Phantylia

After three warp jumps.

The Astral Express arrived at the coordinates of the Xianzhou Luofu.

Despite being called a ship, the Xianzhou could fairly be described as a planet.

It was even bigger than Jarilo-VI.

March 7th, Stelle, and Dan Heng were heading to the Luofu this time.

Welt led the team.

Yes, even though our Cold Dragon Young had been declared forbidden from setting foot anywhere under the Luofu's jurisdiction...

In plain English: you're not allowed on our Xianzhou Luofu, buddy~

After weighing his options again and again, however.

Dan Heng still chose to risk following them.

All because Kafka had shown him a holographic image of Blade.

That dangerous man he could never forget, even in his dreams.

However, Dan Heng wasn't going with them as part of the group.

Instead, he secretly followed behind.

Translation: I'm worried about your safety, but I'm also afraid of causing you trouble.

As for Jiang Yao.

He had to wait for the combat personnel up ahead to send back confirmation that it was safe before he could leave the train.

This was also for Jiang Yao's safety.

Jiang Yao had no objections.

And so.

The Astral Express, blazing a trail across the cosmos, arrived today at the suffering Xianzhou!

Meanwhile...

Pfft, some time later.

Elsewhere.

The Xianzhou Luofu.

The Palace of Astrum.

Take a good look. This Foxian woman before us had fair skin, a beautiful face, long legs, a generous bust, a long tail, and a shapely figure.

Her name was pronounced Tingyun, but spelled Phantylia.

Because Jiang Yao had barged into the picture.

Kafka's efforts to guide the Astral Express to the Luofu had been delayed by a day, or twenty-four system hours.

As a result, Phantylia, disguised as Tingyun, hadn't met the benefactors from the Astral Express.

She had slipped into the Sky-Faring Commission without a hitch.

Well, she was a hardworking villainess, after all, with the title of Abbess Extermination...

Pfft, Lord Ravager.

The "ravaging" meant slaughtering your entire bloodline.

And the "lord" would wipe out your entire world.

As one of the seven great Emanators serving Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction.

Her strength was beyond question.

Still, she did serve the youngest Aeon.

It was Nanook's first time being an Aeon, and the youngest one at that.

Surely Nanook had to produce some results, or performance figures, to make that presence felt?

So every last Lord Ravager had KPI targets to meet.

What a happy coincidence!

Phantylia had a job that aligned with her hobbies.

What a wonderful thing!

Besides, everyone, don't let a pretty face and a huge rack dictate your morals.

Phantylia had no particular reason for doing evil, much less some hidden hardship.

She wanted to destroy worlds purely because she was evil.

Unlike Zephyro, who loved violent destruction, Celenova, who favored surprise attacks everywhere, or Iron Tomb, who excelled at triggering Intellitron crises.

Phantylia specialized in killing people and crushing their spirits...

Pfft!

Psychological attacks.

Simply put, she excelled at bringing the following upon a planet—

Internal conflict within its belief system, the collapse of its spiritual pillars, the breakdown of trust within its civilization, and the complete abandonment of hope.

Whenever she saw a world crumble from within.

Oh, there was no describing how happy Phantylia felt.

And this time, she had set her sights on the Xianzhou Luofu.

Most Xianzhou natives worshipped Lan, the Aeon of the Hunt.

But among them was an organization called the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, which worshipped Yaoshi, the Aeon of Abundance.

Heh, all you could say was that every doomed planet had its share of idiots.

The ones on the Xianzhou were merely idiots chasing immortality, ants slightly stronger than other ants.

They could just about serve as useful tools.

Phantylia had easily contacted the leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.

Then she had taken Tingyun's form and infiltrated the enemy.

Her trip to the Xianzhou this time.

Wasn't intended to completely destroy the Xianzhou Luofu.

Though she wouldn't pass up the opportunity if it arose.

Her main objective, having been drawn here by Luocha, was to find a body that could endure.

So she would no longer need to fear [Destruction].

Oh, yes. She was an Emanator of [Destruction], but she feared [Destruction].

Translated into a more familiar term: a turncoat.

Originally, everything had been going according to plan.

The Stellaron she had prepared was already in position.

All the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus had to do was seize the moment to rise up when the Ambrosial Arbor sprouted, met the Stellaron like dry tinder meeting flame, and recreated a divine miracle.

Then her grand plan would succeed!

But just as she was waiting to reap the rewards.

Tingyun's immediate superior, Yukong, gave her an assignment.

Phantylia felt rather helpless.

Why should I, Phantylia, have to do Tingyun's work?

But Phantylia couldn't reveal her identity.

Taking action personally went against her aesthetics of destruction.

So she had no choice but to accept the assignment.

What assignment?

Well, to receive the Astral Express's visitors from afar...

Specifically, one lone Nameless.

Yes, yes, yes, this lone Nameless was exactly who you were thinking of: a certain Aeon who wished to remain anonymous.

Jiang Yao.

So...

The world line had undergone a rather curious little change.

The Astral Express Crew no longer had Tingyun.

But they still had Dan Heng!

Dan Heng had directed them to the Sky-Faring Commission's Palace of Astrum~

They met Yukong at the Palace of Astrum.

Yukong notified Jing Yuan.

As for the rest, well, that was the world line converging again.

The only thing that had changed.

Was that the Astral Express Crew hoped someone could guide a companion of theirs who was still aboard the train.

To purchase some ingredients on the Luofu.

And so, Yukong chose "Tingyun."

Someone else accompanied the Astral Express Crew.

However, that was something Phantylia didn't know.

Of course, she didn't particularly care about this assignment.

After all, across the hundred-plus star systems she had destroyed, the scripts had been much the same—

"Voidrangers from the Destruction Legion suddenly descended."

"An unspeakable demon with power over people's hearts quietly ate away at them."

"Despicable, shameless traitors were bringing down a monumental disaster."

"The Destruction Legion's armies swept in, meeting no resistance."

"Beset by troubles within and enemies without, they brought about their own destruction."

"The supreme Lord Ravager Phantylia destroyed yet another star system today~"

Phantylia believed this time would be no exception.

That Jiang Yao fellow could have a little reward if he behaved himself.

But if he annoyed me.

Hehe, I'll show you what a Lord Ravager is capable of!

Hmph, one insignificant Nameless? Handling him will be child's play!

The perspective shifted.

Hey, back aboard the train again~

The train's dining car.

Jiang Yao was teaching Himeko how to make coffee.

This had been Himeko's goal from the very beginning.

How could Jiang Yao, an exemplary Aeon who loved helping others, possibly turn her down?

Naturally, he hadn't refused.

"First do this, then that, then this, and finally that. Got it?"

Jiang Yao explained patiently to Himeko.

The key to making coffee lay in selecting different coffee beans.

The quality of the beans determined the coffee's upper limit.

The flavor of the beans determined the coffee's style.

Everything above was useless chatter.

Because Himeko already knew all of it.

So Jiang Yao could only demonstrate his technique.

He explained in minute detail. For example, how should you judge the condition of the coffee grounds during extraction?

Or how should you adjust the temperature and pouring technique according to the state of the grounds...

At first, Himeko listened and nodded frequently.

Later, her eyes gradually glazed over, her brain started buzzing, and finally she simply zoned out.

And so, she automatically translated Jiang Yao's earnest instruction into—

First do this, then that, then this, and finally that. Got it?

Hands: Hiss, I think I've got it this time?

Brain: Got it, my ass! Is this something a human can learn?

That was probably Himeko's current state.

She was one step away from swearing.

There was nothing to be done.

Detailed as Jiang Yao's teaching was.

And even though she understood every word he said.

And had no trouble understanding them strung together, either.

Why...

Why couldn't she actually do it?

What normal person could tell the condition of coffee grounds just by looking at and smelling them?

Why not claim you could eat a piece of meat and tell how the animal had lived, too?

Himeko's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally gave up and died.

She couldn't learn it.

She simply couldn't learn it!

But...

Was she really willing to give up?

Himeko searched her heart.

Jiang Yao seemed to notice Himeko's hesitation too and offered some encouragement. "It might sound difficult, but if you keep at it, hey, you might just get the hang of it. Practice makes perfect!"

"Here, use the Geisha Coffee again and try making it the way I taught you."

"I'll check your homework when I get back~"

That was right.

Jiang Yao had received a message from the Astral Express Crew.

He could head to the Luofu now!