Meanwhile, Welt stood with arms crossed, eyes behind the lenses full of intense scrutiny.
Sunday no longer hesitated, stepped forward, and began chanting:
"O soul of triple aspects, scorch his tongue and heart with hot iron, so that he may not lie or swear false oaths."
As the chant ended, distorted ripple effects appeared around the scene—just like the exclusive Harmony effect used previously when interrogating Aventurine.
"Let's begin. I've got nothing to hide," the Dream master said with complete honesty.
--------------------------------------
The Dream master 's open and honest demeanor further convinced the audience of what they believed in their hearts.
And Sunday began the questioning.
"Let me ask: Have you always been faithful to your Aeon, never worshipping another?"
The Dream master answered without hesitation, "Naturally."
"Do you love your Aeon as you love yourself, always remembering His commandments?"
"Naturally."
"Have you strayed from the path your Aeon hoped for you, residing in a vile shop?"
"Never."
"Have you ever demanded excess from your Aeon, attempting to go beyond the limits of a created being?"
"Never."
One question after another was answered.
There was nothing unusual.
The audience's hearts tightened.
They feared that Sunday, the hidden wolf, would seize the chance to smear the Dream master .
But thankfully, he did not.
Sunday merely said calmly, "Can you swear to uphold every promise you have made—past, present, and future?"
The Dream master nodded and replied, "If my words are false, or if I break my promises, then I shall bear the curse according to the decree."
Finally, the questioning ended.
...
:That scared me—I thought Sunday was going to smear the Dream master .
:The Dream master is so forthright. If he were falsely accused, I can't take it.
:This way, Welt can rest assured, and then go after the real mastermind! Which is Sunday!
:Can't wait to see the Dream master team up with the train crew!
...
Just then, Sunday had concluded his judgment.
"They have seen your faith and acknowledges it. Thus, you are cleared—"
Before he could finish, Welt cut him off.
Everyone turned to look at Welt.
He wore a serious expression and spoke:
"Everyone, I still have unresolved questions that need clarifying."
"To my knowledge, the harmony and prosperity of The Family have never relied on so-called 'decrees'."
"The Aeon you both mentioned just now... "
"Was it truly Xipe?"
...
The audience, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, widened their eyes in shock at Welt's words.
Their poor brains, worn from wave after wave of impact, were now spinning furiously, trying to comprehend what Welt was implying.
Why did it feel like something had changed?
And in the next moment, the Dream master calmly said:
"Mr. Welt should know that before Harmony, no one can hide.
Besides Them, which other Aeon could compose such an intricate and complex symphony and masterfully harmonize it?"
These words explained Welt's doubts thoroughly.
The audience, whose hearts were in their throats, felt reassured again.
...
: Holy crap, this plot is like a roller coaster.
: I've been doing sit-ups emotionally—thankfully, the tension has been released.
: Haha, exactly! Who else but Xipe could create such a divine masterpiece?
: For a moment I thought I was fooled again. Glad my judgment wasn't wrong—the Dream master is a good guy.
: If I got fooled again, I think everyone here—including me—is an idiot.
: No way that could happen!
...
"Perfect harmony?!"
"That's exactly the problem!" Welt walked up to the Dream master and said seriously:
"It's not the foreign enemies who subtly change Harmony, but the dissonant notes born within the symphony itself."
"In the distant past, there was once an Aeon who existed in the real world."
"They strummed Their knuckles and composed the laws of the galaxy."
"Their believers formed the 'Outer Choir' and spread solemnity, mercy, and firm grace throughout the universe."
"Later, They fell."
Welt stared intensely into the Dream master 's eyes and continued:
"The path of this dead Aeon clashed with Harmony and was eventually absorbed by it, blended into it."
"The choir that once echoed throughout the universe fell silent, and when it sounded again, it had become a hymn of Harmony."
"Even if the Aeons perish, they will still leave behind unclaimed Paths."
"In the all-encompassing 'Harmony', perhaps there once existed an old, simple joy and a humble shelter."
After Welt finished speaking, the barrage of comments suddenly went silent for a moment.
It was as if countless people had fallen completely quiet at the same time.
If the intel about this 'deceased Aeon' mentioned by Welt had just been revealed for the first time, the audience wouldn't have reacted this way.
But the problem was that everyone was already very familiar with this Aeon. As soon as Welt gave a rough description, people instantly and simultaneously recalled who it was.
"Order!"
"Ena!"
This Aeon, who once appeared during the universal swarm disaster, was terrifying beyond description.
That thread discussing how the entire universal swarm disaster was orchestrated just to kill Ena is still pinned in the Honkai: Star Rail community.
And the moment everyone realized the existence of Order, they experienced the exact same feeling they had when Sunday questioned Harmony.
Only this time, what sprang to mind wasn't shock, but a single sentence: "I'm a dumbass."
...
: Ah, I can't take it anymore. So all those honest things the Dream master said just now were actually a clear hint.
: Sunday never directly asked through Harmony, but through a Aeon. But if that Aeon wasn't Xipe, then wouldn't that be a problem?
: And Order, Ena, the fact that they were swallowed by Harmony — we already knew all this!
: Ahhhhh! Damn it! Why! Why is this happening! I clearly knew all this, so why couldn't I piece it together?!
: It's that feeling when you get a question wrong, then see the answer, and realize you had no excuse for messing it up.
: Damn, for the first time in my life I'm questioning my own intelligence.
: Friends, I just yelled out "I'm a dumbass," and my mom looked at me with the relieved eyes of someone saying, "You finally figured it out."
: It's okay, bro. Tell your mom — I'm one too.
...
Just as the audience was beginning to question their own intelligence, a sudden change occurred.
"Mr. Welt, being overly perceptive isn't always a good thing, especially when you're all alone."
The Dream master laid all his cards on the table.
He looked at Sunday: "For the sake of our great cause, Sunday, please become one with us."
Before Welt could even react, a twisted power descended.
Robin and Welt both immediately clutched their heads, overwhelmed by a crushing dizziness.
"I'm sorry…"
Sunday paid no attention to Welt, instead looking at Robin: "Robin, you're the only one I didn't want to know the truth, but unfortunately, fate had other plans."
Robin's eyes had turned unimaginably sorrowful.
She looked at her brother in disbelief, her once birdlike sweet voice now trembling.
"So… so this is the real reason I can't sing?"
"The shadow over Penacony, even our very wishes…"
Sunday was hurting too, but still had to explain to his sister.
"We were never children of Harmony. The paradise we dreamed of should never have been created by Xipe."
"The happiness of all should not be decided by a Aeon…"
"Through law, humanity builds society."
"Through Harmony, we embrace Order."