When Kallen opened her eyes, she found herself lying in a pink room.
The room was filled with the scent of a young girl, and the walls were covered with photographs.
Kallen thought back for a moment.
Originally, according to the script, among the things she needed next, there was an item related to Trailblaze.
And right now, she should have been coming to the Astral Express to borrow something.
Of course, although she called it "borrowing," she knew very well that, given her current reputation throughout the galaxy, the Express crew would probably reject her very firmly.
So before finding the Express crew, Kallen had already prepared herself to seize what she needed by force.
But then something completely unexpected happened.
For some reason, perhaps because the Express crew lacked the Jarilo-VI experience, the Swarm Disaster side story that should originally have occurred after the Luofu and before Penacony had instead happened now.
And by another bizarre coincidence, after escaping danger, the Astral Express had actually fallen into a stretch of Nihility.
Inside this Nihility, the Express crew had lost all means of contacting the outside world.
Therefore, in the eyes of these Nameless, the so-called Witch of Nihility did not exist at all.
They did not know what Kallen had done on the other side of the galaxy. They did not know the rumors surrounding her. They did not know that she had already become a threat in the eyes of certain factions.
They would only think that Kallen was still the saintess of Preservation who had saved the galaxy and foiled the conspiracy of the Dreammaster and Sunday.
Honestly, if she herself were not the villain, she would have suspected that she had somehow set a trap for the Astral Express.
Holy crap.
I'm not a villain.
I'm a good girl!
When that thought crossed her mind, the corners of Kallen's lips unconsciously lifted slightly.
In an instant, Kallen had already decided how to respond.
Since her trust score with the Express crew was still full, then naturally, she needed to make good use of it.
So Kallen took advantage of the wounds left by The Hunt and simply lay down directly on the route the Express crew was bound to pass through.
And to make the performance more convincing, before coming over to camp near the Astral Express, she had genuinely passed out.
As for now, it seemed she had successfully been fished up by the Astral Express.
At that thought, Kallen's mood relaxed quite a bit.
She stretched lazily. Her arm had only lifted halfway—
Then a sharp pain shot violently up from her waist.
She had pulled something.
She had nearly forgotten.
The wounds on her body had not healed yet.
Kallen sucked in a breath, her entire body freezing stiff on the bed. Then she lowered her head and glanced at the bandages wrapped tightly all over her body.
It seemed the people of the Express crew were quite considerate. They had apparently given her a second round of treatment as well.
Afterward, Kallen lay back down again, staring blankly at the pink gauze canopy hanging from the ceiling.
This room…
How should she put it?
It overflowed with so much girlishness that she felt somewhat unused to it.
Photographs covered the walls. The curtains were pink. A row of plush toys sat at the head of the bed. The air carried a faint sweetness, like strawberry-flavored banana.
There was no need to guess whose room this was.
"She really is young."
That was Kallen's evaluation.
Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door.
The footsteps approached quickly, accompanied by a familiar voice.
"Is she awake? Is she awake? March, move aside and let me see!"
Then came a series of crashing noises, as though someone had bumped into something, then bumped into another person.
Then March 7th's voice rang out, carrying obvious irritation and impatience.
"Stelle, stop squeezing me! Can't you watch where you're going?"
"I haven't seen a living person in three days!"
Stelle's voice came from behind the door, righteous enough to make someone laugh.
"Don't you see me every day?!"
"Do you count as a living person?"
Bang!
The door was slammed open from the outside.
Stelle lunged into the room in an extremely undignified posture, sprawling across the floor while still holding up a cup of some black liquid she had stolen from who knew where.
March 7th stood at the doorway with both hands on her hips.
"…Hello?"
Kallen was the first to greet them.
Stelle climbed up from the floor, patted down her clothes, then held the cup of black liquid in front of Kallen.
"Want coffee?"
Hearing this, Kallen stared at the contents of the cup somewhat uncertainly.
Mm…
This thing was probably the legendary rare item of the Astral Express—
Himeko's coffee.
Honestly, Kallen had long heard rumors about Himeko's coffee.
But before this, Kallen had always scoffed at those claims.
After all, coffee was never particularly delicious to begin with. If it tasted bad, one could hardly blame Himeko for that.
However, now, looking at the black lump Stelle was holding, Kallen fell silent.
This was coffee?
If Stelle had not said it, Kallen would have thought it was paste.
"Miss Kallen is injured! Injured! Stelle, how can you give that to a patient?!"
March 7th added from the side.
The moment she finished speaking, a gentle yet authoritative voice sounded behind her.
"March, what is wrong with my coffee?"
Hearing this, March 7th's body visibly stiffened, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
She slowly turned around, her face piling up into an extremely awkward smile.
"Hi-Himeko! Nothing, nothing! It's just Stelle… Stelle secretly drank your coffee!"
"I was going to—"
Stelle had just opened her mouth to explain when March 7th clapped a hand over it.
"Look! There are coffee stains on the corner of her mouth! She definitely stole some!"
Stelle widened her eyes, using her gaze to accuse March 7th.
But March 7th no longer dared to look at her, because Himeko's footsteps were drawing closer.
At that moment, a steady male voice came from the doorway.
"All right, all right. Stop messing around."
Welt walked in from outside and pushed up the glasses on his nose. His gaze swept over March 7th and Stelle before finally landing on Kallen, who was lying on the bed.
"Miss Kallen is a patient. It is indeed not suitable for her to drink coffee right after waking up."
Himeko looked at Welt, then at March 7th, who looked as though she wished she could dig a hole and crawl inside. At last, she sighed.
"Fine. I won't pursue it this time."
March 7th looked as though she had received amnesty. She almost jumped up.
"Thank you, Miss Himeko! Thank you, Uncle Yang! I'll go pour the coffee out right now—"
"You are not allowed to pour it out."
March 7th's hand froze in midair.
It was obvious that she was still somewhat afraid of Himeko.
Or rather, she was very afraid of Himeko in this state.
"Pfft—"
Kallen let out a soft laugh, breaking the atmosphere between them.
Sorry.
Looking at these people before her, Kallen still could not hold back and laughed out loud.
At this moment, Himeko's gaze passed over March 7th and Stelle, once again landing on Kallen lying on the bed.
She asked gently,
"Miss Kallen, how do you feel now? Is your body a little better?"
Hearing this, Kallen leaned against the pillow and barely forced a smile onto her pale face.
"I'm all right. I just feel… pain everywhere."
"Whew… Being saved this time, I really have to thank everyone on the Express."
That was not an act.
The wounds left behind by that arrow from the Reignbow Arbiter were still aching faintly even now.
Although the Express crew had already performed emergency treatment on her, the power of The Hunt was like some corrosive poison, slowly spreading deep within her wounds.
Of course, to Kallen, this level of injury was nothing at all.
But right now, she needed to play the role of a pitiful, severely wounded person. So she let just the right trace of weakness show on her face.
Perhaps, with this weakness as a boost, she would be able to gain even more trust from the Express crew in her next actions.
At this moment, Welt finally stepped forward and asked in a calm voice carrying a trace of concern,
"Miss Kallen, can you tell us what happened?"
"According to our estimation of time, at least two months should have passed since Penacony."
"According to the IPC's publicity, should you not have already returned to Preservation by now?"
Then his gaze fell upon the bandaged wounds covering Kallen's body. Behind his lenses, a trace of gravity flashed through his eyes.
"And the wounds on your body… carry traces of The Hunt."
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room instantly froze.
Naturally, everyone in the Express crew trusted the judgment of an old veteran like Welt.
Especially Dan Heng.
Although he had now severed himself from Dan Feng, as the reincarnation of Imbibitor Lunae, before joining the Astral Express, he had still had some dealings with The Hunt.
Therefore, the very first moment they had picked Kallen up and brought her back to the Astral Express, he had already discovered that her injuries came from The Hunt.
And it was absolutely no ordinary Hunt either.
Although…
Those who walked the Path of The Hunt were not necessarily connected to the Xianzhou Alliance.
But who was Kallen?
She was an Emanator of Preservation, a powerhouse who could single-handedly kill the demigod Sunday in Penacony.
And a Hunt force capable of severely injuring such an existence—
One could not say it was absolutely from the Xianzhou Alliance, but the possibility was very high.
However, once the Xianzhou Alliance was mentioned, they had to face a rather awkward matter.
After all, after the Phantylia incident, although the Express crew had not been able to help much on the Luofu, they could still be considered to have formed a good friendship with the Xianzhou Alliance.
And toward Kallen, they were the same.
Although the Astral Express had once again failed to help much on Penacony, and the end had relied entirely on Kallen carrying everything alone, that did not affect the deep friendship they had formed with her.
And now, the Express crew felt a little awkward.
Judging from the situation, could it be that some conflict had broken out between the Xianzhou Alliance and Kallen?
But no matter how one thought about it, that did not seem right.
Neither side looked like bad people, nor did they seem like people who should come into conflict.
In response, Kallen fell silent for a moment.
Although her trust score with the Express crew was still full, some things…
Could not be explained in too much detail.
In the end, she sighed and raised a hand to rub her temple.
"I was ambushed."
March 7th sucked in a sharp breath.
"What? Ambushed?!"
"What kind of person could ambush you, Miss Kallen? You're someone who can solo-kill a demigod!"
Then Kallen gave her answer.
"The IPC."
The room went quiet for an instant.
Then March 7th's expression shifted from shock to confusion.
"The IPC? You mean that IPC? The Interastral Peace Corporation?"
"Yes," Kallen answered again.
Afterward, everyone except Kallen silently breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as it was not the Xianzhou Alliance.
Although that thought was somewhat inappropriate, everyone really had secretly relaxed when they heard it was not the Xianzhou Alliance.
After all, the Astral Express and the Xianzhou Luofu had always had a good relationship. If it really had been the Xianzhou Alliance who acted against Kallen, they would have been caught in a very awkward position.
But the IPC was different.
Although the IPC and the Astral Express could not be considered enemies, they definitely could not be considered friends either.
More importantly, given the IPC's scale and way of doing things, nothing they did would be strange.
"The IPC actually attacked Miss Kallen…"
March 7th murmured this once, then suddenly raised her head.
"Wait, that's not right! Miss Kallen, aren't you an Emanator of Preservation? Isn't the IPC an organization that practices Preservation? Why would they attack you?"
The moment this question was asked, everyone looked toward Kallen.
Yes.
That was the truly confusing part.
The IPC.
The Interastral Peace Corporation.
Believers of the Amber Lord.
The largest practitioners of the Path of Preservation.
Not long ago, they had even been publicly announcing to the whole galaxy that they would livestream Kallen's return to Preservation.
They had even called Kallen "the Amber Lord's cast-off shell" and "the incarnation of the will of Preservation."
And then they turned around and ambushed her?
Was that reasonable?
Himeko walked forward two steps and sat down on the chair beside the bed.
"Miss Kallen, forgive me for asking… do you know why they attacked you?"
"After all, according to the IPC's publicity, you should have been their most honored guest, not… their enemy."
Kallen fell silent for a moment.
Then she spoke calmly.
"I don't know."
This was a standard answer.
When facing a difficult question, a conspiracy-theory answer was indeed the most reliable.
Then Kallen shook her head. Her voice carried just the right trace of confusion and exhaustion as she continued,
"I only remember that, at the IPC's invitation, I went to the location they designated. Then… came the ambush."
She raised her hand and pointed at the bandaged wounds on her body.
"These wounds were left from that ambush."
The room fell silent again.
Himeko and Welt exchanged a glance.
Both of them saw the same thing in the other's eyes—
This matter was not simple.
The IPC attacking an Emanator of Preservation was itself filled with contradictions.
But Kallen said she did not know, and they could not continue pressing her.
After all, she had just suffered severe injuries. Being able to survive at all was already fortunate. They could hardly force a wounded person to recall those painful details.
"This is way too much!"
March 7th finally could not hold herself back. Her whole body was like a cat with its fur standing on end.
"How can the IPC do this? Didn't they say they were going to livestream Miss Kallen's return to Preservation? Isn't that just lying?"
Dan Heng finally spoke.
His voice remained calm, but every word sounded carefully considered.
"The IPC's way of doing things has always been like this. To them, profit always comes before faith."
"If they previously showed goodwill to Miss Kallen, it was because Miss Kallen was useful to them."
"Then if they have now attacked Miss Kallen, it is most likely because… Miss Kallen has become a threat to them."
The moment those words came out, the atmosphere in the room grew even heavier.
March 7th turned to look at Dan Heng. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to refute him, but in the end, she said nothing.
Because she knew Dan Heng was right.
Although they had met Asta, the IPC's young lady, back at Herta Space Station and had developed quite a good impression of her, most IPC members—even including Asta herself—were never exactly harmless saints.
The IPC was able to conduct business across the galaxy and become the Interastral Peace Corporation not because it relied on mercy and justice.
Besides, they had heard plenty of polarized evaluations about the IPC—how the good side was very good, and the bad side was very bad.
Welt coughed lightly and broke the silence.
"In any case, Miss Kallen is now aboard our Express. That means she is our guest."
"Before your injuries recover, you can stay here with peace of mind."
"As for the matter with the IPC… after we leave this Nihility domain, we can discuss it properly."
Hearing this, Kallen leaned against the pillow. Her purple eyes swept across the room before finally returning to Himeko.
"Thank you."
Her voice was very soft, carrying the relief of someone who had survived disaster.
"If I had not met you, I probably really would have died in that place."
She paused, as though organizing her words, or perhaps seriously thinking about something.
"Once my injuries recover, I will definitely repay all of you properly."
She said this solemnly, each word like a promise.
The room was quiet for an instant. Then March 7th was the first to react, waving her hands repeatedly.
"Ah, Miss Kallen, what are you saying? Repay us? There's no need for that! We Nameless are supposed to help people in need!"
"Exactly, exactly."
At some point, Stelle had already climbed up from the floor. Incredibly, the cup of Himeko's coffee in her hand was still held steadily, without a single drop spilled.
"If Miss Kallen really wants to repay us, why not help me beat up March once you recover? She's been so noisy these past few days that my ears are about to go deaf."
"Stelle!!!"
March 7th was so angry that her hair seemed about to explode. She reached out to grab Stelle by the neck.
Stelle nimbly dodged while holding the coffee, then hid behind Dan Heng with only half her head peeking out.
"See? See? This is violent behavior."
"You're the one with violent behavior! Your whole family has violent behavior!"
"Aren't you my whole family?"
"Who's family with you?!"
Seeing that the two were about to start fighting, Welt had no choice but to step in.
"All right. Stop messing around. Miss Kallen is still injured. What do you two look like, making such a racket?"
March 7th and Stelle quieted down at the same time.
One puffed out her cheeks.
The other expressionlessly held her coffee.
Himeko watched the two of them and shook her head helplessly. Then she took two steps forward and sat down beside the bed.
She reached out and gently held Kallen's hand.
"Miss Kallen, in that Penacony dream, you were the one who crushed the Family's conspiracy. You were the one who stopped Sunday's plan."
"If not for you, the entire galaxy might already be under someone else's control by now. Or worse."
She paused, looking directly into Kallen's eyes.
"So, no matter what happened between you and the IPC…"
"On this train, among us, you will always be someone we trust."
Kallen's eyelashes trembled slightly.
Holy crap.
The Express crew was this sincere?
Himeko's voice continued echoing through the room.
"The IPC's influence across the galaxy is indeed enormous, and their publicity can indeed affect many people's opinions. But so what?"
"What we believe in is not the IPC's propaganda."
"What we believe in is everything we personally saw in Penacony."
"It was you who awakened us from that dream. It was also you who allowed us to meet Senior Mikhail. This debt of gratitude is something the Astral Express will not forget."
The room was very quiet.
So quiet that one could hear the low hum coming from the Nihility domain outside the window.
Kallen opened her mouth, wanting to say something.
But in the end, she merely tightened her grip on Himeko's hand.
Fine.
Since the navigator of the Astral Express had already said this, then she would accept it respectfully.
But Himeko did not seem to be finished. Her tone shifted slightly.
"Also, we heard some things about you from Senior Mikhail."
Kallen's brow twitched faintly.
Himeko looked at her reaction, and the smile at the corners of her lips widened.
"Senior Mikhail said that although you always say things that are hard to understand, deep down, you are a Nameless who yearns for Trailblaze and for the Astral Express."
Kallen fell silent for a moment.
Although…
She had made all of that up.
But she had not expected that, at this moment, those things would actually become bonus points in her favor.
Himeko stood up again and continued,
"Miss Kallen, the Astral Express welcomes every passenger. Whether in the past, present, or future, this door will always be open to you."
"Mm… thank you?"
It was a little awkward, but Kallen still thanked her.
Himeko then released her hand and turned to look toward one corner of the room.
"Right. There is one more thing."
"Our conductor has wanted to meet you ever since hearing about you."
The moment her words fell, March 7th, Stelle, Dan Heng, and Welt all moved slightly to either side at the same time.
Then Kallen saw a creature that seemed to be a rabbit.
That rabbit had apparently been standing in the room the whole time, less than one meter tall by visual estimate.
Pom-Pom.
The conductor of the Astral Express.
Kallen's expression froze on her face.
Just now, her attention had been entirely on Himeko, Welt, and those noisy youngsters. She had not noticed at all that such a little thing was also standing in the room.
Pom-Pom also seemed to notice Kallen's gaze. Its two ears drooped slightly, as though hiding some discomfort.
Then it walked into the room step by step on its short legs.
"Ahem."
Pom-Pom coughed lightly.
Then it extended a little paw.
"Passenger Kallen, my name is Pom-Pom. I am the conductor of the Astral Express. Welcome aboard."
"Here, you do not need to think too much, nor do you need to worry too much. Heal properly and rest properly. Once your injuries recover, no matter where you want to go, Pom-Pom can help you plan a route."
It paused, then added,
"Of course, provided you do not dislike the black tea Pom-Pom brews."
A burst of light laughter rang through the room.
Kallen looked at that tiny paw and fell silent for a moment.
Then she reached out and gently held it.
"Thank you, Conductor."
"You are welcome. Pom-Pom is very happy that Passenger Kallen came aboard."
Pom-Pom paused, seeming to hesitate over something.
Its two ears rose for a moment, then drooped again. The expression on its face changed several times.
The room quieted down. Everyone looked at Pom-Pom.
Finally, Pom-Pom took a deep breath, as though making some kind of decision.
"Um… Passenger Kallen."
"Although you are still recovering from your injuries, Pom-Pom actually has a very important question to ask you."
"Pom-Pom heard from Himeko and the others that you once met Akivili's daughter?"
After saying that, Pom-Pom looked nervously at Kallen.
Honestly, even now, Pom-Pom still found this information hard to believe.
After all, Pom-Pom had spent so long with Akivili.
Pom-Pom had truly never heard that Akivili had any daughter.
But for some reason, back when Pom-Pom heard that information about Akivili's orphaned daughter—especially when it heard the name Durandal—
For some reason, a feeling had immediately appeared in its heart.
It was as though it had always been waiting for that name to appear.
A blond girl even appeared in Pom-Pom's mind.
And that made Pom-Pom's heart tremble.
It was almost like an old friend had entrusted a dream to Pom-Pom, asking it to help take care of his orphaned daughter.
Perhaps, to outsiders, this kind of thing would sound like mysticism.
But at this moment, immersed in the emotions within its heart, Pom-Pom would rather believe in that mysticism.
Akivili's fall was undoubtedly a sorrowful thing for the forces of Trailblaze.
Although Trailblaze had already declined, if they could find the daughter that old friend had left behind in this world, then for Trailblaze, it would absolutely be an incomparably meaningful thing.
And so, at this moment, in front of all the current Nameless of the Astral Express, Pom-Pom's expectations reached their peak.
It looked at Kallen with its heart full of hope, wishing to receive more information about that child.
Her appearance.
Her personality.
Anything would do.
That emotion even spread to the rest of the Express crew.
Then everyone followed Pom-Pom's lead and looked toward Kallen with expectant faces.
However, under everyone's gaze—
The expression on Kallen's face shifted instantly from relaxation into silence.
It was a sadness like an old wound being torn open.
An ominous premonition surged into everyone's hearts.
Kallen spoke quietly.
"Bianka…"
"She is dead."
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 45
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