[The Astral Express crew decided to agree to cooperate with Black Swan. After discussion, everyone quickly returned to their respective rooms.]
[At this moment, Stelle was still worried about Firefly, wondering if she had returned to reality. She wanted to pick up her phone to ask, only to realize she didn't have the other party's contact information…]
[Black Swan was waiting for her in her room. The moment she saw Stelle, Black Swan read the emotion on her face: "You look very nervous, Stelle. Are you worried about that little girl? If you have something on your mind, feel free to confide in me. There is no existence in this world more suitable as a psychotherapist than a Memokeeper."]
["Can you confirm Firefly's safety?" Stelle asked directly.]
["Don't worry. That was a one-way door that only leads to清醒 reality. Unless that girl has a strong will and refuses to wake up from the dream no matter what… How is that possible? She must be rubbing her eyes somewhere in the hotel right now."]
[Hearing Black Swan say this, the heavy stone hanging in Stelle's heart finally dropped. She lay down in the dream pool and soon entered the dream world.]
[Opening her eyes and returning to the familiar room, Black Swan was still waiting for her not far away.]
["I know you are more sensitive to Memoria than others and are more easily affected by the dream. This is also why I need to accompany you specially. I will use some methods to make you feel less uncomfortable. Don't worry, your companions are also safe. Before entering the dream, I asked each of them for a small accessory. This allows me to sense their presence in the Memoscape."]
[Black Swan sensed that they had already woken up in their respective rooms, but due to the Memoscape's structure being different from reality, Himeko and March 7th's rooms were both very far away. Time waits for no one. They had to immediately head to the lobby to regroup.]
[Along the way, they saw some staggering members of the Dreamjolt Troupe. Black Swan frowned lightly: "Strange, there seems to be someone else's presence here…"]
——
Ave Mujica.
The rehearsal room lights were pale white. The band's rehearsal performance came to an abrupt stop.
"Third measure, fourth beat."
Tomori Takamatsu's finger heavily pointed at the score, her nail scraping an ear-piercing sound on the paper. "Yutenji-san—this is how many times already? There should be a limit to spacing out, right? You're clearly the one who needs practice the most. Haven't you been practicing at all lately?"
Mumei's drumsticks spun in her fingers. She smiled awkwardly: "Can't be helped. I've been quite busy lately~"
"Busy?"
Tomori's voice suddenly sank, like silk soaked in ice water—soft yet bone-piercing. She took out her phone, skillfully flipped to Mumei's account, where the two latest videos were posted just these past two days.
"Drum performance of 'If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking,' and…" Tomori's fingers quickly slid across the screen. "Firefly cosplay tutorial."
"So… you don't have time to practice Ave Mujica's songs, but you have time to practice songs from the sky screen?"
"Ehehe~ Doesn't Tomori also like the content in the sky screen? Penacony is currently the number one trending topic in the world—" Mumei got up and walked behind Tomori, her fingers lightly resting on the girl's soft shoulders. "Occasionally riding the wave is fine too, you know~"
"But that's not an excuse for you to neglect practice!"
"No, that is my reason."
Mumei completely ignored the girl's anger and casually sat down on the sofa, shrugging her shoulders. "Clearly, just using someone else's song can get higher attention. There's nothing wrong with borrowing it appropriately, right? Many music groups around the world do it? The key is popularity… the band's popularity."
"But that song doesn't match Ave Mujica's style at all, right?" Tomori's eyebrows were almost twisting into a small wrinkle between her brows.
"What match or not? As long as the fans like it, isn't that enough?" Mumei took out her phone and sent several scores to the others' phones respectively. "Practice or not is up to you. Remember, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity~"
——
[The two arrived at the lobby and suddenly saw a familiar figure in the center of the lobby.]
[Black Swan was somewhat stunned: "Ah… it's her? How is this possible?"]
[They saw Acheron standing beside several Dreamjolt Troupe members, seemingly looking around somewhat troubled: "Here… are there no staff members?" She turned her head and looked at the two with some surprise: "Eh, why is it you two?"]
["You… got lost again?"]
["It can't be said like that. I just don't know where I am." Acheron replied very honestly.]
[The three first cleared the few small monsters in front of them. After it became quiet, Acheron asked curiously: "Why are you two here?"]
[But this was also the question Black Swan wanted to ask her. Acheron didn't hide it either. She said that there were some secret topics circulating in Penacony involving the Watchmaker and the legacy. She was curious who was spreading them, so she tested it according to the rumor method… and actually came here.]
[Considering the dangers lurking in this dream, Acheron proactively suggested traveling together for now. She could protect everyone's safety, and she also needed the Memokeeper's assistance.]
[Stelle naturally agreed. Besides being very grateful to the two, Acheron was also happy to travel with Miss Black Swan again.]
["Hmm… Let's hope so."]
——
Teyvat.
"Apprehension."
In Natlan's arena, the Pyro Archon Mavuika put down her beer and looked curiously at the slightly displeased expression on Black Swan's face. This expression was all too familiar to her—back when she had not yet become the Pyro Archon, people who fought her always showed this kind of expression.
"…She seems a bit afraid of this Miss Acheron."
"Afraid? Why?" Chasca couldn't quite understand. "I remember Miss Memokeeper once proactively invited Acheron to dance, right? Logically, their relationship should be good. Could Acheron and Black Swan be hiding some unknown grudge?"
"It couldn't be that Acheron's dancing skills are terrible but she thinks highly of herself, right?"
Mavuika laughed loudly: "How is that possible? Miss Black Swan shouldn't be someone who cares about such small issues." She lowered her head slightly in thought: "I guess… it's strength."
Acheron indeed possesses power that cannot be underestimated—this is almost a consensus for them, but no one knows exactly to what extent Acheron has reached.
She has always fought with her sword sheath. No one has seen that sword unsheathed.
—Is it because the opponent is not worthy of her drawing the sword?
—Or because drawing the sword would bring irreversible consequences?
Mavuika could only think of these two possibilities. But she guessed that Miss Black Swan might be the person in all of Penacony who best understands Acheron's strength… Otherwise, it would be really hard to explain why she would be so apprehensive.