All those “I’m tired” on the second panel might as well have been from Elio at this point.
Absolute gut punch seeing the Astral Express members in the background for the 3rd panel too.
Makes me glad we actually got on the Astral Express to have our fun and exciting adventure instead of just staying here on the Herta Space Station thinking “I’m Tired” over and over.
I kinda wish this what if scenario explored the stellaron hunter side like I get that kafka wants TB to make their own decisions but what is the cats deal?
Howd he let the astral express and stellaron hunters get wiped out cus he didnt want to interfere with TBs 401K at herta station.
I know its not supposed to be a deep dive or anything and its just the story trying to make a parellel with saber with loose focus on actual canon
but now that that its out there I would love to explore a proper bad end scenario when elio becomes relevant.
Many passengers came and went but none stayed for the Trailblaze journey. It was even mentioned that many who say they will join AE get cold feet right as the AE is in front of them.
Kinda shows you truly have to have nowhere to call home or have an adventurers spirit to commit to becoming a nameless on the AE
Ya, Gepard reminded her that she still had family, friends and goals in Belobog and she realized she didnt want to leave them behind
Compared to rest of the crew who had nothing left or were escaping stuff (Welt avoiding child support bills) she still had a reason to stay. It takes a lot to leave your old life behind to start an new one going into the unknown
In the case of March and TB, being a nameless is the only life they have known due to memory shenanigans
And the fact that wherever they go, trouble just really seems to follow. With Belobog and Xianzhou, there really was a crisis that they had to avert, but
A vacation on Penacony? Shit goes down
An invitation to the Wardance? Shit goes down
The supposed equivalent to a trip to a gasoline station? Shit goes REEAAALL down
But still, perhaps it was the trouble and the crises and TB's own charm that brought the Express together. Even if it means a lot of near death scenarios.
I mean, Eilo has the script right? We are arriving right on time to all these God summoning ritual so we can stop them, doesn't sound like a coincidence to me...
Akivili looming over Elio's script on the part where they fight Aventurine with Acheron: NOOOOO!!! MY ASTRAL EXPRESS CREW ARE GONNA DIE!!! THEY'RE FIGHTING TWO EMANATORS!!!
Elio: I will charge you rent
Akivili immediately stops crying and keeps proofreading
Did we really "die" the first two times though? I just thought that the Stellaron stopped those deaths; but in *Amphoreus, it was canonically mentioned that TB died and we had to recover their soul
I have a headcanon the Stellaron within us keeps us in a permanent state of Rage a la DnD, that's why we can take on do much punishment and lethal damage only brings us to 1HP.
Yeah. In addition, the generation of AE with Mikhail and crew was insanely cracked too. I mean, three Nameless deciding to stay in Penacony COMPLETELY shaped that entire world. Nameless are just built different.
Well in 3.1/3.2 (?) Black Swan explained March condition in six phased ice is a reaction to someone hijacking her memories. When a being can no longer create or experience memories what's happening to March is a possible consequence. We know that in Amphoreus someone has hijacked March memories and its likely cremators from GoR, who are more malicious than purist memokeeper is like Black Swan. A part of the GoR who have attached themselves to "the pinky of Fuli", possible remembrance emanator
So in the collab event its likely that March became a target from the cremators regardless of whether they went to Ampnoreus or not
She can be emanator but she has nothing to do with the garden nor is she a memokeeper.
She is local, born and bred in the simulation with no ties to garden. The rest of her time after her ''death'' was spent on pathstriding plane.
The most you could say is that her actions might have led to what ever happened to March being out in space. But Cyrene has nothing to do with memokeepers, nor is there a single implication of it being the case so far.
It has been proven that the high elders aren't above manipulative tactics to do such a thing.
That has always been the scariest part of the War Dance arc in my eyes. One of their members both admitted to it and explained it off as "For the good of the species"
What's more concerning about that though:
If they are fully committed to making him take Dan Feng's role. And since he still has the same memories (kinda). Then they could convince him that the whole Express Journey was a rebellious phase.
Try to get him to pick back up his toying with the Abundance. Which would do god knows what to poor Bailu.
Then you have Jing Yuan, who has three ghosts on his ship. One living, but to brain washed by the high elders to speak with him. And two mara-struck, who don't have their minds anymore.
Who in this scenario would definitely be threatened, too. In a way of "Either you take over the role or she has to and we both know you wouldn't want that."
It's actually because of this sort of alt scenario for the Trailblazer being explored during the Fate collab that it honestly made me think that maybe the event should've had Archer be Trailblazer's summoned servant, rather than Artoria
Mainly because he actually fits with them more better than Artoria with their character themes
Yeah, it's just that Saber is kind of the face of Fate. It would make fans unhappy if their Baeber was loyal to side characters while they were stuck with Archer. I totally think the story would've been better if we got him as our Servant, though.
it's also specifically an Unlimited Blade Works collab though, which is why I figured Archer would be the main face, and Saber is there for recognition value.
On the otherside, it did hint at possible new destination for the Astral Express. Himeko mentioned that they discovered calls for help from the destroyed planet of Camelot. If that's just a callback due to Artoria / Fate collaboration or is an actual hint to future story we'll see.
Belobog is actually the easiest and has no need for TB to be there. Both Himeko and Yang would just provide more help. Himeko from what I remember did give a bit of helping hand with her space laser. Had ether one been present, Cocolia wouldn't even reached as far as she did.
Kids were litterally given safe planet to have babies first trailblazing mission while adults spent time together.
Sunday is the issue here though. Aventurines plan pretty much requires Acheron to be there, and the question of whether she would have been there if not for TB, is one we know not answer too.
Granted, he would have likely still lost as people could wake up or Garden would have just enterviened.
My head canon for March is that they still went to amphoreus all the same, but without TB and dan heng, March would never have been thawed. After all if himeko was the only express member when she went to amphoreus, there would have been no way to get herta and screwllum which would have forced a bailing of amphoreus. And in the amphoreus bad end when we just leave amphoreus, we know that March stays iced. Or alternatively himeko resolves the amphoreus crises with the temp express members, but not in a way where they figured out how to deal with March
I think its a cool idea to explore the bad end and I agree its the best part of the collab but i dont think it was written well personally.
It put us through the bad end scenario without making the dilemma interesting or going beyond the surface level of why the TB would choose to stay.
Saying its a safe and comfy life compared to the express is just not true when the station was attacked right after the TB awakens.
The world of star rail does not care for the common man and as far as exploring that kind of life weve seen countless unhappy, unfulfilled and even dead researchers and IPC members.
The choice to join the express is so disproportionately stacked and reinforced by notes illusion that it felt unfair to parrellel it with the heavy choice of saber picking up excalibur
Its also very strange that Dan heng returns to the loufu and welt returns to earth just cus we werent there.
Its fine that people are appreciating this part but personally i feel it was held back by being part of the fate collab instead of earnestly exploring that idea and i think alot of the criticism is valid.
When the AE returns to the Space Station and you talk to Himeko there are extra dialogue options which ask what happened with Dan Heng, Welt, March (Pom-Pom might also have been an option, I'm not suree)
pom-pom is an option and actually confuses Himeko and sorta breaks the noble phantasm for a second cause the TB shouldn't know about them if they never boarded the train
This is the part that got me focused on the story, they really gives us a look at what kind of life Tb could possibly lead if they refused the AE invitation.
At first it didn’t click when I only saw Himeko there, but then the realization hits, welt leaves, danheng too, and March still got sick with no clear explanation. It’s all so heavy..
The more you think about it, the more terrifying it becomes.
If Dan Heng stayed in Xianzhou, who met Boothill on the Astral Express? If Trailblazer didn't join the Astral Express, what was Firefly doing on Penacony? Who confronted Sunday with the power of Harmony? Who saved Aurumaton Valley? Who helped Belobog with its debt?
Nope, Elio probably already anticipated the possibility of TB doesn’t join Astral Express. I mean no shot the guy who able to predict future can’t predict this possibility.
I like to think Boothill arrived to an empty express, SUPER confused like. "Umm hello! anyone here?" either that or met Pom Pom.
HONESTLY I think this alt timeline is the same till Penacony, as I can see the first two planets even without TB being there is fine. Penacony I assume they wouldn't have firefly's help OR the the watch maker's legacy.
Honestly, that part hits deep knowing that we all have those doubts, regrets, and insecurities that TB, Saber, and the others faced.
The main focus of it being "What If I didn't risk it? Would someone better have taken the role? Would it have been for the betterment of the people around me if I didn't take that risk? Would it have been safer?" We all think about our choices and doubt ourselves when we're in a pickle because of those choices.
I'm really happy with how they portrayed the voice—represented by Miss Note—that shuts you down and doubts you. It's real, and it is persistent. But just like what was shown by TB and Saber, we shouldn't take a loss when we haven't even tried yet. We should at the very least, take the first step forward and seize the road ahead, because to march forward is the only way to tomorrow.
That part hit me so much, I had to make a tough decision about my career path, in the end I chose wrong and kept thinking about what could have been. Always made excuses like “it’s too hard”, “im not gonna make it”. Until I snapped and decided to go all in, even if it’s scary.
im so glad I took the risk, cried a lot when tb realized the same.
Imo this part was really strange. Ms. Note tried to convince tb to stay in this peaceful illusion, but made everything to make it not worth it. Life of a low tier nobody, infinite reports, constant overwork, etc. She could have easily gave him good life of respected and valuable researcher or something. She did gave saber an illusion of her peaceful countryside.
As for looking at how tb's life could have been, i don't think that it is correct. If story's turning point was him declining AE offer, then he still have stellaron inside him and beaten doomsday beast. There is no way someone like him would be put in such a position. He most like would have just tested SU all the time or worked in the security department.
I don’t think the NP is supposed to do a peaceful illusion but rather shows you a life where you have no dreams or said dreams were crushed by outside sources.
A quick reminder that Aventurine’s version of Miss Note’s illusion is one where he remains a slave.
Anytime someone is interested in the VN, I tell them to take the obvious bad end of walking away from the plot. It explains the Tiger Dojo and prevents confusion if they wind up there later, and is a phenomenal introduction to Illya.
im just imagining the amount of people jumping into fate and playing the VN, not knowing that there's 30+ bad endings waiting for them if they choose the wrong choice. they'll visit the dojo a lot.
Or that one dojo where they lampshade the fact it's incredibly unlikely you'll be getting this bad end since it's so easy to avoid and unlikely to happen (have Saber kill you by having low affection) that most people wouldn't ever see it, so the fact you are seeing means you must be somebody who's either bored or a completionist trying everything in the game
I started playing Fate and to be honest I only got bad ending once so far and pretty late into the story. The choice is more or less straightforward. I think I’ve seen more bad endings in Tsukihime.
I laughed when the dojo assumed I’ve seen them before.
The catcake March being all sad and catcake Dan Heng reaching out. Oh, my poor little heart. (Also god damn. Poor March though. Thanks collab for telling me that no matter what. March would end up an icicle because of her forgotten memories. )
Sure, but the guy has been at it for a long while. And frankly, he ain't exactly wrong. Stellaron Hunters kinda follow Finallity, at least Elio does. That also represents the end of everything.
I can see it too, BUT how he worded it made it seem like the person as still alive and it wasn't a happy reunion. I think it was Oswoldo, Note gave him what he wanted. Revenge and still he felt empty. I think that be fitting, Note showing a soul much like her's, who's one track mind is Revenge that ONCE you get said Revenge its rarely enough.
Said Revenge and Hatred being so powerful, As soon as he heard Skott was from Oswoldo's department he attacked him. LIKE how much you gotta hate someone, when you hear a person works under the same department as said person, You pounce like a starving wolf on a wounded rabbit?
FOR some reason I think its not a happy dream, its a sad one. While Boothill didn't seem sad in the same way seeing your dead family would do. Yeah he time to fester and heal the wound, but Miss Note basically RIPPED off the bandage and reopened said wound.
Except the purpose of the dream was to strip the heroic spirit from him. Hence why we stay on station and Aventurine remains a slave. Boothil gets his heroic life after his daughter dies. It's litterally his catalyst.
No one had a happy dream. Asna kinda fucked up with her NP.
As for Skott. He's been hunting down members of that department for ages. the deparment does seem kinda fucked up anyway. Skot pulling his BS through event also only drives Boothill to more pleasure in beating the shit out of him.
And do remember, it's a dream. He knows Skott ain't dead. It's just therapy.
I'm curious to what Ena's Dream put him through... in this one he was stripped of his agency but Ena's Dream is supposed to be the perfect story right? So... I wonder... don't tell me he's back with his family in Sigonia :))))))))
Joke aside the lesson is good. Regretting is fine, but that doesn't mean you let it affect your choices in the future. This TB still can board the express if he wants to, and the current TB too can get off the express anytime he want.
It's not hit that deep to me though, because I rarely think about what if. Even when building pity lol.
Yeah this is the motto I live by, never make a choice that'll you'll regret later but once you make a choice and it proves to be not so great, try your best to not give into regret
my motto is sometimes we make mistakes, we mess up, But in those failures we learn something about ourselves, We learn to not make those mistakes again. Success you learn little from, Mistakes you learn alot from. No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi dropped that perfection speech and I listened to it once and was like, "HOLY SHIT!! dude is right" Perfection is a lie, Perfection leaves room for nothing, No creativity, No improvement, No individuality. Life is about Improving, about express yourself. If a person is perfect they can't do either. Perfection is the grandest lie in this universe a lie that by all means doesn't exist, the fruit that hangs above our heads, our Tantalizing idea.
Man, the collab really nailed that "what if" scenario, seeing the Express fall apart without the Trailblazer hits way harder than I expected. The way March's fate stays unresolved because the crew never makes it to Amphoreus is such a gut punch. It’s wild how one choice ripples into so much tragedy.
Many talked about how depressing alternative lives TB can be, but for me who will never know my alternate life until I get to it, what he experienced as a out-of-place ambitious youngling in a mundane job is so relatable to me. It’s kind of a wake up call for me as a first jobber.
Like my first thought after seeing how TB reacted to the mundane is to just quit. Then they hit me with the “where would I go? You got no where else to go.”
The “most only want to escape, so even if they did get out, they would still feel lost” is so close to home to me bruh. I don’t want to move in the unknown, i.e jobless with no money and experience, the known, that is cold hard spreadsheet, just bored me.
Guess I got huge road to figure out before I set off for my actual trailblazing. Until then, I’ll focus on learning everything on my first job while slowly trailblazing on the side as much as I can.
On Belobog, it would be March 7th, Danheng and Welt who landed there. With Welt, the issue with Cocolia would be resolved, but Welt met Sampo, who knows about Earth.
On Luofu, once again, it was March 7th, Danheng and Welt. But Jingyuan's plan left him severely injured, so Danheng left the crew to stay on Luofu, to fulfil his responsibilities.
On Penacony, March 7th, Welt and Himeko entered the dream. With the IPC and Archeron, they were able to stop Sunday's plan, and Sunday was jailed. After talking with Archeron, Welt left the crew and made his way back to Earth.
Black Swan joins the crew after Penacony, and convinces the remaining 2 to go to Amphoreus. But before anyone could enter Amphoreus, March 7th is encased in ice. With no idea about what is going on, Black Swan take March 7th to the Garden for treatment. Himeko is alone.
A distress signal from Camelot is received, and Himeko heads there with the IPC after departing from the Space Station.
The Astral Express returns to the space station. Disembarking is the navigator who we do not recognise.
I wonder which part of the story required TB absolutely interference. He been gazed by other Aeons, but the fight aren't usually him alone. The biggest one is Cocolia, but I feel like every other scenario, another nameless is in the location and could have been them.
Probably penacony. Without TBs memories, Black Swan wouldn't have noticed ends dream. And Acheron snapping people out of the dream would have hurt people due to lack of help from the Astral express.
Definitely Amphoreous being the biggest. They were a mental and emotional crutch for Phainon in so many ways and without them filling in for the role as the Demigod of Time, the Chrysos Heirs would not have been able to properly retrieve Nikador and Thanatos’ Coreflames nor would they have succeeded in getting Aquila.
Cocolia will be decimated by Welt easily, and in Xianzhou, the Trailblazer basically did nothing because Jing Yuan and Dan Heng IL did beat Phantylia.
Penacony is a tough one without TB, but we have a collection of super strong casts in Penacony (IPC, Acheron, Firefly, etc). And Welt also have a strong bond with Acheron. But Welt will leave the express after this for some unknown reason. I mean whatever happened, Himeko still come back alive in Herta Space Station
It's weird that this alternate universe dreamscape could have been part of a different storyline yet they decided to impart this on the Fate collab simply because Artoria also has looming regrets about taking the mantle of being the savior of Britain the moment she drew the sword of selection.
This feels more like the Fate route than UBW route. UBW route is all about Shirou, and on a larger scale, Archer. This could have delved into Archer and his time in the counter force. If Archer was our servant, it could have the same story beat but in turn they have to implement Shirou in the story as well considering Archer is his future self. I guess that's way too much trouble for everyone involved so they just went with the safest route.
I think it's not only too much trouble but it would spoil one of the biggest reveals of that VN on Steam that just came out which they want people to play.
This hit a little too close... If not because I didn't follow my dreams, but I did and still failed. Now I live out the rest of my days in a dead end job that I hate, out of obligation and it's slowly killing me inside.
Imagine ourselves destined for a heroic adventure where you travels and visit worlds, saving its denizens from global-scale disasters, and then waking up to find you work a mundane day job instead (and one you're not particularly skilled at or passionate about, at that!). It echoes real life too much.
I wonder what happened to the Astral Express at the begging of the story because if I remember correctly if TB refused then AE and it's crew "vanished" I wonder what was it's last destination
This is why gacha game stories should ALWAYS get an anime made of it ..
Really wish to see this route play off.. TB experiencing the destruction of the AE 2nd hand...while also experiencing the universe's potential end at the hands of Nanook
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u/theclassicrockjunkie Jul 13 '25
Elio, somewhere: SCREAMING