"Hello, although you know me, I should still introduce myself properly."
"I am the Navigator of the Astral Express, Himeko."
"Pleased to meet you."
On the Astral Express, Himeko wore a bright smile, elegantly introducing herself to the Clara before her. She then extended her hand, seemingly offering a gesture of goodwill.
"Hello, hello, Clara of the Stellaron Hunters." Seeing this, Clara didn't hesitate in the slightest. She shook Himeko's hand warmly and openly.
"Miss Himeko, you flatter me."
"Who in the entire universe hasn't heard of the Astral Express?"
"And as the Express's Navigator, your reputation, Miss Himeko, echoes across the cosmos."
"Being able to meet someone of your stature should be my honor, Clara."
"Not at all, not at all. Compared to your renown, Miss Clara, what is a mere Astral Express Navigator?"
Listening to Clara's words, Himeko waved her hand dismissively with great humility.
"Setting aside your identity as a Stellaron Hunter, the arrival of an Emanator like yourself, Miss Clara, naturally warrants the highest courtesy from the Astral Express."
Himeko offered Clara a formal salute. The other members of the Express crew present followed suit, giving slight bows of their own.
The memories from the recent dream still lingered in everyone's mind.
One moment, Clara had been unleashing terrifying power, "killing" them all.
The next, she was all amiability, a distinguished guest of the Astral Express.
Such a shift was probably impossible for anyone to accept immediately.
Even Himeko, who appeared calm and composed on the surface, likely felt a deep sense of helplessness and fear towards Clara within…
While everyone's hearts might be in turmoil, their outward composure was maintained perfectly. Not a single face betrayed caution or hostility.
Of course, whether their expressions were perfect or not wasn't particularly important to Clara. What they saw as flawless was full of holes in her eyes. After all, Clara knew exactly what they were thinking inside.
"I see~" Looking at everyone, Clara fell silent for a moment before nodding.
"Alright then~"
"But I still hope you can think of me as just an ordinary little girl."
Everyone: …
Hearing this, the corners of everyone's mouths twitched involuntarily.
Since when could an "ordinary little girl" casually blow up planets?
Remembering that attack from the dream, a collective shiver ran down their spines.
That Heaven's Strike had nearly shattered their spirits…
"Alright, alright~" Seeing their reactions, Clara couldn't help but sigh.
"I'm sorry for leaving you with such a shadow from the dream."
"But all of that was what Elio asked me to do." Clara shook her head, pushing all the responsibility onto Elio.
"'Draw all members of the Astral Express into the dream, then make them face despair, so that Stelle, in that desperate situation, comprehends Preservation, gains the gaze of the Aeon, and thus steps onto the Path.'"
"That's the exact line from the script Elio gave me."
Clara spun lie after lie effortlessly, weaving them together with the power of Remembrance, thoroughly bamboozling the Astral Express crew.
They didn't doubt the truth of her words in the slightest.
After all, it was known across the universe that every Stellaron Hunter acted according to Elio's directives. So, the Express crew had no reason to suspect Clara's story.
Even if she hadn't used the power of Remembrance…
"But… if this really did leave some psychological scar on you…" Clara began, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes, her head lowered:
"I can apologize to you…"
"Or… or…"
"You can give me a beating… j-just to vent your anger…"
Clara fidgeted, her embarrassment tinged with a hint of fear, combined with her angelically adorable face, making people want to pull her into a hug and give her a good, firm "comforting."
Seeing Clara like this, everyone's hearts softened considerably.
Much of their negative feelings towards her dissipated.
After all, how could such a cute little girl have any ill intentions?
If all of this was indeed under the direction of Elio, the Slave of Fate, then it all made sense.
Thinking this, Himeko's expression gentled as well. She knelt down and gently patted Clara's head.
"Don't worry, we believe you."
"As for beating you up, that won't be necessary."
"If we're going to hit anyone, it'll be Elio, not you."
Himeko said with a gentle smile, leaving it at that.
Elio: ???
Fine, fine. Play it that way. You'd better stay on the Astral Express forever and never come back.
"Thank you~" Clara gave a sweet smile. What she was really thinking, no one knew.
Almost everything Clara had just said was a lie.
Whether it was about Elio or the "beat me up" part.
If any of them had actually tried to lay a hand on her, Clara wouldn't have minded giving them another taste of death~
Beat me? Who dares to beat me except Firefly!
"Hmm…"
Something feels a bit off here.
Clara scratched her head, feeling a little puzzled inside. Something just didn't seem right.
But thinking about it again, maybe it was nothing.
If Firefly really did hit her, even for no clear reason, she probably wouldn't fight back…
"Wait, no… What right does a mere Firefly have to hit me?"
Clara quickly shook her head, realizing the problem.
Tiny little Firefly, only fit to be completely under my thumb—what gives her the right to hit me?
Just because she's bigger?
Hmph!
"Little Clara? What's wrong?" Himeko asked with concern, seeing Clara shake her head one moment and nod the next.
"Oh, oh, it's nothing, nothing." Hearing Himeko, Clara snapped back to attention.
She then composed herself, her face filling with "reluctance."
"It's almost time. I need to get ready to leave."
"Hmm? Won't you stay a bit longer? Although things on Jarilo-VI are settled, the Express won't be departing that soon."
"So, you could stay here this whole time, even…"
Himeko seemed to be hinting at something.
Hearing this, Clara revealed another sweet smile and shook her head. Her innocent face was the picture of pure, unadulterated sincerity.
"No need."
"Although I really do like this place, I have my own things I want to do."
"So, goodbye~"
As soon as the words left Clara's mouth, before anyone could utter a sound, her form shattered into fragments and vanished…
"I hope… the next time we meet…"
"We won't be enemies, but companions…"
After Clara disappeared, her final words echoed within the Express cabin…
"Companions?" Listening to Clara's last words, Himeko's smile was full of anticipation.
"I really look forward to the day we become companions, then."
…
"Not enemies, and not companions~"
"But companion-enemies~"
Outside the Express, watching the Astral Express drift through the cosmos, Clara chuckled.
A companion who stabs you in the back is still a kind of companion, right~
"Clara, you keep lying to them like this…" Firefly's figure appeared beside Clara, who asked with a hint of confusion.
Although what Clara did wasn't really any of her business…
Everything Clara did on Jarilo-VI, and all the things she just said on the Express—it all seemed pretty pointless, didn't it…
Instead of wasting time on all that, she could've been spending quality time strengthening our bond, hmph!
"What's wrong with it?"
"And besides, when did I ever lie to them?" Hearing Firefly's question, Clara chuckled lightly and shot back a question of her own.
"Huh?" Firefly was left stunned, not knowing how to respond.
She also felt a bit confused inside.
Shouldn't Clara's question have been:
'When did I not lie to them?'
'My dear little Firefly~ you're still too young.' Clara walked over to Firefly and patted her shoulder.
'As long as they never find out I lied to them.'
'Then it's the same as if I never lied at all.'
'My… my dear…' Firefly didn't hear a word Clara said after that. She was completely bowled over by those three words, starting to giggle foolishly.
'My dear… hehehe…'
'My dear… hehehe…'
'My dear little Firefly, hehehe…'
Clara: …
Watching Firefly's expression, Clara somewhat regretted saying those three words…
'Dear' can mean a lot of things. In other people's ears, it might not imply much.
But in Firefly's ears?
It was basically Clara confessing her love, hehehe.
…
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