"Please... Don't make me fight you."
"Haha... What's wrong, Nameless?"
"Go ahead, do it." She taunted as she pressed her hand on his spear that was right in front of her chest.
The raven-haired man frowned deeply as he looked at the ashen-haired girl in front of him with a painful look.
"Stelle." He called out, trying to bring her back to his side, but it was all too late. There was no turning back to any of them anymore. Not when she had hurt one of the Nameless, someone he cared about.
Stelle, however, just looked back at him with her evil, yet painful grin on her face. They were both hurting. Yet, why had they come to this situation in the first place?
She was one of them, one of his closest companions at the Astral Express. He trusted her more than anyone else. He enjoyed trailblazing with her even though she might cause trouble for him or the others, but that was part of her that he came to understand. Being reckless out of kindness, was her charm that got him into her more and more.
Although she did not show much expression on her face, she would sometimes smile at him, the prettiest and brightest smile he would ever see from her. He had also seen her laugh once before, it was a rare, yet precious moment. Yet, this was the first time he had ever seen this expression of hers in front of him now.
Such a painful look. Who had hurt you? Why did you make that face? He wanted to ask her all of those questions, yet was unable to. Not only that, but she seemed betrayed. But how dare she, when she was the one who betrayed them, betrayed him?
Stelle just scoffed as she saw the emotions shown on his face that reflected hers. Betrayal. And she knew she was the cause of it. She knew how much it would hurt him. Someone who had lost his companions once in the past, even though he denied that it was him and only his past self, he could still feel the pain. She knew that. Yet she just had to inflict the same pain back to him.
If she could be honest, it was actually such a tough choice. At first, she did not think that she would stand at where she was now. In the beginning, she thought that she would be able to stay with everyone else back at the Astral Express, with him, by his side forever. But it was impossible after all.
She noticed it when they were trailblazing at Xianzhou Luofu, where she met Kafka for the first time after being abandoned. She had learned from her about herself. About who she was, what she was, and what was her connection with Kafka. Honestly, despite everyone in the Express hating Kafka and the Stellaron Hunters, Stelle could not feel the same as them. It was the exact opposite actually.
When she met Kafka and saw her, she felt like a piece of her was finally found. Kafka had told her that she was her destiny as she was Kafka's. So, maybe that was why she felt that way. On the other side, she did not mind when being asked to help her and Bladi—Blade, either. Even though, he seemed to be in a bad term with her closest Nameless companion, Dan Heng.
Stelle actually felt comfortable being around the Stellaron Hunters, just like how she felt like being around the Nameless. Yet, at the same time, it was slightly different too. She did not find out the answer until later when Dan Heng showed up at Xianzhou Luofu. She was wondering why he would come in the end when he had refused to do so in the first place. But then, she quickly got her answer as Dan Heng approached March.
"I'm worried about you." He had told her, and even though Stelle was standing far away from them, she could not help but catch those words. March sounded surprised at his words but quickly became happy about how sweet he was to care so much about her. Even Stelle thought so too.
It was times like that that Stelle felt like she did not belong to the Nameless. She loved them all, really, but it felt like she was just an outsider. She knew she was a newcomer, but still, she could not shake the feeling that she was just an extra character between the main characters.
Meanwhile, when she interacted with the Stellaron Hunters, she felt welcomed, like she had always been part of them. She wondered why. Even though she had never really interacted with them before, but, according to Kafka, she was under her care before a Stellaron was placed inside her. So, she might have been part of the Stellaron Hunters after all.
Of course, even though Stelle had been thinking about it, she still refused to join the Stellaron Hunters when she was offered the first time. After all, she would not be able to bear the pain of betraying the people she had thought of as her family for the past months. She was not sure how they saw her, though, but she cared about them and did not want to hurt them. But, after she realized her feelings for a certain Vidyadhara, she restarted her brain and rethought again.
True that she loved them all almost equally, but she, for certain, had loved someone among them much more than others. Dan Heng, the target of her affection, however, did not seem to reciprocate her feelings. As she had seen him treat her the same like he treated others. He was caring, sure. He also worried about her, check. But they were all on equal standards to how he cared and worried about the other Astral Express members. But, he seemed different to her.
March 7th, her other close companion who was really kind to everyone, even to her, the newcomer. Stelle admitted that she loved her too, although not the way she loved Dan Heng. But she adored her and cared for her deeply too. After all, she was the first person who became her friend and later best friend. She was the one who initiated to get to know Stelle first. Someone who she could easily talk to and have fun with. She was like the sister Stelle would hope for.
But, alas, they just had to share too similar feelings for a certain someone. Two could play the game, but Stelle was sure she was on the losing end. After all, who was she, a newcomer trying to compete with someone who had been with him for a far longer time—she did not know how long, but it seemed to be pretty long based on their relationships—than her. He had always been there with her, to protect her, to guard her, to be by her side. Even before Stelle was there in their picture.
She felt like a third wheel.
She hated this feeling though. She did not know what it was exactly, but Kafka had told her that it was called jealousy. Such an ugly emotion she was feeling. How could she even dare to feel that way toward her two close companions who were never supposed to be hers? They had been together for a long time, she had to repeat it to remind herself. It was not her place to disturb their relationship.
As much as she loved him, she also loved the target of his affection too, someone she thought of as her sister. Yet at the same time, she hated her. It must be because of this ugly feeling called jealousy, and envy. She wanted her place to be beside him. To be the focus of his heart, his affection, his care. She wanted her attention all to herself.
Ah, how ugly.
"If it's too hard for you to stay there, you're welcome to return to us, Stelle."
Kafka had once said, offering her hand to welcome her back. But Stelle did not take her hand at that time. Now, she was thinking over it again.
Ah, how ugly was she?
How could she even have the thought of betraying her friends, and her family?
"Maybe... It would have been better if I was never part of the Nameless after all."
Stelle had spoken out loud unconsciously as she gripped the cloud-piercer even tighter, not even feeling too much pain when blood was basically dripping out of her hand.
"What do you mean... Stelle?"
She was brought back from her trance as she heard his voice. Right, she was actually now facing her beloved, finally getting all of his attention to her. The one that she wanted most. Stelle just smirked without answering him.
"Do you know, Dan Heng..." She paused and Dan Heng felt his heart move slightly as he heard how she called his name, just like how she used to. So warm, so soft, so gentle, like she was holding it dear inside her. Yet, what came out next from her mouth sounded the exact opposite of it.
"I've always hated March 7th. That was why I did that to her. That was why I..." She spat coldly before she paused, turning to look at the unconscious March behind Dan Heng. After all, in the end, he would still protect her, right? Even if it meant fighting Stelle.
She scoffed before she moved closer to his face. "That's why I..." She repeated as her face was now right beside his ear. "Tried to kill her." She finished in a low, dark whisper that she was sure to trigger him.
True she was that he was triggered as he gripped on his spear tighter. "Stelle...!" He called out warningly yet she just pulled away from him, laughing out loud madly. Not even Dan Heng had ever heard her laugh so maniacally like that before.
"What? It's the truth." She deadpanned not heeding his warning tone at all.
His frown deepened as he glared at her. Gone was the kindness in his eyes. Gone was the sympathetic look on his face. She then saw how his hair got longer and horns began to grow on his forehead, and at that, Stelle smirked.
"Finally getting serious now?" She teased.
"Shut up." He spoke calmly, yet there was anger hidden behind his deep, calm voice, Stelle knew it.
"I do not need to listen to you anymore. Now that you're nothing to me." She coldly spat out right in his face, earning furrowed eyebrows from the High Elder of Vidyadhara.
"So be it." He simply said, still trying his best to sound as calm as possible.
"Poor Dan Heng." She began and he looked at her, wondering what she was to say. "Being left alone by his companions again." She smirked as she looked at the unconscious people behind him.
"Do you know that you're the cause of it all?" She asked, and she knew that it had hurt him the most. She knew how much he cared for the Astral Express crews. She knew how much he'd hate himself if he were to be the one to cause them pain. She knew...yet, she had no other choice.
The look on his face answered it all, he had almost lost it. Just a little more push, then he would break. But, she had to do it. It's for his sake. For their sake.
"You know how I feel about you, right?"
Dan Heng looked up at her, surprised at her sudden question. Yet, she knew the answer just from that. So he knew. She could not help but smile. For a brief moment, Dan Heng could see the painful smile behind that, yet it might be his imagination as it soon was gone and replaced with an evil one.
"I did it all because I want you." She told him truthfully. There was no need to hide it any longer. Not when it was all going to end soon.
"Do you see, Dan Heng? Just like your past life, this new life of yours cannot be separated from destiny. No matter where you go, you will always cause trouble to your companions." She paused as she looked at him slowly losing it.
"You will break them apart. One by one, they would fall down. One by one, they would leave you. In the end, you'll be left alone once again."
Dan Heng was left speechless as all he could do was stare at her, listening to all the words she sent him as a curse binding him. She looked down at him and sent the final judgment to him that would break him down mentally forever.
"You are fated to be alone...in the darkness." She said coldly as her pupils darkened. Just like me. She added in her mind.
Stelle could see that Dan Heng had finally let her words kick in his brain and he had finally had enough as he lowered his hand without much of a fight. The cloud-piercer was dissipated as Dan Heng had lost his will to fight. Surely, the damage she had given him would defeat any of the physical scars he might have gotten as she had hurt him a lot mentally instead.
Stelle just looked down at him without saying anything else.
"You see... Fate and destiny are strange... yet, they are predictable and unavoidable."
Dan Heng could somehow still hear her mumble lowly. He looked up and saw that her eyes were covered by her front hair. Her lips were pressed together into a thin line, now showing much expression on her face.
Then as if on cue, he could hear rustles from behind him. He turned his head and saw one by one, his unconscious companions had regained their consciousness and tried to get up from the ground.
"March, Miss Himeko, Mr. Yang!" He quickly went towards them, ignoring Stelle who was still rooted on her spot.
"Hah... March again..."
Thanks to his sharp ears, he could catch what she was muttering under her breath and that caught him off guard. Confused, he turned to look at Stelle and saw the painful look in her golden orbs. It was the same look as before. Why did she look like that? He wondered again.
"Dan... Heng..." March's voice broke his concentration of Stelle as he turned back to look at his companion.
"March, are you alright?" He asked as he quickly went to her side, helping her up.
"Y...Yeah... Somehow..." March tried to smile at him to assure him but it didn't work very well with the strained voice she was giving. So Dan Heng had furrowed his eyebrows and told her to just stay quiet and get some rest.
Yet, March being March, of course, she was never one to shut up. "No, actually... I would like to say something... To Stelle..." she said as she turned to look at Stelle looking seriously.
Stelle just looked back at her with her emotionless face, the pain in her eyes was gone and was replaced with darkness once again. She then saw March open her mouth and she waited patiently for her to speak.
"I've heard... everything you said... when I was unconscious," March admitted and that surprised Dan Heng, but not Stelle. He wondered how could she look so calm.
"I don't mind if you hate me... I've always loved you... I thought of you as my best friend and sister..." March admitted as she confessed her feelings to Stelle who stayed silent.
"However, if you say that... You love Dan Heng and did all of this because of him, you are wrong! That is not what love is like! Dan Heng doesn't deserve any of your words either! He's just fine as he is and we are all still alive, here beside him as his companions! We'll never leave him alone!" Hearing that Dan Hemg was taken aback. Somehow the weight inside his heart felt like it was being lifted away.
"That's right..." he then heard his other family members spoke.
"Mr. Yang." He called out worriedly, but Welt Yang just raised his hand to him, signaling that he was fine. Dan Heng sighed in relief.
"Stelle... I don't know what happened to you... but, what you are doing now is definitely not to show how you love someone..."
He lectured her in his deep, gentle voice, but Stelle still did not react. So, Himeko joined in.
"Stelle, dear... It's not too late now. We are all fine... So, how about you come back to us?" Himeko asked, looking at Stelle sympathetically, reaching her hand out to Stelle who just looked at it, before she scoffed.
"Who would like to go back to that suffocating place?" Stelle coldly looked down at them all.
"Stelle...!" March called out raising her voice. Both she and Himeko looked hurt by her refusal.
"What's with your attitude from before? It's unlike you!"
Stelle turned to look at her and glared at March, making her flinch slightly. Sensing that, Dan Heng had moved forward to guard March from Stelle.
"Dan Heng...?" March called out to him confusedly.
"Stay back, March. She's no longer the Stelle you know." He warned her carefully.
Stelle smirked at that. "At least one of you is smart enough."
"Then, shall we continue?" She asked looking back at Dan Heng now seeing the determination was back in his eyes. She grabbed her lance in her hand and took her stance.
"Don't make me regret... Killing you, Stelle." He paused midway but managed to finish it.
"D-Dan Heng?!" March called out warily.
"I won't forgive you for hurting those precious to me."
Hearing that March was surprised and she could feel her feelings bubbling up inside her. Her cheeks were tinted pink, Stelle noticed. Of course, she would be happy to hear that from someone she loved. Even Stelle would if she was ever the subject of his affection.
But it was too late now. There was no turning back. So, she moved forward. As that was the only thing she could do. Dash forward and charged after the people she cared about...after the person she loved. She silently hoped he would defend himself, and defend he did, which relieved her.
She did not want to leave any scars on any of them. It was enough to mentally hurt them because they had each other to mend it for them. Like how March had brought back Dan Heng's determination to fight her after she broke it down into crumbles.
Dan Heng pushed her away with the cloud piercer as he swung it hard, sending her away from him. As he deemed the distance was appropriate, he began chanting for his cloudhymn magic.
"Wait, Dan Heng, are you going to attack Stelle with your magic?!" March was the one who asked, trying to stop him.
But, Stelle had done the opposite instead. "Hah~ such a magic trick won't hurt me." She taunted.
"So you heard her, March." Dan Heng replied coldly instead as he had enough of Stelle taunting him. He then soon finished his chanting and sent out the golden sphere towards Stelle who did not dodge it and instead took her defense stance with her fire lance in front of her. Once the golden sphere flew towards her and hit her lance, it turned into a huge amount of water dragon and drowned her in its body, yet Stelle was still not moving from her spot.
Dan Heng clicked his tongue silently as he still could not bear to see his companion, was his companion, he corrected, got hurt by his power. So, he had held back and did not actually use his full power, and Stelle knew that.
"How naive..." Stelle spoke as she was still inside the dragon.
"No way, she still seems fine after being attacked by Dan Heng's cloudhymn magic?!" March gasped amazed, yet also worried about it.
"The Blessing of Preservation, I see..." Dan Heng realized and Stelle smirked as she soon slashed away his weak magic.
"Even without it, if you are not attacking me seriously, you won't be able to win."
"I'm not here to fight you to win or lose." Dan Heng frowned at her words.
"Oh really? But what would happen to your companions behind you if you lose to me?" Stelle smirked, looking down at him and the Nameless behind him.
"Don't mock us! We are not as weak as you think! We can still fight with him!" March suddenly said, as she stepped forward to stand beside Dan Heng, the others followed suit. Dan Heng turned to look at them surprised. He was glad to have such companions but at the same time worried about them.
"March, everyone... It's alright, I won't let her get to you." He said determinedly.
"Out of the five people..." Suddenly he heard, with his sharp ears, her mumbled lowly. The words that sounded familiar to him. He turned to look back at Stelle and her face was unreadable once again. He wondered what she was thinking.
"Then, come and get me at the same time, all of you." Stelle, instead of finishing her mutterings had taunted the Nameless with a smirk back on her face.
"Stelle, you're getting cocky. I don't like you right now!" March commented and Stelle just scoffed at her.
"Not like I ever like you either." Stelle replied coldly, hurting March's feelings, she knew it. Yet, if she could even hurt her beloved person, why would she not be able to hurt others. It was nothing to her.
"Perhaps she's under the control of Kafka?" Himeko tried assuming as she frowned looking at Stelle worriedly.
"You mean she's under her hypnosis?"
"She might be." Welt nodded his head thinking that it might be possible.
"No." Dan Heng was the one who answered him and Stelle smiled at his answer. He sure knew her. "She was not under anyone's control." Dan Heng looked at Stelle straight in her eyes. Although they were darkened, there was still a small light behind the darkness, it was still her, not anybody else moving the body. "She would not let anyone tell her what to do." He concluded.
Stelle could only smirk at his deduction. It was not bad. He was right actually. She was not under anyone's control, and she did it because she wanted to do it herself. Not because of anyone else, but because of herself.
"As expected." Stelle clapped her hands, applauding Dan Heng's accurate analysis. "He is right. I'm not under anybody's hypnosis or control."
"What...? Then why did you...?" March was taken aback by her answer. She had at least hoped that Himeko's theory was the correct one. Then at least that way, she would not feel as hurt by her words. She would be able to bring her back with them.
"Didn't you tell me that you've heard everything I said when you were unconscious?" Stelle raised an eyebrow at her.
"But that must not be all, right?" Dan Heng asked back as he observed her. Ever since before, he felt like something was amiss. Despite all the things she told him, it was like she was still hiding something. What was it? Why was she hiding it?
Stelle turned to look at him, not answering him. How sharp could he get? She wondered. But, it was all still under her calculation so she just ignored his question. "Enough with the chatters. Fewer words, act more." She said and she charged ahead to the Nameless without warning, catching them off guard, but thankfully Dan Heng's reflex was fast enough to stop Stelle before she could get to the others.
"Dan Heng!" March called out worriedly.
"I'm fine! Get back behind me!" He shouted out to her without looking back at her as he focused on holding Stelle down with him. However, Stelle was not one to back down easily as she pushed ahead with her lance.
"I'll back you up!" Welt said as he took his crane and began tapping it onto the ground. Seeing his power coming, Stelle, in instinct jumped back before his power managed to get her.
"I'm not falling for that." Stelle said with a smirk but then saw Welt was actually only acting as a decoy. She then heard March and Himeko sending their attacks towards her at the same time. She looked up and saw March's ice arrows flying towards her. She turned to the side and saw Himeko's drones also coming at her from the side. Stelle's smirk only widened as she saw their attacks. Just like before, she did not dodge them and take her defense stance that they knew so well.
"You're not gonna get me with just that." She said as she took their attacks readily and endured the pain she felt in her body. The arrows had stabbed her around her body while the drones had scarred her pale face and the side of her neck, yet she still stood strong, not falling. In her place, the Nameless were the ones feeling the pain as they did not like how she looked right now.
Dan Heng especially had hated how she always put her body in front of the others, as if it was made of steel and could not bleed when they were still working together. She had always been like that before she got the blessing from Qlipoth. But, after that, she only got worse. She would always stand in front of everyone else and take all the attacks onto herself. He hated to see her like that. He hated to see her get blessings from Qlipoth. But, if she did not, she might not have stood where she was right now. That event was still vivid in his mind, a traumatic event that haunted him every time.
He knew it was all thanks to Qlipoth that she was still able to live until today, but at the same time, he could not help but resent that Aeon for making Stelle take more and more attacks by herself. He was supposed to be the guard of the Express. It was his job to protect everyone in it. But, instead, she would even stand in front of him, protecting him.
He had reprimanded her once before, telling her that it was his job to protect her and everyone else, not the opposite. But then, she had asked him,
"Then, who would protect you, Dan Heng?"
He was taken aback by her question as he never thought that he would even need one in the first place. Maybe sensing that, Stelle had smiled at him instead, and said, "It's alright, I've the blessing of Aeon of Preservation with me. So, now I can protect Dan Heng while you protect the others."
Dan Heng stood still as he looked at Stelle still bracing herself from the attacks sent by his friends to her. She was part of the Astral Express, the one he was supposed to guard. He reminded himself as his face concerted into a painful one as he heard her grimace from the pain. He was supposed to protect her.
"Stelle..." He called out in a soft voice, already feeling worried over her again, Stelle noticed. But that did not make her happy. Not at all. In fact, it troubled her more. So, she clicked her tongue and quickly slashed away all the other arrows and drones.
"I'm done being on the defense." Stelle suddenly said, her voice tone lowered as she was fully charged.
"Instead of worrying about your enemy, you should worry about yourself and your friends." She said to Dan Heng, looking at him straight in his eyes. "Aren't you supposed to be the guard?" She reminded as she changed her stance to her attack mode.
Dan Heng blinked before he refocused and took his stance back. "Get back, she's coming at us!" He warned his other companions behind him who had also taken their defense stances, waiting for the incoming attack from someone who used to be one of them.
Seeing that they all were ready for her, Stelle wasted no time to dash forward with her lance that was imbued with huge, amber flame and charged ahead at those who were once her friends and family.
A huge blast could be heard once she made an impact with Dan Heng who unleashed his power to deflect her attack. The other Nameless were blown away from the huge impact as they tried to hold on to anything near them to not get thrown away from the strong wind caused by the attacks.
After a while, the smoke surrounding them dissipated and they could see how Dan Heng had managed to block Stelle's fire lance with his cloudhymn magic, however, it did not mean that it did not cost Dan Heng anything as the lance managed to scratch his side, causing it to bleed over her lance.
"Dan Heng!" March called out worriedly.
Stelle and Dan Heng spoke nothing as Dan Heng groaned slightly over the pain and Stelle showed no expression on her face before she pulled away. "So, you could even stop that?" She simply asked before throwing away her fire lance. "Such power is only good for defense." She sighed.
"I'm more suited to the path of Destruction after all." After she said so, the Nameless could see Stelle pulling out her old bat out of nowhere. It was the first ever weapon that she got under March's suggestion. That brought back memories as it had been a while since she used it. But, that was no time to reminisce as Stelle had readied herself to attack once again.
Dan Heng who was hurt was unable to take his defence stance anymore as Stelle dashed ahead of him. Thankfully, the others managed to launch their attacks on Stelle, distracting her from attacking Dan Heng.
"Be patient, I'll get to you guys later after him." Stelle coldly said as she swung her bat and smashed away the ice arrows coming to her.
"That won't do, Stelle. I won't let you run amok inside the Express anymore." Himeko said and with that, she sent down her ultimate power to Stelle who only managed to dodge it slightly. She grimaced as she felt the burning pain in her left arm. Now that she had abandoned the path of Preservation, her defense had lowered and she could feel the pain through her body. However, that did not stop Stelle from moving forward as she forced herself to stand.
"Not so fast!" She heard March speak and she too had sent her ultimate powers at her. Stelle looked up and saw the once she had thought as cute ice rabbits coming at her. She furrowed her eyebrows and gripped her bat, swinging it around to destroy the cute rabbits before they got to her. Unfortunately, she did not manage to defeat all of them and some of it got to her legs, freezing them on the spot.
Stelle gritted her teeth, clicking her tongue as she tried to break the ice around her feet, she did not notice Welt had been chanting his spell before sending it down to her, imprisoning her. "Damn it!" She cursed as she was unable to move at all.
"Now, how about you surrender yourself and we don't have to hurt you any more than this?" Himeko asked as she walked towards Stelle who was imprisoned inside Welt's power.
"I refuse." Stelle replied simply.
Himeko just sighed, looking at her worriedly. "Do you really not want to come back to the Astral Express?" She offered once again.
Stelle looked up at her before she replied. She could see the hopeful look in her eyes. Even after what she had done to them, Himeko was still worried about her and wanted her back. Stelle could not help but chuckle bitterly, confusing Himeko and the others.
"Seriously..." Stelle began slowly. "You guys should stop being so naive..."
"What do you mean?" Himeko asked with furrowed eyebrows.
"I'm now a part of the Stellaron Hunters that you guys hated so much." Stelle looked back up at Himeko and her face was emotionless, her eyes were dark and there were no emotions reflected on them either.
"I do things the way the Stellaron Hunters do. It fit me more than being a Nameless."
Himeko looked hurt by her words, not because it hurt her personally, but because she felt hurt for her, Stelle realized. That was why they were too naive. How could they even still think that way towards a traitor like her?
"You'd regret it if you don't finish me now." Stelle warned her and only then Himeko realized that she had been able to move her body slowly. She then sighed and backed away from Stelle.
"If that's your choice." Himeko closed her eyes and turned away from her.
"Dan Heng, can you please do it?" She asked turning to look at Dan Heng who was being helped to stand up by March who was on his side.
Dan Heng looked up at Himeko, his eyes widened slightly at her request. Did she really mean it? She wanted him to finish Stelle off? Someone who used to be their companion... Someone closed to him? He...
"He won't be able to do it." Stelle was the one who finished his sentence as she looked blankly toward him and March, earning their attention.
"It is all according to Elio's precognition." She added, and at that, they all realized what she was talking about. Of course, behind every Stellaron Hunters's action was the guy named Elio who could predict the future. So, this was too, according to his prediction.
"Did you know that, Stelle?" Dan Heng asked her with furrowed eyebrows.
"Of course. I came here knowing that I would be able to get out of here alive." She smirked. "But, that also means that I know that you guys would lose to me." As she said that, she finally broke the energy that imprisoned her. Now, she was back on her feet, as if nothing had happened.
"Now... Shall we finish it according to Elio's vision?" She asked smiling at them, yet it was not the sweet, gentle smile they knew of. They all stood on their ground as Stelle made her way to them slowly, unlike how she dashed off to them straight ahead previously. They braced for her to come, but were taken aback nonetheless when she suddenly appeared right in front of March who was not ready for her at all.
"Wha-?!" Before March could even react, Stelle had raised her hand and swung down her bat to her. March closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain that would come to her, but it never came. Instead, she heard noises of metal meeting with metal. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that Dan Heng had shielded her and stopped Stelle's attack with his cloud-piercing spear.
Stelle once again was not showing any emotion on her face, just like how she usually was as she looked down at Dan Heng who was having a hard time defending. "Just give it up." She said lowly. "I've heard how it will end."
"No... way... I won't just let you do it... as he wished." Dan Heng said, struggling to keep his ground with the pain stinging his side. March looked at him worriedly as she tried to support his back to be able to stand against Stelle's force on him.
"It's not really his wish... But well, it will happen either way." Stelle simply said before she raised her bat and swung it down again with more force this time, sending Dan Heng and March even closer to the ground. He grimaced along with March who tried her best to support Dan Heng. She was supposed to be the shield after all.
Stelle just sighed and repeated the same actions again and again. And again, and again, until March's stamina finally left her. "Now the shield is down." Stelle coldly spoke as she raised her hand again.
"Stop it, Stelle!" Dan Heng had finally had enough as he noticed that March was left exhausted behind him.
"Nope." She simply said and swung her bat down once again. This time Dan Heng had stopped her too but it sure had more impact than before without March supporting him. He felt his body getting pushed back and could feel he might crush March down along with him, so he quickly pushed back against Stelle.
"Oh?" She sounded impressed with the power that he had left, yet her face was still stoic.
Slowly, yet surely, Dan Heng had managed to push Stelle back and threw her bat away as he swung his spear with full force, at the same time leaving a scratch on Stelle's cheek as she jumped away from it. Thankfully, her reflex was quick enough, if not that spear would have got her eye instead.
Stelle then saw Dan Heng standing back up with his own two feet as he faced her, his hands gripping his cloud piercer tightly. It seemed like how it had begun in the beginning. The only difference was now his companions were not unconscious and were there to support him. Stelle just watched them looking at her seriously as she said nor do anything else.
"So, did you, or that future-seeing guy also saw this coming?" Dan Heng asked as he seemed to notice that what had just happened did not faze Stelle at all.
Stelle moved her gaze back to him before she smiled. "I wonder." She simply said, not really giving him any answers he wanted, and that made him frown annoyedly.
"It is time." Stelle added instead.
"Time? Time for what?" March asked with a raise of her eyebrow.
"To end this all. This farce." Unlike before Stelle seemed so calm. Was it because she had known the ending that she would won against them?
"We won't let you... Or whatever predicted come true." March said getting ready to fight again.
Stelle just walked to get her bat as the Nameless had allowed her to somehow. She huffed as she bowed down, taking her bat lying on the ground after it was thrown away. Once it was back in her hand, she stood back up. With her eyes closed, taking a deep breath, she prepared herself. Then, once her eyes opened as she let out her long breath, her face turned into a serious, dark one once again.
Seeing her face, the Nameless readied themselves. Because they knew her well, that when she got serious, it would be hard to stop her. Proven true based on the experiences they had with her. Also, based on how she had moved toward each of them before they could react was one of the other proofs.
"First one." Stelle said as she had appeared right in front of Welt who had gripped on his crane to deflect her, but she managed to break his crane into two and sent him flying to the wall.
"Welt!" Himeko called out but that was the only reaction she could muster as she had to brace herself from the attack coming from Stelle who had targeted her next.
"Mr. Yang! Miss Himeko!" March called out to the two elder members worriedly.
"Second." Stelle counted emotionlessly as she broke Himeko's drone and hit her on the back of her neck, sending her unconscious as she fell to the ground.
"No way..." March could not believe that Stelle was seriously coming at them. She was too stupified that she did not get to defend herself when Stelle had come to her. However, she could hear Dan Heng click his tongue and move to protect yet once again.
"You're the fourth one," He heard Stelle speak, and when she called his name, he heard there was something behind it. "Dan Heng."
"You're not getting to her unless you defeat me first." Dan Heng, though, did not have the time to think about it as he had to focus on the enemy in front of him.
"Figured." Stelle simply said with a smile on her face. It was that smile again. The one that made him waver in his determination to defeat her. Yet, as she noticed it, she quickly changed her smile into a heinous one. That was not missed by him either because he had been watching her for a long time now. She was hiding something from them, from him. He did not know what it was, but whatever it was, he did not have a good feeling about it.
"Stelle... Please..." March was the one who pleaded to her as her eyes teared up seeing how someone who she had thought was her best friend and sister was fighting against her and her other family that were precious to her.
"I know. I will end your suffering soon. You're the third one after all, March." Stelle instead just coldly replied to her, as if she did not know what she meant actually. But, she knew. She wanted her to stop, just like how the others wished the same for her. Too bad for them, for her, that it was already too late.
"How about you remove Dan Heng from between us so I can fulfill your wish sooner?" She asked glancing at Dan Heng before turning back to look at March who was speechless at her words. So, she just shook her head.
Stelle sighed. "I've no other choice."
When they thought that she had given up, how wrong they were as Stelle added in a very cold and dark voice, "I'll have to kill you both at the same time." She looked down at the two with such bloodlust that made them flinch slightly. They had never seen her like that, much less to feel any bloodlust from her.
"I see you are serious about this... Stelle." Dan Heng firmly gripped on his cloud piercer spear as he glared at Stelle, turning as serious as she was.
"Always have been from the very beginning." Stelle truthfully told him and a smirk returned to her face once she saw how serious he got.
"You two..." March hesitated for a while but joined in with her companion as she grabbed her bow and readied herself to shoot at Stelle. "I'll back you up, Dan Heng." She said lastly and with that, their fight continued.
As Dan Heng fought Stelle face to face in close combat, March had supported Dan Heng from behind as she declared, shooting rains of ice arrows towards Stelle, making sure not to do a friendly fire over Dan Heng. All the while Dan Heng swung and thrust his spear towards Stelle who deflected and returned his attacks with her bat that was imbued with her power.
As Dan Heng was focused on attacking Stelle, he did not realize that she had cleverly brought him further and further from March. Only when he saw her smirk and he heard March called out to him did he realize it. But it was too late already as Stelle had swung her bat down to him hard. He managed to deflect it with his spear so it did not hit his ribs directly, but the impact still managed to send him away far from Stelle.
Dan Heng grunted in pain from the impact of his back hitting the wall. He tried to stand up but the pain held him down. Stelle just smirked as she slowly made her way to March who was still shooting arrows at her, hoping that any would hit her and freeze her in place. But, Stelle had used her bat to deflect any of the flying arrows coming to her.
Soon, Stelle arrived right in front of March. Before March could do anything, Stelle swung her bat towards March, sending her down to the ground with a loud grunt coming from the pink-haired girl. "Now, finally. The third." She said as she stood hovering over March who was trying her best to stay conscious.
"Dan... Heng..." She called out as she looked at Dan Heng who was also trying his best to get back on his feet. He used his spear to support his body's weight but he was too slow as he saw Stelle once again swing her bat up.
"Stop it, Stelle!" Dan Heng shouted out but fell on deaf ears as Stelle turned to look at Dan Heng with a smirk on her face.
"If you want me to stop, then you have to force me." Stelle said and turned back to look at March and was ready to swing her bat down to finish March off but Dan Heng quickly stopped her as he sent his cloud dragon towards Stelle who was thrown away from March to the other end of the wall.
"Ugh...!" Stelle groaned as she felt the pain behind her back and her ribs. From her place, she could see that Dan Heng had dashed toward her, passing March who was barely conscious lying on the ground. Stelle quickly defended with her bat as soon as she saw Dan Heng coming to her.
Their fights were so serious that none bothered to say anything else anymore. The only thing that mattered to them was to defeat their enemies in front of them. They were no longer friends the moment they showed their bloodlust to each other. In the end, Dan Heng managed to get the upper hand as he sent his ultimate attack to Stelle, rendering her groundless as he imprisoned her in a similar sphere where she was previously.
Stelle just waited patiently as she saw Dan Heng slowly approaching her. How the tables had turned. Stelle just scoffed as she saw Dan Heng approaching her and stopped right in front of her. She looked up as he raised his spear and placed it in front of her throat.
They were back to where they started. Stelle was looking at him as he stared back at her with a painful look. Spear was threatening to stab her any second now. Yet, Stelle just smiled, a quirky smile she gave him.
"This is your second chance now." She reminded him.
Dan Heng just stared at her, his eyebrows slanted into a desperate look. Was there really no way to bring her back with them, with him? He gritted his teeth and Stelle could see how he had hidden his true form and back to the form she was more familiar with. The human form of him that she had met him for the first time. As his form was hidden, so was the sphere that engulfed and imprisoned her.
She was released, she realized.
"Always the ever so kind, yet naive Nameless I see." Stelle spat out yet she could feel the cold tip of his spear on her neck. "Or maybe, not really?" She scoffed out bitterly.
"Dan Heng..." March called out worried about the two of them, but mostly about Dan Heng since she did not want him to do something he would regret later.
Stelle looked at him and reached out her hand to his cheek. "Why is it... That you always have that melancholy look on your face?"
Dan Heng flinched in her touch. It was almost similar to the touch that she gave him in the past. It was warm and it was calming. But, at that moment, it only wavered his determination. So, she lowered her hand much to his dismay.
"Do it." He heard Stelle speak in her deep, yet sweet voice. Her hand that was on his cheek was now on his spear's blade.
"Stelle..." Dan Heng hesitated, and Stelle knew it.
"As expected... Elio was right after all." Stelle said, reminding him that she knew the future. She had told him, told the others that they would lose to her. That might be true because he could not kill her. No matter how she had betrayed them. Even though she had hurt his other companions. But he could not bring himself to deliver the judgment to her himself.
"March... I'm sorry..." Dan Heng said in a low voice as he turned to look at March apologetically, but she just smiled at him understandingly. She nodded at him as if she knew what he had decided.
Stelle felt a pang in her heart, even until the last minute, he still cared about March that much, huh? Even going as far as asking her apologies for wanting to kill Stelle?
When Dan Heng turned to look back at Stelle, how surprised he was to see the look on her face. It was no longer the look of a killer. There was no longer any bloodlust emitting from her. Instead, it was what she had asked him, a melancholy look that was hidden behind her front hair and a small smile.
"Stelle, I..." He spoke out as he tried to lower his spear, but it would not budge. He frowned as he noticed that Stelle had gripped onto his spear's blade so tightly that it had dug in so deep into her palm.
"Stelle, let go!" He tried to pull it away, yet did not force it as he was afraid that he would hurt her.
But Stelle was not listening to him, not she was looking at him as she opened her mouth, "So, you've decided to let me go?" She asked. Even knowing that, did not ease the pain inside her at all. It only hurt more that he had to apologize to March to spare her life.
Dan Heng did not answer her immediately but the loosened grip on his spear was enough to serve as her answer. He then saw her smile as she looked up at him. "I see." It was not a smile she gave him that day. It was the smile he was familiar with.
"I'm glad..." She began as she touched his hand that was still holding his spear with her free hand, while her other one was still holding onto the blade of it, slowly lowering it slightly from her neck. Her touch was so gentle and warm that Dan Heng did not realize what she was doing.
"Stelle...?" For a moment, he thought that he had her back with him. But, as he felt his spear slipping away from his hand, his eyes widened and he quickly tried to stop her, but she was faster.
"You don't have to... stain your hand for me..." She said lastly, closing her eyes, she removed his hand from his spear, and with her own hand, she thrust the sword towards herself.
March's eyes widened and she shouted out to her as she saw how Stelle had stabbed herself with the cloud-piercing spear. Dan Heng tried to retract his spear, but it managed to stab her in her chest before his spear disappeared into sparkles of jade lights.
"Stelle!" He quickly went to catch her before she hit the ground.
Stelle just smiled at him as she felt his warm arms around her. Ah, to be finally being held in his arms. How she had longed for it. All this time, she had envied March who had always been protected by him. At times, she wondered how she would have felt when that big, and strong arm of his was to shield her, protect her, and hold her close to him. Just like how he had protected March back at Belobog.
But, she never got the taste of it, and instead of receiving his protection, she offered hers to him instead. She did not regret that. After all, she would not want him to get hurt either. Her blessings of Preservation seemed to agree with her as she was able to shield him and the others from more attacks. She felt she was useful. At least she could do something for him, and the others precious to her.
However, at the same time, she realized that there was a destruction path inside her. Eventually, she feared that she would hurt them instead of protecting them, just like how she had done so that day. That she regretted deeply. But it was all necessary. Because she realized, that her life was contradicting, she wanted to protect those precious to her, but to protect also meant to destroy.
He loved Dan Heng, but that also meant that she wanted him for herself. Meanwhile, there was March, someone both of them cared about. It was the truth when she told her that she hated March, but at the same time, she also loved her. That's how complicated her life was. To get Dan Heng, she had to hurt March, but she would not have been able to do it, because she was her close friend.
As a Nameless, she would not be able to hurt them. They would not be able to hurt her either because she knew how much they thought of her even though she just joined the Astral Express for some months. But she wanted him. Yet he belonged to someone else. Someone she could not hurt either. Not unless she was out of the group. And so, that was how she became a Stellaron Hunter.
"If I were a Stellaron Hunter from the start..." She spoke slowly, earning the attention of her two past companions.
"Would I feel as guilty for hurting you guys...?" She absent-mindedly asked, unable to think about anything else anymore.
Hearing that, Dan Heng could catch the message behind her words. "Stelle... Have you actually been...?" He dreaded even finishing his question.
Stelle just smiled at him. "Out of five people..." She repeated the words he had heard coming from her mouth before. "Only one has to pay the price." She finished, and Dan Heng's eyes widened at the realization.
The five people she mentioned were the Nameless. Himeko, Welt, Dan Heng, March...and Stelle. She was part of the Nameless so it made sense. Then, the one who had to pay the price, was none other than herself.
"But why...? You don't have to do it." Dan Heng painfully asked her as his grip tightened around her.
"I..." Stelle began slowly. "Had to..." She looked up at him and raised her limp hand slowly to him, which he caught and brought to his cheek as she wished.
"Because I love you." She whispered out under her breath and at that time, Dan Heng could only see the most beautiful smile that she had ever shown to him. Her scars and blood hid no beauty from her face and smile. The one and only smile reserved only for him.
"That doesn't make sense! If you love him, why did you do all this?" March was the one who asked as she felt hurt by all of her actions and contradictory words.
Stelle just kept on smiling, she chuckled. "That's because you're here, March."
Hearing that had shut March down for a while. "So... You do it because you hate me?" She asked sadly.
"Part of it." Stelle truthfully told her. "But it's also because I love you too." She admitted in the end, but that only surprised her two companions.
Sensing that they did not get what she meant, Stelle continued. "My feelings... No... Not only my feelings... But even my existence... They are just a noise to this peaceful relationship." She told them weakly as she felt herself slowly losing consciousness.
"No way! That's not the case at all Stelle! I like you and I enjoy trailblazing with you and Dan Heng!" March had shouted out loud for her to hear and Stelle just chuckled weakly at her ever-so-positive energy.
Dan Heng, who could feel it from her hand and body that turned colder and colder, frowned. She could see his eyes began to water. "Stelle..." He called her name softly, gently. "You're never a noise to our lives... to my life." His grip on her hand tightened and Stelle could only smile at him.
"Why do you always... Have that melancholy look on your face... When you see me?" Stelle asked again, repeating her unanswered question from before.
"Because..." He paused as he did not know the answer before he was asked about it. Now that he thought about it, he finally realized how he felt about her. "You're someone precious to me... And I hate to see you get hurt every time to protect me."
"I want to protect you, but at the same time I can't help but feel proud to see you stand by your own two feet, able to fight side by side with me equally. I can trust you with my back."
Stelle listened to his words carefully as she closed her eyes, slowly getting tired and sleepy. "I... See..." Her voice got softer and softer, Dan Heng noticed, and he could not do anything but hold onto her tighter.
"I'm sorry..." She apologized, he was not sure what it was for but probably for everything she had done, for everything that she had said that hurt him and the others. That was just the kind of person he knew Stelle was.
On the other side, March had shed some tears as she saw Dan Heng's body trembling, noticing that he was holding in his tears. That only meant that Stelle's condition had worsened, even though she could not see too well from her place. She sobbed out quietly as she let Dan Heng speak to Stelle for the last time.
"I..." Dan Heng began as he looked at the sleeping Stellaron Hunter, but also the sleeping Nameless in his arms.
"I love you too, Stelle."
He finally confessed his heartfelt feelings to her as he lowered his head to plant a kiss on her soft lips that slowly turned colder and colder.
For the last time, Stelle's lips curved up slightly as she felt the warmth touch on her cold lips. Tears began streaming from her closed eyes and she could also feel his tears streaming down his cheek to her before she finally lost consciousness.