Chapter 55: Saving Private Orion

Welt stood addressing the group, his glasses glinting among the light. "So next, here's my plan...".

"In the heat of our recent battle, I've come to a realization," he said softly, raising a single finger to emphasize his point.

"This form of the Stellaron we fought—it's not its true body. It's merely a shadow, a projection crafted to mislead us and divert our attention."

"Projection?" Stelle echoed, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Then where is the real one?"

"If nothing has changed," Welt replied, his gaze distant as if looking back into time, "the real body should still be where it was—buried deep within Everwinter Hill."

He leaned forward slightly, his tone lowering as he continued, "When Orion sealed it, he began draining its power, but over time, the Stellaron has been slowly sapping Orion's strength in return. The seal is now barely holding, and it won't last much longer."

"Orion's power?" Geppard cut in, curiosity in his voice. "Is it that red and black gravity we've seen him use?"

Welt shook his head slowly, a slight smile playing on his lips. "No, that's only what you've witnessed. Orion often wielded that energy in front of you, making you think that was the extent of his abilities. But he may never have told you the truth—his true power is tied to remembrance, not gravity."

" [Remembrance]?"

Cocolia was puzzled. It wasn't that Orion didn't tell her, but she was confused as to why she only remembered it now.

Instead of answering right away, Welt turned to ask the three youngsters on the Astral Express:

"What is Orion's power? Do you still remember?"

It was a simple question, but the three of them hesitated, unsure of how to answer.

"The guns?"

"The marks on his back?"

"His starry eyes?"

Each of them recalled different memories of Orion's abilities. The judgment of Shamash left a deep impression on March 7th.

Orion in his stigmata form was still fresh in Dan Heng's mind.

For Stelle, it was Orion's starry eyes that stood out.

"The image of Orion is divided in your minds. Let me ask another question. Ms. Cocolia, do you remember Orion using the abilities we just mentioned?"

"Uh..." Cocolia was a bit confused.

"That's the problem. When Orion died seven years ago, people's memories of him started fading. Now, even though you remember his name, the details are slipping away."

"This happened because the time rift caused by Orion sealing the stellaron is erasing his existence. But Orion left behind three stories to keep his memory alive."

"These stories might seem unclear, but they reflect every stage of Orion's journey to this planet."

"Existence might fade over time, but memory can be passed down. Orion Astra might be dead, but he still lives on in your memories."

Welt's words hit home for everyone. With each word, Orion's image became clearer, and the silent figure in the black military uniform appeared before them once more.

"So what do we do now?" Cocolia was worried. Even if they knew Orion wasn't truly gone, the way to save him was still unclear.

"As I said earlier, although the stellaron's form is just a projection, it has grown stronger by absorbing part of Orion's existence."

"But this is also our chance. If we do this right, we can save Orion and rescue all of Belobog in one move."

"Mr. Welt, just tell us what to do. We're ready."

"Me too."

"Alright, here's what we need to do..."

...

While everyone was discussing the battle plan, far away, at the location of the stellaron:

"Ahhhh!"

"Curse these humans!"

The Eternal Winter Dragon, transformed by the stellaron, whipped its tail across the sky, raising dust hundreds of feet into the air.

Its massive claws dug a hole in the ground the size of a large room, and lightning crackled around its body as it unleashed its fury.

"Whoosh, whoosh~"

There was a cruel gleam in its cold eyes.

"I thought Orion was unbeatable, but I didn't expect this man to be even stronger. Who is he?"

The dragon had planned to slowly destroy human civilization, the one Orion cherished, like an elegant dance.

He wanted to expose human flaws as their land was eaten away and enjoy the destruction slowly.

But the appearance of this man ruined everything, forcing the dragon to change its plans.

The dragon closed its eyes. What it had boasted to Orion was true. As long as someone wished for it, it could use its power to do anything on this planet.

After Orion sealed the Stellaron with every ounce of his power, the Stellaron began eroding Orion's very essence, wearing down its seal. Over time, the weakening of the seal allowed the Stellaron to act with increasing freedom, subtly growing stronger with each passing moment.

Its power wasn't confined to just the planet's surface; it extended far beyond, encompassing the entire planet of Jarilo-VI and even reaching into space itself. Though from afar, the sky seemed unremarkable, astronomically, a colossal meteorite—roughly the size of the moon—was suspended ominously in orbit, hidden from the naked eye.

To put it in perspective, the energy unleashed by a medium-sized typhoon in just one second equals the force of six atomic bombs. For further scale, scientists estimate that the meteorite responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs was only six miles in diameter, yet it had the explosive power of 100 billion tons of TNT—around five billion atomic bombs.

Now, the Stellaron's overwhelming power had begun to pull on that immense meteorite, subtly altering its course. It was as though the very heavens were being manipulated by this ancient force, and the massive rock drifted closer to Jarilo-VI, a looming threat of unimaginable destruction.