Sal Viento, Settlement Gates
Stelle stood near the lodging Marcus had provided, reviewing their equipment and supplies for the journey to Lungmen. March 7th was enthusiastically repacking her bag for the third time, convinced she could optimize the space usage despite Dan Heng's repeated assurances that her current configuration was adequate.
"I'm just saying, if we angle the medical supplies like this and put the ration packs there, we gain almost ten percent additional capacity."
March demonstrated her proposed reorganization with the focus of someone who had clearly spent too much time thinking about this.
"We don't need ten percent additional capacity."
Dan Heng replied with his characteristic patience.
"We're traveling to a major city with full commercial infrastructure, not embarking on a wilderness expedition. Overpacking creates mobility issues without providing meaningful benefit."
"But what if we need the extra space for things we find in Lungmen? Like souvenirs or interesting technology or snacks from local vendors?"
"Then we'll acquire appropriate carrying containers when that becomes relevant rather than optimizing for hypothetical scenarios."
Stelle watched their familiar banter with quiet amusement, her own preparations complete and waiting for the others to finish. The dynamic between March's enthusiasm and Dan Heng's pragmatism had become comforting during their time together, a constant that made the strangeness of operating in an alien world more manageable.
A settlement guard approached their lodging, his expression carrying the professional neutrality of someone delivering messages rather than making judgments.
"Excuse me. Marcus requests your presence at the main gate. Someone has arrived asking specifically for members of the Astral Express."
The three of them exchanged glances, curiosity mixing with caution. Very few people in Terra should know about the Astral Express, and those who did had been carefully selected contacts.
"Did this person identify themselves?"
Dan Heng asked.
"No, but they're wearing some kind of advanced armor that Marcus says doesn't match any technology he's familiar with. He thought you might want to verify their identity before allowing entry to the settlement."
They gathered their weapons and followed the guard through Sal Viento's streets, reaching the main gate within minutes. Marcus stood there with several armed guards, all maintaining cautious distance from a figure that immediately captured attention.
The armor was unlike anything Terra's aesthetic typically produced. Sleek design combining functionality with almost artistic elegance, colors that shifted between white and soft pink depending on viewing angle. The construction suggested advanced materials engineering beyond what even Laterano's master craftsmen typically achieved. Most distinctive was the way the armor moved, articulation so fluid it appeared almost organic despite clearly being mechanical.
SAM, the Strategic Assault Mech that Firefly piloted when combat required capabilities beyond her fragile human body.
The armored figure's head turned toward them as they approached, optical sensors focusing with precision that suggested sophisticated targeting systems.
"Astral Express."
The voice that emerged was modified by the armor's speakers but still recognizably feminine.
"I'm glad I found you. Elio's script indicated you would be in this settlement, and I was hoping to make contact before you departed for Lungmen."
The armor's faceplate retracted with smooth mechanical precision, revealing the pilot within. A young woman with distinctive features, her hair styled in a way that suggested careful attention despite traveling alone in potentially hostile territory. Her expression mixed relief at finding them with nervous energy about how this meeting might proceed.
Firefly, the Stellaron Hunter whose condition required SAM's support for prolonged physical activity, looking exactly as she did in the game's promotional materials.
March's eyes widened with immediate recognition and excitement.
"You're from the Stellaron Hunters! We saw Blade and Kafka fight that knight on our way here! Are you with them? Is this a reunion? Wait, that's probably not the right word for meeting people from the same organization."
"I'm with the Stellaron Hunters, yes. But I'm operating independently on this particular mission."
Firefly's nervous energy increased slightly under March's enthusiastic attention.
"Elio sent me to make contact with the Astral Express and deliver information he believes you need."
Dan Heng stepped forward with his characteristic directness.
"What information would that be? And why does Elio believe we require Stellaron Hunter intervention in our investigation?"
"Because what you're looking for, the Stellaron signature that brought you to Terra, is connected to Rhodes Island's operations. Specifically to individuals within that organization who possess knowledge and capabilities they shouldn't have according to Terra's natural laws."
Firefly glanced at the settlement guards and Marcus, clearly aware that this conversation was occurring in public space.
"Could we speak somewhere more private? The information Elio asked me to share is sensitive."
Marcus gestured toward the administrative building.
"You can use my office. I'll ensure you're not disturbed."
They relocated to the more secure location, Marcus providing the space but tactfully withdrawing to give them privacy. Once the door closed, Firefly continued her explanation.
"Elio's script has been fragmenting badly since we arrived in Terra. This world resists prediction in ways that suggest fundamental reality manipulation occurring at scales beyond normal observation. But certain threads remain consistent, and one of those threads connects the Astral Express, Rhodes Island, and the Stellaron signature."
She pulled out a data device that looked more advanced than anything Terra should possess.
"According to Elio's analysis, Rhodes Island is led by someone called the Doctor who possesses the Holy Grail. An artifact from another universe that grants wishes within certain parameters. That artifact is what's generating the Stellaron-like signature you detected."
Stelle felt several pieces click into place. The Holy Grail creating energy readings similar to Stellarons made sense if it was reality warping artifact operating in a world not designed to accommodate such power.
"So the Stellaron signature isn't actually a Stellaron."
She summarized.
"It's a different artifact that produces similar effects."
"Exactly. Which means investigating it requires different approach than you would use for actual Stellaron containment or destruction. However, the other signature is coming from someplace below. And the only way for astral express to resolve that problem is with the coordination of Rhodes Island and an individual named Shiki."
Firefly's expression became more serious.
"Elio also wanted me to convey that Rhodes Island is currently opposing divine authority that has conquered a nation called Victoria. The Lion King, Artoria Pendragon, who wields a lance called Rhongomyniad. She represents the same kind of multiversal convergence that brought the Stellaron Hunters and apparently the Astral Express to Terra."
"Entities from other universes appearing in a world that shouldn't know about them."
Dan Heng processed the implications.
"That suggests someone or something is deliberately causing this convergence. Using Terra as a stage for crossover events."
"That's Elio's assessment as well. And Rhodes Island, specifically the Doctor and an individual named Shiki, are working to understand and potentially oppose whatever force is causing the convergence."
March raised her hand like she was in class.
"So we should work with Rhodes Island because they're investigating the same phenomenon we are, and they have information we need. Is that what Elio's script says?"
"More or less. Elio believes cooperation between the Astral Express, the Stellaron Hunters, and Rhodes Island creates the best probability of understanding what's happening and preventing catastrophic outcomes."
Firefly looked at each of them in turn.
"I know this is a lot to process, and you probably have questions about trusting information from an organization you barely know. But Elio asked me to deliver this message because he believes it's critical to preventing worst-case scenarios."
Stelle considered everything Firefly had shared. The Stellaron Hunters had already proven themselves allies through their intervention against Mordred. Elio's predictions, even if fragmenting, had been accurate enough to position Blade and Kafka perfectly for that interception.
"We were already planning to contact Rhodes Island as part of our investigation. This just provides additional context for why that's important."
She looked at her companions.
"I think we should accept Firefly's information and coordinate with Rhodes Island when we reach Lungmen."
Dan Heng nodded agreement.
"The intelligence aligns with what we've observed independently. Multiple anomalous entities, reality warping artifacts, and coordinated opposition to a conquering goddess. Working with Rhodes Island makes strategic sense."
March bounced slightly with excitement.
"Does this mean Firefly is joining our team? Because that would be awesome! We could use someone with a giant mech suit!"
Firefly blushed slightly at the enthusiasm.
"If you'll have me, I would like to travel with you to Lungmen. Elio's script suggests my presence would be beneficial, and I'm... Glad to travel with others this time."
"Then welcome aboard!"
March declared immediately.
"We're going to have so much fun! Oh, we should probably figure out lodging arrangements and supply distribution and..."
The next three days passed quickly as Firefly integrated into their group. She joined them in hunting expeditions around Sal Viento, SAM's combat capabilities proving extremely effective against the local wildlife. The mech suit's firepower and defensive systems made encounters that would have challenged the three of them trivial with Firefly's support.
She also helped with settlement work, using SAM's strength to assist with reconstruction efforts from the Reunion attack. The residents appreciated the help, and Firefly's gentle personality made her popular despite the intimidating appearance of her armor.
Marcus provided them with updated intelligence about the route to Lungmen and current security conditions. Victorian military movements had increased tensions along certain highways, but the path they planned to take remained relatively safe.
On the morning of the fourth day, they departed Sal Viento with Firefly accompanying them. The settlement's residents gathered to see them off, grateful for their assistance and wishing them safe travels.
Marcus pulled Stelle aside before they left.
"Tell Rhodes Island that Sal Viento stands with them. When the crisis comes, we'll support their efforts however we can."
"I'll make sure they know."
The journey to Lungmen began, four members of the Astral Express traveling together toward whatever awaited in the mobile city.
Victoria, Royal Palace Exterior
Silver Wolf materialized outside Victoria's capital two weeks after her meeting with the Doctor and Shiki, her reality hacking abilities having spent that time gathering intelligence and preparing for infiltration. The city sprawled before her, occupied territory showing signs of Victorian military presence everywhere.
Checkpoints restricted movement between districts. Patrols maintained constant surveillance. The population moved with the careful neutrality of people living under occupation, aware that any action could be interpreted as resistance.
She had spent days mapping security systems, identifying patrol patterns, locating weak points in the defensive network. Victorian forces were professional and well equipped, but they relied on conventional technology that her hacking capabilities could exploit.
Getting inside the palace itself would be trivial.
What happened after she was inside was the concerning part.
Silver Wolf moved through the city with her reality hacking active, pixels distorting her presence to make her effectively invisible to normal observation. She passed through checkpoints without triggering alarms, walked past guards who didn't register her existence, infiltrated secured areas with casual ease.
The palace dungeons were her first objective. Intelligence suggested hostages were being held there, people who had resisted Victorian occupation and were being kept as leverage or examples.
She found them exactly where predicted. Hundreds of prisoners in cells designed for long term containment, their conditions adequate enough to keep them alive but deliberately uncomfortable. Guards monitored the area but with minimal attention, clearly not expecting rescue attempts.
Silver Wolf documented everything, her systems recording prisoner locations and guard patterns. Extraction would require coordination beyond what she could manage alone, but the intelligence would allow Rhodes Island to plan appropriate operations.
As she explored deeper, she discovered something that made her pause.
A massive mech stood in the palace courtyard, positioned prominently where anyone approaching would see it immediately. The machine was heavily damaged, armor scorched and rent, weapon systems destroyed, the entire construction testament to catastrophic defeat.
She recognized the design from intelligence reports. Combat mech, the one used defending Victoria against the Lion King's initial assault. It had been left here deliberately, a monument to failed resistance. A message to anyone considering opposition.
Silver Wolf took extensive documentation before continuing toward the throne room itself.
The palace interior was exactly what she expected. Austere elegance replacing Victorian excess, religious symbolism subtly integrated into the architecture. The Lion King had transformed this place to reflect her divine authority, making it a temple as much as a governmental center.
She reached the throne room's entrance and hesitated. Her hacking abilities could bypass physical security easily, but divine authority operated on different principles. If Artoria could sense her presence despite reality manipulation, this infiltration would end very badly.
But she had come too far to retreat now.
Silver Wolf activated her most advanced hacking techniques, layering reality distortions that should make her undetectable even to supernatural perception. She entered the throne room with careful precision, each movement calculated to minimize any disruption that might trigger alarms.
The throne room was massive, designed to accommodate hundreds of people while making anyone standing before the throne feel insignificant. Artoria sat upon that throne now, Rhongomyniad resting beside her, divine authority radiating from her presence like physical pressure.
The Lion King's eyes were closed, her posture suggesting meditation or communion with forces beyond mortal comprehension. For a moment, Silver Wolf thought she might actually succeed in observing undetected.
Then those eyes opened, golden irises focusing directly on where Silver Wolf stood despite all her reality hacking.
"An intruder. How bold."
Artoria's voice carried divine authority that made Silver Wolf's systems glitch, reality manipulation struggling against power that operated on fundamental levels.
The Lion King raised Rhongomyniad casually, the lance blazing with golden light. She didn't bother standing, didn't show any concern about the intruder's capabilities. Just pointed the lance and released a controlled beam of divine energy.
Silver Wolf's reality hacking activated desperately, pixels fragmenting her existence and displacing her before the attack connected. The beam carved through where she had been standing, its power restrained compared to what Rhongomyniad could unleash but still enough to vaporize anything it touched.
She reappeared outside the throne room, heart pounding and systems screaming warnings. That had been too close. The Lion King had detected her immediately and responded with lethal force without hesitation.
Silver Wolf turned to flee, her infiltration catastrophically compromised. She needed to escape Victoria entirely, get clear of the Lion King's territory before reinforcements arrived.
A figure appeared before her, blocking the corridor that led to her planned exit route.
A man whose appearance seemed deliberately designed to be nonthreatening. Pleasant features, casual clothing, staff that looked more ceremonial than functional. But his eyes carried knowledge that suggested appearances were deliberately misleading.
"Well, well. A reality hacker attempting to infiltrate the Lion King's throne room. That's impressively foolish."
His voice was pleasant, almost friendly, carrying amusement rather than hostility.
"I am Merlin, Court Mage to Her Majesty. And you are about to experience why infiltrating divine authority requires more than simple technological superiority."
He raised his staff and Silver Wolf felt something shift in the air around her. Not hostile magic exactly, more like reality itself becoming negotiable.
"I am the mage of flowers so..."
Merlin spoke the words calmly, and Silver Wolf's consciousness lurched.
The corridor dissolved around her, replaced by a landscape of impossible beauty. Flowers bloomed everywhere in colors that shouldn't exist, the sky cycled through dawn and dusk simultaneously, and everything felt slightly too perfect to be real.
A dream. Merlin had trapped her in a dream using abilities that operated on conceptual levels her hacking couldn't counter.
Silver Wolf tried to activate her reality manipulation, tried to fragment the dream and escape back to physical reality. But nothing responded. Her systems showed active but produced no effects, as if the dream existed in space where code and reality didn't intersect properly.
She was trapped, consciousness separated from her body, vulnerable in ways that terrified her.
In the physical corridor, Merlin approached Silver Wolf's unconscious form with casual confidence. The dream would hold her indefinitely, giving him time to extract whatever information she possessed and determine how she had infiltrated Victoria so completely.
He reached to grab her body.
But, a girl appeared between him and his target, manifesting from nothing with the same reality warping that Silver Wolf had used. But where Silver Wolf's hacking looked technological, this was pure magic. Conceptual manipulation that made Merlin's own abilities look similar by comparison.
She wore a pure white dress that seemed to glow with internal radiance, her appearance mixing innocence with power in equal measure. An umbrella rested against her shoulder, also white, radiating protective energy. Most distinctive were her eyes, red and ancient, containing knowledge that predated humanity itself.
"Lady Avalon."
Merlin recognized her immediately, his pleasant demeanor shifting to genuine concern.
"I should have known you would appear. The opposite always manifests when I involve myself."
"Mage of the Flowers, always entrapping people in dreams. Some habits never change."
Her voice carried musical quality that made spoken language seem inadequate.
She picked up Silver Wolf's unconscious body with surprising gentleness given her delicate appearance. Pink flower petals materialized around them, reality bending to accommodate her departure.
"Wait!"
Merlin called out, but it was too late.
Lady Avalon and Silver Wolf vanished completely, leaving only the flower petals that slowly drifted to the floor. The petals dissolved moments later, leaving no trace they had ever existed.
Merlin sighed with genuine frustration and headed back toward the throne room to report this development.
Victoria, Royal Palace Throne Room
"A Pretender class Servant has manifested in Terra."
Merlin reported to Artoria.
"Specifically, Lady Avalon. The version of myself from the timeline where I was female rather than male. She appeared and extracted the intruder before I could secure them."
Artoria's expression didn't change, though her grip on Rhongomyniad tightened slightly.
"Lady Avalon represents opposition to your existence?"
"More like balance. Where I am theMage of Flowers who traps people in beautiful dreams, she is the Lady Avalon who frees them from nightmares. We're opposing aspects of the same legend."
He pulled up magical analysis.
"Her presence suggests the convergence phenomenon is accelerating. Not just Knights of the Round Table and entities from other universes, but now alternate versions of existing Servants are appearing."
"Concerning. What do you know about the intruder she rescued?"
"Reality hacker, far beyond anything Terra's technology should produce. She infiltrated the palace completely, bypassed all security, and only failed because you detected her directly. Her capabilities suggest she's from the same source as the other multiversal entities."
Artoria stood, Rhongomyniad blazing with power.
"If Victoria is vulnerable to infiltration by reality hackers who can bypass conventional security, we need alternative defenses."
She looked at Merlin directly.
"Summon Galahad. I want him positioned inside the palace permanently, his Noble Phantasm active at all times. Lord Camelot will protect against intrusion better than guards or technology."
"That's resource intensive. Maintaining his Noble Phantasm constantly will strain him."
"He's the Protector Knight. He'll endure because his king commands it."
Merlin bowed acceptance.
"And the intruder I trapped in dreamscape?"
"You said she was trapped. Where is her consciousness now?"
"In the Garden of Avalon, the conceptual space between dreams and reality that I govern. She can't escape without my permission."
He paused.
"Though Lady Avalon might attempt to extract her. As my opposite, she has abilities specifically designed to counter my dream manipulation."
"Then ensure your defenses are adequate. We can't allow someone with reality hacking capabilities to operate freely against Victoria."
Merlin departed to execute his orders, leaving Artoria alone in the throne room.
Stray Servants appearing. Alternate versions of her knights manifesting. Reality hackers infiltrating her palace.
The convergence was creating complications she hadn't fully anticipated. But complications were simply challenges to overcome through superior power.
She would adapt. Would summon additional knights. Would fortify Victoria until no force on Terra or beyond could threaten her authority.
The throne room settled into quiet as the Lion King contemplated her next moves.
Hidden Location, Mostima's Safehouse
Lady Avalon materialized in a space that existed between normal reality and conceptual abstraction, one of Mostima's carefully maintained safehouses that combined Sankta Arts with temporal manipulation to create pocket dimension.
Mostima looked up from where she had been monitoring equipment, her fallen Sankta features marking her clearly. The black halo that identified her as cast out from normal Sankta society glowed with temporal energy.
"You brought a guest."
Mostima observed.
"And she appears to be unconscious. What did Merlin do this time?"
"Trapped her in the Garden of Avalon using his Incubus abilities. She's caught in beautiful dreams that prevent her from accessing her reality hacking capabilities."
Lady Avalon placed Silver Wolf's unconscious body on a prepared surface.
"I was hoping you could help extract her. Your temporal Arts might provide the leverage needed to break Merlin's hold."
Mostima approached and examined Silver Wolf with professional assessment. Her eyes shifted, time itself becoming visible as she studied the threads of causality surrounding the trapped girl.
"She's thoroughly caught. Merlin's dream manipulation is some of the most sophisticated magical imprisonment I've encountered."
She looked at Lady Avalon.
"But between your abilities and mine, we might be able to create an opening. You understand dreams conceptually, I can manipulate the time within those dreams. If we coordinate properly, we can accelerate her experience until the dream's narrative concludes and releases her."
"That could work. Though it might traumatize her, experiencing subjective years of dream time in moments."
"Better traumatized than permanently imprisoned."
Mostima's expression carried the weight of someone who had made similar calculations before.
"Besides, reality hackers should be resilient. She'll recover."
Lady Avalon nodded agreement and began her work, manifesting the Succubus Eyes that were her counter to Merlin's Incubus abilities. The crimson eyes glowed with power as she established connection to the dreamscape.
Mostima activated her temporal Arts simultaneously, chains materializing around Silver Wolf's unconscious form. Not physical restraints but temporal markers that would allow her to manipulate the dream's internal timeline.
Together, they pierced through Merlin's defenses and entered the Garden of Avalon.
The Garden of Avalon, Dream Prison
Silver Wolf walked through the impossible landscape, her mind struggling to understand why her reality hacking produced no effects. Flowers bloomed everywhere, their beauty almost painful in its perfection. The sky showed stars that formed patterns suggesting mathematics beyond human comprehension.
Everything was too perfect. Too beautiful. Too carefully designed to keep her content and passive.
She knew she was in a prison, but knowing didn't provide escape routes.
"Silver Wolf."
A voice called from behind her, feminine and carrying authority that suggested divine nature.
She turned to see two figures approaching. One wore a pure white dress and carried an umbrella, her appearance mixing innocence with ancient power. The other was a Sankta with a fallen halo, temporal energy crackling around her form.
"We're here to help you escape."
The woman in white explained.
"But you need to understand something. This dream is controlled by Merlin, the Mage of Flowers. Your reality hacking can't affect conceptual spaces like this because they exist outside normal reality's rules."
"Then how do I get out?"
"You don't escape. The dream has to release you. And that only happens when its narrative concludes."
The Sankta stepped forward.
"I'm Mostima. I can accelerate time within the dream, force its narrative to progress rapidly toward conclusion. But you'll experience subjective years in moments. The psychological impact could be severe."
Silver Wolf considered the options. Stay trapped indefinitely in beautiful prison, or experience potentially traumatic accelerated narrative.
"Do it. I'll handle whatever psychological damage comes. Just get me out."
Lady Avalon and Mostima exchanged glances, then nodded.
"This will be unpleasant. Try to remember that everything you experience is a dream, no matter how real it feels."
The world shifted.
And Silver Wolf's consciousness lurched into accelerated narrative, years of dream experience compressed into moments as Mostima's temporal manipulation forced the Garden's timeline forward.