Himeko led Stelle and the other two, temporarily parting ways with Gepard who stayed behind in Rivet Town, and successfully arrived at the old weapons testing ground.
Following the traces of footsteps, they quickly found where Svarog was.
"Mr. Svarog! Are you alright? Topaz and the company people didn't do anything to you, did they?"
March 7th stepped forward, her face full of concern.
"You've arrived, Nameless."
Svarog turned to look at them.
"System functions are all normal. I did not come into conflict with the company's emissary."
Stelle: "That's good. I thought we'd have to be opponents with you again."
"That would be the worst-case scenario."
Svarog gestured toward the dim space not far below.
"Topaz is just ahead. She could have used methods to force me to obey orders, but she did not do so."
"In her view, incorporating Belobog into the company is the only way of Preservation."
"Although I hold a different viewpoint, with my current computational power I cannot find evidence to refute it."
"Even though the probability is very low, I still hope that you can avoid a conflict situation."
"Very low probability…"
March 7th showed a worried expression.
"Even Mr. Svarog said that. Could it be that Topaz she—"
Stelle shrugged, her tone casual: "Not very low. We actually hold an information advantage. Our chances of winning are quite high."
Himeko smiled slightly and patted March 7th's shoulder.
"No need to panic, March. The Express crew never advocates for conflict, but once it reaches the point of drawing swords, we are never timid either."
"We've come all this way like this, haven't we?"
"Indeed!"
March 7th shook her head and regained her energy.
"Himeko is right. No matter what the outcome is, as long as we can have a clear conscience, that's enough!"
Svarog stepped aside and cleared the path.
In the center of the arena below, Topaz stood quietly.
Only when Himeko and the other two approached did she turn around leisurely, the corners of her lips curving into a bright smile.
"You finally found me~ I thought you wouldn't make it in time… Huh?"
Her gaze stopped on Himeko, and she looked somewhat surprised.
"The lady beside Miss March feels somewhat familiar."
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Topaz. I am Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express." Himeko extended her hand.
"Oh! I remember now!"
Topaz's eyes lit up slightly as she took Himeko's hand.
"You're the famous Lady Himeko! I have a few colleagues who admire you greatly. They dream of chatting with you for a bit."
Stelle tilted her head: "So Big Sister Himeko is that famous?"
Topaz smiled brilliantly: "Of course. The Nameless have quite a big reputation. After all, you follow the renowned Akivili."
However, there were some things she didn't say.
The company's rise to power was closely tied to the Trailblaze.
Without the Trailblaze breaking through the barriers of various worlds, laying down the silver rails, and leaving behind the interstellar routes still in use today.
It would have been extremely difficult for the company to develop to its current scale.
Himeko skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.
"Miss Topaz, judging from the tone of your greeting, you should be very clear about the current situation, right?"
"Of course~"
Topaz smiled lightly and snapped her fingers, saying meaningfully:
"The deadline has already passed, but Bronya still hasn't signed the contract. The resistance behind this—you can guess it with a little thought."
Himeko: "Please don't misunderstand. We have no intention of opposing the company and the board of directors."
"It's just that, coincidentally, Jarilo-VI has friends we cherish, as well as friends of friends."
"Doing and saying nothing, just watching them sign an unequal treaty with our own eyes—that is not the style of the Nameless."
"Um… Himeko, shouldn't we try negotiating with her? If we keep talking like this…"
March 7th lightly tugged on Himeko's clothes.
"No need to bother with that, March."
Himeko smiled faintly, her gaze profound as she looked at Topaz.
"She decided what she was going to do ten minutes ago."
Topaz clapped her hands with a brilliant smile. "As expected of the number one figure of the Express crew. Your insight is remarkable."
"Most of the time, differing positions don't mean who is right or wrong."
"But in order to push the work forward and avoid falling into a stalemate, there is often only one way…"
At this point, she suddenly stopped.
The atmosphere fell silent.
March 7th was confused: "Wh-What's wrong?"
Stelle narrowed her eyes slightly, waiting for what came next.
Topaz, however, suddenly took out her phone and glanced at it.
"Oh, the approval from above has passed." Topaz nodded with satisfaction.
"What approval?"
Stelle smelled the scent of conflict. Vigilance rose in her gaze as she readied herself for battle at any moment.
"It's simple—"
Topaz performed an elegant gesture and spoke solemnly.
"—The application requesting permission to launch a special attack on Astral Express members has been successfully approved!"
!!!
Stelle and March 7th instantly drew their weapons, their eyes sharp as they stared at Topaz, who had turned and begun pacing.
"The secret to smooth sailing in the workplace is to always be prepared to turn an unfavorable situation around."
Topaz remained unhurried. She hugged Numby, who had leapt into her arms, then tossed it upward.
"Go, Numby!"
Numby flew through the air and, using unknown means, summoned numerous company employees, instantly surrounding the three members of the Express crew.
The corners of Topaz's mouth lifted slightly as she declared with an air of having victory in her grasp—
"Projects under my responsibility allow for no mishaps!"
The prelude to entering battle appeared. The players had long been rubbing their hands together in anticipation, eager to try.
But no one expected that the screen shattering special effect would transition not into battle—
A giant dragon descended from the sky. Its vigorous body coiled and circled, enveloping the entire arena.
The dragon's roar was loud and clear, echoing throughout the space.
All the company employees were shocked to discover that the combat uniforms and mechs they relied on had simultaneously fallen into system paralysis, losing their combat capability.
Faced with the dragon's eyes, many people's legs went weak as they trembled, either collapsing or directly kneeling on the ground, unable to rise.
Topaz was fine. She faced the oppressive pressure of the dense draconic might without changing her expression.
She smiled and clapped.
"Impressive. As expected of the Astral Express—the power you possess far exceeds the company's intelligence."
"However, I just said that projects under my responsibility allow for no losses. So next, it should be my turn—"
As she spoke, a brilliant yellow jade stone appeared in Topaz's palm.
Just as she was about to activate her power, an anxious shout came from above the giant dragon's head.
"Stop!"
"Please stop, all of you! Everyone, please put down your weapons!"
Everyone looked up and saw Bronya appear above the dragon's head, then leap down.
And beside the massive dragon horn leaned a familiar figure.
Naturally, it was Leon.
He waved his hand toward the ground but did not come down.
Neither the giant dragon nor the oppressive feeling dissipated. The meaning was self-evident.
Seeing that Bronya had arrived, Topaz's movements paused.
"Miss Supreme Guardian, you finally appeared."
"I was just thinking—you wouldn't have just pushed the Express crew in front of me while hiding behind yourself waiting for the result, would you? That's not like you."