Later
"After we fully scan your body, we can safely say that your conditions are almost fully recovered," One of the doctors in the space station says as Zhi Jiang sits on the bed. After the whole fiasco, Zhi Jiang was brought to the medical bay to make sure he had fully recovered. Himeko suggests doing so before she brings Zhi Jiang for a complete makeover.
"Thanks for the check-up, doc," Zhi Jiang says as the doctor nods before she takes off his armband. Zhi Jiang sighs as he flexes his fingers a bit.
"Of course. Though, may I ask a few questions?" The doctor asks as Zhi Jiang raises his eyebrow in confusion.
"Sure," Zhi Jiang agrees.
"...does your species have a unique muscle tissue that increases your overall physical strength significantly?" The doctor asks as Zhi Jiang blinks.
"I'm pretty sure humans don't have such muscle tissues, unless it's due to genetics or whatever mutation happens in their body," Zhi Jiang rubs his chin. "It's...been a while since I did my last medical check-up, but I was sure nothing was out of the ordinary from the result."
"...thank you for answering my question." The doctor replied before she left, confusing Zhi Jiang even more.
"...what was that all about?" Zhi Jiang scratches the back of his head before March suddenly rushes towards Zhi Jiang.
"Zhi Jiang!" March calls.
"Ah, hey March..." Zhi Jiang greets her as he waves at her.
"Are you okay!? I'm so sorry for not checking up on you earlier! I-!" March was cut off by Zhi Jiang.
"Easy, March. You don't have to apologize." Zhi Jiang says. "I mean, it doesn't seem like you owe me one. You're just checking up on someone who got injured from whatever battle you guys have fought, which, from the constant shaking of the space station, means it was rough."
"It... was..." March admits.
"Honestly, I was just glad you guys returned in one piece," Zhi Jiang says as March notices the golden pass on Zhi Jiang's hands.
"Wait, hold up, you're officially joining as a Nameless!?" March exclaims excitedly before grabbing both of Zhi Jiang's hands. "This is great! Welcome aboard!"
"T-thanks..." Zhi Jiang says.
"Dan Heng!" March called before she was greeted with several doctors shushing her. March at least has the decency to look sheepish before slowly approaching Dan Heng, reporting about Zhi Jiang officially joining the team.
Zhi Jiang didn't say a word before getting up from his bed and slowly walking towards them.
"So..." Zhi Jiang calls, getting March's attention. "...how is she?"
"Ah..." March's smiles disappear as she looks at the unconscious Stelle from a distance with a concerned expression. "She's still unconscious. The scientists said she will be okay, now that the Stellaron has been sealed and her injuries are healed."
"Stellaron can be sealed?" Zhi Jiang asks in surprise.
"...it seems your planet being cut off from the rest of the cosmos has its...benefits," Dan Heng says, unsurely.
"Don't be like that, Dan Heng," March lightly elbowed the young man. "As for your answer, yes. Stellaron is still mysterious, and no one has yet found a way to destroy it without it taking everything with it. All we could do for now is to seal it."
"And that kind of thing just lying in the Space Station and got used by a bunch of criminals to shove it into her chest?" Zhi Jiang asks incredulously while pointing at the unconscious Stelle.
"To be fair, the Stellaron was in a safe place and no one was informed about it, except for some people." Dan Heng explains. "But the Stellaron Hunters are capable of finding its information."
"...do they have some sort of skills or superpowers?" Zhi Jiang asks curiously.
"...Kafka, one of the core members, is known for her ability of Spirit Whisper, a hypnosis ability that is capable of controlling others with simply a whisper. Silver Wolf, another core member known for her hacking ability and her other ability, aether editing, which allows her to tamper with the data of reality." Dan Heng explains as Zhi Jiang raises his arms.
"Hold on...so, what you guys are implying, is that they all try to hide the Cancer of All World, which is a hunting target for a group of criminals with superpowers, inside a place filled with technology that is capable of being hacked, filled with some people who know about the information of said cancer and are susceptible to hypnosis?" Zhi Jiang points out, causing everyone nearby to pause a bit while processing what he said.
"...okay, when you think about it, trying to hide such a thing in this place seems kinda dumb," March says as Dan Heng scratches his head.
"...let us not question about it," Dan Heng sighs.
"...do you guys know the reason these Stellaron Hunters shove that thing into her chest?" Zhi Jiang asks.
"Honestly, we had no idea either." Dan Heng answers. "Stellaron Hunters are...not a normal group of criminals. They are a group of Pathstriders who follow the Path of Finality. They tend to do things according to their scripts of the prophecies."
"Scripts? Prophecies?" Zhi Jiang mutters. "...so, they basically had a cheat code that allows them to tamper with the future..."
"From the reports about them, they mostly follow the script they received." Dan Heng says as Zhi Jiang stares at him in surprise.
"...so, shoving a supernova into her body somehow is also a part of their script?" Zhi Jiang asks in a deadpan tone. "Honestly, what were they thinking?
"Don't think too much about it. Ultimately, they remain criminals. They break so many intergalactic laws that we lost count of them," March says with a huff.
"..." Zhi Jiang chooses to stay silent and nods at March. He had a feeling there was more about the Stellaron Hunters than meets the eye, but he didn't voice his opinion since he had no idea how this world worked. "...so, what now?"
"We're staying in the space station for several days to help the residents fix the whole place," Dan Heng says as he gets up. "My suggestion for you is to take things easy and get more rest. Despite how amazing the technology is, there's no guarantee that you will fully recover."
"Thanks for the advice," Zhi Jiang responds as Dan Heng nods before leaving the medical bay, leaving March and Zhi Jiang with unconscious Stelle.
"...well, let her get some rest. The doctor said you can leave, right?" March asks.
"Does her saying 'almost fully recovered' count?" Zhi Jiang asks as March pauses a bit.
"...eh, close enough," March shrugs. "Besides, I doubt you want to stay in a boring medical bay with nothing to do, right?"
"Yeah, hunting for several years in the wild makes me anxious. I rarely sit still unless I don't have stamina left, and I doubt it'll change anytime soon." Zhi Jiang says as March grimaces.
"..well, then, I'll make sure you have a time of your life with me!" March exclaims as she drags Zhi Jiang out of the medical bay.
'...wait, does this count as a date?!' Zhi Jiang thought. 'It's been a very long time since I interacted with anyone, so I had forgotten a few things....'
"Zhi Jiang," March, and Zhi Jiang were greeted by Himeko. "How was the check-up?"
"Doctor says I'm almost fully recovered." Zhi Jiang says. "They didn't say anything else, so I'll just take things easy for now."
"Yes, it's safer that way," Himeko nods before looking at March. "And March, where do you plan to drag Zhi Jiang?"
"Well, I plan on giving him a tour around the station, maybe helping some people on the way," March says while puffing her chest proudly. "Also, we definitely try to find a new wardrobe for our newest Nameless here!"
"Indeed," Himeko nods in agreement. "Then, I'll go with you guys. I did, after all, promise him first."
"...why am I feeling dread?" Zhi Jiang sweats as Himeko and March stare at Zhi Jiang with a weird glint in their eyes. Before he could react, Himeko and March grabbed his collar and dragged him off, which made him yell in panic.
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A Few Hours Later
"...please tell me this is going to be the last one..." Zhi Jiang says weakly from the changing room. March can be seen waiting in the waiting area while Himeko tidies a pile of new clothes Zhi Jiang had tried on.
"Come on, we need to make you look at least good," March says.
"Nice to know I didn't look good in normal-looking clothes," Zhi Jiang says dryly from the other side.
"Don't be dramatic. Just come out," March says as Zhi Jiang sighs and walks out the door. March pauses a bit as he looks at Zhi Jiang's new look. He has a black and grey hooded sleeveless vest and a white shirt underneath it, dark grey combat pants, a pair of white and gray sneakers, and a pair of fingerless gloves.
"...okay, this seems nice," March says as Zhi Jiang sighs in relief. "But, something's missing."
Before Zhi Jiang could groan, March looks like she realizes something and pulls something from her pocket. Upon looking at it. Zhi Jiang froze. On her hand is a dog tag necklace with the word 'Lin' carved into the metal plate, and the necklace chain seems to be made of ice.
"...wait, that's my dad's dog tag..." Zhi Jiang mutters as March looks surprised before sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.
"Oh, right. When we brought you to treat you, this fell from your pocket." March explains as she gives the tag to Zhi Jiang. "The chains were rusty and falling apart. I had asked Uncle Welt to help with this, but he says nothing could be done now. So, I decided to make the chain using my Six-Phased Ice, at least until we could find a proper replacement. And-!"
Before March could finish her words, Zhi Jiang pulled her into a hug. For the entire time, he had nearly forgotten about the tag his father had given him before he went to college, one of the things that kept him sane and remained hopeful while he was stranded, but March had not only reminded him, she also attempted to fix it. March starts to fluster a bit as her face turns red while Zhi Jiang gently tightens the hug.
"T-thank you, March," Zhi Jiang says as he lets go of her and wears the necklace.
"N-no problem," March stammers before she regains her composure. "Oh, another thing is missing."
Zhi Jiang wonders what she's implying before she pulls out Zhi Jiang's Express Pass and places it on the side of his vest.
"There, now you look like a proper Nameless," March says proudly as Zhi Jiang stares at the pass for a few seconds before nodding with a small smile. Himeko had remained silent for the entire time, smiling at their interactions, and she couldn't help but find them adorable.
"Alright, kids," Himeko says, getting their attention. "Let us go and find more clothes for our newest member."
"Wait, what?!" Zhi Jiang turns slightly pale.
"Surely you wouldn't think to wear that set of clothes for the rest of the trip, do you? We still have to look for spare clothes, sleepwear, casual clothes, beachwear, winter clothes, and so on." Himeko explains as Zhi Jiang turns even paler before he comically collapses, his soul slowly escaping his body.
To be Continued