Chapter 14: Oh No, They're Here to Collect Us!
"You created a Stellaron? For real?"
March 7th's eyes widened, her voice pitching up in sheer disbelief.
"A Stellaron... is that something you can just make on a whim?" She planted her hands firmly on her hips, her face scrunching into a stubborn don't-you-dare-bluff-me pout.
A second later, a faint, ominous hum vibrated through the air. A sickly, dark red light began to bleed from Leon's open palm. Right before her eyes, swirling chaotic energy coalesced, slowly taking the unmistakable shape of a Stellaron. The oppressive aura it radiated made the air in the room grow heavy.
"Here, want one? I'll give it to you as a gift." Leon chuckled, his wrist flicking as if he were about to casually toss the apocalyptic core right at her face.
"Waaaaah! I believe you! I believe you, okay! Get that thing away from me!"
March 7th shrieked, scrambling backward. Her boots squeaked against the floor panels as she ducked behind Himeko, only daring to peek out with half her face.
"Just kidding. You're so cowardly." Leon let out a soft, amused laugh. He closed his fist, and the swirling red energy dissipated into nothingness, vanishing as if it had never existed.
A heavy silence descended upon the group. The sheer absurdity of what they had just witnessed left them momentarily paralyzed.
Asta's jaw hung slightly slack. As the Lead Researcher of the space station, she had seen countless bizarre phenomena, but the idea that a cosmic disaster like a Stellaron—functionally a world-ending Curio—could be hand-crafted by a single person shattered every scientific principle she knew.
Dan Heng remained silent, his arms crossed over his chest, but the sharp narrowing of his eyes betrayed a rare flash of genuine shock.
Himeko's delicate brow furrowed. She stared at Leon, her amber eyes reflecting a storm of deep, calculating thoughts.
"Um... excuse me?" Stelle suddenly broke the silence. She raised her hand high into the air, blinking her golden eyes with the innocent curiosity of a student in a lecture hall. "What exactly is a Stellaron?"
"Huh? You don't know what a Stellaron is?" March 7th poked her head out from behind Himeko, looking utterly bewildered. "Then why did you act so horrified earlier when we said there was a Stellaron inside you?!"
"Well, you all looked so shocked," Stelle answered, her tone completely flat and matter-of-fact. "I felt like I had to play along."
"Exactly!" Caelus nodded vigorously from beside her, crossing his arms. "If you guys are all freaking out and we're just standing there looking blank, we wouldn't fit in at all!"
March 7th slapped a hand over her face, groaning into her palm.
Leon let out a hearty laugh, thoroughly entertained by the Trailblazers' deadpan logic. "That's a fair question," he said, stepping forward to play the role of a teacher.
"Stellarons are universally known as the 'Cancer of All Worlds.' They are highly dangerous anomalies that infect different planets and star systems by violently interfering with the flow of Imaginary Energy. The Interstellar Peace Corporation gave them that charming nickname based on their highly invasive and destructive nature."
He paced slowly, gesturing with his hands. "This substance spreads through the universe exactly like malignant cancer cells. Wherever it takes root, it triggers the Fragmentum phenomenon, warping reality and giving birth to twisted monsters that assimilate and erode everything they touch."
"Ohhh..." Stelle and Caelus nodded in perfect unison, their faces lighting up with sudden realization.
March 7th squinted at them suspiciously. "Did you guys actually understand any of that?"
"Nope!" the two Trailblazers replied cheerfully, shaking their heads without a shred of hesitation.
"Then why did you say 'ohhh'?!" March 7th threw her hands up, completely exasperated.
Himeko stepped in, her gentle voice smoothing over the chaotic banter. "Imagine you are putting together a massive, incredibly complex jigsaw puzzle. Every piece has its exact place, fitting perfectly together to create a beautiful picture."
She smiled warmly at the two amnesiacs. "Then, someone violently forces a piece with a completely wrong shape and pattern right into the middle of it. Not only does it fail to fit, but it also warps the board. It forces all the correct pieces around it to become misaligned. Eventually, the pressure causes the entire puzzle to buckle and collapse, making it impossible to finish. That is what a Stellaron does to a world."
Her amber eyes softened, yet her tone carried the heavy weight of duty. "And the mission of our Astral Express... is to travel the stars, find these wrong pieces, and carefully remove them from the puzzle. We allow these worlds to heal and return to their proper, natural trajectories."
Leon watched Himeko closely as she spoke. The way she patiently explained the harsh realities of the universe to Stelle and Caelus was nothing short of captivating. Her expression was radiant, carrying an elegant, maternal warmth that seemed to say, These two children are quite a handful, aren't they?
Himeko caught his gaze. She turned her head slightly toward him, the corners of her lips curving into a stunning, knowing smile. It was a silent question: Am I right?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, absolutely yes! Leon screamed internally, keeping his outward expression perfectly composed. Big sister is killing me!
It was no wonder half the galaxy wanted to call Himeko 'Mommy'. This exact blend of elegance, intelligence, and gentle authority hit every single one of Leon's aesthetic weak points with critical damage.
While Himeko maintained her warm smile, her mind was racing. The origins of Stellarons were one of the universe's greatest mysteries. Yet, this mysterious man had just casually manifested one in the palm of his hand. The implications were terrifyingly ridiculous.
"Wait a minute..." Caelus's eyes suddenly widened in horror. "If you put it that way, does that mean we're the bad guys?"
He looked at Stelle, panic setting in. If Stellarons were the ultimate evil, and he and Stelle were literally walking, talking Stellarons... didn't that make them the villains?! And the Astral Express's entire job was to eradicate Stellarons!
Oh crap! This is bad! Caelus's mind spun. Are they here to collect us?!
Seeing Stelle and Caelus physically jump back, their faces pale with fright, Himeko blinked in surprise. A second later, a soft, doting chuckle escaped her lips.
"Hehe... how could that be?" She shook her head gently, her voice washing over them like a calming breeze. "What matters has never been 'what you are,'but'what you choose to become.'"
Her gaze anchored them, filled with an unwavering, unquestionable trust. "A Stellaron itself is indeed a disaster. But you, Caelus, Stelle—you are different. You are not the disaster itself. You are merely the vessels carrying it."
She placed a hand over her heart. "Think of it like a container holding a volatile spark. The spark itself is dangerous, yes. But the container has its own will. It can decide whether that flame is used to burn everything down, or to light the path ahead in the darkness."
Stelle and Caelus let out massive sighs of relief, their shoulders slumping simultaneously.
Thank goodness! they thought. So they aren't here to execute us! Scared the baby to death!
"Alright, alright, let's not get entirely derailed here," Leon chimed in, clapping his hands together with a lazy grin. "Asta, do you think if Madam Herta hears about all this, she'll come running back here in a heartbeat?"
He knew exactly what made the genius puppet tick. There were two massive baits sitting right in this room. First, the lingering traces of Silver Wolf's hacking. Second, the fact that Stelle and Caelus had literal world-ending bombs stuffed inside their chests without showing a single sign of biological rejection.
Asta gave him a deadpan look. Is it possible that you hand-crafting a Stellaron out of thin air counts as a third reason?
"Okay, I will contact Madam Herta immediately," Asta said, pulling up her holographic interface with a professional smile. "I am absolutely certain she will be very interested in our current... guests."
Just as Asta's fingers danced across the virtual keyboard to send the encrypted message, a piercing, blood-curdling alarm shattered the tranquility of the control room.
Red warning lights bathed the area in a frantic strobe. Asta hurriedly swiped her screen, expanding the tactical feed.
The holographic display showed the Herta Space Station's exterior. A colossal, terrifying entity—a Doomsday Beast—was violently assaulting the station's defensive perimeter.
"ROAR!"
A deafening bellow vibrated through the hull plating. On the screen, the Doomsday Beast's massive, jagged claws tore through the space station's energy shield as easily as wet paper.
"Whoa, a Doomsday Beast..." Leon muttered.
Sensing the immediate danger, he moved with lightning speed—directly behind everyone else, using the entire group as a human meat shield.
Seeing the supposedly overpowered, Stellaron-crafting man cowering at the very back of the formation, the entire group fell into a deadpan silence.
If the situation weren't so incredibly dire, March 7th would have absolutely roasted him on the spot.
"All of you, evacuate to the Express immediately. I am staying here," Asta ordered. In this moment of absolute crisis, her voice held no fear, only the unquestionable resolve of a true leader.
"But..." March 7th, Stelle, and Caelus froze in unison. They looked back at the pink-haired researcher, their faces etched with deep concern and hesitation.
Himeko's gaze sharpened into a deadly focus. Her mind calculated the variables in a fraction of a second. If her instincts were correct, the Doomsday Beast wasn't here for the station—it was drawn to the immense energy of the Stellarons housed inside Stelle and Caelus.
Leading the targets away from the station was the only logical choice to prevent a total massacre.
"Let's go." Himeko issued the command without a shred of hesitation, her voice ringing out clear, firm, and absolute.
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