Aftermath

"Are you certain we don't need to go down there?"

"Based on the texts Dan Heng sent so far, not for now."

Looking through the transparent windows of the Express, Welt, and Himeko conversed while wearing varying expressions. 

Himeko calmly looked down on the frost-covered planet. In contrast, Welt had a slight frown on his face. 'Thankfully Dan Heng said that the two returned safely just now.'

Welt slowly adjusted his glasses while Himeko recounted the initial messages Dan Heng had sent a few hours prior.

As the seven standard days were steadily approaching for their temporary stop at Jarilo-VI, the two were patiently waiting for the others to come back.

Since it was their first proper Trailblaze mission together as a group, Himeko was excited to hear the tales of their adventure and the types of bonds they would forge on this trip.

Welt was especially curious but hints of unease settled inside him as he was worried for their safety while on their mission.

Himeko assured him once she heard of this as she knew of the capabilities these four had from their little emergency back at Herta's Space Station.

She honestly had confidence in their abilities to handle this mission on their own since the planet didn't have any Aeon or Emanator level fluctuations.

However, this changed slightly when she received rising levels of fragmentum activity occurring on Jarilo-VI's surface.

Normally she wouldn't mind considering increased fragmentum activity was almost guaranteed when facing a Stellaron. But what made her worried was the degree it was rising.

"For just a split second it seemed like there were two Stellarons going rampant down there…"

Himeko covered her forehead and let out a heavy sigh as she recalled the activity she recorded. It was to the point where she almost had Welt immediately go down there to save them.

But thankfully it died down by a considerable amount that it seemed like that brief moment was just a hallucination.

"Do they still require some 'off-site assistance' from you or should I go down there to make sure?" Welt who still had a slight frown, questioned Himeko who glanced at him from the side. 

Looking at the expression Welt was making suddenly caused her to give out a small laugh which caught him off guard. 

"Has the few days without them made you itching to see them?"

"No that's…"

Welt awkwardly turned to the side while a small smile stayed on Himeko's face.

"Adventures are unpredictable and may bring many unexpected challenges. But the experience you gain after is what makes the journey special."

Himeko tapped her phone and read the follow-up message Dan Heng managed to send. Making her nod in relief.

"I'm sure the challenges they managed to overcome will be just part of the path they will forge ahead."

Welt listened quietly and took the phone Himeko gave him and read the message that was sent. 'The two are sleeping and we managed to protect the city…'

Staring at the line of text for a few seconds longer, Welt relaxed and a laid-back expression finally formed on his face.

"Let us just wait for their return."

"I understand."

***

Within a quiet room where rows of beds were laid, a certain individual was breathing steadily in his sleep. The rhythmic rise of his chest followed by the stillness of his body, it seemed like a while before he'd wake up.

But the light outside the window seemed to have other plans as his hazy eyes began to slowly open after feeling the warmth gently hit his face.

'An unfamiliar ceiling…' He thought as his vision began to focus. 

Yuuto raised his sore body and his eyes adjusted to the surroundings he found himself in. 

A soft bed, curtains that parted slightly, and a quiet atmosphere. A very stark difference from the chaotic atmosphere he was in when the Stellaron trapped both him and Stelle in that space.

But a very welcomed difference.

"Oh right…" Thinking about the Stellaron, he quickly looked down at his body. 

At the time he was unable to properly scan his body for changes since various events occurred.

And he didn't have the liberty to check since after meeting up with the others, he immediately fainted. Unsure if his plan to adapt to the corrosion even worked properly.

"Only filled up to 50%?" Yuuto raised his brow looking at the golden orb inside him. "Is this thing much larger than I thought…?"

Considering he absorbed the energy directly he was sure that his Stellaron would be filled to the brim. But it seemed like that amount only reached half of the Stellaron's full capacity.

"Is there some sort of power ranking for Stellarons?"

He began to think but he felt like this topic was more suited to another person who was well versed in the topic. A few people came to mind so he decided to ask them once he met them again.

Pushing that to the side, Yuuto finally looked at his skin which was wrapped heavily in bandages. 

His entire torso, arms, and neck. Everything was so tightly packed that he felt a bit stiff and wondered if he had major injuries judging by the amount of care they gave.

Slowly unwrapping a portion of his arm, he noticed that his skin didn't look all that different and the dark crystals that sprouted before were now gone.

Not entirely gone since minuscule pieces of these crystals were still prominent around his neck and some parts of his arm. But compared to his condition before, it was a large improvement.

"Not only that…" Yuuto raised his palm and focused on the space above it.

The Stellaron inside his body began to shake and thick golden veins started to grow up his raised arm.

–FWOSH

A tiny spark gradually emerged and a bright golden flame danced fiercely in his hand. It flickered so brightly that it almost blinded Yuuto who wasn't prepared to see such a strong fire.

"I felt like the Stellaron wanted to let something out but I didn't expect to see this flame."

Yuuto moved his fingers and the golden flame began to move according to his wishes. It felt like he was controlling his mist but a slight difference was the nature.

This flame was a lot more forceful compared to his mist which was like a calm stream of water that flowed gently. 

It felt a bit awkward at first but his eyes were glued to the flame dancing in his palm. It felt oddly satisfying watching the fire wrap itself around his fingers.

Watching it closely, an idea struck his head and he immediately checked the library inside him.

–CREAK

"Hmm…cooking the jerky with the fire actually makes it spicy…"

"...."

"That's probably the corrosion I'm tasting…" 

"Um.."

"I wonder—"

Yuuto abruptly froze in place after hearing a voice suddenly called out to him and stiffly turned his head. With jerky still in his mouth, he lowered his other hand and dissolved the fire glowing within it. 

Bronya was awkwardly hiding behind the door her eyes slightly visible. Turning her head when she noticed Yuuto staring at her.

"I'm not exactly sure of what kind of corrosion you're eating but I encourage you to have a meal without it…"

Finally entering the room, Yuuto noticed that she had a tray carrying some sandwiches and other foods that looked easy to digest.

"Ahem, did you make this?" He coughed trying to move past the incident and it seemed like Bronya understood his intentions.

"No, it was Miss Natasha. She wanted to prepare food beforehand just in case you guys woke up." Bronya said while offering him a sandwich.

He took it without any hesitation and began stuffing his face as his body suddenly felt hungry after tasting the jerky beforehand. 

Possibly due to expending tons of energy during his fight, his body began to crave any type of nutrient it could get its hands on. Especially anything with carbs or protein.

As he was helping himself to a second serving, Bronya was sitting near him with a restless expression while she fiddled with her thumbs in silence.

Yuuto couldn't help but notice this since she carried the same atmosphere even before she entered and finished the last few bites of his sandwich.

"Do you have something you want to say?"

 "Ah! Uhm…"

"Just say it. Unless it's news about a second Stellaron, I don't mind lending an ear." Yuuto said while grabbing some warm soup near his side.

'Well, I don't mind seeing a second Stellaron but not right now.' He thought, feeling his heart pulse with immense vitality. 

Both he and Bronya were silent as he was busy eating the bowl of soup before she finally reeled in her thoughts. Clenching her white coat that rested on her legs, she bowed her head and spoke in a sincere tone. 

"Thank you for saving Belobog."

"It wasn't just me, you know. There was—-"

"There's that but I also want to thank you for something else." She took a deep breath. "Thank you for saving my mother…"

Yuuto's hand paused when he heard her words and saw that she was looking at him with clear eyes.

"When fighting her I was prepared for the worst to happen. Seeing her slowly break apart in front of me without the strength to help… made me feel weak.."

"..."

"Incredibly weak. But watching that wall break apart and seeing her still breathing in front of me… it was thanks to you…"

Bronya clenched her fist while giving him one more bow. Yuuto felt a bit awkward as he didn't know how to react to seeing her gratitude and scratched his cheek.

"Stop, you're making me feel awkward…"

Bronya lifted her head and noticed his stiff expression which looked oddly satisfying since he always showed a carefree attitude whenever she saw him.

"I guess Miss March's words were correct…"

"Wait. What do you mean by—"

"There's one other thing I want to mention."

"Hey, you can't just gloss over something suspicious like that…"

Yuuto frowned which made Bronya smile and released some of the tension she was feeling. Taking one more breath she looked at Yuuto with even clearer eyes.

"I will be taking on the position of Supreme Guardian."

"I see."

Yuuto nodded naturally which made Bronya unsure of what to say next.

"Is there anything else?"

"No… But your reaction was a bit different from what I imagined…" Bronya pursed her lips which made Yuuto feel bad.

"Well considering the actions Cocolia's done, it would be difficult for her to return. This is also considering her condition which I can roughly guess on."

Yuuto thought back to her [Nexus] and the intensive damage she received over the years from the Stellaron. It wouldn't be a surprise to him if she…

"Does she have some form of amnesia?"

"How do you…"

"That's a trade secret~!"

Bronya looked surprised and Yuuto continued to eat the bowl of soup laid on his lap. 

The [Nexus] was an elusive concept that even he had difficulty fully understanding but knowing how certain components work, he could roughly reach an answer based on what he saw. 

"As the next heir to the position, you will take the spot as the current leader is unfit to lead based on certain shortcomings she's done."

"With the masses still in a chaotic state from the large-scale fight that occurred, you will be the person who is qualified to lead them."

Yuuto smoothly spoke his thoughts while Bronya looked at him with a silent expression.

"Do you have doubts about taking the position?" Yuuto raised his brow hearing her so silent but paused when he noticed the calm smile on her face.

"No, I just feel like we had this conversation before."

"Is that so…"

Bronya giggled to herself thinking about their first time speaking to each other on the bench and thought back on her journey.

"Even if I am unqualified, even if I am but a small glimmer of light in this world. I must try my best to shine brightly for others."

Yuuto looked at Bronya who had a confident look which was vastly different from the time he first met her. 

The tone, posture, and eyes. All of it overshined her previous demeanor. A faint white glow began to shine within her [Nexus] and Yuuto asked a certain question.

"Would you still take on this role despite the challenges?"

Yuuto posed a strange question that didn't seem to fit their current conversation but Bronya managed to understand his intentions.

"Yes. If taking all these hardships meant giving the people of Belobog a better future, I will accept it in a heartbeat."

Yuuto continued to stare at her as she spoke each word without any hesitation. The light in her [Nexus] exploded in a dazzling white light which caused a large fragment to fly out of her.

Yuuto watched as the fragment flew around Bronya for a while before coming to him and sinking into his mind where it wished to stay.

'I felt like I saw Alexandra overlap with her…"

He smiled gently which caught Bronya off guard and she lowered her head slightly. Causing him to chuckle.

"I'm confident you'll make a good Supreme Guardian."

"I hope I do…"

Bronya mumbled and the tension released from her body after finishing what she wanted to say to him.

Yuuto finished the last few bits of his soup and stretched his body which was still stiff from the bandages hugging his exposed body.

'Oh yeah, I forgot to ask about my clothes…'

He looked down and turned to Bronya who decided to put away the tray that was now spotless from all the food Yuuto ate.

"I have a question but have you seen the jacket that I wore? I had it before I fainted but now…"

"Ah! Just wait a second."

Bronya seemed to know what he was referring to and quickly rushed outside to grab something. It took a few minutes before she came back and handed him a folded black jacket with golden buttons.

"Dan Heng said that jacket was somewhat special to you so Miss Natasha hid it when she was tending to your wounds."

"So Natasha was the one who wrapped me up."

He held the jacket and unfurled it. Looking at the sleeves that looked burnt off, patches of holes and dried blood all over the fabric. Yuuto looked sadly at the jacket.

It was his school uniform that he wore when he first arrived on the Express and wore it his entire time until now. He regularly changed the inside shirt but this jacket was something he treasured. 

Possibly due to it being the only memento of his previous world, he was attached to it. But seeing the state it was in, Yuuto could only sigh that he needed to replace it.

"Uhm, if you don't mind you can take this."

Ruminating on what he could wear, he noticed Bronya passing him a jacket that looked similar to the uniforms the Silvermane Guards wore. 

To be more exact the ones the captains and commanders wore.

"Seeing the state of the jacket I asked Old Goethe about any jackets he could give and gave me this one."

Bronya fiddled with her fingers while watching Yuuto for his reaction. 

It had a white base color and black and golden highlights along the seams. Compared to the blue and black that usually appeared it looked much cleaner and honestly matched his style.

'It looks like that relic piece from the Guard of Weathering Snow set.'

Yuuto continued to stare at the piece of clothing and tried it on. "Fits perfectly. How does it look?"

Bronya glanced at Yuuto who was adjusting the sleeves and looked at the clothes she wore that were similar to his own.

She felt oddly satisfied and smiled. "It looks good."

"If Miss Supreme Guardian said so, it must be the truth."

After playing with the buttons a bit, Yuuto stared at his ruined uniform and touched its fabric one last time. The jacket began to glow before it finally disappeared into his library where he would eventually preserve it.

"How long was I asleep for?"

"Wait, I think you should lay down some more…."

Bronya tried to encourage him to stay in bed but he waved his hand showing that he was currently fine.

She looked hesitant but noticing the faint blue and golden glow around him, she stopped.

"You slept for 5 hours."

"That was a lot shorter than I expected…" 

He was honestly expecting it to be longer but judging by the absence of any serious wounds and the faint golden veins that grew every time he used his Stellaron.

He was certain that his body had changed slightly. A big or little change, he was sure that his current form had more than what it showed.

'I could ask Herta to check but it risks the chances of me catching 'that' person's attention…'

Yuuto had a difficult expression as he recalled a certain character that felt troublesome to handle that even Herta had some difficulty communicating with.

And that spoke a lot considering Herta's character. 

"If the others ask where I went, tell them that I went to the Underworld for some business."

"Should I come with you?"

"You should stay—" Yuuto was about to tell her that it was fine but thinking about the content he wanted to say, he nodded his head.

"Yeah, you should come. Since you're the current Supreme Guardian, you should also listen to what I have to say."

"..?"

Bronya tilted her head as she didn't understand what he meant but she still walked beside him and curiously thought about what he wanted to say.

***

"So the disaster is finally over."

"You could say that, haha."

Sitting in her chair, Natasha removed her gloves and had an absent expression on her face. Oleg managed to notice this and couldn't help but wryly smile.

"Are you still thinking about the offer that boy managed to give?"

"Not necessarily." Natasha noticed the expression she was making and looked at the empty seats in front of her.

"I knew that we're currently in the process of rebuilding ourselves but hearing the things he offered made me worried."

"Are you afraid we're getting taken advantage of?"

"No. I honestly trust that person considering the things he's done but what I'm afraid of is that we'll be unable to hold off on our side of the deal."

Natasha sighed deeply and looked at the papers laid on her desk.

[Cooperative agreement with Yuuto the Nameless to assist in the expansion and reconstruction of Jarilo-VI.]

"We've been hidden away from the vast world outside of our own and hearing about the complications that may suddenly come our way is honestly difficult."

"I guess I understand what you want to say but we mustn't stay locked up in the past."

Oleg stared out the window and saw that ruined town they lived in. 

For the past few years this had been a scene they have seen their entire lives but getting the opportunity to finally see the true sky, they were more than ready to take on anything that would come to take this away from them. 

Natasha also followed his gaze and thought back to the brief conversation she had with Yuuto.

Glancing at the paper last time, she signaled for the person outside to come in so she could call a few people. 

"Notify Seele and Luka to come to the room quickly."

"Yes, understood!!"

Natasha nodded and glanced at the other individual sitting quietly in the room with her hand placed calmly on her lap.

"How long will he be back?"

Bronya broke out of her thoughts and thought back to what Yuuto said before leaving her here with them.

"It should be quick but it honestly depends on the individual's mood as it is a bit hard to predict." She stated, remembering what Yuuto said to her.

Natasha could only nod and silently sit back. Waiting for the man to return as he wished to bring one more person.

Deep within Rivet Town where a certain area carried an abundance of old-fashioned TVs, a peculiar person can be seen talking to himself. 

Or more so the dimmed televisions powered in front of him.

"It actually turns out the Astral Express was a lot more fun than what I initially expected! Especially a certain individual."

[....]

"You also noticed him? Haha!! You must be bluffing if I want to hand over my prized treasure that I received from him to you."

[.....]

"Nope! Zero offers can't be negotiated~! But videos of that flashy mecha can be discussed."

[...]

"Hey, no need to bring that lady in here. I would rather throw in my special Koski jacket before handling that troublesome lass."

Sampo shook his head after hearing what the person said and couldn't help but scoff after hearing the various offers they were giving him.

He turned his head away and dug his pinky in his ear showing that he didn't care what they said but suddenly stopped when he noticed someone walking towards him.

A happy smile grew on his face and quickly snapped his fingers after hearing the sudden rise of voices that erupted from the other side of the television. 

"Haha! I will have to call you later since my FR-IEN-D has seemed to pay me a special visit. Toode-loo~!"

[.....!!]

–SNIP

Sampo wore a sleazy grin as he savored the complaints that flooded him after shutting the television off and rubbed his hands together.

"My dear friend! It certainly is a surprise to see you visit little old Sampo like this!"

"It certainly is nice to see you after all this time. I'm certain that March would also like to meet you before she leaves."

"Ah, I would like to kindly say that you pass the message that Mr. Sampo Koski is on a little business trip as I'm certain that little miss would only hurt this pitiful and honest salesman…"

Sampo curled his finger to wipe the tears shedding down his eyes while Yuuto chuckled to himself and looked at Sampo standing in front of him.

"So why did my dear friend wish to see this honored Sampo Koski?"

"Hmm, before that." Yuuto smiled and raised his hand which caught the attention of Sampo.

He was curious but his eyes turned amused when he noticed that Yuuto flicked his fingers and a certain energy met with the television behind him.

"Sorry, I noticed a sneaky eavesdropper wanting to pipe in so I hope you don't mind." 

"Of course, of course! Sneaky individuals sure have no manners if I say so myself."

Sampo closed his eyes, agreeing with what Yuuto said before he opened them up once more. "So why have you met up with little ole me?"

Yuuto crossed his arms and thought about what to say or how he should convey it. Various words came out but a certain line of words seemed to jump out at him. 

A smile that began to match Sampo's very own began to appear on his face and he offered his hand forward.

"Why don't we make a little money together?"

***

Firefly sucked the funds right out of me… And why did we suddenly get gifted a large ship out of nowhere? I guess this is the closest thing to personalizing our room which I kinda wanted.