"Hmph, even a formidable foe like the Doomsday Beast is no match for me."
Having recovered from the Stellaron's rampage, Stelle stood with her hands on her hips, casting a smug glance at Caelus with a triumphant little face.
"An invincible life is truly as lonely as snow~!"
Her teasing gaze seemed to say, "Little bro, you're just not cutting it. You're too weak—you need more training!"
The Stellaron inside her had defeated the Doomsday Beast, so by extension, she had defeated it too. No issues with that logic, right?
Caelus, on the receiving end of the taunt, felt nothing. In fact, he was almost amused.
He watched with delight as Stelle boasted, then he stuck out his tongue to moisten his lips, as if lost in some emotion.
The mask hidden on his face activated, and Caelus's expression grew heavy.
A faint glow swirled in his golden eyes, reflecting three parts melancholy, three parts struggle, three parts avoidance, and the remaining ninety-one parts a complex mix of indescribable emotions.
He resembled an older brother who, failing to stop his younger sister from crossing a forbidden line in their mother's absence, now faced her with boundless, dark regret.
After a single glance, Caelus lowered his head, his clean, ash-gray bangs covering his eyes, obscuring his expression.
Without a single word or any intentional look, his demeanor alone cast a crushing weight of oppression onto Stelle's heart.
The previously triumphant Stellaron spirit suddenly realized the gravity of the situation and panicked.
"Hey, Caelus, d-don't overthink it! I just... couldn't control myself earlier!"
Even as the rampaging energy and destructive will clashed in her mind, Stelle had retained some self-awareness. She knew she had been the one to initiate both the actions and the words.
In an unprecedented display of gentleness, she even softened her tone, scrambling to muster every comforting phrase she could think of to coax Caelus, much like an older sister soothing a displeased younger brother.
She was pleading with the sole witness and victim of her "crime" to be merciful and not report it to their "parents."
Although Caelus's earlier actions—groping her chest—would have been considered far beyond the bounds of typical sibling behavior, given the shared sensory connection between their bodies, it could somewhat be justified.
But a kiss, and an intense French kiss at that, carried entirely different implications.
"Mmm... I know."
Caelus's voice was low, but the emotions flickering across his face were beyond description.
*You really don't look like you know!*
Terrified that "Mom" Kafka might break her legs, Miss Stelle swallowed hard, trembling with fear.
Beneath the mask of what could only be described as "masterful" acting, Caelus's lips twitched, harder to suppress than an AK-47.
*Teasing her is just so much fun~!*
"What's going on with them?"
Welt noticed the bizarre atmosphere surrounding Stelle and Caelus, his expression puzzled.
He had already learned about their identities, experiences, and their plans to join the Express for future trailblazing journeys from March 7th, Dan Heng, and Himeko.
"Uh..."
Equally aware of the strange vibe, March 7th scratched her head, tousling her smooth pink hair, but still couldn't find the right words. She eventually sighed.
"Sigh, it's better to let them handle this on their own. Outsiders can't really help."
"..."
Though he didn't fully grasp the situation, even March—who loved meddling in drama—had spoken this way. It seemed to be a very private matter, and there was no need to interfere.
"Greetings. I've heard about both of you from everyone. Welcome aboard the Astral Express."
Just as the atmosphere around Caelus grew tense and Stelle was panicking about what to say, Welt came to her rescue.
"I'm Welt Yang, an ordinary and unremarkable Nameless."
Old Yang introduced himself in a gentle tone.
Caelus nodded. "Ordinary and unremarkable" huh? Sure.
"I'm Caelus, and this is my granddaughter, Stelle."
In an instant, Caelus suppressed his complex emotions, and the smile he wore during his introduction left Welt momentarily stunned.
"Since when am I your granddaughter?"
Stelle instinctively retorted, only realizing after she spoke that Caelus had tricked her again.
He didn't care about that kiss at all, while she had been worrying like a fool about leaving him with psychological trauma.
Anger surged within her. Baring her teeth, Stelle launched herself at Caelus like a starving tiger pouncing on its prey.
With a fierce "Awoo!", she aimed for Caelus's neck. Unfazed, Caelus smirked contemptuously and didn't dodge—instead, he offered his neck for her to bite.
"Ah!"
A cry of pain came from Stelle, who had been all claws and fangs. It was like biting your own tongue—the instinct to let go kicked in the moment the pain hit.
Stelle's face twisted as she clutched her own shoulder.
She forgot that biting him would hurt her too!
It hurts! It hurts!
Rubbing her shoulder did nothing to ease the pain. She glared fiercely at Caelus, who, despite gritting his teeth and hissing in pain, refused to rub the spot.
Ultimately, she had no choice but to swallow her pride. She reached out and gently rubbed the spot she had bitten, puckering her lips to blow on it softly. Only then did the pain in her shoulder finally begin to subside.
The moment Stelle moved her hand away, Caelus grabbed her sleeve and used the cuff of her white T-shirt to wipe off the remaining saliva from his shoulder before releasing her small hand.
"You little brat!"
Such a small gesture, yet so insulting—like a maxed-out taunt. Despite the pain, Stelle bit Caelus two more times.
Watching the farce unfold, Welt's amused expression flickered with a hint of novelty.
To an old-timer like him, their roughhousing was clearly a sign of a close bond, but the shared physical sensation between them... was remarkable.
Still, was this really the kind of connection siblings would have?
Moreover, Caelus's voice sounded somewhat familiar to him...
"The main force of the Legion's invasion—the two Doomsday Beasts—have been eliminated. This incident is drawing to a close."
Just then, Himeko spoke up with a light laugh, having received a communication from Asta.
"Yes, the threat has been neutralized. All that remains are a few scattered Voidranger squads still lurking in the cabin sections."
Asta's relieved voice came through the comms.
"There are still Voidranger squads?"
Upon hearing this, Caelus immediately stopped fooling around with Stelle, his expression turning serious in an instant.
"Where are they?"
"Where are the Voidrangers?"
"I'll take care of them!"
Asta's commission task hadn't been settled yet, which meant that eliminating Voidrangers still counted toward the mission!
"You just fought a fierce battle with the Doomsday Beasts, Caelus... You should rest for now."
Asta's tone was very gentle.
The image of the gray-haired youth charging fearlessly into battle to save the staff of Herta Space Station was still vivid in her mind.
"No, please tell me the locations of the remaining Voidrangers. The thought of staff members still being under threat keeps me from staying calm."
After all, they're all lovely Crystals!
Hearing this, even Welt's gaze toward Caelus held a trace of approval.
Without a doubt, this young man had truly embodied the spirit of a Nameless!
"This…"
The Astral Express crew and Caelus had already done so much for the space station. Asta couldn't bear to trouble these wonderful people further.
But as she met Caelus's sincere and heartfelt gaze, moved as she was, she also thought of the staff who might still be in danger. In the end, she sent the coordinates of the remaining Fragmentum zones to March 7th and Dan Heng.
There was no helping it—Caelus still didn't even have a phone.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
As she made the request, Asta turned and headed toward her room, intending to pick out two limited-edition, top-of-the-line phones to give to Caelus and Stelle later.
Such a small gift hardly counted as proper gratitude.
Caelus had saved so many staff members—even giving him two Star Destroyers would feel inadequate, let alone something as trivial as this.
"Let's split up and take action!"
Leaning in close to March 7th, Caelus glanced at the marked locations on the map.
Now was the time to race against the clock!
"Alright," Dan Heng nodded.
The group split into three teams: Seele and Himeko, Welt with Caelus and Dan Heng, and Stelle with March 7th, each heading to different zones.
Caelus had intentionally separated himself, Stelle, and Seele to maximize their efficiency.
It was then that Welt finally understood what Dan Heng and March 7th meant when they introduced their new companions as "a bit unhinged."
Watching Caelus switch seamlessly from ruthless aggression toward the Fragmentum creatures to gentle warmth when facing the station staff was one thing.
But when Welt saw Caelus's eyes light up at the sight of a trash can, excitedly mixing solid, liquid, composite, and who-knows-what-kind-of-irresponsible-chemical waste together, then gazing with satisfaction at the resulting unknown substance—
He truly couldn't hold it in anymore!
His expression in that moment was meme-worthy.
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Hey! Hello
So I made a patreon so if you want to support me then you can now!
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