It was less a question of which Aeons spurned Aha, and more a question of which ones didn't.
As the Aeon of Elation, Aha often sought amusement from mortals. But true to the uninhibited nature of Their Path, They held no reservations about seeking amusement from Their fellow Aeons as well.
Although most Aeons preferred to ignore Them, a significant number had been harassed by Them, from Nous of the Erudition and Akivili of the Trailblaze to even Nanook of the Destruction.
When it came to being universally disliked, Aha transcended factional divides, earning Them their collective rejection and scorn.
It went without saying that Nous, Lan, and Qlipoth would never allow Them to join. Otherwise, even the most unbreakable alliance could be brought to ruin.
"Guh... To put it so bluntly." Hearing Su Mo's decisive declaration, Sparkle's eyes widened slightly. Even she couldn't refute his words; after all, it was the truth.
Still, for a mortal to dare speak so ill of an Aeon—Su Mo was far bolder than she had imagined. She knew for a fact that the Aeon of Elation was watching these events unfold. To spurn an Aeon to Their face without fear of retaliation...
"Sigh. It looks like even if I pull out the trump card Lord of Elation arranged for me, even if I give you that precious gift, you still won't agree to let Lord Aha join, will you?" Having confirmed Su Mo's stance, she asked without much hope.
"No." Su Mo nodded calmly, still without a trace of hesitation.
He had already seen what Aha's so-called "gift" was. While it was indeed valuable, perhaps even on par with the Amber Lord's reward, he still had no intention of agreeing to Their request.
"Very well!" Sparkle lowered her head.
Just as Robin thought she was about to give up, she pulled a phone from her pocket, then snapped her head up and glared viciously at Su Mo. "Then don't blame me, Director Sparkle, for using my final trump card!"
"What are you trying to do?" Robin instinctively took a step forward, shielding Su Mo. Sparkle looked flustered and exasperated; she had to be stopped from doing something desperate.
"What am I trying to do?" Sparkle sneered, her expression turning arrogant as she dropped the honorifics she had been using. "Su Mo, I'll give you one last chance. Agree to Lord Aha's application! Otherwise, if I use my trump card, no one here is walking away happy!"
As if afraid he wouldn't believe her, she immediately added, "Don't underestimate me. Even if you're an Emanator-level powerhouse enjoying the favor of many Aeons, if I really use this trump card, They won't be able to descend in time... and when that happens, no one can help you!"
Sparkle's threat sounded like an exaggeration.
After all, in this universe, Emanators were the pinnacle of power below the Aeons. No matter how strong Sparkle was, it was impossible for her to pose such a threat to Su Mo, let alone sever the blessings of the Aeons.
But looking at her expression, Robin was certain she wasn't bluffing. She truly believed she held a trump card capable of dealing with an Emanator-level combatant.
"Lord Su Mo, be careful!" Robin immediately warned, then glared at Sparkle. "Masked Fool, this is Penacony! Whatever you're planning, if you dare to harm a single hair on Lord Su Mo's head, neither my brother nor I will ever forgive you!"
"Hmph! Miss Robin, threats are useless against us Masked Fools," Sparkle said with a flippant smile, then cast a sweet yet dangerous gaze toward Su Mo. "My dear Lord Su Mo, I advise you to consider this seriously. Don't be too arrogant! Otherwise, Lord Aha might not have as much patience as I do."
For a mere Masked Fool to threaten a being who was at least on the level of an Emanator... either she was incredibly brave, or she truly possessed an extremely important trump card.
Su Mo could see that Sparkle was the latter, and a flicker of interest appeared on his face. "I've already considered it. Let me see this trump card of yours."
Even if Sparkle was mistaken about her own power, a method she believed could counter an Emanator was interesting in its own right.
Seeing Su Mo choose to face her trump card head-on without a moment's hesitation shocked even Sparkle.
"My dear, you're far more arrogant than I am!"
Unbeknownst to her, because of Su Mo's repeatedly unexpected answers and a state of madness that surpassed even her own understanding as a Fool, Sparkle's attitude toward him had unconsciously grown closer.
Even her form of address had shifted from the initial, perfunctory respect to this sweet and dangerous tone that made Robin frown slightly.
I was here first! How can this Masked Fool be so shameless!
Ignoring Robin's expression, Sparkle, delighted by Su Mo's response, opened her phone and tapped into a chat application right in front of them.
"Since you've put it that way, not showing you would make me look like a bluffing liar." She tapped her lip and gave Su Mo a smiling wink. "Then I have no choice. Watch closely, my dear! This is Director Sparkle's greatest source of confidence, and the most powerful trump card in this universe!"
With that, she took a few small steps toward Su Mo and confidently showed the chat interface to both him and Robin.
It was a simple chat interface from the most basic communication software developed by the Interastral Peace Corporation—nothing special there. The only special thing was the person she was chatting with.
The avatar was a drawing of an Aha doll, and the name below it was "Lord of Elation."
Connecting this to what Sparkle had said earlier, an unbelievable thought suddenly exploded in Robin's mind.
"Lord Su Mo, that's—!"
"That's right! This is Director Sparkle's ultimate move: Divine Advent! What you're about to face is the mighty power of the Aeon of Elation! Hahahahahaha!" The girl in the kimono stood with one hand on her hip, the other holding up her phone. The smile on her face was identical to the white fox mask she wore—dangerous and cunning.
"My dear, I'll give you one last chance. If I press this button, there's no turning back!" The girl displayed the message she had already typed out, issuing one final threat and plea to Su Mo.
Seeing Sparkle's repeated, tireless warnings, Su Mo found it slightly amusing. "As a Fool, don't you think you're giving me a few too many warnings?" It was as if she were terrified he'd make the worst possible choice. Did the Masked Fools really have such high moral standards?
Hearing Su Mo's teasing, Sparkle shot him an angry glare, looking even more ferocious. "My dear, are you looking down on me? You really think I don't dare to press it?"
"I'm pressing it, you know! I'm really pressing it!" She brought her finger right up to the send button, tapping the air twice while keeping her eyes fixed on Su Mo, as if observing his reaction.
Just then, Su Mo simply raised his hand, took hold of Sparkle's finger, and pressed the send button himself.
DING! The message was sent.
Lord Aha, negotiations have failed. Requesting activation of the final, high-risk, destructive measure!
Note: The final, high-risk, destructive measure is life-threatening. Please use with extreme caution.
"Ah, wait, no!" She fumbled with the phone, frantically refreshing the page, only to confirm that Su Mo had, in fact, sent it.
"My dear, are you f***ing insane... you're really going to face Lord Aha head-on?!" Sparkle was dumbfounded, unsure of how to even look at Su Mo. As a Masked Fool, what kind of madman hadn't she seen?
No, a madman like Su Mo... she had truly never seen one before. He dared to use Aha for his own amusement. She felt she ought to abdicate her position as a Masked Fool and pass the title to him.
I'm the Pathstrider of Elation? No, you are! Heck, Lord Aha isn't as 'Elated' as you are.
Meanwhile, seeing Su Mo's action, Robin's face instantly turned pale.
She didn't know his reasons for doing so, but if the person on the other end of the app was truly Aha, the Aeon of Elation, did that not mean they were about to face the personal descent of an Aeon?
In that instant, Robin finally understood where Sparkle's confidence came from.
Indeed, no matter how powerful Su Mo was, even if he surpassed an ordinary Emanator, he was ultimately still a mortal, not an Aeon. And if an Emanator were to face an Aeon head-on, the outcome was a foregone conclusion.
Could he win? Impossible! Forget winning; he couldn't even escape.
The moment she realized this, Robin threw herself between Su Mo and Sparkle, practically diving into his arms, trying to shield him from the impending divine might with her own body.
In that moment, her mind wasn't on the fact that she was pressed against Lord Su Mo, nor the joy of a fan meeting her idol. There was only a single thought.
Lord Su Mo must live!
Compared to her, Lord Su Mo was the one this universe needed most. If she could protect him, even if it was just to delay the enemy for a ten-thousandth of a second, it would be worth it.
As Robin's life flashed before her eyes and Sparkle stared blankly at Su Mo, still reeling from his action, the seconds ticked by.
One second, two seconds, three... fifteen seconds.
After a full half-minute had passed, Robin, still pressed against Su Mo's chest, blinked.
Something's not right. My life has already flashed before my eyes a dozen times on a loop. Why hasn't the divine might descended yet?
Sparkle also realized something was wrong. Even for a divine advent, this was ridiculously slow. Wasn't Aha afraid she'd be flattened before They even arrived?
She immediately looked at the chat interface again and started typing a question.
Lord Aha, where's your final, high-risk, destructive measure?
As if aware of her actions, a reply from Aha arrived before she could even send her message.
"My devout follower of Elation! Do you want to defeat Su Mo? Do you want to complete your mission? Do you want to overcome the obstacle before you?"
The tone was like a pyramid scheme pitch, utterly lacking in divine dignity.
If it were any other Aeon, Robin would never have believed they would speak in such a manner. But this was Aha. The Aeon of Elation was capable of anything.
Even Sparkle had no doubt about the authenticity of the account.
It's just that...
"Isn't this the mission Lord Aha gave me? Why are they trying to motivate me now?" she muttered in confusion, but still replied with a "Yes" to see what Aha would say next.
The moment her reply was sent, Aha's response arrived.
"Then go get 'em!"
"Huh?" Sparkle froze.
What does that mean? It can't be what I think it is, can it?
"There is only one way to overcome difficulty, and that is to face it head-on!" The Aeon of Elation earnestly fed Their follower a bowl of chicken soup for the soul, then commanded:
"The way to complete the mission is actually very simple."
"Just solo Su Mo."
Seeing those words, everyone present fell silent.
"Huh?"