Chapter 367: Masquerade Duet (Seven)

Sword Art Online.

"Uhh… her dance partner wouldn't be Yomi, would it?" Asuna frowned slightly, "Straight ahead is hell, you know…"

Kirito sat beside her, his black coat casually draped over the chair back. He glanced at the faint smile on the Black Swan's lips, shook his head slightly, and said, "It's not that scary, really. Miss Yomi's attitude is still fairly friendly—well, if I had to compare her to something… she's like a relatively friendly but powerful NPC. That ball happened only because the Black Swan actively probed Yomi's memories; otherwise nothing would have occurred."

"Seems so…" Asuna recalled carefully. In that dance, Yomi had indeed shown no overt hostility. But if she had displayed even a hint… the Black Swan probably wouldn't have participated so smoothly in the cooperation with the Train Crew.

The Black Swan was crushed in Yomi's memory, more like these game players accidentally straying into a high‑level boss's territory and being casually killed by the traps there.

"However, what's happening now likely occurred before they allied with Star—the Black Swan had probably already made contact with Himeko. Her dance partner… is likely the Train Crew."

Kirito chuckled: "Compared to the upright Train Crew, this bunch of Masked Fools operates far too darkly. If it were me, I wouldn't dare team up with someone like Hanabi either."

"I've roughly figured out her style… If she claims she'll perform on stage, I suspect she'll try to kick me onto the stage and hide herself. Then, once I've drawn enough audience attention, she'll drop a bomb to send us all back to reality."

——

"Daydream Hotel."

"Amber light washed over Hanabi's unhappy face in a hazy hue as she swung her legs, sitting at the bar with a cup of classic‑flavored sparkling water, sighing, "Geez… I'm not really going to do anything to her.""

""Never mind the Memory Keeper, let's talk about my business. I've done all the favors I owed—according to our deal—" Sanbo paused, saying, "Shouldn't you return my 【Mask】 now?""

"Hanabi wore a serious, thoughtful expression: "Since when do the Masked Fools have to keep their promises?""

"Sanbo froze for a moment."

"Seeing his somewhat dazed look, Hanabi let out a "pfft" laugh. Her laughter sounded like spilled glass marbles, tinkling and bouncing across the hazy bar."

""—Haha, just kidding! I love seeing that expression. Here, take the key to the tavern cellar—it's in the third barrel on the left. Don't say I gave it to you.""

"But she lifted her head curiously: "Hey Sanbo… after all this time, why suddenly want your mask back? This isn't like the you I know…""

""Let me guess—Yariro‑VI's great disaster is coming, right?""

""Sanbo stood with one hand on his hip, gave a slight shake of his head: "That's classified. But I do like something you once said—'The show's about to start; those who can't make it onstage just stay behind the scenes'—that makes sense.""

""Once in a while, old Sanbo also wants to get up on stage and make a fool of himself.""

"Hanabi turned and said: "If you ever run out of options, remember to contact me. I really value loyalty.""

""No thanks—just stay away from Belo Berg and you'll be doing me a huge favor. After all, Miss Hanabi's pursuit of 【Pleasure】… Sanbo can't exactly praise it." After saying that, Sanbo waved his hand, "I'm off—give my regards to Giovanni.""

""Got it, I was just speaking off the cuff—don't take it seriously. One or two, it's all the same…""

""—Why be so serious?""

——

Harry Potter.

The soil of the Forbidden Forest gave off a damp, earthy smell after the rain, as Harry trudged behind Hagrid—his boots sinking into the mud with soft "plop" sounds. Hagrid's moleskin coat was likewise splattered with mud, but he didn't mind, striding forward and occasionally bending to inspect the newly sprouted glowing mushrooms along the path.

""Hagrid, the Masked Fools might still have a trump card—and that trump card is their masks!" Harry panted as he leapt over a fallen log, excitedly sharing his speculation about whatever or whoever was in the sky curtain: "If you ask me, they definitely have power hidden in those masks!""

""And then there's Yomi—she's so cool she can actually counter the Memory Keeper who's probing her memories, and single‑handedly sweep through the Underworld Fire Manor!" Harry suddenly realized Hagrid hadn't said a word, and lowered his voice involuntarily: "…Hagrid, are you listening?""

""Sorry, Harry, I haven't really paid attention to any of that." Hagrid didn't turn, just brushed aside the blocking vines, "Compared to the endless fighting of the Pathfinders inside, I'd much rather admire those cute little critters out in space.""

""Little critters?""

"Harry thought back to the animals Hagrid usually kept, and a bad feeling crept in: "You don't mean those little critters are actually hibernating, do you—""

""Do I really have such terrible taste, Harry?" They finally reached the hut, and Hagrid shoved open the door studded with dragon teeth: "Come in, have a seat.""

"As soon as the door swung open, Harry knew exactly what Hagrid meant by 'little critters.'"

"Aside from the haphazardly placed furniture, the most eye‑catching things were the few stuffed toys piled in the corner—hard to imagine a giant like Hagrid liking such things, except for Pam, then Wuwu Bo, Sui Yang, and the like."

"Upon seeing Pam's stuffed toy, Harry's eyes lit up instantly."

""Pretty interesting, huh? That… rabbit?" When he spoke of his beloved magical creatures, Hagrid finally showed a spark of interest: "I've never seen such a perfect creature before! It lives long, has intelligence on par with humans, and looks adorable! I suspect Pam is a hybrid of some alien rabbit, but sadly I can only observe her through the sky curtain.""

""But the best part is this." Hagrid pulled out a basketball‑sized Wuwu Bo plush, "This thing sold out in Diagon Alley—I barely managed to snag one, and lots of ladies love it. Too bad we can't contact the Black Tower Space Station; otherwise I'd definitely apply to adopt one.""