Robin, Abandoned by Sunday

Sunday's voice, like a poisoned hymn, echoed and expanded in the space, each note attempting to invade the deepest corners of the listener's

Sunday's voice, like a poisoned hymn, echoed and expanded in the space, each note attempting to invade the deepest corners of the listener's soul.

"No longer will you have to struggle in the mire of reality, no longer will you have to taste the bitterness of love, hatred, and separation."

Sunday's gaze was like a torch, filled with a compassion that seemed to pity all living things, as he slowly swept his eyes over Daziel, Firefly, Black Swan, and even his own sister, who was like a discarded dog at his feet.

"Only by abandoning the shackles of this flesh, by immersing yourselves in the purest, most primal torrent of desire, can humanity calmly meet its destined end, preserving the last shred of dignity… that belongs to 'existence'."

"This is what I define as… 'living in ecstasy'."

Sunday's gaze settled on Firefly, his voice suddenly slowing.

"Miss Firefly—you who have been tormented by Entropy Loss Syndrome, hovering day and night in the narrow gap between life and death. Surely you, more than anyone, can appreciate the value of this eternal peace, this blissful awakening from which you never have to stir?"

Next, Sunday turned to the languid Black Swan, who was leaning against Daziel's side. A knowing smile, one that saw through everything, played on his lips, as if he had glimpsed the deepest desires of her soul.

"Miss Black Swan—you who abandoned your mortal flesh, maintaining your existence as a Memokeeper only through your memetic form. After briefly experiencing that ultimate pleasure with Mr. Daziel, is there not, in the depths of your heart, a tiny thought that yearns for more, that longs to be eternally submerged in it?"

Firefly's eyelashes trembled uncontrollably, but her eyes now reflected confusion and a deep internal conflict.

In the depths of Black Swan's bewitching violet pupils, an extremely faint, almost imperceptible ripple flickered, before being covered again by a deeper languor and scrutiny.

The two of them, surprisingly, fell into a brief, simultaneous silence, as if they were truly contemplating with all their heart, savoring the blueprint Sunday had painted, that beautiful prospect of eternal indulgence.

The surrounding air seemed to solidify into amber, thick and oppressive.

Daziel's brow instantly knitted together. Warning bells screamed in his mind, and a terrible feeling shot through him.

These two women, whose affection levels I've maxed out, they can't be…?!

"Hey, you two…!"

Daziel's low voice, laced with a hint of fury, suddenly shattered the momentary silence and haze.

"Don't tell me a few honeyed words from this guy have actually bewitched you into a daze?"

Firefly shuddered violently, as if waking from a dream. She subconsciously bit her rosy lower lip, her eyes somewhat evasive, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

"If… if there really was such a dream, where I could… where I could be with you forever, Daziel… and do… that kind of thing…"

An alluring blush rapidly spread across her pale cheeks, dyeing even the tips of her ears pink. Her voice grew even lower, carrying a unique shyness and hesitation characteristic of a young maiden.

A vein in Daziel's temple twitched almost imperceptibly. For a moment, he was so stunned by this line of thinking, which had gone completely off the rails, that he was speechless.

Has this girl's focus completely drifted from Penacony to the other side of the galaxy?!

"Little girl, your thinking is far too naive…"

Black Swan, however, had not drowned in that empty illusion. She still leaned lazily against Daziel, but the scrutinizing look in her violet eyes had intensified, her gaze piercing straight at Sunday.

"Mr. Sunday, the paradise you describe sounds as enticing as an aphrodisiac."

Black Swan's red lips parted, every word she uttered carrying a sharp insight that pierced the human heart. "You've spoken of the alluring benefits, so then… what is the price? Everything in this world has its price, does it not? For such a perfect world of ecstasy, the price to be paid is surely no small matter?"

The smile on Sunday's face did not change in the slightest, instead taking on an even more sacred, pitying glow.

"The price?"

Sunday sighed softly, his posture like that of a martyr about to sacrifice himself for his faith, frank and yet carrying a chilling pride. "It is insignificant, truly."

"It is merely… a personal, eternal loneliness. I won't even have my hand to help me."

"After all, to support this paradise for all sentient beings, this haven of no worries and everlasting ecstasy, there must be someone who chooses to bear all the sobriety, all the reality, and… all the solitude, until the end of the river of time, the end of the universe."

Firefly's head snapped up, as if pricked by a needle, precisely catching the keyword.

"Sobriety…? Wait! You mean to say… that so-called paradise of ecstasy, in the end, is forever just a meticulously woven… dream!"

The confusion in Firefly's eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by her usual clarity and sharpness.

"Once you step into your paradise, it means… you must completely abandon everything in the real world, right?!"

"It is not 'abandonment,' Miss Firefly, but 'ascension'."

Sunday calmly corrected her, yet his tone was infused with an unquestionable, almost divine certainty.

"The flesh is pain, and the material world is the root of spiritual suffering. If we wish to obtain true, eternal happiness, we ought to conquer it, transcend it, and ascend to a higher dimension."

"But in the so-called 'happiness' you've constructed,"

Firefly's voice, though still soft, was now exceptionally clear, each word like a stone striking the surface of ice.

"people have never truly 'conquered' suffering. Instead, you have stripped them of all possibility of conquering it, forever losing the chance to grow, becoming slaves to desire."

Firefly straightened her slender back, fearlessly looking directly into Sunday's deep eyes.

"To put it more bluntly, more impolitely… your so-called transcendence is nothing but another form of 'escape'!"

Sunday nodded slightly, seemingly unsurprised by this sharp word, and even wore a faint smile of approval.

"You can certainly understand it that way, Miss Firefly. But please remember, escaping is not shameful. In fact, one could say that obeying the instincts of desire…"

Sunday's voice was persuasive, a low whisper laced with magic. "Is precisely the opposite. The expression of desire is the most sacred right endowed upon us by life itself."

"Not everyone is fortunate enough to have the right to release the beast within; not everyone can be with the one their heart desires; and certainly not everyone, like Mr. Daziel here, possesses the power to break all rules."

"But in my dream, all these impossibilities will become possible. All the regrets of unattainable desires in reality can be easily fulfilled, and all desires can be satisfied."

Firefly quietly listened to Sunday's bewitching speech. The last trace of hesitation in her eyes completely vanished, replaced by a crystal-clear resolve.

"Mr. Sunday, I… I admit, you are a born leader with immense charisma."

Firefly took a deep breath, as if to expel all the turmoil from her chest.

"You have insight into the weaknesses of human nature, and you are filled with a profound pity for the state of humanity, yet you still harbor a twisted and 'sincere' heart, attempting to bestow salvation upon this world like an Aeon."

"But, I am different from you."

Firefly's voice suddenly rose, sharp and decisive, each word ringing with conviction.

"I live for 'myself'! In my view, being able to be with Daziel, even if it's just… just doing that kind of thing, that should be a process we experience together, a part of our emotional connection, not a pre-set, sole, ultimate goal!"

"Perhaps… perhaps having a mind filled with that kind of… that kind of sticky, yellow filth, is a so-called irredeemable 'nature' in the eyes of certain high-and-mighty people."

Firefly's words were like a sharp ray of light, piercing through the hypocritical veil Sunday had meticulously woven.

"But what a person is truly like… should never be easily and arrogantly defined by others, especially by a self-righteous 'creator'!"

Firefly straightened her back abruptly. Her petite frame seemed to contain infinite power at this moment. Her gaze was scorching, like a burning star, as she stared directly at Sunday.

"In your supposedly 'sacred' eyes, am I also to be crudely categorized as… that kind of harlot who is good for nothing but the pursuit of carnal desire?!"

Firefly's words were like a resounding slap, landing squarely on Sunday's perpetually compassionate face.

For the first time, the smile on Sunday's face showed an extremely subtle stiffness. In those eyes that were always calculating, as if they could see through all the secrets of the human heart, a flash of incredible disbelief quickly passed. For a moment, he did not immediately reply.

Daziel looked at the small, delicate girl beside him, who was now erupting with astonishing energy and will. A smile full of praise and admiration uncontrollably lifted the corners of his mouth.

"Well said, Firefly! Beautifully said!"

At this tense moment of clashing ideologies, Robin, who had been led by Daziel on the shimmering leash and was lying prostrate on the ground, suddenly lifted her head ever so slightly.

A faint, almost imperceptible light rippled through her once empty and lifeless eyes, which were like dust-covered glass.

A broken, trembling voice, filled with unbelievable despair, was squeezed from her dry throat.

"Brother… you… how could you do… and say… such a twisted thing?"

Sunday slowly withdrew his gaze, which held a trace of scrutiny and surprise, from Firefly and turned to his own sister.

The expression on his face quickly returned to that almost divine pity, yet it was coupled with a decisiveness that was cold to the bone.

Sunday nodded lightly, the gesture so gentle it was as if he were merely brushing a non-existent speck of dust from his sister's shoulder.

"But of course."

Sunday's tone was calm and steady, as if stating the simplest of facts. "Seeing you in this state, being… played with by another like this, I… do indeed feel great pain."

Sunday's tone suddenly shifted, carrying an almost cruel, cold logic. "However, if my plan can ultimately be achieved, in that eternal dream of ecstasy, the desires suppressed deep within your heart would sooner or later be infinitely amplified and released."

"If… if your nature is to yearn to attach yourself to the strong, to desire to be controlled, then, becoming someone else's canary in a gilded cage, being kept and raised, is merely… something that would happen sooner or later."

"Even if… that person wasn't Mr. Daziel, it would eventually be someone else. This, perhaps, is your destiny."

Robin's slender and delicate body began to tremble violently at her brother's cold and merciless words. She seemed to want to retort, to defend herself.

"Brother… even though… even though you say that… but… I…"

However, all the words ultimately stuck deep in her throat, turning into a low, desperate whimper.

She once again buried her head deep, as if trying to shrink into the floor. The collar around her neck, symbolizing her submission and belonging, made a faint, piercing clinking sound as she moved.

Sunday's gaze moved coldly away from his sister's tear-streaked, helpless face, as if he were looking at an unimportant, disappointing object.

He shook his head very lightly, a barely perceptible sneer escaping his lips.

"Forget it. It seems my expectations were too high. To hope that these few… women who have been thoroughly conquered by your big stick could offer any truly profound insights was, in itself, an extravagance."

Sunday's gaze finally landed back on Daziel. That condescending pity for the mortal world reappeared, but now it was coated with an unquestionable air of judgment.

"Their will seems more inclined to obey your commands rather than seek the truth."

"So, tell me your final choice, you who were chosen by fate… so-called savior."

Daziel met Sunday's soul-piercing gaze, his entire aura instantly becoming sharp, the very air seeming to distort from the silent confrontation.

"What makes you think I would choose to associate with a madman like you?"

Daziel's voice was low, carrying the unquestionable certainty that came from absolute power.

"Ever since the memetic contamination began to sweep through the universe like a plague, although the intensity of this disaster has not yet reached the devastating level of the Swarm Disaster unleashed by the Aeon of Propagation, and the Aeons have not yet intervened…"

"I, Daziel, have always been dedicated to completely eradicating these mind-twisting spiritual pollutants."

A cold glint flashed in Daziel's eyes, carrying a chilling light.

"Even if it means using some… extreme and unconventional methods not understood by the world. On this point, perhaps the two of us share a certain twisted similarity…"

His tone suddenly shifted, becoming sharp and decisive, leaving no room for doubt.

"But it is precisely because of this! I will absolutely, never agree with your insane plan to build a false world full of pathological desires for your own selfish reasons, and then forcibly impose it upon the entire known universe!"

"There is nothing for us to discuss."

The silent confrontation clashed violently in the air. It was as if invisible sparks were flying where their gazes met, the surrounding light and shadows seeming to tremble because of it.

The perpetual, compassionate smile on Sunday's face froze for an instant, like a delicate mask, then shattered, turning into a sigh that seemed to come from the bottom of his heart.

His tone carried an almost genuine regret, as if he had truly missed out on an extremely rare kindred spirit with whom he could have rewritten the laws of the universe.

"I had genuinely thought that with our vision and power, we could have cooperated fully."

Sunday's gaze unabashedly swept over Daziel, and the words he spoke next sent an indescribable sense of absurdity down Daziel's spine.

"I even… wanted to use you as the perfect blueprint, to collect the most detailed data, to create countless androids, so that all the women in the universe who long to be loved and impacted could experience what you're like…"

"Now it seems this grand vision will not have the chance to be realized."

The corner of Daziel's mouth twitched violently, uncontrollably.

This guy's thought process really is twisted beyond all reason. Every word he speaks is laced with a deeply unsettling obsession and madness!

"Since the conflict of our ideals cannot be reconciled, battle… is the only conclusion."

Sunday quickly shed that fleeting regret, returning to his high-and-mighty demeanor, as if he held the entire chessboard of fate in his hands.

"Then, please, give me your all, and try to stop me, Your Excellency, the Savior."

His gaze slowly swept across the distorted space, carrying an almost divine sense of proclamation.

"Perhaps you are not yet aware of a secret—the core of that resplendent Grand Theater in Penacony is, itself, a dormant Stellaron."

"This Stellaron is a relic of war, left behind in the Asdana star system from an ancient era. The 'Family' and that 'Clockmaker,' it was by borrowing its unfathomable power that they single-handedly created this land of dreams—Penacony."

"And now, the final implementation of my grand plan cannot be done without it."

"For this… decisive performance between us that will determine the future of the universe, there is no more suitable stage than that Grand Theater."

Before his words had faded, Sunday suddenly turned, his movement fluid and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

He didn't look at anyone else in the room, not even sparing a glance for his own sister, who was curled up on the ground, already being treated as his canary plaything.

Daziel and the others' plan to use Robin as a bargaining chip was completely useless against Sunday.

The light and shadows distorted and refracted violently. His figure, like ink dissolving in water, rapidly merged into the ever-changing dreamscape, vanishing completely without a trace, as if he had never been there at all.

The room was instantly plunged into a dead silence.

Robin lay prostrate on the carpet, her slender and delicate body trembling violently and uncontrollably from her brother's final, emotionless words and his merciless departure.

Slowly, with great difficulty, she raised her head. Tears had long since blurred her vision. In her once clear eyes, there was nothing left but a boundless emptiness and heart-shattering despair.

A broken sound was squeezed from her melodious throat, each syllable carrying a heart-wrenching sob and tremble.

"Wuu… wuuuuu…"

The immense grief, no longer suppressible, broke through her defenses like a flash flood, instantly overwhelming and drowning her.

She buried her head deep in her arms. The cold, metal collar around her neck, symbolizing her humiliation and belonging, clinked faintly but piercingly with her violent sobs, each sound striking the hearts of everyone present.

Daziel extended a broad arm, his movement gentle yet irresistible, and carefully lifted the trembling, petite body into his embrace.

He could clearly feel the despair deep within her, the feeling of being abandoned by her closest kin.

Daziel's voice was low and firm as he made a solemn promise in her ear, "Don't you worry…"

He gently patted Robin's half-exposed back, letting her vent all her unbearable pain, confusion, and sorrow in his arms.

Black Swan still leaned lazily against Daziel's other side, but her eyes were now devoid of their previous charm and playfulness, replaced by an unprecedented depth and solemnity.

She gazed in the direction Sunday had disappeared, her brow slightly furrowed.

Black Swan's red lips parted, her voice carrying a hint of apprehension and gravity she herself hadn't noticed.

"I don't know why, but that family's leader… I feel like I can't see through him right now."

Black Swan slowly turned her face, her sharp gaze fixed on Daziel, her eyes carrying a grave warning.

"Master Daziel, although I am well aware you wield the might of an Emanator, but… when facing that man, you absolutely cannot be careless…"

"My intuition is screaming warnings at me. He… is far more dangerous than we can currently imagine."

Daziel nodded solemnly. The sound of Robin's sobbing in his arms gradually subsided, leaving only faint, pitiable whimpers, though her body still trembled slightly.

"I know."

Daziel's gaze became incredibly deep, as if it could pierce through layers of memories to see the Penacony Grand Theater, where the final showdown was about to take place.

"Before the final battle begins, on my end… there are indeed some preparations that must be completed."

Firefly, who had been standing quietly to the side, now had her eyes flash with deep curiosity and concern upon hearing Daziel's words.

She took a small step forward, and with the soft voice characteristic of a young girlfriend, she asked gently,

"Daziel, what kind of preparations? Is there anything… you need our help with?"

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