"Riddle-person?"
"Lady Kokomi… is that the same kind of 'riddle-person' we're thinking of?"
On Watatsumi Island, Gorou stared at the scrolling comments with confusion.
"Well…"
"Probably?"
"Even I'm not entirely sure."
Kokomi tapped her chin, equally uncertain.
Venti suddenly chimed in.
"Hehe~ Are we talking about the proper kind of riddle-person here?"
"Or the really suspicious kind?"
Dan Heng responded calmly:
"Likely not the same."
"In the universe, 'riddle-people' often refer to a peculiar group that delights in dismantling linguistic certainty."
"They twist words, fracture meaning, and turn clarity into fog."
"In simpler terms… when they speak, it feels like wandering through clouds."
Steluna immediately followed up with perfect demonstration.
"That's right. Those who understand, understand. Those who don't — no explanation needed. The implications run deep, so don't ask me why. If you get it, you get it. If not, you never will. Anyway, logging off."
Welt nodded approvingly.
"Excellent. A practical demonstration of what a riddle-person truly is."
"So this is what they mean by riddle-speech…"
"It's vivid, I'll give them that."
On patrol outside Mondstadt, Eula clenched her fist.
"But Gods above, it's infuriating."
"If someone talked to me like that in real life, I'd introduce them to the flat of my greatsword."
Sparkle laughed.
"Not bad, little silverhead~ That was convincing!"
Sampo added, "I hereby dub you — Sister Know-It-All."
Steluna scoffed.
"Much obliged. But Sparkle, who are you calling 'little silverhead'?"
Sparkle grinned.
"Obviously you~ What, don't like it? Would 'Big Silverhead' be better?"
"Wrong!" Steluna declared.
"Call me the Galaxy Baseball Hero!"
Black Swan finally spoke, her graceful tone cooling the room.
"Everyone, if I may…"
"Could I ask a question?"
The playful atmosphere immediately quieted.
March 7th smiled. "What is it, Miss Black Swan?"
Her eyes softened yet sharpened at once.
"I wish to hear your perspectives on the three questions Acheron posed earlier."
"For example — the first one."
"Would you fear losing those unbreakable bonds that define your existence?"
Inside a room at Penacony, Black Swan watched intently as voices responded.
Lumine:
"The bonds we share… If I suddenly lost them, I think I'd be afraid."
Paimon:
"I can't even imagine a world without Lumine! So yes, I'd be terrified!"
Ei:
"I, too, would fear such loss."
Venti sighed dramatically.
"Humans are emotional beings."
"It is our shared feelings that bind us together."
"To lose them all at once…"
"How unbearably lonely that would be…"
He tilted back against a tree.
"Just thinking of it makes me want to drown in wine."
Acheron's voice surfaced again:
"But what if… you no longer possessed emotions?"
"Would regret or solitude still follow?"
Venti blinked.
"Then… probably not?"
He frowned, unsettled.
"What has Miss Acheron been through…"
"Why does her voice sound so… hollow?"
Zhongli folded his arms thoughtfully.
"She is not merely cryptic. She carries the weight of experience."
Hu Tao shrugged.
"Isn't she just a riddle-person?"
"Hardly." Zhongli replied.
"Her words are not chaos — they are fragments of truth, spoken through erosion."
Hu Tao nodded slowly.
"I guess… I felt it too. Like everything she said had meaning buried underneath."
Black Swan continued:
"Very well… the second question."
"If there existed a dream so real it rivaled reality itself… would you choose to live inside it?"
Lumine answered instantly.
"No. A dream is a dream, no matter how beautiful."
Paimon nodded fiercely.
"Dreams can't replace real life!"
Doctor & Scaramouche's voices followed:
Doctor:
"Foolishness. If a dream is perfect enough, it is merely an alternate form of reality."
Scaramouche:
"I agree. Reality and illusion can be reshaped by sufficient power."
Nahida countered gently:
"No. Dream and reality must remain distinct, no matter how similar they appear."
Dr. Ratio added coolly:
"Their conceptual foundations are different. Comparing them is intellectual laziness."
Then, a loud voice broke through.
Arataki Itto:
"But hear me out! What if this dream had endless happiness? No Mora problems! Bug-fighting festivals every day!"
"It'd be heaven!!!"
Kuki Shinobu groaned.
"Boss. Stop dream-talking."
A refined voice cut in smoothly.
Sunday:
"That may not be impossible, Mr. Itto."
"The world you describe aligns closely with what Penacony represents today."
Itto gasped.
"WAIT. YOU'RE SAYING A WORLD LIKE THAT ACTUALLY EXISTS??"
Sunday replied warmly:
"If you so desire, I can grant you permanent residency in Penacony. Consider it a personal gift."
Itto exploded with excitement.
"BROTHER SUNDAY!!! YOU'RE MY FRIEND FOR LIFE!!!"
"Even Kujou Tengu herself couldn't stop me now!"
Kujou Sara:
"..."
Sunday gazed quietly out toward the horizon.
"Indeed… there will always be those willing to embrace the dream."
"And that only proves my theory further."
His voice softened.
"But now… variables have appeared."
"Will this paradise I long to build…"
"…truly endure?"
His silhouette stretched long against muted light, swallowed by dusk.
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