[Dan Heng went to the data bank's search engine, casually pulled up a file and opened it. Various bug data spread out before everyone's eyes:]
["While browsing the data bank's 'Chronicles of Interdimensional Insects,' I read about a bug species that exists only in records—due to the lack of actual research samples, the author temporarily named it 'Giant True Sting.'"]
["This bug can grow to an extremely massive size—large enough to swallow an entire Star Destroyer whole."]
[Dan Heng suspected that the "Overlord" Argenti heard about was such a giant bug, and that they were all currently inside the bug's stomach.]
[This explanation also made Argenti think back to his earlier encounter with Velite. When they first met, they had been trapped in a dark, immensely huge cave with no way out. They had indeed heard sounds of swallowing and wriggling in that cave.]
["Yes. It just so happened that your flight path intersected with the Express's star rail. Perhaps what we're facing is the same 'Giant True Sting.'"]
[Dan Heng wanted to gather evidence to verify his guess when suddenly a sound like gastrointestinal peristalsis came from outside the Express, startling March 7th into silently hugging herself.]
["...Looks like no evidence is needed anymore." Dan Heng opened the door to the data bank room, "Let's go. We'll discuss countermeasures with Mr. Welt."]
——
Teyvat, Fontaine.
"Wait, a bug that can swallow an entire Star Destroyer?! Shouldn't something that huge require an army and manpower to jointly subjugate?"
During afternoon tea, Navia was spooning sugar into almond powder one scoop at a time, but upon hearing Dan Heng mention such a massive bug, her hand trembled in shock and she accidentally knocked over the nearby jar, dumping half its contents of sugar in.
From childhood, her parents had told her legends of the "giant beast" Elynas, said to be a monster larger than all of Fontaine Court. To subjugate it, Fontaine dispatched countless armies, and it could swallow Fontaine's ships in one gulp. Even today, from the walls of Fontaine Court, one could still faintly see its mountain-like head in the distance.
Elynas was one of the few giant beings Navia could imagine. The whisk in her hand trembled almost imperceptibly: "Then wouldn't this monster be even bigger than Elynas?"
"Probably more than that. You can't compare Fontaine's ironclad ships to a Star Destroyer."
Clorinde slowly stirred her black tea, the silver spoon clinking crisply against the porcelain cup, "As the name implies, a Star Destroyer is a weapon capable of annihilating an entire interstellar civilization. Just the size of the ship alone is likely larger than all of Fontaine's seas and land combined."
"If we really want to compare..." Clorinde picked up one of the macarons Navia had just baked, "In the eyes of the Giant True Sting, Elynas would probably be about the size of this macaron, right?"
"So why doesn't the Interastral Peace Corporation send people to eliminate that kind of monster? With the Corporation's power, killing such a bug should be doable, right?"
"Perhaps... it's just a low-probability event?" Clorinde gave her a meaningful glance, "You're the boss of Spina di Rosula. You should know how expensive deploying military force can be, right? Not to mention how rare Giant True Stings are—even if encountered, the manpower and resources required would be incalculable."
"Although those guys always spout 'Preservation' this and that, I don't think they'd be that kind-hearted."
——
[On the way back to the parlor car, March 7th felt the atmosphere was somewhat heavy. She glanced at Dan Heng and Argenti on either side: "So quiet... say something, you two?"]
["To meet all of you here, even if I, Argenti, were to die, I would have no regrets." Argenti immediately expressed his feelings.]
["...Never mind, better to stay quiet."]
[After explaining the whole situation to Welt, he analyzed it for a moment before coming up with a plan: "If the Express has truly been swallowed into its stomach... perhaps we can try temporarily overloading the Express engine to ram the bug's stomach wall, bursting out of the 'Giant True Sting's' body at ultra-high speed."]
["Why not just warp away directly?" Stelle asked, puzzled.]
["Warp requires extensive preparations, and the process would inevitably attract the Swarm's attention." Dan Heng explained.]
[Although this plan carried the risk of the Express engine catching fire, there seemed to be no better idea at the moment.]
——
Chainsaw Man.
"The Express's current situation... isn't it just like when we were trapped on the eighth floor by the Eternity Devil last time?"
Denji sat cross-legged on the sofa, watching Mr. Welt's suggestion on the celestial screen. He yawned: "This plan is way too boring, right? If it were me, I'd just call Blade over... I've even got the reason ready: tell him if he comes late, he won't get to finish me off himself."
"Hah? What does this have to do with Blade? Denji, you're such an idiot, huh?" Power poked her head out from the bedroom.
"Tsk tsk tsk... Power, you just don't get it! Have Blade jump straight into the True Sting's stomach, keep killing True Stings and spilling blood. The True Sting keeps infinitely reproducing, only to be killed by Blade again..."
"One can revive infinitely, one can multiply infinitely, but the True Sting's blood will just keep increasing nonstop! Perpetual motion achieved! Even the Genius Society would invite me to join!"
Power suddenly realized: "Denji, you talked for so long, but how does the Express crew get out?"
"You forgot about the True Sting's blood? Blood is just water turned red~"
Denji let out a creepy "hehe" laugh, "Have Dan Heng turn into Dragon Sovereign, use his orb to manipulate the blood into a dragon that smashes a hole in the bug's stomach wall—problem solved? The blood will just keep multiplying the more you hit, no need to worry about running out."
——
[Noticing the group's low spirits, Argenti decided to comfort them together with Stelle.]
[Coming over to Velite and March 7th's side, Velite was somewhat on the verge of breaking down. He was just a third-rate minor employee of the Corporation—this upheaval was simply an undeserved disaster for him.]
["Please, everyone, don't worry." Argenti stepped forward, "I am currently bidding my final farewell to this potted plant; just as with meeting all of you, being able to befriend the many lives on this Express, discussing the path of pure beauty with everyone—I too would die without regrets!"]
[March 7th instinctively moved a bit closer to Stelle beside her: "This guy's been hugging that potted plant the whole time... in such a short time, he's already formed a deep bond with it? Though I would worry about the dolls in my room too..."]
[Velite lowered his head dejectedly: "I never thought our first meeting with you all would also be our last goodbye. Sigh, looks like there's nothing I can do now. I'll just use my remaining time to listen to you all tell stories about the Express..."]
["Don't talk nonsense! What goodbye?!" Pom-Pom glared at Velite angrily, "But at this point, you've finally started to develop feelings for the Express. Pom-Pom is quite relieved, Pom."]