After some time, Acheron stood silently where she was, with the praises of the three knights for Nero ringing in her ears.
She was not very clear about the basis for the Nero in the dream's judgment, because she did not know much about creatures like cat cakes. However, Miss Black Swan had already watched that Miss March's memories, and everything the other party had said afterward was true.
And...
At this moment, that Miss March had already shown everyone another astonishing fact.
Acheron had to admit that the unknown creature called Little Fuli, which looked harmless and soft, was quite capable. Even Miss Black Swan could not stop praising its ability to manipulate memetic matter.
To confirm exactly which people in this layer of the dream were their real selves, March had Little Fuli use some methods.
Then, an astonishing situation appeared.
In this layer of the dream named "Dawn" by the Knights of Beauty, the real people at this moment were herself, Miss Black Swan, Miss Robin, Mr. Boothill, the three knights, and Miss March, who had driven the train straight in.
While everyone else turned into memetic matter and dispersed under Little Fuli's power, the cowboy said this on the spot:
"Well, shit, I actually went around chatting and laughing with fake people made of memetic matter like some little cutie, and I fucking didn't notice anything was wrong."
In short, they were discussing the plan once again. Since the main body of the plan had not changed, they quickly came to an agreement this time.
The Astral Express would set off again in Ena's Dream and, with the help of the Knights of Beauty, pass through the four parallel layers of dreams from top to bottom.
Little Fuli and Black Swan would use memetic matter to connect the dreams to one another through the train...
And next, Acheron would make her move, using the great power of Nihility to awaken the sleeping masses. Boothill would shoot his glory into the sky, summoning the flying stars of the Hunt.
Afterward, Robin would sing, using the music of Harmony to connect everyone, soothe the frightened survivors, and guide them down from the high platform of Order.
After that, the foundation of Ena's Dream would be damaged. This would be the very end, and the decisive battle would begin at that time.
———
[Reality]
[Asdana System, The Star Field Near Penacony]
Watching more and more shooting stars rushing over, surrounding Penacony as if in mourning and circling through the nearby sea of stars, Nero gently knocked on the enormous creature beneath him.
Then he said, "It's about time, little dragon. I'll allow you to get a little bigger this time."
Since Nero was sitting in outer space entirely with his physical body, his voice naturally could not travel out, but the existence beneath him still understood what he meant. That really was strange.
Then again, the fact that Nero could stay in outer space with his physical body as if nothing were wrong was itself strange, but Nero did not think there was anything unusual about it. He had completely accepted the setting that he was not a normal human anymore.
Thus, following Nero's reminder, a huge beast opened its eyes. This creature with the head of a dragon and the body of a fish rapidly expanded in size during the process, as if it could swallow countless planets with a single opening of its mouth.
Brilliant multicolored light reflected from the little dragon's scales. Its tail gently swayed, scattering fantastical, colorful light across this star system. The gorgeous colors spread outward, wrapping around the starry sky like curtains.
A few seconds later, another kind of rosy light seemed to fly out from Penacony along with melodious music, and the fetus holding Penacony, Philosophy, seemed to awaken because of it.
Sunday slowly raised his head amid the music. The eyes on his stone-carved face looked toward the planet in his arms, and in the end, he let out a sigh...
———
[Dream Depth, Dawn]
The Sunday in this layer of the dream woke up at the same time as the one in reality. Before him, Acheron, Black Swan, and Boothill slowly approached.
As a cowboy of the Galaxy Rangers, Mr. Cowboy was the first to draw his gun and point the muzzle at Sunday. He said boldly, "Ha! You little cutie, it's time to get up."
———
[Dream Depth, Sky]
The Sunday in this layer of the dream woke up at the same time as the one in reality. Before him, a young man from the Xianzhou raised his sword and walked at the very front.
Here, Robin's singing surrounded them. Little Gui and Qingque stood in the back, keeping Hook, Lynx, Clara, and Bailu behind them.
Farther ahead was the tall Svarog, with Yanqing and Huohuo at the very front.
"I... I didn't expect that General Jing Yuan and the Luofu coming to help us would actually only be a dream..." Huohuo said. "But... but Miss Robin has already... told us through the voice of Harmony what happened here... I think... um... at a time like this, we have to face the enemy in front of us."
Although she was trembling a little from fear, this time Huohuo firmly walked at the front. No matter what, with Mr. Tail by her side, she was actually not weak when it came to fighting.
"Tail... Please..."
"Hahahahahaha! The little coward rarely has this much backbone. Then this lord will reluctantly help you! You have that kid's blessing on you, so what are you always afraid of?"
Tail laughed loudly as he transformed into a ball of flame and merged into Huohuo's body. In the next instant, the aura around Huohuo suddenly changed.
The originally timid judge reached out and pointed at Sunday, speaking wildly, "Kid, today this lord will teach you what it means to respect others! Without saying a word, without even asking, you just drag everyone else into the dream. What kind of behavior is that?"
Yanqing said nothing. He simply looked seriously at Sunday, with all his flying swords already in position.
At this moment, there were two more sounds, duang duang~, and a blue figure fell down.
Although the dream was fake, it had really been brought here by Aha.
Little Lan first called out twice toward Nero's companions, then raised its tail high and fiercely hissed at Sunday.
Cat cakes might look very weak, but the surging energy in Little Lan's mouth said otherwise.
———
[Dream Depth, Descent]
The Sunday in this layer of the dream woke up at the same time as the one in reality. Before him was a field of holy light.
Metal boots struck the ground with clear sounds, exquisite armor shone brightly, and handsome men and women advanced together with determined expressions.
The knights smiled as they gracefully saluted Sunday in an orderly manner. They then announced their names, stated their positions, and took out their weapons.
This battle might end very quickly, but please allow us to announce our names first.
Following the will of Beauty, blessed by the divine, we shall become sturdy shields and sharp spears, advancing without hesitation.
The Knights of Beauty hereby issue you a duel invitation.
———
[Dream Depth, Abyss]
The Sunday in this layer of the dream woke up at the same time as the one in reality. Before him, the train traveling through the cosmos sped past, and the members of the Astral Express stood up one after another.
Sunday asked, "Without Order, how can the weak be good?"
Welt Yang stepped forward and said, "But now, the people imprisoned by the sweet dream are awakening for the sake of freedom."
March 7th stepped forward and said, "Even if the future is filled with pain... we will never run away!"
Dan Heng also stepped forward. "You are a noble person. Please don't let yourself be bound by the past."
Himeko stepped forward as well. "At this moment, open your eyes and look... at the faith of the weak."
Stelle put on her hat and came to the very front. "...In the end, we have to wake up from the dream."
———
[Reality]
Deep in the starry sky, the radiance of Harmony suddenly burst forth. Countless rays of starlight intertwined and connected into a long dress.
The starlight was made of broken fragments, constantly piecing themselves together, and thus depicting a complete image.
Xipe, Mother of the Many, smiled. The eyes on those three faces opened and cast their gaze toward Penacony.
A beam of heavenly light bloomed across the dome of the universe, hanging above the head of [Philosophy's Fetus] Sunday like a sword.
The giant beast, assembled from fragments seized from the various Paths because of the Observer's Eye, shimmered with radiance and swallowed the notes and instruments of Order into its belly.
Nero stood atop the little dragon's head, forming a sword seal with his hand. He looked at Sunday with a smile and asked, "How about it, Big Brother Sunday? Did you get enough sleep?"
Sunday slowly turned around and looked at Nero, letting out another sigh.
"I lost.
"...So... why does life slumber?"
"To sleep? Because it's tired, of course!"
Sunday: "?"
"Then next, we should fish the reality of the Asdana System out of the memetic matter." Nero narrowed his eyes. "It might hurt a little, so don't blame me, okay~
"Heavenfall."
BOOM!
The sword fell from beyond the heavens, piercing through the starry sky and turning into a dazzling white light in the universe. For an instant, it brought the most intense daylight to countless star systems.
The light descended from above, sank into the memetic matter, pierced through the clouds, shattered Ena's Dream, and broke the four layers of dreams apart in an instant.
The fetus of Philosophy was also crushed beneath that enormous shadow. Its figure coiled through the starry sky was shattered along with the shadow of Order, slowly disappearing and turning into scattered stardust.
Thus, a bird flying inside a cage broke its wing at this moment and fell toward the earth.
Just as Sunday had told the story.
Only, unlike that little Harmony Dove, this bird did not have another soaring bird to catch its wing.
'Big Brother...'
'The dream... should wake up now.'
———
"Big Brother, do you think... stars can die?"
"What happened? Why are you suddenly asking that?"
"Because that constellation that looks like a little bird seems a little dim. That... Goose Cry Constellation."
"It's the Eagle of Annihilation Constellation. Don't worry, it's still there. It's just that, inside Penacony's inner ring, you can only see it when spring and summer overlap."
"But about the question you asked... I guess stars can die too, just like people."
"But little sister, do you know? No star belongs to the present. The starry sky we see is all light they emitted a very long time ago."
"Even after those stars die, that light will still travel across millions of light-years, crossing millions of years, and illuminate the night sky of another world."
"I believe that in our paradise, there will also be such a star, shining with the same light. The time it shines will be eternal, and its name... will be happiness."
"Wrong! How could there only be one? There should be two stars, no... it should be a sky full of stars!"
"Mm, you're right."
"Pinky promise!"
"Pinky promise. It's settled. Nothing can change our ideals."
"Mm, definitely!"
———
A little radiance spilled down, its colors as gorgeous as paint blooming in vivid patches. A star fell, gently dropping like a tear, pure and crystalline.
It was a fragment of crystal. Light and shadow opposed each other within it, refracting and appearing across different planes, causing countless colors to swirl within.
Sweet dreams were wonderful, but sleeping forever was not the right of the living. A beautiful reflection may be dazzling, but only the footprints left while moving forward lead toward possibility.
The fragment carried light as it came to rest on the boy's fingertips.
With the next blink, it was already gone.
Even Beauty, which pitied its own reflection, would one day have to wipe away its tears, turn around, and walk forward with its shadow on its back.
Because when you face the light, the shadow is behind you.
Nero blinked, gently patted the little dragon's head, and said with a smile, "Hehe~ It's all taken care of. Little dragon, take me back to the train!"