Nahida said, "Could it be... But to deceive the people of Sumeru, even disregarding their safety—no matter what purpose the Akademiya has for doing this, it is unforgivable."
"After we end this loop, we must investigate thoroughly."
Paimon said, "This is outrageous! The Sages of the Akademiya would do something like this behind their own nation's deity's back. Is there no law anymore?"
Nahida sighed. "After all, I am just the moon. The true sun is no longer here, is it?"
Paimon half understood. "Moon, sun... what strange metaphor is this now?"
"Beep..."
[Ningguang: The interpretation of the divination—the moon does not mean darkness, but rather Nahida?]
[Paimon: Then what does the sun mean?]
[Nahida: The sun is the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata. She was so wise, so powerful, while I am so weak. I don't know how to be a proper deity. So I am just the moon, reflecting the sun's light.]
[Paimon: I understand. The sun will surely rise. Nahida will also grow into a wise, powerful deity loved by the people.]
[Lumine: Yes. You can definitely do it.]
Paimon said, "Ah, today is ending again."
Nahida said, "Yes. Tomorrow I will tell you two how to break the loop. See you tomorrow."
The next day, Paimon greeted her warmly.
"Good morning, Nahida. I remember everything now. Should I say 'good morning, Lesser Lord Kusanali' instead?"
Nahida winced in pain.
Lumine and Paimon immediately noticed something was wrong. "Nahida, what's wrong? You look pale. And where is Dunyarzad? Could it be..."
Nahida slowly turned around. "At this moment, the situation is probably what you're thinking."
Paimon was shocked. "Dunyarzad disappeared? No way. Did we not make it in time?"
Nahida said, "What disappeared is indeed the real Dunyarzad's consciousness. Under the excessive harvesting of dreams, her consciousness can no longer hold on."
[Furina: How despicable! Knowing full well that someone couldn't hold on, they still did this intentionally. This is premeditated murder!]
[Neuvillette: Premeditated murder should be punished with life imprisonment.]
[Paimon: Yes! Lock them away forever. Don't let them out to harm anyone else.]
[Yae Miko: People who cause harm like this should indeed stay in prison.]
[Lumine: Teppei's regret, Dunyarzad's regret... why is it always just short of the mark?]
[Ningguang: Falling short is not always the norm. Many times, things also work out perfectly because they're just a little more than enough.]
Lumine clenched her fist. "We were so close! This is infuriating!"
Paimon was distressed and heartbroken. "How could this happen? What about the other Dunyarzad? What is she? Will she disappear too?"
Nahida explained, "She is somewhat like a puppet, but not entirely a puppet."
"When the real Dunyarzad's consciousness could no longer hold on and could no longer play her part in the dream, a substitute was born within the dream. Just like every blade of grass and every tree in the dream, they are merely components that form the dream and keep it going."
Paimon pressed further, "But that puppet's personality is completely different from Dunyarzad's."
Nahida said, "Puppets are indeed more wooden and cannot fully replicate the vitality of a human. After all, they are only there to fulfill a role."
"However, this reminds me that the Dunyarzad of the past might have been much like a puppet as well."