The first thought Yevenko had upon seeing Acheron was how the girl before him bore an uncanny resemblance to Raiden Ei. If she changed her hairstyle, the two would be indistinguishable.
His second thought was realizing he'd forgotten to bring Ei with him.
Well, it wasn't exactly that he'd forgotten—more that he never expected the sudden warp to Izumo.
His original plan had been to rely on his recently revived, childlike luck. He'd assumed he'd quickly draw a lucky gacha roll and safely return to Jarilo-VI. Yet here he was.
Otherwise, he could have witnessed the amusing scene of Ei meeting Acheron face-to-face.
Although at this point, this "Acheron" probably wasn't known by that name yet. She likely wasn't even Raiden "Bosenmori" Mei yet—just Raiden Mei.
After all, "Acheron" was merely Raiden Mei's alias. "Bosenmori" was a title she'd acquired after becoming an Emanator of Nihility, tasked with guarding the Bosen River.
At that moment, it was Raiden Mei who broke the silence first. She was the visitor here, after all. Softly pursing her cherry lips, she spoke:
"My name is Raiden Mei. This child has no given name, but you can call her Nuan."
"Forgive us for intruding without invitation."
Yevenko shook his head dismissively.
"No need to apologize. The Astral Express welcomes all who bear no ill will. My name is Yevenko, and this here is Tom."
Tom stared dumbly at Mei's face, a question mark suddenly falling from above and bonking his head, causing it to dip slightly forward.
Yet Tom sensed no familiar aura from Mei; clearly, she wasn't Raiden Ei. She was probably just a doppelganger, similar to the resemblance between Tom himself and his cousin.
But in that case, Tom had to ensure his master's dignity remained intact!
Noticing Mei and Nuan's curious gazes fixed upon him, Tom glanced down at himself, noticing he was covered in mud from smacking the shadowy creatures with his flyswatter earlier.
Immediately, he shook his body vigorously, causing all the mud to miraculously fly off.
With lightning speed, Tom dashed forward to Mei and Nuan. He dramatically reached behind himself, producing a small bouquet of pink flowers and offered it gallantly to Raiden Mei.
Raiden Mei froze momentarily, her brows knitting slightly as she peered behind Tom, confused at how he'd conjured flowers from thin air. Still, the flowers swiftly drew her attention.
Though the bouquet appeared simple, even ordinary, a living plant was an extraordinary rarity in today's Izumo.
Even stranger, Mei couldn't fathom how Tom had pulled them from literally nowhere.
Yet she didn't voice her confusion, merely nodding softly.
"My thanks."
Next, Tom turned quickly toward Nuan, offering a charming smile. Once more, he reached behind himself and pulled out a lovely flower crown, gently placing it atop Nuan's silver-haired head.
Nuan's eyes widened in delight, and she eagerly embraced Tom.
"Thank you, Tom!"
Grrr—
At that moment, Nuan's stomach loudly protested. She shyly touched her belly but kept silent.
Tom had already given her such a beautiful gift. Asking for food as well would surely be too impolite.
Hearing Nuan's hungry stomach, Raiden Mei pursed her lips gently before turning toward Yevenko.
"Pardon me, but do you perhaps have any food you might spare? We don't ask for much—two bowls of thin porridge or even a single steamed bun would suffice. I'm uncertain about your purpose in coming here."
"If you require it, I could repay your kindness by becoming your guide and protector."
Seeing the deeply sunken curve of Nuan's stomach, Yevenko furrowed his brow sharply.
"Who are you looking down on?"
"I'll give you fifty pounds of porridge and a hundred steamed buns!"
"Uh…wait, I forgot if we even have those onboard. But we've got plenty of milk and other food. Come on in."
Casually, Yevenko reached behind himself and produced two bottles of milk, handing them over to Mei and Nuan.
"Drink this first to fill your stomachs."
For those who've been starving, liquids were best. Mei would likely be fine, given her strength, but Nuan would need something more nutritious like porridge later on.
Raiden Mei gazed appreciatively at the milk bottle in her hand, her eyes briefly flicking behind Yevenko again as she softly murmured her thanks.
"Thank you greatly for the food."
"However...I don't know how you arrived here, but leaving Izumo is nearly impossible. You should ration your supplies carefully."
Meanwhile, Nuan stared wide-eyed at the milk bottle—something she'd only ever seen described in books. Feeling its comforting warmth, she gently placed the opening to her lips and took a tentative sip.
Instantly, her eyes curled into delighted crescents as she eagerly savored the taste. But rather than continuing to drink, she quickly hid the milk protectively within her arms, calling out in her soft, sweet voice:
"Thank you, Oniisan!"
Having already turned to head inside, Yevenko waved dismissively at Mei and Nuan's hesitations.
"No worries. Just come in already."
Nuan hesitated, worrying it might be greedy or impolite to keep eating the nice oniisan's food after already receiving the milk.
Mei similarly bit her lip, quietly echoing Nuan's concern. Perhaps their new acquaintances didn't yet realize how desperate Izumo's situation truly was. They might have abundant supplies now, but circumstances could swiftly change.
She considered politely declining and staying nearby, ready to help as a guide or protector whenever Yevenko and Tom stepped outside.
But before she could decide, Tom abruptly rose beneath Nuan, startling her.
"Eep!!"
Tom swiftly lifted Nuan onto his shoulders and dashed toward the train doors. Nuan's initial surprise quickly gave way to laughter, delighted by the novelty.
"Hahaha! Slow down, Tom!"
Mei shook her head with a faint, gentle smile, her pale violet eyes warming with affection as she followed after them.
Inside, once Mei and Nuan were comfortably seated, Tom eagerly showcased his remarkable cooking skills.
Effortlessly balancing numerous plates on head and paws, Tom launched them into the air. In a blur of motion, he whipped out a kitchen knife, swiftly slicing bread, vegetables, and meats into neat slices.
The plates landed gracefully, capturing ingredients mid-air to form perfectly assembled sandwiches.
For Nuan, Tom specially prepared a hearty bowl of soup.
Gently tying a napkin around Nuan's neck, Tom saw the impatient hunger in her eyes. Grasping a spoonful of steaming soup, Tom dramatically blew away the heat with a single breath, instantly cooling it to the perfect temperature before gently feeding her.
The atmosphere was wonderfully cozy, even causing Mei's tightly-wound nerves to relax just slightly.
Boom—————!!!
A thunderous roar suddenly shook the earth, startling everyone into turning sharply toward the windows.
From the sky above, a pitch-black bolt of lightning struck down, illuminating countless sword-like shadows forming a mountainous shape. The ground violently quaked, rumbling endlessly as suffocating pressure descended like the collapse of heaven itself.
Raiden Mei's brief moment of relaxation instantly evaporated, replaced by grim resolve as she whispered solemnly:
"'Owari' has been forged."
"The time has come to fulfill my destiny...to seek that sliver of hope."
Hearing this, Yevenko dramatically slammed his hand onto the table, springing upright.
"I get it! It's time for me to explosively farm [Exploration Value]!"
"The time to hunt has come!"
Raiden Mei: "…"
Was he no longer treating her as an outsider, boldly spouting such embarrassing lines?