"Honored guests of the Express, your check-in has been completed. Please accept our deepest apologies for the inconvenience caused earlier."
Miss Alley at the front desk bowed respectfully, handing out card-books printed with the Clockie mascot to the assembled Express crew.
"These are your dream passports — and also your room keys. They integrate every function and piece of information you'll need for food, lodging, and travel here at The Reverie Hotel, along with smart assistance."
"At the same time, they're a special Penacony souvenir — one of a kind, and yours alone!"
"Hoooo~"
Caelus took the card key that had once belonged to someone named Dan Heng but now read "Caelus," flipping it over with interest.
This little gadget, it was said, was made through some special process — an object capable of carrying you from reality into a dream.
It even had a camera function, letting you snap photos to commemorate a beautiful dream.
"Neat little thing," Haxxor Bunny muttered under her breath.
Ever since she'd learned Aether Editing, she'd made a habit of switching to an Aether Editing view whenever she encountered anything unusual, just to peek at its inner workings and see if there was anything worth tinkering with.
"May you all enjoy sweet dreams to your heart's content here in Penacony. Just take the elevator over there, and it will carry you straight up to the VIP suites above the thousandth floor."
After Sunday's instructions, Alley had clearly registered just how special this particular group of guests was, and her manner grew even warmer and more respectful.
"Yes! We finally get to check in!"
Once everyone had collected their necessary items, March 7th clenched her pink fists and gave a small, gleeful cheer as the group headed for the VIP elevator.
"This young lady just wants to get to her room and roll around on that big bed like there's no tomorrow!"
They called it an elevator, but the interior easily spanned over a hundred square meters, its walls made of transparent special glass offering a full view of the hotel's glittering, golden interior.
"Now that's impressive."
White Seele pressed both hands against the glass wall, the glittering, tiered spectacle of buildings below reflected in her eyes.
"I heard the dream world is even more luxurious than this — a whole super-metropolis."
Little Duck watched the childlike, pure wonder on White Seele's face, a gentle smile rising in her own eyes.
"I wonder what it'll actually look like. I can't wait~"
Even though she'd been in this world for quite some time now, the idea of a dreamland, a world of beautiful dreams, still sounded like something out of a fairy tale to someone born on Earth like White Seele.
Little Duck and Haxxor Bunny felt much the same.
Haxxor Bunny had spent the first half of her life in Arc City, and though she was about the same age as Little Duck, her horizons and experience fell short by comparison — Arc City was simply too small a world.
"What a long walk. Isn't this hotel a bit ridiculously huge?"
Stelle stared down a corridor that seemed to stretch beyond what the eye could see, her head drooping, even the ponytail Caelus had tied for her looking limp and dispirited.
"Isn't there a teleport anchor point around here somewhere? I don't want to walk anymore."
Stelle put on her most pitiful, please-take-care-of-me look and turned to the brother beside her.
"Caelus-cub, carry your sister."
"Okay."
Caelus agreed without hesitation, hopping smoothly onto her back, wrapping both arms around her neck and crossing them over her chest, legs clamped around her waist.
"Star-baby."
Caelus's voice took on a deliberately profound, faraway tone:
"What's the difference between a king and a mount?"
Stelle gave him a look as dead as a fish, glancing sideways at the wafting, drifting Caelus.
"Setting aside posture, ability, or strength — if two completely identical beings existed, which one would rule the battle, and which one would be the supporting mount? What's the difference between them?"
"There's only one answer!"
"And that is..."
"Who's on top? That part doesn't matter — moving under your own power is exhausting either way."
Stelle broke into a faintly sinister smile:
"But Caelus-cub, you got the premise wrong — the strength isn't equal at all!"
Before the words had even finished, Stelle, drawing on her outrageous, unreasonable strength, wrenched Caelus's arm loose and threw him over her shoulder in one clean, brutal motion.
"Down you go!"
The two of them then held a friendly negotiation and in-depth discussion on such topics as "The Exchange and Inheritance of Culture," "The Artistic Refinement of Language," "The Hub of Interpersonal Communication," and "Shaft-and-Socket Insertion."
In the end, they reached a conclusion.
A compromise.
"Could you two possibly be any lazier?"
March 7th watched, unimpressed, as Caelus was carried along by the black shadow raccoon Stelles: "Stelle, don't you get tired just watching little shadow-Stelle do all the work?"
Back during the Express's big cleanup, Stelle had solemnly declared the founding of the Shadow-Stelle Human Rights Protection Association, insisting that a black shadow's life mattered too, and demanding equal pay for equal work on shadow-Stelle's behalf.
Well — she was the one who collected the wages.
Stelle swung her long, pale legs lazily, saying without a hint of shame:
"Mm, the Shadow Human Rights Protection Association just disbanded."
After crossing the long corridor and reaching the spacious public lounge, everyone found themselves more than a little thirsty after all that talking.
At the bar, Himeko thoughtfully ordered everyone a glass of Penacony's local specialty — Soleda.
Since it was non-alcoholic, even the underage Seele could drink freely and happily.
As for Haxxor Bunny and Little Duck... well, you know how it goes with certain heavy-drinking types.
Vodka could knock back anything straight from the bottle — barring a few special brews, nothing else posed a challenge.
Stelle and Caelus's underage status existed in a state of quantum flux — minors whenever it was convenient, instantly adults the moment restrictions needed dodging. Flexibility was the name of the game.
"Over a hundred flavors?! However is a person supposed to choose..."
Stelle and March 7th stared at the dazzling, elaborately packaged rows of Soleda bottles on the shelf, instantly paralyzed by indecision.
"Just grab any one."
Stelle and March 7th stared at the dazzling array of Soleda bottles on the shelf, paralyzed by indecision.
The bartender gracefully handed over a bottle of Soleda labeled "Whatever," then turned politely to the others: "And the rest of you?"
"Seriously, that works?"
Caelus blinked, thrown off by this whatever-goes approach. His gaze swept over the bottle in Stelle's hand, then drifted across the shelf before landing on a flavor that caught his eye: "I'll take a Explosion SoulGlad."
"Coming right up."
The bartender smiled and handed over the drink, adding a courteous reminder:
"Please loosen the cap before drinking. Let it vent for five seconds, then open it slowly. Also, please don't mix it with other flavors."
Loosen the cap?
You tell me to loosen it, I'll loosen it — does a Masked Fool care about looking cool?
Caelus chuckled lightly and elbowed Stelle, who was happily blowing bubbles into her Soleda through a straw, then held out the Supernova bottle to her:
"Let me try what 'Whatever' tastes like."
With the Soleda in her hand swapped by Caelus-cub for a fresh, unopened bottle, Stelle figured she'd come out ahead and nodded, satisfied.
With a flourish, she pressed her thumb against the metal cap of the Explosion SoulGlad and flicked it open with force.
Pfffft——!!!
The bottom of the bottle seemed to hide a miniature hydraulic press — with a deafening bang, the liquid inside, driven by terrifying pressure, transformed into a spectacular fountain that shot straight toward the ceiling.
Red Soleda rained down in scattered drops.
Little Duck, who'd been imitating Silver Wing's elegant sipping style, got her spiral Augmented Duck hairstyle soaked.
Haxxor Bunny, carefully picking out a flavor nearby, found her hood and tactical jacket splattered with red liquid.
March 7th, who'd just chosen a strawberry-flavored bottle and was about to open it, felt a sticky drop land on her pink hair — her expression shifting from blank confusion to murderous intent in an instant.
Only Caelus, who'd seen this coming, escaped unscathed.
The three of them stiffened, necks rigid, and slowly turned to look at Stelle, standing there soaked from head to toe with a look of utter shock on her face.
"Mm, tastes good. Thanks, Star-baby."
Caelus, perfectly composed, casually pressed the half-drunk bottle of "Whatever" back into Stelle's frozen hands, then smoothly reclaimed the Supernova bottle — now reduced to a pitiful last mouthful.
He finally understood why they called it "Supernova."
He glanced at the tiny print on the label.
[Love the sensation of Soleda bubbles popping in your mouth? Explosion SoulGlad is bottled using ten-thousand-ton-grade compression and a polymer alloy casing. Just a small sip lets you feel countless fine bubbles erupt in a riot across your palate. Don't fear the slight sting — dare to savor an entire star system bursting on the tip of your tongue!]
They bottle this thing in polymer alloy and someone just cracked it open bare-handed? Hachi-Stelle, you absolute menace...
"I'm going to murder you!"
It took Stelle two full seconds to process what had happened, and she chose action over words, lunging straight at the culprit.
The other three, hair dripping wet and wearing benevolent, saintly smiles, advanced on Stelle in perfect sync.
Caelus smiled faintly, utterly composed, tilting his head back to down the last drop of Explosion SoulGlad left in the bottle.
In an instant, countless furious bubbles seemed to detonate like a miniature star inside his mouth. Caelus, having braced for it, managed not to spit it out — but the full, unfiltered force of that sensation surged through the empathy bond straight into Stelle's mouth-nerves, no buffer at all.
Layered on top of the "Whatever" flavor already lingering there, Stelle went instantly, furiously red, steam practically rising off the top of her head.
Oh, so that's how we're playing this?
Fine!
Stelle, throwing caution to the wind, grabbed Caelus's collar and crushed her mouth against his, forcing the whole mouthful of liquid straight into him.
"Mmph!"
Caelus's face flushed red at visible speed — now it was his turn to experience that mouth-detonating blast.
To the onlooking guests unaware of the full story, this looked exactly like a couple deeply in love, locked in a passionate kiss.
"Wait, wait!"
"Huh? Why is their hair color exactly the same?"
"Could they be twins?!"
"Ohh — forbidden love?! How scandalous!"
Whispers and curious stares converged on them instantly, the fires of gossip roaring to life all around.
"Oh, these two kids..."
Himeko let out a helpless, exasperated laugh, rubbing her forehead — what else could she do?
What an absolute clown act.
This level of horseplay barely even counted as "acting up" for these two anymore... though come to think of it, hadn't everyone gotten a little too used to this sort of thing?
Was it really fine to just let this go on forever?
"All right, all right."
Himeko cut in at just the right moment. "Everyone, go drop your bags off in your rooms first, and freshen up while you're at it."
"Yes ma'am! Private Little March will complete the mission!"
March 7th gave a goofy salute.
"Okay~"
Little Duck, Haxxor Bunny, and White Seele answered in unison.
Passing by Stelle and Caelus, still caught mid-liquid-transfer, everyone except the soft and gentle Little "White" Seele delivered a solid, unforgiving karate chop to the pair, their eyes making one thing perfectly clear:
We'll settle up with you two later!
Watching the young ones noisily file out of the lounge, Himeko and Welt exchanged a glance, shook their heads helplessly, and dropped their voices to discuss the coded message in the invitation.
...
Following the directions on his Dreamscape Pass, Caelus found his way to his own VIP suite.
He pushed open the heavy, elegantly appointed door.
"Whoa, not bad at all."
The room looked to be well over a hundred and fifty square meters, decorated with meticulous care, blending Penacony's dreamlike style with the weight of classical artistry.
Exquisite antique pieces were scattered throughout, a lavish welcome basket sat on the table, the built-in fridge was stocked with a dazzling array of drinks, and holographic computers and other equipment stood ready and waiting.
Caelus walked straight to the master bedroom.
Right in the middle of the room, an enormous, ornate shell-shaped pool immediately caught the eye.
The pool was filled with clear, transparent liquid.
"Is this the Dreampool?"
Curious, Caelus stepped closer and lightly poked a finger at the water's surface.
"Hm?"
His fingertip felt none of the expected wetness or resistance — as if he were touching nothing at all — yet his skin still relayed back some indescribable sense of presence, cool and slick.
"What a strange texture."
"I wonder if it'd work as lube?"
After playing with the mysterious substance for a while, Caelus finally started unpacking his light luggage.
The master bedroom was spacious — besides the eye-catching Dreampool, there was also an enormous bed that looked impossibly soft and comfortable.
Plenty of people wished they could soak in the Dreampool twenty-four hours a day, but ordinary sleep was still a basic need — not much of one, but the hotel had to provide for it regardless.
Caelus wasn't in any hurry to enter a dream.
Once he'd finished unpacking, he stretched out and relaxed on the huge bed.
Suddenly, a slender, delicate figure materialized out of thin air.
Swaying her hips with a boneless, serpentine grace so soft it made you wonder if she'd had a couple of ribs surgically removed, White Comet Kiana stepped out of Valkyrie space and settled herself astride Caelus's waist.
"Mm, if I don't come out and move around soon, this body's going to rust... I'm practically becoming a menace at this rate."
White Comet stretched her long, graceful limbs like a lazy cat, her eyes curving into two adorable crescent moons.
"Kiana-cat is just too cute!"
Caelus gazed at himself, sliding straight into self-adoration.
Damn this cuteness!
"Heh heh~"
Resting her chin on both hands, White Comet shook her head playfully and winked at Caelus.
Caelus couldn't hold back and pulled White Comet in for a kiss.
Their lips met, soft against soft, the girl's curled lashes brushing his skin as her eyes fluttered.
The wondrous sensation of kissing his own split self wasn't really something outsiders would understand.
The long, wet kiss dragged on, off and on, for a full five or six minutes, until the white-haired girl's eyes had gone misty and shimmering.
Caelus reined himself in — if he let this continue, he might not be able to stop.
Gazing at the white-haired beauty, her eyes hazy with desire, Caelus made his choice, determined to break free of the rising tide of emotion before it went too far.
Auto-Battle, engage!
In an instant, those shimmering blue eyes cleared.
"Huh? A-again?"
The girl from the Honkai World, the original future timeline's Kiana-baby, blinked wide-eyed in surprise.
____
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