Eight system hours before the opening of the Charmony Festival, Dreamflux Reef.
The Astral Express trio, along with Firefly, had returned to Gallagher's presence.
"You're back sooner than I expected… Got any results?"
Himeko nodded. "Yes… Now, it's our turn to forge the path ahead."
Gallagher seemed to let out a sigh of relief. "Hmph, since his final wish has been delivered, my last task is complete."
The next moment, his tone shifted. "But don't take this the wrong way—having fighting spirit is great, but the path Mikhail left for you isn't an easy one… Otherwise, why would he have gone to sleep in solitude, betting everything on you future Trailblazers?
Still, you've got numbers on your side. Heh, you might just lose a bit more slowly."
March 7th nodded noncommittally. "You're quite the motivator, huh…"
[This scene feels so familiar.]
[Where's the familiarity?]
[Isn't this just like One Piece? Roger knew he wouldn't live to see the Pirate King, so he used his death to kick off the Great Pirate Era. Isn't this exactly like the Watchmaker?]
[Hey, you're right, it does have that vibe.]
[Am I the only one who thinks Firefly standing with the Astral Express crew feels perfectly natural?]
[You don't get it—Train and Hunters are one big family.]
——
Next, Himeko proposed that sitting idly wasn't an option. Relying solely on negotiations wouldn't work—they had to take the initiative.
However, they'd already stirred the hornet's nest, so breaking through head-on wouldn't be easy!
At that moment, the ever-popular March 7th raised her little hand.
"I know the answer to this one!"
Caelus squinted at March 7th. "It's you of all people?"
March 7th huffed. "What's that supposed to mean? Believe it or not!"
With that, she gathered her thoughts and continued explaining.
The gist was that they could participate in a program called the "Festival Audition." If they stood out, they could head to the Festival Star.
Everyone looked at March 7th with strange expressions.
Caelus and Himeko's eyes were filled with shock—they couldn't believe March 7th came up with this plan?
[As expected of Penacony, even March 7th is coming up with strategies now.]
[Drop your stereotypes—March 7th is plenty smart!]
[Oh, right, right, right.]
The four tried to convince Gallagher to join them, but Gallagher said his time was running short, and he could only wish them well.
[I'm getting a whiff of incoming tragedy.]
[That flag's flying high, haha.]
[Goodnight, Gallagher!]
——
Himeko turned to Firefly. "And Miss Firefly, thank you for your help earlier. With a great enemy before us, as long as the Stellaron Hunters and the Astral Express share the same goal, we're willing to work with you."
Firefly nodded obediently, showing no trace of the Molten Knight—Sam. "We've come this far already, so let me walk the rest of Penacony's journey with you. I'm glad we can stand side by side in the end—it's truly the best outcome."
"That's exactly the meaning of the 'Trailblaze' journey. Let's head out, everyone."
[Hahaha, Firefly's so well-behaved, like a girlfriend meeting the parents. (P.S. I don't have a girlfriend)]
[Try imagining Firefly saying, 'Leave now, and no one gets hurt,' or 'Tell them it was the Stellaron Hunters who sent you off.' The contrast is wild.]
[Sigh, miHoYo sure knows how to play with contrasts. I'm dying of laughter.]
[But Himeko's attitude toward Firefly is pretty good too.]
[Himeko only gets all tense with Kafka. After all, they're both mom-type characters. Similar personalities lead to rivalry.]
[Impressive, there's actually that layer to it.]
——
The scene shifted, transitioning to a new setting.
The four arrived at a lively variety show stage.
As it happened, they were the last group of contestants, naturally drawing a swarm of reporters.
Shortly after, a wealthy man named Aideen approached the group. "Allow me to introduce myself—I'm Aideen Ledda, the factory director of Sweetsation™ Factory. Dear friends, please introduce yourselves to the audience across the galaxy!"
Himeko spoke gracefully. "Hello, everyone. I'm Himeko, a Nameless from the Astral Express. These are my companions."
Firefly paused for a moment. "Um… you're not hiding your identities?"
March 7th thought for a bit. "No point in hiding. Our posters are plastered all over Penacony… But precisely because everyone knows the Astral Express, the Family won't dare act recklessly."
Suddenly, Caelus stepped forward. "I'm Galactic Baseballer, and she's Say Cheese."
"Hey! Don't yell my username in front of everyone!" she whispered sharply to Caelus. Then, composing herself, she faced the camera.
"Hi, everyone! I'm March 7th! Just an ordinary girl who loves adventuring everywhere!"
[Hahaha, so March 7th's username is Say Cheese? I'm dying!]
[In that Xianzhou Luofu forum thread, there was even a short skit confirming March 7th's username.]
[I remember March 7th's intelligence is… quite touching. There was a post on the Xianzhou Luofu forum about housing in the Seat of Divine Foresight, urging everyone to grab it. Then Jing Yuan came out to debunk it, saying, 'Believe him? You might as well believe I'm the ancient emperor.']
[And then?]
[Sorry, word limit. The thread's OP claimed some relative worked there, and Jing Yuan replied, 'I, the ancient emperor, say: send me money.' Then Say Cheese chimed in.]
[What'd she say?]
[Say Cheese said, 'Might as well believe it, since the ancient emperor himself showed up.']
[Classic silly March 7th! Hahaha, I'm dying. I'm gonna go reread that Xianzhou Luofu forum!]
——
Finally, the camera zoomed in on Firefly. She swallowed hard, looking at the camera. "Hi, everyone. I'm Firefly, um… also just an ordinary girl who loves adventuring everywhere."
[Hi, everyone. I'm Firefly, an ordinary girl who loves setting the starry seas ablaze.]
[Hi, everyone. I'm Firefly, a Glamoth veteran.]
[Do you think Silver Wolf might be watching this live? Maybe even recording it?]
[Very likely.]
——
Aideen nodded. "So it's the Nameless crew! The final showdown is sure to be spectacular! Time is precious, dear friends—follow me!"