『 After the high-stakes gamble between Aventurine and Hanabi, the scene shifts back to Hotaru and the Stelle. They have just emerged from a manhole cover, finding themselves atop a towering skyscraper. 』
『 ....』
〘March 7th〙: We crawled through a manhole… and ended up on a rooftop?!
〘Dan Heng〙: I suppose that's the nature of the Dreamscape…
....
『 "Look, it's beautiful, isn't it?" Hotaru turned toward the Stelle with a warm smile. "Usually, tourists aren't permitted here, so we'll have to be careful not to get spotted."
Hearing this, the Stelle assumed they were in some sort of high-security danger zone and immediately brandished their baseball bat, scanning the perimeter.
Hotaru chuckled at the Stelle's "ready-for-war" stance and offered a reassuring word. "Don't worry, it's not a dangerous area. Think of this as the frontier of the Golden Hour. The Dreamscape, further out, is still being renovated by the Family."
"My secret base is just up ahead."
With that, Hotaru led the way toward her sanctuary. 』
『 ....』
〘March 7th〙: By the way, what actually flows through Penacony's sewers?
〘Gallagher〙: SoulGlad. So, for Penacony, sewers and manholes are mostly just… decorative.
〘Bloodhound A〙: We knew the sewers connected, but nobody's used them in years… Someone actually wanted to crawl through the pipes??
〘Bloodhound B〙: Great. I can already see our workload increasing…
....
『 They hadn't gone far before they were intercepted by a Bloodhound guard stationed at a gate.
"Pardon me, you two. This is a construction zone. No unauthorized personnel beyond this point."
"Ah… caught right at the start," Hotaru said, offering the guard an awkward, sheepish smile.
"Could you… Perhaps look the other way? We won't cause any trouble," Hotaru pleaded.
"Impossible. Orders from above. No one except the Dreamweaver team is allowed entry," the guard replied firmly, shaking his head.
"He's certainly playing hardball…" Hotaru muttered.
Taking a page out of Aventurine's book, the Stelle approached the guard and flashed a credit card with a smirk. "These Credits are a token of my appreciation, friend. Can we reach an understanding?" 』
『 ....』
〘Aventurine〙: You're a fast learner, my friend.
....
『 The guard handed the Credits back to the Stelle. "Keep them. I'll pretend I didn't see this, but if you try it again, I'll have to report you to the Oak Family."
"Don't try any more clever tricks. Please leave. It's better for everyone." 』
『 ....』
〘Aventurine〙: Rough start, my friend. Your first bribe, and you find a man of such resolve.
〘Stelle〙: Do you think I didn't offer enough?
〘Aventurine〙: It's a possibility…
〘March 7th〙: Can't it just be that he actually has some integrity?!
....
『 "Ugh, it looks like we can't talk our way past him—let me think of something else…" Hotaru said, looking dejected.
Seeing Hotaru's disappointment, the Stelle thought to themselves:
Maybe… Can I use Clockwork again? This shouldn't count as a 'bad deed,' right? 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: If it's to make a beautiful girl smile, how could it possibly be a bad thing!
〘Belle〙: Hard to argue with that logic.
....
『 The Stelle looked at the guard, who remained stoic. Since "Calm" clearly wasn't working, they decided to try "Sadness" first.
As the Stelle shifted the guard's emotions toward sorrow, the man suddenly clutched his head, looking utterly defeated. "Ah, distinguished guests… welcome to Penacony."
"I am a member of the Bloodhound Family, responsible for maintaining order in the Dreamscape—though, under the Family's protection, there is no danger here. Which means I am redundant. I'm worth less than a trash can."
"No worries, I can create some danger!" the Stelle said with a mischievous grin, hefting their bat.
"Oh, please don't. I know I couldn't stop you anyway," the guard sighed, waving a hand dismissively.
"In any case, please give me some space, noble guests."
"You two should go enjoy this neon-lit dream world instead of wasting your time talking to a guy who's less useful than a dumpster," the sorrowful guard advised.
"So, will you let us through?" the Stelle asked.
"Oh, of course…" the guard drawled.
Hotaru and the Stelle looked at the guard with hope.
"No."
"My dignity is already in tatters—have some mercy, don't crush what little I have left."
"Of course, you could try to force your way through… but I swear I'll fight you to the death—I have nothing left to lose…"
"I feel so guilty now…" Hotaru said, glancing at the despondent guard. 』
『 ....』
〘March 7th〙: This is just too depressing.
〘Belle〙: Even when he's this miserable, he still won't budge. Talk about professional!
〘Hanabi〙: Quick, while he's still sad, switch him to Joy! That'll be fun!
....
『 Just as Hanabi suggested, the Stelle realized this emotion wouldn't cut it and immediately adjusted the dial to Joy.
The guard suddenly snapped out of his depression, clutching his stomach as he burst into laughter.
"Oh, my goodness…!"
"My goodness… goodness, goodness, hahahahaha, my goodness…!"
The Stelle clutched their stomach, mimicking the guard's "my goodness, my goodness."
"Hahaha, friend—you look as… happy as I am!" the guard shouted between laughs.
"Can you feel it? This feeling… It's almost—a little crazy! Hahahaha, like drinking ten bottles of Vintage SoulGlad in a row, then soaking in a Dreamscape shop all day long!"
"If Mia were here, we could sing a song together. He'd understand! Hahahahahahaha."
"I can hardly contain this feverish emotion… I invite you, beautiful lady—dance with me! Now! At this very moment! Right here!" the guard shouted at the Stelle.
"If I dance with you, will you let us through?" the Stelle pushed their advantage.
"Oh, hahahaha, of course—" the guard drawled again.
Hotaru and the Stelle shared a knowing look and sighed in unison.
"No!—Rules are rules!"
"But even if you won't dance with me—it doesn't matter!"
"I only need this wild feeling, hahahaha, and this pounding heart… long may it last!"
"But of course, you, hahaha, still can't pass—it's my duty!"
"He's certainly… principled," Hotaru noted. 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: Rules are meant to be broken!
〘Hanabi〙: What a shame, switching from Sadness to Joy didn't work. Oh well, pity, pity~
〘March 7th〙: He's still doing his job even like that? Did the Family brainwash him or something?
....
『 The Stelle sighed at the man who still refused to budge and adjusted the dial to the final emotion: Anger. They hoped this would do the trick; otherwise, their date with Hotaru would be over before it even began.
"How many times do I have to tell you—construction zone, no entry without permission!" the guard roared, venting his frustration.
"You two just have to keep showing your faces in front of me, don't you? Fine, don't blame me for being rude!"
The Stelle pulled out their bat and beckoned the guard. "Come on then, let's see what you've got! I've had enough of you!"
"Ha, you asked for it! But don't get too cocky—I've seen plenty like you!"
"Thinking you're young and energetic, afraid of nothing, idling around all day, causing trouble, selfish, with no idea how to contribute to society!"
"A brat like you who ignores the rules… I'll straighten you out! Go, Dreamjolt Troupe! Teach them a lesson!"
The guard waved his hand, and several monsters lunged at the duo. The Stelle gripped their bat, swatting them away one by one. Seeing Hotaru about to be attacked, they immediately summoned their lance and stood protectively in front of her.
Soon, with a bat in one hand and a lance in the other, the Stelle left the Dreamjolt Troupe in ruins.
The guard clutched his chest, unwilling to accept defeat. "Curse it, I actually lost… is this… the power of youth…?"
"If I'd had this power back then, Mia… would we have had a different ending?" 』
『 ....』
〘March 7th〙: I'm already imagining a soap opera… he was young and reckless, his lover was stolen by some rich heir, but he didn't have the strength to stop it and could only watch her leave.
〘Silver Wolf〙: That's way too cliché…
....
『 The guard took a deep breath and addressed the two of them. "Go on then. Enjoy the victor's spoils…"
"Is he getting a bit too into character? Well, at least we can get through now. And thank you for protecting me just then," Hotaru said, giving the Stelle a trillion-watt smile.
After bypassing the guard with Clockwork, Hotaru led the Stelle into the Dreamflux Reef. Using various mechanisms, they reached the next platform.
Hotaru stopped and pointed toward a distant, grand theater.
"Look, you can see the whole Grand Theater from here."
Mysterious numbers: ① 06· 730· 943· 3 』
『 ....』