Eldritch Horror Theatre

He had sensed certain elements from the very beginning; they only needed confirmation.

He was right. That unique fragrance came from the very flower in his memory.

Though their numbers were nowhere near those in the Full Moon Garden, their shape and appearance were identical.

Every petal reflected the light like a mirror, weaving together once again into a brilliantly flowing galaxy.

It was true—the Lightless Night was still active. Yet, likely because the Witch was sharing her senses, the scene he could ”see” right now featured a spectral blue full moon hanging high in the night sky overhead, showering them in its radiance.

Its hue differed slightly from the one he had seen in the Full Moon Garden, but he couldn’t help but immediately connect the dots.

So during my very first task, there was far more than just one moon involved?

Fu Qian marveled.

Just as he had considered earlier, during the first task of his career, the Sick Old Man had advised him to experience the warm moonlight descending from a silvery-white moon.

Through multiple verifications over time, including referencing the memories of the Progenitor of the Blood Clan, he was almost certain that it had been the symbol of the original Moon God.Then there was the synchronization with the Bookstore World, where he had been instantly detected by the Red Moon, which then ruthlessly drove its Blood Clan pawns to hunt him down at all costs. It was hard to rule out the possibility that the Red Moon—the current lunar symbol—had also noticed him from that very first moment.

And now, it was apparent that the flowers in this Full Moon Garden were deeply connected to the Dark Moon of the past.

A single glance was enough to confirm that this was still not the Full Moon Garden he had visited before. However, with the Witch’s affirmation, he could definitively confirm that this was the garden of the Dark Moon.

Having observed it this far, Fu Qian stood by his earlier assessment: compared to the Bone Burial Ground, this place felt far more like a secluded sanctuary.

It was just that whoever created it apparently never had the chance to sit back on a Deck Chair at the end of all things and quietly admire the blooming flowers.

Regardless, it was hard to imagine the Dark Moon crossing through space and time to introduce a specific plant to this world purely out of fondness.

A more reasonable explanation was that these radiant flowers only appeared in the Full Moon Garden because of the Dark Moon.

As for the last entity associated with the moon—Annalise, the Progenitor of the Blood Clan—there was no concrete evidence. Yet, given the dishonorable Brother Werewolf and the malpractice-prone Scythe Old Man, he had a nagging suspicion that she couldn’t completely wash her hands of the matter either.

...

So the true meaning of the Full Moon Garden... is a garden full of moons?

It was only a guess, but for a moment, Fu Qian truly appreciated the profound depths of language.

”What is it?”

True to her nature, the Witch had noticed his slight shift in demeanor even while quietly gazing at the scene before them.

”It must indeed be your Mother. I’ve seen these flowers before.”

Fu Qian didn’t try to hide anything, offering the truth openly.

”...I haven’t.”

The revelation seemed to surprise the Witch slightly. She shook her head a moment later, indicating that despite being the true heir of the Dark Moon, she had never even heard of them.

”This place seems to be nothing more than a resting area. That tracks with my earlier sense of it—the protective power here isn’t particularly strong, but it excels in concealment.”

The conclusion she drew perfectly aligned with Fu Qian’s own judgment.

Furthermore, although this discovery seemed to diminish the value of their find, offering nothing of vital importance—

—it was obvious that the sheer abundance of humanity reflected in this space still struck a chord with the Witch.

”Agreed. It’s a bit plain, but I actually quite like the arrangement.”

Fu Qian immediately concurred, going so far as to plop himself down into the nearby Deck Chair.

Beyond that, an important goal of this trip had actually already been accomplished—

The primary reason they had undertaken this Nightmare exploration was their suspicion regarding the Dark Moon’s true identity.

They might not have found any direct physical evidence like remains, but this garden alone was enough to prove a definitive connection between the Dark Moon and that world.

Was the Dark Moon truly one of the Kingslayers?

”I once entered a memory concerning Annalise, the Progenitor of the Blood Clan. She had been chosen by the Moon God she worshipped to serve as a vessel for reincarnation.”

”The ensuing confusion and bewilderment she suffered were permanently sealed away within that space.”

Speaking of human traits, it was undoubtedly easy to draw parallels.

Fu Qian promptly shared a brief account of his exploration with Serana.

”It does sound similar. I never expected to see this side of things.”

The Witch clearly understood what Fu Qian was trying to convey. Giving a slight nod, she actually followed his lead, leaning half her body against the chair.

”Your Mother seems a bit too human, doesn’t she?”

The Deck Chair was quite large, so Fu Qian naturally didn’t mind sharing. He simply voiced the thought lingering in the Witch’s mind.

Using Annalise as a baseline, it was easy to draw a comparative conclusion: the reason the Dark Moon created this arrangement was likely because it originally possessed strong human and social traits, rather than being a natural-born higher entity.

But that raised a glaring question. Back when he first encountered the Witch in the Painting World, she had seemed utterly convinced that her bizarre appearance was her true, original form.

It was hard not to find it bizarre that a human Mother had spawned such a creation.

”Yes. I can’t shake the feeling that there are secrets here I need to unravel.”

Naturally, her motivation wasn’t purely sentimental; at her core, the Witch was still driven by calculated self-interest.

As a higher entity, she could never brush aside personal mysteries and lingering doubts lightly.

”Agreed. And in that case, the pathway I use to travel back and forth just became a lot more important.”

Fu Qian nodded. He was, of course, referring to the Nightmare Corridor.

”When I go back this time, I’ll make sure to have a nice, long chat with some old friends.”

”Don’t be in such a rush. You have much more important things to attend to right now.”

The Witch pointed at Fu Qian, reminding him not to forget the core purpose of their trip: fixing his total lack of inspiration.

”Oh? Is there a faster way?”

Fu Qian’s instincts were sharp. He frowned slightly a second later, curiosity written all over his face.

...

The Templar Knight’s quick reaction actually caught the Witch slightly off guard.

Though he had repeatedly accomplished astonishing feats, the fact that he had extracted such a specific conclusion from her passing remark was clearly beyond her expectations.

”That moon... isn’t me.”

But her surprise lasted only a moment. Dropping any pretense of evasion, she pointed up at the sky.

Serene and full, the Dark Moon that Fu Qian had always been so familiar with hung above. Around it, not a single star could be seen.

It looked somewhat stark and abrupt against the empty sky, and just like the Precept Angel from before, it easily robbed one of any sense of its true scale or distance.

”And it doesn’t belong to this place, either. It is only projecting here from a distant dimension because of my arrival.”