『 With that, Hotaru took out a slip of paper and showed it to Stelle.
This_is_a_memetic_virus.exe
!!!WARNING!!!
A memetic virus has been planted into this imaginary neutron bomb
Memetic lifeforms (particularly Memokeepers)(especially Black Swan) are advised to stay clear
Otherwise
Exposed individuals face a 72.36% chance of turning into a
banana banana banana BANANA banana
banana BANANA banana banana banana
banana BANANA banana BANANA banana
banana banana banana banana BANANA
...
P.S.: She means business.
P.S.P.S.: It's true! Try it if you dare! 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Pfft!!"
Stelle: "What kind of operation is this?!"
Stelle: "Even memetic lifeforms can catch a virus?"
Stelle: "Director Hanabi, you really know how to play!"
March 7th: "I get the logic, but what grudge or enmity is there between Hanabi and Black Swan?"
March 7th: "Why plant a virus to turn Black Swan into a banana?"
March 7th: "Wait, no, why a banana of all things?"
Qingque: "Exactly, is an apple not good enough?"
Qingque: "A peach would work too!"
Silver Wolf: "Are we hosting a fruit party here?"
Lumine: "This way, even if Miss Black Swan has the ability to transfer this bomb, she can't touch it, right?"
Paimon: "She definitely can't touch it!"
Paimon: "What if there really is a weird banana virus on it? That would be the end!"
Guinaifen: "My family, what do we do now?"
Li Sushang: "I feel like we still have to capture Miss Hanabi to defuse the bomb."
Qingque: "The question is, who is confident enough to catch her?"
....
『 [ I don't know what kind of grievance they have… but this path is also blocked. ]
After Stelle finished reading the bizarre slip of paper, she heard Hotaru speak.
[ Then we'll just have to find that girl. ]
Stelle suggested.
[ That… probably won't work either. ]
[ Time is limited, she can disguise herself, and even if we catch her, she definitely won't comply easily… ]
Hotaru shook her head, feeling that this wouldn't work.
[ Is there really no other way… ]
Stelle frowned.
[ … ]
[ Actually… It's not entirely hopeless. ]
[ Remember? The script said I would experience three deaths in the Land of the Dreams. ]
[ I think this is the precursor to the third time. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Furina de Fontaine: "It's coming, it's really coming!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Is destiny really completely unavoidable?"
Furina de Fontaine: "The script, the prophecy… why does this stuff have to be so accurate?!"
Guinaifen: "My family, where is this music coming from?"
Guinaifen: "This is the music of a tragedy, right?"
Guinaifen: "It must be, right?!"
Guinaifen: "I'M BEGGING YOU, STOP BREAKING MY HEART!!"
Hotaru: "Everyone, don't be so downcast…"
Hotaru: "I'm still perfectly fine right now, I haven't been killed yet?"
March 7th: "The immersion is just too strong."
March 7th: "Even though it's something that hasn't happened yet, it still deeply touches people."
Stelle: "I'm glad that none of this has happened yet."
Hanabi: "Little Gray Hair, not necessarily~"
Hanabi: "The upcoming scene will be very unforgettable for you~"
Hanabi: "After watching it, you might not think that way anymore~"
Boothill: "Hilarious. Harming people sounds so trivial coming out of your mouth."
Boothill: "Sure enough, you're also someone who needs to be loved to death by my gun!"
Paimon: "Uwahhh… is Miss Hotaru going to sacrifice herself next, carrying the bomb away all by herself?!"
Paimon: "Wah, I DON'T DARE TO WATCH ANYMORE!!"
Hanabi: "Hai, hai~ I think your guess is spot on."
Hanabi: "That's exactly what she wants to do!"
Hanabi: "And then… BOOM!!"
Hanabi: "BLOWN INTO PIECES LIKE FIREWORKS!!"
Hanabi: "HEHEHE, HOORAY!!"
Paimon: "NO, PLEASE NO!!"
Paimon: "The ending must not be like this!"
Silver Wolf: "Hotaru, do you really not regret it?"
Silver Wolf: "Is all of this worth it?"
Silver Wolf: "When you have always been pursuing the hope of living."
Hotaru: "Silver Wolf, there's no need to ask me this anymore, is there?"
Hotaru: "Because you already knew my choice long ago…"
Silver Wolf: "Yeah… alright~."
Silver Wolf: "Then, as your partner, all I can do is silently support you."
Blade: "May you get what you wish for…"
Blade: "Uh, I mean, you in the video."
Kafka: "My, Bladie actually spoke again, how rare."
Kafka: "But he's right. Hotaru, go ahead and do it without worries."
Kafka: "No matter what kind of choice you make, that is your own script!"
Lumine: "At this moment… I actually see some shadows of the Astral Express on the Stellaron Hunters."
Stelle: "I must say, aren't you guys being a bit too nonchalant about this?"
Stelle: "Hotaru is going to her death, and you're all so calm??"
March 7th: "Exactly!"
March 7th: "IF IT WERE OUR EXPRESS CREW, WE'D ALREADY BE LIKE ANTS ON A HOT PAN!!"
Silver Wolf: "What else can we do?"
Silver Wolf: "We've already tried to persuade her, but she won't listen."
Silver Wolf: "You should have realized by now, no one can stop what she wants to do."
Silver Wolf: "As her partners, we can only silently bless her."
Welt Yang: "Hmm… understandable."
Feixiao: "Don't be so pessimistic, everyone."
Feixiao: "Perhaps, after this death, there will be a new life?"
March 7th: "The question is… will such a miracle really happen?"
....
『 [ Like I said earlier — now's not the time for the plot payoff! ]
Listening to Hotaru's words, Stelle already had a vague idea of what she was going to do, and her face instantly darkened.
[ You might already know, but I was born without the ability to dream. My way of entering the dream is also through the Stellaron Hunters' special means. ]
[ This allows me to do things that ordinary dream-chasers cannot. ]
[ As long as I can endure the pain brought by the heavy pressure of the Memoria, I can dive into the primal Memory Zone outside of the sweet dream. And this will provide a glimmer of hope for the Radiant Feldspar. ]
[ I will take this bomb to the depths of the dreamscape… ]
[ At least to an uninhabited place as deep as possible. ]
[ That way, no one will get hurt. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Jiaoqiu: "To be fair, the notoriously infamous Stellaron Hunters are actually quite benevolent."
Jiaoqiu: "It is indeed unexpected."
Jiaoqiu: "But Miss Hotaru's actions command my deepest respect."
Screwllum: "Affirmative: Willingly exposing oneself to immense danger for the safety of strangers."
Screwllum: "Miss Hotaru's actions are worthy of praise!"
Stelle: "It's just an airship, and Robin has already gifted it to the Astral Express."
Stelle: "At worst, we just don't want it anymore!"
Stelle: "Half an hour is enough to evacuate everyone. Having the airship blown up is still better than Hotaru facing danger!"
March 7th: "Right, right! No matter how precious an airship is, it can't possibly be more important than Miss Hotaru's life!"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "With the power of an Imaginary Neutron Bomb, if left on the Radiant Feldspar, perhaps even the dreamscapes below would be affected."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "And the solution proposed by Miss Hotaru, from a rational standpoint, indeed has a very high feasibility."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "But the price is highly likely to be her own complete death."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Even if she has the protection of Glamoth's powerful armor, it would be difficult to withstand an explosion of this caliber."
Paimon: "HOW CAN IT BE LIKE THIS!!"
Paimon: "DAMMIT!!"
Paimon: "IT'S ALL HANABI'S FAULT!!"
Paimon: "Before, I thought that although Miss Hanabi was a Fool, she was still a good person!"
Paimon: "But now I know I was wrong!"
Paimon: "SHE IS CLEARLY A HEARTLESS, BOTTOMLESS, OUT-AND-OUT ARCH-FIEND!!"
Lumine: "The arch-fiend will definitely be severely punished!"
March 7th: "This kind of disregard for human life, our Express Crew will absolutely not let her off!"
Stelle: "For the sake of the trash cans, I will give you a quick end with my bat!"
Hanabi: "My, my, how terrifying."
Hanabi: "Inciting public anger, being ganged up on."
Hanabi: "But please, everyone, don't engage in impotent rage, okay?"
Hanabi: "Come and hit me if you have the ability~"
Sunday: "Heh, your actions will surely bring about retribution."
Robin: "Hanabi, your actions have gone too far."
Robin: "Having done such a thing, do you really think you can walk away unscathed under the witness of so many factions?"
Aventurine: "Tsk, maybe the number one person on the IPC's wanted list bounty will be replaced by her."
Sampo Koski: "Sister, what did I tell you?"
Sampo Koski: "It's fine to look for fun, but don't go too far."
Sampo Koski: "Now disaster is imminent, isn't it?"
Hanabi: "Disaster is imminent?"
Hanabi: "Hehehe… that might not be the case~"
....
『 [ What about you? What about your own safety? ]
Hotaru spoke lightly, but Stelle understood just how dangerous the process was!
[ Don't worry, I believe this S.A.M. armor is enough to send me to where I need to go before the countdown ends… and even have a chance to return safely. ]
[ This is also the best and most reasonable choice right now. ]
[ After all, this long story deserves a happy ending. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Nahida: "A happy ending?"
Nahida: "But… can such a result really be called happy?"
Raiden Ei: "I do not see the so-called happy ending."
Raiden Ei: "What she reflects in my eyes is an impending, eternal regret…"
Venti: "What can I say?"
Venti: "Fate always likes to end in tragedy…"
Venti: "But… why should it?"
Zhongli: "We do not have the right to question fate."
Zhongli: "Just as we ourselves find it difficult to transcend destiny."
Zhongli: "But I also believe that fate will leave a glimmer of hope for those who hold onto it…"
Furina de Fontaine: "So… is this a form of mercy?"
Mavuika: "Perhaps… a reward?"
Mavuika: "A reward for those who have the courage to face fate head-on."
Lumine: "But the process of facing fate head-on might not be pleasant."
Acheron: "Indeed… but that is how the world is."
Acheron: "Yet, for the sake of that remaining sliver of light in our hearts, we have every reason to risk everything, don't we?"
Paimon: "You guys said a lot of hard-to-understand things…"
Paimon: "But for some reason… I seem to understand a little bit of it."
Paimon: "In any case, Miss Hotaru's spirit of daring to face fate is brilliant at this moment!"
Paimon: "Is that what it means?"
Himeko: "Besides daring to face fate, Miss Hotaru's spirit of selfless sacrifice is also deeply moving."
Himeko: "I think, if Miss Hotaru were a Nameless."
Himeko: "Then, she would undoubtedly be extremely qualified."
Hanabi: "Is this some kind of praise convention?"
Stelle: "Shut your mouth!"
Hanabi: "Waaaa, Little Gray Hair, you actually yelled at me!"
Hanabi: "Just a moment ago, you were calling me Director Hanabi, and now you turn your back on me."
Hanabi: "How heartless!"
Stelle: "Originally, I thought you were just playing pranks on purpose."
Stelle: "But what I didn't expect was that you were actually playing for real."
Stelle: "There are at least tens of thousands of people on this ship."
Stelle: "Just for your own amusement, you didn't even blink before placing an Imaginary Neutron Bomb."
Stelle: "Heh, this behavior of yours has completely crossed my line."
Stelle: "When I find you, beating you to death with a bat would be letting you off easy!"
Boothill: "An arch-fiend who kills for amusement like this must be loved to death with a harsh gunshot!"
Hanabi: "Waaa… I was wrong!"
Hanabi: "But I'm just not going to change, hehe!"
....
『 [ Let me share a quote with you. Actually, Miss Acheron told me. She said that the so-called impossible things are just things that have not yet happened… ]
[ Right now, there are simply too many impossible things… ]
[ But will they absolutely never happen? ]
[ If you ask me, maybe these moments that cannot be denied just haven't arrived yet. ]
[ Whether it be a literal ending, suffering akin to death, or a harrowing deathscape... ]
[ Before the established end arrives, they are no different, and I can still make many choices. ]
[ I also firmly believe that... ]
[ That when that moment arrives for us to make a choice, the answer to our end will already be within our hearts ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Furina de Fontaine: "Uwahhh… THE HYDRO ELEMENT IS OVERFLOWING AGAIN!!"
Paimon: "Stop it, stop it, why is there this kind of scene again!"
Paimon: "Uwah, Paimon can't watch this kind of scene!"
Acheron: "Miss Hotaru already has her resolve."
Acheron: "And I see that within that resolve is an extremely fierce fire."
Welt Yang: "The firefly's light is faint, but it can also illuminate the dark night sky."
Welt Yang: "Sigh… in Miss Hotaru, I see the shadows of some old friends."
Hanabi: "I say, stop sighing, everyone."
Hanabi: "What she's saying right now are her last words!"
Hanabi: "Aren't you guys going to quickly take out a little notebook and write it down?"
Yunli: "The Fool speaks so horribly!"
Yunli: "Miss Hotaru is clearly alive and well right now!"
Yunli: "You are not allowed to curse her!"
Mualani: "That's right, you arch-fiend, shut up quickly!"
Kachina: "So dazzling… so brilliant…!"
Kachina: "Uwahhh, this is the role model I need to learn from!"
Hotaru: "Eh… have I become… a role model?"
....
『 [ It is not destiny that shapes us, but we who shape destiny. ]
Hotaru's eyes flickered as she looked at Stelle, speaking the realization she had gained from Penacony. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Nahida: "It is not destiny that shapes us, but we who shape destiny?"
Nahida: "So… so destiny can actually be interpreted this way?"
Venti: "Hahaha, well said!"
Venti: "What destiny?"
Venti: "From beginning to end, destiny is held in our own hands!"
Raiden Ei: "…"
Raiden Ei: "I understand."
Raiden Ei: "I have learned another lesson."
Raiden Ei: "Thank you for the answer, Miss Hotaru!"
Zhongli: "Heh, universally speaking, this is indeed a good answer."
Zhongli: "Destiny will be shaped by us."
Zhongli: "It is never dominated by anyone!"
Zhongli: "Miss Hotaru has truly awakened the dreamer with a single word!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Uwah, suddenly my heart feels so warm."
Furina de Fontaine: "It's like seeing a truly dazzling sun!"
Furina de Fontaine: "It leaves me deeply encouraged!"
Mavuika: "This fierce fire of conviction is indeed as dazzling as the sacred flame."
....
(....every damn time I read this one, it makes me cry)