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In a quiet, shadowed corner of Belobog's Administrative District, two figures lurked behind a stack of shipping crates.
"Star, why are we being so sneaky?" March 7th whispered, her pink hair reflecting the dim magical glow of the streetlamps. "Didn't Kenta say he'd meet us at the Astral Express platform this afternoon?"
Stelle, the gray-haired "raccoon," pushed her non-existent glasses up her nose with a clinical middle finger. "Too careless, March!" she declared with the solemnity of a seasoned detective. "Think about it. Kenta has to say goodbye to everyone. Do you really think Bronya, Seele, and the rest are just going to wave a handkerchief and watch him leave? No! I have a premonition. They aren't going to stand by idly. They might do something... exceptionally bold."
March 7th rolled her eyes, giving Stelle a light chop on the head. "You're overthinking it! They're comrades. They aren't going to tie him up with a rope just to keep him here."
On the other side of the plaza, Seele was currently weighing a heavy coil of reinforced rope in her hands.
"Serval, are you sure this thing is strong enough to hold him?" Seele asked, her voice hushed and tight with nerves.
Serval gave a confident thumbs-up. "Don't worry, this is high-grade climbing gear I borrowed from Lynx. The tensile strength is off the charts!"
"By the way," Seele added, her brow furrowing, "is this plan Sampo proposed really reliable? It feels... shady."
Bronya let out a long, weary sigh. "There is no other way. We have to try everything to give him a proper 'send-off.'"
Suddenly, every phone in the vicinity chimed simultaneously. Thanks to the Express crew sharing their technology, Belobog had recently entered the smartphone era. A group chat titled "Protect Kenta" lit up.
Lynx: Attention. Target 'Kenta' spotted. He is currently standing by the Everwinter Monument.
The group exchanged sharp, determined nods.
"Review the battle plan one last time," Bronya commanded. "First: Hook and Clara go in to attract his attention and lower his guard."
"Leave it to Pitch-Dark Hook the Great!" the little girl chirped.
"Then," Bronya continued, looking at Seele, "Seele will find an opening to restrain him. Knock him out if you have to, or just blindfold him and pull him into the shadows."
"Leave it to me," Seele replied with grim professionalism.
"And finally," Serval interjected, patting a modified mechanical transport cart, "I'll use my high-speed transporter to whisk him directly to the Underworld!"
"Once he's in the Underworld," Bronya finished, "Mother and Natasha are waiting. The 'Profound Memories' protocol will begin."
The trap was set. Hook and Clara rushed toward the Everwinter Monument.
"Wow! It's Team Member Kenta!" Hook shouted, bouncing over with Clara in tow.
Kenta turned, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Oh? Hook? Clara? What are you two doing out so late?"
"Team Member Kenta! Black Hook commands you to play hide-and-seek with us right now!" Hook demanded, her face a mask of childish innocence.
Kenta laughed, ruffling their hair. "I'd love to, kids, but I have a train to catch. Maybe next time?"
"No, no! Please stay!" Hook began to act uncharacteristically coquettish, grabbing his sleeve. Clara joined in, her face flushing red as she stammered, "I... I also hope... Brother Kenta can stay a bit longer."
While Kenta was distracted by the two most adorable residents of the city, Seele materialized behind him like a ghost. She raised her hand for a swift, precise chop to his nape.
Thwack!
But her hand didn't land. Stelle had appeared out of nowhere, catching Seele's wrist in mid-air. Stelle wore a smug, "I-knew-it" grin.
Kenta spun around, eyes wide. "Seele? Stelle? What are you—?"
He never finished the sentence. Before he could react, a cloth soaked in a fast-acting sedative was pressed against his face. Kenta's eyes glazed over as he felt his consciousness slip away into the dark.
"Damn it, why...?" Seele hissed, shocked that Stelle had actually caught her.
"You didn't think I'd let you take him that easily, did you?" Stelle gloated.
But the Belobog team had more layers than a snowdrift. "Help me! Mr. Svarog!" Clara cried out.
The massive robot appeared from behind a pillar instantly. "Clara's request detected. Variable [Stelle] identified as an obstacle. Executing delay protocol."
"Wait, what—?!" Stelle shouted as Svarog's massive hand loomed over her.
"Here I come, Big Sis!" Serval arrived with her mechanical cart, scooped the unconscious Kenta inside, and sped off toward the cable car station.
Stelle watched them vanish, speechless. "666... they aren't even pretending to follow the rules anymore."
Kenta was awake, but his world was black. A thick cloth was tied over his eyes.
"Damn it! Who kidnapped me?!" He struggled against his restraints, but his hands were tied with professional-grade knots.
"I'm sorry, Kenta," a gentle, familiar voice whispered. "I'm doing this for your own good."
"Natasha? Is that you? Untie me!"
"No, Kenta," a second voice said—cooler, more authoritative. Cocolia.
"Cocolia? What is going on? What are 'profound memories'?" Kenta's tactical instincts were screaming. "What are you going to do to me?!"
Suddenly, a soft hand caressed his cheek. "Shh... be quiet. You'll only hurt yourself if you struggle."
Kenta felt a wave of goosebumps. Suddenly, the blindfold was ripped away. He squinted against the light, expecting a dungeon. Instead, he saw a brightly lit room filled with flowers, streamers, and food.
"My... house?"
POP!
"Kenta! Have a safe journey!" Serval shouted, pulling a party popper.
The entire room erupted in cheers. Bronya stepped forward to untie him, her face full of apology. "Sorry for the theatrics. We wanted to give you a surprise you'd never forget."
Kenta sat there, stunned. His heart swelled as he looked at the faces of everyone who had fought beside him: Bronya, Seele, Serval, Hook, Clara, Natasha, Cocolia... even Sampo was lurking in the back, waving a miniature flag.
"Thank you all," Kenta whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Truly."
The farewell was long and heartfelt. Hook gave him a handmade music box; Serval gave him a modified multi-tool; Seele offered a quiet, intense "Safe travels." Finally, Bronya stood before him.
"Belobog will always be your home," she said, her silver eyes shimmering. "Don't be a stranger."
Kenta began to reply, but a hand poked his cheek. He turned his head and saw a baseball bat growing rapidly larger in his field of vision.
WHACK!
The invincible Kenta fell once again. Stelle stood there, having escaped Svarog, grinning at a horrified Clara. "Sorry, kids. I'm taking him with me now. The train is leaving!"
"...You all... were too reckless..." "...Himeko... she's going to be mad..."
Kenta groaned, sitting up with March 7th's help. He looked around the plush, velvet-lined interior of the Parlor Car. Beside the familiar trio and Welt Yang, there was a sophisticated woman with striking red hair and a small, bipedal rabbit creature.
"Hello, Mr. Kenta," the woman said, her voice like warm honey. "I am Himeko, the Navigator. I apologize for Stelle's... aggressive boarding tactics." She handed him a steaming ceramic cup. "Please, have some coffee. It's my own blend."
"Oh... thank you," Kenta said, his brain still foggy. He took a long, deep gulp.
"Wait! Kenta, don't drink it all at once—!" March 7th yelled.
THUD.
Kenta's head hit the floorboards. The Navigator's coffee had achieved what the Stellaron couldn't: it had rendered the Carefree Wanderer completely, utterly unconscious.
In conclusion, welcome to the Star Rail.
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