Astral Express.
After the initial shock and bewilderment, March 7th's tears began to flow uncontrollably.
She had always resonated deeply with the plight of beautiful girls, and now, watching this segment from the Trailblazer's perspective.
And here they were.
Right in Penacony.
It felt as if she had personally experienced this scene herself!
She empathized intensely.
This really hit hard!
"Wahhhhh..."
"Uncle Yang..."
"Uncle Yang!"
"Firefly isn't dead, right? Right?"
March 7th tugged at Old Yang's arm, shaking it back and forth.
Old Yang adjusted his glasses.
He shook his head.
His sleeve was almost torn off by March 7th.
Beside them.
Stelle stood there, looking bewildered.
As the person directly involved, her emotions were complicated.
Even though this was just something that happened in the game, after finishing the storyline, she felt as if a piece of her heart had been torn away.
She looked out the window.
Her reflection seemed to say, "I've only just arrived in this world."
"From an ordinary person's perspective, I'm still a Stellaron baby!"
"Why do I have to go through all this?"
Old Yang couldn't help but say, "March, calm down."
"This is just what happened in the game."
"Since we know about it in advance, we still have a chance to change this tragedy."
As soon as he said this.
March 7th was stunned!
Stelle was also stunned!
Both of them had been so caught up in shock and grief.
It felt as if Firefly had truly disappeared before their eyes.
They had completely forgotten about this!
March 7th wiped the tear stains from her face with a tissue and began to pull herself together.
Stelle, on the other hand, looked around.
Aside from Pom-Pom.
An important person was missing from the Parlor Car!
"Where's Himeko?"
As soon as she spoke.
The car door clicked open.
Himeko appeared, carrying her suitcase.
March 7th immediately felt as if she had found her anchor.
The suppressed feelings of grievance and sadness burst out again.
"Wahhhhh..."
"Sister Himeko..."
"This storyline is toxic! Yu Ling is throwing knives at us!"
"Wahhh, a beautiful girl like me, Firefly, got stabbed..."
March 7th looked pitiful.
She was hoping Himeko would pat her head or give her a hug.
To comfort her with words like "It's okay" or "We still have a chance."
However.
Himeko's expression was serious.
She showed no intention of comforting the emotionally broken, crying, and fussing March 7th.
"March, I know you're upset, but don't rush to grieve just yet."
"I've conducted some related investigations and verifications."
"I've discovered—Firefly's identity is suspicious!"
"Huh?"
Facing everyone's astonished gazes.
Himeko spoke word by word, "Firefly is very likely a member of the Stellaron Hunters."
March 7th was dumbfounded.
Wasn't Firefly just stabbed in the storyline?
She was clearly just an ordinary girl!
She even cried in fear at the brink of death.
She even said things like "I'm sorry..." at that moment.
How could she possibly be connected to the Stellaron Hunters?
Old Yang pondered, "Now that you mention it, I also feel that Firefly's behavior in the storyline was a bit off..."
"For example, the first time we faced that monster, Black Swan intervened at the critical moment and created a teleportation channel."
"While Stelle was still in a daze, Firefly decisively grabbed her and rushed into the channel."
"Also, when we just came out of the Dreamscape Hotel, there were several fallen Dreamjolt Troupe members around Firefly, seemingly defeated by her..."
"Many times, it seemed like Stelle was protecting her, but... Firefly never showed the timidity of a weakling."
"Instead, most of the time, she displayed an extraordinary sense of judgment and execution."
Himeko nodded.
The suitcase was placed on the table.
Her hands moved swiftly across the virtual keyboard.
One after another, images were projected onto the main screen.
"Everyone, look here..."
"And here..."
March 7th's mouth fell open.
These images were all scenes related to Firefly from the game Honkai: Star Rail.
[It seems he's quite skilled in combat—the covert kind. His palms are broad, but his fingers are slender and agile. I'd guess he's used to wielding knives. Short blades, daggers...]
Himeko pointed to this segment of the story and said, "While playing in Aideen Park, Firefly demonstrated exceptional counter-surveillance abilities."
"Not only could she describe the specific characteristics of the stalker, but she even detailed their height, build, gait, the condition of their hands and fingers, and their preferred weapons..."
Old Yang chimed in, "This is clearly not something a young girl who's been confined to a medical pod for a long time could accomplish."
"It's more like... a battle-hardened warrior."
"A battle-hardened warrior?"
March 7th immediately looked incredulous.
"Uncle Yang, don't joke around. If Firefly were a battle-hardened warrior, how could she have been killed by Something Unto Death?"
"Perhaps there's a reason."
As she spoke,
Himeo switched to another image.
This was the moment when Firefly was first captured by Something Unto Death.
"Here, Yu Ling specifically gave a close-up of her hand."
"Firefly clenched her fist, as if preparing to counterattack."
"But the moment she sensed Black Swan coming to her rescue, she immediately relaxed."
Stelle was starting to waver at this point.
She asked hesitantly, "Isn't this... a bit too far-fetched?"
"Far-fetched?"
"Well... I have one more piece of decisive evidence here."
Himeko pulled up a surveillance video.
This time, it wasn't from the game.
It was something that happened in real life.
In the surveillance footage,
Firefly was wandering aimlessly through the hallway of The Reverie Hotel.
But suddenly, it was as if she had fallen into an invisible vortex.
She completely vanished from the camera's view.
In the second segment of the footage,
two figures also passed through the same spot.
The image was very blurry.
Only the outlines of an adult woman and a young girl could be made out.
The video was paused.
The image was continuously zoomed in.
The two figures were repeatedly refreshed, gradually becoming more distinct.
March 7th and Stelle both looked shocked!
Although their faces couldn't be seen,
some distinctive features in their appearance made it easy to deduce—
This was... Silver Wolf and Kafka!
Even more,
Silver Wolf provocatively made a "weak" gesture toward the camera.
As if she was certain her movements couldn't be detected.
Or,
even if someone did notice, there was nothing they could do about it!
This,
was very much in line with Silver Wolf's style!
Next,
just like Firefly,
Kafka and Silver Wolf also abruptly disappeared in this area.
Even the surveillance couldn't capture their whereabouts!
It felt like entering a special space!
"Silver Wolf and Kafka... they're here too?"
March 7th suddenly felt her mouth go dry.
At the moment, she didn't harbor any hostility toward the Stellaron Hunters.
It was just unexpected.
How could they appear in this location!?
Although there were no further scenes to follow.
One could imagine—
At this moment, Firefly was together with Silver Wolf and Kafka!
"That's right. I think Silver Wolf created a space within the hotel that outsiders couldn't enter to avoid Firefly being discovered."
"And they are temporarily hiding in that space."
After listening to Himeko's deduction.
Everyone in the carriage.
Fell into deep thought for a moment.
March 7th and Stelle were the most shocked!
A girl as beautiful as them, gentle and lovable in the story, someone who tugged at your heartstrings.
Had suddenly transformed.
Into a member of the Stellaron Hunters!?
Himeko gave everyone some time to process before speaking, "Based on the above conclusion, if Firefly is a Stellaron Hunter, she definitely wouldn't meet her true [death] so easily."
"They are [Destiny's Slave]. Even death must fall within the scope of Elio's script."
"Hmm... there's one more point I think is worth mentioning."
Himeko switched to another scene.
It was the moment when Firefly was pierced by Something Unto Death.
Even though they knew Firefly was likely a Stellaron Hunter.
For March 7th and Stelle, this scene was still hard to watch.
This frozen moment.
Was the scene before Firefly dissipated.
Himeko had deliberately slowed it down.
At this moment.
Everyone noticed.
Below Firefly's chest.
A cluster of glowing light floated out and flew into the sky.
This close-up shot would have been hard to see if it hadn't been deliberately slowed down.
"Is this... a firefly?"
March 7th was stunned at first.
Then overjoyed!
"So it's true...!"
"In other words..."
"Firefly can still be saved!"
"She can still win the resurrection match!"
At this moment.
Old Yang, who was responsible for following the game's plot, showed a strange expression.
"Everyone, we can continue watching the plot."
"The latter half of this plot seems to still have some unresolved points!"
"It might reveal the secret behind Firefly's [death]!"