Star's pupils constricted violently, and the hairs on her body stood on end instantly!
The attack came too fast and too fierce, completely exceeding her comprehension!
The cold killing intent was so real that she had no doubt that this blow would certainly make her "wake up from the dream"!
An unknown instinct made her move almost subconsciously—she suddenly leaned back and simultaneously raised the baseball bat in her hand, barely managing to block the attack in front of her!
"Clang—!!!"
A deafening clash of metal echoed in the Training Grounds!
Star felt an indescribable force transmit through the bat; the web of her hand instantly split, her entire arm went numb, and her body uncontrollably stumbled back seven or eight steps before she managed to stabilize herself, her chest churning with surging blood and qi.
(What the hell! What kind of monstrous strength is this?! Is this really a dream?! And how did I even block that just now?)
Star looked at the white-haired man opposite her, who remained expressionless as if he had just casually swung the bat, feeling immense shock surge in her heart.
Meanwhile, Kevin, looking at the "trainee" who was merely pushed back but had successfully blocked his strike, a flicker of surprise quickly crossed his icy blue eyes.
(Reaction speed... acceptable.)
He twisted his wrist, adjusted his grip on the bat, and once again adopted an attacking stance.
The surrounding air seemed to become even colder and more biting due to the condensed fighting spirit emanating from him.
Star shook her numb arm, licked her dry lips, and her gaze gradually shifted from initial confusion to intense focus.
(Whether you're a dream or whatever! I'll fight first and worry about it later!)
She gripped the bat tightly, staring intensely at Kevin, ready to face the next round of fierce, storm-like attacks.
Lounge Car
Black Herta leaned back lazily on the sofa, while Cyrene still sat quietly on her, recounting fragments of stories about "fighting for a beautiful world" from another realm.
In the corner of Black Herta's vision, a translucent screen, visible only to her, floated, clearly displaying the scene of Star and Kevin's confrontation in the Training Grounds.
The corner of Black Herta's mouth involuntarily curved into a pleased and playful smile.
Thank my gift, Star!
Perspective shift.
The atmosphere inside the Party Car was currently bizarre.
"March 7th" sat upright on a high stool, her hands folded in her lap, attempting to maintain the composure of an adult, but her young face carried a seriousness and a hint of anxiety that belied her age.
She looked at her current hands, which were clearly a size smaller.
Her hands, which were painted with sparkly nail polish, were tightly furrowed.
As for "Himeko," she was practically in tears, tugging at the mature and elegant white dress she was wearing, her voice choked with sobs: "Why is this happening?! This dress is so tight! Walking feels completely different! I want to switch back!"
She tried to hop like she usually did, but nearly fell due to the unfamiliar balance of the high heels, thankfully catching the bar counter just in time.
And perhaps the most speechless sight was Welt, standing behind the bar counter, inhabiting the metallic shell of the bartending robot, "shut up."
His cold, metallic face seemed to reflect his inner gloom at that moment.
He tried to operate the mechanical arm, but it only emitted a stiff "clack" sound.
Danheng stood leaning against the carriage wall, arms crossed, watching the chaotic scene with an expression full of helplessness.
He was the only one spared from the calamity and could only act as the calm observer.
"March 7th" took a deep breath, trying hard to use March 7th's crisp voice to say something appropriate for her current role: "It's getting late, everyone... maybe we should go back to our rooms and rest early. Perhaps... sleeping it off will fix it?"
As she said this, even she felt it lacked conviction.
Hearing this, "Himeko" was even more distressed: "Rest? Sister Himeko... no, my current body! And this hair is so hard to manage!"
The most bizarre case, however, was Welt.
Or rather, "shut up," who had occupied Welt's body.
The former Anti-Entropy Sovereign, who was usually meticulous, was currently sitting there in an extremely standard posture, his face devoid of expression, his eyes vacant.
Seeming to detect that the atmosphere's emotional value was too low, he followed the emotional soothing protocol and spoke clearly and articulately in Welt's deep voice:
"Why don't seagulls like french fries?—(one-second pause) Because they're afraid of being caught by the 'dip' (war) hawk."
Cold.
Bone-chilling cold.
The air seemed to freeze instantly.
Not only did it fail to alleviate the atmosphere, but it also caused the temperature inside the carriage to drop several degrees further.
"Himeko" couldn't help but shiver, muttering softly, "It's even, even colder..."
"March 7th" helplessly massaged her forehead, feeling her headache worsen.
Just then, from inside the robot body that originally belonged to "shut up," standing behind the bar, came Welt's voice, suppressing his anger—though the sound itself was still shut up's—directly giving an order to the entity occupying his body:
"shut up."
The "Welt" sitting on the sofa immediately and respectfully bowed slightly at a perfect 45-degree angle, smoothly responding in Welt's voice:
"Yes, Mr. Welt."
(Why is this happening?)
This question lingered in everyone's mind.
Time needed to rewind slightly.
Inside the Party Car, the lighting was soft, creating the usual relaxed atmosphere.
After listening to "Sister" Long Night Moon recount the tragic epic of Amphoreus once again, March 7th's heart was filled with complex emotions of longing.
She looked at Long Night Moon's profile, which closely resembled her own yet held a few more hints of mystery, and finally mustered her courage.
"Sister..."
March 7th spoke softly, nervously twisting the corner of her clothes, "Um... there's something I wanted to tell you."
"Hmm?" Long Night Moon turned her head, her crimson eyes gazing at her gently, as if she already knew everything.
"It's just... Uncle Yang, and Sister Himeko... they, they want to meet you."
March 7th quickly explained, afraid that Long Night Moon might misunderstand, "They are all very, very good people! They are family in the Astral Express Crew! They are just... just a little worried about me, they don't mean any harm! Really!"
She urgently defended Welt and Himeko, her eyes full of sincere pleading, like a small animal afraid of being abandoned.
Long Night Moon looked at her, a hint of understanding flashing in her crimson eyes, and the corner of her mouth lifted slightly into a playful curve.
She reached out and gently stroked March 7th's hair, her movements as delicate as if she were handling a fragile treasure.
"Silly little sister..."
Long Night Moon's voice carried a calming magic, "Why did you tell them about me? Didn't we agree before that this was a little secret just between us?"
There was no trace of blame in her tone, only indulgence.
"I-I'm sorry, Sister!"
March 7th immediately lowered her head, the guilt almost overwhelming her, "I didn't mean to! It's just... they really care about me, and I... I didn't want to lie to them..."
Seeing her look like she was about to cry, Long Night Moon's heart felt as if it had been gently nudged by something soft.
Her hand movements became even softer, and her voice grew more soothing: "It's alright, March. I have never truly blamed you. Not in the past, and not in the future... it will be the same."
(After all, you are the person I care about most...)
This sentence flowed silently in her heart, and in the depths of her crimson eyes, a trace of genuine emotion flashed that she herself hadn't fully understood.
This protective instinct and closeness seemed to stem from more than just Madam Herta's mission directives.
Feeling Long Night Moon's sincere comfort, the heavy weight in March 7th's heart finally lifted, and a bright smile bloomed on her face again: "Sister, you're so nice! I'll go call Uncle Yang and Sister Himeko over right now!"
"Mhm, go ahead."
Long Night Moon smiled and nodded.
March 7th happily acknowledged, walking toward the carriage door with light steps, as if a great burden had been lifted.
Before closing the door, she turned back and gave Long Night Moon a brilliant smile.
As the carriage door gently closed, cutting off the outside noise.
The gentle smile on Long Night Moon's face slowly receded like a tide, leaving only faint traces.
She sat alone in front of the empty bar counter, light and shadow shifting in her crimson eyes, reflecting the drink in the glass that resembled a bloody setting sun, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, March 7th, walking outside toward the Observation Car, felt her affection for this "lost and found" sister increase by several points.
(My sister... she's really so gentle and understanding!)
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 70 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!