In the end, Capitalist Bird fled, clutching its backside—not because of anything else, but because Super SAM kept yanking the feathers on its tail.
Whoosh—
A blaze of flames erupted from Super SAM's surface, and the mech vanished, revealing the already deranged girl within.
"…Stelle, I failed to protect you."
Firefly knelt before the pool of liquid memoria, her eyes hollow, murmuring: "I'll definitely take down that bird… No, wait, the Penacony Group is also responsible. I'll take them all down and give you justice."
"Just give me a little more time, and I'll make them all come here to join you, hahaha… hahahahaha—"
March 7th was also lost, feeling as though the entire world had turned gray. She had no desire to bicker with Firefly anymore. Without Stelle, none of it mattered.
But… why was it Stelle who died?
Why… why could Capitalist Bird keep coming back, while someone like Stelle had to be buried, burned to ashes, and forgotten… Why!
"Hahaha… hahahahaha!"
March 7th covered one eye and suddenly burst into laughter, a laugh filled with sorrow, madness, and a hint of inexplicable familiarity.
She looked around, her bangs covering one eye, her tone growing low and cold: "Of five people, three must pay a price…"
March 7th's gaze fell on Robin and asked: "You… what's your name?"
Though she didn't know this woman, March 7th, having lost her rationality, no longer cared. She only knew that if this person hadn't conducted that so-called "true-or-false test," none of this would've happened.
"…Robin."
After a few seconds of silence, Robin softly said her name. Regarding Stelle, she no longer felt the wariness she once had—only guilt and regret.
She had probably been too focused on her brother, to the point she didn't even distinguish whether Stelle was human or a memoria meme.
How could someone like Stelle be a memoria meme?
Stelle had even pushed her out of danger at a critical moment! And just a second before it happened, she had been pointing a gun at her!
She… had been utterly wrong.
"Robin? Robin… hahaha… hahahahaha—"
March 7th covered one eye, laughing maniacally: "The culprits—March 7th and Firefly, bickering at the wrong time and place, negligent, leading to an attack that caused Stelle's death here."
"The accomplice, Robin, failing to distinguish real from fake, jumping to conclusions, causing Stelle to be attacked."
"We are all sinners."
Robin fell silent again for a moment before sighing: "…I'm sorry. I fully acknowledge everything you've said and won't shy away from it. But… I think the most urgent thing right now is to return to reality and confirm your friend's safety."
Her words jolted March 7th, as if she had found the last lifeline: That's right, this is just a dream. Maybe Stelle just had a nightmare and is lying in the Dreamscape pool, catching her breath…
"This dream isn't very stable. If we want to log out and return to reality, we'd better leave this place first."
At that moment, Black Swan spoke up, smiling as she waved at March 7th (though no one could see her expression under the hood). "Given the special circumstances, I won't charge you this time."
Whoosh—
Black Swan tossed out a card, and the space where it landed warped, forming a portal. Beyond it lay the grand plaza of Golden Hour.
"March 7th, go."
Firefly, who had been muttering to herself, suddenly spoke: "Go, confirm Stelle is safe. I'll stay here and figure out the truth behind all this."
"If Stelle is unharmed, I'll find a way to know. But if something irreversible has happened… no matter what you do next, don't let me look down on you."
March 7th paused. "…I understand."
With that, she stepped through the portal.
Black Swan waved to the others and followed.
Now, only Robin, Firefly, and Mila remained in the hotel.
"Miss Robin, let's have a talk."
Firefly bit her finger hard, approaching Robin with a sinister air: "I know your name—sister of Sunday, CEO of the Penacony Group, right?"
"…That's undeniable."
"Ha… that makes things easier." Firefly continued: "Why would Capitalist Bird attack tourists for no reason? As Sunday's sister, why are you here?"
"What's so important that you bloodsuckers have to handle personally?"
Robin frowned slightly: "You've misunderstood. Though my brother is quite wealthy, that has nothing to do with me."
"I am just me, a manager of the Bloodhound Family, working for a salary. I came here following the Family's orders."
"What orders?"
"To find Mr. Gallagher," Robin answered calmly. "Not long ago, an anomaly occurred at The Reverie hotel in the Dreamscape. I don't know the specific reason. I only know that, despite the Family's emergency evacuation of the guests, some couldn't be evacuated in time."
"That includes Mr. Gallagher."
"Mr. Gallagher's reputation is top-tier across the cosmos. Someone of his stature can't have an incident in Penacony, so we temporarily sealed the hotel and are conducting a full search."
Firefly keenly caught the key point in Robin's words: "You said… an incident? Oh—so dying in the Dreamscape does carry real danger, doesn't it?"
"The 'safety' promised by the Family is just a scam, isn't it?"
"It's limited to The Reverie hotel," Robin explained. "The memoria here has been experiencing irregular disturbances, and no one knows the exact reason."
"No one knows?" Firefly pressed closer: "Not even your dear brother?"
Robin: "Miss Firefly, please calm down. I know the departure of that gray-haired girl has upset you, but you—"
Her words cut off abruptly as she saw Firefly's eyes clearly for the first time—a chaotic, frenzied madness, an irrationality that no reasoning could erase.
Robin knew that no matter how she explained, she couldn't calm Firefly down.
"He… probably knows."
Robin's eyes lowered slightly. "But… if it's about Capitalist Bird, you'd be better off asking someone else."
"Who?"
"The Clockie, Mikhail Char Legwork."