"Wake up, sleepyhead!" March 7th's chirpy voice pierced through Simon's ringing ears. "We've reached our destination!"
"Hmm?" He grumbled, eyes fluttering open to a head full of pink hair that made him frown with confusion. "Am...I dead? Is this hell?"
March giggled at his groggy muttering.
"No, silly! This is your room in the Astral Express!"
But her grin faltered, replaced with an apologetic wince.
"And also...sorry for leaving you alone with Himeko, which led to that happening!" She leaned toward the door, making sure the woman in question wasn't nearby, then cupped a hand to whisper, "...Remember to steer clear of her brews next time..."
"Lesson learned." He nodded gravely.
It was safe to say that Himeko had single handedly cured his caffeine addiction.
"Good!" She leaned back, hands placed proudly on her hips. "Now, as I was saying, we're docked at the space station already! Hurry up and get ready to disembark! Himeko already went down to return the curio Herta tasked us to retrieve and should be looking for us soon. Dan Heng is still waiting for us, and Mr. Yang will stay here this trip."
"Is this what they call fast travel?" Simon said with a helpless look. "Well, all I have to do is retrieve Lagann..."
"Lagann, huh? Is that what your robot pal is called?" March hummed, fiddling with her pouch. "That reminds me...we weren't able to open it after you were knocked out, but I still remember that there wasn't anything besides you inside...and you also came empty handed with nothing but Lagann to your name...so—"
Her hands suddenly darted out, clutching something, then just as quickly hiding it behind her back. She also smiled a little too innocently.
"Yeah?" He pressed on at her obvious indication.
"Do you have something you can use to keep in contact, now that you'll be travelling with us? Like, a phone for example?" She asked brightly.
Simon silently checked his pockets and came to the harrowing conclusion that indeed, he was penniless.
"No..."
"Aha! I knew it!" March excitedly revealed a plain black phone with a flourish. "Behold! Your official welcome gift! You may now address me as March 7th, prophetess of the century!"
He accepted the phone while shielding his eyes from the pure radiance the young girl was emitting.
"Thanks, March...but just to let you know, I really don't have any credits on me..."
"It's a gift! A G.I.F.T." She huffed, offended. "What kind of gift comes with strings attached like that?!"
"One of from the IPC, maybe?" He answered with a smirk that made her want to pull her hair out.
"You're right..." She admitted with a grumble, glaring at him like a sulky puppy as her face fell.. "But I'm not like them! Nobody on the express is like that! Get that through your head, Mr! Grr, you're this close to being another Dan Heng..."
Simon chuckled. Of course, he knew their personalities from the game. But in this reality, who could say? For all he knew, he could be in a freaky, parallel version of star rail.
"And what's wrong with that?" He teased. "I think he's pretty cool."
March stomped her foot in frustration, the motion uncannily similar to Pompom's. She inhaled deeply, struggling to avoid getting ragebaited by her new companion.
"You're right, again, but only partly. Most of the time, he's just downright boring! Wait until you see—huh?"
Her words cut off as her phone buzzed relentlessly. Ping after ping filled the air until she finally gave in and checked. With every line she read, her expression darkened.
"Oh, no!" March gasped, face paling. "Dan Heng says the Space Station's under attack by the Anti-Matter Legion! Himeko's already with Asta...we have to go help, pronto!"
"I-"
She didn't even give him time to answer before impulsively grabbing his hand and sprinting out. But after seeing the genuine look of concern on her face, all his sarcasm died down and he followed along quietly, even if he knew there weren't any actual threats besides the doomsday beast.
...
They quickly arrived in the party car after March finished grabbing her bow from her room, where Welt and Dan Heng were waiting.
But more importantly, Lagann was somehow also on standby next to them.
Simon blinked in surprise at the mech's sudden appearance.
"I figured you'd want it close," Welt explained smoothly, catching his look. "So I had it moved here in advance."
Simon exhaled, a grateful smile tugging at his lips.
"Are you guys ready?" Dan Heng asked, giving his spear a few practice swings.
March conjured an arrow of shimmering ice, striking a heroic pose. "I was born ready! Those poor researchers are counting on us!"
"Just a second," Simon interjected, grinning as he slipped the Core Drill from his neck. The metal pulsed in his palm, resonating with Lagann and opening up the cockpit. "I've got a faster way to get us there."
He climbed in, jamming the drill into the ignition slot and twisting with all his strength. Energy flared outward as Lagann roared to life for the first time in this world.
"Hop on!" he called, beckoning the others toward the sides.
Dan Heng and March exchanged a single look before leaping aboard without hesitation.
"Be careful out there," Welt said, adjusting his glasses to hide the stars shining in his eyes. "And don't hesitate to contact me if you run into something you can't handle."
"Got it!" March replied with a cheerful salute. "Alright, trailblazers… move out!"
"Ahem," the conductor's voice echoed from the speakers, businesslike as ever. "Opening the doors for passengers: March 7th, Dan Heng and Simon Teppelin."
A soft hiss escaped the train's hatch, followed by the clatter of a ramp unfolding onto the railway platform in the Master Control Zone.
Lagann burst out in a blur of motion, its thrusters roaring as it soared above the platform. Dozens of station personnel stopped to stare, their chatter silenced by the sight of the gleaming mech descending like a comet.
It landed squarely on the connecting bridge with a thunderous clang.
Simon gripped both handles inside the cockpit and yanked them back hard, causing Lagann to suddenly vault downward.
"Whoa! Isn't this way too high!?" March yelped, clutching his arm for dear life, eyes wide with panic.
"Hold tight," Simon said calmly, eyes fixed on the figures below.
He spotted Himeko and Asta chatting on the lower platform.
Just before impact, he thrust the handles forward. Lagann's legs folded away, replaced by thrusters that flared to life, cushioning their fall.
They landed smoothly, but he glanced a little weirdly at Dan Heng, who was also holding onto his shoulder with one hand silently and stiffly, looking like he was ready to leap off at any moment.
A faint blush crept over Dan Heng's face as he quickly dismounted without a word.
Well, Simon couldn't really blame him for his lack of faith. It did look like he had no idea what he was doing by pressing every random control inside Lagann. But, he wasn't worried because his partner was doing all the heavy lifting. All he had to do was believe in himself.
"I thought this was the end..." March slumped, shooting him a cute glare. "Next time, tell me all about what your friend can do so I don't end up being scared half to death!"
He just shrugged playfully. "Where's the fun in that?"
Her glare deepened before she turned to join the others.
Simon stayed behind to take out the core drill and give Lagann an appreciative pat.
When he finally approached them, Dan Heng was already off being broody in a corner with his arms crossed over his spear, leaving Simon alone with the three women.
"Hi!" He greeted cheerfully.
Himeko turned to him gracefully, smiling softly as ever. "Looks like you're doing fine now. It gave me quite a shock when you suddenly collapsed like that...do you want the doctors here to take a look?"
"Yeah...no thanks." He laughed a little awkwardly, turning to look at the second pink haired girl present.
"My apologies." Himeko said, seamlessly switching to introductions. "Simon, this is the lead researcher of the Herta Space Station appointed by madam Herta herself, Asta. Asta, this is Simon Teppelin, the latest member of the nameless."
"It's a pleasure to meet one of the heroes helping us fight the destruction's forces!" Asta said, beaming as she shook his hand. "I've already given Dan Heng all the details. But please, don't hesitate to ask me for anything that can assist you in the rescue operation! Oh, and also, have this! It's an encryption key to operate the elevators that were shut down during the emergency."
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind..." He replied politely, hanging the key around his neck with the core drill.
Though he felt the urge to take her up on her offer and ask for a whole fleet of dreadnought ships to combine with...he couldn't in good conscience take advantage of this rich girl's kindness.
Or at least, not this soon. Not when they're barely acquainted. But one day...definitely.
"If that's all, we should head out now!" March piped up, glancing back as she jogged toward Dan Heng. "You coming too, Himeko?"
"No, I'm staying back to help Asta and the researchers with some maintenance...but I'll try to be quick and provide backup. " She shot them an apologetic look.
March pouted, a little disappointed, but she still nodded obediently.
"Off we go then." Simon waved goodbye, joining up with his two friends.
Dan Heng looked up at the two and nodded approvingly after spotting the encryption key.
"Good. You got the encryption key. I've also mapped out the last known locations of the missing staff, and the approximate distribution of the Voidrangers. Our destination is the Storage Zone."
"But tell me, Danny, is our path fraught with monsters and do you have a 3d map of the floors?" Simon asked, looking at Dan Heng with an eerie smile.
"Yes...in both cases." He answered flatly , ignoring the endearing nickname forced upon him.
Somehow, despite not knowing this man for long, Dan Heng's instinct repeatedly warned him not to get on his bad side.
And although he had a bad feeling about this, he felt like there was no way Simon could go too far since he knew who this station belonged to.
An emanator would make even the most daring of fools restrain themselves.
"You'll see! Come on." Simon winked, his smile fading as he climbed back into Lagann.
March, in contrast, was thrilled.
"No way am I walking when I can ride in this thing!" she said, hopping in happily.
Dan Heng simply sighed and followed suit, choosing silence over argument.
Lagann powered on again and started its charge. Since the main elevators were shut to prevent the legion from spreading, they couldn't use the encryption key to get to the storage zone straight up, they could only use it to skip one floor at most.
Still, even that carried risks.
When the elevator doors opened, they were immediately met by a group of Voidrangers blocking the corridor.
Dan Heng and March prepared for combat, but Simon raised a hand.
"Alright, Danny, pull that map up for me and point me in the right direction." he said, a fierce grin on his face. "Rescuing people's our top priority. We can't waste time here. Just sit back and enjoy the show."
The two were a bit hesitant, but sat back down after seeing his unwavering confidence.
They were admittedly curious about how he planned to deal with the monsters, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to get familiar with their new crewmate.
"...I'll leave it to you." Dan Heng gave a slight nod.
"Go on, impress me!" March added eagerly.
Not one to disappoint, Simon grabbed the core drill and twisted it all the way, cranking the power output up to eleven. The entire display was now lit up.
"Spin on!" Simon shouted.
Lagann launched skyward, catching every Voidranger's attention. Its thrusters ignited and in a flash, it rocketed toward the largest one so fast, that by the time the voidranger turned its head, it was already decapitated after being pierced through like soft butter.
"That was fast! And what's that, a drill!?" March gasped.
But it wasn't over yet. Lagann executed the same maneuver, ricocheting from wall to wall like a pinball of destruction and shredding the remaining monsters up in under 10 seconds.
The hatch opened up and they could finally breathe freely again.
"What the hell was that?!" March exclaimed, eyes wide. "You took care of them like nothing! That's it, I can't hold it in anymore, tell me what's up with this mech!"
Simon lifted his chin proudly. "Oh, this ol' thing? Nothing much, it's just a class-A galactic superweapon that's even more dangerous than the omnitrix."
"What the what?" March blinked, completely lost.
"I don't know what an omnitrix is," Dan Heng said dryly, "but judging from context, he probably means it's comparable to or stronger than a Xianzhou ship."
"Huh?!" The girl's face was marred with disbelief, only to quickly be replaced by a dismissive bout of laughter. "Hahaha! You're funny! No offense, Lagann is strong, but it's not THAT impressive. You're new here, so you don't know the power levels around, but don't worry. I, March 7th, will keep you in check!"
Both men just sighed at the girl's antics, sharing a look that deepened their newfound camaraderie. Somehow, her confidence was almost comforting.
"I admit, it's not at that level yet..." Simon grumbled, "but someday..."
In any case, after that was over, they got back to business and began searching for the survivors floor by floor while taking out all the monsters along the way.
They even defeated a trampler that was supposed to serve as a mini boss fight for the trailblazer after saving some researchers.
Eventually, they found Arlan fighting off some goons with his limbs unbroken.
Dan Heng had already told Simon that rescuing him was one of the objectives Asta gave, so he charged forward, blasting the enemies away in one blow.
Arlan panted, craddling one arm and standing on his non-trembling leg.
They had made it just in time.
"Thanks...I owe you guys one." He bowed, dropping his guard after seeing the encryption key they carried.
"Hehe, no worries!" March flashed a peace sign. "This is what we trailblazers do!"
"Trailblazers?" Allan repeated, surprised. "Did Madam Herta send you to help?"
"Nope, just a coincidence." Simon answered, helping him to his feet. "You alright though?"
He took a tentative step on his bad leg and immediately exhaled. "Yes, just a little numb. Thank you. I wouldn't have made it out unscathed without your help..."
Dan Heng was about to chime in when his phone suddenly buzzed. He swiped it open and his eyes narrowed at the message displayed on the screen.
"Somebody just sent me a distress signal along with their exact coordinates...but no identification data." He showed them the message from the unknown sender.
"You think it's a trap?" Simon perked up as he asked.
He had a hunch. It was probably Silver wolf, meaning it was time to go find the trailblazer.
He couldn't wait to see whether it'd be Caelus or Stelle...
Dan Heng considered it for a moment.
"Maybe. But we can't ignore it."
"Heh, no worries, Danny!" Simon said, clapping him on the shoulder. "There's no enemy we can't handle and no person we can't save!'
"I like the sound of that!" March said, grinning as she raised a hand for a high-five. Simon met it with a laugh.
Dan Heng's gaze flicked between Lagann and Arlan, assessing the situation. There wasn't nearly enough room for everyone, especially not for someone injured who'd be tossed around during flight.
"Can you make it back on your own?" he asked evenly. "We should've cleared out most of the monsters, so it should be relatively safe."
Arlan nodded, wincing slightly but managing a smile. "Yes. You've already done more than enough. I can use the elevator on this floor, thanks to you."
"Alright, buddy. Be safe, we've still got lives to save." Simon gave his back a friendly pat before turning away.
They waited until the boy disappeared from sight before setting off again.
"So," Simon said, hands dancing over Lagann's controls, "where exactly are those coordinates pinging from?"
Dan Heng compared the data on his screen. "The signal's coming from the Gallery of Shadows, Madam Herta's personal curio collection."
Even he sounded faintly surprised.
"That sounds awesome!" March rubbed her hands together like a child at a candy store. "I wonder what kind of goodies she keeps in there…"
Simon scoffed a little. The only things worth mentioning was the grey raccoon and the baseball bat. While not crazy powerful, they were indeed legendary.
"Alright, brace yourselves!" Simon said suddenly, eyes flicking to the 3D map for a quick second.
"Wait—what do you mea—"
Before March could finish, Lagann's lower half transformed into a massive spinning drill.
The machine roared to life, its frame vibrating with power as it tore through the floor ahead like a hot knife through steel.
They were drilling through walls, platforms, and bulkheads in a straight line toward the coordinates, the screech of metal and whir of engines echoing like thunder through the halls.
Dan Heng gripped the nearest handle, his expression caught somewhere between alarm and reluctant admiration.
So this is what the earlier uneasy feeling was about...
March's voice cracked over the noise.
"SIMON! YOU CAN'T JUST DRILL THROUGH EVERYTHING!"
"I can! And I am!" he yelled back with a wild, villainous laugh echoing through the now empty space behind them.