'Could it be… that Yun Fan is actually the Samsara Lord himself?'
This extremely absurd yet seemingly perfectly reasonable idea suddenly popped into Himeko's mind.
This guy Yun Fan, although he has always claimed to be an old friend of the Aeon of Causality, having known THEM even before THEY ascended to godhood, now that she thinks about it, there are still many holes in his words.
As Yun Fan said, the Aeon of Causality was elevated from a human to a god, and while THEY were still human, the other party was his old friend. After the other became an Aeon, THEY granted him the power of an Emanator.
However, an Aeon and a human are completely two different concepts. After ascending to become an Aeon, the divinity of a god would occupy most of the main consciousness, while the original humanity as a human would gradually degenerate.
This means that after becoming an Aeon, whether Yun Fan as a god would still remember this old friend is already a question, let alone granting him power.
Moreover, besides that, if the Yun Fan they know really is an old friend of the Samsara Lord, then why would he walk the world under the name 'Yun Fan'? Wouldn't that be equivalent to indirectly erasing the meaning of his own existence in this world?
There are many holes in the lies Yun Fan casually made up. If one thinks about it even a little carefully, one can detect something off. It's just that, in the past, Himeko and the others hadn't thought about this matter carefully, as if something had deliberately influenced them...
Just like... there is an invisible force affecting them, preventing their thoughts from heading in this direction.
'Could it be… Causality!'
— — — —
"Ugh… What happened to me? Why do I feel a bit dazed and confused…"
After Firefly's 'treatment', Stelle, who had originally been in a complete daze, quickly recovered. When the girl opened her eyes, the first thing that met her gaze was Firefly's focused expression, as well as the soft and warm little hand touching her forehead.
"Wuwuwu…! As expected, it's still Firefly who cares about me…!"
Upon waking up, Stelle suddenly grabbed Firefly's little hand. There seemed to be faint 'tears' flickering in her eyes, as if she was brewing something. After a long while, Stelle spoke in a somewhat emotional voice.
"Firefly, was it you who saved me from that devil Yun Fan? This little lady has nothing to repay you with. In this life and the next, please… ouch!"
Before Stelle could finish saying the words 'please take care of me', with a 'pa' sound, a ruthless iron hand suddenly fell, heavily smacking Stelle's butt.
"Wah—!"
Feeling her buttocks being heavily slapped, in an instant, Stelle—who had originally been looking affectionate and about to confess—immediately flushed red. She jumped up from the bed with a whoosh, pointing one finger at Yun Fan, who was looking at her expressionlessly, while babbling incoherently.
"You you you!! I-I'll sue you for harassment…!"
"Oh? Really? Then go ahead."
Yun Fan expressionlessly raised his hand, making a motion as if he was about to strike again. This girl really forgets the pain once the scar heals. It hadn't been long, yet she dared to try to steal his girl right in front of him again!
"Waaah! Big Sis Himeko, save me!"
After a good bout of chaos, the people present finally quieted down again. Yun Fan, Firefly, and Little March sat side by side, while opposite them was Himeko calmly drinking coffee with an unfazed expression. Behind Himeko was Stelle, hiding in fear.
"Hmph, I'll let you off this time. If next time you dare try to steal my girl again, then I'll…"
Yun Fan slightly raised his head, giving an expression that said 'you know what'.
"You… ugh, fine, I know I was wrong…"
Our Miss Stelle still wanted to struggle a bit more, but when she saw Yun Fan's dangerous gaze, she ultimately swallowed her saliva and swallowed the words that had reached her lips.
Seeing that Stelle had finally given in and temporarily shelved her little schemes, our Mr. Yun Fan nodded in satisfaction. Then, the young man gently took Firefly's little hand and asked tenderly.
"Firefly, what are your plans from now on? The illness on your body has already been resolved, and at the same time, you now possess powerful strength. After the matters in Penacony are settled, would you like to join the Astral Express and travel the four directions with us?"
As Yun Fan spoke, the gazes of March 7th, Himeko, and Stelle all fell on Firefly. Among them, Stelle—who still harbored ulterior motives—had shining eyes, eagerly awaiting Firefly's answer.
"This…"
Hearing Yun Fan's words and seeing Stelle's somewhat hopeful gaze, our Miss Firefly lightly pursed her lips. For a moment, the girl felt very hesitant inside.
On one hand, she didn't want to refuse Yun Fan, because it wasn't an exaggeration to say that at this moment, the girl's entire heart was already tied to this man.
On the other hand, aside from her current status as an Emanator, our Miss Firefly also had her own companions. Silver Wolf, Kafka, Blade, Elio—the members of the Stellaron Hunters were all Firefly's partners, and the girl didn't want to just leave like that.
Seeing Firefly's expression, Yun Fan naturally knew what she was thinking at this moment. Understanding the entanglement in her heart, the young man spoke softly.
"No need to hesitate, Firefly. Just follow what your heart tells you. I know that Firefly also has companions you once lived and died with. As your boyfriend, I will choose to support you unconditionally."
Gently stroking the girl's little head, the young man seriously gave his promise.
"I…"
Firefly still felt some hesitation in her heart, but when she saw Yun Fan's gaze full of affirmation, the entanglement in her heart dissipated in this moment.
"Mm, Fan, can I choose to join the Astral Express while retaining my original identity?"
"Retain your original identity while joining the Astral Express?"
Firefly's words made Yun Fan slightly stunned. Then, the young man looked toward Himeko opposite him, using his gaze to inquire about this Navigator of the Express's opinion.
Even though Yun Fan's strength was extremely powerful, no matter what, Himeko was still the Navigator of the Astral Express. Yun Fan didn't want to overstep.
Previously, letting Firefly join the Astral Express had already been agreed to by Himeko.
But… joining the Express while retaining her original identity would require asking her opinion again. After all, Firefly's other identity was the enemy of the Astral Express, and at the same time, a notorious organization in the galaxy—the 'Stellaron Hunters'.