Honkai: Star Rail, My Journey with Tom - Chapter 8
After a brief round of introductions, Li Ye got straight to the point.
“I’ll keep this short.”
Himeko gave a small nod and spoke,
“The Antimatter Legion and the Stellaron Hunters are on their way. The more concise, the better.”
Li Ye took a sip of water to moisten his throat as if preparing for a long explanation. Himeko and the others straightened up, ready to listen.
He took a deep breath and began.
“One second, everything went dark. The next, I was on the Astral Express. Then I warped to the space station.”
He took another sip of water.
Seconds ticked by in silence. When Li Ye didn’t continue, March 7th couldn’t hold back any longer. She blinked her bright, gem-like eyes, confusion flickering across her face.
“That’s it?”
Li Ye nodded. “Yeah.”
March 7th pressed on.
“Okay, forget about the details—what about Tom? How did you two meet? You didn’t explain any of that!”
Li Ye thought for a moment, realization dawning on him. Ah, so she wanted a more exciting story.
He crossed his arms on the table and lowered his voice, making it rich and dramatic, like he was about to recount an epic tale.
“The way Tom and I met? Now that’s a story—full of twists and turns, ups and downs…”
March 7th immediately sat up straight, eyes sparkling with anticipation.
And then, after letting the tension build, Li Ye slowly said…
“Tom was already on the Astral Express.”
A dead silence followed.
March 7th’s eager expression froze. Her smile stiffened.
“Wait… That’s it?”
Li Ye gave a small nod. “Yup.”
March 7th couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
Himeko was speechless as well.
Still, she exchanged glances with Welt and Dan Heng. The three of them shared a wealth of experience—while they couldn’t read minds, they were skilled at picking up subtle cues from people’s words and body language.
They assumed Li Ye was telling the truth.
Li Ye didn’t seem to be a long-life species and was probably in his early twenties. He was too young to be hiding any deep secrets. More importantly, he wasn’t even trying to lie. He was open, relaxed, and didn’t seem to have any reason to deceive them.
If anything, he appeared to have a natural sense of camaraderie with the Astral Express crew.
Was it because he was also one of The Nameless?
That was Himeko’s best guess.
Either way, Li Ye wasn’t lying.
She glanced at March 7th, who now looked utterly deflated. Reaching out, she gently patted the girl’s head.
“Come on, March, not every story has to be an action-packed thrill ride. Sometimes, a simple—”
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion ripped through Herta Space Station, shaking everything violently.
The tremor sent shockwaves through the Astral Express as well.
Tom let out a terrified yowl and scrambled in every direction—bouncing between the floor and ceiling like gravity had completely forgotten it existed.
Li Ye clung to the table and chair for stability.
March 7th, having stood up earlier, was now sprawled on the floor, rubbing her sore backside as she struggled to her feet.
Himeko and Welt, both seasoned fighters, stayed steady, while Dan Heng moved quickly to shield Pom-Pom.
Then, Asta’s voice crackled through their comms.
A blue holographic figure flickered in front of them, its signal unstable, distorting and cutting in and out.
Asta wasted no time.
“Li Ye’s prediction was correct. The Antimatter Legion is invading the station. They came prepared. The explosion’s pulse took out most of the main control systems.”
“It’ll take some time to repair.”
“Thanks to Li Ye’s warning, we’ve managed to minimize casualties, but some researchers didn’t get the message in time. This transmission won’t last long.”
“Astral Express crew, I need your help—”
SHK!
The signal cut out completely.
Himeko folded her arms, unintentionally emphasizing her assets, and smiled knowingly.
“Well. Looks like we’ve got work to do.”
Dan Heng nodded thoughtfully.
“Asta doesn’t have time to give us a detailed plan. We’ll just have to clear out enemies as we go.”
March 7th summoned a beautifully crafted ice bow and stretched her arms in a lazy but confident manner.
“Time to kick some a*s!”
Then, quietly, she rubbed her sore backside again.
Meanwhile, Li Ye grabbed Tom and promptly set it on his shoulders.
“Let’s go, Tom!”
Welt nodded. His voice was deep and composed as he said,
“I’ll stay with the train. If anything changes, I’ll provide support.”
With that settled, the group made their way off the Astral Express.
Himeko, ever composed, walked at the rear. Just as she was about to step off, Pom-Pom’s voice called out.
“Wait a minute, Himeko.”
Himeko stopped and turned back, her brows slightly furrowed.
“What is it, Pom-Pom? Did you notice something?”
Pom-Pom nodded.
“I can feel the Trailblaze energy coming from both Li Ye and Tom. There’s no doubt—they’re The Nameless.”
“They can be trusted.”
“And Tom… It’s probably the same kind of existence as me.”
Pom-Pom hesitated before adding,
“But there’s… something else. Something odd that I can’t quite put my paw on.”
“Especially with Li Ye. There’s something strange about it. But at the same time… it feels oddly familiar. Almost like—”
Himeko narrowed her eyes. “Like what?”
Pom-Pom fell silent. It turned its gaze toward Li Ye, who was laughing as it carried Tom on its shoulders, the two of them looking like an inseparable pair.
For a moment, something flickered in Pom-Pom’s expression.
Then, it shook its head.
“Never mind.”
“Must’ve been my imagination.”