Honkai: Star Rail, My Journey with Tom - Chapter 5

A second Astral Express…

Was this real?

Asta blinked, wondering if she was seeing things…or maybe it was some kind of illusion.

But no matter how hard she tried to rationalize it, both trains radiated the unmistakable energy of Trailblaze. They were the real deal.

Could it be that Li Ye, this uninvited guest, was telling the truth?

Asta’s blue eyes glowed slightly as she fixed her gaze on the doors of the second Astral Express, waiting for its passengers to emerge and confirm her suspicions.

Then, in the next moment…

A girl stepped out.

She had short, pastel-pink hair and striking, multicolored eyes that shimmered like refracted light. Dressed in a simple white blouse that accentuated her slightly curvy frame, she layered it with a playful pink-and-blue jacket and paired it with a deep blue skirt.

Her steps were light and cheerful. She blinked in curiosity as she raised a camera, glancing around with bright, excited eyes.

“We’re back at the space station again. Looks like nothing’s really changed.”

March 7th sighed in relief, a small smile forming on her lips.

Every journey into the unknown was exciting, filled with curiosity and adventure. However, it also meant facing unpredictable dangers. The Herta Space Station, on the other hand, was the one place where she could truly relax.

March 7th had been here countless times. There was no danger, no surprises. Just a safe haven where she could finally unwind and shake off the exhaustion of endless expeditions.

As she strolled forward, she suddenly caught sight of an unusual scene—a young man standing opposite Asta in what looked like a standoff… with a cat perched on his shoulders.

March 7th was about to step in and get a better look, but then her eyes drifted toward the train sitting beside him.

Her breath hitched.

Wait a second…

She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening in shock.

Behind her, a woman with cascading red hair, the color of burning embers, approached at a leisurely pace.

She had the kind of figure that turned heads—curves wrapped elegantly in a form-fitting white evening dress. And yet, over it, she wore a brown leather jacket, adding an edge to her poised and commanding presence. The contrast only made her aura even more striking.

Himeko noticed March 7th had frozen in place. Gently brushing a hand over the girl’s shoulder, she pursed her crimson lips and spoke softly.

“March, what’s wrong? Why did you stop?”

Then, following March’s gaze, she looked ahead as well.

“Hmm… Looks like we’re not the only visitors at the space station this time.”

She trailed off as her gaze landed on the second Astral Express. Her brows knit together slightly, and she brought a thoughtful hand to her lips.

After a brief moment of contemplation, she turned to the two men behind her—one a composed, middle-aged man with brown hair, the other a quiet young man with jet-black hair.

“Welt, Dan Heng, could you bring Pom-Pom here? I need to confirm something.”

Welt and Dan Heng exchanged glances before nodding.

Then, turning back to March 7th, Himeko gave her shoulder a reassuring pat.

“Come on, March. Let’s go check it out. We’ve seen plenty of strange things on our journey—this is nothing new. Just stay calm.”

March pursed her lips, glancing toward the second train.

“Can’t say I’ve ever seen this before…”

Despite her words, she followed closely behind Himeko as they approached.

When Himeko and the others disembarked from the Astral Express, Li Ye finally had proof of his innocence.

“See that, Lead Researcher Asta?” he said, exhaling. “You can tell just by looking at me—I’m just a regular guy, completely unarmed. There’s no way I could’ve stolen the Astral Express from Himeko and the others.”

“This train is mine.”

Asta’s expression softened with a tinge of embarrassment.

“My apologies, Mr. Li Ye. We misjudged you.”

But then, she shifted her tone.

“That being said, you still boarded the space station without authorization.”

“As protocol demands, we’ll need to question you. And if you’re deemed harmless, we’ll have to ask you to leave the station.”

“Arlan, please escort Mr. Li Ye to the interrogation room.”

Li Ye’s face stiffened upon hearing her words.

Great. Just great.

But if he wanted to get stronger, he had no choice but to keep exploring. Li Ye needed Star Rail Passes and Special Passes, and right now, the only available place to explore was this station.

If he got stuck in the interrogation room, though, there’d be no exploring at all.

Maybe it was time for a more… aggressive approach. He could use Tom’s Rapier or Tuffy’s Firecracker to cause some chaos, then slip away and explore as much as possible before making a break for his train.

If Stellaron Hunters and the Antimatter Legion could pull off wild stunts, why couldn’t he?

Wait a minute… Stellaron Hunters, Antimatter Legion…

Given the timing…

Maybe he had one last card to play.

As he snapped out of his thoughts, Li Ye realized two guards were already gripping his arms, dragging him toward the side of the station.

Meanwhile, Tom had scurried up and latched onto his left leg with all its strength.

Unfortunately, that meant it was getting dragged along too, its tiny paws leaving long scratch marks in the station’s supposedly indestructible flooring.

Arlan’s eye twitched slightly.

That was high-density, ultra-durable material. There was no way a cat should be able to damage it so easily.

There was definitely something odd about that feline.

Just then, Li Ye called out.

“Wait…Herta!”

“I need to see Herta!”

“I have information for her—something critical! The Antimatter Legion is planning an attack on the station!”

Asta’s expression stiffened as a chill ran down her spine.

“Arlan, hold on.”

At that moment, Himeko and March 7th arrived on the scene.

March’s lips twisted into a frown.

“Antimatter Legion?”

“Ugh… I swear, I can’t escape hearing that name. This is not how I wanted my vacation to go.”

Then, glancing past Li Ye, she finally got a good look at his train.

Up close, there was no doubt about it—it was an Astral Express.

Every detail, every feature was identical.

“There are two of them… That’s crazy.”

Her eyes widened in amazement as she reached out, pressing a hand against the metal.

“Wait a second… Does this mean it’s like those novels I read? Where magical artifacts come in male and female versions? Like, ours is the female Astral Express, and his is the male one?”

Li Ye pressed his lips together at March 7th’s words.

“Miss March 7th… please don’t assign a gender to the Astral Express.”