Caitlyn rested her cheek on her hand as she recalled, "To aid the Aeon, the Fools borrowed a gondola from the performers, then gradually pulled in people from countless factions. More and more people boarded the ship, yet no one noticed that the original Fools had already slipped away."
"Today's Penacony has also gathered countless forces and factions. I don't know if this little Fool is gathering a group… but after she gets the fun she wants, she'll definitely be the first to slip away."
——
["Oh? Is that true?" Aventurine said with interest. "You've never made friends with anyone from the IPC?"]
[The girl chuckled: "You think I haven't read Penacony's history? Don't try to drag me into your boring office politics."]
["Fool—From the moment you accepted the invitation to this grand event, you no longer had a choice. Pick a side in time, don't end up losing everything."]
["You sound very confident~ As if you've already taken care of that chicken-wing boy from the Family."]
[The girl's eyes suddenly brightened, as if someone had sprinkled stardust into her petal-like pupils, carrying a curious gleam: "How did you do it, little peacock? Strip naked, kneel before him to apologize, and promise 'Wuuu, the IPC definitely won't target Penacony'?"]
[With that, the girl's soft voice suddenly changed, turning sharply cold: "Friends… forget it. You people only treat others as chips."]
["Aren't chips good? At the gambling table, only chips won't lose everything themselves. Look, the friends from the Garden of Recollection and the Astral Express understand this principle. They're very smart."]
["But smart people wouldn't join the game in the first place. See, aren't I a bit smarter?" The girl said seriously, "Listen well, little peacock. You are also someone who received an invitation from the [Tavern]. Want to invite a Masked Fool to join? Sure, use your brain—what exactly does the Aeon of Elation want?"]
["Here's a hint: Since you can't persuade anyone, why not consider making friends with a mute? At least he won't refute you, haha."]
["Goodbye~"]
[With that, the girl left with a smile.]
["Thank you! 'Making friends with a mute'—I'll remember that!"]
[Watching the girl's bouncing figure gradually move further away, the smile on Aventurine's lips slowly faded until it turned into a sigh.]
["…What a hassle. Looks like I'll have to go meet the 'Family' again."]
——
Jujutsu Kaisen.
"Sensei Kusakabe, making friends with a mute… What does that mean?"
Itadori Yuji looked confused, feeling like the twin-tailed girl was speaking in riddles.
"Not sure. Does Penacony have mutes?" Kusakabe Atsuya blew out a smoke ring. "Or did other Aeon factions appear at this event? Is this little girl trying to get the IPC to ally with them?"
"Heh, Kusakabe, have you not fought for so long that your brain rusted?" Mei Mei gently brushed aside the white hair covering her eyes and smiled with pursed lips: "Think carefully. Can a mute speak?"
"Of course not, obviously." Kusakabe replied somewhat irritably.
"Then who else can't speak?"
"It's…"
Kusakabe Atsuya suddenly straightened up. The half-burned cigarette between his fingers trembled, and ash fell onto his wrinkled suit pants. His Adam's apple bobbed as if trying to swallow back a terrifying thought.
"Wait… Could it be… the dead?"
"Mm-hmm. Looks like your brain hasn't completely rusted yet."
"But the problem is, has anyone died in Penacony yet?" Kusakabe's mind raced, recalling the faces of people from different factions since arriving in Penacony, but none of them looked like they would die.
"Just because no one has died now doesn't mean no one will die later." Mei Mei slowly opened her eyes. "Think carefully. Has Duke Inferno come to Penacony yet? It's already this late and he still hasn't entered… Why don't you guess what plan this emissary of [Destruction] is brewing?"
Who could guess that? Kusakabe shook his head blankly.
"What I can say for certain is that when Duke Inferno descends upon Penacony, he will definitely bring indescribable death and destruction. It seems this little Fool used some means to learn about all this in advance and wants to use the company representing [Preservation] to form an alliance with other factions to fight against [Destruction]… Otherwise, these forces and factions will most likely all become speechless 'mutes'."
"But why would a Fool do this? She has no reason to do these things for Penacony, right?"
"Of course she does."
Mei Mei's red lips parted slightly as she exhaled a wisp of ethereal smoke. She leaned back on the leather sofa, crossing her long legs. "[Destruction] and [Preservation] are like the strongest spear and strongest shield in the universe. Don't you want to see what sparks they create when they collide? No matter which side loses… On the stage of Penacony, it's sure to be very entertaining."
——
["Over here—"]
[After the two climbed out of the sewer, they arrived at a high ground. Firefly pointed at a distant magnificent golden building, indicating that was the location of her secret base.]
[Since tourists were generally not allowed here, they needed to be careful next and not get noticed by others.]
[However, before they had walked far, just as they were about to sneak in, they were discovered by people from the Hound Family. With no choice, after using Clockie's trick to adjust the other party's heart, Stelle turned around and used her bat to "persuade" them.]
[In terms of results, it was very effective. They smoothly reached the construction area and used the mechanisms left by the Dreamweavers to finally arrive at the "secret base" Firefly mentioned.]
[This was a quiet rooftop.]
[Stelle and Firefly stood side by side at the railing of the rooftop. Penacony's morning breeze brushed against the hems of their clothes.]
[In the distance, a new sun was rising, and the horizon was melting. The satin of night was slowly drawn away, revealing the gilded base beneath. A meteor suddenly streaked diagonally across, plowing a silver-bright crack at the boundary between dawn and dusk.]
[Suddenly, Stelle heard a beautiful singing voice.]
[(…Singing? Where is it coming from?)]
["Have you heard this song? 'If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking,' a work by that Robin. With the Charmony Festival approaching, her music occasionally plays in the dream."]
[The girl gently closed her eyes, her eyelashes casting fine shadows in the morning light. She tilted her face upward, letting the wind's fingers pass through her hair.]
["This is the place closest to the sky in the dream, far from the city's noise and the quarrels of Dreamweavers. Here, one can be undisturbed by anyone and simply feel the present—the present scenery, people, and dreams…"]