Walter’s Mysterious Past
“[The composed and steady former leader of Anti-Entropy, inheritor of the name ‘World,’ and a man who has saved the world from destruction countless times.]”
Reading Walter’s
in-game character description
,
Himeko
couldn’t help but smile.
Turning to the man beside her, she teased—
“Walter, who knew you had
so many stories
hidden away?”
“A former
leader
? Saving the world multiple times…? Such a fantastical past, and yet you never told us about it?”
Walter’s Unease
Walter’s expression grew
slightly unnatural
.
On one hand—
Having his
past suddenly exposed
left him at a loss for words.
On the other hand—
This game…
How did it know all of this?
These were
memories he had never shared with anyone.
Not even his closest companions on the Astral Express.
And yet—
The game’s developer seemed to know his past in great detail.
If there was one person in this vast universe who could
understand both him and the Astral Express crew
so thoroughly—
Only
one name
came to mind.
The
blond-haired man who disembarked early.
An Unlikely Answer?
“If it’s him… then maybe he really
could
create a game like this.”
But something
still felt off
to Walter.
It wasn’t a
rational
feeling, but rather—
An instinctive sense of wrongness.
Simply put—
The ‘art style’ didn’t match.
If
that person
had made a game, it
definitely wouldn’t look like this.
“So then… who else could it be?”
“Well, I suppose we’ll find out if we keep playing. Let’s see what other information this game reveals.”
Deciding to
shift the conversation
, Walter spoke up—
“That last scene—Nanook, the Star God of Destruction,
glanced at the Trailblazer, didn’t he?
”
Himeko nodded.
“That’s what it looks like. And it aligns with what we suspected before.”
“That kid is… different.”
“Yeah. And now, I’m at the point in the game where I have to choose whether or not to let her board the train.”
Himeko held up her phone, smiling.
“I’m curious… if she had
chosen to stay at the space station
, what would’ve happened?”
“In reality, that choice
was never an option
. But in this game… maybe it is.”
A Hidden Path
Walter found himself
intrigued
as well.
With
Herta’s and Asta’s approval
, Himeko
chose to leave the Trailblazer behind.
“Goodbye, Miss Himeko.”
On-screen, Himeko, Walter, Dan Heng, and March 7th
prepared to board the train and depart
, leaving the Trailblazer behind.
As the train’s whistle sounded, a subtitle appeared—
“[After careful consideration, you choose to decline Himeko’s invitation. The Astral Express is about to depart, and your traveling companions wave farewell. Departures, much like meetings, are both sudden and certain.]”
A Shocking Revelation
“Wait… that was an
actual ending
?”
Both Himeko and Walter were
taken aback.
But the
next scene
left them
completely speechless.
“[After the Astral Express departs, the space station begins its reconstruction. You, alongside Herta, study the Stellaron. However, Herta soon loses interest in both you and the Stellaron. Under Asta’s guidance, you become an ordinary station crew member.]”
“[At the Herta Space Station, you live out a quiet, uneventful life. The Astral Express returns several times, but never again for you. From passing travelers, you hear of the legendary clash between the Astral Express and the Stellaron Hunters—an event that shook the universe.]”
“[Sometimes, you wonder—if you had stepped aboard the train, would their fate have been different?]”
“[But… that no longer concerns you.]”
A Life Untraveled
Himeko and Walter exchanged
stunned glances.
Neither of them had expected…
An
entire alternate future
to unfold before them.
For the
journey to truly end
at that moment.
With just
a few lines of text
, the game had perfectly captured the
weight of missed opportunities
and the passage of time.
A Moment of Reflection
If life could be lived again…
Both of them found themselves
lost in thought.
Living
peacefully
as an ordinary worker on the space station—
Was that really such a bad ending?
Even for
them
, the weight of this alternative timeline left their emotions
stirred.
The Unseen Future
But that last line—
“The legendary clash between the Astral Express and the Stellaron Hunters…”
What
exactly
was going to happen in the future?
As they gazed out the window at the endless
sea of stars
, lost in thought—
A Sudden Twist—The Credits Roll!
[Starring: The Trailblazer]
[Featuring: Dan Heng as Dan Heng]
[??? as March 7th]
[Himeko as Himeko]
[Achim Nokianvitanen as Walter]
Confusion and Shock!
Himeko’s eyes
widened in disbelief.
Walter, on the other hand—
Felt a
chill run down his spine.
The names made
sense
Except for
one.
March 7th’s name was replaced with three question marks.
Did that mean…
The
March 7th they knew… wasn’t really March 7th?!
The thought was
deeply unsettling.
Walter’s Hidden Identity Exposed!
But what shook Walter the
most
Was his
own name.
Not
Walter Yang
, but—
Achim Nokianvitanen.
That was his
original
name.
Before he had inherited the name
Walter
and the
Herrscher core
Before he had taken his
mother’s surname
.
Before he had become the
new Herrscher of Reason
.
This was a secret
he had buried deeper than anything else.
How Did the Developer Know?!
Walter felt a cold sweat forming.
His
voice
was hoarse as he turned to Himeko—
“Himeko… I think we need to
investigate
this developer.”
“They
know too much.
”
Himeko, still staring at the screen,
slowly nodded.
“You’re right. I’m looking into it
right now.
“