"So this beautiful lady's name is Kiana. A pleasure, a pleasure."
Aventurine wore his standard social smile, as though this really were the first time he had ever heard the name.
But his eyes gave him away.
Kiana knew Aventurine had recognized her name. Since he had chosen to play dumb, though, she was perfectly happy to play along.
"Hello, Mr. Aventurine," Kiana said with a slight nod.
Aventurine's gaze flicked rapidly between Acheron and her, as if reassessing something.
"So," he cleared his throat and dragged the conversation back on track, "what are you ladies planning to do?"
Black Swan stepped forward half a pace without changing expression.
"Mr. Aventurine, are you familiar with this place?"
"Not exactly." Aventurine shrugged. "I just happen to know a few things about… the entrance."
"The entrance?" Black Swan raised an eyebrow, as though hearing of it for the first time.
"Don't tell me you thought a place like this was somewhere anyone could enter whenever they pleased?" Aventurine's smile deepened.
"Gopher Wood spent years creating this forbidden zone. How could it possibly be undefended?"
That did remind Black Swan of something.
The Dream of the Oak-Borer's Cry was the foundation upon which Gopher Wood meant to realize his goal. Of course it would be protected layer upon layer. She could force her way through using the power of Memory, but that would undoubtedly alert the enemy.
However, while the two of them had been sparring with wits for half a day, they remained completely unaware of one fact.
Gopher Wood was already dead.
"You have a way in?" Black Swan asked again.
Aventurine did not answer immediately. He merely pointed beside himself.
In an instant, a holographic projection appeared before them.
"You are… Silver Wolf of the Stellaron Hunters?" Black Swan recognized her immediately.
"Yo. Pretty lively crowd here. Nice to meet you all," Silver Wolf's voice came through, loose and indifferent.
Her gaze swept over them, lingering on Kiana for one extra second before returning to Aventurine.
"See? Told you, Mr. Gambler. If we waited a little longer, helpers would show up sooner or later."
Aventurine spread his hands.
"Looks like Lady Hacker's luck is excellent."
Clearly, the two of them had met here some time ago, and had even held a conversation.
Black Swan frowned faintly at this.
"Since when did the Stellaron Hunters start mingling with the IPC?"
"Don't misunderstand. It's just a temporary collaboration."
"After all, one of my partners, and a certain liaison, have both gone missing. At this point, I've got no choice but to step in personally."
With that said, Silver Wolf shrugged again.
"And strictly speaking, he's the one asking me for help."
"After all, since you've managed to get here, you should already know Penacony's truth, and Gopher Wood's plan too, right?"
The scene fell into silence.
But Silver Wolf was not exactly wrong. The plot had already advanced this far. By now, Penacony had very few secrets left.
And besides, the aura of Propagation in this place was exceedingly heavy, impossible for anyone present to ignore.
"So, you can open the entrance to the Dream of the Oak-Borer's Cry?" Black Swan went straight to the point.
"I can, but… I can probably only send two people in. And with Sunday's current state, I'm afraid you won't make it in time to stop the descent of Order."
Silver Wolf answered calmly.
But even with her saying that, there were probably very few people present who were willing to give up.
Of course, she did not want to give up either.
Silver Wolf then added, "Sunday is only one step away from ascending to godhood. Around him are three layers of dreamscape protecting him."
"If you want to stop him, you'll have to break through them with brute force. Among you, is there anyone who can fight?"
"I'll warn you in advance. Those three dream layers won't be easy to break. Even an Emanator might not succeed."
At that moment, Acheron stepped forward.
"I can."
Everyone turned to look at her.
At this moment, as an Emanator of Nihility, no one doubted Acheron's strength.
But if she were the only one, it still felt as though something was lacking.
After all, even if Sunday had not yet ascended, he was nearly at that level. Could a single Emanator truly break through three layers of dreamscape in succession?
Honestly, the probability was practically zero.
Black Swan frowned as she asked, "Miss Acheron, can you… really do it?"
Acheron did not dare give a guaranteed answer.
"I can try."
The air fell quiet for a moment.
Entrusting the entire situation's hope to one person was a result far too heavy.
However, among those present, Acheron was not the only one with top-tier combat power.
At that moment, Kiana stepped forward as well.
"Didn't Miss Silver Wolf say she could send two people?"
"Count me in. How about that?"
Hearing this, Silver Wolf raised her brows, her gaze circling Kiana once.
"You? Hiss… Actually, that might work? After all, I mentioned you before. The Lord Ravager who only recently woke up, right? Elio's script has brought you up a few times, but every time, it was vague."
"What did Elio say about me?" Kiana asked curiously.
"He said you were a variable." Silver Wolf shrugged. "The most annoying kind. No fixed direction, impossible to predict, and even he can't see your ending clearly."
"That sounds pretty cool," Kiana said with a smile.
"But it also means you're uncontrollable." Silver Wolf's tone grew a little more serious.
"Well, if two Emanators are making a move, then maybe this decapitation operation really has a chance?"
Although the number of dream layers was greater than the number of Emanators, it was not as if they were completely outmatched, right?
"But I need to remind you," Silver Wolf continued, "Sunday is in the middle of ascending. Every time you break one layer of the threefold dreamscape, the remaining layers will become twice as solid. If the two of you can't coordinate properly—"
"Our coordination won't be a problem," Kiana interrupted firmly.
She glanced sideways at Acheron, and Acheron happened to be looking at her too.
Their gazes met in midair. Neither looked away.
"Why are you so sure?" Silver Wolf pressed.
Kiana turned back, her smile carrying absolute certainty.
"Because Miss Acheron and I are probably the two people in this world least likely to get in each other's way."
It was an outrageous claim, so outrageous that everyone present felt she was exaggerating.
But Acheron did not refute it.
"…Fine."
Silver Wolf finally nodded, her fingers flying rapidly across a virtual keyboard.
"Since you're that confident, I'll open this door for you. But let me say the ugly part up front. If you fail, I'm not taking responsibility for what happens to Penacony."
"No one's asking you to," Kiana said confidently.
Soon, under Silver Wolf's rapid operation, streams of code fell like meteors, sketching out a gradually forming gate of light on the ground before her.
"Done." She clapped her hands. "The door is open. But…"
She raised her head. Her gaze wandered between Kiana and Acheron, and for once, it carried a hint of seriousness.
"I can only send you in. The path afterward is up to you. The coordinates of the three dream layers will keep drifting, so I won't be able to guide you from the inside."
"That's fine." Kiana's lips curved. "We have experience with getting lost."
"We do not," Black Swan could not help but interject from the side, her tone tinged with helplessness.
"Miss Black Swan, are you worried about us?" Kiana tilted her head and looked at her.
Black Swan was silent for two seconds. Her gaze shifted from Kiana to Acheron, then back again.
"…I simply feel that the combination of you two is far too concerning."
One had a poor memory. The other was not especially reliable.
One was an Emanator of Nihility. The other was a Lord Ravager of Destruction.
No matter how one looked at it, these two did not seem like the kind of pair who could coordinate properly.
"Then don't feel reassured," Kiana said with a smile.
"Reassurance is for plans. This trip of ours isn't going according to plan."
Even Silver Wolf tugged at the corner of her mouth, as if amused by that line.
"Fine. Then I won't see you off."
Silver Wolf took half a step back, clearing the way for the two of them.
"Good luck, Miss Self-Annihilator, and… Miss Lord Ravager."
...
The world beyond the gate of light was quieter than expected.
It was as if the two of them had arrived at Penacony as it had been in the very beginning, only now there was no one here.
"This is the first layer," Acheron's voice came from behind her, very close.
Kiana turned back and found Acheron standing only half a step away, one hand already resting on the hilt of her blade, her eyes sweeping vigilantly over their surroundings.
"I'm not a child anymore. You don't have to be like that," Kiana said with a smile.
"After all, maybe I'm even stronger than you."
At that, Acheron's movement paused.
"…Sorry. It's just a habit," she said.
Kiana did not expose her. She merely smiled and turned to look ahead.
After that, the two of them began exploring the area.
This dreamscape was very quiet. There were no pedestrians anywhere, but all the facilities lining the streets were present.
If time were not so urgent, Kiana might have wanted to stay here and play around for a while.
But given the current situation, the fact that the two of them were quietly strolling around was already strange enough.
"I never thought that even after reaching the final battle, we, the last main force, would still have time to stroll around."
That was Kiana's voice.
But Acheron had already begun to drift into absentmindedness again.
"Sunday's first dream layer is Loneliness," Acheron suddenly said.
"How do you know?"
"…I can feel it. It's like IX."
Kiana blinked, but said nothing.
Of course she knew what this was. The first layer of the Dream of the Oak-Borer's Cry was the place Gopher Wood used to imprison the pasts that "should not be remembered." But Acheron was not wrong either.
This place truly was very similar to Nihility.
Boundless. Empty. Hollow.
"Let's go," Kiana said. "We can't just stand here spacing out."
The two of them fell into silence again.
After they had walked for some time, Kiana suddenly spoke again.
"Miss Acheron, I remember you said before that you had forgotten your own name."
"…Mm."
"Then do you still remember anything?"
Acheron was silent for a while.
"Sorry. Because of Nihility, my memory is not very good. I cannot retain too many memories."
But since things had come this far, and since the other party had asked so clearly, continuing to play dumb was no longer realistic.
"Actually, I understand it all. You are not the person I knew, and you should also understand that I am not the person you knew either."
"We are merely similar shadows from different worlds."
Perhaps it was because the atmosphere had reached this point, or perhaps she had long wanted to have a proper talk with Kiana. At this moment, Acheron said a great deal.
Kiana's steps did not stop. She simply listened quietly.
"I remember one person," Acheron continued, her voice growing softer.
"Her hair… was white. When she smiled, her eyes would curve like crescent moons."
Kiana looked sideways at her.
Acheron did not look back. She merely gazed ahead at that empty gray expanse, as if looking into a very distant past.
"She was always running at the very front, as though if she slowed down, the world would catch up to her."
"And then?" Kiana asked.
This time, Acheron did not answer.
There was no need to think about it. It must have been an unpleasant memory.
Fortunately, Kiana did not press her.
They continued walking.
After a while, Kiana suddenly stopped.
"We're here."
Acheron stopped as well and followed her gaze.
A massive pillar of light soared into the sky, as though it meant to pierce through the entire firmament. At the very top was a single point of light.
Clearly, this was the current core of Penacony, and also the place where Sunday was ascending to godhood.
"Let's go."
Kiana was the first to step forward, walking ahead.
Acheron followed behind her, maintaining a distance of half a step.
She looked at Kiana's back, but her heart could not help sinking back into memory.
Just as Acheron had told herself moments ago, of course she knew this was not the same person. The person in her memories was already dead. Dead in her arms. Dead somewhere beyond her reach.
This Kiana was a projection from another world, an accident of fate, a cruel joke played by the universe that was not funny at all.
But they were far too alike. If it were possible, Acheron wanted to do as she had in the past, and take the other girl's hand.
Thinking this, Acheron suddenly raised her right hand.
But immediately after, she hesitated.
It was difficult to imagine that Acheron, who was usually so direct, would become like a maiden in the throes of first love in front of Kiana.
"Miss Acheron?"
Kiana suddenly turned back. Acheron had no time to withdraw her gaze, and their eyes collided just like that.
"What are you looking at?"
"…I was watching the road," Acheron said.
Kiana tilted her head, clearly unconvinced.
Then Kiana was the first to take Acheron's hand.
In an instant, countless memories surged into Acheron's mind.
When that familiar sensation came over her again, Acheron even felt that everything in the past no longer mattered.
At this moment, all she wanted was to hold the other girl's hand and cross this difficult trial together.
But then, Kiana spoke.
"Sorry, Mei. I'm the villain. This time, I'm not on your side."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 155)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter200)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter110)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter230)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 200
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 180
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 230
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 220
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 120
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 135
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 110
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 100
My Harem Is Indescribable 90
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 95
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 80
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 70
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 75
Checking In in Demon Slayer 80
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 85
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 70
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 65
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 70
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 70
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 65
Why did they assign me to Uma 65
MYGO Beauties 65
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 55
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 65
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 45
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 45
The Uma Musume Who Became 40
I'm Definitely Not the King of 45
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
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