Although Welt sensed no genuine hostility from Kai, he could not simply leave an Emanator of Elation unattended aboard the Astral Express.
There was no telling what sort of chaos she might create.
If she decided to turn the Express into another fireworks display, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Welt found himself caught between two bad options.
Should he remain aboard the train and watch Kai?
Or should he immediately leave to support Dan Heng and the others?
The ideal solution was to take Kai with him.
The only question was whether she would cooperate.
As it turned out, she would.
Welt adjusted his glasses and cautiously began speaking.
“I need to support Dan Heng and March.”
“Would you.”
“Then we should hurry.”
Kai skipped through the door with an expression of eager anticipation.
Welt stared after her.
What had just happened?
Were Emanators of Elation normally this cooperative?
She had agreed before he could even finish asking.
Welt did not understand Kai’s thought process.
Still, the immediate problem had been resolved.
He glanced toward the enormous hole he had created in the wall and sighed.
“I am sorry, Conductor.”
“Himeko and I will repair the damage as soon as we return.”
Welt quickly left the parlor car.
Pom-Pom remained alone inside the enormous compartment.
The conductor looked at the hole in the wall.
Then Pom-Pom looked at the ruined furniture scattered across the floor.
A miserable cry echoed through the car.
“My train.”
“My beautiful train.”
Pom-Pom picked up the broom and began cleaning the wreckage with quick little steps.
After sweeping for a while, the conductor bumped into someone.
Pom-Pom stopped.
Passenger Welt had already left.
Had Passenger Himeko returned?
Pom-Pom looked up.
The conductor froze.
Kai stood directly ahead with a deeply suspicious smile.
“You.”
“You left with Passenger Welt.”
“How did you come back?”
Pom-Pom retreated two steps.
“Do you want to know?”
Kai tilted her head.
Her smile became increasingly mischievous.
“Kai is not telling.”
“Only Kai and little Pom-Pom remain aboard the train now.”
“Hehe.”
Pom-Pom was far too adorable to be left unpetted.
Welt had failed to consider one important detail.
Kai could create duplicates.
A second Kai had remained behind from the beginning.
She raised both hands and slowly approached the conductor.
Pom-Pom stared at her increasingly delighted expression.
Fear filled the conductor’s pale blue eyes.
“What are you planning to do?”
“What is Kai planning?”
“She is going to perform a very thorough inspection of little Pom-Pom.”
Pom-Pom’s ears shot upward.
“No.”
“The suspicious woman is going to bully Pom-Pom.”
“Passenger Welt.”
“Come back.”
Pom-Pom desperately ran away on short legs.
It accomplished nothing.
Kai continued drawing closer.
“Hehehe.”
“Little Pom-Pom cannot escape Kai.”
Pom-Pom reached the corner and turned around.
“Stay away.”
Kai extended both hands.
A moment later, her fingers sank into Pom-Pom’s soft ears.
“So fluffy.”
“This is even better than Kai imagined.”
She enthusiastically rubbed the conductor’s large gray and white ears.
Then she gently squeezed Pom-Pom’s round pink cheeks.
Kai looked completely delighted.
“Stop.”
“Pom-Pom’s ears are delicate.”
“No more petting.”
…
Somewhere in an isolated corner of Herta Space Station.
A deeply frustrated gamer continued performing unpaid labor.
Silver Wolf used aether editing to remove one Voidranger after another.
Each creature disappeared from the station and reappeared somewhere harmless in distant space.
Silver Wolf puffed out her cheeks.
Her expression grew increasingly irritated.
“This is ridiculous.”
“I have to clean up the Voidrangers while hiding from everyone on the station.”
“Kafka, when are you coming back?”
A familiar voice finally reached her.
“Oh.”
“Were you missing me, Silver Wolf?”
Silver Wolf turned around.
Kafka was walking toward her.
Her hair and clothing were slightly disordered, but she appeared to be in an excellent mood.
“Kafka.”
“You finally came back.”
“I am exhausted.”
“What did that awful woman do after taking you away?”
Kafka gave Silver Wolf an amused glance.
Then she looked thoughtfully in the direction of the hidden resting room.
“It was merely an entertaining little game.”
Silver Wolf clenched her fists.
“That menace.”
“If my accounts had been banned permanently instead of for three days, I would hunt her down and teach her a lesson.”
She punched the empty air twice.
The movement looked far more adorable than threatening.
Kafka smiled and gently patted her head.
“That is enough, Silver Wolf.”
“Do not be angry.”
“We have been away for long enough.”
“It is time to leave.”
Kafka and Silver Wolf opened an access hatch and departed from the station.
A short while later, Himeko emerged from a small room nearby.
A faint blush remained across her face.
She adjusted her disordered hair and straightened her clothing.
Her emotions were divided between relief and exasperation.
Kai’s prank had gone far beyond reasonable limits.
Fortunately, nothing serious had happened.
Himeko looked toward the distant corridors.
She still did not know whether the station was secure.
She decided to contact Dan Heng and March.
Several messages were waiting on her terminal.
Asta had reported that the number of Antimatter Legion forces aboard the station had mysteriously decreased.
Someone appeared to be eliminating them from the shadows.
Most of the invasion force had already been cleared.
Welt had also sent several messages.
He wanted to know what was happening and why Himeko had not answered him.
Finally, she read the messages from Dan Heng and March.
They had encountered a Doomsday Beast near the platform.
Himeko’s expression changed.
She needed to support them immediately.
Fortunately, the platform was not far away.
Himeko lifted her weapon case and ran through the corridor.
She opened the door ahead.
The massive form of a Doomsday Beast immediately entered her view.
Dan Heng, March, and Stelle stood near the creature.
“Dan Heng.”
“March.”
March looked toward her and waved excitedly.
“Himeko.”
“You finally made it.”
Dan Heng quietly released a breath of relief.
The three of them had struggled to oppose the Doomsday Beast alone.
Himeko’s arrival greatly improved their chances.
The battle began.
Weapons struck against armored limbs.
Explosions tore across the platform.
Stelle raised her bat.
“Rules are made to be broken.”
After a difficult fight, the four finally brought the Doomsday Beast crashing to the ground.
March collapsed onto the floor.
“I am exhausted.”
“Why was that thing so difficult to defeat?”
The fallen Doomsday Beast suddenly moved.
Its enormous wings rose.
Golden energy gathered inside its mouth.
The creature unleashed a concentrated beam across the platform.
The attack carved a glowing path through the station’s dark floor and rushed directly toward March.
“March.”
“Move.”
March stared at the approaching beam.
She tried to rise, but there was no time.
Stelle stepped in front of her without hesitation.
The golden attack struck.
…
Somewhere between consciousness and the Paths.
Stelle heard a distant voice whispering beside her.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Her body floated through an unknown expanse.
An impossibly vast figure appeared before her.
The being possessed flowing white hair, golden eyes, and bronze skin.
A horrifying wound split the center of their chest.
Golden liquid continuously flowed from within it.
Nanook.
The Aeon of Destruction.
The universe’s most intimidating cosmic warrior.
They looked as though they had personally declared war on reality and were waiting for reality to respond.
Stelle stared at the enormous figure.
An indescribable feeling appeared in her chest.
For reasons known only to her damaged memories and questionable instincts, one word escaped her mouth.
“Grandpa.”
Nanook remained silent.
For perhaps the first time since ascending to Aeonhood, the embodiment of Destruction appeared confused.
…
Save to library!