As March 7th and Stelle spoke with Welt, the rhythmic pachi pachi of tiny footsteps echoed closer—Pam waddled toward them, her oversized hat bobbing as she asked brightly.
"Did you get your passenger stop guide yet, Stelle? Are you excited?"
Stelle shook her head honestly. "Not yet."
Pam puffed her cheeks in mock surprise. "You haven't? After such a cold, exhausting journey on Jarilo-VI, aren't you curious what kind of world comes next?"
"I like any kind of world!" Stelle answered with earnest sparkle. That curiosity for the unknown—pure trailblazer spirit.
Pam's ears perked happily. "Pam's glad you're enjoying the ride! A long, long time ago, this train carried Nameless passengers across countless stars just like this… and now it's doing so again."
She waved her paw. "If everyone's ready, gather near the engine—our meeting's about to start!"
…
At the front car, Himeko was already waiting.
She greeted them with a gentle smile. "Good morning—right on time."
"Dan Heng hasn't arrived yet," Stelle reminded.
Himeko nodded softly. "That's fine. He rarely comes late—he must have his reasons. Dan Heng's circumstances are special, and we do our best to protect him."
Pam hopped onto the central podium, her fluffy mascot face shifting into something far more serious—no longer just a mascot, but a proper conductor.
"Attention passengers, the warp route meeting is now in session!"
"First, Pam thanks our Nameless for successfully resolving the problem at this stop, allowing Train 507 to keep racing along the Star Rail!"
March 7th grinned and posed proudly. "That was our teamwork, right, Stelle?"
"Mm." Stelle nodded shyly.
"Next up," Pam announced, "the conductor will reveal our next destination!"
But before she could continue, the air in the car shimmered— a surge of blue static formed into a woman made of light and lines.
The hologram smiled calmly. "Long time no see, Astral Express crew. I'm Kafka."
The name made everyone tense.
"Perfect timing—you're all here. No need for introductions." Her holographic heels clicked as she walked toward the front of the car.
"Himeko, sorry to interrupt your meeting," Kafka said smoothly, "but after hearing my request, I believe you'll understand."
She turned gracefully, eyes half-lidded. "I want you to change your destination."
A heavy silence fell.
Himeko crossed her arms—her voice steady. "I've seen you before, Kafka. On the Corporation's wanted list. Your bounty's astronomical, alive or dead. Do you even know how much you're worth?"
Kafka smirked. "I don't really care. Those bounties are just praise in numbers—the higher, the holier the compliment."
March 7th muttered under her breath, "Criminals these days sure have thick skins…"
Himeko continued coolly, "Even the Genius Society's Black Tower acknowledged you. A madwoman who claims to see fate, leading a band of lunatics chasing the most dangerous objects in the cosmos—it's rare for Black Tower to praise anyone."
Kafka laughed softly. "Chasing the most dangerous things in the universe? Then we're not so different from your train crew, are we?"
She wasn't wrong—the Astral Express also pursued Stellarons, though for opposite reasons.
Welt Yang frowned. "You've come to the wrong place, Kafka. We're not interested in your requests or in getting involved with the Stellaron Hunters."
Kafka tilted her head, unbothered. "Maybe one day you'll come find us instead. Then we can talk again."
Before anyone could reply, she continued with that same velvet tone: "Tell me—have you heard of Luofu?"
Welt: "One of the six giant ships of the Xianzhou Alliance—the Xianzhou Luofu. Yes, we know of it."
Though he'd been in this universe only briefly, Welt had studied its major powers.
Kafka smiled. "What you don't know is that the Luofu is very close—two Warp Skips away. And in four system hours, a Stellaron will erupt aboard it."
She sighed melodiously. "Tragic, isn't it?"
Welt's brows furrowed further. "What are the Stellaron Hunters planning? The Xianzhou Alliance isn't as forgiving as we are. If they hunt you down, you'll be prey, not predators. The Hunt's Followers never rest."
Indeed, the Aeon of the Hunt wasn't the strongest Aeon—but was notoriously generous with power, granting it to many powerful Marauders. Being targeted by them was a death sentence.
Himeko: "Enough circling around, Kafka. Say it plainly."
Kafka shrugged and finally revealed her motive. "It's simple. The Stellaron on the Luofu isn't ours—but the Alliance blames us for it. My partner, Blade, has been captured by the Cloud Knights. I need to retrieve him, resolve the Stellaron crisis, and clear our name."
March 7th folded her arms. "Yeah, right. You 'just happen' to show up right after a Stellaron eruption? That's too convenient—we barely know you. Why should we care if the Hunters are innocent?"
She snorted. "That stuff only happens in movies."
Stelle, however, hesitated. "Maybe we should hear her out. I don't know why, but… something about her feels familiar."
March 7th instantly shook her head. "No way! The Alliance can handle their own problems—we're trailblazers, not Stellaron janitors!"
Kafka only smiled. "You're free to refuse. Warp away before the Stellaron pollutes this region and you'll be safe. But sooner or later, this rail will be blocked again."
Her voice softened with mirth. "I can tell you what comes next. If you don't go to Luofu, the Stellaron will devour the ship—half its population will die. But you, brave Nameless, who act for good… you've never ignored a crisis before, have you?"
Himeko did not deny it—because Kafka was right.
"The Stellaron Hunters and the Express may walk different paths," Kafka said softly, "but the stars always cross. Here's the coordinate. Decide for yourselves."
And with that, her hologram faded.
March 7th: "So that's that. Silver Wolf, spill it—what's the Hunters' real plan?"
Momonga: "Yeah, sounds too fishy."
Bronya: "What is their goal?"
Nami: "If they're wanted criminals, it's hard to believe they're helping anyone."
Shinobu Kocho: "Silver Wolf, your thoughts?"
Silver Wolf: "…I'm just watching."
Silver Wolf: "I just want to game. What evil could I possibly plan?"
March 7th: "Then why send Kafka here?"
Silver Wolf: "Because that's my mission—to open communication between her and you, and to unlock Luofu's Jade Gate."
March 7th: "That's it?"
Silver Wolf: "That's it."
March 7th: "You don't know anything else?!"
Silver Wolf: "Nope. We just follow Elio's script. If we knew what happens, the script would change."
Saeko Busujima: "…Makes sense."
March 7th: "Argh, so frustrating!"
Tatsuki: "So you're heading to Luofu now?"
March 7th: "Yeah. We didn't want to, but looks like we have no choice…"
Tatsuki: "Then be careful."
He knew the Luofu was a powder keg—external threats from Stellarons and Abyss Lords, internal turmoil between the Vidyadhara, the Xianzhou Alliance, and the Alchemists of the Abundance.
...
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