My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena

Hua Yi wielded the Crimson Greatsword and slashed at the same time. The flames that had burned away the Legion Fiends, like a sunset over the Divine Court, did not spread into a sea of fire as before. Instead, they condensed into a solid crimson line of flame, radiating an even more violent truth of destruction as it shot directly toward the pillar of light.4.8

The seemingly tangible yet truly incorporeal pillar of light was cut apart. Hua Yi's [Destruction] collided with the Doomsday Beast's [Destruction], and the outcome was decided in an instant.

The light of destruction was severed, the calamity beast's body shattered, and even the [Destruction] contained within it was erased, reduced to ashes.

Even if the ferryman upon the Path had no wish to stir up towering waves, this sword strike of ultimate destruction, which broke through all obstacles and completely submerged the Antimatter Legion's weapon, was destined to set off Surging Waves.

Like a dam beneath Giant Waves, it did not move, yet by enduring the tide, it shattered the waves and created another kind of echo.

The Principle of Destruction that surpassed the Doomsday Beast, along with some deeper trait contained within it, caused the platform's surroundings to undergo a mutation at a point that could not be measured by any unit of time—

Heaven and earth overturned, and the Aeon lowered his gaze.

He Had a Promising Future, but It Seemed to Have Nothing to Do with Destruction

Within an unknown, profound expanse of space, an enormous golden wound seeped with flowing golden blood. A severed arm floating nearby silently revealed something unspeakable.

It was him—the Aeon of Destruction, Nanook.

The towering humanoid with dark skin and golden eyes wore a long robe as he cast down a glance.

Nanook, who presided over the Path of Destruction, looked over. His gaze pierced through endless spacetime, lowered by a true meaning of destruction that transcended mortals and reason, seeking to brand the chosen one with a mark and grant them power.

Only the chosen could briefly behold the Aeon's form beneath that gaze. Only the chosen could comprehend the Supreme Truth from it. Ordinary people could not possibly perceive that gaze descending from beyond time and space.

At most, they could only sense the surging Path Torrent manifesting and stirring Giant Waves along the Erosion Coast.

So it had developed this way after all...

As expected.

Having considered every possibility before swinging his sword, Hua Yi had anticipated this change. He had long since withdrawn the Imaginary Oar that had reached into the [Destruction] Path. The Crimson Greatsword condensed from Hellfire vanished without a trace, more completely than the Doomsday Beast that had been reduced to ash.

From Himeko and Asta's perspective, Hua Yi, who had just slain a Star-Body Weapon with a single sword stroke and left behind not even a speck of residue, suddenly transformed from an iron-blooded warrior. That peerless aura which could bring endless hope and confidence disappeared without a trace. In an instant, he became ordinary, one of the countless common people in The Universe.

If one ignored his exceptional appearance and temperament, that was.

As for the concept of Paths, he had not only severed every connection with [Destruction], but had even caused slight ripples in the rivers of [Memory] and [Preservation], allowing them to cling to him.

Before the Aeon's gaze descended, the warrior who embodied the truth of destruction had already disappeared. The one standing here was a potential Pathstrider with considerable talent in the Paths of Memory and Preservation, one who might enter either of them.

He had a promising future, but it seemed to have nothing whatsoever to do with [Destruction].

The Path's originally precise lock-on lost its target. Nanook's gaze paused, as if contemplating whether there truly existed a peculiar lifeform in this world that wished to evade an Aeon's gaze and reject the blessing desired by all beings in The Universe, or whether the being who had embodied the true meaning of destruction had already fallen into the Supreme Truth, completed self-destruction, and perished together with the Doomsday Beast.

Within frozen time, the Aeon underwent a judgment that might have been long or brief. In the end, his gaze fell upon the Stellaron who possessed the will of destruction.

The Cancer of All Worlds emitted a blazing radiance, but the will of destruction did not originate from the Stellaron itself.

The tide of destruction stirred by Nanook's Sweeping Power had already subsided. Perhaps the being who had comprehended the truth of destruction had used his life to practice the Path he sought, leaving behind only a reckless child hungry for power.

The Aeon still cast a glance upon her.

The [Destruction] Path rippled and saturated the gray-haired girl. The Stellaron and this Path seemed not to be things of the Same Origin. The two powers began to mingle, clash, and resonate.

Star, who had craved power when facing the Doomsday Beast's pillar of destructive light, now received a response far beyond her expectations. Path power and Stellaron energy surged forth together, making the girl cry out in agony.

But the Aeon had already withdrawn his gaze.

Sentient Celestial Bodies could not be judged by ordinary logic, much less the Aeon of Destruction. If Star could not endure the double scouring of the Path and the Stellaron and annihilated herself, then she would merely be practicing [Destruction].

Hua Yi immediately grasped Star's soft hand, making himself an outlet for the rampaging energy inside her. Himeko, standing nearby, had failed to accurately catch the Aeon's glance across spacetime, but she now noticed the problem appearing in the gray-haired girl.

"You two—!"

Himeko cried out in alarm. She had not expected Hua Yi to decisively help Star in such a self-sacrificing manner amid that lightning-fast moment. Now the Galaxy Bat Hero no longer had to suffer the agony of power rampaging through her body, but Hua Yi, who had become the outlet, was surely about to...

Hm?!

The rampaging power of the Path of Destruction and Stellaron energy surged through their joined hands like a bridge and poured violently into Hua Yi's body. Then, like a clay ox entering the sea, it vanished without any reaction.

The scene everyone feared did not occur. He was not torn apart by the violent energy.

The collapsing balance within her body gradually recovered. Star no longer needed to endure the pain, though she had completely lost the majestic, valiant appearance she had displayed when wielding her Baseball Bat in battle.

"As you can see, I'm rather gifted when it comes to energy compatibility too."

Allowing the limp-limbed, pale-faced Galaxy Bat Hero to lean against him, Hua Yi offered Himeko, whose expression had changed, an explanation for the moment.

The Navigator fell silent.

Star's body could contain a Stellaron, yet she still could not withstand the consequences of two kinds of energy running wild. This person had first slain the Doomsday Beast with a single sword stroke, then acted as a human outlet, yet did not show the slightest sign of discomfort.

Didn't that mean his physique was even stronger than Star's?

When Kafka and the others had infiltrated the Space Station with the Stellaron as their target, they should have encountered Hua Yi. Who knew what had happened then? Had the Stellaron Hunters already known of his existence because they were following the script, or had they been just as stunned as she was now?

"Are you guys all right?"

March 7th hurried over. Seeing Star so weak, she feared Hua Yi was forcing himself to endure as well. She quickly supported the Galaxy Bat Hero from the other side, lest the tall girl crush the hero who had fought the longest.

Even if she had not keenly noticed certain unusual details, March 7th was quite reliable when it came to caring for people. She truly was a little angel.

Asta, having put away her laser cannon, came to the side of the person she had been worrying about and wanted to support him. Yet Hua Yi instead sensed the girl's weakness. He simply held Star up with his left hand and Asta with his right.

Then, with two beautiful accessories hanging from him, the great hero operated his Personal Terminal with his chin for a moment and issued an announcement to every Safe Zone.

"I am Hua Yi. The Antimatter Legion's attack has ended. All monsters have been completely eliminated. Not one remains."

The remaining orders should have come from Asta, but the Station Master merely shook her head gently when Hua Yi handed her the terminal. She only hugged his arm tightly.

It seemed the Level IV Researcher would still have to act as the supreme commander and provide a clear plan of action.

"All departments may begin organizing their personnel to restore the Space Station after the chaos. The injured should accept treatment from the Medical Department without worry. All projects with time limits should be postponed. No one should be blamed. We survived the Antimatter Legion's attack, and the Space Station did not fall. Every one of us is a hero."

Why Are You Standing So Close to Him?

Earlier, the researchers in the Safe Zones had already seen through the remaining surveillance equipment that the endless Legion Fiends pouring in from the depths of space had been wiped out, and no new Baryon Channels had appeared.

Likewise, they had seen the Doomsday Beast soaring around the Space Station. The Department of Astral Boundary and Flora immediately called out the monster's name, while the Galaxy Ward Department and the Department of Light Abyss Archives cited texts and records, explaining in detail how many planets this Star-Body Weapon dispatched by destruction worshippers had destroyed.

The Space Station's research covered various fields and encompassed everything imaginable. They immediately realized the terror of the Doomsday Beast.

It did not matter if someone did not recognize it. Knowledgeable Scholars would share intelligence and help ordinary researchers clear away the fog of ignorance.

Then they could further understand the horrifying truth of the Star-Body Weapon. Because they understood enough, they fell into panic. This unusual style of instruction nearly made many Space Station members cry.

Hua Yi might not be able to stop the Doomsday Beast. The great hero who had previously saved everyone and prevented casualties amid the disaster might become the first to die. The Space Station had ultimately failed to withstand the Antimatter Legion's advance. The Doomsday Beast could destroy planets, so the small Starry Sky Museum naturally would not be an exception.

With the two fears stacked together, the atmosphere became oppressive once more. Fortunately, Star's performance in the surveillance footage was extraordinarily brave, while Hua Yi appeared completely at ease with every gesture. Even though the violent shockwaves from several clashes with the Doomsday Beast destroyed all remaining surveillance equipment in the Support Segment's platform area, their anxious hearts had already received great comfort.

Until the experts remotely assessed the battle through the energy-monitoring devices in the Safe Zones and shouted, "The Doomsday Beast's life signs have vanished!" Then Hua Yi's broadcast announcing victory came through, and everyone erupted into wild cheers.

"We survived? I actually survived the Antimatter Legion's attack?"

"So the Antimatter Legion can fail too. The Space Station truly is the Wisdom Gathering Place renowned across The Universe!"

"So many Voidrangers failed to break through Lord Hua Yi's Flame Sword, and even the Doomsday Beast could only fall. We are all witnesses to legend!"

"Boohoo... Praise Madam Herta, praise Lord Hua Yi, praise Station Master Asta."

"Where's the Medical Department? Where are the Medical Department nurses? Hurry and come with us to see whether Hua Yi is injured!"

The higher-ups of every department were so anxious that they stamped their feet. They feared the hero who had saved everyone was bleeding somewhere. In an instant, countless people wanted to rush to the platform. Even injured people who had fallen during the earlier chaos prepared to help, picking up medical equipment and wanting to carry it out.

"Stop making noise. Handle your own affairs. If Hua Yi has any problems, I'll naturally resolve them for him."

Who was it? Who dared to make such grand claims and assurances while the situation was still unclear?

If something happened to Lord Hua Yi, would you take responsibility? Could you even afford to take responsibility?!

The Medical Department researchers, who claimed they could save someone so long as they still had a breath left, wore solemn expressions as they sought to display every skill they possessed. No matter how serious the hero's injuries were, they would save him at any cost. How could anyone dare interfere at a time like this?

For a moment, no one knew how many Space Station members were filled with righteous indignation. This included the visitors who had collapsed in the Observation Corridor not long ago and witnessed the glorious sight of the warrior wielding the Flame Sword. They had already been mentally exhausted, but now they could not help glaring angrily at the speaker.

Then, when pair after pair of eyes saw that petite figure, the noisy scene instantly fell silent.

"M-Madam Herta, are you personally controlling a puppet?"

"Obviously."

The moment the chaotic field covering the Space Station vanished and external communications returned to normal, Genius Miss connected to a puppet. As she headed out of the Safe Zone, she reviewed the puppet's information logs and the Space Station's surveillance footage, ignoring the crowd behind her that had been clamoring moments ago but now timidly shut up after realizing she was the one speaking.

Streams of data flickered rapidly through the puppet's eyes. Detecting an anomaly in a portion of the data, Herta expressionlessly cleared away the trap program Silver Wolf had deliberately left in the Space Station's backend, then used a hidden system backdoor to restore the deleted surveillance footage.

Now, Herta did not merely see Hua Yi's feat of wielding the Flame Sword to resist the Legion, which the researchers already knew about. With her highest-level access authority, she also saw everything he had said to Gunn from the Department of Legal Affairs, how he had encouraged people beneath the isolation wall, considered the visitors stranded in the Observation Corridor, and arranged for them to retreat into the Safe Zones.

As well as Kafka and Silver Wolf's appearance.

The Stellaron Hunters had infiltrated the Space Station and encountered Hua Yi, who was guarding No Heavens Left Unspoken. Their conversation and tests had been recorded by hidden surveillance devices. Although Silver Wolf had deleted them afterward, Herta could restore them.

Listening to Hua Yi say in the footage, "Because of the defense project I proposed, Herta's puppets all went to the Safe Zones, making No Heavens Left Unspoken instead become a poorly defended location. Naturally, I had to help guard it," and, "She had long stopped researching the Stellaron and sealed the Cancer of All Worlds deep within the Space Station. She wasn't treating it as a toy in her collection, but keeping a dangerous object within her control," Herta's eyes shifted as she murmured softly.

"I never asked you to do these unnecessary things..."

A moment later, guided by real-time coordinates, the puppet girl entered Asta's office. The first thing she saw was the Stellaron leaning against Hua Yi's side.

"Kid, why are you standing so close to him? If the Stellaron inside you suddenly explodes, Hua Yi will be the first one hit."

"Hm?"

Star had already become somewhat weak after being scoured by the Stellaron and Path power. On top of that, Hua Yi was comfortable and warm to lean against, and the girl had wanted to enjoy it a little longer. Who would have thought that the shorty who had previously been guarding the Safe Zone entrance would run over and directly call her a kid?

Who was bigger and who was smaller was obvious, all right?!

"Hmph. It is rather fascinating. To contain this inactive Stellaron and spare Azure Planet from disaster, I built an entire Space Station. Yet someone else returned to basics and solved it by relying on your little body. And it's quite stable too."

"My name is Star. I'm not a little kid."

"Ha, compared to me, aren't you a little kid? How old are you, anyway?"

At that, Star looked to Hua Yi for help. She did not know how old she was either, but she should still be older than this shorty who called her "kid" every other sentence.

Hua Yi thought seriously for a while.

"If we judge by the length of your existing clear memories—Star, you were born today. You're still a child."

Godfall Sword, Snatching Someone Away?

"Fine, then I won't lower myself to a child's level."

"Hey, I only don't have memories of the past. I wasn't just born! Hua Yi, why aren't you speaking up for me? We fought side by side earlier."

Star protested by shaking the arm of the person beside her. Asta, who was busy bringing tea and refreshments, pursed her lips and could not help speaking up to stop her.

"P-Please don't use too much force..."

"Exactly. What if you shake Hua Yi apart? And you say you're not a child, but you're even more reckless than I am."

March 7th had just watched Star chase down the Doomsday Beast and batter it relentlessly with a Baseball Bat. On a planet, that level of force could genuinely shatter mountains and sever rivers. If she used too much strength now, even if she did not dislocate Hua Yi's arm, tearing his clothes would be effortless.

"Doesn't the way March 7th put it sound like you've directly placed yourself in the child's position? I'm not that easy to shake apart. The Doomsday Beast can testify to that. Also, Asta, stop running around to bring food and drinks. Before the Legion Attack, I had just finished the feast you prepared. Did you forget?"

"All right."

If it had only been Hua Yi and her, the girl might have fed him herself.

Several System Times had already passed since that meal, and during that time, the great hero wielding the Flame Sword had single-handedly held off the Antimatter Legion. He had definitely expended a great deal of energy.

But Madam Herta had now appeared, and Himeko and March 7th from the Astral Express were also present. Asta naturally felt embarrassed.

"Let me see what exactly is going on with you."

Herta did not focus on the Stellaron. Instead, she controlled her puppet to approach Hua Yi and scanned his vital signs in a way impossible with the naked eye.

Those who understood knew she was performing a medical examination. Those who did not, seeing the petite girl walk right up and stare at him with her large eyes, might have thought she intended to do something else.

Hua Yi calmly accepted the puppet's scrutiny.

"So? Did you find anything?"

"I found that you were holding back. The methods you used to defeat the Outworld Blaze in the Department of Boundary Seeds last time would not have been enough to resist the Antimatter Legion so perfectly. They were nowhere near the same scale."

"Only the Doomsday Beast and some Voidrangers came. That didn't count as the Legion's main force."

"What, you want to arm-wrestle the Legion's main force too?"