Kallen stood in the void. After Welt finally slipped into unconsciousness, she made no move to attack again.
She looked around at the empty silence surrounding her and fell quiet for a moment.
To be honest, she had not held back much with that last blow. Given Welt's current condition, he probably would not be waking up for several days.
And with that done, she ought to hurry, take what she came for, and leave.
Her gaze lingered on Welt for a moment.
If she just left him floating out here in space, he probably would not die, right?
But soon enough, Kallen shook her head.
Forget it. He was probably not going to die. At worst, he would just end up cosplaying as space trash for a while, like Firefly.
Kallen decided to place her faith in the strongest man aboard the Astral Express.
After all, back on Earth, this man's ability to get back up after being knocked down had always been absurdly tenacious. Letting him drift in space for a while should not kill him.
At worst, he would suffer a little.
With that thought, Kallen stopped hesitating and turned toward the Astral Express's hatch.
Her figure slipped soundlessly through the train door.
Inside the observation car, there was nothing but deathly stillness.
March 7th, Stelle, and Himeko lay sprawled across the floor in different poses.
March 7th was flat on her back, both hands still frozen in a strange position, as though she had tried to grab hold of something just before passing out.
Stelle lay on her side, one hand still resting on March's shoulder, as if, in the very last moment before collapsing, she had still been trying to wake her friend.
As for Himeko…
Kallen's eyes swept over the red-haired navigator.
Himeko was slumped against the wall of the car, as though she had realized something was wrong and tried to stand, only to fail in the end.
Three people. Three different postures. The same result.
Kallen's footsteps echoed slowly through the car.
She first walked over to March 7th, crouched, and poked her in the cheek with one finger.
Soft. Still faintly warm.
Kallen poked her again.
March's brow twitched ever so slightly. She mumbled something under her breath, but did not wake.
Kallen stared at her for a few seconds, a thoughtful look flickering through her eyes.
"I thought that once you passed out, the other one would automatically switch in."
After all, Kallen knew at least a little about the special circumstances inside March.
There was another consciousness sleeping within her, one that would only awaken if March faced an extreme enough danger.
And now March had lost consciousness completely. Even her vital signs had weakened noticeably.
By all rights, a crisis at this level should have been enough to trigger that self-preservation mechanism.
Kallen waited a few more seconds.
Nothing happened.
March remained where she was, breathing weakly and evenly, with no sign of any change at all.
"So it's not happening."
Kallen withdrew her hand, rose to her feet, and let her gaze go cold again.
She had no particular interest in whatever secret was hiding inside March. She had not come here to investigate some pink-haired girl.
She turned and walked toward the other side of the car.
There, Pom-Pom lay curled up in a corner beside the control console, his small body nearly swallowed by shadow.
Usually so lively and spirited, the conductor now looked completely drained of all that energy.
His ears drooped limply. His short little limbs lay spread out without strength. His mouth was slightly open, as though even in his final moment of consciousness he had still been trying to say something.
Kallen walked over, bent down, and picked Pom-Pom up with one hand.
Because of the correction Bianka had left behind, Kallen herself now counted as having one foot inside the Path of Trailblaze.
So the instant she lifted Pom-Pom, she felt an odd connection.
It was the bond between Pom-Pom and the Astral Express.
Based on what information she already had, Kallen understood a little about the conductor.
Back when Himeko had first repaired the Astral Express, Pom-Pom had apparently "come back to life" all of a sudden.
So if anyone tried to claim Pom-Pom had no connection whatsoever to either the Astral Express or Trailblaze, Kallen would never believe it.
And now, with a better opportunity to make direct contact with him, she had finally confirmed her suspicion.
Sure enough, everything aboard the Astral Express was tied to this little rabbit in one way or another.
In other words, if Kallen wanted to follow the script and drain the Astral Express dry, then starting with Pom-Pom really was the most efficient option.
Holding Pom-Pom up, Kallen examined him carefully.
A faint glow clung to his body—the final traces of the Astral Express's remaining energy.
"So…"
Kallen murmured, "if I wanted to start from here…"
But before she could finish the sentence, a soft meow sounded behind her.
"Meow~"
Kallen froze.
She was still holding Pom-Pom, but slowly turned around.
And then she saw a black cat.
A pitch-black cat with no other color mixed into its fur sat primly atop one of the sofas in the observation car, watching her with a pair of golden eyes.
Kallen looked at the cat without the slightest trace of surprise.
"So you finally came, slave of destiny."
Her voice was calm, as though greeting an old acquaintance.
The black cat—or rather, the leader of the Stellaron Hunters, Elio—was silent for a moment.
Then it let out a soft sigh and said, "…You make it sound as though you already knew I'd come."
Kallen nodded, setting Pom-Pom gently back where he had been.
Then she turned to face the cat directly.
"Because I know you'd never ignore the Astral Express."
"After all, to the Stellaron Hunters, the Astral Express has a very special value and significance."
She looked at the black cat, a slight curve appearing at the corner of her lips.
To be fair, Kallen herself was not yet completely certain of the relationship between Finality and Trailblaze.
But based on the Stellaron Hunters' behavior in the original storyline—basically acting like unpaid bodyguards for the Astral Express—there was no way she would believe they had no designs on it.
"So, Elio, what? Did you come here to help the Astral Express settle the score?"
The black cat did not answer immediately. It only stared at her in silence, its tail swishing once lightly across the sofa.
"Blade, Silver Wolf, Kafka, Sam—the four Stellaron Hunters…" Kallen raised her hand and counted them off one by one.
"I'll admit it. You people do have some ability. You wouldn't have made a name for yourselves across the galaxy otherwise."
Then she paused and fixed her gaze on the cat.
"But if you're here to face me, you're still nowhere close."
The car fell silent for a moment.
And to be fair, Kallen was not lying.
In terms of combat power, the Stellaron Hunters did indeed have both Emanators and people who could rival Emanators.
But against a fully maxed-out Kallen, they were not on the level where she could kick them to death like cannon fodder—
though if she kicked them a few more times, the result probably would not be that different.
Elio stayed quiet for a moment, then, surprisingly, did not argue. It merely dipped its head.
"I won't deny that."
"My people are indeed excellent. But they would not be your match."
Its golden eyes swept over Kallen's body.
"To possess the power of an Emanator, yet seek to overturn the Path itself… There are very few beings in the entire galaxy who qualify."
Kallen said nothing. She only watched it.
"My people matter a great deal to me," Elio continued, and this time there was a trace of solemnity in its tone. "So I have no desire to watch them die here."
A faint stir passed through Kallen's heart.
She looked at the black cat and frowned slightly.
"You think… I'd kill them?"
Honestly, that was slander.
Was she really the kind of villain who killed whoever crossed her path?
Elio, however, gave her no room for fantasy. It nodded directly.
"Yes. That is exactly what I'm worried about."
"I can see many things. The tracks of destiny. Possible futures. The deepest obsessions buried in every heart."
It paused, then looked straight at Kallen with those golden eyes.
"So I can also see the hatred you bear toward Finality."
Kallen's expression did not change, though one of her fingers moved very slightly.
"That hatred is not a rational decision," Elio went on. "It's instinct."
"So even though we Stellaron Hunters belong to a branch of Finality that wants to stop Finality…"
"If we stood in front of you, you would still kill us without hesitation."
Silence filled the car.
Kallen did not respond. She only looked at the cat.
Elio held her gaze, equally silent.
A long while later, Kallen finally spoke.
"What about you, then?"
"You came here yourself. And right now, you're standing in front of me completely exposed."
She could not help adding, "Forget killing you. If I just captured you alive, I could still take you to the IPC and collect a pretty decent bounty."
She took a step closer, towering over the black cat perched on the sofa.
"What? Don't tell me you're not afraid of that."
Elio fell silent for a moment.
Then it said softly, "Before I came here, I had already prepared myself for the possibility of dying by your hand."
Its tone was calm to a frightening degree, as though it were discussing something utterly mundane.
"I knew it was dangerous. I knew you might strike."
"And yet, I still came."
Kallen's brow twitched.
"Since you knew that, then why come at all?"
Her voice was still cold, but the mockery in it had faded by more than half.
Elio answered, "I came because I want you to spare the Astral Express."
Kallen's eyes sharpened.
"I know what you want," Elio continued.
"I know you want to revive that daughter of Trailblaze. I know you're willing to do anything to achieve that."
Its voice acquired a faint undertone, hard to pin down.
"But if that Bianka of yours knew that, for her sake, you were going to exterminate the Astral Express…"
"What do you think she'd feel?"
Kallen's body stiffened.
"She'd be heartbroken," Elio answered for her.
"Bianka died for Trailblaze. She gave her life to buy a road."
"And the people walking that road are the Nameless of the Astral Express."
"If she found out that, for her sake, you meant to slaughter them all…"
"She'd be heartbroken."
Silence descended again.
A long time passed before Kallen spoke.
"And if Bianka saw all the other things I've done, you think she wouldn't be heartbroken?"
So you do know the things you're doing are monstrous.
At that moment, Elio's pupils contracted slightly.
Overthrowing the Xianzhou Alliance. Spreading the plague of Nihility. Stabbing the IPC in the back.
Well, the IPC part aside—
but what exactly had the Xianzhou Alliance ever done to deserve such special treatment from her?
They were only hunting down Abundance.
Did they really provoke her that badly?
Especially that little dragon sovereign of Yuanqiao.
Because of Mystery, even someone like Elio could not fully see the past anymore.
But thanks to Aha, the whole galaxy now knew at least part of the truth.
And the more truth one knew, the more infuriating it became.
That girl Mobius was only three years old.
And yet Kallen kept hunting her down over and over.
How was that remotely appropriate?
It was no wonder the Xianzhou Alliance had exploded in rage. Even an outsider like Elio had found it difficult not to lose his composure.
Of course, no matter how loudly he was complaining inside his head, Elio would never say any of that out loud.
Kallen, meanwhile, looked at him and said in a clear, cool voice, "Enough. Let's talk about the real matter."
"If you want me to spare the Astral Express, that's not impossible."
Elio's ears twitched as he waited for the rest.
Kallen took another step, and an invisible pressure radiated out with her movement.
"But I need you to agree to one condition."
"What condition?"
"Trade me one Terminus-cat."
For a brief moment, absolute silence swallowed the room.
Elio seemed not to process it at first. Its golden eyes widened slightly, even its tail going stiff.
"…A Terminus-cat?"
"Exactly." Kallen nodded.
"The Aeon of Finality, Terminus."
Apparently feeling some clarification was needed, she went on.
"In my plan, if I want Bianka to return, then Trailblaze is a necessary component."
"But just as I told Welt earlier, I have a decent impression of the Astral Express. So I can let the train go."
Her gaze turned sharp.
"But in exchange, I need one Terminus-cat."
To anyone else, those words would have sounded utterly blasphemous.
Treating an Aeon like some item to be bartered?
That was pure lunacy.
But at this moment, both Kallen and Elio knew perfectly well what she meant.
Because Terminus was different from the other Aeons.
A retrograde Aeon, one that had already split itself into countless black cats.
And Elio was one of the most special among them.
After a pause, Elio said quietly, "…You mean the Finality that has already turned into countless black cats?"
Kallen nodded again, then added casually,
"But I don't necessarily need you. I only need one ordinary Terminus-cat. You can just pick one of your own kind and hand it over."
Elio's tail slowly drooped.
"I understand."
It spoke softly, with no readable emotion in its voice.
"I agree to that condition."
Though, as a walker of Finality, it was undeniably humiliating to barter away the Aeon of Finality—even one of its own kind—in an exchange like this.
But the Astral Express was facing the greatest crisis since its departure, and at this point Elio no longer had the luxury of caring about dignity.
Kallen did not seem at all surprised by the answer. She simply watched him, waiting for what came next.
And sure enough, Elio asked,
"But have you really prepared yourself for the consequences, Kallen?"
Its tone became grave.
"In a world ruled by causality, everything has a price. You know that better than anyone."
Kallen said nothing. She only looked at it.
Elio continued,
"If you truly manage to revive Bianka in the future, then you yourself will certainly pay a tremendous price."
"And that price… may far exceed anything you can imagine."
"Are you questioning my resolve to give up everything?" Kallen asked, her voice edged with icy scorn.
"No." Elio shook its head. "I'm not questioning your resolve. I'm worried about something else."
"If, in the future, you're no longer there, then who will protect Bianka?"
Kallen froze.
Elio caught that tiny reaction at once and pressed on.
"With what you've already done, you've essentially made yourself the enemy of the entire galaxy."
"So even if Bianka really is revived, there will be no shortage of people who come after her."
Its golden eyes fixed on Kallen.
"But when that day comes, who will protect her? Don't tell me you expect the Astral Express to do it?"
It gave a small shake of its head.
"The Astral Express would absolutely accept Bianka."
"But the current Astral Express… cannot protect her."
Silence fell again.
Kallen did not answer right away.
Her gaze drifted, as though she were turning something over in her mind.
Only after a long pause did she finally say, "Don't worry."
"I've already reached an agreement with an old friend. She'll help me."
"…An old friend? Someone like you actually still has old friends?"
Kallen: ???
Kallen felt personally offended.
Why exactly could someone like her not have old friends?
Not only did she have old friends—she had old comrades too. She even had a whole support squad.
Just wait until she hauled the entire support squad out into the open.
It would scare him half to death.
Join here to read ahead.
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 285
"Is this chat group even serious?" 150
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (This matter is completely finished.)
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 255
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 210
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 305
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer (This matter is completely finished.)
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 155
My Harem Is Indescribable 105
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 110
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 110
Still playing traditional Honk 96
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 95
What Should I Do After Switchi 51
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 80
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 105
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 (This matter is completely finished.)
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 95
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 90
Why did they assign me to Uma 80
MYGO Beauties 75
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 80
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 100
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 120
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 65
The Uma Musume Who Became 70
I'm Definitely Not the King of 105
After Maxing Out Every Class 110
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 95
I, the Elden Sword Saint 60
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 60
No One Knows Pokémon Better 60
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 69
From Trilobites to Titans 57
Chainsaw Man: Contracted with 75
DanMachi: My Party Members Are 86
An Anime Heroine Darkened 60
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Duel Links 70
Honkai: The Fire Devil 70
Honkai Transformation Cards Volume2/30
Age of Heroes, I'm Just a Back 60
Uma Musume Has No Weird Fan Le 74
At age 8, she co-starred with 42
Honkai: Schicksal Media 30
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin