"Commander, that's the situation."
"This is Miss Black Swan, a Memokeeper from the Garden of Recollection, and these are the descendants of Nameless left behind by Akivili's followers."
"Um... the Sophon and the Angeloids have checked their identities and travel records. Nothing unusual was found."
Inside the Astral Express, Himeko wore a look of disbelief as she relayed everything to Setsuna.
"Oh... Commander?"
Black Swan hadn't expected to meet Setsuna so quickly and carefully observed him.
"Mm, hello."
Setsuna had already anticipated her arrival, so he wasn't surprised.
Instead, he shifted his attention to the rather peculiar group of girls.
"Lord Akivili!"
The girls nervously greeted him, then lowered their heads, clearly tense under the pressure of an Aeon.
At a glance, every one of them was exceptionally beautiful, covering nearly every common preference.
There was a mature, elegant woman with long hair and black stockings, a cute little girl in a Lolita dress so adorable it made one want to pinch her cheeks.
There were twin-tailed blonde girls, refined Yamato Nadeshiko types, sexy blonde women with wavy hair, and even beast-eared lolis.
It could be said that most classic archetypes could be found among them, as if they had stepped straight out of anime.
"???"
Even Setsuna was momentarily stunned.
"You are descendants of Nameless from Akivili's era?"
"Yes."
The twin-tailed girl lowered her head and answered softly.
"In recent years, the environment of the Salvia star system has worsened, becoming unsuitable for human habitation."
"Expedition teams have been opening new lands and relocating populations everywhere. We... we held out in our homeland until the very end. With nowhere else to go, we wish to rejoin the Nameless."
Shua—
The Sophon pulled up the data on a holographic interface.
"Salvia indeed suffered severe environmental destruction over ten years ago. Desertification spread across more than 70% of the land, and the subsequent cold wave nearly destroyed everything."
"Not long ago, the last ship departed from the system—the one they were on. There are now no signs of human activity there."
"Ah?"
With the Sophon's confirmation, March 7th and Kiana were even more moved.
"Commander, I didn't expect there would still be followers of Akivili after so long!"
"..."
The girls' story was full of twists and turns, supported by multiple sources. The details matched almost perfectly with historical records.
Even Setsuna was starting to believe it.
"Was there really such a thing?"
Himeko looked toward Pom-Pom.
"Uh..."
Pom-Pom thought for a moment.
"Aha did blow up the Astral Express there... so, um, it's possible many Nameless were scattered because of Them."
"But I don't know the exact details."
"What we say is true, Sacrosanct."
Seeing Setsuna hesitate, another silver-haired girl spoke.
"If... if you still don't believe us, we're willing to use our own memories as proof."
"Oh?"
Black Swan met her gaze.
"You mean—you want me to look into your memories?"
"Yes. If it helps Lord Akivili believe us."
The girls nodded earnestly.
"...Interesting. Lost descendants of the Nameless? Your memories sound quite intriguing as well."
Black Swan, who had only been observing, suddenly became interested.
"???"
"Voluntarily asking to be verified?"
Under Himeko and March 7th's astonished gazes, the two sat face to face. Black Swan lightly touched her hand.
Imaginary energy rippled as she entered the girl's consciousness.
Shua—
Memories unfolded like a scroll.
Black Swan saw events from countless years ago—the girl's birth and growth on an unfamiliar planet.
Her elders taught her to remember her identity, telling her stories from the distant past.
Everything felt real. Everything felt authentic.
She even vaguely glimpsed the era when Akivili and Aha boarded the Astral Express together, traveling across the universe.
A vast fleet of Astral Express trains crossed the sea of stars, leaving behind countless legends.
However, in the end, everything came to an abrupt halt due to a prank by the Aeon of Elation.
"..."
After a long while, Black Swan slowly opened her eyes.
"...It's real."
"Huh?!"
This series of confirmations left Himeko, March 7th, and the others completely bewildered.
The Angeloids' identity verification showed no issues. Their background story was reasonable.
Even a Memokeeper from the Garden of Recollection had probed their memories and found no flaws.
Were they really mistaken about them?
March 7th brought over some snacks and distributed them to everyone.
"Ah... sorry, we really didn't expect..."
"Lord Akivili..."
The girl looked at Setsuna pitifully, her voice sincere.
The aura around them was no different from that of ordinary people.
"Lord Akivili, could you allow us to become your Nameless once again?"
The twin-tailed loli looked up, clasping her hands in front of her chest as if pleading.
"We... we may not be as capable as them, but... we'll do whatever we can! As long as you're willing to take us in..."
"Please... we're begging you..."
Her eyes were filled with tears, her emotions genuine.
Her voice trembled.
"..."
Setsuna stared at them for a long moment, deep in thought.
"You're willing to do anything?"
"Yes, we want to follow Lord Akivili and travel with the Astral Express to explore new worlds."
The girls answered in unison.
"Oh? Picked up a bunch of pretty girls for free again?"
A swarm of nanobots scratched their heads nearby, also sensing something odd but unable to pinpoint any flaws.
"They're not on our list, but the quality is pretty high... should I take some time to run another background check?"
"No need."
After a moment of thought, Setsuna picked up the little girl and smiled at everyone.
"I believe you. From now on, follow me and explore the world together."
"Wah—"
They hadn't expected him to agree so readily.
A flash of light passed through their eyes as they broke into bright, beautiful smiles, gathering around Setsuna.
"Thank you, Lord Akivili!!"
"Thank you, Sacrosanct!!—"
The little girl also broke into a smile through her tears.
"Eh?"
Himeko felt it was a bit sudden, but since Setsuna had spoken, she didn't press further.
"Ahem—"
Setsuna cleared his throat and pinched the little girl's cheek.
"We're setting off right now. I'll take you to see a new world."
"Huh? Right now?"
Everyone was even more surprised. Even the newly joined girls were stunned.
Himeko checked the star map.
"So soon?"
"Commander, are we heading to Jarilo-VI? Hmm, the Astral Express has just completed resupply..."
"But there are quite a few new arrivals this time. We'll need to recalculate whether the dormitories and living supplies are sufficient..."
"No, we're not going to Jarilo for now."
Setsuna smiled.
"To welcome these new girls, I'll personally lead this expedition."
"Kiana, you all head back first. I'll stay with them for a while."
"Eh? But—"
The white-haired girl pouted unhappily, dragging out her tone.
"Commander, you're abandoning me the moment you see pretty girls? I'm going to tell Mom!"
She huffed and left the train together with Bronya, Seele, and the others.
Rumble—
Setsuna sat at the main control console, guiding the Astral Express as it slowly departed from the berth.
Himeko, March 7th, and the others remained behind, their expressions filled with curiosity, unable to guess what he was planning.
Seated at the controls, he beckoned to the black-haired twin-tailed loli.
"Come here."
"Okay! Lord Akivili!"
The little girl skipped over happily.
Setsuna pulled her into his arms and placed her on his lap, casually wrapping an arm around her waist.
Soft, warm, and faintly fragrant.
"Eh?"
The girl seemed a little surprised.
"Lord Akivili? This..."
"Is there a problem?" Setsuna asked.
"N-No... being favored by Lord Akivili is my honor..."
The little girl lowered her head, blushing as she answered.
Rumble—
The Astral Express accelerated through the starry sky, faster and faster.
Once again, it crossed countless galaxies, heading toward the edge of the universe.
The newly boarded girls appeared both reserved and excited, crowding by the windows to admire the scenery outside.
Some even struck up conversations with March 7th.
"Mm, Lord Akivili is so generous, personally leading us to explore new worlds..."
"Are you happy?" Setsuna asked, looking at the little girl in his arms.
"Yes... being able to explore the world alongside Lord Akivili is my honor..."
The girl nodded timidly, both shy and perfectly displaying her reverence toward a higher being.
She curiously observed the inside of the train and the scenery outside. It was her first time boarding the Astral Express, and she was already traveling alongside the Aeon of Trailblaze.
"Um... Lord Akivili, we left in quite a hurry, didn't we? Where are we going?"
"Heh—"
Setsuna smiled and pinched her cheek.
"Take a guess, Sparkle?"
—
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