"Hah!"
Startled, Tian An finally jolted awake, gasping sharply. She had dreamt of a place, a bridge suspended in the sky. She saw many people armed with weapons approaching her, but she couldn't move.
Yet, she saw someone she had never known before—a person who didn't exist in her past life, the games, or any story she knew.
That person stood amidst the crowd, shouting self-contradictory words at her....
"Thank goodness, you're finally awake!" Seeing Tian An's eyes flutter open, March 7th let out a long sigh of relief. She had been seriously considering whether artificial respiration was needed.
"I... Where am I..?" Tian An was still groggy. Just moments ago, she was definitely outside, crouching, when she encountered Kafka using Spirit Whisper on her.....
Wait, that's not right. If Kafka used Spirit Whisper on her, how can she still remember meeting her... and the eavesdropping and everything?
Could it be... someone is really watching from the shadows? No, that doesn't feel right either....
If only I could master the abilities this body possesses.
Ah, I'm so useless.
"How are you feeling? Do you remember who attacked you?" March 7th asked, a little hesitant.
Star pondered for a moment, discovering only a blank void in her mind, and could only shake her head.
Tian An followed suit, shaking her head as well. Better not derail the events of the script prematurely, she thought.
"Then, your name is?"
"Mm... Just call me Star," Star concluded after a moment's thought.
This Miss Star doesn't seem like the sharpest tool in the shed, does she?
"Hello, I am Dan Heng. This is March 7th. We are Nameless aboard the Trailblaze Express," Dan Heng stated calmly. "This space station is under attack by the Anti-Matter Legion. We were commissioned by Lead Researcher Asta to provide rescue."
Tian An stood quietly to the side, listening as the two indoctrinated (not really) the Little Stellaron Spirit with basic knowledge.
"And Asta is?" Star asked.
"Pink hair, petite, a very cute girl," Tian An chimed in, showing off her quick-draw answer skills.
I know this one!
"Huh? You seem pretty well-informed. Or did you already know?" March 7th sounded surprised; she didn't recall anyone mentioning Asta to Tian An.
"I... know everything," Tian An attempted to mimic a certain riddle-spinner's aloof expression, but failed. After all, this body wouldn't permit any trace of sorrow to surface.
"Uh... Never mind, we'll ask again when we get back. Seriously though, that girl has so little authority, even the staff don't know her name."
Uh... they aren't exactly staff.
"Then do you remember which department you're from?" March 7th triggered Non-Plot Dialogue.JPG.
What do you mean, plot or no plot?! This is the real world, not some game where people are puppets! They're flesh and blood! (Arms Akimbo.JPG)
(Okay, okay, I get it, sob sob...)
Unsurprisingly, Star shook her head again.
"Ah? You forgot your own department? You really have it rough. You go missing, and nobody even comes looking for you," March 7th looked at Star with sympathy.
Then you're pretty pitiful too. (Referring to Tian An herself)
"Stick close to us next time, okay, Big Sister Theresia!" March 7th deliberately emphasized the "Big Sister" part, her gaze fixed on Tian An.
"I understand, Little March." Tian An decided 'Little March' sounded nicer.
She spoke with a hint of apology, then obediently clasped her hands together, placing them neatly before her abdomen.
Honestly, March 7th seriously doubted whether this seemingly big-hearted "Big Sister" before her actually possessed any combat capability. If Tian An hadn't demonstrated her ability to create things before, March absolutely would not have let her leave the Express.
"Once we return to the safe zone, Theresia, you should take shelter in the rescue area with this young lady first. We, the Astral Express, will handle this trouble!" March 7th declared.
"Astral Express?" Star tilted her head, like a curious child encountering an unfamiliar word.
"Hm? You haven't seen it? The Express visits the space station from time to time," March 7th found this a bit strange.
"It's a wondrous train, possessing the power of Trailblaze, capable of traversing the sea of stars," Dan Heng added.
"Yep! Once we get back to the main control section, I'll point it out to you."
At this point, Tian An, who had been standing quietly, finally spoke up.
"I think I can help. After all, I could potentially save one more person." Hearing she was supposed to head back, Tian An felt a little reluctant, but recalling her current state of being completely powerless—lacking even the strength to truss a chicken—her voice grew softer.
"Sometimes, being too kind isn't a good thing!" March 7th felt an unconscious urge to reach out and pat the girl's head. She always felt that, at certain moments, Tian An possessed a unique, captivating charm.
"Alright, this isn't the time for idle chat. Let's gather our things and prepare to head back." Dan Heng interrupted the scene, which vaguely resembled an older sister gently chiding a younger one, pulling the conversation back to the present situation.
"Right... Oh, by the way, Miss, your name is?" Faced with Tian An's smile, which seemed almost like a playful pout, March 7th abandoned her line of questioning. She couldn't help it; the charm offensive was too powerful.
"Alright, you two, follow closely behind us, okay? Be very careful!" March 7th instructed again, this time with extra caution.
"Okay," the two replied in unison.
"You two head back together first. Arlan from the Security Department lost contact nearby. I need to go find him," Dan Heng said, straightening his clothes.
"Be careful then, okay?"
"Mm." Having given his instructions, Dan Heng walked off on his own.
"Hey, right! Grab that baseball bat over there," March 7th suddenly remembered, jogging over to pick it up. "The Legion's troopers are wandering all over the station. Having something for self-defense is better than nothing."
Behold, the ultimate cosmic artifact: the baseball bat!
"Hmm...." March 7th looked back and forth between Tian An and Star, debating who should receive the prized weapon.
"Here, for you," March 7th handed the bat to Tian An.
Huh? Me? Take the bat?
Tian An had fully expected March 7th to give the bat to Star, just like in the original game. She never thought it would be offered to her.
For Tian An, who hadn't touched any sports equipment in her past life for three hundred years (strike that), suddenly being asked to wield this... isn't this putting her on the spot?
"Give it to Miss Star, please. I think I might actually be stronger without a weapon," Tian An stated firmly.
"Stronger without a weapon? That's a strange thing to say." Though odd, since Tian An clearly didn't want it, March 7th naturally handed the baseball bat over to the multi-talented and naturally beautiful Miss Star.
I suspect you're indirectly praising yourself, the player, meow...
Author's Note:
Sometimes, you might notice what seems like dialogue between narrators. That's actually a manifestation of my own real-world mental state. I tend to think a lot, so I've incorporated that thought process into the main text.
Regarding the plot: Yes, the dialogue and plot points here differ somewhat from the original game, and much has been omitted. As you can probably tell, writing it exactly like the original wouldn't be very interesting—it would just be filler. It wouldn't be engaging for me to write, and readers wouldn't enjoy it either.