Before anyone realized it, more and more people seemed to be getting dragged in.
However, this was far from over.
Just after finishing the discussion about all this, Stelle ran back to the Parlor Car.
What met her eyes was a grey-haired girl standing directly in front, wearing a crystal-green skirt as bright as a firefly, a black shawl, and dark green thigh-high stockings.
Not far from her was Silver Wolf, who was gazing at the starry sky.
Himeko and Welt were the first to realize the issue and exchanged a glance at the same time.
Behind them, Pom-Pom passed by, holding a record and preparing to change the music.
Seeing the two of them so startled today, Pom-Pom wondered what was wrong with them.
"Is that Miss Firefly?"
Welt pressed his finger against the bridge of his glasses.
Besides her, the figures of Kafka and Blade also revealed themselves one by one.
To figure out what was going on, Stelle started with Firefly as her first target and communicated with everyone one by one.
But when she heard the word'script' from Firefly's mouth, even Guinaifen couldn't help but be puzzled.
"Script? The script again. Only the Stellaron Hunters would always have that word on their lips."
"By the way, who is this very pretty young lady? Could she be a newly recruited member of the Stellaron Hunters too?"
Everyone knew Silver Wolf, as well as Kafka and Blade, who were all on the wanted list.
But this girl named Firefly had never shown her face even once, and she wasn't even on the IPC's wanted posters.
[Is this girl named Firefly also a member of the Stellaron Hunters? That's not right, how come I've never heard of her?]
[This is a Remembrance; could the timeline be wrong?]
[Wait, where did Sam go? Could it be that Sam isn't familiar with the Trailblazer, so he didn't come?]
[That's possible. Sam looks quite unapproachable; how could he have a good relationship with the Trailblazer?]
[Something is very, very wrong. Firefly's tone is ice-cold, but why does it sound so familiar?]
[...]
The intense debate about the Stellaron Hunters continued.
However...
Guinaifen was talking to them one by one.
Until the moment the conversation ended, a major event happened that even she herself hadn't anticipated!
The Trailblazer immediately entered a CG.
In the scene, after a transition, the four Stellaron Hunters quickly turned into the four from the Astral Express, as if foreshadowing some kind of meaning?
There was no time to think.
In the next second, following a whisper of 'Heavenly Father' from Orionis...
The camera zoomed out.
White light suddenly burst forth!
In the gradually shrinking frame, a crystal bead curtain came into view. A giant faceless humanoid sculpture, like a divinely crafted work of art, unfolded in the center of the screen accompanied by powerful music.
Shocking, an unprecedented shock.
That was not a person.
Nor was it a work of art.
Because...
He is a God!
One of the only eighteen Aeons recorded in the universe.
The Aeon of Remembrance, Fuli!
At the moment this scene appeared, the world seemed to stand still.
The various factions in front of the game screens—Guinaifen, the Xianzhou high-level officials, the Astral Express, Herta Space Station, and even the masses of Amphoreus.
Countless people held their breath, their faces filled with astonishment as if they had been petrified on the spot.
An Aeon!
It was Fuli, the Aeon of Remembrance. As one of the few Aeons still alive today, He had actually appeared before their eyes just now.
He glanced at the Trailblazer!
At the same time...
In just a moment of daze, a pleasant and beautiful sound rang out again:
"Hesitation?"
A flying little fairy, appearing from who-knows-where, floated confusedly to the Trailblazer's side and looked out the window with her.
Thus, the person and Hesitation met for the first time.
...
"Ta-da~ The cute and charming little fairy Hesitation makes her official debut!"
"partner really made me look so cute~"
"I just didn't expect the God from beyond the heavens to look like that. So I was actually receiving His call back then? How Mystery indeed."
The grown-up Cyrene gave Xu Qiong a small hug from behind.
Then, with great interest, she followed the plot along with Xu Qiong.
Although the plot changes were somewhat large compared to reality, some core parts had indeed happened in the current real-world timeline.
For example, when they first met, Cyrene was also in the form of Hesitation and couldn't speak.
Xu Qiong didn't resist Cyrene's hands draped over him, but instead asked, "Yeah."
"So, my dear partner, where do you think you are particularly mysterious?"
"Hmm, let me think..."
Cyrene only looked up for a moment, then smiled happily. "My identity in Amphoreus is one of a kind."
"And there's my pen name, or some other abilities or identities... maybe I'm secretly hiding them from you. Even my partner doesn't know—is that mysterious enough? ♪"
Hearing this, Xu Qiong nodded as if realizing something. "I see."
"So you still have things hidden from me. Then let me think, how should I arrange for you to be written out of the story?"
"Eh?"
Hearing Xu Qiong say this so suddenly, Cyrene's small mouth hung open in surprise.
She feigned a very angry expression and then poked Xu Qiong's cheek.
"Hey, hey, partner is being too vengeful! We just met and you're already going to make me say goodbye."
"You'll make me cry if you do that~"
Xu Qiong's movements stiffened, and he turned his head. "Cyrene..."
However, as if she could tell what he was thinking, Cyrene just let out a 'pfft' and turned Xu Qiong's head back.
Holding it fixed!
"Alright, I was just joking with you."
"Actually, if I could be written out by my partner's pen, but with more plot and more of my story written for me, I would be very happy too."
"After all, the curtain calls of heroes are always grand and magnificent~!"
Because his face was being held by Cyrene, Xu Qiong couldn't turn back to see her face or her expression clearly.
However, this didn't stop Xu Qiong from reaching out and lifting her right ring finger.
"So what's the deal with the things you're hiding from me?"
"That..." Cyrene's voice seemed to become smaller and gentler, "That's a young girl's little secret."
"If partner wants to know, you have to play a game with me first."
She leaned close to Xu Qiong's cheek, almost whispering:
"What if one day, the person beside you suddenly disappeared..."
"Hmm?"
When Xu Qiong realized the pressure by his ear was gone, he suddenly looked back.
Warm, grand sunlight poured from the sky onto a slowly swaying lounge chair, a silent bedroom with no one in it, and a bathtub with water dripping tick-tock, tick-tock.
Everything was as usual, yet everything also seemed unusual.
"Just like right now, what would you do?"
"..."
"..."
A silence that held nothing.
Xu Qiong's expression didn't change much.
He just stood there in a daze for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled and shifted his gaze downward. "Alright, Hesitation, come out now."
At that moment...
There seemed to be some movement under the lounge chair, and then, sure enough, a pink figure floated up.
"What the~"
"It's only been how long~ How did partner find Hesitation already?"
Hesitation slumped her waist and rose bit by bit, looking very troubled. "I still wanted to play hide-and-seek with you~"
Xu Qiong shook his head and sighed, reaching out to Cyrene while she wasn't paying attention.
In her Hesitation state, she was quite small and easier to handle, so she was immediately scooped into his arms.
"Let me think," Xu Qiong said thoughtfully. "If that day really comes, then I will definitely find that person."
Cyrene didn't struggle, but after a while, she put her hands on her hips and flew up again.
"Mmm... then as the winner, partner has to agree to one request from me."
"The winner gets a punishment too?"
"Of course~ Winning against me naturally comes with a punishment." Cyrene's voice became childish.
"Alright then."
"Then, you must agree to any request of mine~"
"Any request."
"No matter what ♪"
"No matter what."
Then came her mature voice: "Hee, partner really is as gentle as when we first met~"