When the conductor saw the tarot cards in Bai Qi's hand, his body trembled involuntarily. He quickly steadied himself and smiled slightly, saying, "So, so, so, it turns out Mr. Devil is an Apostle. That makes sense. This train will provide you with a series of high-quality services. Please enjoy your journey."
Indeed, Dong Ji's name and these tarot cards were useful when necessary.
The conductor then instructed Naomi a few more times before returning to the driver's cabin.
Although the conductor vouched for Bai Qi, his appearance was still unsettling. Even knowing that Bai Qi wouldn't harm her, Naomi still felt fear.
"Um... Mr. Devil," Naomi's trembling voice reached Bai Qi's ears.
Bai Qi, who had been dozing, opened his eyes to see a cup of hot coffee and a plate of small cakes placed before him.
Naomi had already retreated behind the counter with the tray, watching Bai Qi cautiously.
Perhaps worried that Bai Qi might do something improper to Naomi, the other six humans did not leave. They remained seated at the table next to Bai Qi.
Bai Qi picked up the coffee and took a sip.
Hmm? Not bad, actually.
He took another taste. It was very good. It was hard to imagine that the cakes served on the train tasted even better than those at a star-rated hotel.
As Bai Qi savored the cakes and coffee, two men sat down opposite him.
Bai Qi looked up. The man sitting opposite him wore a red trench coat and looked rather cool. The other was dressed like a spirited young man.
"I don't recall giving you permission to sit opposite me," Bai Qi said impolitely, as he didn't have a good impression of these six people.
"Did you hear that? He doesn't want us here. Let's go."
The man in red was about to leave, but his companion quickly pulled him back. "Marbelous, don't be like that. We were in the wrong first."
After appeasing his captain, the companion turned to Bai Qi and extended his hand. "Hello, my name is Ihari Kai. This is our captain, Marbelous. We are space pirates."
Ihari Kai was a natural socializer, what modern people would call someone with extreme social skills. The word "pirate" didn't sound like a good word, even with "space" added. Yet, he could say it so directly and with such pride in his tone.
Bai Qi did not extend his hand to shake Ihari Kai's, causing the latter a bit of awkwardness.
"Lord of Creation, Primordial Demon." After a moment's hesitation, Bai Qi revealed his identity.
"Primordial Demon! That sounds incredible!" Ihari Kai, with his social butterfly nature, was unperturbed. Most people would keep their distance upon hearing Bai Qi's demonic identity, but this fellow's eyes lit up. He pestered Bai Qi to tell him what it felt like to be a demon.
Eventually, even Ihari Kai's companions couldn't stand it anymore and dragged him back to their seats. Bai Qi finally got some peace.
The train was traveling at a good speed, but traversing the void still took time.
Gradually, Naomi became accustomed to Bai Qi's appearance. When she served dinner, she finally managed to speak fluently.
Bai Qi also learned more about Ihari Kai and his companions. He realized why he found them familiar. Besides being space pirates, they were also the Gokaiger, part of the Super Sentai series, which, like Kamen Rider and Ultraman, was one of the three major tokusatsu franchises from Japan. Unlike other Super Sentai teams, the Gokaiger's characteristic ability was to transform into other Super Sentai warriors using Ranger Keys, a skill similar to that of Gokai Red's.
What surprised Bai Qi was that the Gokaiger's strength wasn't particularly high, and they hadn't even escaped the bonds of fate. They shouldn't have been able to enter the void. He wondered why they were here. Bai Qi's pride as a demon prevented him from asking, so he attributed their presence to the space-time train.
The space-time train traveled through the void for three days. During the journey, Bai Qi also enjoyed the scenery of the void through the window. He was somewhat disappointed to find that the void looked much like outer space.
Suddenly, the train shook violently.
"What happened?!" The Gokaiger and the others were startled by the sudden jolt and rushed to look out the window.
"That... is that... what is that?"
"What a huge whale!"
Compared to the Gokaiger's astonishment, Bai Qi remained calm and composed. His strength had largely recovered, and even if the train encountered problems, his current physical resilience would allow him to survive in the void for a short period.
The conductor's voice came over the intercom. "Passengers, please do not panic. The train is currently passing through an intersection of an asteroid belt and a herd of Blue Void Whales. There may be slight turbulence. Please remain seated and fasten your seatbelts."
Bai Qi looked out the window. Amidst the small asteroids, he could see enormous, whale-like creatures swimming through the void. These must be the Blue Void Whales the conductor mentioned. Roughly estimated, each Blue Void Whale was more than three times the size of a normal whale.
Ihari Kai, who was peering out the window, suddenly shouted, "It's an asteroid! It's coming this way!"
As the Blue Void Whales migrated, their massive bodies inevitably collided with nearby asteroids. One sizeable asteroid, dislodged by a collision, was drifting towards the train.
Naomi explained, "Please don't worry. The space-time train has a state-of-the-art defense system and is absolutely safe." As she spoke, the asteroid was stopped by a blue energy shield about three meters from the train, repelled, and sent drifting into the depths of the void. The Blue Void Whales seemed uninterested in the space-time train.
After passing through the migrating Blue Void Whale herd, a few more hours passed before a space-time wormhole appeared on the train's track. Passing through the wormhole, they were greeted by familiar blue skies and the vast ocean.
As the train began to slow down, the broadcast announced again, "Welcome to e657 universe. Passengers alighting will do so from the left side doors, in the direction of travel. Please mind your step."
When the train came to a complete stop, the left-side doors opened. Bai Qi drained the remaining half cup of 'Tu Tu Er Ku' and alighted with satisfaction. During his time on the train, Bai Qi had developed a fondness for a special beverage called 'Tu Tu Er Ku'. It had an indescribable taste and a relaxing effect, alleviating mental fatigue and weariness. Unlike Bo Gang, who needed constant nourishment to strengthen himself, at Bai Qi's level, food was no longer a necessity. Eating was merely a gratification of his taste buds, and very few foods could affect him. For example, ordinary people would die if they ate the 'Flower Umbrella Umbrella', but it had no effect on Bai Qi. 'Tu Tu Er Ku', however, could affect him, proving its extraordinary nature.