That day, the three little ones and Welt Yang were discussing the animation they had just watched.
March 7th excitedly announced to everyone, "『Magic Sword Divine Machine: Alahato』 was seriously so good! I really want to pilot a mech and slay demons!"
Stelle chimed in agreement: "Yeah, it was great. I just didn't quite get the episode with the Festival King."
Dan Heng explained from the side: "That was probably just a gag episode for fun."
"Uncle Yang, didn't you say there are tons more 『Magic Sword Divine Machine』 episodes? I want to watch more!"
Welt Yang spread his hands helplessly. "Mm… While I can reconstruct animation episodes with my own power, creating something from nothing is quite draining—it's not something I can do all at once. If you want to see another one, you'll probably have to wait a bit longer."
The next moment, he changed tack.
"But I did make a few short animated films based on real events from my homeland. I can show you those first to tide you over. Let me think—which one should I start with?"
How about the one with the Valkyries!
Everyone gathered in the parlor car and began watching an animation titled 『Durandal』.
Not long after.
March 7th started imitating lines from the short film. "I am time itself, the source of all-destroying power! My duty is to return every world to annihilation!"
Stelle nodded solemnly. "Such cool lines—I really want to say them once!"
"Yeah yeah—super badass!"
Dan Heng sighed helplessly. "Mr. Yang, your animation has turned the kids into the Annihilation Gang."
[Hahahaha—I couldn't hold it in.]
[Dan Heng calling them 'kids'—Teacher Dan Heng is especially humorous today.]
[Dan Heng's daily struggle to keep it together.]
—
Hearing this, Welt Yang gave a small smile, disagreeing. "Hahaha—you can't pin the blame for failed education on animation."
[Some parents—see that?]
[Yeah, back then so many parents started reporting anime for corrupting kids' minds.]
[That year—I remember it was the darkest year for us 2D fans!]
[Countless anime got pulled—even Pleasant Goat took a hit.]
Suddenly the camera panned to Shut Up the robot.
March 7th glanced at Shut Up. "Speaking of which—doesn't anyone else think that golden-haired character's voice sounds exactly like Shut Up?"
At that moment, everyone turned strange looks toward Shut Up.
"Please don't look at me like that, dear Nameless guests. I swear by Akivili—I'm completely different from that person in the animation!"
[Otto everywhere—Old Yang really lives life to the fullest.]
[Good thing it's Shut Up. Old Yang boarded the train together with Akivilli's Vault anyway.]
—
Another peaceful day arrived.
Dan Heng was reading, March 7th was disturbing Dan Heng's reading.
Stelle, as always, was reliably wandering around the car.
"Hm? Where's my trash? Have any of you seen my trash?" Stelle looked left and right. "I just put it right here—such a big pile of trash—where did it go? Who took it!"
[Ahahaha—as expected of Stelle.]
[So spirited!]
[Stelle baby is so cute~]
"It wasn't me—I'm reading." Dan Heng replied without looking up.
"It wasn't me—I'm disturbing Dan Heng's reading." March 7th declared righteously.
But the next moment, March 7th realized. "Wait—why were you even putting trash in the viewing car?"
"Sigh…" Stelle let out a heavy breath. "I scoured every trash can on the space station to collect this pile of cans—I was just about to play stack 'em up…"
Just then.
A meow reached everyone's ears.
"Meow~"
The irresistibly cute Cake Cat appeared in front of March 7th.
"Huh? How did this little space guy end up on the train? Come here—let Big Sis March give you a hug~"
[Looks like I can't hide my identity anymore—I'm actually a Cake Cat.]
[This idiot—can't even tell reality from fiction? I'm the real one!]
—
"Meow~ burp~"
Cake Cat's body puffed up once, then let out a loud burp toward Stelle.
Stelle sniffed the air. "It was definitely this one that ate my cans—its burp even smells like cans! Spit them out!"
[Hahaha—March 7th's CPU is overheating.]
[Am I the only one who thinks Cake Cat is super cute? Why no merch yet?]
[Seriously, MiHoYo—do you even know how to make money?]
March 7th was shocked. "You can tell just from that?"
Dan Heng kept reading. "It probably got mixed in with the cans when you brought them back. We should send it home sometime."
"Send it back? No way! It ate my cans—it has to pay the price!" Stelle gave an absolutely pure smile. "Hehehe~ Since it loves trash so much, let it help with chores too! Trash buffet all you can eat!"
March 7th quickly stepped forward to stop her. "Hey, why pick on a little trash cake? Just let it go back."
"How do you know it doesn't want to help us with chores? Let me ask its opinion~" Stelle cleared her throat lightly. "Little guy—are you willing to help us with chores? If yes, say meow meow. If no, say 『I fish and gather firewood with you on the riverbank, companion to fish and shrimp, friend to deer; we ride a single leaf boat, raising our cups to each other.』"
Cake Cat blinked. "Meow meow meow?"
Stelle gave a thumbs-up. "See? It agreed."
"You're really using all your brain cells on this kind of thing…" Dan Heng helplessly closed his eyes.
[This Stelle is seriously dog-tier!]
[Too scummy—way too scummy. Let me educate her.]
[Dan Heng closing his eyes at the end—that's his last shred of stubbornness.]
[Fist poet!]
However, the real terror was descending upon the train.
This week—Stelle was chore captain!
—
The next day, in the parlor car.
March 7th stood with hands on hips, smug as could be. "No dynasty lasts forever in esports. When you used dirty tricks to win in Super Trailblazer Kids, did you ever imagine this lady would make a comeback?
Uncle Yang is a 10-year veteran gamer. As his prized disciple, taking care of a little punk like you is child's play for me. Hehe—prepare to taste defeat."
Welt Yang quickly tried to advise her. "March, I also taught you—don't get arrogant, don't underestimate your opponent."
March 7th nodded solemnly. "Master Yang, your disciple will remember your teachings!"
Seeing March 7th's confidence, Stelle prepared to call in a substitute!
It's you—Silver Wolf!
—
After a lightning-fast match with zero entertainment value, Stelle secured a crushing victory.
After losing, March 7th furrowed her brow, looking aggrieved as she turned to Welt Yang. "Something's wrong—something's off! Uncle Yang, did she cheat? How did she get so strong all of a sudden!"
At that moment.
Silver Wolf's projection suddenly appeared before everyone. "I didn't cheat!"
Stelle looked surprised. "Eh? Why is Silver Wolf here?"
"Hey—you just popped out on your own!"
Welt Yang instantly pieced it together, tone stern. "Hiring a substitute, Stelle? Esports is about fairness and integrity—cheating is unacceptable. You need to reflect on this."
Silver Wolf, ignored, said indignantly. "I said I didn't cheat!"
"Colluding with a Galaxy Ranger to bully sweet, innocent Little March—too mean." March 7th puffed her cheeks.
Silver Wolf tossed her head smugly. "Come hit me through the net cable~"
[Damn it—why bully Little March.]
[Right—this Silver Wolf needs to be taken away and properly disciplined.]
[Silver Wolf says no cheating? So is she actually good at games or not?]
[Good or not—I don't know. But the type who rages and then starts hacking when she loses.]
[Wait—Old Yang isn't shocked to see Silver Wolf?]
[He was shocked the first time she appeared—stared at her for half an hour.]
[Hahaha—I'm dying.]
—
Dan Heng furrowed his brow. "Stelle, you're late. We agreed to morning training together, but you're a full system hour behind."
Clearly, Dan Heng and March 7th had been waiting for Stelle for quite a while.
March 7th said helplessly. "Yesterday when we made the bet, you were pounding your chest promising you'd definitely wake up on time this morning."
Stelle put on an innocent face. "Actually—my memory got stolen."
March 7th looked utterly exasperated. "Then relax—tomorrow morning I'll kick your door down and remind you hard! Hmph—no matter the excuse, since you're late, you have to honor yesterday's bet and treat us to breakfast with your Express Fund."
[Details—how hard!]
[Could it be the same!]
[Don't cut this segment!]
[If you guys don't love this part, MiHoYo will definitely cut it.]
—
Stelle waved her hand. "How about this—if I don't wake up tomorrow, double the penalty."
Hearing this, March 7th's mouth fell open. "Such determination…"
Dan Heng shook his head. "Compared to the bet, I'd rather we all stick to the morning training plan together."
[Teacher Dan Heng still loves his companions as always.]
[Because he lost them once—he treasures them all the more now.]
[Dan Heng: There are five of us—and we'll always be together!]
—
After dinner, the Express's unofficial group gathered in one of the cars for a secret meeting.
March 7th made a shushing gesture at Stelle. "Shh! Keep it down—don't let the conductor hear. We're picking out a thank-you gift for him."
Stelle scratched her head. "Why the sudden gift?"
Welt Yang explained. "All this time, Pom-Pom has quietly handled every little thing in our daily lives without complaint—but we've never properly thanked him."
Himeko nodded. "Yes. Sometimes we realize—even after spending so much time together—we still don't know each other well enough. We discussed it for a while and found no one really knows what the conductor would like as a gift."
"Hehe—so we decided to brainstorm and figure out the perfect gift~" March 7th's face was full of smiles as she spoke.
Dan Heng spoke first. "Stelle—any ideas?"
Stelle thought carefully. "I think we should just wrap me up and give me to Pom-Pom. That way I won't have to do chores anymore."
"This passenger—you wish, Pom! Get to your chores obediently, Pom!"
In a corner no one noticed, Pom-Pom had actually been standing beside the unofficial group for quite a while.
They just hadn't noticed at all.
[They seriously never saw Pom-Pom the whole time?]
[Hahaha—I'm dying.]
[23333333!]
[A whole group whispering loudly!]
[Look at Pom-Pom staring up at them with that dazed expression—I can't hold it!]
[I was holding it together until you said that—had to rewind and almost lost it again.]
—
Late at night.
The three little ones all ended up in the parlor car at the same time.
March 7th yawned. "You couldn't sleep either?"
Dan Heng nodded, then looked at Stelle. "You couldn't sleep either?"
"I couldn't sleep either."
March 7th sighed. "Shouldn't have played games before bed! My heart's still racing!"
Stelle spread her hands. "I slept too much during the day… can't fall asleep now…"
[As expected of the Trailblazer who could sleep until the Great Way extinguishes.]
[So you sleep all day and stay up at night—normal, right?]
[You think you can measure Stelle by normal-person standards?]
[For some reason, every time I watch Stelle go full abstract, I just want to laugh.]
[Probably listened to White Night too many times.]
[This window, this night view…]
[Damn Penacony is still chasing me!]
March 7th looked at Dan Heng. "Dan Heng—why are you up too?"
"Last week Stelle messed with the train's day-night cycle system just so she could sleep in, right? Ever since then, my biological clock hasn't recovered."
[Hahaha—I'm dying.]
[Teacher Dan Heng looks so helpless.]
[Wait—Stelle's that ridiculous? She even dares mess with that system?]
[Now I'm more curious—how has Stelle even survived this long?]
[Probably because the Stellaron core is extra durable!]
"Sigh…" March 7th sighed again. "If we sleep in tomorrow, Pom-Pom's really going to get mad… Any good ways to fall asleep?"
Stelle nodded thoughtfully. "I heard the Cloud Knights deal with insomnia by sparring until one side collapses from exhaustion and the other gets knocked out."
Dan Heng suddenly fed her the perfect setup. "I've never heard of that."
March 7th quickly tried to dissuade. "Let's think of something less violent!"
Stelle propped her chin with one hand, thought for a moment. "You think listening to dad jokes would have a cryo-sleep pod effect? How about we go chat with Shut Up!"
"Yay!" March 7th happily gave a thumbs-up. "Yay! And grab some midnight snacks while we're at it—genius idea!"
Dan Heng watched the two getting more and more energetic the longer they talked. "You two… aren't planning to sleep at all, are you?"
The next moment, seeing their burning eyes, he helplessly shook his head. "Fine… let's go."
[Everyone staying up all night together!]
[Dan Heng still spoils his companions as always.]
[Because he lost them once—he treasures them even more now!]
[Good on you, Teacher Dan Heng—after being alone in the Shackling Prison for so long, you finally have companions worth entrusting yourself to.]
[Dan Heng—just keep spoiling them!]