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Chapter 193 - Chapter 193: Ansai Waist Drum

After a quick round of introductions, Koji asked with a smile:

"Black Swan, Herta herself and Screwllum are both right here. Aren't you curious about their memories?"

"Ah… you really do love joking around, dono." Black Swan said with an awkward look.

The only reason she'd made a move on Acheron was because she hadn't known who Acheron really was—and that was exactly why she'd crashed and burned.

But Herta and Screwllum? Across the entire cosmos, they were famous geniuses. If she tried anything again, that would be suicide—pure delusion.

There weren't many ways to deal with a Memokeeper to begin with. But those two geniuses? Even if you "thought" with your knees for one second, you'd know they definitely had methods for handling Memokeepers. She didn't want to get locked up and turned into a genius's lab specimen.

No. Absolutely not. She'd heard stories about colleagues of hers getting imprisoned by geniuses… and none of them ended well.

"I heard there was a Memokeeper who tried to pry into the Xianzhou general's memories, and now they're still locked up in the Shackling Prison on the Xianzhou," Koji said.

"There was someone like that." Black Swan nodded. She didn't find it strange at all.

Memokeepers tended to be bold—reckless, even—and they had a bizarre sort of confidence in themselves. Even an Emanator's memories weren't necessarily "impossible" to attempt.

All of it was sacrifice—necessary sacrifice—for the sake of exquisite memories.

"I'll be going, then." Black Swan needed to steady herself. Nihility's impact on her had been severe, and it was wrecking her condition.

Koji and the others watched her leave like she was fleeing for her life, and all of them couldn't help laughing.

Looks like she knew fear after all.

"Was that because of me?" Acheron scratched her head, honestly confused. Black Swan's reaction had been… a bit much.

"It's fine. Black Swan was lucky, at least—she didn't lose her freedom." Koji said with a grin.

Acheron wouldn't care about something like that. If some would-be "cremation worker" thought they could make a move on Acheron, that would be the definition of try-it-and-die.

And if Black Swan still wanted to peek at his memories…

Well, then she shouldn't blame him for doing something about it.

Kafka and Silver Wolf entered Penacony and headed straight for Koji's group. They were easy to spot—too distinctive.

"It's you?" Silver Wolf's eyes turned a little red the moment she saw Koji's face.

So the saying really was true: when enemies meet, the air gets sharp.

She still hadn't forgotten the humiliation from before—Koji fighting dirty, getting Herta to ban every single one of her accounts.

"Wolfie, what is it?" Koji teased. "Got your account back?"

With Mama Kafka and Wolfie showing up in Penacony, it was probably because of them.

They'd run into Sparkle earlier. Most likely, after that, Sparkle had contacted Silver Wolf again.

That bratty gremlin really did love watching the world burn.

"You…" Silver Wolf's face reddened.

All her game accounts getting banned—every last one—was beyond humiliating. For a top-tier hacker like her, it was disgrace.

"Poor, adorable little Wolfie. Can't play games, so you're so mad you're emotionally collapsing—crying and throwing a fit—boo-hoo-hoo, so pitiful…" Koji recited dramatically.

Yae Miko: "?"

That tone was way too familiar. Her expression went strange.

She'd said those words herself before—of course she remembered. She just hadn't expected Koji to use them like this.

And honestly?

It fit. Perfectly.

Lumine couldn't hold it in either. She'd heard that exact line before, too.

"I'm going to—!" Silver Wolf exploded into a stream of profanity in her native Punklorde style.

She was completely overheated—tilted beyond reason—and her mouth turned "sweet" the way it did when someone was spitting pure venom.

This was outrageous. Koji was practically ulting right in her face. There was no way she could take it.

Kafka, meanwhile, looked helpless. Koji's provocation had landed squarely on Silver Wolf's biggest landmine and detonated it on the spot.

"I'm going to kill you!" Silver Wolf tossed her rationality right out the window. All she wanted now was to bury Koji and wash away her shame.

And the result was…

"Hey—can we talk this out?" Silver Wolf was already subdued.

"Ansai waist drum," Koji-style: with her power sealed, she couldn't use Ether Editing at all.

"Wolfie," Koji said, amused, "at a time like this, you're seriously trying to negotiate?"

"What are you doing?!" Silver Wolf's small body trembled as warmth transferred through his palm.

Was he about to… do something obscene to her?!

Her face burning red, her mind instantly filled in a dozen adults-only scenes all on its own.

Smack!

No animalistic outburst came.

Koji simply slapped her on the butt—like he was disciplining an unruly kid.

"…?"

The sting made Silver Wolf go blank.

Her dignity—as the great "Wolf King"—had just been attacked from the most humiliating angle possible. Shame surged up her spine, and she started struggling like crazy.

"Ahem. Koji-san," Kafka said, unable to watch anymore, "please stop teasing Silver Wolf."

Silver Wolf really was still too green. Koji had her completely in his grasp with almost no effort at all.

"Fine." Koji let her go. "So what do you want with me?"

He'd already gotten what he wanted anyway—the "duck butt" feel.

Truly… not a lie: the duck butt is a treasure.

Silver Wolf glared at Koji like she wanted to bite his throat out. Her butt's "purity" was gone now. This was blood-feud territory.

"It's nothing major," Kafka said with a sigh. "We just learned the Script changed. Now we've found the reason."

If Koji was the cause, then they couldn't force a correction anyway. All they could do was step into the game and play their part.

Kafka even suspected the situation over on Onpharos had probably changed because of Koji as well. Otherwise, there was no way things would shift that drastically.

"So you're here to 'fix' it?" Koji asked, unconcerned.

"You think we can?" Kafka's tone was resigned.

"I just want to ask one thing," she continued. "How are you going to participate?"

Elio's Script was no longer something they could rely on. They'd have to improvise, and that meant dealing with all kinds of variables.

"We're here on vacation," Koji said. "We won't get overly involved."

He knew what Kafka was worried about.

Here, the Stellaron sprite would receive Harmony's glance and step onto the Path of Harmony. If Koji interfered too much, the Stellaron sprite might miss that chance—and miss that power.

The events here were something the Stellaron sprite and her group could handle just fine. Koji was only here to watch the fun.

"I understand." Kafka nodded thoughtfully. "Sorry to bother you."

Then she looked at Silver Wolf and said, "Babe, let's find a place to stay here."

They had snuck in. Penacony welcomed most visitors, but as Stellaron Hunters, their identities were sensitive—especially when every one of them carried a massive bounty.

If they went through official channels openly, the Interastral Peace Corporation would catch the scent immediately and come running.

And Penacony's family factions weren't exactly on good terms with the Company either. They wouldn't just let Stellaron Hunters in freely—because that would give the Company an excuse to interfere.

The Company: "We're arresting wanted criminals. That's reasonable, right?"

"Whatever." Silver Wolf shrugged. "Perfect timing—I can mess around here."

With no Script, she might as well take a stroll around Penacony.

As for rooms, she didn't care. Kafka could just use her all-purpose kotodama technique to arrange it. No need for Silver Wolf to think about logistics.

(End of Chapter)

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