"Himeko, I have a feeling that Sunday guy won't just kindly tell us the location of Penacony's Stellaron..."
Watching everyone prepare to enter the dream and head to the Penacony Grand Theater to deal with the Stellaron, wrapping up this Trailblaze journey, a worried March 7th couldn't help but voice her doubts to Himeko. "Even if he says he's telling us secretly behind The Family's back, will things really go that smoothly?"
"Whether it's a trap or not, the Stellaron's aura is definitely there. We have to make the trip regardless," Himeko shook her head regretfully. She and Welt had already scouted the surroundings. Although the Stellaron was hidden, a targeted search still revealed faint reactions.
"We were originally just here for a vacation and to look for the predecessor's legacy, and now we're caught up in a grand conspiracy possibly involving three Paths and two Aeons..." March 7th sighed deeply, melancholy written all over her face.
Himeko assumed she was just worried about the potential battle ahead and comforted her, "Don't worry, Little March. Not only is the entire Express crew participating this time, but the Express itself is on standby for support. The IPC fleet has already gathered around the Asdana star system, and we have two powerful allies here as well... No matter what, we will win."
Will we win?
March 7th looked up at Acheron, who was resting nearby with her eyes closed. Although she didn't know exactly how strong Acheron was, even Twilight had vouched for her strength, so she must be formidable, right? And the other one, Firefly... Caelus said she was a Stellaron Hunter, so she should be skilled too.
But despite this, March 7th still felt an emptiness in her heart, like something was missing.
Twilight wasn't by her side. This fact alone was a debuff for March 7th, who had grown accustomed to her presence. But in the current situation, the Express crew couldn't possibly drag Twilight, in her extremely poor condition, into the dreamscape to fight. They were even carrying out this operation secretly, worried Twilight would disregard her health and insist on following them.
It's okay, it's just little old Penacony. We have Acheron, we have the Express, and if worse comes to worst, Dan Heng can activate his hidden backup form... March 7th reassured herself internally. They had to win, even if just to let Twilight leave Penacony with peace of mind!
...
Within the empty Penacony Grand Theater, only a single white figure stood silently at the center.
Sunday had thought he might hesitate when facing this moment, even question his own actions... But standing here now, resolved to forge that perfect world, he found not a shred of hesitation in his heart, only... determination!
Hearing of a thousand tragedies is not like witnessing one; witnessing a thousand sorrows is not like experiencing one moment firsthand... After truly sensing the immense suffering Twilight endured even while alive, Sunday no longer had any reason to hesitate.
And what he had heard and seen of the Express crew's bottomless exploitation and indifference towards Twilight in recent days only strengthened the obsession in his heart.
Someone for whom even living was agony still had to fulfill the despicable wishes of those people, offering them money. And what was her reward? Being terminally ill with no one noticing or caring, being unreasonably blamed and neglected.
Clearly a kind child who had done nothing wrong, yet ended up like this... Sunday's upbringing forbade him from uttering vulgarities, but the only phrase that came to mind was—Damn it all, this world is to blame!
Precisely because this world was such a wretched thing, the exploitation of the weak by the strong would never cease—therefore, he would shape the world he desired with his own hands.
A perfect world without any oppression, where everyone could achieve their desires.
Sunday stood there, back turned, until he heard the clamor of footsteps entering the auditorium.
"Sunday, your days of spouting confusing riddles are over...!"
The first person to rush onto the central stage of the theater was Caelus. Sunday had arranged quite a few cryptic little scenes along the path into the theater, but Caelus had no interest, batting his way through with his club. He had only one goal now: resolve this mess in Penacony as quickly as possible.
Extending a hand towards Sunday, Caelus demanded firmly, "Hand over the Stellaron!"
"I refuse."
Sunday turned calmly, looking expressionlessly at the people arriving behind Caelus. The Astral Express crew, a Stellaron Hunter, an Emanator of Nihility... each a name that could resonate throughout the universe. Yet, facing so many dazzling stars as adversaries, he showed no fear.
"The Stellaron is one of the cornerstones of the dreamscape. Without it, the currently prosperous Penacony will revert to the savage land where the strong prey on the weak it once was."
"Your so-called prosperity merely traps people in superficial fame and fortune," As the navigator of Trailblaze, Himeko immediately shook her head, refuting Sunday's view. "Besides, the current Penacony is still essentially a place where the strong prey on the weak, perhaps even more cruelly and rampant... It has merely donned a facade of seeming civilization."
"I don't disagree with your view, Miss Himeko... In this current world, even the most beautiful dreamscapes still contain oppression and inequality. The fortunate greedily snatch everything, while the unfortunate can only fall into the abyss in despair."
Sunday slowly raised his hand, then clenched it abruptly, as if grasping the future. "Therefore, I will create a new world, one that compensates for all misfortune, a perfect world where both the strong and the weak can attain happiness equally!"
"Alright, I don't have time for this typical villain monologue!" Thoroughly fed up with the red tape, Caelus gripped his baseball bat tightly, ready to charge forward and crack it over Sunday's head at any moment. "Whether you want to become the master of the universe or ascend to godhood, doesn't it still boil down to controlling the world?!"
"Not quite. It is merely a carefree world, manifesting in this reality through the dreamscape."
Caelus's agitation didn't affect Sunday's calmness. He simply looked at the group before him and stated flatly, "Miss Twilight isn't here. Has her condition worsened again? Diagnosed with death by Herta of the Genius Society herself, even if you leave Penacony for the Herta Space Station, she has half a year left at most. Her life is so brief that she barely gets to comprehend the wonders of the universe and life before departing... Misfortune always befalls the unfortunate. This too is a facet of the current twilight of Order."
"Members of the Astral Express, don't you want her to live?"
Sunday's scrutinizing gaze fell upon the crew members. "Don't you... want her to live a full and happy life?"
"All of this can be achieved, in this new world devoid of tragedy, perfectly ordered... within this Ena [Dream of Unity]!"
"Everything in dreams is fake! Only the real world has meaning!"
Caelus's voice cut off Sunday's words. Faced with this seemingly truthful statement, Sunday remained noncommittal.
"Only the strong can utter such arrogant words... If you weren't the hero making the choice, but the child lying there suffering torment, could you still say the same?"
"Further conversation with you is meaningless, but no matter... Guiding the weak onto the right path is also the responsibility of Order." Sunday's gaze turned cold. "Even if they are people who only think of themselves, they will be treated equally!"