Chapter 453: with translation of chapter title

The enemies you are about to face—or rather, enemies—are not as easy to bully as this old dog of mine; they'll fall apart at the slightest move. Since you all share a common goal, why not work together? Perhaps there's still a slim chance of success.

"Well, Nameless One isn't the type to back down at the first sign of trouble! Star, you'd agree, right?" March 7 looked at Star, eager to try.

"A hero can't flee in the face of battle!" Star said, hands on hips, full of confidence.

——

Kamen Rider Builid

"Oh oh! This line… I'm so familiar with it!"

In the underground base of the "Nascita" coffee shop, Tougou Sentaro put down his experimental tools; Star's earlier line made his eyes light up, giving him an inexplicable sense of familiarity, yet he couldn't quite recall it.

"So imposing! I've decided—next time I face an enemy, I'll say that line too!"

Wanzhang Longwo sat cross-legged to the side, eating potato chips: "But hey, Star saying that line isn't cool enough; if it were Liuying…" He suddenly stood up, striking a pose with one hand on his belt, "Like holding a transformer like this… that's cool!"

"You idiot, Longwo!" Shi Dong Miku lightly tapped Longwo's head with her tablet: "Now is the crucial moment to defeat the final boss, Dream Master—be serious! Although our Train Crew's strength isn't low, this time it's not like the Immortal Vessel; we lack any Herald‑level combat support! If anything unexpected happens, we could be wiped out entirely!"

"Is it really that scary?" Longwo scratched his head. "That guy betrayed Harmony—betrayed Harmony on its own turf—what good could come of that?"

"Heh, Longwo, don't forget the 【Infinite Husband Chief】…… Though we haven't seen this guy act yet, to be relied upon so much by the Dream Master, his strength must be extraordinary."

Longwo wore an expression of disbelief: "Huh? Betrayed Harmony…… can he still wield the power granted by Him? What on earth is this Xipe? How can a traitor use His power? That's totally unreasonable!"

"Well, we really find it hard to grasp the Star God's thoughts—not just us outside the firmament, but those geniuses inside the firmament are also wondering what the Star God is thinking; the less we understand, the more we must try to comprehend."

Miku sat on the sofa holding her coffee cup, her fingers continually zooming in on the video footage of Pinokangni on the screen… "But that's exactly the point of research, isn't it?"

——

Walter said the Train Crew hopes to travel together with Xingqiri and company; with a third party present, the negotiations should go more smoothly.

After the Xingqiri siblings expressed their thanks, Walter called everyone aside to have a few private words.

"Although I volunteered to come along, facing the Dream Master on this trip… I fear the odds are grim." Walter's face grew solemn.

March 7 covered her mouth in surprise: "Ah? Even Uncle Yang says that—just how formidable must the Dream Master be?"

Kiji said: "As a branch leader of Pinokangni, the Dream Master is likely backed by the entirety of Harmony… Moreover, he holds the Star Core, so we must prepare for the worst."

March 7 began to feel afraid, scratching her head: "Um… maybe Uncle Yang shouldn't go after all…"

Walter shook his head: "That won't work either. Setting aside the Zhigengniao, I just feel that Mr. Xingqiri's earlier attitude was off somehow, though I can't say why… at the very least we need to make sure he doesn't defect mid‑battle."

Saying this, Walter looked at Star: "Star, you should have that token the company envoy gave you, right? May I borrow it?"

Star handed over the token Shajin had given her earlier—a coin‑shaped object.

Upon receiving the token, Walter seemed to confirm his suspicion, giving a faint smile: "Heh… exactly as I thought. The coin‑shaped token Shajin gave you is a miniature transmitter. He probably intends to use this device to track your movements, or to contact you when needed. I never expected it to be so useful in this situation."

"Shajin? Is he really still alive… and what does finding the Dream Master to negotiate have to do with him?" March 7 didn't quite understand.

"Do you remember what I said? Cooperating with the company isn't a bad way to keep it in check. If the negotiations take a turn, it would amount to proving the family's intent to meddle with the Star Core—exactly the breakthrough that envoy has been dreaming of. Then I'll use this transmitter to send word to the company."

——

The Funeral of Frieren

"How impressive, Mr. Walter really has an idea! Is this what adult experience is like?" Restaruku realized, "This way, even if the situation turns bad, we can directly drag the company into the fray, letting its fleet deal with those the pioneers can't handle."

"Lady Frieren…" Filien turned to face the white‑haired elf on the other side, her face full of worry: "I feel the company's fleet won't be of much use here; if we really want to help, Miss Topa will need to obtain her own Foundation Stone."

"…That probably still won't be enough."

Frieren shook her head expressionlessly: "The Dream Master isn't even afraid of Huangquan, who possesses Herald‑level strength, so why would she fear the Stone‑Heart Ten, who only have one‑tenth of a Herald's authority? As for the fleet… once combat reaches Herald‑level, the fleet becomes useless, though it still looks impressive."

"The Infinite Husband Chief…… I've heard both Xingqiri and the Dream Master mention it; it seems this guy is Harmony's Herald. If we defeat him, the Dream Master should be left helpless, right?"

"Hey hey, Filien, don't make it sound so easy. Back when we defeated Huanlong on the Immortal Vessel, we only managed to beat one of her avatars." Restaruku paused, "Besides, from what they said, the Infinite Husband Chief isn't a concrete 'person'; it's more like a brand… capable of endlessly punishing anyone who harms a particular individual."

"It feels even more troublesome than a curse…"

Whether it's Huanlong or Huangquan, whenever Herald‑level big shots act, the fallout always reaches them, which leaves Filien quite troubled. Every time the Heralds move, their actions are accompanied by shocks, leaving Filien with lingering palpitations even when she just thinks back. She edged closer to the elf without changing her expression, "Lady Frieren… if they ever start fighting, will the Infinite Husband Chief's effect reach us here through the firmament?"

Hard to say. If it's like the scorching burns from last time when Huanlong crushed stars, a wide‑area defensive magic could ward it off… but that would drain massive mana. However, if it's like Huangquan's surging Path power, then no magic can defend against it—not even Xerieye.