"Perfect! So I'm not just some Aeon's daughter anymore! I'm a super gorgeous, ultra charming, absolutely unbeatable beautiful girl who was mysteriously sealed in space, rescued by you, and now goes by the name March 7th!" She planted her hands on her hips triumphantly, announcing her new identity to the cosmos.
"Pretty shameless of you, calling yourself an 'super gorgeous, ultra charming, absolutely unbeatable beautiful girl' like that," Yuki remarked dryly.
March 7th immediately spun around to face him, leaning in close with a pout. "Are you saying I'm not? Am I not pretty? Am I not a beautiful girl?"
Yuki stroked his chin thoughtfully, a faint smirk playing at his lips. "Hmm... pretty, sure. But 'girl'? Don't forget—you've been sealed away for who knows how many Amber Eras."
"Ah?!" Her indignant expression faltered for a moment. Then she quickly recovered. "Hmph! I don't care! Today is the day my seal was broken—the day I was reborn! So my age starts from now! That means you can't bully me, or you're bullying a child!"
Yuki's eye twitched slightly. 'Bullying a child'? If we're starting fresh, that'd make her an infant, wouldn't it?
Fuli watched the exchange in silence. If he had a face, there might have been a gentle, almost fatherly smile upon it. Seeing his daughter so lively, so full of energy and spirit, he felt a quiet reassurance. His decision had been the right one. She was already so different from the daughter he'd once known.
After a bit more playful bickering, March 7th finally asked the practical question. "So, since the original plan's gone off the rails, how do I find the Astral Express now? I can't just wait around out here, can I? Even if I don't starve, I'll die of boredom!"
Fuli spoke up. "The Astral Express was damaged and is currently being repaired. It has not yet resumed its voyage."
"Wait, the train got blown up?! Then what am I supposed to do?!" March 7th's eyes went wide.
"Relax," Yuki cut in. "It's undergoing repairs on some planet. I'll take you there when the time comes."
March 7th's face lit up. "Yay! That's our group owner for you!"
She cheered for a moment, then her expression grew serious again. "Alright, train situation solved! Now for the really important question."
"And that is?" Yuki was already getting used to her erratic shifts in mood.
"Self-defense, obviously! If the Nameless are space adventurers, and the universe is this huge, there have to be tons of bad guys out there! And a super gorgeous girl like me? I'll be a target for sure! I need some way to protect myself!"
March 7th nodded sagely, as if laying out an irrefutable logical argument.
"And?" Yuki prompted.
"And... well..." She glanced toward Fuli. "Hey... Dad? You're an Aeon. Surely you've got something for your own daughter? Some kind of power to protect herself?"
March 7th rubbed her hands together, looking at Fuli with eager anticipation.
Fuli remained silent. The seconds stretched on. Nothing.
"Hello? Dad?!"
"Don't ignore me! Bad connection? Testing, testing?!"
"Are you sure you're not a fake Aeon or something?!"
Fuli finally spoke, his voice calm and enigmatic. "Everything... lies within you."
And with that, his figure slowly faded from the mirror. The surrounding mirrored landscape dissolved, returning to the empty vastness of space as if he had never been there at all.
"Hey!"
"What kind of riddle answer is that?!"
"Don't just leave! Why are you in such a hurry?!"
"Ughhhhh! This is so annoying! I don't even know how to contact you! Helloooo?!"
March 7th shouted into the void.
No response. Fuli was gone.
She threw her hands up in exasperation. "He just bailed! All I asked for was a little power, was that too much?! And now he ghosts me?! Some father! Maybe he really is a fake Aeon! Ugh, that's just... ugh!"
Yuki placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "What Fuli meant is that you already possess some kind of power within you. It's waiting for you to discover it."
"Really? Then why couldn't he just—poof—give it to me right now? Make me understand it instantly?"
Yuki chuckled. "A bit greedy, aren't we?"
He didn't judge her for it. Fuli had his reasons, whatever they were. Yuki wasn't about to interfere.
Then he added, "Besides, you've got the chat group now. Mastering your own power won't be a problem. It's just a matter of spending some points."
March 7th's eyes lit up.
"Ohhh! Right!"
A grin spread across her face. "Hehe—I bet my dad never saw that coming! The chat group! Hah!"
March 7th immediately opened the chat group.
A notification caught her eye.
[Congratulations to group member March 7th for altering your original fate trajectory.] [Reward: 5000 points]
"Whoa! I got 5000 points!" she exclaimed happily.
Since Yuki had released her from the seal ahead of schedule, it naturally altered her fate—so the points were well-deserved. Yuki, correspondingly, had earned 8000 points.
March 7th opened her personal info panel:
[Name: March 7th] [Power Level: Wall Level] [World: Honkai: Star Rail] [Abilities: Crystallized Memory, Imaginary Core]
"Oh! I can actually see my abilities listed here!" She tilted her head. "But what does 'Wall Level' mean? Is that good?"
Yuki explained the multiverse's power-level classification.
Upon learning she was barely above the "Mortal" tier, her face fell.
"What?! I'm... I'm that weak?!"
"Then what about my deadbeat dad's power level?" she asked, recovering quickly.
"Universal Level," Yuki replied calmly.
Among the Aeons of the Star Rail universe, power levels varied. The strongest was IX, the Aeon of Nihility. At that same tier was HooH, the Aeon of Equilibrium—both at Universal Level.
As the Aeon of Remembrance, Fuli silently recorded the memories of the entire universe, capable of restoring existence through recollection alone. His power undoubtedly placed him at Universal Level as well—among the top-tier Aeons, the strongest beings in this cosmos.
March 7th eyed Yuki skeptically. "You're not just hyping up my dad to get on my good side... or get with me, are you?"
Yuki rolled his eyes and said nothing.
"Hey! Say something! Don't ignore me!"
"My mom told me not to talk to idiots," Yuki said flatly.
"I'm not an idiot, you big pervert!"
While she was mid-protest, Yuki reached out and grabbed her hand.
"Wh-what are you doing?!" Her face flushed bright red. Her heart pounded. "D-don't get any ideas! I-I mean... sure, you've already seen me naked, but I'm letting that slide! So don't do anything weird!"
She was a flustered mess, her mind racing with all kinds of inappropriate scenarios.
Ignoring her completely, Yuki simply pulled her close and, in an instant, teleported them both away from that distant corner of the galaxy.