As the last traces of the Voidranger's presence vanished, Clara slid her blade back into its sheath with a smooth, practiced motion—and with that movement, time itself seemed to resume its flow.
"Gulp." Watching Clara wipe out the entire group of Voidrangers in a single slash, March 7th couldn't help but swallow hard. She leaned closer to Dan Heng's ear and whispered cautiously,
"Hey… Dan Heng, we didn't leave a bad impression on her earlier, did we?"
"Probably… not." Even Dan Heng was stunned by that single, devastating strike.
"Phew… that's a relief." March 7th let out a soft sigh inside.
If she'd known Clara was this strong, she would've trusted her unconditionally from the start… Thankfully, she seemed easygoing and hadn't taken offense. If she'd gotten angry and swung that blade their way, March might've been sent straight to the afterlife.
Taking in their reactions, Clara knew her little performance had gone perfectly—her illusion technique had been flawless too.
Clara didn't actually know how to wield a blade. What the trio had just witnessed was an illusion she'd woven with her powers. As for the Voidrangers, she'd crushed them entirely with her will, scattering them into fragments that dissolved into the air—making it look as though they'd been obliterated by a single slash.
But why go through all that trouble just to put on a show?
Simple: to look cool.
Wiping out the Voidrangers plainly wouldn't have been half as impressive as that dramatic display, now would it?
Clara tossed the blade lightly into the air, where it shattered into shimmering pieces and vanished. The whole motion was fluid, effortless—like that of a true master.
With a faint smile, she said,
"No need to look at me like that. You can just think of me as an ordinary Galaxy Ranger."
"What 'ordinary' person can wipe out a whole pack of Voidrangers with one swing…" March muttered under her breath, then immediately clapped a hand over her mouth.
Given Clara's display of power just now, she'd probably heard every whisper—even the quiet exchange between March and Dan Heng.
Meeting March's anxious gaze, Clara simply responded with a gentle, knowing smile.
"Uh…" That smile only confirmed March's fears—she'd definitely heard everything.
'She's not going to silence us for good, is she…'
The thought made March shrink nervously behind Dan Heng.
"Alright, like I said, I mean you no harm."
"I came to the station at Herta's request. If I wanted to hurt you, you wouldn't be standing here talking to me right now."
"Believe it or not—it makes no difference to me." Clara's tone was casual, almost indifferent. Whether they trusted her or not wouldn't affect her plans in the slightest.
Dan Heng took a deep breath. "My apologies. We overthought things."
"We're members of the Astral Express. We came to deliver a Curio that Lady Herta entrusted us to find."
"But after learning the station was under invasion by the Antimatter Legion, Station Lead Asta asked us to help ensure the station's safety."
"Oh~ I see. The Astral Express… I know of you." Clara feigned a moment of thought, murmuring as if piecing it together.
"Trailblazers of the Path of Trailblaze… I admire you. And I'm quite 'interested' in your train as well."
Here, Clara's lips curved into a meaningful smile.
"I really hope I can board the Astral Express one day."
Her words seemed to carry a hint of suggestion.
Hearing this, Dan Heng's expression remained neutral. "If you wish to board the Express, Miss Sparkle, March and I would welcome you."
"But ultimately, we're just passengers. We don't have the authority to make that decision."
"What a shame." Clara put on a convincingly disappointed look.
"Rest assured, I'll convey your interest to the proper channels," Dan Heng added quickly, seeing her reaction. "The Astral Express welcomes all who wish to join."
Clara responded with another faint smile, saying nothing more.
From her once-omniscient perspective, Clara knew Dan Heng's words were pure nonsense—every passenger on the Astral Express had the right to invite others aboard.
So this was clearly a defensive move on his part. Or perhaps Dan Heng couldn't be sure whether she'd pose a threat to the Express once onboard.
But then again… Dan Heng's caution wasn't entirely unwarranted.
If she boarded the Astral Express and didn't stir up a little trouble, what would even be the point?
Clara's mind was already racing with plans for the chaos she could unleash once onboard.
The Astral Express wouldn't refuse her—there was no reason to. She was Herta's "dear sister," and she'd just essentially saved Dan Heng and March 7th's lives.
So Clara couldn't think of a single excuse the Express could use to turn her down.
Of course, if they did reject her this time, she had other ways to get aboard.
"Well… Miss Firefly, the Voidrangers here have been cleared. But Arlan from the station's Security Department has lost contact in this area—we need to bring him back. Would you…?"
"I'll be heading to the Master Control Zone," Clara said calmly, cutting him off.
"Herta is likely busy with her experiments and may not be on the station right now. So I should still check in with the acting person in charge."
"Is that so?" Dan Heng nodded, his impression of Clara improving slightly. He turned to March 7th.
"March, take Stelle and head to the Master Control Zone as well. I'll go look for Arlan first."
"Huh?" March's expression turned panicked.
"Um… maybe I should be the one to look for Arlan…"
"By the time you find him, his body might've gone cold."
"Er…"
Dan Heng knew exactly what March was worried about. His tone remained even.
"Don't worry. Galaxy Rangers aren't exactly saints, but they're not evil either. As long as you don't provoke her, there won't be any issues."
"Besides, I'm not telling you to go with her. You can wait until she leaves before heading out."
"Oh… right."
"Then it's settled. I'm going now. Arlan's out of contact—the situation might not be good. I need to find him quickly."
"Yeah, yeah, you should hurry."
Dan Heng gave a brief nod and left the area.
With him gone, the atmosphere grew tense again. After a moment, March forced a smile and looked toward Clara.
"So… why haven't you left yet…?"
In response, Clara smiled warmly and extended a hand to March and Stelle with gentlemanly grace.
"Ladies, might I have the honor of escorting you both to the Master Control Zone?"
March 7th & Stelle: …
…
Clara: Regarding the Astral Express
Everything—can be blown to smithereens!
…
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