Chapter 308: Penacony Arc 『 Part Three 』
「 "At this very moment, you and I happen to share the same dream, appearing within each other's thoughts. This is the initial greeting the Land of Dreams offers us," the violet-haired woman said. "Do not fret; you will soon awaken from this slumber. Everything that transpired here will fade, leaving behind nothing but a faint sense of melancholy."
The woman turned slowly. "…So, come with me. I will lead you home."
Stelle followed the woman out of the room, only to find that the layout and decor of this dreamscape mirrored that of a hotel.
The woman waited for her before the grand doors at the end of the hall. "A Galaxy Ranger, Acheron… that is what they call me. You may use it as you please."
Stelle followed Acheron through the final set of doors. A sudden, brilliant radiance forced her to squint. As her pupils adjusted to the light, a lavish lobby of unimaginable proportions unfurled before her eyes.
Crystal chandeliers poured forth golden light, illuminating the frescoes upon the vaulted ceiling. Curtains adorned with gemstones of every hue lined the hall, casting flickering shadows upon the floor.
The air was thick with the fragrance of roses and champagne… yet it lacked the breath of any living soul.
It was precisely this dissonance that reminded Stelle once more: this was nothing but a dream.
Stelle continued to trail Acheron, but the woman's silhouette eventually vanished. With a soft "After you," Stelle saw a connecting arch bridge manifest upon the wall before her.
Just as she wondered if she was meant to step onto it, the soles of her boots accidentally made contact. In an instant, the entire world tilted violently—
The walls flipped beneath her feet like a canvas suddenly jerked by an invisible hand. The ceiling thundered down toward her side; the original crystal chandeliers now resembled fountains, suspended in their former state.
(It actually worked?!)
Acheron spoke flatly, "And why not?"
(She can hear what I'm thinking?)
Acheron's voice seemed to carry a faint, ethereal chuckle. "…And why not?" 」
「 ..... 」
〜Runeterra World〜
"I see…"
Jayce looked up at the mesmerizing dreamscape beneath Stelle's feet. He stood dazed for a moment before finally understanding what made Penacony so alluring.
It was a dream.
"So the entirety of Penacony is a man-made dreamscape? That is… beyond madness."
Viktor took a long time to withdraw his gaze from the magnificent lobby. As a boy from the undercity, he had never seen such splendor. He hadn't even visited such places in his sleep. To call it a "Sweet Dream" was an understatement; it was more akin to "Paradise."
"No wonder people scramble to get here. In a dream, one can shed the shackles of the flesh and exist entirely as a spirit. All the pain, poverty, and suffering cease to exist. There is only endless revelry…"
As he uttered the word "pain," Viktor instinctively glanced down at his cane, envy nearly overflowing from his eyes.
"Listen, Viktor. Even if Penacony looks beautiful, it is ultimately just a dream… it cannot change the fundamental nature of reality."
Jayce recalled seeing a report years ago about a Chem-Baron in Zaun who had developed a hallucinogenic potion that allowed people to slip briefly into a fantasy.
The distribution of the drug to the upper districts had been cut off, and nothing more was heard of it. Though its effects were worlds apart from the Sweet Dream of Penacony, they shared a common truth—their essence was a lie.
"But—"
"An absolute, perfect dream does not exist, Viktor."
Heimerdinger suddenly appeared at the laboratory door, carrying a thick stack of documents. He hopped onto a chair with some effort.
"All the beauty in this world is relative. Without the contrast of misfortune, one cannot taste the sweetness of happiness. Furthermore, no matter how wonderful a thing is, it becomes hollow and tedious if experienced too much… Believe me, Viktor, even in a dream, misfortune will follow you like a shadow."
—
「 "We are almost there. Can you still walk?" Acheron glanced back at Stelle.
"I've hit the wall, and I'm feeling good," Stelle said, giving a thumbs-up.
"Quite the sense of humor. I'll take that to mean you're fine. Don't stop, don't look back, don't look down, and don't look up." Having given her instructions, Acheron ran ahead into the depths of the dream without looking back.
However, Stelle was a rebel at heart. If told not to look, she was going to look. Her attention was quickly snatched by two figures nearby: Silver Wolf and a—super, super, super—cool suit of mechanical armor engaged in conversation.
At the sight of the mecha, Stelle's eyes lit up instantly.
Silver Wolf looked up at the machine. "How are you going to pull them into the game?"
"Present them with the full truth, and they will surely come to the appointment."
With that, the images of the two vanished. 」
「 ..... 」
〜JoJo's Bizarre Adventure World, Golden Wind Timeline〜
"PFFT—HAHAHA!!"
Mista's laughter exploded abruptly in the villa like a misfiring revolver.
"How is Silver Wolf not even half as tall as Sam? She's tiny!"
He pointed at the screen where Silver Wolf and Sam stood together. The height difference was so drastic that it looked like a parent bringing their daughter to a school meeting. He doubled over in laughter.
"Sam's legs are taller than her whole body! Haha! Are they really colleagues?"
"Hey! You jerk—"
Trish's high heel slammed onto Mista's foot, causing his laughter to transition seamlessly into a howl of pain.
"Who mocks a girl during her growth spurt? Silver Wolf only looks like she's in her teens. What's wrong with being short?"
She glanced at her starry-blue nail polish and glared at Mista with disdain.
"…No wonder you're destined to spend your whole life with a revolver. Go play with your gun!"
Giorno ignored their bickering and turned to Fugo.
"The Stellaron Hunters don't appear for no reason. If they've come to Penacony, I can only think of two motives."
Fugo caught his drift and held up two fingers, picking up where Giorno left off.
"First, a Stellaron has appeared on Penacony. Second, the two of them are here to protect Stelle."
After all, Stelle was a key figure in Elio's script and could not be lost. With the threat of Duke Inferno looming, assigning a combatant of Sam's caliber as protection was entirely logical.
Furthermore, it wasn't hard to gather from Sam's words that the man held vital intelligence.
Fugo looked up at the sky and saw Stelle walking toward a pair of individuals—a man and a woman—who had halos behind their heads and small wings sprouting near their ears.
—
「 The man was handsome and refined, possessing a noble aura. He gazed quietly at the young girl before him. "The stage of the Charmony Festival belongs only to you, dear sister."
The girl lowered her eyes, a trace of sorrow flickering within them. "But if I cannot sing… what meaning does the stage have?" 」
「 ..... 」