete [ Gallagher ] in your dreams..."
"... Am I right, [mysterious] henchman?"