"Thank you for your hard work. Even a Doomsday Beast is like a mere plaything before you Nameless." Asta's delighted voice came through the communicator, and one could easily imagine how excited the young girl must be at this moment.
"Don't worry about the damage to the platform. The Interastral Peace Corporation will handle the repairs. You are the Space Station's saviors. Please return now and share in the joy of victory."
The communicator fell silent. Himeko turned around and nodded slightly at March 7th, Dan Heng, and Stelle. In response, March 7th and Stelle nodded back. Only Dan Heng remained standing in place, lost in thought.
"You all go back first. I'll check the Doomsday Beast to see if there are any usable materials," Dan Heng said, picking up his spear again.
"Mm, be careful," Himeko replied simply, though her tone carried unmistakable concern.
"I understand." With that, Dan Heng turned and walked toward the Doomsday Beast's corpse.
"Ugh, Dan Heng is just the same as always," March 7th sighed, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head slightly. Honestly, Dan Heng was like some old relic—preferring to act alone and sometimes being way too rigid in his ways.
"Let's go back! I wonder what kind of celebration Asta has prepared?" March 7th slung an arm over Stelle's shoulder, her voice brimming with anticipation. The latter, however, shook her head slightly with a resigned expression.
"Alright, let's head ba—"
Himeko smiled and was about to say something when—
Boom!
A tremor as if the earth itself were splitting apart suddenly struck, catching her completely off guard and nearly sending her toppling to the ground.
March 7th, who was still holding Stelle's shoulder, stumbled. "What the heck is—"
"March, watch out!" Dan Heng's urgent warning reached March 7th's ears, but before she could steady herself, several energy-infused attacks laced with destructive force came crashing toward her.
The attacks were too fast. Even if she tried to dodge now, it would already be too late. The only thing March 7th could do in that final moment was close her eyes and wait silently.
'Is this how my life ends? How regrettable... I haven't recovered my lost memories yet, haven't found a boyfriend, haven't even said goodbye to my friends... There are still so many things I want to do...'
Boom—!
The attacks landed, followed by the delayed sound of tearing air. The massive energy strikes crashed down before March 7th with lightning speed.
"Ugh..."
The expected pain never came. Slightly confused, March 7th forced her eyes open against the blinding light.
"Ah!" Her pupils contracted sharply. Standing in front of her was a gray-haired girl who had suddenly appeared, using her baseball bat to block the energy attack meant for March 7th. The source of the attack? A Doomsday Beast that had somehow revived once again.
"Go... March..." Stelle gritted her teeth, veins bulging across her body. Some of her blood vessels had even ruptured, and blood trickled down her fair skin. In that moment, the slender figure of this gray-haired girl seemed as towering as the mighty Mount Tai.
"Okay..." Tears welled up in March 7th's eyes, falling like beads down her cheeks and onto Stelle's clothes.
She didn't say any of those "we leave together" or other "touching" lines. Stelle had bought her escape with her life—how could she possibly waste that?
Stelle's gaze remained fixed on March 7th until she reached safety. Only then did the gray-haired girl allow herself a relieved smile. Then, as if all her strength had been drained, she slowly fell backward. Even her ever-present baseball bat clattered to the ground with a loud clang.
"Goodbye..." With that final farewell, Stelle's body was swallowed by the massive surge of energy.
"No—!" March 7th let out a heart-wrenching cry before Himeko pulled her into a tight embrace.
Watching Stelle being consumed by the energy, Himeko's eyes reddened, and a wave of sorrow washed over her. This girl, whom they had known for less than half a day, had willingly sacrificed her life for a friend...
"March... Stelle..."
Seeing this scene, Dan Heng suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. The Dragon Lord's power hidden within him began to surge violently.
Recalling everything that had happened to him, flames seemed to ignite in Dan Heng's eyes.
When he was helpless, the Astral Express had taken him in without question, despite his status as a "sinner." After all this time together, he had long since come to regard it as his new home—March 7th, Himeko, Welt, Pom-Pom—all of them were his family now.
And when March 7th faced life and death, it was a girl they had known for less than half a day who stepped forward, trading her life for March's survival.
And what had he done?
"What use is this Dragon Lord's power to someone as weak as me?" Dan Heng laughed bitterly at himself.
"Stelle... I'll avenge you..." Tossing his spear, "Cloud-Piercer," aside, Dan Heng stood up. His aura surged, climbing until it reached its peak.
Hummm—!
The imaginary energy representing the Path of Destruction within Dan Heng erupted without restraint, gradually forming a cyan-blue cocoon that enveloped him completely.
[Warning! Warning! Warning—!]
[Large-scale imaginary energy reaction detected near the Space Station. Preliminary assessment—suspected Emanator-level threat.]
Listening to the alarm from the monitoring device, Asta didn't even know what expression to make anymore. Too much had happened today, and she wasn't sure how to process it all.
"Roar—!"
A mighty dragon's cry resounded through the heavens, echoing across the entire Herta Space Station. Everyone instinctively turned their gazes toward the platform, where something extraordinary seemed to have been born.
"Roar—!"
Another dragon's cry rang out. The cocoon around Dan Heng shattered violently, and from within emerged a transformed figure—now adorned with two pairs of dragon horns, his ears sharpened into a draconic shape. With each step he took, lotus flowers bloomed beneath his feet.
"Is that... Dan Heng?" March 7th wiped the tears from her eyes, staring in disbelief at the figure in the sky. So this guy really did have a hidden identity!
...…
"This guy named Dan Heng hid himself way too well—even I couldn't see through him," Herta muttered, frowning slightly as she observed Dan Heng in his Dragon Lord form. This level of power, and from the Vidyadhara race... Could he be the Vidyadhara Dragon Lord from back then?