Chapter 123: A Rare, Cautious March
The observation car of the Astral Express was bathed in the soft, simulated glow of morning, the low hum of the Express itself the only sound against the silence.
Stelle had practically welded herself to the massive porthole. Her nose was pressed to the cold glass, her eyes shimmering as she gazed out into the deep, boundless sea of stars, as if it held secrets even Akivili had yet to glimpse.
Today! It was finally today! The Astral Express was scheduled to warp to "Amphoreus"—a territory so unknown that not even the Aeon of Trailblaze had ever set foot there.
Just the thought of that uncharted world made every Trailblaze cell in her body hum and leap with joy. Sleep? What was sleep?
"Yo-ho! Stelle, you're up early! Couldn't sleep thinking about the legends of Amphoreus?" March 7th's bright voice, still tinged with the pleasant laziness of someone who had just woken up, preceded her as her pink head poked into the carriage.
Her eyes immediately locked onto the figure by the window, a silhouette radiating an aura so thick with "I want to explore!" that it was almost tangible. She couldn't help but tease, "Tsk, tsk. Look at you. The light in your eyes is bright enough to be used as a searchlight."
"March! You're finally here!" Stelle shot away from the window like a cannonball, grabbing March 7th's shoulders and shaking her with an infectious energy. Her eyes were astonishingly bright.
"Warp! It's today! Amphoreus! A brand new world! Unknown challenges! And… uh, basically, it's super—duper—exciting!" She drew out the last syllable, making no effort to hide her exhilaration.
March 7th felt her head spin from the shaking and swatted Stelle's hands away with a huff. "I know, I know. It's just a new planet that even Akivili hasn't lit up yet. Look how worked up you are. You definitely didn't get any sleep last night."
She ambled over to the beverage dispenser, poured herself a cup of hot cocoa, and began to sip it with deliberate slowness.
Stelle automatically ignored the jab about her lack of sleep, leaning in close to March with a grin that was a perfect blend of anticipation and ulterior motives.
"Hehe, March, so how did your secluded training session in the sim room go yesterday? How's your handle on that 'Sode no Shirayuki'?"
She blinked, her gaze shifting slightly, her real question—the one about March 7th's remaining credit balance—left unspoken but heavily implied.
March 7th was, of course, well aware of Stelle's little scheme.
She savored another slow sip of her hot cocoa, pointedly avoiding the topic of credits. Her face, however, was beaming with the pure joy of her recent gains. "The training room? The effect is amazing! You really get what you pay for. It was worth every single credit!"
With a flourish, she flipped her wrist, and the elegant white blade of Sode no Shirayuki materialized in her hand.
"Take this!" she called out, her wrist snapping forward with newfound deftness.
Swoosh—!
A condensed, almost solid sliver of pale blue sword energy sliced through the air. It carried a biting chill and, with pinpoint precision, sheared the top off a lush green plant in the corner of the carriage.
The severed leaves and stem were instantly coated in a thick layer of white frost, which made a crisp, cracking sound as the frozen pieces fell to the floor.
"Wow!" Stelle clapped with practiced enthusiasm, but her eyes were filled with a silent, expectant, 'And then?'
"That's not all!" March was clearly still high on the thrill of unlocking a new power, temporarily oblivious to Stelle's increasingly frantic expression.
She gripped the hilt of her blade with both hands, touched its tip lightly to the floor, and whispered, "Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."
Hum—!
A domain of extreme cold, glowing with a faint blue light, instantly radiated outward from her position.
The temperature in the observation car plummeted. Fine, crystalline patterns of ice flowered across the metal walls and floor. The very air seemed to thicken and freeze, and each breath now plumed into a cloud of white mist.
March 7th stood at the epicenter of it all, her hair fluttering gently, wreathed in a chilling aura like a sprite born of ice and snow.
"First Dance, Tsukishiro! How's that? I can turn the entire battlefield into my home turf!" She proudly sheathed her blade. The frigid domain slowly dissipated, though the biting cold lingered in the air, slow to return to normal.
"It's powerful, but…" Stelle rubbed her arms, goosebumps rising on her skin from the lingering chill. She finally couldn't hold it in any longer, her voice tinged with a hint of resentment.
"But March, isn't your 'home turf' a little… indiscriminate? I swear I could feel my blood slowing down just now! I was about to turn into an icicle!"
"Huh? Really?" March 7th froze. She thought about it for a moment, and her cheerful expression faltered.
"Uh… it seems… a little? This cold field mainly enhances my own ice abilities, but it's… well, not very friendly to anyone standing nearby. Looks like I can only save this move for one-on-one fights against tough enemies."
She sighed, but her spirits rebounded almost immediately. "However! I also made a major discovery! I was actually a little worried before I went in last night."
She leaned in, lowering her voice conspiratorially to Stelle. "You see, with the Path power I use, the soul power from this Sode no Shirayuki, and my own Six-Phase Ice… my whole power system is a bit of a mix, right?"
"I was afraid they'd start fighting inside my body, you know? Like what's written in those Xianzhou wuxia novels about qi deviation!" She even made an exaggerated gesture of spitting blood.
"So, I went and specifically borrowed Mr. Zhongli's treasure—that Tiger Talisman that can harmonize energy!"
March 7th carefully pulled a talisman from her pocket. It flowed with an ethereal black-and-white energy, exuding a mysterious aura of balance as she gave it a little shake.
"And guess what? I was worried for nothing! I didn't feel the talisman do anything at all. All my powers ran together so smoothly and harmoniously, without the slightest hint of conflict!"
"I worried myself silly. It's all because I've been reading too many Xianzhou novels lately; it's messing with my brain!" She stuck her tongue out and carefully put the talisman away.
"It seems Mr. Zhongli's treasure is meant for more complex situations. I borrowed this Tiger Talisman for no reason, but hey, at least it gave me some peace of mind."
She paused, a look of fresh surprise blooming on her face. "But another discovery was an absolutely pleasant surprise! My Sheep Talisman was a huge help in understanding and mastering Sode no Shirayuki's power! It made my training twice as effective!"
Her expression then shifted to one of confused curiosity. "The thing that surprised me most, though… was that my Six-Phase Ice ability actually gives a positive boost to using Sode no Shirayuki! And I'm the one who's always insisting that Six-Phase Ice isn't really ice, but some kind of condensed high-energy crystal…"
"But the fact is, when I tried guiding the energy of the Six-Phase Ice to wrap around Sode no Shirayuki, the blade's chill became more condensed and sharp. The sword energy I swung even seemed to have a hint of… penetrability? What exactly is going on?" March frowned, trying to puzzle out the unexpected connection.
A calm voice drifted from the doorway. "The promotional effect of the Sheep Talisman is within expectations."
Dan Heng had appeared there at some point, leaning against the doorframe, having clearly listened for a while.
He walked slowly into the carriage, his gaze settling on March 7th. "The Sheep Talisman directly affects the soul, enhancing one's perception of it. A Zanpakuto, as you've said, is intrinsically linked to the wielder's soul. Since both originate from the same source, they naturally complement each other. It's logical that it would accelerate your mastery over Sode no Shirayuki."
His eyes swept over the spot where March 7th had put away the Tiger Talisman, but he said nothing more on the matter, seemingly understanding her cautious approach of using tools to test power compatibility.
Then, his gaze returned to March, growing deeper. "As for the Six-Phase Ice… the principle behind its positive effect on your Zanpakuto is indeed thought-provoking."
He paused for a moment, organizing his thoughts. "Our understanding of the true nature of Six-Phase Ice is extremely limited. You can use it skillfully, but you don't know its core composition or its true origin. Perhaps…"
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