"In the far northern lands, I witnessed the struggle between the former Supreme Guardian and an indescribable force. In her final moments, she confided in me her greatest regret..."
"...That was the lockdown order that had separated the upper and lower districts for over a decade. As time passed, she began to realize the severe consequences of her decision... Though she felt remorse, there was no turning back."
"Thus, she left a final wish before her passing... When the influence of the [Stellaron] dissipates, she hoped that Belobog would be whole again. She wished for the people of the upper and lower districts to welcome the dawn together."
Inside the train.
Everyone was watching Xiao Guizi's livestream.
At first, when they learned that this was a glimpse of the future, the group reacted with solemnity, shock, or disbelief.
But as the story progressed, their tension gradually eased.
After all, this was just a game.
It wasn't like a monster would suddenly jump out and devour everyone.
Under the constant barrage of twists, March 7th seemed almost numb.
She even grabbed a plate of fruits and snacks.
Sitting on the sofa, she watched Bronya's speech with great interest.
Stelle scooted over and joined March 7th, indulging in the snacks.
Since there was nothing they could do about the game, they decided to just go with the flow!
And honestly!
Watching themselves from a third-person perspective was oddly entertaining!
The two of them made up their minds.
When they had time, they would revisit the earlier parts of the story and catch up on every detail!
In the square before the Qlipoth Fort, under the watchful eyes of the citizens, Bronya's speech was nearing its end.
"I firmly believe that through our collective efforts, our world—the one the [Trailblazers] call [Jarilo-VI]—will once again embrace the stars."
"But before we achieve this goal, please allow me to humbly lead the way forward..."
"I, Bronya Rand, the 19th [Guardian] of Belobog, hereby swear—"
Amidst the cheers and jubilation of the crowd, the speech concluded successfully.
March 7th and Star both clapped in unison.
"Gotta admit, Bronya really nailed that speech!"
"Yeah, she even mentioned us! All our efforts on Jarilo-VI were worth it!"
"I've decided, I'm going to pull both Seele and Bronya!"
"Hope my budget can handle it..."
They chatted as they watched.
The following part of the story was much lighter, focusing on March 7th taking photos and going shopping.
Soon, March complained about being tired and wanted to return to the Goethe Hotel for a good night's sleep.
Seeing the hotel appear in the story, Stelle couldn't help but blush slightly.
She silently prayed that the developers wouldn't pull any tricks in the hotel this time.
If this kept up, her cool and handsome "Galactic Batting Star" persona would be completely ruined!
She'd just become a joke!
Right after selecting the [Go to Sleep] option, the screen suddenly went black.
A line of text appeared.
[The Engine of Creation, Cocolia, the illusory cosmic space, the gaze of [Preservation]—images related to that final battle flashed and intertwined, piecing together a blurry and surreal memory reel.]
[The final frame froze on the moment before the Stellaron dissipated with Cocolia. In that brief instant, it seemed as if an unfamiliar voice whispered close to your ear...]
[But the voice was fleeting. You tried to rewind to the previous frame, only to find the memory reel had been cleanly cut, leaving no trace.]
[Then, you heard a woman's voice again...]
"At the end of your journey, all the mysteries that trouble you will be unraveled."
The livestream fell silent for a few seconds.
Then came Xiao Guizi's exclamation.
"Isn't... isn't that Kafka's voice?!"
March 7th poked Stelle.
Her face was full of curiosity and wonder.
"Hey, what's your relationship with Kafka anyway?"
Stelle opened her mouth, though she herself had no idea.
Still, she tentatively replied, "Mom?"
"Pfft..."
March 7th spat out her soda.
"Kafka Mom?"
"No..."
"Kafka Mama?"
"Wait! That actually feels kinda fitting for her."
"In that case, I'd be your sister, and Himeko would be your adoptive mom..."
As March 7th's words grew increasingly absurd, Himeko cleared her throat, signaling her to stop.
Just then, the screen lit up again!
And this time,
It was someone completely unexpected!
Someone who should have already left the stage.
Someone who seemed like comic relief throughout the story but played a crucial role at key moments.
—Sampo!
At this moment, Sampo was speaking to an old-fashioned television, as if talking to himself:
"—Yeah, it was a close call back then! Luckily, I had a quick idea: Hey! I don't need to be the main character, right? Let's just play the masked fool instead."
"Turns out, the Star Rail crew is even more interesting than I thought! You like it? Really? Haha, what a masterpiece."
"...No, no, I'm not ready to leave yet. What, Epsilon? What's fun about that place of indulgence? [The more a joy reflects human dignity, the higher its quality]—that's what makes it interesting!"
"Alright, bye. Send my regards to the folks at the tavern, and don't forget to tell them—stay tuned for Old Sampo's next act! Now, it's time for my curtain call."
As if concluding a conversation with someone, Sampo smiled and walked away.
March 7th was stunned.
Suddenly, she snapped back to reality.
"Quick! Open the comments and see what everyone else is saying!"
The comments were just as shocked as March 7th and the others, completely caught off guard by this development.
...
[Chat]
"???"
"Sampo, what are you doing?!"
"The story's final twist involves Old Sampo?"
"He's not from this planet?"
"I'm genuinely shocked! Never expected Sampo to have another identity!"
"This guy is definitely not simple!"
"I always felt something was off about him earlier, and some of the main story choices hinted at it!"
"Could he be with the company?"
"Does Sampo have ties to the Stellaron Hunters?"
...
As everyone speculated about Sampo's identity,
The man who had already left suddenly reappeared on screen.
He bowed slightly to the audience.
"This story is dedicated to you, dear viewers—I hope it brought you a little joy."
"—If you say no, well, Sampo would be very sad."
To be continued…
Advance 100 Chapters are up on my Patreon!
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus