Amber Era 2157.
Herta System Time, April 16th—one minute before 3:00 p.m.
The Astral Express sat quietly at the platform of Herta Space Station...
The stars blazed brilliantly, the universe lay at peace, and a pod of void-whales draped in starlight drifted through the sea of stars, leaving behind brief, silent trails of light before disappearing behind the blue planet in the distance...
Less than half a day had passed since the Antimatter Legion and the Doomsday Beast had ravaged the station, so the beauty of the scene felt strangely out of place.
Himeko had no leisure to appreciate it.
This mature woman—who had strolled through the forces of Destruction still clad in her gorgeous evening gown and slender high heels—somehow seemed nervous now. Between the high slit of her white silk dress, her long jade-like legs were held slightly tense.
...Tap, tap. Tap, tap.
The sound of heels did not come from Himeko, but from a cute pink-haired girl pacing in a small circle.
"March, you're making even me nervous."
"Oh, Himeko, I finally have a junior now! I'm so excited!"
"Is that so..."
A faint smile touched Himeko's lips.
She looked gently at March 7th's bright, cheerful face, at the soft sway of her skirt and the black heeled ankle boots shifting restlessly at her side...
—Tap.
March 7th's heels came to a stop.
Before her stood a young man with short dark-gray hair, handsome features, and a calm, composed air.
"Caelus!..." She hurried up to him with a beaming smile. "Thank goodness, you finally made it~! You took the Doomsday Beast's ultimate attack head-on—are you really okay? I sent you messages, but you never replied..."
"..."
Himeko turned slightly to look.
Caelus seemed to hesitate for a moment before stopping March's hand.
"I came to say something... I want to quit the Astral Express."
"...Huh?"
"..."
March 7th froze on the spot.
Himeko looked at Caelus in surprise, her full lips parting slightly.
"W-wait a second." March blinked and snapped back to herself. "How about we sit down first and talk?"
Caelus shook his head.
"Why? Did something happen?... You can't tell me? Or is it because of me...? Uh, next time I'll take the hit for you instead!"
"It's my own reason."
"Why, though?... Didn't you have fun trailblazing and fighting alongside us before? You also said you were really interested in the Astral Express, right?"
"I never said that."
"W-was it really like that...?"
March tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her face drooping with disappointment.
Himeko stepped forward. The high slit of her long dress shifted apart slightly, revealing her slender, elegant legs. The curled ends of her brilliant crimson hair floated gently in the air for an instant.
"Caelus... are you really leaving?"
"..."
Caelus fell silent for a moment.
Not far away, Dan Heng stood at the front of the train with his arms folded, his gaze directed toward them from afar, but he offered no opinion.
Hearing the commotion, Welt Yang walked over, curious—
"...Uncle Yang, my junior is gone!" March complained a little as she looked at Caelus. "Honestly, Caelus, you got me all excited for nothing."
"..."
Welt looked at Caelus.
Indulging the girl's little fit, Caelus quietly said, "Sorry."
"Hmph..." March lifted her brows, her soft, slightly rising tone sounding almost like a pout. "I thought the two of us were going to become the best partners on the Trailblaze! Turns out I totally misjudged you!"
"People are complicated, March."
"...Huh?"
March tilted her head.
Seeing the expression on her face, Caelus explained:
"How should I put it..."
"Right."
"I'm not asking for much in life. All I want is to live with a calm heart. 'Trailblazing' and 'Elation' are the things I hate dealing with most, because all they do is bring me trouble... and Masked Fools... That's the kind of person I am. That's my philosophy in life."
"I don't want intense joy... nor, in its place, some profound emptiness... What I want is a life like a plant's—quiet, peaceful, uneventful. That's my goal."
Caelus let out a soft sigh.
Because—
He was not just the Trailblazer. He was also a transmigrator, one who had crossed over in his own body.
Anyone would panic, feel lost, or be ecstatic upon suddenly transmigrating.
But corporate drones didn't have feelings like that.
...At the time, he had been working overtime. He had just stepped out of a 24-hour convenience store carrying a bag of late-night snacks when he saw Herta's exquisite little puppet face.
[Don't stare at my puppet! Are your nostrils that pretty?]
Herta tilted her face up slightly and glared at him in displeasure.
Caelus had fallen silent.
I actually transmigrated into the Trailblazer?
What kind of joke is this? I quit the game over a year ago...
The dizzying map design in the Penacony version had made his head spin, so he dropped the game. Later, he heard that the Amphoreus version had a Greek-myth vibe and rehashed the kind of story Honkai Impact 3rd liked to tell, which interested him even less...
So now, he no longer had the advantage of knowing the familiar plot.
And Caelus was just an ordinary office worker.
He didn't like hassle. He didn't like traveling. He didn't like adventure. He didn't like socializing...
And of course, he wouldn't like trailblazing either.
...Anyway.
Honkai: Star Rail was a space comedy.
Which meant that even without me, it should still reach a happy ending, right?
"..."
"..."
Silence.
The silence on the station platform dragged on for a while. March 7th stared at Caelus for a moment, looking dazed.
Then she glanced left and right, glaring at Welt in dissatisfaction.
"Uncle Yang, I finally get a junior, and now he's gone—and why do you look kind of happy about it?"
"Do I...?" Welt pushed up his non-prescription glasses.
"You do!" March nodded emphatically, then shot Caelus a sharp look. "...Caelus, what are you actually trying to say?!"
"What I mean is... I've never once thought trailblazing was fun."
"???"
March 7th stared at him with her mouth hanging open.
Seeing that—
Caelus withdrew the statement.
"I'm kidding... I'm glad I got to know all of you. It's just... I've chosen a peaceful life. I've decided to stay at Herta Space Station."
"Uh... with that serious look on your face, it didn't feel like a joke at all!"
March bit her lip, raised her brows, and put on a fierce little expression.
Himeko smiled at that.
Because of her heels, she was only a few centimeters shorter than Caelus. Her tall, graceful figure and the fair, delicate skin revealed at her chest made her beauty almost overwhelming. Standing close together, the contrast in their temperaments, clothing, and physiques made Himeko seem almost like a young foster mother...
Foster mother... no, Himeko's brows knit slightly.
"But as for Herta, and the space station..."
She did not oppose Caelus's choice. She was only worried, because Herta's bad temper was every bit as undeniable as her beauty.
Caelus turned his face slightly aside.
To avoid staring at Himeko's... impressive assets.
"Himeko... sis. Herta and Asta have already agreed."
"Hm...?"
Himeko paused in surprise, but quickly broke into a warm smile.
"I see... Then I respect your decision as well."
"Take good care of yourself, Caelus. We'll come back to visit you often."
"Hmph~" March lifted her fine brows and said with an adorably threatening look, "...If you miss me, send me a message!"
She turned away briskly, her steps light, her skirt swaying as her heeled ankle boots struck the floor with crisp little sounds.
Tap tap!
Caelus could not help but sigh inwardly. What a free-spirited girl...
"...Wait, wait, wait!"
"Hm?"
"I almost forgot! We still haven't taken a photo together!"
March came running back, slightly out of breath as she hurried to his side. She reached out and wrapped herself around one of his arms, almost pulling it into her chest.
"..."
Caelus looked at her in puzzlement.
It felt like his elbow had brushed against something soft...
"March..."
"Stand still! Don't move around!"
Her side profile was slightly flushed, perhaps from having run back so quickly. Caelus lowered his gaze and saw her soft pink hair resting against his shoulder, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance. March seemed to have no sense of personal distance at all; she rose slightly onto her toes, her body almost pressed shoulder-to-shoulder against his, and smiled brightly at the camera.
—Click.
Hummm...
The Astral Express's whistle sounded.
March 7th's pink bob swayed gently under the starlight as she held up her camera and waved from afar, smiling like a flower. Dan Heng and Welt both inclined their heads in farewell. Partings, like meetings, could come suddenly and with complete certainty...
Himeko looked at Caelus gently and said nothing more.
"..."
"..."
Caelus let out a quiet sigh.
For some reason, he felt a little lost.
A sentence echoed through his mind:
[When you have a chance to make a choice, don't let yourself regret it.]
"..."
"Of course I won't regret it..."
The moment the words left his mouth, a Herta puppet suddenly appeared beside him, tilting up its face imperiously.
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and come test it!"
"Beg me."
"Please, come test it."
"..."
...
Deep within the space station, in a secret chamber that no detector could ever find, was Herta's office.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Caelus offered the polite remark.
Herta immediately replied in a huffy tone, "Who was waiting for you? I've been busy the whole time. This body is a remotely controlled puppet I made. There are tons of them all over the station. Wherever I'm needed, I just switch over."
"That's really convenient. Can I have one of the puppets?"
"What do you think?"
"Uh... two?"
"..."
Herta shot Caelus a sidelong glance.
Her expression looked as though she had just drunk one of Yu Qingtu's cocktails—far too many flavors mixed together, leaving her utterly speechless.
"I'll stop beating around the bush, Caelus—I'm working on a major project with several colleagues. If we succeed, we may finally crack the ultimate question that has baffled us for thousands of Amber Eras: the mystery of the Aeons."
"'Aeons'—just think about it. What incredible beings they are! Some of them were once ordinary humans, just like you and me, and yet somehow they obtained power far beyond anything we can imagine! They are inscrutable, powerful, silent, terrifying! The mysteries surrounding them can't be explained in a few short words."
"How were they born? Why were they born? What were they born for?... Tell me—have you ever thought about questions like that?"
"I have." Caelus nodded. "The ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything: 42!"
"..."