The brilliant fireworks exploded in the night sky, illuminating the darkness in an instant.
They were breathtaking when they bloomed, but once they faded, only the scent of the smoke lingered in the air.
It was like an observation deck that lost its purpose after dinner.
Three hours later, it was bedtime, and everyone had already returned to their rooms to rest.
Spending the entire day playing had worn them out. Too much had happened in a single day, and they all needed time to recover.
Of course, even Ren was no exception.
He, too, needed rest.
Today had been a very intense experience for him. He had advanced in the sequence, but this was only the beginning of the path.
He still needed to calm himself down.
Wearing a bathrobe, Ren stood in front of the glass door that looked out from his room, gazing into the peaceful night. His mood was surprisingly tranquil.
The joy of successfully advancing had gradually settled.
In fact, he could have used the comfort of the River of Eternal Darkness to soothe his mind and spirit, but today, something about Sefirah Castle had felt odd. That strange sensation compelled him to calm down naturally.
His spirit had suddenly felt a strong resonance.
The powerful reaction from Sefirah Castle caused Ren's projection, to stabilize for a moment before entering Sefirah Castle.
His consciousness entered, but this time, he didn't find himself inside Sefirah Castle. Instead, he stood before a door shrouded in fog.
Ren cautiously placed his hand on the door.
A strange intuition caused the corners of his lips to curve slightly.
"Interesting."
He sensed that this fog-covered door was part of Sefirah Castle. Or rather, it was a part that had been separated from the whole.
Source essence possessed a self-repairing nature. Even when torn, it could eventually restore itself to a complete form. However, even if separated, the only person who could control it was the original owner. Moreover, the existence capable of tearing apart source essence wasn't just a Pillar—it was an Original far beyond that level.
So, was the Sefirah Castle he received actually a torn-off portion?
With that thought in mind, Ren gently pushed open the door before him.
"Ka-ka-ka!"
Despite being made from Sefirah Castle's fog, the door creaked open like an old, unused gate.
Behind it appeared a space that resembled Sefirah Castle—similar, yet different.
But what caught Ren off guard was that several people were already seated at a long table, and the man in the main seat, though his features were obscured by Sefirah Castle's fog, was somehow visible to Ren.
"Hehe"
A surge of inexplicable excitement and joy nearly made Ren burst out in uncontrollable laughter.
He could have restrained himself using the Clown's persona, but he didn't. He laughed freely like a clown.
"Interesting… This is really interesting~"
At that moment, his laughter was like the whispering of an ancient god. It made everyone present feel intensely disturbed, like they might lose control at any moment.
The man at the head of the table felt it most strongly.
He was shocked by the sudden arrival of a stranger above the gray fog, even more by the shift in this person's emotions, which triggered a sense of imminent breakdown.
Even under the suppression of the gray fog, that oppressive sensation was still unmistakable.
He felt a disturbing stir in his blood, and his spirituality seemed ready to burst.
However, it wasn't because he was losing control due to a lack of spirituality. This situation was entirely different from anything he had experienced before.
"I apologize for intruding on your gathering."
Like a familiar guest, Ren smiled and walked over, casually pulling out the chair opposite the main seat and sitting down.
"Though it was a sudden intrusion, it's been quite an interesting experience for me."
As he finished speaking, the pressure that had nearly driven the others to the brink faded.
Not only the man, but everyone else present felt significantly more at ease.
"The Fool, Justice, and the Hanged Man… just started… No, looks like it's your second time."
Ren could clearly see, with his spiritual vision, that a worm had appeared deep within the Fool's ethereal body—a clear sign of becoming a Beyonder.
The man appeared slightly confused by the statement. He sensed that this intruder was oddly familiar with him—or with them.
"Let me give you a belated introduction."
"My name is Amamiya Ren."
But the man frowned. He hadn't caught the name clearly.
"Excuse me, sir, I don't think I heard your name just now."
Miss Justice quickly raised her hand to voice her confusion.
The Hanged Man remained silent, but it was clear he hadn't heard the name either.
Well done, Miss Justice, the man silently praised in his heart.
"You didn't hear it?"
Ren murmured, resting his chin on his hand.
"Since you didn't hear it, forget it. Maybe my name isn't something you're meant to hear, or perhaps someone deliberately blocked it."
"It doesn't really matter. Since you don't know my name, just use a codename."
"Joker."
Suddenly remembering something, Ren added:
"You should be able to remember how the codename sounds, but I can't convert its pronunciation into the written words you recognize. Don't be surprised. I don't know your language at all. Most likely, Sefirah Castle directly translated my thoughts into a form your minds could comprehend."
"But that's convenient. It means fewer misunderstandings."
After his explanation, Ren looked at the three original members of the Tarot Club seated before him, smiling faintly.
"I thought it would happen later, but I didn't expect it to be this time. It's quite the surprise for me. It's a shame we can't meet in person yet. But I'll be waiting, looking forward to the day we truly meet."
Ren paused for a moment.
"Well, today's intrusion has been quite amusing for me, but I've still disrupted your meeting. By the way, is your gathering already over?"
Justice and the Hanged Man both turned to Mr. Fool, who sat in the lead seat.
After a short silence, the man nodded slightly.
"Yes, you interrupted our gathering."
Ren was briefly stunned, then smiled and apologized.
"Ah, I see. Sorry, sorry. I hadn't realized this was so sudden."
"Well~ I'm not the best at many things, but I do have some skill in suppressing corruption and loss of control. How about this? As an apology, I'll give you three my blessing."
Suppress corruption and loss of control?
The Hanged Man could hardly believe what he had just heard. His expression even twitched in disbelief.
Everyone knew that once corruption occurred, it was irreversible. While loss of control could occasionally be managed, corruption was nearly impossible to contain. Once tainted, there was usually no saving the person.
The man's face also showed clear astonishment. Clearly, he hadn't expected anything like this.
Without waiting for the trio's reaction, Ren lightly tapped the table.
The fog above the ceiling instantly sank, swirling down toward the bronze table. The mist condensed into three talismans, each imprinted with a black hat over a red background.
Ren gave them a glance, then waved his hand nonchalantly. The fog picked up the talismans and floated them over to the three.
"As an apology for disturbing your gathering."
"Also, feel free to visit me if you have time. I'm quite interested in your stories. That'll be all for now. Do as you like."
(To be continued.)
***
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