My Honkai Star Rail: Reversing All Phenomena

Looking around at everyone present—Himeko and March 7th from the Astral Express, his own Station Master Asta, and a Stellaron brat—Herta had no intention of directly probing Hua Yi's secrets. She did not even plan to ask much about how he had defeated the Doomsday Beast.

A true genius could reconstruct the entire battle from the complicated data gathered by energy-monitoring equipment alone.

[Destruction] that surpassed the Doomsday Beast, and a body capable of withstanding the outpouring of Path power and Stellaron energy...

Remembering the anomalies displayed by the simulated forms of the Aeon of The Protection and the Aeon of Memory when Hua Yi tested the Simulated Universe, Herta gave this man, who had perhaps already reached "genius" level in Imaginary Energy, a long look before casually bringing up a less important detail.

"Where's that sword? Take it out and let me see."

There was no need to stir [Memory] again. After its core had been shaped by Path power, Hua Yi merely needed to draw upon Imaginary Energy to condense the Crimson Greatsword once more.

He knew Genius Miss had already deduced quite a few things. Just as she understood that since he had openly used this sword and left footage of it in the surveillance records, he had no intention of concealing it further.

Ten

"What is this sword called?"

"[Godfall Sword Surtur]."

"Godfall?"

It was not just Herta. Himeko, March 7th, and Asta were all drawn in by the Crimson Greatsword's name, their expressions turning strange. Only Star watched the spectacle without understanding why.

"Why are you looking at me like that? The god I mean is obviously not an Aeon. I'm referring to the fictional deities of civilizations that have not yet joined the Pan-Galactic Trade System and have never learned of Aeons. The weapon's name comes from a planet's mythology, so please don't jump to conclusions."

"I'll study it for a while. You all talk."

Herta casually found a sofa in the office and sat down, placing the restrained Godfall Sword across her lap to examine it. Himeko seemed to have expected this and immediately spoke up.

"Since Star isn't a member of the Space Station, what are your plans afterward? If you're willing, you can board the Astral Express."

"Me? Of course I'm following Hua Yi~"

"That was actually what I wanted to ask next—once the turmoil caused by the Legion Attack has completely settled, Hua Yi, would you be interested in temporarily leaving the Space Station and exploring the stars with us?"

The moment Himeko finished speaking, she felt a gaze filled with emotional turbulence.

It came from Asta.

Before the young station master could sternly protest the Express crew's blatant attempt to poach someone in front of her, Herta, who was studying the Godfall Sword, spoke without even raising her head.

"Hua Yi has to test the Simulated Universe for me."

Just moments ago, March 7th had wanted to clap in support of Sister Himeko inviting Hua Yi. With his strength, if he joined the Astral Express, one could imagine how smooth their future travels would become. Traveling with such a dependable companion would undoubtedly be wonderful news.

But the atmosphere seemed a little off. Asta was faintly giving off a gloomy aura.

Little March shrank back and stopped talking.

Himeko had heard of the Simulated Universe. Strictly speaking, the Astral Express had provided Herta with plenty of material for constructing the Simulated Universe as it traveled through the sea of stars.

The Navigator sincerely wanted to invite Hua Yi aboard the train. During the battle against the Doomsday Beast, Star, despite possessing a Stellaron, should not have been able to perform so bravely. It was entirely because Hua Yi had fought at her side, sheltering her from the storm. Otherwise, the normal outcome would have been for the girl to be smashed straight back onto the platform by that massive creature at the very beginning—and there would have been more of that afterward.

This was no longer simply a matter of combat strength, but a certain possibility.

Himeko had no way of knowing yet whether Hua Yi existed outside the Stellaron Hunters' script, but she had personally witnessed the events involving him develop in a more complete direction. Calling them flawless would not be an exaggeration.

Somewhere deep down, Himeko had a feeling that [The Path of Exploration] needed him, and would surely become more exciting because of him.

Even setting aside those vague instincts, she would still make the same choice based solely on her personal judgment.

It just did not seem appropriate to continue the invitation now.

The mature, elegant red-haired beauty decisively backed down.

"I misspoke. Repairing the Space Station should remain the top priority right now. I happen to know some maintenance skills. Is there anything I can help with, Station Master Asta?"

Pressure Makes People Improve

The Astral Express's friends had arrived at the Space Station during the Legion Attack, accepted the request to support Hua Yi without hesitation, and even participated in the battle against the Doomsday Beast. Asta quickly composed herself and thanked them sincerely.

"Thank you to the Express crew and Star for lending us a hand during this incident. Please accept these Temporary Permission Cards and keep them with you. Nearly every area of the Space Station requires a certain level of authorization to access. As for post-disaster reconstruction, the Space Station has specialized departments responsible for it, so Miss Himeko need not worry."

As she spoke, a delivery robot carried a small, high-tech-looking box over to the office door.

The young station master had not forgotten that Star had only been "born" today and possessed nothing.

"This is a terminal with some popular applications installed. You can think of it as a phone for basic use. Try to get familiar with it. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me."

The internal portable Smart Terminal manufactured by the Space Station was not sold externally. Its technological sophistication went without saying, and all its specifications met the highest standards in the universe. It would certainly be extremely expensive if measured in Credits, but to the wealthy Asta, it clearly did not count as a proper gift.

"I've also arranged accommodations for you. The exact locations have been sent to the three of you. If you need anything else, the Space Station will do everything it can to help."

Although Star had been sprawled on the sofa the entire time, leaning intimately against Hua Yi and nearly resting her head on his lap; although Himeko had just extended an olive branch to Hua Yi and tried to poach the Space Station's hero for the Astral Express right in front of her—

Asta still separated her personal feelings from her duties as station master. She did everything possible to consider the friends who had stepped up to help Herta Space Station through its crisis, arranging every little detail for them.

Through one fact after another, the young girl proved how correct Herta's casual decision to appoint her as station master and let her manage the Space Station had been.

It was Asta's good fortune that she had been able to escape The Family by relying on Genius Miss's influence. And was it not equally Herta's good fortune that she had easily found someone capable of properly managing the Space Station?

The puppet girl remained as individualistic as ever, keeping her head lowered as she continued studying Hua Yi's Godfall Sword and leaving all Space Station affairs to Asta.

They maintained a special understanding.

The phone Star received diverted her attention. She sat upright and began exploring the various applications, while March 7th scooted over to teach her.

"Tap here, then here."

"Oh, Hua Yi, let's add each other as friends."

The Galaxy Bat Hero immediately requested that they exchange contact information, her tone and expression entirely natural.

She was still a child and did not know that this behavior was repeatedly prodding a certain station master's sensitive nerves.

Things were progressing too quickly. If not for Star having no memories of her past, Asta believed the gray-haired girl could fully recreate, in a single day, the entire process from getting to know Hua Yi to sharing her innermost thoughts with him.

Was this how quickly affection rose when people fought side by side? Perhaps it was also because a girl who had forgotten her past was still innocent and bewildered, experiencing kindness and care for the first time.

Even though the Fan Group's member count and messages all demonstrated Hua Yi's charm, Asta was still startled by Star's open and straightforward manner.

The people in the group could not be as bold as Star. Even sending some snacks to the office required discussion, and they were terrified that the flavors they chose would not suit their idol's tastes. To cling to Hua Yi directly in front of the Space Station's station master and Madam Herta like Star did was something the others would not dare dream of.

When it came to choosing someone to keep watch, the group members had even imagined a strictly hierarchical pyramid. Yet the Galaxy Bat Hero had declared through her actions that rules were meant to be broken!

Hua Yi was charming, Star was brave—was she herself being too hesitant?

Feeling the pressure, Asta gritted her teeth. She did not want to become the one keeping watch outside the door. She immediately made up her mind, sat down on the other end of the sofa again, and used the opportunity of adding Star as a friend to sit right beside Hua Yi.

Normally, Station Master Asta handled work at her desk or went to the central console in the Control Zone to issue orders. Today was special. She simply sat on the sofa, opened a Holographic Projection beside Hua Yi, and clearly had no intention of moving again.

Hua Yi knew perfectly well that if he suddenly stood up now, it would be tantamount to deliberately putting distance between himself and Asta. If he walked out of the office on the spot, that would be outright bullying the adorable girl—an unforgivable crime.

Fine. For at least the next two System Time, this sofa was my home.

With Hua Yi as the dividing line, Star and March 7th sat on the left side of the long sofa, while Asta sat on the right. Fortunately, the Galaxy Bat Hero was not deliberately competing with anyone, and the young station master was focused on rebuilding the Space Station rather than starting a battle over love. The situation, which would turn into a shura field with one further step, remained in a delicate balance.

"So the Antimatter Legion are followers of the Aeon of Destruction—wait, the Aeon of Destruction is called Nanook?!"

While browsing the Interastral Peace Network and casually searching for information about the Legion, Star discovered a name that sounded familiar.

If her memory was correct, back in No Heavens Left Unspoken, Hua Yi had said that if she was interested, she could treat Nanook as a demon king she needed to defeat and smack a huge bump onto His head with her Baseball Bat.

0 ..0

The gray-haired girl counted on her fingers.

The Star-Body Weapon Doomsday Beast was not even the strongest in the Legion. Above it were the Calamity Vanguards, then the Lords of Ruin, and only after that came the Aeon of Destruction...

It was an extremely broad way of categorizing strength, and the information had not been written by Legion members themselves. Who knew how much was true and how much was false? But even within that framework, the Doomsday Beast was not a particularly powerful enemy. An Aeon could probably erase it with a single thought by unleashing the might of Their Path.

Remembering how she had clashed head-on with the Doomsday Beast at the start, only to be pressed straight into the ground without inflicting any effective damage, and how she had relied entirely on Hua Yi afterward to keep up the assault, Star pouted. She suddenly felt that when he mentioned Nanook at the beginning, he had merely been humoring a child.

"Looks like our Galaxy Bat Hero has learned quite a lot in such a short time."

"That nickname sounds weird now. You're the real hero, after all—my username will be Face-Tanking Ultimate for now. I'll change it later."

"What, are you getting a little sulky?"

"I just have a clearer goal now. I seem to be able to use the power of [Destruction]. Once I get used to it, if another Doomsday Beast dares show itself, I'll smack it flying with one swing of my bat!"

Star swung her arm forcefully. Whether future Doomsday Beasts would be sent flying was unknown, but her Portable Terminal nearly flew away. The girl fumbled for a while before catching it properly again, then scratched her head in embarrassment. For a time, the office was filled with cheerful laughter.

Let's Work, Star

"Here's your sword."

Taking back the Godfall Sword Herta returned to him, Hua Yi met those beautiful Puppet's Eyes and waited for her question.

Imaginary Energy had been bound through the Path of [Memory], forming the Crimson Greatsword's core. Others might not be able to discover anything through sight alone, but Herta was different.

The automaton's eyes could analyze countless things. Coupled with the Virtual Data from No Heavens Left Unspoken and the fact that he had arrived at the Space Station empty-handed, Genius Miss should have noticed that the Destructive Aura clinging to the greatsword was merely superficial. Hidden within it was a quality distinct from [Destruction], originating from another Path.

As the true owner of the Space Station, Herta should have conducted some basic questioning. She should have investigated the Grand World and Exciting Story she had personally mentioned, Hua Yi's origins, and that terrifying talent which seemed favored by Aeons whether in the Simulated Universe or the real world.

Yet Herta did not speak. She merely looked at him, as though they were playing a game where whoever blinked first lost.

Only when Hua Yi's expression changed did she curl her lips into a smile.

"You don't have anything you want to ask me?"

This was probably a genius's willfulness. To make things more interesting, she would rather switch the roles of questioner and respondent, handing over the initiative in the conversation.

After a brief, speechless laugh, Hua Yi followed Herta's lead.

"The Antimatter Legion brazenly attacked the Space Station. As the true owner here, don't you plan to react at all?"

"React to what?"

Genius Miss curled her lips.

"The matter is already over. Should I jump out and say that more than two hundred automatons are hidden in the Space Station, and that the ones who appeared to protect the Safe Zone were only a small portion of them?"

A single Herta Automaton could guard a key passage and smash the Voidrangers Hua Yi had deliberately let in to death with one hammer. If more than two hundred were deployed, then even without establishing a Safe Zone beforehand, they could have spread throughout the Space Station and defended this museum-like vessel without a single gap. Not to mention that the Space Station contained things even Asta could not learn about with her Station Master Authority.

"Since there are so many automatons, why didn't you leave a few in No Heavens Left Unspoken?—Oh, I almost forgot. Madam Herta's wisdom runs as deep as the abyss. Perhaps you had foreseen certain things."

Hearing the shift in Hua Yi's tone, the automaton waited calmly for his further praise.

Even though Herta, who had accomplished countless extraordinary feats, had long grown tired of others' excessive compliments, seeing this fellow—bold enough to want to turn her automaton into a catgirl—change his attitude and become respectful would undoubtedly be amusing.

"I imagine Madam Herta must have guessed that the Stellaron Hunters would infiltrate the Space Station amid the chaos. And since there happened to be a super Hacker named Silver Wolf among them, you hid all the automatons to prevent her from taking system control."

Herta's smile froze upon hearing that, while Star, who had no idea why, added fuel to the fire.

"So that Silver Wolf is really that impressive."

"As if! You believe whatever Hua Yi says? I simply couldn't be bothered to lower myself to Silver Wolf's level. Otherwise, I'd make her cry so hard she wouldn't know where to go. That brat happened to leave a Backdoor Program in the Space Station, so just wait and see how I punish her."

"What about the Antimatter Legion? I assume the esteemed Madam Herta won't let off those ghosts and monsters that dared provoke you."

"Didn't you wipe out all the Voidrangers and the Doomsday Beast? What else am I supposed to do? Don't say anything ridiculous like giving Nanook a hammer to the head."

In her previous dealings with the Astral Express, Genius Miss had never openly said, "I owe you a favor. Whatever you need later, I'll fulfill it." Just as she truly sheltered Asta: if the elders of the wealthy girl's Family ever tried to make trouble, Herta would definitely resolve it, but she would not make promises before anything had happened.

Yet she had made an exception for Hua Yi. She had already told him to make a request before, but a proud genius would not ask a second time on her own initiative.

Hua Yi understood that as well.

"The Stellaron you sealed is now inside Star's body. You wouldn't want to do anything excessive to an innocent girl, would you?"

"Heh~"

Herta showed a malicious expression and turned her gaze toward the Stellaron brat, who had just doubted whether her hacking abilities were inferior to Silver Wolf's.

"The Space Station is my storage room, and Stellarons are my containment objects. By that logic, there's nothing wrong with calling this little one my property. I'm rather curious—what exactly counts as excessive treatment when it comes to one's own toy?"

Whenever the puppet girl spoke before, Asta, March 7th, and Himeko would all sit upright and seriously listen to Genius Miss. Only Star played with her phone while listening.

Now, before Silver Wolf had even suffered Herta's punishment, the Galaxy Bat Hero with the same surname seemed destined to have bad luck before her.

Sensing danger, the gray-haired girl warily put down her Smart Terminal and leaned closer to Hua Yi.

"What are you trying to do? Don't mess around."

"By the way, that Baseball Bat you're holding is also one of the Curios in my collection."

"Hua Yi gave this to me!"