In the shattered dreamscape stood the dormant, massive, and twisted "Philosophical Embryo."
Its silhouette shimmered faintly in the illusory, hazy light, exuding a heart-stopping grandeur and stillness, as if it were the very incarnation of "Order."
Boothill casually loaded his revolver, his shark-like teeth glinting coldly in his wide grin.
"Well, I'll be damned! Is that big ol' scary head the mastermind you all have been yapping about?"
He lifted the muzzle of his gun slightly, pointing at the silent behemoth. With his usual wild abandon, he pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"Let me loosen it up a bit first!"
BANG!
A burst of orange fire erupted from the muzzle. A special bullet, carrying the will of The Hunt, howled out like a meteor and struck Dominicus's mountain-like head with perfect accuracy.
However, the expected explosion of debris did not occur.
After a dull boom like the clanging of a giant bell, the bullet seemed to have sunk into thick mud. It merely created a faint ripple on the surface of the giant head before its momentum vanished completely.
Dominicus remained motionless, its deathly aura unchanged.
In that instant, an indescribably grand, ethereal, yet chilling symphony of "Order," as if from beyond the heavens, suddenly rang out from the direction of the theater that symbolized Penacony's splendor. It instantly echoed throughout this shattered, bizarre land of collapse.
A solemn, majestic, yet utterly emotionless and cold voice, like a divine decree, resounded in the depths of everyone's soul.
This voice, this tone, was completely different from the one with its gentle, guiding quality that they had heard from Sunday in the false golden-age dream.
This voice held only pure, unquestionable "Order" and absolute "Judgment."
Clearly, Sunday had completely merged with Dominicus, entering the second phase of his boss battle, which was Dominicus's true and final form—
Chorus, the Divine Lord.
"Oh? So you have struggled free from the sweet slumber woven by Order, have you, my lost lambs?"
The voice of the Divine Lord seemed to descend from the clouds, carrying the indifference of one looking down upon ants and an almost imperceptible pity, creating echoes in the broken dreamscape.
Black Swan's long, narrow violet eyes squinted slightly. A bewitching curve touched her lips, her voice lazy yet tinged with a hint of provocation.
"We've slept long enough, my Master Daziel."
She turned her head, her eyes flowing with a teasing light as she smiled at Daziel. The words that came from her red lips, however, nearly made him stumble.
"It's time to show him, and this pathetic world, a good look. Even without that illusory, self-deceiving garbage dream, your side has never lacked for women's favor and devotion!"
Daziel's body tensed. The veins on his forehead throbbed uncontrollably. He took a deep breath, suppressed the feeling of absurdity, and muttered in a low voice.
"Black Swan, what time do you think it is to be saying things like that?"
The Divine Lord's voice rang out again, without a ripple of emotion, yet carrying a logic so cold it was chilling to the bone.
"Without the protection and harmony of 'Order,' how are those weaklings struggling at the bottom supposed to solve their base and primal physiological needs?"
"Since ancient times, quality partners, a scarce resource, have often only been controlled and distributed by those who stand at the top of the pyramid."
"If you all still have objections to my 'Order,' if you are still unwilling—then prove it to me. Use your insignificant power to shake the truth of this universe."
Daziel said no more. More words were useless. Only battle remained! His eyes suddenly focused, his aura flaring. He shouted in a low, resolute voice:
"Phantylia, come forth!"
With his call, an indescribably deep, dark, yet supremely tempting aura of destruction spread out behind him.
Space seemed to be torn apart by a giant, invisible hand. Phantylia's graceful and extremely dangerous colossal figure quietly emerged. Her eyes flowed with a lazy smile as she nodded lightly, her will of destruction already locked on the target.
The battle, at this moment, fully erupted!
Daziel gripped the golden baseball bat that had accompanied him for so long, the muscles in his arms tensing, veins bulging. He roared, pouring all his strength into it. The bat tore through the air with a sharp whistle, viciously smashing against the "torso" of the behemoth Dominicus!
The heavy impact reverberated back through the bat, making Daziel's hand go numb, his arm aching.
However, the feeling was like hitting a giant sponge that absorbed all force. It was like a clay ox entering the sea, vanishing without a trace. Dominicus remained completely still.
Black Swan's fingertips flickered, and several tarot cards shimmering with mysterious runes flipped and spun between her slender fingers.
Her red lips parted, uttering a few obscure syllables, and the cards transformed into streaks of strange light, shooting out.
Some cards exploded upon approaching Dominicus, turning into a field of disorienting illusions, attempting to interfere with its perception.
Others attached themselves to Daziel and Firefly, forming a faint purple glow, providing them with an unknown buff.
Firefly had already transformed back into the silver mech, Sam, the moment the battle began.
At this moment, incandescent silver-blue light erupted from the gaps in her armor, like a burning star.
"DHGDR—Supernova Overload!"
With a sharp cry, the energy core in Sam's chest suddenly lit up with a blinding light. A beam of energy hotter and more dazzling than the sun, like the spear of divine punishment, tore through the shattered dreamscape and viciously struck Dominicus!
A dazzling X-ray light and energy storm exploded, dyeing the surrounding dreamscape ruins a sheet of silver-white.
Immediately after, before the shockwave could completely dissipate—
"BHF—Dragon's Flame Scourge!"
The thrusters on Sam's back erupted with even greater force. Her petite body, encased in heavy armor, displayed a terrifying explosive power that belied its size. Like a true meteor trailing a long tail of flame, she charged recklessly towards Dominicus's massive body, attempting to engage in close-quarters combat!
Boothill's gunshots were continuous, each bullet infused with his unyielding will as a Galaxy Ranger and his wild power. They traced cunning arcs through the air, attacking Dominicus from all angles.
"I'll be damned! Eat another one of mine!"
The five bullets he had just loaded were almost gone, with only one left—
"The last one's for you!"
He laughed loudly, flames spitting from the muzzle, as if to vent all his fighting spirit.
Phantylia raised her jade-like hand, her posture graceful and composed, as if she were not in a life-or-death battle, but weaving a beautiful tapestry.
With her movement, countless black, eerie lotuses silently bloomed in the void. They were magnificent and deadly, each petal exuding a heart-stopping, pure aura of destruction, silently sweeping towards Dominicus.
The Divine Lord's voice, amidst the increasingly majestic and sacred symphony, also grew higher, carrying an unquestionable authority and judgment.
"Hmph, with one hundred and seven thousand, three hundred and thirty-six divine notes, I proclaim to you ignorant fools!"
"Join this glorious chorus—and return with me to that eternal, decadent, ecstatic paradise!"
With his proclamation, an indescribable radiance, as if composed of countless fine musical notes, suddenly appeared on Dominicus's massive surface, forming an unbreakable, invisible barrier.
The stormy assault from Daziel, Firefly, Boothill, and Phantylia—be it physical blows, energy blasts, or conceptual destruction—dissolved like melting snow the moment it touched the radiant barrier, vanishing into nothingness.
"If the experience of a dream is no different from cold reality, or even more beautiful, can it still be called false?"
The Divine Lord's voice was filled with a hint of pity and mockery as it questioned them.
"With this complete and flawless symphony, I command—let paradise be recreated here!"
An even stronger, irresistible power lashed back from Dominicus. Daziel and the others felt an immense, invisible force pressing down on them, their pressure multiplying. Their once-fierce offensive was instantly stifled, and even breathing became difficult.
Their coordination was flawless, their attacks ferocious, yet they were consistently unable to truly shake the "Philosophical Embryo" that stood like a god, looking down on everything.
Every all-out attack was like a stone cast into the sea, sinking into a bottomless abyss, creating only an imperceptible ripple, but failing to cause any substantial damage.
Fine beads of sweat gradually formed on the brows of Daziel, Firefly, Black Swan, and Boothill. Their breathing started to become heavy.
This was a bitter battle the likes of which they had never experienced before.
Just as the battle reached a stalemate, and a sense of powerlessness began to creep into everyone's hearts.
A single, flawless white feather, as if carrying some kind of hope, or perhaps a hint of joy, floated down lightly and abruptly from the chaotic, energy-filled sky.
In this battlefield filled with destruction and fury, it seemed so out of place, yet it carried an ineffable sanctity and tranquility.
Robin gently closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.
The next moment, a soft and warm golden light, like the rising sun, slowly emanated from her petite body, enveloping her, making her look like an angel descended to the mortal world.
Following the plan she had discussed with Daziel and the others, she began to sing a dissonant note of freedom into this broken, twisted dreamscape filled with the tyranny of "Order."
There was no grand, breathtaking accompaniment like Sunday's, no soul-shaking, majestic melody.
Compared to Sunday's hymn, which was like a divine punishment seeking to bring everything under its "Order," what Robin sang at this moment was an incomparably pure, incomparably clean children's rhyme.
Her singing voice was as clear as a gurgling stream in a mountain valley, filled with a child's unique innocence and sincerity, without a trace of embellishment or impurity.
Each note was like a tender sprout in early spring, full of life and hope, forming a stark, intense contrast with the solemn and cold hymn of "Order" that Sunday had painstakingly created.
A strange scene occurred.
Dominicus's massive, despair-inducing body actually faltered for a moment upon hearing this pure children's rhyme, as if its cold core of "Order" had been touched in the slightest by this note that did not belong to it.
The suffocating sense of oppression that had been weighing on everyone's hearts also loosened almost imperceptibly.
The Divine Lord's stormy attacks also showed a trace of barely noticeable slack.
In the Divine Lord's cold and indifferent voice, for the first time, there was a very faint, almost imperceptible fluctuation.
"Robin… is that you, singing?"
Robin slowly opened her eyes. Her clear eyes were now filled with pity and an unshakeable determination.
She looked up at the giant "Philosophical Embryo," her voice soft yet clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"Brother… did you hear that? Did you hear the true voices of the people who are controlled and twisted under your 'Order'?"
"This is not the paradise they wish for. This is just your one-sided cage."
The Divine Lord's voice, after a brief silence, returned to its previous coldness and indifference, but beneath the ice, there seemed to be a hint of imperceptible complexity.
"But they are still like lost lambs, not knowing where they are going."
"That is why I must become the one and only, eternal star in this dark sky, to guide their way forward with my light."
Robin gently shook her head. The sorrow in her eyes deepened, but the song from her lips did not stop, instead becoming clearer, more resolute.
"Even if… even if the place where the morning star resides is a… black night with no dawn, forever decadent and rotten?"
The Divine Lord once again fell into a moment of silence, a silence as heavy as the calm before a storm, so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
Then, his tone suddenly became incredibly hard, with a hint of anger from having a sore spot touched.
"Hmph, if you yourself had never set foot in the decadent mire, why would you willingly walk the path to become another's plaything, a canary in a cage?"
"It seems the last chance for negotiation ends here."
Boothill's face changed drastically. His battle-hardened intuition screamed warnings at him. An unprecedented sense of terrifying crisis, enough to make even him feel a chill, engulfed him like a cold tide.
"It's over, it's over! I'll be damned! This is really it! That big guy is getting serious!"
The Divine Lord's voice became incredibly solemn, incredibly sacred, as if it were the Creator God proclaiming the final judgment, every word carrying an absolute, irresistible will.
"All the work of creation is now complete. The unquestionable, day of judgment has now come…"
He paused slightly, and the entire shattered dreamscape began to tremble and collapse violently, madly, because of his next words.
"Embryo of Aeons—Remold for Us This Heaven and Earth!"
As his final proclamation fell, the giant head of Dominicus, which had been hanging low as if in slumber, suddenly snapped up!
A terrifying energy, pure to the extreme and impossible to describe with any words, crazily gathered and compressed at its core, emitting a destructive aura sufficient to annihilate all living things, to dissolve all matter.
The next instant, a gigantic, irresistible shockwave, like the Big Bang at the beginning of the universe, swept out from Dominicus as the center, instantly engulfing all color and existence in its path!
The world, in that moment, seemed to completely, irrevocably, collapse.
The deafening boom could not even reach their ears, because before that, annihilation had already arrived.
A blinding whiteness.
Daziel felt a terrifying force, like the impact of a star, slam viciously into his chest. A sweetness rose in his throat, and a mouthful of hot blood sprayed out uncontrollably, instantly dyeing his vision red.
Black Swan's memetic body fluctuated and twisted violently in the shockwave, as if it would pop like a bubble at any moment. For the first time, a look of pain appeared on her beautiful face, and she could barely maintain her form.
The Sam armor worn by Firefly, the moment it came into contact with the shockwave, let out a piercing, shrill alarm. Spiderweb-like cracks instantly covered the sturdy alloy armor, and several structures directly burst open, spewing dazzling electric sparks. The entire suit of armor was left in ruins.
Boothill didn't even have a chance to react before he was sent flying by the terrifying shockwave like a leaf in a gale, tumbling dozens of times in the air before crashing heavily into a twisted pile of rubble, his condition unknown.
Only Phantylia, an Emanator herself, had countless black lotuses surrounding her bloom and then get annihilated in layers, managing to block most of the direct impact for her. But her always proud and beautiful face was now extremely grave, and a trace of black blood even trickled from the corner of her mouth.
Everyone was severely injured, one might even say on the verge of death.
An indescribable aura of despair, like a plague, began to spread in the hearts of the survivors.
Daziel struggled, using the already twisted and deformed baseball bat to support his teetering body. He difficultly raised his head and, through his blurry, blood-red vision, looked at the "Philosophical Embryo" that still stood tall and unharmed in the storm of destruction.
"Dammit… is this… the difference between a god and a mortal? Even though this guy is just borrowing a god's body…"
His voice was as hoarse as if it had been sanded down, filled with endless unwillingness and a trace of barely perceptible despair.
The Divine Lord's voice was now filled with undisguised mockery and high-and-mighty pity.
"Daziel, someone like you, who has never lacked for female companionship and comfort, how could you ever truly understand the pain and longing of ordinary people struggling in loneliness and despair?"
"You… and all you so-called resistors, will never be able to stop me from bringing true 'Order' and 'happiness' to this world!"
Before his words had faded, and before Daziel could make any reaction, another torrent of destructive energy, even more terrifying, more condensed, and purer than before, shot towards the already exhausted Daziel like a venomous snake that had locked onto its prey!
That energy was so pure, so absolute, that it was impossible to dodge, impossible to block!
Daziel's vision began to blur and spin rapidly. His body felt as if it had lost all weight, yet at the same time as if it were filled with lead. He had completely lost the strength to even move a finger.
In a daze, he felt himself falling into a boundless, bone-chillingly cold, dark abyss.
In the space of his consciousness, it was pitch black all around, without a single ray of light, only endless cold and stillness, as if even time had frozen here.
'Am I… going to die?'
Daziel felt his life force draining away like a bursting flood. Even his most basic thoughts began to become sluggish and freeze, his consciousness about to be devoured by this eternal darkness.
Just as this deepest despair was about to completely submerge his soul.
A song, a song completely different from Robin's pure children's rhyme, suddenly, yet with incomparable clarity, sounded in the deepest part of his consciousness.
It wasn't the clear children's rhyme like a mountain stream.
This time, what sounded was a decadent sound of ultimate temptation and entanglement.
That enchanting, bewitching song, like invisible silk threads, wrapped around Daziel's nearly dissipating consciousness, slowly pulling him back from the cold stillness.
The endless pitch-black before him gradually faded, replaced by a strange, iridescent consciousness space.
Light twisted and shifted, as if he were in some unfinished dream draft.
At the focal point of his blurry vision, three figures quietly materialized, carrying a breathtaking beauty.
Black Swan, Robin, Firefly.
They stood quietly, wearing not a single thread, every inch of their skin bathed in the strange light of this consciousness space, like newborn beings.
Black Swan's purple eyes flowed, a playful smile on her lips. Her gaze was bold and direct, looking over Robin and Firefly's exquisite bodies with great interest, as if appreciating rare works of art, with a hint of lazy scrutiny.
A charming pink flush instantly spread across Firefly's snow-white skin. She instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, turned slightly away, her long eyelashes trembling uneasily, tears almost spilling from her clear eyes. Even the tips of her ears were dyed crimson.
A blush also flew onto Robin's face, but in her gentle eyes, a flame of unshakeable resolve burned.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to face this strange situation, her gaze clear and firm.
Daziel's consciousness was still somewhat hazy. He looked at the scene before him, and sensing that he himself seemed to be in a soul-state, he couldn't help but be stunned.
"Robin, this… did you do this?"
Robin nodded slightly, her voice ethereal.
"I used the power of Harmony to pull the few of us into your consciousness space, Daziel."
"Right now, my brother has already reached the pinnacle of an Emanator. If we don't stop him, the disaster he causes could very well surpass that of Emperor Rubert. After all, that is the divine might of Order."
Hearing this, Firefly's body trembled slightly. She bit her lower lip, her voice laced with lingering fear.
"Emperor Rubert… he once spread the 'Anti-Life Equation' throughout the universe. Many worlds were devastated because of it, and the effects lasted for several Amber Eras…"
She blinked, her eyes full of worry.
"What your brother is about to do is probably even more terrifying than that…"
Black Swan withdrew her appraising gaze, her expression becoming serious. She looked at Robin, her charming voice laced with a hint of urgency.
"So… what should we do now?"
Robin's gaze swept over the three of them, her eyes firm.
"Relying on ourselves won't work anymore. We must attract the attention of an Aeon to solve this matter!"
"Although such a huge mess has occurred, if 'Harmony' had a mind to, it would be impossible not to notice. But They have yet to cast even half a glance our way."
"We must walk far enough on the Path of Harmony to attract Their gaze. This is our only chance to turn the tables!"
Daziel's heart skipped a beat. He vaguely sensed the deep meaning in her words. A feeling of absurdity, yet one he had to face, crept into his heart.
"Wait… you gathered the few of us here, you don't mean to…"
Robin's face turned redder, but she did not evade his gaze, looking directly at Daziel.
"We have to do that thing together, the thing that goes against common sense and human ethics. Our spirits must intertwine to achieve true 'Harmony,' only then will Xipe see."
Hearing this, Firefly, like a startled fawn, suddenly raised her head, her cheeks so red they were about to drip blood, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"This… this is too shameless… although I'm already…"
The rest of her words were drowned in her shyness.
A flash of pain crossed Robin's eyes, which then turned into a deeper resolve.
"Let go of those trivial details!"
"Although Penacony is a city of sleepless ecstasy, it is also a place that represses human nature. I know why my brother is so obsessed with establishing an eternal paradise of ecstasy. It is precisely these annoying rules that have made Penacony so twisted, accumulating so many desires…"
Listening, Daziel subconsciously blurted out.
"So he's just sexually frustrated… no wonder…"
Robin coughed twice, correcting him with a bit of embarrassment.
"Ahem… he probably just can't stand seeing others being repressed…"
A flash of understanding crossed Black Swan's eyes. She extended a slender finger, gently flicking back a strand of her messy hair, her tone carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's begin. We don't have much time."
Her gaze flowed between Daziel, Robin, and Firefly, carrying a strange excitement and anticipation.
Robin nodded heavily and looked at everyone.
"That's right, we can't delay!"
Although Firefly's face was still bright red, she clenched her fists, a hint of resolve in her eyes. She gave a soft "Mm," in assent.
The light in this consciousness space seemed to brighten because of their decision. The air was filled with a strange atmosphere, a mixture of nervousness, shyness, and resolve.
Just at this critical moment, a crisp and slightly authoritative female voice suddenly sounded out in this consciousness space.
That crisp voice, carrying an unquestionable authority, echoed clearly in this strange consciousness space, which had become brighter due to their collective decision.
Each syllable seemed to carry a strange power, causing the tense, shy, yet resolute atmosphere to falter slightly.
Everyone's heart skipped a beat. They followed the sound and saw, in the depths of the iridescent, ever-changing light of the consciousness, a slender figure slowly solidifying, as if stepping out from a splendid nebula.
The newcomer had iconic short, silver-gray hair. Under the strange light of the consciousness space, it seemed to be plated with a hazy moonlight, with a few unruly strands playfully sticking up.
Her eyes, as bright as stars, were now sparkling with curiosity and a hint of teasing as they nimbly swept over the slightly awkward yet crucial scene.
It was Stelle, the scamming system who always appeared unexpectedly and always at the most critical moments.
"How could I, Stelle, miss out on such a once-in-a-lifetime lively scene?"
Stelle placed her hands on her hips with a flourish, a signature, mischievous grin on her face, as if everything was within her expectations, or perhaps she was purely there to watch the chaos unfold.
The veins on Daziel's forehead throbbed uncontrollably again. A familiar feeling of helplessness welled up in his heart, and he said through gritted teeth:
"You… you really know how to take every opportunity! To get involved in this kind of thing at a time like this…"
He really couldn't understand how this person managed to pop up at the exact moment they were about to perform such a private and crucial "ritual" for their survival.
Stelle paid no mind to Daziel's complaints. Instead, she raised a finger and scratched the back of her head with a bit of embarrassment, giggling foolishly, her smile a mix of innocence and cunning. "What are you talking about? At a critical moment, someone has to break the deadlock and liven up the atmosphere. Your atmosphere here is too heavy, it's not conducive to 'Harmony,' you know!"
Robin looked at the suddenly appearing Stelle. Her light green eyes, besides their original resolve and shyness, now held a hint of inquiry and exploration.
She didn't understand why Stelle… looked so much like Daziel?
The two of them were like blood brother and sister.
Stelle's gaze quickly and subtly swept over everyone's naked and unconcealed conscious forms. A flash of understanding and…
Hmm, perhaps a bit of envy?
…flashed in her always lively eyes.
She then waved her hand casually, cleared her throat, and tried to make herself look more serious.
"Don't all look at me like that. I was just attracted by the unusual 'spiritual fluctuations' over here. To be honest, the commotion wasn't small."
She paused, the smile on her face receding a bit, her tone becoming more serious, her eyes sparkling with the determination and enthusiasm of a Trailblazer.
"But, since everyone's goal is the same, to stop that 'sexually repressed bro,' then one more person naturally means more strength, right?"
A strange light flashed in Black Swan's long, narrow purple eyes. She sized up Stelle, remembering what she had done to her mind before, and couldn't help but feel a little scared.
She certainly knew the power Stelle held in Daziel's consciousness space. To avoid provoking her, Black Swan could only agree:
"This… miss, has a point. For such a grand 'feast,' one more taster might stimulate an even more extreme flavor."
Robin took a deep breath. Her mind, which had been slightly shaken by Stelle's intrusion, became incredibly firm again after hearing Black Swan's words and feeling Stelle's frank determination.
She nodded solemnly. "You're right. For Penacony, for my brother… we need all the strength we can unite."
Just as this almost unspeakable, even worldly-shocking act, was about to begin under the joint efforts of the five…
And was gradually pushed to the highest point of spiritual fusion…
An indescribable miracle occurred.
The five of them together—Daziel's power and gentleness, Firefly's purity and shyness, Robin's sanctity and resolve, Black Swan's charm and guidance, and Stelle's spontaneity and fervor—completely shattered all barriers at this moment, becoming as intimately connected as milk and water, as if they had transformed into an unprecedented common body with five cores.
A strange and soft halo, like a warm tide, completely enveloped and shrouded their five soul forms.
The purest, most primal act, like a surging river, flowed, converged, and fused between them, creating circles upon circles of splendid ripples.
Daziel felt as if he had instantly broken free from the shackles of his body, his soul floating lightly in a boundless, warm ocean.
Countless fine points of light, shimmering with different colors and qualities, like summoned fireflies, rushed towards him from all directions, merging into the depths of his soul, bringing an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and completion.
He could clearly perceive Firefly's slight, deer-like, uneasy trembling. She subconsciously wanted to retreat, but because of the deep-seated trust and love in her heart, she chose to snuggle tightly and unreservedly, completely opening up her softest side.
Her cheeks, even in her soul form, were adorably red, and her long, dense eyelashes fluttered rapidly in unease, every trace of her shyness clearly visible.
Robin, on the other hand, was just like her usual singing voice—pure, ethereal, with a power that soothed the soul.
She exuded a sacred glow, gently washing away the soul fatigue and trauma accumulated from the series of bitter battles.
Robin endured the extreme shyness from the depths of her soul that was about to overwhelm her, and unreservedly offered up her understanding and power of "Harmony," turning it into the most harmonious notes, integrating them into this symphony of souls.
Black Swan was as bold and fiery as ever, like an inextinguishable, supremely tempting phantom flame.
She skillfully guided everyone, like the most skilled dream weaver, cleverly weaving and fusing the five completely different yet converging powers, allowing them to produce even more splendid sparks in their collision.
And Stelle's addition brought an unexpected surprise to everyone.
Her purity and desire, carrying an almost desperate loneliness, and a hint of elusive, unconventional agility and vitality.
She was like a highly efficient catalyst thrown into this pot of "desire soup" that was about to boil, instantly accelerating the process of this feast, allowing the spiritual fusion that might have taken much longer to achieve to reach an unprecedented height in a very short time.
Daziel felt an unprecedented fulfillment and power. His perception extended infinitely, as if he could touch the pulse of the universe, resonating with the breath of the sea of stars.
Every "breath" on the soul level, every "heartbeat" of the spiritual core, was closely connected to the other four, with no distinction between them.
The initial shyness, awkwardness, and tension gradually faded and dissolved in this warm and sacred fusion.
An indescribable tacit understanding and trust, like a vine, quietly grew, spread, and entwined in the depths of their five souls, tightly connecting them.
Their souls, at this moment, seemed to be dancing together on a bizarre stage. Every subtle thought, every trace of emotional fluctuation, could be clearly perceived, understood, and accepted by the other four.
The air, or rather, this consciousness space, was filled with an indescribable, both sweet and sacred strange atmosphere. The light that enveloped them also became brighter and more brilliant, almost illuminating the entire consciousness space.
Just at the moment when this spiritual fusion reached an unprecedented peak, when their five souls seemed about to completely merge into a single, pure light—
Daziel's whole body suddenly shuddered!
An indescribable, vast, and boundless will, as deep and majestic as the entire sea of stars, as if descending from the highest dimension of the universe, instantly arrived in this small consciousness space!
That will had no malice, yet it carried an absolute indifference and supreme authority that overlooked all living beings in the universe, that saw through the birth and death of all things, making the souls of all five of them involuntarily tremble!
Black Swan's purple eyes, which always held a charming smile, suddenly contracted, becoming incredibly grave. Her lazy voice now carried an imperceptible tremor from the depths of her soul.
She difficultly parted her lips. "Did you… sense it? That… gaze…"
An unbelievable, ecstatic light burst forth from Robin's clear, azure eyes. She was so excited that her very soul was trembling slightly.
Her voice was tearful, yet filled with endless joy and piety:
"It's Her! It's definitely Her! It's the gaze of 'Harmony,' of Lady Xipe!… She's really watching us!"
Stelle, on the other hand, let out a smug humph, her tone laced with a hint of "I knew it" pride and teasing.
She tilted her chin up, as if taking credit:
"Hmph, what did I say! In a place like Penacony, which is glamorous on the surface but repressively puritanical in reality, for us to do something so scandalous, so challenging to the moral order."
"And with so many of us, so 'united and friendly,' taking the concept of 'Harmony' to its fullest expression, it's practically a walking textbook on 'Harmony'!"
"Add to that Master Daziel's special constitution that makes any passing Aeon take a look, it would be hard not to attract the attention of that big shot!"
Beneath Firefly's trembling eyelashes, her pure eyes also sparkled with excitement and hope. Her voice was still faint but full of anticipation.
She looked at Daziel and asked softly:
"Then… Daziel, what… what did She grant you?"
Daziel slowly closed his eyes, carefully feeling the subtle and profound change in the depths of his soul, which was like a spring rain nourishing all things.
A new seed of power, full of infinite possibilities, was quietly taking root and sprouting in the deepest part of his soul, yet it was like looking at flowers in a fog, indescribable, its specific form and function impossible to grasp clearly.
He slowly opened his eyes, a hint of understanding and confusion in them. He shook his head lightly, his voice slightly hoarse.
"It's not entirely clear what it is yet… This power is too pure and vast. I need time to understand and adapt. I'll have to go out and try it in reality to know."
A cunning curve touched Stelle's lips, a hint of undisguised teasing in her eyes.
She winked at Daziel and teased, "Oh, then don't dawdle. Hurry up and get out there. The 'big BOSS' outside is still waiting for us to 'harmonize' with him! What, Master Daziel, could it be… you want to linger a little longer in this 'land of tenderness'?"
Being teased like that by Stelle, even in his soul state, Daziel felt his cheeks grow slightly warm. He coughed lightly, trying to hide the fleeting embarrassment.
Robin's soft and ethereal voice sounded at the right time, breaking the slightly ambiguous atmosphere:
"Everyone, get ready. I'll send you all out of here now, back to reality."
As her voice fell, the splendid and warm light in the consciousness space that had been enveloping the five of them suddenly contracted inward, like a giant cocoon of light, once again tightly wrapping their souls.
The next moment, the light flashed. Daziel and the others felt their vision blur, and their consciousness, as if pulled by an invisible force, instantly detached from that strange consciousness space and returned to the dream battlefield, which had been shattered and devastated by the Divine Lord's rampage.
"I'll be damned!"
A powerful exclamation accompanied by the piercing sound of grinding metal was heard.
Boothill was clutching his chest, where his mechanical prosthetic was continuously sparking and sizzling, as he difficultly climbed out from a pile of twisted wreckage.
His mouth, full of shark-like teeth, was wide open. His face was filled with the relief of surviving and deep suspicion. His gaze swept back and forth between Daziel, Black Swan, Firefly, and Robin, who had all woken up at roughly the same time.
"I say, brothers and sisters, were you all collectively disconnected just now, or did you sneak off behind my back to some corner to have a good time, enjoying a world for two… oh no, for four?"
His eyes were full of gossip and confusion. He was clearly extremely curious about how these people had suddenly disappeared and reappeared, and how their auras seemed to have undergone some subtle change.
Of course, he would never have imagined that just now, it wasn't just four people, but actually five…
Daziel, at this moment, had no time for Boothill's ridiculous complaints. He subconsciously raised his hand and touched the top of his head.
There, the hat he had received from the Clockmaker was now emitting a soft and mysterious glow of Imaginary light.
A strange power, closely related to the Path of Harmony, warm and inclusive, was slowly flowing like a trickle through the hat's texture, creating a profound resonance with his own spiritual power.
Daziel's expression twitched slightly. A wave of indescribable, complex emotions surged in his heart, and a silent grumble rumbled in his mind.
This thing… the feeling of this hat…
Why does it look like it's the same type as the one the protagonist had in the original story?
Could it be… that relying on this hat that's specialized for the hidden world, I can win against the Sunday who has already completely merged with the "Philosophical Embryo" and transformed into Chorus, the Divine Lord?
This… is just too unrealistic, isn't it…?
And more importantly… if the power of this hat really is biased towards the support and harmony of the Path of Harmony…
Doesn't that mean I have to switch from being a front-line damage dealer to a support character waving a flag and buffing from the back?
Is the responsibility of dealing damage going to fall on Firefly or Boothill? Or am I supposed to hope Phantylia can turn the tide?
The more Daziel thought about it, the more his head ached, and the more uncertain he felt.
Just as his thoughts were surging like a tide and his inner drama was at its peak, the space not far in front of them suddenly rippled with visible waves.
Then, a pitch-black rift, as if a curtain had been sliced open by an invisible sharp blade, silently opened in the void, revealing a deep and mysterious unknown space behind it.
A petite figure flew out of the pitch-black rift with incomparable lightness.
Her appearance carried a mystery and elegance that was out of place on this battlefield of destruction.
She wore a pointed black wizard's hat, adorned with silver star patterns. Beneath the brim, a delicate, small face was revealed, her skin so fair it was almost transparent.
She wore a similarly black, well-tailored gothic long dress. The hem of the dress swayed slightly with her movements. Black stockings wrapped around her slender, well-proportioned calves, and on her feet were a pair of high-heeled, classic-style black boots.
The most peculiar thing was that she was not riding a broom, but a staff of antique design, emitting a faint magical fluctuation. The head of the staff was inlaid with a mysterious crystal that was constantly rotating and emitting a faint purple light.
The moment this mysterious young woman appeared, she glanced around at the messy, energy-ravaged battlefield, and at Daziel and the others not far away, who were more or less injured and whose auras were somewhat weak.
A flash of understanding crossed her agile eyes. She then gently patted her slightly prominent chest and let out a long sigh of relief. Her crisp and pleasant voice carried a perfectly measured hint of relief and playfulness.
"Phew, good, good. Looks like I hurried and rushed, but I wasn'-t too late after all."
That crisp voice was filled with relief and playfulness.
Daziel's pupils contracted suddenly. He stared at the familiar yet strange figure in disbelief.
That unique magical fluctuation, that petite yet immensely powerful body.
"Herta?!"
This genius club member, renowned throughout the galaxy, was poised and light, suspended leisurely in the air.
Beneath the brim of her pointed wizard hat, those eyes, so sharp they seemed to be able to pierce through the human heart, were now locked onto Daziel's gaze, which was filled with astonishment and a slight dishevelment.
A barely perceptible, yet meaningful smile quietly bloomed on her exquisite lips, carrying a hint of knowing and teasing.
"The puppet I left on the Astral Express observed that unusually bright meteor that summoned the Galaxy Rangers."
"I tried to contact you, but your communication device strangely showed that you were not in the signal server, with no response whatsoever. Even if you were in a dreamscape, the transmission of information should not be completely cut off, unless…"
"I have to admit, I was a little bit… hmm, worried about your safety, you guy. Of course, it was more that my uncontrollable curiosity was piqued."
She tilted her head slightly, as if choosing her words carefully, or perhaps hiding some emotion she was reluctant to show.
"So, I controlled the puppet to investigate Penacony."
Herta's expression suddenly became solemn. The air, which had become slightly lighter with her arrival, seemed to solidify with it.
"As a result, The Reverie hotel was completely sealed by a very special power of 'Order.'"
"Ordinary space-jumping methods, and even some conceptual-level interference, couldn't penetrate it at all. It was like a cage that isolated everything."
"Anyone could tell at a glance that a drastic change, enough to overturn everything, must have occurred in that city of dreams."
"So, I recorded the spatial coordinates of that area, and my main body directly tore through space and teleported here."
As her words fell, a complex glimmer that was difficult to describe with words flashed in Herta's deep eyes.
It was perhaps the worry she was trying so hard to hide, like a deep-sea current, cleverly hidden under her usual distant and arrogant demeanor.
An indescribable warm current instantly surged through Daziel's heart.
He forced a smile, an incredibly sincere one, his voice slightly hoarse from excitement.
"Thank you, Lady Herta… you… you've come at just the right time!"
Herta just nodded slightly, her posture carrying an unquestionable ease and indifference, as if accepting his thanks was a matter of course.
Then, her sharp gaze slowly swept over the other women present, with a sense of scrutiny, inquiry, and even an undisguised evaluation.
"You're welcome."
Herta's tone, without any warning, returned to her usual lightness and casualness, and even took on a hint of teasing.
"But, Daziel, it seems your trip to Penacony has been quite fruitful. You've added so many new… hmm… 'good sisters' for me."
In the air, the atmosphere that had just been eased by Herta's arrival was suddenly filled with a new, subtle tension that made one's scalp tingle.
Daziel's heart instantly tensed to the extreme, alarm bells ringing!
This familiar tone, this familiar gaze, he was all too familiar with it!
A cunning and slightly mischievous smile, like that of a prankster who has succeeded, slowly formed on Herta's exquisite lips.
"Since that's the case,"
She said nonchalantly, as if stating the simplest of facts, dropping a bombshell that was enough to ignite the entire scene, "then it's necessary to make them all understand one thing clearly, where the gap between them and me lies, to let them know…"
She paused slightly, her starry eyes sparkling with an unquestionable light, and announced, word by word, with absolute clarity:
"Who is the real, main wife."
__
👻 What's up, Walnut community! We have some spooktacular news!
We've released a new story, and the coolest part: it was hand-picked by one of our subscribers!
Members of "The Walnut-chan" tier can choose stories to be translated and released!
🪦 40% OFF PROMOTION! 🪦 Enjoy the discount on ALL tiers and secure your exclusive access. It's for a limited time!
Want more content for everyone? The community goals are:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone!
🎯 5 Reviews = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone!
And our main goal...
🚀 55 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of EVERY STORY!
Your support keeps our work alive. Don't let this chance die!
Access, support, and read now: 👻 patreon.com/Walnutchan