I, The Aeon of Trailblaze, Trailblazing the Multiverse

"Pom-Pom is crying. This is the first time I've seen Pom-Pom cry so loudly," the girl with blue and pink hair said, clasping her hands to her chest. Her expression was filled with empathy, as if she could cry just from seeing someone else cry.

"The important thing is that Akivili has returned. He didn't perish; he was just missing," Himeko said. She didn't take offense at Pom-Pom's comment about her coffee, though it did sting a bit—after all, her coffee wasn't to everyone's taste.

Her red eyes shimmered with excitement and anticipation.

From the moment she became a Nameless, Pom-Pom had shared countless stories about the Nameless and what the Aeon of Trailblaze was like.

Although she hadn't experienced the flourishing era of exploring the stars alongside Trailblaze, she had always longed for it.

She often wondered how incredible it would have been to live in such a vibrant age.

The middle-aged man in a dusty-gray jacket, his face weathered with experience, let out a deep sigh after gathering his thoughts.

"This sudden news… It's truly beyond words—utterly shocking."

"Aeons are beings that transcend all reason and understanding."

"Everyone believed he had fallen. Who would have thought he'd return?"

Invited aboard the train by Himeko to become a Nameless, he had witnessed the awe-inspiring splendor of the universe, countless worlds, and dealings with numerous cosmic factions during their journey.

He was well aware of how fortunate and proud those who followed a living Aeon were. A living Aeon was not just their leader but their anchor and their god.

The cold-faced young man suddenly asked, "Pom-Pom, now that Trailblaze has returned, will he come looking for the Astral Express?"

Pom-Pom, wiping her tears with her plush doll-like hands, replied with conviction, "Waaah… Even though Akivili is a jerk, he'll definitely come looking for us."

"Back then, there wasn't just one Astral Express, but a fleet of over a thousand trains. Akivili would travel between them, causing mischief with all the Nameless."

"But the core of the fleet was always this one. And Pom-Pom is the one and only conductor of the Astral Express."

"He'll definitely come… Waaah… That jerk! Acting like he was gone when he wasn't! Does he even know what the train went through after he left? Waaah…"

Pom-Pom's heartfelt outburst made the crew, who were like a family, feel the weight of her emotions.

"Don't cry, Pom-Pom. If it comes to it, we'll all teach Akivili a lesson when he shows up!" the blue-and-pink-haired girl, March 7th, said with a determined fist-pump, trying to comfort her.

The weathered middle-aged man coughed awkwardly. "Ahem… March 7th, you might want to be a bit more cautious with those words."

It was easy to speak like this when the Aeon of Trailblaze wasn't around. But now that he hadn't fallen—and was likely coming to the Astral Express—it was a different matter.

The cold-faced young man nodded quickly. "Agreed. March 7th, in the future, maybe avoid involving Aeons in your jokes."

Just then, Pom-Pom suddenly jumped up, her eyes wide with excitement as she stared at the train car's main doors.

"He's here! That jerk is here!"

"Here! Who? Who's here?" March 7th exclaimed, startled by Pom-Pom's sudden movement, looking around frantically with a confused expression.

"It's Lord Akivili!" the weathered man said with a resigned tone, his nerves tightening as he turned his gaze to the train doors.

Even the cold-faced young man looked visibly flustered.

As the Explorer of the Stars and the navigator of the Astral Express, Himeko couldn't keep her composure either.

After all, this was a direct audience with a Aeon—their Aeon.

Click! Hummm…

Golden light seeped through the cracks of the train's doors, which slowly slid open. Accompanied by the sound of approaching footsteps, the train crew watched with a mix of excitement, nervousness, and flustered anticipation as the doors fully revealed their visitor.

Under their gazes, a young man with mid-length silver hair and eyes resembling the swirling galaxies of the cosmos stepped lightly into the car.

Dressed in simple, unassuming clothes, he walked forward with an easy, relaxed stride. His lips held the unique, passionate smile of youth, brimming with curiosity for the unknown.

From him emanated an overwhelming sense of familiarity, the unmistakable aura of the Path of Trailblaze. It was as if the vastness of the galactic sea had descended to stand before them.

Noticing their stunned expressions, the young man raised his hand in a friendly greeting.

"Yo~ My unfamiliar friends. Should I say, 'long time no see,' or maybe 'nice to meet you for the first time'?"

Elias, his smile warm and genuine, looked at the crew—faces both familiar and unfamiliar. His friendliness wasn't feigned; after all, he knew them well.

They, on the other hand, hadn't expected the Aeon of Trailblaze to return, much less to appear before them.

Their stunned reaction to meeting the Aeon was entirely reasonable.

But not everyone was struck speechless.

"Ahhhhh! Akivili! You jerk!"

Pom-Pom, the train's conductor, dropped her broom and ran toward him, bawling loudly. She threw her plush arms around his leg and clung to it, shaking him with all her might.

"You absolute jerk! Waaahhh! Pom-Pom missed you so much! When you were gone, Pom-Pom really thought you were dead! Waaahhh…"

Elias looked down at Pom-Pom clinging to his leg, unsure of what to say.

In everyone's eyes, he was Akivili, but he didn't have any memories of Akivili beyond the knowledge he had inherited.

Still, since he had replaced Akivili and taken everything from him, it was only right for him to take care of the mess Akivili had left behind.

Patting Pom-Pom's head, Elias smiled warmly and comforted her. "Haha, alright, alright, Pom-Pom. It's all my fault. I admit it. Blame me for suddenly losing contact."

"You can scold me however you like."

Pom-Pom sniffled and asked through her tears, "So what were you doing all this time? Why didn't you come back?"

Elias casually made up an explanation. "It's a long story. I was trapped in an unknown place outside the universe, cut off from the way back, and forced to sever my connection to the universe."

"I searched for a long time before I finally found the way home."

"During that time, I'm sure many things must have happened."

Pom-Pom rubbed her eyes, still sniffling. "Of course! So, so many things happened while you were gone!"

"For a long time, there were no traces of the Astral Express traveling the universe. If it weren't for Himeko repairing the train and restarting its journey, who knows how long it would've been before we could resume the Trailblaze path."

Elias comforted her gently. "You've worked hard, Pom-Pom."

Then, he turned his gaze toward the rest of the crew, who had recovered from their shock but still stared at him with anxious, uncertain expressions.

"This era's train navigator, Himeko; Nameless Welt Yang, Dan Heng, and March 7th—I'm glad you've taken up the path of Trailblaze."

Himeko, Dan Heng, March 7th, and Welt were utterly flustered. They opened their mouths to speak but couldn't find the right words.

Elias extended his hand with a smile, inviting them.

"From now on, let us journey together to the ideal's end."

The crew looked at the Aeon—not lofty or distant, but warm and approachable—and at the hand extended in invitation. They couldn't help but reach out.

How could anyone refuse the invitation of a Aeon?

"Yes, Lord Akivili." ×4.