"I'm a survivor," Oli began, "I don't know how or why, but I began to get a sense of clarity two years ago...." Kafka narrowed her eyes, his shoulders tensing, "I tried to escape the Legion when I did, but most of the time it was impossible."
Kafka only stared at him, the silence dreading his position as he was forced to cough, hopefully to alleviate the thick atmosphere between them.
She smiled, her eyes though showed anything but warmth but the dead void that seemed to suck the emotion out of anyone leaving only fear.
Before she could speak, she closed her lips and looked past him. In turn, he craned his head to find four people at the top of stairs, leaning on the rail as his eyes could not believe it.
They had come! But not for him, obviously. But they did and that meant he was safe and Kafka wouldn't dare attack him, yet.
"Kafka!" A pink haired girl shouted, "Wait... What are those cloud knights doing?"
Three cloud knights march behind Kafka, and lining beside her like mechanical robots. Oli had a grasp of what happened to those poor three as he heard some small commotion earlier when he leaped.
"My my," Kafka smiled, "I get distracted for a moment and you already caught up to me." She chuckled, "as for these 'Volunteers' they'll be spending time to battle with you, just a little convincing to get them to listen. So long Astral Expressers."
She strode away, Immediately the Astral family and Tingyun all came to surround him against the Cloud knights that jumped down, their spears pointed at them.
"Are you alright?" Tingyun approached, concern on her face.
'wait... Am I suppose to remember something? Something feels off.' he thought.
It had been two years since he was in the Honkai Star rail universe, and some of his memories about the game faded over time. But something was important he missed, something about this foxian lady.
The intellitron, shook his head, "I am alright, I worried the stellaron hunter would have captured me like those three."
The Cloud knights moved forward, March and the trailblazer summoned their weapons, a long lance extended on the trailblazer's hand, it looked quite heavy but somehow she could wield it without too much trouble.
His head tried to clear the fog away, he needed to remember something important.
The cloud knights all rushed together, striking first. The trailblazer instantly swept with its long distance and causing the three knights to stumble together.
Welt stayed beside Tingyun and he was near them, he didn't want to reveal to them he could fight. Not yet.
One of the three knights stood up quickly, raising his spear and struck, March dodged to the left quickly, despite their appearances they were stronger and faster than Oli anticipated.
Seeing them fight in-game compared to Real life was something he had gotten rid of long ago, at first he was surprised people could move in the blink of an eye, destroy a planet like it was nothing. Yet, this still surprised him.
"Stelle!" March called out.
A cloud knight was rushing to Stelle's left side, his spear thrust forward but Stelle was faster and dodged, she lunged forward immediately. The knight grunted in pain as it knocked him back a few meters. He didn't stand up anymore after that.
The other two knights quickly paired up, then targeted March mainly because of her bow. Stelle caught of this attack and rushed to clash the remaining cloud knights, they traded blows, Stelle stepped backward. She pointed the tip of her spear as a burst of light trailed and exploded around the cloud knights.
Oli covered his 'mask', his cloak flapping violently from the wind of the explosion as he held it tightly, afraid he would be exposed. The cloud knights were sent crashing away. They'll have to call for medical attention here later.
"We gotta catch up to her!" March said, looking back at the Intellitron her gaze softened, "Did she hurt you?"
The intellitron shook his head, "Not that I know of, I'm... Worried about the cloud knights though."
The grey haired girl looked embarrassed, smiling awkwardly as she inspected the unconscious knights around them.
"I think I need to hold back more.... I'm too strong." She said, her lance disappearing into light when she dropped it.
"Sir," Tingyun approached, worried, "Its dangerous here, if you stay here longer you might get attacked by one of the Mara struck."
Then, like a flash of light bulb, the memory came back to him with the sound of a neck cracking. Tingyun was not the real identity this person holds, worse, she was a Lord Ravager.
"I'm okay, miss," Oli replied, looking at Welt, "You guys are...?"
"We're the Nameless," Welt said, "but I have to advice; you need to leave this place and head to the main city. It's too dangerous out here. Morever, the Stellaron hunters are part of this, and I can't risk your life on this, sir."
'No... I'm already risking so much being here with you. Does she even know I'm a defect?' he thought, looking at Tingyun with a worried expression.
"I'm sorry," Oli shook his head, "I tried earlier but she came in and almost caught me. So I escaped thanks to those cloud knights... Which are now unfortunate..."
March looked embarrassed, and Stelle even more so as Welt sighed.
"Miss Tingyun, are there any medical personnel coming soon?" He looked at her.
"Yes... I do remember the cloud knights are tougher so they won't be that much in a critical state, even so they'll eventually get medical aid soon. I'll call them."
She shoved her hands into her pockets and texted on her phone. She paused, and Oli could swore to The Hunt Aeon that her eyes lingered on him for a moment before typing back, a smile tugged on her lips after.
'oh boy... Does she know? What did she read there? Me being the fake ambassador or a defect? No, maybe both.'
Best to act like she knew, the things Phantylia could do, was not to be underestimated.
"May I please come with you?" Oli sounded defeated, vulnerable, "that lady... I don't feel safe, what if she comes back around if you guys leave? I promise I won't be too much of a burden."
The group looked at each other, Stelle nodded to Welt as he turned back to him.
"In the name of trailblazing, we promise to make sure your safety is guaranteed with us. Stay close, we're going to catch that stellaron hunter."
Oli nodded, then gave his thanks to the other two Nameless before asking their names. Even so far as being courtly and gentlemanly towards the fake Tingyun.
* * *
After so many attempts at catching Kafka, detouring and solving some puzzles along the way, they eventually caught up to her.
Albeit with two cloud knights beside her.
Oli was standing way behind, somewhere that even Tingyun couldn't watch him properly and Kafka couldn't reach him.
"Welcome Astral Expressers. Looks like you've caught me." Kafka said.
"Admit it," Welt furrowed his brows, "you planned for us to come here."
Surprisingly, she shook her head, "I didn't plan anything. It was the future. We interfere on countless future possibilities and make up the best future a reality." Her gaze went past the Astral Expressers and landing on Oli before turning back to Welt.
"You speak too highly of us, Welt. The Stellaron Hunters are merely destiny's slaves."
"Best future?" March 7th called up, "best for who? As if you'd consider anyone but yourself."
"If I said 'Best for the universe' would you believe me?" She chuckled at her, "best for me, naturally."
Oli couldn't understand. If there was a future with the best outcome, does that mean he was included in Elio's scripts? If he was, he wonder where it would all fit him into.
A foreign chess piece in an unknown board doesn't sound too appealing, both players would naturally toss it aside if it breaks the rules... But this was a game where every Aeon would take advantage of, and he was afraid he would be used as an advantage for more blood to spill.
"... We don't have much time, if I were you I'd make a move before it's too late."
the two cloud knights beside her, advanced with their spears lowered.
It was an easy fight, but the thing that made Oli unnerved wasn't Kafka glancing at him from time to time, but the eyes Tingyun set on her the second time they locked eyes, was uncanny.
If Kafka could give off the feeling of a hawk looking down at a chicken to snatch anytime, Tingyun gave the feeling of dread.
The cloud knights all fell one by one, Welt's attack left some sort of warping in the air with his swing, and Stelle produced some of the powerful explosions sending the enemies away.
The last Cloud knight was subdued after a short clash, his spear cut in half from March's attacks as he laid on the ground unconscious from Stelle's blows.
They looked at her, posture in defense for whatever Kafka was going to do.
She chuckled seeing Oli moved forward in the center of the group. Welt, and the others widened their eyes in surprise.
"Shouldn't you be at the back? You're too weak to handle this." Stelle's words felt like a punch to his gut.
"Sir, if I may be frank this is a serious matter and could get you gravely injured." Welt added.
"No need, Nameless." Oli said, "I will help you against the Stellaron Hunter and I will tell you the truth after."
He didn't see the foxian lady narrow her eyes at him and slowly walked towards them.
March noticed this and immediately told her to stay back, in case this was going to get worse.
Hesitantly, she offered only a warm smile before doing as requested.
"Ah, this is a surprise indeed," Kafka said, "finally joining the battle, Ambassador?"
The entire group went frozen, March, Stelle, and even Welt looked at him.
Great. She had to reveal who he was and judging by the Nameless' expression they knew his identity now.
He breathed out, then exhaled.
"Ambassador? Wait but... I thought you were an intellitron..." March's voice sounded surprised, and somewhat betrayed.
Stelle readied her lance, Welt narrowed his eyes at him before raising his cane at his direction.
"I knew something was off." Welt said, "from the moment we found you facing Kafka you weren't in trouble, in fact it seems like you were the one who dealt with the other cloud knights."
"No," Kafka interjected, turning all of the group's attention in her direction, "I'll admit, I did all of that work. And our, dear ambassador merely joined in."
"Am I also part of the script, Kafka?" Oli ignored the gazes at his direction. The wind flapped his cloak lightly, the silence stretching for a long amount of time before she nodded.
A surprise bloomed inside him.
'what? That's ridiculous, how could I have be part of this script when I don't even belong here!' he thought.
Before any of them could ask questions, Kafka pulled out her guns, smiling like she was enjoying all of this and ignoring the seriousness from earlier.
"Astral Expressers, and guests... Let's dance."