In the passenger car, Dan Heng and March 7th rushed over after hearing the sounds of fighting from the archives, but they found no trace of true Tayzzyronth.
"Teacher Dan Heng, one step late."
Stelle swung her bat. Who would've thought this thing could disintegrate true Tayzzyronth on contact—not even ash left. The ultimate anti-bug weapon.
"My deepest apologies… That such a beautiful being was merely an illusion. Its deception and threat were far more… ugly than its appearance."
"You just said the Tayzzyronth turned into something of Beauty in your eyes—something Stelle mentioned but you'd never seen yourself."
"Precisely. A few things I have long wished to behold with my own eyes—sights Stelle described." Argenti's expression was utterly sincere.
"I see… Combined with what March saw earlier—a version of herself who 'knew her past'… I suspect the hallucinations from the wing dust can only manifest as something deeply tied to one's personal experiences and long-held desires."
"Uh, so in Argenti's eyes, Mr. Svarog bugs are incarnations of Beauty… But compared to that, my hallucination was just finding my past?"
March 7th was still a little disappointed. "Feels kinda unambitious… I actually have way more dreams…"
"No, March. That's a pure wish—something incredibly precious."
"These swarm threats are vile. We can't fully trust the dying words of a bug… after all, 'when the bird is about to die, its song is sad; when the bug is about to die, its words are kind'…"
Stelle blinked. She'd underestimated the Knight of Beauty—he even spoke bug language.
"You're saying that bug transmitted a message to you right before it died?"
"Indeed. Allow me to relay its final words: 'Celebrate your shallow victory all you like—you will never notice the Overlord's presence.'"
"Setting aside how you understood bug language… that line itself—hold on, I think I've got something."
Dan Heng opened the archives and began searching records on the swarm.
"While reviewing Notes on the Myriad Insects of the Worlds in the archives, I found mention of a species that exists only in written accounts—no live specimens for study. The author tentatively named it the Mega True Tayzzyronth."
"This insect can grow to an absolutely colossal size… large enough to swallow an entire planet-destroying warship in one gulp."
Dan Heng frowned slightly. He had good reason to suspect the "Overlord" Argenti heard referred to exactly such a mega-bug, and they…
"I think I get it. We… might already be inside its stomach."
"No way? It swallowed the entire Express?" Stelle's surprise was focused there. Gotta admit—this bug had one hell of an appetite.
"Huh? If Dan Heng's right, this thing swallowed the train without even chewing—what a glutton!"
Argenti finally understood too. "So that's it. That would explain everything Bertnis and I went through earlier."
"…What do you mean? What'd you figure out?" March 7th hadn't caught up yet.
"Did Bertnis ever mention? When we first met, he was fighting the swarm inside a dark, impossibly vast cavern."
"Now that I think about it, there were indeed sounds of gulping and writhing inside that cavern."
"Mm. Your flight path happened to intersect with the Express's star rail—perhaps we encountered the same Mega True Tayzzyronth. Now, we just need to confirm the theory…"
RUMBLE!
A thick, wet squelching came from outside the car, startling March 7th.
"Ah—AAAAH! What was that?!"
"Looks like we don't need more proof. Let's head back to the parlor car and plan."
Back in the parlor car, the mood turned heavy for a moment. March 7th weakly asked, "It's so quiet… Say something, guys?"
"To meet all of you here—I, Argenti, could die without regret."
"…Never mind. Silence is golden."
Seeing even the Knight of Beauty turn this pessimistic, March 7th gave up.
"So that's how it is. If the Express really has been swallowed… we could try temporarily overloading the engines, ramming the bug's stomach, and blasting out of the Mega True Tayzzyronth at super speed."
"Jumping requires extensive prep—and the swarm might notice mid-process."
"The method does carry risks. The engines could catch fire… but we don't have better options."
Stelle was stumped too. Even with multiple Paths and weird relics protecting her, she had zero experience fighting ultra-giant creatures… Phantylia counted, but that was inside the Scalegorge Waterscape where she just stood still and let Stelle wail on her.
Regular true Tayzzyronth were gross enough—even the hourglass necklace refused to absorb them. A mega-sized one? Forget it.
"Are we… actually gonna fail?"
"Honestly—yes, it's possible. The Express's outer hull… might already be dissolving in stomach acid."
"So the greatest ugliness… was outside the train all along!"
March 7th panicked. "That's terrifying! Will my room's bear and bunny get melted by acid? They've been with me forever—I gotta rescue them…"
"No need to worry, everyone. I just need a little time with Himeko to check the engines. Relax for now."
As the senior crew member, Welt calmed March 7th down.
"Ah! The only thing we could count on right now was church soap—and Bertnis only brought bath-grade!"
Himeko calmly sipped her coffee.
"On the Path of Trailblaze, the Express always encounters all kinds of hardships… not just this time. In the foreseeable future… I have no doubt there will be many more. Yet we will never stop Trailblazing."
"That is the meaning of Trailblaze… We must face every challenge. Only then do we all gain experience and grow."
"Gotta get out of this true Tayzzyronth stomach fast pa! Pom-Pom doesn't want the train hurt at all pa…" Pom-Pom stared worriedly at the crimson starscape outside.
"Fear not, everyone. I am bidding my final farewell to this potted plant. Just as meeting all of you—making friends with so many lives aboard this train and discussing the way of Beauty with you all—I too could die without regret!"
Argenti clutched the plant with resolve, instantly killing whatever negativity March 7th had left.
"This guy's been hugging that plant the whole time… and in just a few minutes he's formed a deep bond with it? Though I'm also worried about my room's plushies…"
"The Express is everyone's home. Whatever happens, we face it together pa! Wah—good thing passenger Stelle's back… though the timing's a bit unfortunate pa."
"Wah~ Too bad passenger Adrian isn't here…"
...
Party car, large storage room
Bertnis, fully armored, charged decisively at the Freesna not far away.
"Ha! What worm dares impersonate that lady—taste my bat!"
Freesna: ?