Aboard the Astral Express.
March 7th leaned against the observatory carriage window, gazing at the glittering skyline of Penacony outside.
She had been so excited to visit this Festival Star—thinking it'd be a fun vacation.
But now, as the story unfolded, it felt more like a high-stakes game of werewolf!
Reflected in the glass, she could see Himeko and Welt engaged in a heated discussion, while Stelle remained glued to the in-game plot.
March shook her head.
"I can't just laze around either~"
Returning to her seat, she opened the game forums.
The forums were a chaotic battleground of theories and debates about Penacony's convoluted schemes.
One post in particular had skyrocketed in popularity—posted just moments ago!
[After today's story, isn't Acheron basically CONFIRMED as the final boss?]
March immediately clicked in!
[OP: As the title says.]
[Acheron's status as an Emanator is now undeniable!]
[According to Aventurine—she 'brings death and finality.']
[We don't know which Path's Emanator she is yet, but let's review her track record—]
[1. Acheron ambushed the Duke of Inferno. In the PV, we even see the Prison Duke torn to shreds!]
[2. Acheron herself admits she's 'a person burdened with endless bloodshed.']
[3. Black Swan nearly died from shock just peeking into her memories!]
[4. At the end of the PV, we see corpses raining from the sky...]
[Why has no one heard of Acheron before?]
[Simple: Everywhere she goes is wiped off the map.]
[That's what 'death and finality' means!]
Scrolling down, March saw player replies:
"Acheron… Acheron… Doesn't the name itself sound ominous?"
"In the new story, both Acheron and Black Swan are acting sus."
"Wait, does this mean Sam was trying to PROTECT us?"
"In the final cutscene, Sam flew toward us—but no weapons were armed. He wasn't attacking; he wanted to evacuate us!"
"Rewatched it—HOLY CRAP IT'S TRUE!"
"SAM MY BELOVED, I MISJUDGED YOU!"
"In Penacony, you can distrust anyone—but not the Express Crew or Stellaron Hunters. We're one big family!"
"Prediction: Penacony will be destroyed (directly or indirectly) by Acheron!"
...
The more March read, the more unsettled she felt.
She almost rushed to tell the others—but stopped.
"These are just player theories… Not real clues, right?"
Suppressing her unease, she closed the comments and swiped to the next post.
[Penacony players: PACK YOUR BAGS AND RUN.]
[OP: Frame-by-frame analysis confirms—Something Unto Death is inextricably linked to Acheron!]
[1. Color scheme: Acheron and Something Unto Death share the same eerie violet-black aesthetic.]
[2. Something Unto Death's eyes glow red when killing—just like Acheron's warning in the prologue: 'In that monochrome world, a fleeting red will appear… It will return.']
[That was a death omen all along!]
Replies:
"CHILLS. Literal chills."
"So Acheron's mobility is limited in the Dreamscape, so she deploys Something Unto Death to assassinate people—while she handles the real-world killings?!"
"Acheron seems fine now, but mark my words: something will trigger her, and white-haired Acheron will awaken for a massacre!"
"Penacony Battle Royale?!"
"To all players in Penacony: Good luck surviving."
"RIP Guinaifen. You will be missed."
March's hands trembled slightly.
"Coincidence… It has to be!"
While players had many guesses about Penacony's mastermind, Acheron was the prime suspect—but was it really "confirmed"?
March kept scrolling.
The next wave of posts horrified her.
7 out of 10 threads outright accused Acheron!
March's resolve wavered.
"Could it be…?"
"Is Acheron really the final boss this time?"
She glanced back at the Express Crew—Welt, Himeko, Stelle… and herself.
"Can we even beat her?"
Her and Stelle's combat prowess… well, best not to think about it. Unless Stelle unlocked another power surge, they'd be dead weight.
Himeko wasn't a frontline fighter either…
March's eyes locked onto Welt.
"Mr. Yang… It's all up to you!!"
She decided to check one last post before discussing with the others.
Regardless of whether Acheron was the villain, they needed a plan.
But this final post was… different.
[Notice: Only users who have viewed 10+ related threads may access this post.]
[Subject: Crusade Against Acheron!]
[Players across the cosmos, we need your aid!]
[If you're a casual player who stumbled here, leave now. Do not speak of this post's contents.]
[Unauthorized personnel, evacuate immediately. This concerns a large-scale operation!]
March blinked.
"Unauthorized…? That's not me, right?"
If Acheron planned to destroy Penacony, the Express Crew had to intervene!
She kept reading.
The first voice in the thread claimed to be a Memokeeper of the Garden of Recollection!
[The Garden of Recollection will join the crusade against Acheron.]
[Though we Memokeepers have abandoned flesh, existing as mnemic entities traversing the cosmos, many are lost each Amber Era.]
[The Garden maintains records of each Memokeeper's vitality—similar to mortal memorial tablets.]
[I bring grave news: Black Swan's tablet has gone dark.]
[This means she no longer exists in this world—what you might call 'account termination.']
[The Garden's conclusion: Her existence was either erased utterly… or consumed by [Nihility].]
Replies:
"What's the difference? Dead is dead."
"The Garden has memorial tablets?!"
"No wonder Penacony's been haunted by weird shadows—more Memokeepers are arriving!"
"NOOOO BLACK SWAN IS GONE?!"
"In the PV, didn't Acheron spare her? Did she silence Black Swan to keep her from talking?!"
"Another butterfly effect from the game's storyline…"
"RIP Black Swan."
"Damn you, Acheron! Now we have to take her down!"
To be continued…