"Indeed, just as Aventurine said, there's something very off about this woman." Hawk-Eye, who had been silent all this time, suddenly interjected, "It's not just you and Buggy—even my memory is having issues… One or two people is one thing, but it's impossible for all three of us to have memory problems at the same time."
The more distant battle between Phantylia and Jing Yuan was still vivid in his mind; he remembered every detail of the fight clearly. But Huangquan, whom he had only recently learned about, was as blank as white paper. It was simply bizarre.
Just like how [Propagation] had affected the insects of the world back then, Mihawk could almost certainly conclude that they had been influenced by some overwhelmingly unreasonable Path.
"Just whose Aeon's handiwork is this? Why does everyone in this Celestial Screen seem more sinister than the last?" Crocodile grumbled irritably.
Mihawk said indifferently: "Ever since I witnessed the Swarm Disaster, I'm no longer surprised by such things. You think this is the work of an Aeon? Absolutely impossible. If it were an Aeon, their moves would definitely be far grander and the impact far deeper. Yet right now, we've only forgotten about Huangquan… I'm afraid this was done by Huangquan alone."
——
["I also need to know who she is. If my good fortune is real, she will definitely become an important chess piece. And on this matter, the more 'friends' who can help me, the better."]
["But honestly, the murder most likely has nothing to do with her. I still hold the same view: there must be a problem within the Family. Otherwise, why would our Mr. Sunday arrange a private meeting? This isn't an interrogation—it's a secret negotiation."]
[With full confidence, Aventurine said: "Just watch. Using Robin's death as a bargaining chip, I will win back my freedom and power. In the end, I will subvert this beautiful dream and create the grandest death."]
["If stepping through this door brings even the slightest chance of victory, even if the probability approaches zero, I have no reason to hesitate, right?"]
[Dr. Ratio snorted coldly: "What makes you think you can win, you damned gambler?"]
["Three [chips] are enough."]
[Aventurine slowly opened his eyes. In those eyes, more magnificent than violets, a storm seemed to surge.]
["All, or nothing."]
——
Gintama.
"Uwaa! This guy is about to start showing off, aru!" Kagura sat on Sadaharu's back, extremely excited. "Just like in JUMP manga when challenging the final boss—the classic battle scene where they shout cool lines and start fighting!"
"Hey hey, how could Sunday possibly be the final boss? A guy who appears right at the start is at most the protagonist group's experience pack, okay? The real boss definitely hasn't shown up yet and is probably lying somewhere chugging Suerda."
Gintoki, lying on the sofa and boredly picking his nose, said: "Besides, Aventurine doesn't look like a protagonist group member at all. Since when does a protagonist group member start threatening and tempting the protagonist?"
Kagura scratched her head: "But his backstory is very tragic. Isn't a tragic backstory the standard for protagonist group members?"
"Hmm, that does make some sense…" Gintoki thought carefully. In JUMP manga, the protagonist group of four or five people often couldn't even gather a single pair of parents between them.
"Hey hey, can you guys stop bringing what happens in the galaxy into manga? Can reality be the same as manga?" Shinpachi pushed up his glasses and said angrily: "If we followed JUMP manga romance tropes, Firefly-chan would have joined the Astral Express and definitely wouldn't have died!"
"What you said also makes some sense… So does that mean there might be anti-trope developments next?"
Gin-san began seriously analyzing: "Could it be that Aventurine gets solo-killed by Sunday in the room, then Aventurine sends Sunday's intel to Stelle through a dream, and they team up to defeat Sunday?"
——
[ Pushing open the door, Sunday stood with his back to him, gazing at the walls full of books in the room. ]
[ This was not an invitation, but a summons. Thanks to Professor Ratio's previous guarantee, the two still exchanged pleasantries in a relatively decent manner. But after the greetings ended, Sunday took the lead in questioning him: ]
[ "There is one matter I must question you about—that your intelligence has been used in the wrong place, leading you to meet someone you should not have met, appear in a place you should not have appeared… and witness a tragedy that should not have happened." ]
[ Aventurine smiled slightly: "You don't look too well. Let me confirm first—is it me who is making you anxious? …If not, then I am on your side." ]
[ Sunday's expression darkened: "If I understood correctly, your words… constitute an extremely serious accusation against the 'Family'." ]
[ "You understood correctly, because evil is quietly growing beside you. There's no need for us to hide it—let's talk about your sister. Your sister's talent in the performing arts is unmatched, but as you know, after returning to Penacony, her voice has never been quite in tune." ]
[ "Even more terrifying is that she can no longer sing. Who did it? Everyone thinks the culprit is among the outsiders, but I know… you have a different answer in your heart. Now, your noble status has instead become shackles, preventing you from taking action to arrest the culprit and avenge your sister. You are isolated and helpless, which is why you feel so anxious." ]
[ Aventurine's tone carried a dangerous temptation: "But don't worry, I am on your side." ]
[ "Mr. Aventurine thinking so much of me is my greatest honor—then a selfless and generous person like you surely wouldn't demand anything in return, right?" ]
[ "Of course. You won't lose anything because of this. I only want to retrieve what originally belonged to me: personal freedom, and the personal items kept by the Family—that bag of gift money, and…" ]
[ "The box storing the [Cornerstone]." ]
[ Aventurine smiled and nodded: "Correct." ]
[ "The [Cornerstone]—I have heard that it is a valuable asset of the Strategic Investment Department, a sacred stone that seals the authority of the [Preservation] Emanator, with one in the hands of each member of the Ten Stonehearts." ]
——
No Game No Life.
"I was wondering why, after hearing that the box containing the Cornerstone had been confiscated by the Family, Ratio immediately wanted to turn back and go home. So it's such a powerful item…"
Sora didn't understand Ratio's behavior at first, but now he completely understood. How could one easily hand over an item imbued with [Preservation] power!?
If the Cornerstone was detained by the Family due to Aventurine's negligence, it would probably cost him his life… Even ten lives wouldn't be enough to compensate.
It was like max-level equipment in a game. When PVPing with other players, if the opponent suddenly stripped you of all your godly gear, even a blind person could see there was no point in continuing the fight. Continuing would just be a waste of time.
"Sealing the authority of the [Preservation] Emanator… Then, can Aventurine transform into an Emanator?" Shiro tugged at her brother's clothes.
"Probably not, right? The Ten Stonehearts each have one Cornerstone. If every one of them could become an Emanator, wouldn't the Strategic Investment Department alone have eleven Emanators? They could sweep the entire galaxy then."