"I never thought Caelus, who seemed so carefree, actually had this side to him."
Watching the grey-haired young man charging into the fray, a hint of surprise appeared in March 7th's eyes. The bad first impression Caelus had left completely vanished.
The grey-haired young man bravely led the way, fierce as a demon against the Voidrangers, yet gentle as water towards the station's staff.
Especially in one section, where they arrived a step too late. Caelus could only watch helplessly as a marauder's blade cut down one of the staff members.
As March 7th fell silent at the gory sight, she noticed Caelus's expression.
His eyes looked ready to split, grief and pain warring within them. His entire frame seemed to sharpen, trembling, his body tense with an anger like a volcano about to erupt.
Seeing that madness – the look of someone avenging their dearest loved ones, ready to grind the Voidrangers to dust – March 7th wouldn't have been surprised if Caelus had suddenly embarked upon the Path of the Hunt right then and there.
Yet, no matter how murderous his aura became, the moment he faced the people he rescued, that predatory glint in his eyes would instantly vanish, replaced by a smile as bright as the sun, offering the warmest reassurance.
So...
He's definitely got some issues, right?
Could a normal person switch seamlessly between two such extreme and utterly different demeanors in a single second?
March 7th vaguely recalled a mental condition called 'Bipolar Disorder'; it involved similar drastic shifts.
Still, even if he is unstable, he's a kind-hearted, benevolent unstable person!
The ever-magnanimous Miss March 7th decided to let bygones be bygones completely. She'd definitely make sure the space station's psychiatric department cured Caelus!
Among the three newcomers to the group, the most normal one was undoubtedly the adorable Seele.
She was cute with a gentle voice, and her ability to vanish and reappear in a flash – poof! – even allowed her to phase through thinner walls, drastically increasing rescue efficiency.
Obstacles encountered along the way – transfer elevators, realigning equipment, identity checks, and so on – could all be bypassed with her phasing.
In a real mission scenario, anything obstructing them, short of an unavoidable fight, was either bypassed or smashed!
Stelle's mental state was slightly better than Caelus's. She had simply entered a battle frenzy – the more she smashed, the better it felt!
With her common sense shattered – like a newborn, naturally clueless about first aid – Stelle simply left the rescuing to Seele and Caelus, focusing entirely on eliminating the Voidrangers.
Seele was young, but she'd often bandaged wounds for her 'Big Sister' Bronya before, so her basic first-aid skills were quite comprehensive.
It was Caelus's first time bandaging and giving first aid, but after learning hands-on from Seele for a bit, he could mimic her actions well enough.
By now, the group had helped the Defense Section repel seven waves of the Legion's invasion, directly or indirectly saving over a hundred people.
A voice echoed from somewhere distant, too faint for even March 7th to make out the words.
"Hm? Did you guys hear something?"
"...Help... me... Is anyone there...?"
"It's coming from one of the inner sections. Someone's calling for help."
Dan Heng closed his eyes, concentrating for a couple of seconds before looking towards the source of the sound.
"Hang on! Hang on! I'm coming right now!"
Caelus blurred into motion, racing off as if terrified Death itself would beat him there.
Dan Heng, unfazed by this, followed close behind.
In a pitch-black room where the power lines were damaged, Caelus found the person calling for help amidst a small mountain of toppled files and equipment.
"Found them!"
Caelus quickly shoved aside pieces of equipment that looked small but were surprisingly heavy, dug through the scattered mountain of files, and pulled out the researcher trapped underneath.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
The researcher gasped for air, thanking him profusely.
"Are you okay? Are your eyes hurt?" Caelus asked with concern, noticing the young staff member's tightly closed eyes.
"Thank you for your concern, benefactor. I was just trapped for a while, my eyes are fine."
"Then why are your eyes closed?" Stelle asked, puzzled.
"Hm? But they've been open the whole time," the staff member replied, perplexed.
"R-Really?" March 7th widened her eyes, peering closely. No matter how she looked, the person definitely seemed to have their eyes shut.
The staff member suddenly explained, "Ah, I'm from the Archives Section. Due to the nature of my work, I've trained myself to see everything clearly even while squinting like this."
"Huh? Just how much classified stuff have you been peeking at?" March 7th couldn't resist quipping.
"As long as he's unharmed," Dan Heng noted calmly.
"Exactly!"
Another life saved, Caelus thought, patting the staff member's shoulder reassuringly.
They quickly escorted the lucky staff member to a safe zone. Just as Caelus, racing against the clock, was about to head towards the next unsearched area...
...suddenly, red warning lights flashed almost simultaneously throughout the station's sections. A loud, piercing siren blared, making everyone's expression change.
At the same moment, a video call from Asta popped up on Dan Heng's phone.
Asta had been watching their progress via surveillance – seeing Caelus and the others bravely fighting and rescuing people through the sections. Caelus's initiative and his care for the staff had particularly moved her. When the new emergency arose, her first instinct was to call Caelus, but she realized she didn't have his contact information.
"Mr. Dan Heng, quickly! Take everyone to the platform in the Support Zone and evacuate the station by train!" Asta's anxious voice came through the video feed.
"Miss Asta, what's happened?" Dan Heng asked calmly, though his brow furrowed slightly.
Caelus, Stelle, and March 7th crowded around, peering at Dan Heng's phone screen.
"It's the Doomsday Beast! An anti-planet weapon of the Antimatter Legion!" Himeko's serious voice came through next. As the camera view shifted, Caelus could see a massive holographic projection behind Asta.
On the screen, a colossal, dragon-like beast was tearing at the station's protective shield with its claws. The blue barrier surrounding the station rippled continuously under the assault, and the station itself trembled.
"The D-Doomsday Beast! Why is something like that here?!" March 7th's eyes widened in disbelief.
"With Madam Herta absent, the station's defenses can't hold it off," Asta sounded regretful. "If she'd known this would happen, she wouldn't have waited for that limited-edition Star Destroyer model; she'd have just bought a few Emperor-class ones to guard the entrance."
"The shield around the Base Zone won't last much longer either! You need to evacuate quickly!" This was the station's disaster; she couldn't drag these kind friends from the Astral Express crew into it.
"B-But..." March 7th started to say something more, but was cut off by Caelus's resolute refusal.
"No! I'm not leaving!"
"I don't know why Stelle and I appeared here, or how we lost our memories, but since we are here, there's no way I can stand by and let those inherently evil Legion lackeys destroy everything!"
Besides, if we help stop an anti-planet weapon, even indirectly, the rating for this 'job' has got to go up, right? As for the threat of the Doomsday Beast itself? Caelus was willing to bet that the moment Seele unleashed her Stigma energy, Welt had immediately set off, heading towards the space station at full speed. They just needed to stall the Doomsday Beast.
"Very good," Himeko's voice came through again. "I knew I wasn't mistaken about you. Abandoning allies in a crisis isn't the Astral Express way." A look of approval entered Himeko's eyes as she regarded Caelus. While the Express crew rarely turns away anyone wanting to come aboard, not everyone truly fits into their warm, family-like dynamic. Those with ill intentions or hidden agendas usually reveal their true colors after just one incident. Besides, if she wasn't mistaken, Stelle and Caelus might very well be the key to resolving this whole situation.
"Hmph! Just a Doomsday Beast? We'll make sure it doesn't leave in one piece!" Stelle snorted, growing excited. Fighting that huge monster is gonna feel amazing! She couldn't wait!
"I doubt you could even beat one of its hands..." March 7th quipped with an awkward expression, then broke into a bright smile. "But this girl isn't about to run away from a fight!"
Dan Heng said nothing, merely drawing his spear in silence.
Hearing their words, Asta felt a slight tickle in her nose, an inexplicable wave of emotion washing over her. Her gaze towards Caelus softened even more.
"Alright! Let's send that Doomsday Beast packing!" With the... Caelus Expeditionary Force assembled, Caelus took a step forward, planting his foot firmly, tilting his arm across his chest.
"Let's go!"
As if receiving a signal from his 'subconscious,' Stelle's eyes lit up. Mimicking Caelus's pose, she stepped forward sideways. "Oooh~!"
"Oooh~!" March 7th, who always loved joining in, immediately copied their stance.
Then, while Seele refrained from striking a 'ding~' pose to maintain her character, Caelus, Stelle, and March 7th all turned to look at Dan Heng. Their expressions clearly said: Your turn!
"..."
As the only 'normal' one present, Dan Heng had no desire to join in, but he couldn't withstand their three expectant gazes. Resignedly, he stepped forward and adopted the same pose.
"Let's GO!"
Full of valiant spirit, Caelus led the way.
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