When March 7th brought up the topic, it meant she already had an answer in her heart. The rest was just seeking validation from others, or perhaps hearing different perspectives before making a decision.
As soon as she finished speaking, Dan Heng, for a rare change, spoke up first. "From a personal and emotional standpoint, I would support telling Silver Wolf the news of Sāmu's return."
Stelle nodded in support. "Same here!"
"However," Dan Heng continued, "as the guard of the Astral Express, my position tells me that I should not bring a troublesome opponent like the Stellaron Hunters to our doorstep, especially when things have just calmed down."
Stelle nodded again. "Same here!"
March 7th shot Stelle a helpless glance. "How long has this 'repeating' symptom of yours been going on...?"
Perhaps the Astral Express should also be equipped with a doctor. Of course, under normal circumstances, Pathstriders like them who could draw power from their respective Paths were almost never troubled by common illnesses.
March 7th sighed, echoing Dan Heng's sentiment. "That's what's bothering me too. If only Miss Silver Wolf were also a member of our Astral Express."
"...Isn't that a bit much?" Even Stelle, with her usually shameless demeanor, thought March 7th's idea was a bit out of line.
After all, Sāmu was originally a member of the Stellaron Hunters. Miss Himeko had seized an opportunity to "poach" him, and as beneficiaries, March 7th and Stelle couldn't really say much about it. It was a classic case of benefiting from the steal while staying quiet.
But now she wanted to turn Silver Wolf too? The Stellaron Hunters were having it too rough. Who were the real infamous interstellar terrorists in this galaxy?
However, in a certain sense, March 7th's proposal was quite in line with the Path of the Trailblaze.
March 7th gave a sheepish smile. "I guess... that is a bit unfair, huh?"
"How about this, let's meet in the middle! Let's at least comfort Miss Silver Wolf for now! Give her something to look forward to!"
It was worth mentioning that a few days after the Antimatter Legion invasion ended, March 7th had received a fully eidolon-ed character hacked into her account by Miss Silver Wolf. The thought of Silver Wolf, despite being so sad about losing her little brother Sāmu, still tearfully fulfilling her promise to her made March 7th think—"She's a real one, I could cry!!!"
But at that time, March 7th had also been in low spirits and had no mood for gaming. Now that things were better, her first thought was of Silver Wolf.
"What's the plan?" Dan Heng was a man of action.
"We'll go through fire and water for you, March!" Stelle, holding her shiny baseball bat, looked ready for a fight at any moment. She was part of the "take action with force" faction.
March 7th beckoned them over, and the three of them huddled together, whispering.
March 7th: "Okay, so we do this, and then that..."
Stelle: "A stroke of genius!"
Dan Heng: "...Are you sure this will work?"
...
Viewed from a planetary scale, the Astral Express traveling through space was but a single line. Viewed from a galactic scale, a planet was but a speck of dust in a vast sea of sand.
And on one such snow-white speck of dust, the base of the Stellaron Hunters sat quietly.
The snow was still falling, and the fireplace in the living room was still burning. But the person who used to warm themselves by it was no longer there. The good boy who always sat by the window watching the snow, waiting for Kafka to return... was gone.
In the warm bedroom, the lights were never turned on. The curtains were drawn tightly, not letting in a single sliver of light. In front of a faintly glowing screen, Silver Wolf rolled over. Then she realized the charging cable was a bit short... so she rolled back.
She had forgotten when she had fallen into this decadent and listless state. Perhaps it started when Kafka began her solo missions, and Blade locked himself away to forge?
It all started after that operation. It was an operation scripted by Elio. Kafka, Blade, Sāmu, and Silver Wolf were the performers. But as it turned out, no one had been told the ending of the script. Sāmu was the only one with no script at all.
Unfortunately, by the time Kafka and the others realized it, it was too late. There were four of them, and a price to be paid by three. Kafka, Blade, and Silver Wolf were all part of that price.
The blow to the Stellaron Hunters had been far too severe. The entire group was crippled. So much so that Silver Wolf, who had always been the team's slacker, was forced to take on the responsibility of caring for two adults.
Kafka was lost and dispirited, having lost her leadership ability, wandering through her days in a daze. Blade was even worse off; he had long been an undead specter hovering between the world of the living and hell.
Silver Wolf had gone to great lengths to bring them both back to the Stellaron Hunters' base. The initial days were very hard. But that hardship briefly numbed the sorrow and pain in her heart.
What truly made her sad was when she had free time, when she would pass by Kafka's room and see her sobbing while hugging the clothes Sāmu had left behind. Or when she passed Blade's training ground and heard every shout of "Blade Art: All as One"... Was each shout his regret for not being able to land the fatal blow on Sing-Box that day?
Blade was not without feeling; he was just numb from being hurt too many times. But even so, venting his pain again and again had, after a long time, raised his pain threshold once more. In other words, he was once again feeling the agony of pushing past the limits of endurance. The wounds on his wrists were bone-deep. Each time they healed, they would be cut open again, dripping with blood. Even when the regeneration slowed, Blade did not stop.
Because—the child who would, despite his scowling face, timidly bandage his wounds and remind him to take care of himself, was gone!
Why was the one who sought death unable to find release, while the one who should not have died could not be saved! This was a question with no answer.
Later, Elio returned. And with him, Sam returned as well.
The moment Kafka saw Elio, she opened fire wildly. But Sam stood firmly in front of Elio, using their alloy arms to block every single bullet that sparked on impact. Otherwise, Elio might have gone from a black cat to a very dead black cat.
Sam... also regretted Sāmu's fate. She had been very fond of this little brother. If only I could have treated him to some oak cake rolls.
Elio waited until Kafka had vented her anger, until she had calmed down, before inviting her into a room for a talk. Silver Wolf could not know what Elio said to Kafka in that room that day. But one thing changed, a very real change in Kafka. She pulled herself together again, resumed her activities as a Stellaron Hunter, and carried out solo missions issued by Elio.
Perhaps Elio had promised her something. Told her that if she completed a certain number of missions, she would have a chance to see Sāmu? Elio wouldn't use a "white lie" on Kafka. If she found out, Kafka would really kill him!
Therefore, even Silver Wolf's mood lifted slightly. As for why Elio had the confidence to make such a prediction, who knew... At least it gave them a precious glimmer of hope, didn't it?
And so, Kafka began her lone wolf journey.
Blade received no revelation from Elio. But one day, a burning meteorite fell on this planet, causing a huge commotion. The moment Blade saw this meteorite, he realized it contained a peerless meteoric iron that would drive any craftsman mad—a material capable of forging a divine weapon. His mind cleared instantly, and he remembered the promise he had made to Sāmu.
And so, Blade's life suddenly became full. He no longer crazily self-harmed or practiced his sword. Instead, a smithy rose from the ground, and the sound of hammering could be heard day and night.
Well, now both Kafka and Blade had something to do. Sam and Elio had disappeared again. Only Silver Wolf was left to drift through her days in emptiness, having completely degenerated into a shut-in otaku girl.
— Silver Wolf's Diary
Day 1: Grinding the Abyss
Day 2: Grinding the Abyss
Day 3: Silver Wolf, oh Silver Wolf, how can you be so degenerate! Have you forgotten you still need to breach Screwllum's defense system!
Day 4: Hacking to grind the Abyss
...
She knew that games were just data. She could easily create such data herself. But wasn't reality just a pile of various elements and molecules? What was the difference between it and the virtual world? The girl, lost on the border between reality and the virtual world, questioned the meaning of it all. Unable to find an answer, she fell into a long period of confusion.
Originally, she had been gradually finding it, that... meaning that had made her start to learn to love life. But the world had cruelly snatched him away again.
Tears once again welled up in Silver Wolf's eyes, bringing with them a stimulating, sour feeling. It was at this moment that an interstellar video call from March 7th came in, leaving Silver Wolf at a loss.
What do I do! What do I do?
As expected, after being a shut-in for so long, even facing a former friend made her subconsciously shrink back, lacking confidence. And her current appearance... unkempt hair, messy nightgown, a pale complexion from an irregular schedule, unhealthy diet, and no exercise.
Wasn't this the perfect image of a "gloomy girl"? If March 7th saw this... it would be so embarrassing!
Silver Wolf almost hung up the call. But just as her trembling fingertip was about to touch the red button, a thought flashed through her mind like lightning.
What if... what if March 7th is calling to give me news about Sāmu?
At this thought, the girl's body and mind synchronized, and she pressed the accept button. The image on her phone switched to the Astral Express. March 7th, Dan Heng, and Stelle were all squeezed in front of the camera.
"Ah! It connected, it connected!" The girl's voice was filled with excitement.
"Miss Silver Wolf! It's me, March 7th!"
"Dan Heng."
"The King of the Herta Space Station's Trash Cans!"
-------
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