"Feeding someone poison is way too sinister… Look! Miss Dan Shu would never do something like that!"
"You lost, Power~"
Stretching his arm forward, Denji plucked the largest piece of sauced beef from Power's plate and placed it on his own, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"Huh? What nonsense are you spouting, Denji?"
Power shot to her feet, swiftly intercepting Denji's chopsticks to stop the beef from reaching his mouth. "Hey, hey, hey… When did I ever bet with you? You're the one who kept pushing for a bet, weren't you?"
"Are you an idiot, Denji? With just a bit of brainpower, I, the great Power, knew Dan Shu was definitely a good person~" Puffing out her chest proudly, Power poked Denji's head with her finger. "What proof do you have that I bet with you?"
"If you don't have any, you're slandering me! As punishment, Denji, you'll give me all your meat for the next year!"
——
["Phew… It feels a bit better, but I'm still not quite right… Something's off. I should head to the Seat of Divine Foresight to discuss this with Qingzu."]
[Halfway there, that strange sensation returned. It was as if branches and vines were sprouting before Stelle's eyes, her vision clouded by a blood-red haze…]
[When her consciousness cleared slightly, Stelle found herself already in the Seat of Divine Foresight, surrounded by a crowd of Cloud Knights.]
[Qingzu's voice echoed in her ears: "Stelle! What's wrong with you?! Be careful, don't hurt her…"]
["Stelle! Stelle! Wake up! Are you okay?"]
[The foggy sensation gradually faded, as if her consciousness was struggling to surface from underwater. The voices around her grew clearer.]
["What… happened to me?" Stelle rubbed her head, the lingering pain still throbbing.]
["Thank goodness, you're finally awake. I thought something terrible was about to happen—I was sweating bullets." Qingzu clutched her chest, letting out a long sigh of relief. "You walked into the Seat of Divine Foresight and suddenly started swinging your weapon."]
["I don't remember anything…"]
["The way you lost control… it was exactly like those who've fallen to the Mara." Qingzu's voice was heavy with concern. "There must be more to this. Before you came to the Seat of Divine Foresight, what exactly happened?"]
[Stelle recounted everything about her encounter with Dan Shu.]
[After listening, Qingzu's expression grew gravely serious. "From what you've described, the gift Dan Shu gave you seems to come from the same source as the sinister elixirs of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus… But what's strange is that the medic who examined you said your body shows no signs of being affected."]
"No issues? Ah… Praise the Stellaron!" The Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, struck a devout pose.
"Hey, hey! That thing's a disaster waiting to happen—how's it worth praising? Aren't you worried the Antimatter Legion will come knocking on the Demon Slayer Corps' door tomorrow?"
The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, glanced at Shinobu Kocho beside him and asked, "Why doesn't the drug that induces Mara affect Stelle? Is it just because she's not a long-life species?"
"…It's most likely because of the Stellaron," Shinobu mused after a moment of thought. "The biggest difference between Stelle and ordinary people is the Stellaron in her body, and… the fact that she's been gazed upon by two Aeons."
"No matter how potent Dan Shu's drugs are, they're merely the product of human ingenuity. A Stellaron, on the other hand, is a creation of a Aeon —there's no comparison."
"As for the gaze of the Aeons… it's hard to say exactly what benefits it's brought her, but it's likely altered Stelle in some way," Shinobu speculated.
"To a Stellaron, the elixir Dan Shu painstakingly crafted is nothing more than a mediocre snack," Obanai Iguro added with a hint of amusement. "It's fortunate that Stelle was the one who took it. If it had been Welt or March 7th, the consequences would've been unthinkable."
[Hearing the results, Qingzu found it equally puzzling. "Was she toying with you? Or did her drug simply fail to work on you? I suggest you come back for a follow-up check. After all, who knows what effects the elixirs of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus might have?"]
["I'll issue an order to apprehend Dan Shu immediately. If you find any leads on her, feel free to contact me anytime." Qingzu handed Stelle a small dog. "Take this Diting with you. It might help you track down your… friend."]
[As she spoke, Qingzu's expression was noticeably grave.]
[The chief alchemist of the Alchemy Commission being a member of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus… What about the other alchemists? The entire Alchemy Commission? Could it already be a stronghold for the Disciples?!]
[Stelle felt just as uneasy. Seeing Dan Shu selflessly give medicine to a little girl, she had genuinely believed her to be a good person, even a friend, and had taken the drug without hesitation. Yet, she had nearly fallen into her trap…]
[Back at Synwood Pavilion, she used the Diting to pick up Dan Shu's scent and headed to the Artisanship Commission.]
[There, she successfully found Dan Shu standing among a group of Mara-struck individuals.]
[At this point, there seemed to be no need for further questions—the situation was clear as day.]
"Well, well~"
"So I, the great Power, was the only one who saw through Dan Shu's true nature, huh~"
"With just a bit of brainpower, the truth was obvious. I truly am a genius among devils!"
Seeing Dan Shu reveal her true colors, Power was more excited than anyone. Beaming with pride, she threw up a peace sign and danced around the living room. "I'm a genius! I'm a genius!"
She then threw her arms around Denji from behind, laughing gleefully. "Hey, Denji, you lost the bet this time! All the meat for the next year is mine!"
"Hey! Didn't you just say there was no bet?!" Denji turned back, glaring at Power with irritation.
"Hm?" Power calmly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, adopting a composed tone. "Trying to weasel out of it, Denji? You're the one who wanted to bet with me from the start, right?"
"I said from the beginning that Dan Shu was trouble!"
"Where's the proof we made a bet?" Denji picked his nose and flicked it lightly onto the table.
"There isn't! But we totally bet!" Power insisted stubbornly.
"…There was no bet!"
"There was!"
"…Arghhh! You liar! Weakling! Fraud!"
As the two bickered loudly, Aki Hayakawa quietly slipped his earphones in.
…So peaceful.