The Aha mask suddenly sprang back to life, floating in midair.
"Lady Sparkle, you really worked hard for the sake of joy~ In this regard, you are no weaker than Aha myself~"
"But oh, how sad for Aha. From the beginning I have never been respected. And now, to be ordered around like a beast of burden—it's too tragic, too pitiful, too weak and innocent~"
Sparkle clapped her hands, arms akimbo. Though she too was one of the Masked Fools of the Tavern, none of them ever gave much respect to the Aeon of Joy. They were Masked Fools, not rule-abiding types.
To the Masked Fools, it was not that they had chosen the Path of Elation—it was that the Path of Elation had chosen them. The Aeon of Joy had rushed up to deliver them a Path.
"After all, you too must be anticipating this joy that will shake the cosmos, adding the greatest fun to an already chaotic universe, hehe."
"If you wish to loiter at my side doing nothing, that won't please me in the least. Consider this my fee for your admission ticket, fufufu~"
As for whether the Aeon of Joy would comply? As a Masked Fool, Sparkle knew full well the Aeon certainly would. For an Aeon of Joy, being asked by a Masked Fool to act was, in itself, the greatest joy.
The Aha mask shifted into a face of exaggerated sorrow. "Uwuuwu~ Fine, fine. I, poor Aha, am fated only to be bullied~"
Sparkle tilted her head curiously, then teased with laughter. "I, Sparkle, as a proto-Aeon, can sense in some unreachable dimension of this cosmos the grandest concert ever performed. So tell me, Aeon of Joy, what role do you play there?"
"The lead? The clown? Or perhaps…"
According to the abyssal beasts, she was already a supergalactic figure, nearing the scale of cosmic structure itself.
Naturally, she could perceive that in some dimension beyond her sight, an Aeon war was raging—and one where every Aeon had entered the field.
And among them was the Aeon of Joy.
The entire universe trembled from that war. Were it not for some incomprehensible power sealing away its aftershocks, such a battle would have destroyed the universe outright.
The Aha mask fell silent for a moment, then grinned cheekily again.
"Amazing, amazing~ As expected of the new Aeon of Joy meant to replace me. You're nearly catching up to what I once was. Fufufu, joy—so much joy, hahaha…"
His Pathstrider was absurdly strong, and not even an Emanator of his Path. She could define her own Elation.
It was for this reason he had split a wisp of his will to follow her around in search of joy.
After all, she was not his Elation Emanator—what greater joy could there be than that?
And compared to all the Emanators of Elation he had empowered in the past, she was far stronger. Nearly second only to the insect to whom he once gave his entire power for the sake of joy.
Before becoming an Aeon, he himself had been only slightly stronger than Sparkle now. At that time, by his own strength alone, he had clawed his way out of his universe, climbing the branches of the Tree of Existence.
The Sparkle standing before him already possessed the ability to do the same—to leave her universe and attempt that same mad feat.
"For me, Aha, this is simply too joyous. Even if I were dethroned as an Aeon this instant, I'd still be delighted beyond measure."
Even stripped of the Aeon's seat, he would still wield power rivaling one.
"Since Lady Sparkle has given me such joy, I too shall grant you this one small wish. But only once~"
The Aha mask coughed twice, as though transforming into a clownish sports commentator.
"Cough, cough, here we go, here we go! The great commentator Aha is live at the scene!"
"This match is extremely fierce. The competitor from another universe is tremendously powerful—surely their champion. Alone, he seeks to face our side's eleven players!"
"The enemy competitor is brimming with confidence. Of course, he has the strength to back it up. Look! He makes the first move…"
As Sparkle listened to Aha's playful commentary, she grasped what the Aeons were presently doing.
She was stunned at the might of the Aeons from another universe—one being battling eleven Aeons alone, even holding the upper hand for the moment.
Eleven Aeons at once! The scene was unimaginable.
Yet she soon learned this was only temporary. The opponent was indeed powerful, but in a prolonged war lasting thousands of years, the Aeons would eventually prevail.
As Sparkle left the Radiant Feldspar and walked through the Dreamscape Hotel, she continued listening to Aha's commentator-style broadcast in real time.
...
The Dreamscape Hotel was now filled with middle and upper echelons of various great powers, all having fled there.
These figures, following orders, were in the process of inviting Robin to the temporary headquarters of the Interastral Peace Corporation.
"Miss Robin, at present, this is the matter that the highest leaders of the great powers request of you."
"There is no doubt that you alone are the one who can inherit the legacy of Order. You are the sole hope for the billions of races that have gathered in Penacony. We sincerely hope you will take part."
Among the Ten Stonehearts, Jade herself acted as the diplomat to speak with Robin.
Jade well understood the fear gripping the highest echelons of power, as well as the refugees who had fled there. Knowing there was only one hope, they would surely fall into desperate frenzy.
She did not worry much for her own safety. She had tested it already—though the abyssal beasts had scrutinized her, they had not immediately leapt upon her.
She considered herself not a good person, yet she had not been judged as residue to be cleansed away. That alone had been a pleasant surprise.
It seemed that though she bore guilt, it was not guilt warranting death.
In truth, it was only Noah's subconscious unwillingness to let a familiar female figure vanish before he could even react. All was subject to his will.
I must not commit further sins. Otherwise, the abyssal beasts will attack me as well.
Since she was not deemed inevitable residue, naturally she would not join hands with those others. To avoid harm and seek benefit—that was her logic of survival.
Jade continued: "Of course, whether you participate is your own choice, Miss Robin. I am only here to deliver the message."
"But I hope you will not refuse. Refusal does you no good—and may even bring you harm."
Robin had long been troubled by Penacony's current predicament. Even though she held concerts every day, using her songs to soothe the restless masses, she could clearly feel the people's fear and unease growing heavier with each passing moment.
She knew that if things continued like this, Penacony would soon collapse.
As a galactic superstar and messenger of peace, she had performed on countless war-torn planets, bringing peace to civilizations through her voice.
Thus she understood well—chaos was inevitable, and it was only a matter of time.
In truth, riots and war should have erupted already. It was only the legacy of Order that forcibly decreed no intelligent life in Penacony Galaxy could shake the existing order.
Thus, the entire galaxy was still bound by the family's laws. Not even Emanators could defy them.
And what if one did? Even the slightest violation would transform the offender into a stone statue for an entire day—Emanators included.
Yet Penacony's laws contained many loopholes, and were lax in places. Murder, robbery, and other crimes still abounded.
She had already foreseen that the great powers would force the family into negotiations.
But she had not expected it would be her, and not her elder brother Sunday.
Still less had she expected that she would be the only one able to inherit the legacy of Order—the sole hope for the countless civilizations and races gathered in Penacony.
Robin sighed, melancholy but composed. "Miss Jade, since everyone believes I am the only hope, why would you wish me to refuse?"
"I know anything related to Aeons is extremely dangerous. Or, if I am treated as the sole savior, I will become the target of all."
"Even had you not come today, I would still have been caught between enemies on all sides."
For Robin, who was not only a superstar but also politically astute, the pros and cons were plain to see.
"I could think of this as you trying to comfort me, or perhaps as you wanting me to help you as much as I can?"
Jade shook her head gently. "You overthink, Miss Robin. Perhaps before, I might have thought that way. But now, I sincerely hope you refuse."
"After all, I am not one the abyssal beasts will attack. Unlike others, if I were to push you into danger, perhaps I would be judged guilty."
"Moreover, with your intelligence, you already know your situation. I can only say—no one can change it."
Even if Robin refused, the great powers would publicize the news of her being the sole savior. Then all of Penacony would push her forward.
Could she still run? And even if she fled, the Emanators would drag her back.
By then, all pretense would be gone.
In the end, they would rather destroy all of Penacony.
One must never underestimate the baseness of human nature.
Sunday's face darkened. "Disgusting." He sighed, looking apologetically at Robin. "I'm sorry, Robin. Faced with such a dilemma, as your brother I am powerless."
Robin shook her head. "This isn't your fault. No one can stop it. Look—even the Emanators cannot change their fate."
"Perhaps this is my destiny. And maybe inheriting the legacy of Order won't be dangerous at all?"
"Only… it would make me a traitor to my family."
If she refused to inherit, the great powers would lash out in desperation. For even if they forced her, how could they trust she wouldn't turn on them once she succeeded?
But if she willingly inherited, she might at least keep them in check. And if she truly succeeded…
Ever since the black beast tide's mechanism of selection had appeared, she had come to believe that though cruel, it was correct.
Though she believed in Harmony—that every individual was part of the collective, all equal—she had also questioned equality. If a sinner repented, were they truly innocent again? What of the victims killed by those sinners—how pitiful their fate?
If she did inherit the legacy of Order, then she certainly would not protect the guilty.
At that moment, a cheerful voice suddenly rang out.
"Fufufu~ my, my. Didn't I say, Lady Sparkle, that this stage play—you'll perform whether you want to or not~ Look—superstar, winged boy, the audience already holds their tickets for the concert~"
A doll of Sparkle sitting in the corner spoke out.
Jade glanced over, thoughtful. "Oh? The Emanator of Elation?"
It was no secret to the higher powers that an Emanator of Elation had appeared in Penacony.
Sunday clenched his fists, his voice edged with anger. "A Masked Fool… Truly, you appear everywhere. You're the one pulling strings from behind, aren't you?"
"Fufufu~ an angry little winged boy is quite amusing too~ But no, Lady Sparkle hasn't pulled the strings. I merely added a little extra fun onto the foundation already there. You don't mind, do you? Even if you do, little winged boy, you can't touch Lady Sparkle anyway~"
Robin hurriedly asked, "Wait, Miss Sparkle—you just mentioned the audience?" Having dealt with the Masked Fools many times, she knew there was always something hidden in their words.
"Don't worry, don't worry~ Step outside the guest hall and see for yourself~ Off I go—Lady Sparkle needs to find the best seat for the show~"
The Sparkle doll suddenly burst apart, scattering countless flower petals across the hall.
Robin immediately stood and ran for the door, with Sunday and Jade quickly following.
Creaaak—the moment the door opened, before their eyes lay the broad avenues of Penacony. Countless people were crowded together, cheering as though welcoming a president.
Fireworks exploded in the sky, colorful ribbons fluttered everywhere.
Jade's eyes widened. "We were just in the Dreamscape Hotel…" She spun around.
What stood behind them was no hotel conference hall, but a grand opera house.
"Spatial transfer… or something else?"
[Fufufu… Spatial transfer? No, no. This is simply a Fool's trick~ Quickly now, greet your audience.]
"Miss Robin! We all know it now—you can inherit the Aeon's legacy, saving us from the beast tide!"
"Great Miss Robin! I'm your fan! Please, save us!"
"Miss Robin!" "Miss Robin!" "Please, we beg you!" "Miss Robin!"
The moment Robin appeared, cheers erupted like a storm.
All across Penacony, balloons appeared. When they burst, they spread prophecies before everyone's eyes—prophecies of Robin as the savior, and how she would protect them all from the black beast tide.
No one doubted them, for these prophecies came from Pathstriders of the Aeon of Hope.
Though the Aeon of Hope had appeared only briefly, and few ever walked that Path, each one brought forth unimaginable turns of fate—the strangest of all people.
"Miss Robin!"
"Miss Robin!"
The cheers echoed across Penacony, as though the entire planet rejoiced.
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