Sweat beaded on Eidan's brow as the Voidranger leveled its blade toward his chest, its glowing eyes narrowing with lethal focus.
So… I got rejected without even finishing the application, he thought grimly.
The blade gleamed inches from him. One wrong move and he'd be sliced open like a gift box on Warpmas Eve.
But then, Eidan's expression shifted. The fear drained from his face, replaced with something far more dangerous.
Resolve.
He calmly reached up and removed his glasses, wiping them with a scrap of cloth from his coat.
The Voidranger didn't move, but its posture tightened—sensing a shift. This human, trembling moments ago, now stood still with a cold clarity in his eyes.
Eidan slowly stepped to the side.
The Voidranger mirrored him, circling warily.
Both predator and prey… unsure who was who.
Neither broke eye contact.
Their silent dance continued until the Voidranger found itself standing squarely in the corner of the dead-end hall—right where Eidan had been before.
Eidan stopped. His hand clenched.
"You leave me no choice," he said, voice calm, low, and dead serious
The air seemed to thicken. Even the alarm faded into the background, drowned by the heavy anticipation.
The Voidranger stepped forward, blade twitching.
"You've forced my hand… I didn't want to do this…" Eidan said, his voice heavy with theatrical weight.
Eidan clenched his fist tightly.
The Voidranger tensed.
Eidan's stance tightened.
He raised his hand to the air. The tension rose like a wave, pressing down the hallway like gravity itself had grown heavier.
"Rejoice, Voidranger," Eidan said gravely. "For you are about to witness… my family's forbidden technique."
The hallway practically buzzed with tension.
And then—
"LOOK! It's Aeon of Destruction!" Eidan cried, pointing dramatically behind the Voidranger.
The Voidranger instinctively turned.
But there was nothing.
Just flickering hallway lights and a cracked panel sparking lazily with dead end.
The Voidranger stood there for a heartbeat, then another.
Realization dawned.
And with it, pure rage.
It turned back toward the human—
—only to find empty air.
"WOOSH—"
"NIGERUNDAYO!"
Eidan was already sprinting down the corridor at full speed, a blur of motion and fear-powered athleticism.
"EVEN IF I'M NOT A JOESTAR, I CAN STILL RUN LIKE ONE!" he shouted over his shoulder.
The Voidranger screeched in synthetic rage and gave chase, but Eidan had already gained distance.
------------------------------
Not far from the scene—
Kafka stood with arms folded, her crimson eyes following the blur of motion that was Eidan sprinting for dear life. A smirk curled at the edge of her lips.
"Well?" Silver Wolf asked, popping her bubblegum with an audible snap. She didn't look up from her device, but her tone hinted at mild impatience. "We've watched enough of the show. Time to execute the plan, right?"
Kafka didn't answer immediately. Her gaze lingered on Eidan's retreating figure as he disappeared into one of the many corridors.
"I know," she finally said, voice soft and amused. "But watching this unfold in person is far more entertaining than reading Elio's script. Don't you think?"
Silverwolf sighed, lowering her screen just enough to glance at Eidan's direction—then back at Kafka.
"…Perhaps," she muttered.
---------------------
Elsewhere in the station.
Eidan ran like his life depended on it. Which, to be fair, it did.
His shoes slapped against the sterile floor as he glanced behind him—no sign of the Voidranger. He exhaled in relief but didn't slow down. If there was anything fiction had taught him, it was never to celebrate early.
He tried door after door along the hallway, each hissing a mechanical denied as he pulled on the handles. Locked. All of them.
Until—
Click.
A soft mechanical chirp welcomed him into an open room. Without hesitation, Eidan slipped inside and sealed the door behind him.
Only once it clicked shut did he finally let out a breath.
"…Can't believe that trick still works in another universe," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
The room was surprisingly luxurious. Elegant, clean lines. A soft white glow from the overhead lights. It smelled faintly of lavender and something subtler—refined. Familiar.
Eidan's eyes wandered to the bed, and without further thought, he collapsed onto it with a muffled groan.
"Haahhh…" He sank into the mattress, eyes fluttering shut for a brief second. "This is way too comfy. And this smell… floral... wait, I've smelled this before."
He sniffed again.
"…No way. Is this—"
Another cautious whiff.
"…Asta?"
His eyes flew open.
"Waitwaitwait—am I in her room!?"
Panic jolted him upright. He quickly got off the bed, awkwardly straightened the pillows, and smoothed out the sheets. His expression grew solemn, as if offering a silent prayer.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Boss," he whispered to the room like an overly dramatic guest in a historical drama. "I swear I'll work twice as hard after this is over."
Finding a chair by the bedside, Eidan sat down and waited, trying to calm his heart rate. If that Voidranger passed through here, he'd just lie low.
Ten minutes later…
Quiet.
He peeked through the door, slowly opening it with the kind of tension usually reserved for horror movies.
He glanced left.
Then right.
Empty.
"…Clear."
With cautious steps, Eidan stepped back into the hallway, still alert. He wasn't about to tempt fate again.
Eidan moved quietly along the corridor, every step measured, his ears tuned for even the faintest sound. A prickle ran down his spine. Something was approaching.
He ducked behind a storage crate, breath held, and peeked around the edge.
Two figures emerged from the shadows: a Voidranger: Reaver, its obsidian-bladed arms twitching with latent energy, and beside it, a Baryon, radiating that sickly violet glow native to the Antimatter Legion.
Both creatures passed by without noticing him. Eidan exhaled silently in relief and crept in the opposite direction, careful to avoid making any noise.
Once he felt far enough, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
"No signal," he muttered, glancing at the flickering icon. He sighed and tucked it away again.
The station felt colder now. Quieter.
As he rounded the next corner, Eidan came to an abrupt halt. His eyes widened.
Standing just a few meters ahead were Silverwolf and Kafka, stepping out from a nearby chamber.
He then slipped behind a nearby pillar, just in time. From his angle, he could see the two women chatting—Kafka calm and poised as ever, Silverwolf tapping on her holographic interface without looking up.
Eidan's eyes flicked toward the chamber they'd just exited. That was it—the place where the Stellaron had been implanted.
His thoughts raced.
Did they already do it?
Was it Stelle inside? Or Caelus?
Was the trash-can-loving protagonist about to wake up?
Then Kafka suddenly looked in his direction—directly at him.
And smiled.
She raised her hand in a small, casual wave.
Eidan froze.
He ducked back behind the wall, heart pounding. Was that... at me?
He peeked again—
Gone.
Kafka and Silverwolf had vanished as if they'd never been there.
"…No way," he muttered. "She wasn't waving at me. Why would she? I'm just…" He trailed off, unsure how to finish the sentence.
Just a guy. A nobody.
He stepped cautiously into the chamber.
Sure enough, lying there peacefully on the floor was a gray hair girl that look like a raccoon and a trailblazer's uniform. It was Stelle.
Eidan studied her sleeping face, then sighed and shook his head. "Yup. Trash can girl."
He could already imagine it. March 7th and Dan Heng would be here soon.
Better to stay put.
Eidan sat down on the opposite her, folding his arms behind his head as he waited.
-----------------------
A few minutes later—
Stelle's eyelids fluttered. Her vision blurred as she stirred from slumber. Voices echoed faintly.
"Hey, you. You're finally awake," said a fuzzy figure sitting across from her.
She blinked, struggling to focus. "…Huh?"
"You were trying to cross the border, right?" said the bespectacled man in front of her, his tone oddly casual.
"…What border?" Stelle rubbed her eyes. Her vision cleared.
The man smiled at her. "I'm your father."
Stelle sat bolt upright. "You're my what!?"
"Yes," he said solemnly. "And now I'm about to go buy some milk."
Before Stelle could respond, two new voices joined in.
She turned her head. Standing in the doorway were a pink-haired girl with a bow and a calm young man that look like young master with sharp, cool features.
"Eidan! I didn't know you had a daughter!" March 7th gasped, hands covering her mouth in disbelief. "Who's the mother?!"
She grabbed Eidan by the collar, shaking him like a broken vending machine.
"I'm still too young to have a grown-up daughter!" Eidan cried, glasses slightly askew.
Dan Heng stared at the scene, unblinking. "…This explains a lot, actually."
"I don't know what's going on," Stelle said flatly. "But I'm going back to sleep."
She promptly lay back down and turned away from the scene.
-------------------------
Stelle slowly pushed herself upright, blinking as the room settled into focus.
March 7th leaned forward with a gentle smile. "Umm... do you remember your name?"
Stelle tilted her head, brows knitting. Then, she gave a small shake.
"You lost your memory?!" March gasped, eyes widening.
Stelle nodded slowly. "I guess..."
"Can you try remembering again?" March suggested, hopeful.
Stelle closed her eyes for a moment, thinking. Then, as if a faint thread of clarity tugged at her mind—"Stelle… my name is Stelle."
From beside March, Dan Heng stepped forward, his expression calm and composed.
"Stelle? It's good to meet you," he said. "I'm Dan Heng, this is March 7th… and over there is Eidan."
He gestured to the man currently standing in front of a wall, arms crossed like an art critic admiring a priceless painting.
"Nice to meet you too," Stelle replied, glancing around.
"Hi!!" March said with cheerful enthusiasm, waving both hands.
Dan Heng turned back to Stelle. "This place—Herta Space Station—was just attacked by the Antimatter Legion. We came to assist with the rescue, at the request of Lead Researcher Asta."
"Asta?" Stelle repeated, puzzled. "Who's that?"
"Well, she's Eidan's boss," March 7th said, then called over, "Hey Eidan! Mind explaining who Asta is?"
Eidan finally turned from the wall and approached, tapping Stelle lightly on the shoulder.
"Well, Asta is the kind of person you need to know, young man—"
"She's a girl," March interjected.
Unbothered, Eidan continued dramatically, waving his hand as if painting words across the air. "Even if you're not a genius, if you work under her, success is inevitable. She's that important. In fact, if you want to be the most successful person on your planet—Asta's the shortcut."
He pointed toward the ceiling like a sage delivering ancient wisdom.
March 7th groaned. "Eidan, I don't think she's—"
"I see," Stelle nodded solemnly. "So… she the person who I just need to hug her tight so she takes care of me?"
March blinked. "…What?"
Eidan wiped away a fake tear, sniffling. "You understand. They grow up so fast… feels like just few minutes ago you were born into this world."
March spun around with a defeated sigh. "Okay, I give up."
Dan Heng quietly exhaled, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
--------------
(A/n: If a man goes bald and gains wisdom, why don't newborn babies come out enlightened?)