[Seeing Stelle, one of the Mara-struck stepped in front of Dan Shu. "Leader, please step back. I'll handle this one."]
[…Leader? Stelle was taken aback. She had suspected Dan Shu was with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, but she hadn't imagined she was their leader.]
["It's fine. She's my friend." Dan Shu signaled the Mara-struck to stand down and turned to Stelle, sighing. "I didn't expect you to come looking for me."]
["You deceived me," Stelle said coldly, staring at her.]
["I'm sorry… I lied to you about many things, but I only apologize for tricking you into taking that drug. The other lies were just so we could speak as equals," Dan Shu said calmly. "Did you take the Pill I gave you?"]
[Stelle didn't hide the truth. "I did."]
["Did you feel the transformation?" Dan Shu's tone grew faintly excited. She raised her head, her cloudy, colorless eyes gazing skyward. "So many medicine-seekers come to the Xianzhou, desperate for the secret to immortality, only to leave empty-handed."]
["But they're not wrong—the Xianzhou does hold the secret to becoming a long-life species. I admire you, and I wanted to give you that opportunity."]
["By taking the Pill, you could truly experience the boundless freedom the Merciful Medicine King brings to mortal flesh."]
[But Dan Shu suddenly seemed to sense something, frowning slightly. "Wait… You don't sound like you've changed at all. Your breathing hasn't grown steadier, and your aura doesn't seem to have undergone any transformation."]
Italy, Naples.
"Hahaha, bet Dan Shu didn't expect Stelle's body to be so unique, huh? With a Stellaron inside her, Stelle's got a full house!" Even from outside the villa, the organization's bodyguards could hear Guido Mista's hearty laughter.
"But missing out on immortality because of her unique constitution isn't exactly a win either."
Trish pouted, thinking of how Fu Xuan, Qingque, and others on the Xianzhou remained youthful and radiant despite being centuries old. It was hard not to be jealous, especially for a celebrity like her. One Pill would be more effective than any skincare product.
And while Stelle's behavior could be unconventional, her looks were undeniably stunning—a true beauty. If she ever had to watch her beauty fade with age, even she would feel heartbroken, wouldn't she?
"Whether that pill is good or bad, we need to be more cautious," Fugo said, setting down his teaspoon and speaking slowly.
"If an ordinary outsider took that pill, they'd likely just turn Mara-struck. To the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, the Mara-struck form is the ultimate gift from the Medicine King."
"Dan Shu sees Stelle as a friend—there's some sincerity there, but not much. She probably wants to pull Stelle onto their sinking ship through the promise of immortality. The Disciples have been hiding on the Xianzhou for a thousand years, and the current chaos is their perfect opportunity to act. If they could sway Stelle, they might even fracture the Seat of Divine Foresight's strength."
Fugo's calm analysis made Mista narrow his eyes slightly.
"You sure know how to talk, Fugo."
"Isn't that why you brought me here?"
"Heh, yeah," Giorno smiled faintly. That was an important reason, but not the only one.
Fugo's ability was too dangerous—any living thing touched by the [murder virus] sprayed by his "Purple Haze" would rot, dissolve, and die. There was no defense against it, no way to control the infection.
As the organization's leader, Giorno couldn't let such a dangerous Stand stay out of his sight, so he found ways to bring Fugo back into the fold.
"Until the Celestial Screen vanishes, Fugo, you'll 'temporarily' help us strategize."
——
["Why? Is your body different from others?" Dan Shu asked, bewildered.]
["I have a Stellaron inside me."]
["A Stellaron? Impossible." Dan Shu's brows furrowed, but she quickly regained her composure, shaking her head. "Even if that's true, a short-life species hosting a Stellaron is likely doomed. It seems you're fated to miss out on immortality."]
["Stelle, I beg you to leave the Luofu… to leave this conflict. Things aren't as they seem."]
["How did the Seat of Divine Foresight's hounds describe this civil war to you? That the Reignbow Arbiter, champion of the righteous gods, hunts the evil Plague Author across the cosmos, and the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus are the evil god's claws?"]
["Is that really the truth? You don't understand the Merciful Medicine King or the Plague Author, but you know me. In your eyes, am I that kind of person?"]
["I'm not asking you to take sides… I just hope you'll leave the Luofu, stay away from all this. This has nothing to do with you, and I don't want to be your enemy."]
Emiya Household—
"Saber, I feel like this Dan Shu has some hidden reasons…" Watching Dan Shu's heartfelt words, Shirou Emiya suddenly found the fried shrimp in his bowl less appetizing.
It seemed inevitable that Stelle and Dan Shu would come to blows.
"Shirou, don't be fooled by that woman's sweet talk."
Savoring his grilled fish and beer, Cú Chulainn managed a rare moment of seriousness. "Have you forgotten? Every pill from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus contains the bone marrow of the Vidyadhara. Big words are easy to say, but the fact that they trample on other races' lives can't be covered up with fancy speeches."
"And when she spoke, she said Stelle doesn't understand the Abundance Aeon, trying to silence her. But the question is… do the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus themselves understand the Abundance Aeon?"
Saber cast a curious glance at Cú Chulainn. "Lancer, what do you mean?"
Cú Chulainn smirked, setting down his chopsticks. "Understanding the [true Aeon] and understanding the [Aeon they imagine] are entirely different concepts. In the end, the Medicine King has never directly responded to the Disciples. All this time, those pitiful believers have been worshiping a Aeon of their own fantasies. Compassion, kindness… those are just human footnotes."
"They call the Medicine King the [Merciful Medicine King], as if the god embodies boundless virtue. But if the god were truly as benevolent as they claim, why has it ignored the Xianzhou people's suffering for thousands of years?"
"Compare that to the Hunt Aeon. At least They respond to Their followers and share Their power with those who follow Them. That alone makes Them far superior to the Medicine King of Abundance."
Saber nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, while the Medicine King granted the Xianzhou immortality, there's little record of Them directly… It's Their followers who use the god's name to satisfy their own selfish desires."