As Cocolia's echo faded, Stelle let out a cold snort, spinning her bat and tucking it behind her back.
"Uh… what're you doing?" March 7th didn't get her move.
"Thinking back to that nostalgic past, March. You know?"
Stelle, unfazed, stowed the bat in her ticket space, looking at March 7th with earnest eyes.
"That day you picked up this bat and handed it to me, and the first time I tucked it behind my back…"
"Stop—no need to explain. Chuunibyou vibes, I get it."
"Chuunibyou? This is post-battle ritual, ritual!" Stelle said deadpan.
"Right, right, ritual. That move was cool, though—you got me there."
"Ugh, such half-hearted praise. Fine, fine."
Stelle sighed deeply, shaking her head helplessly, making March 7th want to shoot an arrow at her knee.
Seele planted her scythe in the ground, staring at the long staircase ahead.
"That's the only path left."
"The Stellaron's up there. I can feel its unique aura," Stelle said, closing her eyes to sense it.
Dan Heng's expression remained calm. "I missed the journey of this Trailblaze mission, yet here I am at its end. This should've been Leon's…"
Stelle, serious: "Don't say that. It was Leon's choice. He's not here physically, but he's always with us."
March 7th: "This is just one end to a Trailblaze journey, not the last."
Seele gripped her scythe handle, her gaze sharp.
"Bronya, the fate of the Overworld and Underworld… it's all up ahead. I thought I'd be scared, nervous, but I'm not."
Stelle: "That's because you know how many hopes rest on your shoulders."
Seele gave a rare smile. "Yeah."
The entire Underworld, this world, the people she cared for, the ones she admired…
No matter who, she couldn't let them down.
Stelle: "Trailblazing… I've found my own rhythm."
March 7th's eyes widened. "Tell us."
"Diplomacy first, fight if it fails!" Stelle proudly crossed her arms, chin up.
March 7th: "…"
Knew this guy couldn't say anything profound.
"Since Cocolia's up there, the final battle's coming. Everyone ready?"
With that, March 7th raised her camera, aiming at her companions.
Dan Heng stared at the cold glint of his spear tip.
"The Express travels the star sea; we're just passersby, witnessing the stories of one world after another."
"On our journey, we avoid getting swept into tides that decide a world's fate, but sometimes we can't help it."
"Speaking of life and death—"
March 7th suddenly aimed at Stelle.
"Stelle, oh Stelle, your first Trailblaze journey's a world-saving quest. Your luck's through the roof."
Stelle's lips curled. "If so, a hero can't run from the fight."
"That's how we roll! Helping those in need, befriending trustworthy allies, saving the world on the side."
March 7th snapped the shutter, capturing her companions' silhouettes against the light.
"Fighting for the world's beauty—that's the spirit of Trailblazing!"
Stelle: "Stop saying stuff like that. It's dripping with scary flags. I'm ready to face the boss."
Dan Heng: "Let's go."
The thrilling moment arrived, but Ah Xian felt a twinge of disappointment.
"If only Leon were here…"
This journey's smoothness owed so much to his reliability.
Yet he stayed in the restricted zone, aiding the Silvermane Guards to protect Belobog, missing the crucial battle.
[Don't worry, if we hit a life-or-death crisis with the boss, he'll show up right on cue.]
[Xiao Yan style, huh?]
[Close enough. Don't call it cliché—it's a tried-and-true classic trope, isn't it?]
[DentistSisIDontWannaDie gifted the streamer SC1000: Ah Xian, I've got something to say via voice chat.]
A viewer's 100-yuan highlighted message couldn't be ignored by the streamer.
"The mic's yours."
[Stelle's just born, still weak. Leon's like a father raising a kid, or a teacher.]
[He's looked after you a lot, taught you a lot on this growth journey.]
[In danger, he always steps in, covering for you.]
[Through one journey after another, you—or we—will grow stronger, able to stand on our own.]
[By then, you'll be able to help him, solve his problems.]
[But in a major crisis, one you're powerless against, Leon steps up selflessly again to save you.]
[When you think it's all happily resolved, another hurdle cleared, the writers stab a knife into Leon at the end—]
"Damn kid, your Yan Kingdom map's pretty long!"
Ah Xian's face flushed, cutting off the voice chat.
"Gotta rein you in!"
"Keep spouting nonsense, and I'll crawl through the internet to shove purple vibes into your workplace."
"Without reining you in, what's next? Saying Stelle goes berserk from Stellaron mutation, and Leon sacrifices his life to save her?"
"No way! I know nothing about some 'final lesson' or 'eternal flame,' never seen it!"
"No shaking my faith in this space comedy. Try to scare me? Hmph, you're far from it, kid."
[She's panicking.]
[Ah Xian's red-hot, losing it. Your profile's still got that classic old anime pinned. Who was sobbing in a corner with noodles after Eternal Flame?]
[Hehe, who was it?]
[Let's be rational, guys. We want to see Ah Xian lose it with noodles and two packs of tissues again, but it's launch. No knives yet.]
[True. They haven't lured enough people in to stab air with knives.]
[Once enough are hooked, they'll lock the door and stab right in the heart. That sting, tsk.]
[Hoyoverse writers: Here's the pen, you write.]
"That one comment nailed it. Wish for Leon to swoop in on a rainbow cloud at the critical moment, saving his companions from peril."
"Oh, wait, no—swooping in with majestic wings."
…
Restricted Zone.
The battle to protect the homeland raged on.
Leon, on the minds of some players, hadn't rested for a moment.
Storms raged.
Fewer Fragmentum monsters appeared, but his focus sharpened.
This meant someone might be sending him an invitation.
"Aha."
"I'm here, darling. Wanna kick me hard?"
"You know what I mean. Help or don't."
Aha pouted like a sulky kitten, stomping on Leon's shoulder.
"Big meanie, taking advantage of Aha's love for you."
"Not happy? Leave anytime, and don't bug me again."
"Ugh, just kidding~~ But Brother, Joy's power isn't that inconvenient, is it?"
Aha coaxed slyly.
"Don't want to expose your secret identity? Use Joy's power to fight and change your look. Why make me hide your Emanator Imaginary fluctuations?"