["Stellaron Hunter, what are you scheming? The Xianzhou Alliance isn't as easygoing as we are. Once you're marked by the [Hunt], you'll no longer be the hunters—you'll become the prey. The Alliance will chase you to the ends of the universe—"]
"Serie-sama, there's something I find rather strange."
Sense, who had been watching the Celestial Screen, suddenly spoke up: "Although the Express crew has the ability to seal Stellarons, that doesn't mean they're the only ones in the universe who can do so, right? That Ms. Herta could do it too."
"With characters of Emanator-level standing guard, the Xianzhou Alliance clearly has far greater strength than the Express crew. Could it be that they don't have anyone capable of sealing Stellarons?"
"I believe they do." Serie propped her chin on her hand, pondering slightly. "A faction that produced warriors like Jingliu and Jing Yuan… must be overflowing with talent. I'm not sure if the Alliance has anyone who can destroy Stellarons, but there should certainly be those capable of dealing with them."
A nation blessed with longevity… Serie could easily imagine how formidable such a country's combat power would be.
She lamented the brevity of her disciples' lives… No matter how blazing their genius, it would ultimately fade like a meteor across the sky. Even a disciple as extraordinary as Falamy could not escape the fate of death.
And when faced with a nation that had achieved eternal life, even Serie herself didn't realize… she felt a twinge of envy.
Humans would have ample time to learn and inherit her magic, and the exceptional ones could branch out on their own. Among future generations, there would always be those with dazzling talent who could ascend to heights even she had not reached.
"Sense, compared to what you mentioned, I'm more concerned about Kafka's true objective."
"True objective?" Sense cast a puzzled look her way.
"She's going to such lengths to lure the Express crew to the Luofu. It's likely not just about the Stellaron."
Serie's tone was firm. "There must be something far more important hidden beneath the guise of the 'Stellaron'… Though I can't guess what it is right now, the truth should reveal itself soon."
"When this woman was at the space station, even though she only showed the tip of the iceberg… it was clear her personality is far more unhinged than that Silver Wolf girl's, and her schemes are far more meticulous. Someone like her… can't be measured by common sense."
["Cut to the chase, Kafka. No more riddles." Himeko had no intention of dragging this out with Kafka any longer.]
["...It's simple. This Stellaron has nothing to do with us, but the Xianzhou has already pinned the blame on the Stellar Hunters." Kafka wore a helpless expression. "My companion Blade was taken by the Cloud Knights. I need to bring him back, resolve this Stellaron crisis, and clear our name."]
[Another projection appeared beside Kafka—Blade.]
"Oh? Isn't that the guy Jing Yuan captured? So he's Kafka's companion."
In the "Summer Moon" room on the third floor of Highasakura, Basara King and Ukyo were accompanying a plump middle-aged woman in her forties as she drank. She was the daughter of an important figure in the Tokyo Tax Bureau, and Zatokaku had instructed them to entertain her well.
Due to the appearance of the Celestial Screen, their plan to infiltrate the Genji Heavy Industries building had been canceled. The latest order from the principal was to stand by—and then… he himself had gone off the grid.
With nothing better to do, Chu Zihang and Caesar decided to accompany the lady in watching the Celestial Screen. The atmosphere in the private room was akin to a luxurious personal theater—after all, the content was nothing short of explosive: Jingliu and Jing Yuan's duel alone was already infinitely more thrilling than any action movie.
"Basara King's aura is quite similar to Blade's." The plump woman gently swirled her champagne, her gaze sweeping lightly over Chu Zihang, overflowing with affection.
"Mhm, a little." Chu Zihang replied expressionlessly, his words halting.
He was the worst at Japanese in their group. Since he could make money just by being cool, he hadn't bothered much with the language.
Caesar agreed internally. Though Chu Zihang himself might not realize it, his perpetually stoic face + the cold, slaughterous demeanor he adopted when wielding a blade did bear a seventy to eighty percent resemblance to Blade.
The only difference was that Blade was probably even more unhinged and bloodthirsty—though Caesar hadn't seen him in action yet.
After finishing her champagne, the woman lightly tapped the rim of her glass, signaling Ukyo to refill it.
Among all the hosts at Highasakura, her favorites were Ukyo and Basara King. The latter was cold and handsome, while the former was like a gentle breeze brushing against her cheeks over the Aegean Sea. Caesar, with his blond hair, blue eyes, tall and muscular build, and Western features, stood out strikingly among the sea of Eastern faces.
But the only shortcoming was… as a host, the flagship of Highasakura, his gaze rarely lingered on her.
So when she tapped the rim, she was also hinting for Ukyo to pay more attention to her.
Caesar immediately understood, refilled her glass with champagne, and smiled elegantly: "If Basara King is Blade, then you must be Kafka—though, madam, you appear far more elegant than Kafka."
Since becoming a host, he'd grown accustomed to these pleasing lies. But comparing this lady to Kafka made his tongue feel as if it had been scorched by a flame.
["'Nothing to do with you?'" March 7th's face was full of skepticism. "Who'd believe that? What kind of coincidence is this? The Stellaron erupts, and you show up right after… Besides, what connection do we have with you? Whether the Stellar Hunters are innocent or not—what's it to us?"]
["We could owe the Stellar Hunters a favor." Stelle mused.]
[Though she only remembered her name, Stelle felt a vague, indistinct sense of trust toward Kafka.]
["No way! I don't want to listen to her." March 7th huffed angrily. "The Alliance is so powerful—can't they handle one Stellaron? We're the Astral Express, not professional Stellaron sealers!"]
[Kafka smiled slightly, unsurprised by their reaction. "Of course, you could stay out of it. Activate the warp now, before the Stellaron pollutes this sector, and you can head to the next world."]
["Let me tell you what will happen: if you don't go to the [Luofu], the Stellaron will eventually corrupt the entire starship. About half of its inhabitants will perish…"]
["I'm sure such brave, fearless Trailblazers—such kindhearted Nameless who act for the greater good—wouldn't stand by and watch."]
"How despicable, using moral blackmail like that…" Aki remarked. "I guess that's what you'd expect from a wanted criminal, huh?"
"Moral blackmail?" Power frowned, thinking hard. For a demon who hadn't read many books, the term was a bit difficult to grasp.
"Does that mean… as long as I have no morals, I can't be blackmailed?"
Power had a sudden epiphany, as if enlightenment had dawned upon her.