Chapter 360: Penacony Arc 『 Part Fifty-five』, Masquerade Duet Part 6
〜JoJo's Bizarre Adventure World, Golden Wind Timeline〜
"Huh? She… she's just dead? Like that?"
Mista's eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn't expected Sparkle, who had been so vibrant and chaotic throughout the entire ordeal, to meet such a 'comical' and effortless end… and in a trashcan, no less.
"Isn't this a bit too strange? In this dreamscape, aside from that ugly, Stand-like creature with all the eyes that can actually 'kill' people, are there really humans capable of such a feat?"
"…But can we even consider Black Swan human?"
Trish wore a look of utter confusion. In her mind, Black Swan seemed fundamentally different from the others. She didn't quite grasp what they meant by 'Memetic,' but judging by the context of their conversation… she guessed it was something akin to a ghost.
A woman who could manifest like an apparition, untouchable and invisible to others, and even drift in and out of dreams at will—it wasn't exactly a leap of the imagination to think she could commit murder within a dream.
Fugo narrowed his eyes.
"But if you die in a dream, your body usually wakes up in reality. I imagine Miss Sparkle is probably rubbing her eyes back at the Hotel Reverie right about now."
"…That's the theory, but doesn't that require the dreamer to dissipate into Dreambubbles first?"
At Trish's remark, the group realized that 'Master Sparkle's corpse' in the sky showed no signs of vanishing. From beginning to end, the young girl remained leaning against the pedestal in a state of quiet repose, looking for all the world as if she were merely asleep.
"This is… a feigned death, isn't it?"
Mista rested his chin in his hand, scrutinizing the girl. He curled his lip and remarked,
"You know, if she wasn't so loud and rowdy, she'd actually be quite cute when she's quiet… certainly cuter than a certain self-proclaimed 'lady' I know."
"Giorno… may I punch him? Just once?"
Trish gripped her handkerchief tight, her manicured nails nearly digging into her palm.
"Well… Polnareff is still resting upstairs. Just try not to make too much noise and wake him."
—
「 "This—this is impossible! How can someone die in the sweet dream of Penacony? You, from the Garden of Recollection… what did you do?!"
Sampo suddenly panicked, leveling an accusing finger at Black Swan.
"It was you, wasn't it? Killing in a dream… only the power of 『 Remembrance 』 could pull that off! You planned this from the start! Just because she teased you, you decided to silence her for good!"
"Death does not exist within the sweet dream of Penacony; that is the Family's promise. It is the protection of the 『 Harmony 』. Even a Memokeeper cannot breach that barrier," Black Swan replied with unhurried grace. "There is no need for such theatrics. If all you wanted was confirmation… I have already given you the answer, Miss Sparkle."
"Spa… Miss Sparkle? Who are you talking to?"
"To you."
"'Sparkle has disguised herself as another character'... Wouldn't that be you, Mr. Sampo?"
Recalling the skipped locked-room murder from moments ago, Black Swan had performed a simple deduction. She believed she had deciphered Sparkle's hint: that the culprit was the Detective's Assistant.
Sampo's tone turned cold instantly. "Has anyone ever told you that you act more like a detective than a Memokeeper?" He slowly shook his head, indicating that while Black Swan's deduction was infinitely close to the truth… he held a different answer to the riddle.
The Detective's Assistant, who proved her death was not the true culprit, but rather the accomplice who helped her 'fake' it.
At that moment, the 'corpse' that had been silent and breathless stood up, beaming at Black Swan. "What a pity. Such a pity. My dear, you were so-so-so-SO close to the right answer. Unfortunately, the right answer is—Master Sparkle's corpse! Sparkle disguised herself as 'Master Sparkle's corpse'!"
Black Swan let out a soft chuckle, acknowledging that while the logic was a bit forced, it wasn't entirely invalid. She looked toward Sampo. "Then… who might this Mr. Sampo be?"
Sampo offered a slight bow. "Beautiful lady, I already confessed everything to you earlier on — I really didn't know a thing. I just helped a friend send a letter, that's all."
Sparkle skipped over to Black Swan's side, smiling. "My dear, why so serious? Haven't you been having a great time? I have, at least. You take memories, and I get joy. We get what we need from each other. Seeing as we're such kindred spirits but also such loners... Why don't you come and work with me? We can dance ballet together~" 」
「 ..... 」
〜KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World〜
"Memokeepers seem to be popular wherever they go in Penacony. Even a Fool can't help but invite her to collaborate,"
Kazuma said, slumped on a bench in the Adventurer's Guild.
"As expected, a beautiful, wise, and powerful older sister is top-tier currency no matter where she goes!"
"Power? But she looked pretty pathetic when Acheron was plucking her feathers, didn't she? Did you forget that?"
Aqua suddenly interjected.
"Hey, hey… are you kidding me? The one doing the plucking was an Emanator! If she swung that blade once, the Demon King of our world would owe her twenty lives! You're asking for trouble if you provoke a monster like that. It's like failing to beat the rank-one student in an exam—it doesn't mean your grades are bad. What if you're rank two?"
"Fair point… It's mostly just that the dance last time really tanked her image in my mind. I'm still adjusting."
Kazuma coughed lightly.
"Well, you'd better adjust fast. I suspect if the Family ever makes her unhappy, she could wipe them out with a single stroke. She's already taken down Duke Inferno; there's no telling when she might turn her blade on other factions."
—
「 "…Though I do not understand your obsession with tearing down the Family's walls, I have already said: a Memokeeper cannot help you. Look elsewhere," Black Swan said, looking up at Sampo. "Furthermore, I do not believe you are lonely. Oh, I don't mean him—I mean what stands behind you…"
"The one who employed you to come to Penacony surely wouldn't want you consorting with other factions in secret, would they?"
Sparkle's interest was piqued, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "…And how would you know that?"
Black Swan's smile deepened. "Memory may be like the deep sea, but if you try to catch two fish with one hook… the creatures of the abyss might not be to your liking."
"So, I take it that's a refusal?"
More and more people began to gather around the Clockie statue, completely surrounding Black Swan. The smile remained on Sparkle's face, but the light in her eyes had turned icy cold. "Memokeeper… do you really think you can just walk away?"
"And why shouldn't I?" There wasn't a trace of panic on Black Swan's face.
Seeing that intimidation had failed, Sparkle's expression instantly shifted back to a gentle smile. "My dear, I was only teasing. You'll know the answer soon enough! Let's just call this a brief introduction. If you ever change your mind, come find me at the Tavern—provided you can find it, haha!"
She turned around. "Let's go, Sam… Sam… po?"
Sparkle knit her brows, her face clouded with confusion. "…Who… is Sampo…?"
Sampo was equally bewildered. He realized they were no longer in Penacony, and everyone present seemed to ignore Black Swan entirely, letting her depart as if she were invisible.
"I told you… why shouldn't I?" Black Swan looked back at the two Fools standing in the plaza, staring at each other in a daze. "Don't worry. Crude methods offend my aesthetic of memory. Once I am out of everyone's sight, you will remember everything again. And…"
"I'm sorry, my dear. But as for my choice of dance partner… I already have someone in mind." 」
「 ..... 」