Sirin naturally didn't think her plan was dangerous in the slightest.
For one thing, she had no clue who owned that massive train, which in her eyes was already a "Super Plus Pro Max Edition Luxury Mobile Villa."
Obviously, without a doubt, she had failed to recognize Ling Ke's true identity upon seeing his gray-haired, golden-eyed figure.
On the other hand...
"So what if I run into a wall?"
"I am currently an expert at running... tactically retreating."
Ms. Pufferfish was incredibly confident.
She felt she could always escape successfully.
Even if there was danger, it would be danger for the opponent.
Therefore...
She made her move.
Whoosh~
A spark of golden-orange fire flashed, and Sirin immediately took advantage of the Astral Express's side door not being closed yet and quickly teleported inside.
And almost at the same time...
"Hmm?"
"Eh?"
Inside the Observation Car, a certain conductor who had been humming songs while cleaning, scrubbing the floor so hard it was almost reflective, tilted her head in confusion.
Meanwhile, Ling Ke had just entered the restaurant and was still waiting for his food to arrive when his gaze sharpened.
Then...
He grinned.
"How interesting."
"Is the world really that small?"
"Well, an occasional little diversion isn't a bad thing."
As he muttered this to himself, a look of genuine amusement flitted across his face.
This expression caused the already trembling shop owner to get even more nervous.
After all, the reputation of "Superhumans" had been quite poor lately.
Especially the one before him... who didn't seem to be someone who had signed "The Act."
A strange face never seen in news reports, with a massive train defying common sense by hovering in the sky outside...
No one knew if this "Superhuman" was law-abiding, or... eccentrically inclined, a random destructive force who didn't value the lives of ordinary people.
All one could say was, from another perspective, he wasn't wrong at all.
The man before him was indeed someone who placed the lowest value on human lives in this world.
But even if the shop owner didn't know or wasn't certain about that, he wasn't stupid.
He wasn't going to be like some fool in a movie, shouting blindly at someone when he knew he had no way to fight back.
Am I trying to get killed?
Right now... he only felt immense regret.
"I should have just kept the shop closed today."
With this thought, the shop owner hurried to the kitchen and told the head chef, who had also braved the snow to come to work, to hurry up. He told him to finish this last table's meal and then they could all go home, and he would quickly shut down the shop.
Of course, he wouldn't deduct a single cent from the wages he owed, as he was still a very honest boss.
But putting aside his inner turmoil and actions for a moment...
At this time, inside the Stellaron Train...
"!!!"
The moment Sirin teleported into the compartment area, Pam had already sensed her presence.
In this regard, Ling Ke's handmade Stellaron Train and this replica Train Master were slightly different from the original.
After all, the original Stellaron Train's security... was truly problematic.
Anyone could just show up uninvited, like it was a public restroom.
But on Ling Ke's side, his Stellaron Train, while retaining its original super-durability, had also been imbued with a number of ironclad "Rules."
For example...
"Thump!"
"???"
Sirin stood in the compartment, completely bewildered.
A moment ago, her "Shrink" ability had deactivated on its own.
Now, she couldn't draw on the Imaginary Energy stored in her body at all.
And right at that moment...
Click.
The side door sealed shut.
She had teleported inside through the gap before the door had fully closed. Now, she was a trapped bird in a cage.
"That guy..."
Sirin's brow furrowed.
It seemed the gray-haired, golden-eyed young man was no ordinary person.
She had never imagined that the luxurious aerial vehicle he had materialized using his Path Ability would have an internal "Anti-Energy Field" restriction.
This was...
"A total disaster."
Back in Snowy Town, Ling Ke's food had already been served.
He looked at the shop owner, who was acting as a temporary waiter, and saw the man's stiff, nervous posture. He offered a friendly smile.
This calmed the shop owner a little.
But just as he was about to turn away, he saw that strange, mischievous grin on Ling Ke's face, and his heart skipped a beat again.
Is this guy one of those people with an incredibly unstable mental state?
The shop owner's mind was clearly racing with a whole lot of internal monologue. He kept scaring himself. Now, he was more determined than ever to close up early.
Meanwhile, inside the Astral Express...
Click.
A mechanical sound echoed. The door connecting the Observation Car to the isolation compartment swung open, opened by Pom-Pom.
Sirin had already rushed to the side door and was desperately twisting the handle, trying to escape. The abrupt noise behind her startled her.
But when she saw that the one standing on the other side of the door was actually a fluffy little creature wearing a conductor's uniform...
"..."
Come to think of it, Sirin had never shown this side of herself to anyone before.
Though she had once slaughtered tens of millions of people without hesitation, she also had the heart of a young girl.
"It seems a lot of the 'main characters' in this world have similar 'contrasts' in their personalities."
Ling Ke, who had been watching the situation unfold, commented to himself while leisurely eating his meal.
Indeed.
In Sirin's imagined peaceful daily life and beautiful future, she spent nearly eighty percent of her time clutching a fluffy Homu plushie in her arms.
Now, with this hidden side of her personality, she saw Pom-Pom...
"..."
Sirin's gaze darted back and forth between the side door handle and Pom-Pom several times.
Honestly, she didn't even know what she was hesitating about.
Just then, Pom-Pom spoke up.
"Uninvited guest, what is your purpose, pom?"
Wow, it can talk~
An impulse stirred within Sirin's heart.
As for what this impulse was...
It was probably similar to what Elysia had felt before?
Unfortunately...
"Huh?"
Pom-Pom, standing at the doorway, suddenly froze.
Pom-Pom received Ling Ke's remote command.
At first, a hint of surprise crossed Pom-Pom's face.
But very soon...
"Oh~ Understood, pom!"
Pom-Pom confirmed what Ling Ke wanted to do.
Then, in the very next instant...
"Uninvited guests have no right to leave freely, pom!"
Just as Pom-Pom said this, the little short hand waved...
Boing~
A bolt of Imaginary Energy struck Sirin.
And then... she was shrunk.
But this wasn't because she had activated her own awakened Path Ability.
Rather, she had been forcibly shrunk by Pom-Pom, the Conductor, to less than one-tenth of a normal person's height.
Just like... a figure.
Sirin was completely stunned.
A moment ago, because she couldn't even call upon Imaginary Energy, she had been completely unable to react and was easily handled by Pom-Pom.
And now, with her body forcibly shrunk, she never expected that this wouldn't even be the end of it.
Because, at that moment, her vision blurred, and the next thing she knew, she was inside... a golden birdcage.
Not far away, that mysterious creature said, "Heave-ho~" as it shut the door to the Observation Car, then waddled over on its short little legs.
In this bright and luxurious room, Sirin... along with the golden birdcage restricting her freedom, was placed on a platform near the observation window.
At this moment, if Sirin turned around, she could look through the observation window and see the snowy town outside.
Even the area she was in now had its merits.
It was warm and comfortable... especially compared to the outside world, and her past of sleeping rough in the elements, which made the difference even more obvious.
But how could she be in the mood to pay attention to any of this now?
She had been captured.
Just like that, simply and completely, without any chance to resist.
At this moment, a long-forgotten sense of fear sprouted in her heart.
Only now did she truly realize the fact:
A comfortable environment?
How could that be more important than being free and doing whatever she wanted?
Right now, she tried desperately to activate the Imaginary Energy within her body... but all her efforts were in vain.
Sirin's body began to tremble.
Old memories started to swirl in her mind.
Just then...
"You're wavering too."
A voice that hadn't been heard in a long time emerged in her mind.
"Kiana..."
Sirin's expression turned strained. "Are you going to mock me?"
"No."
The other voice sounded very calm. "I'm thinking of a way to escape."
She... Kiana's words slowed down as she replied, "Let's try to communicate with the owner here first."
"I know you're not good at this."
She observed the surroundings through Sirin's vision. "So, it's my turn."