"Hahahahaha…"
A clear, yet somewhat crazed laugh, suddenly echoed behind Phainon.
"Oh my, what a spectacular performance! Even I can't help but want to applaud you."
Phainon didn't turn around.
On the cleared spire of this theme park, the only one who could appear behind him was Fool, who loved nothing more than chaos.
Sure enough, Sparkle skipped out of the shadows.
She tilted her head, her eyes filled with appreciation and curiosity.
"Hey, hey, what kind of look is that? Don't forget, I played a part in this grand entertainment too."
She circled around Phainon.
"If I hadn't run myself ragged spreading the news of the 'show's opening' to every corner of Penacony, no one would have been able to appreciate this grand 'heist'."
Phainon yawned, his expression lazy. "Others, I might believe were genuinely well-intentioned."
He glanced at Sparkle. "But you, I don't believe."
"Tch, how boring." Sparkle pouted. "Don't you know Sparkle's character?"
Seeing that Phainon didn't respond, she rolled her eyes and leaned in again. "Oh, to prove my sincerity, I'll tell you one more thing."
Phainon finally turned his head. "What is it?"
Sparkle giggled, stood on her tiptoes, and whispered into Phainon's ear, "I'll tell you a secret—"
"The surprise is hidden in the darkness."
A cryptic, disjointed prophecy.
After saying this, Sparkle winked playfully. "Think carefully about their meaning, little white-haired one!"
The next moment, a dazzling golden fish swam by out of thin air, shattering her figure.
Sparkle vanished without a trace.
In the air, only a faint echo remained.
"I hope your next act is even more interesting than this one."
Phainon watched the spot where she disappeared, then lowered his head in thought.
If there was still no answer in the dazzling Penacony.
Then the only path left was to cross the valley of the shadow of death.
Sparkle's prophecy undoubtedly pointed to the "nothingness" under the blade of Acheron.
This Masked Fool, for all her games, always liked to lay the truth on the table.
It seemed, this blow was unavoidable.
He took a step, his figure merging with the light and shadow, disappearing from the spire.
—
Clockwork Studios Theme Park, Central Stage.
The Express crew was still reeling from the shock of the "doomsday crisis" they had just witnessed.
Suddenly.
A figure emerged from the depths of the stage corridor and appeared before them.
Still the familiar black robe, still the handsome, almost unreal face.
"Phainon!"
March 7th was about to cheer and run over, but her steps suddenly halted, freezing in place.
Because she discovered, to her horror, that at some point, two "Phainon" stood on the central stage.
One was the "Phainon" who had just toyed with Aventurine, tossing a golden chip.
The other was the Phainon who had just emerged from the shadows, his aura as cold as frost and snow.
Two identical people!
Stelle felt her brain was about to burn out. She rubbed her eyes hard.
"W-what's going on? Twins? Or… am I hallucinating?"
The most intense reaction in the entire audience came from Welt Yang.
His gaze darted back and forth frantically between those two faces, the veins in his temples throbbing wildly; those around him could hear the pulsing of his blood vessels.
One face of "Kevin Khaslana" was already challenging the limits of his cardiovascular system.
Now, damn it, there were two?!
Could the universe's malice really double?!
Just as everyone was filled with doubt and surprise, the "Phainon" tossing the chip suddenly distorted.
The black robe receded, and the face changed.
Finally, a charming, smiling figure appeared in his place, playfully wiggling her cat ears—it was Cipher.
"Not bad acting, right, Savior Kid?"
The Express crew collectively paused, then as if waking from a dream, their gazes refocused on the real Phainon.
Phainon explained to everyone,
"The current situation is a bit special. I need an opportunity, an opportunity for everyone to remember me. So, I adopted this method."
His words seemed to contain an irresistible logic.
Stelle opened her mouth, a multitude of questions, such as "Why do I need to be remembered?" and "What exactly happened?" clearly rising to her throat.
But just as she was about to speak, those questions dissipated like smoke.
Instead, there was an inexplicable yet self-evident conviction—he must have his reasons for doing this!
It came inexplicably, yet it was taken for granted.
At this moment, Welt Yang finally couldn't hold back.
Who exactly was he?
Was he Kevin?
Was Phainon his name?
Clutching the doubts in his heart, he approached Phainon. He wouldn't be able to rest until he got answers.
"Phainon, I have a question for you, why do birds…"
"I don't know."
Phainon cut him off succinctly.
His gaze swept past everyone and landed on the gambler.
He slowly walked forward, coming to Aventurine's side. "There's no need to make the atmosphere so tense."
Aventurine suddenly looked up, his beautiful Aevginian eyes now fixed on the man before him.
"You… who exactly are you?"
"Who I am isn't important," Phainon replied calmly. "What's important is that I know who you are, and I know what you want to do."
He leaned down, close to Aventurine's ear,
"You want to use Acheron's hand to overturn the Family's card table."
"You want to force out the mastermind."
"You want to prove to everyone, and to yourself, that Penacony's 'death'… is not truly the end."
Aventurine's pupils suddenly constricted to a point.
Every step he took, every plan, every true purpose hidden beneath his madness, had been seen through by this man in a single sentence!
"However," Phainon straightened up, changing the subject, "I have no interest in your gamble."
"I'm here only for an answer."
"An answer hidden at the end of 'nothingness'."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Acheron, who had been silent the entire time, not far away.
"Miss Acheron, may I trouble you with one more thing?"
Acheron's gaze had been fixed on him, and clear ripples appeared in her eyes.
"Please, gently, strike me with your blade."
Phainon's request stunned everyone present.
"If he needs it," He extended his finger, pointing at Aventurine, "then him too."
"Partner! Are you crazy?!" Stelle was the first to react, her voice changing pitch.
Phainon merely looked back at her, saying nothing, but the calm and resolute look in his eyes rooted Stelle's feet to the spot.
He just smiled, a smile devoid of madness, only a sense of relieved serenity, as if it were his answer to her.
Acheron remained silent, gazing deeply at Phainon.
She felt a contradiction in this man.
He yearned to be remembered by the whole world, yet he actively walked towards nothingness.
After a long while.
Acheron gently nodded.
"Alright."
Her right hand rested on the hilt of her blade.
At that instant, Clockwork Studios Theme Park, along with all their lights, shadows, and clamor, transformed into a faded prelude.
The world lost their sound, leaving only black and white.
A touch of stunning crimson slowly bloomed from the gap in the scabbard, becoming the only color in this grayscale world.
A tear of blood slid from Acheron's eye, tracing a sorrowful path in solidified time.
Pfft—
Acheron's movement was clean and swift, a vertical slash, the blade ignoring all physical laws, directly piercing Phainon's body.
Before anyone could react.
Phainon had already closed his eyes.
Only then did he slowly speak,
"Don't forget me, partner. I'll be back very soon."
------------
(T/N): I wanted to end off on a cliffhanger lol.. hope you enjoyed the extra chapter! ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ )