Bertnis charged at Freesna with spear raised. Too much true Tayzzyronth wing dust, plus a bit of tipsiness—he could no longer tell what was real.
Times like these called for the all-purpose Great Memory Restoration Technique!
Freesna first enchanted the milk tea hug pillow with her staff, then grabbed the spear tip thrusting toward her and let out a cold snort.
Hm… this felt oddly familiar. A few Amber Eras ago, something similar had happened—she and Blake had clashed over differing ideals, turning an entire star system upside down.
They were really going at it when some idiot showed up—called himself something like Zhuro, trailing a bunch of Skiff Rangers.
Freesna and Blake had been baffled. Since when were The Hunt and Destruction such good buddies, chasing each other like that?
The instant they saw Zhuro, they called a truce and turned on the outsider.
Mainly because both were low on health and terrified a Lord Ravager would double-kill them. If word got back to the tavern Masked Fools, the church and the Aeon of Eternity would be nailed to the cosmic pillar of shame.
So Freesna and Blake immediately joined the Skiff Rangers, technically participating in the subjugation of Lord Ravager Zhuro.
Hardly anyone in the universe knew about it. Freesna and Blake were just support—the real heavy lifting was done by the Rangers.
But… as an Emanator of Destruction, Blake did lob a few extra planet-buster soaps at Zhuro.
Freesna played her true priestess role, casting secret arts of Eternity on the Rangers so Zhuro couldn't outlast them.
It left Zhuro dumbfounded. Were these really Pathstriders of The Hunt?! He seriously suspected a few Abundance followers had snuck in!
By the time Zhuro's blue bar was drained, he spotted a pair of distinctive elf ears right before death and realized he'd been set up by Eternity.
If the swarm hadn't worn him down first, who knows who would've won.
Successfully assassinating a Lord Ravager catapulted the Skiff Rangers to fame.
Back to the present—watching the spear tip coming at her, Freesna didn't counterattack. Her gaze shifted to the milk tea hug pillow by the bed.
A flash of holy light!
Adrian, long absent, finally appeared aboard the Astral Express—materializing right between Freesna and Bertnis.
Pshk!
Seeing the spear pierce Adrian's body, Freesna blue-screened on the spot.
AAAAHHH—Lord Ite has been assassinated!
...
Meanwhile, parlor car
"I've finished checking the engines. The jump drive can't activate immediately, but temporary acceleration should still be possible. If no one strongly objects, let's begin preparations…"
Before Welt could finish, Argenti cut in:
"My apologies… I suddenly had an idea that might resolve the crisis. While the Express prepares, I request a private word with Stelle."
"You! At a time like this, can't you just say it out loud?" March 7th had already gathered all her plushies from her room, ready for a last stand.
"This idea… if spoken publicly, you would reject it instantly. But as a knight, I must help the Express overcome this peril."
March 7th had misjudged Argenti—he'd already steeled himself for rejection… inexplicably touching!
"You seem to have a plan. I don't know the traditions of the Knights of Beauty, but… March, no rush."
Argenti pulled Stelle aside. "Stelle, forgive my abruptness—requesting privacy like this is strange."
"In truth, a powerful feeling has taken hold of me. As a Knight of Beauty, this is a battle I must face!"
"I propose to leave the Express alone and confront the Mega True Tayzzyronth head-on—strike its stomach wall with my lance, induce spasms, and force it to vomit the train out."
Stelle was stunned by Argenti's method. Just him? He really dared…
"I struggle to describe these sensations… but when I witness certain things, Beauty wells up from the depths of my heart. It is vague, perceptible only by instinct."
"Perhaps I have wandered the galaxy too long alone and cannot pinpoint its source. Yet I know—as a knight—my duty is to shield seeds that hold Beauty, to stand before them and fend off all…"
"And now, the Astral Express is that seed. Here I feel belonging—a warmth like home. I believe it stems from the deep bonds you all share."
Gazing at this heartwarming place, Argenti made his resolve.
"Thus, I swear to be the shield that protects this warmth, not hide behind it and let it shield me."
"I will guard these seeds of Beauty again and again, letting them bloom pure and crystalline—to prove my devotion to HER… This is inevitable on the journey of one named Argenti."
Stelle hadn't expected Argenti's faith in Idrila, the Beauty, to be so utterly pure. She'd been narrow-minded.
"SHE is our faith, the destination of our Path. While bleeding and fading in battles to defend Beauty's passage, I have countless times glimpsed HER footsteps in delirium—spreading from beneath my feet toward the unknown ahead."
"Was that an illusion?" Stelle recalled what Kafka had said on the Luofu: among fallen Aeons was Idrila the Beauty.
"Reason tells me no… but I wish it were so…"
"In those old visions, I ran endlessly. On muddy paths, HER footprints saddened me more than any weeping. Each time, I was just short of seeing HER form…"
"Fall, rise, fall again, rise again—countless trials between life and death, all to draw closer to the road Beauty once walked."
"This is the oath of a Knight of Beauty."
Hearing Argenti's unshakable resolve, Stelle removed the hourglass necklace and placed it in his hand.
"No need. I am grateful, but even if pierced by insect horns, it matters not. The closer very doors of death may bring me closer to Beauty's path…"
Argenti explained his true final goal: to resume the duel they began when they first met.
"Forgive my verbosity—I am poor with words… Back to the beginning—will you support my plan?"
Stelle shook her head, still opposed. She didn't want Argenti risking his life like this—it wasn't fair to him.
"Are you worried for me? Thank you… Your understanding is more precious than any treasure. I have crossed blades with countless travelers—flattery, scorn—I've seen it all. Rare is a heart as pure as yours."
"But… Stelle, my decision is made. As a Knight of Beauty, this is the Fate I must meet."