The Command Center of the Second Star

  Lyra taps her foot as she impatiently waits out the last several minutes of the two weeks that Aria said she would be gone with Pestilence. And that impatience only grows more and more with every passing second.

  When she first invited the Horseman of the Apocalypse to her station, she didn’t expect all that much. She mostly invited her because she did feel some genuine gratitude for what Aria did, but she also wanted to be able to say that a Horseman of the Apocalypse had visited her station and not the others.

  Which, she’ll admit, was a pretty petty reason.

  She never expected that Pestilence would show up and target her station. Nor did she expect Aria to end up being the one saving her station from the disaster.

  Even if some part of Lyra knows that part of the reason Pestilence most likely chose their station was Aria’s presence. But she, and the people, also know that he was most likely going to choose one of the Star Link Stations anyways. And even if he chose a different station, the virus would’ve likely spread to hers anyways.

  That fact alone is why the people of all the Star Link Stations are practically idolizing the Horseman of Death now. The Princess of the Crimson Empire.

  And now a forever friend of the Star Link Stations.

  Lyra smiles a little at that.

  When she first met the princess, she was rather surprised. Simply because of how nonchalant she was. Which, while she had already heard about before, was more than she was expecting.

  The girl is just so laidback that it startled her.

  I never thought I’d see someone so laidback despite their fame.

  She glances at the lyon in the command center with her. Someone who came along with the Horseman of the Apocalypse.

  When Lyra first saw Leone, she was rather surprised. Since she saw the girl’s performance in the Eternal Dynasty’s ceremony. Where she fought against the crown prince of the Dynasty. And she fought rather well at that.

  In fact, Lyra herself has her doubts about whether she could take on Leone. Not because she isn’t strong enough, but because Leone specializes fully in her physical body. Making her body incredibly tough.

  Meanwhile Lyra uses radiation magic.

  Which isn’t the greatest matchup, especially when Leone could just avoid all of her attacks and come in to punch her.

  The picture of that happening in Lyra’s head makes her let out a sight before returning her focus to the monitors across the command center. Monitors checking for any sorts of spatial fluctuations in the area.

  Checking for Pestilence’s return.

  Something that is worrying Lyra is whether or not Aria will stay in the Second Star after returning. Whether she’ll just immediately leave to go to a different station, or if she’ll got to a different world entirely.

  It’s been bothering her for the entire time Aria has been away.

  It doesn’t matter how many times Leone has said Aria will likely stay. Lyra is just prone to acting off instinct and her own paranoia.

  She leans against the armrest of her command seat.

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  I hope she comes back soon… especially with that other issue…

  That thought has her turning to look at the other corner of the command center. Where the princess’s bodyguards are stiffly standing with rather stony expressions on their faces.

  One of her biggest issues over the past two weeks were the princess’s bodyguards. All of whom were completely ditched when Aria entered the portal alongside Pestilence.

  And none of whom have been very happy about it.

  Lyra’s thoughts grind to a halt when she finally gets report of a spatial fluctuation in the area. Then a portal appears right in front of her, startling Lyra enough to almost make her topple over her chair.

  Or she would’ve if the chair wasn’t nailed to the ground.

  Then she and all of the guards stationed in the command center tensely watch as the portal reveals the home world of Pestilence on the other side. Along with Pestilence himself and a sight that has Lyra’s thoughts blanking out.

  Because it’s the sight of a tiny version of Aria sitting on top of her horse.

  And the sight has Lyra feeling more conflicted than she’s ever felt in her entire life.

  The Horseman of the Apocalypse right now looks like a ten year old girl with glowing crimson eyes and stark white hair wearing a fancy suit of high tech red and black armor. One that’s just sitting on top of a terrifying horse made of bones with glowing crimson death energy running through the bones and pitch black armor.

  It’s a sight that looks absolutely ridiculous in more ways than one.

  But more importantly, it’s a sight that has Lyra instinctively jumping out of her chair and tackling the little girl in a hug before squeezing the girl.

  Because the girl is just too adorable.

  Aria

  I feel more than a little exasperated when my very first greeting upon arriving back at the Second Star is that of Lyra glomping me. Meanwhile the portal behind me closes without Pestilence saying a word.

  After that, I glance around the command center I’m in to find everyone else looking at me in a similarly terrifying way to the way Lyra currently is as she’s glomping me. Like I’m some adorable little creature they want to hug or something.

  Even the knights from the Crimson Empire.

  I let out a sigh at that.

  The stupid poison Pestilence tested on me seems to be more potent than I was expecting. Since I’ve only reverted back by about a year. Going from looking like I’m nine to looking like I’m ten.

  Despite two weeks having passed.

  At the rate it’s going I won’t reach my usual appearance again for like five months or so.

  Maybe more. Which is actually about the psychopathic poison obsessed Horseman estimated.

  I just wasn’t expecting it to actually take that long. What with how many poisons I’ve adapted to, and how I already adapted to the previous age regression thing he did to me.

  But whatever. It doesn’t really matter.

  I’m just going to go to the Fractures and let my Death Spirits hunt the mana creatures there anyways.

  So I wasn’t planning on fighting myself.

  On another note, I finally get sick of Lyra’s current actions when she literally picks me up and tries holding me in her arms. At which point I pull out a nuke and raise a brow at her. Making her finally carefully lower me down to the ground.

  “Please don’t set that off in here…” she mutters as my feet touch the ground again.

  I narrow my eyes at her and everyone else in the command center, waving around the nuke in my hand as I do so. And when I feel they’ve all gotten the picture by now, I put the nuke back in my storage ring again and begin walking over towards the entrance of the command center.

  Or at least, I’m assuming this is the command center. It’s where Pestilence said he was dropping me off, and it certainly looks like one judging by all of the control panels and the like.

  “Little Aria, there’s something you should know before you go out into the station,” Lyra says while hurriedly chasing after me.

  I glance at her but don’t stop moving as I ask, “What?”

  Her eyes widen a little at my voice and I can just tell that she wants to glomp me again. The same as a lot of the other people in this room.

  But she reigns herself in and says, “You should check the news first before you go out into the station.”

  I blink at that and stop walking. Then I go ahead and check my terminal.

  The stupid terminal didn’t have much of anything in terms of access to the internet or news while on Pestilence’s little dead world, so I haven’t really been able to see anything about the aftermath.

  Might as well… check…

  I frown as I find the first headlines on the news related to the Second Star.

  The Horseman of the Apocalypse, Death, has saved the Second Star from the disastrous Pestilence!!!

  Welcome the savior of the Star Link Stations! Aria Crimson, Princess of the Crimson Empire!

  Breaking News!!! A benevolent Horseman has finally been born!!!

  After a brief pause, I turn to look at Lyra as I ask, “What the hell is this?”

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