"Mom—!!!"
A shout filled with endless longing, excitement, and dependence tore through the air!
Stelle's eyes burst with a light comparable to a star. Like a wild horse off its leash, she moved with speed exceeding her usual combat pace in a textbook "tiger pounce," completely ignoring the distance and her surroundings as she flew straight toward Kafka!
"Wait, wait... Stelle, you..."
The composed smile on the face of the newly arrived, Level 1 Kafka cracked for the first time. She only had time to utter half a sentence of gentle discouragement—
*Thump—!!!*
A solid, muffled sound of impact!
The four-star character Kafka, whom Stella had meticulously summoned with a potential of Level 80, was powerless against her "daughter's" brute force tackle full of "love." She was knocked straight to the ground, her head nearly hitting a nearby iron crate.
"Mom! It's really you! I missed you so much!"
Stelle completely disregarded her "mother's" physical limits, clinging to Kafka like an octopus. She rubbed her face vigorously against Kafka's neck and cheek, letting out satisfied hums as if she had found a long-lost treasure.
"Cough... Alright, alright, Stelle. Can you get up first?"
Kafka's breathing was a bit unsteady from the pressure, but she still tried to keep her voice gentle as she lightly patted Stelle's back.
"The ground is very cold, and... I just got here, I'm a bit... out of breath."
Stelle's rationality seemed to be beckoned back slightly by those words.
She instantly sprang up like a coil, then without a word, she easily scooped the still-lying Kafka up in a princess carry. She held her carefully in her arms like a fragile treasure, her face beaming with a pure, silly smile of happiness.
March 7th watched from the side, dumbfounded. She nudged Dan Heng with her elbow and whispered, "Why do I feel like... an invisible dog Tail is growing out of Stelle's back and wagging like a propeller? Isn't this enthusiasm a bit too... overwhelming?"
Dan Heng watched the scene in silence. The corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly, and then he slowly and solemnly nodded, expressing his high agreement with March 7th's metaphor.
"Tch!"
On the other side, seeing this, Stella crossed her arms and rolled her eyes grandly, her face written with 'unbearable to watch' and 'childish.' She raised her voice, "despising" Stelle loud enough for her to hear: "Tsk tsk tsk, calling my clone 'Mom' so affectionately! Have you no shame! I look down on you!"
However, as soon as she finished speaking, a cold yet slightly helpless and shy teenage boy's voice came from her own arms:
"Well said, Lady Stella. So... as the original body, could you please let go of me first? This is... unbecoming."
At some point, Stella had already tightly wrapped her arms around her newly pulled Yanqing like a giant plush doll, her cheek pressed against his shoulder.
It turned out that while she was despising Stelle, her hands were very honest, pulling the "easily bullied" young swordsman to her side.
Hearing this, Stella didn't let go; instead, she hugged him even tighter, retorted righteously: "No! I won't! My little baby Yanqing! Come, let big sister give you another kiss! Mua~!"
As she spoke, she actually leaned in and gave a loud kiss on Yanqing's instantly reddened cheek.
"L-Lady! Please conduct yourself with dignity!!"
Yanqing was both embarrassed and anxious, scrambling to break free. But at Level 1, he was no match for Stella and could only flail fruitlessly like a cat caught by the scruff of its neck.
The scene was instantly a chaotic mess, filled with "parent-child interaction," "obsessive behavior," and "indifferent onlookers."
——————
Time fast-forwards, skipping over the farewells to the people of Belobog and other such matters.
Astral Express, Parlor Car.
The familiar warm lighting, the vast starry background, and...
"Welcome home, everyone."
Himeko stood in the center of the carriage with her signature elegant smile, addressing the returning Dan Heng, March 7th, Stelle, and Stella.
Welt Yang stood beside her, adjusting his glasses and offering a gentle smile.
"Himeko! Mr. Yang!"
March 7th instantly switched to high-energy mode. She stepped forward, hands on her hips and chest puffed out, her face practically screaming "praise me."
"Reporting! The Trailblaze squad's first independent major mission—'Operation Rescue Jarilo-VI, the Planet Frozen by the Stellaron'—is a complete success! The Stellaron has been eliminated, the new Supreme Guardian has taken office, and the dawn of peace has arrived!"
"Good work, March, Dan Heng, Stelle, and Stella."
Himeko nodded with a smile, her gaze sweeping over everyone before landing on several cups of dark-colored liquid steaming on the long table nearby.
"Now, to celebrate this great Trailblaze and the joining of our new companion... would you like to celebrate with a cup of my special blend of coffee?"
The word "coffee" seemed to trigger a terrifying switch.
"!!!"
The gentle smile on Welt Yang's face froze instantly, then transformed into a complex expression of fear, resistance, and politeness. He silently and firmly took half a step back, his fingers unconsciously tightening around his cane.
Dan Heng's face turned pale for a fleeting moment. He immediately cast his gaze out the window at the vast sea of stars, as if some extremely fascinating cosmic wonder had suddenly appeared there, requiring his full attention to study.
March 7th was even more exaggerated. The pride on her face instantly turned to horror. She waved her hands frantically, her head shaking like a rattle: "No no no no no need, Himeko! Really, no need! We're not thirsty at all! Right, Dan Heng? Mr. Yang? Right, right?!"
She desperately signaled her companions with her eyes.
However, two "warriors" (or perhaps the ignorant and fearless) were completely oblivious.
"Coffee?"
Stelle blinked, seemingly remembering something, and nodded.
"Sure, I'll have a cup."
Stella also leaned in curiously. She hadn't seen Himeko's coffee before, only smelling a... complex and rich aroma. In the spirit of "hospitality must be respected" and "a Trailblazer must be brave to try," she also raised her hand: "I'll have a cup too! Thank you, Sister Himeko!"
The smile on Himeko's face grew even brighter: "Very good, quite the Trailblaze spirit."
She gracefully picked up two cups of coffee and handed them to Stelle and Stella.
Under the complex gazes of Welt, Dan Heng, and March 7th—gazes filled with admiration, sympathy, and a sense of "farewell"—
Stelle and Stella took the coffee and, without much thought, tilted their heads back and gulped it down.
One second.
Two seconds.
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
Two crisp, clean sounds of bodies hitting the floor, as if their power had been cut, rang out almost simultaneously.
Stelle and Stella, still holding their empty cups, fell straight back. A trace of doubt from the tasting still lingered on their faces, which was quickly replaced by an extremely "serene" and "peaceful" expression, as if their souls had been "sublimated" and "liberated." They fell into the deepest, dreamless sleep.
The cups slipped from their hands, only to be caught gently by the shaft of Dan Heng's cloud piercer, who had moved with lightning speed, saving them from shattering.
The carriage fell into a dead silence.
"Eh? How did this happen?"
Himeko blinked in surprise. She set down the tray and hurried to check on the two. Finding their breathing steady and that they were truly just asleep, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She confusedly picked up a cup of coffee from the table, brought it to her eyes to examine it closely, sniffed it, and muttered to herself:
"Strange... The proportions of this new 'Raisin Ginger-Infused Rich Dark Roast Special' should be fine. The sweet aroma of the raisins should neutralize the bitterness of the dark roast, and the ginger should bring a hint of warm stimulation. The layers are distinct... Could it be that the roasting time for these new beans still needs adjustment?"
Raisins? Ginger?? And a special blend???
At this moment, Welt, Dan Heng, March 7th, and even Pom-Pom, who had just poked their head out to watch the commotion, all erupted with the same silent, frantic internal scream!
This isn't coffee anymore! This is a joint execution device for taste buds and nerves! Himeko, what kind of misunderstanding do you have about coffee?!
Looking at the two new "coffee warriors" sleeping soundly on the floor, and then at Himeko, who was seriously studying the recipe, completely unaware of what a terrifying "drink" she had created, the veteran passengers reached a silent consensus:
From now on, no matter what, they must protect their new companions and keep them away from Himeko's coffee experiments!
This was truly a crisis more hidden on the path of Trailblaze than the Antimatter Legion!