"Visitors from beyond the heavens?"
Takatsuki had just voiced his confusion when Sampo immediately spoke.
"That's right, that's right. I, Sampo, never shortchange my friends, let alone you, brother, my big customer. After knowing what you wanted, I, Sampo, have been searching for visitors from beyond the heavens in the snowy plains outside the city. Heaven rewards the diligent, and I, Sampo, finally found them."
"Brother, don't you think I'm good to you?"
Looking at the glib-tongued Sampo, Takatsuki rolled his eyes: "Whether you're good to me or not, I don't know. I only know that if you keep spouting nonsense, someone's going to teach you a lesson."
"Teach me a lesson? Who? To teach me, Sampo, I, Sampo, am..."
Just as Sampo puffed up, he turned around and saw a black-haired man standing expressionlessly behind him.
"Were you specifically waiting for us there?"
The ice-faced black-haired man was practically radiating an aura in front of Sampo; even the bystanders felt the temperature drop a few degrees.
"No, no, young man Dan Heng, you misunderstood. It's all a coincidence, a coincidence."
"A coincidence? Didn't you say you were specifically helping me search?"
Takatsuki interjected at the opportune moment, leaving Sampo no retreat. Sampo turned sideways, his face falling as he looked at the two people on either side of him.
"Big Sister, help!"
Natasha, who had been watching the show, was suddenly pulled into it, looking helplessly at Sampo: "This is no use telling me, and besides, I don't know what you were doing."
Seeing that Natasha couldn't save him, Sampo immediately switched targets, turning to Seele, who was beside Takatsuki, with a mournful face.
"Little Miss Seele..."
This startled Seele, who hid behind Takatsuki.
Takatsuki ignored Sampo's performance and looked at the black-haired man opposite him. His clothes were clearly not the common style here. There was a hint of eye shadow at the corner of his eye, which seemed to be natural rather than applied later.
He also had dark green dragon-shaped ear clips on his ears.
His demeanor was very aloof, but it wasn't something he put on; it seemed to be his natural disposition.
"Takatsuki."
He extended his empty right hand towards the man named Dan Heng.
"Dan Heng."
Dan Heng also extended his hand and shook Takatsuki's hand courteously. After their brief, concise introduction, Takatsuki got straight to the point.
"Sampo said you're from beyond the heavens?"
Dan Heng nodded: "Yes, shortly after we landed, we found Sampo hiding in a snowdrift."
Although he already knew Sampo was unreliable, Takatsuki still shot him a glance, then looked back at Dan Heng.
"This planet has no means of interstellar communication, so I have something I'd like to ask you about."
"Go ahead. In return, we also have some things about this planet that we need to understand."
"That's fair. However, I'm not from here either; I just arrived a few days before you. But I can introduce you to someone local who knows more."
Dan Heng didn't question Takatsuki's frankness, nor did he propose canceling the exchange because of it.
"I want to ask, since you're from beyond the heavens, do you know about the Astral Express?"
"Why do you ask?"
Takatsuki had been observing Dan Heng. When the Astral Express was mentioned, he noticed that the man's breathing quickened for a moment, and his emotions fluctuated.
On the surface, he showed no change, having mastered external emotional control to the extreme.
But none of this could escape the feedback of Observation Haki.
He knew about the Astral Express, and he was connected to it.
Takatsuki made an instant judgment. However, the other party's emotional control was excellent, and Takatsuki couldn't distinguish whether his feelings towards the Astral Express were benevolent or hostile.
After a moment of thought, Takatsuki decided to tell the truth.
"For some reason, I need to get on the Astral Express."
"Why do you need to get on the Astral Express?"
He was probing deeply, so it seemed the other party might even be a direct stakeholder.
"I can't really explain the reason. Just think of it as a task; you just need to enter, you don't have to do anything else."
Dan Heng was also observing the man in front of him.
Although the other party's statement was incredibly bizarre, the universe was vast, and having traveled through countless worlds, he naturally knew about all sorts of strange situations.
His only concern was that the other party might cause damage to the Train.
One should know that the Train had once been destroyed by Aha, the Aeon of Elation, who had managed to do so by impersonating a Nameless.
But…
Someone with ulterior motives wouldn't be so reckless as to ask everyone they met.
Dan Heng temporarily judged that the person in front of him bore no ill will towards the Train crew.
"We are the Nameless of the Astral Express."
Dan Heng's words greatly surprised Takatsuki, and Sampo, standing beside him, was eager for credit, constantly emphasizing that it was he who brought them down, allowing Takatsuki to meet the people from the Astral Express.
"That's wonderful! Then, may I please board the Train?"
Dan Heng shook his head: "This isn't something I can decide alone; it requires everyone else's agreement, and besides…"
"Besides?"
"We still have a mission on this planet; otherwise, the Train cannot proceed. We must complete the mission before we can return."
"What mission?"
To this, Dan Heng merely shook his head: "I can't say for now."
Takatsuki frowned as he looked at Dan Heng in front of him; the other party clearly had no intention of saying more, intending to stall.
"Oh, Takatsuki, don't be angry. Young Master Dan Heng and his companions went to see the Supreme Guardian before, and then that woman Cocolia sent people to hunt them down, which is why they don't trust others."
"Ah? Mother Cocolia?"
Seele, who had been listening in beside Takatsuki, exclaimed in surprise, and the surrounding people all looked at Seele.
"Little Miss Seele, are you… Cocolia's daughter?"
Sampo was the first to ask, somewhat surprised.
"No."
Takatsuki naturally guessed what was going on and reached out to pat Seele's head.
"Seele, this isn't our world, but if you have to say, it should be a parallel world. This world has another Seele, and naturally, there will be others. Since there's a Cocolia, perhaps Bronya will also be somewhere, but they are not the person you are familiar with."
Seele, who had been a little excited upon hearing Bronya's name, calmed down after hearing Takatsuki's words: "Seele understands."
"As you just heard, we come from other worlds, so we don't know much about this world. If you want to understand the Underworld, I can take you to find this world's Seele to ask about the situation."
Dan Heng nodded, then spoke.
"You just mentioned Bronya. We did indeed meet someone named Bronya, and she was also brought down by Sampo."
Dan Heng's gaze shifted to a gorgeously dressed young woman on another bed.
"Sister... Bronya?"
The Bronya in front of them was completely different from the Bronya in Takatsuki and Seele's memories.
"Seele, this world's you is an adult, so this world's Bronya is also an adult, which is very normal. However, she is not the Bronya Zaychik you know; she is this world's Bronya. Aside from looking alike and having the same name, there's no connection."
Takatsuki took out his terminal and took a photo of the unconscious Bronya.
"Bronya should look like this when she grows up. I'll take it back and show it to Bronya."
The person in front of him looked very similar to a character in the game, Herrscher of Reason. Takatsuki remembered that Herrscher of Reason's setting was Bronya eight years later, at which point Bronya's chest had already developed quite a bit, leading to the popular meme of 8 > 50000.
"Her name is Bronya Rand, and she shares the same surname as Cocolia."
Dan Heng walked over and said.
Takatsuki looked at Seele, who nodded after hearing Dan Heng's words: "Seele understands. Although this world has familiar people, they are not the same."
Takatsuki looked at Dan Heng: "Dan Heng, do you want to wait for your other companions to wake up before acting together, or should we go find the Underworld's Seele first?"
"The others haven't woken up yet. I want to look around by myself first, and then we can go together once everyone else is awake."
Dan Heng thought for a moment and said.
"That works too, but I'm not very familiar with the Underworld either. You should find someone who knows it well to be your guide."
Takatsuki gestured with his chin towards Sampo, who was eavesdropping nearby: "Look, there's someone over there who's very familiar with the local area."
"Brother, you really know me, Sampo. In this Underworld, there's no place I, Sampo, don't know. Young Master Dan Heng, where do you want to go? I'll take you."
Seeing Sampo go up and fawn over them, Takatsuki didn't bother with them and walked over to Natasha.
"Natasha, is there anywhere in the Underworld where I can buy clothes?"
Natasha looked at Seele's new clothes, which were clearly ill-fitting, and showed a hint of understanding.
"You want to buy clothes, right? I can't really take you because there are still patients in the clinic, but I can give you directions."
"That's fine. We'll come back after buying clothes; by then, the others should be almost awake."
After Natasha gave directions, Dan Heng had already left with Sampo, and Takatsuki also took Seele to a clothing store in the Underworld to buy some clothes.
Takatsuki didn't know where Sampo would take Dan Heng, but given his unreliable understanding of Sampo, it probably wasn't a good place.
The clothing stores in the Underworld were very ordinary; not to mention compared to their world, they couldn't even compare to Orario's clothing stores, as people here weren't that extravagant.
So, after simply buying a few clothes for Seele, Takatsuki decided to buy more elsewhere later, at least in the Overworld.
When they returned to Natasha's clinic, Sampo happened to be inside.
"Sampo, you're back too. Are the others awake?"
Natasha heard Takatsuki's words and said somewhat irritably: "Back? Sampo abandoned his friends and came back alone, letting them run wild in the Underworld, including that little Silvermane Guards girl."
Takatsuki looked at Sampo, who was constantly grinning sheepishly.
"Boss, don't worry, I'll go find them right now. I absolutely won't let them cause trouble in the Underworld."
Seeing Takatsuki enter, Sampo, as if granted a great pardon, quickly ran out.
Leaving Natasha to sigh helplessly.
"Sampo Koski, I wonder what scheme he's up to."
Natasha looked at Takatsuki and continued.
"Sampo appeared in the Underworld claiming to have connections, but we've never been able to figure out his true intentions. I hope it's nothing bad."
"By the way, that group from the Astral Express has all woken up, except for this little one who's still sleeping, but it looks like she's already awake."
The young woman on the last bed had woken up and was silently looking at the three people in front of her.
"Sleepyhead, you're awake."
The sleepyhead Natasha referred to was a young woman with shoulder-length gray hair and golden eyes, wearing an oversized coat that made her appear somewhat petite and delicate.
"Who are you?"
The young woman asked the group. She looked around but didn't see anyone familiar.
"I am Takatsuki, this is my sister Seele, and this is Dr. Natasha. You are currently in her clinic. Sampo brought you here. Dan Heng and the others woke up earlier than you and have already gone out. I was just about to go find them. Do you want to come along?"
Takatsuki saw that the young woman in front of him was a little bewildered by the current situation and began to explain to her.
"What's your name?"
"Stelle."
Stelle got off the bed and stretched, feeling no discomfort.
"Where did March and the others go?"
Takatsuki spread his perception and sensed.
"One girl is quite close by, right nearby. Bronya is also in the vicinity. Dan Heng is a bit further away."
Stelle looked at Takatsuki in surprise: "How do you know?"
"I have my ways. I memorized their auras. I just sensed them; the range of Rivet Town isn't large, barely within my sensory range."
Even so, it was still quite shocking.
"Then Takatsuki, I'll leave these people to you, okay?"
Takatsuki nodded: "I can handle it, Natasha, you can rest assured."
"Let's go, we'll go find your companions. Coincidentally, I have something else I need to tell you. Dan Heng said he had to wait for all of you to decide together, so let's talk when everyone is here."
Stelle nodded and followed Takatsuki and Seele out of Natasha's clinic.
Not far from the clinic, a pink-haired young woman was standing among several children.
Stelle noticed her at a glance, and Takatsuki also sensed his target's aura from her.
"March is over there."
Stelle immediately walked over after seeing the young woman.
The young woman was saying something to a group of children, and just as she finished, she saw Stelle standing beside her.
"Eh? Stelle, when did you… get here?"
"Not long ago, Sister."
Stelle said with a smile to the young woman.
"Hmph! Don't imitate a child's way of speaking!"
The young woman said to Stelle, a little annoyed.