Chapter 343: Penacony Arc 『 Part Thirty-eight』, The Eternal Limbo of the Penacony
「 The trio pressed forward, boarding an elevator that descended into a mysterious, profound corridor.
Reaching the end of the hallway, they found nothing but a single, sealed door.
"Is this door… locked as well?"
"This is becoming an endless cycle. Allow me." Black Swan closed her eyes, searching the room—and every corner beyond it—with a near-sensory intuition.
"This Memory Zone… it is a bit too distorted. I must employ some rather unrefined methods. You two… please, give me a moment…"
"Mmm… there. I can see the center of this dreamscape. The Family is there… and several other figures are fumbling their way forward. It seems your friends aren't having much luck either… one, two, three…"
Suddenly, a blurred, ethereal silhouette flickered into Black Swan's vision.
"...Wait, three? There is a third person searching for the way to the lobby? Wait… this is…"
Black Swan's eyelashes trembled slightly, like butterfly wings startled by a breeze. "—Is that the young girl who was with you before?"
Stelle took a deep breath, struggling to maintain her composure. "You said she had already returned to reality."
"I do not understand, but there is a familiar shadow in the Memory Zone, its essence strikingly similar to hers… What reason could she have to delve so deep into the dream?" Black Swan frowned, finding the situation incomprehensible. "Is she… running? No… fleeing? It seems there is something behind her…" 」
「 ..... 」
〜Shingeki No Kyojin World〜
"Who would be chasing her? Could it be that 'Sam'?"
"No… that's impossible, Eren."
A chilling evening breeze swept through, causing Armin's hands to tremble as he clutched his hot tea.
"In all likelihood, it's that Meme that attacked them in the Primordial Dreamscape. If we equate Sam's combat prowess to someone like Kafka or Blade, Hotaru wouldn't stand a chance of escaping him."
He paused, then continued,
"I suspect she came here alone because someone fed her intelligence information suggesting the Watchmaker's Legacy is hidden here. Otherwise… there's no explaining why she would take such an immense risk to break into the Primordial Dreamscape by herself."
"The Watchmaker's Legacy… what kind of treasure is worth betting one's life on?"
"Could the legacy be some kind of cure? She's a sick girl; perhaps without it, she doesn't have much time left."
Mikasa lowered her gaze, tightening the red scarf around her neck.
"I actually hope that man called Sam can save her."
"…Unlikely. 'Sam the Savior' sounds like a stretch, even if that Stellaron Hunter might share some history with her. Hotaru is pitiable… but as a modified warrior, Sam doesn't strike me as the type of man whose heart softens just because he sees a girl."
"No—that's not right!"
Armin's eyes suddenly widened. The tea in his cup sloshed violently, but he didn't even notice the hot droplets splashing onto the back of his hand. He bolted upright, his knees knocking over the small wooden stool, nearly sending him sprawling.
"My logic was completely flawed! Eren, your earlier conclusion was correct—the person hunting Hotaru is indeed Sam!"
His fingers traced invisible lines in the air, trying to seize a fleeting spark of inspiration.
"If… I mean, what if Hotaru has the ability to fight back against the Meme?"
"Huh?"
The other two by the campfire were stunned.
"Eren, do you remember that girl's extraordinary powers of observation? That's not something an ordinary person can train… not even Captain Levi has that! She probably hid her true strength from Stelle. She isn't weak at all; on the contrary… she is incredibly powerful!"
Armin explained patiently,
"It's precisely because of that martial might that she dared to enter the Primordial Dreamscape to seek the Watchmaker's Legacy… and the one hunting her is someone even stronger, the one who could topple the Jepella Brotherhood—Sam!"
Armin looked at the two with a hint of pride.
"What do you think?"
Eren wiped the sweat from his brow.
"…I think that's a bit far-fetched."
—
「 "The situation is urgent. I must make an exception and use a few tricks to guide you through the Memory Zone."
Black Swan's voice echoed in Stelle's ear, accompanied by blurred whispers that slithered into her mind like eels:
The Watchmaker's Legacy…
I… don't want to give up…
I have the right… don't I…
Black Swan's tone grew noticeably anxious. "I have culled a few strands of her thoughts from the Memory Zone; they will help you form an impression of her. Now, grasp these emotions firmly and shape them in your mind. The 'old friend' appearing here is not just her—there is also the third party present during your moment of peril—"
"That Memory Zone Meme. It is there as well."
Stelle's pupils contracted sharply. Instinctively, she lunged toward the elevator before her. An indescribable fluid—a darkness—surged from her chest to her throat. A sense of suffocation drowned her from the inside out. Then, a voice rang out…
"In my dream, I saw a scorched earth, and a new sapling emerging from it. It bloomed against the morning sun and whispered to me."
"Why do people choose to sleep? I think..."
A final, soft sigh escaped from an unknown source.
"...It is because they're afraid to awaken from the dream."
Acheron warily placed a hand on Stelle's shoulder. "...Watch out! A dangerous presence lurks nearby."
Stelle's footsteps echoed through the hall, the vast space amplifying the sound of her breathing. Her eyes scanned the surroundings frantically, until—
Not far away, the young girl suddenly turned her head.
Hotaru's hair traced a soft arc through the air, the vigilance in her eyes melting like ice and snow. The corners of her mouth curled upward, carrying an irrepressible joy and excitement. 」
「 ..... 」
〜KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World〜
"I—I'm willing to trade ten years of Kazuma's bachelorhood for Hotaru's safety!"
Aqua's jarring prayer suddenly rang out through the tavern.
"Hey! You damn brat, aren't you supposed to be a Goddess? Who trades their party leader's happiness for another woman's life?!"
Kazuma grabbed Aqua by the collar, but his words were drowned out by a deafening roar of cheers erupting in the tavern.
He looked up to see Miss Hotaru on the screen, gazing at Stelle from across the void. The sheer affection in those eyes was enough to melt steel. That smile she gave after letting down her guard was like a breath of fresh spring air.
"Miss Hotaru is okay! Yes!"
"Hell yeah!"
"Hahaha, Kazuma, your bachelorhood really worked!"
Kazuma stood there, practically petrified. Just as he was wiping away tears and cursing Aqua under his breath, another collective gasp shook the tavern.
"Wait! Hold on! Look at that!"
"It's the Meme! That thing is chasing her again!"
Above Acheron and Black Swan, a mass of purple miasma coalesced, and a familiar, giant violet claw slowly reached out from within…
—
( Translator-kun: Oh boi... here we go again. )