'Isn't that... the Astral Express? Why's it only just crashing down now?'
Lucian looked at the streak of light tearing through the night sky and slightly raised an eyebrow as his gaze followed the brilliant trail stretching across the heavens.
'Shouldn't that thing have crashed a long time ago? How the heck did it end up crashing the birthday fireworks show I put together for Himeko?'
As Lucian was lost in thought, silently trying to make sense of the unexpected development, Himeko suddenly spoke up.
"What is that?"
Still immersed in the overwhelming spectacle of the meteor shower and the romance Lucian had carefully arranged for her, Himeko pointed toward the unusual beam of light cutting across the heavens and asked the question almost absentmindedly.
Her attention had already been captured by the countless stars and fireworks decorating the night sky, yet the strange object moving through the darkness was simply too conspicuous to ignore.
Lucian withdrew his gaze and once again put on that relaxed, carefree smile that seemed capable of making even the most extraordinary events feel completely natural.
"Your dream. I'm bringing you here so you can chase it."
Right after saying that, Lucian naturally reached for Himeko's hand again.
Feeling his hand, this time her fingertips merely trembled slightly, and she did not pull away as she had before. Instead, after a brief moment of hesitation, she subconsciously tightened her grip around his hand in return.
A faint smile appeared in Lucian's eyes at her reaction, and then, without saying another word, he gently led her forward.
In the next second, their figures blurred for an instant before vanishing completely from the enormous platform atop the giant tree, disappearing like a pair of shadows carried away by the night wind.
Following the trajectory of the Astral Express through the night sky, they crossed vast distances in mere moments.
Mountains, forests, and oceans flashed beneath them in an indistinct blur before they eventually arrived at a familiar stretch of coastline bathed in soft moonlight.
Not far away in the shallow coastal waters, a massive, ancient interstellar train covered in weathered scars rested half-stranded upon a sandbank in a rather pitiful state.
Several train cars were partially submerged beneath the sea, while relentless waves repeatedly crashed against their cold metallic hull. Rust-like discoloration and countless signs of age and wear marked its exterior, giving the legendary vessel the appearance of a relic that had been abandoned by time itself.
It could be said that the sight stood in complete contrast to the peaceful beach surrounding it.
Against the backdrop of the calm sea, the silver moonlight, and the quiet shoreline, the colossal train possessed an almost surreal sense of impact, as though a fragment of the cosmos had accidentally fallen into an ordinary world and remained there, waiting silently for someone to rediscover it.
"It's—"
"It's the Astral Express..."
Lucian interrupted and finished Himeko's words for her.
Hearing his words, her eyes widened before excitement surged through her so strongly that she could barely remain calm. Her breathing became noticeably quicker as she stared at the enormous train before her, unable to look away.
"You mean that Astral Express? Akivili's Astral Express?! How is it here?!"
Ever since she had met Lucian, one impossible miracle after another had appeared before her eyes.
Before, she had witnessed the Aeon of Trailblaze THEMSELF with her own eyes, and now she had found the legendary Astral Express.
At this moment, the dream she had pursued for so many years already felt half fulfilled, as the object she had searched for through countless records, theories, and stories was now standing right before her eyes rather than existing merely as a distant legend.
"Well, what I can say is... it was meant to be. You'll become a Trailblazer someday."
Lucian smiled before gently pulling Himeko along.
"C'mon. Let's go take a look inside. Tickets for this train aren't easy to get."
With that, the two stepped across the shallow seawater and made their way toward the stranded train. Small splashes followed in their wake as moonlit ripples spread across the water's surface.
Before long, they finally arrived before the tightly sealed hatch that had remained closed for who knew how many years.
Placing his palm against the cold metal surface, Lucian applied a small amount of force, and then...
*Click—*
Along with a sharp clicking sound, the locking mechanism seemed to shatter beneath an invisible force before the heavy hatch slowly slid open.
A gust of stale air immediately drifted out from within, carrying with it the faint scent of metal, dust, and age, while a deep corridor hidden in darkness gradually revealed itself before their eyes.
Unlike the bright, elegant, and cozy atmosphere Lucian remembered, the current interior of the Astral Express was silent and lifeless. Darkness filled every corner of the car, and only the occasional flicker of dormant indicator lights hinted that some systems still retained traces of power.
However, the moment Lucian and Himeko stepped inside, the windows lining both sides of the train car suddenly illuminated.
In an instant, the dark ocean beyond vanished, and in its place, countless magnificent and fantastical scenes began rushing past the windows at breathtaking speed.
A colossal interstellar fleet exchanged devastating fire amidst the stars as brilliant energy beams crisscrossed the void and explosions bloomed like artificial suns.
In a strange botanical world, gigantic luminous trees rose so high that they seemed to pierce the clouds themselves, their glowing branches stretching across the horizon like living constellations.
A prosperous, futuristic metropolis glowed with endless neon lights while streams of airborne vehicles filled the skies like rivers of flowing stars. Towering skyscrapers extended into the sky, and countless lights illuminated the city without ever yielding to darkness.
There were also exotic creatures unlike anything found on Himeko's planet, civilizations that defied imagination, mysterious worlds hidden within nebulae, and countless wonders that language itself seemed incapable of fully describing.
It could be said that the entire spectacle resembled an immense silent holographic film, displaying the vastness, beauty, and mystery of the cosmos directly before them.
"Ahh..."
Himeko stared in complete fascination.
Unable to restrain herself, she slowly raised a hand and reached toward the glass, attempting to touch those magnificent sights that appeared close enough to grasp, yet remained infinitely distant. Reflections of countless stars danced within her golden eyes as she silently watched the impossible scenery unfold before her.
All of these scenes were the very landscapes she had dreamed of seeing and the very destinations she had longed to visit ever since she first learned of the Astral Express and the legends of Trailblaze.
Every image passing before her seemed to awaken a deeper yearning within her heart, making it impossible for her to look away.
"If... If the Astral Express could be repaired... would it really be able to take us to all of those places?"
Completely immersed in the overwhelming sense of wonder, Himeko quietly murmured in a slight daze.
In fact, the moment that idea appeared in her mind, it took root deep within her heart and refused to leave. What had begun as simple curiosity quickly transformed into a powerful desire, one that continued to grow stronger with every passing second.
In the next instant, Himeko turned toward Lucian, her golden eyes burning with longing, anticipation, and hope. It was the gaze of someone standing before the threshold of a lifelong dream, desperately hoping to hear the answer she wanted most.
"You wanna fix it? Let's fix it then. You doing it, or me?"
Lucian met her gaze and smiled as he asked, the corners of his lips curling upward in amusement as he watched the excitement and longing burning brightly in her eyes.
"Can't we do it together?" Himeko immediately shot back before adding in a deliberately teasing tone, her expression becoming slightly playful. "Or are you saying you actually don't know how?"
"Don't know how?"
Lucian raised his brows, then raised a hand and casually snapped his fingers.
*Snap!*
As soon as the sharp snapping sound echoed through the car, countless white bandages burst forth from Lucian's body before flying through the air like living tentacles. They spread rapidly throughout the Astral Express, extending through every corridor and every car before wrapping themselves tightly around the entire train from end to end.
A soft yet continuous hum immediately echoed throughout the Astral Express.
A few moments later, the previously dim lights flickered to life one after another before gradually stabilizing into a warm and gentle glow.
Screens across countless control panels awakened from dormancy as streams of data began scrolling across their displays, while the dormant systems throughout the train started operating once more, and even the cold, stale air trapped inside the carriages slowly began to regain its warmth.
At the same time, visible changes spread throughout the Astral Express at a speed almost impossible to comprehend.
In mere seconds, the holes torn through its exterior began sealing themselves.
Broken electronic equipment repaired itself piece by piece.
Warped bearings and twisted mechanical structures straightened under the influence of an incomprehensible force until they became perfectly smooth once more.
Damaged pipelines reconnected themselves.
Shattered panels returned to their original forms.
Furniture and decorations scattered throughout the train returned to their original positions as though time itself had reversed.
Every damaged component, every worn section, and every malfunctioning system rapidly recovered. It was as if the entire Astral Express had been pulled backward through time and restored to the exact condition it had been in before disaster had ever struck it.
Clearly, the process was not merely one of repair, but restoration in the truest sense of the word.
As a result, the scars of time disappeared one after another, and the ancient train gradually recovered the splendor it had once possessed during its glory days.
"..."
For several long seconds, Himeko felt her brain simply stop functioning.
'What's going on?'
'Just like that? Fixed already?'
'I was just joking, but he actually repaired it?'
'And he repaired it by just snapping his fingers?'
Himeko had once believed she understood Lucian fairly well, given that they had spent two years together. Yet now she realized that what she knew might only represent a tiny fraction of who he truly was.
Every time she thought she had already witnessed the limit of his abilities, he would casually reveal something even more absurd, as though common sense simply did not apply to him.
At this point, she was beginning to seriously suspect that he might actually be some Aeon disguised as a human.
Before long, the ruined Astral Express had been completely restored.
All the train cars gleamed beneath the lights as though they had just rolled out of the factory. Every metallic surface reflected a pristine luster, while every piece of furniture remained intact and neatly arranged.
At this moment, the countless traces of age, damage, and neglect that had accumulated over the years had vanished completely, leaving not a single mark behind anywhere aboard the legendary train.
Needless to say, the Astral Express had truly returned.
"Anyway, to celebrate the Astral Express being restored..."
Lucian suddenly revealed the same smile he always wore whenever he was about to do something questionable.
"..."
Seeing that familiar expression, Himeko immediately felt a sense of anticipation.
"Let's call Akivili out for another chat."
Before Himeko could even process his words, Lucian had already activated Existence Anchor.
*WOOOOOO—!!!*
Just like before, the familiar train whistle capable of shaking the soul echoed across the sky once more.
A majestic starlight phantom gradually appeared in the sky above, illuminating the coastline with a sacred glow.
Just like that, Akivili's figure descended upon the world once more.
Compared to the previous appearances, however, Akivili's projection seemed slightly more solid this time and remained stable for noticeably longer.
Clearly, the restoration of the Astral Express had strengthened the connection between the Aeon of Trailblaze and THEIR creation.
Akivili lowered THEIR head and appeared to glance first at the restored Astral Express resting below, then at Lucian and Himeko standing side by side nearby. For the briefest moment, something resembling surprise seemed to flash beneath THEIR mask.
"I thought the Astral Express would crash after my death. To think it's still as good as new... what incredible luck..."
Akivili's voice sounded directly beside Lucian's and Himeko's ears.
No one else in the world could hear it.
"It just crashed. I just fixed it."
Lucian spoke with a casual shrug, as though restoring a legendary interstellar train was no more difficult than replacing a broken light bulb.
As soon as he finished speaking, however, Akivili's projection visibly flickered, signaling that the manifestation had clearly reached its limit.
Just as Akivili's projection began to fade away, Lucian immediately activated Existence Anchor once more, stacking it together with BGM in an attempt to squeeze a few more words out of the Aeon of Trailblaze before THEY vanished completely.
"Akivili, how exactly did you die back then?"
"...I cannot tell you."
At Lucian's question, the voice of the Aeon of Trailblaze returned once more, grand and ethereal, carrying both helplessness and an indescribable sense of mystery.
"You were able to repair my creation."
"You also possess a connection with Trailblaze."
"You can even allow me to briefly exist once more... that too is fate..."
"Inherit the will of Trailblaze. Board the Astral Express, young lovers."
"If we meet again in the future, I will give you a gift."
Having said everything THEY intended to say, Akivili vanished without the slightest hesitation.
As THEIR projection disappeared, the starlight faded, and THEIR voice fell silent.
Seeing Akivili vanish on THEIR own, Lucian did not activate Existence Anchor again this time, as there was nothing else left worth asking.
As a result, the beach soon fell silent once more, returning to its peaceful and tranquil state. Beneath the moonlit sky, only the sound of the rolling waves remained, along with Himeko, who had completely frozen in place.
'Y-Young lovers?!'
Himeko's entire body stiffened as she mulled over the words Akivili had spoken to her and Lucian.
A faint blush quickly spread across her cheeks before gradually creeping all the way to the tips of her ears, while her heartbeat quietly began to accelerate.
Almost instinctively, she tried to pull her hand free from Lucian's grasp, only to realize that he was still holding it firmly. Not only had he never let go, but somewhere along the way, amidst everything that had happened, she had unconsciously grown accustomed to the feeling of his hand holding hers.
As soon as she realized that, her heartbeat quickened even further.
Meanwhile, unlike the flustered Himeko, Lucian appeared completely indifferent, as though he had not heard the words 'young lovers' at all.
Just as Himeko was struggling to process everything that had happened tonight, from the meteor shower to the Astral Express, from repairing a legendary train with a snap of his fingers to casually summoning an Aeon for conversation, Lucian suddenly spoke.
"Well, the Aeon of Trailblaze told the young lovers to inherit the will of Trailblaze and board the Astral Express, but we're not lovers, so what are we supposed to do?"
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[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones]
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