Kafka rubbed her temple lightly.
Hmm... things may be a little different from what you imagined, but yes—there will be a dangerous chase.
Across from her, Blade slowly lifted his head.
Madness crept into his eyes.
Good.
I've waited long enough.
It's time to pay the price... Dan Feng!!!
Kafka sighed.
Whenever Dan Heng—or the name Dan Feng—was mentioned, Blade's reason always began to fracture.
A strange violet glow shimmered in her eyes.
Listen to me.
Spirit Whisper.
Calm down, A-Ren. It isn't time yet.
Blade clutched his head and staggered back.
The frenzy gradually receded.
Reason returned.
Kafka lowered her gaze, calm as ever.
A-Ren, I understand how you feel.
But first...
You should read this driving manual.
She pointed to a machine parked nearby.
A mechanized spherical racing vehicle.
According to Elio's script, this is the vehicle you'll use to chase the Astral Express.
Blade stared at it in silence.
Me? Drive that thing?
I'm Blade, not Yingxing.
Do I look like someone with a driver's license?
Then he remembered how badly he had driven before.
Kafka remained perfectly calm.
She did not need to be inside the vehicle anyway.
Elio said that because you're inexperienced, your driving will fall just short of catching the train crew... and Dan Heng.
Blade immediately snatched the manual.
Give it to me.
I'll learn.
His hands were no longer as precise as before.
His mind was no longer as sharp as Yingxing's.
But Blade believed one thing.
Somewhere inside him, Yingxing's talent still remained.
As long as Mara did not cloud his thoughts...
As long as hatred continued to drive him...
He could learn.
A few moments later, Blade slowly lowered the manual.
...Nope.
My brain can't handle this.
I can't learn it.
He decided to rely on instinct.
Even if Dan Heng escaped this time, there would be chances later.
Elio's prophecy had already said Dan Feng would not die today.
There was no need to force it.
Then Blade suddenly remembered—
his past.
Yingxing.
The High-Cloud Quintet.
He slowly picked the manual back up.
This time, his eyes sharpened.
His mind became clear.
For a fleeting moment, it felt as though Yingxing's intellect had returned.
He even began studying ways to modify the vehicle.
Unlike forging weapons, vehicle repairs did not require perfectly steady hands.
His current body could still manage that much.
Kafka watched with amusement.
It was rare to see Blade set down his sword and bury himself in machinery like a scholar.
She quietly took a photo and sent it to Silver Wolf.
Look at this~
(photo attached)
I'm busy at Pier Point!
Wait... what is that?
Is that Blade?
Is that Blade?!?!
Yes, that's A-Ren.
No. Impossible.
There must be someone in the universe who just looks exactly like him.
It's him.
...
His hand injury means he can't play games with me—
BUT he can repair a racing vehicle???
No way!
When he gets back, he's playing games with me!
Now that I have this photo, he can't escape!
Far away, Dan Heng knew nothing about the disaster approaching him.
He was calmly driving a motorized spherical racer across the mountains of Tekuan.
Though technically called a car, it had been modified until it behaved more like a hovercraft.
The entire planet was essentially one giant racing arena.
Mountains became tracks.
Cities became tracks.
Wilderness became tracks.
Nearly the whole world could be used as a course.
Yet today, Dan Heng felt strangely uneasy.
To distract himself, he began lecturing March 7th.
March, look at this vehicle.
There are many random buttons.
But I didn't press them.
As Trailblazers, curiosity is important.
But before acting on curiosity, we must first understand the situation and ensure safety.
During our journey, we'll encounter countless unknown things.
Curiosity brings wonder... but also danger.
If we recklessly try everything, our journey may suddenly end one day.
March covered her ears.
Okay, okay!! I get it!
Teacher Dan Heng, stop lecture mode!
You've said this five times already!
Himeko said it three times.
Welt Yang said it twice.
Even Pom-Pom lectured me once!
I swear I won't do it again!
Dan Heng fell quiet.
...Sorry, March.
I've been feeling uneasy today.
March leaned closer.
Whoa, the always-calm Dan Heng is uneasy?
Tell us!
Himeko and Mr. Yang are here too!
Himeko and Welt turned toward him.
Dan Heng shook his head.
I can't explain it.
But the feeling is... familiar.
Almost like...
A face surfaced in his memory.
A nightmare he knew too well.
A voice echoed in his mind.
Of five people... three must pay the price. You are one of them.
Dan Heng froze.
Why had he suddenly thought of him?
Then he realized—
the voice was not in his memory.
It was real.
He glanced behind him.
A heavily modified racing sphere was tearing across the canyon in pursuit.
It was Blade.
The machine had been altered with brutal efficiency.
All unnecessary weight stripped away.
Safety systems completely discarded.
Various dangerous attachments mounted across the shell.
Then a loudspeaker thundered through the canyon.
DAN HENG!
IT'S TIME TO PAY THE PRICE!!!
Dan Heng immediately slammed the accelerator.
The sudden burst of speed threw everyone backward.
March, who had been drinking water, splashed it across her own face—
and onto Welt in the back seat.
The chase had begun.