"Is this photo... you?"
Welt stared at Jiang Liang, the light flickering behind his glasses.
Upon seeing the photo March 7th sent, Welt's reason told him it was an alternate universe counterpart. His intuition, however, screamed it was the real deal.
'Alternate universe counterpart' referred to individuals in different spacetimes who bore extreme resemblance in appearance but had entirely different past experiences, names, and personalities. They shared nearly identical faces yet walked completely different life paths on their respective worldlines.
Himeko on the Express was like that. She had the same name, an almost identical face, that familiar name, that familiar red hair—even the curve of her eyes when she smiled was so similar.
When he first boarded the Astral Express, even after recognizing that the two Himekos weren't the same person, it still took Welt some time to completely separate them in his mind.
Welt knew better than anyone: she wasn't that Himeko. The red-haired woman from his memories had long since passed away. While this Express Navigator's smile was equally bright and her voice equally warm, her life trajectory, her choices, her very soul were entirely different from the departed.
Similar, yet absolutely not the same.
Perhaps one could catch glimpses of the past in her, but she could never be regarded as a substitute for the deceased.
Remembrance could be entrusted, but confusing reality with memory was disrespectful to both.
...Huh?
Wait a second.
Why did you say this person is Stelle?!
Alternate universe counterparts weren't exactly common, but they weren't that rare either. But are you telling me a new passenger who boarded just two days ago transformed into Kevin Kaslana?!
How could I be having such a dream?
At that moment, he first froze, then repeatedly rubbed his eyes to confirm he wasn't mistaken, before collapsing onto the sofa.
Soon, memories surged back like yesterday's tide.
Kevin Kaslana.
That name itself carried the weight of an era.
The watcher bearing the final hope of the Previous Era, leader of the Flame-Chasers. Humanity once firmly believed he would ultimately lead them across the Honkai. But when civilization burned to ashes, he chose to shoulder fifty thousand years of solitude alone, waiting in the darkness of the Sea of Quanta for a dawn that might never arrive.
After realizing their ideologies differed, he faced Kevin Kaslana—or rather, the lingering echo of that era's strongest human warrior—for the first time.
A battle fought with all his might, yet he couldn't even make his opponent take it seriously.
In the final moments, fragments of his consciousness were stored in a bubble universe, carrying his past, confusion, and hope, awaiting the arrival of the next successor.
Much later, Welt gradually pieced together the truths buried by time.
That man had woven a dream web covering the world, linking the dreams of everyone on Earth, making it the pillar supporting the world's continuation. As a price, those who couldn't or wouldn't move forward would lose their future forever, slumbering in a dream free of disaster and suffering, living out a peaceful life in the utopia created by the man.
When one person unilaterally makes a choice for all humanity, is he ultimately a hero or a tyrant?
He couldn't deny the sacrifices that man made to fight the Honkai, just as he couldn't deny Otto Apocalypse.
Some people simply shouldn't be categorized into clear-cut black and white.
But respect was respect. Welt sincerely hoped these guys would stay nicely tucked away in history books.
After all, no matter how noble the sacrifice, it couldn't withstand the involved party suddenly flipping open their coffin lid to say hello. What was needed then wasn't reverence, but a Herrscher Core at Zero-Rated Power, fully unleashed.
"It is."
Jiang Liang nodded. The photo was blurry, but the general scene was visible. He was right there, the core figure in the center.
He and Stelle had agreed before boarding: if anyone on the Express asked what happened, they would simply adapt the story of entering the Guardian Will's space in Belobog, just replacing the Guardian Will with a white-haired young man.
I really feel like I've been hypnotized by the Herrscher of Sentience... Welt sighed deeply, a bitter taste rising in his heart. "Never mind that... Could you... perform that again?"
Before Welt could finish, he saw the shoulder-length gray hair visibly draining of color, the strands turning frost-white as if instantly frozen by an arctic gale. It wasn't a color human hair should possess; it resembled more the protective camouflage evolved by some polar creature to adapt to its environment—each strand distinct, carrying an inorganic sharpness.
Most arresting were the eyes, which transformed into an icy blue. Not the blue of the sky, nor the blue of the ocean, but a purer color of ice itself, calmly reflecting the world yet devoid of personal emotion. Being watched by such eyes elicited a chill from the depths of one's heart, as if even thoughts were about to freeze solid.
The face, previously clearly identifiable as female, became androgynous in the blink of an eye. This handsomeness wasn't the warm, gentle type; it carried a coldness and sharpness that kept others at bay. The lips were thin, pressed tightly together without any curve, as if inherently lacking the function to express emotion.
Strangely, upon getting closer, an unusual coldness could be distinctly felt.
This wasn't a psychological illusion but coldness on a physical level, as if he himself were a mobile cold source, constantly radiating an all-freezing chill. Welt could even feel tiny goosebumps rising on his exposed skin—the body's most instinctive reaction to a sudden drop in temperature.
"I finished my shower! Uncle Yang, you guys aren't done chatting yet?"
The door to the other carriage opened. The moment March 7th pushed it open, the thermostat beeped an alarm. She subconsciously pulled her newly changed fluffy pajamas tighter. "Uncle Yang, why did you turn on the AC?"
"It's not on."
Welt felt like he was about to start breathing out visible puffs of air.
It's him! It's really him!
A similar appearance could be explained away, but the trait of lowering the surrounding temperature upon appearing confirmed it for him—this was exactly like Kevin.
"Kevin...?" Welt called out tentatively.
Jiang Liang remained motionless.
"Stelle?"
Only upon hearing this name did Jiang Liang give a slight nod.
Welt let out a long sigh of relief, his tense shoulders finally relaxing. March 7th stood by, completely bewildered, forgetting even to chew the bubblegum in her mouth.
"When I become like this... do I look a lot like your friend, Uncle Yang?" Jiang Liang asked.
He had actually started suspecting something when Welt mentioned the word 'Herrscher'. Now, the other party's extreme reaction confirmed his thoughts.
Welt Yang, Kevin Kaslana, and possibly himself... had all likely spent time in that world with Herrschers and Honkai Beasts.
Forget giving the system a five-star rating spread over five installments. If there was a complaint hotline, Jiang Liang would gladly call it ten times a day.
"If he were just a friend, I wouldn't be like this."
Welt regained his composure, sighing.
He was relieved that when he uttered the name 'Kevin,' the person sitting opposite him hadn't met his gaze with a slight nod.
Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of the black and white dual pistols that had appeared sometime at Jiang Liang's waist.
The black and white gun bodies flowed with gilded patterns, a crimson core pulsing faintly at the safety catch. They looked extremely familiar... Speaking of which, in March 7th's photo, he had seen 'Stelle' wielding a red greatsword. But because the photo was taken too hastily, he only vaguely found the greatsword familiar and subsequently focused his attention on 'Stelle', temporarily setting the greatsword aside.
Could it be...?
"What are those guns called?"
Suddenly, a terrifying thought occurred to him.
"Judgment of Shamash."
Jiang Liang took the dual pistols off his waist and placed them on the table.
Welt: "..."
March 7th: (°ロ°) ! (Summer!) [TN: March 7th often exclaims 'Summer!' (夏天!) in the CN version, likely a quirk or reference. Translating it literally might be confusing, so I kept it minimal here, indicating surprise/shock.]