“Then there’s no problem.” Himeko’s smile, as refreshing as a spring breeze, returned.
Beside her, March 7th wore a small expression that seemed to say, “…So this is the world of adults.” Miss Asta also let out a long sigh of relief.
In her eyes, any problem in this world that could be solved with money wasn’t a problem at all!
The girl with the pink side-ponytail scooped up the clueless little white dog, Peppy, who was sitting beside her knowing nothing, and spoke hurriedly to Himeko on the screen.
“The station’s defense systems are now open to the Astral Express!
You can dock at our platform at any time!” “I still have to direct the researchers in the evacuation and battle, so I’m hanging up now!” “Please, be careful.” “I will!” “Woof!” The virtual screen closed, replaced by a floating control system.
Miss Himeko chose to accelerate toward the Herta Space Station.
Pom-Pom nervously hugged its little broom, its pair of soft, floppy ears covering its face and large, crystal-blue eyes.
Pom-Pom wasn’t good at this kind of thing!
It couldn’t leave the Express, so it could only stay on board and silently cheer for everyone.
Welt raised his cane.
With his calm and profound demeanor, he had always been the most reliable combat force on the Astral Express.
As for Dan Heng and March 7th, they worked together as a team and possessed formidable combat prowess.
Miss Himeko would also provide considerable fire support from a distance.
Don’t ask, the answer is always a follow-up attack!
The train sped at full throttle toward the Herta Space Station, which was now under red alert.
And the fearsome Voidspawn, these monsters from the Antimatter Legion born only for destruction.
They were continuously tearing through the station’s external defenses with the sharp blades on their arms and their energy cannons, invading it with wild abandon.
But in truth, a far more terrifying threat… …was already on its way.
Not only were the members of the Astral Express unaware of it at this moment.
Even the Stellaron Hunters, who had successfully infiltrated the Herta Space Station, had not received this information from Elio.
—o— Time rewinds to before the Antimatter Legion’s large-scale invasion of the Herta Space Station.
After Elio’s script was released.
The entire Stellaron Hunter team, except for Sam, was mobilized.
That is, Kafka, Silver Wolf, Blade, and Zao Wu were all, without exception, part of this crucial operation to seize the Stellaron, becoming characters in the script, acting toward a predetermined conclusion.
But Kafka had raised a small objection to this.
She believed that a mission of this level only required her and Silver Wolf.
As for Blade and Zao Wu… for their own respective reasons, they shouldn’t have been deployed.
First, Blade.
Any mission that required his presence was bound to be somewhat terrifying.
When Blade went berserk, few could control him aside from Kafka and Sam.
Wherever he passed, there would inevitably be fields of corpses and rivers of blood.
Then there was Zao Wu.
He was still too young, too green, and lacked experience.
But Elio thought otherwise.
Because Zao Wu possessed an incredible aptitude and talent for learning.
He had not only learned a set of sword techniques belonging to the former Sword Champion of the Xianzhou from Blade, but he had also been successfully trained by Silver Wolf into an excellent cyber hacker.
The vast majority of security systems in the universe would likely be unable to withstand his attacks and intrusions now.
Even becoming one of the top cyber hackers in the universe was just a matter of time for the boy.
Although Silver Wolf was still temporarily unable to break through the information defenses of Genius Society member Screwllum.
She believed that in the near future, the legendary hacker duo formed by her and Zao Wu.
Would shake the entire universe!
By then, no Screwllums or Button-gums would be a match for her and Zao Wu.
Do you inorganic lifeforms even have bonds like that?
Yours are more like binds and stumbles!
Ha!
At that time, a defeated Screwllum would probably say helplessly during an interview with the Intergalactic Press.
—”They just charged at me shouting things like ‘Tainted Friendship!’ and ‘The Power of Bonds!’, and then they broke through my information defenses.” But that was a story for another time.
The debate between Kafka and Elio finally came to an end with a single sentence from Elio.
—”Could it be that you’re afraid?” With those words, the curtain fell.
Kafka couldn’t explain her own feelings at that moment.
Afraid?
Why would Elio say that?
What exactly was fear… She didn’t understand.
However, when Elio’s script required Zao Wu to act as bait, to lure an Antimatter Legion contingent from a nearby planet to the Herta Space Station.
An inexplicable thread of irritation rose in Kafka’s heart.
Images of Zao Wu’s smiling face from the past month—a time that felt both short and long—flashed through her mind.
And the obedient, affectionate look in his eyes when he called her “Sister Kafka.” His brows, his eyes, his hair, his gradually straightening posture, his polite and gentle demeanor.
Every little detail, every single day.
How strange.
She didn’t understand.
“A Light to Scour the Myriad Streams!!” High in the air, the boy followed Blade’s teachings, shouting the phrase that was said to increase damage.
At the same time, wielding a long Xianzhou sword, he gracefully flipped his body, unleashing tens of thousands of silver-white sword glints.
With this rendition of “Fleeting Blossom, Celestial Cascade,” He dealt a massive blow to the Antimatter Legion on that unfamiliar planet!
A massive fissure, dozens of meters long and deep, was suddenly torn open across the sandy ground!
The Voidspawn struck by the sword light were naturally decapitated.
And those that were lucky enough to miss the sword light couldn’t avoid falling into the deep chasm, perishing within!
This undoubtedly ignited the monsters’ fury and their pure, destructive desire in an instant!
But at the same time, Zao Wu, having landed on the ground, found himself in a nearly hopeless situation.
Surrounded by the Antimatter Legion, he had become an enticing little cake.
“I’ve opened a portal for you!
Jump and get out of there, quick!” Silver Wolf’s anxious voice came through Zao Wu’s earpiece.
His earpiece was also from Silver Wolf, a spare model she would never give to anyone else.
( “Okay, thank you, Sister Silver Wolf!” “I-Idiot!
It’s just for the mission!”) The portal opened by Silver Wolf would transport Zao Wu to the Stellaron Hunters’ starship.
Then, the starship would perform multiple short-range jumps.
This would ensure that the Voidspawn, just like monsters in a game, Wouldn’t lose their aggro on them.
Finally, the Antimatter Legion would suddenly appear outside the Herta Space Station and begin to destroy its defenses.
And Kafka and the others would use this opportunity to seize one of Herta’s collected Stellarons.
And use it for… & PS: While I considered having Zao Wu become the Trailblazer (like Caelus), which might seem like a smooth and logical plot, I felt it wasn’t the right direction.
Besides, making him the protagonist of the main story would be too cliché.
Zao Wu will have his own story and his own way of participating in the main plot.
And the “Trailblazer” won’t disappear.
Isn’t it more interesting to have a ‘big sister’ version of the Trailblazer who takes Zao Wu to rummage through trash cans and lead him astray~?
However, the relationship between the Trailblazer and Kafka won’t be as ambiguous as many fan works depict.
After all, there is only one protagonist, and that is Zao Wu.
By the way, please vote and add to your collection~