Chronicles of the Astral Express: First Steps

"Nokun?" Masha called out, her voice trembling with hope. "Is that you, Nokun?"

Noah's eyes widened.

"...That nickname…" he said, stunned. "Only one person in the entire universe ever calls me that."

He groaned internally.

Holy Akivili... What kind of shenanigans did I get dragged into this time?!

Masha couldn't hold back anymore. With tears already streaming down her face, she bolted toward Noah and leapt straight into his arms.

"Oi, Machan! That was dangerous!" Noah instinctively caught her, his voice a mix of relief and scolding. "What if you got hurt doing something reckless like that?"

But as the words left his lips, a memory crossed in the back of his mind.

Huh...? This feeling... a strange sense of déjà vu...

"I won't get hurt," Masha whispered, burying her face into his chest. "Because you'll never let me. I know you won't."

Noah's eyes softened, his arms tightening around her.

This exact moment… it's the same.

He remembered it clearly now. His conversation with Miss A under the great oak tree in Mondstadt, just before the war with the Abyss. The same embrace. The same promise.

Back in Sumeru, the four girls watching from the screen couldn't hide their jealousy. A dark aura radiated around them as they glared at the scene of Noah hugging Masha, startling a few people nearby.

"Oh, so there is another one…" Kiana muttered under her breath, gritting her teeth. Her right eye momentarily changed to gold.

"Must be nice to stay in his arms," Lumine added, sulking slightly.

"Calm down, you two. This is still being recorded," Elysia reminded, even though her own expression was hardly neutral.

Miss A huffed dramatically and crossed her arms. "Tch. she can enjoy this temporary victory. because I-"

"We," Kiana, Lumine and Elysia interrupt her.

"...we can always have it anytime we want." Miss A completed with a pout.

Back at Noah's side, two more people rushed forward. Mahiru was the first, sprinting toward him with teary eyes before leaping into his chest.

"Onii-chan!! Onii-chan!!" she sobbed, clutching onto him tightly.

Noah caught her without hesitation, gently holding her. "There, there… yeah, it's me, Mahiru," he said, his voice soft as he patted her head.

"I thought… I'd never see you again…" she whispered, trembling.

"I'm sorry," Noah replied quietly. "I should've found a way to reach you."

Then he looked up. Touya stood there, fists clenched, his eyes wavering with unshed tears.

Noah gave him a small, wry smile. "You just gonna stand there?"

Touya hesitated, then stepped forward and Noah opened his free arm to welcome him in.

"...You damn brother…" Touya muttered as he wrapped his arms around them, voice cracking.

Noah chuckled lightly. "Yeah. I missed you too."

In the distance, Koutaro, Yuuya, Kaori, Minami, Athena, and Hayate quietly watched the emotional reunion unfold.

"This is so great... such an unexpected reunion," Minami sniffled, tears streaming down her cheeks as she frantically snapped pictures of the four. She was so caught up in the moment, she forgot she was still live-streaming what was supposed to be a battle with Sim-Noah.

"Yes... it really is... a blessing in disguise," Kaori said softly, wiping her tears as she leaned on Minami's shoulder.

"Good for you, Masha!" Athena cried, visibly moved before suddenly pointing an accusing finger at Noah. "But I will have my revenge on you later, Noah! For making her cry that much!"

"There, there, A-tan," Hayate chuckled gently, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing Athena's tears. "Let's just enjoy this moment. It's rare to see such a beautiful mess."

Koutaro said nothing. He kept his eyes locked on the scene, fists clenched as he silently fought back his own tears.

"Satomi-kun... are you crying?" a soft voice asked.

Beside him, a gentle black-haired girl stood, her presence calming.

"No, I'm not. Don't talk nonsense, Sakuraba-senpai," he muttered, averting his gaze.

Sakuraba Harumi simply gave him a kind look and reached up to pat his head.

"It's okay to cry, you know," she whispered. "This is your precious friend too." 

On the other side of the room, Alya or Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou, watching the reunion unfold. As Masha's younger sister and Mahiru's best friend, Alya had always seen Noah as an older brother figure. The bond he shared with Masha had extended to them all, and his sudden disappearance had left a void in each of their hearts.

Beside her were their friends and classmates: Mahiru's maybe-boyfriend Fujimiya Amane, Shirakawa Chitose with her boyfriend Akazawa Itsuki, Julis-Alexia von Riessfeld, Amagiri Ayato, Sasamiya Saya, Yabuki Eishirou, Claudia Enfield, and their kouhai, Toudou Kirin.

"…Good for you, Mahiru," Amane said softly, his eyes lingering on the tearful reunion. There was a rare gentleness in his voice.

"Mahirun!! You finally reunited with your brother!" Chitose cheered, throwing her arms not at Itsuki but around Alya.

"Huh?! Chi, why are you hugging Alya-san and not me?" Itsuki grumbled. "And Alya-san, aren't you going to join them? You're basically the honorary sister of Alden-senpai, aren't you?"

"…Later," Alya murmured, her eyes not leaving the scene in front of her. "After Masha and the others. I need a moment to prepare myself… I have a lot of complaints to throw at Nii-san, after all."

Chitose giggled beside her while Itsuki pouted, and the rest exchanged warm smiles, respecting Alya's feelings.

"...So that's the strongest Alden of this generation," Eishirou muttered, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his cheek as he stared at Noah.

Claudia, standing beside him, gave a small nod. "Noah Alden. Eldest son of the Alden family. Whose strength far surpasses that of his predecessors."

"Fuee? Isn't that kinda normal?" Kirin asked, tilting her head. "Doesn't every next Alden generation get way stronger than the last?"

"…That's true," Saya added, unusually alert. "But Noah-senpai… he's on a completely different level. You'll get it once you see him fight."

"…Yeah, he really is something else," Ayato mumbled, still visibly sweating.

Julis turned to him, curious. "Ayato?"

Ayato glanced at the group, then confessed with a reluctant smile. "I just tried to activate Shiki for a moment… and he sensed it instantly. Then winked at me."

"Wah?!" a collective gasp broke out.

Only Ayato among them could stand evenly with the Alden twins. If even he looked shaken, that said everything.

"Hmph! Of course he did. He's Nii-san after all!" Alya said proudly, hands on her hips like she was the one who beat Ayato.

"Why do you sound like you're the strong one?!" Eishirou snapped with a classic tsukkomi reaction.

—---

"So let me get this straight…" Noah's cheek twitched as he tried to keep a straight face. "You guys built a machine that simulates me based on data, to so that you could beat me up… because I left and didn't message anyone?"

"Yes," Koutaro, Yuuya, Athena, Minami, and Hayate answered in perfect unison looking far too pleased with themselves.

Noah blinked. "Seriously?"

"Yup," Koutaro added with a proud smirk.

On the side, Masha and Kaori could only sigh, visibly cringing.

"Please don't lump us with those five," Kaori muttered, covering her face.

"Yeah… they didn't even think twice," Masha said, half proud, half exhausted.

"Ahaha, their main motivation was just to see you again, Noah-kun," Harumi said with a small smile.

"...Harumi-senpai, please stop enabling their behavior," Noah sighed, shoulders slumping. "That just makes them smugger." 

"Hey!" Athena, Yuuya, and Koutaro protested.

"Noah-kun, please," Minami chimed in. "It was all made with love. Just… slightly unhinged love."

"...That makes it worse," Noah deadpanned. 

After the reunion had settled, the group sat cross-legged in a loose circle on the simulation room's floor. Laughter, lingering sniffles, and curiosity filled the air as everyone took turns explaining what happened. Noah, now surrounded by both familiar and unfamiliar faces.

Starting from Koutaro's group, Clan the pink haired glassing wearing girl, Ruth the blue haired girl, Theia the small blond hair girl, Sanae Higashihongan a orange haired girl, Yurika Nijino a twin tail self proclaim magical girls(I am a real magical girl!!), Kiriha Kurano the black hair girl with a mature and intellectual presence, and Maki Aika the short hair gal like girl who was also a magical girl(Why did you accept Maki-chan as a magical girl but not me?!).

Noah did meet before Harumi Sakuraba their senpai and Shizuka Kasagi their classmate during their final years in high school. So he knows them as acquaintance.

"Hmph! Says the guy who disappeared and didn't even message us," Koutaro muttered, arms crossed.

"I was halfway across the universe," Noah replied dryly. "Forgive me for not finding interstellar Wi-Fi."

"Ehehe, big brother's friends are really entertaining," Nahida giggled, sitting on Mahiru's lap.

She had arrived not long after the reunion, scanning Noah to ensure he was unharmed. Once she was satisfied, she explained how someone or something named Kaleidoscope had stolen their signal and connected it to the simulation system.

"Just what is that Kaleido System company," Theia began, arms folded. "They developed tech that can bridge planets billions of light-years apart?"

"Even our Forthorthe Galactic Empire doesn't have anything that precise," Clan added, her brow furrowed.

"From what Sister Alice explained," Nahida continued thoughtfully, "Mr. Zelretch who also goes by Kaleidoscope is a magician with the ability to cross the multiverse. So he likely applied some very advanced dimensional knowledge here."

Everyone went silent. Some blinked. Others just stared blankly.

"…Multiverse magician, Of course." Noah simply looked up at the ceiling and muttered, "…This is my life now."

Then, something clicked in Noah's mind.

"…Excuse me, Miss Clan?" Noah turned toward her, curiosity in his voice.

"Hm? Y-Yes?" Clan stiffened immediately, her posture straight as a rod. This is Koutaro's best friend. I need to make a good impression! For mine and Koutaro's future! Kyaa! Calm down, me!

Noah blinked, mildly confused by her pink cheeks and the way her eyes kept glancing towards Koutaro.

"You don't have to be nervous around this guy, Clan. He doesn't bite," Koutaro said, utterly oblivious to her flustered state.

And this idiot dares to call me dense… Noah sighed internally, before turning back to Clan. "Earlier, you mentioned the Forthorthe Galactic Empire. The way you said it… it sounded like you're actually from there?"

"Ah…?" Clan let out a startled sound before laughing awkwardly. "Ahaha, no way! I mean, that was just… a name from a game we played! Total coincidence!"

Next to her, Theia and Koutaro both facepalmed in sync. Ruth merely offered Clan a gentle, pitying look. The rest of Koutaro's group exchanged awkward glances and shook their heads.

Meanwhile, Noah's friends and his siblings' friends stared at them with wide eyes.

In unison, a single thought runs through their minds.

Aliens really do exist!!

"Ugh… Clan, it's fine. We've already been exposed," Theia said with a sigh.

"S-Sorry…" Clan mumbled, her head drooping.

"It's fine," Theia assured her gently. Then she straightened her back and addressed everyone. "Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Theiamillis Gre Forthorthe, seventh princess of the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire."

"Clariossa Daora Forthorthe, second princess of the same," Clan followed, bowing her head.

"Ruthkania Nye Pardomshiha, personal guardian knight of Princess Theia," Ruth added, placing a hand on her chest and offering a respectful bow.

"Princess?!" Chitose exclaimed.

"Knight?!" Itsuki's eyes widened.

"Alien royalty?!" Eishirou gasped, his eyes sparkling like twin stars.

"This is a huge scoop!!" Minami shouted, practically vibrating with excitement.

The rest of the group froze once again from the shocking reveal of Theia and Clan's true identities.

"...Minami," Noah said slowly, his expression tightening. "Just to check, are you, by any chance, still live streaming?"

"Ehh?" Minami turned to her camera, a cold sweat forming as her eyes met the blinking red light.

She gulped. "Ah…"

Everyone in the room collectively facepalmed.

Theia and Clan's cheerful faces dropped into grim silence as the consequences of their broadcasted introduction began to settle in.

Noah sighed and sat straight looking at the camera with a serious expression.

"To those watching this broadcast, especially any government officials or the Enterprise listen closely. Miss Theia, Miss Clan, and Miss Ruth are our friends. Should any of you attempt to threaten or exploit them… you'll face me. Not just as an Alden, but as a Nameless who walks the path of Trailblaze."

As his words settled, a surge of Trailblaze energy radiated from him, shaking the hearts of those watching.

Beside him, Touya and Mahiru stood tall in silent agreement. Nahida, still sitting peacefully in Mahiru's lap, released a faint of divine power creating an illusion that hinted at what might happen if anyone dared.

"It won't just be the Aldens they'll have to deal with," Masha declared beside Noah. "They'll also be facing the Kujou and Makarovich families."

Alya crossed her arms next to her sister, her expression firm.

Athena let out a soft 'hmph,' snapping her fan shut. "Since Masha and that blockhead already said it, I'll make it clear too. I'm their friend and if anyone harms them, consider it a declaration of war against our Tennousu family."

"My family doesn't have the same influence as the Aldens, Kujos, or Tennousu…" Harumi added gently with a soft smile, "but the Sakuraba family will support them too."

Around the room, several people shuddered.

The names dropped Alden, Kujou, Makarovich, Tennousu, Sakuraba weren't just well-known. They were powerful, untouchable. Even the most daring political actors would think twice. Those from Asterisk's highest circles wouldn't dare challenge all of them at once.

Anyone who still thought to take advantage of the Forthorthe trio… was clearly inviting disaster.

"...With support like that, only a fool would try anything now," Claudia muttered. As a daughter of an executive of Ginga, Seidokan Academy's governing body and member of the Integrated Enterprise Foundation, Asterisk biggest business group that supports the world's economy, she understood the implications better than most.

"Everyone…" Theia whispered, voice trembling.

"On behalf of our empire, we thank you," Clan said sincerely, bowing to Noah, Masha, and Athena.

Ruth joined her in a respectful bow.

Noah offered a gentle smile. "Don't worry about it. You matter to Kou, after all."

"That's right," Masha nodded. "Kou-kun genuinely cares about you."

"And you're my friends too," Athena said. "So anyone who threatens you… is threatening me."

"Thank you… truly!" Theia said, bowing deeply.

"You three, thank you," Koutaro added with a heartfelt bow of his own.

The rest of the girls from Koutaro's group expressed their gratitude one after another, each of them smiling, relieved… and finally at ease.