With Penacony finally behind them...
Their next destination was Herta Space Station.
Screwllum had only just recovered Dr. Chadwick's preserved memoria from the Family.
Knowing Chadwick's feelings toward Penacony...
The Space Station was undoubtedly the best place for him.
A place where the old genius could finally rest in peace.
This trip wasn't just for Evan.
March 7th, Stelle, Dan Heng, Himeko, and Welt would all be returning as well.
The Astral Express had originally planned to head straight for the Xianzhou Luofu to attend the Wardance Ceremony.
However...
After doing the math...
There was still plenty of time before the event began.
Stopping by Herta Space Station to replenish supplies wasn't a bad idea.
Besides...
Himeko and Mr. Yang had accepted a commission from Ruan Mei.
They were searching for the remains of an Ancient Beast.
The Doomsday Beast that attacked Herta Space Station...
Had been forged by the Antimatter Legion using fragments of an Ancient Beast known as Twilight, fused together with countless resentful remains from the Forge of War.
Its overwhelming power had nearly destroyed the Space Station when Herta herself wasn't present.
That alone was enough to demonstrate how terrifying Ancient Beasts truly were.
Unfortunately...
Very little about them had survived in recorded history.
The few remaining records all pointed toward one conclusion—
The ultimate reason Qlipoth continued building the Celestial Comet Wall...
Was to prevent the Ancient Beasts from launching another invasion.
Among them...
Oroboros.
The ancient Aeon of the Path of Voracity.
The insatiable devourer of worlds.
Legend claimed...
That Oroboros was both an Aeon...
And one of the Ancient Beasts.
Penacony — Spaceport Outside The Reverie
Screwllum had been waiting there for quite some time.
His original purpose in coming to Penacony...
Had been to assist with constructing the Simulated Universe's new branch project.
The Divergent Universe.
Yet he had never expected...
To encounter an old friend once again.
A friend who had vanished two Amber Eras ago.
Calderon Chadwick.
The spacecraft returning to Herta Space Station had already finished its preparations.
This time, however...
The Astral Express would be making the journey alongside it.
"Mr. Evan."
"And everyone aboard the Astral Express."
"It's been quite some time."
"It is an honor to travel alongside you once again."
As always...
Screwllum spoke with impeccable courtesy.
There wasn't the slightest hint of the intimidating presence he'd displayed earlier.
After all...
These were the Nameless.
Long before Evan joined the Astral Express...
The crew had already been trusted partners of Herta Space Station.
Many of the Curios housed within the station...
Had been recovered during the Nameless' expeditions.
Now...
Even Himeko and Welt had accepted one of Ruan Mei's research requests.
"Mr. Screwllum!"
"It's good to see you again!"
Stelle greeted him enthusiastically.
Compared to Herta and Ruan Mei...
Mr. Screwllum almost seemed too normal to be a Genius Society member.
Every member of the Genius Society had received the gaze of Nous.
Not all of them were Emanators...
But Screwllum was still the ruler of an entire planet.
Before Nous cast its gaze upon him...
Planet Screwllum had nearly been destroyed by the IPC.
Everyone already knew what happened afterward.
The Aeon's gaze had saved both Screwllum...
And his world.
"I naturally intend to accept Mr. Screwllum's invitation."
Evan smiled.
"Besides..."
"Herta apparently has something she wants me to help with."
"I assume..."
"You're referring to Miss Herta's newest research project?"
Screwllum analyzed the situation briefly before speaking.
"That's right."
"I still have no idea what she's planning."
"The last thing she mentioned in the group chat was continuing her research into the Emperor's War."
"But if I remember correctly..."
"Hasn't that simulation been running all this time already?"
"So what's she trying to do now?"
"As expected of you, Mr. Evan."
"Your deduction is remarkably accurate."
Screwllum nodded.
"According to my calculations..."
"Miss Herta intends to continue expanding the Emperor's War simulation."
"It appears..."
"To be connected with the Scepter System left behind after that era."
"Unfortunately..."
"By the time I learned of it..."
"I had already arrived in Penacony."
"So even I don't yet know the details."
He calmly shared everything he knew.
Although all of them belonged to the same group chat...
No one could ever truly predict what Herta was thinking.
"Actually..."
"It isn't just me."
"Herta."
"Stephen."
"And Ruan Mei."
"They're all deeply interested in you."
"After all..."
"Our meeting in Penacony was effectively our first real encounter."
"Your multiple identities as an Emanator..."
"And the extraordinary opportunities surrounding you..."
"Are all fascinating research subjects."
"At least..."
"That's how I see it."
"And I suspect Miss Herta feels much the same."
For geniuses...
Their greatest desire was never an answer.
It was the question itself.
The moment a meaningful question was born...
A genius's pursuit had already begun.
"Very well."
Evan nodded.
"Then I'll leave first."
"My companions and I..."
"Will head for Herta Space Station shortly."
The Astral Express
After Screwllum departed...
Evan and the others prepared to leave Penacony as well.
The Charmony Festival continued exactly as scheduled.
Everything appeared...
As though nothing had ever happened.
Yet...
Things had changed forever.
Mikhail.
Tiernan.
Razalina.
The three Nameless had truly departed this world.
But their dreams...
Would live on.
Back aboard the Astral Express...
Everyone gathered inside the Observation Car.
Not long afterward...
Pom-Pom came running over.
Evan smiled.
"March."
"Were you bullying Pom-Pom again?"
He already knew the answer.
March had told Pom-Pom everything about Misha...
Tiernan...
And Razalina.
A tiny raincloud seemed to hover above Pom-Pom's head.
Its ears drooped sadly.
Clearly...
Hearing about the three former Nameless had hit the conductor hard.
"W-What are you talking about?"
March puffed up her cheeks.
"Instead of teasing me..."
"You should help comfort Pom-Pom!"
"Ever since I told Pom-Pom about everything that happened..."
"They've been crying..."
"I've never seen Pom-Pom this heartbroken before..."
Before she even finished speaking—
Pom-Pom hurriedly denied it.
"N-No!"
"The conductor isn't crying!"
"I'm..."
"I'm not sad at all!"
"I'm angry!"
"That's right!"
"I'm angry!"
In an instant...
Pom-Pom switched from tearful sorrow...
To puffing up in indignation.
Tiny paws planted firmly on their waist.
Cheeks puffed out adorably.
"Every single time..."
"The Astral Express stops somewhere..."
"You passengers always turn the whole place upside down!"
"The departure schedule I carefully planned..."
"Never gets followed!"
"If this keeps happening..."
"We're going to run out of fuel!"
"That's right!"
"I'm just angry!"
"It's definitely not because of Misha..."
"Tiernan..."
"Or Razalina..."
"W-Waaahhh!!"
No one...
Not even Evan...
Had ever seen Pom-Pom cry like this.
Not even when Aha once blew up one of the train cars.
Yet now...
After hearing what had happened to those three Nameless...
Pom-Pom finally broke down completely.
The entire cabin fell silent.
Everyone quietly looked toward the little conductor.
After a long while...
Himeko finally stepped forward.
"Everyone..."
"Would you mind waiting in the next car for a while?"
"Don't worry."
"I'll stay with Pom-Pom."
"..."
"Come on."
Welt quietly called out.
"Evan."
"March."
"Stelle."
Evan understood.
To Pom-Pom...
Misha, Tiernan, and Razalina had all left the Astral Express carrying dreams...
Hope...
And boundless enthusiasm.
Yet...
None of them found a peaceful ending.
Tiernan was lost during the Swarm Disaster.
Later falling while hunting Zulo alongside the Galaxy Rangers...
Before finally becoming a Blood-Debt Spirit.
Razalina piloted her ship directly into a Memoria Void.
As for Misha...
Mikhail had devoted his entire life to Penacony.
He lost himself.
Guarded his dream until death.
Spent his whole life resisting fate...
Yet never lived to witness the ending.
Pom-Pom couldn't help them.
Couldn't even stay beside them.
When companions who once laughed together...
Eventually became nothing more than a brief line in the visitor log...
Anyone would be heartbroken.
If Evan remembered correctly...
Misha's name...
Would forever remain in the Astral Express visitor records.
As for Gallagher...
Outside the train...
The compass needle continued spinning...
Before finally settling on the Dreamscape.
Beyond the window...
The Memoria-filled Asdana Star System shimmered beneath a hazy glow.
Its frontier prison still burned amidst endless war.
"I wonder what the world inside dreams looks like."
"I'll map every inch of it!"
The young girl happily put away her surveying equipment.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"That place is dangerous."
The cowboy quietly polished his weapon.
"If you two get yourselves kidnapped again..."
"I..."
He sighed helplessly before sitting down with a drink.
"The Land of Dreams..."
"Is full of endless possibilities."
"We're definitely going to accomplish something incredible there."
The elegantly dressed Nameless smiled.
"Conductor..."
"If we fall in love with that place..."
"And never come back..."
"Will you miss us?"
The girl giggled mischievously.
"I know what you're going to say!"
"'You're not allowed to tease the conductor!'"
"...Right?"
"You troublemakers!"
The bubbles danced inside their drinks.
Laughter filled the carriage.
The young backs of the Nameless slowly disappeared into the sea of Memoria.
"...Have a safe journey."
Pom-Pom whispered softly.
When they looked back again...
The carriage had already become empty.
Pom-Pom simply stood there.
Frozen.
It felt...
As though this scene...
Had happened countless times before.
With Penacony's chapter finally drawing to a close...
The Astral Express began another Warp Jump.
Meanwhile...
Far away...
Hidden among the stars...
A strange spacecraft suddenly emerged from warp.
An eerie scream echoed throughout its interior.
The next instant...
It plunged headfirst into the Asdana Star System.
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