[Interlude - Eternal Fire Mansion, End]

After the playback finished, the comment stream was silent for a moment, as if someone had pressed pause. Then, countless comments flew in.

[Stella: To be fair, regardless of the Grand Duke's upcoming performance, he's truly impressive.]

[Sparkle: Hahahahaha, what's this? All that boasting, directly declaring war on four Paths, how did he die so quickly?]

[Giovanni: Such a joyous play, Ifrit! You'll surely become an excellent clown. The God of Fun must be regretting not guiding you onto the Path of Elation.]

[Sampo: Harmony, Elation, Preservation, Remembrance - he's basically declared war on all the major powers in the cosmos. What a grand statement indeed.]

[Welt: Although the Eternal Fire Mansion, or rather the Annihilation Gang, is indeed a formidable force, it's a bit too fanciful to wage war against four factions simultaneously.]

[March 7th: But they didn't mention the Hunt, did they? I thought major powers like the Xianzhou or the Cruising Rangers would have been declared war upon.]

[Sushang: Is it possible that if he declared war on the Hunt, the Hunt would actually go to war?]

[Stella: The Xianzhou didn't participate in Pinnocchio's Harmony Grand Ceremony, so in fact - his declaration of war should be aimed at those invited guests!]

[Stella: And think about it, that Cruising Ranger - Acheron, isn't she the one who slew the Grand Duke of Infernal Fire?]

After hearing Stella's words, everyone found them quite reasonable. After all, the Hunt wasn't mentioned but still ended up getting slashed. Thinking about it this way, the Grand Duke seemed a bit pitiful.

Tsk tsk.

Just as everyone was engrossed in the conversation, the previously extinguished light screen was turned on once again...

[Viewing Continues, Now Playing: - Aventurine: All In]

[Meanwhile, at the Golden Hour, from the Astral Express's perspective]

As the scene changed, the subtitles gradually faded, and the camera moved to a street in the Golden Hour. Near a Suludata fountain, the members of the Express team finally met.

In addition, there was the previously mentioned purple-haired beauty - the "Cruising Ranger" Acheron. She was tall, elegant, giving off a cold and mysterious aura.

Himeko was the first to break the silence: "You must be Miss Acheron? Hello, I'm Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express. It's a pleasure to meet you here."

Nearby, March 7th also introduced herself with a smile: "Hello, I'm March 7th! As for Stella... hehe, you surely know her already!" She finished with a playful wink at Acheron.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

Acheron nodded slightly, acknowledging their greetings. Her voice was deep and magnetic: "Hello. You don't seem surprised by my presence."

Himeko explained, "Since Welt decided to travel with you, it shows he trusts you, and we trust his judgment equally."

Acheron couldn't help but show a hint of envy, sighing, "Your relationship is truly enviable."

At this moment, Welt, standing nearby, smiled and nodded, agreeing with Himeko's statement, then continued to explain, "Miss Acheron is not a dangerous element, nor does she harbor hostility towards the Astral Express. Aventurine's previous accusations were one-sided."

"Therefore, before we continue our cooperation, he has an obligation to provide a reasonable explanation."

Upon hearing this, Himeko turned to look at Welt and asked, "You want... to create a situation where all three parties are present?"

Welt raised his hand to his chin, his expression serious and thoughtful as he responded:

"There must be deeper logic behind Aventurine's actions. I suspect he's been aware of Pinnocchio's secrets from the beginning and has been constantly plotting to uncover them."

"If so, the position of the Astral Express in his plan becomes crucial. In the worst-case scenario... he might use us to do something extreme."

"Assuming things really develop to that point, having one more ally is one more insurance. Pinnocchio has many factions, and the situation is far more complex than Belobog and the Xianzhou."

[Guinaifen: Oh, so the Astral Express will come to the Xianzhou? Which specific mountain are you going to, family? If you come to Luofu, little Guinai can be your tour guide.]

[Fu Xuan: Friends from afar, we must welcome you with fine wine. The Astral Express team, you're welcome in Luofu anytime.]

Stella said energetically, "The protagonist exists for this very reason!"

March 7th sighed, then perked up and said, "You're talking nonsense again... but your spirit is good. No matter what, we can't ignore Pinnocchio's safety."

Himeko was also amused by Stella's words, but she quickly composed herself, organized her thoughts, and then said seriously:

"To unravel the mystery of the 'Clockmaker', we inevitably need the information in the company's possession. Even if dangers lie ahead... facing challenges head-on is what 'Trailblazing' is all about, right?"

"It seems there are no objections, so... Miss Acheron?" Welt turned to look at Acheron, his eyes questioning.

Acheron nodded slightly, indicating agreement: "Of course I'll come along."

"Then let's go!" March 7th exclaimed excitedly, raising both arms and putting her hands on her hips. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she blinked her big eyes and asked everyone, "But where should we go to find him?"

Himeko just shook her head lightly, her tone very calm: "Don't rush. If someone really has set up a trap... they'll certainly find a way to invite us in."

As soon as she finished speaking, Aventurine's voice rang out over the entire Golden Hour's broadcast system.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the most amazing, most grand performance in Pinnocchio's history is about to open—"

"The Interastral Peace Corporation cordially invites you all to attend - the Kroc Film and Television Amusement Park!"

[Himeko: He uses the most enthusiastic tone to sincerely invite everyone to watch his death.]

[March 7th: Ah, knowing his past now, this little miss should be angry seeing this scene, but I can't get angry anymore.]

[Bronya: Sigh, his words are full of bluster and exaggeration, but I can only hear a sense of desolation.]

After seeing Aventurine's past, the members of the Express team could no longer view him as a completely bad person, only left with attitudes similar to sympathy or pity.

In the image, Himeko folded her arms: "See? If neither the actors nor the audience can make it to the scene, wouldn't all of Aventurine's preparations be in vain?"

"Let's go, everyone," Welt replied. "It's time for us to implement the way of trailblazing."

"Ugh, I have a feeling something terrible is going to happen," March 7th suddenly said. "But there's no time to waste. Let's head to the amusement park right away!"