Chapter 354: Penacony Arc 『 Part Forty-nine 』, Rondo Across Countless Kalpas Part 3
「 The crimson tide washed over the stark white bones, staining everything in a deep, somber red.
On the wasteland, the lithe form of a cheetah gave chase, its fangs sinking into the gazelle's taut throat; beneath the great maw of a grizzly, snowy rabbit fur splattered amidst droplets of gore; a pack of hyenas tore at the belly of a wildebeest, its curved horns carving futile, deep furrows into the dust.
These images were layered and repeated, their colors gradually bleeding away until they became silhouettes of interwoven black and white—pale lines entangling within the void.
Finally.
Every line began to converge and collapse toward the center… forming a singularity that devoured all things—
An existence darker than darkness itself.
And within that surging sea of blood, countless scarlet arms reached out from the surface like the death throes of the drowning, frantically clawing to grasp…
But they found nothing save for Nihility.
Black Swan reached out in terror, her slender fingers scratching at the void as if trying to seize one last shred of hope for escape.
But her body was being dismembered and crushed by an invisible force… turning into drifting feathers that swirled and fell into the void, vanishing utterly. 」
「 ..... 」
〜One Piece World〜
"A black hole."
Kuzan adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting that fleeting moment of terror on Black Swan's face before she was torn asunder.
No one dared to mock her, for they were no different from her. When the Nihility that drowns all things descends, nothing remains but futile struggle.
"This is the true meaning of… gravity."
Kuzan instinctively glanced at Blackbeard nearby.
Blackbeard, who not long ago had harbored doubts about Acheron's strength, now found his expression completely frozen. His Adam's apple bobbed as if he wanted to speak, but only dry, raspy wheezes escaped his throat.
His thick, signature beard trembled slightly, and his missing teeth looked like the gates of hell, this trademark feature now only served to make him look utterly pathetic.
"What… what kind of things are packed inside that woman's head?"
After an eternity, Blackbeard managed to squeeze those trembling words from his throat.
He slumped onto the deck, looking defeated.
The Dark-Dark Fruit possessed the infinite gravity of a black hole, yet when he peered into the depths of Acheron, he realized he was the one being firmly pulled in.
Not just his flesh, but his spirit… everything crumbled and perished within that abyss, just like the rabbit in the grizzly's mouth… devoid of any power to resist.
When Aventurine revealed Acheron's status as an Emanator, he had been curious if his Dark-Dark Fruit could affect one such as her. Now, that question had its answer.
Black Swan had been annihilated into pitch-black feathers by the singularity, and the onlookers were finally—mercifully—released from that hellish void.
"This is lethal…"
Shiryu felt his legs turn to jelly; he had to lean on his nodachi just to remain standing. The other captains also broke free from the memories, their chests heaving violently as if they had just survived a life-and-death struggle, their breathing hitched with unnatural tremors.
—
「 The final note trembled in the air before fading away.
In the center of the dance floor, Black Swan slumped weakly into Acheron's arms, the latter holding her steady by the waist. The dance was over; damp strands of hair clung to Black Swan's pale cheeks as she gasped for air, her chest heaving as she greedily inhaled every breath.
Acheron's eyes remained indifferent, even carrying a hint of… confusion.
"The Ever-Flame Mansion… who are they?" 」
「 ..... 」
〜One Punch Man World〜
"Ha… she, she actually doesn't know who the Ever-Flame Mansion is?"
Iai'an's fingers shook slightly as he pointed at Acheron's vacant expression on the sky-screen.
After enduring that nightmarish memory, his pale face finally managed to squeeze out a sliver of a smile.
"Master… her memory really is quite poor."
Under the sunlight, Atomic Samurai slowly turned his head, shadows masking most of his face. When he looked up slightly, his disciples finally caught a glimpse of his expression.
"Ma… Master?"
Iai'an's smile froze.
He had rarely seen his master look like this: his pale face was drenched in cold sweat, and the veins bulging on his forehead looked like writhing earthworms. The last time he had seen such an expression was during the battle between Phantylia and Jing Yuan.
"Idiot,"
Atomic Samurai hissed through gritted teeth.
"Do you remember the name of every ant you've stepped on?"
The surroundings suddenly fell into a deathly silence.
Nothing remained but the frantic heartbeats of the disciples… and the sound of chattering teeth.
"Master, what do you mean by that?"
"It means that Duke Inferno… was nothing more than an ant she crushed underfoot."
"Powerhouses like Duke Inferno—she has likely slain countless numbers of them on her journey. A person of that strength, an organization like the Ever-Flame Mansion—they aren't even worthy of a name in her memory."
—
「 "I have watched her for a long time. Tonight is the final invitation. The Galaxy Ranger…"
Acheron walked alone down the long street.
The sky seemed to be shifting quietly, the ink-black firmament appeared permeated by the blood of the deceased, gradually bleeding into a dark red hue. The red deepened, spreading across the heavens like diluted gore, shrouding the entire street in an eerie glow.
"No, I made a fatal mistake."
"Everyone has a past, but for some, the past is a silent, deep sea, filled with the husks of the drowned."
As the scarlet faded, Acheron walked quietly down the street, trying to recall the name Black Swan had just mentioned.
"Ever-Flame Mansion… Ever-Flame Mansion…"
Suddenly, her footsteps paused. Acheron looked up slightly as realization dawned on her.
"Ah… it was them." 」
「 ..... 」
〜Demon Slayer World〜
"No wonder Black Swan looked so wary when Stelle suggested traveling with Acheron…"
Shinobu Kocho exhaled a long, pent-up breath. She hadn't dared to breathe for a single moment while watching those apocalyptic images. It wasn't until Gyomei Himejima gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder that she finally snapped out of that endless 'gravity.'
"Simply peeking into her memories was worse than being hit by a visual-type Blood Demon Art. Just who is this woman? Why is she so powerful?"
Though the appearances of Pathstriders on the Sky Curtain didn't strictly align with human aging, Acheron didn't seem to be a long-life species like those from the Xianzhou.
She looked to be in her twenties, appearing even younger than some of the Hashira.
Sanemi Shinazugawa couldn't fathom how many battles she must have endured to reach such a realm.
"Could it be that the blessing of a Star God granted her near-infinite life? Like Lady Jingliu, she only looks young?"
Mitsuri Kanroji offered her theory.
"In truth, she has already survived countless slaughters; both her skill and her Path have reached a point far beyond our reach."
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