Honkai, I'll Transform and Punch You Directly

Chi You Dies

The black hole could no longer devour the remaining half of Black Jilin's body. Seeing that it was about enough, Bai Chen voluntarily stopped feeding power into the black hole.

Black Jilin was slowly dissipating. On the verge of death, she had been abandoned by Honkai and was no longer affected by it.

There was no hatred in her eyes now, only compassion and a trace of dignity. She had become once more the woman from ancient times who had been revered as the Yellow Emperor.

"Thank you, my descendant, for freeing me from this pain."

As Jilin was about to vanish completely, Bai Chen sensed that the power belonging to Lian Shan within his body was reacting as well.

Following his instincts, Bai Chen guided that power out and discovered that it was actually a fragment of Lian Shan's soul.

"You made me search so hard. I spent thousands of years looking for you, and I finally found you. Back then, I found lungwort for you so you could go into the deep sea and fight Chi You. Ever since then, I've been searching for you. I never imagined we would meet again after a thousand years."

Looking at the ill-fated couple before him, who were also among Fu Hua's few friends, Bai Chen felt a trace of regret for them. In the Honkai Impact 3rd game, romantic relationships rarely had happy endings.

Even Old Yang, the safest of them all, had ultimately been forced into the Honkai: Star Rail universe, separated from his wife and child.

"...At last, we can all be together."

A tear actually fell from Jilin's nearly transparent eyes. Fu Hua, Cang Xuan, Danzhu, and Lian Shan gradually appeared in her mind. Now, she could rest easy and go see them.

But Lian Shan could not answer her. He had no consciousness at all right now; those words just now had merely been Lian Shan's obsession from thousands of years ago. If Bai Chen had not drawn that obsession out, Lian Shan would have completely dissipated as well.

Bai Chen sighed and drew Lian Shan's obsession back into his body. He did not know whether there would ever come a day when the guy regained consciousness. His soul was far too fragmented.

"If you want to meet them, you shouldn't be going there."

He drew out a card and aimed it at the spot where Jilin was dissipating. A fierce gust sucked her in, and before long, a long-robed Jilin appeared on the card.

The card was intact. It seemed that while Chi You had influenced her, it had also protected her.

Just as Bai Chen was considering whether to separate Jilin out now, a warm hand suddenly gripped his arm.

Bai Chen looked over in surprise at Fu Hua, dressed as Phoenix. Fu Hua wore a stern expression as she shook her head at him.

"Not now. Until you are completely certain, I will not let you separate souls again."

After spending so much time with Bai Chen, Fu Hua naturally could not bear to watch him do something tantamount to self-harm. Especially since these people were connected to Bai Chen and herself, even though Fu Hua did not remember them.

"I'm sure."

Bai Chen stubbornly insisted. At any rate, he definitely had more experience than last time.

"I mean absolutely sure."

Fu Hua frowned and gripped him even tighter.

"Bai Chen, listen to Fu Hua. Your soul hasn't fully healed yet. No one knows what might happen during this separation."

Kallen also stopped him from within Bai Chen's body. If not for her lack of a physical form and the restrictions on her authority, she would have stopped Bai Chen long ago.

"Uh, fine. It's not like there's any rush."

Since even Kallen, who had always supported him, was saying this, Bai Chen had no choice but to abandon the idea. For now, he should deal with Chi You first.

Although destroying Chi You's heart would kill it, Bai Chen did not want to destroy only its heart!

The material source of Eden's Star was the Ninth Herrscher, which had once destroyed an entire continent without leaving anything behind.

That meant Eden's Star could actually do something similar, without causing irreparable damage to Eden's Star itself as a weapon.

But with Bai Chen's weapon summoning, did he need to worry about that at all?

"Eden's Star, release the terror of the stars at full power!"

After leaving behind that cringeworthy line, Bai Chen teleported away.

Nonsense—if he did not hurry up and leave, was he supposed to stay and be buried alongside Chi You?

Over on the Hyperion, Theresa, her eyes bloodshot, commanded the fleet as it unleashed intense fire on the advancing Chi You.

"Keep firing at full power! We must stop it before it reaches the continent! Damn it, it actually took Bai Chen..."

Believing that Bai Chen had sacrificed himself, Theresa seemed determined to vent all her anger on Chi You.

Besides Theresa's fleet, other Schicksal fleets were also attacking Chi You, but their attacks had little visible effect against the enormous beast.

"Damn it, wouldn't it have been easiest with an S-rank Valkyrie leading the team?! That S-rank Valkyrie is unconscious now, and Xiao Bai was swallowed by it! Are Mei and the others all right?!"

Unable to decide whom to blame, Kiana could only glare furiously at Chi You, wishing she could tear it to pieces.

Back then, Xiao Bai and the others had used that spatial ability. If she had possessed that power too, could she have brought Xiao Bai out? If only she had it too...

"Of course you do. And yours is stronger than that counterfeit's."

In the midst of her grief, Kiana suddenly heard a woman's voice, yet she could not tell where it came from. Was she hallucinating?

Kiana wiped away her tears and looked around. Everyone was still busy with their own tasks, while Mei and Bronya silently watched the battlefield. It was as though what she had heard had only been an illusion.

"Damn it! That thing's hide is as tough as a turtle shell. Doesn't it have any weaknesses or something?!"

Theresa, beside herself with rage, crushed the railing in front of her until it deformed. If they knew the thing's weakness, they would not have to waste their firepower for nothing.

They could not exactly use the main cannon to test every part of it one by one, could they?

"Has the analysis of Chi You's detailed information been completed?"

Seeing Theresa's urgency, Himeko urged him as well. Bai Chen's sacrifice pained her too, but they were on the battlefield now. As captain, she had to avoid letting emotions take over... If they wanted to mourn him, they could wait until they got home!

"No... Wait! Chi You is undergoing an unexpectedly drastic change!"

The staff member analyzing the data was the first to notice Chi You's transformation. Startled by the development, he let out a strange cry.

"!?"

Thinking Chi You was about to grow stronger again, everyone hurriedly focused their gaze on it—then witnessed a shocking scene.

The space around Chi You seemed to warp and collapse toward its center. Seawater, rubble, air... Everything around Chi You, including Chi You itself, appeared to be forcibly torn and pulled toward a single point by an invisible force.

"Roar!!!"

Chi You could only let out a helpless wail. Its massive body, unharmed even after enduring the fleet's bombardment, now seemed incomparably fragile before this overwhelming power.

In almost an instant, Chi You vanished without a trace, leaving behind only the speechless crowd and the churning waves.

Aftermath

"Chi You disappeared!"

The instant Chi You vanished, a semicircular hollow was gouged out of the surrounding sea. Once the force field disappeared, the seawater seemed to finally react and began rushing back in.

Everyone who had been concentrating their fire on Chi You stared blankly at the miracle before them. Yes, a miracle! Such a sight was not something humans could accomplish.

"The Sovereign? I've never seen the Sovereign use such a powerful imitation black hole."

The Anti-Entropy members who had not yet evacuated speculated among themselves. Only their Sovereign could possibly cause such devastation.

Einstein, who was also watching the battlefield, initially thought Welt had acted, but she quickly dismissed the idea herself.

She knew Welt's physical condition well. The injuries from the Second Eruption had yet to heal, and Eden's Star was damaged as well. In his current state, Welt absolutely could not wield power on this level.

Then could it have been that kid from Welt's side? What a freak. Even Welt, the Herrscher of Reason, could not perfectly reproduce a Divine Key.

"Chi You is gone, but Bai Chen sacrificed himself..."

The people aboard the Hyperion sank into heavy grief. When they returned, they did not know whether Yuno would be able to accept this reality.

"Xiao Bai, you're so strong. Don't you have all those incredible transformations? How could you die?"

Kiana clenched her fists as images of Bai Chen's various forms flashed through her mind. Those powers from the future... If only I had them now.

"? I'm dead?"

Bai Chen, still wearing the Skyward Ranger's appearance, suddenly appeared in the hall. After using Eden's Star, he had continuously used Phase Shift to keep from getting caught in the black hole he had created.

Good thing I was fast enough, or I really would have gotten myself killed.

"Bai Chen, that was far too reckless."

Kallen, still inside Bai Chen, was shaken by the close call. They had nearly been caught by the gravitational pull just now!

"Hahaha! I'll definitely be more careful next time."

After apologizing sheepishly to her in his mind, Bai Chen looked toward the dazed crowd. Their expressions seemed a little off?

"By the way, who was it that said I was dead just now?"

Amid a burst of afterimages, Bai Chen canceled his transformation and greeted everyone in a joking tone.

"Xiao Bai!!!"

Just as Bai Chen thought everyone was about to rush over and hug him, Kiana charged in and planted a kick squarely on his face!

"Pfft!"

Bai Chen flew through the air in a graceful arc before crashing to the floor.

"What was that for? Ow."

His head spinning from the kick, Bai Chen rubbed his nose and climbed to his feet. He had barely arrived and already gotten kicked.

"You're too much! Why did you teleport all of us away at the start? Did you think we were just getting in your way?!"

Furious, Kiana grabbed Bai Chen by the collar and lifted him up. After Bai Chen was swallowed by Chi You, she had tried using the communication channel she had exchanged with him earlier, but she could not contact him at all.

For over an hour, they had been unable to reach Bai Chen. Naturally, everyone believed he was dead, because under normal circumstances, being eaten meant death.

"If you were going to run, why didn't you run with us?! If you were going to face it, why didn't you face it with us?!"

Kiana's hands trembled as she gripped Bai Chen. She had not yet recovered from the terror of losing her companion.

"Bai Chen! We're Valkyries! Don't underestimate us!"

Tears shimmered in Kiana's eyes as she stared at Bai Chen, her gaze still carrying lingering fear.

Kiana's words and eyes struck Bai Chen deeply. He looked at the others around him. Their faces still held traces of grief, and even the usually expressionless Bronya was surrounded by a low-pressure aura.

Had he unknowingly become an important member of their group?

For all this time, because he was a transmigrator, Bai Chen had never truly integrated himself into this world. He had only wanted to find a way home, especially after discovering the Dimensional Wall's abilities.

He had always treated himself as an outsider, simply doing whatever he wanted.

But at this moment, Bai Chen finally understood his place clearly. Suddenly, it felt as though some shackle within him had shattered, and his whole body relaxed.

"Sorry, Kiana. Then... Kiana, will you protect me properly next time?"

Bai Chen smiled innocently, like he had a snow leopard by his side.

Kiana had initially been a little angry, but Bai Chen's question made her feel a little embarrassed instead. She stammered out her answer.

"D-Don't worry. I'll definitely protect you."

"Y-You can't go back on your word."

With a wicked grin, Bai Chen pulled out his phone and played the recording.

"D-Don't worry. I'll definitely protect you."

There was irrefutable evidence!

"Hey! What are you doing?! When did you start recording?!"

Realizing something was wrong, Kiana hurriedly reached out, intending to snatch Bai Chen's phone and destroy the evidence.

"Too late! I used Chrono Break to upload it to my cloud storage!"

Bai Chen broke free of Kiana's hold, nimbly dodged her attacks, and ran circles around the hall.

No matter how Kiana attacked, she could not even touch the hem of Bai Chen's clothes, much less seize his phone.

Thanks to their antics, the somewhat heavy atmosphere aboard the Hyperion became lighter. After all, it was good that everyone was safe.

After their fooling around, they began their return journey to St. Freya. On the way, Theresa complained regretfully:

"Even though we came all this way, we got nothing. Whether it was the Xuanyuan Sword or the natural Stigmata, they were probably all destroyed along with Chi You in its stomach. We spent so much effort looking up information on Nine Nether for nothing."

Actually, the Xuanyuan Sword was not the main point. The main purpose of this trip had been the Stigmata.

Himeko's body had been harmed by artificial Stigmata, and she did not have many years left. They had originally hoped to find natural Stigmata for the main headquarters to study, to see whether they could improve artificial Stigmata and extend Himeko's lifespan. Now, it seemed completely hopeless.

Hearing Theresa's words, Kiana and the others, who had learned of Himeko's condition during the expedition, also fell silent. They had tried their best, yet there was still no hope.