The moment Kallen leveled that accusation, Black Swan froze on the spot.
Wait.
She had colluded with who?
She had colluded with the Lord Ravager Acheron?!
"Wait, Miss Kallen, this—"
Black Swan did not even have time to explain before Kallen made her move.
Judah's chains exploded into the air. Golden light poured from the great cross resting on Kallen's shoulder, and countless chains instantly sealed off every possible escape route.
Black Swan's reaction could not have been quicker.
Her body dissolved into a cloud of violet mist in an instant, trying to slip into the cracks between memories the way an ordinary Memokeeper would.
But the chains seemed to have eyes of their own. They pierced straight through the haze and wrapped precisely around her wrists and ankles.
"This is—"
Panic flashed across Black Swan's face.
She could feel that what clung to those chains was not merely the power of Preservation. There was also a trace of Nihility mixed within them.
And that reminded her of certain very unpleasant memories.
Fortunately, she had not come alone this time.
Acheron's hand settled on the hilt of her blade, and a suffocating pressure began to spread from her body.
Kallen did not even spare her a glance.
With one hand, she hoisted up Black Swan—now bundled into a neat little rice dumpling by the chains. With the other, she pressed lightly toward Acheron.
"Don't rush. You're next."
Bang!
A crisp explosion sounded from the mouth of the alley.
Then Aventurine's laughter rang out.
He did not retreat. Instead, he took two steps forward and planted himself neatly between Kallen and Acheron, like a spectator with a death wish forcing his way into the front row of a gladiator match.
"Lord Ravager?" he repeated, giving Acheron a sweeping look. "That's quite the accusation, Miss Kallen."
Acheron did not answer.
Her gaze passed over Aventurine's shoulder and locked onto Kallen, but her sword remained sheathed.
Though she had just been saddled with a crime she never committed, if there were any way at all, she still wanted to settle this peacefully.
The cost of drawing on that power was simply too great.
And this was the Golden Hour. Too many bystanders were nearby. If she fought seriously here, the people around them would undoubtedly be caught in it.
"Miss Kallen, I am not what you say I am," Acheron said at last.
A cautious choice, perhaps, but Kallen did not care in the slightest.
She tossed the bound-up Black Swan into Acheron's arms, then turned to Aventurine and asked, "Mr. Aventurine, if the IPC runs into a faction of Destruction, what do you do?"
Aventurine blinked, clearly not expecting the question.
But he only hesitated for less than half a second before answering, "Isn't that obvious? The IPC's attitude toward Destruction has always been crystal clear—zero tolerance."
A lie, of course.
Even an organization as vast as the IPC could not stick its nose into everything, especially not matters involving beings on the level of Emanators.
This time, however, was different.
After all, Diamond had already replied. He was on his way to Penacony as quickly as possible.
Until then, the company was to satisfy every request Kallen made.
Which was only natural. Aventurine was one of the few insiders who now knew Kallen's identity. Even without Diamond's explicit order, he would have made the same judgment.
As for Acheron's identity? That mattered far less. What mattered was having a reason to take a side.
And now Kallen had handed him a perfect one.
"Well said." Aventurine pocketed his chip and took two more steps forward. "Miss Kallen is an Emanator of Preservation. If that is her judgment, then naturally the IPC trusts it."
Then he turned to face Acheron. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by the stern expression of an IPC senior executive.
"Miss Acheron, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to cooperate with our investigation."
Acheron frowned.
She could feel the situation sliding in a direction entirely beyond her control.
"I am not a Lord Ravager," she repeated.
But whether or not she truly was one no longer seemed important.
"Every criminal says that after they're caught," Aventurine said with a shrug. "Wouldn't you agree, Miss Kallen?"
Kallen did not answer. She simply shifted Judah back onto her shoulder. The golden chains shivered in the air like a serpent poised to strike.
Black Swan, still trussed up tight, remained in a daze.
"Miss Acheron…" she began, wanting to say something, but in the end she only sighed.
She should never have come.
No—she should never have listened to Dahlia's suggestion in the first place.
"Miss Black Swan, don't worry," Aventurine said, glancing back at her in what almost sounded like reassurance. "The company is always courteous to Memokeepers. So long as you cooperate, you'll be out soon enough."
Black Swan: "…"
She suspected Aventurine was mocking her, though she had no proof.
The atmosphere in the alley grew increasingly strange.
Standing behind Kallen, Firefly watched the absurd scene unfold, her thoughts falling hopelessly behind the pace of events.
One moment they had been talking about Penacony's truth. The next, they were arresting a Lord Ravager.
Unable to help herself, she leaned in and lowered her voice. "Miss Kallen… um… is she really a Lord Ravager?"
"You guess," Kallen said, glancing sideways at her with a faint smile.
Firefly: "…"
She was suddenly beginning to suspect this contact person might not be especially reliable. But she was already on the pirate ship. It was too late to get off now.
Acheron took a slow breath and released the hilt of her sword.
"I have no intention of fighting you," she said calmly. "But I also cannot accept accusations without basis."
Then she looked at Kallen, her eyes carrying an extra note of scrutiny.
"Miss Kallen… what is it you actually want?"
The question made everyone in the alley fall silent for a moment.
Aventurine stopped and looked back at Kallen.
Black Swan twisted her bound body around as best she could.
Firefly blinked and waited for the answer.
"…World peace?"
Acheron repeated the words.
That was Kallen's answer.
"Exactly." Kallen nodded solemnly, looking like the leader of some organization delivering a public address. "I want every child to have enough to eat. I want every pair of lovers to stay together forever. Well? Don't I seem very righteous right now?"
"Miss Kallen," Aventurine finally said, unable to stop himself. "Are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Aventurine stared at her for three seconds.
Then another three.
At last he turned away, his shoulders trembling as if he were suppressing something.
"No," he said, his voice shaking slightly. "Not at all."
Kallen ignored him and looked back at Acheron.
"So, Lord Ravager Acheron, tell me—are you scared yet?"
Acheron fell silent again.
Faced with the three of them bearing down on her, she had no choice but to steady herself.
"…Miss Kallen," she said at last.
"If you truly want to fight—"
Her hand returned to the hilt, thumb pressing lightly against the guard, not drawing, but not relaxing either.
"There are too many people here. Change the location."
Aventurine glanced toward Kallen at once.
As one of the people standing in the middle of this mess, he was perfectly self-aware.
He could talk all he wanted about taking Kallen's side and helping apprehend Acheron, but against an Emanator-level opponent, his assistance was more ornamental than essential.
And if possible, he had no desire to fight in a place like this either.
"Fine," Kallen said immediately.
Then she drew upon Penacony's dream authority once more.
The world seemed to go silent for an instant.
When everyone came back to themselves, they were no longer in the alley.
Instead, they stood in a broad, open plaza paved with brightly colored mosaic tiles, ringed by giant cartoon clock mascots.
Clock Studios Theme Park.
The most childishly innocent place in all Penacony.
Acheron stood in the center of the square, one hand still resting on her sword hilt. Her gaze swept over the cartoon mascots, then came to rest on the faintly quivering golden chains around Judah on Kallen's shoulder.
"This place will do."
"Right?" Kallen took Judah off her shoulder and planted it casually on the ground. "Besides, it's pretty quiet here right now. Even if someone wanders in, they'll probably just think it's some themed performance."
"So," she said, "can we start now?"
At those words, the atmosphere grew heavy once more.
It seemed today's fight truly was unavoidable.
At last, Acheron drew her blade half an inch from its sheath.
There was no warning.
And yet everyone there could feel the weight of that single motion.
Aventurine bore the brunt of it.
The power of Preservation flared up before him, trying to stand in equal opposition to the Nihility gathering ahead.
But in an instant, cracks spread across the barrier.
Which was hardly surprising.
Even if Diamond himself had been standing there, he might not have been Acheron's match—let alone Aventurine, who only wielded part of Diamond's authority.
Soon enough, Aventurine glanced toward Kallen, his eyes clearly saying: Your turn.
What Kallen did next, however, stunned everyone present.
She snatched Firefly up with one hand.
Then dream authority surged once more.
"Mr. Aventurine is truly a man of lofty righteousness. In order to cover the retreat of us two weak and helpless young ladies, he's actually willing to face a Lord Ravager all by himself."
"Please rest assured—we'll leave at once and absolutely won't hold brave Mr. Aventurine back!"
The smile on Aventurine's face froze solid.
Before he could react, Kallen and Firefly were already gone, leaving behind only the faintest ripple in the dream.
Silence.
Aventurine looked down at the amber radiance covering his body.
Then he looked up at Acheron.
And Acheron looked back at him.
The air remained still for about three seconds.
So…
I've been sold out?
Aventurine: "I'm fighting Acheron?"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 155)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter200)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter110)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter230)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 200
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 180
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 230
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 220
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 120
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 135
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 110
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 100
My Harem Is Indescribable 90
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 95
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 80
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 70
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 75
Checking In in Demon Slayer 80
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 85
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 70
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 65
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 70
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 70
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 65
Why did they assign me to Uma 65
MYGO Beauties 65
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 55
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 65
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 45
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 45
The Uma Musume Who Became 40
I'm Definitely Not the King of 45
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
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