(Sumeru City)

Paimon: We didn't miss the Sabzeruz Festival, right?

Durandal: I don't think we did.

Paimon: Let's hurry and find Dunyarzad. Paimon thinks... she must be around the Grand Bazaar, since she showed us around there last time.

(Grand Bazaar)

Paimon: There she is! Dunyarzad, we're back!

Dunyarzad: Just as promised! I'm so glad that you came back to celebrate Lesser Lord Kusanali's birthday.

Aether: Looks like we made it back in time.

Patrick: It's a very important festival, after all.

Vert: We would never miss an Archon's birthday. Especially a little girl's birthday.

Dunyarzad: Hehe, indeed! The festival is tomorrow. We have been preparing for so long that I can't help but feel a little nervous.

Paimon: There's no need to be nervous! Paimon's sure that Lesser Lord Kusanali will feel everyone's gratitude.

Vert: Including our gratitude.

Dunyarzad: Hehe, thanks, Paimon. And you too, Vert. I hope that everyone who comes to the festival will also have a good time. Speaking of which, did you manage to make your way to Port Ormos? Discover anything over there?

Durandal: Kind of.

Paimon: Of course we went! A lot of things happened there...

Aether: Unfortunately, we didn't find any new information on Lesser Lord Kusanali.

Neptune: Instead, we were only left with more questions... Which is so annoying!

Dunyarzad: *sigh* I see. Sounds like you had another exciting adventure...

Bronya: We did.

Dunyarzad: ...If there is another chance, I would love to join...

Dehya: *sigh* My lady, if you went to Port Ormos in your current state, we'd both be in for a lifetime of trouble.

Paimon: Dehya! You were eavesdropping!

Dehya: Ahem, it's called covert protection! Keeping an ear out for what's going on around my employer is part of the job.

Noire: Overprotective.

Dunyarzad: It's alright, Dehya. I merely said that I "would" like to go. I know better than to think my body could handle it, hehe. The festival is tomorrow. I've been doing nothing but causing trouble for you, so Dehya, please take some time to relax. I'll be fine.

Dehya: ...Hm, even when you put it that way, it still doesn't feel right...

Dunyarzad: Don't worry, my guardian knight.

Dehya: Okay, fine, but only tonight. Tomorrow's a big day, and many no-good scumbags are gonna take advantage of that.

Paimon: *yawn*

Kiana: *yawn*

Dunyarzad: Oh, you two must be exhausted from your long journey back to the city. My apologies for not realizing this sooner. I've already prepared rooms for you to rest. Please follow me.

Paimon: Whoa, you're so thoughtful! Paimon's so ready!

They followed Dunyazad to the occasions and there were rooms.

Dunyarzad: Here we are. It's also fairly close to where I've been staying.

Paimon: It looks really nice!

Neptune: Nice rooms.

Aether: Sorry for the trouble, Dunyarzad.

Dunyarzad: Hehe, not at all. Just tell me more about your adventures when you next get the chance.

Paimon: That's Paimon's specialty! Paimon can tell you stories next time!

Patrick: We all can.

Seele: We can tell you our stories next time.

Aether: About our plans for tomorrow...

Dunyarzad: Oh, if you don't mind, how about we all walk around together tomorrow? All of my friends will be working the festival, and Dehya is still insisting on her "covert" protection...

Paimon: Yeah? It'll be pretty hard to relax and enjoy the festival if Dehya's constantly hovering over you, right?

Aether: We'll keep you company tomorrow.

Rita: It'll be easier to get information with your help.

Fu Hua: As long as you have all of us, no shady people will be able to come near you.

Dunyarzad: Then let's meet at the nearby bazaar first thing tomorrow morning. Have a great night!

Paimon: It's a deal! Good night, Dunyarzad!

Dunyarzad: I may be too excited to fall asleep tonight. See you tomorrow.

Paimon: Paimon's starting to really look forward to the Sabzeruz Festival, too! Will there be lots of yummy food?

Kiana: We know there will.

Paimon: Oh no, no... Thinking about food is just gonna keep Paimon up all night. The earlier we sleep, the better. Let's go inside.

Aether and Paimon walked into their room while the others walked into their rooms in groups.

(The Next Day)

Paimon: *yawn* Did we oversleep...? We should go meet Dunyarzad right away.

Everyone met outside.

Durandal: Alright everyone. Let's go meet Dunyarzad.

They approached Dunyarzad.

Dunyarzad: Everyone! I've been waiting for you.

Vert: Good morning.

Paimon: Good morning, Dunyarzad! We must've overslept a little bit, hehe.

Dunyarzad: Not at all. I arrived early. Phew... Today is finally here! I must cherish every moment as if it were gold.

Paimon: You've worked so hard for this day. You gotta enjoy it to the fullest!

Rozaliya: And not let it go to waste!

Dunyarzad: Hehe, you know it! It's just that... as expected, I had some trouble falling asleep last night. I'm hoping my body won't be too much of an issue today. Well, shall we? Let's start with the stalls over there.

They followed Dunyarzad.

Dunyarzad: Many vendors came out of the blue to support the event, and they insisted on covering costs themselves. Let's go give them some business.

Paimon: They paid for everything out-of-pocket? Sounds like they're not in this just for the Mora.

Rom: They could go broke.

Dunyarzad: Hehe, they all said that contributing to a lively festival atmosphere is more important than money, especially since we don't often get to celebrate Lesser Lord Kusanali's birthday.

Paimon: Ooh, they're selling food over that way! Let's go take a look!

(After going through the stalls)

Dunyarzad: Oh, actually, I just remembered that I left something behind. Since you're here...

Dunyarzad: Can you come with me to get it?

Aether: Sure thing.

Neptune: Not a problem.

Paimon: Dunyarzad, you probably forgot because you're so excited about the Sabzeruz Festival!

Dunyarzad: Haha, how embarrassing.

Vert: Let's go get it.

So they went on their way to the nearest quarters. However...

Badis: ...Tch, we're too late. Who knew the little lady was such an early riser.

Idder: I know, right... Hey, wait a minute. Boss, isn't that her?

Badis: Oh, that most certainly is! We're in luck. She's walking right into our clutches.

When the Ermites got in their way, this caused the group to summon their weapons.

Paimon: Those Eremites don't look like they're up to any good...

Dunyarzad: ...Who are you? I don't believe the Homayanis hired you?

Badis: Heh, that's right. We haven't received any of their Mora, but... I wonder how much the Homayanis would shell out to get you back?

Durandal: Don't you dare touch her.

Paimon: They're a gang of kidnappers! Traveler, hurry and protect Dunyarzad!

Aether: We'll be fine...

Neptune: Professional here, ready to go.

Theresa: You're outnumbered.

Dehya: Hey! Did you scumbags even consider that the Homayanis might've hired a merc that outclasses you?

Dehya showed up.

Badis: You're... Dehya!? Dehya the Flame-Mane... No wonder we mercs haven't heard anything about you for so long. You sold your unruly mane to the highest bidder.

Dunyarzad: Don't speak so disrespectfully. My family started working with her as gratitude for her past kindness to us...

Dehya: Don't worry about it, my lady. Just some friendly banter between mercs. One punch and those rabid dogs will expose themselves for what they really are.

Badis: Hmph, aren't your claws all dull by now? Don't get too cocky!

More Ermites showed up.

Bronya: Ermites still outnumbered.

More Ermites showed up in more numbers.

Dehya: Traveler, take Miss Dunyarzad to a safe location.

Paimon: No, we're gonna stay and help. There's too many of them!

Aether: We can't guarantee anyone's safety here.

Vert: Dehya's top priority is her employer's safety.

Paimon: Hm... You're right. Alright, fine!

Dunyarzad: Please be careful, Dehya.

Dehya: Don't waste your time worrying about me — this is my job. Look out for yourself. After I've wiped the floor with them, I'll go find you all.

Miyabi: Some of us will stay here and fight.

Miyabi, Sakura, Kallen, Rita, and Uni step forward. While the others run away.

(After escaping to the designated area)

Dunyarzad: *cough* *cough*

Paimon: Dunyarzad, are you okay? You look a little pale. Are you in shock?

Dunyarzad: I—I'm fine... My body always reacts like this whenever I exert myself too much...

Paimon: You sure you're okay...? Phew... I'll be fine after some rest. I'm more worried about Dehya... After all, none of this would've happened if I hadn't insisted on coming out today...

Aether: Don't worry, she's tough.

Noire: She's protecting you because she agrees with you.

Paimon: Yeah, don't worry!

Asuka: She has back up.

They and Dunyarzad wait nearby for a while...

Dehya: My lady, everyone, found ya.

Paimon: Dehya! You took care of 'em so fast.

Miyabi: We sure did.

Uni: They were nothing.

Sakura: They were weak.

Kallen: And none of them had Visions.

Dehya: Any more of them? Or rather, did anyone follow you?

Aether: No, I just checked.

Patrick: none of them followed us.

Dunyarzad: Dehya, your arm...!

Dehya: Oh, this? I'm fine — it's just a scratch. Normally, they wouldn't have been able to land a hit on me at all, but I'm still getting used to this new greatsword.

Dunyarzad: Please let me take a closer look...

Dehya: C'mon, it's nothing. Us mercs aren't as fragile as you think.

Dunyarzad: Hold on, you said something about a new greatsword? What happened to the one you were using before?

Dehya: Uh... About that... Well... I sold it 'cause I was low on Mora. Stuff like this happens every now and then.

Dunyarzad: It can't be... The anonymous donation that was used for the venue's final round of preparations...

Dehya: *sigh* Hehe...

Patrick: (Just like what Meliodas and Ban did with their treasured weapons.)

Dunyarzad: ...

Dehya: Uh, hey, Miss Dunyarzad, I wasn't trying to make you cry. I'm not gonna lose my commission because I made my employer cry, am I?

Dunyarzad: ...Pfft... Hehe... Okay, making your employer cry won't affect your commission, but selling your weapon without permission and getting hurt... I'll have to re-evaluate your performance.

Dehya: Hahaha... You're so unreasonable, my lady.

Dunyarzad: Hahaha... ...Thank you very much, Dehya.

Dehya: ... *sigh* Don't be like that. I get embarrassed really easily.

Dunyarzad: *cough* *cough*

Paimon: Are you feeling unwell again, Dunyarzad？

Dehya: My lady, your condition... Travelers, can you take her somewhere to rest? I'll look around the area to make sure we're safe from an ambush.

Aether: No problem.

Kiana: Leave it to us.

Dunyarzad: Truly... I'm sorry for the trouble, everyone...

So they take Dunyarzad somewhere nearby to rest.

Dunyarzad: *pant* Phew...

Paimon: Are you feeling better, Dunyarzad?

Dunyarzad: Yes, much better. Just give me a few moments, and I'll be good to go.

Aether: Dehya's expression just now, when she mentioned your condition...

Blanc: Just how serious is your illness?

Dunyarzad: ...I didn't realize you were concerned about it. I guess I shouldn't continue to keep it a secret. I was actually... born with Eleazar. It's terminal now.

Everyone: Eleazar!

Paimon: Can't believe it's Eleazar...

Sakura: Just like with Collei.

Dunyarzad: Oh? You've already heard of Eleazar. In that case, you probably know about its severity. Sumeru's current medical advancements still haven't been able to find a cure. The disease's progression can only be delayed through environmental therapy...

Paimon: Dunyarzad...

Dunyarzad: There's no need to be sad. I've always lived with Eleazar, and I came to terms with it a long time ago. Compared to the simple fact that I am afflicted with this, its effects on my life have been much more painful. I know that my family loves me dearly. They've done all they can to provide the best environment for me, so that I can live for that much longer. However, I know... I will one day succumb to this.

Aether: ...

Dunyarzad: Did you know? Before I ran away from home this time... the world outside of my home didn't even know that I existed. Since I was a child, all I could do was sit on my bed and stare at everything outside of my window. I'm sure my family is worried and disappointed in me for running away, but I... I just didn't wanna have any regrets. I wanted to meet other people. To me, there is nothing more beautiful than being able to meet and speak with others. Not to mention the incredible time spent preparing for the festival, the joy on everyone's faces here, and all the support I've received from friends like Dehya... This way, when my final day does arrive, it will be less sorrowful. At the very least, many people will remember that I once existed in this world, right?

Aether: Yes. We will remember you.

Kallen: Don't say that. You still have happy times yet to come.

Paimon: A—As long as you don't forget Paimon, Paimon also won't forget about you! Ah... No, even if you forget Paimon, Paimon will still remember you!

Dunyarzad: Hehe... Thank you so much. I apologize for the depressing conversation. This is... This is out-of-character for me. To be honest, Lesser Lord Kusanali gave me the courage to do all of this. If it weren't for her encouragement, I wouldn't have taken that first step.

Aether: You're the one who has remained resolute in the face of your illness.

Durandal: You're already so strong for never giving up.

Dunyarzad: ...Thanks. There will always be frustrations in life, but I know that the point of living is not to leave behind any regrets.

Aether: Right.

Vert: That's a wonderful mindset.

Dunyarzad: Oh, right! Isn't it almost time?

Paimon: Huh? Almost time for what?

Dunyarzad: Isn't the Dance of Sabzeruz about to begin? It's the part of the festival that I've been looking forward to the most... Nilou will recreate that legendary scene with her most splendid dancing, and the Sabzeruz Festival will conclude amid everyone's applause and blessings... And with that, my wish will also...

Paimon: Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to the stage!

Dunyarzad: ...Yeah! We should still make it in time!

(Grand Bazaar)

Setaria: ...Were you not aware that the law prohibits this type of performance from taking place without prior permission?

Paimon: Over there... Someone's yelling at Nilou.

Dunyarzad: I think I just saw the Akademiya's Grand Sage... Why is he here in person?

Nilou: But the Dance of Sabzeruz is one of the key parts of the Sabzeruz Festival. If we can't perform it...

Setaria: The Sabzeruz Festival... The law also prohibits the private hosting of large-scale, religious festivals. Only the Akademiya can host such an event. If you continue to resist, we will have to order an investigation into every single event organizer... The Grand Sage has already granted you much leniency. I advise that you exercise tact.

Nilou: How... How did things turn out like this...

Dunyarzad: The Akademiya was originally responsible for the Sabzeruz Festival, but they've failed this responsibility for many years. I need to speak with them...

Aether: If we force their hand too much, the situation may get ugly.

Dunyarzad: ...This is a hard pill to swallow, but... sigh, you're right. Things would only get worse.

Azar: Art... Dance... Aren't you ashamed of pursuing such frivolous and meaningless activities in this land of knowledge and reason? Our Archon created the utopia that is Sumeru City for all scholars who sought validity, verity, and truth... while people like you wish to defile it.

Nilou: No, I believe that our Archon never rejected the arts. Even the Goddess of Flowers dedicated a dance to her...

Azar: With your lack of intellectual credentials, I do not believe you are qualified to debate with me. What you should be doing is finding workers to tear down this ridiculous eyesore. When we return, have the Scribe draft an ordinance before the next Jnagarbha Day that prohibits public art performances. We will publically announce it later via the Akasha.

Setaria: Understood. I will inform him when I return.

Azar: ... The Sabzeruz Festival... Go celebrate the birth of that god to your heart's content.

Vert: What a bunch of haters.

Durandal: They really do hate Lesser Lord Kusanali.

Paimon: Nilou, are you okay?

Nilou: Oh, Dunyarzad. You all saw that just now...? The Grand Sage ordered us to stop the performance...

Dunyarzad: Yeah...

Nilou: Let's go somewhere the Akademiya can't find us and perform there... Ahh, but how do we let everyone know... And what about the atmosphere and the stage... Or we could get people to block them off so they can't interrupt the performance... Agh... No, they just threatened to investigate the organizers. If we were caught...

Dunyarzad: Nilou, it's alright. Don't worry about it.

Kiana: We'll think of something.

Nilou: But you've been looking forward to the Dance of Sabzeruz so much, and I know how important this festival is to you. I don't want you to have any regrets...

Dunyarzad: It's okay. Seeing you care this much about my feelings is more than enough. It would be too risky to continue the Sabzeruz Festival at this point. I don't want to get everyone in trouble...

Nilou: ...If you say so, but... You can sneak out for the next Sabzeruz Festival, right? We'll make sure the next one is a smashing success!

Dunyarzad: *sigh* The next one... ...Yes! Okay, it's a promise! It WILL be a smashing success!

Paimon: Paimon can't believe this is how things turned out. Those heartless geezers...

Patrick: I just want to punch them in the face.

Vert: I want to blow them back with Anemo to teach them a lesson about hating a Loli Archon.

Aether: Is there anything else we can do?

Dunyarzad: It really is okay. There's nothing we can do about it. *sigh* Still... I'd be lying if I said I had no regrets. I would have loved to see Nilou's dance.

The Sabzeruz Festival was forced to come to an unfortunately abrupt end...

Vert was angry because of how those 2 people said bad things about the Dendro Archon. They were now in the Serenetea pot at their meeting table because Aether and Paimon's room did not have enough room for everyone.

Paimon: *sigh* A lot happened today... It's a shame the festival ended the way it did...

Vert: Because of those Kusanali haters.

Paimon: Nilou and Dunyarzad promised to make the next Sabzeruz Festival a success... But Dunyarzad is running out of time...

Aether: This may be a regret that can never be resolved.

Paimon: Yeah... *sigh*

Durandal: If only there was something we could do.

A plan has been set in motion somewhere unknown to them...

???: *beep* All connections have been secured to construct the most stable framework possible. The project has entered its most critical phase. Power has begun to flow from __.

Attempting to leave Sumeru City

(Next Day)

Paimon: *yawn* Oh! We're gonna be late. It's all because you wouldn't get out of bed!

Paimon: We should go meet Dunyarzad right away!

Vert: Let's go!

Paimon: Good morning, Dunyarzad! Sorry we're late, hehe.

Dunyarzad: Not at all. I arrived early.

Paimon: Uhh... You seem kinda tired... Did you not get enough sleep?

Dunyarzad: I'm doing well. There's no need to worry. Shall we go? Let's start with the stalls over there.

Paimon: Sure... Uh? Traveler, why are you just standing there? Let's get going!

They follow Dunyarzad.

Paimon: Ooh, they're selling food over that way! Let's go take a look!

They went through the stalls but noticed something.

Vihar: Ah, excellently chosen! Number four is indeed Sunsettia.

Paimon: Haha, Paimon bet you had incredible luck, and Paimon was right!

Aether: Just now... Did I really mean to choose number four? It felt like... my body just subconsciously reached for it?

Paimon: Huh? Are you saying that you instinctively chose the right box?

Paimon: Hmm, but now that you mention it... Paimon also had the feeling you'd choose the right one... Is that kinda like what you felt?

Vert: Something doesn't feel right.

Aether: Why do I keep having this sense of déjà vu...?

Durandal: What a strange feeling...

Paimon: Maybe we didn't sleep very well last night, or maybe we slept too much.

Aether: I'm sorry, Dunyarzad, but we need to leave for a moment.

Noire: That's right. We need to go somewhere to clear our heads.

Dunyarzad: Oh, sure.

Paimon: Huh? Where are you going? You're just gonna walk off like that?

Sakura: Paimon, something is definitely wrong. Come with us.

(Lambad's Tavern)

Paimon: A feeling of... déjà vu?

Blanc: Exactly.

Yumi: Like we're doing the same thing again.

Paimon: Paimon knows what that is! It's when you feel like you've already experienced whatever is going on...

Patrick: We've experienced déjà vu before. Like we've experienced something before.

Paimon: In that case, Paimon also felt something like that today... But that's just our brains playing tricks on us, isn't it?

Bronya: Maybe. Maybe not.

Paimon: So, why'd you run here in such a hurry?

Aether: I want to do something I normally never would.

Paimon: So that's it! You're intentionally doing things you usually wouldn't, and seeing if you still get that same feeling of déjà vu...

Rita: After going to the stalls, we did not go to the tavern but now we are at the tavern.

Himeko: It felt like time playing a trick on us.

Lambad: Welcome, you two! Are you here for lunch? What would you like to eat?

Aether: One Coconut Charcoal Cake, please.

Lambad: Got it. You don't look like you're from these parts, but I gotta say, you've got good taste. I'll give this order to the kitchen.

Paimon: Coconut Charcoal Cake! Isn't it that... that burned thing that didn't look tasty at all? Oh... Paimon understands what you're trying to do now... You'd never normally order something like this...

After some time, the Coconut Charcoal Cake is served...

Paimon: That... thing... Are you really gonna eat it? Isn't this... going a bit too far...

Aether: Here goes!

Aether eats it.

Paimon: H—How was it? The look on your face is telling Paimon that it tasted awful...

Aether: No... It actually tasted really good.

Paimon: Then, you mean...

Aether: This flavor... I've definitely eaten this before.

Kiana: No.

Paimon: That's impossible! We were just talking about how gross it looked...

Paimon: ...So would this be a case of taste bud déjà vu?

Aether: I couldn't get rid of it after all.

Neptune: You couldn't have eaten that before. Since we've gotten to Sumeru, we've never seen you eat that before.

Paimon: Paimon also gets the impression that we've been here many times, even though we aren't regulars.

Paimon: Umm... How about... we go out again and try something else.

Fu Hua: We should

They leave the tavern.

Paimon: Hey, Dunyarzad is sitting by herself on that bench over there...

Sakura: Let's go talk to her.

Paimon: What a coincidence, Dunyarzad! We meet again! Uh, why are you sitting here all by yourself?

Dunyarzad: Oh, I ran into some kidnappers just now, but thankfully, Dehya came to my rescue. I started to feel unwell after that, so I sat down here.

Paimon: Kidnappers? Oh my goodness! Are you hurt?

Dunyarzad: I'm okay. Dehya's arm got scratched, but it isn't serious.

Paimon: Phew... That's a big relief. But Dunyarzad, you seem a little down today... It's the Sabzeruz Festival, and you've been looking forward to it so much.

Dunyarzad: Not at all. I've always been like this. Excessive physical exertion or strong emotions tend to aggravate my illness. Besides, no matter how amazing today may be, it is but a single day. After however many more days, my time will come to an end.

Paimon: Paimon doesn't quite follow you, and Paimon feels like something's really got you down right now....

Aether: We're so sorry for leaving you behind earlier.

Dunyarzad: It really is fine. I don't mind.

Miyabi: No, it's not ok. We should've stayed with you.

Mei: We just experienced a number of strange events...

Aether: Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?

Dunyarzad: Huh? Did something happen?

Nepgear: We think that something did happen. Yes.

Paimon: Dunyarzad... have you ever felt déjà vu? You know... Like when you've already experienced something that's happening right now?

Dunyarzad: Déjà vu? No, but my days have been the same for years now. Even if I were feeling déjà vu, I suppose I would already be used to it.

Paimon: Oh, Paimon sees... Then, is it only us...?

Dunyarzad: It's almost time.

Paimon: Huh? Time for what?

Dunyarzad: Nilou's Dance of Sabzeruz is about to begin. Let's go.

(Grand Baazar)

The same thing was happening when Azar and Setaria shut down Nilou's dance. It felt like they went through it already.

They were back in the Serenetea Pot.

Paimon: So in the end, you still couldn't figure out what that déjà vu feeling was all about?

Kallen: I'm afraid not. We couldn't figure anything out at all.

Paimon: Hmm... Maybe it really was because of exhaustion...

Sakura: Maybe.

Aether: I hadn't thought about it, but my head does feel very heavy.

Paimon: Same here! That's why Paimon stopped thinking about it halfway through the day. Then how about we settle in and get a good night's sleep. For now, we can chalk things up to exhaustion... We can do more thinking tomorrow!

A plan has been set in motion somewhere unknown to them...

???: *beep* ...Observing a modest drop in the output of Jnana Energy, but values still remain within normal parameters. Continue to monitor for variances in the data, and find the cause as soon as possible.

(Next morning)

Paimon: *yawn* Why does Paimon feel so tired after so much sleep? Anyway, we should go meet Dunyarzad right away.

Everyone meets outside then approach Dunyarzad.

Paimon: Good morning, Dunyarzad! Sorry to keep you waiting.

Dunyarzad: Not at all. I arrived early.

Paimon: Huh? Paimon thinks you sound kinda tired... Did you not get enough sleep?

Dunyarzad: I'm doing well. There's no need to worry. Shall we go? Let's start with the stalls over there.

Paimon: Great idea! Let's get going. Guys... Uh, hey, guys?

Aether: This feels... all too familiar.

Patrick: Like we've done this multiple times.

A scene transition occurs.

Everything is so familiar that them feel at a loss...

When they got to Vihar's stall, they still kept getting senses of déjà vu. Aether chose number 4 but felt like he did it before.

A short flashback occurs.

Paimon: Haha, Paimon knew he always had incredible luck!

That's when he did it. 

Aether: Number three is Lavender Melon.

Paimon: Umm, Paimon's not really interested in the other flavors.

Vihar: Ah... W—Wait, how did you know? Don't tell me that you already knew which flavor was in each box?

Paimon: What? He was right about all of them?

Vihar: That couldn't have been luck. H—How is this possible? I packed all those boxes this morning, and they've been sealed ever since. You couldn't have known beforehand.

Noire: We know it sound crazy.

Vihar: ...Mind reading? X-ray vision? Or some kind of magic trick? This is way too freaky...

Paimon: Tell us what's going on! Since when did you get superpowers... Traveler?

He sees a little girl... but then she disappeared.

Aether: Just now, that was...

Then he runs after the little girl. The rest of the group follows after him.

Paimon: Hey! Where are you going?

Paimon rushes after them.

She feels very familiar to them, so they decide to follow her.

Paimon: What's going on? Did you see something? Us leaving Dunyarzad without letting her know is kinda rude, you know.

Sakura: Sorry Paimon. This may sound crazy but we may be in some kind of time loop.

Paimon: Time loop?!

Kallen: We know it sounds crazy but just keep following.

They saw the figure going up.

Vert seemed to get a clear view of her.

Vert: (That's definitely Kusanali. I know it's her.)

They kept following till they eventually stopped.

Paimon: What are you looking for? Why did we come here?

A familiar figure... An overwhelming sense of déjà vu...

Paimon: Traveler?

The little girl appeared behind them then disappeared.

Vert: That way!

Aether: Over there.

Paimon: That's...

A bird disappeared too.

They keep following the girl... till they finally caught up with her

They approach the mysterious figure.

Aether: ...

That's when Dunyarzad randomly appears laying down.

Aether: ...

Paimon: Look! That's... Isn't that Dunyarzad!?

Everyone: What!?

Aether: She was still with us just a moment ago...

Paimon: What's happening here? Why are there two Dunyarzads?

???: You already know that this isn't your first Sabzeruz Festival, don't you?

Aether: (Alert)

???: I'm sure you already know how to use this.

The little girl brings out a Knowledge Capsule.

Paimon: A Knowledge Capsule? Where did you get it...? What's inside?

???: You should use it too, Paimon.

Paimon: Ah... Y—You know Paimon?

Vert: Do you know... who we are?

???: Yes I do, Vert.

Aether: Let's use it together, Paimon.

Paimon: ...Well, this seems kinda sketchy, but... Paimon feels like this is what we should do.

After touching the Knowledge Capsule, countless memories resurface in their minds.

Paimon: W—What the!?

Aether: So many days' worth of memories...

Paimon: This is our twentieth time at the Sabzeruz Festival? Hmm, no... The thirtieth? Fortieth? Just how many times have we been to the Sabzeruz Festival?

Sakura; So we really were caught in a time loop.

Kallen: This day kept repeating itself over and over and over again.

Paimon: Have we been trapped in a single day? If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have even realized... What the heck was inside that Knowledge Capsule?

???: Your memories are still scrambled? Try your best to remember. This isn't the first time we've met, and I answered that question a long time ago.

Paimon: Uhh... Let Paimon think... Ohh, it's coming back... Meeting you was the real catalyst for restoring our memories, and... the Knowledge Capsule was just your means of showing our minds the way...

Paimon: What about everyone else? Why are you only helping us?

???: Your sense of déjà vu is stronger than everyone else's, yes? As for an explanation... You received the blessing of Dendro, and you also have special, sensitive constitutions.

Theresa: That's right we do.

???: It was as if a single sheet of paper was separating those memories from your consciousness.

Aether: What's wrong with the Dunyarzad over there...?

???: A familiar question. I think this is the seventh time you asked that. As you can see, she isn't doing well. You probably sensed it, too — the Dunyarzad you were just with is different from the first Dunyarzad you met. That "first" Dunyarzad is in front of you right now, and... she doesn't have a lot of time left.

Vert: What we need to do right now is...

Aether: Break out of this cycle...?

???: Hehe, looks like you're almost done sorting out your brain.

Nahida: Oh yeah, I'm Nahida.

Aether: We know; you introduced yourself before.

Nahida: Good, you passed the test. I also remember you giving me that unexpected embrace, Vert.

Vert: Oh yeah...

A flashback happens.

Vert: Oh, oh my! Oh dear! Oh my!

It shows Vert instantly embracing Nahida in between her breasts. And Vert with hearts in her pupils.

Nahida: Marble?!

Vert: What... what an absolutely adorable girl! You're so cute! I could cuddle you up all day and all night! My dear, how would you like to become my little sister?!

Nahida: Can't see! My eyes are filled with bouncy bouncy...

Noire: Chill out, Vert! What in the world are you doing?! You're giving the poor girl a nosebleed!

Neptune: Not again!

Blanc: Enough!

Neptune, Noire, and Blanc forcefully remove Vert off Nahida.

Neptune: That's the third time!

Nepgear: First with Bouquet, then with Princess Aaru, and now her.

Bronya: indecent.

Uni: And pervy.

Paimon: Paimon can't bear it.

Nahida: O-Oogh. I've never experienced such an intense embrace before. At the same time it was so soft, warm, and... No... I can't lose my dignity.

Durandal: Sorry about her, little girl.

Miyabi: She tends to be clingy to little girls.

Neptune: Because of how she has no little sister.

Vert: I'm really sorry. I couldn't help myself.

Nahida: I forgive you. It's fine.

The flashback ends.

Paimon: What's happening...? You can awaken our memories, and you seem like you know what's going on... Wait, please don't tell Paimon even you don't know!

Nahida: Everything in this world runs in a loop... This cycle is called a "samsara." You, me, and everyone else are all stuck inside a one-day samsara...

Sakura: Just as Kallen and I though. A samsara.

Kallen: Just like before.

Nahida: Did you go through a samsara before?

Sakura: Yes we did. Kallen and I went through a samsara/an infinite time loop under a curse.

Higokumaru: Caused by me. I was evil back then but thanks to Kiana and Patrick, they freed Sakura-nee and Kallen from the samsara curse and I changed.

Kiana: That's right we did.

Patrick: We freed them from their curse.

Sakura: Only it wasn't a one day samsara, it was longer than that.

Kallen: And the endings tended to be different when I kill Sakura or Sakura kill me but it finally stopped when we along with Patrick and Kiana defeated Hellmaru.

Higokumaru: That was what I used to be called.

Durandal: Continue.

Nahida: As for the truth... That's on you to find out. If you were told the truth instead of discovering it yourselves... It would literally blow your minds. I don't know how you'd be after that.

Neptune: I guess that would be true. As much as we're desperate to find out the truth, we have to be patient and find it ourselves. Because just finding it out now without effort and going to where it would be would just be pointless if we already knew without discovering it ourselves.

Nahida: I can only give you surface-level help, like bits of information and subtle hints. For the rest of the time, I'll be doing all I can to slow down Dunyarzad's illness.

Paimon: She looks like she isn't doing well at all... Her illness gets worse after each Sabzeruz Festival...

Nahida: If we can break out of this samsara, I might be able to save her. ...But as things are right now, she's just a small bird in the sky that's about to lose its last feathers. All I can do is raise a gale to delay her fall.

Paimon: You sure love to use weird analogies.

Nahida: Analogies are wonderful tools. They let you use existing knowledge to understand unfamiliar things. Okay, so... With what you know so far, what do you think the truth is?

Aether: Hmm... Let me collect my thoughts...

He thought.

Aether: We've already experienced the Sabzeruz Festival many times. And... the day of the festival seems to be in a perpetual samsara. What's happening right now seems to have happened before. This feeling has been getting stronger and stronger... That should be it... The flow of time is endlessly cycling within one single day.

After going over what happened in detail with the others, he believes the only plausible explanation is "Time Loop."

Nahida: A time loop... *sigh* You've given similarly wrong answers in the past. A pity.

Paimon: Still the wrong answer... Paimon thought that made a lot of sense! It feels like time's just repeating itself.

Kiana: Just what else could be causing this samsara besides a time loop?

Nahida: A simple time loop can't explain some of the phenomena. You two still missing a lot of information. Unfortunately, I can't give you any more hints...

Dunyarzad: *cough* *cough*

Paimon: Dunyarzad...

Nahida: The Sabzeruz Festival is happening every day, but that doesn't mean we can waste an infinite amount of them. Hurry and find the truth before today's festival ends.

Theresa: Don't worry we will.

They leave Nahida and Dunyarzad. But Vert stops.

Vert: Stay on guard for Fatui. Especially Harbingers. They are gonna steal something from Lesser Lord Kusanali and take it to the Tsaritsa.

Vert continues.

Paimon: Let's think about our current situation... To save Dunyarzad, we have to escape the samsara of the Sabzeruz Festival... And to do that, we need to figure out what's happening — the "truth"...

Sakura: This will not be the same as last time.

Kallen: We broke free when we killed Hellmaru. How we break out of this samsara is gonna be different this time.

Paimon: Nahida rejected the idea of a time loop, so we must have missed something, right? Paimon's memories say that we've already done this many times, but... let's go talk to people again. It's more productive than sitting here and scratching our heads... Why don't we start with... those stall owners?

So they asked the stall owners, but unfortunately they knew nothing.

Paimon: We haven't made any progress. Who else can we talk to?

Aether: Let's try talking to Dehya again.

Paimon: Hm, Paimon remembers that we've tried talking to her a couple of times, but she always thinks that we're playing pranks on her. You think she'll brush us off again?

Aether: Let's try taking her to see the real Dunyarzad.

Paimon: Yeah... If we tap into Dehya's strong sense of responsibility as a mercenary, then she'll definitely take us seriously. At this time of day, Dehya's probably just finished beating up those kidnappers. Let's go find her!

So the go to the same spot to where Dehya was after beating the kidnappers.

Dehya: ...I'm fine, my lady. It's just a scratch.

Paimon: Perfect timing! Both of you are here.

Dehya: Paimon, Traveler, everyone, you came at just the right time! Listen, there was a dangerous—

Aether: A gang of kidnappers had just ambushed you.

Dehya: Huh, you saw? Then why didn't you jump in earlier? If someone was protecting Miss Dunyarzad, I could've went all-out. Anyway, can you do something for me?

Paimon: You want us to take Dunyarzad somewhere to rest up while you check to see if there are still any kidnappers around. Did Paimon get that right?

Dehya: ...How did you know what I was going to say?

Neptune: Oh nothing. Just figuring things out quickly.

Paimon: We need to say something convincing...

Aether thinks in his mind again.

Aether: Dehya sold her greatsword to raise additional funds, and then she was injured because she wasn't used to her new weapon.

After going over what happened in detail with the others, he believes that Dehya's Claymore is the compelling evidence.

Paimon: Tell her, Traveler!

Aether: You got injured because you aren't used to your current greatsword.

Dehya: ... I didn't tell anyone about that, including Miss Dunyarzad. You couldn't have known... And just now, you literally took the words right out of my mouth. What's going on?

Paimon: Alright, so this is the situation...

They explain everything to Dehya...

Sakura: And that's it. A samsara.

Dehya: It's kinda hard to believe what you just told me... First, let me make something clear: Most of us desert-dwellers might not be the scholarly type, but we do have basic common sense...

Aether: Haven't you noticed something off about Dunyarzad?

Paimon: She's quieter than usual, uninterested in anything, and really gloomy...

Dehya: Yeah, she isn't the same as before, but... ...Her parents said that this is how she was like at first.

Paimon: Eh? At first?

Durandal: What do you mean?

Dunyarzad: I don't quite understand what you are all talking about. I'll go rest on the bench over there.

Dehya: My lady... Are you angry...?

Aether: Come with us. We'll show you some evidence.

Dehya: ...Alright. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt since you knew about my greatsword. Let's make this a quick trip — Miss Dunyarzad isn't completely safe here.

They return back to Nahida. It was sunset.

Paimon: Nahida, we brought a friend. Are you busy?

Nahida: ...I thought I told you that it won't help to bring anyone here.

Paimon: We just wanted her to see the real Dunyarzad's condition...

Dehya: The real Dunyarzad? ...Where? And who are you talking to?

Paimon: Huh?

Vert: You mean you can't see her.

Dehya: See who?

Nahida: *sigh* I told you that you people are special. Other people can't see me or Miss Dunyarzad here.

Dehya looks around then to the bed.

Dehya: Hold on... Over there, is that...

Aether: Y—You can see her?

Nahida: Wow, how perceptive... Does she have invisible antennae?

Dehya: Miss Dunyarzad... she's lying down here, isn't she? How's she doing?

Paimon: Her condition's really bad, and she's basically in a coma. How did you know she was here?

Dehya: I can sense her aura... There are also lingering feelings of something like regret or disappointment. What happened...?

Paimon: Do you believe us now? The Sabzeruz Festival has been repeating itself...

They begin discussing the issue with Dehya, who finally understands the situation...

Paimon: ...So you think the sages are behind this?

Dehya: Yeah. They've always been against us. It wouldn't surprise me if they're using the Akasha to intentionally repeat the Sabzeruz Festival as a sick joke.

Durandal and Vert: Those jerks.

Paimon: Hmm, you have a point... Aside from the Dendro Archon, the Akademiya's sages are the only ones in Sumeru who could pull off something like this. Maybe there's more to the Akasha than we know?

Aether: Nahida, can you tell us anything about the Akasha?

Paimon: Right! Didn't you awaken our memories using something that looked like a Knowledge Capsule? That means you must know something about the Akasha!

Nahida: The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate, as it is the manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and it grants knowledge to the people.

Paimon: A Gnosis can do that!? No wonder the Akasha is so magical — it's being powered by the Gnosis of Sumeru's Archon.

Vert: (And the Fatui are gonna steal it. Without the Gnosis, the Akasha will lose it's power. It's not in her body. It's somewhere else.)

Dehya: So, this Nahida you mentioned... What did she say?

Paimon: She said, and Paimon quotes: "The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate, as it is the manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and it grants knowledge to the people."

Dehya: Compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and grants knowledge to the people... Wait...

Aether: What's up?

Dehya: I get the "grants knowledge" part — that's what people have always used the Akasha for. But compiling the entire populace's wisdom? How does that work?

Paimon: Did she mean that the sages enter new knowledge into the Akasha?

Aether: Most information in the Akasha comes from Irminsul.

Paimon: Oh yeah, that sounds about right. What do you think?

Aether thinks in his mind.

Aether: Okay, Nahida said, "The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate, as it is the manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and it grants knowledge to the people." My mind feels exhausted, even though I haven't done too much thinking. What is going on? What's happening right now seems to have happened before. This feeling has been getting stronger and stronger...

After going over what happened in detail with the group, he believes it has something to do with "Abnormal Mental Fatigue"

Dehya: You mean... The Akasha is causing our mental fatigue? Now that I think about it, my head's been feeling unusually heavy. When the desert-dwellers set off on their quest for knowledge, a sage once said, "Knowledge always comes at a price." Compiling the entire country's knowledge...You think the Akasha pulled a 180 and is extracting information from us?

Vert: Maybe.

Aether: But how would it do that...?

Dehya: Who knows? The Akasha can put knowledge into our heads, so who's to say that it can't also poke around in there? We don't know any specifics.

Paimon: What's the point of doing something like that?

Dehya: Just think about it... If you could combine the knowledge of every single person in Sumeru, then you can basically turn Sumeru City into a single, massive brain... ...This hivemind could make breakthroughs in problems that even the smartest geniuses can't crack.

Nahida: An excellent deduction. And the analogy comparing Sumeru City to a massive brain? Ahh, I love it.

Paimon: In that case, we should take off our Akasha Terminals right away! Maybe that'll solve this problem?

Bronya: It's worth a shot.

Aether: Somehow, I don't think it'll be that simple.

Dehya: Yeah. I was only wearing this for show in the first place. Didn't expect the Sages to cook up such a conspiracy... Mark my words, when this is over, I'm getting evidence and exposing this whole thing to the public!

Vert: And we're gonna bring them to justice.

Everyone removes their Akasha Terminals... It became night.

Paimon: How does everyone feel?

Aether: Actually, I also noticed something else.

Paimon: Huh? What is it?

Aether: I feel like at the end of every day... There is always the sound of a beep.

Paimon: Oh, that! Paimon knows what you're talking about! It's a single, soft beep that sounds like it's coming from the Akasha Terminal.

Dehya: The sound of a beep... Could it be a prompt tone for when the Akasha is operating?

Aether: We heard the same sound in Port Ormos.

Paimon: That's probably an important clue. We weren't using our terminals, but we heard a beep anyway...

???: *beep*

Everyone: !!!

Paimon: Guys, did you hear that!?

Seele: We did!

Dehya: I heard it, too! Our ears aren't messing with us. There was definitely a beep, but it sounded like it was coming from inside my head! We took off our Akasha Terminals... How...?

Everyone blacked out.

A plan has been set in motion somewhere unknown to them...

???: Phase runtime has exceeded its expected length. At this rate, there may be casualties... But... we cannot lose all of our progress.

A flashback occurs. This time they did not end up where the day began. It was day again.

Paimon: Paimon remembers everything!

Rozaliya: So do I!

Asuka: It all came back!

Nahida: ...Good, you adapted quickly this time.

Aether: At the end of last night...

Paimon: We definitely took off our Akasha Terminals last night, but we still heard that beep. Why's that?

Aether: We've been implanted with another form of the terminals?

Paimon: But now, we can at least confirm one thing: The Akasha definitely has something to do with whatever's trapping us in this cycle! Paimon doesn't get it... Why would the Akasha go this far if all it wants is everybody's wisdom?

Nahida: It's extremely difficult for lab rats in an experiment to understand why they're being treated the way they are.

Paimon: If we're lab rats, then what are you? Nahida, you've never told us anything about yourself...

Nahida: Hmm... I guess I'm the Moon.

Paimon: The Moon? Wasn't that the result of our divination?

Aether: ...

Nahida: Anyway, knowing who I am won't help you get closer to the truth, so you should focus on other things. Don't get distracted and miss any clues~

Paimon: Okay then... Dehya helped us a lot yesterday, so let's go find her. If Paimon's reading the time correctly, those kidnappers should be showing up soon.

Vert: One more thing. The Fatui are going to steal the Gnosis from the Akasha. I suggest that the guards and security get doubled.

A scene transition occurs.

Dehya: Ah, there you are. I've already taken care of those kidnappers. My lady, did you get hurt?

Aether: Hold on, something's not right...

Paimon: Eh? Dehya!?

Dehya: What's wrong? Why are you both gawking at me like that?

Paimon: Y—You didn't get hurt this time!?

Dehya: Huh? What do you mean, "this time"? Why are you so surprised that I managed to get out unscathed? Those kids were amateurs.

Aether: Aren't you still getting used to your new greatsword?

Dehya: Shhh... How did you know about my greatsword? I haven't told anyone about it. Please don't tell Miss Dunyarzad!

Paimon: So Dehya's lost her memories after all...

Aether: During your battle... Did anything feel strange?

Dehya: Anything strange...? You already know that I got a new greatsword. Hmm... if I had to say something, it's weird how such a new weapon could feel so familiar. It's as if... I've already used it to fight a countless number of battles.

Paimon: You're saying that although you don't remember using it, your body... feels like it does?

Dehya: That's right. Both mercenaries and warriors heavily rely on muscle memory. Only knowing the theory of battle won't get you anywhere.

Paimon: Traveler, what do you think?

Aether: Could it be because we removed our Akasha Terminals?

Paimon: Yeah, Paimon's feeling really hopeful!

Aether: Is it possible that... we have already broken free?

Durandal: Maybe.

Paimon: Ooh, you're right! Earlier in the samsara, something like this would've never happened.

Aether: We'll know for sure at the end of the day.

Dehya: I have no clue what you two are talking about, but it's still dangerous here, so—

Paimon: So you want us to take Dunyarzad somewhere else to rest while you check if there are still more kidnappers around. Right?

Dehya: How did you know what I was gonna say...? Can you read minds?

Paimon: Forget it, go and do your thing.

A scene transition occurs and it becomes night again.

Paimon: ...Phew, it's finally nighttime. Aside from Dehya not getting injured, everything seems to have stayed the same. Listen, Nahida! We found out that Dehya got out just fine today, even though she got injured every other time she fought the kidnappers. Do you think the samsara has been broken? Have we saved Dunyarzad?

Nahida: Really? Good job on all that progress. Get some good sleep tonight.

Paimon: Hey, what kind of an answer is that?

Nahida: "Tomorrow will come." Everyone assumes this as common knowledge, but the only way you can know that for sure is if you experience tomorrow. How many "today"s has it been? Is it possible that "today" will be followed by "yesterday"? Does "tomorrow" truly exist as anything beyond a made-up concept? It's even possible that this entire world is a lie, and the history of the whole world has just been one endless Sabzeruz Festival.

Paimon: Okay, okay, no more! Paimon's brain has already shut down!

Kiana:  Mine too!

Nahida: Hehe... That's why it makes no sense to waste your energy thinking about things you will learn tomorrow. Get some good rest! Ya know... Use the bathroom and flush your anxiety dookie away~

Paimon: Huh? Hold on, what did you just say? Did Paimon hear you correctly?

Nahida: Hm? People always say they feel a sense of relief after they take a dook-dook. That's why I suggested you could try that. Is that so strange?

Noire: It is strange.

Paimon: Ugh... It's so strange and so against common sense that Paimon is at a loss for words... You were sounding kinda smart just a minute ago!

Aether: ...We're going to go get some rest.

Paimon: Yeah... Even though it's happy and lively at the Sabzeruz Festival every day, it feels like it's been a long time since we've really gotten to relax. Let's go back to our room.

Sakura: And to our Serenetea Pot.

They began to leave.

Nahida: Wait Vert.

Vert: Hmm... What is it?

Nahida: I'll accept you as a big sister for now.

Vert: Oh my, thank you very much, Nahida! I look forward to seeing you again!

Vert catches up with everyone else.

A plan has been set in motion somewhere unknown to them...

???: *beep* Continue the harvest. Compared to what we stand to achieve, these sacrifices are trivial.

(Serenetea Pot)

They had their meeting again. Aether and Paimon were not there.

Kallen: So it was the sages who were behind this.

Vert: Those haters of Kusanali are so dead. Ruining a Loli Archon's Birthday with a samsara time loop.

Durandal: They must be taught a lesson.

Patrick: And the Gnosis powers the akasha. When the Fatui Harbingers steal it, the akasha will lose its power and there will be consequences.

Sakura: It would be a bad idea to replace it with a decoy. Unless after the Fatui stal it from the Akasha we delay them from escaping and use time fracture to swap out the real Gnosis with a decoy.

Mei: I just hope that Nahida did not cut ties with Celestia like Ei did.

Higokumaru: We've already been through enough samsara time loops.

Vert: Even if the Gnosis is not in Kusanali's body, the Fatui could still do something to her. We must still protect her just like how others would.

Durandal: We better do that.

Tamamo: We also better keep an eye out for the Doctor, Il Dottore.

Homura: I think we've got some killing to do.

Vert: To teach those fiend sages a lesson.

Durandal: We will.

Yumi: We better go to bed now. Hopefully no more fatigue.

Patrick: And we better find those sages.

Kallen: Alright. This meeting is dismissed.

(Next Day)

They all ended up at the same spot when they turned off their terminals.

Paimon: ...We're still in the same day!

Neptune: We're back here!

Aether: As expected, it's not as simple as we thought.

Paimon: Nahida, you already knew last night that we didn't break out of the samsara! Why didn't you tell us?

Nahida: Would there have been a point? You would've spent the night with new worries, with tomorrow still out of reach. In that case ... You might as well rest within that brief moment of hope. An opportunity like that doesn't come by often, and I thought it might help you clear your minds.

Paimon: Paimon thought the dook-dook did that! Ah, whatever, guess you were looking out for us after all.

Nahida: Hehe, of course. In the time we've been together, you have been everything to me.

Vert blushes.

Vert: I feel so flattered coming from a little girl.

Paimon: Uh... Paimon's flattered and everything, but maybe you're taking things a little fast...

Liliya: You might want to slow things down.

Nahida: Hehehe... What I mean is, even though I had asked you to solve this puzzle, you are still the only ones who can see me and sense my presence.

Nahida: In other words, if you weren't here, I may as well not exist. That's why you have been everything to me. Get it?

Kiana: Uhh... No... We don't get it.

Paimon: Uhh, Nahida's talking about confusing stuff again...

Nahida: Anyway, that's enough chit-chat. So Travelers, did the new clues yesterday help you gain a new understanding of the situation?

Aether: The time loop theory is indeed incorrect.

Paimon: Huh? Why are you scrapping your previous theory?

Aether: Dehya's fighting skills have been improving.

Sakura: And Dunyarzad's illness has also gotten worse...

Paimon: Oh yeah, you're right. Gosh, how did we not notice that? In a simple time loop, people's physical conditions should also reset.

Nahida: So, what's your new hypothesis?

Aether thought inside his mind.

Aether: : The Moon, illusions, and lies... What do they all mean? Mercenaries rely heavily on muscle memory, and Dehya was able to use her experiences to avoid injury in later samsara cycles. The beep is a prompt tone for Akasha operations. We still hear it every night, even though we removed our Akasha Terminals. Okay, Nahida said, "The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate, as it is the manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and it grants knowledge to the people." We've already experienced the Sabzeruz Festival many times. And... the day of the festival seems to be in a perpetual samsara. ... If all our memories of a day are erased at the end of that day, then we would unwittingly relive the same day again and again.

After going over what happened in detail and talking to the others about it, he believes the only plausible explanation is "Memory Deletion."

Nahida: Um...

Kallen: We aren't in a time loop...

Aether: Instead, our memories are being erased at the end of each day.

Paimon: Ooh! Then the beep we hear every night could just be indicating the deletion of our memories. That's why when we wake up, everyone thinks the Sabzeruz Festival hasn't happened yet. It's already the next day, but everyone still thinks it's the day before. But muscle memory can't be erased. That's why Dehya has been getting better at using her greatsword! Now everything makes sense!

Nahida: ...Hm, a brilliant deduction.

Paimon: Nahida, tell us if we're right or wrong!

Nahida: To put it simply, it's as if you've mistaken a Pyro Crystalfly for a Firefly in the night. You lost sight of its true nature because you focused too much on your perception that it glows.

Paimon: That isn't simple at all!

Aether: Still the wrong conclusion, huh...

Nahida: Why don't you go talk to Miss Dehya again? You might learn something new.

Kiana: This is taking too long.

Neptune: Be patient.

Paimon: Right... She did help us find our latest clue, after all. Let's go!

Nahida: We don't have many more festivals to waste. Hurry and find the truth.

They go to Dehya.

Dehya: ...There you are. Really took me a while to find you.

Paimon: As expected, Dehya also didn't get hurt today.

Dehya: Get hurt? Why would I? Don't underestimate me.

Paimon: Well, you're still getting used to your new greatsword...

Dehya: Truth be told, I also think it's pretty strange. It just suddenly felt so familiar in my hands... Wait a sec, how did you know I got a new greatsword to begin with? I didn't tell anyone about it...

Paimon: Traveler, could you explain the situation to her today? Paimon's gotten a little sick of doing it...

Aether: Let's just get straight to the point.

Paimon: Oh, that works.

Aether: You suddenly became proficient with your greatsword because... We've lived through this same day many times already. And our memories of the day are erased every night.

The others explained in their own ways.

Dehya: ...What happened to you guys while I was gone? Did you get brainwashed by some cult?

Sakura: No we didn't.

Paimon: Umm, don't think too hard about it. Just take what we're saying at face value.

Dehya: ...Alright then. Let me get this striaght [sic]. You're telling me that my body's already gotten used to this greatsword, but my brain just doesn't remember it?

Paimon: Yes, your memory's being erased every day.

Dehya: Then I'd have to disagree. That's impossible.

Paimon: Oh? Why do you think that?

Dehya: If we've actually been reliving the Sabzeruz Festival day after day, then what happened to the things we used, the money we spent, the food we ate? Common sense says my wallet should've emptied itself a long time ago. There's no way I wouldn't have noticed that.

Aether: I've thought about that, too. But if the sages were behind this... If they utilized the entire city's resources, as well as information supplied by the Akasha...

Paimon: Right... They could use the Akasha to record what everyone did that day, and then use the city's resources to replenish everything... It's not very likely, but it's also not impossible.

Dehya: No, it is impossible. I've got proof.

Paimon: You have proof? Where?

Dehya: *sigh* You are surprisingly serious about this nonsensical discussion. Fine, I'll play along for a little longer. Come with me. Miss Dunyarzad, please come along as well. I still can't guarantee that this area is safe.

So they follow Dehya.

Paimon: Paimon can't believe it's Dehya who wants to show us something this time. Two days ago, we were the ones taking her to see Dunyarzad...

They arrived at the spot.

Dehya: This is it.

Paimon: Huh? This a wooden training dummy. What about it?

Dehya: See those marks on the dummy? Those are the result of several days' worth of practice. Let's say the sages didn't replace it every day. Shouldn't it be hacked to pieces by now?

Paimon: That's true, but what if they did?

Dehya: Then the sages would have had to reproduce every mark I left during previous training sessions. I'm a professional fighter. My martial school has always emphasized the importance of refined control. The force, angle, and entry point of each strike is calculated and deliberate. That's why I remember every mark on the dummy, as well as my state of mind as I made each strike. It's just as they say: Each swordsman has their own unique style, and even the same swordsman can't make the same cut twice. It would be impossible to copy these marks.

Neptune: She doesn't believe us.

Paimon: Is it really impossible? What if they used some fancy machine to carve every single mark?

Dehya: People often say that a Kamera's photo can never replace an artist's painting because the former has no spirit to it. The same thing applies here. At a mere glance, I can differentiate carved marks from the results of combat training.

Aether: It seems we'll have to abandon this theory...

Dehya: Phew... I hope that cleared things up for you? Hey, is this that new Brainsercise game that's been super popular with the scholars lately? It's surprisingly fun. Anyway, it's getting late. I should escort Miss Dunyarzad to Nilou's stage. See ya later.

Paimon: Welp, back to square one. Is our memory deletion theory also wrong? *sigh*

Vert: It can't be.

Paimon: But at least we've reached some other conclusions in the meantime?

Aether: We're not in a time loop. We're not in the real world.

Paimon: Yep, that's true. So... can we think of any new ideas right now?

Aether: Let me think... I suddenly realized that something is strange...

Paimon: Strange? Paimon feels like everything's been strange lately...

Aether: How come... we've never thought about leaving the city?

Paimon: Huh? Leaving the city... You're right! It's really strange how we never thought of such a simple solution. Many things should become clear if we can confirm the flow of time outside of the city.

Nepgear: We better give it a try.

Paimon: Paimon can't believe it... Did we miss this because we're tunnel-visioning too hard on our other theories, or because we're just too tired?

Aether: We should've thought of this a long time ago.

Paimon: How about we go back and ask Nahida? Maybe we've forgotten something about leaving the city.

Vert: Let's go.

They return back to Nahida.

Paimon: Nahida, we're back!

Nahida: You're back early today. Did you find something new?

Paimon: Sort of. We're mostly sure now that we're not in a time loop, and we also aren't in the real world. But at the same time, we have a new question...

Aether: What will happen if we try to leave the city?

Nahida: Leaving the city... As far as I remember, you've mentioned your plans to do that twice before...

Everyone: !? HUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHH?!

Paimon: We did? But we don't remember anything! What happened after we talked about those plans? What did we say when we got back?

Nahida: Let me think... I don't think you ever actually told me what the outcome was. Oh — it's probably more accurate to say that both times, you never came back the whole night. But you sometimes stay out the entire night anyway, so at the time, I didn't think too much about it.

Paimon: It is true that sometimes we lose track of time during our investigations. Before we know it, it'll already be the next day. But still... neither of us remember anything about leaving town.

Nahida: Really? That's kinda strange. In theory, I should've already awakened all your memories.

Aether: Let's try again tomorrow.

Paimon: Yup! Something here's definitely fishy. Let's get to the bottom of this tomorrow!

A plan has been set in motion somewhere unknown to them...

???: *beep*

(Next Day)

Paimon: ...Our memories are back!

Aether: Let's go and try to leave the city today.

Paimon: ...About that... Well, where should Paimon begin...

Aether: Huh? Paimon, what do you mean?

Nahida: Traveler, aside from your memories that were just restored, I have another message for you.

Aether: Another message? From who?

Nahida: Listen to it and you'll understand.

Aether: "...Can't go back... There are countless spaces here. Our Sabzeruz Festival in Sumeru City is just one of them..."

Aether was shocked.

Aether: This is... my own voice!?

Paimon: Traveler, you should be missing two days' worth of memories. Paimon will fill you in...

Seele: So will we.

(Two days ago.)

Paimon: ...It's time to carry out our plan from yesterday!

Everyone: YEAH!

Aether: Let's go and try to leave the city today.

Paimon: Okay, let's go!

Nahida: We don't have many more festivals to waste. Hurry and find the truth.

They approached the entrance to the city.

Merchant: ...Why can't we leave the city? What is the Akademiya up to now?

Guard: Don't ask me. It's not like I can tell you anything. This is a direct order from the Grand Sage. Just wait until tomorrow.

Merchant: I have a real emergency. My goods have already arrived at Port Ormos. If I don't hurry, they'll be stolen...

Guard: That's your problem. Make sure you make a request in advance next time.

Merchant: B—But it's not like you can just predict business matters in advance... *sigh*

Paimon: It looks like the Akademiya already announced a lockdown for Sumeru City today. How completely unsurprising... Let's go and question them. Hello sir, why can't we leave the city today?

Guard: Here we go again... Don't ask me, I don't know either. We just received an order that no one is allowed to enter or exit Sumeru today. They didn't tell us anything else.

Vert: Couldn't you have questioned them?

Guard: No. Because they would not tell us anything.

Vert: Of course the Akademiya wouldn't share their plans with a pawn.

Aether: So the Akademiya doesn't trust you at all.

Guard: Hmph, angering me won't get you anywhere. If I had that kind of insider info, I would have left this stupid post a long ago.

They go somewhere else.

Paimon: It looks like he really doesn't know. If we can't get anything out of him, let's take matters into our own hands. Why don't we climb over the walls? Those guards can't be everywhere at once.

Theresa: Let's try it.

Paimon: This is a good spot, and the guard hasn't noticed us at all. Let's hurry...

Aether: Everyone, stay here.

Paimon: Huh!? Why? Are you going to leave Paimon behind?

Himeko: And us?

Aether: Leaving the city might trigger disruptions to our memories... We need someone to stay and witness events from this side.

Fu Hua: Point taken.

Paimon: B—But what if things get really weird out there and you get into some trouble? T—Then Paimon won't be able to help you! Ugh... Paimon knows that Paimon can't do much, but we've always been together, haven't we?

Aether: Don't worry, Paimon. If we leave together, it'll just be the same as before.

Paimon: ...

Kiana: We have to agree.

Paimon: ...Okay, Paimon will wait for you.

Paimon: Promise Paimon that you'll come back as soon as possible. Just a quick look!

Aether: Okay, okay...

Paimon: And please be careful!

A scene transition occurs.

Paimon: Ah... Memories...!

Aether: Let's go and try to leave the city today.

Paimon: Traveler! W—W—Waaaaaah!!!

Paimon starts crying and embraces Aether.

Aether: W—What's wrong, Paimon!?

Paimon: Paimon thought Paimon would never see you again! Y—You just disappeared!

Bronya: You just vanished out of thin air.

Paimon: Paimon and others waited for you for hours and hours at the city wall, and you never came back! You promised Paimon that you were only taking a quick look! *sniff*

Rozaliya: We had to try to comfort her but nothing worked!

Aether: W—What did I promise?

Nahida: Paimon, calm down. He's here now. I don't think he understood what you were saying.

Paimon: *sniff*... Paimon doesn't care. Paimon wanted to go look for you, but you also said that Paimon should stay... Paimon was so worried and so scared the entire day...

Kiana: We were worried too but we had to be calm.

Patrick: At least we didn't cry.

Neptune: Had to play some games so we don't get bored.

Aether: Although I don't remember doing any of this... I won't leave you behind.

Paimon: *sniff* ...Okay, Paimon will forgive you. The most important thing is that you didn't actually disappear... Paimon was so scared that you had gone into another world!

Nahida: Okay, Paimon, everyone, can you tell us your perspective of what really happened yesterday...

Paimon describes Aether's plan from yesterday...

Nahida: I see. Using two people's different perspectives...

Paimon: After that, you left the city. Paimon kept her eyes on you the whole time, but then you disappeared in an instant...

Aether: You sure that's what you saw? You weren't zoning out or anything?

Paimon: No way! Paimon was watching you with the fullest attention.

Neptune: So were we!

Nahida: What's your perspective, Traveler? You sure you don't have any memory of this?

Aether: Yes, I don't even know that "yesterday" existed.

Nahida: I guess that explains everything. You also lost your memories the last two times you tried to leave the city. Those days' memories can't be awoken.

Paimon: So if we leave the city, our memories will be completely erased?

Aether: So they didn't just restrict access to Sumeru City... They're also erasing the memories of those who leave...

Paimon: It really sounds like something big outside of the city is being hidden on purpose! But this way, we'll also never discover what's outside...

Aether: Can we leave behind something other than memories?

Paimon: Something like a message? But how can we send it back?

Nahida: ...Don't look at me like that. I... I'm not used to being stared at. Well... Okay, okay. You want something that can pass on messages, right? Give me some time, and take care of Dunyarzad for me.

Paimon: Yep! Now we're talking!

Nahida leaves and they wait all day for her to come back till it become night after a long wait.

Nahida: ...I'm done. Here you go.

Paimon: What? Isn't this just an Akasha Terminal?

Nahida: I made some little changes. Akasha Terminals are already capable of sending messages. I just tweaked it so that it can connect to any node.

Vert: Impressive.

Paimon: To make something like this... Nahida, you really know the Akasha like the back of your hand! Anyway, we can use this now to record a message, right?

Nahida: Yep. I will help you save the messages. It should be pretty easy to use. I just can't guarantee the user's status and signal coverage when they're outside the city...

Paimon: We'll never know until we try! At least we're taking the initiative now!

Aether: It's worth a try.

Paimon: Let's go then. Let's expose those sages!

Everyone: YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!

Vert: Let's go trash those sages!

Aether: I still think you should all stay.

Paimon: Ahh... Alright. Paimon isn't as worried about being separated since it happened once yesterday, but... Paimon still isn't happy about it...

Blanc: Since you're gonna end up back here with memories erased again, it's worth another shot.

Aether: See you tomorrow, Paimon. Everyone.

Paimon: Okay! See you tomorrow, Traveler!

And then the flashback ended.

Paimon: ...That covers everything that's happened so far.

Aether: So that message... Was what I left for myself when I left the city?

Nahida: Yes. Although the signal was choppy and had some interference, we still managed to receive two messages from you when you were outside.

Paimon: Okay, now that you understand what's going on, let's hear the messages together!

So they listened to the messages.

Aether: "...Can't go back... There are countless spaces here. Our Sabzeruz Festival in Sumeru City is just one of them..." "...I've entered another space... Before me are flowing sandstone and howling fish... Impossible and surreal sights..." "...All these spaces are empty except for the occasional ones that contain mute puppets rather than people... I can't sense any human presence..."

Paimon: ...That's one heck of an info dump! It sounds like you left the Sumeru City space when you set foot outside of the walls.

Neptune: And saw something really terrifying.

Kiana: And people all muted.

Paimon: ...But everything looked completely normal when Paimon was looking out from the inside! That's unbelievable. And if we take your word for it, the other spaces all had very weird contents...

Nahida: There's one final part here... I only received it late last night.

Aether: ...These spaces have been disappearing one after the other... Absorbed by something like a sun in the sky... *beep* ...And now, even the final space has also disappeared... ...Behind me, a lot of spaces just appeared again from thin air... I get it now! Those spaces are actually— *buzz*

Kiana: Are actually what?

Paimon: Ah... Ugh, why did the message end right there? What did the Traveler want to say? What are those spaces?

Nahida: Probably because "yesterday" just happened to end at that moment.

Paimon: Oh, right, Paimon did hear a beep from the Akasha. Did it come from here or from the message?

Nahida: The message. It should've come from the Traveler's Akasha Terminal.

Paimon: After the beep, Traveler said, "Even the final space has also disappeared..."

Nahida: Traveler, what do you think that "final space" could have been?

Bronya: Try to explain to us.

Aether: All the bizarre spaces I saw outside the city had one thing in common: a lack of human presence. ..Was that space actually the real world? But wouldn't a real space just randomly disappearing like that be catastrophic? My impression is that each day in this samsara only ends at the sound of that beep from the Akasha.

After going over what happened in detail, He believes the only plausible explanation is "The Space Where We Were Yesterday."

Paimon: Ohh, so that's what it is! After the sound of the beep, the final space — the Sabzeruz Festival — also disappears, and we're taken to the next day. Later on, Traveler also mentioned a bunch of new spaces materializing behind them... Do lots of new spaces appear every day? Paimon's head is spinning... Just what are these "spaces," anyhow?

Nahida: Well, consider this, for all the horrors of the Archon War, at its heart, it was just a game where a bunch of gods fought over seven seats.

Kiana: It has something to do with the Archon War?

Nahida: So no matter how strange or spooky things might look on the surface, maybe all they point to in the end is a small and simple secret.

Paimon: Wow, the Archon War, huh? That's an analogy and a half.

Aether: A "secret," huh...

Aether begins to walk away.

Aether: Give me some time. I need to organize my thoughts.

Paimon: Hey, where are you going?

Theresa: We better follow him.

The next day came and the Traveler went to the bench.

Paimon: Do you want some alone time to think? Alright then, Paimon won't disturb you.

Mei: We won't disturb you either.

The time fast forwards.

Dunyarzad: ...The Dance of Sabzeruz is about to begin. I'm going to go watch it.

Aether: The Dance of Sabzeruz... It's that time already...

Paimon: Okay, um... Why don't you go ahead, Dunyarzad? We still have some other stuff to do first.

Dunyarzad: Okay then. See you later.

Paimon: Have you figured it out yet, Traveler? Time is ticking away.

Aether: I think I know the answer now.

Paimon: Awesome! What is it? Paimon wants to know! ...Wait, no, let's meet up with Nahida first. You can tell us both together. This time, we're gonna get to the truth!

Vert: Hopefully.

They return back to Nahida.

Nahida: You're back. I've been waiting forever for you people. Judging by the looks on your faces... Are you ready to take your Sabzeruz Exam and graduate from the festival?

Aether: Ask away, Miss Nahida.

Nahida: Hehe, okay, first off... Have you discovered the hidden truth?

Aether goes into his mind.

Aether: Okay, Nahida said, "The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate, as it is the manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and it grants knowledge to the people." We've already experienced the Sabzeruz Festival many times. And... the day of the festival seems to be in a perpetual samsara. All the bizarre spaces I saw outside the city had one thing in common: a lack of human presence. Those spaces remind me of... dreams. Like the one I had in the Avidya Forest, except these have no sign of human presence. The Moon, illusions, and lies... What do they all mean? People in Sumeru don't dream. What a strange phenomenon. ... We are all in a dream. It isn't that the people of Sumeru don't dream. Rather, the Akasha is taking their dreams from them.

After going over what happened in detail, he finally understands what "The Truth Behind Dreams" means.

Paimon: People in Sumeru think they don't dream, but the truth is, the Akasha steals their dreams without them knowing it. And those spaces with no human presence are stolen dreams without their host? That would explain why they sounded so weird when he was trying to describe them... Huh, so people in Sumeru do dream after all. In fact, we're all in one big dream together right now!

Neptune: Mystery is getting solved.

Nahida: Correct answer. Now, how did you conclude that the Akasha is capable of this?

Aether goes into his mind again.

Nahida: The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate. It is a manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace. And it grants knowledge to the people.

After going over what happened in detail, he believes the only plausible explanation is "The Akasha Is a Manifestation of the God of Wisdom's Power."

Paimon: Ooh, okay. Those dream-controlling creatures in the forest also get their power from the Dendro Archon, right? That would explain why the Akasha has the ability to control people's dreams, too. But... is stealing everyone's dreams really how the Akasha compiles their wisdom? Isn't there anything more to it than that?

Vert: Maybe.

Nahida: Dreams are fantastical, complex, and full of imagination. People's brains are the most active when they're dreaming. In other words, dreams are rich bundles of human wisdom.

Paimon: So in other words, the complete opposite of how Haypasia understood it... Paimon remembers her saying that the sages think dreams are "foolish delusions," and the fact that no one dreams is a blessing from Greater Lord Rukkhadevata... Hmph, so it was all a dirty trick!?

Durandal: It was. How evil of them.

Paimon: The real story is that the sages from the Akademiya are using the Akasha to steal people's dreams for their own use, huh?

Aether: Yes, and they don't intend to stop there.

Nahida: Oh? By the sounds of it, you understand the current situation pretty well. So then, what about this samsara?

Aether goes into his mind again.

Aether: The beep is a prompt tone for Akasha operations. We still hear it every night, even though we removed our Akasha Terminals. Those spaces kept disappearing before my eyes, but as soon as that beep sounded, many more spaces materialized. Those dreamscapes kept vanishing, but as soon as that beep sounded, more new spaces appeared. The Grand Sage said, "Go celebrate the birth of that god to your heart's content." Did he mean something more? My mind feels exhausted, even though I haven't done too much thinking. What is going on? We've already experienced the Sabzeruz Festival many times. And... the day of the festival seems to be in a perpetual samsara.

After going over what happened in detail, he believes the only plausible explanation is "Mass Production of Dreams."

Nahida: Correct. The Akasha is keeping each person's brain in a constant dream state, but also separating their consciousness from their own dream. Their disembodied consciousness is placed inside the collective dream of the Sabzeruz Festival along with everyone else's, while their now-vacant dreams are harvested by the Akasha. No one is any the wiser as another day passes in the dream, and so begins another samsara cycle... People "wake up" to yet another dream about the Sabzeruz Festival, the dreams that belong to them are once again harvested by the Akasha... and so it continues.

Sakura: So it really wasn't a time loop. It was all a samsara dream.

Paimon: So... this is like a dream factory, and the Akasha is... a dream-harvesting machine. Did Paimon get that analogy right?

Nahida: Very good, Paimon. Using analogies well is an excellent habit to get into.

Paimon: Okay, so that beep we keep hearing is actually from our real-life Akasha Terminals... Taking off our terminals in this dream doesn't do anything...

Nahida: Alright, last question... Who am I?

Aether goes into his mind again.

Aether: They say that alchemical divination is the Dendro Archon's divine revelation. So then, if Nahida has referred to herself as the Moon... Now that I think about it, wasn't "illusions" a hint that we're all dreaming? Now that I think about it, wasn't "illusions" hinting at the Sages' deception of Sumeru's people?

He submitted his answer.

Nahida: Hehe. So you noticed.

Aether: You are Lesser Lord Kusanali.

Nahida: Aww, I thought that one would be the hardest question. That's why I put it last.

Vert: The Dendro Archon.

Paimon: Pff, that wasn't hard at all. Even Paimon guessed that! Everything about you is different. We just didn't wanna expose you is all. Now that you mention it... Nahida, you've been hinting to us since the very beginning... It's funny thinking back to when we were asking all over the place for info about Lesser Lord Kusanali. Paimon didn't expect to meet you like this!

Aether: We have a lot of questions for you. But this doesn't seem like a good time.

Nahida: Yes, those can wait until we're back in real life. On the other hand, I'd be happy to answer any more questions you have about here and now.

Kiana: Ok, here are our questions.

Aether: Why couldn't you simply tell us the truth?

Nahida: You asked me this question before. My answer was: "It would literally blow your minds." Now that you know this is all a dream, this answer should hopefully make more sense... Have you heard the saying "Don't wake a sleepwalker"? Likewise, if someone suddenly had told you all of this instead of you learning it on your own... Your notion of reality and dream would be thrown into irreversible confusion. I couldn't expose you to that kind of risk. That's why I could only give you very subtle hints and some suggestions. Long story short, I'm really sorry I had to keep you guessing.

Durandal: We understand.

Rita: Next question.

Aether: How do the sages manage to keep people from noticing this?

Nahida: Firstly, this dream we're in is completely based on reality. People have already experienced this Sabzeruz Festival, so it would be very difficult for them to find anything that strikes them as surreal. Secondly, you're probably wondering why people don't have any memories from earlier samsara, right?

Asuka: Yes.

Nahida: That's because people don't remember their dreams most of the time anyway. And in any case, their actual dreams are being taken away from them by the Akasha... So whenever they "wake up" in this dream of the Sabzeruz Festival, they don't remember anything from their previous, identical dream.

Paimon: That reminds Paimon. Traveler and a few others had a dream when we were in the Avidya Forest, but couldn't say what it was about after waking up. Is that an example of what you mean?

Nahida: Yes. Only after receiving the blessing of Dendro can a person gain the Dendro element's dream-enhancing power. That explains the feelings of déjà vu. Meanwhile, everyone else has no idea that they are in a Sabzeruz Festival samsara while their dreams are stolen from them over and over again.

Vert: Next question.

Aether: About the side effects of a "mass-produced dream"...

Paimon: Can humans really keep dreaming forever like this? Will it ever end? And if so, when?

Nahida: You might say your mental fatigue has already answered this question. Eventually, there is only so much that people can tolerate. Especially those whose health is compromised to begin with... like Dunyarzad. This relentless exploitation takes an even harder toll on them.

Paimon: People's lives are at stake here, and nobody knows a thing... We've gotta put a stop to this!

Yumi: Next question.

Aether: Why is the dream about the Sabzeruz Festival?

Nahida: I know, right? Why did they have to base this dream on my birthday? Could it really just be a coincidence?

Paimon: Even you don't know the reason? Wow, now that's strange.

Vert: It's obviously why. It's because the sages hate you. And prefer the previous Dendro Archon instead of you. I just want to kill them for saying bad things about an adorable Goddess like you.

Nahida: The Akademiya's sages are determined to harvest lots of dreams in a short time, no matter the cost. They have to be up to no good. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about it. Traveler, do you have any information?

Aether goes into his mind again.

Aether: Those spaces remind me of... dreams. Like the one I had in the Avidya Forest, except these have no sign of human presence. Okay, Nahida said, "The Akasha relies on the power of a Gnosis to operate, as it is the manifestation of the God of Wisdom's power. It compiles the wisdom of the entire populace, and it grants knowledge to the people." The Grand Sage said, "Go celebrate the birth of that god to your heart's content." Did he mean something more?

Aether submitted his answer.

Nahida: "Celebrate the birth of that god"... Could it mean...

Aether: I don't have any more questions.

Patrick: Aren't you going to ask about your sister?

Aether: Not now.

Nahida: Deceiving the people of Sumeru with no regard for their safety... No matter what they're trying to do, this is unforgivable.

Vert: Exactly!

Nahida: After we end the Sabzeruz Festival samsara, we have to look into them...

Paimon: How can the sages of the Akademiya do this behind their Archon's back? This is ridiculous!

Nahida: In the end, I'm just the Moon. The real Sun is long gone.

Paimon: A Sun and a Moon... Nahida's talking in riddles again...

Durandal: She's talking about the previous Dendro Archon.

???: *beep*

Paimon: Oh, we're out of time today.

Nahida: I'll tell you how to break free of the samsara tomorrow. See you then...

(Next day)

Paimon: Good morning, Nahida! Wait... Now that Paimon remembers everything, should we instead say, "Good morning, Lesser Lord Kusanali"?

Nahida: ...

Paimon: Hey, what's wrong, Nahida? You don't look too good...

Aether: ...Where is Dunyarzad?

Nahida: ...I'm afraid that what you're thinking right now is correct...

Kiana: No...

Paimon: Did Dunyarzad already disappear? No way! Are... Are we too late?

Nahida: The real Dunyarzad's consciousness has indeed disappeared. It can no longer endure the constant dream harvesting.

Aether: We were so close...

Patrick stomped the ground causing the ground to shake.

Sakura: First Teppei then Dunyarzad. We've now lost two friends.

Paimon: Paimon can't believe it... Wait, so what about that other Dunyarzad? Just what is she? Is she also going to disappear?

Nahida: She's actually something like a puppet, but not completely. The real Dunyarzad's consciousness could no longer keep playing her role in this dream... So, another Dunyarzad appeared to replace her in the dream. Just like the grass and the trees, that Dunyarzad is just a building block of the dream that helps to keep it going.

Paimon: But personality-wise, she's nothing like the real Dunyarzad...

Nahida: Puppets are stiff and can't copy a living person's vitality. After all, they're just there as filler. You know, speaking of which... The old Dunyarzad might not have been too different from a puppet.

Paimon: Dunyarzad truly believed that she met you within her consciousness, and it was you who inspired her... So you do remember her after all!

Nahida: Yes. Back then, her family was overly protective of her. No one cared about her personality or thoughts. It was as if she only lived to stall her Eleazar. I just gave her a little wisdom so she could look at life in a new way... So that she could be her own person. But even so, she still...

Aether: It still meant a lot to her. You are a kind archon.

Nahida: ...Far from it. I'm still a long way off from being a real archon. I couldn't even save her. If I were a competent archon, I wouldn't have let my most faithful follower die at the Sabzeruz Festival with so many regrets...

Paimon: Please don't beat yourself up over it, Nahida! It's the Sages' fault, and theirs alone!

Vert: And we have to go punish them.

Nahida: I... I'm not beating myself up. All I did was to rationally observe the distance between myself and a real archon.

Paimon: Don't be like that, Nahida. Even real archons are still allowed to be sad...

Nahida: ...

Mei: I look like the Electro Archon. Even I can't be a complete Archon. But even so. We never give up.

Nahida: To prevent more tragedies like this, we must end the samsara as soon as possible.

Paimon: Great! But how do we do that?

Nahida: Although this Sabzeruz Festival dream is under the Akasha's control, only humans can dream. Even the Akasha is unable to create them. That means this dream belongs to a host who created it.

Paimon: Huh... So how should we find that person?

Nahida: Well, if this is someone's dream, then everything here must come from deep within their consciousness ... ...Which means, with the power of imagination, they can change anything in this dream.

Paimon: Imagination? What do you mean by that?

Nahida: Imagination means breaking through what you perceive as normal. Like when a server at a tavern brings a plate to you, you'd naturally assume that food is on it.

Vert: That's great.

Nahida: However, if you're the dream's host and you become aware that you're dreaming, when you imagine gold and Mora on the plate... ...The dream will respond in kind, and the server really will bring you gold and Mora. But right now, our host is unaware that this is a dream. No matter how many times they're served, it will always be food.

Aether: So we find the host — then what?

Nahida: Find some way to make that person realize that they're dreaming. Usually, once that happens, the person will wake up and the dream's samsara will be broken.

Paimon: How are we going to find them, though? If it could be anyone, it'd be like looking for a needle in a haystack!

Noire: Just who is this host?

Paimon: And even if we did find them, how are we supposed to make them realize they're dreaming? After all, like you said... "Don't wake a sleepwalker."

Neptune: It will be impossible.

Nahida: It's extremely difficult, yes. But the only ones who can do it are you people. Remember, everything you've achieved up to this point has all been for the sake of finding the host and ending the samsara. As for me... during this time, I'll be out of town.

Paimon: "Out of town"? Are you going to that place full of dreams where the Traveler went?

Nahida: Yes, I want to try something. There must still be a small wisp of possibility... Hurry and go. Dreams are supposed to be fantastical, romantic, and full of pleasant surprises. Unnecessary things like this samsara... need to end.

Nahida leaves.

Vert: Don't worry, Kusanali! We will end this samsara once and for all! We'll show those sages what we're made of!

Paimon: *sigh* Paimon's still a little upset that we've come this far, only for Dunyarzad to... She was such a good person with such a simple wish, but fate was against her.

Kallen: First we lost Teppei and now we lost Dunyarzad.

Aether: I just feel so demoralized.

Paimon: Yeah... Saving Dunyarzad is what kept us going this whole time. But we mustn't lose hope, Traveler! Dunyarzad would definitely want to see us save everyone else. So let's break this samsara for her sake!

Fu Hua; Right. We can't let our anger get the better of us this time.

Neptune: We're gonna show them who's boss!

Everyone: YEAH!

Paimon: Paimon's wondering... Do you think the sages would get one of their own to be the host of this dream? Feels like it would be easier to control it that way, no?

Aether: Unlikely. Knowing the plan, they'd probably become aware that they were dreaming. An unsuspecting host would be less likely to realize this is a dream.

Durandal: And their plans would already get ruined.

Paimon: Huh, that's true. Plus, the sages probably weren't counting on there being other factors beyond their control — like Nahida and us.

Paimon: So, who do you think the host of the dream is?

Everyone: Hmm...

Neptune: It has to be one of the guards.

Noir: No. I don't think so.

Aether: Maybe Farris, the Knight of Flowers?

Paimon: Ooh! That would make sense! Farris, the Knight of Flowers, is a symbol of the whole Sabzeruz Festival, right? Pretty core character.

Blanc: We'll try him.

Paimon: Let's go ask him some questions, shall we?

Durandal: Let's go meet him.

They approach Farris.

Vihar: Hm? You're back. You left in a hurry last time. Is everything okay?

Paimon: Everything's fine, just... Umm, it's a little hard to explain. Uh, would you mind taking part in a little experiment with us?

Noire: It would mean a lot to us.

Vihar: An experiment? That came out of nowhere... I'm listening, though. What do you need me to do?

Paimon: Could you... make a wish?

Aether: Imagine your wish coming true before your very eyes.

Vihar: You want me to make a wish? Is that a new Sabzeruz Festival tradition or something?

Paimon: Less questions, more wishing!

Kiana: Yeah, don't question it!

Neptune: Exactly!

Vihar: Okay, okay... My wish, my wish... Um, okay, I'm a little nervous saying this out loud, but... I want Miss Dunyarzad to be happy.

Paimon: Oh...

Vihar: I noticed earlier that she looked a bit down, and she wasn't really talking to anyone. She just doesn't seem like herself. She's always so gentle and kind, and all the kids love her... I've also wondered if the reason she asked me to be Farris, Knight of Flowers is because I'm special to her, or something...

Vert: Is that so~

Paimon: So... you have a crush on Dunyarzad?

Vihar: Uh, heh... Haha... Is it that obvious? Hmm, after what I just said, I guess it is. When she placed the hat of the Knight of Flowers onto my head, she said to me, "I want everyone to have a happy Sabzeruz Festival." What she didn't realize was that I'm not that interested in how everyone else feels... In that moment, I just wanted to be her Knight of Flowers for the rest of my life. Fifty years, a hundred years... I'll serve her till the end of time.

Aether: ...

Vihar: ...Okay, yeah, that was a bit much. Felt like the right moment to get it off my chest, but... ahem, that was pretty embarrassing. Okay, I'm ready to make my wish: I would like Miss Dunyarzad to appear in front of me right now, with a smile on her face... Here goes...

Paimon: Please come true...

Aether: Please come true...

Everyone: Please come true.

Vihar: I'm gonna open my eyes, ho-ho! Oh... You're...!

Paimon: What!?

Phaki appeared behind them.

Vihar: ...Phaki? Sorry, but only one portion of Yalda Candies per person. Back home you go.

Vihar: Hahaha... Nice try, you two. Anyway, never mind, I don't need to see her appear right in front of me. As long as she's happy, hahaha...

They walk away.

Paimon: *sigh* Guess he isn't the host of this dream after all. Should've expected it wouldn't be this easy.

Noire: It could take forever till we find the host.

Paimon: It seems like everyone who knows Dunyarzad loves her, but none of them has any idea that she...

Dehya: My lady, step back!

Paimon: That sounds like Dehya! Oh, right, this is when Dunyarzad bumps into the kidnappers.

Aether: We'll teach them a lesson they won't forget.

Neptune: Yes we will!

The whole group runs to Dehya's voice.

Paimon: Huh? But Dehya can handle them... Hey, Traveler!

They arrive at the scene.

Dehya: ...Oh? It's you. Great timing! Please take—

Aether: Take Dunyarzad and leave.

Patrick: Leave these guys to us.

Dehya: Hey, this is my job. The Homayanis pay me, not you.

Aether: You're wasting your breath.

Neptune: Leave.

Kiana: Right now.

Dehya: You... Ugh, alright fine, knock yourself out. Why are you so worked up anyway? It's not like I don't trust your fighting skills...

Kiana: It's just that we think you should be the one to take Dunyarzad this time.

Dehya: ...Anyway, watch yourself.

Dehya and Dunyarzad run away.

Badis: So you got yourself some back-up? Hmph, suit yourself! You're goin' down!

Durandal: No you are.

Vert: There are 27 of us. And only 5 of you.

Badis: You're nothing to us! Just a bunch of little girls who can't beat real men!

Blanc and Bronya got set off and charged in first with shadows over their eyes this time with 2 glowing red eyes.

Blanc: You pieces of- GET OVER HERE!

Bronya: You're dead!

Blanc casted a Cryo spell and blew an Ermite away while Bronya summoned Project Bunny and punched one away. That's when more Ermites show up.

Vert: Let's go!

Everyone: YEAH!

Everyone charged in and after a few seconds, the Ermites were vanquished.

Paimon: Guys... Were you just taking your anger out on those guys?

Aether: I'm just angry at myself.

Blanc: Except me and Bronya. They called us little girls and that set us off like bombs.

Bronya: Yes.

Fu Hua: We've learned back in Inazuma after what happened when a ertain someone used a haze on us and insulted us to make us angry the the haze can kill us.

Paimon: *sigh* You and Nahida both... Dunyarzad wouldn't want to see you two like this. Oh, and speaking of her... Paimon just remembered something.

Kiana: What is it?

Paimon: Remember how during the first Sabzeruz Festival, before the samsara started, we came here with Dunyarzad because she wanted to pick something up?

Durandal: Yes.

Paimon: She said it was because she had forgotten something.

Aether: Yes, I do remember that.

Paimon: Okay, so Paimon's memory is working so far... Anyway, Paimon also remembers that she's staying somewhere around here. She pointed it out to us the night before the Sabzeruz Festival.

Aether: Should we check out what the item is?

Mei: Maybe it'll give us some clues.

Paimon: Yeah, even if it's only a tiny clue, it'll probably still help us more than this needle-in-a-haystack search...

They go to Dunyarzad's place.

Paimon: This is the place. It's rude to enter other people's spaces without permission, but desperate times call for desperate measures!

Neptune: So let's go in!

Paimon: Hey, the windows are unlocked. Okay, Paimon's gonna take a peek inside.

Paimon enters the room and returns a while later, carrying something...

Paimon: This was only a temporary residence, so there was pretty much nothing inside except this book on the table.

Paimon: Should we open it?

Vert: It may have some clues. So we better do it.

An Elegantly-Written Note: After almost sixteen days, I was finally able to get these notes written before the Sabzeruz Festival. Once the festival ends, all of you will probably continue your journey immediately, so I was hoping that I'd be able to give this to you before that. This is a compilation of folk legends concerning Lesser Lord Kusanali, created from a series of interviews that I conducted in succession and wrote down. I interviewed so many people, but I'm afraid that there are very few who know much about her... Still, I hope that this will be of use to you in your search for her.

"Gandarva Ville's water supply was once contaminated, forcing everyone to go very far out to get water. But one day, people suddenly found that the water was drinkable again, and some said that a green light was seen near the water's source the previous night. Everyone believes that this was the divine power of Lesser Lord Kusanali at work." This sounds quite possible. The decontamination of water sources via natural means probably takes ages. Did Lesser Lord Kusanali appear in Gandharva Ville, then?

"After Mama passed away, I was super afraid of the dark and couldn't sleep. But from one day on, I would hear a voice that would chat with me till I fell asleep. A nice lady told me that Lesser Lord Kusanali must've been watching over me."

Poor child. I hope that the Sabzeruz Festival makes him a little happier. This is quite similar to something I experienced back then, as well. She is indeed a gentle god.

"There was this one time when I'd had a wee bit too much to drink and couldn't find my way home to save my life. Then, when I turned a corner, I could've sworn I saw Lesser Lord Kusanali. She was very tall and had the most muscular arms, and she caught me when I slipped and fell. The next morning, I found myself sleeping under a tree. I reckon that must've been her looking out for me!" Hmm... I'm not sure this one has that much value as a reference. That was probably just a tree, right?"

(These folk records, appended with Dunyarzad's references and opinions, leave every page densely packed.)

Paimon: Wow... Dunyarzad wrote all of this. Sounds like she was always thinking of us, even while we were away...

Rita: How nice of her.

Paimon: Even though she was also busy preparing for the Sabzeruz Festival, and had all her health problems to worry about... She must have wanted to give this to us as a gift on the day of the Sabzeruz Festival, right?

Theresa: Right.

Paimon: If we hadn't found this book, we never would have known... But now that we know, we can't even thank her...

Aether: Dunyarzad...

Paimon: Hey, where are you off to now?

Everyone runs after Aether till they got to the puppet Dunyarzad. It became sunset.

Paimon: It's Dunyarzad's puppet...

Aether: (I'll feel better if I say this out loud...) Thank you.

Despite all their efforts, they could not save Dunyarzad. Aether sits on the bench, seized by mixed feelings.

Paimon: Traveler... You must be exhausted.

Kiana: No. He's still upset that we couldn't save her just like how we couldn't save Teppei back in Inazuma.

Paimon: Come to think of it, we've been stuck in this place for a really, really long time. Heck, even the last time we were chatting happily with Dunyarzad feels like an eternity ago... Paimon still remembers when we were sitting here, and the way her eyes sparkled when she talked about Nilou's Dance of Sabzeruz...

Aether: ...I can barely recall it now.

Dunyarzad: ...There will always be frustrations in life, but I know that the point of living is to not leave behind any regrets.

Aether:  !?

Paimon: That was what the real Dunyarzad said, wasn't it? Does that mean...!?

Aether: Dunyarzad...?

Dunyarzad: Yes, Traveler? What is it?

Aether: ...

Paimon: Oh... So she's still just a puppet. But just now... How come...

Aether: Not leave behind any regrets... Let's go, Paimon.

Paimon: What? Where are we going this time?

AetherTo watch the Dance of Sabzeruz.

Vert: And to stop those sages.

They go to the Grand Bazaar where Nilou was with the two sages.

They approach Nilou.

Setaria: If you continue to resist, we will have to order an investigation into every single event organizer...

Setaria: The Grand Sage has already granted you much leniency. I advise that you exercise tact.

Nilou: How... How did things turn out like this...

Vert: Stop right there!

Everyone stands in front of Nilou.

Nilou: Ahh... Travelers? You don't have to get involved. He's a sage from the Akademiya. I don't want to drag you into this...

Vert: We do have to get involved in this.

Azar: ...Traveler?

Vert: You've already caused enough pain, Grand Sage.

Durandal: Haters of Lesser Lord Kusanali.

Paimon: Guys, what the heck are you doing!? If you get arrested by the Akademiya, that's another day gone to waste!

Azar: ...

Setaria: ...

The sages were not reacting.

Paimon: Wait... They're not reacting! Have they been scared stiff...?

Aether: Just like we thought... They're puppets.

Paimon: Oh, of course! If this is the sages' plan, they wouldn't put themselves through this...

Vert: Exactly.

Paimon: So they're just substitutes.

Nilou: What is this? What happened to the Grand Sage and his entourage?

They notice the purple Padisarahs on the stage.

Aether: Hold on a moment... What's up with those flowers!?

(A flashback begins)

Nilou: Hehe, like I said, they symbolize the Goddess of Flowers, after all. It's just a shame that all the real Padisarahs went extinct after her death.

Dunyarzad: Yes. The Greater Lord brought forth new Padisarahs in memory of the Goddess of Flowers, but she ultimately could never truly replicate that beautiful shade of purple.

(Flashback ends)

Nilou: Ahh, "that beautiful shade of purple"... Aren't these flowers real Padisarahs, just like the ones from the legend? I didn't even notice! Dunyarzad, did you find these?

Paimon: But didn't you just say all the real flowers went extinct after the Goddess of Flowers passed away? So how...

Nilou: Yeah. What's going on here...?

Aether: Nilou, close your eyes.

Nilou: Huh?

Aether: Imagine that the Grand Sage and his entourage are not here in front of you.

Nilou: You guys are acting weird... But okay, I'll try. Mmm... Hey~

The sages disappeared.

Paimon: Th—They disappeared! So Nilou's the host. What a surprise!

Paimon: Purple Padisarahs don't exist in the real world anymore, but in Nilou's subconscious, they can appear as decorations on the stage. It's just like the example Nahida told us. People assume there will be food on a plate, and Nilou assumed there would be real Padisarahs in the flower pots.

Paimon: So when you saw the flowers, you instantly knew it was Nilou?

Aether: Correct.

Paimon: But if we want to end the samsara, we need the host to become aware that they're dreaming. How should we make Nilou realize that...

Nilou: Am I dreaming?

Paimon: Huh!?

Everyone: HUH?!

Aether: How did you come to that conclusion?

Nilou: Hehe, so I'm right? Is this Lesser Lord Kusanali responding to our celebration of the Sabzeruz Festival?

Paimon: Wrong guess, but you aren't completely wrong, either... The point is, what made you think this is a dream? As far as you know, people in Sumeru don't dream, right?

Nilou: Yeah, but have you heard the tale of the First Sage? To prevent a calamity, he went on a journey to find the Dendro Archon.

Paimon: Ooh, sounds familiar! Dunyarzad told us a story like that when we first arrived in Sumeru City. So it was about the First Sage, huh?

Nilou: Yep, but in the part you heard, he hadn't become the First Sage yet. There's more to the story... His piety and wisdom were acknowledged by the Dendro Archon, and she finally gave her blessing to him. All kinds of spectacular scenes appeared in front of the First Sage, as if all the knowledge in the world was being painted onto a canvas right before him. He was captivated. After who knows how long, he mastered all the knowledge he could comprehend. Afterward, he said to the Dendro Archon, "I miss my parents, my wife, and my children. I've been away from home for far too long. They must be worried." The Dendro Archon smiled. The next second, the sage found himself lying in his bed, as if he had just woken up from a dream. His wife, lying next to him, said: "You're off to search for the Dendro Archon today, aren't you? Have a safe journey, my love." In the end, the First Sage took care of many disasters in Sumeru City and founded the Akademiya. What a happy ending!

Paimon: So... The First Sage was dreaming ever since the beginning of the story? He never went on his journey?

Nilou: Yes, but his faith and determination were conveyed to the Dendro Archon, so she blessed him in the form of a dream.

Paimon: Paimon understands where you're coming from now. That's a really interesting connection... But we really gotta wake up soon, like the sage in the story.

Sakura: Now that Nilou is aware of it...

Aether: This dream should be over soon.

Nilou: I see. Well, it just so happens that today's Sabzeruz Festival is almost over, too. Since we're in a dream, let's make this final Dance of Sabzeruz as beautiful as we can!

Kiana: We've been waiting a long time for this.

Aether: Please dance your heart out.

https://youtu.be/ASR41LdpTKw

The music comes on, and Nilou performs the Dance of Sabzeruz before it all ends. Many people gather in front of the stage.

Nilou: The wait is over, everyone! I dedicate this dance to our god... the Dance of Sabzeruz!

Niloou began to dance. As she danced, the ceiling opened up then lights came out and Sumeru City got illuminated.

Durandal: It's so beautiful.

Yumi: So elegant.

Vert: And a pretty sight to see.

Aether began to remember Dunyarzad.

Dunyarzad: I'd be lying If I said I had no regrets. I would have loved to see Nilou's dance.

Rom: Such a shame that Dunyarzad can't be here to watch this.

Ram: And unfortunate.

That's when Dunyarzad's soul appeared. The group was shocked and surprised.

Sakura: Look's like her soul didn't want to leave yet till after seeing Nilou's dance.

While the performance continues, the oneiric world begins to fade. Dunyarzad watches Nilou's dance with glee and with a satisfied smile on her face. The merry music stops, and it is time to wake up from the dream. Then everything flashed then turned black.

(Morning)

Paimon: *yawn* Good morning, Traveler. Paimon feels like she's been asleep for the longest time...

Aether: Good morning, Paimon.

Paimon: ...Paimon's head feels super heavy. Did we oversleep? ...Do you even remember going to sleep last night?

The door opened and the others were outside. Stepping in were Patrick, Kiana, Mei, Bronya, Seele, Neptune, Nepgear, and Asuka.

Paimon: Good morning everyone.

Everyone: Good morning Paimon. Good morning Aether.

Paimon: Paimon thinks it was... after the Sabzeruz Festival... *gasp* The Sabzeruz Festival! Have we finally escaped from the Sabzeruz samsara?

Vert: I think we did!

Aether: I remember now!

Paimon: Quick, take off your Akasha Terminals!

They take off their Akasha Terminals.

Aether: At the end of the Dance of Sabzeruz, I think I saw... Quick, let's go see Dunyarzad!

Kiana: Right! We have to check on her!

They ran to Dunyarzad's place but she was not there.

Paimon: She's not in her room. What happened?

Aether: Let's go to the usual spot!

Paimon: Huh? What usual spot?

Neptune: Where we met Nahida!

They approached the spot where Dunyarzad was and Katheryne?.

Katheryne?: Well done, everyone. And... Thank you, Dunyarzad, for organizing the Sabzeruz Festival for me.

Dunyarzad: I'm sorry, who are—

Paimon: Dunyarzad! *sniff* *sniff* You're okay! Oh, don't scare us like that...

Neptune: You're alive!

Aether: Dunyarzad...

Dunyarzad: Oh! Everyone! I have something amazing to tell you!

Vert: What is it?

Dunyarzad: I just had a dream... and I saw Nilou performing the Dance of Sabzeruz!

Durandal: Tell us everything.