Opening the train door, Shu stepped down onto the ground, one step at a time.
A crowd of Homus gathered around the train, watching the "tall" Shu approach them.
Shu didn't speak, nor did the Homus. The three watching the situation unfold from the train windows also remained silent.
Several Homus exchanged glances, and then a yellow Homu stepped forward. Shu recognized it instantly as the one that had been perched on top of the others earlier.
It was the only yellow Homu among them.
Its short legs made soft paji paji sounds as it toddled up to Shu and tilted its head back.
"Homu homu? (Human, are you visiting the Great Homu Kingdom?)" the Homu spoke, though Shu couldn't see its stitched-on grinning mouth move at all.
How does cotton talk? And how can I understand it?
Can Honkai energy explain everything?
Shu's thoughts were slightly jumbled, and he didn't answer immediately, leaving the Homu representative unsure of what to say next.
"Homu? (Can this human not hear?)" other Homus behind it began whispering among themselves.
"Homu homu! (He doesn't even have ears on the top of his head! How could he possibly hear without ears!)" another Homu immediately replied with an "I understand" tone.
Shu instinctively wanted to touch the top of his own head, then quickly shook off the impulse.
"Sorry, I was thinking. Is this... the Great Homu Kingdom?" Shu paused before finally uttering the name.
Watching the movie the night before yesterday hadn't felt weird, but saying it out loud now... a strange sense of embarrassment washed over him.
Fortunately, he managed to say it correctly.
Seeing Shu respond, the Homu representative bounced up excitedly.
"Homu homu! (Yes! This is the Great Homu Kingdom! Welcome, long-awaited guest!!)" the Homu exclaimed, swaying side to side in front of Shu.
Shu blinked. He hadn't said he was a guest, had he?
But the Homus' enthusiasm was already overwhelming. A swarm of them rushed towards Shu, and even after taking three steps back, he couldn't avoid being surrounded.
"Homu! (Welcome, guest!)"
"Homu mu! (Guest, is this long train your luggage?)"
"Homu! (Guest, do you need a place to stay? I can give you my room!)"
"Wait...!" Shu raised his hands helplessly, watching the Homus, none taller than his knees, bounce around him, shouting various welcomes.
For a split second, he almost lashed out at the encroaching crowd!
But facing these plush toys, who probably couldn't even hit his knees if they jumped, soft bodies stuffed with cotton, he managed to control his stress response and looked towards the others on the train instead.
At least these Homus weren't dangerous.
Help me, help me...
Kiana Kaslana caught Shu's desperate glance. Her intuition screamed that Shu needed help right now!
However, before she could charge off the train, another figure shot out of the door even faster.
Kiana jumped, startled, and quickly looked back, only to see Raiden Mei standing there with the same bewildered expression as her.
"Kiana, did you see..." Mei asked hesitantly.
Kiana shook her head blankly. Suddenly, they both realized who the figure that rushed out was.
Bronya Zaychik!
They quickly returned to the window, just in time to see Bronya sprinting towards the pleading Shu and employing a classic Bronya-style rescue method.
Her aim was just a tiny bit off... intentionally.
Paji!!
Even though the yellow Homu had already sensed some great terror approaching, Bronya was simply too fast. She accurately snatched it from amidst the crowd of Homus.
"Homu! (Aaah! I'm being attacked!!)" the yellow Homu let out a piercing shriek as Bronya hugged it tightly, both tumbling to the ground together.
A large bead of sweat dotted the Homu's face. Its short arms pushed against Bronya's face, trying to stop her from getting closer.
"Homu! (Human! Help me!! Everyone, come save me!!)" the captured Homu cried for help while struggling desperately against Bronya.
It had to be said, Bronya's rescue was successful. Now Bronya was the one surrounded. Shu seized the opportunity and quickly backed out of the Homu mob.
Kiana and Mei had also hurried off the train by now, joining Shu's side.
The three stared silently at Bronya, who lay on the ground hugging the struggling Homu.
It seemed... this was the first time they had seen Bronya like this. Did Homu really hold such a powerful allure for her?
"Should we... pull her off?" Mei asked hesitantly, watching Bronya finally manage to nuzzle the Homu. "That Homu seems quite resistant..."
"But Bronya looks so happy!" Kiana pointed out, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Alright... I'll go get her. Now's not the time for this..." Shu sighed, mentally preparing himself.
Venturing back into the Homu throng, Shu bent down, grabbed Bronya, gave her a little shake, and dislodged the Homu from her grasp.
The freed Homu scrambled away on all fours, hiding behind the rest of the crowd.
Though its mouth was still fixed in that grin, the downturned corners of its embroidered eyebrows clearly showed it was genuinely scared.
Shu glanced at Bronya, whom he was still holding. Away from the Homu, Bronya instantly reverted to her emotionless expression, dangling obediently in Shu's grip.
"Homu! (Human travelers, please follow us!)" Another Homu quickly stepped up as spokesperson, approached the group, and gave them a gentlemanly bow.
Shu looked back at the others, then nodded at the Homu.
"Okay, please lead the way," Shu said.
This anomaly warranted investigation. The appearance of these Homus felt wrong in every way.
As for whether they had truly stumbled into the Great Homu Kingdom? That was the first possibility he'd ruled out. The distinct Honkai energy radiating from these Homus clearly indicated this was likely the domain of a Herrscher.
If they were further away, he might have chosen to bypass it entirely. But now, the Herrscher's domain overlapped with the railway's path. To ensure the successful reopening of this track, which would soon reconnect the world, Shu felt it necessary to investigate.