Chapter 330: Penacony Arc 『 Part Twenty-five 』, The Undying Cycle of the Penacony
"If it were me, I'd make sure every single girl in Penacony had their emotions tuned to fall head over heels for me! Just imagine… Hahaha!"
"Boring. Idiot. Pervert."
Aoi, who was busy folding clothes nearby, rolled her eyes in sheer disdain.
"What a moron!"
Inosuke's boar mask shifted slightly as he let out a contemptuous snort.
"With power like that, obviously, you should make everyone tremble in fear of me! I'd use it to become the big boss of all Penacony! And while I'm at it, I'd make that Sunday kid take that halo off his head and give it to me. A crown like that is the only thing fit for a boss!"
—
「 Misha expressed his gratitude to Stelle once more. It was only then that Clockie realized the two had been friends for some time.
"Thank you, Stelle. I truly didn't expect us to cross paths again so soon." Acheron offered her own thanks. "Regarding the chaos just now… I heard a group of Masked Fools was causing a scene in the streets, disrupting the peace. I was passing through when I was intercepted for questioning, and some… misunderstandings occurred during the process. In the end, it seems I've troubled you again."
"Is this lady… also an acquaintance of yours?" Hotaru looked at Stelle with curiosity.
"I wouldn't say we're close; we met briefly once before. She helped me back at the hotel—she's a kind soul. It's a pleasure to meet you, beautiful lady."
Hotaru was suddenly flustered by the compliment, her head dipping instinctively. "B—Beautiful lady…"
"However, what exactly did you do to that gentleman just now? His sudden shift in emotion… it was quite extraordinary," Acheron remarked.
"It was talk therapy!" Stelle said, a sudden spark of inspiration hitting her. "I used talk therapy!"
"I suspect it might have something to do with… that 'Clockie' only you can see?" Hotaru ventured a guess.
Acheron narrowed her eyes, looking somewhat perplexed. "…Clockie?"
"Yes, that cartoon character… it seems to have manifested in reality—I mean, in the Dreamscape. I haven't quite figured out the situation myself… but Stelle says it seems only children who are straightforward, pure, and innocent can see him…"
"…" Acheron let out a long sigh. "It seems I have long since passed that age."
"But if this Clockie truly exists, many things would begin to make sense. I can sense that there are certain… ambiguous entities accompanying you. Regrettably, I cannot communicate with them as you do. Perhaps we both react to the 'Memoria,' allowing us to perceive these wonders of the dream, yet you are far more perceptive than I." 」
「 .....」
〜Bleach World〜
In the backyard of the Urahara Shop, a black cat lay languidly upon a low table, her golden eyes reflecting the conversation between Hotaru and Acheron playing out across the sky. Urahara sat cross-legged nearby, rhythmically tapping his folding fan against his knee.
"Hey."
Yoruichi's tail flicked slightly.
"Aren't they missing something?"
The corners of Urahara's mouth curled upward as he snapped his fan open with a sharp shhhht.
"As expected, Miss Yoruichi noticed as well. Hotaru's discussion seemed to completely exclude Misha, even though he can clearly see Clockie too. Why is that? Shouldn't Misha be more noteworthy? Or is it simply because his identity is that of an ordinary bellboy?"
"Ordinary?"
Urahara lowered the brim of his hat, his tone carrying a playful hint of intrigue.
"From the moment he could see Clockie, he ceased to be ordinary. I suspect both he and Stelle have met some 'special condition' that allows them to perceive him. As for the specifics of that condition, I'm still in the dark. But if I were to hazard a bold guess… both of them may have, intentionally or otherwise, touched upon some fundamental rule of Penacony."
"Could it be related to the 『 Trailblaze 』?"
Yoruichi asked.
"Hard to say. But verification would be simple enough. Stelle isn't the only Trailblazer. One would only need to bring Clockie before Himeko and the others. If they can see him too… well, that would certainly tell us something."
—
「 "I originally thought that elegant Memokeeper had left something in your mind, but it seems there is no shortage of beings in this dream as unique as she is."
"An elegant Memokeeper?"
Acheron nodded. "Shortly after we parted ways, I inadvertently wandered into a ball. A lady draped in a black veil invited me to a dance. It was my first time dancing… a truly unforgettable experience."
"Regrettably, I forgot to ask her name… I only know she hails from the Garden of Recollection."
"The Garden of Recollection… those are the ones who serve the Star God of 『 Remembrance 』, right?" Hotaru asked.
"Indeed. They can travel between worlds in the form of memes, appearing only to specific individuals—doesn't that sound remarkably similar to the Clockie you described? This is the Family's grand festival, after all. Perhaps the invited guests are far more numerous than we imagined."
"In any case, thank you all for your help once again. I wish you a pleasant time in the dream. I won't disturb your… date any further?"
Hotaru's face instantly turned a deep crimson as she waved her hands in a frantic panic. "N—No! We're not on a date!" 」
「 .....」
〜Spy x Family World〜
(It is absolutely a date! A blatant, undeniable, official date!)
In the shopping district, Anya, clutching her Chimera doll, couldn't help but criticize them in her head.
Watching the scene on the Sky Screen where Hotaru was blushing furiously while denying the date, even Loid, the elite spy, couldn't help but heave a heavy sigh.
"Are girls in space all this indirect? Since she's already moving together with Stelle, the optimal strategy would be to simply admit it's a date and press the advantage."
"T—That's not how it works…!"
Yor's face suddenly turned bright red, and she nearly dropped her shopping bags.
"A girl is bound to be shy! And… and besides…"
Her voice grew smaller and smaller as she involuntarily remembered how she still hadn't managed to say the words 'I love you' to her husband.
…She understood Hotaru's embarrassment perfectly!
"But Stelle is also a girl. In a situation where both are girls…"
Loid said in an analytical tone,
"If both remain reserved, the relationship will become difficult to advance, leading to a stalemate. At times like this, someone needs to take the initiative—"
"Y—You don't understand at all, Mr. Loid!"
Yor interrupted him excitedly, failing to notice that she had just crushed a stone under her foot while lost in thought.
"The feelings between girls are more… more…"
"More what?"
Loid leaned in, curious.
Yor's face was now as red as a bowl of Bulgarian stew.
"They need… they need to happen naturally! They only met today! They should at least go on fifty dates before there's any deeper progress!"
"Fifty? It takes that many dates?"
Loid calmed down, seriously pondering the profound meaning behind Yor's words.
(Could it be that my proposal that night was too rushed? Is Miss Yor dissatisfied and using the relationship between Stelle and Hotaru to hint that I should take her out shopping more often?)
(As I thought, I have been negligent…)
Anya, reading her father's meticulously logical inner monologue, gave a solemn nod.
(Papa is thinking about Mama. Anya also thinks Papa should go on more dates with Mama. Even though… Papa's reasoning is all wrong, the result is somehow right.)
—
「 Once Acheron's silhouette vanished into the neon depths of Penacony, Hotaru finally let out a long breath of relief.
She turned to look at Stelle, her fingers unconsciously stroking the hem of her skirt, her voice softer than before:
"…She's gone. So, should we…?" 」
「 .....」