Jade's fingers flicked rapidly across the hovering light-screen, its blue glow reflecting off her thoughtful face.
Within the Interastral Peace Corporation's internal network—an oceanic archive of information—she mobilized everything for one purpose:
To find a single name.
Jarilo-VI.
The result—
No such planet.
The moment Jade asked that question, Topaz's heart dropped.
Not long ago, during her exchange with Himeko and Welt aboard the Astral Express, she had learned that their memories of Jarilo-VI had once been veiled by the power of an unknown Path.
And when the conceptual mirror that had blanketed the entire planet—so vast it could even block an Aeon's glance—finally shattered, the restraints on their memories shattered with it.
Topaz had assumed, naturally, that the IPC should have recovered as well… or perhaps had never been affected in the first place.
But now, it was clear that assumption was wrong.
"About Jarilo-VI… you really don't have even the slightest impression?" Topaz asked. Her voice carried a hint of urgency—so faint she didn't even notice it herself.
On the screen, Jade gave a small shake of her head.
Topaz took a breath, steadied herself, and summarized what had happened—clean and concise:
"It's like this…"
"The remains of Mirror manifested on Jarilo-VI. The shockwave produced by its fusion with the planet's intelligent life swept across the universe…"
"It was you, Jade—personally—who assigned me to represent the company and go to Jarilo-VI…"
As Topaz spoke, the last trace of Jade's languid ease drained from her eyes. Her gaze turned hawk-sharp.
She began pulling up encrypted communication logs, energy monitoring records spanning countless starfields, and even private intel obtained through discreet channels from other interstellar factions.
The data stream on the holographic screen stopped looking like a waterfall.
It became a storm.
Characters and images flashed wildly, layering over one another in chaotic bursts.
Jade's eyes locked onto the torrent, searching for evidence—any trace—that had been deliberately erased from an otherwise blank absence.
Then the storm subsided.
Silence returned.
Jade looked up at Topaz, her expression calm again.
"It seems… the entire universe has had all memories of that period wiped clean. As of now, perhaps only you—and the few aboard the Astral Express—and the people of Jarilo-VI themselves still remember what happened."
Topaz nodded grimly.
"Yes. Looking back carefully, none of this was accidental. The Genesis Titan may have deliberately made me the sole witness."
"Even Himeko and Mr. Welt—after their memories returned—were briefly screened mid-way, their perception cut off for a time. Maybe I was the chosen 'bridge'… the stepping stone meant to reconnect Jarilo-VI to the wider universe once the seal lifted."
Jade suddenly chuckled, breaking the tension.
"Isn't that wonderful?" Her voice carried her usual composure again.
"They possess strength capable of shaking the universe's cognitive rules themselves. That means Belobog now has every qualification to sit down and negotiate with us as an equal."
"And now, every other faction in the universe knows nothing about Jarilo-VI's current state. First contact—first mover advantage—this is precisely the IPC's greatest strength."
She paused, eyes settling on Topaz.
"Yelena, you did exceptionally well. Your judgment earned the company an invaluable initiative."
The unexpected praise made Topaz freeze.
A faint blush crept up her cheeks.
For an instant, she no longer felt like "Topaz of the Ten Stonehearts"—the notorious debt-collector.
She looked more like a girl being praised for the first time by a parent—awkward, pleased, and suddenly unsure where to put her eyes.
Jade saw everything and smiled more deeply.
"Good. Then all diplomatic follow-ups with Jarilo-VI—debt agreements, development projects, resource negotiations—everything from this point forward will be fully handed to you. You are the most suitable link we have to them."
Topaz straightened at once. The blush retreated, replaced by confidence and a bright smile.
"Understood. Leave it to me."
Under warm, gentle lighting, Firefly stood quietly, accepting the scrutiny of two veterans of the crew.
March 7th was in full chatter mode—hands waving, words tumbling out—dumping everything Firefly had told her, Dan Heng, and Star straight into Himeko and Welt's laps:
That the Stellaron Hunters' true goal wasn't simple destruction, but resisting the End of the universe.
That Kafka had contacted a powerful existence beyond the universe.
That this existence had created an anomaly—Mirror—within the Star Rail universe, a variable capable of forcibly pushing "Blade" toward godhood.
And that the Stellaron Hunters had now completely abandoned their original script, choosing instead to become pure observers—recording the new future brought by this variable.
Throughout it all, March went off-topic repeatedly, while Dan Heng—steady as bedrock—kept trimming the narrative back into coherence with short, precise clarifications whenever her storytelling jumped.
"…So yeah! That's basically it!" March finished, hopeful eyes flicking between Himeko and Welt. "Firefly used to be the Stellaron Hunter 'Sam,' but she's not doing that anymore! And she's really a good person!"
Himeko's slender fingers traced the rim of her coffee cup. Light glittered in her eyes—
the itch of Trailblazing.
"Other universes…" she murmured, dreamy with longing. "I really want to see them with my own eyes."
"There must be landscapes unlike anything here. Different physical laws. Different civilizations… Just imagining it makes my heart race."
Nearby, Pom-Pom hugged their fluffy arms and nodded vigorously.
"Exactly, Pa! If we can find routes to other universes, open up entirely new unknown frontiers, we'll gain Trailblaze power on a scale beyond imagination, Pa! Then the train will never have to worry about jump energy again, Pa!"
The diligent conductor was, unsurprisingly, thinking about fuel.
Welt pushed up his glasses, gaze deep and distant.
He didn't speak, but the way his grip tightened around his cane betrayed the turbulence beneath.
A being capable of freely traveling between universes…
It stirred the longing for home he had nearly buried into quiet stillness.
Did they have clues—anything—that could lead him back?
Himeko pulled her attention away from the dream of other cosmoses and let her warm gaze settle on Firefly, who looked a little stiff and unsure where to stand.
"Your name is Firefly, right?" Himeko's voice was gentle, but steady.
"Don't be nervous. On the Astral Express, every Nameless has the right to remain silent about their past. That's your personal journey—your choice."
Welt and Dan Heng both nodded subtly, almost instinctively.
Himeko smiled and continued.
"Since Star, March, and Dan Heng unanimously recommend you—and recognize your character and convictions—then I trust their judgment."
She extended her hand, her smile warm and sincere.
"Welcome to the Astral Express, Firefly. From today onward, you're one of us. This… is your new home."
Firefly's eyes lit up like stars.
The tension in her shoulders eased at last, and something like relief—mixed with disbelief—flickered through her expression.
She took Himeko's warm hand, her voice catching slightly.
"…Thank you. Thank you, everyone."
"Pa!" Pom-Pom waddled up with their signature pat-pat steps and gently patted Firefly's arm, pride and concern swelling in the tone of a true "owner of the house."
"Firefly, Astral Express crew member! Now the conductor Pom-Pom will take you to your very own room, Pa! You must learn the rules of the train, Pa!"
Pom-Pom puffed their chest out like they'd just been entrusted with the fate of the galaxy.
Firefly's joining was unanimously accepted.
No one brought up her time as Stellaron Hunter "Sam."
The Express crew weren't naive do-gooders without principles. After so many journeys, they had long since learned how complicated the universe's colors truly were.
The Stellaron Hunters weren't mindless butchers. Their target was always the Stellaron itself.
And wherever a Stellaron existed, that civilization almost always plunged into extreme chaos—most worlds already beyond saving, already teetering into irreversible collapse.
Destruction was, in most cases, the only ending a Stellaron-infected planet was heading toward.
A world like Jarilo-VI—weak before the Stellaron yet able to resist for centuries—was an anomaly so rare it was practically mythical.
More often, the Stellaron Hunters acted as unseen hands behind the curtain—shoving fate forward, accelerating the inevitable, dragging the conclusion closer.
The massive bounties on their heads mainly came from the IPC.
For intelligent species, the struggle of position and interest always outweighed simplistic notions of good and evil.
Being wanted by the IPC did not automatically equate to absolute wickedness.
And in this boundless universe, a person's "seat" could belong to countless different sides—depending on where they stood.
Besides, the IPC itself wasn't some innocent dove. The blood of the two Imperial Wars, the carnage of the Border Trade War, and the bone-scraping exploitation of countless newborn civilizations were proof enough.
The IPC and the Stellaron Hunters were simply two forces with opposing interests.
And hadn't Topaz—representing the company—raised no objection to Firefly's identity earlier?
Sam is wanted by the company.
What does that have to do with Firefly?
After hearing her explanation, the Express crew also understood the Stellaron Hunters' stated objective: to push the universe beyond the End.
Whether or not one approved of their methods…
Even the Galaxy Rangers—who were famed for justice—only held to a baseline: do not bully the weak, do not slaughter the innocent.
Above that line, they acted freely.
At the root, it was simply the clash of stances.
Topaz had already taken her leave. She needed to immediately begin handling the follow-up with Jarilo-VI.
Firefly, guided by Pom-Pom, headed toward her room with quiet anticipation for a new life.
And now, Bronya—who had listened silently the entire time—prepared to depart as well.
"Everyone, I should take my leave too." Her voice was cool, weighted with responsibility.
"Belobog has only just broken free of the seven-hundred-year shackle of the Eternal Freeze. Everything must be rebuilt. As Supreme Guardian, I'm afraid the coming days will be filled—every moment—with the heavy burden of reconstruction."
Dan Heng stepped forward, reliable as always. "I'll see you out."
Bronya shook her head softly, a gentle smile returning.
"No need, Dan Heng. Though I am not Nameless, and cannot restore myself instantly using Trailblaze power like a Trailblazer… nor can I use domain anchors to teleport…"
She paused, raising her hand slightly as faint deep-blue particles drifted from her fingertips.
"…I can now use the link established through the Path of the Human Heart to borrow Seele's power. As long as I lock onto her position, I can perform quantum traversal—freely moving to and from her side."
"Huh?!" March clapped her hands, eyes blazing with excitement.
"Does that mean—Bronya! You can come visit the Astral Express whenever you want?!"
"In theory, yes." Bronya confirmed warmly. "So long as the Astral Express does not actively block or reject my link-lock."
She stepped back, eyes passing over Himeko, Welt, Dan Heng, March, and Star—and finally resting on Star for a long moment, filled with unspoken gratitude and farewell.
"Then… until next time."
When her last word fell, the space where she stood erupted with pure, deep-blue light.
Tiny quantum motes shimmered around her like stardust.
In the next instant, the light snapped inward as if wiped away by an invisible hand—
And Bronya vanished without a trace.
Out on the broad fields reshaped by the Genesis Titan's power, Seele crouched in the dirt, prying at a strange metallic ore embedded in the soft soil with her dagger.
Behind her stood several Backbone members of Wildfire, along with a small squad of elite Silvermane Guards—fully armed, eyes sharp.
They carefully surveyed this unfamiliar new land—lush with life, yet completely unknown.
The air smelled damp and rich, full of fresh earth and new leaves. Far away, the call of unfamiliar birds echoed.
Without warning, the air beside Seele twisted slightly, and several streaks of the same deep-blue light from the Express bloomed quietly.
Seele didn't flinch. She didn't even stop prying at the ore.
Before Bronya initiated quantum traversal, a message had already arrived through their link.
The light pulled inward.
Bronya appeared, silver hair lifting softly in the open wind, calm as ever.
Her gaze swept over the thriving green landscape—new forests in the distance, clear streams winding through the land—so different from the dead white wasteland burned into their memories.
"How is it?" Bronya asked.
In truth, if she wished, she could link into the entire Belobog network and know everything that happened—compile perfect reports through the combined "processing power" of countless minds.
But she chose not to.
Even now, newly inheriting the Guardian's authority, she still kept the softness of a human heart.
For her, probing someone's thoughts without permission was a violation of dignity and privacy.
Even with Seele—the closest link of all—she still held that line.
As for what Seele thought about that…
Bronya was absolutely certain her best friend was happily "watching" every thought she had with zero guilt whatsoever.
Seele stood, brushing the dirt off her hands with crisp efficiency.
She flashed a wide grin, teeth bright, then pointed out toward the endless fields of life.
"Fantastic. We don't have to worry about starving anymore." Her voice was energetic, alive.
Then she bent down, casually yanked up a thick, tender wild vegetable stalk, and waved it in front of Bronya.
"See this? When the Genesis Titan reshaped the land, it obviously gave Belobog a little special treatment. You walk around and it's all wild greens, wild fruit—more than we can carry. I'd bet this alone could feed the whole city for years."
She kicked a half-buried chunk of ore beside her. It rang out with a crisp clang.
"As for minerals? There's so much it's practically tripping you."
"And…" Seele's grin widened into something almost smug. She tapped the ore with a knuckle—its surface cracked, revealing a purer crystal inside.
"The bedrock's way softer now. Digging's a lot easier than back in the Underworld, trying to pry frozen stone apart until your arms fall off."
Her excitement was real—delight in the new land, hope for a future that finally felt possible.
"That's good." Bronya's eyes lingered on the living earth. The tightness in her chest loosened slightly.
A future among the stars mattered, yes.
But these immediate resources—food, minerals—were what Belobog's tens of thousands needed right now to survive and rebuild.
Seele's gaze sharpened as she watched Bronya's expression, her tone turning serious.
"So… the company problem is resolved?"
Bronya nodded. "Mm. It's resolved."
Her voice was calm, laced with relief.
"We reached an agreement. Belobog retains complete autonomy. We won't be bowing our heads to the Interastral Peace Corporation."
Her eyes lowered unconsciously. Through the fabric, her fingers brushed the black crystal cross at her chest.
This independence—this dignity—had come at the price of her mother's life.
Seele caught the tiny tremor of emotion instantly. She didn't press for details. Instead, she asked the next urgent question.
"When are you officially taking the Supreme Guardian's chair? Belobog can't go a day without its anchor right now."
Bronya drew a slow breath. Her eyes sharpened into resolve.
She lifted her gaze past the newborn wilderness, toward the city awakening beyond.
"Today."
Her voice cut cleanly through the wind.
"This afternoon, I will formally assume the role of Supreme Guardian of Belobog."
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 147)
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 (Chapter185)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter215)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 185
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/1
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 206
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 190
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/23
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 106
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 125
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 90
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 80
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 86
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 81
Still playing traditional Honk 65
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 65
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 57
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 45
Transmigrated as Sukuna 59
Checking In in Demon Slayer 59
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 73
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 45
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 36
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 40
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 60
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 30
Why did they assign me to Uma 35
MYGO Beauties 43
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 30
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 31
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