Afterward, Kouga gathered the defeated Vagrants and tied them together with a nearby length of rope. Before dragging them away, he summoned a Recover Capsem to heal their broken bones and injuries, ensuring none of them would die from the beating they had received.
The miners watched him with frightened expressions. After witnessing how effortlessly he had defeated the gang, they couldn't help but feel intimidated by the young man.
Seele walked over to the group of miners.
Miner Leader: "Seele! Thank goodness you came. We were nearly..."
Seele: "Nothing but a few knuckleheads. I'm just glad you're okay. Antonia, have you seen Chief Oleg?"
Antonia: "Oleg? He took a group into the inner section. Said it was to clear off the invading robots."
Antonia: "They've been gone for a while now. Hmph, if Wildfire was around, those thugs wouldn't have dared."
Seele folded her arms, her expression growing serious.
Seele: "Seems like the core of this problem is Svarog's robots..."
Caelus looked at Seele before speaking.
Caelus: "We need to talk about this "boss...""
Seele: "The boss... He appeared suddenly after the Guards were redeployed, and became a major player in the Underworld."
Seele: "Svarog claims to be a guardian of humanity - all the ownerless robots obey his commands. They've occupied the Furnace Core hub, and they're not letting anyone get close."
Seele: "Nobody knows why Svarog did any of this... He usually doesn't leave the Furnace Core and interfere unless some kind of disorder breaks out in the Underworld."
Bronya frowned as she processed the information.
Bronya: "...A "guardian of humanity" that can... command robots? I've never heard of anything like..."
Seele gave Bronya a smug look.
Seele: "Hmph, looks like your mighty Architects weren't as all-knowing as you thought."
March 7th sighed, rubbing her temples.
March 7th: "Can you two say anything without quarreling? This isn't the time! It sounds like there's danger waiting for us in the inner section, can we still get through?"
Caelus answered without hesitation.
Caelus: "I want to meet Svarog and his minions."
Seele nodded.
Seele: "Right, there's unfinished business here - the chief is still down there. It's only a bunch of scrap metal. What are we afraid of?"
March 7th grinned proudly.
March 7th: "Ohh- Is Seele starting to appreciate our strength? Hmm?"
Seele shrugged with a blunt expression.
Seele: "I'll be honest, you guys are hardworking. But to be fair, I've only seen him doing most of the work."
She pointed over at Kouga.
The group turned to see him effortlessly hauling the tightly bound Vagrants over one shoulder as if they weighed nothing. The criminals could only groan in defeat while Kouga carried them toward a sturdy support beam, where he promptly hung the entire bundle from a thick metal hook, leaving them dangling helplessly in the air.
Seele's matter-of-fact reply caused March 7th's smug smile to disappear, replacing it with an exaggerated pout.
Ignoring March's reaction, Seele turned back to Antonia.
Seele: "Antonia, can you take the mining team back through the entrance to meet up with Natasha?"
Antonia: "Sure thing, but be careful! There are a lot of robots up ahead!"
The group continued deeper into the mine, their footsteps echoing through the dimly lit tunnels. The deeper they ventured, the colder and quieter the surroundings became.
Before long, they came to an abrupt halt.
A large obstacle completely blocked the path ahead.
Bronya: "Is this the right way? It looks like there's a roadblock up ahead."
Seele narrowed her eyes.
Seele: "...I'll be the judge of that. Come on, let's take a closer look."
The group walked closer and discovered that the tunnel had been blocked by a derailed mine cart. Its frame was twisted beyond recognition, its wheels broken, and debris had spilled across the narrow passage.
March scratched her head.
March 7th: "It's completely blocked by the mine cart... What do we do? Can we blow it up?"
Before anyone else could answer, Seele immediately stopped her.
Seele: "Easy! It belongs to the mining team. We can't just destroy it. We should try and fix it."
March blinked.
March 7th: "Easier said than done... Do you know how?"
Seele confidently walked over to inspect the damaged cart.
Seele: "Yeah, of course, every Underworlder worth their salt knows how to fix a mine cart. Let me see..."
She crouched beside the wreckage, carefully examining the broken components before letting out an annoyed sigh.
Seele: "...Hmm. Even the pin connecting the body to the chassis is broken, not to mention the rear wheelset bearing. This looks like the work of Svarog's minions."
Standing back up, she looked around the tunnel.
Seele: "Come on, we passed a lot of discarded mine carts on the way over, let's see if there are any components we can recycle."
She clicked her tongue impatiently.
Seele: "We need to find spare parts we can use nearby. Argh, we're wasting time..."
Kouga quietly raised a hand.
Kouga: "I'll fix it."
Everyone turned toward him.
Without another word, Kouga summoned a Recover Capsem from a burst of light.
He gently placed the Can on the damaged mine cart.
A soft emerald glow spread across the twisted metal. Bent steel straightened, fractured beams fused together, cracked wheels reformed, and shattered bolts returned to their proper places as if time itself had reversed.
Within seconds, the battered mine cart had been completely restored to pristine condition.
Silence fell over the tunnel.
Seele stared at the perfectly repaired cart before slowly turning toward Kouga.
Seele: "Danm ! What can't you do ?"
Kouga answered with his usual calm expression.
Kouga: "Haven't figure that out yet."
March let out a small whistle while Bronya simply blinked, still trying to understand what she had just witnessed.
With the cart restored, the group worked together to push it off the tracks. The heavy vehicle rolled aside with a loud rumble, reopening the passage deeper into the mine.
Seele looked ahead, her expression becoming serious once more.
Seele: "The robots will have seized the road ahead by now. We should go carefully."
The group proceeded with caution.
Not long after, a massive mechanical figure emerged from the darkness.
Standing nearly twice the height of a human, the robot's bulky frame was reinforced with thick armor plating. Its left arm had been replaced with a vicious-looking industrial chainsaw, the rotating teeth growling loudly as crimson optics locked onto the intruders.
March immediately jumped behind Dan Heng.
March 7th: "Whoa! Stop! Ah! Stop, stop, stop! There's a big evil hunk of metal right there!"
Seele instantly recognized the machine.
Seele: "That model... it's one of Svarog's lapdogs alright."
She spun her scythe into a ready stance.
Seele: "Don't be afraid, I've dealt with those robots before. Let's go!"
Kouga stepped forward, preparing to end the fight in a single blow.
Before he could move, Caelus quickly held out an arm.
Caelus: "Uhm, mr Hayata , maybe you should sit this one out, i mean at least let us do something."
Kouga looked at the young Trailblazer for a brief moment before giving a small nod.
Kouga: "Make it quick."
Almost instantly, the group sprang into action.
Dan Heng summoned his jade spear in a flash of light, taking point alongside Seele and Caelus. March 7th materialized her crystalline bow while Bronya's rifle appeared in her hands, ready to provide covering fire.
The robot roared to life and charged.
Seele vanished into a blur of violet light, weaving effortlessly around the spinning chainsaw before carving deep gashes across the machine's joints with her scythe.
At the same time, Dan Heng dashed in with disciplined precision. His spear thrusts struck the robot's weak points one after another, forcing the massive machine backward.
Caelus rushed in from the front, gripping his baseball bat tightly. With a powerful swing, he slammed it into the robot's torso, staggering the construct and creating another opening.
From the rear, March released a volley of icy arrows that froze the robot's legs, slowing its movements.
Bronya calmly analyzed the battlefield before opening a spatial rift behind the machine. Precise bursts from her rifle struck exposed mechanical components, perfectly supporting her teammates and disrupting the robot's attacks.
Pinned down from every direction, the automaton struggled to recover.
Seele appeared directly above it.
With one clean slash, she severed the robot's chainsaw arm.
Dan Heng immediately followed with a powerful thrust that pierced its core.
Finally, Caelus leaped into the air and brought his bat crashing down onto the exposed reactor.
BOOM!
The robot erupted in a shower of sparks before collapsing to the ground with a deafening metallic crash.
The battle had lasted less than a minute.
Kouga watched the entire fight with his arms folded, giving a small nod of approval.
Continuing onward, the group eventually reached a ledge overlooking the enormous ore vein running through the heart of the mine.
Golden Geomarrow crystals stretched as far as the eye could see, their warm glow illuminating the cavern like an underground sea of stars.
Bronya unconsciously slowed her pace, captivated by the breathtaking sight.
Bronya: "Seeing it up close... this vein's even more spectacular."
Seele gazed at the seemingly endless Geomarrow deposits with a complicated expression.
Seele: "I doubt the underground will ever see it fully excavated..."
Bronya remained silent.
The group continued deeper into the mine, following the winding tracks that stretched through the glowing Geomarrow veins. The further they descended, the more the silence settled over the cavern, broken only by the distant hum of machinery and the occasional drip of water echoing through the tunnels.
Kouga suddenly slowed his pace.
His enhanced hearing picked up voices from far ahead, while his sharpened eyesight pierced through the darkness of the cavern long before the others could make out anything.
Beyond a large Geomarrow vein stood a young white-haired girl dressed in red, accompanied by a towering mechanical giant and several combat robots standing silently at attention.
The girl gently rested a hand on one of the glowing crystals.
The Girl: "This vein... So this is what everyone is fighting over...."
She looked up at the massive robot beside her.
The Girl: "Mr. Svarog, it's such a massive vein. I've never seen so much Geomarrow before..."
The giant machine's optical sensor glowed.
Svarog: "Calculating... Based on the average rate of excavation, this vein is enough to supply Belobog with 231 days of energy, with a margin of error of 7 days."
After a brief pause, he turned toward the girl.
Svarog: "I sense that your reason for summoning me is not the ore in question. State your true intention, Clara."
The girl lowered her head.
Clara: "...Right. I wanted Mr. Svarog to see that many miners and vagrants have gotten hurt because of the vein... Can you help them?"
Svarog processed her request for only a fraction of a second.
Svarog: "I have already prevented the dispute and taken temporary control of the excavation zone. Evaluation result: In the event of no further variables, there will be no large-scale armed conflict within the next 30 days."
Clara clasped her hands together.
Clara: "I know why you did it, Mr. Svarog! It's just... I don't think it'll be enough."
She looked around at the abandoned mining site.
Clara: "The mining team and Wildfire... they don't understand your actions... If only we could do more for them..."
Svarog remained motionless.
Svarog: "My mission is the protection of the Underworld. The trust of the minority sample is redundant to my calculations."
His mechanical voice remained devoid of emotion.
Svarog: "Human behavior will always deviate from rational calculation, Clara..."
His single eye shifted toward the tunnel behind them.
Svarog: "As evidenced by their presence here."
At that very moment, Seele and the others stepped out from the tunnel entrance.
Seele immediately recognized the giant robot.
She gripped her scythe tightly.
Seele: "Svarog! We haven't settled our final score."
Svarog turned to face her.
Svarog: "Seele, subordinate to Wildfire... Your resistance is futile. The result of my calculation is unequivocal: Remaining in the Underworld is the optimal strategy for survival."
Seele rolled her eyes in frustration.
Seele: "sigh This again... Calculation results, survival strategies... I haven't got time for your thesis. Withdraw your forces, or I'll lose my temper!"
Svarog didn't react.
Instead, he addressed Clara.
Svarog: "Observe, Clara. Even under abject conditions, humans are unable to avoid division and conflict."
Clara looked between the two sides anxiously.
Clara: "But, Mr. Svarog..."
Svarog ignored her plea.
Svarog: "Human failure to accept the calculation result is a significant threat to the survival strategy of the Underworld. Calculation complete, result unequivocal: Armed suppression of Wildfire and their allies is the optimal course of action."
The giant robot raised one arm.
Immediately, dozens of dormant robots hidden throughout the cavern powered on.
Red optics flared to life.
Metal footsteps echoed throughout the mine as one machine after another marched from behind pillars, tunnels, and abandoned equipment.
Within seconds, the group found themselves completely surrounded.
Caelus instinctively tightened his grip on his bat.
Caelus: "His robots don't seem too friendly..."
March pointed toward Clara in alarm.
March 7th: "Ah! What about the girl in red? That robot is gonna take her away!"
Svarog turned away from the group.
Svarog: "We must leave, Clara. External variables have triggered a calculation reset. The Furnace Core hub requires protection."
Clara looked worriedly at the Trailblazers before softly speaking to one of the larger robots.
Clara: "...Please, Mills, don't hit them too hard."
With that, Clara followed Svarog as the giant machine slowly disappeared into another tunnel, escorted by several elite automatons.
Only the army of robots remained.
The group immediately drew their weapons.
Dan Heng lowered his spear into a ready stance.
March summoned her crystalline bow.
Bronya loaded her rifle.
Caelus rested his bat over one shoulder.
Seele twirled her scythe.
Seele: "sigh I was getting bored of those minions — time for a real fight. Come at me!"
The robots raised their weapons.
Their chainsaws began spinning.
Cannons charged.
Mechanical limbs tensed—
Then...
Every single robot suddenly froze.
The crimson glow in their optical sensors flickered violently.
BZZZT!!
Red electrical currents raced across their bodies.
One after another, the machines lowered their weapons.
Some even shut down completely.
The entire robotic army became perfectly motionless.
The silence was deafening.
Seele blinked.
Bronya lowered her rifle.
Dan Heng narrowed his eyes.
March slowly looked around.
Caelus stared in confusion.
A strange electronic distortion echoed through the cavern.
Caelus turned around.
Standing several meters behind the group was an armored Rider clad in black armor.
It was Kamen Rider Ark-Zero.
The digital corruption flowing from his outstretched hand gradually faded.
Realization struck Caelus.
Ark-Zero slowly turned his head.
Behind the mask, Kouga looked directly at Caelus.
Kouga: "What ?"
Caelus could only give an awkward sweat drop.
Caelus : "...Nothing."
With Svarog and Clara already gone, and the entire robotic army rendered harmless, the battle ended before it had even begun.
March cautiously approached one of the larger automatons and poked it with a finger.
The robot didn't move.
She looked impressed.
March 7th: "How many of these big guys is Svarog hiding?"
Seele crossed her arms.
Seele: "A lot... which is why Wildfire has never been able to take him down. Svarog's forces are too strong. We don't have enough firepower."
Caelus glanced toward the tunnel where Clara had disappeared.
Caelus: "That girl in red..."
Seele shrugged.
Seele: "Clara? Don't worry about her. That girl is best pals with Svarog — she's always following behind him. He wouldn't harm her."
She sighed quietly.
Seele: "I guess I'm just used to seeing them together now, even if I don't understand it. sigh Let's look for the chief."
Before anyone could move, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the mine.
Several miners emerged from another passage, carrying pickaxes and improvised weapons.
Leading them was an elderly man with neatly combed white hair, a full white beard, and a sturdy mechanical left arm.
He smiled the moment he spotted Seele.
Oleg: "No need to look far."
Seele immediately relaxed.
Seele: "Chief! Is everyone okay? Is anyone injured?"
Oleg laughed heartily.
Oleg: "We're fine — we're used to it at this point. We sent those pesky robots and ragtag troops packing. The mine should be quiet for a while."
His eyes shifted toward the unfamiliar faces.
Oleg: "And who are your friends here..."
Seele gestured toward the Astral Express crew.
Seele: "Ahh, them! They're outsiders that Sampo brought down from who-knows-where. They need a favor from Wildfire, so I brought them with me. It'll be faster if they explain."
Caelus stepped forward politely.
Caelus: "Pleased to meet you. We're here to make friends with Wildfire."
Oleg chuckled warmly.
Oleg: "Hah, it's been a while since I heard that anyone was pleased to meet anyone, haha. I won't forget you in a hurry. Wildfire welcomes you."
He folded his arms.
Oleg: "So, you went to all this trouble to find Wildfire. What help is it you need?"
Caelus, March, and Dan Heng took turns explaining everything that had happened since arriving on Jarilo-VI, from the Astral Express's mission to the Stellaron sealing the planet, all the way to their encounter with Cocolia.
When they finally finished, Seele gave an amused whistle.
Seele: "Ha! I didn't know you'd put on a show for the Overworld too. Impressive."
Oleg stroked his beard thoughtfully.
Oleg: "Ho-ho, well this is new. Wildfire can barely take care of the Underworld, and now outsiders are looking for assistance from us."
He frowned.
Oleg: "This "Stellaron" you speak of — I've never heard of it. But if it's a secret that even we locals don't know about, then one name does come to mind..."
Caelus immediately understood.
Caelus: "...Do you mean Cocolia?"
Oleg's expression darkened.
Oleg: "The current Supreme Guardian is a liar who uses sweet words to deceive the Underworld. She's never cared about our survival—"
Both Caelus and Kouga visibly winced.
Neither of them could deny Cocolia's crimes, but they also knew she was being manipulated by the Stellaron's influence rather than acting entirely of her own free will.
Before Oleg could continue—
Bronya stepped forward.
Her voice was calm, but firm.
Bronya: "Stop right there... I... won't allow you to insult the madam guardian."
The atmosphere immediately grew tense.
Oleg met Bronya's unwavering gaze.
Oleg: "Miss Overworld, my words may be painful to you, but every one of them is true. Go out into the towns and hear for yourself — see how the people here suffer."
Bronya remained silent.
Her fists slowly tightened.
After a long pause, Oleg sighed.
Oleg: "I haven't gotten close to voicing the extent of the Underworld's grievances, young lady. But I will respect your request. I will leave it at that, for now."
He returned to the matter at hand.
Oleg: "Let's get back to the main topic. The name that came to my mind, was Svarog."
March blinked.
March 7th: "Huh...!? Isn't Svarog Wildfire's sworn enemy?"
Dan Heng frowned.
Dan Heng: "Why would a mere robot in the Underworld have knowledge of important secrets?"
Oleg shook his head.
Oleg: "Sworn enemy? Not how I see it. The young master here is closer. Svarog is a cold and unfeeling machine. He recognizes only the dead reasoning of his calculations."
Oleg: "Svarog is not against Wildfire... or perhaps I should say: Wildfire isn't even of concern to him. That ancient robot witnessed the war..."
He looked toward the depths of the mine.
Oleg: "If you're looking to pick up a thread... he may well be your best source."
Caelus tilted his head.
Caelus: "Is he really that old? He looks pretty new."
March puffed out her chest.
March 7th: "Don't judge a book by its cover. I myself have put a few centuries behind me. Would you be able to tell?"
Dan Heng answered without missing a beat.
Dan Heng: "I'm familiar with over twenty long-life species — none of them look like you."
Kouga gave a small shrug.
Kouga: "To be fair, had seen a fair share of immortal being that look like they're 20 years old or younger."
March grinned triumphantly.
March 7th: "See."
Oleg chuckled.
Oleg: "Robots don't forget. If Svarog hasn't heard of your Stellaron, then I'm afraid perhaps no one has."
Dan Heng nodded thoughtfully.
Dan Heng: "In which case, we need to think of a way to convince Svarog to communicate with us."
March smiled mischievously.
March 7th: "Or get him to hand over his memory bank. We could go through it ourselves."
Dan Heng sighed.
Dan Heng: "What should we do..."
Oleg folded his mechanical arm across his chest.
Oleg: "We've tried repeatedly to negotiate with Svarog, but he rejects every effort. He believes that Wildfire is a threat. Still, if it were you guys..."
He paused in thought.
Oleg: "Hmm... It's difficult to say."
After another moment, he smiled.
Oleg: "...We have time. Let's get into the detail tomorrow. It's late, and you must've been through a lot. Go back to the town and rest. I'll make arrangements."
March groaned dramatically.
March 7th: "Again? I'm starting to get nervous of "arranged rest" on this planet..."
Oleg chuckled before turning toward Bronya.
Oleg: "As for our Silvermane girl here... do you have time? I'd like to talk with you in private."
With Oleg's instructions given, the tension that had filled the mine finally began to fade.
The Wildfire members started gathering their equipment, while the Astral Express crew prepared to return to Boulder Town. The miners also began heading back, relieved that the immediate danger had passed.
As everyone dispersed, Caelus noticed Bronya standing alone near the edge of the Geomarrow vein, her eyes fixed on the glowing crystals below.
He quietly walked over.
Caelus: "Hey Bronya."
Bronya didn't answer immediately. Her gaze remained on the endless sea of golden Geomarrow.
Bronya: "Wildfire, the vagrants, Svarog... The changes in here are greater than I ever imagined. sigh What exactly did the Underworld go through after the Silvermane Guards left?"
She lowered her head, lost in thought.
Caelus: "Bronya?"
Bronya blinked before turning toward him.
Bronya: "...Sorry, did you have something you wanted to say to me?"
Caelus smiled faintly.
Caelus: "Are you okay ?"
Bronya gave a small nod.
Bronya: "I'm fine, just thinking."
Caelus folded his arms.
Caelus: "What do you think Oleg wants to talk about?"
Bronya looked toward Oleg, who was speaking with several Wildfire members in the distance.
Bronya: "I think I know what it will concern. Even if Oleg wasn't looking for me, I would've looked for him."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
Bronya: "I'm certain that the residents of the underground will have a lot they need to vent about. And as a Silvermane Guard, I have a lot that I need to ascertain. Nothing more."
Caelus nodded before asking another question.
Caelus: "What do you think of this Boss Svarog?"
Bronya looked back toward the tunnel where the ancient robot had disappeared.
Bronya: "According to Oleg, he's a robot that took part in the War of Defense over seven hundred years ago. He possesses a near-human intelligence, and rules over all the machinery in the underground..."
She recalled the history she had studied.
Bronya: "During the War Against the Antimatter Legion, the Architects created astonishing mechanical soldiers, but the fight was so terrible that most were damaged or destroyed. The technology was lost."
After a brief silence, she quietly added,
Bronya: "...If what Oleg says is true, then Svarog is an Architect creation leftover from the Old Era."
Caelus scratched the back of his head.
Caelus: "That's all I have to ask."
He turned and began walking away.
Just as he had taken a few steps—
Bronya: "Hey... Thanks for your concern. You should head back to the town, and... I'll do the same when Oleg and I are finished."
Caelus looked back over his shoulder with a grin.
Without saying another word, he simply gave her a thumbs-up.
Bronya couldn't help but smile faintly in return.
Leaving Bronya to her conversation with Oleg, Caelus spotted Seele standing near the now-disabled robots.
She had one foot resting on the remains of a machine while staring thoughtfully at another.
As Caelus approached, he heard her quietly mutter to herself.
Seele: "What can't that guy do ?"
Caelus immediately knew who she was referring to.
After watching Kouga effortlessly repair the mine cart, disable an entire robot army without throwing a punch, and casually shrug it all off, even Seele couldn't help but wonder if there was anything beyond his abilities.
Hearing footsteps, Seele turned around.
Seele: "If you need my help with anything, just shout."
Caelus smiled.
Caelus: "So you finally believe us?"
Seele crossed her arms with her usual confident smirk.
Seele: "Hmph, it'll take more than that. But you're not as bad as I took you for. You walk the talk."
She glanced over toward Bronya, who was now speaking privately with Oleg.
Seele: "Oh, I wanted to ask you — that Bronya girl... Is she really a Silvermane Guard?"
Caelus: "Yes, she's their leader."
Seele raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Seele: "Oh? She heads up the force? Hm... Not bad."
Her expression softened slightly.
Seele: "It's just... I thought that Silvermane Guards were all cold and unfeeling — they left the Underworld to perish. But she... doesn't give me that impression."
Caelus nodded.
Caelus: "I mean she may follow the rule a bit but she still willing to talk to the Supreme Guardian and protect her people."
Seele let out a quiet "hmph," but there was far less hostility in it than before.
She looked back toward Bronya for a brief moment before turning away.
Seele: "Anyway, I've got stuff to report to the chief. See you around."
With a casual wave, Seele slung her scythe over her shoulder and headed toward Oleg, leaving Caelus to rejoin the rest of the Astral Express crew as they prepared to return to Town.
The group returned to Boulder Town together. After the long day of fighting through the mines, everyone was visibly exhausted. Even March, who usually had endless energy, was dragging her feet as they followed Oleg's directions.
As promised, Oleg had already arranged accommodations for the Astral Express crew.
Before long, they arrived in front of a sturdy stone building illuminated by warm lantern light. A wooden sign hung above the entrance.
Goethe Grand Hotel.
As they stepped inside, the smell of freshly cooked food and burning firewood greeted them.
Waiting behind the reception desk was a cheerful middle-aged woman.
Gertie: "Oh, you must be Oleg's guests? Welcome to the Goethe Grand Hotel."
Caelus glanced at the sign before looking back at her.
Caelus: "Goethe...?"
Gertie smiled proudly.
Gertie: "Yep, you've probably seen that stylish Goethe Hotel above ground, right?"
March immediately grimaced.
March 7th: "Uhh, not the most pleasant memories of that place..."
The memory of herself, Caelus, and Dan Heng being surrounded and arrested by the Silvermane Guards outside the Overworld branch was still fresh in her mind.
Gertie let out a hearty laugh.
Gertie: "That's the above-ground branch of the Grand Hotel. A few hundred years ago, one ancestor of the Goethe family was ambitious, and sought to build something big from nothin'."
She gestured proudly toward the building around them.
Gertie: "He eventually realized his dream and opened a hotel branch in the most expensive area on the surface."
March nodded in appreciation.
March 7th: "...People with big dreams have big determination."
Gertie reached beneath the counter and produced a large brass key.
She handed it to Caelus.
Gertie: "Oleg wants me to take good care of y'all. Here's the key, you'll be stayin' in our most spacious guest room."
Caelus accepted it with a grateful nod.
March stretched her arms over her head.
March 7th: "What do you think, Caelus? Should we go ahead and call it a day, or walk around a bit more first?"
Caelus didn't even need to think.
Caelus: "I'm tired. Let's go back to the room to rest."
March immediately agreed.
March 7th: "Time to rest again. I hope there aren't any surprises this time."
She paused before glancing toward the others.
March 7th: "That Oleg... he seems sincere. What do you guys think?"
Kouga folded his arms.
Kouga: "Better be safe then sorry."
Caelus nodded.
Caelus: "Appearances can be deceiving."
Dan Heng remained silent for a moment.
Dan Heng: "..."
March looked back and forth between them before sighing dramatically.
March 7th: "sigh Happy now? Caelus is even starting to sound like you."
Dan Heng showed no reaction.
Dan Heng: "It has nothing to do with me."
He calmly continued.
Dan Heng: "But if you ask for my opinion, it's better to be safe than sorry."
March threw her hands into the air.
March 7th: "Fine, we'll keep our guards up. Our last hotel experience was eventful, to say the least."
Dan Heng glanced toward the staircase leading to the guest rooms.
Dan Heng: "One of us should keep watch tonight."
March's eyes widened.
March 7th: "K—Keep watch? Are we space cowboys now? I guess this is the cosmic wild west."
She forced an exaggerated yawn.
March 7th: "Hehe... pretend yawn Anyone else sleepy...?"
Caelus stepped forward.
Caelus: "Leave it to me."
Dan Heng immediately shook his head.
Dan Heng: "You seem pretty exhausted, don't overexert yourself. I'll do it."
Before either of them could continue, Kouga spoke up.
Kouga: "No need, i can do it."
Just then, another voice came from behind them.
Bronya: "I'll keep watch."
The group turned around.
Bronya had just entered the hotel after finishing her conversation with Oleg.
March smiled upon seeing her.
March 7th: "Bronya, did you finish talking to Oleg? Hope he didn't make things difficult for you."
Bronya walked over and gave a small nod.
Bronya: "Not really, though it wasn't the friendliest conversation. We didn't see eye to eye on everything."
She looked toward one of the windows, her reflection faintly visible in the glass.
Bronya: "I've come to know a great deal in a short time — I doubt I'll be able to fall asleep tonight."
March rubbed the back of her head awkwardly.
March 7th: "I doubt I'll be able to sleep either... not that I don't trust you! It's just... you're a Silvermane Guard officer in the underground. There might be people looking to harm you."
Bronya's expression softened.
Bronya: "I wouldn't be surprised if there are... the Silvermane Guards have a lot to make amends for down here."
She lowered her gaze.
Bronya: "If someone had made a stand in the outset... and explained the consequences to Madam Cocolia... Forget it. It's meaningless to talk about it now."
After taking a slow breath, she looked back at everyone.
Bronya: "You don't need to worry about me. Oleg guaranteed that I wouldn't be harmed. He seemed like a man of his word. Go and rest."
The group exchanged glances before nodding.
With nothing more to discuss, the four turned toward the staircase leading to their room.
Just as they were about to head upstairs—
Kouga suddenly stopped in his tracks.
He snapped his fingers.
Kouga: "Oh right, i almost forgot."
Everyone looked back curiously.
Reaching into his coat, Kouga pulled out four sleek devices shaped like mechanical spiders. Each had eight articulated legs folded neatly beneath a compact phone-like body with a small screen set into the center.
He handed one to Caelus, one to Dan Heng, one to March, and kept the last for himself.
The three Trailblazers examined the strange gadgets with puzzled expressions.
March tilted hers from side to side.
March 7th: "Uhm, Mr Hayata, sorry to bust your bubble but we already have a phone each."
Kouga simply nodded.
Kouga: "Yeah but these one have teleportation that could ever allow you to teleport between dimension."
Caelus stared at the Spider Phone.
Dan Heng looked down at the device before looking back at Kouga, his usually stoic expression showing the faintest hint of surprise.
Even Bronya blinked.
March froze completely.
A phone that could teleport people...
Across dimensions?
Ignoring their stunned expressions, Kouga clapped his hands together once.
Clap!
Kouga: "Okay time to go to bed."
Without another explanation, he casually walked upstairs toward the guest room.