"Hmph, hmph. Even something as mighty as the Doomsday Beast was just another defeated foe."
Having recovered from the Stellaron's rampage, Stelle stood with her hands on her hips, a smug look plastered on her small face as she glanced sideways at Caelus.
"This invincible life... it's truly as lonely as the driven snow~!"
That cheeky little look practically screamed, 'Wow, little bro, you couldn't keep up? So lame! You really need to practice!'
Since the Stellaron inside her defeated the Doomsday Beast, by rounding up, that basically means she defeated the Doomsday Beast. No issues with that logic, right?
On the receiving end of her taunts, Caelus felt completely unfazed. He actually found it rather amusing.
He watched Stelle's triumphant clamoring with quiet amusement. Then, Caelus slowly ran his tongue across his lips, seemingly lost in some profound emotion. The hidden mask behind his features seemed to activate, and Caelus's expression grew heavy.
A subtle light flickered within his golden eyes, reflecting hints of melancholy, struggle, and reservation, all swirling within a maelstrom of unspoken, complex emotions. He looked like an older brother whose mother wasn't around, powerless to stop his younger sister from crossing some forbidden boundary with him, now facing her with nothing but a vast, dark melancholy.
After a moment, Caelus lowered his head, his neat grey bangs falling to obscure his eyes, hiding his expression completely.
Without a single word, without any accusing glance, just his expression and posture alone slammed a crushing weight of suppressed emotion straight into Stelle's heart.
The previously smug girl suddenly felt a delayed wave of horror wash over her, and she instantly panicked.
"Hey, Caelus! D-don't get the wrong idea! Just now... I totally lost control!"
Even when the rampaging energy and the will of Destruction had clashed within her mind, Stelle had actually retained a sliver of self-awareness. She knew she had been the one to initiate things, both physically and verbally.
Stelle summoned a gentleness she'd never displayed before, her voice becoming soft, almost pleading. She wracked her brain for every sweet word imaginable to coax Caelus, exactly like an older sister trying to placate her unhappy younger brother. It was like begging the sole witness—and victim—of her 'crime' to please, please show mercy and not snitch to their parents.
Granted, Caelus's earlier actions—his hands exploring her chest area—would, to any normal person, seem to have long crossed the line of sibling propriety. But considering the sensory link between their bodies, one could argue it was somewhat justifiable.
But a mouth-to-mouth kiss—especially one that intense—carried entirely different implications.
"Mm... I know."
Caelus's voice was low, but the emotion playing across his face was utterly indescribable.
You don't look like you know at all! Stelle thought frantically.
Terrified that 'Mom' Kafka would find out and break her legs, Stelle swallowed hard, shivering involuntarily.
Beneath the facade crafted with acting skills that 'superb' didn't even begin to cover, Caelus was struggling to suppress a grin.
Messing with her is just too much fun~!
"What's... going on with them?"
Welt noticed the incredibly strange atmosphere surrounding Stelle and Caelus, a look of mild surprise on his face. He had already heard from March 7th, Dan Heng, and Himeko about the pair's identities and backgrounds, and that they planned to join the Astral Express for their upcoming Trailblazing journey.
"Er..." Also sensing the peculiar vibe, March 7th scratched her head, ruffling her smooth, silky pink hair. She still couldn't figure out what to say and finally just sighed. "Ah well, it's probably best to let them sort this out themselves. Outsiders can't really help with this stuff."
"..."
He wasn't sure what was happening, but if even March 7th—who usually loved to get involved—said that, it must be a very personal matter. Best not to interfere.
"Hello there. I've heard about you two from the others. Welcome aboard the Astral Express."
Just as the atmosphere around Stelle and Caelus solidified, and Stelle was panicking about what to say, Welt's words broke the tension.
"I'm Welt Yang. Just an ordinary Nameless," Mr. Yang introduced himself in a calm, gentle tone.
Caelus nodded. Ordinary, sure.
"I'm Caelus, and this is my granddaughter, Stelle."
The heavy, complex emotions vanished in an instant, replaced by a smile as Caelus introduced himself, leaving even Welt momentarily stunned.
"Granddaughter?! Since when?" The question flew out instinctively. Only after saying it did Stelle realize Caelus had played her again.
He hadn't cared about that kiss at all, while she'd been acting like a complete fool, worried she'd scarred him for life!
Fury surged within her. Baring her teeth, Stelle launched herself at Caelus like a pouncing tiger. With a fierce growl, she went straight for Caelus's neck, aiming to bite down hard. Caelus, however, seemed unconcerned, merely smirking contemptuously. Instead of dodging, he actually offered his neck to her.
"Ow!"
A sharp cry escaped Stelle's lips. Just like biting your own tongue, the pain was immediate, and instinct made her release her grip the instant it registered. Stelle's face contorted in pain as she clutched her own shoulder.
Right, forgot biting this jerk hurts me too!
"Ow! Ow ow ow!"
Rubbing her own shoulder barely eased the ache. Stelle shot a venomous glare at Caelus, who grimaced and hissed in pain but stubbornly refused to rub the spot himself. Finally, swallowing her anger with resigned helplessness, she reached over and gently rubbed the spot she had bitten on his shoulder. Pouting, she blew lightly on it, and only then did the ache in her own shoulder finally begin to subside.
The instant Stelle pulled her hand away, Caelus grabbed her sleeve. He used the cuff of her white T-shirt to casually wipe the saliva from his shoulder before finally letting her hand go.
"You infuriating jerk!"
Such a small gesture, yet the insult was immense! Fueled by pure indignation, Stelle ignored the guaranteed rebound pain and bit him twice more.
Watching the unfolding farce, Welt wore an expression caught between amusement and exasperation, tinged with a hint of curiosity. To someone his age, their roughhousing clearly indicated a close bond, however unconventional. It was just that shared sensory connection between them... quite fascinating.
But still... was this really the kind of connection siblings typically shared? Besides, there was something about Caelus's voice... it sounded vaguely familiar to him...
"The main forces of the Legion invasion, both Doomsday Beasts, have been eliminated," Himeko suddenly announced with a faint smile. She had received a communication from Asta. "This incident is finally winding down."
"Yes, the main threat is neutralized," Asta's relieved voice came through the communication. "All that's left are a few scattered Voidranger squads still lurking in the station's sections."
"Still Voidranger squads?" Hearing this, Caelus immediately stopped messing around with Stelle, his expression turning serious in an instant.
"Where are they?"
"Where are the Voidrangers?"
"I'll take care of them!"
Asta's commission hasn't been finalized yet, Caelus thought. This means taking out these Voidrangers still counts towards the reward!
"You just finished a major battle with the Doomsday Beast, Caelus... Perhaps you should rest for a bit," Asta suggested gently. The image of the grey-haired young man charging headfirst into danger, disregarding his own safety to save the station's researchers, was still fresh in her mind.
"No, please, tell me where the remaining Voidrangers are," Caelus insisted. "As long as I know researchers are still in danger, I can't possibly rest easy."
Those are precious Credits waiting to happen!
Hearing his words, even Welt regarded Caelus with a newfound flicker of approval. Without a doubt, Welt thought, this young man already embodies the true spirit of the Nameless!
"Well..." The Express crew and the newcomers had already done so much for the station; Asta felt reluctant to impose on these kind people any further. But meeting Caelus's gaze, so full of sincerity and earnestness, she felt moved. Thinking again of the researchers potentially still in danger, she relented and sent the coordinates of the remaining Voidranger locations to March 7th and Dan Heng. She had little choice, as neither Caelus nor Stelle had phones yet.
"We'll be counting on you, then." As she made the request, Asta turned back towards her office, already planning to select two limited-edition, top-of-the-line phones to give to Caelus and Stelle shortly. A small token, really, hardly sufficient thanks. Caelus had saved so many researchers; Asta felt even gifting him a pair of Star Destroyers wouldn't be enough to properly express her gratitude.
"Let's split up!" Leaning in close beside March 7th, Caelus glanced at the marked locations on the map display. Time is of the essence!
"Alright," Dan Heng nodded.
The group split into three teams: Seele and Himeko; Welt, Caelus, and Dan Heng; and Stelle and March 7th, each heading towards different designated sections. Caelus had intentionally arranged the groups to separate himself, Stelle, and Seele, aiming to maximize the potential rewards.
And then, Welt finally began to truly understand what Dan Heng and March 7th had meant when they introduced the newcomers and mentioned, somewhat vaguely, that the pair were... 'a bit eccentric'.
The seamless, instantaneous switch from utterly ruthless efficiency against the Voidrangers to a warm, reassuring demeanor when encountering researchers was one thing. But when Welt witnessed Caelus spot a trash can, his eyes lighting up with inexplicable excitement, proceed to rummage through its contents—solids, liquids, dubious mixtures, even some unidentifiable chemicals someone had carelessly tossed in—and then gaze with profound satisfaction at the resulting concoction... Welt was genuinely, utterly dumbfounded.
His expression was practically meme-worthy.
(Mr. Yang, Astral Express, Phone.jpg)
The photo is on Patreon for anyone who's curious.
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