The last thing anyone wanted to encounter on the Space Station—especially as a newcomer—was the Voidranger - Trampler. An elite, humanoid monster capable of summoning more of its kind, it was the stuff of nightmares. Bugs underground were bad enough… but this?
Yet, unlike the others who braced for battle, Elysia—Ellie—smiled brightly and greeted the creature with her usual charm.
"Hi～ I'm Elysia! Nice to meet you, please take care of me～♪"
Before she could finish, Ellie had already drawn her bow and fired a shimmering crystal arrow. "Here's a flower! Hope you like it～♪"
The Voidranger - Trampler twisted its body, narrowly dodging the arrow with impressive speed. But Ellie's arrows weren't ordinary—they exploded mid-air, splitting into dozens of crystalline shards. Several embedded into the creature's collapsing form.
It roared in pain and summoned a swarm of smaller Voidrangers.
Ellie tilted her head, unfazed. "Troublesome～ but beautiful girls are omnipotent～♪" She conjured three more crystal arrows, releasing them with a flourish.
The Voidranger - Trampler, clearly wary of Ellie's power, summoned minions to intercept the arrows. Ellie giggled and held back their explosive split—she was just playing.
Then, a voice rang out: "Rules are meant to be broken."
A sharp blow struck the Voidranger - Trampler. Elysia had used herself as bait, drawing its attention while March froze the summoned minions. Stelle seized the moment and slammed her bat into the creature.
It retaliated with a powerful kick, but a golden shield shimmered around Stelle, absorbing the impact. She was thrown back a meter, but unharmed.
Frustrated, the Voidranger - Trampler summoned even more minions.
Danheng shouted, "Fall back to March!" He stabbed a charging creature and retreated.
Stelle swung her bat with precision, taking down enemies one by one. But they were energy-based—likely to regenerate.
March protected the wounded Arlan, occasionally firing support shots. Ellie narrowed her eyes. Should I use that?
Just then, a drone zipped in overhead.
"Everyone, fall back. I'll handle this," Himeko's voice came through.
Ellie stuck out her tongue at the Voidranger - Trampler. "Bye-bye～♪"
Before it could react, the drone deployed a chainsaw-like weapon style and sliced through the creature in seconds.
"Thanks, Himeko!" March exhaled, smiling at the drone.
"Come back quickly," Himeko replied, guiding them with the drone's movements.
Ellie pulled March and Stelle forward. "This mission report's gonna be easy～♪"
"Wait, Sister Ellie… when did we start writing mission reports?" March asked, confused.
Stelle, still quiet, stared at Ellie's hand holding hers. Her hand feels… nice.
Danheng watched the scene, unaware of the slight smile tugging at his lips.
Alan, supported by Danheng, finally reached Himeko. The group laughed and chatted, the tension of battle melting away.
Alan greeted them and went to find Asta. Danheng lingered, lost in thought.
Then he felt a warm hand slip into his. He looked up—Ellie's smiling face met his gaze.
"What are you doing? Let's go! Time to meet Asta!"
"…Alright."
As Ellie ran ahead to join Stelle, something softened in Danheng's eyes. Without her… maybe I wouldn't have joined the Astral Express so easily.
He followed quietly.
Later, Stelle nervously asked, "Um… can I join the Astral Express?"
Before Danheng could respond, Himeko had already spoken with Stelle and learned about the stellaron core within her—news that shocked March.
Ellie feigned surprise. She'd known all along.
With March's dramatic retelling, Danheng pieced together the situation.
Himeko paused, then smiled. "I invited you earlier, but you've made up your mind already?"
Stelle glanced at Ellie and March, their closeness stirring something inside her. A voice in her heart whispered: You'll regret it if you don't.
"I'm willing to join the Astral Express!" she declared.