"Ah—"
"I didn't expect we'd really charge out beyond the universe."
After the Astral Express returned from Frieren's world.
As a matter of course, the triumphant super train crew held a celebration banquet at the Starsea Empire's base.
"Mm... it's said that every time Akivili opened up a new world, They would celebrate together with Their Nameless."
"Looking at it this way, can we restore the former glory of Trailblaze?"
Himeko swirled the wine in her glass, glanced at her companions, and felt a surge of emotion.
There was the squad led by Murata Himeko and Kiana, along with two Stellaron Hunters, Gudako and the Stellaron vessel, and two members of the Genius Society.
Although some were only temporary members following Setsuna, the Astral Express had never been this lively before.
"No, not the glory of the past. In the future, the Astral Express will accomplish feats even Akivili never achieved."
Grey replied.
"With the power granted by the Commander, the concept of Trailblaze will be extended and expanded to countless worlds, allowing the Astral Express to travel among them."
"The scope of your exploration will expand from this universe to places we had never even discovered before."
Unlike Setsuna's authority, which could directly open a path to a world once it was discovered.
After breaking through the boundaries of the universe, where exactly the Astral Express would go was completely random. Before departure, only a rough beacon could be set.
In a sense, that suited the definition of "Trailblaze" quite well.
"By the way, we also taught you the Starsea Empire's philosophy of exploration. Did you learn it?"
Gudako rested her chin on her hand and asked.
"...We learned it, more or less."
Himeko and March 7th wore somewhat awkward expressions.
"Discover another world, scout and scan the situation, recruit companions, conquer the world, and incorporate it into the Starsea Empire's territory."
"Crush anyone who refuses to submit—yeah, super satisfying!"
Influenced by Gudako, the grey-haired girl accepted this philosophy without much resistance.
"..."
The two original members of the Astral Express could only convince themselves that expanding territory was also a form of Trailblaze.
And this was declared by the Aeon of Trailblaze—Setsuna himself!
If the Aeon said so, then so be it. Himeko accepted it.
She simply treated it as the new Aeon of Trailblaze having evolved in philosophy compared to the previous one.
"Mm... in the future, the Starsea Empire will need more Astral Expresses. Tell the Bulins to use this train as a template and build several more."
Setsuna thought for a moment.
"In the future, we can dispatch various squads to depart from the Starsea Empire's homeland and explore the myriad universes."
"Kanae, Akame, Origami, and the others have been bored in the capital anyway. Now they'll have something to do."
When he explored other worlds himself, he usually only brought a few people. Even when facing larger-scale worlds, he would just bring Nyarko and the Cthulhu army.
Several squads that had joined the Starsea Empire earlier rarely had the chance to be deployed. Even when they did, it was only occasionally to let them practice in lower-level worlds.
After combining the power of Trailblaze with the Astral Express, this problem was immediately resolved.
Each squad could board an Astral Express and explore and conquer different unknown universes.
High-difficulty worlds would be handled by him and the Starsea fleet, while others—such as pre-space civilizations, or low-tier magic worlds of Tier-I and II—could be entrusted to them.
Not only would this satisfy their desire to prove themselves, it would also rapidly expand the number of worlds under the Starsea Empire's control.
"Hiss—"
"Is this the Age of Exploration? No, wait—the Age of Grand Expedition?"
Gudako scratched her head, feeling a strong sense of déjà vu.
"But sending out a fleet of Astral Expresses to roam the multiverse sounds pretty awesome. If we run into a world we can't handle for the time being, we can just call in the fleet from home."
"Exactly."
Setsuna smiled and looked at Himeko.
"You are the first Emanator I selected, and the future leader of the Astral Express. It'll all depend on your performance then."
"!!!"
Himeko jolted and hurriedly saluted Setsuna.
"Yes, Sacrosanct."
She was so excited she could barely speak.
Not only because he had granted her the status and power of an Emanator, but also because she could foresee how glorious and magnificent the future of the Nameless would be under this new Aeon of Trailblaze.
They would be the vanguard and pioneers of the Starsea Empire, traversing the void, arriving at one unfamiliar universe after another, and expanding the empire's borders.
Like the explorers of the Age of Discovery in classical Europe—no, far greater, because the explorable land on Earth had limits, while the multiverse was endless.
"Mm, but no need to rush. Rest here for a while first."
Setsuna said with a smile.
"Going to another world earlier was just an experiment."
"In this universe, you still have some tasks to complete."
Swish—
He projected a star map of the current universe.
"Jarilo-VI and Penacony—those are your next targets. Go take a look."
"Oh!"
Himeko and March 7th nodded.
These had originally been the Astral Express' targets. Before exploring other worlds, it was only natural to finish matters in their own.
"I want to go too!"
Silver Wolf raised her hand.
"New DLC launch—count me in."
"Alright."
Setsuna felt that letting the two Stellaron Hunters become permanent members of the train crew was fine, as it would strengthen the Astral Express.
His gaze shifted between Bronya and Silver Wolf.
"Perfect. Add Big Bronya and you can have a full table for Landlord."
...
After settling the train crew and handing Aura, Linie, and the other demons over to Phantylia for training.
The mass-production plan for the Astral Express was immediately put on the agenda.
Considering that the Astral Express was related to the Path of Trailblaze and Imaginary energy, the Bulins began work on the spot.
Tens of thousands of Bulins boarded the Eternal Snowfall. The Juggernaut itself was not only a planet-class starship, but also carried a massive dock capable of assembling Titan-class ships.
Within its onboard micro-universe, it also stored an enormous amount of resources and raw materials.
"Burin! Let's see what we're building this time, burin!"
The colored Bulin examined the structural diagram of the Astral Express.
"The Commander said we need to build five more Astral Expresses. If that's not enough, we'll add even more, burin!!"
"This thing uses fewer resources than a destroyer, but it's a bit more complex than a spaceship, burin."
They had modified the Astral Express before and were already very familiar with its internal structure.
The Bulins only needed to handle the train's basic components, such as the power system, carriage structure, weapon modules, and so on.
Once construction was complete, Setsuna would grant it the authority of Trailblaze, allowing it to travel across worlds.
Bang bang bang—
A group of Bulins wielded Ultra Rainbow Hammers and drills, launching into large-scale construction inside the dock of the Eternal Snowfall.
They planned to give the squads stationed in the capital a surprise when the starship returned.
"Ha..."
In an unknowable higher-dimensional deep space.
An Aeon wearing a clown mask observed every movement of the Astral Express from beginning to end.
They saw the Astral Express, under Setsuna's control, break through the barriers of countless worlds. Not even the comet wall at the edge of the universe could stop it.
It had truly trailblazed into another universe!
Aha was certain—when the Astral Express disappeared, They had scanned the entire universe and found no trace of it.
And when it reappeared, it brought back many people who did not belong to this world!
They were weak, but very interesting.
And the Aeon of Trailblaze even seemed to be creating more Astral Expresses!
Another world! A place outside this universe!
Aha had never been there. They were certain no other Aeon had either—not even Akivili before Their death.
They had only ever smashed into the walls built by Qlipoth together within this universe.
"Akivili! Akivili! You've really grown stronger!!! Oh, you're called Setsuna now? Whatever, any name works!"
"Not only can you go to places we couldn't, you can even create so many Astral Expresses!!!"
Aha rubbed Their nonexistent hands, every clown mask on Their body turning into smiling faces.
As the Aeon of Elation, how could They possibly resist the chance to have fun in another world?!
They stared at those trains, itching with anticipation, like claws scratching inside Their heart. Unfortunately, Setsuna had rejected Them last time.
"If I go directly to him, Akivili will definitely reject me again, right? Is he still angry that I blew up his train?!"
"In that case... ah! That's it!!"
After thinking for a moment, Aha's gaze swept across the many galaxies below. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and They came up with an extremely delightful idea.
In an instant, They vanished into the depths of space.
...
On an ordinary planet somewhere in the IPC Galaxy.
This place had originally been territory of the Interastral Peace Corporation, but it had now been completely taken over by the Starsea Empire.
Sophon and Angeloids had not interfered much here, and most people still retained their original way of life.
"Ah..."
"So boring, so boring..."
Inside a private room on the second floor of a tavern.
A petite girl with black hair, pink eyes, twin tails, and a short red kimono lounged lazily in her chair, idly tapping on a holographic screen.
Her skin was fair, her features cute, and a mask hung from her head.
"What the heck, I thought I'd find something fun, so why did it turn out like this?!"
"Those tin cans... they have zero sense of humor. Not fun at all."
Sparkle was very unhappy.
When the Starsea Empire declared war on the Interastral Peace Corporation, she had been thrilled, expecting to find plenty of entertainment.
In the end, the war progressed and ended far faster than she imagined. Most people hadn't even reacted before the IPC was turned into a painting hanging in the starry sky.
Its various departments collapsed one after another and were swiftly taken over by the Starsea Empire.
Efficient, sure—but it left her with no room to play.
As a Masked Fool, she had intended to find amusement during the war, but attacks spanning interstellar and astronomical scales left her no opportunity at all.
"Tch... what a bunch of rigid, boring people. So dull."
Sparkle clicked her tongue.
She glanced out the window. Both the streets and the skies were filled with patrolling Angeloids.
She couldn't play well with artificial intelligence, and if she caused trouble here, she'd be arrested immediately. Those things left no room for negotiation or tricks.
"Maybe I should go to Penacony..."
Just as she was thinking.
Knock knock knock—
The door was pushed open.
"Hello! Dear Fool, why are you so gloomy here?"
A stranger walked in.
"?"
"Who are you?"
Sparkle flipped upright, tilting her head as she stared at him in confusion.
It was hard to describe his appearance. He looked utterly ordinary, dressed in common clothes, with a standard, unremarkable face.
Like a random background NPC you'd see anywhere in a game.
"Who am I?"
"I'm an abandoned orphan, a forsaken Nameless, a retired Cloud Knight of the Xianzhou, or an employee just laid off by the IPC. Which version do you like?"
The visitor placed a red smiling mask over his face.
His form shifted accordingly—at times becoming a ragged vagrant, at times a Cloud Knight in Xianzhou attire, at times a neatly dressed corporate employee.
Even the aura and physique of each identity were perfectly replicated.
Finally, he transformed into a little girl identical to Sparkle.
They wore the same clothes, had the same twin tails, the same mask, even the same tear mole at the corner of the eye.
"Hello! I'm Sparkle! Let's do something interesting together!"
Even the voice was exactly the same.
"Huh???"
Sparkle was stunned. She took two steps back, staring at the newcomer with caution.
She probed quietly, but couldn't sense anything unusual.
In every regard, the other party seemed like an utterly ordinary person.
Either their disguise and power far exceeded her understanding, or she was overthinking it.
"You're a Fool too?"
Sparkle noticed the mask hanging on the other's chest—it was identical to the symbol of the Masked Fools.
It symbolized faith in Elation, and served as a pass for entering taverns during their gatherings.
"That's right! Yes! I love it!"
The other "Sparkle" giggled.
"The world needs laughter! You all need it too! Fools don't just bring laughter to others—they should laugh loudly themselves!"
"You don't look happy. Oh, that's terrible for a Masked Fool. You shouldn't be like this—Aha would be upset."
"Tch."
A fellow traveler.
Sparkle relaxed slightly.
Masked Fools followed Aha, the Aeon of Elation. Everything they did was to find amusement and stir the stagnant waters of life.
They didn't gather often, but when they did, it usually meant they were about to create something much bigger together.
"So? What do you want with me?"
"No, before that—can you stop using my face while talking to me?"
Sparkle asked.
She was usually the one mimicking others. Seeing someone wear her face felt extremely strange.
The worst part was that she couldn't find any flaw at all—only faint traces of Elation energy hinted at their identity.
"Have you seen the Commander of the Starsea Empire? Their leader—the most powerful figure in this universe right now."
The other "Sparkle" asked.
"That's Akivili. Akivili has come back to life! He's even gathered a whole train crew and are exploring other universes!"
"Ah... how can we miss an opportunity like this?!"
As they spoke, they tapped Sparkle lightly on the forehead.
Flash—
A massive amount of information flooded into Sparkle's mind.
She had never boarded the Xianzhou, nor met Setsuna or the people of the Starsea Empire.
Yet it felt as though she had personally experienced countless events, witnessing the figure who piloted the Juggernaut across the stars and trailblazed the universe alongside the Astral Express.
After a long while, Sparkle shook her head, her expression slightly dazed.
"How do you have this kind of ability?"
"Picked up a few tricks from a diviner at the Garden of Recollection."
The other answered casually, clearly making it up without concern.
"Want to go have some fun together?"
"Ha!"
Sparkle paused for a moment.
"Going after the Commander of the Starsea Empire—the Aeon of Trailblaze—for fun?! Wow, you really know how to play."
"Akivili isn't like that stiff Qlipoth or that mad Nanook. They're interesting! The people around them are interesting too! Traveling with the Astral Express to other worlds is the most fun thing there is!"
The other Sparkle gestured excitedly.
"Oh, great plan!"
Sparkle immediately synced with her wavelength.
She had fooled all kinds of people before—commoners, nobles—but she had never targeted an Aeon.
Especially this ruler from another world—it sparked endless curiosity in her.
"Got any ideas?"
"Let's board the Astral Express together. There are lots of interesting people on it. He's been to many fascinating worlds."
The other answered.
"Disguise ourselves as Nameless, board the Astral Express, and stir up some fun on board?! Aha!!—This is perfect!"
Sparkle grew even more energized.
She recalled a major incident Aha had caused long ago:
They had disguised themselves as a mortal, infiltrated Akivili's train for over a year, and finally seized the chance to blow half the train—and an entire planet—into dust.
Now, the stage belonged to her and the Masked Fools. The excitement was overwhelming.
"We're going to recreate what Elation did before?"
"Yes! Exactly!"
The Sparkle beside her nearly rolled on the floor in delight.
Whether it was the plan itself or dragging Sparkle into it, or both—it clearly thrilled them.
"Let's do it again! Do it again!! This time with more people—more interesting!"
"Oh—but we'll need a different method this time. If we blow up Akivili's train again, they'll definitely be furious."
Drawn together by their shared nature of Elation, Sparkle quickly reached an agreement with this mysterious Fool.
They didn't care about each other's identity or past—only that they shared the same goal: to have fun.
"The Astral Express isn't easy to board now. Every Nameless is personally chosen by Akivili. They don't accept random outsiders."
The masked Sparkle tilted her head.
"So we'll need another approach."
"You must have a way, right?"
Sparkle felt that this mysterious figure was incredibly capable—knowing things she didn't and possessing immense skill.
"Of course! Akivili currently likes beautiful human girls. Oh, I don't know why he suddenly developed that preference."
"Huh? Aren't They the Aeon of Trailblaze? An Aeon who likes girls? What kind of joke is that?"
Sparkle froze, pondering it. It felt strangely absurd.
She looked at herself in the mirror. Not bad—she wondered if an Aeon would approve.
"Whatever, whatever. If that's the case, it's actually simple."
"I have a plan."
The little girl put on her mask, packed her luggage, and filled it with many dolls resembling herself.
At the same time, she contacted every Masked Fool she could reach.
"Hey, the stage needs more actors. Anyone want to come help out?"
Finally, she turned to look at the identical figure beside her.
"So, before we act—can you at least tell me your name?"
"..."
The other Sparkle giggled.
"Fools don't have names. If you insist... I am Elation!"
"Ha!"
Masked Fools had countless identities—it was nothing unusual.
Sparkle understood and laughed.
"Interesting person... I'm Elation too! Praise Aha!"
"Thanks!"
"?"