The three of them walked through the deepening glow of the city, the artificial sunset casting golden light across the sleek buildings.
Holographic billboards still played highlights from the semifinals, showcasing legendary battles in slow motion. Transport pods hummed softly overhead, leaving trails of neon blue as they zipped between towering skyscrapers. The streets, once overflowing with people, had quieted significantly—only a few merchants and late travelers remained, their footsteps echoing against the smooth pavement.
Jasper took it all in, his gaze drifting upward toward the towering structure in front of them. The Hyperion Defenders Headquarters was impossible to miss—a fortress-like structure, its exterior crafted from black-metallic plating infused with kinetic energy barriers that flickered faintly, indicating active defense protocols.
At the very top, two glowing letters—H and D—stood proudly, a symbol of justice and power across the twelve universes.
Sienna led them to the entrance but stopped just before reaching the biometric security panel. "Wait here," she said. "I don't have clearance to bring outsiders in."
Jasper leaned against the nearby railing with a nod. "No problem. Take your time."
As the glass-paneled doors slid open, Sienna disappeared inside, leaving Jasper and Serena alone.
Jasper let out a long breath, running a hand through his messy blonde hair. "Man… I don't know how to deal with this," he muttered.
Serena crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Deal with what?"
He gestured vaguely toward the entrance. "Sienna. She confessed to me, and now she's following me around. I don't even know what it's like to fall for someone." He exhaled. "What the hell am I supposed to do now?"
Serena smirked. "Wow. The legendary Jasper Tyros, who acted as Blaze's wingman, is now clueless about romance? That's tragic."
Jasper groaned. "Hey, helping Blaze was different! I was just setting him up to talk to you. This is about me now. I feel like some random NPC who got promoted to main character status without warning."
Serena laughed. "Well, congratulations. Now you get to experience what love actually feels like."
Jasper tilted his head, his usual smirk creeping back. "Alright, fine. But you gotta admit—Sienna's a lot more graceful than you. She's calm, confident, and actually pleasant to be around. Meanwhile, you're just… loud and bossy."
Serena's eye twitched.
For a moment, she said nothing, then turned away, arms crossed. "Oh? So now you're comparing us?"
Jasper grinned wider. "Just pointing out the facts."
Serena didn't respond immediately, but Jasper could tell by the slight pink tint on her face that she was irritated. He laughed to himself.
A few minutes later, the HQ doors slid open, and Sienna emerged, holding a transparent holo-pad displaying a list of departure records.
She walked toward them, eyes bright with excitement. "I got the records from last night," she said.
Serena nodded. "Good. Let's—"
But before she could finish, Sienna interrupted, her voice bubbling with happiness. "But first—Jasper, I have good news!"
Jasper raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What's up?"
Sienna took a step closer, practically glowing with excitement. "I'm coming with you!"
Serena's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?"
Jasper blinked in surprise. "Hold on, I thought you guys had missions to handle?"
Sienna nodded. "I'll explain later, but I got clearance. I'm joining you on this trip!"
Jasper smirked, shaking his head in amusement. "Well, guess we've got a new teammate."
Sienna beamed. "Yep! Let's go. I just want to spend more time with you."
Serena, who had been watching silently, narrowed her eyes at Jasper.
First, he was clueless. Now, he's just rolling with it?
The three of them walked toward the HD Spacecraft Hangar, the cityscape behind them now darkening into a deep cosmic navy blue, with Exohorizon's energy barriers faintly pulsing around the skyline.
As they reached the hangar, Jasper whistled at the sight in front of him.
Sienna's personal spacecraft stood waiting—a sleek silver vessel lined with plasma engines and quantum thrusters, its design streamlined for both speed and stealth. The Hyperion Defenders' emblem was etched onto its side, along with a custom nameplate:
"Silverstar"
Jasper grinned. "Damn. Fancy ride. Guess we're traveling in style."
Sienna smiled proudly. "It's mine. And now, it's taking us to Blaze."
Serena stood at the hangar's edge, arms crossed, her gaze locked on the endless void of space beyond the hangar doors.
Blaze was out there somewhere.
And this time… he wouldn't escape.
With the final checks complete, the three of them boarded the Silverstar, and the journey to find Blaze officially began.
CTS TIME: RE 250.05.23 – 7:30 AM (Silverstar Internal Time)
TOTAL JOURNEY TIME: 676 Days (Silverstar Data)
ACTUAL TIME (Exohorizon Mean Time, EMT): RE 250.08.29 – 2:12 PM
The Silverstar's engines hummed softly, glowing with faint blue energy as the spacecraft began its sequence for takeoff. Inside the control room, illuminated by floating holographic panels, Sienna stood at the pilot's station, her fingers moving swiftly across the translucent interface. The ship's trajectory, coordinates, and auto-navigation systems flickered in bright neon blue against the dark glass panels.
"Take your seats, guys," Sienna said, adjusting the final settings. "We're taking off now."
Jasper and Serena settled into the reinforced zero-gravity adaptive seats, strapping in as the ship accelerated toward the main departure gates.
Through the front viewports, the colossal energy barrier of Exohorizon's outer atmosphere shimmered, pulsating with electromagnetic ripples as the spacecraft approached the designated exit corridor.
The station guards monitoring space traffic barely gave them a glance. The Hyperion Defenders emblem gleamed on the ship's hull, ensuring an effortless passage. Within moments, the Silverstar pierced through the final layers of Exohorizon's defense shields, entering the vast expanse of deep space.
Sienna engaged the autopilot, locking the ship's coordinates toward their destination.
"Alright, course is set," she announced, stepping away from the console. "Now come with me to the living room. It's a long journey, and I'll explain everything."
The living quarters of the Silverstar were far from the cramped, sterile interiors of standard military ships. The walls were reinforced with adaptive alloy plating, designed to maintain optimal temperature regardless of external conditions.
A large metallic table stood in the center, where Serena and Jasper placed their swords—Dragonis and Infernum—side by side, their hilts reflecting the soft luminescence of the ship's ambient lighting.
Across the room, a sleek, curved sofa made of high-density memory foam offered a place to rest, designed to mold itself to the user's body for maximum comfort during long-haul space travel.
Sienna sat beside Jasper, while Serena occupied the opposite side, arms crossed as she waited for an explanation.
"Alright," Sienna began, tucking a stray strand of her silver-white hair behind her ear. "Before anything else, let me go over some basic instructions about the ship."
She gestured toward the holographic interface embedded in the wall, which displayed a digital overview of the Silverstar.
Silverstar Time Format: 30-hour cycle (15-hour day, 15-hour night)
Temperature Shift: Adjusts according to ship's internal time
Rooms:
Living Room (Current Location)
Two Bedrooms
One Shared Bathroom
Kitchen
Control Room (Main Operations)
Engine Chamber (Access Restricted)
Rooftop Observation Deck
Jasper, lounging lazily on the couch, raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot of fancy stuff for a personal spacecraft. I prefer cheap ships—less complicated, more to the point."
Serena smirked. "That's because your 'low-price' spacecrafts nearly explode every time they enter hyperspace."
Jasper sighed dramatically. "That happened one time."
Serena rolled her eyes. "One time was enough."
Sienna giggled but quickly returned to the topic. "Now, let me tell you how I got permission for this trip."
Sienna leaned back, stretching her arms before beginning. "So, when I went inside HQ, everything was normal—scientists were busy, other heroes were focused on their work… but Blade and Lance?" She sighed. "They spread the news about me confessing before I could even react, so I had to avoid their teasing."
Jasper laughed. "I knew it! Those guys can't keep their mouths shut."
Serena smirked. "Must have been fun for you, huh?"
Sienna shook her head. "Anyway, you asked me to get the departure records for last night's spacecrafts. Normally, that's easy, but there was one problem—millions of ships left Exohorizon yesterday."
Jasper frowned. "Yeah… that does sound like a nightmare to go through."
Sienna nodded. "But then I remembered—your friend Blaze carries a sword. That's not common. So I cross-referenced the energy readings of all departing ships to look for a specific power signature. And I found it."
Serena's heart clenched slightly.
Even though she remained calm on the surface, her mind kept repeating the same question—why did he leave her after everything?
Jasper, oblivious to her emotions, grinned. "Bingo, Serena! We found him. Or should I say—we caught him."
Serena didn't respond, simply watching the stars through the viewport, lost in thought.
Sienna, sensing the atmosphere, quickly added, "But… that's not the only reason I'm on this trip."
Jasper's expression shifted. "Wait… you're saying you had a mission here too?"
Sienna nodded. "Yes. This isn't just me chasing after you, Jasper." She smiled softly. "I was already assigned to a mission that conveniently leads us to Blaze's location."
Jasper sat up. "Alright, now I'm interested. What's the mission?"
Sienna tapped on the holo-interface, displaying a map of interstellar trade routes between neighboring universes. A section labeled "Universe 15A" blinked in red.
"According to our intelligence, Blaze's ship is heading toward an area where goods are frequently transported between universes. That region borders Universe 15A."
Jasper raised an eyebrow. "And? What's so special about Universe 15A?"
Sienna's gaze hardened slightly. "It's a Shinobi-Dominated Universe—one of the few remaining places where old shinobi traditions are still intact. My mission is to gather data about the hidden clans there and assess any potential threats."
Jasper smirked. "Oh, that's perfect! Now I get time to understand you completely while we're on this trip."
Sienna's cheeks warmed slightly. "That's… exactly why I took this mission."
Serena, who had been quietly listening, let out a small sigh of realization.
She really did go through all this just for Jasper…
And now, Serena was trapped between these two.
Oh well…
At least this meant she could tease Jasper endlessly for the next few weeks.
With their course set and the mission clear, the Silverstar continued its journey through the vastness of deep space, leaving Exohorizon far behind.
Serena watched the distant stars, her mind divided between the search for Blaze and the unexpected events unfolding around her.
Jasper, still grinning, leaned back in his seat, already thinking of ways to annoy Serena while also figuring out his feelings toward Sienna.
And Sienna, despite her composed demeanor, couldn't help but feel a small spark of happiness at being able to travel alongside Jasper.