"Bro!"
The Astral Express had come to a stop on the vast grasslands. Stelle stepped off the train and waved toward the group lying in the grass.
Caelus sat up and waved back. The others soon followed.
"So that's the Savior who was supposed to appear in the original course of destiny?"
Phainon, a few blades of grass caught in his white hair, curiously looked toward Stelle as she ran over.
"Sunshine, you seem awfully interested in her. Looking for a little romance?"
"Hah. Coming from you, Mr. Pain. Doesn't lying shirtless in the grass hurt? Did Partner never teach you how to dress properly? And I'm technically your teacher's peer now, so what exactly are you supposed to call me?"
The two rivals immediately started bickering again.
Caelus watched them trade insults as usual, then thought for a moment.
"You know, I'm starting to think some of Castorice's fanfiction might actually have a point."
"No, Partner! My preferences are completely normal!"
"Teacher!"
Clearly, both of them knew exactly how wild a certain artist's fanfiction could get.
"Bro, you were incredible!" Stelle rushed over with a huge grin. "I can't even imagine what expression I'd make if I were standing in your place and trying to look that cool!"
When she had first come running over, Stelle's bright smile and energetic appearance had given her all the youthful charm of an ordinary student. That kind of lively presence might genuinely have made quite a few people's hearts skip a beat.
Then she opened her mouth and shattered the atmosphere completely.
"Right. This is Phainon, my friend. And this is Mydei. He's also my friend, though I suppose you could call him my student too."
"Nice to meet you! I'm Stelle, one of the Nameless."
"Welcome!" Phainon replied enthusiastically. "Partner told me about all of you. Traveling across the universe, seeing countless worlds, meeting all kinds of people, sometimes even stepping in to help those in trouble... that's exactly what I imagine a hero should be! Once Amphoreus has completely stabilized, would it be possible for me to travel with you for a while?"
His voice was filled with genuine admiration for the Nameless.
"Of course," Himeko said with a smile as she walked over behind Stelle. "The Astral Express welcomes anyone who wishes to join the journey."
Caelus remained seated in the grass as he looked at the members of the Astral Express. From now on, the script that fate had once laid out so rigidly would probably be overturned completely.
He had no idea whether he would even return to the main universe later to follow the original course of events.
"You all keep talking. Amphoreus will probably have a great deal to deal with next, and the Astral Express should be able to offer plenty of advice and assistance."
Caelus stood.
His part was finished.
Now he intended to rest properly for a while.
Later, Caelus and Cyrene lay together beneath a tree, enjoying the gentle breeze. Both had their eyes closed, feeling the wind against their faces, the warmth of each other's bodies, and the small world that, for this moment, belonged only to them.
"Partner, Amphoreus really is saved at last."
Cyrene broke the silence and opened her eyes.
"Mm. Every regret has been answered. Everyone is living beneath this sky now, beginning a new day and finally stepping into a real future."
Caelus reached out and pulled her into his arms.
"This time really did last an incredibly long time, Partner. You worked hard too. You went through all of that for me. I really made things difficult for you for a long time."
"All that time gave me plenty to think about too. At the very least, I think I've developed a little more compassion."
"Amphoreus is changing toward something similar to the unified era Caesar once ruled, though I imagine they'll place far more emphasis on technological development this time. After all, she still wants to conquer the stars overhead, and she even promised Hysilens an entire ocean world as her territory.
"Phainon wants to begin a real journey of his own, so he'll probably board the Astral Express eventually. But before that, he'll wait until Amphoreus has completely settled down.
"And Amphoreus is the center of attention across the entire universe now. Between the epic you compiled, that livestream, and the birth of the Path of Creation, plenty of people are already traveling here.
"It's nice, isn't it? Everything is moving toward a better tomorrow."
The two simply lay there together in the warm spring breeze, quietly enjoying each other's presence and the peace of the moment.
Outside Amphoreus, however, things could hardly have been more chaotic.
The Xianzhou Luofu was practically on the verge of internal turmoil. Large numbers of Genius Society members were already making their way toward Amphoreus. The IPC had held meeting after meeting because of what had happened here, and a certain lone wolf had even been assigned additional duties and was now hurrying toward Amphoreus to spend some time working off-site.
"Ah, overtime. More overtime."
The lone wolf, completely unaware that she had narrowly avoided her original death, could only lament her working life.
["Host! After all this time, you're finally going on another journey? I feel like I slept through an entire geological era!"]
The System's voice echoed through the train, full of emotion. Even it had never expected this mission to continue through so many cycles.
The rewards, however, had been extraordinary.
Its host had finally completed the last missing components of Life and filled in several incomplete aspects involving causality, reincarnation, and related authorities. He had even personally experienced seventh-rank authority through Creation.
At this point, as long as he did not unexpectedly die along the way, reaching the seventh rank should merely be a matter of time.
And once he reached the seventh rank, how far could the eighth possibly be?
The System was beginning to think it might set the record for the fastest graduation in history. Even systems that started out bound to immortals, saints, and similar beings probably could not raise their hosts to the eighth rank as quickly as this.
Of course, anyone who tried binding themselves to some absurdly powerful primordial being right from the start could hardly count.
That was not growth.
That was trying to skip the entire process and pass the exam with the answers already in hand.
A few examinations ago, someone had even tried binding directly to Pangu.
The incident was still famous enough to be used as a cautionary example. Trying to bribe the examiner during the exam itself was simply absurd.
The System's self-designed personality template was clearly a little too emotional.
["Host, you're really not going to rest a while longer before starting another mission?"]
"No need. I've rested enough. A good night's sleep was plenty. Besides, I'm completely out of points, so I need another mission."
["Fine... Searching... Target acquired."]
[World Jump commencing. Prepare for transit.]
Caelus raised his head and looked through the window toward the stars of the main universe.
When he returned next time, what kind of scenery would he see?
What kind of story would be waiting for him?
Light burst outward.
Everything turned pure white as the jump began, carrying him away from this universe.
Every journey eventually reaches its end.
The journey through Amphoreus had now come to a close.
A brand-new world was about to unfold before him, and another story was about to begin.
Caelus's journey across the infinite multiverse was setting out once again.
A new world.
A new story.
New people.
All of them were waiting somewhere in the distant unknown for Caelus to arrive.
(To be continued.)
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◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)