They hadn't gone far when a familiar argument drifted toward them—strangely clear in the desolation of Reverie Reef.
"I told you, we just wandered in here by accident! We're not suspicious people!" March 7th's voice rang out—bright, but edged with panic.
"That's right. We're the Astral Express's Nameless. The Family invited us to attend the Charmony Festival." Stelle added, calm and steady.
Facing them was a weathered, worn-looking man.
"Astral Express? Charmony Festival?" He sighed, eyes sweeping over March and Stelle. "Tch… sounds like the outside world's about to get messy again."
He paused, then waved a hand as if he couldn't be bothered to keep arguing.
"Whatever. You're all pitiful souls anyway. Do what you want."
"If there's anything you don't understand, go over there and find me."
He pointed at a structure not far away, then turned and walked off on his own.
"What was his problem?" March 7th stared after him, hands on her hips, cheeks puffed out. "All mysterious and cryptic—calling us 'pitiful.' Who's pitiful?!"
Then she turned to her companion, unease creeping into her tone.
"Stelle… when are Himeko and Mr. Yang coming back? This place is creepy. I've got a really bad feeling…"
"Stelle?" March blinked when she didn't get an answer, then followed Stelle's gaze.
Two figures were approaching.
March's face instantly lit up.
"Dan Heng! You're here too?!" She waved excitedly—then her voice shifted into puzzled caution when she noticed the poised, unfamiliar man beside him. "Uh… and who's this?"
Dan Heng didn't answer immediately. He stepped closer to March and Stelle, scanning them from head to toe.
"March. Stelle. Are you two alright?"
"We're fine! It's just that this place is weird." March replied quickly, then kept staring at the newcomer.
Himeko and the others…?
March's attention snapped back when she realized Stelle was still looking at the man without blinking.
"Stelle?" March leaned in. "What's wrong—are you feeling sick?"
Only then did Stelle seem to come back to herself. But her golden eyes stayed fixed on him, as if trying to anchor a slipping memory.
"Have we… met before?" she asked slowly.
"You feel… familiar."
Stelle's brow furrowed as she rummaged through fractured fragments of recollection. She'd only ever felt this kind of déjà vu with Kafka—did that mean she'd known him too?
A few blurry images flashed past. None of them would hold still long enough to become a face.
"Yes," the man said evenly. "We have met. A few times."
"Long time no see, Stelle."
Stelle froze.
"We really met?" She stepped forward, urgency slipping into her voice before she could stop it. "Then why… why can't I remember?"
"Stelle, you know this super-old senior?" March scooted over, curiosity on full blast, staring between them.
Dan Heng's eyes narrowed a fraction as well. He didn't recall this "Senior" mentioning any prior connection to Stelle.
And as far as Dan Heng knew, Stelle's origins were tied to the Stellaron Hunters.
A quiet, uncomfortable conclusion formed in his mind.
The man regarded Stelle's confusion with a mild, almost gentle smile.
"You were very small back then. It's normal you don't remember."
"Doesn't matter. Dad's back now."
"Dad won't leave you behind again."
Stelle's pupils widened.
"D… Dad?" she echoed, tasting a word that felt unreal in her mouth.
March sucked in a sharp breath and slapped a hand over her own mouth.
"Wait—wait wait wait—this is WAY too much info at once!" she blurted. "Stelle, you have a DAD?! And it's… it's this… this eight-hundred-years-ago super-old senior?!"
March immediately started re-examining their faces like a detective who'd just found the smoking gun.
"…Hold on. Actually—Stelle, you two kinda do look alike."
"Gray hair, golden eyes, both tall—whoa." She grabbed Stelle's arm and started shaking it. "Stelle! Are you seriously his long-lost daughter?! This is the Astral Express's biggest headline of the year!"
Stelle stayed stunned, but now that March had said it… she couldn't unsee the similarities.
If he was her dad…
Then who was her mom?
A purple silhouette rose unbidden in Stelle's mind.
"Dad…?" she asked again, voice softer.
"Mm." He answered, then pulled her into a hug.
"Dad!" Stelle said again—this time like she meant it, as if trying to make the word real by force of repetition.
March's eyes went watery on the spot. She elbowed Dan Heng, who looked about as conflicted as a person could be.
"Dan Heng, are you seeing this?! Stelle found her dad! This is so moving!"
Dan Heng didn't respond. He'd only just met this "Senior," but for some reason—some instinct—he strongly suspected this man had a streak of malicious humor.
After a moment, Stelle looked up from the hug, golden eyes fixed on him with an earnestness that made everyone go quiet.
"Then… my mom?" she asked. "Is it Kafka?"
March looked like she was about to explode from the sheer weight of the gossip. Dan Heng's shoulders tensed.
The question landed with surgical precision.
The man's expression turned… complicated.
If this were earlier in his life, he might've said "sure" just to watch the world burn.
Instead, he patted Stelle's shoulder and sighed, sounding almost resigned.
"No, Stelle. Kafka isn't your mother."
"Then who is?" Stelle pressed, eyes shining with need.
"Your mother…" he began slowly, as if savoring the moment. "Her name is Jingliu."
Dan Heng: "???"
March blinked so hard it was a full-body experience.
Stelle repeated the name—"Jingliu"—and felt nothing but blank unfamiliarity.
Dan Heng stepped forward, putting himself half a step between Stelle and the man.
"Senior," he said carefully, "this is serious. Stelle's memories… aren't complete."
The man looked at Dan Heng's protective posture, then at Stelle's stunned face, and finally let out a low laugh.
"Relax. It was a joke. Look at you all—jumping out of your skins."
"A joke?!" March wailed, heartbreak written all over her face. "Senior, that scared me to death! I thought I was witnessing the greatest father-daughter reunion across eight hundred years!"
Stelle exhaled, tension draining out of her shoulders—though for some reason, a faint trace of disappointment flickered somewhere deep inside her.
She shook it off and shot him an annoyed look.
"That joke… wasn't funny."
"Hey, I was just trying to lighten the mood." He shrugged. "You two were wound tight in Reverie Reef."
Then his gaze returned to Stelle, more focused.
"But yes—we really did meet. When you were very small."
"Things were… complicated."
"And?" Stelle asked, quieter now. "Back then…?"
"I saw you with Kafka," he said plainly. "A few times. I was crossing paths with the Stellaron Hunters at the time."
Stelle's eyes flickered at the name.
Kafka.
Some of those blurred fragments in her mind felt… closer now.
March immediately jumped in again, unstoppable.
"So you really know Kafka? Then you must know Stelle's past—where she came from, right?"
His expression tightened just a hair.
"That question…" he said, measured, "is better asked to Kafka herself."
"Some truths should come from her—especially to Stelle."
Dan Heng listened, catching the deliberate evasion. This "Senior" knew more than he was saying, but he had reasons for holding back.
Before anyone could push further, footsteps approached.
Himeko and Welt emerged from the ruins, heading straight toward them.
"Dan Heng?" Himeko's brows lifted. "Weren't you staying on the train? Why are you here?"
March waved both hands like a frantic windmill.
"Himeko! Mr. Yang! We found a fossil!" she declared.
"A fossil?" Himeko repeated, bewildered.
"Not just any fossil!" March insisted. "A fossil older than Mr. Yang!"
Welt adjusted his glasses, gaze sharpening as it fixed on the man.
"And this is…?"
Dan Heng stepped in again, formal and precise.
"This is Senior Yiqing—an Astral Express navigator from eight hundred years ago. With his help, I was able to find this place."
"A navigator…?" Himeko's eyes widened a fraction, then she offered a warm, composed smile. "Then this truly is an unexpected reunion. I'm Himeko, the current navigator of the Astral Express. This is Welt Yang."
Welt nodded, still studying him. "An Astral Express navigator from eight hundred years ago… the Express was dormant for a long time."
Yiqing raised a hand. A strand of pure, golden radiance appeared—quiet, but unmistakable.
Trailblaze.
The power was so familiar that even the oppressive air of Reverie Reef seemed to lift slightly, as if the place itself flinched back from the warmth of "forward."
Himeko and Welt both turned grave.
They knew Trailblaze well.
But the density and clarity of what he'd shown… exceeded what either of them expected.
"A Trailblaze Emanator…?" Himeko murmured, remembering something. "Yiqing… Pompom mentioned you. The shortest-tenured navigator in the Express's history—its last navigator before the long dormancy."
"And you're here, eight hundred years later…"
Yiqing let the light fade. "Now isn't the time to reminisce. You're tangled in trouble."
"We are," Welt said, voice steady. "We're investigating an anomaly deep in Penacony's dream—and secrets the Family is hiding."
"I can help," Yiqing replied calmly. "Because I know a bit about what's happening here."
March perked up instantly. "You do?! Then you know what this place is? Why the outside dream is so shiny and pretty, but this place is… like a haunted junkyard?"
"Because this is closer to the truth," Yiqing said, gaze sweeping over the broken landscape. "The 'beauty' above is a façade built on an unstable foundation."
"Unstable?" Dan Heng caught the word immediately.
"A Stellaron," Yiqing said.
Everyone froze.
"A Stellaron?" Himeko's expression tightened. "The Family is using a Stellaron to sustain the dream? That's insane."
Welt's voice dropped, heavy with warning. "Stellarons are the root of star-rail calamities. Trying to control one risks catastrophic fallout. Why would the Family do this?"
"Not only that," Yiqing continued, "they're trying to revive Order."
The Astral Express crew fell into a brief, stunned silence.
Stelle frowned. "Order… what's that?"
"A Path that was absorbed by Harmony," Dan Heng answered. "Trying to resurrect it is… defying the cosmos."
At that moment, lighter footsteps approached again.
A tired-sounding voice drifted in.
"Looks like new guests have arrived at this forgotten corner."
It was Gallagher—walking in with a refined young woman beside him.
Robin.
Yiqing's eyes flicked across them once, then he turned away.
He left Reverie Reef alone.
There was no reason to remain.
From here, the flow was obvious: Gallagher would guide the Express crew into Penacony's buried history—into the traces left by the three Nameless of old.
Then Sunday would be brought in.
Then Sunday would "test" the Express.
Then a certain "god" would be born.
Unless Yiqing chose to cut it short.
And he wasn't going to.
He didn't want the birth of "God Sunday" prevented.
He wanted Order to reappear.
Because "Order" belonged to "Harmony" now—and in a practical sense, that meant he could touch it.
At present, he held three "pre-ascension permissions":
Destruction. Abundance. Harmony.
Unfortunate, really—those three Aeons weren't the type you could outlast.
But Order?
Order was already dead.
A loophole.
If Sunday and the Dreammaster's plan truly succeeded—if Order returned—then who, exactly, would hold that Path?
Yiqing thought he might just try and claim the "interest payment" for himself.
After all—
Below Aeons, he was already a broken tier.
He just wasn't satisfied.
He still wanted to be the "Heavenly King."
And a would-be Heavenly King who didn't aim higher…
wasn't a real Heavenly King.
So yes.
He wasn't here to stop the show.
He was here to make sure the show reached its climax.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 180)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter260)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter135)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 240
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 210
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 280
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 260
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 130
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 155
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 120
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 135
My Harem Is Indescribable 105
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 110
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 110
Still playing traditional Honk 91
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 95
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 90
Checking In in Demon Slayer 95
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 105
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 95
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 100
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 85
Why did they assign me to Uma 80
MYGO Beauties 75
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 80
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 90
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 105
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 65
The Uma Musume Who Became 70
I'm Definitely Not the King of 85
After Maxing Out Every Class 85
Naruto: I'm Konoha's Local Men 44
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 70
I, the Elden Sword Saint 60
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 60
No One Knows Pokémon Better 55
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 55
From Trilobites to Titans 55
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 66
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 70
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 50
Honkai: The Fire Devil 30
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