At this very moment inside the escape pod, something was happening that would make every Robin fan across the galaxy absolutely furious.
A figure wrapped head-to-toe in scraps of fabric stood holding a weapon—one brimming with high-tech menace.
Blue light pulsed along the rifle's surface, a clear signal that if the trigger was pulled, it wouldn't just be for show.
And the barrel of that weapon?
Pointed directly at the galaxy's most beloved songstress—Robin.
Robin, for her part, was still frozen in confusion. Her bright green eyes stared at the sudden intruder, unable to comprehend what was going on.
All she'd done was try to contact her family—so why had this mysterious person suddenly emerged from the shadows?
Who were they?
The fabric concealed every part of their body, making it impossible to discern gender, species, or origin.
But one thing was crystal clear: this person was dangerous.
As soon as Sora appeared in the doorway, the fabric-wrapped figure swung their weapon to target him instead.
And then, in a low and guarded voice, came the question:
"Who are you?"
The room went still.
Sora narrowed his eyes. He had no idea who this person was, but if his memory was right, Robin's ship had been the only one to crash on this planet recently.
And whoever this was, they clearly weren't part of her security team.
Because no actual bodyguard would ever press a gun to their VIP's forehead. That kind of PR disaster would bankrupt their entire agency.
Which meant this person's identity was already narrowing into focus.
"Are you a native of this planet?" Sora asked calmly. "Or someone who got stranded here after… other circumstances?"
Those were the only two plausible options.
He didn't wait for a reply. From his system space, he summoned the GM-01 Scorpio—a sleek firearm that locked straight onto the intruder.
Now it was a standoff.
Two figures, guns raised, each aimed at the other's vitals. Neither blinked. Neither moved.
"…Where are you from?" the fabric-wrapped stranger asked, echoing Sora's earlier question.
"Our ship was attacked by the Antimatter Legion and crash-landed here," Sora replied. "We came back to this wreck to try contacting the outside world for help."
He raised his free hand slowly, a show of honesty. "Look at us. It's obvious we're not with the Legion. So how about we both take a breath and talk this out?"
The figure hesitated.
Gotcha, Sora thought. That slight release of tension in their trigger finger didn't escape his trained eye.
"Yes," he continued, voice calm. "We're from another planet. We're not your enemy. You can see that, can't you?"
As he spoke, he subtly gave a signal with his hand—one Robin recognized immediately.
She nodded ever so slightly.
Sora began inching forward.
The intruder's guard snapped back up.
"Don't move!"
The weapon's glowing muzzle glared at him like a vengeful eye—but something was wrong.
The figure wavered.
Their head swayed slightly, like they were dizzy.
Robin's eyes, luminous green like polished jade, shone brighter than ever.
The power of Harmony.
She'd seen Sora's signal—and she had begun to sing.
A quiet melody, tuned not for sound but for resonance. A subtle wave of harmony that disrupted the stranger's mental state.
Their aim slipped. Their grip faltered.
Sora didn't waste the chance.
In two long strides, he closed the distance.
The intruder, sensing danger, tried to fire.
Their weapon lit up—clearly a continuous-energy beam rifle, not a standard blaster.
A steady line of blue light roared to life, sweeping toward Sora's position.
[Henshin]
A brilliant blue flare erupted. Sora donned the G3X armor mid-dash, timing it perfectly to activate its brief invincibility window.
The beam passed through harmlessly—and the next thing the intruder saw was a massive mechanical gauntlet crashing into their face.
BANG!!
The entire escape pod rang like a drum as G3X's fist slammed their skull against the metallic wall.
If Sora had taken that blow without the armor, he probably would've ended up concussed, amnesiac, and starring in a tragic forty-episode drama arc.
But this intruder? They barely even flinched.
They stumbled—but then started struggling with renewed fury.
What the hell?! Is this what alien physiology is like?! That punch should've flattened a normal human!
Sora blinked in disbelief. This guy was tough.
Of course. It's the Star Rail universe. Everyone's got that low-key Showa toughness now...
Still—there was no escaping.
Sora covered the figure's eyes with his hand. Despite G3X's heavy frame, his movements were fast and fluid.
He drove a sharp kick into the figure's wrist.
CRACK!
The gun clattered to the floor.
The intruder's reaction stuttered just long enough for Sora to shift tactics.
Lock technique!
In the age of the internet, someone had inevitably uploaded simplified self-defense tutorials.
And back in his edgy teenager days, Sora had practiced a few of them.
Now? They were finally paying off.
The cross lock—a simple but effective joint lock.
By twisting the arm at the elbow or wrist, it created intense pain. In serious cases, it could even cause dislocations.
Pain was primal. Unless this guy was some kind of Kaiju, there was no way he could just ignore it.
Sure enough—
The intruder thrashed, harder at first. But the more Sora tightened the lock, the more their resistance waned.
A few gasping groans. Then finally… stillness.
He didn't let up.
Instead, Sora twisted both arms behind the intruder's back and used his armored weight to pin them down completely.
"Now that's what I call controlled."
He finally allowed himself a sigh of relief.
Then he noticed Robin.
She was staring at him. Mouth slightly open. Dazed.
"…What's wrong?"
"Huh? Oh—nothing!" she blinked hard, snapping out of it.
Truthfully, she hadn't even registered what had happened until it was over.
His movements had been so clean, so fast—she hadn't had a chance to react before it was done.
But even more than that… her attention had been pulled elsewhere.
The transformation. The blue light.
G3X.
That armor… that energy…
It didn't belong to Harmony. Nor did it resemble any Path tied to the known Aeons.
Just what kind of power was this?
Who exactly is Hoshigaki Sora?
Robin's curiosity had been lit like a spark in the dark.