As the van sped forward into the night, the group passed the time with casual chatter, laughing and discussing their plans for once they finally reached Allesta. Pushing the engine to its limit, Philo gripped the wheel and locked the van into full speed, tearing down the empty highway.
Every now and then, the rugged terrain caused the vehicle to shake and bounce violently, but everyone managed to hold on and rest through the turbulence as the hours ticked by.
Deep into the night, fatigue finally caught up to Philo, her eyelids growing heavy at the wheel. Noticing her exhaustion—both out of sheer boredom and as a necessary measure for road safety—Haruto stepped forward from the back, gently tapping her shoulder. "Hey, pull over. Let me take the wheel for a while."
Philo arched an eyebrow, looking at Haruto with skepticism. "You actually know how to drive one of these?"
"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" Haruto replied, moving into the driver's seat with confidence.
Philo paused, a sudden realization washing over her. "Oh, that's right... I keep forgetting you're actually from Earth." She brought the van to a smooth stop, hopped out, and signaled for him to take over.
Lilith stirred from her seat as the vehicle shifted, looking at Haruto with a mix of surprise and curiosity. "Wait, you actually know how to operate this thing? Do you even know how to drive, Haruto?"
Philo glanced back at Lilith, noting her confusion. " Does that mean you don't , even if you are a reincarnation."
Lilith suddenly snapped a look at Philo but Haruto cut them and said.
"Relax, she wouldn't know—she was only three years old when she ended up here, so she doesn't really have any memory of Earth."
"Oh, nice," Philo muttered, offering a small, understanding smile before retreating to the back to get some rest.
Gelli leaned forward, patting the seat beside her. "If you're done with your nap, I'd love to get some sleep. Plus, you probably know the route to Allesta better than anyone, right? Why don't you talk us through it?"
Lilith nodded, signaling her agreement, and quietly swapped seats with Gelli so she could settle in for the remainder of the trip.
As the back of the van fell into a deep, peaceful slumber, Lilith sat quietly in her seat, a faint, amused smile playing on her lips. Glancing out the window, she couldn't help but think this felt straight out of a story book—driving down the empty highway under the ethereal glow of three moons lighting up the night sky, surrounded by silence. It was cool, cinematic, and strangely romantic with Haruto at the wheel keeping everything steady while everyone else slept undisturbed.
Just as the quiet settled over them, Philo suddenly stirred, lifting her head from the back and leaning forward toward the front seats.
"Hey," Philo whispered, tapping Haruto's shoulder. "Just so you know, just drive only because this vehicle is heavily equipped with military-grade weapons and a bunch of advanced features you probably won't figure out on your own—"
Before Philo could finish, Lilith shot her a sharp, warning glare. "Go back to sleep, Philo."
"But—" Philo tried to protest.
"Go to sleep, or I'll put you out with a Dead Star blast," Lilith cut her off smoothly, her tone a mix of amusement and absolute authority.
Philo blinked, swallowed hard, and immediately slumped back down into her seat, pulling her blanket over her head. "Okay, fine, I'm sleeping."
Once the van was quiet again, Lilith double-checked the cabin to make sure everyone was completely fast asleep. Satisfied that no one was paying attention, she rested her chin in her hand and turned her gaze back toward Haruto, watching him quietly as they drove on through the moonlit night.
As the van rolled deeper into the night, Haruto glanced over at Lilith, noticing she had been watching him intently for a while now.
He looked back at the road, then gave her a questioning look. "Is something on my face? Why are you staring at me like that?"
Lilith smiled softly, her eyes reflecting the silver glow overhead. "I was just thinking... under the triple moonlight, your white hair looks really beautiful."
Hearing that, Haruto's hands slipped slightly on the wheel, and he awkwardly swerved the van just a fraction, making the vehicle jerk a bit.
The sudden jolt instantly woke Gelli up in the back. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking around. "What was that? Did something happen?"
"Ah, nothing, go back to sleep!" Haruto called out quickly, his face flushing bright red.
Gelli blinked in confusion, but muttered a sleepy "Okay..." and laid back down.
Haruto exhaled a quiet sigh of relief, muttering under his breath, "I definitely wasn't expecting that..."
Lilith shifted closer in her seat, a playful glint in her eye. "Hey, can I rest my head on your shoulder?"
Haruto kept his eyes glued to the road, his face heating up. "Stop joking around, Lilith, that's not safe right now!"
Ignoring his warning, Lilith leaned forward anyway, shifting toward him. Caught off-guard, Haruto tried to resist and pull away while steering, causing the wheel to jerk. The van swerved sharply, bouncing violently across the rough road.
The sudden, violent shaking instantly woke everyone up. With a sharp click, the overhead cabin lights snapped on, flooding the interior with illumination.
They all stared in shock: Lilith had completely lost her balance during the swerve and was now sprawled right on top of Haruto, her hands braced against his chest.
Panic-stricken, Haruto slammed on the brakes, bringing the van to a screeching halt. Everyone blinked awake, staring at the awkward tableau.
Haruto offered a painfully awkward, nervous smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh... sorry about that, guys."
Philo grabbed her head, groaning in sheer exasperation. "Ugh... If you two couldn't handle driving, you should've just let me stay at the wheel!"
Aeterna rubbed her sleepy eyes, tilting her head up. "... what are you guys doing?"
Ivory's eyes flashed with annoyance as she crossed her arms and glared.
"Get off him right now, Lilith! And Haruto, why are you suddenly driving like a maniac?!"
Smoothly sliding back into her own seat without a single trace of embarrassment, Lilith yawned lazily. "I didn't go anywhere. There were just some massive potholes on the road, that's all."
Toya rubbed his tired eyes, letting out a heavy yawn. "Man... can we just go back to sleep already?"
Philo let out an exasperated sigh, crossing her arms as she glared up front. "If it's going to be like this, stop right there. Move over, let me handle it."
Haruto quickly shifted out of the driver's seat, letting Philo slide back into place behind the steering wheel. With a few swift, practiced motions, she slammed her hand against the central control panel and pressed a couple of heavy tactical buttons.
A sharp, mechanical whir echoed through the cabin as the van's chassis groaned and shifted violently. Right before their eyes, the sleek vehicle's suspension locked into place, its tires expanding to massive proportions, and the entire body lifted high off the ground, instantly transforming into a heavily armored monster truck. Huge, rugged steel plating locked over the windows, and the vehicle's overall height doubled.
Philo let Haruto grip the steering wheel with a smug, satisfied grin, revving the powerful engine. "There. Now let's see if any pothole tries to shake us up."
Haruto's eyes went wide, completely amazed by the massive transformation. As Philo stepped aside to let him slide back into the driver's seat, he looked at the newly upgraded dashboard.
The entire console had shifted into a highly advanced, glowing interface. The speedometer was fully digital and complex, and right next to his hand was a glowing button labeled 'Turbo.'
Before heading to the back, Philo leaned over his shoulder, her expression deadpan. "Listen up. This is the advanced version of the vehicle. The speed cap is significantly higher now, but you need to drive it carefully. In this form, it burns through fuel twice as fast. If you go crazy, use up all the fuel, and strand us out here... we're all walking back to Gampid City on foot. Understood?"
Haruto swallowed hard, carefully moving his hand away from the Turbo button. "Got it. I'll be careful."
Satisfied, Philo turned around and walked into the rear cabin. As she stepped in, her eyes widened slightly. The transformation hadn't just affected the exterior—the interior space had expanded dramatically as well. The back passenger seats had stretched out and flattened, essentially turning into massive, incredibly comfortable beds.
Seeing everyone already sprawled out comfortably with plenty of room to spare, Philo let out a heavy sigh, rubbing her temples. "Why didn't I just do this in the first place...?" she thought to herself.
Shaking her head, she reached up, flicked off the main cabin lights, and collapsed onto one of the newly formed beds. Within seconds, she was completely fast asleep, leaving Haruto to smoothly drive the roaring monster truck through the quiet, moonlit wasteland.
As the armored monster truck rolled smoothly through the night, Lilith quietly got up, settling next to Haruto.
Leaning back against the headrest, she gazed out at the vast, glowing wasteland illuminated by the triple moons. "Hey, Haruto," she murmured, breaking the quiet hum of the engine. "Once we finish handling business in Allesta and get everything sorted out... I want you to take me around to explore the Gampid city for a bit. And after that?"
She turned her head, offering him a warm, knowing smile. "How about we take a trip and go on a complete world tour together?"
Haruto flashed a soft smile, keeping his eyes on the road. "Ah, I don't think we need to go too crazy with a whole world tour... but exploring sounds nice."
As they talked on through the quiet hours, their conversation naturally drifted into a relaxed, effortless rhythm. They laughed softly and tossed around ideas about everything they wanted to do once they reached their destination, the miles ticking away beneath the heavy tires.
Before they even realized how much time had passed, the horizon began to shift. The deep indigo of the night slowly melted away, and when everyone in the back stirred and blinked awake, they looked out the windows in absolute astonishment.
They had arrived in Allesta—nearly twelve hours ahead of schedule.
From , Philo leaned over the driver's seat dashboard, staring down at the glowing fuel gauge in utter disbelief. "Wait... the fuel level is still totally fine? How on earth did we get here so fast without running on empty?!"
But as shocking as their efficiency was, the reality of where they were quickly overshadowed everything else. Haruto entered the city driving.
The moment they emerged, the surrounding atmosphere shifted dramatically.
The local citizens of Allesta were moving at a pace that felt centuries behind the modern age—many still relying on old-fashioned horse-drawn carts, traditional carriages, and basic draft animals for transport. So when a colossal, heavily armored steel monster truck—towering over everything in sight and radiating an aura of raw, mechanical power—suddenly rolled into town at breakneck speed, absolute pandemonium broke out.
Pedestrians shrieked in terror, scattering in every direction. Some dropped their bags, convinced a demonic beast or a rampaging monster had descended upon the city, while others froze in sheer, paralyzed shock, staring up at the mechanical titan with wide eyes.
Before the group could even take a proper look around, a loud clatter echoed through the square. A heavy barricade dropped into place as a squad of local guards, clad in polished steel armor and brandishing sharp polearms, rushed forward. With nervous, trembling hands, they locked into formation, pointing their weapons directly at the monster truck and demanding answers.