"Hm? Faith?"
Nanashi glanced curiously at Ayame, Mumei, and Horobi.
Each of them had developed faith in him.
Mumei's was rooted in dependence.
Ayame's stemmed from admiration—almost worship.
And Horobi's… hers was absolute loyalty. And perhaps… something deeper, more primal.
Hiss—
Nanashi winced slightly.
He was beginning to wonder if he had accidentally become the protagonist of an anime—complete with a charm that acted like a natural aphrodisiac.
But no, that wasn't it.
Horobi had simply been overwhelmed by his strength—on all levels.
"If you have faith…"
He extended his hand, and the Wings of Salvation shone once more, casting divine light over the three.
Before everyone's eyes, they grew radiant wings and halos, just like Seitenshi.
In the same moment, Nanashi transformed them—along with Seitenshi—into members of his own kind: the Chronology Clan.
He had learned of this clan's powers from Neko and Hai Xiaomei.
They possessed only two time-based abilities:
Time Acceleration – which applied only to themselves.
Time Deceleration – which could affect external objects close to their bodies.
Unlike the unstable time fluctuations in the outside world, the Chronology Clan's powers were deliberate and controlled—like a personal time-control system.
And as Nanashi's power as King of Time grew, so too would the strength of his clan's abilities.
"From now on, you are my Angels of Redemption," he declared. "Members of the Chronology Clan."
"This world belongs to you now. Take care of it. Horobi, Mumei—assist Ayame. Especially you, Horobi. Ayame's kindness needs your strength to balance it."
"Yes, my lord!"
"In that case… we'll take our leave."
Nanashi and the others chose to return.
Ayame stood silently, watching the direction he vanished.
"Lord Nanashi… will he come back?" she murmured.
Horobi said nothing, but the worry in her eyes was unmistakable.
Though their time together had been brief, the feeling Nanashi gave her—that burning heat—was unforgettable. She was already obsessed.
She felt like a piece of drifting duckweed, lost at sea, until a towering stone pillar lifted her from the waves and gave her a safe harbor.
Mumei quietly opened the group chat.
Mumei:"Lord Nanashi, will you return?"
Nanashi:"Of course. If it's you, Mumei, maybe you can call me brother."
Mumei:"Yes! Brother!"
Mumei beamed, then turned to Horobi and Ayame.
"Brother said he'll come back."
"Brother?" Horobi and Ayame echoed in unison, puzzled.
Wasn't Biba Amatori dead?
"It's Brother Nanashi."
"!!!"
…
Nanashi, now back, resumed enjoying Chinu's careful attention.
He moved between companions effortlessly.
A true master of time management.
Nanashi:"Seitenshi, Vivi, Saiki, Mikasa—have you all returned safely?"
Seitenshi:"Yes. I'm back."
Vivi:"I'll be returning to the Kingdom of Alabasta as well."
Saiki Kusuo:"Yeah."
Mikasa:"Thank you for your concern."
Mikasa:"I have a question."
Aqua:"Oh! What's the question? Let me answer it! But only if you join the Axis Cult!"
Mikasa:"…"
Mikasa had long suspected the Axis Cult was… questionable. Everyone in the group seemed to agree.
March 7th:"Ahaha, Aqua never gives up."
Nanashi:"Ignore her. Just ask your question directly."
Mikasa:"The A-rank ability I got from the roulette—it's called Inherent Spiritual Equipment: Iai Sword Narukami. Is it powerful?"
Nami:"Never heard of it."
Lemuel:"A-rank's already impressive. My gun creation ability is A-rank."
The Iai Sword Narukami…
Nanashi found the name both familiar and distant.
He racked his brain trying to place it.
Ah—that was it. It was the Inherent Spiritual Equipment of Toudou Touka from Chivalry of a Failed Knight.
In the world of Chivalry of a Failed Knight, Inherent Spiritual Equipment was a unique form—manifesting one's soul as a weapon.
These warriors used magic to channel supernatural powers, becoming "Blazers" in their world.
But Narukami, as a weapon, wasn't actually all that strong on its own.
Toudou Touka's real power came from her unparalleled sword techniques—not just her Inherent Spiritual Equipment.
Narukami: Touka's Device that takes the form of a Japanese longsword placed in a black scabbard. In the anime series, she calls forth her Device by using the command "thunder" before pulling out the sword from an orb of purple lightning.
Nanashi: "Mikasa, after fusing with the Inherent Spiritual Equipment, did you gain anything else?"
Mikasa: "Yes. I also received two sword techniques: Raikiri(*Lightning Cutter) and Takemiya Raigin(*Thunder's Severity)."
So the equipment even came with matching sword skills.
Nanashi: "Not bad. You should consider strengthening it further."
Mikasa: "Understood."
Momonga: "I'm seriously envious of you guys."
March 7th: "Silver Wolf! Get out here already!"
Shinobu: "Why are you so eager to find Silver Wolf, March? Did something happen?"
March 7th: "Something huge happened!"
A short while ago—
The Star Rail was finally ready to depart the Jarilo-VI star system.
A new journey was about to begin.
[Hello… hello…]
Pom-pom's voice echoed through the train's intercom system.
[Apologies for the long wait, passengers.]
[Thanks to the great efforts of our three Trailblazers, spatial rift activity has dropped to its lowest levels, and the new coordinates are stable once more.]
[The Astral Express is preparing to depart. Please take your seats, fasten in, and bid farewell to this planet.]
Moments later, the Starry Sky Train surged forward, re-entering the boundless galaxy.
Meanwhile, in one of the rooms—
Dan Heng lay curled under a blanket on the floor, his face contorted in pain as he murmured in his sleep.
"There are five people… and three… and you… you are one of them…"
A devil's whisper echoed in his dream, and Dan Heng jolted awake.
Cold sweat dripped from his forehead. His eyes trembled.
Then came a knock.
"Dan Heng, route meeting's about to start," called Stelle from outside the door.
"…Give me a minute. I'll be right there." Dan Heng wiped the sweat from his brow and got up.
Outside, March 7th gave a knowing shrug.
"Told you he'd be sleeping in."
"For those of us on this train, sure—we can go without sleep for days. But once we crash, we really crash."
"You'll get the hang of it eventually."
Stelle blinked. "Is… that really a healthy schedule?"
"Who cares if it's healthy? It's tradition." March 7th grinned. "Anyway, the conductor asked us to gather for the route meeting. Let's not dawdle in the corridor."
The two walked down the hall together.
"Remember what I said," March 7th continued. "If you wake up one day and Dan Heng's not around, you might not see him again all day."
Stelle laughed awkwardly. "What a surprise."
"You're new, that's all. Give it time—you'll realize everyone on this train is a little off."
March 7th's teasing caught Stelle's attention.
Everyone? That had to include her, right?
"Don't give me that look. I know what you're thinking." March puffed her cheeks. "Yeah, yeah—I'm weird too. Happy?"
"I've got amnesia. Completely blanked out my past. Ever seen a normal person like that? Usually they've got some epic, mysterious backstory. Me? I've made up dozens of fake ones for fun."
She laughed easily, not sad or uncertain—just… herself.
And that made Stelle quietly admire her optimism.
Note for those who don't know; March 7th was found drifting in space, sealed inside a massive block of eternal ice.
The Express crew discovered her and revived her on March 7th, which is why she chose that date as her name. She has no memory of who she was before being frozen.
All her past memories were erased or sealed. Her only clues are the strange pattern of stars imprinted on her back and her cryo powers.
This mystery drives her curiosity about life, other people, and herself. As a Path of the Preservation character, she uses ice abilities in battle. The ice powers are tied to the way she was preserved and possibly to her unknown past.
March joins the Astral Express because she wants to see the universe, make memories, and eventually rediscover her origins.
Instead of being consumed by her lost past, she focuses on cherishing the present and creating her own story.
Not long after, they arrived at the main carriage.
Welt stood waiting by the door.
Adjusting his glasses, he nodded at them. "You two look well."
Stelle looked surprised. "Mr. Welt, are you coming with us this time?"
Welt nodded. "Yes. I thought I'd tag along."
March 7th leaned forward, curious. "Uncle Welt, is there a world you're hoping to see?"
Welt paused in thought. "A world I want to see…? My hometown, I suppose."
"…But sadly, the train's records don't have any intact coordinates for it anymore."
He smiled faintly. "Still, I want to see more civilizations before I return—if I ever do. I'd rather not let my time on the Astral Express go to waste."
In truth, Welt didn't know if going back was even possible.
Nanashi had been pondering something similar ever since Kiana joined the chat group.
Welt—this version of him—was from the Honkai Impact world. But he hailed from a point after the collapse had ended.
Kiana, however, was still attending Senba Academy.
The time gap between them was too vast.
Were they from the same world, or different timelines? No one could say for sure.
Whether Welt could ever return to his version of Earth remained a mystery.