!!-EDITED 12/30/24 (Only have some slight adjustments and a few additions from the beginning and MAJOR changes from the last part to fit the current changes.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Honkai Star Rail and any of their characters. All belonged to their rightful owners - Hoyoverse.
+++====+++
When I saw Belobog for the first time, I was, well, completely surprised.
I never thought Belobog would be that large. Seeing as this Hellish climate, I thought it would be, you know, not so prosperous. It appeared I was wrong.
The city was pretty much alive. They had walls that surrounded the city in a circular way. They had bridges that connected to the city from the outside, and at the center of it was a large structure, which I assumed was where the Supreme Guardian was, though I could be wrong. From the view of the mountains, it didn't look one bit medieval; rather, it seemed to be like a steampunk era.
"Welcome to Belobog, the city of preservation," Gepard announced as we stepped onto the gate. It only took another twenty minutes to walk from the mountain view to where we were currently.
Tired and Cold were the only words I described walking down that steep fucking hill.
The first thing I noticed as I entered the city was that it was warmer. The chills from outside suddenly disappeared, and I felt as if the city had a heater.
Turning my head to the side, I noticed a rectangular metal box that had an orange glow to it.
Huh, a heater. Who knew?
When we got far enough, I was greeted by the sight of a train going down the steep road.
I stared at it, completely silent. They had trains but used poleaxes as weapons. Couldn't they use guns instead? I mean, it would be more effective than slashing people like you're in a backward society.
"What are you looking at, kid?"
"Uhm, nothing."
Maybe they had their reason, seeing that the world was in a frozen apocalyptic state. I wouldn't judge them for having low resources, so guns should be scarce.
"Hey, is it just me, or does it feel a little warmer here?"
"I feel it too," Stelle agreed with March with a smile.
"That's because you're in Belobog, the last bastion of humanity," Gepard replied, stopping for a moment as he turned to us.
"Last bastion... that means, you guys are the last humans left?" I asked, curious.
Gepard nodded. "Yes. It's a long story, but I'm gonna keep it short. Basically, seven hundred years ago, monsters from beyond the sky set the world ablaze. The land was turned to scorched earth, with raging infernos and billowing towers of smoke stretching beyond the horizon." Gepard paused for a moment. "...In the midst of the conflict, the eternal freeze descended without any warning. Suddenly, sweeping winds brought blizzards that buried the invading legion. Belobog was all that remained."
Wow, is he a storyteller or what? I wanted to ask what happened to the rest of the countries, but then I remembered Dan Heng saying that he only managed to find one source of civilization, which indirectly answered my question. They must have been eradicated.
"The steadfast Architect built the city. Under the protection of Qlipoth the Preservation, Belobog remains forever warm in the face of unrelenting cold," Gepard added with a bit of a dramatic tone at the end.
"He sure is saying some weird stuff," March whispered for only us to hear.
"A marked change of tone," Dan Heng noted with a nod. "It sounds like he's quoting from a historical record."
"I think you're on point from there" I agreed with him
"Come, let's continue onward," Gepard said as he led the way again.
We followed him closely as the onlookers started to notice us. However, they seemed more keen on seeing Gepard than us, which didn't bother me one bit. I took this moment to look around more at the city as much as I could. The city was, well, more developed than I expected it to be. You've got buildings that are quite more modern-looking. Basically, everything feels different here from the vibe. The strangest thing I saw was the large blue crystal located at the center of the city. I really wonder what's the point of that.
"We saw strange creatures outside the city," Dan Heng began. "They must have come from a tear in the corroded space. A fragmentum, am I correct?" He aimed that question at Gepard, who looked surprised.
"How do you—Oh right." He shook his head "Out there in the blizzard, there are still many threats, including the monster you saw. The Silvermane Guards are continuously engaged with the enemy, but I'm afraid that the situation is bleak. After your meeting with the Supreme Guardian, I would like to consult you on this matter since we're lacking intel." Gepard explained then stopped in his tracks as he turned around. "We're here."
"Here?" I stared as I lifted my face to meet a staircase that seemed like it was going straight up to heaven for how dang long it was from down here. Do they not have escalators here? Cause I don't feel like walking that damn high.
"This is Qlipoth Fort, the heart of Belobog and headquarters of the Architects," Gepard said.
"Qlipoth Fort?" Stelle asked, curiously.
"Yes, Qlipoth is the symbol of Preservation. Under his protection, the Architects managed to construct Belobog, thus protecting the spark of civilization from the Eternal Freeze. To show our reverence, we named this fortress after the Aeon itself," Gepard explained.
"So, what about your Supreme Guardian? Are they like your queen or king or something?" I asked.
"The Supreme Guardian's duty is to shelter the people from harm. They have watched over Belobog for generations," Gepard answered. "I've dispatched a message to the Supreme Guardian. Madam Cocolia will be aware of your arrival," He continued, his face turning serious as he added, "Alright, now come with me. I'll bring all of you to see Madam Cocolia. Please have your words ready. Her time is precious, so she prefers concise communication."
The rest of us nodded, and I raised a follow-up question.
"Do we really have to take the stairs?"
Sadly, all I got was an empty stare. Rude.
+++=====++++
"Gah…Stars…so much…help"
"Geez, you're overreacting too much, Ethan," March said as we finally reached the top. Once there, I immediately collapsed to my knees and sank in a long breath.
"If only I could change to my lightning form, it would be so much faster." The battle earlier did so much to me. I was afraid that if I transformed again without any rest, I might suffer the consequences.
"Heh, looks who's slower now," March snickered as she tried to hold a laugh but failed.
I rolled my eyes. "Enjoy your victory while it lasts."
As we made our way inside, it was rather straightforward, as the Supreme Guardian's office was just about on the second floor, right above the stairs and over the large wooden door. As it opened, the first thing I saw was a silver, long-haired girl talking to the blonde lady over the long table.
My eyes snapped at the surroundings and to the side for just a second to see a pile of papers stacking up several meters past my height. I blinked. What the fuck?
Even from here, I could see some resemblance to my old job. It was scary, to be honest.
"But that's a meaningless sacrifice. How can you—" Those words came from the silver-haired girl but were cut short as the blonde-haired lady, whom I assumed to be Cocolia, spoke.
"Ahem, you may leave, Bronya. Visitors have arrived."
The silver-haired girl, Bronya, stood there, appearing to hesitate. "Yes, Mother."
I widened my eyes a bit. Eh? Parental issues this early?
The silver-haired girl turned around sharply. The moment I looked at her, her gaze instantly went to mine. Somehow, that stare was enough to send slight shivers down my spine.
Geez, scary. I felt like she was not happy to see us, given her furrowed brows and the obvious angry look on her face.
"Madam Guardian, I have brought the four outsiders to see you," Gepard formally announced.
"The messenger informed me. Well done, Gepard. You may leave," Cocolia replied curtly.
Gepard nodded and turned to us. "Once again, please be precise with your words." With that, he took off.
"Welcome, visitors from beyond the Eternal Freeze. Or perhaps, should I say, from beyond the sky?... No?" Cocolia smiled as she welcomed us before introducing herself. "I am Cocolia Rand, Belobog's Supreme Guardian. I would be grateful if you could tell me why you have come here."
"To save your planet du—OW!" I felt a jab on my side as I glared at the suspect. What was that for?
"I'm surprised you were able to believe that easily—that we are not from this planet," Dan Heng said.
Cocolia chuckled. "I have seen things more… How can I say, strange. People from beyond the sky would barely surprise me anymore." She pointed her lean finger toward us. "Unless, do you wish me to doubt it? Or perhaps you're not that confident in that identity of yourself?"
"Uhm," March tried to speak.
"But no matter, I hold no doubts about your words. I can see that you are not from this world."
"I see. Then that won't complicate things much further," Dan Heng said.
"Of course." She smiled, laughing a bit. "Now, would you please tell me what's your purpose here?" She placed her hands on the table as she leaned her body and peered at us more closely like she was inspecting us one by one as she awaited our answer.
"We're here to discuss the Eternal Freeze and the cause of it. It appears to be caused by a Stellaron," Dan Heng replied calmly.
"A Stellaron?" Cocolia placed a hand under her chin, appearing to be interested.
"Objects that fell from the blue on separate worlds. Their appearance spelled disaster and has caused many planets to suffer because of their effects," Dan Heng explained.
"I see. Tell me, does this Stellaron of yours have something to do with the invasion?"
"Indeed," Dan Heng nodded. "You could say it is the product of their invasion."
"Which is why the Antimatter Legion and the Stellaron often show up together," March added. "Worlds seeded with Stellaron give birth to fragmentum, and the Eternal Freeze is the aftermath unique to the environment of your world."
Cocolia didn't respond immediately. Rather, her expression was one of consideration. She seemed to take our words very seriously while I just remained silent, not bothering to talk. I'd rather let them take the role of negotiator.
"Your analysis of our current circumstances is clear, I suppose," Cocolia said, crossing her arms. "We have indeed suffered the disaster you spoke of, some of which are vexatious to us even today… but a question remains." She paused, her eyes lowering onto us. "Why should you care?"
"Uhm," March was the first one to let out a voice. "You could say that we're kindhearted interstellar public servants. Yeah, that's what we are! Always lending a helping hand to any world affected by the Stellaron."
Cocolia, though, seemed unconvinced, judging from her stern expression. "Even still, if this Stellaron you speak of did bring about disaster, I fail to see its connection with you. I don't believe anyone would go to such lengths to help a world unrelated to them… unless there would be something to gain."
"Hey! You can't just—"
"March," Dan Heng cut her off with a stern look. March closed her mouth reluctantly while Dan Heng continued, "You're right, Supreme Guardian. Our reason for coming here is not purely selfless. If we don't seal the Stellaron, we cannot leave this planet."
"Please let us help you," Stelle finally spoke. Cocolia's gaze sharply turned to her, then redirected to me next. I just shrugged under her gaze.
"Yeah! FYI, we're pretty awesome," March said, smiling brightly.
"Then answer this: do you know how to seal a Stellaron?" Cocolia asked with seriousness.
"We have relevant means," Dan Heng replied without missing a beat.
"Does that assure me?"
"That depends. Do you believe if we tell you we have a lot of experience dealing with Stellaron?" Dan Heng asked back, resulting in a staring contest between the two.
"Hey, Stelle, do you have popcorn?" I whispered to her quietly. All I got was a confused look.
"Very well, I believe you." Well, that was rather easy, I thought, after expecting a rather more intense debate between them. It was disappointing, to say the least. "If our present situation is truly the result of this so-called Stellaron, then your arrival is the hope that Belobog has waited for seven hundred years. Thus, I am willing to assist in any way possible to help you locate this Stellaron you speak of."
"Thank you, Supreme Guardian," Dan Heng said, bowing his head lightly.
She nodded. "It's getting late, and you must all be tired from your walk. I will arrange for you to stay in our most comfortable hotel. Rest there and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow at noon, I will dispatch someone to escort you here, and we can discuss this urgent matter in greater detail."
"Really? Thank you!" March expressed her thanks in her usual way—bright and cheery.
"It should be me thanking you, visitors from the sky." Cocolia smiled. "I, too, need time. I will go over our records for anything that might be connected to the Stellaron."
"That would be much appreciated," Dan Heng nodded at her words.
"Well then, I hope you'll excuse me for not escorting you further."
We shared a look amongst ourselves before we began to turn around and walk away. Before that, I gave a short peek behind, to see Cocolia do the same. Something was odd about her. I couldn't help but shake off that feeling.
+++====+++
"Hey, Ethan. Something on your mind?" Stelle asked as we made our way downstairs. She leaned in close, "Are you sick?"
"Do I like I'm sick?" I asked back. She blinked and shrugged
"Maybe"
I shook my head. "It's just that I have an odd feeling about this." Something was awfully odd about that Supreme Guardian. This feeling hasn't been shaken off ever since I left the office.
"Maybe you're hungry?" Stelle tried to guess. I gave her a puzzled look. "I always feel strange when I'm hungry, especially in my tummy."
"I don't think hunger has anything to do with what I'm feeling right now," I gave her a flat look at her guess.
"Really?" Stelle asked, surprised. "Then what is it?"
"That I can't confirm," I shook my head, pursing my lips as I tried to gather my thoughts. "Possibly, it's like we're in some sort of a cage."
Stelle's head tilted slightly. "Cage?" She looked around. "But it's–"
"I didn't mean it literally," I shot her another deadpan look. I lifted my face to the sky and sighed. "Never mind, I'm probably just overthinking it"
"Maybe I can help?" She offered, which I declined relatively quickly.
"Thanks, but no. I can handle it just fine. Maybe a good nap will do."
She nodded, and soon we finally arrived at level ground. Gepard came to greet us below with his men beside him.
"I take it that everything went well?" He asked, smiling as if everything was in accordance with his expectations.
Dan Heng nodded. Apparently, no words were needed to be conveyed.
"It seems that the Supreme Guardian holds you in high regard. I have received orders that your movements are no longer restricted,"
"Does that mean we can go freely around the city?" March asked, not bothering to hide the clear excitement in her voice.
"Yes," Gepard affirmed.
"Yay! I knew she was a big shot! Definitely got that 'queen of the castle' vibe going on."
"Technically, she is," I pointed out.
"Yep, yep! Why don't you show us around, Gepard?" March suggested with a smile. It was like the battle we had before never happened, seeing her being so cozy with him like he was a friend. I guess that was one of her quirks.
Gepard laughed softly as he shook his head lightly. "I'm afraid I still have duties to attend to. I must return to my post. I do hope you enjoy your stay in Belobog."
"Aww, well, that's too bad."
I raised my hand. "Wait, before you go, got any good recommendations for food here?"
"There's plenty," Gepard replied, thinking it over. "But my favorite is Henz Eat and Dine. They serve the best hot tomato soup there."
"Tomato soup… not bad." I nodded, finding the idea of hot soup on a freezing planet to be the best choice.
"Oh, I have a question too! Can you recommend some sights? It's not that late, and we want to take a look around," March asked, cheerfully.
"Well, I'd say that the Golden Theater and the History Museum are both worth a look. However, you'd need a pass to get into the museum," Gepard suggested. "And if you enjoy music, you could head to Neverwinter Workshop. You can sometimes catch an outsider performance there. The artist is… well, you'll see."
Huh? What's that hesitation on the last bit?
"Do you know where we're staying?" Dan Heng took his turn to ask.
"I'd say you'd be staying at the Goethe Hotel, just right over there," he pointed in the direction of the place. I followed it and saw a rather large building in the distance. "Also, please avoid the alley that runs next to it. The one with Silvermane Guards stationed there. It started to be affected by corrosion recently, so it's been sealed off for the time being."
"A corrosion in the city? That's a rather grave situation," Dan Heng said in a low tone.
"Yes, we're mounting resistance as we speak," Gepard said "If you'll excuse me, I must leave now. I have some matters to attend to, and I hope all goes well for you."
"Thank you, Captain Gepard." I offered my thanks.
"Please, just call me Gepard."
+++====++++
The rest of the day flew much more smoothly. March and Stelle went sightseeing around the city, and Dan Heng went somewhere I didn't know. He seemed to be the type of guy to go alone, so I just let him be.
Me? Well, I found myself relaxing at the place Gepard suggested and ordered a hot tomato soup. Thankfully, before Gepard left, he gave us some Belobog money, or Shields, to be exact, for us to enjoy. We naturally split it amongst ourselves and went our separate ways afterward.
I leaned back against the chair comfortably and drank the soup I ordered slowly, just savoring the slightly sweet yet bitter taste. If only there was coffee, my life would be complete by now. All peaceful and undisturbed—
"Excuse me, can I sit here?" A voice broke through my trance as I shot an annoyed gaze and whoever tarnished my moment of tranquility. There, in front of me, stood a tall, blue-eyed beautiful woman with blond hair that had dark blue streaks and light blue tips at the ends. However, what she wore caught my attention the most. It was like I was seeing a rockstar; her attire screamed it.
"Uhm," I averted my eyes toward the other tables and saw the place was actually full. Huh, why didn't I notice that earlier?
"If you don't want me to, then–"
"I mean, no worries. I don't mind," I quickly said, interrupting her. I tried to act cool as if it didn't bother me. Actually, I lied. It did bother me a bit but it wasn't every day a beautiful girl asked to sit with you.
The blond woman smiled and sat on the opposite side of the table. "Thank you. I never thought I'd get a seat after seeing the place so full."
"No problem and I get what you mean." I shrugged dismissively, picked up my spoon, and delicately began sipping the soup I ordered. As I did so, I couldn't help but glance at her. In her hand was the food she had ordered—a piece of steaming bread.
"You're new around here?" the blond woman suddenly asked.
I raised a brow at her question "Pardon?"
"In this diner, are you new here?" She reworded her question.
"What makes you say that?" I asked back.
"Well, you've only ordered soup and nothing else," the woman chuckled.
I shot her a puzzled look "Why? Is that something bad?"
"Well, not necessarily bad, but it's quite uncommon," she replied, biting a small piece of the bread. She wore a bliss expression before continuing. "Mostly, people order something to go with the tomato soup, like this, for example. It's bread with a hot mango filling inside. It's pretty expensive, but it's worth every bite."
That explains the odd looks I'd been receiving, I thought, remembering the surprised look on the girl at the counter.
"Ah, that explains quite a lot."
"You must have the experience,"
"I suppose," I gave a sheepish smile.
"Ethan!"
"Eh?" I jumped after hearing a familiar voice. How did she–
I quickly looked around the place and there she was, Stelle. She wore a bright expression as her eyes locked onto mine. She didn't hesitate to go up to me.
Oh please god no.
"There you are!"
"Stelle? What are you doing here?" I asked, trying to maintain a friendly smile.
"Well, I got a bit hungry," she replied, rubbing her stomach. "Since I found out you were here, I came."
"..." It was a reason that I had no way of refuting.
"You two know each other?" the blond woman asked, pointing her bread between us.
"Something like that," I replied dismissively.
"Is she your girlfriend, perhaps?" The blond woman gave a teasing remark. If I was eating my soup at the moment, I would have splattered it on the table.
"Please, don't say such things," I grimaced. The thought of me and her? In a relationship? Nah, that will never happen. EVER. I don't even plan on having one anyway.
"Am I not your friend, Ethan?"
I looked at Stelle's hurt expression with a blank look. She can't be that innocent, can she? "Really?"
The woman's laugh tore my gaze away from Stelle and back to her.
"I can clearly see it," the woman said with an amused expression.
"See what?" I shot her a puzzled look. Instead, she avoided that question, by turning to Stelle.
"Anyways, why don't you have a seat, Stelle, am I correct?"
"Yes," Stelle nodded, sitting beside me, much to my annoyance. I scooched over to the side but she scooched right back at me.
"You have a beautiful name for a young and beautiful lady such as yourself"
"Thank you" Stelle's smile grew wider at that compliment. And is that a blush I saw in her cheeks?
"Ethan?" The blond woman placed her attention on me. "That's your name, correct?"
"Yes."
The blond woman smiled. "Great! We should have started the introductions earlier, but better late than never. Anyways, I'm Serval. Don't forget, okay?" She winked.
"Serval…" I mumbled her name. "Nice to meet you."
"What a gentleman you are, aren't you, Ethan?" She teased, much to my slight embarrassment. I felt like I was being treated like a little boy. Technically, she looked like she was older than me.
"Hmm, I'd love to chat a bit more honestly, but I have to get going." She chewed the last bit of her food before standing up. "If you have the time, please come visit me at the Neverwinter Workshop. I'm the owner there, and if you have any broken equipment, you can head over."
Huh, she's a workshop owner. Who knew? I thought. I expected her to be a singer of a band or something.
"Thank you for the offer," I gave her a grateful nod.
"No probs, but of course, if your reason for visiting is to see pretty ol' me, then you're always welcome." My cheeks heated up a bit after that, much to her amusement. "Well then, see you!"
I gave a short wave as she hurried out the door. Wait, did she just say she's from the Neverwinter Workshop? I remembered Gepard saying something about music—
Slurp…
I blinked, hearing the sound close by. At my side, I saw Stelle drinking my tomato soup much to my bafflement. Did she just steal my food? Right in front of me?
"Stelle," I began, my tone dropping significantly low.
She lifted her face to look at me with the spoon in her mouth "Yesh?" Yet, She showed no shame for what she had done or did she even realize it?
"That's my soup, correct?"
She nodded
"And that's my spoon?"
She nodded again.
"Why are you eating it?" I calmly asked her.
"I'm hungry," she answered as calmly as I had asked.
"...You do know that's my food?"
"Yes"
I gave her a silent look as she continued eating the soup without my permission. For a second, I wanted to pull that soup out of her hold but thinking it over. I didn't really have the heart to stop her, so I let her be.
Maybe I'll order another one?
+++===+++
"Stelle, what are you doing?" I asked her with an exasperated look. I never thought I'd ask that question to a person who literally dives into a trash can when they see one. Seriously, I often wondered what was wrong with her.
"There's something in it; I just have to reach it," said the gray-haired girl, her voice seeming stretched as if she were reaching for something far. Almost her entire upper body was inside the trash can.
"...." I just stared at the scene in silence. Even the onlookers started staring at us strangely and began mumbling amongst themselves. Damn it, Stelle.
Even if I tried pulling her, she would resist, and with my worm-like arms that had a strength of basically zero. I doubt I can pull her out successfully.
"There! I found it!" In a quick motion, she pulled her head right back up, and in her hand was…
"Seriously, all that for an iron scrap?" My brows twitched as I stared at what appeared to be a scrap of metal in her hand.
"Yes," she said without any hesitation. She seemed really happy with what she found, which lost me.
"..." I looked at her now dirty upper clothes, and together, there was a stench that was awfully noticeable right away, especially if she was very close to you. "You're gonna take a shower once we arrive at the hotel."
She blinked.
Without awaiting her answer, I grabbed her hand. "Come on, Dan Heng and March are waiting for us there."
Eh, why am I feeling something sticky on my hand? I thought, shuddering as a thought flashed through my mind. Please don't let it be it.
"Alright, but can I go for another trash can before we go?" Stelle requested with a pleading look.
"No." It was immediately denied.
"Pretty please?" She begged now using her eyes, puppy eyes if I recall that word correctly, at me. However, unlucky for her. It won't work.
"No." Denied again.
That went on for another gruesome minute until we finally arrived at the entrance of the Goethe hotel.
"Eww, what's that smell? Did you eat something bad, Ethan?" March said, pinching her nose, glaring at me like I was the suspect.
"Accusation without any evidence is a crime, March, though you're already a criminal, so there's that."
"Hey!"
"Anyway, it's not me, it's Stelle here—" I stopped mid-sentence, noticing she was no longer by my side. "Where—"
"She's over there," Dan Heng said, pointing.
I followed his gaze and, sure enough, found her inside a trash can. Again.
"..." I turned back to them. "Can you help me pull her out? Last time, it took me three minutes."
"Really?" Dan Heng gave me an unimpressed look.
"Hey don't blame me, I'm not physically monstrous as you guys are"
"What made you—You know, Fine, let's get on with it" It seemed Dan Heng wanted something more to say but held back.
With their help, it was much smoother and faster to pull Stelle by force to get her out of the trash can, much to her reluctance and resistance. She was like a cat who would do anything not to get into the bathtub. I even wondered what was going on in her mind and her obsession with trash cans.
"B-B-But—" She began, trying to look as pitiful as she could. Thankfully, I was immune to the effect or had greater resistance to it.
"I said no," I repeated for what? The tenth time?
Stelle wore a downcast expression as she hung her head low. She was starting to even whimper.
Seriously, why do I feel like I'm babysitting here?
"There, there, Stelle. Ethan can be a meanie sometimes, but it's normal," March tried to assure Stelle, who just kept silent, nodding along with March.
"...." I just ignored them and saw Dan Heng finishing up talking with the old man at the counter and coming to us.
"Here are our room keys, with the room numbers attached," he said, holding out a set of keys. "Each of us has an individual room, so get plenty of rest for tomorrow."
I nodded and grabbed one of the keys. 12B. My room. "Second floor?"
Dan Heng nodded.
"I bet the mattress here is gonna be so soft and cushiony, especially the pillows!" March's face lit up. "Oh, I've got an idea! Wanna have a pillow fight later? Huh? Huh? I bet they're stuffed with goose feathers!"
"I think I'm just gonna sleep," I replied.
March pouted. "Party pooper as always."
"I'm not—"
"Ethan, may I have a word with you for a moment?" Dan Heng interrupted. I stared at him, his face showing signs of seriousness. Actually, he is always serious, so I can't compare.
"Okay." I nodded and we went somewhere more private. "So what's up?"
"Earlier, at Qlipoth Fort, you were paying attention to the Supreme Guardian, weren't you" He got straight to the point with crossed arms.
"Sort of, yeah," I shrugged.
"Did you notice anything... strange?"
"Did you?"
"I am the one asking"
I paused, thinking it over. "Now that you mention it, something did feel off about her."
Dan Heng nodded. "I had the same feeling. It's like her eyes weren't on us but fixed on something else. Like we weren't the only ones in the room."
"Huh, I thought it was just me. Stelle mentioned feeling something too, but she blamed it on hunger," I said. "Do you think there could've been a hidden guard in the room? She's important enough to have one nearby, just in case."
"Could be," Dan Heng agreed. "Maybe I'm just being overly cautious. She did promise to help us, though. Let's just hope she keeps her word."
"Yeah, hopefully." I sighed, still mulling it over. But at least I had the watch if anything went sideways, so I wasn't completely defenseless.
"Alright, let's get some rest. We'll need our energy for the discussion tomorrow," Dan Heng said, lowering his arms.
"Hey, guys! Can you help?" March suddenly called out. "Stelle's going into the trash can again!"
Was it wrong to put her on a leash?
With everything on the way, each of us quickly entered our individual rooms after a small pep talk in the hallway. I quickly found my room, opened the door, and was about to close it when…
"Stelle, take a bath!" I heard March shouting from the other side.
"You can't make me!" It was followed by Stelle's rebellious response. I then heard something rattling and things crashing from the other room.
I shook my head, a faint smile tugging at my lips, and finally closed the door behind me.
The room was what you'd expect it to be, but a lot fancier. By the awfully large window, there was a table with two chairs. The room itself had a single heater just beside the bed to keep the person in the room as warm as possible, which I greatly appreciated.
What I did first was take a shower and still return to my original clothes, this time without the jacket. I doubt it stinks that much since I hadn't sweated since I arrived here.
I fell into the bed with a look of total tiredness and closed my eyes.
What will happen tomorrow? I don't care. I just needed sleep for the time being.
++++===++++
Waking up was not the best feeling. While the heat inside the room kept me warm most of the time, it was still cold when the moment was right, especially when I had to take a quick wash on my face.
After getting ready, I found the rest of the team in the hallway. What met me was the worried expressions on their faces. Stelle on the other hand was just as confused as I am. It appears we arrived on time.
"Let me guess, something happened?" I asked the two.
"There's a group of Silvermane Guards at the entrance…and I don't think they're here to say hi." Dan Heng filled me in on the info.
"Probably they're here to say good morning," I joked, though no one laughed at it.
"..."
"..."
"...."
"What, not the best time?"
"Maybe they're here to escort us?" Stelle guessed.
"If this is our escort, it's less friendly than I was expecting," March grumbled. " But I guess we'll have to find out. Here I was expecting everything to be bright and rainbows."
"I don't think that's gonna happen with you guys around."
"What's that supposed to mean?" March's eyes narrowed down at me. I just shrugged 'Protagonist luck' I wanted to say but kept it to myself.
"Enough. Let's go and meet them." Dan Heng's stern voice cut us off. "We won't know until we're down there and just in case, do prepare."
"It sounds like we're heading into battle" March joked
"That's what I'm referring to. "
As soon as we opened the door, we were greeted by several Silvermane Guards on standby. All seemed to be quite prepared, judging from their stance. The atmosphere was a lot more tense than I was expecting.
"Hey! Commander Bronya is waiting for you all down below. Hurry up and go see her. And no tricks," one of the Silvermane Guards announced without bothering to lower his voice.
"Sheesh, that was rude," I mumbled. We didn't have any choice but to oblige. It was better off that way than to straight-up brawl without reason.
Maybe this could be a misunderstanding that could be resolved peacefully. I hope that would be the case
"Are we in a lot of trouble?" March asked, worried. The guard said nothing in response.
We made our way downstairs and saw even more Silvermane Guards. Okay, this was starting to get suspicious. Just in case, I pulled back my sleeves to easily get hold of my watch in case something happened.
"Be ready for anything," Dan Heng whispered to us as we gave a resolute nod.
Just in front of the several Silvermane Guards, a familiar figure appeared. A young woman with long gray hair and matching gray eyes. She wore a dignified appearance like a princess in those stories I often heard about. A short white dress with blue and gold details only added to that appearance of her. She was none other than Bronya.
On her side was a short girl which I saw yesterday beside the statue talking to some kids. She had dark blue hair, with bright blue eyes that aligned well with her looks together with a pair of glasses. She was wearing some kind of uniform, white with gazes of blue on it which resembled the same color scheme of the Silvermane guards
What was more surprising was that four of the Silvermane Guards had rifles. Rifles! I thought guns were extinct here, but that didn't seem to be the case. Their guns resembled ones from WW1. Quite strange, really.
"Huh? It's you…you were there at the Fort…" March said with a surprised look.
"I am Bronya Rand, acting commander of the Silvermane Guards," Bronya introduced herself, raising her chest all high and mighty as she continued. "In the name of the Amber Lord in the highest, and under the order of Supreme Guardian Cocolia Rand, I hereby arrest the suspected infiltrators under the charge of plotting to incite rebellion. As an agent of the Supreme Guardian, I herewith temporarily strip you of your freedom of action and speech. When you are tried by the adjudication panel, you will be given an opportunity to defend yourselves against the accusations."
Can't say I'm surprised but still fuck that bitch.
"Don't we have something to say about this?" I asked her, calmly.
"I assure you, resistance will be futile," Bronya snapped at me.
What? I wasn't planning to resist!
Well…Partially.
Seeing her reaction, the chances have lowered in ending this peacefully. Here I thought I could enjoy going around the city.
Before I could say anything back, "W-Wait a minute! This isn't something we agreed on! She said we were gonna be escorted to discuss an urgent matter!" March spoke up, clearly distressed about the whole thing.
"This is an orchestrated betrayal, obviously," Dan Heng spoke up, his expression bitter.
"I couldn't agree more." I clicked my tongue, holding my watch in my hand, slowly turning the dial case, after seeing the guards behind us slowly begin to surround us.
March sighed. "Looks like we've been downgraded to accomplices…again. Seems like it's every third planet that this happens."
"So it happens a lot. Duly noted." This was gonna be problematic later on.
"That's because you always act without thinking… You never have a plan," Dan Heng told March.
"Hey, I'm improving, okay?! I'm coming up with a plan right now…aaaand—"
"It's the alley, isn't it?" I whispered, seeing her head pointed toward the alley ahead.
"Uhm, T-That's right. It's the alley, of course," she nodded with a smile. I somehow doubted she was actually thinking that.
"It's possible; we can use it as a way to lose them." Dan Heng concluded with a firm look. "Be ready to make an escape. We should do it now or never."
"Agreed. Your signal, Dan Heng,"
He nodded as he began."Three of a kind."
"Huh?" Stelle looked at Dan Heng with a puzzled look. I, too, was confused by that.
"It's an old Astral Express escape signal. Like the one you play in cards," March explained.
"Two pairs," Dan Heng began counting.
'Orion...'
[Lightning Elemental on standby, Ethan.]
"Hey, what are you whispering? Let's get going!" the Silvermane guard said with indignation.
"Sorry but I'm afraid, life is full of surprises." Before he could say anything back. It was time.
"Ace!"
"Elemental Form Lightning!" A blast of electricity surrounded me.
"What the-?!"
"AH!"
Stelle, March, and Dan Heng pulled out their weapons and began retaliating. I managed to push several away from the get-go. But knowing we were heavenly outnumbered, "Let's go!" I shouted as we made a run for it.
"They're getting away! Shoot them!" I saw two of the guards holding rifles begin aiming at us.
Not on my watch.
I shot two electricity bolts in their direction, not aiming at them but rather at the ground beneath them, causing them to falter and lower their guns.
"Hurry! We should go to that Fragmentum portal!" March shouted with urgency.
"You sure?"
"I agree with March. Go!" Dan Heng supported March's decision, so I nodded.
"Don't let them get away!" I heard gunshots rang out behind us.
Damn it.
"Go first! I'll hold them off!" I shouted. Afterall, with my lightform, speed wasn't the problem. I could outrun them in a blink of an eye.
"But Ethan–" Stelle tried to say something but I insisted
"Go!"
Eventually, she complied with a hesitant look and went together with March and Dan Heng.
I turned to face the soldiers that followed our tail. Betrayal was something I was not fond of. That bitch planned this out. I thought with an annoyed look.
However, one thing I didn't expect was multiple objects floating around me in a circle. Confusion took my rational thoughts as I stood still
What the–
Before I could react, the mini objects let out something akin to an energy blast.
Cold. It was the first thing I felt after being hit.
I gritted my teeth, feeling the numbness of the cold spreading throughout my body.
"There he is!"
"Apprehend him quickly!"
Seeing several guards now rushing closely at me. It seemed they were not aiming to kill, if they did, they should have shot me on the spot. Well, whatever that was their mistake of underestimating me that easily.
I could feel a surge of electricity down my palms. Without any ounce of hesitation, I released it all towards their direction.
"Wait!"
"Ahh!!"
I heard screams as the several bolts of electricity traveled at an insane speed that neither of them could react or dodge.
That should hold them off long enough. I thought after seeing them so disorganized now. I reverted back to my original form much to to surprise.
Eh? What happened?
And why do I feel tired for some reason? Seeing myself having a burnout that early was strange. That attack wasn't that large considering how much I put into it.
"Orion?" I asked my Ai. However,he didn't respond back which felt off.
I tried to adjust the watch's dial, but it wouldn't move. It felt stuck, almost like it was locked in place.
"Get him!"
I turned and saw the Silvermane guards starting to regroup themselves.
"Oh shit" I muttered under my breath. There was no time to waste. I ran toward where the others had gone.
In the distance, I finally saw the mini-portal. However, they weren't present beside it. It seemed that they got into it first and headed off without me.
When I got closer, a sharp pain suddenly hit my head. I froze as it grew worse, my vision blurring for a moment.
"What's going on?" I muttered, scared and confused. The pain spiked like something had exploded in my skull. At my side, I noticed a flashing light. It was my…. watch? The color it lit was purple.
Now, I was hella confused at what was going on.
"There he is! Shoot him!"
Seeing the Silvermane guards catching up with me. I had to swallow down my curiosity and set aside questions later as I headed right into the Fragmentum.