'Slap——!'
Our Miss March 7th couldn't hold back and slapped her own face. The case was solved—it was that guy Yun Fan causing trouble again.
That infuriating guy! What kind of nonsense had he been teaching the innocent little Pom-Pom?
"Passenger March 7th, are you feeling unwell? Why did you slap your face?"
Taking in March 7th's actions completely, our pure-hearted Train Conductor Pom-Pom couldn't quite grasp the situation. Assuming little March was feeling physically unwell, Pom-Pom spoke up with concern.
"I'm fine, Conductor."
March 7th forced a smile through her embarrassment. That guy Yun Fan…
"Good to know." Pom-Pom nodded, then continued to introduce the gourmet dish he had painstakingly prepared to everyone.
"This is…"
— — — —
While the Star Rail crew was enjoying the so-called "Xianzhou cuisine," a spacecraft was traveling through the cosmos at superluminal speed.
"Mr. Argenti, Mr. Argenti!! Please slow down a bit, just a little slower!!"
A company employee, dressed in a corporate uniform and likely around P20 rank, was trembling as he clung to the spacecraft's seat, his voice quivering with a hint of a sob.
"Please rest assured, Mr. Velite. In the name of the Pure Beauty Star God 'Idrila,' I will ensure you safely return to the company's designated area."
The red-haired man in armor let out a hearty laugh, then slightly turned his head to address Velite, who was seated behind him in the passenger area.
"No, no, no! Mr. Argenti, please slow down a bit. This speed, this speed is really…!"
Velite was on the verge of tears. They had just encountered a massive true sting bug, and the spacecraft had sustained significant damage, particularly to its autopilot system.
In space travel, a damaged autopilot system is practically a death sentence. In this era of interstellar navigation, it's perfectly normal for ships to travel at light speed or even superluminal speeds.
But if a human were to take manual control? Heh… that's practically a joke. Who could possibly react fast enough to pilot at superluminal speeds?
This was precisely why our Mr. Velite was so terrified. The man before him, Mr. Argenti, this self-proclaimed Knight of Beauty, was piloting the ship entirely by hand.
"Mr. Argenti, I—ah!"
Just as Velite tried to say something more, Argenti, who was piloting the spacecraft, suddenly slammed on the brakes. The massive inertia yanked Velite forward violently.
In an instant, Velite's face was inches from the windshield.
"Aaahhh——!!!"
Just as it seemed an intimate collision was inevitable, the armored Argenti swiftly grabbed Velite, stopping his inertia-driven body in its tracks.
At the last centimeter from the windshield, Velite's body finally came to a halt.
'Boom——!!'
A collision sound rang out. Of course, this wasn't the sound of Velite hitting the windshield but the spacecraft colliding with another object.
"Phew—that was close. Good thing I hit the brakes, or that impact would've destroyed the ship and killed us both."
Argenti patted his chest with a hint of lingering fear, then looked at Velite, who had collapsed limply to the floor, and asked with concern, "Mr. Velite, are you alright?"
"I… do I look like I'm alright…?"
Star Rail… dining car…
The Trailblazers seated at the table looked at the chaotic mess before them. As the ancient saying goes: "When the delicacies are exhausted, the cups and plates lie in disarray."
But the state of their table could only be described as utter chaos.
Just moments ago, as the Trailblazers were enjoying the peculiar Kun cuisine on the table, a violent jolt and shaking suddenly struck, catching them off guard.
"What… what just happened?" After a moment of silence, our little March scratched her temple and cautiously spoke.
Hearing this, Mr. Welt pushed up his glasses and picked up the cane hanging on his chair.
"I believe the train may have been rear-ended by something. Stay here and don't move. I'll go check with Conductor Pom-Pom."
Standing up from the dining table, Welt nodded to Pom-Pom, and the two—one human, one "plush toy"—headed toward the rear of the train.
After Welt and Pom-Pom left, those seated no longer had the appetite to continue eating.
After all, the table was a mess—broken plates, spilled dishes. It was unbearable to look at.
"Huh? Himeko, look! Why did the cosmos outside suddenly change color?" Sharp-eyed little March glanced out the window and suddenly noticed that the scenery outside had transformed.
The once mysterious and dim cosmos now had a blood-red backdrop, giving it an eerie and oppressive atmosphere.
"This scenery… it doesn't seem quite right. Could it be… we've stumbled into some kind of alien space?"
Observing the oppressive view outside, Miss Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express, couldn't help but frown.
While her wisdom might not match that of the old lady from the Genius Society, Herta, her experience as someone capable of repairing the Astral Express was nothing to scoff at.
Yet this scene… it was something she had never encountered before…
'Click——!'
As the group was lost in thought, the dining car's door was suddenly opened again.
Everyone turned toward the sound, their eyes widening in disbelief.
Among them, our Miss March 7th was particularly excited, running toward the newcomer.
"Yun Fan, how did you come back…"
"Careful!"
However, before March 7th could finish, Mr. Dan Heng's expression sharpened. In an instant, his spear, Cloud-Piercer, appeared in his hand.
"Phantasmal Cavern, One Slash to End the Long Dream!"
Wielding Cloud-Piercer, Dan Heng unleashed his ultimate technique. In a flash, a Hidden Moon Cavern enveloped both Yun Fan and Dan Heng.
When the two reappeared, Cloud-Piercer's spear had already pierced through Yun Fan's chest.
"Dan Heng, you—!"
This scene fell upon March 7th's eyes. The innocent girl stared in disbelief, her hands covering her mouth, her eyes filled with shock and confusion.
Dan Heng didn't respond to March's question. His expression was slightly grave as he withdrew Cloud-Piercer from Yun Fan's chest.
Without external support, Yun Fan's lifeless eyes stared blankly as he fell backward, collapsing heavily onto the floor with a thud.
=====
New Story posted:
Transmigrated as Furina, in the Naruto world