Chapter 342: Penacony Arc 『 Part Thirty-seven』, The Bottomless Pit of the Penacony
「 The Astral Express Crew resolved to accept Black Swan's proposal of cooperation. After a brief deliberation, the members dispersed, returning swiftly to their respective quarters.
At this moment, Stelle's thoughts were still consumed by Hotaru, wondering if the girl had successfully returned to reality. She moved to check her phone, only to realize with a pang of frustration that she lacked any means of contacting her…
Black Swan was already waiting in her room.
The moment their eyes met, the Memokeeper read the turbulence written across Stelle's features.
"You look quite tense, Stelle. Is it the young lady you're worried about? If something weighs on your heart, do not hesitate to confide in me. In all the cosmos, there is no one better suited to be a therapist than a Memokeeper."
"Can you confirm Hotaru's safety?" Stelle asked, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
"Rest assured, that is a one-way door leading to awakened reality. Unless that girl is so stubborn that she refuses to wake up from the dream — which isn't possible — she must be holed up somewhere in the hotel, massaging her eyes right now."
Hearing Black Swan's reassurance, the heavy stone suspended in Stelle's heart finally hit the ground. She reclined into the Dreampool, slipping quickly back into the world of dreams.
When she opened her eyes, she was back in the familiar room, with Black Swan still waiting nearby.
"I am aware that you are particularly sensitive to memoria, making you more susceptible to the dream's influence than others; that is precisely why I must accompany you personally. I shall employ a few techniques to ease your discomfort. Do not fret—your companions are safe as well. Before we entered the dream, I secured a small piece of jewelry from each of them, allowing me to sense their presence within the Memory Zone."
Black Swan sensed that they had awakened in their own rooms. However, as the topography of the Memory Zone differs from reality, Himeko and March 7th's rooms were located a great distance away. Time was of the essence; they had to rendezvous in the lobby immediately.
Along the way, they encountered several staggering members of the Dreamjolt Troupe. Black Swan knit her brows slightly. "Strange… there seems to be the scent of another presence here…" 」
「 ..... 」
〜BanG Dream World〜
Ave Mujica—
The lights of the rehearsal studio were a sterile, deathly white. The sound of the band's performance came to a jarring halt.
"Third measure, fourth beat."
Sakiko Toyokawa's finger pressed heavily against the sheet music, her nail emitting a sharp, grating scratch against the paper.
"Miss Utemachi—how many times has this been? There is a limit to how much one can daydream. You are the one who requires the most practice, yet have you even touched your instrument lately?"
Nyamu spun a drumstick between her fingers, offering a sheepish, nonchalant grin.
"I can't help it, I've been quite busy lately~"
"Busy?"
Sakiko's voice dropped suddenly, sounding like silk soaked in ice water—soft, yet piercing to the bone. She pulled out her phone and expertly navigated to Nyamu's account, where the two latest videos had been posted only within the last two days.
"A drum cover of 'If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking,' and…"
Sakiko's thumb flicked rapidly across the screen,
"A Hotaru makeup tutorial."
"So… you have no time to practice Ave Mujica's repertoire, yet you find the time to practice songs from the Light Curtain?"
"Oh, Sakiko, don't you love the content from the Light Curtain too? Penacony is currently the number one trending topic in the world—"
Nyamu rose and circled behind Sakiko, her fingers coming to rest lightly on the young girl's soft shoulders.
"One has to chase the clout occasionally, you know~"
"That is no excuse to neglect your practice!"
"No, that is exactly my reason."
Utterly indifferent to the girl's simmering rage, Nyamu flopped onto the sofa and shrugged.
"When you can gain far more attention simply by using someone else's songs, there's nothing wrong with a little 'borrowing,' is there? Plenty of musical groups across the world are doing it. The point is the hype… the band's reach."
"But that song is entirely inconsistent with Ave Mujica's style!"
Sakiko's brow furrowed, a small crease forming between her eyes.
"What does 'consistency' matter? As long as the fans love it, right?"
Nyamu pulled out her phone and sent several scores to the others.
"Practice them or not, it's up to you. Just remember, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity~"
—
「 The two arrived at the lobby, only to suddenly spot a familiar silhouette standing in the center of the hall.
Black Swan looked on in astonishment. "Ah… her? How is this possible?"
Acheron stood beside several members of the Dreamjolt Troupe, looking around with an air of mild distress. "Are there... no staff members here at all?"
She turned her head, her eyes lighting up with pleasant surprise upon seeing the pair. "Huh? What're you doing here?"
"You... lost your way again?"
"I wouldn't put it quite like that. I simply do not know where I am," Acheron replied with stark honesty.
The three of them made quick work of the nearby monsters. Once silence returned, Acheron asked curiously, "What brings the two of you here?"
But that was the very question Black Swan wished to ask her. Acheron did not hide the truth; she explained that rumors regarding the Watchmaker and a certain legacy were circulating in Penacony. Curious about the source, she had followed the instructions within the rumors as an experiment… and ended up here.
Considering the perils of this dreamscape, Acheron proactively suggested they travel together. She offered her protection in exchange for the Memokeeper's guidance.
Stelle naturally agreed. Acheron expressed her gratitude and noted her pleasure at traveling with Miss Black Swan once more.
"Mmh… one would hope so." 」
「 ..... 」
〜Genshin Impact World〜
Teyvat—
"Apprehension."
Inside the stadium of Natlan, Mavuika, the Pyro Archon, set down her beer, watching with curiosity as Black Swan's face betrayed a flicker of displeasure.
It was a look she knew all too well—back before she became the Archon, her opponents often wore that exact expression.
"…She seems somewhat afraid of this Miss Acheron."
"Afraid? Why?"
Chasca asked, unable to quite grasp the reason.
"I recall the Memokeeper once proactively inviting Acheron to dance. By all rights, they should be on good terms. Could there be some hidden grievance between Acheron and Black Swan? It couldn't be that Acheron is a terrible dancer but thinks she's a pro, could it?"
Mavuika laughed heartily.
"Hardly. I don't think Miss Black Swan is the type to care about such trivialities."
She lowered her head in thought.
"My guess… is strength."
Acheron possessed a power that could not be overlooked—that was a consensus among them—but no one knew the true extent of it.
She had always fought using only her scabbard; no one had seen that blade drawn.
—Was it that her opponents were unworthy of the blade?
—Or would drawing it bring about irreversible consequences?
Mavuika could only imagine those two possibilities.
But she suspected that Miss Black Swan might be the person in all of Penacony who understood Acheron's strength best… otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why she was so wary.
—