At this moment, within the Dreamflux Reef.
Stelle, Sparkle, Kafka, Silver Wolf, Firefly, March 7th, Welt Yang, Himeko, and Aventurine were all gathered together, coexisting in a rare scene of harmony.
This time, not even half of the Astral Express Crew was present.
Senior executives of the Interastral Peace Corporation, most members of the Stellaron Hunters, and a Masked Fool—being able to assemble such an abstract lineup was exceedingly rare across the entire universe.
After all, the Masked Fools only sought amusement, the Astral Express went around Trailblazing and helping wherever they could like righteous idealists, and the Interastral Peace Corporation were colonizers who said one thing while meaning another.
As for the Stellaron Hunters, they were heavyweights among heavyweights—the Interastral Peace Corporation had issued massive bounties specifically tailored for these interstellar outlaws.
And the one responsible for gathering all these people together was none other than the thirteen-year-old "uncle" Gallagher.
He first pulled in the two grown-ups from the Astral Express. As a master of riddles, he made quick work of sweet-talking Himeko and Welt Yang into joining.
Next came March 7th—simple-minded and easily fooled, she was brought in without much effort.
After that was the heavyweight, Stelle. This young Trailblazer came dragging her entire entourage along—bring one, get five free. Sparkle, Aventurine, Firefly, Kafka, and Silver Wolf all arrived together, as if digging up for peanuts.
And this string of peanuts wasn't even fully dug out yet. It was said that Stelle's master had something come up at the last minute; otherwise, there might have been even more people here.
Still, Penacony was in crisis now. To fulfill the Watchmaker Mikhail's dying wish—to seal the Stellaron and save Penacony—every extra person meant extra strength.
Even if they were Stellaron Hunters or Masked Fools, as long as they could help, they would just pinch their noses and make use of them.
The only thing worth noting was that the new generation of Trailblazers really played wild—so young, yet already with a master of their own. One could only hope the individual in question was a bit steadier.
Gallagher set aside these thoughts, pointed at the fissure in the sky, and looked toward Himeko as he spoke: "Everyone can see it, right? That mark in the sky. Penacony was already undergoing severe trials, and this is even more damage we never anticipated."
He almost wanted to sigh in grief. Penacony, already plagued by disasters, seemed to have gained yet another unknown, massive trouble.
This destructive aura, these flames constantly burning away Memoria—it really resembled the handiwork of the Antimatter Legion.
It didn't even look like a simple legion invasion. There seemed to be an even stronger existence pushing things along behind the scenes.
He nearly resigned himself to pessimism, concluding that Penacony was as good as finished.
"It looks extremely serious, but unfortunately we don't know what caused it."
Himeko shook her head, her heart filled with confusion. "If we could identify the crux of the problem, the Astral Express would be willing to lend Penacony a helping hand."
They had no idea why the crack in the sky had appeared.
In fact, they had only just been brought to Dreamflux Reef by this riddle-speaker in a burgundy suit, had just come into contact with the so-called legacy of the Watchmaker, and had only just lifted the veil of the invitation.
That terrifying fissure that suddenly appeared in the sky was utterly inexplicable, and Watchmaker Mikhail had not left behind a single clue pointing to it.
"It looks terrifying. What on earth could it be?"
Kafka supported her chin, appearing puzzled on the surface, though in truth she didn't care at all.
The script was already in chaos—utter, complete chaos. So, nothing really mattered anymore. Going with the flow would do.
If one insisted on finding a culprit, then elimination would suffice.
None of the original characters in the script possessed such capabilities. And among those who disrupted the script, there seemed to be only one.
So, who was causing trouble, then? So hard to guess.
Kafka played dumb despite knowing full well, her gaze quietly resting on Stelle and Firefly.
Firefly moved a little closer to Stelle and said gently, "Stelle, are you afraid? I'll stay by your side and protect you."
"I'm not afraid. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up." Stelle puffed out her chest and said boldly, "I've got someone backing me. If there's really a problem, he'll step in!"
She had absolute faith in Sol's strength. When he first arrived on the train, he'd directly subdued everyone onboard—pure pride!
"Is it Mr. Mercer?" Firefly forced a faint smile. "He really is very capable, but casually acknowledging someone as your master isn't right."
She didn't know how to tell Stelle that calling someone 'master' wasn't exactly proper for a young girl.
Her good friend's new life had only just begun, and it already felt like it was being led astray.
"Heh heh, is that so?"
Stelle gave an awkward laugh and turned her head away. "Let's talk about the important stuff first. Who exactly caused that crack in the sky? That's seriously lacking in civic responsibility!"
These people's ways of thinking were way too old-fashioned—not nearly as progressive as hers.
If she told them about how she'd taken advantage of Sol Mercer, wouldn't it scare them to death?
"It looks like the Antimatter Legion." Aventurine crossed his arms and said thoughtfully. "But once the Antimatter Legion descends, it's an overwhelming tide of Voidrangers, along with all kinds of Destruction troops and generals."
"Although the flames in that crack are filled with Destruction's aura, they're fundamentally different from the Antimatter Legion's brand of destruction-for-destruction's-sake."
"This type of power… it's my first time seeing it."
In truth, he was in a pretty good mood. After obtaining intelligence from Robin, he had found a new betting pool where he could make a grand slam in the final act.
And then he sought out Stelle—and sure enough, hitching a ride brought him straight to Dreamflux Reef. For him, this was an effortless, bountiful harvest.
"This feels awful!"
March 7th couldn't help lowering her head, saying gloomily, "Our Trailblazing journey has always been about gradually uncovering mysteries and solving problems. But this time, we don't have the slightest clue."
Himeko patted March 7th on the shoulder and softly comforted her. "Don't lose heart, Little March. Imperfection is the normal state of life. If every Trailblazing journey let us pinpoint the vital point so precisely, perhaps we'd be better off as detectives."
"Thank you, Himeko."
March 7th nodded, still a little unhappy.
Her little brain felt like it was about to explode. She had no idea who the mastermind was—the other party was hiding far too deep!
Just as everyone was lost in confusion, a lively and enthusiastic voice rang out.
"I know who did it!"
Sparkle, standing beside a listless, life-devoid Silver Wolf, cheerfully raised her hand.
"Oh?"
Immediately, everyone turned to look at this Masked Fool, curious about her take.
"Look, the sky has been sliced open by flames!" Sparkle pointed at the sky and announced her great discovery. "Those flames are even spreading outward along the fissure, as if they're going to burn everything to nothing!"
"?"
Firefly felt a trace of unease upon hearing those familiar lines.
"Judging from these traits, and the nature of the flames, there's only one truth!" Sparkle conjured a pair of glasses and put them on, pushing up the frame with her index finger. "This is a monstrous crime committed by SAM of the Stellaron Hunters!"
"Everyone, join me and capture SAM, and Penacony will be safe!"
===BREAK===
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