"March, Dan Heng, thank you for your hard work."
The red-haired woman carried herself with grace and gentleness.
"Hey, those small fries were nothing to us!"
March 7th lifted her chin proudly, looking completely different from her earlier disheveled state when surrounded.
"..."
Staring at the red-haired figure, Stelle inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity. Frowning in deep thought, she suddenly exclaimed.
"Auntie Himeko!"
This address stunned everyone present, including Himeko and March 7th.
"Hey, what are you saying?"
March 7th raised her arm in annoyance, delivering an elbow strike to Stelle.
Himeko chuckled and shook her head, her voice tinged with resignation. "Have I really aged so much? To be called 'auntie'..."
"Not at all!"
March 7th ran to Himeko's side and hugged her arm. "Sister Himeko is super young! She looks just like an older sister to me."
"This girl's head got injured and she seems to have lost her memory. Earlier she even claimed to be a one-year-old baby."
Being called 'auntie' by a one-year-old might be somewhat acceptable, right?
"Oh? Memory loss?"
"Mhm, mhm."
Nodding, March 7th suddenly snapped back to reality.
"Wait, didn't you lose your memory? Why do you recognize Himeko then?"
This was the very question Himeko and Dan Heng were focused on, both turning their gaze toward the dazed Stelle.
"I... I don't know either."
Stelle held her forehead with one hand. "The moment I saw her, that term just popped into my mind."
Her mental excavation wasn't going smoothly. Unable to recall anything, Stelle nudged the annoying guy beside her with her elbow.
"Hey, do you know?"
"First of all, I'm not 'hey,' I'm your dad."
In response to Stelle's question, Caelus raised an index finger, remarkably calm.
"Second, I will never let any wrongdoing go unpunished."
"Third, Sister Himeko is a woman who could become my mother!"
Spreading his arms in an embrace-like gesture, Caelus declared this with grand, impassioned flair.
"Huh?"
March 7th was utterly bewildered, her jaw dropped in disbelief.
"..."
Dan Heng remained silent.
"..."
Himeko was caught completely off guard.
With just one sentence, Caelus had rendered the entire Express crew speechless.
Caelus, an expert in human nature, shook his head as he looked at the clearly stunned Express crew.
This generation of the Express crew just isn't cutting it!
"Pfft, Dad my foot!"
Stelle grabbed the back of Caelus's head with one hand and seized his arm with the other, twisting it behind his back.
As they say, actions speak louder than words!
The nascent Stellaron, still new to human interaction, was no match for Caelus in a war of words. Relying on her superior combat skills, she was gradually getting used to settling things with Caelus through physical means.
"You dare to shift your affections? Today, I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of Mommy Kafka, you unfilial son! Prepare to die!"
Stelle didn't dare to twist too hard—if Caelus hurt, she hurt too. Frustrated, she could only frantically ruffle Caelus's wolf-gray, silky hair, turning it into a tangled mess.
"Hey, is 'shifting your affections' even used that way?
Unable to hold back her complaints, March 7th's expression was meme-worthy.
"Uh, well..."
Staring blankly at the two gray-haired troublemakers, Himeko couldn't help but laugh.
"What interesting young people. March, aren't you going to introduce them to me?"
"Oh, right!"
Snapping out of her dazed mode, March 7th cleared her throat and cheerfully began
"This is Stelle. She's lost her memory and doesn't remember how she appeared at the space station. Her combat skills are quite good, but..."
Glancing at the gray-haired duo roughhousing, March 7th leaned close to Himeko's ear, covering her mouth as she whispered:
"Her mind seems to have some... issues."
After quickly saying this, March 7th pulled away from Himeko's ear.
"Ahem, this is Caelus. Like Stelle, he's lost his memory. Not very skilled in combat, and..."
Caelus began rubbing his chest again, scratching under his arms and along his sides.
Having mentally prepared for this and gradually grown accustomed, Stelle wasn't intimidated at all. She fought fire with fire, starting to tickle her own sensitive spots.
Thus, the scene instantly turned peculiar.
The two gray-haired individuals sitting on the floor tickled themselves while bursting into uncontrollable laughter, simultaneously squirming like worms.
"His mental issues are even worse than Stelle's."
This time, March 7th didn't bother hiding her words, speaking with dead-fish eyes and exhausted tone.
"...I can see that."
Himeko fell silent for a moment, her expression peculiar.
"They're twins with a strange connection between them - they share physical sensations."
Dan Heng timely spoke up to resolve Himeko's confusion.
"Oh?"
A flicker of interest shone in Himeko's eyes.
Anyone with eyes could tell these two were related, but twins sharing physical sensations? Even she was hearing about this for the first time.
The world truly is full of wonders.
"Stelle, Caelus... these names."
Murmuring the two names, Himeko's face showed keen interest.
"Right, right! Their names combined make 'Star Rail' - it sounds like they're fated for the Express!"
(TL: Still something that doesn't make sense in translation)
Like a game player discovering an easter egg, March 7th clapped her hands twice, looking proud
"I invited them to join the Express, and they agreed!"
"Oh, that's wonderful. The Express crew has new members." Himeko smiled warmly.
"And also..."
March 7th bounced over to Seele's side, placing both hands on her shoulders: "This is Seele~!"
"She doesn't know how she appeared at the space station either - she suddenly came here from her hometown."
"And, let me tell you, Sister Himeko, Seele doesn't know about Aeons, hasn't even heard of them before."
As the chattering March cheerfully introduced, Himeko smiled while looking at the well-behaved, soft-looking girl with navy blue hair.
When she heard the latter part, Himeko's expression paused briefly before showing astonishment.
As the navigator of the Astral Express, she naturally understood the implications behind these words.
"Oh, and Sister Himeko, Seele also wants to join the Express to find her way home. That's okay, right?"
March 7th repeated the explanation Veliona had taught Seele.
"Of course it's no problem."
With a warm, kind smile, Himeko gently gazed at Seele, no longer speaking... ahem, she nodded.
After some brief conversation, Himeko looked at Stelle and Caelus, smiling as she said:
"I still need to confirm your identities with Asta. If you're not space station staff, the Astral Express would be happy to welcome you aboard."
"And little Seele, there's another passenger on the Express who, like you, is searching for their way home. You two should have plenty to talk about."
Seele thought to herself, oh we definitely will!
Then Himeko looked at March 7th and Dan Heng: "Let's go. Asta has been quite worried about you."
Under Himeko's lead, the group navigated through corridors and halls brimming with futuristic technology.
Standing before the holographic main console was a pink-haired girl, her side bangs elegantly tied back with a delicate golden accessory that not only framed her face but also added a youthful charm.
On the other side, her hair was styled into a cute ponytail, and she wore a futuristic uniform adorned with bright, lively shades of pink, yet it maintained an air of solemnity and neatness.
Asta was commanding the defense personnel with authority and efficiency, holding back the onslaught of the Antimatter Legion.
Upon spotting Himeko, March 7th, and Dan Heng, she let out a soft sigh of relief.
"Phew, I'm glad you all made it back safely."
"Arlan was here earlier and told me everything about the containment section."
Asta gave a slight bow. "Thank you all for your help. Once this crisis is over, I will make sure to repay you properly."
"Let's save the formalities for later. What's the current situation on the space station?"
Skipping the pleasantries with a faint smile, Himeko focused on the holographic projection and got straight to the point.
"For now, the situation is barely under control. The damage to the security system has been repaired, but according to projections, the Legion is about to launch over ten consecutive waves of attacks..."
"Alright! We'll definitely help with this!"
Before Asta could finish, a bold and resounding shout cut her off.
Everyone in the main control room froze for a moment, turning to look in the direction of the voice. It was a gray-haired young man, his face filled with a sense of unwavering duty.
Help?
Asta blinked. She was glad he had the intention, of course.
But she hadn't even asked yet, and besides...
Staring at the gray-haired youth, Asta asked hesitantly, "And who might this be?"
"Station Head Asta, you don't know them? So they really aren't staff members of the space station, huh?"
March 7th, delighted at the chance to recruit two newcomers she'd taken a liking to, cheerfully explained the situation to the puzzled Asta.
After hearing March 7th's explanation, Asta carefully scanned Stelle, Caelus, and Seele before shaking her head firmly. "None of these individuals are part of our space station."
She had memorized the names and details of every staff member on the station.
"The Antimatter Legion possesses complex abilities. It's possible they triggered spatial fluctuations, pulling innocent people into this... I'm sorry."
Feeling somewhat responsible for their unintended involvement due to the Legion's invasion, Asta expressed her regret.
"This has nothing to do with you, Miss Asta. There's no reason for you to apologize."
"Time is gold... no, life! We must act quickly to rescue the staff members threatened by the Legion! They are the most valuable assets of the space station!"
The urgency in his tone was so intense that one might have mistaken Caelus for the station head himself.
"Those who dare invade Herta's domain, Caelus will strike them down!"
Caelus performed a cupped-hand salute toward Asta, then turned with the gallant stride of a chivalrous hero and called out
"Stelle, Seele, let's go!"
By the time Caelus had nearly dragged the two out of the room, the stunned crowd finally snapped out of their daze.
"Is... is he having another episode?"
March 7th stood dumbfounded for a moment before rushing after them. "Hey! Don't just run off like that!"
"..." Dan Heng sighed and quickly followed.
Asta and Himeko exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in each other's eyes.
Then, Asta's expression shifted to one of deep respect.
Despite being unintended victims caught up in this disaster, the moment they heard the space station was under threat, they had selflessly stepped forward without a second thought.
What a righteous and chivalrous warrior, brimming with kindness and courage!