Lumine and Paimon returned to the Sabzeruz Festival, armed with questions and a purpose.
However, questioning several stall vendors yielded no useful information.
The pair then encountered Dunyarzad, and simultaneously met Dehya.
After Lumine and Paimon shared their foreknowledge and explanations, Dehya began to believe their claim that the Sabzeruz Festival was trapped in a massive samsara.
Thus, Lumine and Paimon led Dehya to Nahida's location.
"...I believe I told you bringing others here would be pointless."
"No, we just wanted her to see Dunyarzad's true condition."
Paimon and Nahida's conversation left Dehya completely bewildered. She looked around, puzzled, and asked, "Dunyarzad's true condition? Where is she? And who are you talking to?"
Paimon: "Huh?"
Nahida sighed. "I told you, you two are special. Others can't see me or Miss Dunyarzad."
Dehya's sharp eyes scanned the surroundings. With her astonishing perception, she managed to pinpoint Dunyarzad's location.
Even Nahida was surprised. "Such remarkable perception... Does she have invisible antennae or something?"
Dehya: "Miss Dunyarzad seems to be lying right here, doesn't she? How is she?"
Paimon explained Dunyarzad's condition to Dehya. Once Dehya believed them, Paimon and Lumine shared everything they had learned with her.
Dehya suspected the Sage was behind it, and Paimon asked a crucial question:
"Nahida, when you woke us up, you used something that looked like Canned Knowledge. You must know something about the Akasha, right?"
Nahida crossed her arms. "The Akasha operates through the Gnosis, manifesting the power of the God of Wisdom. It integrates the collective wisdom of the nation and bestows knowledge upon the people."
With Dehya's help, the trio deduced that the Akasha could conversely commandeer people's minds.
They immediately removed the Akasha Terminals from their ears.
Lumine mentioned hearing a distinct beep before each reset. As they discussed this, the sound recurred, and their consciousness began to fade.
In the final moment before losing consciousness, Paimon cried out, "Ah, I still wanted to go to Silaya's house for..."
A voice echoed in Lumine's ears:
Phase duration exceeding expectations. At this rate, casualties are inevitable...
But we... cannot accept abandoning our progress now.
-
The next day unfolded much like the previous one. Lumine and Paimon once again retrieved their memories from Nahida.
Remembering how much Dehya had helped them the day before, they decided to seek her out first.
When they found Dehya, Lumine noticed she was uninjured this time. Upon asking, they learned that Dehya had become remarkably skilled with her Claymore, wielding it as if she had already weathered countless battles.
That evening, Lumine and Paimon shared this development with Nahida.
"Oh? Such progress already? Excellent, excellent. In that case, rest well tonight."
"Huh? Rest? But we still have so much to figure out!"
Nahida replied, "Tomorrow will come—that's common knowledge for everyone. But whether tomorrow truly arrives can only be known by you, the one who will be in tomorrow."
"How many times has today already passed? Could today become yesterday? Is 'tomorrow' merely a fabricated concept?"
"Or perhaps the entire world is an illusion, and the history of this continent is just one long Sabzeruz Festival."
Nahida's words were packed with meaning, but it was unclear whether she was speaking metaphorically or had truly seen something.
Paimon waved her hands frantically. "Okay, okay, stop! My brain's already exhausted."
Nahida chuckled. "Exactly. Why waste mental energy today on something you'll naturally discover tomorrow? Get some rest. Maybe even go use the bathroom and flush your anxiety dookie away~."
Paimon pressed a tiny fist against her cheek, her eyes widening. "Wait, what did you just say? Did I hear that right?"
"Hmm? People often say they feel clear-headed after using the restroom. I was just recommending it. Is that so strange?"
Lumine and Paimon exchanged embarrassed glances, completely baffled.
She was just talking about profound philosophical concepts!
Paimon turned to Lumine. "Well... even though every day feels like the Sabzeruz Festival, we haven't really relaxed in ages. Let's go find Silaya! She promised to treat us to dinner yesterday!"
Lumine was speechless. She vaguely remembered the little one insisting on going herself...
But since she had her own questions to ask, she agreed.
Together, they headed to Silaya's house.
"Silaya, we're here!"
"It's the Traveler and Paimon! What a rare treat! Silaya hasn't returned yet, but come in and make yourselves comfortable. Dinner will be ready soon!"
Chu Xi welcomed them inside and gestured for them to sit.
Silaya soon returned, her face lighting up with a smile when she saw Lumine and Paimon.
"Traveler and little Paimon, did you have any major breakthroughs today?"
"We noticed Dehya is becoming increasingly skilled with the Claymore. She didn't even get hurt this time, which makes us think the 'loop' might just be something I imagined. Time might never have stopped at all."
Silaya nodded. "Hmm, good progress, but you're still missing a crucial piece. What you know isn't enough to completely break free from this samsara."
Chu Xi had already brought out a lavish meal, far more than usual—Silaya had specifically asked her to prepare extra.
"Um, what are you guys talking about? Why can't I understand any of it?"
Silaya patted Chu Xi's head. "Don't worry, I'll explain it to you later tonight."
Chu Xi nodded silently.
The group then enjoyed a hearty meal. Lumine and Paimon temporarily relaxed, though their mental fatigue lingered.
"Silaya, we're heading back for now. We'll come find you again when we have new leads," Paimon said, waving goodbye.
"Good luck, Traveler! Good luck, Paimon!" Silaya called out.
While Lumine and Paimon were immersed in the Sabzeruz Festival, in the desert, at the Dar al-Shifa:
Angie, Tartaglia, and Ailina were gathered inside.
"No. 1 Hakim, No. 2 Aven, and No. 3 Alberz are all dead. No. 4 Abbas likely escaped. That Doctor bastard is conducting human experiments here again!"
Tartaglia remained silent. He knew enough about the Doctor's actions to keep his distance from the man.