"Brother, there you are?"
In the bustling dreamscape, Sunday stood atop the Penacony Grand Theater, overlooking the entire city. Behind him, Robin, the renowned galactic songstress, approached his side, her expression tinged with worry.
"There's been another disturbance in the deep dreamscape. If this continues, I'm a bit worried—"
"Enough, Fool... Stop parading your clumsy performance in front of me." Sunday didn't even turn his head. "If I were you, I'd leave Penacony as fast as possible right now."
"Hehe, I don't wanna~" Seeing her disguise penetrated, Sparkle dropped the Robin act, revealing her true form with a malicious grin. "How could I miss something as interesting as holding the Charmony Festival ahead of schedule? But your sister isn't in Penacony right now. How do you plan to proceed?"
"Ah, perhaps you're planning to take the stage and screech yourself? Afraid Lord Sparkle will hear and laugh at you, hence why you're so eager to shoo me away~"
"I am merely concerned for your safety," Sunday glanced back at Sparkle with pity. "You provoked that Nameless one carrying the Stellaron from the Astral Express earlier, didn't you?"
"Oh, you mean the little gray-haired guy?" Sparkle spun on her tiptoes, her tone utterly careless. "I didn't even do anything to him, just played a little joke. Besides, sending him into the other side of Penacony, he might even have to thank me!"
It's often said that honorable people are easily manipulated by playing by the rules, making the righteous folks of the Express the perfect targets for the Masked Fools' amusement.
Although Sampo, who barely made it back alive from Jarilo-VI, claimed he was beaten up by the Astral Express, tall tales were common in taverns, so Sparkle didn't pay it much mind.
Even if it were true, it'd still be fun!
"Or perhaps you disapprove of my actions and intend to uphold justice?"
"As I said, I am concerned for your safety."
Seeing Sparkle still giggling, oblivious to the gravity of the situation, Sunday said no more, merely sighing as he turned his gaze back to the city nightscape.
Good advice is lost on a doomed fool... The only reason you've been able to run around until now is sheer luck, not running into the person who was searching everywhere for you a few days ago. Although she stopped looking recently, Sunday believed that if they happened to cross paths, that person absolutely wouldn't hesitate to give Sparkle a taste of her fist.
And unfortunately for Sparkle, she seemed to be standing right in her impending path...
"Excuse me, could you move aside... Hmm? You are..."
A voice suddenly sounding behind Sparkle made the hairs on her neck stand on end instantly. She hadn't sensed anyone approaching her at all. However, before Sparkle could even turn around to see who it was, she felt a sudden dizziness overwhelm her brain.
When she came to her senses again, she found that everything before her had reverted to how it was before she entered the dream.
Sparkle blankly opened and closed her hand a couple of times, confirming this was reality.
Holy crap, she just died like that?
What kind of horror movie sudden death was that...
...
"Miss Twilight, I must inform you that even within a dream, harming others is not permitted..."
"I didn't harm her." Twilight shook her head, looking innocently at Sunday and pointing to where Sparkle had just stood. "She's gone. How could she be hurt?"
"...Never mind. She was just an illegally smuggled Fool anyway."
Sunday sighed, ultimately abandoning the attempt to explain the concept of "harm" to Twilight. "May I ask why Miss Twilight specifically sought me out?"
Leveraging his position and the powers of Harmony and Order, Sunday could monitor almost the entire dreamscape, save for a few select locations.
Whether it was the peaceful, prosperous Penacony or the hidden corners buried beneath it... Normally, this power was just for preventing accidents, but terrifying combatants like Acheron and Twilight were inevitably monitored 24/7, even when they entered the deep dreamscape.
The IPC's Aventurine couldn't escape this treatment either.
Therefore, Sunday was already aware of the deal Aventurine had struck with Twilight earlier, though he didn't particularly care.
Want the IPC to regain control of Penacony?
Heh, no problem. The Dream of Unity [Ena] contains everything.
Once he completed the Harmony Festival and recalled [Order], the IPC's schemes and plots would be nothing more than insignificant insect chirping.
"Someone wants to die in the dreamscape, asked me to help, and plans to broadcast it to everyone," Twilight looked seriously at Sunday. "But Himeko said that if you're going to do something big at someone else's house, you should tell the owner first. So, I'm telling you."
"..." Sunday fell silent. He had to admit, he hadn't expected this development.
A terrorist actually coming to inform the victim before blowing up their house... The child is surprisingly polite.
He had originally thought Twilight might accept Aventurine's commission and directly retrieve his Cornerstone from The Family.
"Miss Twilight, such actions are, in principle, not allowed in Penacony."
"I already promised him. I'm just letting you know."
Alright, the child has manners, but not many.
"...Heh, since you've made your decision, please proceed as you wish." Sunday shook his head. "Is there anything else?"
"Yes, I'm looking for a girl with gray hair..." Twilight mentioned this, sounding slightly dejected. "An annoying, but quite capable girl... Earlier, she was stabbed by a dark monster and should have been transferred to some dreamscape. I sensed the dream ripple then—but I couldn't find where she went, and now I can't even sense her presence anymore."
Ah, she means that stowaway...
"If she cannot be found in the dreamscape, perhaps she has simply returned to reality," Sunday looked up at Twilight. "I can help you search within the dreamscape first, but if she's not found... will you go look for her in reality?"
The moment he asked this, Sunday clearly sensed a flicker of unease from Twilight.
"I'll look again. If I can't find her, then... I'll go out and keep looking."
Just as I thought... After staying in the dreamscape for so long, one instinctively avoids returning to the painful reality.
Sunday looked at Twilight, finding her more agreeable the longer he looked.
This child is the perfect embodiment of the mission he upheld!
Why force the weak to face suffering they cannot change? When a perfect dream exists, why wake up?
Why had Sunday decided to advance his original plan...? The reason was actually simple: because of Twilight.
According to his original timeline, by the time the Harmony Festival convened and the Dream of Unity was achieved, Twilight would likely have already passed away.
During these recent days, Sunday had done a bit of digging into Twilight's background... which only solidified his belief that Twilight was indeed one of the weak in need of help.
A pitiful weakling, whose life was as fleeting as a shooting star, yet had to endure immense pain within it—an existence that Sunday felt compelled to lend aid to.
Compelling the weak... If he couldn't even help the one person before him, how could he speak of the vastness of the universe!?
Yes, he couldn't extend Twilight's lifespan, but the flow of time in the dream world could be faster than reality...
He would give Twilight a complete lifetime!
Seeing Sunday's favorability level up again, Twilight felt nothing inwardly, merely silently confirming the locations of Caelus and the others on her system map [internal senses].
Hmm, Caelus's side has already left the dreamscape and regrouped with Himeko and the others for a while. That means it's about time for me to head back too.
She spent so long searching outside for Firefly, but couldn't find her. Can't blame her for that~
It was certainly much more convenient than actually finding her. Firefly's mysterious disappearance from the dreamscape was a huge help—as for the reason, Twilight didn't feel like delving deeper.
Now, she had done everything she could, even seeking Sunday's help. With all efforts proving fruitless, she could only slink back to Caelus's side.
Once Aventurine retrieved his Cornerstone from Sunday later, she could help him perform the act of punching a Preservation Emanator.
And then...
Twilight glanced down at her own fingers. They were trembling slightly—a familiar situation, just like months ago before her condition first manifested.
Heh, looks like the sun is really setting, huh? Even hiding in a dream, sickness and death still find you.
But it doesn't matter.
Just before Twilight's figure vanished from the dreamscape, she heard Sunday's question from behind her.
"Miss Twilight, if there were a dream sufficiently happy and real, would you be willing to immerse yourself in it?"
"...Things in dreams are fake. When they end, they leave no trace..." Twilight gently clenched her fist, as if trying to grasp something. "If there are no traces, they'll be forgotten quickly... I don't want to be forgotten by Caelus and everyone."
"So, I have to leave something behind with everyone in reality..."
Sunday said nothing more, and Twilight disappeared, leaving him alone, overlooking everything.
The injured bird doesn't want to be trapped in a cage; it yearns for the high sky. But without the ability to survive, the cage is its best refuge.
The meaning of compelling the weak lies in helping them choose the better path.