Meanwhile, elsewhere...
"Hmm... Am I back in the Reverie Hotel?"
"Unexpectedly smooth..."
At the Reverie Hotel—Dream Realm, a blaze of fire flickered as a towering mech materialized amidst the flames.
Looking around at her surroundings, Firefly, the mech pilot, murmured to herself.
Firefly had expected returning from the Primordial Dream to the Reverie Hotel's Dream Realm to be arduous, but it turned out to be surprisingly effortless and seamless.
Could this be because of her?
The image of Lumina flashed through Firefly's mind.
Though she didn't understand why Lumina had helped her, Firefly made a mental note of this favor.
From now on, if Lumina ever needed anything from her, Firefly wouldn't refuse...
Well, as long as it's not something too unreasonable.
For now, she needed to hurry and tell Stelle about this.
Realizing this, Firefly surveyed her surroundings and found herself in the grand hall—the very place where she had previously been hunted to death.
Normally, she was the one activating SAM to hunt others, but now, being hunted herself left Firefly feeling distinctly uneasy...
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she decided to find Stelle first. Once she had shared the truth about the Primordial Dream, they could consider their next steps.
Hiss... Hiss...
Just as Firefly prepared to pilot SAM away, a swarm of Memory Zone Memes suddenly surged forth, encircling her completely.
Hm? Did the aura of the Primordial Dream excite them?
Inside the mech, Firefly's brow furrowed as she observed the swarm.
I can't waste any more time. I need to deal with these things quickly!
Knowing that any further delay would doom this attempt to failure, a fiery glint sparked in her eyes. She prepared to eradicate the Memory Zone Memes with maximum speed.
"I Will Set The Seas Ablaze!"
-
"Waaah, Firefly, my Firefly..."
"Waaah, Firefly, my precious Little Firefly~"
Meanwhile, after cursing Stupid Mihoyo and praising Lumina, the live stream descended into a profound sorrow over Firefly's departure.
[Waaah, how could my beloved Firefly waifu just vanish like that?! (Collapses into sobs)]
[She's not gone! Don't say things like that! There's still that puddle of water, right? Use your imagination, improvise a little—it's not like it's impossible. (Laughs)]
[?!]
[?!]
[Outrageous!]
[?]
"Outrageous!" Seeing this outrageous comment in the Comment Section, Little Bear immediately shouted out the word.
The live stream, previously steeped in sorrow, returned to its normal, calm atmosphere thanks to this remark.
[Ahem, it's okay, guys. Mihoyo never just kills a character once—that's against their usual MO.]
[So, Firefly definitely isn't dead. She must have been saved by Lumina.]
"Given Mihoyo's criminal track record, how could a character possibly get "killed" just once? They'd definitely make sure to "kill" them multiple times before they're done!"
Though Little Bear's words were meant to comfort the live stream viewers—assuring them that Firefly was definitely alive and there was no need for such grief—they had the opposite effect.
Instead of finding solace, the audience was plunged into even deeper grief.
The viewers, who had initially regained composure after being shocked by that outrageous claim, now reverted to their grief-stricken state thanks to Little Bear's attempt at reassurance.
[Ughhh, Mihoyo, you deserve the worst!]
[Whether it's Firefly or Lumina, they're all fake! But you, Mihoyo, my friend... one day I'll storm your headquarters with a blade in hand (evil grin).]
[Can't you just give my precious Little Firefly a happy ending?!]
"Ahem... judging by the atmosphere, is SAM about to make his entrance?" Noticing the disastrous outcome of his attempt to comfort the viewers, Little Bear coughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject.
If the live stream keeps wallowing in grief, I might as well end it now!
Fortunately, this time Little Bear's words finally worked.
For most of the live stream viewers, mechs were undeniably cool, okay?!
-
"Phew... finally dealt with them."
"Now, I can go find Stelle."
The grand hall had long since transformed into a crimson sea, ablaze with burning Memory Zone Memes.
After crushing the last Meme to death with her bare fists, Firefly let out a sigh of relief.
It hadn't taken too long; she should still have enough time... Hmm?
Tap-tap-tap...
Just as Firefly was feeling a flicker of relief, three sets of footsteps echoed from behind, instantly changing her expression inside the mech.
"Why... why does this always happen?"
She knew exactly who those footsteps belonged to.
Firefly pursed her lips, a wave of resentment washing over her. But now wasn't the time for bitterness; she needed to resolve this quickly.
Firefly flung aside the Meme she had just crushed and turned to face the newcomers.
"A Galaxy Ranger, and a Memokeeper..."
Firefly tactfully ignored Stelle's presence. Since she was currently presenting herself as SAM, acting too aggressively might scare her.
So I'll be gentle. ( ̄▽ ̄)*
With that thought, Firefly's tone softened slightly. She extended her palm, clenched her fist, and flames erupted to encircle the entire hall, trapping the trio within.
"Leave now, and no one will get hurt."
"Otherwise, you'll all die!"
Of course, this didn't include Stelle.
Firefly was certain she was being perfectly gentle and wouldn't provoke any conflict with the trio. After all, she had no desire to stand against Stelle.
Huh? Why is Stelle pulling out her baseball bat?! (Σヽ(ﾟД ﾟ; )ﾉ Am I not being gentle enough?!
Just as Firefly was pondering this, she suddenly noticed Stelle had drawn her baseball bat, glaring at her with hostility.
Wait, shouldn't we be sitting down and talking this out calmly? Why are you bringing out your weapon, Stelle?!
Firefly felt utterly perplexed. Despite her own gentleness and friendliness, why did Stelle feel the need to arm herself?
"Be careful," Acheron warned Stelle.
In the next moment, as Firefly was grappling with bitterness and confusion over Stelle's actions, she heard Acheron's words.
Hearing this, Firefly instantly understood.
It must be that Galaxy Ranger and Memokeeper who tricked Stelle!
Stelle, don't let those two cunning Big Sisters fool you!
But even if they do, don't worry—I'll save you from this mess!
At that moment, Firefly shifted all blame for the potential conflict with Stelle onto Acheron and Black Swan.
Completely oblivious to how villainous her current demeanor appeared.