Star Rail, Starting With a Single Acheron Draw

At this very moment, the Spark of Civilization spat out more things. Countless Voidrangers leaped out from within it. This was clearly Afleet's contingency plan. Asta was merely bait, meant to lure Caelus into a false sense of security before releasing the Voidrangers to maximize the element of surprise.

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Chapter 34: Lost and Found

Caelus hadn't noticed the danger approaching him at all. He stared intently at Asta in his arms. Compared to her usual energetic demeanor, her face was now pale, as if she had no breath left. Caelus carefully stroked her cheek, using his finger to test her breathing.

A Voidranger's blade was already upon him. A flash of purple lightning appeared, and Acheron moved between Caelus and Asta. With a single downward slash, she split the Voidranger in two. She hadn't even drawn her katana, using only the saya to deal with the Voidrangers. Her purple silhouette weaved through the battlefield. No Voidranger, regardless of its form, could withstand her single strike. In the blink of an eye, they were all annihilated.

Seeing this, Afleet's fiery body trembled twice before gradually disappearing from its spot. It was merely a clone, and now that it was at its limit, it naturally dissipated.

Caelus held Asta's body, unable to stop himself from thinking about what he would do if something were to happen to her. A tear rolled down his cheek, falling onto Asta's face.

Asta felt groggy, as if her body were on fire. However, the cool sensation on her face brought her back to reality. She opened her eyes, and as her vision cleared, she saw Caelus holding her and crying. At first, she was confused, but she quickly understood that he had saved her.

"Hey, why are you crying?"

Asta raised her hand and gently touched Caelus's cheek. Seeing Asta awake, he immediately and joyfully pressed his hand against hers, holding her palm firmly against his face.

"Asta, are you okay? Thank goodness, you're alright."

Seeing Asta awake was like seeing her resurrected. Caelus immediately hugged Asta and stood up, quickly leaving the passage and heading for the Space Station's medical bay.

The Space Station was still somewhat chaotic. However, after Dr. Ratio rescued the other crew members who had been transferred by the Spark of Civilization, the chaos gradually subsided. Screwllum came forward to explain the trouble the Space Station had encountered and what the culprit, Afleet, had done. The genius's prestige was still quite high, and with the testimony of the victims, anyone with reason could tell that Asta had been framed and that it was all Afleet's scheme.

Asta lay on the bed wearing a light green hospital gown, undergoing various examinations. Apart from a slight concussion sustained during the transfer, her body was completely unharmed. Caelus finally felt at ease.

"Look how worried you were. I'm fine, aren't I?"

Asta said with a smile. The accident she experienced was perilous, but after the crisis ended, seeing Caelus fight desperately for her touched her heart. She had always believed that Caelus was serious when he said he liked her, and now Caelus had proven it with his actions – no matter how dangerous the situation, he wouldn't abandon her.

"You're my girlfriend, how could I not be worried? What would I do if something happened to you?"

Caelus said, tightly gripping Asta's hand. Fortunately, this time it was a case of getting her back after losing her; he hadn't lost his cute girlfriend, or he would have truly lost his temper.

"Stop it, I'm not your girlfriend. Besides, you're not short of women around you. If it's not me, there are others, right?"

Asta said, raising her other hand. She hadn't agreed to be Caelus's girlfriend. How old was she now? Not even an adult yet, so how could she be thinking about dating? But she couldn't deny that this incident had deepened the affection between her and Caelus. If they were to date in the future, it would be a natural progression. Besides Caelus, who else could enter her heart like this?

"That won't do. The women I like are like puzzle pieces. If one piece is missing, my heart breaks. Back on the Xianzhou... one piece was already missing."

Caelus shook his head and said. This was the first time Asta had heard someone describe their philandering in such a refined and elegant way. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at Caelus. As for his experiences on the Xianzhou, Asta had actually heard some rumors.

"Don't worry, I won't be harmed. I still have a few life-saving items on me."

Asta raised her right hand and waved it in front of Caelus. There was a purple bracelet on her wrist. Originally, there were two of these bracelets; the other was worn on Caelus's wrist. Caelus also raised his hand and showed off the blue bracelet, his mood relaxing.

Asta was still injured. After comforting her a few times and telling her to lie down and rest, Caelus left the medical bay and stood in the corridor outside, leaning against the wall in silence.

"Acheron, I want Afleet dead."

Caelus said to Acheron beside him. His golden eyes were completely devoid of warmth, replaced by evident killing intent. Even when facing the Lord of Destruction on the Xianzhou, he had never wanted to kill someone this much. Afleet's actions had crossed a line; by targeting his woman, Caelus could not possibly let it continue living.

"Okay."

Acheron responded simply and directly to Caelus, which caused his expressed killing intent to halt. He scratched his head in confusion.

"Uh, I don't know where Afleet is."

Caelus felt a bit awkward. Although he had made the harsh declaration, he couldn't find the target. Now they had to go to Penacony, and it seemed there was no time for revenge.

"I know," Acheron said.

"You know!?"

Caelus was so startled by Acheron that he almost jumped. He looked at his girlfriend with a doubtful gaze. She, who didn't even know where Penacony was and could get lost walking down a corridor, knew where Afleet was?

"Remember the invitation I mentioned? Afleet has the invitation I want. I've had my eye on it for a long time."

Acheron explained. Caelus's expression shifted to one of understanding, but then it became strange. Could this coincidence be too much? Afleet, who came to cause trouble at the Space Station, was actually Acheron's target. That meant it was already as good as dead.

"But you can't even recognize the way. How will you get to the Eternal Fire Manor where Afleet is?"

Caelus voiced his concern. He was afraid that if he followed Acheron to find Afleet, they might not even find it before it self-immolated. It wasn't that he had any objections to Acheron; it was just that all of this woman's flaws were concentrated in her getting lost. Everywhere else, she was very reliable.

"We'll just walk there."

Acheron said, placing her right hand on the hilt of her personal katana. She then drew the long sword and made a thrusting motion. Its tip was slender, and it seemed to pierce into space itself. The space, under the blade's cutting edge, gradually opened like a curtain. Caelus peeked inside and saw a black and white space, with what looked like a bottomless black pool beneath his feet. Acheron stepped in first, and Caelus followed closely behind.

"No wonder you could come to the Space Station. So that's how it works."

Caelus's expression showed understanding. The reason he met Acheron on the day he was born was probably because she was wandering around in this spatial rift and happened to emerge near the Space Station for some air, thus creating that wonderful destiny.

Chapter 35: Acheron EEE

"From now on, I can find Afleet by following my senses,"

Acheron said something that made Caelus very uneasy. However, since they were already here, he decided to trust Acheron's intuition and followed her, stepping into the black water beneath their feet, moving forward step by step.

After an unknown amount of time walking, the darkness ahead seemed endless. Anyone else walking in such a place would likely lose their sanity. Caelus glanced at Acheron, thinking that she always walked alone in places like this, and felt a pang of sadness.

"If only I had met you sooner, Mei."

Caelus thought that if he had been by Acheron's side earlier, she wouldn't have been so lonely. This woman's experiences were mysterious, but she must have had a family in the past. Now, he could only be her family.

Acheron glanced at Caelus, saying nothing, but she tightened her grip on his hand slightly. Mei was a term of endearment used between them in private. Caelus wouldn't call her that in front of others. Occasionally, someone using her real name felt like a warm sensation to her.

A moment later, Acheron felt it was about time. She used the tip of her sword to open a spatial rift. Caelus and Acheron descended from the sky. Below them was a manor engulfed in flames. The two controlled their posture and landed on the ground. This was the entrance to the manor. The main gate was tightly shut. Acheron didn't knock; instead, she stepped forward, raised her leg, and delivered a direct kick. With a loud bang, the manor's gate burst inward, carrying a large amount of flames with it.

Within the burning manor, flames on the ground formed twisted fire demons that rose to their feet. These were Afleet's subordinates and members of the Fire Demon clan. Upon seeing the intruders, they growled and charged, determined to kill Acheron and Caelus here.

Caelus had already drawn his lance and thrust it into the ground. He then channeled fire-attribute power to create a protective layer around Acheron. Although he felt Acheron probably didn't need it, he worried about her clothes catching fire.

Acheron had transformed into a white shadow. The sound of her slashes could be heard all around, but she herself was invisible. Only residual red petals were left in her wake. As the energy petals fell, they dissipated, taking with them the lives of countless fire demons.

Caelus blinked twice, and by then, Acheron was already standing in the empty manor. Her sheath was at her lower back, and she was slowly sheathing the katana she had partially drawn.

"Let's go."

Acheron pulled a bag of green-packaged snacks from her sleeve, ate a few candies, and then continued deeper into the manor. She knew Afleet was here, along with several powerful beings, likely its close associates.

After entering a new doorway, Acheron arrived at a hall of flames. At the far end of the hall were steps that formed a raised platform. On the platform sat a throne, upon which the Great Duke of Eternal Fire, Afleet, was seated. Four different figures stood beside it.

On the far left stood a man in sunglasses, holding a cello. To the right of the man in sunglasses was a purple fire demon with a scythe floating behind it. It lacked its own form but had a puppet girl acting on its behalf. Further to the right was a red-haired woman holding an iron chain. The chain in her hand was thick, with a curvaceous metal ball at the end, clearly a weapon for combat.

The woman on the far right was the most beautiful and possessed the most elegant aura. Her long black hair cascaded down, and she wore a pure white dress. A large, wide-brimmed hat sat on her head, and from either side of her head grew devilish horns that curved inward. Behind her was a slender tail with a spade at the end, which was gently swaying.

"I didn't expect guests to arrive before we set off for Penacony."

Bright flames burned in Afleet's eye sockets. Caelus looked at it without speaking. The feud had begun. This visit would end with either Afleet's death or his and Acheron's. There was no other outcome. He couldn't let a villain who constantly plotted to attack the Space Station live, as Asta would be in danger.

"Akash, Dubla, Katrina, Constance, give these two guests a proper welcome."

Afleet wasted no words, calling out its four subordinates from right to left to engage the enemy. At this point, fighting was the only course of action. Survival was a prerequisite for dialogue.

"Yes, Father!"

The four responded in unison. Caelus was surprised that this fire demon had adopted children. Apart from Dubla, who appeared to be a fire demon itself, the other three lacked any fire demon characteristics and seemed more like other types of demons.

Acheron walked forward alone, while Afleet's four children lunged at her with their unique abilities. However, Acheron's figure merely flickered in place, like an old-fashioned slide projector. When her flickering stopped, all four of them had fallen to the ground.

The cello in Akash's hands split into two. The puppet controlled by Dubla shattered into countless pieces. The iron ball and chain in Katrina's hand had completely turned to fragments. Constance's hat cracked, and a piece of her hair was missing, revealing the devilish horns hidden within.

A hand grabbed Acheron's boot. She looked down to see Akash, the cello player, still clinging to life. He held onto Acheron tightly, as if with all his remaining strength.

"Father, quickly... go."

Akash had only enough strength left to utter this one sentence. It wasn't that his vitality was extraordinary, but rather that Acheron had held back, not killing the four directly. Otherwise, no one could have survived her blade.

"Afleet, hand over the music box, and I'll spare their lives."

Acheron ignored the four figures at her feet. She raised her sheath and pointed it at Afleet on the throne, stating her purpose directly: to retrieve the invitation and the accompanying music box, which served as a token for hotel guests.

"If you want it, come and take it yourself. You understand the rules."

Afleet's tone was calm, showing no fear despite its children being in dire straits. It was a villain, after all, and always took what it wanted by force. These rules were simply survival of the fittest.

Afleet rose from the throne, holding a scepter and radiating flames. As it raised the scepter, a sun-like ball of fire appeared in the sky. This powerful attack wasn't aimed at winning the battle but at leveling the entire area, including its own children.

From a human perspective, Caelus found Afleet's actions difficult to comprehend. Its children had just risked their lives to protect it, and now it had turned on them, disregarding their fate. This was the strangeness of the galaxy. What humans valued might be worthless to other races, and mutual understanding was impossible.

Facing such an attack, Acheron remained calm. She bent down, placing her hand on her sword hilt, and assumed a standard drawing stance. The next moment, a flash of red lightning streaked across, and the fireball above Afleet's head exploded. Afleet's limbs were severed from its body, and its torso was sent flying, landing beside its throne. Without its limbs, it could only lean against the throne, its flame-burning pupils fixed on Acheron.

"The music box."

Acheron repeated her demand to Afleet. In her eyes, Afleet was never an enemy that required special handling. While calling it a roadside nuisance might be an exaggeration, it was true that it couldn't defeat her in her normal state.

"...It seems the outcome was already decided."

Afleet's tone remained unchanged. Caelus could at least tell that this was an enemy that wasn't afraid of death. At least that was something to be respected. It intended to destroy the Space Station, so it had to face the consequences. It was certainly better than begging for mercy.

"You and they are still alive."

Acheron spoke, her meaning clear: she was telling Afleet not to fight to the death. It still had companions here, and there was no need to cling to the music box.

"The blood path of Destruction never tolerates hesitation."

Afleet stated resolutely. Even though Acheron's tone wasn't aggressive, and even carried a hint of persuasion, it was still prepared to fight to the death.

"The Fire Demons of Tofet... even if you offer your life to that Aeon, you will not earn Its favor."

Acheron looked at Afleet with a calm expression. In a way, she understood creatures like it. They were single-minded, willing to give up anything except loyalty to Destruction. While humans might see this as obsession, fire demons did not.

"As a Wanderer, treading the narrow Path of the Hunt, you naturally cannot understand."

"We come from fire, we are born in fire, we spread, burn, and destroy, until the firewood is consumed, leaving only ashes."

"Burning is the life of a fire demon, the beginning and the end. We are born to die, merely a facet of embodying the universe's truth. All things are born for destruction."

Afleet spoke its life philosophy. Caelus seemed to understand. Fire demons were born for destruction. If there was something to burn, they would burn it. If there was nothing, they would self-destruct. In any case, they could not escape the embrace of Destruction. This perfectly aligned with the Path of Destruction, which was why they fervently pursued their benefactor. It wasn't as simple as being a sycophant, as he had initially thought.

"Your companions don't seem to think so. They've bought you a chance to live."

Acheron continued Afleet's words, implying that even though Afleet wanted to die, its children wanted it to live. Otherwise, they wouldn't have held onto Acheron, urging Afleet to flee.

"They are my children, like I once was, unignited embers. They are still young, and I will not blame them."

"But my flames have grown hoarse, and time is running out. Do you see the Festival Star in the distance? I will bring purgatory there! So before that, I must overcome you."

Afleet gradually rose from the ground. It didn't have a fixed form to begin with, and the fiery limbs it now grew were even more massive, gathering all the energy of its remaining life.

Caelus's expression was slightly odd. He wanted to record this scene for his elder brother, Sunday, to see. The Family had sent an invitation to Afleet here, yet it intended to go and create purgatory. Whether it would succeed was another matter, but inviting such a terrorist raised serious questions about the festival. It was at this moment that Caelus began to distrust the so-called Harmony Family.

"Why?" Acheron asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"Because on the Path they forged, you have walked further than I... Envoy."

Afleet's calm reply silenced Acheron. Caelus hadn't expected Afleet to so accurately pinpoint Acheron's true strength. Few knew that Acheron's Path was The Nihility. Caelus wondered if Afleet knew her Path, or if he simply recognized her strength as being on par with an Envoy.

"You cannot hide your identity. Draw that blade. We will indeed remain here, destined for a final battle, because I choose it."

"Destruction is a magnificent instant. If one clings basely to survival... this life becomes far too long."

"Even if the answer... is your own destruction?" Acheron said.

"The answer is not important. What's important is that it exists, just as you exist. All exists to be destroyed, and Envoys are no different."

In his final moments, Afleet spoke of philosophy with Acheron, a topic she couldn't engage with. She wasn't a philosopher. It was true that everything in this world had a lifespan, and when that lifespan ended, destruction naturally followed. It could be physical or spiritual; nothing was eternal, not even the Aeons.

"You will witness the most brilliant and violent fire in this world. May this burning illuminate your bottomless dreams."

As Afleet spoke, his body began to erupt in flames. Fire surged from within him like a fountain, the intense heat transforming the surroundings into a molten inferno.

"Very well, I accept. In return, I will be honest with you."

Acheron nodded, accepting Afleet's final challenge. She didn't draw her blade but instead unleashed the power of Nihility, forming cross-shaped black holes around Afleet. All the flames Afleet emitted were drawn into them, annihilating into nothingness.

"The Hunt is not the Path I walk."

This was the last sentence Afleet heard from Acheron. Afterward, his flames vanished, and his body gradually dissipated into nothingness. Yet, in his final moments, he embraced destruction, remaining true to himself until the very end. Though Caelus wanted him dead, he respected such an opponent and offered no insults.

Chapter 37: Raising a Little Rich Girl

An invitation and a music box landed in Acheron's hand. With the items secured and Afleet dead, she looked at Caelus, asking him what to do next.

Caelus glanced at the four fallen figures on the ground. With Afleet gone, it was their turn. Caelus drew his spear and approached Akash. With a swift strike, his sharp spear pierced the white-haired man's skull. The man twitched a couple of times before his body went still.

Caelus showed no mercy to the other three. Dubla, Katrina, and Constance. All three appeared to be women, with Constance being particularly beautiful. Nevertheless, Caelus pierced her heart with his spear. Blood pooled on the ground, only to be vaporized by the intense heat.

After physically dispatching the four, Caelus wasn't finished. He began to gather the Stellaron energy within him. A phantom image of a Stellaron slowly materialized in mid-air. Once it grew to the size of a basketball, Caelus threw it out before grabbing Acheron's hand and entering the spatial rift she had opened.

The moment the spatial rift closed, a powerful explosion spread outwards. The entire Eternal Fire Manor collapsed, burying all its wickedness within. The Grand Duke of Hellfire and the Annihilation Gang were henceforth erased from the galaxy.