Chapter 341: Penacony Arc 『 Part Thirty-six』, The Unending Stagnation ofthe Penacony
"Using the power of 『 Destruction 』 to dismantle the dreamscape of 『 Harmony 』… It is indeed a novel approach."
Serie, perched upon her throne, finally spoke. A smirk played across her lips.
"Well done, Lernen. In terms of your studies… you've shown more promise than in your youth."
"I am honored by your praise."
Lernen bowed his head with profound respect.
"However… Lady Serie, at this point of time, the Duke of Inferno himself has made no move."
"Hmm, I noticed that as well…"
Serie's smile vanished, her expression sharpening.
"The more obscure the intent, the greater the danger."
—
「 "Huh? How did you figure all that out?" March 7th asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Setting aside extreme scenarios, the mastermind behind the dreamscape's mutation must hold a position antithetical to the Family. That leaves two possibilities… someone intends to introduce outside influences to destabilize the Family's grip on Penacony, or the Family is being forced to covertly seek external aid for their own survival."
Welt analyzed the situation calmly. "But judging by the cipher in the invitation and the Family's subsequent reaction… the former seems more probable."
"Which implies that the sender of the Nameless's cipher and the one pulling the strings behind the dream's mutation belong to the same camp… or perhaps, they are the same."
Having shared his deduction, Welt moved on to a more somber piece of intelligence.
"According to reliable sources, some people spotted a tall silver-armored man on Penacony. I've reached out to the Bloodhound Family for news, and visited many of those guests who claimed to have seen this invader..."
"...And this is what I received. Stelle, I've sent it to you. Open it and take a look."
Stelle opened the phone to find a chibi-style Silver Wolf appearing on the screen.
She held a megaphone and cleared her throat.
/"Ahem. Can you hear me? Astral Express, long time no see—having fun on Penacony?"
"It's... It's that hacker girl!" March 7th, exclaimed in shock. 」
「 ..... 」
〜Honkai: Impact 3rd World〜
The sight of the chibi Silver Wolf clutching a megaphone on the screen struck a chord deep within a certain young girl at St. Freya High.
"B-Bronya-oneesama… no, Miss Silver Wolf… she's so cute!"
Seele pressed her hands to her chest, her eyes shimmering.
"Naturally."
Bronya cleared her throat, nodding with a stoic expression.
"As my counterpart, being cute is a baseline requirement."
Despite her words, the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her pride.
…After all, even she found Silver Wolf's chibi form adorable.
"Wow~"
Kiana nudged Bronya with a mischievous grin.
"Seeing Miss Silver Wolf so relaxed, I guess she managed to recover all seventy-six of her gaming accounts?"
"Hmph. Kiana, surely you don't think such a trivial setback could defeat my counterpart?"
Bronya turned her head slightly, letting out a soft huff.
"Recovering accounts… for the galaxy's greatest hacker, that doesn't even qualify as a warm-up."
"Listen to you, talking big for your other self… Man, I still remember how she was crying and throwing a tantrum when those accounts got banned—"
"—She was not throwing a tantrum."
Bronya retorted instinctively.
Visibly piqued, the girl's cheeks puffed out in frustration, looking very much like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, the spitting image of the Silver Wolf who had suffered the ban on the screen moments ago.
—
「 "I'll get straight to the point. I know you've all been investigating the abnormal phenomenon surrounding Penacony. Or rather, we are pleased to see that you've been doing that — because the deeper you dig, the closer you'll get to the truth behind this 'Sweet Dream'."
Silver Wolf transmitted a string of code to their phones. By entering the Dreampool with it, they could access a 'hidden map'—first-hand intelligence gathered by the Stellaron Hunters.
Beyond the cooperation, Silver Wolf also brought up Sam. "Also, I take it you've already heard about Sam. You should look forward to the meeting. He's a straight shooter who values a fair fight. I think you'll 'get along' with him just fine. Don't be overwhelmed by his enthusiasm!"
"Oh, he had me relay a message to you: The curtains have just risen over the dream that can't be reached. The various factions have started to move. I wish you luck! Don't fall behind, Nameless!"
With that, Silver Wolf's signal cut out.
"The situation is clear. The Planet of Festivities is far more complex than it appears. Revolving around the Watchmaker's legacy, various factions—including the Family—are pursuing their own agendas, keeping each other in check. While we don't yet know what this legacy is, it's only a matter of time before this struggle involves innocent bystanders."
Regarding the 'Sam' Silver Wolf mentioned, Welt took a deep breath. "The Molten Knight, Sam, is reportedly a remnant of Glamoth's Iron Cavalry, a genetically engineered warrior. He possesses superhuman perception and acts decisively; he'll leave no margin for error. This individual is every bit as dangerous as Kafka and Blade."
"This message is a threat. The hidden map that Silver Wolf mentioned is probably the sealed dreamscape Hotel. For the sake of what's to come, a visit seems necessary." 」
「 ..... 」
〜Demon Slayer World〜
"Hmm… the sealed dreamscape Hotel sounds like a dangerous place, like the Primal Dreamscape, right?"
Mitsuri Kanroji spoke while nibbling on a cherry blossom rice cake, her cheeks bulging like a hamster's.
"Should they ask Hotaru to come along? That girl seemed very eager to find out the truth about the dream."
"Huh? Her? Why would we take her?"
Sanemi Shinazugawa snapped, flicking his wrist impatiently.
"That woman couldn't possibly handle such a dangerous environment."
"True… that Meme is dangerous enough on its own; it would likely take three or four of us to subdue it. If Hotaru goes, she might just be a liability,"
Shinobu Kocho said gravely.
"That knight called 'Sam' has also been deployed; he might even be in the Primal Dreamscape already. If he targets Hotaru…"
Shinobu drew a sharp breath.
"…Stelle won't be able to protect her. Once a battle starts, everyone will be at risk."
"Sam targeting Hotaru? Why would he? She's just an ordinary girl, isn't she?"
Mitsuri asked, puzzled.
"…It is merely a conjecture. One cannot use common sense to predict the actions of the Stellaron Hunters,"
Obanai Iguro, the Serpent Hashira, remarked coolly.
"However, judging by Silver Wolf's words, this Sam fellow seems to be a pure combat enthusiast."
"Like Akaza?"
Shinobu pondered.
"If that's the case, it might be easier to manage… if he simply wishes to hone his skills, there are plenty of formidable fighters in the Express crew worth his time."
—
( Translator-kun: Starting in this chapter, I'll add some images if there's an available image. )