"So you're just going to surrender that easily?" Stelle prodded the chicken-winged boy in front of her, who stood with his hands raised in defeat, using her baseball bat.
Sunday looked on helplessly at Stelle—a girl who was at times as simple as a child, at others as deranged as a lunatic, and yet sometimes exuded an aura of profound wisdom masked by foolishness.
"I haven't reached the point of losing all reason," Sunday stated. "According to my original plan, I could have indeed granted happiness to everyone within Penacony's dreamscape. However, that happiness was fragile, susceptible to being shattered by outside interference. It was always a last resort. But now, a truly great being has emerged, one who has forged a path to genuine happiness and beauty for all. In the face of that, my false dream is no longer necessary."
Of course, the more critical point was that the massive crowd of people who had swarmed them earlier were all chasing the Astral Express for news about the new Aeon and the so-called Master of Time. If the images and intelligence of that being's ascension hadn't been broadcast, his own scheme of a false deification would have been exposed and crushed immediately.
Furthermore, knowingly proceeding with his plan while his opponent had an Aeon for a backer... that would be inviting a harsh lesson from the iron fist of reality.
Sunday was devoted to his dream, but he had not yet descended into madness. To persist in the face of certain failure is not determination; it is simply reckless stupidity.
Besides, it was just as he'd said. That supremely benevolent being had already disseminated his Path throughout the cosmos. As long as people desired longevity, as long as they craved immense power, as long as they wished to break their shackles and attain a freer, more beautiful future, they would inevitably set foot upon that being's road.
And by walking that road, people would learn to understand one another. They would become compassionate, show mercy to the weak, learn self-respect and self-love, and help their fellow beings.
The living creatures of this universe would grow ever more beautiful. Kindness, justice, and light would flood every corner of the cosmos.
The beautiful future he envisioned was certain to arrive, and with it, the very world Sunday had yearned for.
All the 'birds' would be able to fly freely, unconstrained, without having to fear the trials of the outside world, for someone had already paved all the roads for them.
"Due to my actions, even though I have now abandoned my plan, the consequences have been severe. The Family has relieved me of my duties. So, if none of you object, I would like to join the Astral Express and dedicate myself to following that being's Path."
After hearing Sunday's plea, Stelle retracted her baseball bat, crossed her arms, and remarked, "First you followed Harmony, then you tried to establish Order, and now you want to pledge yourself to Xin Yu. My, my, a servant of three masters, are we?"
"It's 'a slave of three surnames,' and you know you're saying it wrong on purpose, don't you?" March 7th covered her face, exasperated.
"Aiya, those are minor details! The real question is, are we going to let this former big bad go legit?" Stelle deftly changed the subject.
Welt pushed his glasses up his nose, indicating he had no objections.
Himeko also nodded in agreement.
Dan Heng didn't refuse either.
"That's three votes in favor already. Looks like our two votes don't really matter either way," Stelle said, nudging March 7th with her elbow.
"Well, I don't have any objections either."
"Great! That's four to one! The Astral Express welcomes you! I just hope you don't lose too much of your strength now that you're turning over a new leaf," Stelle said cheerfully, shaking Sunday's hands with a broad smile.
"If you're so happy about it, why did you cast the dissenting vote?"
"The outcome was the same regardless, so why not vote against it? It makes me look more independent and unique, don't you think?"
"What... what's the point of that?"
"March, sometimes when you obsessively chase the meaning of something, you've already fallen into the void of nihilism. A lot of things don't need a point. You do them simply because you want to. Take us getting fries later, for example. It seems pointless, but we are the ones who give that action meaning."
"Huh? Is that really how it works?"
"Exactly! So, to welcome our new member, let's throw a feast! Oh, right! With a new member on board, we should call back that old one who's always wandering around outside to join us for a meal."
Stelle fished out the prayer slip from her inventory. After staring at it for a moment, she decided reciting it was too much of a hassle. She casually tossed the paper aside, cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, and yelled at the sky.
"Xin Yu! We're having an awesome party! Guess who's missing?!"
March 7th was just about to point out that yelling wouldn't summon anyone when she realized Xin Yu had already appeared beside them.
"Long time no see, everyone!" Xin Yu said with a grin.
"Xin Yu! Long time no see! Heard you hit the big time out there! How about you show your little bro a path to success?" Stelle showed no sign of awkwardness or distance, despite Xin Yu now being an Aeon—or perhaps something beyond. She was her usual, familiar self, slinging an arm over Xin Yu's shoulder and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"But I have. The path is already laid out. As long as you wish to walk it, it's right beneath your feet."
"I know, I know, the path you pointed out. Everyone on the Express is already on it. The one making the fastest progress is Uncle Welt. He's already reached the... what was it... right! The Qi Refining stage of your Path."
"As for me, Dan Heng, and March, our progress hasn't been that quick. So, I was wondering... got any shortcuts?"
"I do," Xin Yu replied. "Just continue to uphold the principles of the Nameless. Help others, save worlds, fight evil. The more good deeds you perform, the faster your growth will be. The reason Uncle Welt is advancing so quickly is that his prior accumulation was already substantial enough."
As Xin Yu said this, he couldn't help but inwardly complain. Why does this Path of mine feel less like the Daoist immortality I envisioned and more like some Buddhist system of accumulating merit?
In essence, however, it was indeed a process of absorbing the natural energies of the world to foster one's own growth. It just so happened that performing good deeds aligned more closely with Xin Yu's own comprehension of this Path and the rules he had set, thus accelerating the process.
"Greetings, Mr. Xin Yu," Sunday said, addressing him with a measure of respect.
"Hello, and welcome to the Nameless. I'm aware of your situation. The ideal you sought to achieve is truly commendable, and your methods were a choice born from desperation. In fact, I once considered something similar—sacrificing myself to bring happiness to the vast majority. It was only because of my own selfishness, because there were people I simply couldn't bear to leave behind, that I didn't go through with it."
"Alright, alright! If you two want to continue your discussion on saving the world and the finer points of redeeming others, you can put a pin in it for later. The most important thing right now is the feast! I'm going to call everyone we met on Penacony. Let's celebrate this wonderful, happy ending!" Stelle interjected.
"Hey! The way you say that makes it sound like our journey is over," March 7th protested. "Don't you forget, we still have to go to that Omphalos place Black Swan told us about."